JP2005257648A - Measuring instrument and controller applied to the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To avert a state in which the cause of abnormality can not be determined, without losing the information obtained by a controller. <P>SOLUTION: The measuring instrument 20 comprises measurement means 18, 20, 22 for measuring physical quantities of an object to be measured, a centralized control section 3 that decides the existence of abnormality in the gained physical quantities, by comparing the measured physical quantities with preset abnormal pattern criteria to shut off the passing of the object, while specifying the abnormal pattern of the abnormality when deciding the object, a battery 4 for driving the centralized control section 3, and an IC tag 5 that has a nonvolatile memory for storing the physical quantities gained by the centralized control section 3 and specified abnormal patterns, and an antenna 6 for receiving commands transmitted from the outside to transmit information stored in the memory from the commands. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a meter such as electricity, gas, and water and a controller applied thereto.

  Conventionally, the supply amount of electricity, gas, water, etc. supplied from the supply side of the electric power company, gas company, water bureau, etc. to the demand side such as companies and general has been provided on the demand side It is managed by a measuring instrument.

  FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing a gas meter 10 which is an example of this type of measuring instrument. That is, the gas meter 10 according to the prior art is provided with an inlet 12 for receiving a gas supplied from a gas company and an outlet 14 for dispensing the gas to a consumer. The inlet 12 and the outlet 14 are connected by a pipe 16. In addition, a flow rate sensor 18 that measures the flow rate of the gas flowing in the pipe 16 to generate a flow rate signal, a pressure switch 20 that detects an abnormal drop in the gas supply pressure and generates a shut-off signal, and detects vibration during an earthquake A seismic device 22 for generating a detection signal is provided.

  The flow rate signal from the flow rate sensor 18, the cutoff signal from the pressure switch 20, and the detection signal from the seismic device 22 are sent to the controller 24. The controller 24 and a memory (not shown) described later are driven by a battery 26. Then, when a shut-off signal or a detection signal is sent, the controller 24 sends a signal to the shut-off valve 28 and closes the shut-off valve 28 to shut off the gas supply. The controller 24 also sends a signal to the shutoff valve 28 when it is determined that there is some abnormality based on the flow rate signal. In addition, the gas meter 10 includes a memory (not shown), and stores a flow rate signal, a cutoff signal, and a detection signal sent to the controller 24.

The indicator lamp 30 blinks when the shutoff valve 28 is closed. Thereby, the inspector can grasp that there is some abnormality and the shut-off valve 28 is closed. The return button 32 is a button for opening the closed shut-off valve 28.
JP 2001-147144 A

  However, such a conventional measuring instrument has the following problems.

  That is, in the conventional measuring instrument, when there is some abnormality and the shut-off valve 28 is closed, by examining the contents of the flow rate signal, the shut-off signal, and the detection signal stored in a memory (not shown) It was understood whether an abnormality occurred.

  However, in order to grasp it, it was necessary to open the seal of the measuring instrument stipulated by the Measurement Law and collect the data from the internal electronic circuit.

  Further, since the controller 24 and the memory are of a volatile type driven by the battery 26, if the battery 26 is exhausted, the controller 24 does not function and information cannot be written into the memory. Information written to the memory is also lost. For this reason, in such a case, there is a problem that the cause of the abnormality cannot be determined.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and is capable of avoiding a situation in which the cause of abnormality cannot be determined without promptly and erasing information acquired by the controller. It is an object to provide a container and a controller applied thereto.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention takes the following measures.

  That is, the invention of claim 1 is a measuring instrument that measures a physical quantity of a measurement object passing through the inside and blocks the passage of the measurement object when the measured physical quantity is abnormal. Whether there is an abnormality in the acquired physical quantity by measuring the physical quantity of the target object, acquiring the physical quantity measured by the measuring means, and comparing the acquired physical quantity with preset abnormal pattern conditions When an abnormality is determined, the abnormality pattern of the abnormality is specified, the abnormality specifying means for blocking the passage of the measurement object, and the battery for driving the abnormality specifying means are provided. Further, the nonvolatile storage means for storing the physical quantity acquired by the abnormality specifying means and the specified abnormality pattern, and the information stored in the storage means based on the command received from the outside And an IC tag provided with a communication means for sending the message. As a known example having an IC tag, there is the above-mentioned Patent Document 1.

