JP2000125038A - Terminal network controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To surely enable a telephone set to be used even if a relay for connecting and disconnecting a telephone line and the telephone set malfunctions. SOLUTION: This controller is provided with a communication process part 3 which performs the line connection control and communication control of a telephone line 2, a line voltage detection part 6 which detects the voltage applied to the telephone line, a meter interface part 8 which communicates with a meter terminal, a relay part 5 which connects and disconnects the telephone line 2 and an externally connected telephone set 4, and a control part 7 which controls the communication process part 3, the meter interface part 8 and the relay part 5, and also controls the relay part 5 so that the telephone line 2 and telephone set 3 are connected to each other at every specific time. Consequently, the telephone set can be used even if the relay part 5 malfunctions.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to a terminal network control device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 6 shows a block diagram of a conventional terminal network control device. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a terminal network control device which is connected to a telephone line 2 via terminals L1 and L2, and an input of which is connected to a communication processing unit 3 for controlling connection with the telephone line 2, performing modem communication and the like. The terminals L1 and L2 are connected to a relay unit for connecting / disconnecting to / from the terminals T1 and T2 to which the telephone set 4 is connected. This relay unit uses a well-known mechanical latching relay (not shown). .

[0005] Terminals L 1 and L 2 are terminals for connecting a meter terminal such as a gas meter, and communicate with a control unit 7 via a meter interface unit 8. The control unit 7
Controls the energization control of the coil of the relay unit 5 and, when the polarity reversal of the telephone line 2 is detected, controls the communication processing unit 3 to operate a modem circuit or the like (not shown) provided in the communication processing unit 3 to generate a no ringing signal. (Hereinafter, referred to as an NRS signal) reception processing and subsequent data communication, and no-ringing communication, and a terminal call communication operation for calling from the meter terminal.

[0004]

On the other hand, in the conventional terminal network control device, since a mechanical latching relay is used for the relay section 5, the latching relay is inverted due to an external impact or the like, and is connected to the telephone line. There is a problem that the telephone is disconnected and the telephone cannot be used.

An object of the present invention is to solve such a conventional problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a terminal network control device for preventing a telephone from becoming unusable.

[0006]

According to the present invention, there is provided a means for periodically resetting a latching relay so that a telephone line is connected to a telephone. It is possible to prevent the telephone line from being disconnected from the telephone line by the resetting means, so that the telephone cannot be used.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS To solve the above-mentioned problems, a communication processing unit for controlling line connection and communication with a telephone line, a line voltage detecting unit for detecting a voltage applied to the telephone line, A meter interface unit that communicates with a meter terminal, a relay unit that connects and disconnects the telephone line and a telephone connected to the outside, and controls the communication processing unit, the meter interface unit, and the relay. By providing a control unit that controls the relay unit so that the telephone line and the telephone are connected at predetermined time intervals, the telephone can be disconnected from the telephone line and the telephone cannot be used. .

[0008] Further, when the polarity reversal detecting unit detects that the voltage of the telephone line is lower than a predetermined level, the control unit is provided so as not to perform an operation for connecting the relay. Further, it is possible to prevent wasteful consumption of electric power until the terminal network control device is connected to the telephone line.

[0009] Further, by providing a control unit for controlling the relay unit to a connection state between the telephone line and the telephone every predetermined time, and a control unit for re-outputting the output data of the microcomputer, noise and the like are provided. Malfunction can be prevented.

[0010]

(Embodiment 1) In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a terminal network control device which is connected to a telephone line 2 via terminals L1 and L2, and its input controls connection to the telephone line 2 and modem communication. Connected to the communication processing unit 3. Also, terminals L1, L
2 is connected to a relay unit 5 for connecting / disconnecting the terminals T1 and T2 to which the telephone set 4 is connected. This relay unit uses a well-known mechanical latching relay, not shown. The input from the telephone line 2 includes a line voltage detector 6.
Is connected, and operates to monitor the voltage of the telephone line 2. The terminals M1 and M2 are terminals for connecting a meter terminal such as a gas meter, and communicate with the control unit 7 via the meter interface unit 8. The control unit 7 is a well-known microcomputer (hereinafter, referred to as a microcomputer).
And controls the energization of the coil of the relay unit 5 and controls the communication processing unit 3 when the polarity reversal of the telephone line 2 is detected. Although not shown, a modem circuit or the like provided in the communication processing unit 3 To perform a no-ringing communication for receiving an NRS signal and a subsequent data communication and a terminal call communication operation for calling from the meter terminal.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing details of the relay section 5. As shown in FIG. The relay unit 5 includes a set coil 5g and a reset coil 5
h and contacts 5a to 5h, and when a pulse is output from the output terminal 7a of the control unit 7, the set coil 5g
And the contact operates as shown by the broken line. When a pulse is output from the output terminal 7b of the control unit 7, the reset coil 5h is energized and the contact operates as shown by the solid line.
1, L2 and terminals T1, T2 are connected. Normally, terminals L1 and L2 are connected to terminals T1 and T2, and telephone 4 is connected to telephone line 2 so that telephone 4 can be used at any time.

