JP2005214729A - Road survey system and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a load survey system capable of performing power line carrier communication between each load surveymeter and a collection device, without taking an installation place of the load surveymeter into consideration. <P>SOLUTION: The load surveymeter 31 has a test section 31A and a controller 31B. The controller 31B hears a data request signal to another load surveymeter from a collection device 30, and when the controller 31B finds this hearing to indicate no response by the other load surveymeter, it transmits a data request signal to the other load surveymeter, and when the controller 31B receives data corresponding to the data request signal from the other load surveymeter it transmits the received data to the collection device 30. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a load survey system and a program for measuring the amount of electric power used by an electric device in a general house or office using power line carrier communication.

  In order to plan power supply facilities and save energy, we may investigate how individual electrical equipment in ordinary houses and offices is used throughout the day. A typical example is a device called a so-called load survey meter that measures and stores the amount of use per 15-minute or 30-minute unit for each electrical device, and a collection device is provided to collect data collectively. It is a road survey system. An example of such a system will be described with reference to FIG.

  In FIG. 6, a load survey meter 1 is installed for each electric device such as an air conditioner, a TV, and a refrigerator, and these electric devices receive power supply via the load survey meter 1. The load survey meter 1 measures the power consumption of the connected electrical equipment, and stores data for every fixed time period such as 15 minutes or 30 minutes. A collecting device 2 is provided to collect the data measured by the individual load survey meters 1 in a lump, and the data collected by the collecting device 2 is sent to the survey company by online communication or by an offline collection method by a data collector. Sent.

  In such a system, since the load survey meter 1 is placed in a general house, it is difficult to lay a communication line between the load survey meter 1 and the collection device 2. Therefore, a means for communicating using an existing line such as power line conveyance shown in Patent Document 1 or the like is used.

  FIG. 7 shows an example of power line conveyance. In this example, the high frequency signal 4 is quantified with the AC power supply voltage 3, and the data is 0 or 1 at the position where the high frequency signal is superimposed on the AC power supply voltage. Is expressed. For example, “0” is represented when superimposed in the first half of the AC power supply half cycle, and “1” is represented when superimposed in the second half.

  FIG. 8 shows an example of communication between the load survey meter 1 and the collection device 2 by power line conveyance. An example where a signal is transmitted from the collecting device 2 by power line conveyance is illustrated. The signal of power line conveyance is transmitted to each load survey meter 1 via a distribution line in a general house. In FIG. 8, 1 is a load survey meter, 2 is a collecting device, 3 is an AC power supply voltage signal, 4 is a carrier signal (high-frequency signal), 5 is a power line carrier signal transmitted by the collecting device, and 6 is received at an electrical device. Power line carrier signal 7 is an attenuated power line carrier signal, 8 load survey meter, which is received at an electrical device.

  A problem often encountered in such a load survey system using power line carrier communication is that the signal level is lowered due to the capacitor in the AC power input section of the electrical equipment. In other words, the AC power input section of most electrical devices such as TVs, microwave ovens, refrigerators, etc. has a capacitor of about 0.1 μF to 3 μF. The power line carrier often uses a high frequency signal of about 125 kHz, but such a capacitor has a low impedance with respect to the high frequency, and thus the signal is attenuated.

  If the length of the power line exceeds several meters, the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit formed by the combination of the inductance of the line and the capacitor of the electric device may coincide with the frequency of the power line carrier signal. At a distance that is exactly the same, the power line carrier signal becomes zero, which is called a zero point phenomenon. Usually, the power line carrier signal is output at about 1 V on the output side, but it is often 1 mV or less when received.

  As an example of this, FIG. 8 shows a signal at the refrigerator and signals 6 and 7 at the microwave oven. The signal is transmitted to the refrigerator at a high level, but it is illustrated that the signal is greatly attenuated at the microwave oven. In such a case, the refrigerator responds to the call from the collection device 2, but the microwave oven does not respond.