  Therefore, in the measuring instrument according to the first aspect of the present invention, the physical quantity and the abnormal pattern can be held without loss even when the battery is exhausted by taking the above-described means. . Further, when the stored information is read out, it can be easily transmitted to the outside using the communication function of the IC tag.

  The invention of claim 2 is set in the abnormality specifying means in the weighing instrument of the invention of claim 1 when update information of the abnormal pattern condition is transmitted as an external command to the communication means of the IC tag. An updating unit is further provided for updating the abnormal pattern condition on the basis of the update information.

  Therefore, in the measuring instrument according to the second aspect of the present invention, the abnormal pattern condition can be easily updated from the outside by taking the above-described means.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the measuring instrument according to the first or second aspect of the present invention, the measuring device further comprises a display means for displaying a physical quantity measured by the measuring means or a physical quantity or an abnormal pattern stored in the storage means. .

  Therefore, in the measuring instrument of the invention of claim 3, it is possible to easily observe necessary information by taking the above-described means.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the weighing instrument according to the third aspect of the present invention, the display means includes a display panel, while the communication means is a printed antenna, and the printed antenna is disposed on the display panel.

  Accordingly, in the measuring instrument according to the fourth aspect of the invention, by taking the above-described means, the communication means can be made as small as possible, so that the device configuration of the measuring instrument can be simplified.

  The invention according to claim 5 is the measuring instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the communication means is a printed antenna.

  Accordingly, in the measuring instrument according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the communication means can be miniaturized as much as possible by taking the above-described means, so that the device configuration of the measuring instrument can be simplified.

  A sixth aspect of the present invention is the measuring instrument according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the object to be measured is gas or tap water supplied from the supply side to the demand side.

  Therefore, in the measuring instrument of the invention of claim 6, such a measuring instrument can be used as a gas meter or a water meter by taking the above-described means.

  The invention of claim 7 is a controller that is applied to a measuring instrument that measures the physical quantity of a measurement object passing through the interior and blocks the passage of the measurement object when the measured physical quantity is abnormal. When the measured physical quantity is acquired, and the acquired physical quantity is compared with a preset abnormal pattern condition, it is determined whether the acquired physical quantity is abnormal. The abnormality specifying means for specifying the abnormality pattern of the abnormality and transmitting a blocking signal for blocking the passage of the measurement object, and a battery for driving the abnormality specifying means are provided. Further, the nonvolatile storage means for storing the physical quantity acquired by the abnormality specifying means and the specified abnormality pattern, and the information stored in the storage means based on the command received from the outside And an IC tag provided with a communication means for sending the message.

  Therefore, in the controller according to the seventh aspect of the invention, by taking the above-described means, even when the battery is exhausted, the physical quantity and the abnormal pattern can be held without loss. Further, when the stored information is read out, it can be easily transmitted to the outside using the communication function of the IC tag.

  The invention of claim 8 is the controller of the invention of claim 7, in which update information of the abnormal pattern condition is transmitted to the IC tag communication means as an external command, and is set in the abnormality specifying means. An updating unit is further provided for updating the abnormal pattern condition on the basis of the update information.

  Therefore, in the controller according to the eighth aspect of the invention, the abnormal pattern condition can be easily updated from the outside by taking the above-described means.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the controller of the seventh or eighth aspect of the present invention, the controller further comprises a display means for displaying the physical quantity measured by the measuring means, or the physical quantity or abnormal pattern stored in the storage means.

  Therefore, in the controller of the ninth aspect of the invention, necessary information can be easily observed by taking the above-described means.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the controller of the ninth aspect of the invention, the display means includes a display panel, while the communication means is a print antenna, and the print antenna is disposed on the display panel.

  Therefore, in the controller according to the tenth aspect of the present invention, the communication means can be reduced in size by taking the above-described means, and therefore the complication of the device configuration of the measuring instrument can be avoided.

