CN111351513A - Instrument monitoring device and control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

An instrument monitoring device comprises a shell, a power supply unit, an image acquisition unit, a control unit, a first switch and a clock unit. The housing is configured to be detachably disposed on the meter device. The image acquisition unit is electrically connected with the power supply unit. The control unit is configured to control the image acquisition unit to acquire an image of a surface of the meter device. The first switch is connected between the power supply unit and the control unit. The power supply unit is configured to supply power to the control unit via the first switch. The clock unit is configured to control the first switch to be turned on according to a setting. The power supply unit, the control unit, the image acquisition unit, the first switch and the clock unit are fixed with the shell.

Description

Instrument monitoring device and control method thereof

technical field

The present invention relates to a monitoring device for an instrument and a control method thereof, in particular to a monitoring device for an instrument that is installed outside the instrument device and can effectively save electricity and a control method thereof.

Background technique

The digital data on traditional water meters, electricity meters, gas meters and other instrumentation devices must rely on manual meter reading to know the water and electricity consumption of each household. Although, in the era of the Internet of Things, smart meter devices such as smart water meters, electricity meters, and gas meters have appeared one after another. However, it is difficult and costly to replace the original water meters, electricity meters, and gas meters with smart meters. is so high that it is almost impossible to implement.

In addition, the smart meter usually only performs functions such as data transmission or data storage within a preset specific period, resulting in an idle state of the smart meter outside the specific period. However, in this idle state, the power supply of the smart meter will continue to supply power to the functional elements in the smart meter, resulting in a waste of power resources.

On the other hand, after a period of time, the above-mentioned settings may no longer be suitable for the current needs of users, and the settings need to be updated separately. Therefore, how to propose a meter monitoring device that can be applied to various meter devices on the market, can save power and can update the communication time setting by itself is one of the problems that the industry is eager to invest in research and development resources to solve.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of this, the present invention proposes an instrument monitoring device and a control method thereof, which can effectively save power, can update communication settings by itself, and is suitable for various instrument devices.

In order to achieve the above object, according to an embodiment of the present invention, an instrument monitoring device includes a casing, a power supply unit, an image acquisition unit, a control unit, a first switch, and a clock unit. The housing is configured to be removably disposed on the meter device. The image acquisition unit is electrically connected with the power supply unit. The control unit is configured to control the image acquisition unit to acquire an image of the surface of the meter device. The first switch is connected between the power supply unit and the control unit. The power supply unit is configured to supply power to the control unit via the first switch. The clock unit is configured to control the first switch to be turned on according to the setting. The power supply unit, the control unit, the image acquisition unit, the first switch, and the clock unit are fixed to the casing.

According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the above-mentioned apparatus further includes a second switch. The control unit is configured to control the opening and closing of the second switch. The power supply unit is configured to supply power to the image capturing unit through the second switch.

According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the above-mentioned apparatus further includes a communication unit. The communication unit is electrically connected with the control unit and the power supply unit. The communication unit is configured to transmit data with the external device.

According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the above-mentioned apparatus further includes a second switch. The control unit is configured to control the opening and closing of the second switch. The power supply unit is configured to supply power to the communication unit via the second switch.

According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the above-mentioned apparatus further includes a main board. The motherboard contains multiple fixed connection sockets. The image acquisition unit includes a connection plug. The connection plug is pluggably connected to one of the fixed connection sockets.

According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the above-mentioned device further includes an image recognition unit. The image recognition unit is electrically connected to the image acquisition unit. The image recognition unit is configured to recognize characters in the image.

According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the above-mentioned control unit is configured to control the clock unit to turn off the first switch.

In order to achieve the above objective, according to another embodiment of the present invention, a control method for controlling an instrument monitoring device installed on an instrument device is provided. The instrument monitoring device includes a power supply unit, a control unit, a first switch connected between the power supply unit and the control unit, an image acquisition unit connected to the control unit, and a clock unit connected to the first switch. The control method includes making the clock unit turn on the first switch according to the first setting, so that the power supply unit supplies power to the control unit through the first switch, and the control unit controls the image acquisition unit to acquire the image of the surface of the instrument device.

According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the above-mentioned apparatus further includes a second switch connected between the power supply unit and the image capturing unit. The above method further includes enabling the control unit to turn on the second switch, so that the power supply unit supplies power to the image capturing unit through the second switch.

