JP2009176206A - Meter inspection system of measuring instrument using two-dimensional code - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a meter inspection system of a measuring instrument which simplifies needle-inspection work, eliminates erroneous reading and erroneous entry and simultaneously uses a two-dimensional code obtained taking into consideration a crime prevention aspect. <P>SOLUTION: The meter inspection system of the measuring instrument using the two-dimensional code comprises a measuring instrument (12) for making information or the like for calculating the amount of usage of electricity, gas, water service, or the like a two-dimensional code and performing liquid crystal display of the two-dimensional code and a handy terminal (16) that can read the two-dimensional code (14), wherein the measuring instrument makes a measurement value a two-dimensional code by a command from the outside and performs liquid crystal display of the two-dimensional code without displaying the measurement value with a numerical value. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a meter reading system for measuring instruments such as electricity, gas, and water. More specifically, the two-dimensional code is obtained by reading a two-dimensional code displayed on a measuring instrument using a dedicated handy terminal without using a visual meter reading. The present invention relates to a meter reading system using a cord.

  Many of the measurements of electricity, gas, water, etc. used in houses, companies, factories, etc. are currently read by meter readers and reading the values of the measuring instruments installed there. This is done by manually entering the handy terminal. Also, in recent years, before the meter reading, if the meter reading value of each customer in the area in charge is downloaded from the customer data server in the head office and stored in the handy terminal, the meter reading value is input during meter reading. At the same time, the usage amount and billing amount for the current month are calculated and printed out, so that they are generally posted on a post as a meter reading slip.

Here, the meter reading by the meter reader by reading / inputting the numerical value of the measuring instrument is complicated in reading and inputting numerical values, and may be erroneously read or erroneously input. Therefore, in order to eliminate such misreading, erroneous input, etc., for example, in the “water meter display device” of Patent Document 1, a two-dimensional code for reading is arranged on a numeric wheel that displays the amount of water used. An invention has been devised which is characterized in that a number is written on the top.
JP-A-11-201797

  According to the water meter display device as described above, anyone can easily and accurately read the meter, but there still remains a problem in crime prevention. In other words, a thief often intrudes after checking whether a householder is at home or whether it is absent for a long period of time based on the movement of electricity or changes in the usage amount of the meter. Then it was supposed to give important information to the thief.

  The present invention was devised to solve the above-mentioned problems. The measurement values of measuring instruments such as electricity, gas, and water are not easily readable from the outside, and the meter reading operation is simplified and misread. An object of the present invention is to provide a meter reading system using a two-dimensional code with no input.

  In order to solve the above problems, the meter reading system of the measuring instrument using the two-dimensional code of the present invention is a measuring instrument which displays information for calculating the usage amount of electricity, gas, water, etc. in two-dimensional code and displays it on a liquid crystal display. (12) and a handy terminal (16) capable of reading the two-dimensional code (14). The measuring instrument does not display the measured value numerically but converts it into a two-dimensional code by an external command. A liquid crystal display is used.

  Here, it is preferable that the information of the two-dimensional code (14) includes a measurement value at the previous measurement.

  The information of the two-dimensional code (14) preferably includes customer information such as an identification symbol of the measuring instrument (12), a contractor symbol, a contractor name, and a contract type.

  Furthermore, it is preferable that the information of the two-dimensional code (14) includes the generation date and time of the two-dimensional code.

In the meter reading system using a two-dimensional code according to the present invention, an arithmetic unit for two-dimensionally coding information and the like (measured values, etc.) for calculating the amount used for a meter such as electricity, gas, and water The LCD screen is displayed, and the two-dimensional code generated on the LCD screen is displayed by an external command, and this is read by a dedicated handy terminal. The meter reading operation can be performed easily and reliably. Also, since the two-dimensional code does not require a large area, the size of the measuring instrument itself can be made smaller than the current one. In addition, since the work process of meter reading work is simplified, the meter reading efficiency is not greatly affected by the level of proficiency of the meter reading work of the meter reading person as before, and anyone can easily, reliably and quickly read the meter. It can be performed.
The reason why the meter reading is based on the reading of the two-dimensional code without using the data transmission by wireless communication is that there is a risk of communication failure due to crosstalk or interception of radio waves from a remote place in radio wave communication. Here, various methods such as a contact operation by pressing a switch or the like, and a non-contact operation by optical communication or radio wave communication can be adopted as an external command method.
In addition, it is preferable to use a two-dimensional code having a large amount of information such as a QR code (registered trademark) instead of a bar code because of the display space.

