FR2820934A1 - Industrial/domestic remote electronic meter reading having two way telecommunications with laptop activating meter reading electronics digital command and meter returning measurements remotely. - Google Patents

Abstract

The metering collection and transmission system remotely reads a meter. There is a two way communications system collecting measurements using the distribution network. The remote reading system also activates the meter using a digital command address. The remote meter reading system is applicable to fluids, liquids and gases, electricity and telephones. An electronic centre is connected to a two way communications system collecting meter reading measurements, and activating the electronic meter reader response.

Description

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The present invention relates to a new electronic means and operating method, intended for teletransmitting the metering of fluids (material or immaterial) for domestic and / or industrial use.

 These material counts are traditionally carried out by volumetric sensors requiring visual reading in situ in places that are often difficult to access (example: buried drinking water meter to prevent freezing). Meritorious progress allows computerized relief thanks to an interface offset and a laptop computer (electrical energy metering).

But all these solutions involve the in-situ survey.

In addition, some metering (such as telephone consumption) is controversial, the meter not being installed in the subscriber's home, it does not offer readability and the solution appears vulnerable to certain abuses or malfunctions.

 The electronic means and the method according to the invention make it possible to remedy these drawbacks and offer other advantages developed below. They are part of teletransmission and telemetry and only use controlled technologies including multiplexing by coded pulses.

 Their main objective consists in transmitting to the operators of distributed networks of fluids (potable or non-potable water, cold, hot, steam; combustible or chemical gases; powders; electrical energy, electronics, video, audio, telephone, telegraph, etc.) consumption measured by meters (volumetric and / or quantitative hourly and IT).

 The system is characterized by: - central electronics supplied with electrical energy (possibly backed up), connected to any two-way telecommunications network (telephone or wired telegraphy, peer-to-peer or switched, local radio loop, wireless telephone, via satellite , via the Net, etc.).

 - a set of cabling-instrumentation (wired eVou with optical fibers) collecting information from the most diverse sensors of physical measurement (voltage, pressure, temperature, duration, etc.) of computer incremental counting, but especially the volumetric meters (water, gas, etc.).

 To do this, you must first enter the basic information: - concerning physical magnitude sensors, the technologies exist.

- concerning incremental counting, too.

- on the other hand, domestic volumetric meters, to date, are characterized by a visual interface generally made up of decade coding wheels requiring an in-situ reading.

 A simple modification of these meters consists in replacing the current visual only coding wheels by visual and electric coding wheels (component existing in the industry and making possible recycling by retrofitting of the meter).

 The electrical information (analog or binary decimal coded) is grouped on an independent connector. An electrical connection connects this connector to the central electronics.

 One can imagine other modifications of the current counters, for example: - addition of bar code on the encoding wheels and reading in the central electronics, - suppression of the encoding wheels in favor of resolvers or incremental counters.

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However, it seems wise to save the visual interface in order to remove any doubts. Basic information from the sensor or counter is sent to a conditioner-adapter responsible for standardizing the signal. The output signal then passes through dedicated doors (these doors can optionally be doubled in series to secure confidentiality) to constitute one of the inputs of a multiplex.

 The output of this multiplex after adaptation-digitization is addressed to the transmission input of a compatible modem (modulator-demodulator) and connected to the telecommunication network mentioned above to which the operator is (or perhaps) subscribed.

 The sensors and meters can optionally accommodate the conditioner-digitizer and therefore, the connections from the central electronics to the sensors can be supported by a digital bus simplifying and modularizing the wiring.

 The ± + meter conditioner link must be particularly secure in the case of networks carrying fuels. These conditioners will preferably be galvanically isolated and intrinsically safe by passively and actively limiting voltages and currents (explosion proof).

 The modem mentioned above is associated in reception with a decoding module responsible for checking the calls received in plausibility and opening the access doors to dedicated information.

 Thus, the operator of any distributed network (for example the water distributor) calls by means of a personal computer equipped with a modem the central electronics, declines his identity by sending a first code confidential, sends other codes if necessary to request the sequential opening of the doors dedicated to it and thus can read the measurement made by the elementary sensor (in this example, the water pressure channel, and the volume channel discharged water). Thus the operator avoids the visual reading in situ, awkward from the meter.

 A watchdog circuit rejects the erroneous codes and breaks the connection when this error is reiterated. This circuit also monitors the proper functioning of the assembly.

 Thanks to this chain, the system can advantageously work in the opposite direction and allow the operator to address all or nothing (or more complex) remote controls to activate actuators via the multiplex and other dedicated doors, central electronics. providing the necessary energy (in the above example a solenoid valve blocking all or part of the water flow).

 Thus, the central electronics provide the operator with tools allowing him to envisage calibration, calibration (subject to approval by the metrology organization), remote diagnosis, remote maintenance, cessation of distribution in the event of danger or litigation.

