KR20180130057A - Data collecting apparatus, metering apparatus, and control method of the data collecting apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A data collecting apparatus includes a communication part which receives meter reading data from one or more meter reading devices in a collision avoiding manner during a meter reading data collection period and transmits and receives data for maintenance and repair of a network to the one or more meter reading devices in a time slot allocation manner during a network repair period and a control part which determines whether there is a meter reading device that has not transmitted meter reading data among the one or more meter reading devices during the meter reading data collection period and sets a recovery mode for at least a part of the network repair period if the meter reading device that has not transmitted meter reading data exists. The communication part receives the meter reading data from the meter reading device which has not transmitted the meter reading data in the recovery mode. The usage amounts of electricity, water, gas and the like are measured as meter reading data by using the collision avoidance manner and the time slot allocation manner.

Description

Technical Field [0001] The present invention relates to a data collecting apparatus, a meter reading apparatus, and a control method of a data collecting apparatus,

A data collecting device, a meter reading device, and a control method of the data collecting device.

Recently, with the spread of various communication devices such as smart devices and the increase of multimedia services, the mobile communication service traffic has been rapidly increased, so that the data transmission / reception speed of the communication network management system is required to increase. Accordingly, various schemes for increasing the data transmission / reception speed of the network management system have been studied. One of them is a time slot for transmitting / receiving data between nodes in an allocated data slot by allocating a data slot having a transmission time slot for each node For example, there is a time slot channel scheme (TSCH) or a WI-SUN scheme. In the other case, if a data slot is not allocated for each node and each node detects a whole channel, And a collision avoidance scheme for transmitting and receiving data, for example, a CSMA / CA (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance) scheme.

In the time slot allocation scheme, a dedicated data slot is allocated to each node, and each node transmits and receives data in a dedicated data slot allocated to itself. In this case, interference with other nodes is small, The collision avoidance method is fast in that the node immediately transmits and receives data when the channel is empty without having to follow the schedule of the predetermined timeslot, but there is interference in terms of sharing the same channel with other nodes .

The disclosed embodiment provides a data collecting apparatus and a data collecting apparatus that transmit and receive data to and from one or more meter reading apparatuses that measure the usage amount of electricity, water, gas, etc. as meter reading data by appropriately using a collision avoiding method and a time slot allocating method in accordance with a time zone. To provide a control method of the present invention.

In addition, the disclosed embodiment is to provide a meter reading device that transmits and receives data to and from a data collection device by appropriately utilizing a collision avoidance method and a time slot allocation method according to a network operation period schedule received from a data collection device.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a data collecting apparatus for collecting meter reading data from at least one meter reading apparatus in a collision avoiding mode during a meter reading data collecting period, A communication unit for transmitting and receiving data for maintenance and repair of the network and the meter probe unit; And determines whether there is a meter reading device that has not transmitted meter reading data during one or more meter reading devices during the meter reading data collection period and sets a recovery mode for at least a part of the network repair period if there is a meter reading device that has not transmitted meter reading data Wherein the communication unit receives the meter reading data from the meter reading device which has not transmitted the meter reading data in the recovery mode.

The collision avoidance scheme includes a CSMA / CA (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance) scheme, and the time slot allocation scheme may include a time slot channel hopping (TSCH) scheme.

The control unit can end the recovery mode upon receiving the meter reading data from the meter reading device which has not transmitted the meter reading data.

The communication unit may receive the network participation request signal from one or more meter reading devices, and the control unit may calculate the meter reading data collection period based on the total amount of the meter reading data of the one or more meter reading devices that transmitted the network join request signal and the preset data throughput have.

The control unit can determine the total amount of the inspection data based on the number of the one or more inspection apparatuses that transmitted the network participation request signal and the standard size value of the preset inspection data.

The control unit can determine a value obtained by dividing the total amount of the meter reading data by the data throughput as the meter reading data collection period.

The control unit can determine the remaining period excluding the meter reading data collection period as the network maintenance period in the preset network operation period.

The communication unit may broadcast the network operation schedule including information on the meter reading data collection period and the network maintenance period to one or more meter reading devices.

