JP2000321109A - Gas meter - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce number of wiring steps in the case of installing a gas meter in a demander and to decrease a cost in a system having an automatic meter inspecting function for reading an indicated value of the meter by center polling and an automatic informing function for always monitoring a gas using state and informing a fault state, if the state occurs to a monitoring center of a gas company by a terminal call-out. SOLUTION: The gas meter comprises a line communicating unit 4 having a modem 15 for communicating through a telephone line, and a microcomputer controller 10 for measuring a gas amount, meter controlling to shut off supply of gas when faulted and controlling to communicate information to a center terminal through the line communicating unit 4. An NCU(network control unit) is not changed, but contained in the meter.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a gas meter, and more particularly, to a gas meter having a communication function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a gas meter with a communication function (microcomputer meter) installed in a general home and a monitoring center of a gas company are connected by a telephone line, and an automatic meter reading function for reading a pointer value of the gas meter by center polling; A system having an automatic notification function of constantly monitoring the usage status of gas in a general household in which is installed and notifying a monitoring center of a gas company by a terminal call when an abnormal condition occurs has become widespread.

FIG. 8 is a schematic configuration diagram of such a conventional system, and FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a customer (general household) side in the system. Outside the customer, an NCU (Network Control Unit) 29 connected to the monitoring center 3 as a center terminal via the telephone line 2,
A gas meter 1 ₀ connected is installed in CU29. NCU2 which is an interface circuit with telephone line 2
9 is a diode bridge unit 14, a line control unit 16,
A modem I that converts (modulates) a digital signal into an analog signal and sends it out to the telephone line 2, or converts (demodulates) an analog signal from the telephone line 2 into a digital signal and outputs it.
C15, an NCU CPU 30 for performing communication control, a line control battery 12 for supplying power to each unit, and a gas meter 1
₀ and a photocoupler 31 for insulation.
In addition to switching between a telephone (not shown) and a gas meter in the room, transmission and reception are controlled.

On the other hand, the gas meter 1 ₀ includes a pressure sensor 5 for detecting the gas pressure, a seismic sensor 6 for detecting the earthquake, and the flow rate sensor 7 for measuring the gas flow rate supplied, the supply of gas in case of emergency or the like The amount of gas used is measured and integrated based on the output of the flow sensor 7 provided via the sensor I / F section 9 and the shutoff valve 8 for shutting off the gas, and the meter reading provided via the NCU 29 from the monitoring center 3. Meter reading information, which is an integrated value of gas usage in response to the information request, is sent out. In the event of an abnormality such as a gas leak or earthquake, the shutoff valve 8 is closed to shut off the gas supply and an abnormal signal is sent to the monitoring center 3. It has a gas meter CPU 32 for sending out, and a gas meter battery 13 for supplying power to each section, and is grounded.

[0005]

The object of the invention is to be Solved However, in such a conventional example, to outdoor consumers, gas meter 1 ₀ and the NCU
29 and 29 must be separately installed and connected by wiring, which requires a space to be installed separately and increases the number of wiring steps.

[0006] As shown in FIG. 10, this problem is caused by the NCU having a wireless communication function installed in each customer.
In the case of 33 and the gas meter 1 ₀ is the same as any time. In the conventional example shown in FIG. 10, a transmission control unit (NCU) 24 having a wireless communication function connected to the telephone line 2 operates in response to a request for meter reading information from the monitoring center 3. and sequentially polls collect meter reading information of each gas meter 1 ₀ transmits to the monitoring center 3, the gas meter 1
_When an abnormality occurs in ₀ , a notification is sent from the corresponding NCU 33 to the monitoring center 3 via the transmission control device 24 by calling.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and has as its object to reduce the number of wiring steps and cost.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has the following configuration.

That is, the gas meter according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a line communication unit for communicating via a telephone line,
A microcomputer control unit that measures the gas amount and performs a meter control for shutting off the gas supply when an abnormality occurs, and a communication control unit for performing communication control for communicating information with the center terminal via the line communication unit. In the gas meter provided in the same housing, the line communication unit has a modem for modulating and demodulating a signal, the microcomputer control unit has a single CPU, and the modem and the CPU are connected via a photocoupler. Insulated.

A gas meter according to a second aspect of the present invention is the gas meter according to the first aspect of the present invention, further comprising a power supply unit for central office power supply, which is charged by central office power supply from an exchange when communicating with the center terminal. The power supply unit supplies power to at least one of the sensor unit, the display unit that displays an abnormality, and the shutoff unit that shuts off gas supply from the power supply unit, and the station power supply unit and the single CPU. Are insulated through a photocoupler.