  The invention of claim 11 is the controller according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the communication means is a printed antenna.

  Therefore, in the controller of the invention of claim 11, the communication means can be miniaturized by taking the above-described means, so that the complication of the device configuration of the measuring instrument can be avoided.

  A twelfth aspect of the invention is the controller according to any one of the seventh to eleventh aspects, wherein the object to be measured is gas or tap water supplied from the supply side to the demand side.

  Therefore, the controller of the invention of claim 12 can be applied to a meter for a gas meter or a water meter by taking the above-described means.

  According to the present invention, an IC tag having both a communication function and a volatile memory function is applied to the controller, and information acquired by the controller is stored in the IC tag, so that even when the battery is exhausted, Information can be retained without loss.

  Further, when the stored information is read out, it can be read out using the communication function of the IC tag, so that the cause of the abnormality can be easily determined.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  In addition, the code | symbol in the figure used for description of the following embodiment attaches | subjects and shows the same code | symbol about the same part as FIG.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration example of a controller 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention and a gas meter 2 which is an example of a measuring instrument to which the controller 1 is applied.

  That is, the gas meter 2 differs from the gas meter 10 shown in FIG. 4 only in the configuration of the controller 1. Therefore, regarding the configuration, only the description of the controller 1 will be given, and a duplicate description will be avoided.

  The controller 1 includes a central control unit 3, a battery 4, an IC tag 5, and a display unit 7. The battery 4 supplies driving power to the central control unit 3.

  The central control unit 3 acquires a flow signal sent from the flow sensor 18, a cutoff signal sent from the pressure switch 20, and a detection signal sent from the seismic device 22. Then, this acquired signal is sent to the IC tag 5. At this time, if a shut-off signal or a detection signal is sent, the gas supply is shut off by sending a signal to the shut-off valve 28 and closing the shut-off valve 28. Also, the abnormal pattern condition used for specifying the abnormal pattern is set in the central control unit 3, and when it is determined that there is some abnormality from this flow rate signal based on this abnormal pattern condition, the same applies. A signal is sent to the shutoff valve 28 to shut off the gas supply. The determined abnormal pattern is also sent from the central control unit 3 to the IC tag 5.

  The IC tag 5 includes a non-volatile memory (not shown) and an antenna 6. This nonvolatile memory stores information corresponding to the signal sent from the central control unit 3 and information on the abnormal pattern. In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the antenna 6 can communicate with an external device 9 such as a handy terminal having a data transmission / reception function, receives a command transmitted from the external device 9, and receives the command. The information stored in the memory is returned based on. Since this operation does not require power from the battery 4, it is possible even when the battery 4 is exhausted. Further, the antenna 6 displays information stored in the memory from the display unit 7 via the central control unit 3 based on a command transmitted from the external device 9 or an abnormal pattern set in the central control unit 3. Update operations such as registration and change of conditions. However, the operation through the central control unit 3 is limited to the case where the battery 4 is not exhausted.

  In FIG. 1, the antenna 6 is shown close to the main body of the IC tag 5, but this may reduce the communication capability with the external device 9, so as shown in FIG. As such, it is preferable to embed the display 8 inside. By adopting such a configuration, a high communication function with the external device 9 is realized.

  Since the controller 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention and the measuring instrument to which the controller 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is configured as described above, even when the battery 4 is exhausted, The physical quantity and the abnormal pattern can be held without loss. As a result, when the shut-off valve 28 is closed due to some abnormality, it is possible to reliably acquire information related thereto.

  In addition, information stored in the IC tag 5 can be displayed from the display unit 7 by an instruction from the external device 9 or can be easily sent to the external device 9 using the communication function of the IC tag 5. it can.

  In addition, the abnormal pattern condition set in the central control unit 3 can be easily updated from the external device 9 from the external device 9.