The communication unit can receive the meter reading data from the meter reading apparatus which has not transmitted the meter reading data in the collision avoiding mode in the recovery mode.

The meter reading apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention receives a network operation period schedule from a data collecting device, transmits meter reading data to the data collecting device during a meter reading data collection period according to a network operation period schedule, A communication unit for transmitting and receiving data for maintenance and repair of the network and the data collecting apparatus in an allocation manner; And a control unit for controlling data transmission and reception of the communication unit. The communication unit receives the meter reading data request signal from the data collection device during the network maintenance period, and the control unit controls the communication unit to transmit the meter reading data again when the communication unit receives the meter reading data request signal do.

The collision avoidance scheme includes a CSMA / CA (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance) scheme, and the time slot allocation scheme may include a time slot channel hopping (TSCH) scheme.

The control unit can transmit the meter reading data to the data collecting apparatus in the collision avoiding mode upon receiving the meter reading data request signal.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control method of a data collection device, comprising: receiving meter reading data from at least one meter reading device in a collision avoiding mode during a meter reading data collection period; Determining whether there is a meter reading device that has not transmitted meter reading data among at least one meter reading devices during a meter reading data collection period; And transmitting and receiving data for maintenance and repair of the network with one or more meter reading devices in a time slot allocation manner during a network repair period, wherein the step of transmitting and receiving data for maintenance and repair of the network comprises: Setting a recovery mode for at least a part of the network maintenance period if the meter reading device is present, and receiving meter reading data from the meter reading device not transmitting the meter reading data in the recovery mode.

The collision avoidance scheme includes a CSMA / CA (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance) scheme, and the time slot allocation scheme may include a time slot channel hopping (TSCH) scheme.

The step of transmitting and receiving data for maintenance and repair of the network may further include terminating the recovery mode upon receiving the meter reading data from the meter reading device that has not transmitted the meter reading data.

A method of controlling a data collection device includes receiving a network participation request signal from one or more meter reading devices; And calculating a meter reading data collection period based on the total amount of the meter reading data of the one or more meter reading apparatus that has transmitted the network participation request signal and the preset data throughput.

The step of calculating the meter reading data collection period may include determining the total amount of the meter reading data based on the number of the one or more meter reading devices that transmitted the network participation request signal and the standard size value of the preset reading data.

The control method of the data collecting apparatus may further include the step of determining a remaining period excluding the meter reading data collection period as a network maintenance period in a predetermined network operation period.

According to the above-mentioned problem solving means, the data collecting apparatus can increase the efficiency of data transmission / reception through time division by dividing the time zone for receiving the meter reading data and the time zone for maintaining and repairing the network, have.

In addition, according to the above-mentioned problem solving means, it is possible to increase the speed and stability of data transmission / reception between the data collecting device and the meter reading device by changing the data transmitting / receiving method by time zone and data type.

1 is a conceptual diagram of a communication network management system.
2A is a conceptual diagram for explaining a parent node and a child node.
2B is an illustration of a communication device functioning as a parent node and a child node, respectively.
3 is a control block diagram of a data collecting apparatus and a meter reading apparatus according to an embodiment.
4 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the concept of a channel used for transmitting and receiving data by the data collecting device and the meter reading device.
5 is a conceptual diagram for comparing a method of using a channel when transmitting and receiving data in a time slot allocation scheme and a method of using a channel when transmitting and receiving data in a collision avoiding method.
6 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a process of transmitting and receiving data between a data collecting device and a meter reading device according to a general network operation duration schedule.
7 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a process in which the meter reading device transmits meter reading data in the recovery mode.
8 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a process in which a data collecting device and a meter reading device transmit and receive data when a new meter reading device attempts to join the network.
9 is a flowchart of a method of controlling a data collecting apparatus according to an embodiment.
10 is a flowchart of a control method of a meter reading apparatus according to an embodiment.

Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification. The present specification does not describe all elements of the embodiments, and redundant description between general contents or embodiments in the technical field of the present invention will be omitted. The term 'part, module, member, or block' used in the specification may be embodied in software or hardware, and a plurality of 'part, module, member, and block' may be embodied as one component, It is also possible that a single 'part, module, member, block' includes a plurality of components.

