JP2008014805A - Gas flow rate monitoring monitor device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a livelihood monitor device that is not costly, and does not require a new construction work, nor generating misinformation or malfunctions, and not changing the living conditions. <P>SOLUTION: This device is formed by loading on a gas meter, transceivers 6a, 6b for transmitting/receiving a sound wave into/from fluid to be measured at each sampling time, a repetition means 11 for performing transmission/reception between the transceivers in a plurality of times, a clocking means 14 for measuring the sound wave propagation time measured by the repetition means, an instantaneous flow rate operation means 17 for calculating the gas flow rate, from a value of the sound wave propagation time by the clocking means, an apparatus management means 19 for managing the operation state of a gas appliance, from flow rate data measured by the instantaneous flow rate operation means, and a communication means 20 for informing of monitoring information of the apparatus management means. In the device, the changes in a person living are perceived, by acquiring the operation state of the gas appliance following the livelihood from a flow rate measured value by a gas meter. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a gas flow rate monitoring monitor device that manages the operation status of a gas appliance from an instantaneous flow rate measurement value of a gas meter or the like, and in particular, can remotely monitor the safety of an elderly person or a disabled person living alone.

  Conventionally, this type of gas flow rate monitoring monitor device confirms safety by detecting human behavior from operation information of electrical equipment (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

FIG. 3 shows a conventional life monitoring apparatus described in Patent Document 1. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, an electric pot 2a and a rice cooker 2B, which are electric products arranged in the room 1, a receiving means 3 for receiving an electronic sound emitted when the electric product is operated, and detection by the receiving means The operation information of the electric product is configured to be connected to the central management unit 4 and is transmitted to the monitoring center or the like via a communication line.
JP-A-11-27757

  However, in the above-described conventional configuration, it is necessary to install a detector for detecting an operation sound when an electric product is operated in the room, and it is necessary to register the operation sound of the electric product that emits various sounds. In addition, there is a problem that there is a risk of false detection.

  The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems. A gas flow rate monitoring monitor device that does not require new construction, does not cause false alarms or malfunctions, does not change the living environment, and is inexpensive. The purpose is to provide.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, the gas flow rate monitoring monitor device according to the present invention performs a plurality of times of transmission / reception between the transmitter / receiver and a transmitter / receiver that transmits or receives a sound wave into the fluid to be measured at each measurement sampling time. Repetitive means, time measuring means for measuring the sound wave propagation time measured by the repetitive means, instantaneous flow rate calculating means for calculating the gas flow rate from the value of the sound wave propagation time of the time measuring means, and the instantaneous flow rate calculating means The gas meter is equipped with a device management means for managing the operation status of the gas appliance from the flow rate data and a communication means for reporting monitoring information of the device management means.

  In this way, it is necessary to check the living conditions in the usage status of the gas appliances without detecting any new construction in order to detect the actual usage of the gas appliances with the gas flow rate, without causing malfunction, and without changing the living environment. Is possible.

  The gas flow rate monitoring and monitoring device of the present invention can detect an abnormal life change by grasping the operation status of gas appliances associated with daily life from the flow rate measurement value of the gas meter, especially for elderly people living alone, It is possible to remotely confirm the safety of persons with physical disabilities.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an instantaneous flow rate calculation means for calculating a gas flow rate from a value of ultrasonic propagation time, an equipment management means for managing an operation state of a gas appliance from flow rate data measured by the instantaneous flow rate calculation means, and the equipment management. By providing the communication means for transmitting the monitoring information of the means to the outside, it is possible to detect the daily gas appliance usage actual condition from the gas flow rate value and to confirm the living situation remotely.

  Moreover, it has the feature that a situation can be confirmed in real time via a communication means by an instantaneous flow rate measurement method.

  In the second invention, in particular, the device management means of the first invention is provided with a flow rate information storage unit for storing daily information such as flow generation start time, stop time, gas flow rate value, flow rate generation number, and flow rate monitoring unit. When the flow rate generation number becomes equal to or less than the preset number, it can be notified by the communication means.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, the selection of whether or not to use the function of the device management means is set by the communication means, so that the gas meter can be freely installed without specialization.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a gas flow rate monitoring monitor apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, a first transmitter / receiver 6 a that transmits ultrasonic waves and a second transmitter / receiver 6 b that receives ultrasonic waves are disposed in the flow direction of a gas meter (not shown) so as to face each other in the flow direction. . Reference numeral 7 denotes a transmission circuit to the first transmitter / receiver 6a, and reference numeral 8 denotes an amplifier circuit for the signal received by the second transmitter / receiver 6b. The amplified signal is compared with the reference signal by the comparison circuit 9, and a signal higher than the reference signal is obtained. When the signal is detected, the delay circuit 12 delays the signal by the number of times set by the repetition number setting means 10 and then the trigger circuit 13 repeatedly transmits the ultrasonic signal.

