JP6496594B2 - How to set up a calendar for a gas station meter - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for setting a calendar of a meter at a gas station.

The weighing machine is equipped with a calendar LSI in order to notify the time of replacement of consumable parts or to create a password for changing registered contents. The calendar LSI needs to be corrected when an error with time occurs before or during use. Therefore, it is necessary to set the correct date, time and day of the week for each weighing machine.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 08-310599 (FIG. 2) JP-A-11-278598 (FIG. 1)

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 08-310599 (FIG. 2) and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-278598 (FIG. 1) disclose a method of performing setting operation for each weighing machine using a remote controller. However, since there are usually a plurality of measuring machines in the service station (SS: gas station), it takes time to complete the setting. Specifically, a registration operation is performed for each weighing machine using a remote controller, which takes time.

Therefore, by using SS-LAN communication, which is the industry standard specification of weighing machines and POS terminals, calendar setting messages are individually sent to the weighing machines linked to the POS terminals by the POS terminal software. A method of setting is conceivable. However, this tentative example has not yet been put to practical use in Japan.

There are two possible reasons for this.
(1) A calendar setting message is not defined as an SS-LAN standard message.
There is a provision in the “Outdoor Equipment Control Device Specification” before SS-LAN, which is defined as a POS-PIF telegram.
(2) Even if a calendar setting message is defined, it is necessary for the POS manufacturer to implement this function as software in the POS system, and it is unclear whether it corresponds. Also, the POS manufacturer and the weighing machine manufacturer are usually different, and it is not known which POS system used in the actual SS (gas station) from among the multiple POS manufacturers, so this method is used in the SS. There is no guarantee that the scale calendar can be set.

  Since the SS-LAN protocol is a protocol called a polling / selecting method, communication is possible only between the POS terminal and the weighing machine, and direct communication between the weighing machines is not possible. Therefore, even if a calendar is set by a registration operation using a remote controller with one weighing machine, this cannot be notified to other weighing machines.

  In the setting method of the present invention, regardless of the presence or absence of the calendar setting function on the POS side, when the calendar is set in one weighing machine, the setting value is set from the weighing machine that has been set to all other weighing machines. The purpose is to automatically set the calendar of all weighing machines.

In a preferred embodiment, in order to realize communication between weighing machines regardless of the presence or absence of POS, the purpose is to extend the SS-LAN protocol without losing the conventional protocol and to enable communication between weighing machines. .

The setting method of the calendar of the meter of the gas station is a method of setting the calendar of the meter of the gas station where the plurality of metering devices 1 to n of the gas station and the POS terminal 20 are connected by a LAN.
A step of setting correct calendar information in the calendar setting unit 10 of one weighing machine i among the plurality of weighing machines 1 to n;
Transmitting a message including the correct calendar information and predetermined error information recognized by the POS terminal 20 as a message error from the one weighing machine i via the LAN;
A step in which each remaining weighing machine j among the plurality of weighing machines 1 to n receives the message from the one weighing machine i;
Each of the remaining weighing machines j decodes the error information of the message, and determines whether the message is for a predetermined calendar setting;
As a result of the determination, when the electronic message is a electronic message for setting a calendar, each weighing machine j includes a step of setting the correct calendar information in its own calendar setting unit 10.

According to the present invention, it is not necessary to perform the setting operation of the calendar LSI built in each weighing machine for each weighing machine, and when setting is performed for one weighing machine, the other weighing machines are simultaneously the same. Since the value is set, the setting work is completed in a short time.
In addition, no change occurs in the communication between the POS and the weighing machine even while the POS is in operation, and it does not affect the conventional communication, so it is realized regardless of the specifications of the existing POS manufacturer. it can.
In the method of setting one for each weighing machine, if the weighing machine is refueling, it is necessary to wait for the refueling to end and the customer to leave. By simply setting with, it is also set for the metering machine that is refueling, so there is no need to wait even if there is a metering machine that is refueling.
Further, unlike the case where the setting operation is performed for each unit, there is no problem that the setting contents of each weighing machine are different due to erroneous input.

It is a schematic block diagram which shows the system of the gas station concerning this invention. It is a conceptual diagram which shows an example of the message | telegram format of selecting. It is a conceptual diagram which shows an example of the message | telegram format of polling. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a POS terminal. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a weighing machine.

Features described and / or illustrated in connection with one of the following examples may be in the same or similar form in one or more other embodiments or other examples, and / or in other embodiments or It can be used in combination with or instead of the features of the embodiments.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: However, the examples and drawings are for illustration and description only and should not be used to define the scope of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is defined only by the claims. In the accompanying drawings, the same part numbers in a plurality of drawings indicate the same or corresponding parts.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
Note that the overall configuration of the fueling device is well known as disclosed in the above-mentioned prior documents, and therefore the description of the same configuration is omitted in the following description.