 In this central architecture, can integrate optional appendices supplementing the service: - the central electronics is interface with the personal computer of the subscriber: this one then has access (subject to agreement with the operator) to all measurement data and to certain control channels useful for domestic operation such as load shedding, standby. With additional instrumentation and subject to developing its own algorithms for various control systems, it can carry out home automation, teledomotic and finally remote monitoring. This appendix, provided that the computer has a mailbox or

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 printer (activation by secret code) and an electronic payment device, allows remote invoicing and electronic payment.

 - the central electronics may include a routing module, which, upon reception of telephone identifier signals (existing or to be created), after recognition will orient the telecommunication line to the various domestic terminals with great speed: the above system, the personal computer, the fax machine, the voice telephone, the answering machine-telephone recorder delaying the activation of the ringer for voice communications only.

ce cas chez l'abonné. Compteur dont l'état et le téléchargement tarifaire transitent discrètement via le système ci-dessus comme de simples voies de mesure et de commande. - the central electronics can integrate (or be interfaced with) a telephone meter installed in

this case at the subscriber. Meter whose status and tariff download pass discreetly via the above system as simple measurement and control channels.

- the electronics can be enriched with devices guaranteeing the operator the integrity of the link with its sensor-counters or even actuators and monitoring the relevance of the information in one-to-one correspondence with the subscriber (for example by transmitting the number of the meter), - the electronics can be equipped with sub-functions such as:> autonomy of energy making it possible to rescue vital networks for interrogation and security standby purposes,> time integration and memorization for the flows authorizing the use of flow meters (such as PITOT tubes) instead of volumetric meters.

 The architecture proposed above, with all or part of its optional appendices, is available in three main variants: - A first variant, called domestic or mono-home, consists of installing central electronics at the subscriber's. This collects and conveys all or part of the information from the various distributed networks converging at the subscriber's. It uses electrical energy and connection to the subscriber's own telecommunications network. This variant particularly targets new housing.

 - The second variant, called residential or multi-home, consists of installing central electronics in the common areas of the multi-home residence. The supply of electrical energy can be drawn from that of the commons and the telecommunications connection shared with that of the caretaker, for example. It then collects information from one or more distributors for all of the subscribers of these distributors. In this variant, the electronics can advantageously be split into a central electronics housing the final multiplex and local electronics housing the conditioners-adapters and sub-multiplexes. This variant targets already built housing and particularly large complexes.

 - The third variant is a hybrid of the previous two.

 Note that these variants allow the reinstallation of meters and sectioning devices at the subscriber's premises thus: - minimizing the vulnerability of external installations to homes, - minimizing development work on housing estates (boxes now useless).

Claims (10)

 1) Electronic system and operating method intended for remote electrical reading of the state of sensors and in particular of volumetric meters, characterized by central electronics connected to a two-way telecommunication means and collecting the measurements necessary for the operators of distributed networks (liquid and gaseous, powdery fluids, electrical energy, telephony, telegraphy, audio, video transmissions, software, etc.).  2) Electronic system and operating method according to claim 1 characterized by their ability to offer, in the opposite direction, to the operator of a distributed network, remote controls for activating actuators or addressing digital commands.  3) Electronic system and operating method according to claims 1 and 2 characterized by their ability to discriminate between measurement and control channels by opening only the only doors dedicated to a single operator, by setting up passwords whose codes only open the required doors.  4) Electronic system and operating method according to claims 1-2 and 3 characterized by their ability to couple to a personal computer with suitable peripherals thus allowing tele-billing and head-payment.  5) Electronic system and operating method according to claims 1-2 and 3 characterized by a variation in three main variants: - a single-home variant installed at home and collecting all or part of the distribution measurements converging at the subscriber's this home,

 - a multi-home variant installed in the common areas of the residential complex for one, several, or all of the distributors. This variant can have central electronics and local electronics. - a hybrid variant of the previous two.  6) Electronic system and operating method according to claims 1-2 and 3 characterized by the ability to install telephone, telegraph, audio, video, etc. counting at the subscriber by allowing discreet interrogation remote and tariff download.  7) Electronic system according to claim 1 characterized by its ability to quickly route the telecommunications line to the various devices located at the subscriber.  8) Electronic system and operating method according to claims 1-2-3 and 4 characterized by their ability, subject to agreement with the operators, to the use by the subscriber of the measurements and certain commands for the purposes of home automation and teiomedomotic.  9) Electronic system and operating method according to claims 1-2-3-4-5-7 and 8 characterized by the optional capacity for energy autonomy necessary for the acquisition of measurement and the sending of remote controls to security.  10) Electronic system characterized by the transformation of current domestic volumetric meters, only with visual reading in situ, into meters with remote electric reading.