JP2008082941A - Snow cover measuring system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a snow cover measuring system for easily and accurately determining the position of a roof requiring snow removal and its timing by accurately measuring the load distribution of snow cover weight on the roof. <P>SOLUTION: This snow cover measuring system comprises a plurality of measurement modules that generate a load data signal indicating a load charged on themselves, modulate the load data signal, and transmit it on the radio, a demodulating means for demodulating a plurality of received signals received from the measurement modules and generating a plurality of load data signals, and an arithmetic means for obtaining a two-dimensional load distribution pattern based on the load data signals. The measurement modules comprise a load sensor, and a data signal generating section for setting, as the load data signal, a data signal consisting of a load data part corresponding to the sensor output from the load sensor and an identification data part indicating a specific identification number of the load sensor. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a measurement system for measuring the weight of snow.

  In heavy snowfall areas, the amount of snow in the winter reaches several emails, so there is an extremely high risk that houses will collapse due to the weight of snow. In order to prevent the house from collapsing, it is necessary to measure the amount of snow on the roof and remove the snow, that is, remove the snow before reaching the weight capacity of the house.

  However, since it is not easy to directly measure the amount of snow on the roof, the conventional measurement method is the method in which the measurer measures the amount of snow on the roof by eye, the measure of the measure provided on the roof. The method is limited to indirect measurement such as a method of reading the scale buried in the snow cover, or a method of measuring the amount of snow according to the time taken to irradiate an ultrasonic wave toward the roof and reflect it back on the surface of the snow.

  In such a conventional method for measuring the amount of snow, the depth of snow can be measured, but the weight of snow cannot be measured. However, the specific gravity of snow during fresh snow is light, and as the amount of snowfall increases, the snow is compressed and the specific gravity increases. Therefore, since it cannot be determined that the amount of snow is uniformly large only because the snow is deep, it is important to determine the timing of snow removal based on the weight of snow rather than the depth of snow. Further, the conventional method for measuring the amount of snow has a problem that measurement cannot be performed in a situation where the visual field is poor such as at night.

Therefore, Patent Document 1 describes a device that measures the amount of snowmelt water flowing down from the roof, a device that is installed in the vicinity of the roof and measures precipitation, and a calculation that processes the measurement values obtained from the two devices. A snow load monitoring system comprising a processing device is disclosed. The snow load monitoring system disclosed in Patent Document 1 is capable of measuring the weight of snow, which is important for judging the timing of snow removal, and can be measured even in poor visibility conditions such as at night. The time can be determined more easily.
JP-A-7-19938

  In the snow load monitoring system described in Patent Document 1, the snow weight is measured by an arithmetic unit based on the measured values of the amount of snowmelt water flowing down the snow on the roof and the precipitation near the roof. Therefore, since the conventional measurement is an indirect measurement, an accurate measurement is impossible.

    In addition, since the conventional snow load monitoring system cannot measure each part of the roof, it cannot measure the snow load distribution on the roof. Therefore, in the conventional snow load monitoring system, even if it is not necessary to remove snow on the entire roof, it is impossible to determine such snow removal if it is already necessary to remove snow on a part of the roof. There is a problem.

    In addition, there is a problem that it is impossible to determine the possibility of snow falling from the roof due to a change in temperature of the snow, and that introduction, maintenance, management, etc. of the measuring device are expensive.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and by accurately measuring the load distribution of the snow weight on the roof, it is easy to determine the position on the roof where snow removal is necessary and the timing thereof. An object of the present invention is to provide a snow cover measurement system that enables accurate judgment.

    A snow measurement system, wherein a plurality of measurement modules each generate a load data signal indicating a load applied to itself, modulate the load data signal and transmit by radio, and a plurality of receptions received from the measurement module Demodulating means for demodulating a signal to generate a plurality of load data signals, and calculating means for obtaining a two-dimensional load distribution pattern based on the plurality of load data signals, the measurement module comprising a load sensor and A data signal generation unit that uses a data signal composed of a load data unit corresponding to a sensor output from the load sensor and an identification data unit representing a unique identification number of the load sensor as the load data signal. It is a feature.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a snow cover measuring system according to the present invention. As can be seen from FIG. 1, on the roof 11 of the house 10, a plurality of measurement modules 12 for measuring the load applied to itself are fixed. Indoors, there is a data collection unit 14 that collects multiple load data signals (described later) from multiple measurement modules 12 via a loop antenna 13 wired from the attic to itself so as to cover the entire roof 11. It has been.

