JPH0728766Y2 - Terminal network control device for automatic data communication system - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION <Industrial Application Field> The present invention relates to a terminal network control device of an automatic data communication system used for automatic remote meter reading or the like using a telephone line. The present invention relates to an abnormality detection of an interface unit for connection with a terminal side device such as a meter or a terminal side device such as a meter.

<Prior Art> Conventionally, in a terminal network control unit (T-NCU) having a no-ringing incoming call and an automatic terminal sending function, when determining an abnormality of a meter terminal connected to a T-NCU, a meter is connected to a meter terminal of the T-NCU. With the no-ringing incoming, the center side sends a test message for the connection terminal to the T-NCU, and the T-NCU returns the normal message to the center side without activating the meter terminal. It was

Alternatively, a service person may go to the installation location of the T-NCU, disconnect the meter terminals, send a test message from the center side, and check whether the terminals of the terminal network control device are activated. The abnormality of the part was judged.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> The conventional technology has the following problems.

Since the terminal network controller terminal check does not activate the terminal to which the meter is connected, it is not possible to determine whether the terminal interface is abnormal or not.

Even if the meter is read during communication, it cannot be determined whether the meter is defective or the T-NCU meter interface is abnormal.

When the service person goes to the place where the T-NCU is installed and performs a port check, there is a problem in terms of cost.

When you try to test a terminal with the meter connected, turning the terminal on and off easily with respect to the interface of the meter may have an adverse effect on the meter, and the meter will not be tested after the terminal is tested. There may be no response.

In a place without a no-ringing line, there is no means to immediately notify the T-NCU without a scheduled call function even if an abnormality occurs in the meter.

In view of the above, the present invention can extremely easily detect an abnormality in an interface unit for connecting to a terminal-side device such as a meter or a terminal-side device such as a meter, and prevent a failure of the terminal-side device due to a detection test. It is an object of the present invention to provide a terminal network control device for an automatic data communication system.

<Means for Solving the Problem> The problem solving means according to claim 1 of the present invention is the terminal network control device 6 of the automatic data communication system having the connection terminal part 20 for connecting the terminal-side device 9, and the connection terminal part 20 is provided. And a terminal side disconnecting means 22 for electrically disconnecting the terminal side device 9 from each other, a test message receiving means 21 for receiving a test message such as a terminal from the center side 11, and a test message receiving means.
Terminal abnormality determination means 23 for determining activation abnormality of the connection terminal section 20 based on the output signal of 21, and terminal abnormality determination for determining abnormality of the terminal side device 9 by transmitting and receiving a message to and from the terminal side device 9. Means, and test result notifying means 24, 27 for notifying the center side 11 of the judgment results of the terminal abnormality judging means 23 and the terminal abnormality judging means, and the terminal connection disconnecting means 22
It is configured to determine the abnormality of the connection terminal portion 20 after disconnecting the terminal by.

The problem solving means according to claim 2 is configured to connect the terminal side device 9 by the terminal connection disconnecting means 22 and detect an abnormality of the terminal side device 9 when the judgment result by the terminal abnormality judging means 23 is normal. It was done.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the terminal network control device 6 of the automatic data communication system according to the first aspect, the terminal network control device 6 is provided with a clocking means 28 for periodically operating the terminal connection / disconnection means 22, and a terminal abnormality occurs periodically. Is configured to detect the.

<Operation> In the problem solving means according to the above claims 1 and 2, when the terminal under test is checked at the time of no ringing incoming, a message from the center side is received by the test message receiving means 21 and the terminal connection disconnecting means 22 is used for the meter terminal. The portion 20 is electrically disconnected and the terminal portion 20 is tested, and the terminal abnormality determining means 23 determines whether or not the connection terminal portion 20 of the T-NCU 6 is abnormal.

If the connection terminal portion 20 of the T-NCU 6 is normal with the meter terminal disconnected, then the terminal connection disconnection means 22
A meter or the like is connected by means of this, and a telegram (a meter reading telegram or the like) is sent to the meter 7, and it is possible to determine whether or not the meter or the like is abnormal by the terminal abnormality determining means depending on whether or not the telegram comes up from the meter 7.

Further, when there is an abnormality in the meter or the like or the connection terminal section 20 thereof, the test result notifying means 24, 27 makes a call from the T-NCU 6, and the center side 11 has an abnormality in the meter 7 or the connection terminal section 20. To report.

Further, in the third aspect, in a place where there is no no-ringing line, the T-NCU 6 periodically disconnects the meter terminal and the like by the time measuring means 28, and the same test as in the no-ringing is performed.