Throughout the specification, when a part is referred to as being "connected" to another part, it includes not only the case directly connected but also the case where the connection is indirectly connected, and the indirect connection includes connection through the wireless communication network do.

Also, when an element is referred to as "comprising ", it means that it can include other elements as well, without departing from the other elements unless specifically stated otherwise.

The terms first, second, etc. are used to distinguish one element from another, and the elements are not limited by the above-mentioned terms.

The singular forms " a " include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In each step, the identification code is used for convenience of explanation, and the identification code does not describe the order of the steps, and each step may be performed differently from the stated order unless clearly specified in the context. have.

Throughout the specification, the term "node " refers to various communication devices capable of transmitting and receiving wired and wireless signals. A communication device includes various devices capable of connecting to other communication devices via a network, such as a computer or a portable terminal, a router, a server, a gateway, a bridge, and the like.

The term " data slot "refers to a data transmission time slot or a time slot. The" time slot "is a unit of a plurality of data slots. In one data slot among the plurality of data slots, Lt; / RTI > The data slot over which the synchronization information is transmitted may be referred to, for example, as an Enhanced Beacon (EB) slot. A method for transmitting and receiving data using a time slot may be, for example, a data transmission / reception method in a Medium Access Control (MAC) layer.

In the specification, data is transmitted / received in a data slot " in " means that data is transmitted / received in a time zone corresponding to a data slot.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a communication network management system, FIG. 2A is a conceptual diagram for explaining a parent node and a child node, and FIG. 2B is an illustration of a communication device functioning as a parent node and a child node, respectively.

Referring to FIG. 1, a node (first node; N-1) may be directly connected to a plurality of other nodes (second nodes; N) existing in the coverage of the communication network.

A plurality of other nodes (second nodes) N may be directly connected to a plurality of other nodes (third nodes, N + 1) existing within the coverage of their respective communication networks.

A plurality of other nodes (second nodes) N directly connected to a node (first node; N-1) belong to one layer and a node (first node; N-1) (Third nodes, N + 1) belonging to another layer and directly connected to a plurality of other nodes (second nodes; N) belong to another layer In this case, the nodes of each layer may be parent nodes or child nodes to each other.

For example, referring to FIG. 2A, when a second node N wants to join a network formed by a first node N-1, a first node N-1 is connected to a second node N, And the second node N becomes a child node to the first node N-1.

Further, when the third node N + 1 wants to participate in the network formed by the second node N, the second node N becomes the parent node to the third node N + 1, The node (N + 1) becomes a child node to the second node (N).

Referring to FIG. 2B, when the nodes N-1, N, N + 1 are implemented as communication devices for remote sensing of power, for example, May be hierarchically divided into a server N-1, a data collecting apparatus N, and a meter reading apparatus N + 1.

The server N-1 becomes the parent node for the data collecting apparatus N as the node of the uppermost layer.

The data collecting device N is a lower layer for the server N-1 and an upper layer for the meter reading device N + 1 and for the child node for the server N-1 and the meter reading device N + Becomes the parent node. As an example of the data collection device N, there may be a DCU (Data Concentration Unit) device.

The meter reading device (N + 1) is the child node of the data collecting device N as the lowest hierarchical node. The meter reading device (N + 1) can collect meter reading data from, for example, a household or industrial watt hour meter, gas meter, or water meter. The collected meter reading data can be transmitted to the data collection device N. [

The server N-1, the data collecting apparatus N and the meter reading apparatus N + 1 may be included in an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) system as an example.

The server N-1 and the data collecting apparatus N may be connected through a wireless communication network. The wireless communication network may be a Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM), a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), a Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) , Universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), time division multiple access (TDMA), long term evolution (LTE), WiFi, and wireless broadband.

The data collecting device N and the meter reading device N + 1 are also connected through a wireless communication network, and can transmit and receive data in an industrial scientific and medical equipment (ISM) band, for example.

3 is a control block diagram of a data collecting apparatus and a meter reading apparatus according to an embodiment.