If the location of the load survey meter 1 is changed, the transmission path and distance are changed and communication is often possible. However, since the location of the electrical device to be measured cannot be changed, the installation location of the load survey meter 1 cannot be changed. There are many cases.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-134144

  An object of the present invention is to provide a load survey system capable of power line carrier communication between a load survey meter and a collection device without causing a problem of an installation location of the load survey meter.

  The present invention is based on the following consideration in the example of FIG. That is, in FIG. 8, the power line carrier signal 7 at the microwave oven has a low level and cannot be received. However, the power line carrier signal 6 at the refrigerator has a high level and can be received sufficiently. The range is on the same wiring path and the distance is short. Since the distance from the collecting device 2 to the microwave oven is closer, there is a high possibility that the power line carrier signal transmitted from the load survey meter 1 at the refrigerator can be received by the load survey meter 8 at the microwave oven. From this point of view, if the load survey meter 1 installed in the refrigerator has a relay function, the success probability of data collection is expected to increase. If each load survey meter installed for each electric device has a relay function, the communication path of power line carrier communication becomes diversified and the communication success rate can be increased.

Accordingly, the present invention is a load survey meter that is installed for each electric device and measures the power used by the electric device, and has unique identification data attached thereto, and a use measured from the load survey meter by power line carrier communication. In a load survey system having a data collection device for collecting data relating to power and the identification data,
The collection device comprises means for transmitting a data request signal to the load survey meter to call data from the load survey meter to the collection device;
The load survey meter listens to the data request signal from the collecting device to another load survey meter, and when there is no response by the other load survey meter due to the hearing, the data request to the other load survey meter And a means for transmitting a signal and a means for transmitting the received data to the collecting device when the data corresponding to the data request signal is received from the other load survey meter.

  According to the present invention, since the load survey meter has a function of relaying between the collection device and another load survey meter, it is possible to perform data request and data collection for another load survey meter instead of the collection device. Even when there is no response from one load survey meter, another load survey meter transmits the data request signal and data can be transmitted to the collection device, and the probability of successful communication increases.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a load survey system according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the load survey system according to the present embodiment includes a collection device 30 and a load survey meter 31 installed on a distribution line 10 provided in a general house, for example. Communication between the collection device 30 and the load survey meter 31 is performed by power line carrier communication.

  The collection device 30 is generally arranged on the distribution system side (upstream side) of the distribution line 10 with respect to the distribution box 20. The data collected by the collection device 30 is sent to the survey company by online communication or offline collection by a data collector. In addition, the collection device 30 collects data related to the power used measured by the load survey meter 31 by power line carrier communication using the distribution line 10, and as a data request signal with identification data to the load survey meter 31. A request message is transmitted, and a reply message is received as electric quantity data for obtaining power consumption.

  On the other hand, the load survey meter 31 measures the electric power used by the electric equipment connected to the distribution line 10 and is provided with unique identification data, for example, an equipment number. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the load survey meter 31 includes a measurement unit 31A provided on the distribution line 10 connected to the electrical equipment, and a control unit 31B.

  Here, the measurement unit 31 </ b> A measures electrical quantity data such as voltage and current of the electrical equipment connected to the load survey meter 31. When the control unit 31B receives a request message from the collection device 30, the control unit 31B includes a communication unit 31B1, a relay unit 31B2, and a collision monitoring unit 31B3 that transmit the electric quantity data from the measurement unit 31A as a reply message. Consists of hardware or software.

  When the communication unit 31B1 receives the data request signal for itself based on the identification data, the communication unit 31B1 transmits the data related to the power used to the collection device 30, and specifically, when the request message from the collection device 30 is received. The electric quantity data by the measuring unit 31A is transmitted as a reply message, and is defined by steps S1, S2, and S8 in FIG.

  The relay unit 31B2 listens to the data request signal for the other load survey meter from the collection device 30 based on the identification data, and when there is no response by the other load survey meter due to this hearing, the data request signal to the other load survey meter. And when the data relating to the power used in response to the data request signal is received from another load survey meter, the received data is transmitted to the collection device 30 and is defined in steps S1, S3 to S8 in FIG. Is done.

