JPH0662132A - Automatic gauge examination system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce an equipment cost and to simplify a gauge examination procedures to reduce the gauge examination cost by connecting a telephone set and an automatic gauge examination meter to a terminal network controller installed on the consumer side and attaching a specific hold circuit. CONSTITUTION:A gauge examination center 1 drives a CPU 1' for gause examination and calls an automatic gauge examination meter 7 of a consumer 2 every month to take in the integrated flow rate in the preceding month. A hold circuit 8 on the consumer 2 side detects the call from the gauge examination center 1 by an incoming detection circuit, and the circuit 8 waits while the consumer 2 hooks off a handset 6; and when he hooks on the handset, the circuit 8 immediately starts an off-hook circuit to hold a telephone line 3 without disconnection as it is. The gauge examination center 1 and the automatic gauge examination meter 7 perform a prescribed check communication during this holding to take in the integrated flow rate data. After this communication, the on-hook circuit is operated to disconnect the telephone line 3.

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 for calling meter reading data of gas, electricity, water, etc. through a public telephone line to calculate charges.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A system for reading meter (terminal) information of gas, electricity, water, etc. through a public telephone line is well known, but the problem in this case is that a customer's telephone is required for every meter reading. It is to ring. Therefore, an automatic meter-reading system has been proposed in which a ring-free exchange device (hereinafter referred to as "NRT") is installed in a telephone station and can perform meter-reading without ringing.

[0003]

However, the automatic meter reading system utilizing the NRT has the following problems. a. It is necessary to equip the telephone office with NRT equipment, and this equipment is very expensive.

B. In the case of NRT, it is necessary for the meter-reading center side to further manage the NRT number in addition to the telephone number of the customer, which makes the meter-reading procedure complicated.

C. The cost of meter reading increases by using NRT.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems a to c in an automatic meter reading system.

[0007]

The automatic meter reading system according to the present invention is as follows.

[0008] In the automatic meter reading system that calls the automatic meter reading meter installed in the customer from the meter reading center side using the public telephone line and calls the data in the automatic meter reading meter through the public telephone line, the customer side A terminal network control device is installed in the terminal network, and a telephone and an automatic meter-reading meter are connected to this terminal network control device, and the customer picks up the handset in response to a call from the meter-reading center side and waits while off-hook, The terminal network control device has a hold circuit that activates when the handset is placed on the hook and is held as it is without disconnecting the public telephone line, during which the data in the automatic meter-reading meter can be called in at the meter-reading center side. Automatic meter reading system installed inside.

[0009]

A CPU for meter reading is installed on the meter reading center side. For example, in the case of one-month meter reading, the automatic meter reading meter of each consumer is called every month to call in data. On the other hand, the automatic meter reading meter stores the integrated value for one month, and transmits the integrated value (and other data) based on the transmission instruction signal from the meter reading center.

Specifically, on the meter reading center side, when the customer is called based on the customer's telephone number, the customer's telephone rings. When the customer picks up the handset, the off-hook detection circuit operates and the telephone line becomes busy. At this time, the meter reading center side provides certain service information to customers. For example, gas charges for the previous month. After that, when the customer puts the handset on, the on-hook detection circuit is activated, and the terminal network control device (hereinafter "TN
The off-hook circuit in the "CU") is activated to connect (hold) the line with the automatic meter reading side. After the handset is placed, normally the telephone line cannot be disconnected within 100 msec. Therefore, an off-hook operation after this on-hook is possible. While the automatic meter-reading meter and the meter-reading center are connected by a telephone line via T-NCU, the automatic meter-reader and the CP on the meter-reading center side
After performing a predetermined check communication with U,
The data stored in the automatic meter reading meter is sent to the meter reading center side. After this transmission is completed, the meter reading center side or the T-NCU closes the telephone line (puts it on hook).

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In FIG. 1, 1 is a meter reading center and 1'is C.
PU, 2 is a customer, 3 is a telephone line connecting the meter reading center 1 and the customer 2, 4 is a telephone station, 5 is a T-NCU installed in the customer 2, a telephone 6 and an automatic meter reading meter 7 Are connected to the T-NCU 5, respectively. 8 is T-NCU
A hold circuit built in 5 is temporarily turned off-hook and then on-hook. Then, by activating a circuit that holds the off-hook instantaneously, the telephone line 3 is held without being cut, and the automatic meter reading meter 7 Communication (meter reading)
Is possible.

In the case of the above embodiment, the meter reading center 1 side drives the meter reading CPU 1'to call the automatic meter reading meter 7 of the customer (customer) 2 every month to calculate the accumulated flow for the previous month. Bring in. On the other hand, automatic meter reading meter 7
Stores the accumulated flow rate for one month, and transmits this accumulated flow rate based on a transmission instruction signal from the meter reading center 1.

Specifically, on the meter reading center 1 side, when the customer 2 is called based on the telephone number of the customer 2, the telephone 6 of the customer 2 rings. In the hold circuit 8, as shown in FIG. 2, an incoming call detection circuit 9, an off-hook detection circuit 10,
There is an on-hook detection circuit 11, an off-hook circuit 12, a communication circuit 13, and an on-hook circuit 14, and the meter reading center 1
The incoming call detection circuit 9 detects an incoming call from the customer, the off-hook detection circuit 10 detects that the customer picks up the handset and goes off-hook, and the on-hook detection circuit 11 detects that the handset is placed on-hook. When this is detected, the off-hook circuit 12 is instantly activated and the telephone line 3
Hold as it is without cutting. The meter-reading center 1 and the automatic meter-reading meter 7 perform a predetermined check communication while being held, and summon the accumulated flow rate data. When this communication is completed, the on-hook circuit 14 operates to disconnect the telephone line 3.

[0014]

Since the automatic meter-reading system according to the present invention is constructed as described above, it has the following effects.

A. No NRT equipment is required. For this reason,
In realizing an automatic meter reading system for gas, electricity, water, etc., which has a huge number of customers, it is possible to reduce equipment costs.

B. This NRT does not go through the NRT
It is not necessary to manage the service number together with the customer's telephone number, so the meter reading procedure can be simplified.

C. Since NRT is not used, the meter reading cost is low.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an automatic meter reading system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an operation sequence during automatic meter reading.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Meter reading center 1'CPU 2 Customer 3 Telephone line 4 Telephone station 5 NCU 6 Telephone 7 Automatic meter reading meter 8 Hold circuit 9 Incoming detection circuit 10 Off-hook detection circuit 11 On-hook detection circuit 12 Off-hook circuit 13 Communication circuit 14 On-hook circuit

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An automatic meter reading system in which a meter reading center calls an automatic meter reading meter installed in a customer by using a public telephone line and calls the data in the automatic meter reading meter through the public telephone line. Install a terminal network control device on the house side, connect a telephone and an automatic meter-reading meter to this terminal network control device, and wait while the customer picks up the receiver and goes off-hook in response to a call from the meter reading center side. Then, when the handset is placed and it goes on-hook, it starts up and holds it as it is without disconnecting the public telephone line.During this time, the hold circuit that can call the data in the automatic meter-reading meter on the meter-reading center side can be performed. An automatic meter reading system that is installed inside the control device.