KR200349266Y1 - Auto remote inspection and management system of meter - Google Patents

Abstract

In the automatic remote meter reading and management system, a CMOS lens for capturing the usage capacity and charge of the meter, such as water, electricity, and gas, an image collector for receiving and storing the information captured by the CMOS lens, and a CMOS lens The image picked up by the image processing and recognizing unit which generates charge information data and usage information data by recognizing the numerical display portion displayed on the captured image as a numeric code, and an image processing and recognition unit which recognizes the charge information and usage information. Receiving charge information data and usage information data of the gas, water and electricity meters from the CPU, determining whether the CMOS lens, the image collection unit, the image processing and recognition unit have failed, and receiving the usage information data and the charge information data from the CPU A data storage unit for storing, a power source unit for supplying power to the CPU, image recognition and processing unit, image collection unit, and CMOS lens, and a CPU A communication unit for receiving the charge information data and the usage information data and transmitting the charge information data and the usage information data to the outside, and transmitting the charge information data and the usage information data to the outside by a request from the outside, and the charge information data and the usage information received from the CPU through the communication unit. Meter data management server that receives data regularly or by request at irregular intervals to determine failure through billing data and usage information data, and a database storing billing data and usage information data received from meter data management server. And, when a request is input from the customer, it consists of a web server that retrieves the billing information data and usage information data corresponding to the subscriber's subscriber call information from the database and informs the corresponding information back to the customer through the web server. Number of uses remotely via By measuring the numerical values of the meter, such as electricity, gas, etc. using an image recognition mechanism, data can be transmitted by reading them, and each subscriber call can be read with a small amount of data, and a remote control image recognition system can be used for input. If an abnormality occurs in the data, or if the data is not inputted, it is determined to be a failure, and thus it is possible to manage the failure of the meter reading system of the corresponding subscriber.

Description

AUTO REMOTE INSPECTION AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEM OF METER}

The present invention relates to a system for automatic remote meter reading and management using an image metering mechanism, and in particular, the present invention is to read the electricity and water, gas, etc. used at a remote site through the image recognition mechanism to read the usage capacity and fee and to manage the meter The present invention relates to an automatic remote meter reading and management system for real-time remote information management and control.

In general, the meter is used as a mechanical meter by using a mechanical gear set has not gained confidence from consumers as the precision of weighing is degraded by wear and tear for a long time use of the foreign matter and gear set.

In addition, the meter reading work has to be read directly by the meter reading, so that a lot of manpower must be input, as well as a lot of costs caused by labor costs. At the same time, there are problems of crime occurring under the guise of meter readers.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, can be measured and measured by using the image recognition mechanism of the meter, such as water, electricity, gas used remotely through the image recognition mechanism Its purpose is to provide an automatic remote meter reading and management system that can manage the failure of the metering system at a remote location by utilizing a remote control image recognition system.

Another object of the present invention is that the remote control image recognition system detects the surrounding environment by using a microcomputer to control the camera, compresses and stores the read image and recognizes the number as a number and uses the communication module to centralize the remote data. It is to provide an automatic remote meter reading and management system that can be sent to the server via IDMS communication, or the meter reader can check the meter reading result of the meter of the meter through RF communication.

Another object of the present invention is to communicate with a remote camera to request a meter reading, determine the lighting situation and operation around the camera angle, contact a nearby meter reader, or check the imaging system through A / S, It is to provide the automatic remote meter reading and management system that can search the meter reading data by customer database and search the meter reading information in real time and deliver the bill information to the customer through wired / wireless communication device or by text or message.

1 is a block diagram schematically showing an automatic remote meter reading and management system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a block diagram schematically showing a system for transmitting meter reading data in an automatic remote meter reading and management system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the rate information data and usage information data according to an embodiment of the present invention.