In the refueling system in FIG. 1, a POS terminal 20 is connected to the weighing machines 1 to n via an SS-LAN communication line. Each weighing machine 1 to n has a nozzle and a nozzle switch 30 (not shown), and discharges fuel oil from the weighing machines 1 to n from the nozzle via a hose (not shown). The weighing machines 1 to n have a fuel supply amount indicator 60, a microcomputer 70, a fuel oil passage (not shown), a flow meter, and the like.

Each weighing machine 1 is provided with a changeover switch SW. This change-over switch SW is for changing the calendar setting flow of each weighing machine 1 so that it can cope with the case where each weighing machine 1 is not connected to the POS terminal 20 and the case where it is connected. Is.

Each weighing machine 1 to n has a calendar LSI (calendar setting unit) 10, and the calendar LSI 10 is operated while the power of the weighing machines 1 to n is turned off by battery backup.

When a deviation occurs in the calendar LSI 10 of each weighing machine 1 to n, for example, if there is a function to turn on the illumination at the time registered in each weighing machine 1 to n, the lighting time is constant for each weighing machine 1 to n. Inconvenience such as not occurring.

  If the calendar LSI 10 has never been set to an accurate value, or if a time lag has occurred, the correct value is set using the remote control receiver 40 from the external remote controller of the weighing machines 1 to n. Means for changing are provided. The remote controller is not limited to the setting of the calendar LSI 10, the oil type for each nozzle, a unique transmission address for each weighing machine 1 to n for individually communicating with the POS terminal 20 (hereinafter simply referred to as “POS”), and other It is also used for information registration, and the set value is stored in the nonvolatile memory 50.

The POS and each of the weighing machines 1 to n are connected to a common SS-LAN communication line via an SS-LAN communication I / F. For example, the SS-LAN communication line is a multi-drop connection based on the RS-485 standard.

The communication protocol is generally called a polling / selecting method and is performed as follows.

When sending a message from the POS to the weighing machine.
As shown in FIG. 2, the POS designates a transmission address (station address, hereinafter referred to as “SA”) for specifying the weighing machine and transmits a message. Weighing machines with SAs not specified by POS are not involved in communication. This sequence is called “selecting”, and is executed, for example, when a specific metering machine is given refueling permission.

When sending a message from the weighing machine to the POS.
As shown in FIG. 3A, the POS specifies SA and requests transmission of any message to be sent from each weighing machine. Only the weighing machine specified by SA in FIG. 3B is allowed to transmit a message. This sequence is called polling, and since POS always repeats polling in order to all weighing machines as long as there is no message to be transmitted, it is called constant polling.

The message that the weigher should send to the POS is usually sent only when some event occurs, such as removing the oiling nozzle from the nozzle hook, or refueling the nozzle and returning the nozzle to the nozzle hook. In contrast, in most cases, the weighing machine transmits an EOT instead of a message (EOT means that there is no message to be transmitted).

As described above, in the SS-LAN protocol, the POS and the weighing machine are not in an equal relationship, and the weighing machine can communicate with the POS only when receiving an instruction from the POS.

Next, the message of the present embodiment will be described.

When the change-over switch SW in FIG.

When the date, time, and day of the week are set in the calendar LSI 10 by the remote controller, the weighing machine i receives the poll for its own SA, and transmits the calendar setting message shown in FIG.

The electronic message in FIG. 3C is different from the normal electronic message in FIG. 3B as follows.

A unique code that does not overlap with an existing message identification code is assigned to the message identification code indicating the type of message. The SA in the message is not the own SA, but the global address SA2 (for example, FF in hexadecimal).
The BCC (horizontal parity) added at the end of the message is inverted and transmitted only for the message of the global address. Once the calendar setting message is transmitted, the weighing machine i responds to polling / selecting from the POS as usual.

When the changeover switch is set to the non-POS side, the above operation is performed without waiting for polling from the POS.

The calendar setting message shown in FIG. 3 (c) sent from the weighing machine i in response to the POS side processing polling always causes an error because the BCC value is inverted, and the POS uses the SS-LAN protocol to change this message. Discard and poll again or send a negative response. On the other hand, the weighing machine transmits EOT, and the communication sequence ends.
Such a calendar setting message is unknown to the POS, cannot be processed, is not taken into the POS, and there is no possibility of malfunction. Thereafter, the POS continues communication by normal polling / selecting.

Processing of other weighing machines j When the SA of the received message in FIG. 3C is a global address and the value obtained by inverting the BCC of the message matches the horizontal parity of the message, the message is taken in as a normal message. The inverted BCC value is inverted again to obtain the original correct BCC value. When the message identification code matches the code defined as the calendar setting message, the received weighing machine sets the received value in its own calendar LSI.

  Next, a calendar setting method according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS.

  The flow on the POS side in FIG. 4 will be described.