    Further, the loop antenna 13 may be built in the data collection unit 14, and the data collection unit 14 may be a portable type that is portable. By making the data collection unit 14 the handy type, it is not necessary to install the loop antenna 13, and the cost for installing the loop antenna 13 can be suppressed.

    Next, the configuration of the measurement module 12 will be described with reference to FIG.

    As can be seen from FIG. 2, the measurement module 12 is provided with a load sensor 21 that generates a load signal. The load sensor 21 detects a load applied to itself, and generates an analog load signal corresponding to the load. An example of the load sensor 21 may be a load cell.

    Further, the load sensor 21 needs to measure a load in the vertical direction in order to measure an accurate load applied to the roof 11. However, the structure of the roof in a snowy region basically has a certain degree of inclination in order to make it easier to lower the snow on the roof. Therefore, if the measurement module 12 and the load sensor 21 are installed along an inclined roof, it is impossible to measure the accurate load applied to the roof 11. Therefore, the load sensor 21 may be a sensor characterized by a variable angle structure that can be changed perpendicularly to a load applied to the load sensor 21 when the measurement module 12 is attached.

    Furthermore, the load sensor 21 may be a sensor having a three-axis sensor function characterized by a structure in which load acceleration of a load applied to the sensor is decomposed in three axes and a load in only a vertical direction is extracted with respect to the load applied to the sensor. Such a triaxial sensor does not require any attachment angle, and therefore does not require an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the attachment angle at the time of installation. Therefore, such a triaxial sensor can use a simpler configuration than the aforementioned variable angle structure sensor, and can maintain long-term stability in vertical load measurement from the point that an adjustment mechanism is unnecessary. .

    The load signal generated by the load sensor is converted from an analog to a digital load signal by the AD converter 22. Thereafter, the load signal is transmitted to a data signal generation unit that generates a load data signal for data transmission described later, that is, the measurement module control circuit 23.

    The measurement module control circuit 23 is connected to an identification data storage device 24 for storing a unique identification number and arrangement position information of the load sensor. The measurement module control circuit 23 is connected to an identification data input device 25 for setting a unique identification number and arrangement position information in the identification data storage device 24. For example, the identification data input device 25 may be a numeric keypad having numeric keys from 0 to 9, an ENTER key, and a calculation key.

    The measurement module control circuit 23 generates a load data signal from the load signal from the load sensor 21 and the unique identification number of the load sensor set in the identification data storage device 24. The generated load data signal is modulated by the modulation device 26 and transmitted to the data collection unit 14 via the antenna 27 by radio.

    Further, the modulation device 26 may have a function of demodulating a data acquisition command transmitted from a data collection unit described later and transmitting a data acquisition command signal to the measurement module 23.

    For example, the measurement module control circuit 23, the identification data storage device 24, and the modulation device 26 may be integrated as a single RFID tag having the respective functions. Alternatively, an RFID tag incorporating the AD converter 22 may be used.

    Next, the load data signal generated by the measurement module control circuit 23 will be described with reference to FIGS.

    As can be seen from FIG. 3, the load data signal includes an identification data portion and a load data portion. Moreover, the identification data part is comprised from the number data part and the arrangement position data part. Furthermore, the arrangement position data part is composed of an X direction data part and a Y direction data part.

    The number data part includes an identification number individually set for each measurement module 12. Further, the X direction data portion and the Y direction data portion include partition addresses in the X direction and the Y direction when the roof 11 is divided into a plurality of partitions.

    For example, as shown in Figure 4, set the X direction of the roof 11 in ascending order from the left to 1-5, and set the roof Y direction from 1 to 3 in ascending order from the top to the total number of 15 sections. To divide. When one measurement module 12 is arranged in each section, the identification number of each measurement module 12 is set so as not to overlap any of the serial numbers 001 to 015. Further, in the arrangement position data of each measurement module 12, the partition addresses (1 to 5 for the X address and 1 to 3 for the Y address) where the measurement modules 12 are arranged are set.

    Further, as described above, the load data portion includes a load signal that is a sensor output from the load sensor 21.

    Next, the configuration of the data collection unit 14 will be described with reference to FIG.

    As can be seen from FIG. 5, the data collection unit 14 is provided with a demodulator 51 for demodulating the received signal received from the measurement module 12 via the loop antenna to generate a load data signal. For example, the demodulator 51 may be an RFID reader.

