JPH11175656A - Handy terminal for checkin meter - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make inputtable measured data read out from a meter to a computer in a data collection center in real time. SOLUTION: The handy terminal is constituted of a camera part 1 for digitizing an image obtained by photographing a measuring meter and outputting the digital image as image data, an image recognition part 2 for recognizing a meter value as characters from the image data outputted from the camera part 1, coding the meter value data recognized as characters and outputting the code data and a radio transmission part 3 for transmitting the coded meter value as a radio signal.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a hand reading terminal used for reading a meter of a measuring meter such as a gas meter or a power meter.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a conventional meter reading handy terminal is used for meter reading of a gas meter of LP gas, for example, a meter reader periodically patrols each consumer's house and performs meter reading. The meter reading procedure is as follows. 1) The meter reader visually reads the meter value of the gas meter at the consumer's house. 2) The meter reader inputs the read meter value into the handy terminal with ten keys. 3) After reading the meter at each consumer's house, the meter reader returns to the LP gas dealer and inputs the meter value from the handy terminal to the center personal computer.

However, in the conventional hand reading terminal, 1) a meter reader misreads a meter value. 2) The meter reader has an input error in the handy terminal. There was a problem. Therefore, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open
There has been proposed a conventional measurement meter reading device disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 5306, which is capable of automatic reading and has few reading errors and input errors.

In this measuring meter reading device, the indication of the measuring meter is indicated by OCR characters, which is read by an OCR character reader having an OCR character display section, and the read OCR characters are converted into digital data by a conversion means. Digital data is stored in a storage unit, and the transmission unit transmits the data stored in the storage unit to, for example, a printer or a computer. Therefore, it is possible to accurately read the meter, and to transmit the reading result as data as it is in the subsequent processing, so that it is possible to save the trouble of re-inputting the measurement data to another large device by key operation. As a technique related to the measurement meter reading device, there is a meter reading portable terminal device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-7078.

[0005]

In the conventional measuring meter reading device as described above, since the transmission means transmits the data stored in the storage means to, for example, a printer or a computer, the meter reader needs to read the data from a gas dealer. After returning to the above, the data stored in the storage means must be transmitted to the computer of the gas dealer by the transmission means, causing a problem that the input to the computer of the gas dealer is delayed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and is intended to input measurement data of meter reading of a gas meter or a power meter in real time to a computer of a data collection center such as a gas store. The purpose is to obtain a hand-held terminal for meter reading.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A hand-held meter reading terminal according to the present invention digitizes an image of a measurement meter and outputs the image as image data. An image recognizing unit that encodes and outputs the character-recognized meter value data and a wireless transmission unit that transmits the encoded meter value as a wireless signal.

In the present invention, the meter reader holds the meter reading handy terminal in his / her hand and takes a picture of the measurement meter with the camera unit. The image of the measurement meter is digitized, and the image recognition unit converts the image data into a digitized image. The meter value is character-recognized, the data of the character-recognized meter value is coded, and the wireless transmission unit immediately transmits the coded meter value as a wireless signal. Then, in a data totaling center having a wireless personal computer and a center personal computer connected to the output side, a meter value is input in real time to the central personal computer via the wireless receiving part.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiment 1 (Configuration) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a hand-held meter reading terminal according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a camera unit of a charge transfer device (CCD) for digitizing an image of a measurement meter, for example, a gas meter 10 and outputting the image data as image data;
An image recognizing unit 3 for character-recognizing the meter value from the image data of the above and encoding and outputting the character-recognized meter value data is a wireless transmission unit 3 for transmitting the coded meter value as a wireless signal. Reference numeral 4 denotes a wireless reception unit provided in a gas store such as a LP gas store, which is a data collection center, and its output side is connected to a center personal computer 5 of the gas store.

(Operation) Next, the operation of the hand reading terminal according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. First, the meter reader holds the meter reading handy terminal in his hand, and photographs the gas meter 10 with the camera unit 1. The camera unit 1 digitizes an image obtained by photographing the gas meter 10 and outputs the image to the image recognition unit 2 as image data. The image recognizing unit 2 character-recognizes the meter value from the image data of the camera unit 1, encodes the character-recognized meter value data, and outputs it to the wireless transmission unit 3. The wireless transmitter 3 immediately transmits the coded meter value as a wireless signal. The wireless signal transmitted by the wireless transmitter 3 is received by a wireless receiver 4 provided at the gas store, and the wireless receiver 4 transmits the coded meter value of the wireless signal to the center personal computer 5 of the gas store. Enter 5

(Effects) As described above, the meter reader holds the meter reading handy terminal in his hand, and when the camera unit 1 photographs the gas meter 10, the image photographed by the gas meter 10 is digitized, and the image recognition unit 2 outputs. Since the meter value is character-recognized from the digitized image data, and the character-recognized meter value data is coded, and the wireless transmitter 3 immediately transmits the coded meter value as a wireless signal, the wireless receiver 4 The meter value is input in real time to the center personal computer 5 of the gas dealer having the above, and a slip such as an invoice can be issued immediately, and the problems such as reading error of the meter value by the meter reader and input error can be solved.

[0012]

As described above, according to the present invention, the meter reader holds the meter reading handy terminal and takes a picture of the measurement meter with the camera unit. Character recognizes the meter value from the digitized image data, encodes the character-recognized meter value data, and the wireless transmission unit immediately transmits the coded meter value as a wireless signal. In a data aggregation center having a center PC connected to the output side, a meter value is input to the center PC in real time via a wireless reception unit, and a bill such as an invoice can be issued immediately. There is an effect that problems such as reading error of the meter value and input error can be solved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a hand reading terminal according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 camera unit, 2 image recognition unit 3 wireless transmission unit 4 wireless reception unit 5 center personal computer

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A camera unit for digitizing an image of a measurement meter and outputting the image data as image data, character recognition of a meter value from image data of the camera unit, and encoding the character-recognized meter value data into a code. A handheld terminal for reading a meter, comprising: an image recognition unit for outputting; and a wireless transmission unit for transmitting a coded meter value as a wireless signal.