  When the collision monitoring unit 31B3 detects that another load survey meter is performing an operation associated with transmission of the data request signal by hearing, that is, when it detects a collision, the collision monitoring unit 31B3 terminates its communication. Even if each step is being executed, the communication is terminated when a collision is detected.

  Data collection between the collection device 30 and the load survey meter 31 according to the present embodiment is performed as shown in FIGS. First, a data survey message is sent by designating a load survey meter 31 where the collection device 30 is located. The message format of the request message is, for example, as shown in FIG. In FIG. 3 (a), the head data is a signal indicating that power line carrier communication will be started from now on. For example, a signal representing binary "0" is continuously sent as "0000" and four power line carrier communications. Notify the start of. The transmission source address is an address set in the collection device 30 if the transmission source is the collection device 30. A specific address (device number) is set in the collection device 30 and the load survey meter 31. For example, if the device number address is 0, the load survey meter 31 sets an address other than 0. The transmission destination address is the address of the load survey meter 31 from which data is to be collected. In this case, the command is a data reading command. For example, when collecting data from 4:30, a code indicating data collection and data indicating 4:30 are put in this command area and sent to the load survey meter 31. The check code is a code for checking the error of the message, and a checksum or CRC code can be used. The above is a sequence implemented by the function of the communication unit 31B1 and defined by steps S1, S2, and S8 in FIG. 4 and shown in (1) of FIG.

  Next, an operation according to the sequence shown in (2) of FIG. 5 which is implemented by the function of the relay unit 31B2 and is defined in steps S1 to S8 in FIG. 4 will be described. First, since the data request message issued by the collection device 30 is sent superimposed on the power line in the general house, it is transmitted to the load survey meter 31 other than the request destination load survey meter 31. The load survey meter 31 that has received the data request message from the collection device 30 enters the message if the transmission destination address in the request message is not its own address. If there is no response from the called load survey meter 31 within a predetermined time, the load survey meter 31 that was listening again sends out a request message (step S4). The content of the request message to be sent is the same as the message that was being listened to, but the source address is its own address.

  In the example of FIG. 8, the load survey meter 1 connected to the refrigerator sends a request message to the load survey meter 8 of the microwave oven. When there is a response from the called load survey meter and a reply message is received, the received message is returned to the collection device 2. In this case, as the transmission source address in the communication message, the load survey meter of the other party who has received the data (the address of the load survey meter that the collection device 2 first requested) is entered.

  There may be multiple load survey meters that were being observed. Therefore, the load survey meter that relays and transmits the request message performs collision monitoring while transmitting the request message to check whether there is another load survey meter that transmits the request message. This operation is performed by the collision monitoring unit 31B3 and is a sequence shown in (3) of FIG. In the case of a collision, as is done in many collision monitoring, the binary “0” is given priority, and the transmission with the lower priority is canceled. A load survey meter that has stopped communication due to collision monitoring. Also listens to the communication status, and when there is no data return, it sends a request message again. The relay communication is terminated until there is no cancellation due to the collision or when the collision is a message from the collection device 2.

  Thus, in this embodiment, since the load survey meter 31 has a relay function, since all the load survey meters try to relay, it is possible to perform data request and data collection for the load survey meter 31 instead of the collection device 30. Even if there is no response from one load survey meter, another load survey meter can transmit the data request signal and transmit data to the collection device 30, and the probability of successful communication increases.

  The method described in each of the above embodiments is a program that can be executed by a computer, such as a magnetic disk (floppy (registered trademark) disk, hard disk, etc.), an optical disk (CD-ROM, DVD, etc.), a magneto-optical disk ( MO), and can be stored and distributed in a storage medium such as a semiconductor memory.

  In addition, as long as the storage medium can store a program and can be read by a computer, the storage format may be any form.

  In addition, an OS (operating system) running on a computer based on instructions from a program installed in a computer from a storage medium, MW (middleware) such as database management software, network software, and the like realize this embodiment. A part of each process for performing the processing may be executed.