According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the above-mentioned apparatus further includes a communication unit electrically connected to the control unit and the power supply unit. The above method further includes causing the control unit to control the communication unit to transmit data with the external device.

According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the above-mentioned device further includes a second switch connected to the power supply unit and the communication unit. The above method further includes enabling the control unit to turn on the second switch, so that the power supply unit supplies power to the communication unit through the second switch.

According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the above-mentioned method further includes causing the communication unit to receive the second setting from the external device and causing the control unit to update the clock unit according to the second setting, so that the clock unit turns on the first setting according to the second setting. a switch.

According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the above method further includes causing the control unit to control the clock unit to turn off the first switch after the control unit updates the clock unit according to the second setting, so that the power supply unit stops supplying power to the control unit .

According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the above-mentioned apparatus further includes an image recognition unit connected to the image acquisition unit. The above method further includes enabling the image recognition unit to recognize characters in the image.

To sum up, in the instrument monitoring device and the control method thereof of the present invention, one or more switches are arranged between the power supply unit, the control unit, the image acquisition unit and the communication unit, so as to turn on a specific switch when necessary, Make the power supply unit supply power to a specific unit, thereby achieving the purpose of saving power. In addition, the instrument monitoring device of the present invention can be detachably installed on the instrument devices with various surface specifications on the market, without re-replacement of the original instrument device, so as to avoid complicated replacement works and greatly save costs. . Furthermore, the instrument monitoring device of the present invention can acquire and update new settings from the remote end by itself, so as to meet the user's operational requirements.

The above descriptions are only used to describe the problems to be solved by the present invention, the technical means for solving the problems, and their effects, etc. The specific details of the present invention will be introduced in detail in the following embodiments and related drawings.

Description of drawings

In order to make the above and other objects, features, advantages and embodiments of the present invention more clearly understood, the accompanying drawings are described as follows:

FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram illustrating a meter monitoring device installed in a meter device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functions included in the meter monitoring device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the connection between the image acquisition unit and the main board of the instrument monitoring device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the acquisition of a surface image by the instrument monitoring device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the communication connection of the meter monitoring device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of the meter monitoring device in the working mode according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating a method for controlling the re-operation mode of the meter monitoring device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a meter monitoring device in a working mode according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of the meter monitoring device in the update setting mode according to the embodiment of the present invention.

【Symbol Description】

100: Instrument monitoring device

110: Shell

112: Viewing window

114: Waterproof ring

120: Power supply unit

130: Control unit

140: Image acquisition unit

142: Lens

144: Connection plug

150: Clock unit

160: Image recognition unit

170: Storage Unit

180: Communication unit

190: Motherboard

192: Fixed connection socket

200: Instrumentation

210: Surface

300: External device

M1: main system

I1: Square

I2: Square

S1: first switch

S2: Second switch

S3: Third switch

T: signal line

S100, S103, S106, S109, S112, S115, S118, S121, S124, S210, S218, S311A, S311B, S311C, S416A, S416B, S416C: Steps

Detailed ways

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be disclosed with the accompanying drawings. For the sake of clarity, many practical details will be described together in the following description. It should be understood, however, that these practical details should not be used to limit the invention. That is, in some embodiments of the invention, these practical details are unnecessary. In addition, for the purpose of simplifying the drawings, some conventional structures and elements will be shown in a simplified and schematic manner in the drawings.

Please refer to Figure 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic three-dimensional diagram illustrating a meter monitoring device 100 installed on a meter device 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The meter monitoring device 100 includes a housing 110 . The housing 110 is detachably disposed on the meter device 200 , so the user can manually disassemble and assemble the meter monitoring device 100 to install the meter monitoring device 100 on various types of meter device products on the market. For example, the meter device 200 of the present embodiment may be a water meter, an electricity meter, a gas meter, etc., which can measure the usage of energy or substances, but the present invention should not be limited to this. The housing 110 includes a viewing window 112 and a waterproof ring 114 . The viewing window 112 is provided on the housing 110 at a position opposite the surface 210 . Specifically, the viewing window 112 is perforated with a transparent material (eg, glass) embedded therein. The user can observe the data displayed on the surface 210 through the viewing window 112 without disassembling the casing 110 . The waterproof ring 114 is disposed at the joint between the casing 110 and the meter device 200 . The waterproof ring 114 can prevent water or water vapor from infiltrating from the joint between the housing 110 and the instrument device 200 , so as to avoid the failure of the instrument monitoring device 100 or the instrument device 200 .

