JP2008224281A - Gas appliance management system and gas supply system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To promptly check the use condition of gas at all times or at prescribed times in various cases such as in use or in no use of a gas appliance. <P>SOLUTION: This gas appliance management system is equipped with: an ultrasonic flow meter 11 connected to a gas supply pipe 20 for measuring an instantaneous flow of gas; a flow calculation part 12 for calculating a flow difference value for appliance discrimination from an instantaneous flow; an appliance discrimination part 13 for discriminating a used gas appliance by the flow changing characteristic of gas flow based on the difference value; a control part 15 having the function of a condition discrimination part for determining the use condition of gas at all times or at prescribed times by use condition information including flow information on the gas flow and in-use appliance information on the appliance; and a management center device 40 having the function of a management center for performing a checking procedure on the appliance is in use or not and on anomaly in the use condition based on the result of the discrimination. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a gas appliance management system and a gas supply system that use a gas meter that measures a gas flow rate installed in a house or the like to grasp the usage status of a gas appliance or a gas supply path and manage a safety process.

  When using gas appliances, in order to prevent accidents caused by forgetting to turn off the gas or leaking gas, notifications and gas supply should be made in the event of an abnormality at the gas user's home or the center managing the gas supply path. Systems for blocking roads are becoming widespread.

Conventionally, maintenance services such as periodic inspection of gas appliances are regularly performed by a gas company, a propane supplier, etc. by directly visiting the user's home. Further, as a conventional gas appliance management system, there is a system that performs safety monitoring of gas usage status via a network and notifies a user when there is an abnormality (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2002-262367 A

  However, the conventional gas appliance management system only checks whether it is safe, and cannot monitor the gas usage status including the operating status of the gas appliance in real time. In addition, with a conventional film-type gas meter that integrates the amount of gas that has flowed at each predetermined flow rate, if it is attempted to check for a leak at a minute flow rate, it takes time to integrate the gas meter. could not. Also, when measuring the gas pressure, it takes time to check the gas stop because it takes time for the operator to go to the user's house and close all the gas plugs, etc. The check could not be done immediately.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and in various cases such as when a gas appliance is used or when it is not used, it is possible to immediately check the usage status of the gas at all times or at a predetermined timing. An object is to provide an instrument management system and a gas supply system.

A gas appliance management system according to the present invention is connected to a gas supply pipe and measures a gas flow rate based on a flow rate measurement unit that measures a gas flow rate, and an instantaneous gas flow rate measured by the flow rate measurement unit. The use status of the gas is determined at any time or at a predetermined timing by an appliance discriminating unit that discriminates an appliance that uses the gas flowing through the supply pipe, and usage status information that includes flow rate information relating to the gas flow rate and usage appliance information relating to the appliance. A situation determination unit, and a management unit that performs a confirmation process on presence / absence of appliance use and abnormality in the use status based on the determination result.
As a result, the usage status of gas is determined based on usage status information including flow rate information and usage appliance information, and in various cases, such as when the gas appliance is used or not used, the gas such as abnormality is constantly or at a predetermined timing. It is possible to immediately check the usage status of the.

Further, the present invention is the gas appliance management system described above, wherein the management unit determines that the appliance is not in use based on the flow rate information, and uses the instantaneous flow rate of the flow rate information when not in use. Including a device for determining microleakage in the gas supply pipe or instrument.
As a result, it is possible to immediately determine a minute leak at all times or at a predetermined timing when the gas is not used.

Further, the present invention is the gas appliance management system described above, wherein the management unit determines that the appliance is not in use based on the flow rate information, and uses the instantaneous flow rate of the flow rate information when not in use. This includes checking the stop of all instruments and determining the gas pressure in the gas supply pipe.
As a result, it is possible to immediately confirm the stop of all the instruments when the gas is not used, and to determine the gas pressure in the gas supply pipe without taking time and effort.

Moreover, this invention is said gas appliance management system, Comprising: The said management part discriminate | determines that the said instrument is a use condition based on the said flow volume information, and relates to use of the said instrument by the said flow volume information at the time of use. Includes items that determine abnormalities.
Thereby, at the time of use of gas, it becomes possible to determine abnormality relating to the use of the appliance, such as abnormality of the usage status of the appliance or abnormality of the appliance itself.

