JP2021158432A - Meter reading system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a meter reading system capable of easily acquiring meter reading data in a hard meter reading area where a labor is required in a conventional manner.SOLUTION: A meter reading system 1 comprises: a smart meter 2B for a plurality of hard meter reading areas provided to a hard meter reading area; an aggregation device 3B for the hard meter reading areas; and a handy terminal (HT) 6 as a portable measurement device. Each of the hard meter reading areas is an area such as a mountain part or the like where a propagation of a radio wave is obstructed by an obstruction 7 such as mountains. Each smart meter 2B includes: a measurement part 2a that measures an electric use amount of a user; and a data long distance communication part 2c that performs a radio transmission of a measurement value measured by the measurement part 2a in a LPWA system. The aggregation device 3B is provided at a location far from a distance of the smart meter 2A and the aggregation device 3A from each smart meter 2B, receives the measurement value which is transmitted from the data long distance communication part 2c of each smart meter 2B in radio, and is aggregated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a meter reading system that aggregates the measured values measured by each consumer's instrument into an aggregation device and transmits the measured values to the management device.

Conventionally, as a meter reading system of this type, for example, there is one disclosed in Patent Document 1. In this meter reading system, a wireless terminal device having a function as a watt hour meter is installed in a consumer as a slave station, and forms a wireless mesh network together with wireless terminal devices installed in other surrounding consumers. The meter reading data of the consumer is wirelessly transmitted to the data collection device, which is the master station, by multi-hop communication via the wireless mesh network. When requested by the management server, the data collection device transmits the meter reading data received from each wireless terminal device to the management server.

Japanese Patent No. 5372303

However, in the above-mentioned conventional meter reading system, there is an obstacle or the like between the wireless terminal device having a function as a watt hour meter and the data collecting device, and a wireless mesh network is established between the wireless terminal device and the data collecting device. It may not be possible to form and multi-hop communication may not be possible. In such a case, it is necessary for a meter reader to go to the installation location of a wireless terminal device that cannot perform multi-hop communication with the data collection device, and to individually acquire meter reading data from the wireless terminal device using a handy terminal. ..

Acquisition of meter reading data in this form is performed especially in areas where the distance between consumers is too large to communicate with a conventional wireless mesh network, or in mountainous areas where mountains are obstacles to radio waves. In many cases, it has been difficult to acquire meter reading data in such a difficult meter reading area.

The present invention has been made to solve such a problem.
Consists of a measuring unit that measures the amount of electricity used by consumers, a plurality of instruments with a communication function that have a data communication unit that wirelessly transmits the measured values measured by this measuring unit by multi-hop communication, and a data communication unit of each instrument. It is configured to include an aggregation device that receives and aggregates the measurement values measured by the measurement unit of each instrument via the multi-hop network, and a management device that receives and manages the measurement values aggregated in the aggregation device. In the meter reading system
With a plurality of instruments for difficult-to-read areas provided in difficult-to-read areas, which have a measuring unit for measuring the amount of electricity used by consumers and a data long-distance communication unit for wirelessly transmitting the measured values measured by this measuring unit by the LPWA method. ,
Data for each difficult-to-read area meter A collection device for difficult-to-read areas provided in the difficult-to-read area that receives and aggregates the measured values wirelessly transmitted from the long-distance communication unit.
Portable portable measurement that communicates with the difficult-to-read area aggregation device by the frequency hopping spread spectrum method, captures the measured values of each difficult-to-read area meter collected in the difficult-to-read area aggregation device, and sends them to the management device. It is characterized by being provided with a device.

According to this configuration, the measured value measured by the measuring unit of the meter-reading area instrument, which is difficult to form a multi-hop network, is wirelessly transmitted from the data long-distance communication unit by the LPWA method capable of transmitting data over a long distance. It is transmitted and aggregated in the aggregation device for the difficult-to-read area provided in the difficult-to-read area. The measured values collected in the difficult-to-read area aggregation device are taken into the portable measuring device by frequency hopping spread spectrum communication and transmitted to the management device.

Therefore, unlike the conventional method, it is no longer necessary for a meter reader to go to the installation location of each instrument provided in the difficult meter reading area and acquire meter reading data individually from the instrument using a portable measuring device, and to move away from each instrument. It is possible to collectively acquire the meter reading data of each instrument using a portable measuring device from the aggregation device installed at the location.