In some embodiments, a flip-up cover is provided outside the viewing window 112 to prevent dust and rain from entering the housing 110 through the viewing window 112 . In some embodiments, the position of the viewing window 112 can be flexibly adjusted according to actual operating conditions, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the casing 110 may not be provided with the viewing window 112, and the present invention should not be limited to this.

In some embodiments, the waterproof ring 114 may be a silicone ring, a rubber ring, or an O-ring, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the casing 110 may not be provided with the waterproof ring 114 .

Please refer to Figure 2. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functions included in the meter monitoring device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the meter monitoring device 100 further includes a power supply unit 120, a control unit 130, an image acquisition unit 140, a clock unit 150, an image recognition unit 160, a storage unit 170, a communication unit 180, a first switch S1, a second switch S2 and third switch S3. The power supply unit 120 , the control unit 130 , the image acquisition unit 140 , the clock unit 150 , the image recognition unit 160 , the storage unit 170 , the communication unit 180 , the first switch S1 , the second switch S2 and the third switch S3 are connected to the casing. 110 phases are fixed. In this embodiment, the control unit 130 , the image recognition unit 160 , and the storage unit 170 are integrated on the motherboard to form the main system M1 , but the invention is not limited to this. In some embodiments, the control unit 130 , the image recognition unit 160 , and the storage unit 170 are independent functional units.

The first switch S1 is connected between the main system M1 and the power supply unit 120 . The second switch S2 is connected between the control unit 130 and the image acquisition unit 140 . The third switch S3 is connected between the control unit 130 and the communication unit 180 . The second switch S2 and the third switch S3 are further connected to the power supply unit 120 through the first switch S1. The power supply unit 120 is electrically connected to the clock unit 150 and configured to supply power to the clock unit 150 . The clock unit 150 is configured to control the first switch S1 to be turned on according to the first setting. In some embodiments, the setting information in the first setting includes time and date, OCR identification information (such as ROI number, location, font type, etc. ) and communication information (for example, the transmission cycle of the identification character, the cycle set by the communication unit 180 to receive, etc.), but the present invention should not be limited to this. Thereby, the power supply unit 120 supplies power to the control unit 130 , the image recognition unit 160 and the storage unit 170 in the main system M1 through the first switch S1 . Further, the control unit 130 is configured to control the opening and closing of the second switch S2 and the third switch S3, so that the power supply unit 120 supplies power to the image capturing unit 140 or the power supply unit 120 via the first switch S1 and the second switch S2 The communication unit 180 is powered via the first switch S1 and the third switch S3.

In some embodiments, the second switch S2 and the third switch S3 can be replaced with a fourth switch. In other words, the image capturing unit 140 and the communication unit 180 are connected to the control unit 130 through the fourth switch, and the fourth switch is connected to the power supply unit 120 through the first switch S1. Thereby, the control unit 130 is configured to control the opening and closing of the fourth switch, so that the power supply unit 120 supplies power to the image capturing unit 140 and the communication unit 180 through the first switch S1 and the fourth switch. In another embodiment, the meter monitoring device 100 may also omit one or both of the first switch S1 , the second switch S2 and the third switch S3 , but the present invention is not limited to this.

In some embodiments, the power supply unit 120 may be a battery or a power supply circuit, but the invention is not limited thereto.

In some embodiments, the image acquisition unit 140 may be a camera or photographing device using a charge-coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) as a photosensitive element, However, the present invention is not limited to this.

In some embodiments, the storage unit 170 may be a flash memory (Flash memory) or a random access memory (Random Access Memory), but the invention is not limited thereto.