Moreover, this invention is said gas appliance management system, Comprising: The said management part contains what determines the abnormality of the usage condition of the said instrument by the continuous use time obtained from the said flow volume information at the time of the said use.
Thereby, when the gas is used, for example, when it is used continuously for a predetermined time or longer due to forgetting to turn it off, it is possible to determine an abnormality in the usage status of the appliance.

Moreover, this invention is said gas appliance management system, Comprising: The said management part includes what determines the abnormality of the said instrument itself by the rising flow volume characteristic obtained from the said flow volume information at the time of the said use.
This makes it possible to determine the abnormality of the instrument itself when the gas flow is used, for example, when the rising flow characteristics change due to secular change or the like.

The present invention is the gas appliance management system described above, wherein the management unit is connected to a device on the appliance side including the flow rate measurement unit via a communication line, and the confirmation process is performed via the communication line. Includes what to do.
As a result, it is possible to immediately confirm the gas usage status from a remote device via a communication line at all times or at a predetermined timing in various cases such as when the gas appliance is used or not used. .

Moreover, this invention is said gas appliance management system, Comprising: The said management part contains what performs execution instruction | indication of a security process as a countermeasure according to the result of the said abnormality confirmation process.
Thereby, according to the result of the abnormality confirmation process, for example, when there is an abnormality in the usage situation, it is possible to immediately execute an appropriate security process such as shutting off the gas supply.

Further, the present invention is the gas appliance management system described above, comprising a security processing unit that executes the security processing, and as the security processing, warning, shutoff of gas supply, shutdown after warning, report to user, center Including processing that includes at least one of the notifications.
This makes it possible, for example, to warn when there is an abnormality, shut off the gas supply, answer the usage status when it is normal or abnormal, leave it when there is no particular problem, It is possible to perform various measures in the management of gas supply and gas appliances, such as warning the communication terminal used by the customer and answering the usage status.

  The present invention also provides a gas supply system using any of the gas appliance management systems described above.

  According to the present invention, there is provided a gas appliance management system and a gas supply system capable of immediately confirming the gas usage status at all times or at a predetermined timing in various cases such as when the gas appliance is used or not used. Can be provided.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a gas appliance management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, a configuration example of a gas appliance management system using a gas meter installed in a gas user's house or the like is shown.

  The gas appliance management system of the present embodiment includes a management center device 40 that manages the gas supply path 20 and a user home device 10 that is provided in a gas user's house or the like. The management center device 40 and the user home device 10 are connected via a communication line 42 such as a public telephone line, a mobile phone line, an optical communication line, a wired or wireless LAN, and other communication interfaces, and can receive various signals and information. Transmission and reception are possible. The communication line 42 is connected to a communication terminal 45 that is used when a user inquires about the usage status from the outside, and various signals and information can be transmitted and received between the management center device 40 and the communication terminal 45. Yes.

  The user home apparatus 10 is provided in the middle of a gas supply pipe 20 laid in a user's house or the like, and a plurality of gas appliances include an appliance A21, an appliance B22, and an appliance C23 on the downstream side of the gas supply pipe 20. It is connected. The user home device 10 is installed at a predetermined position outdoors or indoors. The number of gas appliances to be connected is not limited to the illustrated example, and is arbitrary. In addition, the user home includes not only a general residential house but also an apartment house, a store, a factory, and other various facilities.

  The user home device 10 includes an ultrasonic flow meter 11, a flow rate calculation unit 12, an appliance determination unit 13, a control unit 15, a storage unit 16, a display unit 17, a seismic sensor 18, a shutoff valve 19, a gas pressure gauge 25, and a communication unit. 41. The ultrasonic flowmeter 11 is connected in the path of the gas supply pipe 20 and, as will be described later, obtains a propagation time difference caused by the gas flow in the gas supply pipe 20 using an ultrasonic signal, and detects an instantaneous gas flow rate. To do. The flow rate calculation unit 12 performs various calculations related to the flow rate, such as calculating the gas flow rate by integrating the instantaneous flow rate based on the detected instantaneous flow rate, or calculating a flow rate difference value for appliance discrimination described later. It is. The ultrasonic flow meter 11 and the flow rate calculation unit 12 realize the function of the flow rate measurement unit.

  The appliance discriminating unit 13 determines the flow rate change characteristics of the gas flow rate such as the flow rate change amount and the change time based on the stored judgment value for each appliance based on the calculated flow rate difference value, and the gas is supplied to the gas supply pipe 20. The gas appliance used when flowing is discriminated.