Further, the present invention includes a communication adapter that receives the measured values of the instruments for the difficult-to-read area, which are aggregated in the aggregation device for the difficult-to-read area, via the mobile phone network.
The portable measuring device communicates with the communication adapter by the frequency hopping spread spectrum method, captures the measured values of each difficult-to-read area meter aggregated in the difficult-to-read area aggregation device, and transmits the measured values to the management device. ..

According to this configuration, the measured values of the instruments for the difficult-to-read area aggregated in the aggregation device for the difficult-to-read area are desired to be far away from the installation location of the aggregation device for the difficult-to-read area via the mobile phone network. It can be received by a communication adapter installed at a location and imported into a portable measuring device. Therefore, it is possible to provide a meter reading system that makes it easier to acquire meter reading data in a difficult meter reading area.

According to the present invention, it is possible to collectively acquire meter reading data of each instrument by using a portable measuring device from an aggregation device installed at a location away from each instrument in a difficult meter reading area. It is possible to provide a meter reading system that facilitates acquisition of meter reading data in a difficult meter reading area.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the meter reading system by one Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of a data telecommunications unit constituting a smart meter for difficult meter reading areas in the meter reading system shown in FIG. 1. It is a block diagram which shows the internal structure of the aggregation device for a difficult-to-read area in the meter reading system shown in FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the internal structure of the communication adapter in the meter reading system shown in FIG.

Next, a mode for carrying out the meter reading system according to the present invention will be described.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a meter reading system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The meter reading system 1 includes a plurality of smart meters 2A, an aggregation device 3A, and a host device 4.

The smart meter 2A is a watt hour meter (instrument) with a communication function installed in each customer, and measures the electricity consumption of each customer in the measuring unit 2a and the measured value measured by the measuring unit 2a. It has a data communication unit 2b that wirelessly transmits by multi-hop communication in a frequency band of 920 [MHz]. The aggregating device 3A receives the measured value measured by the measuring unit 2a of each smart meter 2A every 30 minutes via the multi-hop network composed of the data communication unit 2b of each smart meter 2A, and receives the measured value every 30 minutes for 30 minutes. Aggregate as a value. The aggregating device 3A returns the aggregated information such as the measured value to the upper device 4 via the upper line network 5 in response to a request from the upper device 4 via the upper line network 5 constituting the wide area network. The host device 4 constitutes a management device that receives and manages the measured values aggregated in the aggregation device 3A, collects and analyzes the transmitted information, and manages and controls each smart meter 2A. conduct.

The meter reading system 1 according to the present embodiment is a smart meter 2B for a plurality of difficult meter reading areas provided in a difficult meter reading area, an aggregation device 3B for a difficult meter reading area provided in a difficult meter reading area, and a portable portable measuring device. It is equipped with a handy terminal (HT) 6. The difficult-to-read area is an area where the distance between consumers is too large to communicate with a conventional wireless mesh network, or an area such as a mountainous area where the propagation of radio waves is obstructed by an obstacle 7 such as a mountain.

Each smart meter 2B for difficult-to-read areas wirelessly transmits the measurement unit 2a for measuring the electricity consumption of the consumer and the measurement value measured by the measurement unit 2a by the LPWA (Low Power Wide Area) method. It has a long-distance communication unit 2c. In the present embodiment, the LoRa method is used for the wireless communication of the LPWA method, and the data long-distance communication unit 2c modulates the measured value measured by the measuring unit 2a in the frequency band of 920 [MHz] to obtain a very high value. Long-distance transmission with low power consumption at low speed. The aggregation device 3B for the difficult-to-read area is provided at a position farther from each smart meter 2B than the distance between the smart meter 2A and the aggregation device 3A. However, due to this long-distance transmission by the data long-distance communication unit 2c, a multi-hop network can be formed between each smart meter 2B and the aggregation device 3B as well as a multi-hop network formed between each smart meter 2A and the aggregation device 3A. It is formed. Similar to the aggregation device 3A, the aggregation device 3B for the difficult meter reading area receives the measured value wirelessly transmitted from the data long-distance communication unit 2c of each smart meter 2B every 30 minutes and aggregates it as a 30-minute value. ..