  In Step P1 of FIG. 4, if there is a message to be transmitted to the weighing machines 1 to n, the POS proceeds to Step P2, whereas if there is no message, the POS proceeds to Step P3. In step P2, a specific weighing machine is designated and data (for example, a refueling permit message) is transmitted.

  In Step P3, a specific weighing machine is designated, and the presence / absence of a message to be transmitted is confirmed (polling), and the process proceeds to the next Step P4. In Step P4, if there is no transmission request from the weighing machine, the process returns to Step P1, and if there is a transmission request, the process proceeds to Step P5.

  If the received message is an error in step P5, for example, if the calendar setting message is a BCC error, the POS ignores (discards) the message and returns to step P1.

  On the other hand, if the received telegram is not an error in step P5, the process proceeds to step P6, where the POS processes the received data such as receiving a refueling end message and performing processing such as issuing a slip, and returns to step P1.

In this way, the POS does not cause any inconvenience even if it receives a message containing error information.

The flow of the weighing machines 1 to n in FIG. 5 will be described.

In step S1, the weighing machines 1 to n proceed to step S2 when there is no selection to the own station, while proceed to step S11 when there is the selection. In this step S11, for example, a received message is processed such as when a refueling permission message is received from the POS, and the process returns to step S1.

In Step S2, the weighing machines 1 to n proceed to Step S3 when there is a polling to the own station, while proceed to Step S21 when there is no polling. If the calendar setting is not changed in step S3, the process proceeds to step S4.

In step S4, if there is no transmission message, the process returns to step S1, while if there is a transmission message, the process proceeds to step S5. In step S5, for example, a normal message such as nozzle on is transmitted, and the process returns to step S1.

When the calendar setting is changed in step S3, that is, when correct calendar information is set in the calendar setting unit 10 of one weighing machine i among the plurality of weighing machines 1 to n. Proceed to step S12.

In step S12, a calendar setting message (FIG. 3C) is transmitted from the weighing machine i. That is, a message including the correct calendar information and predetermined error information that the POS terminal 20 recognizes as a message error is transmitted from the one weighing machine i via the LAN. After the transmission, the weighing machine i returns to step S1.

If there is no polling to another station, that is, another weighing machine j in step 21, the process returns to step S1, and if there is the polling, the process proceeds to step S22.

If no message is received in step S22, the process returns to step S1, and if the message is received, the process proceeds to step S23. In step S23, it is determined whether or not the message is a calendar setting message (FIG. 3C). If it is not the same setting message, the process returns to step S1, whereas if it is the same setting message, the process proceeds to step S24. .

That is, in steps S22 and S23, a process in which each remaining weighing machine j among the plurality of weighing machines 1 to n receives the message from the one weighing machine i, and each remaining weighing machine j. Decoding the error information of the message and determining whether the message is for a predetermined defined calendar setting.

In the step S24, if the message is a message for setting a calendar as a result of the determination, each weighing machine j sets the correct calendar information in its own calendar setting unit 10. That is, each weighing machine j takes in only “calendar setting message” from the communication between the weighing machine i and the POS, and sets it in the calendar setting unit 10.

In this way, calendars having the same contents are set and stored in all the weighing machines 1 to n.

As described above, the preferred embodiments have been described with reference to the drawings. However, those skilled in the art will readily understand various changes and modifications within the obvious scope by looking at the present specification.
A method other than inversion of BCC may be used as a method for setting a calendar setting message as an error.
For example, instead of changing the BCC to a different value by calculation, such as bit shifting the BCC, or returning the error BCC to the normal BCC value, a check code is added separately in the message to check the error. You may go.
The registration operation of the weighing machine is performed using the remote control, but a registration switch built in the weighing machine may be used.
The setting of the presence / absence of POS may be performed not by a switch but by a registration operation.
The presence / absence of POS may be automatically determined based on the presence / absence of polling without setting the presence / absence of POS.
Accordingly, such changes and modifications are to be construed as within the scope of the present invention as defined by the claims.

  The present invention can be applied to a calendar setting method for a fuel oil meter.

1 to n: weighing machine 10: calendar setting unit 20: POS terminal i, j: weighing machine

Claims (1)

A method of setting a calendar of a measuring machine at a gas station where a plurality of measuring machines 1 to n at the gas station and a POS terminal 20 are connected via a LAN,
A step of setting correct calendar information in the calendar setting unit 10 of one weighing machine i among the plurality of weighing machines 1 to n;
Transmitting a message including the correct calendar information and predetermined error information recognized by the POS terminal 20 as a message error from the one weighing machine i via the LAN;
A step in which each remaining weighing machine j among the plurality of weighing machines 1 to n receives the message from the one weighing machine i;
Each of the remaining weighing machines j decodes the error information of the message, and determines whether the message is for a predetermined calendar setting;
As a result of the determination, when the message is a message for setting a calendar, each weighing machine j sets the correct calendar information in its own calendar setting unit 10; and
How to set up a calendar with