JP2007298411A - Weighing device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a weighing device allowing to know a time till which normal weighing is carried out, even when an electric power source such as a battery is consumed out. <P>SOLUTION: A control part 106 in this weighing device 100 stores in a storage means 107 a time zone weighed value based on a use amount detected by a use amount detecting part 103, prepares data for the inspection of the weighing device, based on the time zone weighed value, and stores the data for the inspection, and a settled time of the time when the data for the inspection is prepared, in an IC tag 109. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a measuring instrument that acquires data relating to supply information, such as the amount of measurement system used.

  Conventionally, measuring instruments that measure the amount of gas used, the amount of power used, and the amount of water used in general households, factories, and offices have become widespread. The measuring instrument includes a usage detection unit for measuring the amount of gas used, power consumption, and water usage of the system to be measured, a control unit for editing the usage detected by the usage detection unit, and a control unit. And a display unit for displaying the edited data.

Further, as a method of collecting measurement data, a meter reading system (for example, Patent Document 1) in which an IC tag is provided outside the measuring instrument and necessary data such as measurement data is manually stored in the IC tag by a handy terminal or the like, There is a measuring instrument in which an IC tag is provided inside or outside the measuring instrument to store necessary data such as measuring data (for example, Patent Document 2).
JP2003-323686A (6th page, FIG. 1) JP 2001-147144 A (page 5, FIG. 1)

  However, since the measuring instrument operates with a power source such as a battery, the conventional measuring instrument has a problem in that the measurement is continued even when the remaining power source such as the battery runs out, and the reliability of the data is lowered. In the case of a charge trading meter, for example, the meter reading of the meter is performed in units of one month, and the transaction fee is determined based on the metered value. When it disappeared, there was a problem that the data was not reliable.

In the present invention, even when the remaining power source such as a battery is exhausted, the weighing data up to that time is stored in the IC tag so that it can be read from the external device, and the last time when the weighing is normally performed is stored in the IC tag. An object of the present invention is to provide a measuring instrument that ensures the validity of data by being stored.

In order to achieve the above object, a measuring instrument according to the present invention comprises a power source, a power remaining amount detecting means for detecting a remaining charge capacity of the power source, a time measuring means for measuring time, and a measurement target of a consumer. Measuring means for measuring the usage amount, storage means for sequentially storing the usage amount measured by the measuring means as a time zone measurement value for each time measured by the time measuring means, and the remaining amount from the remaining power source detecting means Control that uses the time at which the quantity abnormality signal is detected as fixed time data, calculates at least one of the time zone integrated value and the total integrated value from the time zone measured value stored in the storage means, and creates it as meter-reading data And an IC tag for storing fixed time data and meter reading data created by the control means.

According to the present invention, even when the remaining power of the battery or the like is exhausted, the measurement data up to that time is stored in the IC tag so that it can be read from the external device, and the final time when the measurement is normally performed is the IC It is possible to provide a measuring instrument in which the validity of data is ensured by being stored in a tag.

  Examples of the present invention will be described below.

  A gas meter which is Embodiment 1 of a measuring instrument according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

Reference numeral 100 denotes a main body of a measuring instrument, which corresponds to a measuring instrument such as a gas meter, a watt hour meter, or a water meter.
A power source 101 is constituted by a battery such as a lithium battery, and supplies a power supply voltage to each part of the circuit in the measuring instrument.

  Reference numeral 102 denotes a power remaining amount detection unit which is configured by a voltage comparator or the like, detects the voltage of the power supply 101, and issues a remaining amount abnormality signal when it is determined that the power supply voltage is equal to or less than a specified value.

  103 is a usage amount detection unit, which is composed of a gas amount detection device that superimposes an ultrasonic wave on a gas flow and calculates a gas flow rate from the propagation time of the ultrasonic wave, detects the gas flow rate, and converts it into an electrical signal. To do. In the case of a watt-hour meter, the watt-hour meter is constituted by a power amount detection device, which detects a voltage supplied from the outside and a current used on the load side, multiplies them, and converts them into an electric signal corresponding to the power amount. Moreover, in the case of a water meter, it is comprised by the water amount detection apparatus, detects water amount, and converts it into an electrical signal.

A display unit 104 includes a liquid crystal display or the like, and displays used gas amount data and the like.