In this way, the abnormality of the meter interface can be determined by the terminal connection disconnecting means 22 and the like, and the T-NCU 6 and the meter 7 can be connected.
In the connection relation of, it is easy to understand whether the trouble is on the T-NCU side or the meter side.

<Embodiment> An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a terminal network control device of an automatic data communication system according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the automatic data communication system, FIG. 3 is a block diagram of terminal connection disconnecting means, and FIG. Similarly, an enlarged view of the main part and FIG. 5 are control flow charts.

First, the automatic data communication system will be outlined based on FIG. 2. In the figure, 1 is a host computer, 2 is a center side network control device, 3 is a center side switching center, 4 is a terminal side switching center, and 6 is the present invention. Terminal network control device (T-NCU)
Then, the terminal side device 9 such as the meter 7 and the sensor 8 is connected to the terminal network control device 6. 10 is a telephone.

Host computer 1 and center side network control device (hereinafter C-
Center device 11 is composed of 2)
It is connected to T-NCU6 via 2,13,14.

Further, a terminal side (subscriber side) 15 is composed of the T-NCU 6, the meter 7, the sensor 8, and the telephone 9.

The terminal-side switching center 4 has a no-ringing trunk 16
Is installed so that the center side 11 can communicate with the terminal side device 9 without ringing the telephone 10.

These structures have already been disclosed in JP-A-60-12414, JP-A-63
Since it is publicly known in Japanese Patent Publication No. 159785 or the like, a detailed description thereof will be omitted, but a clock incorporated in the T-NCU 6 or the meter 7 automatically makes a call every predetermined date, and the center device
It also has the function of transmitting information to 11.

Next, the terminal network control unit (T-NCU) 6 of the automatic data communication system according to the present invention, as shown in FIG.
A terminal-side test message receiving means 21 for receiving a test message such as a terminal from the center side 11, and a terminal-side device 9 based on an output signal of the test message receiving means 21.
A terminal connection disconnecting means 22 for electrically disconnecting, and a terminal abnormality determining means 23 for determining a startup abnormality of the connection terminal portion 20 after the terminal disconnection by the terminal connection disconnecting means 22, and a determination result of the terminal abnormality determining means 23. A terminal test result reporting means (24) for reporting to the center side is provided.

Further, the terminal network control device 6 is a terminal message transmitting / receiving means for transmitting / receiving a message to / from the terminal device 9 connected to the connection terminal unit 20.
25, and a terminal abnormality determining means 26 that determines and detects an abnormality of the terminal-side device 9 based on the reception result of the terminal message transmitting / receiving means 25,
It is provided with a terminal test result notifying means 27 for notifying the center side 11 of the judgment result of the terminal abnormality judging means 26. The terminal connection disconnecting means 22 is provided with a function of connecting the terminal side device 9, and when the result of determination by the terminal abnormality determining means 23 is normal, the terminal connection disconnecting means 22 causes the terminal side device 9 to operate.
Is connected to detect the abnormality of the terminal device 9.

Further, the terminal network control device 6 is provided with timing means 28 for periodically operating the terminal connection / disconnection means 22, and is configured to detect a terminal abnormality on a regular basis.

These test message receiving means 21, terminal abnormality determining means 23, terminal test result notifying means 24, terminal message transmitting / receiving means 25, terminal abnormality determining means 26, terminal test result notifying means 27, timing means 28, etc. are provided from the micro computer 31. Composed. The terminal abnormality determining means in the scope of claims is a concept including the terminal message transmitting / receiving means 25 and the terminal abnormality determining means 26.

Further, the terminal connection disconnecting means 22 is, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a driving circuit for turning on / off a microcomputer 31 and a reed relay contact 35 between a connection terminal 32 such as a meter and an interface circuit 33 by an output signal thereof. Composed of 36 and.

The connection terminal section 20 is a concept including the connection terminal 32 and the interface circuit 33.

Further, 38 is a telephone control interface and 39 is a telephone line interface.

Next, the operation of the T-NCU 6 will be described based on the flow chart of FIG.

If a terminal test message such as a meter is sent from the center side 11 to the T-NCU6 at the time of no-ringing incoming call, T
-The NCU 6 judges the message and activates the drive circuit 36 for electrically disconnecting the terminal of the meter 7 of the terminal side device 9 by the terminal connection disconnecting means 22, and as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the interface circuit 33. The terminal 32 is electrically disconnected by the reed relay contact 35 of. After that, the terminal abnormality determining means 23 is used to perform T-NC.
Perform the interface test in U6.

If the interface in the T-NCU 6 is not abnormal, the terminal connection disconnecting means 22 closes the reed relay contact 35 and the terminal.
32 is electrically connected, a telegram (meter reading telegram, etc.) is sent to the terminal-side device 9 such as the meter 7, and it is confirmed that the response telegram from the meter 7 is returned.

