JPH05328449A - Automatic metering system utilizing catv line - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the speed of metering operation in the automatic metering system utilizing a duplex CATV line. CONSTITUTION:A control section 21 of a center equipment 2 makes simultaneously the same message communication to all terminal transmitters 3-5 in response to a metering start command from an operation section 6 to make metering start command. Each of the terminal transmitters 3-5 checks each meter 7-9 to store the metering value into a RAM 32. The control section 21 of the center equipment 2 sequentially makes collection command of metering values to each of terminal transmitters 3-5 by individual polling. Since the metering is started by simultaneous multiple address communication, each metering is checked simultaneously and the metering speed is remarkably improved.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic meter reading system using a CATV line, and in particular, using a bidirectional CATV line for gas,
The present invention relates to a CATV line-based automatic meter-reading system in which meter reading of meters of various utilities such as water and electricity is automatically performed and collected by a center device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional automatic meter reading system of this type, a meter reading instruction message is transmitted from a center device to terminal transmitters to which electronic meters are respectively connected, and in response to receipt of this meter reading instruction message, each The terminal transmitter measures the electronic meter in real time and returns the measured value to the center device.

Standard electronic meter (Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications meter)
However, since it takes about 1 second to read the meter, there is a disadvantage that no matter how fast the CATV line speed between the center device and the terminal transmitter is, it cannot be shortened to 1 second or less per meter reading.

Further, in the above-mentioned conventional CATV line-based automatic meter reading system, only one electronic meter can be connected to one terminal transmitter, so that one house can be operated by a plurality of businesses such as electricity, gas and water. In order to read meters, it is necessary to install terminal transmitters for the number of meters. As described above, in the case of the meter reading of a plurality of meters as well, since the real-time meter reading is performed, the meter reading time also becomes long in proportion to the meter reading.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a CATV line-based automatic meter reading system capable of shortening the meter reading value collection time.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a CATV line-based automatic meter-reading system system capable of meter-reading a plurality of types of electronic meters with a simple structure and at high speed.

[0007]

The CATV line-based automatic meter reading system according to the present invention comprises a bidirectional CATV line, a plurality of terminal transmitters each of which is addressed and connected to the CATV line and capable of metering an electronic meter, and polling / A CATV line-based automatic meter-reading system including a center device that collects meter-reading values from the terminal transmitter according to a selecting procedure, wherein the center device sends a meter-reading start message indicating a meter-reading start instruction to all of the terminal transmitters. It is characterized by having a means for notifying by simultaneous broadcast.

In another CATV line-based automatic meter reading system according to the present invention, a plurality of types of electronic meters are connected to each of the terminal transmitters, and the center device uses a specific type of electronic device in the simultaneous broadcast. It is characterized in that it is configured to issue a meter reading instruction of a type meter.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a system block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. The center device 2 includes a control unit 2 that controls the entire device.
1, a RAM 22, and a ROM 23 storing a program
And a data modulator / demodulator 24 that transmits and receives data to and from the bidirectional CATV line 1. An operation unit 6 having a display device is connected to the center device.

Each of the terminal transmitters 3 to 5 is assigned an address, and has a function of performing meter reading of the corresponding electronic meter 7 to 9 and transmitting the meter reading value to the center device 2. Therefore, the control unit 31, the RAM 32, and the ROM 33
, Data modulator / demodulator 34, and meter interface 35
And all terminal transmitters have the same configuration,
The description is omitted.

The control unit 21 of the center unit 2 is configured to perform data communication with each of the terminal transmitters 3 to 5 through the data modulation / demodulation unit 24 according to the operation from the operation unit 6 by the operator according to the polling / selecting procedure. There is.

When a meter reading instruction is input from the operation unit 6, the control unit 21 controls all the electronic messages for the meter reading start instruction as shown in FIG. 2A by the control of the programs stored in the RAM 22 and the ROM 23. Broadcast transmission to the terminal transmitters 3 to 5. Each of the terminal transmitters 3 to 5, which has received the meter reading start instruction message, performs meter reading of the electronic meters 7 to 9 respectively connected thereto.

