JPS63231098A - Management device for gas-filled vessel - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make it possible to grasp the presence of a gas-filled vessel at each gas consumption area by arranging a readout means for detecting a characteristic code of the vessel from the gas-filled vessel allocated to the gas consumption area. CONSTITUTION:A 1st and 2nd image sensors 12 and 13 arranged as readout means are mounted on gas-filled vessels 1 and 2 connected to a gas supply line 4 of a gas consumption area 3 so that the sensors 12 and 13 can read characteristic codes 14 and 15 including bar codes, codes, characters, etc. A modem 17, when it detects an access of a management center 19 via a telephone line 18 by demodulation, collects information from the 1st and 2nd image sensors 12 and 13 and a flow meter 6, modulates these information and sends them via the telephone line 18 to the management center 19.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION FIELD OF INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION The present invention relates to an apparatus for managing the location of gas-filled containers that are filled with gas at a gas filling center and distributed to gas sump sites.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conventionally, gas-filled containers are managed in the following manner. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 1.2 is a gas filling container, which is delivered to a gas consumption area 3 and connected to a gas pipe 4. In FIG.

Conventionally, a delivery person or a meter reader who goes to gas consumption N13 checks the unique codes 5a, 5b recorded on the surface of the gas filling container 1゜2 and the gas consumption recorded on the flowmeter 6, etc. The location of each gas-filling container is determined by hand-copying the customer code of the location 3 and tallying the paper taken back to the control center by delivery personnel or meter readers.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention In this conventional management method, a delivery person or a meter reader goes to a gas consumption area, manually copies the 8 peach code, and then returns home. Due to the data collection process, it takes a long time for the management center to be able to ascertain the whereabouts, making it impossible to confirm the latest whereabouts.

In addition, delivery personnel and meter readers are made to carry handy terminals 7, and each filling container 1.2... is affixed with a barcode label 8゜9... with a unique code recorded on it, and a flow meter A barcode label 10 on which a customer code is recorded is pasted on 6, and a delivery person or a meter reader scans the barcode labels 8, 9, and 10 with the barcode reader 11 of the handy terminal 7. ! It is also conceivable that the computer at the control center reads and tabulates the information from the handy scanner 7 brought back to the gas center, but even in this case, does the delivery person or meter reader go to the gas consumption area? ! The location data known at the management center cannot be updated until the person returns to the management center, and it is still not possible to confirm the latest location.

The present invention provides a management device that allows a management center to know which gas filling containers have been delivered to each gas consumption area without the need for a delivery person or meter reader to go there, and to know the latest location at a management center. The purpose is to

Means for Solving the Problems The management device of the present invention includes a reading means for detecting a unique code of a gas filling container installed at a gas consumption area, and a telephone line for transmitting the output signal of the reading means. The control center is provided with a demodulation means for restoring the signal transmitted via the telephone line into the unique code, and a demodulation means for recording and managing the location of the container. It is characterized by being equipped with a tallying device.

Function: According to this configuration, delivery personnel and meter readers do not have to go to the gas consumption area, but can communicate with the management center via a telephone line using the reading means and the modulation means at the regular scheduled time determined by the aggregation device or at any necessary time. A signal representing the unique code of the gas-filled container is transmitted to the control center, and the unique code can be read out via demodulation means in the control center.

Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be explained based on FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the invention. Reference numerals 12 and 13 indicate first and second image sensors as reading means provided in the gas consumption area 3, and the barcodes, symbols, It is attached so that unique codes 14 and 15 recorded in characters or the like can be detected.

16 is a modem connected to the subscriber telephone 117 of the gas consumption area 3, and when it demodulates and detects that it has been accessed from the management center 19 via the telephone line 18, the first and second image sensors 12, 13 It is configured to collect information from the meter 6, modulate it, and transmit it to the management center 19 via the telephone line 18.

Center 1 receives transmission from modem 17 of gas consumption area 3
On the 9 side, the information is demodulated by the modem 20 and sent to the aggregation device 21.
Then, in the column of the customer code accessed by the management center 19, the meter reading information and the gas filling container 1 being delivered to the customer are displayed.
, 2 unique codes are recorded.

With this configuration, the location and consumption amount of each gas filling container can be confirmed by simply accessing each customer's subscriber phone Ij 116 in turn from the management center 19 and collecting information, and the delivery staff can confirm the filling information. The management center 1911 can determine the appropriate time to take the gas filled container to replace it, thereby improving meter reading operations.

In the above embodiment, the reading means is composed of the first and second image sensors 12 and 13, but this is not limited to an optical one, and the unique code is recorded with magnetic ink or recorded on a magnetic recording medium. In this case, a magnetic head is provided. Further, the same effect can be obtained even if the configuration is as shown in FIG.

In FIG. 2, the gas-filled container 1 is provided with an electric tag 22. As shown in FIG. The electric tag 22 includes a memory 23 in which a unique code is stored, a transmission/reception control section 24, an antenna 25,
The rectifier 26 and the like are made into chips using integrated circuit technology, and the subscriber telephone IJ11 has a gas consumption of J1!3.
6 is accessed from the management center 19, the line connection device [27 instructs the transmission/reception control section 28 to access the electric tag 22. The electric tag 22 receives the access signal sent from the transmission/reception control unit 28 via the antenna 29 through the antenna 25, converts it into DC voltage at the rectification unit 26, and operates the transmission/reception control unit 24 with the obtained power. . The transmission/reception control unit 24 detects the access signal, reads the unique code from the memory 23, and sends the code (a) to the transmission/reception control unit 28 on the line connection device 27 side via the antenna 25. The received signal is transmitted to the management center 19 via the line connection device 27 and the telephone line 18. At this time, information on the usage amount of the flow meter 6 is also sequentially transmitted to the management center 19. If there are a plurality of electrical tags in the book, the carrier frequency or modulation signal of the access signal is changed to sequentially access each electrical tag.

When a unique code is recorded on the electric tag 22 as shown in FIG. 2, accurate reading is possible if the antenna 29 on the line connection K Therefore, it is easy to fill the gas filling containers 1 and 2 at the gas consumption area 3. On the other hand, if the reading means is an image sensor 12.13 or a magnetic head, the gas filling container 1.2 must be aligned accurately.
Reading cannot be performed unless a holder is installed.

In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the case where access is made from the management center 19 has been explained as an example, but each gas consumption area 3
The same effect can be obtained by setting a schedule for transmitting information from the reading means to the management center 19 in advance, and configuring the center 19 to receive the information. In this case, by configuring the system to send the customer code in addition to the unique code and usage information in order to specify the gas consumption area, the summary table r! ! Data processing at 121 can be performed smoothly.

Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, delivery personnel and meter readers do not have to go to gas consumption areas, but each time they access the control center at a scheduled time, they can contact the control center via a telephone line using reading means and modulation means. A signal representing the unique code of the gas-filled container is transmitted, and the unique code can be read out via the 1i adjustment means of the management center, making it possible to accurately grasp the latest location of the gas-filled container.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the management device of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of main parts of another embodiment, and FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional management method. 1.2...Gas filling container, 3...Gas consumption area, 6.
...Flowmeter, 12.13...First and second image sensors (reading means), 14.15...Unique code, 16...Subscriber telephone, 17.20...Modem,
19... Management center. Yoshihiro Morimoto Figure 3

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A reading device that detects the unique code of a gas filling container installed at a gas consumption area, and a modulation device that transmits the output signal of the reading device to a management center that manages the container via a telephone line. The control center is equipped with demodulation means for restoring the signal transmitted via the telephone line into the unique code, and records the location of the container.
A gas filling container management device equipped with a management aggregation device.