The data collecting apparatus N described in FIG. 2B may be implemented by the data collecting apparatus 100 of FIG. 3 and the meter checking apparatus N + 1 described in FIG. 2B may be implemented by the meter checking apparatus 200 of FIG. 3 Can be implemented.

The data collecting apparatus 100 includes a communication unit 110 for transmitting and receiving data to and from the meter reading apparatus 200 and a control unit 120 for generating a network operation period schedule and controlling the communication unit 110.

The communication unit 110 of the data collecting apparatus 100 can receive the network participation request signal from the meter reading apparatus 200 to participate in the network and can transmit a response signal to the meter reading apparatus 200. [

The communication unit 110 of the data collection device 100 can broadcast the operation period schedule of the network generated by the control unit 120 and the time slot information allocated to one or more meter devices 200 participating in the network have. The network operation duration schedule and time slot information will be described later.

Further, the communication unit 110 of the data collection device 100 receives meter reading data from the meter reading device 200 during the meter reading data collection period. Although only one meter reading device 200 is shown in FIG. 3, the communication module 110 can collect meter reading data from a plurality of the meter reading devices 200 individually.

The communication unit 110 of the data collecting apparatus 100 may transmit and receive data for maintenance or repair of the network to the meter reading apparatus 200 during a network maintenance period.

The communication unit 110 of the data collection device 100 may include a wireless communication interface including an antenna and a transmitter, which are implemented as a wireless communication module and transmit data. The communication unit 110 may further include a signal conversion module for modulating the digital control signal output from the control unit 120 through a wireless communication interface under the control of the control unit 120 into an analog type wireless signal.

In addition, the communication unit 110 of the data collecting apparatus 100 implemented with the wireless communication module may include a wireless communication interface including an antenna and a receiver for receiving data. The communication unit 110 may further include a signal conversion module for demodulating the analog type wireless signal received through the wireless communication interface into a digital control signal.

The controller 120 of the data collecting apparatus 100 controls each component of the data collecting apparatus 100 and controls one or more meter checking apparatuses 200 based on the network participation request signal received by the communication unit 110, It is possible to transmit the metering data during the metering data collecting period determined by the apparatus 100 and to generate a network operating period schedule so as to transmit and receive data for maintaining or repairing the network during the network maintenance period. The network activity schedule may be broadcast to one or more meter devices 200 participating in the network.

In addition, the controller 120 of the data collecting apparatus 100 determines whether the current point of time corresponds to the meter reading data collection period or the network repair period during the network operation period.

The control unit 120 controls the communication unit 110 to collect the meter reading data from one or more meter reading devices 200 participating in the network when the current time is the meter reading data collecting period, The control unit 110 controls the communication unit 110 to transmit / receive various data for maintenance or repair of the network to / from one or more meter probe apparatuses 200.

The control unit 120 may control the communication unit 110 to receive the metering data from one or more metering devices 200 in the collision avoiding mode during the metering data collection period. The collision avoiding method refers to a method of transmitting and receiving data through a shared channel without having to allocate a data slot to the meter reading device 200 separately. As an example of the collision avoidance method, there may be a CSMA / CA (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance) method. The collision avoidance method will be described in detail later.

 In addition, the controller 120 may control the communication unit 110 to transmit and receive data to one or more meter devices 200 in a time slot assignment manner during a network repair period. In the time slot allocation method, a data slot that can be used exclusively by the meter device 200 is allocated to each meter device 200, and each meter device 200 transmits / receives data in the data slot allocated to the meter device 200 to the communication device 110 . As an example of the time slot allocation scheme, there may be a time slot channel hopping (TSCH) scheme. A detailed description of the time slot allocation scheme will also be described later.

The control unit 120 includes a memory (not shown) for storing data for a program reproducing an algorithm or algorithm for controlling the operation of the components in the data acquisition apparatus 100, and a memory (Not shown) for performing the above-described operations. At this time, the memory and the processor may be implemented as separate chips. Alternatively, the memory and the processor may be implemented on a single chip.

The meter reading apparatus 200 includes a communication section 210 for transmitting and receiving data to and from the data collection apparatus 100 and a control section 120 for controlling the communication section 210. Although only one meter reading device 200 is shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of meter reading devices 200 can be connected to one data collecting device 100 as shown in FIG. 2B.