The handy terminal 6 communicates with the aggregation device 3B by a frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) method, takes in the measured values of each smart meter 2B aggregated in the aggregation device 3B, and connects the upper network 5 to the upper network 5. It is transmitted to the host device 4 via. In the present embodiment, a wireless communication method called Bluetooth (registered trademark) for communicating between devices having a radius of about 10 m in a frequency band of 2.4 [GHz] is used as a frequency hopping spread spectrum method. The handy terminal 6 also functions as a portable measuring device that communicates with each smart meter 2A and reads out the meter reading value read by each smart meter 2A.

In the present embodiment, the meter reading system 1 includes an authentication terminal device 8 that transmits a connection authentication key. The connection authentication key is a key that allows the aggregation device 3B to communicate with the handy terminal 6 by the frequency hopping spread spectrum method. When the aggregation device 3B receives the connection authentication key from the authentication terminal device 8, it is allowed to communicate with the handy terminal 6 by the frequency hopping spread spectrum method.

Further, in the present embodiment, the meter reading system 1 includes a communication adapter 10 that receives the measured values of the smart meters 2B aggregated in the aggregation device 3B via the mobile phone network 9 configured in the closed area. The handy terminal 6 communicates with the communication adapter 10 by the frequency hopping spread spectrum method, takes in the measured value of each mart meter 2B aggregated in the aggregation device 3B from the communication adapter 10, and takes in the measurement value of each mart meter 2B from the communication adapter 10 to the host device via the host network 5. Send to 4.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of a data long-distance communication unit 2c that constitutes a communication terminal with each smart meter 2B.

The data long-distance communication unit 2c operates under the control of the CPU 22 by the DC power supply supplied from the measuring unit 2a whose voltage is converted by the DC / DC converter 21. Temporary data necessary for the operation of the CPU 22 is expanded in the volatile storage area in the CPU 22. Further, in the non-volatile storage area in the CPU 22, a communication key or the like assigned to each smart meter 2B for allowing communication with the handy terminal 6 is stored. The CPU 22 inputs a measurement value or the like from the measurement unit 2a via the serial communication circuit 25. The input measured value is stored in the non-volatile storage area in the CPU 22.

The LoRa RFIC 26 communicates with the outside via LoRa wireless communication via the external antenna 27 and the internal antenna 28. The external antenna 27 is attached to a glass window of an iron box (not shown) in which the smart meter 2B is housed, and the internal antenna 28 is composed of a wiring pattern or the like formed on a circuit board forming the data long-distance communication unit 2c. The Wi-SUN RFIC 29 communicates with the HEMS device installed in the customer via the internal antenna 30, and causes the HEMS device to display the amount of power used by the customer measured by the measuring unit 2a.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of the aggregation device 3B.

The aggregating device 3B operates under the control of the CPU 32 by a DC power supply whose voltage is converted from a commercial AC power supply by the AC / DC converter 31. Temporary data necessary for the operation of the CPU 32 is expanded in the volatile storage area in the CPU 32. Further, in the non-volatile storage area in the CPU 32, a measured value received from each smart meter 2B, a communication key for allowing communication between each smart meter 2B and the handy terminal 6 and the like are stored. This non-volatile storage area constitutes a communication key storage unit that stores the communication key assigned to each smart meter 2B. The CPU 32 recognizes the current date and time and the like from the time information measured by the RTC circuit 35.

The Bluetooth module 36 communicates with the smart meter 2A and the handy terminal 6 via the antenna 37 by a frequency hopping spread spectrum method. The Bluetooth module 36 and the antenna 37 constitute a measuring device communication unit that receives a signal transmitted from the handy terminal 6 to each smart meter 2B on behalf of each smart meter 2B. The above-mentioned authentication terminal device 8 transmits a connection authentication key that allows the measuring device communication unit to communicate with the handy terminal 6 by a frequency hopping spread spectrum method. When the CPU 32 receives the connection authentication key from the authentication terminal device 8 to the measuring device communication unit, the CPU 32 constitutes a control unit that controls to allow the measuring device communication unit to communicate with the handy terminal 6 by the frequency hopping spread spectrum method. ..

In the present embodiment, this control unit controls to stop the communication between the measuring device communication unit and the handy terminal 6 by the frequency hopping spread spectrum method after a lapse of a predetermined time. Further, this control unit controls the communication between the measuring device communication unit and the handy terminal 6 with a communication signal strength of a predetermined value or less.