A gas meter according to a third aspect of the present invention includes a wireless communication unit for performing wireless communication with a wirelessly communicable transmission control device connected to a communication line, and measures a gas amount. A microcomputer control unit for performing meter control for shutting off gas supply and performing communication control for communicating information with the transmission control device via the wireless communication unit.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the gas meter according to the third aspect, the microcomputer control section has a single CPU.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the gas meter according to the third or fourth aspect, a first battery for supplying power to the wireless communication unit and a second battery for supplying power to the microcomputer control unit are provided. The battery includes a battery and a voltage monitoring unit that monitors the voltage of both batteries.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the line communication unit and the meter control for measuring the gas amount and shutting off the gas supply in the event of an abnormality are performed, and the center terminal is connected via the line communication unit. A microcomputer control unit for performing communication control for communicating information between the NCU and the gas meter is provided in the same housing. There is no need for installation space.
Since the modem of the line communication unit and the CPU of the microcomputer control unit are insulated via the photocoupler, it is possible to prevent a surge due to a lightning strike on the communication line from entering the microcomputer control unit and to prevent its destruction. .

According to the second aspect of the present invention, a power supply unit for central office power supply charged by central office power supply from the exchange when communicating with the center terminal is provided, and a sensor unit, a display unit, and a cutoff unit are provided. Since power is supplied to at least one of the above, consumption of a built-in battery power supply can be reduced. In addition, since the power supply unit for central office power supply and the CPU are insulated via the photocoupler, it is possible to prevent a surge due to a lightning strike on the communication line from entering the microcomputer control unit and to prevent its destruction.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the wireless communication unit for wirelessly communicating with the transmission control device and the meter control for measuring the amount of gas and shutting off the gas supply when an abnormality occurs, And a microcomputer control unit that performs communication control for communicating information with the transmission control device through the unit, that is, since it has a configuration incorporating a conventional wirelessly communicable NCU, There is no need to wire-connect the NCU and the gas meter that can communicate wirelessly,
Installation space is also reduced.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the microcomputer control section performs meter control and communication control by a single CPU, so that the microcomputer control section can be configured as compared with the case where the microcomputer is constituted by individual CPUs.
Communication between both CPUs becomes unnecessary, and the cost can be reduced.

According to the fifth aspect of the invention, when the battery voltage drops, it is possible to notify the center terminal to prompt the replacement of the battery.

[0019]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram thereof.

The gas meter 1 of this embodiment has a built-in NCU function in one housing 1a of the gas meter 1, and is installed outdoors and monitored as a center terminal via a telephone line 2. It is connected to the center 3.

The gas meter 1 has a line communication section 4 for communicating via a telephone line 2, a pressure sensor 5 for detecting gas pressure, a seismic sensor 6 for detecting an earthquake, and a gas flow rate to be supplied. A flow sensor 7 to be measured, a shutoff valve 8 for shutting off gas supply in an emergency or the like, and a sensor I / F unit 9
And meter control for measuring gas usage and shutting off gas supply in the event of an abnormality.
CPU 10 as a microcomputer control unit for performing communication control for communicating information with the monitoring center 3 via the CPU
And a photocoupler array 11 composed of a plurality of photocouplers for insulating the integrated CPU 10 and the line communication unit 4 from each other.
And a line control battery 12 for supplying power to each section on the line communication section 4 side, and a gas meter battery 13 for supplying power to the integrated CPU 10 and the sensor I / F section 9 and the like. I have.

The line communication unit 4 includes the diode bridge unit 1
And a modem IC 15 that converts (modulates) a digital signal into an analog signal and sends it out to a telephone line, or converts (demodulates) an analog signal from a telephone line into a digital signal.
And a line control unit 16 for switching between a telephone (not shown) indoors and the gas meter 1, and also controls outgoing and incoming calls.

As shown in FIG. 3, line control unit 16 includes a call signal detecting circuit 17 for detecting that the telephone is receiving a call signal, and a DC signal supplied from exchange 18 shown in FIG. The circuit includes a polarity inversion detection circuit 19 for detecting a voltage inversion and starting a no-ringing operation, and a line termination circuit 20 for performing operations such as connecting the lines by matching the impedance of the lines.

Integrated CPU 10 as microcomputer control unit
Are the conventional gas meter CPU 32 and NCU CPU 3
The integrated CPU 10 measures and integrates the gas usage based on the output of the flow rate sensor 7, and receives a request for meter reading information from the monitoring center 3. If there is, the meter reading information which is the integrated value of the gas usage at that time is transmitted to the monitoring center 3.