The operation of the terminal transmitter 3 will be described below. When the control unit 31 receives the meter reading start instruction message via the data modulation / demodulation unit 34, it performs meter reading of the electronic meter 7 via the interface 35 according to the control of the program stored in the ROM 33. When the meter reading is completed, this meter reading value is temporarily stored in the RAM 32.

The control unit 21 of the center device 2 waits for a certain period of time after transmitting the meter-reading start instruction message, and then the terminal transmitter 3
For each, the individual polling is performed to issue a meter reading value collection instruction. FIG. 2B shows an electronic message for collecting the meter reading values.

When the control unit 31 receives this meter reading value collection message, it reads the meter reading data stored in the RAM 32 as shown in FIG.
It is sent to the center device by the meter reading value response message shown in (c). Upon receiving the meter reading value response message, the control unit 21 of the center device 2 displays the meter reading value on the display device of the operation unit 6. Similarly, the individual terminal transmitters 4 and 5 are similarly individually polled by the meter reading value collection message to complete the meter reading value collection of all the electronic meters.

In the conventional real-time meter reading value collecting method, the meter reading speed depends on the communication speed between the terminal transmitter and the electronic meter, but according to the present invention, the meter reading is performed in advance at the same time. Since the meter reading values are sequentially collected by the polling method thereafter, the meter reading speed is the meter reading value collection message on the CATV line (see FIG. 2B) and the meter reading value response message (see FIG. 2C). Will depend on the communication speed.

The communication speed between the terminal transmitter and the electronic meter is 1200 bps at the fastest, but it is 9600 bps or more on the CATV line. Therefore, the method of the present invention greatly improves the meter reading speed. It turns out that it can be achieved.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention, and the same portions as those in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals. Only parts different from the embodiment of FIG. 1 will be described.
In this embodiment, a plurality of types of electronic meters 71 to 73, 81 to 83, 91 to 93 are connected to the terminal transmitters 3 to 5, respectively. For example, assume that the meters are water, electricity, and gas businesses.

Explaining the terminal transmitter 3, each of the meters 71 to 73 is connected to the switch section 36 via the corresponding interface 35, and one meter is selected by the switch section 36. The same applies to the other terminal transmitters 4 and 5.

An external recording medium 10 is connected to the center device side, and the recording medium 10 is connected to each of the terminal transmitters 3 to 3.
Information about what type of meter is connected to each meter interface 35 of No. 5 is stored in advance.

Also in this example, the control unit 2 of the center unit 2
1 communicates with each terminal transmitter via the data modulation / demodulation unit 4 in accordance with an instruction from the operation unit 6 by the operator in a polling / selecting procedure. In addition, the center device 2 operates as shown in FIG.
The meter type notification message shown in (a) is individually transmitted,
Notify the type of electronic meter connected to each terminal transmitter. The electronic meter type information is information stored in advance in the external recording medium 10. On the terminal transmitter side, the notified meter type information is stored in the RAM.
It is stored in 32.

The meter reading operation will be described below by taking a water meter as an example. When the meter reading instruction of the water meter is input from the operation unit 6, the control unit 21 sends the meter reading start instruction message shown in FIG. 4B to all the terminal transmitters 3 to 5 according to the control by the program in the RAM 22 and the ROM 23. Broadcast to all of them.

Each terminal transmitter which has received the meter-reading start instruction message performs meter-reading on the water meter connected to itself, and when a plurality of water meters are connected, meter-reads on all water meters.

The terminal transmitter 3 will be described in detail below as an example. When the control unit 31 receives the meter reading start instruction message via the modulation / demodulation unit 34, according to the program stored in the ROM 33 and the meter type information stored in the RAM 32, the control unit 31 sends the water meter through the switch unit 36 and the interface unit 35. To read. After the meter reading is completed, the meter reading data is held in the RAM 32.