  Further, the storage medium in the present invention is not limited to a medium independent of a computer, but also includes a storage medium in which a program transmitted via a LAN, the Internet, or the like is downloaded and stored or temporarily stored. In this case, the number of storage media is not limited to one, and the case where the processing according to the present embodiment is executed from a plurality of media is also included in the storage medium according to the present invention, and the media configuration may be any configuration.

  The computer according to the present invention executes each process according to the present embodiment based on a program stored in a storage medium, and includes a single device such as a personal computer or a system in which a plurality of devices are connected to a network. Any configuration may be used.

  In addition, the computer in the present invention is not limited to a personal computer, but includes an arithmetic processing device, a microcomputer, and the like included in an information processing device, and is a generic term for devices and devices that can realize the functions of the present invention by a program. .

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention at the stage of implementation. In addition, the embodiments may be appropriately combined as much as possible, and in that case, combined effects can be obtained. Furthermore, the above embodiments include inventions at various stages, and various inventions can be extracted by appropriately combining a plurality of disclosed constituent elements. For example, when an invention is extracted by omitting some constituent elements from all the constituent elements shown in the embodiment, when the extracted invention is implemented, the omitted part is appropriately supplemented by a well-known common technique. It is what is said.

The block diagram which shows one Embodiment of the load survey system which concerns on this invention. Detailed view of the load survey meter in the same embodiment. The figure which shows the example of a message | telegram format of the message | telegram communicated by the power line conveyance in the embodiment. The flowchart which shows operation | movement of the load survey meter in the same embodiment. The communication sequence diagram in case the load survey meter in the embodiment performs relay communication. The figure which shows the example of installation of the load survey meter for investigating the electric power usage condition of an individual electric equipment. The figure which shows the signal example of power line carrier communication. The figure showing the state in which the collection apparatus is collecting the data of the load survey meter which memorize | stored the electric power usage condition of the individual electric equipment by power line conveyance.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Distribution line, 20, Distribution box, 30 ... Collection apparatus, 31 ... Load survey meter, 31A ... Measuring part, 31B ... Control part, 31B1 ... Measuring part, 31B2 ... Relay part, 31B3 ... Collision monitoring part.

Claims (4)

A load survey meter that is installed for each electrical device and that measures the power consumption of the electrical device and has unique identification data attached thereto, and collects data relating to the power consumption measured from the load survey meter by power line carrier communication In a load survey system having a collection device,
The collection device includes means for transmitting a data request signal with the identification data to the load survey meter and receiving data relating to the power used,
The load survey meter receives a data request signal for itself based on the identification data, means for transmitting data relating to the power used to the collection device, and from the collection device to another load survey meter based on the identification data Listen to the data request signal, and when this response causes no response by the other load survey meter, send the data request signal to the other load survey meter, and from the other load survey meter to the data request signal A load survey system, comprising: a relay unit that transmits the received data to the collection device when the data related to the used power is received. 2. The load survey meter according to claim 1, further comprising a collision monitoring unit that terminates its communication when it is detected that another load survey meter is performing an operation associated with transmission of the data request signal by listening. Road survey system. A load survey meter that is installed for each electrical device and that measures the power consumption of the electrical device and has unique identification data attached thereto, and collects data relating to the power consumption measured from the load survey meter by power line carrier communication A computer that constitutes the load survey meter in a load survey system, comprising: a collecting device that includes a means for transmitting a data request signal with the identification data to the load survey meter and receiving data relating to the power used The
A function of transmitting data relating to the power used to the collection device when receiving the data request signal for itself based on the identification data;
Based on the identification data, the data request signal to the other load survey meter is observed from the collection device, and when there is no response by the other load survey meter due to this observation, the data request signal is sent to the other load survey meter. And a relay function for transmitting the received data to the collection device when the data related to the power used according to the data request signal is received from the other load survey meter. 4. The load survey program according to claim 3, further comprising a collision monitoring function that terminates its own communication when it is detected that another load survey meter is performing an operation associated with transmission of the data request signal by hearing.

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