Please refer to Figure 3. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the connection between the image acquisition unit 140 and the main board 190 of the meter monitoring device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3 , the meter monitoring device 100 further includes a main board 190 . The main system M1 is disposed on the main board 190, but the present invention should not be limited to this. Mainboard 190 includes a plurality of fixed connection sockets 192 . A plurality of fixed connection sockets 192 are arranged on the main board 190 to form an array (eg, a 7×10 matrix), but the present invention should not be limited to this. The image capturing unit 140 includes a lens 142 and a connecting plug 144 . The lens 142 is opposite to the surface 210 to obtain an image of the surface 210 . The connection plug 144 is disposed on the opposite side of the image capturing unit 140 from the lens 142 . The connection plugs 144 are pluggably connected to one or more of the above-mentioned fixed connection sockets 192 array, depending on the number of the connection plugs 144 . Therefore, the relative position of the image capturing unit 140 and the surface 210 can be adjusted by adjusting the connection position of the connection plug 144 and the main board 190 to meet the different surface specifications of various instrumentation products on the market.

Further, in this embodiment, the connection plug 144 is a pin, but the present invention is not limited to this. The length of the pins can be determined by the focal length of the lens 142 . By selecting a pin with an appropriate length and setting it on the image acquisition unit 140, the distance between the image acquisition unit 140 and the surface 210 can be adjusted, so that the image acquisition unit 140 can clearly acquire various instrument devices 200 (such as water meters, electricity meters) on the market. , gas meter) of the surface 210 of the image (as shown in FIG. 4). The image acquisition unit 140 is electrically connected to the image recognition unit 160 and the storage unit 170 in the main system M1 through the signal line T. Therefore, after the image acquisition unit 140 acquires the image of the surface 210, the image data can be transmitted to the image recognition unit 160 or the storage unit 170 in the main system M1 through the signal line T.

In some embodiments, the positions and numbers of the fixed connection sockets 192 and the connection plugs 144 can be flexibly adjusted according to actual operating conditions, and the present invention is not limited to what is shown in FIG. 3 .

Please refer to FIG. 4 in conjunction with FIG. 5 . FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the acquisition of an image of the surface 210 by the instrument monitoring device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the communication connection of the meter monitoring device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 4 , the range enclosed by the dotted square I1 is the image range of the surface 210 that can be acquired by the image acquisition unit 140 . After the image acquisition unit 140 acquires the image, the image is transmitted to the image recognition unit 160 in the main system M1. The image recognition unit 160 includes positioning information, such as a region of interest (ROI). With the positioning information, the image recognition unit 160 locates the character range of the surface 210 , as shown in FIG. 4 , the range enclosed by the square I2 . After locating the character range of the surface 210 , the image recognition unit 160 recognizes the characters in the image through a software recognition method, such as Optical Character Recognition (OCR), but the invention is not limited to this. The recognized character data is further stored in the storage unit 170 . After the communication unit 180 is powered by the power supply unit 120 , the recognized character data can be transmitted to the remote external device 300 through the communication unit 180 .

In some embodiments, the image data acquired by the image acquisition unit 140 can be directly stored in the storage unit 170 without the need to recognize the characters in the image through the image recognition unit 160 . In this embodiment, after the image data acquired by the image acquisition unit 140 is transmitted to the external device 300 via the communication unit 180 , the image processing system of the external device 300 performs the function of character recognition. In other words, in some embodiments, the instrument monitoring device 100 does not need to provide the image recognition unit 160 , so that the power supply unit 120 can save more power consumption and achieve a more power saving effect.

In some embodiments, the range of the image acquisition unit 140 to acquire the image and the positioning range of the image recognition unit 160 can be flexibly adjusted according to the actual operation situation, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

Please refer to Figure 6. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of the meter monitoring device 100 in the working mode according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 6 , in the present embodiment, the control method for controlling the meter monitoring device 100 includes steps S100 to S124. Hereinafter, the control method of the meter monitoring device 100 of the present embodiment will be exemplarily described with reference to the meter monitoring device 100 shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 5 .

In step S100, the clock unit 150 is made to turn on the first switch S1 according to the first setting. In this embodiment, the clock unit 150 turns on the first switch S1 at a predetermined time (eg, the first time) according to the first setting, so that the power supply unit 120 supplies power to the main system M1 .

In step S103, the control unit 130 is made to turn on the second switch S2. After the control unit 130 is powered on, the control unit 130 turns on the second switch S2 so that the power supply unit 120 supplies power to the image capture unit 140 .

In step S106, the control unit 130 controls the image acquisition unit 140 to acquire images. After the second switch S2 is turned on, the image capturing unit 140 obtains power from the power supply unit 120 . The control unit 130 controls the image acquisition unit 140 to acquire an image of the surface 210 of the meter device 200 .