The control unit 21 of the center device 2 waits for a certain period of time after transmitting the meter-reading start instruction message, and then the terminal transmitter 3
Is individually polled by the meter reading value collection message shown in FIG.

When the control section 31 of the terminal transmitter 3 receives this meter reading value collection telegram, it responds to the center apparatus 2 with the meter reading data retained in the RAM 32 by the meter reading value response telegram shown in FIG. 4 (d). When the control unit 21 receives the meter reading value response message from the terminal transmitter 3, it displays the meter reading value on the display unit of the operation unit 6, and then sequentially outputs the meter reading values to the other terminal transmitters 4 and 5 by the meter reading value collecting message. Poll to collect meter readings for all water meters connected to all terminal transmitters.

In FIG. 4D, the terminal transmitter 3 has 1
Only one water meter is connected, so the meter reading value is also 1.
One has been only, if a plurality of water meters are connected to following the field meter reading values 10 ⁰ and port number of the next water meters shall meter reading value continues.

[0029]

As described above, according to the present invention, each terminal transmitter is configured to simultaneously perform meter reading of the electronic meter, and after each meter reading, the meter reading value is collected by polling. The time required for
Further, since the time required for collecting the meter reading values is determined only by the line speed, there is an effect that it becomes faster.

Further, since all meters are read at the same time,
For example, if the meter is read every hour and the amount of water consumed per hour is calculated, there is also an effect that an accurate water leakage can be monitored.

Furthermore, since a plurality of electronic meters are connected to each terminal transmitter so that the meter reading of each electronic meter is selectively performed, the number of terminal transmitters can be reduced. is there.

Furthermore, since the simultaneous meter reading method designated by the business entity code is adopted, it is possible to construct a high-speed and integrated automatic meter reading system by mixing electronic meters of different business entities in one system. There is also an effect.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

2A is a diagram showing a meter reading start instruction message, FIG. 2B is a diagram showing a meter reading value collecting message, and FIG. 2C is a diagram showing a meter reading value response message.

FIG. 3 is a system block diagram of another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4A is a diagram showing a meter type notification message, and FIG.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a meter reading start instruction message, (c) is a diagram showing a meter reading value collecting message, and (d) is a diagram showing a meter reading value response message.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 bidirectional CATV line 2 center device 3 to 5 terminal transmitter 6 operation unit 7 to 9 electronic meter 10 external recording medium 21, 31 control unit 22, 32 RAM 23, 33 ROM 24, 34 data modulation / demodulation unit 35 meter interface

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A bidirectional CATV line, a plurality of terminal transmitters each of which is addressed and connected to the CATV line and capable of meter reading an electronic meter, and meter reading values from the terminal transmitter by a polling / selecting procedure. A CATV line-based automatic meter-reading system including a center device for collecting data, wherein the center device has means for notifying all of the terminal transmitters by means of simultaneous broadcast of a meter-reading start message indicating a meter-reading start instruction. CATV line-based automatic meter reading system characterized by 2. Each of the terminal transmitters stores a meter reading value of its own electronic meter in response to the reception of the meter reading start message and stores the meter reading value, and the polling from the center device. / Means for transmitting the meter reading value of the storing means in response to reception of a meter reading value collection telegram by a selecting procedure.
Automatic meter reading system using TV lines. 3. A plurality of types of electronic meters are connected to each of the terminal transmitters, and the center device is configured to issue a meter reading instruction of a specific type of electronic meter in the simultaneous broadcast. The automatic meter-reading system using a CATV line according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: 4. The center device has means for notifying each of the terminal transmitters of the type information of the electronic meter connected to the terminal transmitter in advance by means of a meter type message, and the system start-up. 4. The CATV line-based automatic meter-reading system according to claim 3, wherein the type information of the electronic meter to be metered is notified at the time.