The LTE module 38 communicates with the communication adapter 10 via the antenna 39 and the mobile phone network 9 according to the LTE communication standard, and transmits the measured value of each smart meter 2B aggregated in the aggregation device 3B to the communication adapter 10. .. The communication terminal circuit 40 communicates with each smart meter 2B by LoRa wireless communication via the antenna 41 in the same configuration as the data long-distance communication unit 2c shown in FIG. 2, and measures the measured value of each smart meter 2B. Receive. The communication terminal circuit 40 and the antenna 41 are provided in two sets, and the aggregation device 3B is configured to be able to communicate simultaneously with many smart meters 2B using two communication channels. The communication terminal circuit 40 and the antenna 41 constitute a data aggregation communication unit that receives meter reading values wirelessly transmitted by the LPWA method from the data long-distance communication unit 2c of each smart meter 2B.

The non-volatile storage area in the CPU 32 constitutes a meter reading value storage unit that stores the meter reading value received from each smart meter 2B to the data aggregation communication unit for each smart meter 2B. When the control unit configured by the CPU 32 receives a signal requesting transmission of the meter reading value read by each smart meter 2B from the handy terminal 6 to the measuring device communication unit, the smart meter having the meter reading value requested by the handy terminal 6 Using the communication key assigned to 2B and stored in the non-volatile storage area in the CPU 32, the measuring device communication unit communicates with the handy terminal 6. Then, the meter reading value of the smart meter 2B requested by the handy terminal 6 is read out from the non-volatile storage area in the CPU 32 which is the meter reading value storage unit, and transmitted from the measuring device communication unit to the handy terminal 6.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of the communication adapter 10.

The communication adapter 10 operates under the control of the CPU 52 by a DC power supply whose voltage is converted from a commercial AC power supply by the AC / DC converter 51. Temporary data necessary for the operation of the CPU 52 is expanded in the volatile storage area in the CPU 52. The Bluetooth module 54 communicates with the handy terminal 6 via the antenna 55 by a frequency hopping spread spectrum method. Further, the LTE module 56 communicates with the aggregation device 3B via the antenna 57 and the mobile phone network 9 according to the LTE communication standard, and receives the measured value of each smart meter 2B aggregated in the aggregation device 3B.

According to the meter reading system 1 according to the present embodiment, the measured value measured by the measuring unit 2a of the smart meter 2B for difficult meter reading areas where it is difficult to form a multi-hop network can transmit data over a long distance. The data is wirelessly transmitted from the data long-distance communication unit 2c by the LPWA method, and is aggregated in the difficult-to-read area aggregation device 3B. The measured values aggregated in the aggregation device 3B are taken into the handy terminal 6 by the frequency hopping spread spectrum communication and transmitted to the host device 4.

Therefore, it is no longer necessary for a meter reader to go to the installation location of each smart meter 2B provided in the difficult meter reading area and individually acquire meter reading data from the smart meter 2B using the handy terminal 6 as in the conventional case. The meter reading data of each smart meter 2B can be collectively acquired by using the handy terminal 6 from the aggregation device 3B installed at a location away from the smart meter 2B. Moreover, using the existing handy terminal 6 that has been conventionally used to individually acquire the meter reading data of the smart meter A, the existing meter reading system configuration using the conventional wireless mesh network is not changed. It is possible to collectively acquire the meter reading data of each smart meter 2B from the aggregation device 3B. Therefore, according to the meter reading system 1 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide the meter reading system 1 that makes it easy to acquire meter reading data in a difficult meter reading area that has conventionally required labor.

Further, according to the meter reading system 1 according to the present embodiment, the measured values of each smart meter 2B aggregated in the aggregation device 3B are located far away from the installation location of the aggregation device 3B via the mobile phone network 9. It can be received by the communication adapter 10 installed at a desired location such as, and can be taken into the handy terminal 6. Therefore, it is possible to provide the meter reading system 1 that makes it easier to acquire the meter reading data in the difficult meter reading area.

Further, according to the meter reading system 1 according to the present embodiment, when a signal requesting transmission of the meter reading value read by each smart meter 2B is received from the handy terminal 6 to the measuring device communication unit of the aggregation device 3B, the aggregation device By the control of the control unit in 3B, the communication key assigned to the smart meter 2B having the meter reading value required by the handy terminal 6 and stored in the communication key storage unit is used, and the centralizing device 3B and the handy are used by the measuring device communication unit. Communication is performed with the terminal 6. By this communication, the meter reading value of the smart meter 2B requested by the handy terminal 6 is read out from the meter reading value storage unit under the control of the control unit of the aggregation device 3B, and is read from the measurement device communication unit of the aggregation device 3B to the handy terminal 6. Will be sent.