In step S109, the control unit 130 is made to close the second switch S2. After the image acquisition unit 140 acquires the image of the surface 210 , the image acquisition unit 140 is in an idle state. At this time, the control unit 130 turns off the second switch S2 so that the power supply unit 120 stops supplying power to the image capturing unit 140 . In this way, when the image capturing unit 140 is in an idle state, the power supply unit 120 continues to supply power to the image capturing unit 140, causing unnecessary power waste.

In step S112, the control unit 130 is made to turn on the third switch S3. The control unit 130 turns on the third switch S3, so that the power supply unit 120 supplies power to the communication unit 180 through the first switch S1 and the third switch S3, so that the communication unit 180 performs the communication function.

In step S115 , the control unit 130 controls the communication unit 180 to connect to the external device 300 . The communication unit 180 is connected to the external device 300 so that data transmission can be performed between the communication unit 180 and the external device 300 . In some embodiments, the communication unit 180 is connected to the external device 300 by means of wired communication, such as optical fiber communication and cable communication, but the invention is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the communication unit 180 is connected to the external device 300 by means of wireless communication, such as LoRa, Sigfox, NB-IoT, LTE-M, Wi-fi, Bluetooth, etc. belonging to LPWAN (Low Power WAN). , but the present invention is not limited to this.

In step S118, the control unit 130 controls the communication unit 180 to transmit the acquired image. In this embodiment, the image of the surface 210 acquired by the image acquisition unit 140 is transmitted to the external device 300 via the communication unit 180 . In this way, the user can monitor the display data of the surface 210 at the remote external device 300 without having to go to the location of the meter device 200 to monitor the meter device 200 in person.

In step S121, the control unit 130 is made to close the third switch S3. After the communication unit 180 and the external device 300 complete data transmission, the communication unit 180 is in an idle state. At this time, the control unit 130 turns off the third switch S3 so that the power supply unit 120 stops supplying power to the communication unit 180 . Thereby, the power resources of the power supply unit 120 are saved.

In step S124, the control unit 130 is made to control the clock unit 150 to turn off the first switch S1. After the meter monitoring device 100 acquires the image of the surface 210 and uploads the data, the control unit 130 controls the clock unit 150 to turn off the first switch S1, so that the power supply unit 120 stops supplying power to the main system M1. Thus, when the control unit 130 is in an idle state, the power supply unit 120 stops supplying power to the control unit 130 to save power resources.

In some embodiments, step S109 may be executed after step S112 , step S115 , step S118 or step S121 , but the present invention is not limited thereto.

Please refer to Figure 7. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of the meter monitoring device 100 in the working mode according to another embodiment of the present invention. The difference between the control method of this embodiment and the digital authentication method of the embodiment shown in FIG. 8 is that the control method of this embodiment adds step S210 after step S109, and replaces step S118 with step S218. For the related descriptions of the other same steps, reference may be made to the foregoing, which will not be repeated here.

In step S210, the control unit 130 controls the image recognition unit 160 to perform image recognition. In this embodiment, after the image acquisition unit 140 acquires the image, the image acquisition unit 140 transmits the image to the image recognition unit 160 . After the image recognition unit 160 receives the image data from the image acquisition unit 140, the control unit 130 controls the image recognition unit 160 to recognize the characters in the image. In some embodiments, the character may be a series of numbers, such as 0-999, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

In step S218, the control unit 130 is made to control the communication unit 180 to transmit the identification result. After the image recognition unit 160 recognizes the characters in the image, it transmits the recognition result to the communication unit 180 connected to the external device 300 . The communication unit 180 transmits the recognition result of the image recognition unit 160 to the external device 300 . In this way, the external device 300 can directly receive the data data of the image of the surface 210 instead of the simple image data.

In some embodiments, step S210 may be performed after step S106, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

Please refer to Figure 8. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of the meter monitoring device 100 in the working mode according to another embodiment of the present invention. The difference between the control method of this embodiment and the digital authentication method of the embodiment shown in FIG. 7 is that the control method of this embodiment adds steps S311A, S311B, and S311C after step S210. For the related descriptions of the other same steps, reference may be made to the foregoing, which will not be repeated here.

In step S311A, the control unit 130 is made to store the identification result in the storage unit 170 . In this embodiment, after the image recognition unit 160 recognizes the recognition result of the image, the control unit 130 further transmits the recognition result to the storage unit 170 and the storage unit 170 stores the recognition result.