    The load data signal generated by the demodulator 51 is transmitted to the data collection unit control circuit 52 connected to the demodulator 51. The data collection unit control circuit 52 records the load data signal in the storage device 53. The data collection unit control circuit 52 determines which of the plurality of load data signals recorded in the storage device 53 is the load data of the measurement module 12 from the number data portion and the arrangement position data portion of each load data signal. The data collection unit control circuit 52 calculates a two-dimensional load distribution pattern of loads on the entire roof 11 by calculation from the number data, arrangement position data, and load data of the plurality of measurement modules 12. The two-dimensional load distribution pattern data calculated by the calculation of the data collection unit control circuit 52 is displayed on the display unit 54 connected to the data collection unit control circuit 52 or printed out by the external output device 55.

    A display example by the display unit 54 or the external output device 55 will be described with reference to FIGS.

    In the display example of FIG. 6, a plan view and a block number of the entire roof 11 are displayed. In the plan view of the roof 11, the position where the measurement module 12 of the roof 11 is installed is shown. The display example of FIG. 6 displays a distribution diagram in which the load values of the measurement modules 12 are connected by the solid lines of the measurement modules 12 having the same load value, that is, an equal load line distribution. Moreover, the value is displayed on this equal load line.

    Further, in the display example of FIG. 7, a column indicating a display case is provided in the lower left portion, and measurement data for each measurement module 12 is displayed in the upper portion of the case. The array of measurement results for each measurement module 12 is displayed in accordance with the division of the roof 11. In FIG. 7, in accordance with the partitioning of the roof shown in FIG. 4, 1 to 5 partition addresses in the X direction in ascending order from the left, 1 to 3 partition addresses in the Y direction in ascending order from the top, The measurement result of the measurement module 12 is displayed. In the measurement data display of each measurement module 12, an identification number is displayed in the left column, and a load is displayed in the right column.

With the display examples in FIGS. 6 and 7, the load distribution of the entire roof can be ascertained on a single screen, so that it is possible to easily determine whether to remove snow from any location on the roof when snow is accumulated.
Moreover, it is good also as switching and displaying FIG. 6 and FIG.

    Further, the data collection unit control circuit 12 issues a notification command to the warning device 56 when any load of each measurement module 12 exceeds a predetermined value. At the time of snowfall, it can be easily known by the notification from the warning device 56 that the amount of snow on the roof needs to be lowered.

    Further, the data collection unit control circuit 12 may modulate and transmit a data acquisition command signal to the measurement module 12. Therefore, the demodulator 51 may have a modulation / demodulation function.

    Next, an example of the communication flow of the load data signal in the snow measurement system according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

    The data collection unit 14 specifies the identification number of the measurement module 12 (for example, identification number 001), modulates and transmits the data acquisition command signal to the measurement module 12a in which the identification number is set (step S1). The measurement module 12a that has received the data acquisition command signal by demodulating the transmission signal generates a load data signal from the load signal of the load sensor 21 and the identification data (step S2). The measurement module 12a modulates the load data signal and transmits it to the data collection unit 14 (step S3). After receiving the transmission signal from the measurement module 12a, the data collection unit 14 records the load data of the load data signal generated by demodulation in the storage device 56 (step S4).

    Thereafter, the data collection unit 14 designates another measurement module 12b (for example, identification number 002), and performs the processing contents of steps S1 to S4 with the measurement module 12b. The data collection unit 14 performs the processing contents of steps S1 to S4 with all the measurement modules 12 on the roof 11, and acquires a plurality of load data signals.

    The communication of the snow measurement system according to the present invention does not communicate with the other measurement module 12 during communication with the measurement module 12 in which the identification number designated by the data collection unit 14 is set, for example, using RFID communication good. Further, load data signals may be transmitted from a plurality of measurement modules 12 as needed.

    As described above, the snow measurement system of the above embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of measurement modules on the roof, and obtains a two-dimensional load distribution based on load data signals of the plurality of measurement modules. The location of snow on the roof at the time can be easily determined.

  In addition, the measurement module may be provided with a temperature sensor that can measure the temperature in the vicinity of the measurement module and an insulation resistance sensor that measures the insulation resistance. One example will be described with reference to FIG.

  As can be seen from FIG. 9, the measurement module control circuit 23 is connected to the load sensor 21, the temperature sensor 81, and the insulation resistance sensor 82 via the AD converter 22.