  Here, by including the measurement value at the previous measurement in the information of the two-dimensional code, the usage amount for the current month can be calculated immediately from the difference between the previous measurement value and the current measurement value. It is no longer necessary to store the meter reading value of the previous month in advance in the handy terminal.

  Also, by including customer information such as measuring instrument identification number, contractor number, contractor name, contract type, etc. in the two-dimensional code information, it is possible to eliminate erroneous meter readings and contractor errors due to misuse of measuring instruments. Moreover, even for electric power having a contract system that varies the unit price depending on the time zone, the meter type can be easily measured by including the contract type and the power usage amount in each time zone in the information of the two-dimensional code.

  Further, if the code generation date and time is included in the information of the two-dimensional code, the meter reading date and time can be easily identified. This is because, for example, in the case of a contract system in which the power rate is calculated based on the maximum power consumption, the consumer may want to grasp the meter reading date and time.

  Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a meter reading system using a two-dimensional code according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. This meter reading system mainly measures the measured value of power consumption.

The meter reading system 10 of the present invention conceptually shown in FIG. 1 is characterized in that the measured value by the measuring instrument 12 is displayed using a two-dimensional code 14, and the two-dimensional code 14 includes a bar code. QR codes that can store a larger amount of information in an equal area than the like are used. Note that the two-dimensional code 14 is not limited to a QR code, and it is of course possible to use a PDF417 or the like if it has a large capacity.
The QR code has information in both the vertical and horizontal directions, while the barcode has information only in the horizontal direction. Therefore, the amount of information that can be stored is large, and not only numbers but also English characters and kanji data can be stored. There are features. Specifically, it has a capacity capable of encoding a maximum of 7366 characters if it is only a number, and a maximum of 1888 characters if it is an English character.
QR codes can be read from all 360 ° directions using the cut-out symbols provided at the three corners of the data area, and even if about 30% of the data area is dirty or damaged, the data restoration function Therefore, the reading can be performed.

  The measuring instrument 12 of the present embodiment is a box-type watt hour meter installed on the outer wall surface of a house or the like, and the power consumption is counted inside as shown in the block diagram of FIG. A processing unit 21 that performs processing such as processing of input signals and processing of a QR code by executing a built-in program, a data holding unit 23 that stores predetermined data, a digital clock 25, and the like are provided. In addition, a window-like liquid crystal unit 27 is formed in the front portion of the measuring instrument 12, and a light receiving unit 29 for performing infrared communication is also formed.

  On the other hand, the handy terminal 16 includes a digital camera unit 31 for photographing the QR code 14, an input unit 33 for inputting necessary information by manual input, a display unit 35, a light emitting unit 37 for performing infrared communication, a QR. An information processing unit (not shown) for extracting information by decoding the code and generating a signal to be transmitted from the light emitting unit, a printer unit 39 for printing meter reading values, and the like are provided.

The meter reading operation by the meter meter reading system 10 using the meter 12 and the handy terminal 16 is performed as shown in the flowchart of FIG.
First, it is necessary to store customer information such as an identification symbol (device number) of the device, a contractor symbol (contractor number) of the power purchase contractor, a contractor name, and a contract type in the measuring instrument 12 in advance. The customer information is input to the measuring instrument 12 by, for example, inputting necessary information using the input section of the handy terminal 16 and transmitting data from the light emitting section of the handy terminal 16 to the light receiving section of the measuring instrument 12 by infrared communication. Is done by.