In some embodiments, step S109 may be performed after step S311A, but the present invention is not limited to this.

In step S311B, the control unit 130 is made to control the clock unit 150 to turn off the first switch S1. In this embodiment, the instrument monitoring device 100 successfully acquires the surface 210 data of the instrument device 200 through the image acquisition unit 140 , and the surface 210 data has also been stored in the storage unit 170 . At this time, the control unit 130 controls the clock unit 150 to turn off the first switch S1 to save the power of the power supply unit 120 .

In step S311C, the clock unit 150 is made to turn on the first switch S1 again according to the first setting. After a period of idle time, the meter monitoring device 100 needs to perform the function of meter monitoring again. Therefore, the clock unit 150 turns on the first switch S1 again at another predetermined time (eg, the second time) according to the first setting, so as to restore the electrical conduction state between the power supply unit 120 and the main system M1, and in step After steps S100 to S311C are performed, step S112 is then performed.

In some embodiments, after step S311C, the process from step S100 to step S311B may be performed again until the storage capacity of the storage unit 170 reaches the upper limit, and then step S112 is performed.

In some embodiments, step S210 may be selectively omitted, and step S118 replaces step S218. In this embodiment, after the image acquisition unit 140 acquires the image, the image data is directly transmitted to the storage unit 170 for storage, without the need for image recognition by the image recognition unit 160 , thus saving the power consumption during image recognition and achieving the effect of power saving .

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8 , the time when the image acquisition unit 140 acquires the image is different from the time when the communication unit 180 uploads the data. For example, the image acquisition unit 140 acquires images every hour, and the communication unit 180 uploads images or recognition results once a day. Therefore, the image acquisition unit 140 or the image recognition unit 160 can temporarily store the image data or the recognition result in the storage unit 170 , and after the communication unit 180 communicates with the external device 300 , upload the image data or the recognition result through the communication unit 180 .

See Figure 9. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of the meter monitoring device 100 in the update setting mode according to an embodiment of the present invention. In some embodiments, the meter monitoring device 100 includes an update settings mode in addition to the operating mode. In the update setting mode, step S416A, step S416B, and step S416C are executed after step S115. The related descriptions of step S112 , step S115 and step S124 can be referred to the above, and will not be repeated here.

In step S416A, the control unit 130 is caused to control the communication unit 180 to receive the second setting. In some embodiments, the external device 300 includes one or more second settings that control the meter monitoring device 100 . After the communication unit 180 is connected to the external device 300 , the communication unit 180 obtains the second setting from the external device 300 and transmits the second setting to the control unit 130 .

For the type of information included in the second setting, reference may be made to the information included in the first setting, which will not be repeated here. It should be noted that the information content of the second setting is different from the information content of the first setting. For example, the second setting is the first setting of the new version, but the present invention should not be limited to this.

In step S416B, the control unit 130 is made to store the second setting in the storage unit 170 . In this embodiment, after the control unit 130 receives the second setting from the external device 300 , the control unit 130 stores the information included in the second setting, so as to control various functions of the meter monitoring device 100 according to the second setting unit. In some embodiments, step S416B can be selectively omitted. Therefore, step S416C can be directly executed after step S416A, and the present invention is not limited to this.

In step S416C, the control unit 130 is caused to update each functional unit of the meter monitoring device 100 according to the second setting. The control unit 130 updates the settings of each functional unit in the meter monitoring device 100 according to the received second setting. For example, the time of the clock unit 150 is calibrated according to the second setting, and the predetermined time for the clock unit 150 to turn on the first switch S1 in the working mode is set, so that the clock unit 150 can accurately turn on the first switch S1 at the predetermined time, However, the present invention should not be limited by this.

In some embodiments, step S416C may be performed before step S416B, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

In some embodiments, the external device 300 may be a server provided in a company to which the meter device 200 belongs (eg, a power company, a water company, and a natural gas company).

With the control method of the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 , the meter monitoring device 100 of the present invention can obtain the latest settings from the external device 300 through the communication unit 180 , and update the old settings according to the latest settings to suit the usage. user's operational needs.