FIG. 3 shows waveforms at main points for explaining the above operation. A waveform (3-1) is a voltage waveform between the terminals T1 and T2, and V1 is normally 48V. Waveform (3-
2) is a voltage waveform of the output of the output terminal 7b of the control unit 7. Normally, the control unit 7 periodically outputs a pulse of the time T1 for driving the reset coil 5h at the output terminal 7 in the cycle T2.
b. If the contact point of the relay unit 5 is reversed at time t1 due to impact or the like (the state shown by the broken line in FIG. 2), the telephone cannot be used. However, at time t2, a pulse is applied to the reset coil 5h. The contacts of the relay section 5 are returned to the state where the terminals L1 and L2 and the terminals T1 and T2 are connected.

(Embodiment 2) FIG. 4 is a waveform chart of a main portion for explaining Embodiment 2. Waveform (4-1) is at terminal L
It is a voltage waveform between 1 and L2, and V1 is usually 48V.
A waveform (4-2) is an output waveform of the line voltage detection unit 6 and is input to the control unit 7. A waveform (4-3) is an output waveform of the output terminal 7b of the control unit 7. When the terminals L1 and L2 are connected to the telephone line 2, the line voltage V1 is applied to the line voltage detection unit 6, and a pulse is periodically applied to the reset coil 5h of the relay unit 5 at a period T2. But
When the terminals L1 and L2 are not connected to the telephone line 2, the line voltage detector 6 detects this state, and the controller 7 operates to stop the pulse output as shown by the broken line in FIG. I do.

(Embodiment 3) FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the main part of the operation of the controller 7. The microcomputer monitors the elapse of a timer preset in step 10 as a process of the main routine. If the timer is within a predetermined time, the process executes step 13 and performs a communication process if necessary. It is configured. When the timer reaches a predetermined time in step 10, step 11 is executed, and processing for re-outputting data to the output terminal of the microcomputer is performed. In step 12, the reset coil 5h of the relay unit 5 is driven to perform a reset operation. Also, although not shown, this timer is set to
The timer is configured to be counted again.

[0015]

As described above, according to the present invention, even when the relay malfunctions due to an impact or the like and the telephone is disconnected from the telephone line, the relay is reset within a predetermined time and the telephone is reconnected to the telephone line. Therefore, the inconvenience can be eliminated so that the user cannot use the telephone.

Further, when the terminal network control device is not connected to the telephone line, the relay is not periodically reset, so that unnecessary power consumption until installation can be suppressed.

By re-outputting the data at the output terminal of the microcomputer in the same manner as when resetting the relay, it is possible to reduce malfunctions due to the influence of external noise.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a terminal network control device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a main part of the apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a timing chart of the apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a timing chart of the terminal network control device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a control unit of the terminal network control device according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a conventional terminal network control device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 terminal network control device 2 telephone line 3 communication processing unit 4 telephone 5 relay unit 6 line voltage detection unit 7 control unit 8 meter interface unit

Claims (3)

[Claims] A communication processing unit for controlling line connection and communication with a telephone line; a line voltage detecting unit for detecting a voltage applied to the telephone line; and a meter interface unit for communicating with a meter terminal. A relay unit for connecting / disconnecting the telephone line and a telephone connected to the outside, controlling the communication processing unit, the meter interface unit, and the relay unit, and calling the relay unit every predetermined time. A terminal network control device comprising: a control unit that controls a line and a telephone to be connected. 2. The terminal network control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit does not connect the relay unit when the polarity inversion detecting unit detects that the voltage of the telephone line is lower than a predetermined level. 3. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the relay unit so that the telephone line is connected to the telephone every predetermined time, and controls the microcomputer to output the output data of the microcomputer again. Terminal network controller.