The communication unit 210 of the meter reading apparatus 200 may transmit a network participation request signal to the data collecting apparatus 100 so as to be connected to the data collecting apparatus 100 through a network. Then, the communication unit 210 can receive a response signal from the data collection device 100 indicating that it has joined the network.

The communication unit 210 of the meter reading apparatus 200 can receive the operation period schedule of the network generated by the data collecting apparatus 100 and the time slot information allocated to one or more meter reading apparatuses 200 participating in the network . The network operation duration schedule and time slot information will be described later.

The communication unit 210 of the meter reading apparatus 200 transmits the meter reading data to the data collecting apparatus 200 during the meter reading data collecting period.

In addition, the communication unit 210 of the meter reading device 200 can transmit / receive data for maintenance or repair of the network to / from the data collection device 100 during a network maintenance period.

The communication unit 210 of the meter reading device 200 may include a wireless communication interface including an antenna and a transmitter that are implemented as a wireless communication module and transmit data. The communication unit 210 may further include a signal conversion module for modulating the digital control signal output from the control unit 220 through a wireless communication interface under the control of the control unit 220 into an analog type wireless signal.

In addition, the communication unit 210 of the meter reading apparatus 200 implemented with a wireless communication module may include a wireless communication interface including an antenna and a receiver for receiving data. The communication unit 210 may further include a signal conversion module for demodulating the analog type wireless signal received through the wireless communication interface into a digital control signal.

The control unit 220 of the meter reading device 200 controls each component of the meter reading device 200.

The control unit 220 of the meter reading device 200 can transmit the meter reading data to the data collecting apparatus 100 or send and receive data for network maintenance or repair according to the network operating period schedule received by the communication unit 210.

Specifically, the control unit 220 of the meter reading apparatus 200 controls the communication unit 210 to transmit the meter reading data to the data collecting apparatus 100 when the present time is the meter reading data collecting period, And controls the communication unit 210 to transmit / receive various data for maintenance or repair of the network to / from one or more meter devices 200, if applicable.

The control unit 220 of the meter reading apparatus 200 can control the communication unit 210 to transmit the meter reading data to the data collecting apparatus 100 in the collision avoiding mode during the meter reading data collecting period.

In addition, the control unit 220 of the meter reading apparatus 200 may control the communication unit 210 to transmit and receive data to the data collecting apparatus 100 in a time slot assignment manner during the network maintenance period.

The control unit 220 of the meter reading apparatus 200 includes a memory (not shown) for storing data on a program reproducing an algorithm or algorithm for controlling the operation of the components in the meter reading apparatus 200, (Not shown) that performs the above-described operations by using the above-described operations. At this time, the memory and the processor may be implemented as separate chips. Alternatively, the memory and the processor may be implemented on a single chip.

FIG. 4 is a conceptual view for explaining the concept of a channel used for data transmission and reception by the data collecting device and the meter reading device. FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the concept of a channel used for data transmission / FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram for comparing a method of using a channel when transmitting and receiving a channel.

Referring to FIG. 4, a channel indicates a frequency band used when data is transmitted and received, and a frequency band of each channel (CH1-CH3) may be different. When the data collecting apparatus 100 and the three meter reading apparatuses 200 communicate with each other using the first to third channels CH1 to CH3, the first to third channels CH1 to CH3 are communicated with each other at different frequencies By using the band, mutual interference may not occur.

5, when the data collecting apparatus 100 and one or more meter reading apparatuses 200 (N1-N5) transmit and receive data by the time slot allocation method, data allocated to each meter reading apparatus 200 (N1-N5) In the slots DS1 to DS5, the data collecting apparatus 100 and one or more meter reading apparatuses 200 (N1 to N5) can transmit and receive data. However, a channel can be independently allocated to each data slot DS1-DS5 by the data collecting apparatus 100, and the channels assigned to the data slots DS1-DS5 may be the same or different.