In some embodiments, the control unit 130 is a functional unit that simultaneously controls multiple functional units in the meter monitoring device 100 to perform the actions monitored by the surface 210 . In other embodiments, the control unit 130 includes a plurality of sub-control units, which respectively control different functional units to perform the actions monitored by the surface 210 , but the present invention is not limited thereto.

From the above detailed description of the specific embodiments of the present invention, it can be clearly seen that the meter monitoring device and the control method thereof of the present invention are provided with a plurality of switches between the power supply unit, the control unit, the image acquisition unit and the communication unit , so as to turn on a specific switch when necessary, so that the power supply unit supplies power to a specific unit, thereby achieving the purpose of saving power. In addition, the instrument monitoring device of the present invention can be detachably installed on the instrument devices with various surface specifications on the market without re-replacement of the original instrument device, so as to avoid complicated replacement works and greatly save costs. . Furthermore, the instrument monitoring device of the present invention can acquire and update new settings from the remote end by itself, so as to meet the user's operational requirements.

Although the present invention has been disclosed in the above embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention The scope of protection shall be determined by the scope of the appended patent application.

Claims (14)

1. an instrument monitoring device, is characterized in that, comprises: a housing, configured to be detachably arranged on the instrument device; power supply unit; an image acquisition unit, electrically connected to the power supply unit; a control unit configured to control the image acquisition unit to acquire an image of the surface of the instrument device; a first switch connected between the power supply unit and the control unit, wherein the power supply unit is configured to supply power to the control unit via the first switch; and a clock unit, configured to control the first switch to be turned on according to the setting; The power supply unit, the control unit, the image acquisition unit, the first switch, and the clock unit are fixed to the casing. 2 . The meter monitoring device of claim 1 , further comprising a second switch, wherein the control unit is configured to control the opening and closing of the second switch, and the power supply unit is configured to pass through the The second switch supplies power to the image acquisition unit. 3 . The meter monitoring device according to claim 1 , further comprising a communication unit, electrically connected to the control unit and the power supply unit, and configured to transmit data with an external device. 4 . 4. The meter monitoring device according to claim 3, further comprising a second switch, wherein the control unit is configured to control the opening and closing of the second switch, and the power supply unit is configured to pass through the The second switch supplies power to the communication unit. 5 . The instrument monitoring device according to claim 1 , further comprising a main board, the main board comprising a plurality of fixed connection sockets, the image acquisition unit comprising a connection plug, and the connection plug is pluggably connected to the one of the above-mentioned fixed connection sockets. 6 . The instrument monitoring device of claim 1 , further comprising an image recognition unit, electrically connected to the image acquisition unit, and configured to recognize characters in the image. 7 . 7. The meter monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to control the clock unit to turn off the first switch. 8. A control method for controlling an instrument monitoring device installed on an instrument device, wherein the instrument monitoring device comprises a power supply unit, a control unit, a power supply unit connected to the power supply unit and the control unit A first switch between, an image acquisition unit connected to the control unit, and a clock unit connected to the first switch, the control method includes: causing the clock unit to turn on the first switch according to a first setting, so that the power supply unit supplies power to the control unit through the first switch; and The control unit is caused to control the image acquisition unit to acquire an image of the surface of the meter device. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the meter monitoring device further comprises a second switch connected between the power supply unit and the image acquisition unit, and the control method further comprises: enabling the control unit to turn on the second switch, so that the power supply unit supplies power to the image capturing unit through the second switch. 10. The method of claim 8, wherein the meter monitoring device further comprises a communication unit electrically connected to the control unit and the power supply unit, the control method further comprising: The control unit is made to control the communication unit to transmit data with an external device. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the meter monitoring device further comprises a second switch connected to the power supply unit and the communication unit, and the control method further comprises: The control unit is made to turn on the second switch, so that the power supply unit supplies power to the communication unit through the second switch. 12. The method of claim 10, wherein the control method further comprises: causing the communication unit to receive a second setting from the external device; and causing the control unit to update the clock unit according to the second setting, so that the clock unit turns on the first switch according to the second setting. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the control method further comprises: After the control unit updates the clock unit according to the second setting, the control unit controls the clock unit to turn off the first switch, so that the power supply unit stops supplying power to the control unit . 14. The method of claim 8, wherein the meter monitoring device further comprises an image recognition unit connected to the image acquisition unit, and the control method further comprises: enabling the image recognition unit to recognize characters in the image.

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