The integrated CPU 10 closes the shutoff valve 8 based on the output of the seismic sensor 6 or the pressure sensor 5 to shut off the gas supply when an abnormality such as an earthquake or gas leak occurs. An abnormal signal is transmitted to the monitoring center 3 for notification.

As described above, since the gas meter 1 of this embodiment has a built-in function of the NCU, it is not necessary to separately install the gas meter and the NCU and connect them by wiring, unlike the related art. The cost can be reduced by reducing the number of wiring steps, and the installation space can be reduced.

Further, in this embodiment, since the line communication unit 4 and the integrated CPU 10 are insulated by the photocoupler array 11, a surge due to a lightning strike on the telephone line 2 is mixed into the integrated CPU 10. And, in this embodiment, the photocoupler array 11 is resin-molded.
In addition, it has a lightning-resistant design with increased dielectric strength.

The conventional gas meter CPU 32 and N
Since the CU CPU 30 and the CU CPU 30 are integrated into a single CPU 10, the gas meter CPU 32 and the NCU
The communication with the PU 30 becomes unnecessary, and the cost can be reduced.

(Embodiment 2) FIG. 4 is a block diagram of another embodiment of the present invention, and portions corresponding to the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.

This embodiment is intended to reduce the consumption of the gas meter battery 13 which is a built-in battery, and a power supply for central office power supply which is charged by a current from the exchange 18 when communicating with the monitoring center 3. The power supply circuit 21 includes a capacitor or a secondary battery, and is charged with a current supplied from the exchange 18 through the line control unit 16 as shown in FIG. Is used to drive the shut-off valve 8 which consumes a large amount of current and the LED 22 for displaying an alarm. Power may also be supplied to the sensor units of the pressure sensor 5, the seismic sensor 6, and the flow sensor 7 by the power supply circuit 21 for station power supply.

Further, a lightning-resistant design is provided by isolating the shutoff valve 8 and the LED 22 from the sensor I / F unit 9 with a photocoupler 23, and furthermore, a photocoupler is provided between the station power supply circuit 21 and the integrated CPU 10. Insulated via a coupler 50.

Other configurations are the same as those of the above-described embodiment.

(Embodiment 3) FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram of another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a block diagram thereof.

In each of the above embodiments, the gas meter 1
1 ₁ Although connected to a telephone line 2, this embodiment is not intended to be connected to the telephone line 2 has a wireless communication function, transmission control device connected to a telephone line 2 (NCU The wireless communication is performed with the monitoring center 3 via the transmission control device 24 in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment.

That is, the gas meter 1 of this embodiment
_2, in the gas meter 1 in the _second one of the housing, which was built in function of the wireless communication NCU33 shown in FIG. 10, the communication with the transmission control device connected to the installation has been telephone outdoors Is what you do.

[0037] The gas meter 1 ₂ includes a radio unit 26 as a wireless communication unit for performing transmission control device 24 and the radio communication via the antenna 25, a pressure sensor 5 for detecting the gas pressure, sensitive to detect the earthquake A shaker 6, a flow rate sensor 7 for measuring a flow rate of supplied gas, a shutoff valve 8 for shutting off gas supply in an emergency or the like, a sensor I / F unit 9,
In addition to measuring gas usage and performing meter control to shut off gas supply in the event of an abnormality, the wireless unit 26
Integrated CPU as a microcomputer control unit for performing communication control for communicating information with the transmission control device 24 via the CPU
10, a wireless battery 27 for supplying power to the wireless unit 26, a gas meter battery 13 for supplying power to the integrated CPU 10 and the sensor I / F unit 9, and both batteries 13, 2.
And a battery voltage monitoring unit 28 for monitoring the voltage of the battery 7. The antenna 25 may take various forms. For example, the antenna 25 may be shaped along a display frame for displaying a meter reading or the like.

An integrated CPU 10 as a microcomputer control unit
Is used to measure and integrate the gas usage based on the output of the flow rate sensor 7, and the transmission control device 2
When a request for meter reading information is given via the wireless unit 4 and the wireless unit 26, the meter reading information which is an integrated value of the gas usage at that time is transmitted to the monitoring center 3 via the wireless unit 26 and the transmission control device 24. It is.

The integrated CPU 10 closes the shutoff valve 8 based on the output of the seismic sensor 6 or the pressure sensor 5 to shut off the gas supply when an abnormality such as an earthquake or gas leak occurs. An abnormal signal is transmitted to the monitoring center 3 via the transmission control device 24 to notify the same.

[0040] Thus, the gas meter 1 ₂ of this embodiment has an on-chip functions of the wireless communication NCU33 in FIG 10, as in the prior art, individually and gas meter 1 ₀ and the wireless communication NCU33 There is no need to install them and connect them by wiring, so that the cost can be reduced by reducing the number of wiring steps and the installation space can be reduced.