The T-NCU 6 transmits a terminal / terminal normal message to the center side 11 when the return power message from the meter 7 can be normally received. If the message from the meter 7 is abnormal or there is no response, the T-NCU 6 sends out a defective message to the center side 11.

Similarly, when the interface portion of the T-NCU 6 is abnormal, the interface abnormal message is returned to the center side 11.

Furthermore, in places where there is no ringing line, T
-Terminals such as meters are set at regular intervals by the NCU6 clocking means 28.
32 tests are performed, and if abnormal, a call operation is performed to the center side 11 and the above-mentioned message is sent to the center side 11.

In this way, test message receiving means 21, terminal connection disconnecting means
22, the terminal abnormality judging means 23, the terminal test result notifying means 24, the terminal message transmitting / receiving means 25, the terminal abnormality judging means 26, the terminal test result notifying means 27, etc. The center side 11 can know the state of the terminal without going out.

Similarly, even in a place without a no-ringing line, the T-NCU6 regularly tests the meter terminals, etc.
The quality of the terminal can be determined.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and it goes without saying that many modifications and changes can be made to the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

<Effect of Device> As is apparent from the above description, according to claims 1 and 2 of the present invention, whether or not the connecting terminal portion is abnormal is determined by the terminal abnormality determining means based on the message from the center side. Also, the terminal abnormality determination means sends a message to the terminal side device to determine the abnormality, and the test result notification means notifies the center side of the result, so either the terminal network control device or the terminal side device has a problem. It is easy to see if there is. Moreover, since the test is performed with the terminals separated, it is possible to prevent the terminal-side device from being adversely affected.

Also, if the terminal network control device is activated by polarity reversal,
After that, since the abnormality detection is performed by a telegram, for example, when a plurality of terminal side devices are connected, it is possible to perform abnormality detection of a plurality of terminal side devices by activating once,
It is possible to efficiently reduce the communication cost.

Further, in the third aspect, in a place where there is no no-ringing line, the T-NCU periodically disconnects the meter terminal or the like by the time measuring means and performs the same test as that during no-ringing. It's easy to see if.

In this way, the center side can judge the T-NCU for any abnormality in the terminal-side device such as a meter and the terminal of the T-NCU itself at any time, and the T-NCU periodically checks the meter terminal. The system cost is greatly reduced because it is easy to find out which part is abnormal when viewed from the center by testing.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a terminal network control device of an automatic data communication system according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the automatic data communication system, FIG. 3 is a block diagram of terminal connection disconnecting means, and FIG. Similarly, an enlarged view of the main part and FIG. 5 are control flow charts. 1: Host computer, 2: C-NCU, 3, 4: Exchange station, 6: T-N
CU, 7: Meter, etc., 8: Sensor, 9: Terminal device, 10: Telephone, 11: Center device, 12, 13, 14: Telephone line, 21: Test message receiving means such as terminals, 22: Disconnection of terminals Means, 23: Terminal abnormality judging means, 24: Terminal test result reporting means, 25: Terminal message sending / receiving means, 26: Terminal abnormality judging means, 27: Terminal test result reporting means, 28: Timing means, 31: Microcomputer, 33 : Interface circuit, 35: Reed relay contact, 36: Drive circuit,
38: Telephone control interface, 39: Telephone line interface.

Claims (3)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. In a terminal network control device of an automatic data communication system having a connection terminal portion for connecting a terminal device, terminal connection disconnecting means for electrically disconnecting the connection terminal portion and the terminal device. , A test message receiving means for receiving a test message such as a terminal from the center side, a terminal abnormality determining means for determining a start abnormality of the connection terminal portion based on an output signal of the test message receiving means, and the terminal side A terminal abnormality judging means for transmitting and receiving a message to and from the apparatus to detect an abnormality of the terminal side apparatus; and a test result notifying means for notifying the center side of the judgment results of the terminal abnormality judging means and the terminal abnormality judging means, A terminal network control device for an automatic data communication system, which is configured to determine abnormality of the connection terminal portion after the terminal connection disconnection means disconnects the terminal. 2. A terminal network control device for an automatic data communication system according to claim 1, wherein when the judgment result by the terminal abnormality judging means is normal, the terminal side disconnecting means connects the terminal side device to connect the terminal side device. A terminal network control device for an automatic data communication system, which is configured to detect an abnormality. 3. A terminal network control device for an automatic data communication system according to claim 1, further comprising a timing means for periodically operating the terminal connection / disconnection means, and configured to detect the terminal abnormality periodically. A terminal network control device for an automatic data communication system.