  The control unit 15 has functions of a situation determination unit and a security processing unit. In addition to the operation control of each part of the user home device 10, there are situation determinations and abnormalities such as abnormalities related to use of gas appliances and gas supply paths. It performs security processing such as warning of cases and shut-off of gas. The storage unit 16 includes determination value information used for instrument discrimination, instantaneous flow rate value information measured by the ultrasonic flowmeter 11, flow rate information such as gas flow rate value information and flow rate difference value information calculated by the flow rate calculation unit 12, and Various information used in the user home device 10 such as used appliance information and usage status information, and used appliance and usage status history information is stored. Here, the control unit 15, the flow rate calculation unit 12, and the appliance determination unit 13 are configured by a processor and an operation program that configure a microcomputer (microcomputer) and the like, and the processor executes a predetermined operation program and performs corresponding processing. Thus, each function is realized. The storage unit 16 is configured by a memory such as a flash ROM or a RAM.

  The display unit 17 includes an LED, a liquid crystal display, and the like, and displays a gas flow rate, an operating state of the gas appliance, a warning, and the like. The seismoscope 18 detects vibration such as an earthquake and outputs a detection signal to the control unit 15. The shut-off valve 19 is connected in the path of the gas supply pipe 20 and shuts off the gas supply by closing the gas supply pipe 20 based on an instruction from the control unit 15. The gas pressure gauge 25 measures the gas pressure in the gas supply pipe 20.

  The communication unit 41 has a wired or wireless communication function, and is connected to the management center device 40 via the communication line 42. The communication unit 41 transmits flow rate information, used appliance information, determination result information, and the like to the management center apparatus 40, and receives response information such as a status check request, a shut-off command, a command or signal such as an alarm, and a status check result. Various information, commands, and signals such as reception from the management center device 40 are exchanged with the management center device 40.

  The communication terminal 45 includes a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal computer (PC), a fixed phone, and the like, and has a wired or wireless communication function. The communication terminal 45 manages various information, commands, and signals, such as transmitting usage status inquiry signals from the user to the management center device 40 and receiving response information and signals such as status confirmation results from the management center device 40. It is exchanged with the center device 40.

  The management center device 40 is configured to include a computer and the like, and realizes the function of the management unit. The management center device 40 acquires information from the user home device 10 at any time or at a predetermined timing, and is used in the user home device 10. Management of monitoring results of gas appliances and gas supply channels. Note that the management center device 40 may be provided with a function of a situation determination unit, and an abnormality or the like may be determined based on flow rate information or user appliance information from the user home device 10. At this time, based on the information acquired from the user home device 10, the occurrence of an abnormality is determined according to the gas appliance and its usage status, and it corresponds to a corresponding measure such as a status check request, a shut-off command, an alarm, a status check result answer, etc. A command or signal is transmitted to the user home device 10 or the communication terminal 45. By executing this command or signal transmission, an instruction to execute a countermeasure is given. The management center device 40 includes a processor and an operation program that constitute a computer or the like, and each function is realized by executing a predetermined operation program and performing corresponding processing in the processor.

  The operations of the ultrasonic flowmeter 11 and the flow rate calculation unit 12 will be described in detail. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing a schematic configuration of the ultrasonic flowmeter 11.

  The ultrasonic flow meter 11 has a measurement flow path 32 having a rectangular cross section communicating with the gas supply pipe 20, and a pair of super flow meters is provided on the upstream side and the downstream side of the flow path walls facing each other. Sonic transceivers 33 and 34 are arranged. These ultrasonic transmitters / receivers 33 and 34 are set so that the ultrasonic propagation path obliquely crosses the gas flow flowing through the measurement flow path 32, and the ultrasonic flow is alternately transmitted / received, so that the ultrasonic flow is sequentially transmitted and received. Propagation of ultrasonic waves in the opposite direction.

At this time, the distance between the ultrasonic transceivers 33 and 34, that is, the measurement distance is L, the angle of the ultrasonic propagation path with respect to the gas flow is φ, and the ultrasonic propagation time from the upstream to the downstream of the ultrasonic transceivers 33 and 34 is If t1, the ultrasonic propagation time from downstream to upstream is t2, and the sound velocity is C, the flow velocity V can be obtained by the following equation.
V = L / 2 cos φ ((1 / t1) − (1 / t2)) (1)
The instantaneous flow rate of the gas flow is calculated from the flow velocity V and the cross-sectional area of the measurement channel 32.