Reference numeral 105 denotes a time discriminating means constituted by a clock circuit having a Japanese standard time radio signal reception circuit, which receives the Japanese standard time radio signal, counts clock pulses due to crystal oscillation or the like, and creates time data of year, month, day, hour, minute, and second.

A control unit 106 includes a microcomputer or the like, and creates usage data based on the usage detected by the usage detection unit 103. Here, the usage data is the time zone measurement value that is the usage amount for each time zone, the time zone integration value that is the integration value for each time zone of the time zone measurement value, and the total integration value that is the sum of all the time zone integration values. Say. In addition, the control unit 106 causes the display unit 104 to display usage data. Furthermore, when the control unit 106 detects a remaining amount abnormality signal from the power remaining amount detection unit and at the end of each time zone, the time at which the meter reading data is created using the time zone integrated value and the total integrated value as meter reading data. Is stored in the IC tag 109, which will be described later, as the fixed time.

A storage means 107 is constituted by a semiconductor memory such as a RAM, and stores a time zone measurement value for each time zone.

  An input / output means 108 is constituted by a serial signal transmission / reception circuit or the like, and performs writing and reading of data with respect to the IC tag 109.

  Reference numeral 109 denotes an IC tag, which is composed of a non-volatile semiconductor memory or the like that can call data by radio waves, and stores a time zone integrated value, total integrated value, and confirmed time at which the meter reading data is created. These data are written as serial data or the like by the control unit 106 via the input / output means 108, and are read out by radio waves from the outside such as an external device having a radio wave transmission / reception function.

Next, details of the internal configuration of the IC tag 109 will be described with reference to FIG. Reference numeral 201 denotes an antenna that transmits and receives radio signals to and from an external device such as a handy terminal having a radio wave generation function. Reference numeral 202 denotes a transmission / reception unit that receives a data transmission request signal including an identification number transmitted from an external device such as a handy terminal having a radio wave generation function received by the antenna 201 and stores the meter reading stored in the storage unit 203 described later. Data and the like are transmitted from the antenna 201 by radio waves. A storage unit 203 includes a nonvolatile memory, such as a ferroelectric memory (F-RAM), and stores a time zone integrated value, a total integrated value, and a fixed time, which are meter reading data.

A signal requesting data transmission transmitted from an external device such as a handy terminal having a radio wave transmission / reception function includes an identification number, and the identification number is temporarily stored via the antenna 201 and the transmission / reception unit 202. 203. When the identification number stored in the storage unit 203 matches the ID number unique to the measuring instrument already stored in the storage unit 203, the control circuit 204 controls to transmit meter-reading data. These data are transmitted to the external device by radio waves via the transmission / reception unit 202 and the antenna 201.

  Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. Here, the program shown in FIG. 3 is stored in a program memory (not shown) in the control unit 106 in FIG. 1 and controls the operation of the control unit 106. FIG. 4 shows the storage contents of the storage means 107 and the IC tag 109 in FIG.

The control unit 106 receives a signal from the usage amount detection unit 103, counts the usage amount for each time zone, and stores it in the storage means 107 as a time zone measurement value. For example, a day is divided into four time zones of 0:00 to 6:00, 6:00 to 12:00, 12:00 to 18:00, and 18: 0 to 24:00, and the time zone for the past 30 days It is assumed that the measurement value is stored in the storage unit 107. As an example, assuming that the current time is 11:59 on April 17, 2005, the time zone measurement value of “6:00 to 12:00” of “the current day” shown in the memory configuration diagram of FIG. 107 (step 301).

When the time advances and reaches 12:00 on April 17, 2005, the control unit 106 determines that it is the end time of the time period currently being measured (step 302), which is “2005- 4-17-12: 0 ”is stored in the IC tag 109 as the“ determined time ”. Further, the control unit 106 reads the corresponding time zone integrated value from the IC tag 109 (step 304). The time zone integrated value stored in the IC tag is an integrated value in the time zone 6:00 to 12:00 until the previous day. The control unit 106 adds the current time zone measurement value to the time zone integrated value up to the previous day (step 305) and stores it in the IC tag 109 as a new time zone integrated value (step 306).