In FIG. 5, for example, a first data slot DS1 and a second channel CH2 are assigned to the first meter reading device N1 and a second data slot DS2 and a first data slot DS2 are assigned to the second meter reading device N2. The channel CH1 is assigned to the third meter reading device N3 and the fourth data slot DS4 and the third channel CH3 are assigned to the third meter reading device N3 and the fifth data slot DS5 The first data channel DS1 and the second data channel DS2 are allocated to the first and second meter reading devices N5 and N5, It is not.

Meanwhile, when the data collecting apparatus 100 and one or more meter reading apparatuses 200 (N1-N3) transmit and receive data in a collision avoiding mode, data slots and channels are assigned to each meter reading apparatus 200 (N1-N3) One or more meter reading devices 200 (N1-N3) can transmit and receive data to / from the communication unit 110 in a first in first out manner in a shared channel CH1.

5, when the first meter reading apparatus N1 is transmitting / receiving data to / from the data collecting apparatus 100 by using a shared channel CH1, the second meter reading apparatus N2 transmits / The second meter reading apparatus N2 may be configured to transmit data to the first meter reading apparatus N1 and the second meter reading apparatus N1 in order to avoid collision with the first meter reading apparatus N1, And waits until data transmission / reception between the devices 100 is completed.

The data collecting apparatus 100 and the meter reading apparatus 200 can transmit and receive data using the time slot allocation scheme or the collision avoidance scheme.

However, the data collecting apparatus 100 and the meter reading apparatus 200 vary data transmission / reception schemes according to the network operation period schedule generated by the control unit 120 of the data collecting apparatus 100.

6 to 8 are conceptual diagrams of a network operation time schedule generated by a data collection device, FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a process of data transmission and reception by a data collection device and a meter reading device according to a general network operation time schedule, FIG. 7 is a conceptual view for explaining a process in which the meter reading device transmits meter reading data in the recovery mode, FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a process of transmitting and receiving data by the data collecting device and the meter reading device when a new meter reading device attempts to join the network Fig.

6, the control unit 120 of the data collecting apparatus 100 transmits a network participation request signal of one or more meter reading devices 200a, 200b, and 200c collected during a predetermined network operation period (for example, 45 minutes) (For example, 15 minutes) and a network maintenance period (for example, 30 minutes) based on the calculated data collection period and generates a network operation period schedule based on the calculated results. The generated network operation duration schedule is broadcast to one or more meter reading devices 200a, 200b, and 200c by the communication unit 110 of the data collection device 100. [

Here, the controller 120 of the data collecting apparatus 100 may include a meter reading unit 200 and a meter reading unit 200 to transmit and receive data for maintaining and repairing a network during a network repair period according to one or more meter reading apparatuses 200 and a time slot allocation method. ) Can be allocated to each data slot. The communication unit 110 may broadcast time slot information including information on the allocated data slot to one or more meter devices 200a, 200b, and 200c together with a network operation schedule.

The communication unit 210 of one or more meter reading devices 200a, 200b, and 200c receives the network operation period schedule, and the control unit 210 transmits the meter reading data to the data collecting apparatus 100 during the meter reading data collection period, The control unit 210 controls the communication unit 210 to transmit the information.

The data collecting apparatus 100 and one or more meter reading apparatuses 200a, 200b and 200c may transmit and receive data in a collision avoiding mode during the meter reading data collecting period. By transmitting and receiving data in the collision avoiding mode, the data collecting apparatus 100 can quickly collect metering data from one or more metering devices 200a, 200b, and 200c within a short period of time.

The controller 120 of the data collecting apparatus 100 enters the network maintenance period when the meter reading data collection period is finished (for example, 15 minutes after the initial point of time) And controls the communication unit 110 to transmit and receive data for maintenance and repair of the mobile communication terminal. Data for maintenance and repair of the network may be various data that can be transmitted and received between the data collecting apparatus 100 and one or more meter reading apparatuses 200a, 200b and 200c, but excluding meter reading data.

During the network maintenance period, the control unit 220 of one or more meter reading devices 200a, 200b, and 200c also controls the communication unit 210 to transmit and receive data for maintenance and repair of the network to the data collecting device 100. [

The data collecting apparatus 100 and one or more meter reading apparatuses 200a, 200b, and 200c may transmit and receive data in a time slot allocation manner during a network maintenance period. The data collecting apparatus 100 can exchange data for maintenance and repair of the network stably with one or more meter reading apparatuses 200a, 200b and 200c to which data slots are allocated .