  The time interval for measuring the instantaneous flow rate can be set within a range where ultrasonic waves can be transmitted and received. Since the time to change by activation and control varies depending on the gas appliance, reducing the measurement time interval is advantageous in terms of instantaneous instrument discrimination, but shortening the measurement time interval increases battery consumption. . Further, when the measurement time interval is a two-digit order interval equivalent to the membrane type used in the conventional gas meter, it becomes difficult to judge by looking at the difference in flow rate change. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the periodic instantaneous flow rate at intervals of 2 seconds is measured, and the difference value is taken to determine the activation of the gas appliance. The measurement time interval can be further shortened. For example, after starting the gas appliance, control such as shortening the measurement time interval may be performed in order to increase measurement accuracy.

  Next, the operation of the appliance determination unit 13 will be described in detail. FIG. 3 is a characteristic diagram showing a change in gas flow rate and a change in difference value when using a gas appliance, and FIG. 4 is a characteristic diagram showing a change in gas flow rate and a change in difference value when using a plurality of gas appliances.

  The appliance discriminating unit 13 stores the storage unit 16 at the time of activation of the gas appliance based on the instantaneous flow rate detected by the ultrasonic flowmeter 11 every predetermined time and the instantaneous flow rate calculated by the flow rate calculating unit 12. The flow rate change amount and the change time are determined using the determination value for determining the appliance stored in advance, and the gas appliance is determined.

  In FIG. 3, the solid line indicates the instantaneous flow rate value of the gas measured by the ultrasonic flowmeter 11, and the broken line indicates the differential value at that time, that is, the difference value for each predetermined measurement time interval. The difference value is expressed with a peak on the plus side when the gas appliance is started, and is expressed with a peak on the minus side when the gas appliance is stopped. Here, when the difference value is greater than or equal to a predetermined value (change determination value), it is determined that there is a change in the gas flow rate and the change of the appliance or the state is determined.

  As shown in FIG. 4, based on the difference value of the instantaneous flow rate value of gas, for example, even when three appliances (A, B, C) are used at the same time, activation and stop of each gas appliance and output are performed. Changes in gas flow rate during adjustment can be detected. The form of control in the gas flow rate adjustment at the time of starting and ending and at the time of output adjustment is different for each gas appliance, and the flow rate change characteristics of the gas flow rate are different. Therefore, it is possible to determine the type of gas appliance by determining the gas flow rate and its flow rate change characteristics.

  For example, appliances such as a gas stove (gas table), a fan heater using gas combustion heat as a heat source, a gas water heater, and a gas water heater can be identified. The gas stove has a single function for cooking and the fan heater has a single function such as for hot air heating, but the gas water heater has two functions for hot water supply and floor heating. In the floor heating, a heat medium flow path is formed on the back side of the floor, and the heat medium flowing therethrough is heated with hot water boiled by a gas water heater. And for hot water supply and floor heating, the start-up or control pattern is different, and naturally there is a difference in the change amount and change time of the difference value. Therefore, when the gas appliance is a gas water heater, it can be determined whether it is for hot water supply or floor heating, based on the number of times the difference value is continuously generated or the continuous generation time. Note that the difference value may be a negative difference at the time of stopping or ending the control as well as at the time of starting or controlling.

  Then, operation | movement of the gas appliance management system of this embodiment is demonstrated. In the present embodiment, on the basis of the gas flow rate and gas appliance information detected in the user home device 10, the control unit 15 or the management center device 40 checks for leakage when the gas appliance is not used, measures gas pressure, Judgment of abnormal use status during use and abnormalities of the equipment itself. Then, in the management center device 40, a measure corresponding to the result of checking the gas usage status at the user's home, such as normal or abnormal, is selected, and a command or signal corresponding to the corresponding measure is sent to the user home device 10 or the communication terminal. 45 to execute the treatment.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of determination information used for confirmation of usage status in the present embodiment. As the determination information, for example, continuous use time Ta, Tb, Tc until warning or shut-off for each appliance type such as appliance A (fan heater), appliance B (gas table), appliance C (gas water heater), etc. Then, flow characteristic values (rising flow characteristics) αa, αb, αc for determining an abnormality of the instrument itself due to aging of the gas instrument are set and stored. Note that the continuous use time may be set to a different value depending on whether the warning is performed or the interruption is performed.