    As described above, the load sensor 21 generates a load signal corresponding to the load applied to the measurement module 12. The temperature sensor 81 generates a temperature signal corresponding to the temperature near the measurement module. For example, the temperature sensor 81 may be a thermistor. The temperature data generated by the temperature sensor 81 represents the temperature of snow during snowfall, and represents the outside air temperature when there is no snow. The insulation resistance sensor 82 generates an insulation resistance signal corresponding to its own insulation resistance. From changes in insulation resistance data generated by the insulation resistance sensor, it is possible to determine snowfall, rainfall, contamination of the insulation resistance sensor, and the like.

    These three types of signals are input to the measurement module control circuit via the AD converter 22. The measurement module control circuit 23 generates load signal data from the signals from the three types of sensors and the identification data of the load sensor. An example of such a load data signal is shown in FIG. The load data signal includes an identification data portion, a load data portion, a temperature sensor data portion, and an insulation resistance sensor data portion. The identification data portion and the load data portion are the same as those shown in FIG. Therefore, the load data signal is a data signal obtained by adding data from the temperature sensor and the insulation resistance sensor to the load sensor data.

  The load data signal generated by the measurement module control circuit 23 is modulated by the modulation device 26 and transmitted to the data collection unit 14 via the antenna 27.

  The data collection unit 14 modulates the received signal and calculates each data by calculation. For example, the temperature data may be displayed in the lower part of the load data in FIG. Further, the data collection unit 14 may determine snowfall or rainfall from the insulation resistance data, and may make such notification by the warning device 56.

  As described above, in the modified example of the present invention, the temperature sensor can be used to grasp the temperature of snow accumulation during snowfall, so that it is easy to determine where the snow on the roof starts to melt and falls from the roof. it can. In addition, by providing an insulation resistance sensor, it is possible to easily determine the presence or absence of snow, rainfall, dirt on the sensor, and the like.

It is a figure which shows the outline of the snow cover measuring system by this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the measurement module of this invention. It is a figure which shows the load data signal of this invention. It is a figure which shows distribution of the partition address of a roof. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the data collection part of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of a screen displayed in a display part. It is a figure which shows the example of a screen displayed in a display part. It is a communication flow of the snow measurement system by this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the measurement module as a modification of this invention. It is a figure which shows the load data signal as a modification of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

12 Measurement module
14 Data collection unit
21 Load sensor
23 Measurement module control circuit
24 Identification data storage
25 Identification data input device
26 Modulator
51 Demodulator
52 Data collection unit control circuit
91 Temperature sensor
92 Insulation resistance sensor

Claims (9)

A snow measurement system,
A plurality of measurement modules, each generating a load data signal indicating a load applied to itself, and modulating and transmitting the load data signal;
Demodulation means for demodulating a plurality of received signals received from the measurement module to generate a plurality of load data signals;
Based on the plurality of load data signals, comprising a calculation means for obtaining a two-dimensional load distribution pattern,
The measurement module includes a data signal including a load sensor, a load data portion corresponding to a sensor output from the load sensor, and an identification data portion representing a unique identification number of the load sensor as the load data signal. A snow cover measuring system comprising: a generator;   The snow measurement system according to claim 1, wherein the measurement module includes position data representing an arrangement position of the load sensor in the identification data section.   3. The snow accumulation measurement system according to claim 2, wherein the measurement module includes identification number setting means for setting each unique number of the load sensor by an operation input.   4. The snow accumulation measuring system according to claim 2, wherein the measurement module includes position setting means for setting the arrangement position information of each of the load sensors by an operation input.   The measurement module includes a plurality of temperature sensors each paired with each of the load sensors, and a temperature data portion representing a temperature signal from the temperature sensor is included in the load data signal. Item 1. The snow measurement system according to Item 1.   The measurement module includes a plurality of insulation resistance sensors each paired with each of the load sensors, and an insulation resistance data portion representing an insulation resistance from the insulation resistance sensor is included in the data load signal. The snow measurement system according to claim 1.   2. The snow cover measurement system according to claim 1, wherein the measurement module includes a receiving unit, and transmits the load data signal only when receiving a data acquisition command signal from the computing unit.   The snow load measuring system according to claim 1, wherein the load sensor has a variable angle structure.   2. The snow accumulation measuring system according to claim 1, wherein the load sensor has a three-axis sensor function that allows a load acceleration of a load applied to the load sensor to be resolved in three axes.

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