<Brief description of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

100: remote meter reading system 110: meter reading unit

111: CMOS lens 112: image collecting unit

113: image processing and recognition unit 114: CPU

115: data storage unit 116: power supply unit

120: communication unit 122: PLC

124: RS-485 126: TCP / IP

128: RF 130: Home Server

140: meter reader PDA 200: meter reading data management system

210: meter reading data management server 220: web server

230: database

Accordingly, the present invention for achieving the above objects is a CMOS lens for capturing the use capacity and charge display portion of the meter, such as water, electricity, gas, etc., in the automatic remote meter reading and management system, and the information captured by the CMOS lens. An image collecting and receiving unit for receiving and storing images, an image processing and recognizing unit for generating charge information data and usage information data by recognizing the numeric display portion displayed on the captured image as a numeric code, and the charge information And a CPU for receiving charge information data and usage information data of gas, water and electricity meters from the image processing and recognition unit which recognizes the usage information, and determining whether the CMOS lens, the image collection unit, and the image processing and recognition unit have failed. Data storage unit for receiving and storing information data and billing data from the CPU, CPU, image recognition and processing unit, image collection And a power supply unit supplying power to the CMOS lens, a communication unit receiving charge information data and usage information data from a CPU and transmitting them to the outside, and transmitting charge information data and usage information data to the outside by a request from the outside; Received from the meter reading data management server and the meter reading data management server which receives the billing information data and the usage information data received from the CPU from the communication unit regularly or at the occasional request and determines the failure through the billing information data and the usage information data. A database that stores one billing data and usage data, and when a request is entered from a customer, the billing data and usage data corresponding to the subscriber's subscriber information are searched in the database and the information is retrieved from the web server again. Configured as a web server to inform .

The configuration and operation of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 of the present invention. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing an automatic remote meter reading and management system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, the configuration of the present invention is largely composed of a remote meter reading system 100 and a meter reading data management system 200 in each subsidiary call. In addition, the remote reading system 100 in each subscription call is composed of a CMOS lens 111, an image collecting unit 112, an image processing and recognition unit 113, a CPU 114 and a data storage unit 115 The unit 110 and the PLC (Power Line Communication; 122), RS-485 (124), TCP / IP (126) and RF (Redio Frequency (128)) communication unit 120 for communication.

The CMOS lens 111 is a component part including an imager and a lens. Although the figure shows the imager to use CMOS, it will be readily appreciated that a CCD can also be used as the imager, as noted. The CMOS lens 111 captures the usage capacity and the usage fee display portion of meters such as water, electricity, and gas.

The image collecting unit 112 receives and stores information captured or photographed by the CMOS lens 111 by closely attaching a numerical display portion of the meter.

The image picked up by the CMOS lens 111 is numerically recognized by the image processing and recognizing unit 113 to numerically display the numerical display portion displayed on the picked up image. That is, the fee information data and the usage information data are generated by encoding the numbers of the image types. The fee information data and the usage information data thus recognized are bill information of the meter or a numerical value representing the amount of electricity, water or gas used. In the case of the gas meter, the usage information is displayed on the upper part of the captured image, and the charge information is displayed on the lower part of the gas meter. will be.

The CPU 114 receives the bill information data and the usage information data of the gas, water and electricity meter from the image processing and recognition unit 113 which recognizes the bill information and the usage information, and checks the received bill information data and the usage information data. It plays a role. In addition, if there is a significant difference between the amount of use and the billing information is re-recognized, and if a significant difference occurs again as a result of the recognition error information is transmitted to the meter reading data management server 210 through the communication unit 120.

The data storage unit 115 stores usage information data and fee information data. The storage receives and stores the metered information from the CPU 114 automatically periodically or at a specific time.

The power supply unit 116 supplies power to the CPU 114, the image recognition and processing unit 113, the image collection unit 112, the CMOS lens 111, and the like.

PLC 122 of the communication unit 120 communicates via a power line, and PLC technology through a low voltage power line of 100 to 220V band corresponds to a home address (HA), that is, a subscriber address of a PLC router attached to a telephone pole. The PLC coupler outside the house separates the communication signal from the power line. The PLC 122 reads the meter at the request of the home server 130, and the home server 130 communicates with the PLC 122 at random by request of the subscriber and requests the meter reading from the PLC 122.

The communication signal of the PLC 122 is restored to the signal of the initial transmission step through the PLC modem contained in the home PC, home appliances.

In addition, the home server 130 receives meter reading data, for example, bill information data and usage data, received through the PLC 122 and transmits the meter reading data management server 210.

RS-485 124 can receive and transmit at the same time by serial communication using two differential I / O lines, as well as connect multiple devices to a single line, and can be used for long distance communication with low loss. . RS-485 124 receives the metering request from the metering data management server 210 on a regular or irregular basis to receive the billing information data and usage information data through the CPU 114 to the metering data management server 124 do.