When the network maintenance period expires (for example, 45 minutes after the initial time), the control unit 120 of the data collection apparatus 100 updates the network operation period schedule. The updated network activity schedule may be updated based on the network participation request signal of one or more meter devices 200a, 200b, 200c collected during the network activity period (i.e., 45 minutes from the initial time).

Referring to FIG. 7, one or more meter reading devices 200a-200d participating in the network may not be able to transmit meter reading data to the non-subject data collecting device 200 due to network traffic or other reasons during the meter reading data collecting period 200d. The control unit 120 of the data collecting apparatus 100 requests the participation of the network during the previous network operation period and collects the meter reading data during the meter reading data collecting period, ), And can set the recovery mode so that the non-collecting meter reading device 200d can transmit the meter reading data even if the network maintenance period is entered.

The control unit 120 of the data collecting apparatus 100 controls the communication unit 110 to transmit the inspection data request signal to the non-collection measuring apparatus 200d in the recovery mode, and the communication unit 110 controls the non- 200d.

When the communication unit 210 of the non-collecting meter reading device 200d receives the reading data request signal, the control unit 220 of the non-collecting reading device 200d transmits the reading data to the data collecting apparatus 100.

When the communication unit 110 of the data collection device 100 receives the inspection data from the non-collection inspection device 200d, the control unit 120 of the data collection device 100 exits the recovery mode.

The control unit 120 of the data collecting apparatus 100 may not collect the probe data request signal again if the data collecting apparatus 100 has not received the probe data yet, And can control the communication unit 110 to transmit it to the meter reading device 200d.

The data collecting apparatus 100 and one or more meter reading apparatuses 200a to 200d may temporarily transmit and receive data in the collision avoiding mode in the recovery mode.

When the recovery mode is terminated (for example, the meter reading data is received from the non-collecting meter reading device 200d after the lapse of 25 minutes from the initial point), the control unit 120 of the data collecting apparatus 100 enters the normal network maintenance period And controls the communication unit 110 to transmit and receive data for maintenance and repair of the network with the above-described meter reading devices 200a to 200d.

During the network maintenance period, the control unit 220 of one or more meter devices 200a-200d also controls the communication unit 210 to transmit and receive data for maintenance and repair of the network to the data collection device 100. [

Likewise, when the network repair period ends (for example, after 45 minutes from the initial point in time), the control unit 120 of the data collecting apparatus 100 updates the network operation period schedule. The updated network activity schedule may be updated based on the network participation request signal of one or more meter devices 200a-200d collected during the network activity period (i.e., 45 minutes from the initial time).

8, during the network operation period, the communication unit 110 of the data collecting apparatus 100 may include a meter reading device 200e that intends to participate in the network in addition to the existing meter reading devices 200a to 200d participating in the network, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > a < / RTI >

The control unit 120 of the data collecting apparatus 100 determines the total amount of the meter reading data of one or more meter reading apparatuses 200a to 200e that have transmitted the network join request signal and determines the total amount of the meter reading data and the predetermined data throughput (For example, from the initial point of time to 17 minutes) is calculated based on the meter reading data collection period. The total amount of the meter reading data can be determined as a value obtained by multiplying the number of the one or more meter reading devices 200a to 200e that transmitted the network participation request signal by the standard size value of the preset meter reading data. The meter reading data collection period can be calculated, for example, as a value obtained by dividing the total amount of meter reading data by the data throughput.

The control unit 120 of the data collecting apparatus 100 may collect the meter reading data collection period (for example, from the initial point to 17 minutes) at a previously set network operation period (for example, from the initial point to 45 minutes) The excluded period can be calculated as a network maintenance period (for example, from 17 minutes to 45 minutes).

The control unit 120 of the data collecting apparatus 100 updates the network operation period schedule based on the calculated meter reading data collection period and the network maintenance period and transmits the generated network operation period schedule to one or more meter reading apparatuses 200a to 200e Broadcast. The control unit 120 may transmit and receive data with one or more meter reading devices 200a-200e according to a network operation schedule.