  When the gas appliance is in use, if the gas continues to flow for more than the specified continuous usage time, it is possible to forget to turn off the gas appliance or abnormal use such as gas leakage. Warning or shut off gas supply path. In addition, the flow characteristic value such as the rising flow characteristic at the start of the gas appliance is monitored, and abnormality of the appliance itself is determined by the change of the flow characteristic value. As for the abnormality of the instrument, it is easy to confirm the abnormal rise at the start-up. Furthermore, when the gas appliance is not used, the slight leak of gas is determined by monitoring the flow rate. Further, when not in use, it is possible to measure the gas pressure after confirming that the gas appliance is not used. Note that such monitoring and measures may be performed by the management process of the management center device 40 or may be performed by the user home device 10 itself. Here, an example in which an abnormality or the like is determined by the control unit 15 of the user home device 10 and the management center device 40 performs intensive management is illustrated.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of signals and information transmitted and received between the management center device and the user home device in the present embodiment. 6A shows an example of signals and information transmitted by the management center device 40, and FIG. 6B shows an example of signals and information transmitted by the user home device 10. The management center device 40 includes a status confirmation request signal for confirming the gas usage status, a cutoff command signal for shutting off the gas supply, an alarm signal including warning information for warning when there is an abnormality, A signal including various instructions such as a status confirmation result answer signal including answer information for answering the status confirmation result is transmitted to the user home device 10. The user home device 10 receives a signal (flow rate information signal, used appliance information signal, history information signal) including flow rate information such as the presence / absence of a gas flow rate and a flow rate value, usage equipment, usage history information such as usage history of appliances so far. And the situation determination information including the situation determination result such as abnormality is transmitted to the management center device 40.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure of the gas appliance management system of the present embodiment. In FIG. 7, (A) shows the operation of the user home device 10, and (B) shows the operation of the management center device 40.

  The user home device 10 measures the instantaneous flow rate at predetermined measurement time intervals by using the ultrasonic flow meter 11 and the flow rate calculation unit 12, and calculates an integrated value, a difference value, and the like of the instantaneous flow rate (step S11). Then, the appliance discriminating unit 13 discriminates the gas appliance being used from the flow rate change amount and the change time based on the instantaneous flow rate difference value (step S12).

  Next, the control unit 15 determines the use status or abnormality of the gas based on the flow rate of the gas or the usage status information of the appliance being used, or manages the status determination information via the communication unit 41 at a predetermined timing. It transmits to the center apparatus 40 (step S13). Note that the usage status information may be transmitted to the management center device 40 to determine the usage status or abnormality on the management center device 40 side. And it is determined whether the communication part 41 received the instruction | indication from the management center apparatus 40 (step S14). Here, when an instruction is not received from the management center apparatus 40, the flow returns to the original process and the flow rate measurement and the instrument determination process are performed again. When an instruction is received from the management center device 40 in step S14, the control unit 15 executes corresponding measures such as warning, blocking, and answer display in accordance with the instruction (step S15).

  On the other hand, the management center device 40 transmits a status confirmation request signal to the user home device 10 (step S21). This status confirmation request signal may be transmitted constantly at predetermined time intervals, may be transmitted at predetermined timings, or there is an inquiry about the usage status from the user home device 10 or the communication terminal 45 used by the user. May be sent if As a result, monitoring is always performed, monitoring is performed at a predetermined timing, and the situation is confirmed in response to a user inquiry.

  Next, it is determined whether a signal including status determination information and usage status information is received from the user home device 10 (step S22). If the status determination information or the usage status information is not received, the process returns to the original processing, and the status confirmation request transmission processing or the status determination information or usage status information reception confirmation processing is performed. When status determination information or usage status information is received in step S22, based on the acquired information, the presence / absence of gas usage at the user's home, the gas appliance being used, the state of the gas flow rate, etc. are checked, and there is no abnormality. Whether or not (step S23). Then, an appropriate response measure such as answer of the status check result, neglect, warning, or blocking is selected (step S24), and an instruction signal corresponding to the selected response measure is transmitted to the user home device 10 (step S25).