  Further, the control unit 106 stores “0: 00 to 6:00”, “6: 00 to 12:00”, “12: 00 to 18:00”, “18: 00 to 24: 24” stored in the IC tag 109. 00 ”The total sum of the time zone integrated values is obtained (step 307) and stored in the IC tag 109 as a new total integrated value (step 308). Thereafter, the control unit 106 measures the next time zone “12: 00 to 18:00” (step 301). In step 308, the total integrated value may be stored in the IC tag 109, and measuring instrument information may be stored in the IC tag 109 (not shown in the figure). Here, the measuring instrument information means one or more pieces of information among a measuring instrument management number, a manufacturing number, a test expiration date, and a repair history.

On the other hand, when the remaining amount of the power source such as the battery is equal to or less than the specified value, the control unit 106 receives the remaining amount abnormality signal from the remaining power amount detection unit 102 (step 309) and sets the time when the remaining amount abnormality signal is received as “ It is stored in the IC tag 109 as “determined time”. For example, when the control unit 106 receives the remaining amount abnormality signal at 17:28 on April 17, 2005, the control unit 106 sets “2005-4-17-15: 28” as the “determined time” and the IC tag 109. Remember me. In addition, the control unit 106 reads a time zone integrated value corresponding to the time zone currently being measured from the IC tag 109 (step 304). The time zone integrated value is a time zone integrated value from 12:00 to 18:00 until the previous day. The control unit 106 adds the time zone measurement value of the current day until the remaining amount abnormality signal is received to the time zone integrated value up to the previous day (step 305), and stores it in the IC tag 109 as a new time zone integrated value ( Step 306).

  Further, the control unit 106 stores “0: 00 to 6:00”, “6: 00 to 12:00”, “12: 00 to 18:00”, “18: 00 to 24:00” stored in the IC tag 109. "The total sum of the time zone integrated values is obtained (step 307) and stored in the IC tag 109 as a new total integrated value (step 308). In step 308, the total integrated value may be stored in the IC tag 109, and measuring instrument information may be stored in the IC tag 109 (not shown in the figure). Here, the measuring instrument information means one or more pieces of information among a measuring instrument management number, a manufacturing number, a test expiration date, and a repair history.

Since the weighing operation is uncertain due to the power supply voltage drop, the control unit 106 stops the subsequent weighing operation (not shown in the figure).

In order to read the meter reading data stored in the IC tag 109, an operator such as a meter reader operates an external device such as a handy terminal having a radio wave generating function to acquire data. In FIG. 5, reference numeral 500 denotes an external device such as a handy terminal. An operation unit 501 includes a keyboard switch and is operated by an operator. A control unit 502 includes a microcomputer or the like, and receives an input from the operation unit 501 to control the tag transmission unit 503 and the storage unit 504. The tag transmission unit 503 is configured by a wireless radio wave transmission / reception circuit, transmits radio waves under the control of the control unit 502, writes an identification number to the IC tag 109 in the measuring instrument 100, and reads meter reading data in the IC tag 109. . A storage unit 504 includes a semiconductor memory such as a RAM, and stores data for meter reading acquired from the IC tag 109 by the control unit 502 via the tag reader unit 503.

First, the operator operates the operation unit 501 of the external device 500 to input to perform transmission with the IC tag 109. Then, the control unit 502 in the external device 500 controls the tag transmission unit 503 to send out radio waves and store the identification number in the IC tag 109 in the measuring instrument 100.

On the other hand, the control circuit 204 in the IC tag 109 determines whether or not the identification number matches the ID number stored in advance. If the identification number matches, the meter reading data of “time zone integrated value” and “total integrated value” and Each data of “determined time” is transmitted.

The control unit 502 of the external device 500 reads the “time zone integrated value” and “total integrated value” meter reading data and “determined time” data stored in the IC tag 109 via the tag transmission unit 503 by radio waves. And stored in the storage unit 504. In this way, each data stored in the IC tag 109 can be acquired by the external device 500 such as a handy terminal.

By analyzing the “determined time” in the data acquired by the external device 500 such as a handy terminal, it can be recognized that there is no remaining power such as the battery of the measuring instrument 100. The fixed time represents the creation time of the latest “time zone integrated value” and “total integrated value” data in the measuring instrument 100, and there is a power remaining amount, and no remaining amount abnormality signal is issued from the power remaining amount detecting unit. In this case, the end time of each time zone is any one of “0:00”, “6:00”, “12:00”, and “24:00”. For example, when data is acquired at 13:11 on April 17, 2005 in the previous example, the “determined time” is “2005-4-17-12: 00”, and an external device 500 such as a handy terminal is used. It becomes the time zone end time immediately before the time when the data was acquired.