Therefore, the aggregation device 3B operates as a plurality of smart meters 2B in a simulated manner. Therefore, it is possible to easily acquire the meter reading data of each smart meter 2B in the difficult meter reading area by one aggregation device 3B without providing the aggregation device for each smart meter in the difficult meter reading area as in the conventional case. It becomes.

Further, in the meter reading system 1 according to the present embodiment, the measuring device communication unit of the aggregation device 3B communicates with the handy terminal 6 by the frequency hopping spread spectrum method. Therefore, the communication between the measuring device communication unit of the aggregation device 3B and the handy terminal 6 is performed by the frequency hopping spread spectrum method having a relatively short communicable distance, so that the influence on other communication devices can be suppressed. At the same time, the confidentiality of communication can be improved.

Further, according to the meter reading system 1 according to the present embodiment, in the communication between the measuring device communication unit of the aggregation device 3B and the handy terminal 6, the connection authentication key is transmitted from the authentication terminal device 8 to the aggregation device 3B, and the aggregation device It is performed only when it is received by the measuring device communication unit of 3B and permitted by the control of the control unit. Therefore, the security of communication between the measuring device communication unit of the aggregation device 3B and the handy terminal 6 is improved.

Further, according to the meter reading system 1 according to the present embodiment, the communication between the measuring device communication unit of the aggregation device 3B and the handy terminal 6 is stopped by the control of the control unit of the aggregation device 3B after a lapse of a predetermined time. Therefore, the security of communication between the measuring device communication unit of the aggregation device 3B and the handy terminal 6 is further improved.

Further, according to the meter reading system 1 according to the present embodiment, communication between the measuring device communication unit of the aggregation device 3B and the handy terminal 6 is performed by radio waves having a weak communication signal strength of a predetermined value or less under the control of the control unit. As a result, the influence on other communication devices can be suppressed, and it becomes difficult to eavesdrop on radio waves, so that the confidentiality of communication can be improved.

1 ... Meter reading system 2A, 2B ... Smart meter (instrument)
2a ... Weighing unit 2b ... Data communication unit 2c ... Data long-distance communication unit 3A, 3B ... Aggregation device 4 ... Higher-level device (management device)
5 ... Upper line network 9 ... Mobile phone network 6 ... Handy terminal (HT: Mobile measuring device)
7 ... Obstacle 8 ... Authentication terminal device 10 ... Communication adapter

Claims (2)

A measuring unit for measuring the amount of electricity used by a consumer, a plurality of instruments with a communication function having a data communication unit for wirelessly transmitting the measured value measured by the measuring unit by multi-hop communication, and the data communication unit of each of the instruments. An aggregation device that receives and aggregates the measurement values measured by the measurement unit of each of the instruments via a multi-hop network configured by the above, and a management device that receives and manages the measurement values aggregated in the aggregation device. In a meter reading system configured with
With a plurality of instruments for difficult-to-read areas provided in difficult-to-read areas, which have a measuring unit for measuring the amount of electricity used by consumers and a data long-distance communication unit for wirelessly transmitting the measured values measured by this measuring unit by the LPWA method. ,
An aggregating device for a difficult-to-read area provided in a difficult-to-read area, which receives and aggregates measured values wirelessly transmitted from the data long-distance communication unit of each said-difficult-to-read area instrument.
A portable device that communicates with the difficult-to-read area aggregation device by a frequency hopping spread spectrum method, captures the measured values of each difficult-to-read area meter aggregated in the difficult-to-read area aggregation device, and transmits the measured values to the management device. A meter reading system characterized by being equipped with a possible portable measuring device. It is provided with a communication adapter that receives the measured values of the instruments for the difficult-to-read area, which are aggregated in the centralizing device for the difficult-to-read area, via the mobile phone network.
The portable measuring device communicates with the communication adapter by a frequency hopping spread spectrum method, takes in the measured values of each instrument for the difficult-to-read area aggregated in the centralized device for the difficult-to-read area, and transmits the measured values to the management device. The meter reading system according to claim 1.

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