  In the present embodiment, when monitoring the gas usage state, abnormality or the like is determined when the gas appliance is not used and when it is used. Whether or not a gas appliance is used can be easily determined based on the discrimination of the gas appliance and the presence or absence of a flow rate. In the installed gas appliance, when it is determined that there is no gas flow rate or flow rate change and the gas appliance is not being used, the management center device 40 further determines a slight gas leak by monitoring the flow rate. At this time, based on the instantaneous flow rate value calculated by the flow rate calculation unit 12, it is determined whether or not a minute flow rate has occurred. As a result, the generation of the flow rate can be detected instantaneously, and a minute leak can be always checked in real time. When a minute leak is detected, a security process such as warning or shut-off is performed.

  Further, when not in use, the gas pressure can be measured. At this time, the stop of all gas appliances is determined based on the instantaneous flow rate value calculated by the flow rate calculation unit 12, and the gas pressure in the gas supply pipe 20 is measured by the gas pressure gauge 25. If the measured gas pressure is not lower than the predetermined value, it is determined that there is no gas leakage. At this time, it can be determined instantaneously that all the gas appliances are stopped, so that the gas pressure can be easily measured. Conventionally, an operator has been required to go to the user's house and close all the gas plugs. However, it is possible to measure the gas pressure by automatic operation from a remote location without taking time and effort.

  When the gas flow rate is detected and it is determined that the gas appliance is being used, the management center device 40 monitors the flow rate change based on the instantaneous flow rate value calculated by the flow rate calculation unit 12, and the continuous use time, the flow rate characteristic Check whether there is an abnormality in the usage status of the gas appliance or the appliance itself at any given time or at a predetermined timing.

  Here, when no abnormality is detected in particular, it is left as it is, or when there is an inquiry about the usage status, the status confirmation result is answered at a predetermined timing. In this case, the management center device 40 transmits a status confirmation result response signal from the management center device 40 to the communication terminal 45 or the user home device 10 based on the usage status information acquired from the user home device 10. In the communication terminal 45 and the user home device 10, based on the received status confirmation result answer signal, characters and pictures are displayed on the display unit to notify the operation state and abnormality. Moreover, you may alert | report a use condition using a sound etc.

  On the other hand, when an abnormality is detected, security processing such as warning or interruption is performed. As the security process, various processes and combinations thereof, such as an automatic return confirmation function for performing a warning, blocking after performing a warning, blocking, and restoring again after the blocking, can be considered. When giving a warning, it is also possible to notify the fixed telephone or mobile phone registered by the user of the interruption or the advance notice of the interruption, or to notify the center managing the gas supply path.

  When warning is performed, an alarm signal is transmitted from the management center device 40 to the user home device 10. In the user home device 10, based on the alarm signal received by the communication unit 41, a warning instruction signal is sent from the control unit 15 to the display unit 17, and in response to the warning instruction signal, the display unit 17 turns on an LED or turns on a liquid crystal display. Indication of abnormalities and operating status is performed by displaying characters and pictures. Moreover, you may warn using a sound etc. Further, when performing the warning, the communication terminal 45 registered by the user may be notified. When the gas supply is shut off, a cutoff command signal is transmitted from the management center device 40 to the user home device 10. In the user home device 10, based on the cutoff command signal received by the communication unit 41, a cutoff instruction signal is sent from the control unit 15 to the cutoff valve 19, and the cutoff valve 19 is driven in accordance with this cutoff instruction signal to supply gas. The tube 20 is closed and the gas supply is shut off.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the management center device 40 manages the usage status of the gas appliances at the user's home, the instantaneous flow rate and flow rate of the gas in the ultrasonic flow meter 11 and the flow rate calculation unit 12. The amount of change and the change time are calculated, the gas appliances used in the appliance discriminating unit 13 are discriminated using these usage status information, and the operating status of the gas appliances in real time by the control unit 15 and the management center device 40. It becomes possible to monitor while confirming. At this time, there is no need to directly obtain a signal from the gas appliance, and information on the flow rate and the operating status can be obtained via the gas meter. When the gas appliance is not in use, it is possible to always check for the presence of a slight leak or to check the gas pressure by immediately checking the appliance stoppage. Also, when using gas appliances, check the abnormalities of the gas appliance itself due to abnormal use conditions such as continuous use for a long time or changes over time, etc. at normal or predetermined timing, and reply the status check result or there is an abnormality In some cases, appropriate security processing can be performed.

  In the present embodiment, the user or the management center device 40 monitors the operating status of the gas appliance in real time, but the status confirmation result is based on the usage status information acquired from the user home device 10. It is also possible to transmit or report the response signal or the operating state or abnormality of the gas appliance to a report destination other than a preset user's house.