  The time when the number of times set by the number-of-repetitions setting means 10 is repeated is obtained by the time-counting means 14 that counts the pulses of the time-measurement clock, and the value is stored in the storage means 15 incorporated in the microcomputer 18. When the transmission from the first transmitter / receiver 6a is completed in this way, the reception by the second transmitter / receiver 6b, that is, the ultrasonic transmission from the upstream to the downstream (hereinafter referred to as upstream transmission) is completed. The transmission / reception of the first transmitter / receiver 6a and the second transmitter / receiver 6b is switched to transmit an ultrasonic signal from the second transmitter / receiver 6b to the first transmitter / receiver 6a, that is, from downstream to upstream (hereinafter referred to as downstream transmission). Then, this transmission is repeated as described above, and the ultrasonic propagation time is measured.

  From the time difference, the instantaneous flow rate value is obtained by the instantaneous flow rate calculation means 17 built in the microcomputer 18 in consideration of the size of the pipe line and the flow state. Similarly, 19 in the microcomputer 18 is equipment management means for managing the instantaneous flow rate value in time series, and a flow rate information storage unit 19a for storing information on the flow generation start time, stop time, and gas flow rate value from the instantaneous flow rate value. The flow rate monitoring unit 19b for determining the usage status of the gas appliance is provided, and the communication unit 20 reports the determination information of the flow rate monitoring unit 19b. 21 is a pointer value display as a gas meter.

  The operation and action of the gas flow rate monitoring monitor device configured as described above will be described below.

FIG. 2 is a representative example showing the flow rate change, with the horizontal axis indicating time and the vertical axis indicating the flow rate value. Flow rate information generated in daily life appears in the time zone in which the gas appliance is used according to the life pattern. These data are stored in the flow rate information storage unit 19a.

  First, the flow rate monitoring unit 19b obtains the number of flow generations from the flow rate data stored in the flow rate information storage unit 19a, and determines that the gas appliance has not been operated when the number of times set in advance by the communication means is not reached. By notifying through the means 20, a change in the inhabitants is notified.

  Since the flow rate generation time is stored in the flow rate information storage unit 19a, it is possible to monitor at a specified time and to make a determination according to the season. In addition, since there are a wide variety of gas appliances, the operation state may be determined by focusing on a specific flow rate value, for example, a gas table. In that case, the situation in which the heating power is varied is determined by an instantaneous measurement value. It is also possible to obtain a proof that the consumer is operating normally.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, by mounting the device management means on the gas meter, it is possible to detect the daily gas appliance usage actual condition from the gas flow rate value and to confirm the living situation remotely.

  As described above, the gas flow rate monitoring and monitoring apparatus according to the present invention can detect the daily life of gas appliances from the gas flow rate value and confirm the living situation, and therefore can be applied to applications such as water meters.

1 is a block configuration diagram of a gas flow rate monitoring monitor device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Typical example showing flow rate change in Embodiment 1 of the present invention System diagram of a conventional life monitoring device

Explanation of symbols

6a, 6b Transmitter / Receiver 11 Repeating means 14 Timekeeping means 17 Instantaneous flow rate calculating means 19 Equipment management means 20 Communication means

Claims (3)

A transmitter / receiver that transmits or receives a sound wave into the fluid to be measured at each measurement sampling time, a repeating unit that performs transmission / reception between the transmitter / receiver a plurality of times, and a time measuring unit that measures a sound wave propagation time measured by the repeating unit; , An instantaneous flow rate calculating means for calculating the gas flow rate from the value of the sound wave propagation time of the time measuring means, a device managing means for managing the operating status of the gas appliance from the flow rate data measured by the instantaneous flow rate calculating means, and the device managing means Gas flow rate monitoring and monitoring device provided with communication means for reporting the monitoring information. The equipment management means is provided with a flow rate information storage unit that stores daily information such as flow generation start time, stop time, gas flow rate value, flow rate generation number, etc. from the flow rate data by the instantaneous flow rate measurement unit, and a flow rate monitoring unit. The gas flow rate monitoring monitor apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the number of times becomes equal to or less than a preset number, the communication means notifies the user. 2. The gas flow rate monitoring and monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the communication means enables operation permission and stop selection setting of the equipment management means, and access from authorized persons such as a monitoring center, family and relatives. .