On the other hand, when there is no remaining power such as a battery and a remaining power abnormality signal is issued from the remaining power detection unit, the “determined time” is the time when the control unit 106 receives the remaining power abnormality signal. For example, when data is acquired in the external device 500 such as a handy terminal at 13:11 on April 18, 2005 in the previous example, the “determined time” is “2005-4-17-15: 28”. The time zone end time immediately before the acquisition time is not reached. It is possible to know from the “determined time” that there is no remaining power such as the battery of the measuring instrument and how long the meter reading data is valid.

If weighing is performed with no remaining battery power, the data is unreliable.However, if the remaining battery power is exhausted using the present invention, the weighing operation is stopped and the data up to that point is saved. Since it is stored and stored, and the stored and stored time is stored, it is possible to obtain reliable data.

Further, according to the present invention, even when the power of the measuring instrument 100 such as the battery is exhausted or the power is not supplied, such as a circuit failure, the IC tag 109 can communicate and acquire data. it can.

From the “determined time” in the data, it is possible to know when the remaining power source such as a battery has run out and to confirm the validity of the data.

In the above example, when the ID number unique to the measuring instrument set in the IC tag 109 at the time of factory shipment and the identification number transmitted from the external device 500 such as a handy terminal match, the control in the IC tag is performed. The circuit 204 determines that the two numbers match and transmits data. In order to further improve the security of data, it is desirable to update the ID number set in the IC tag 109 every time the data is transmitted to the external device 500 such as a handy terminal.

That is, two types of new and old identification numbers are transmitted from the external device 500 such as a handy terminal, and the two identification numbers are stored in the storage unit 203 in the IC tag 109. The control circuit 204 in the IC tag 109 determines whether the ID number stored in the storage unit 203 matches the old identification number stored from the external device 500 such as the handy terminal. The number is stored in the storage unit 203 as a new ID number. In this way, if the ID number is updated each time transmission is performed with the external device 500 such as a handy terminal, data security is improved. The new ID number is managed by an external device 500 such as a handy terminal for each measuring instrument.

The internal block diagram which shows the structure of Example 1 of the measuring instrument by this invention. The internal block diagram which shows the structure of the IC tag concerning the measuring device by this invention The block diagram which shows the program of Example 1 by this invention Explanatory drawing which shows the memory content of the measuring instrument by this invention Explanatory drawing which shows the usage method of the measuring instrument by this invention

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Main body 101 Power supply 102 Power supply remaining amount detection part 103 Usage detection part 104 Display part 105 Time identification means 106 Control part 107 Storage means 108 Input / output means 109 IC tag 201 Antenna 202 Transmission / reception part 203 Storage part 204 Control circuit 500 Terminal Device 501 Operation unit 502 Control unit 503 Tag transmission unit 504 Storage unit

Claims (4)

Power supply,
A remaining power detection means for detecting a remaining charge capacity of the power supply;
A time measuring means for measuring time;
A measuring means for measuring the usage amount of the measurement target of the consumer;
Storage means for sequentially storing the amount of use measured by the measuring means as a time zone measured value at each time measured by the time measuring means;
The time when the remaining power abnormality signal from the remaining power detection means is detected is determined time data, and at least one of the time zone integrated value and the total integrated value is calculated from the time zone measured value stored in the storage means. Control means for creating data for meter reading;
A measuring instrument comprising: an IC tag for storing fixed time data and meter reading data created by the control means. A time measuring means for measuring time;
A measuring means for measuring the usage amount of the measurement target of the consumer;
Storage means for sequentially storing the amount of use measured by the measuring means as a time zone measured value at each time measured by the time measuring means;
The time zone end time detected by the timekeeping means is set as finalized time data, and at least one of the time zone integrated value and the total integrated value is calculated from the time zone measured value stored in the storage means, and as meter reading data Control means to create;
A measuring instrument comprising: an IC tag for storing fixed time data and meter reading data created by the control means. 3. The measuring instrument according to claim 1, wherein measuring instrument information is stored in the IC tag. When the old identification number transmitted by the external radio wave matches the ID number stored in the IC tag, the ID number is updated to the new identification number added to the old identification number transmitted by the external radio wave. The measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising means.

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