JP4043707B2 - Meter device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a meter device for measuring the usage amount of, for example, electricity, gas, and water, and more particularly to a technique for detecting a failure of a battery used as a power source in the meter device.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, there has been a trend toward computerization in meter devices that collect data on objects to be weighed such as electric power, gas, and water, and various functions have been added thereto. For example, a gas meter that has a communication function and transmits measured data, failure information, etc. to a remote center device using a telephone line, or a so-called microcomputer gas meter is used in the event of an earthquake or at a constant flow rate. Some have a gas leakage prevention function such as stopping the gas when the gas flows for a certain period of time.
[0003]
Most of the meter devices having such various functions are operated using a battery as a power source.
[0004]
By the way, there is a limit to the power that can be used for the battery, and when it is consumed, it will become unusable sometime. The one with a large power capacity is used so that it is not necessary to replace it until the life of the meter device itself is reached.
[0005]
However, the meter device has a long life of 10 years or more, and the battery used in such a meter device is used with some trouble before the battery life, that is, before the remaining power is consumed. There are rare things that can't be done.
[0006]
Therefore, it is considered to provide a device for self-diagnosis of a battery failure in the meter device.
[0007]
A conventional device for diagnosing a battery failure detects the failure by measuring the voltage of the battery periodically or constantly with the battery loaded, that is, with current drawn from the battery. ing.
[0008]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, as described above, if the voltage is measured in a state where a load is applied, the power of the battery is naturally consumed, and extra power is consumed for detecting the malfunction, thereby shortening the battery life. There was a problem.
[0009]
The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a meter device that can reduce power consumption for battery malfunction detection as much as possible.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The invention according to claim 1 is a meter device that collects at least data relating to an object to be measured, and is connected in series with a battery serving as a power source, means for detecting a voltage for measuring the voltage of the battery, and means for detecting the voltage. It is connected and includes an opening / closing means for connecting the means for detecting the voltage in parallel with the battery, a load means for applying a load to the battery, and a time measuring means, and judging from the value timed by the time measuring means. In the initial and late use of the battery, the battery is loaded with the load by the load means more frequently than the period between them, and the voltage of the battery is measured by the means for detecting the voltage. wherein the defect is detected and also to have, and defect detecting means for opening and closing means and the non-conductive state except when measuring the battery voltage to detect a malfunction of the battery A meter device to.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the defect detecting means is based on the magnitude of the voltage difference of the battery, which is measured in the state where the load is applied and in the state where the load is not applied. The gist of this is to detect.
[0011]
In the present invention, in order to detect a malfunction of the battery, the operation of applying a load to the battery by the load means is performed at a high frequency in the early and late periods of use of the battery, in which there is a high possibility of incompatibility of the battery. In this period, the frequency of detection is lowered to suppress the power consumption for detecting the malfunction.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0013]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a meter device according to an embodiment to which the present invention is applied.
[0014]
First, the configuration of the meter device includes a battery 1 as a power source, a voltmeter 3 connected in parallel to the battery 1, a switching transistor 5 inserted in series between the voltmeter 3 and the battery 1, A resistor 7 connected in parallel to the battery 1 for applying a load to the battery 1, a switching transistor 9 inserted in series between the resistor 7 and the battery 1, and the switching transistors 5 and 9 are controlled. And a control circuit 11 that detects a failure of the battery 1 from the voltage measured by the meter 3.
[0015]
Here, the control circuit 11 has a function of measuring malfunctions of the battery 1 and measuring an object to be weighed such as a power consumption amount, a water usage amount, and a gas usage amount. Function for blocking the flow of the object to be weighed, or communication for sending data related to the object to be weighed to the center device etc. connected to a communication line (not shown) and warning information when a battery malfunctions It has functions.
[0016]
Next, operations and effects of the meter device according to the present embodiment configured as described above will be described.
[0017]
First, the control circuit 11 periodically performs a defect detection operation after the battery 1 is attached and the use thereof is started, for example, by being reset. For this, first, only the switching transistor 5 is turned on (the switching transistor 9 is turned off), and the voltage of the battery 1 is measured by the voltmeter 3 in a state where no load is applied to the battery 1. Subsequently, both the switching transistors 5 and 9 are turned on, and the voltage of the battery 1 is measured by the voltmeter 3 in a state where a load is applied to the battery 1 by the resistor 7, that is, a current is drawn from the battery 1. To do. After the voltage measurement, the switching transistors 5 and 9 are immediately turned off so as not to waste power consumption.
[0018]
Then, the control circuit 11 determines that a failure has occurred when there is a large difference between the voltage values measured in a state where no load is applied and a state where the load is applied.
[0019]
This is because when a battery malfunctions and the internal resistance of the battery is extremely increased or the internal resistance is extremely decreased due to a short circuit or the like, the load is reduced with respect to the voltage value detected in the unloaded state. The occurrence of a malfunction is detected because the voltage value detected when the current is drawn over is extremely reduced.
[0020]
If there is no malfunction at this initial stage of use, then the malfunction detection operation is performed at a lower frequency than in the initial stage of use until the later stage of use when the battery life approaches. Of course, this may not be performed at all, and in this case, both the switching transistors 5 and 9 are kept off until later in use.
[0021]
Then, in the later stage of use when the battery life is approaching, voltage measurement is performed in the same manner as described above with the battery 1 in an unloaded state and a loaded state, and the occurrence of a malfunction is detected from the difference in voltage value. The late use may be determined based on, for example, a value measured by a timer or the like, or if it has a communication function, it may be determined based on a signal from the center device.
[0022]
As described above, in the present embodiment, malfunction detection operations are performed at a higher frequency in the initial and later use of the battery, which is the most likely to cause malfunction in the battery based on the experience so far, compared to the period between them. In this period, since the frequency of the defect detection operation is reduced, the battery can last longer.
[0023]
Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. For example, in the embodiment described above, a resistor is used to apply a load. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and any resistor may be used as long as it draws a current from a battery and consumes a little power.
[0024]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention described above, failure detection is performed more frequently in the early and late use of a battery that is likely to cause the failure of the battery, compared to the period between them. Thus, the meter device can be provided that can suppress the power consumption of the built-in battery.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a meter device according to the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Battery 3 Voltmeters 5 and 9 Switching transistor 7 Resistance 11 Control circuit

Claims (2)

At least in a meter device that collects data about the object to be weighed,
A battery that serves as a power source;
Means for detecting a voltage for measuring the voltage of the battery;
Opening and closing means connected in series to the means for detecting the voltage, and connecting the means for detecting the voltage in parallel with the battery in the conductive state;
Load means for applying a load to the battery;
In the initial use and late use of the battery determined from the value measured by the time measuring means, the load means is loaded with the load means at a higher frequency than the period between them, Detecting a failure of the battery by measuring the voltage of the battery by means for detecting a voltage, and detecting a failure in which the switching means is in a non-conductive state except when measuring the battery voltage to detect a failure of the battery Means,
A meter device comprising:   The meter device according to claim 1, wherein the failure detection unit detects a failure of the battery based on a magnitude of a voltage difference between the batteries measured in a state where a load is applied and a state where the load is not applied.

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