Further, in this embodiment, when the voltage of the wireless battery 27 or the gas meter battery 13 which consumes a large amount of current by the battery voltage monitoring unit 28 falls below a predetermined level, the monitoring center 3 is transmitted via the transmission control unit 24. To take appropriate measures such as battery replacement.

In the first and second embodiments, a battery voltage monitoring section may be provided so that a notification of a decrease in the battery voltage can be made.

(Other Embodiments) In the above-described embodiment, the description has been made by applying the present invention to an analog telephone line as a communication line.
N or other digital lines.

In each of the embodiments described above, the amount of gas used is measured. However, as another embodiment of the present invention, the remaining amount of gas may be measured.

[0045]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, the following effects can be expected.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the conventional NC
Since the U has a built-in configuration, there is no need to wire and connect the NCU and the gas meter, so that the cost can be reduced and the installation space can be reduced. Since the CPU and the CPU of the microcomputer control unit are insulated from each other via the photocoupler, it is possible to prevent a surge caused by a lightning strike on the telephone line from entering the microcomputer control unit side and to prevent the destruction.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, when communicating with the center terminal, there is provided a power supply unit for central office power supply which is charged by central office power supply from the exchange, and comprises a sensor unit, a display unit, and a cutoff unit. Since power is supplied to at least one of the above, consumption of a built-in battery power supply can be reduced. In addition, since the power supply unit for central office power supply and the CPU are insulated via the photocoupler, it is possible to prevent a surge due to a lightning strike on the communication line from entering the microcomputer control unit and to prevent its destruction.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the conventional NCU for wireless communication is built in, there is no need to wire-connect the NCU for wireless communication and the gas meter, thereby reducing the cost. In addition to this, the installation space can be reduced.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the microcomputer control section performs meter control and communication control with a single CPU, the microcomputer control section has a smaller size than a case in which the microcomputer is configured with separate CPUs.
Communication between both CPUs becomes unnecessary, and the cost can be reduced.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, when the battery has been exhausted due to a large number of gas cutoffs, a decrease in the battery voltage is detected and reported to the center terminal to prompt the replacement of the battery. be able to.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the gas meter of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a line control unit of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a line controller of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram of a system according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the gas meter of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a schematic configuration diagram of a conventional system.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of FIG.

FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram of another conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

1,1 _{0, 1} 1, 1 ₂ meter 2 telephone line 3 monitoring center (center terminal) 4 line communication unit 7 the flow sensor 10 integral CPU (microcomputer control unit) 11 photo-coupler array 15 modem IC 21 stations feeding power circuit

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04M 11/00 301 H04M 11/00 301 H04Q 9/00 301 H04Q 9/00 301A 341 341Z (72) Inventor Shinsuke Yoshida F-term (reference) 2F030 CB02 CC13 CE02 CE09 CE22 CE27 CF05 CF11 CF20 2F073 AA04 AA08 AB12 BB01 BB09 BC01 CC01 CC08 CC11 DD01 EE11 FG01 FG01 GG 5K048 AA01 BA36 CA03 DC01 FC01 GB06 HA32 HA37 5K101 KK12 LL11 MM05 MM07 NN42 RR17 VV01

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A line communication unit for communicating via a telephone line, and a meter control for measuring a gas amount and shutting off gas supply when an abnormality occurs, and a center terminal via the line communication unit. A gas meter including a microcomputer control unit for performing communication control for communicating information between them, wherein the line communication unit has a modem for modulating and demodulating a signal, and the microcomputer control unit is a single unit. A gas meter having one CPU, wherein the modem and the CPU are insulated via a photocoupler. 2. A power supply unit for central office power supply charged by central office power supply from an exchange when communicating with the center terminal, a sensor unit from the central office power supply unit, a display unit for displaying an abnormality, and 2. The gas meter according to claim 1, wherein power is supplied to at least one of the shut-off units for shutting off gas supply, and the station power supply unit and the single CPU are insulated from each other via a photocoupler. 3. A wireless communication unit for performing wireless communication with a transmission control device capable of wireless communication connected to a communication line, and a meter control for measuring a gas amount and shutting off a gas supply when an abnormality occurs. And a microcomputer control unit for performing communication control for communicating information with the transmission control device via the wireless communication unit. 4. The gas meter according to claim 3, wherein the microcomputer control unit has a single CPU. 5. A power supply comprising: a first battery for supplying power to the wireless communication unit; a second battery for supplying power to the microcomputer control unit; and a voltage monitoring unit for monitoring voltages of both batteries. The gas meter according to 3 or 4.