  Thereby, when the user is an elderly person and the report destination is a close relative, the close relative who is the report destination can grasp the living situation of the elderly living in the remote user's home in real time through the usage status of the gas appliance, When gas appliances such as gas water heaters, gas heaters, gas cookers, etc. are not used all day or for several hours, you can know that an abnormality has occurred in the elderly, and can respond quickly. The occurrence of unsafe situations can be prevented beforehand.

  It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to those shown in the above-described embodiments, and those skilled in the art can also make changes and applications based on the description in the specification and well-known techniques. Yes, included in the scope of protection.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention has an effect that it is possible to immediately check the use status of gas at all times or at a predetermined timing in various cases such as when a gas appliance is used or not used, and is installed in a house or the like. It is useful for a gas appliance management system for managing the use status of a gas appliance and a gas supply path and managing a safety process using a gas meter that measures a gas flow rate, a supply system for supplying gas, and the like.

The block diagram which shows the structure of the gas appliance management system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The block diagram which shows schematic structure of the ultrasonic flowmeter in this embodiment The characteristic view which shows the change of the gas flow rate at the time of gas appliance use in this embodiment, and the change of a difference value The characteristic view which shows the change of the gas flow rate at the time of use of a plurality of gas appliances in this embodiment, and the change of a difference value The figure which shows an example of the determination information used for the use condition confirmation in this embodiment The figure which shows an example of the signal and information which are transmitted / received between a management center apparatus and a user home apparatus in this embodiment. The flowchart which shows the operation | movement procedure of the gas appliance management system of this embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 User home apparatus 11 Ultrasonic flowmeter 12 Flow rate calculation part 13 Appliance discrimination | determination part 15 Control part (security processing part)
Reference Signs List 16 Storage Unit 17 Display Unit 18 Seismic Device 19 Shut-off Valve 20 Gas Supply Pipe 21, 22, 23 Instrument 25 Gas Pressure Gauge 40 Management Center Device (Management Unit)
41 communication unit 42 communication line 45 communication terminal

Claims (10)

A flow rate measuring unit connected to the gas supply pipe for measuring the gas flow rate;
Based on the instantaneous flow rate of the gas measured by the flow rate measuring unit, an appliance discriminating unit that discriminates an appliance that uses the gas flowing through the gas supply pipe from the flow rate change characteristic of the gas flow rate,
A status determination unit that determines the usage status of the gas at any time or at a predetermined timing according to usage status information including flow rate information related to the gas flow rate and used appliance information related to the appliance;
Based on the determination result, a management unit that performs confirmation processing regarding the presence or absence of appliance use and abnormal use status;
A gas appliance management system comprising: The gas appliance management system according to claim 1,
The management unit determines that the appliance is not in use based on the flow rate information, and determines a slight leak in the gas supply pipe or appliance based on the instantaneous flow rate of the flow rate information when not in use. . The gas appliance management system according to claim 1,
The management unit determines that the appliance is not in use based on the flow rate information, and confirms that all the appliances are stopped by an instantaneous flow rate of the flow rate information when not in use, so that the gas in the gas supply pipe Gas appliance management system that determines pressure. The gas appliance management system according to claim 1,
The said management part discriminate | determines that the said instrument is a use condition based on the said flow volume information, The gas appliance management system which determines the abnormality regarding use of the said instrument by the said flow information at the time of use. The gas appliance management system according to claim 4,
The said management part is a gas appliance management system which judges the abnormality of the usage condition of the said instrument by the continuous use time obtained from the said flow volume information at the time of the said use. The gas appliance management system according to claim 4,
The said management part is a gas appliance management system which judges abnormality of the said instrument itself by the rising flow volume characteristic obtained from the said flow volume information at the time of the said use. The gas appliance management system according to claim 1,
The management unit is a gas appliance management system that is connected to a device on the appliance side including the flow rate measurement unit via a communication line and performs the confirmation process via the communication line. The gas appliance management system according to claim 1,
The said management part is a gas appliance management system which instruct | indicates execution of a security process as a countermeasure according to the result of the said abnormality confirmation process. A gas appliance management system according to claim 8,
A gas appliance that includes a security processing unit that executes the security processing, and performs processing including at least one of warning, gas supply cutoff, shutdown after warning, notification to the user, and notification to the center as the security processing. Management system.   A gas supply system using the gas appliance management system according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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