Similarly, the meter reading data management server 210 communicates with the CPU 114 via the TCP / IP 126. As is well known, TCP / IP 126 is a basic communication protocol of the Internet, and is also used in private networks such as intranets and extranets. The TCP / IP 126 also receives the meter reading data request from the meter reading data management server 210 and receives the billing information data and the usage information data periodically or irregularly from the CPU 114. As will be appreciated, messages may be exchanged via TCP / IP 126, or may receive information within each subscriber, such as failure information.

The RF 128 may transmit and receive data wirelessly, and the terminal carried by the meter reader, for example, the meter reader, requests the bill information data and the usage information data to the CPU 114 through the RF 128, and the meter reader PDA 140 The requested billing information data and usage information data are transmitted from the CPU 114 through the RF 128. As such, the meter reader PDA 140 stores the fee information data and the usage information data in the personal terminal or the PDA 140 and then stores the fee information data and the usage information data in the meter data management server 210 in a wireless or wired manner.

The meter reading data management system 200 includes a meter reading data management server 210, a database 230, and a web server 220.

The meter reading data management server 210 receives charge information data and usage information data received through the communication unit 120 from the CPU 114 in the remote meter reading system 100 in each subscription call and stores them in the database 230. As described above, the rate information data and the usage information data may be automatically received through the communication unit 120 periodically or irregularly, and when it is determined that the CPU 114 in the remote meter reading system 100 has failed Receive a situation such as a failure. The information received in this way includes the information of each subscriber call and includes simple information of the failure. For example, it may be determined that a failure occurs when the ratios of the fee information data and the usage information data do not coincide repeatedly.

The database 230 receives and stores fee information data and usage information data of each subscription call received from the meter reading data management server 210. At this time, after storing a certain amount of data, data beyond a certain period of time, such as data of FIFO, is automatically deleted. For example, data of approximately 5 to 10 years or more for each subscriber number is automatically deleted. .

When the request is input from the customer 240, the web server 220 receives the subscriber call information of the customer 240 and transmits the received subscriber call information to the meter reading data management server 210 and corresponds to the subscription call information. The information data and the usage information data are retrieved from the database 230 and the corresponding information is notified again by the customer through the web server 230. At this time, the meter reading data management server 210 can be notified through a message or text to the terminal, for example, a mobile phone of the customer through the web server 220 at the request of the customer, and periodically outputs a bill or transmits, or a web server The bill 220 may be sent to the e-mail address included in the customer information through the web server 220.

2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a system for transmitting meter reading data in an automatic remote meter reading and management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2, the home server 130, the meter data management server 210, and the meter reader PDA 140 are displayed in the block labeled manual meter reading. Through the home server 130, the occasional meter reading data transmission request is transmitted to the CPU 114 through the PLC 122 by the request of the subscriber call. The CPU 114 checks the data transmission request and transmits the fee information data and the usage information data to the meter reading data management server 210 through the PLC 122 and the home server 130.

The meter reader PDA 140 requests an irregular metering request to the CPU 114 wirelessly through the RF 128. The CPU 114 checks the data transmission request and transmits the bill data and the usage data to the meter data management server 210 through the RF 128 and the meter reader PDA 140.

The meter reading data management server 210 requests a periodic meter reading request to the CPU 114 by wire through RS-485 124 or TCP / IP 126. The CPU 114 checks the data transmission request and transmits the fee information data and the usage information data to the meter reading data management server 210 through the RS-485 124 or the TCP / IP 126.

3 is a configuration diagram schematically showing the configuration of charge information data and usage information data according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3, first, customer information 410 is input. The customer information 410 is a unique number or unique ID differentiated for each subscriber. This unique ID may include information such as the subscriber's name of each subscriber, the address of the subscriber's call, the telephone number of the subscriber's call, the e-mail address of the subscriber's call, and other subscriber information.

The current value 420 represents a current measurement value of the fee information data and the usage information data.

The daily, weekly, and monthly figures (430) are based on the cumulative usage, based on the cumulative usage, respectively, at the time of the current meter reading, daily usage, weekly usage, and monthly usage, and corresponding daily usage and weekly usage. Includes usage and monthly usage data. Based on this information, the user can easily check the usage for a certain period of time.

In the meter reading state of the image recognizer 440, when the currently recognized data is damaged, for example, due to damage of the CMOS lens 111, the rate information data and the usage information data have a lower recognition rate. If there is a difference, or if the meter's fee information or usage information cannot be recognized, it is displayed as a failure, and if it is recognized normally, it is displayed as normal.