  Furthermore, since the configuration can be reduced as much as possible by using the antenna 6 as a printed antenna, the configuration of the measuring device can be simplified.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention has been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. Within the scope of the invented technical idea of the scope of claims, a person skilled in the art can conceive of various changes and modifications. The technical scope of the present invention is also applicable to these changes and modifications. It is understood that it belongs to.

The block diagram which shows the functional structural example of the gas meter which is an example of the controller which concerns on embodiment of this invention, and the measuring device to which it is applied. The figure which shows the concept of the data transmission / reception between a gas meter and a handy terminal. The front view which shows an example of the gas meter by which the printed antenna was embedded inside the display. The block diagram of the gas meter by a prior art.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Controller, 2 ... Gas meter, 3 ... Central control part, 4 ... Battery, 5 ... IC tag, 6 ... Antenna, 7 ... Display part, 8 ... Display, 9 ... External device, 10 ... Gas meter, 12 ... Inlet, 14 ... exit, 16 ... piping, 18 ... flow rate sensor, 20 ... pressure switch, 22 ... seismic device, 24 ... controller, 26 ... battery, 28 ... shutoff valve, 30 ... indicator lamp, 32 ... return button

Claims (12)

A measuring instrument that measures a physical quantity of a measurement object that passes through the inside, and when there is an abnormality in the measured physical quantity,
Measuring means for measuring a physical quantity of the weighing object;
The physical quantity measured by the measuring means is acquired, and the acquired physical quantity is compared with a preset abnormal pattern condition to determine whether or not the acquired physical quantity is abnormal. In this case, the abnormality identification means for identifying the abnormality pattern of the abnormality and blocking the passage of the measurement object;
A battery for driving the abnormality specifying means;
Non-volatile storage means for storing the physical quantity acquired by the abnormality specifying means and the specified abnormality pattern, and a command transmitted from the outside, and stored in the storage means based on the command A measuring instrument including an IC tag including communication means for transmitting information. The measuring instrument according to claim 1,
When the abnormality pattern condition update information is transmitted to the IC tag communication means as the external command, the abnormality pattern condition set in the abnormality identification means is determined based on the update information. A measuring instrument further comprising updating means for updating. The measuring instrument according to claim 1 or 2,
A measuring instrument further comprising display means for displaying a physical quantity measured by the measuring means, or a physical quantity or an abnormal pattern stored in the storage means. The measuring instrument according to claim 3,
While the display means includes a display panel,
A measuring instrument in which the communication means is a printed antenna and the printed antenna is arranged on the display panel. The measuring instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A measuring instrument using the communication means as a printed antenna. The measuring instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The measuring object is a measuring instrument that is gas or tap water supplied from a supply side to a demand side. A controller that is applied to a measuring instrument that measures the physical quantity of a measurement object passing through the interior and blocks the passage of the measurement object when the measured physical quantity is abnormal;
When the measured physical quantity is acquired and the acquired physical quantity is compared with a preset abnormality pattern condition to determine whether the acquired physical quantity is abnormal, and when it is determined that there is an abnormality Is an abnormality specifying means for specifying an abnormal pattern of the abnormality and transmitting a blocking signal for blocking the passage of the measurement object;
A battery for driving the abnormality specifying means;
Non-volatile storage means for storing the physical quantity acquired by the abnormality specifying means and the specified abnormality pattern, and a command transmitted from the outside, and stored in the storage means based on the command A controller comprising an IC tag comprising a communication means for transmitting information. The controller of claim 7,
When the abnormality pattern condition update information is transmitted to the IC tag communication means as the external command, the abnormality pattern condition set in the abnormality identification means is determined based on the update information. A controller further comprising update means for updating. The controller according to claim 7 or claim 8,
A controller further comprising display means for displaying a physical quantity measured by the measuring means, or a physical quantity or an abnormal pattern stored in the storage means. The controller of claim 9, wherein
While the display means includes a display panel,
A controller in which the communication means is a print antenna, and the print antenna is disposed on the display panel. The controller according to any one of claims 7 to 9,
A controller using the communication means as a printed antenna. The controller according to any one of claims 7 to 11,
A controller in which the measurement object is gas or tap water supplied from the supply side to the demand side.

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