  In the procedure of the meter reading work performed every month, a meter reader first transmits a trigger signal by directing the light emitting part of the handy terminal 16 to the light receiving part of the measuring instrument 12 installed in a house or the like. Upon receiving the trigger signal, the measuring instrument 12 measures the measured power consumption at that time (all measured values of power consumption by time period and all necessary measured values such as maximum power consumption according to the contract type), data Each calculation value stored in the holding unit, the measurement date and time, the measurement date and time, and the device number, the contractor number, the contractor name, and the contract type stored in advance in the data holding unit 23 are QR-coded by the calculation unit 21. And this is displayed on the screen of the liquid crystal unit 27. Note that only the QR code is displayed on the screen of the liquid crystal unit 27, and information that can be easily read such as numbers and characters is not displayed.

Subsequently, the meter reader takes an image of the QR code displayed on the screen of the liquid crystal unit with the digital camera unit 31 of the handy terminal 16, decodes it with the arithmetic processing unit, and extracts the information. The extracted information is stored in the handy terminal 16, and the arithmetic processing unit determines the power consumption for the current month (each power usage for each time zone) from the difference between each measurement value at the previous meter reading and this measurement value. Inclusive).
Also, the estimated billing amount for the current month is calculated from the contract type, and on the predetermined paper by the printer unit 39 of the handy terminal 16, the contractor name, device number, contractor number, contract type, each measured value, measurement date and time, billing schedule Print the amount, etc. The meter reader notifies the contents of meter reading, etc. by posting it on the post of the customer.

  After the meter reading work for the day is completed, the meter reader returns to the sales office, and the information such as the measured values stored in the handy terminal 16 is put on the handy terminal against the dedicated cradle. Upload to the customer data server at the head office.

  As described above, in the meter reading system 10 using the two-dimensional code of the present embodiment, the electric meter is provided with a liquid crystal unit (liquid crystal screen), and necessary information is displayed as a two-dimensional code. Is not displayed, and the reading is performed using a dedicated handy terminal, so that reading of the meter by a thief or the like can be prevented to prevent crime, and the meter reading operation can be performed easily and reliably.

  In addition, by including the measurement value at the previous measurement in the generated 2D code information, the usage amount for the current month can be calculated immediately from the difference between the previous measurement value and the current measurement value. It is no longer necessary to store the meter reading value of the previous month in advance in the handy terminal.

  In addition, by including customer information such as measuring instrument identification symbol, contractor symbol, contractor name, contract type, etc. in the generated two-dimensional code information, it is possible to eliminate erroneous meter readings and contractor errors due to misuse of measuring instruments. Can do.

  The meter reading system described above mainly measures the measured value of power consumption. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and gas and water that require meter reading work without departing from the gist of the present invention. Of course, it can be applied to various meter reading tasks.

It is the figure which showed notionally the meter-reading system of this invention. It is the block diagram which showed the internal structure of the watt-hour meter. It is a flowchart of the meter-reading operation | work by this meter-reading system.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Meter-reading system 12 Meter 14 Two-dimensional code 16 Handy terminal 21 Operation part 23 Data holding part 25 Digital clock 27 Liquid crystal part 29 Light receiving part 31 Digital camera part 33 Input part 35 Display part 37 Light emission part 39 Printer part

Claims (4)

A measuring instrument (12) that displays information for calculating the usage amount of electricity, gas, water, etc. in a two-dimensional code and displays it on a liquid crystal;
A handy terminal (16) capable of reading a two-dimensional code (14),
A meter reading system using a two-dimensional code, wherein the measuring instrument does not display a measured value as a numerical value, but converts it into a two-dimensional code according to an external command and displays it on a liquid crystal display.   The meter reading system using the two-dimensional code according to claim 1, wherein the information of the two-dimensional code (14) includes a measurement value at the previous measurement.   The information of the two-dimensional code (14) includes customer information such as an identification symbol of the measuring instrument (12), a contractor symbol, a contractor name, and a contract type. Meter reading system using two-dimensional code.   The meter reading system using the two-dimensional code according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the information of the two-dimensional code (14) includes a generation date and time of the two-dimensional code. .