Therefore, the present invention measures the data of a meter, such as water, electricity, and gas, which are used at a remote location through an image recognition device, and transmits the measured value by using the image recognition device to read each subscriber's call with a small amount of data. In addition, if there is an error in the input data using the remote control image recognition system, or if the data is not input, it is determined that the failure is effective to manage the presence or failure of the meter reading system of the subscriber.

In addition, the present invention requires meter reading while communicating with a remote camera, and determines the lighting situation and operation around the angle of the camera to contact a nearby meter reader, or check the imaging system through A / S. In addition to configuring the database for each customer, the subscriber can search the real-time meter information if desired, as well as sending bills displaying usage information through offline and e-mail.

In addition, the present invention is configured to allow subscribers to search usage by day, week, and month, so that users can know when they have used the most water, electricity, and gas. The gas can be reduced by the user himself, and when the fraudulent user uses the subscriber's water, electricity or gas, there is an effect that the subscriber can easily know at what point fraud occurred.

Claims (4)

In the automatic remote meter reading and management system, A CMOS lens 111 for capturing the usage capacity and usage fee display portion of meters such as water, electricity, and gas; An image collecting unit 112 for receiving and storing the information picked up by the CMOS lens 111; The image picked up by the CMOS lens 111 is an image processing and recognizing unit 113 for generating charge information data and usage information data by recognizing the numeric display portion displayed on the picked-up image as a numeric code; Receiving the charge information data and the usage information data of the gas, water, electricity meter from the image processing and recognizing unit 113 recognizes the charge information and usage information and the CMOS lens 111, the image collection unit 112 and A CPU 114 for determining whether or not the image processing and recognizing unit 113 is broken; A data storage unit 115 for receiving and storing usage information data and billing information data from the CPU 114; A power supply unit 116 for supplying power to the CPU 114, the image recognition and processing unit 113, the image collecting unit 112, and the CMOS lens 111; The communication unit 120 receives the charge information data and the usage information data from the CPU 115 and transmits them to the outside, and transmits the charge information data and the usage information data to the outside by a request from the outside. ; Receiving the fee information data and the usage information data received from the CPU 114 through the communication unit 120 at regular or irregular occasions by request to determine the failure through the fee information data and the usage information data Meter reading data management server 210; A database 230 for storing the fee information data and the usage information data received from the meter reading data management server 210; When a request is input from the customer 240, the billing information data and the usage information data corresponding to the subscriber call information of the customer 240 are retrieved from the database 230 and the corresponding information is retrieved from the customer through the web server 230. Automatic remote meter reading and management system comprising a web server 220 to inform. The method of claim 1, The communication unit 120, A PLC (122) for transmitting the billing information data and the usage data to the home server (130) at the request of the home server (130) for communicating with the PLC and communicating with all devices of the subscriber call; Serial communication using two differential input and output lines, and receives the metering request from the metering data management server 210 periodically or irregularly to receive the metering data and the usage information data through the CPU 114 RS-485 (124) for transmitting to the data management server 124; TCP / IP (126) for receiving the meter reading data request from the meter reading data management server 210 to receive the rate information data and usage information data at regular or irregular intervals in the CPU 114; And an RF 128 for receiving the bill information data and the usage information data from a meter reader terminal and requesting the CPU 114 to transmit the bill information data and the usage information data to the meter reader terminal. Automatic remote meter reading and management system. The method of claim 1, The meter reading data management server 210 may inform the terminal of the customer through a web server 220 through a message or a text message, such as a message or a text, and periodically outputs a bill or transmits a web server ( Automatic remote meter reading and management system, characterized in that configured to transmit the bill through the web server 220 to the e-mail address contained in the customer information via 220). The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The fee information data and the usage information data, Customer information 410 including a subscriber name of each subscriber, an address of the subscriber call, a telephone number of the subscriber call, and an e-mail address of the subscriber call; A current value 420 representing a current measurement value of the fee information data and the usage information data; Based on cumulative usage, daily readings, weekly usage, monthly usage, and corresponding daily usage, weekly usage, and monthly usage data, respectively, at the time of meter reading, and once-weekly figures And a monthly value 430; When the currently recognized data is damaged, the meter reader image recognizer state 440 indicating whether the CMOS lens 111, the image collecting unit 112, or the image processing and recognizing unit 113 is broken is displayed. Automatic remote meter reading and management system comprising a.