At least one component may be added or deleted corresponding to the performance of the components of the data collecting apparatus 100 and the meter reading apparatus 200 described above. It will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the mutual position of the components can be changed corresponding to the performance or structure of the system.

On the other hand, some of the components of the data acquisition device 100 and the meter reading device 200 may be software and / or hardware components such as a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) and an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) have.

Hereinafter, a method of controlling the data collecting apparatus 100 and the meter reading apparatus 200 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG. FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a method of controlling a data collecting apparatus according to an embodiment, and FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a control method of a meter reading apparatus according to an embodiment.

Components of the data collecting apparatus 100 and the meter reading apparatus 200 described below are the same as those of the data collecting apparatus 100 and the meter reading apparatus 200 described above with reference to FIG. Quot;

9, the control unit 120 of the data collecting apparatus 100 determines whether the present time is a network maintenance period 1111 or a data collection period 1112 based on a previously generated network operation period schedule .

In the case of the meter reading data collection period 1112, the control unit 120 controls the communication unit 110 to receive the meter reading data from one or more meter reading apparatuses 200 participating in the network (1113).

When the meter reading data collection period ends (1114), the control unit 120 determines whether the meter reading apparatus 200 (hereinafter referred to as a non-collecting meter reading apparatus) that participates in the network but has not transmitted the meter reading data during the meter reading data collection period (1115).

If it is determined that the non-collecting meter reading device is present (YES in 1115), the control unit 120 sets a recovery mode (1116). If it is determined that the recovery mode is set (YES in 1117) Transmits the meter reading data request signal to the controller 200 and controls the communication unit 110 to receive the meter reading data (1118).

When the current time is the network repair period ("NO" in 1213), the control unit 120 terminates the recovery mode when receiving the meter reading data from the non-collecting meter reading apparatus 200 (1111) (1120) to transmit and receive data for maintaining and repairing the network to one or more meter reading devices (200) participating in the network.

Meanwhile, the communication unit 110 may receive a network participation request signal from one or more meter devices 200 while receiving meter reading data or receiving data for maintenance and repair of the network.

The control unit 120 updates the meter reading data collection period and the network repair period based on the network participation request signal received during the network operation period when the network repair period ends (i.e., the network operation period ends; 1121).

Specifically, the control unit 120 determines the total amount of the meter reading data of the one or more meter reading apparatuses 200 that have transmitted the network join request signal, and determines the total amount of the meter reading data based on the total amount of the meter reading data and the data throughput For example, from the initial time to 17 minutes). The meter reading data collection period can be calculated, for example, as a value obtained by dividing the total amount of meter reading data by the data throughput.

The control unit 120 may calculate a period in which the meter reading data collection period is excluded as a network maintenance period in the previously set network operation period.

The control unit 120 updates the network operation period schedule based on the calculated meter reading data collection period and the network maintenance period and broadcasts the updated network operation period schedule to one or more meter reading apparatuses 200 participating in the network ).

The control unit 120 can allocate data slots to one or more meter reading devices 200 that have transmitted a network join request signal to transmit and receive data in a time slot allocation mode during a network repair period, ) With the updated network activity schedule. ≪ RTI ID = 0.0 > [0031] < / RTI >

10, the control unit 220 of the meter reading apparatus 200 transmits a participation request signal to the data collecting apparatus 100 (FIG. 10) to join the network of the data collecting apparatus 100 100 (1211).

When the communication unit 210 of the meter reading apparatus 200 receives the network operation period schedule from the data collecting apparatus 100 in operation 1212, It is determined whether it is the period recognition 1217 or the meter reading data collection period 1213.

The controller 220 controls the communication unit 210 to transmit the meter reading data to the data collecting apparatus 100 when the current time is the meter reading data collecting period (YES in 1213) (1214) (That is, if the meter reading data request signal is received from the data collecting apparatus 100), the data collecting apparatus 100 retransmits the meter reading data (1216).

If the meter reading data transmission is successful ("NO" in 1215), the communication unit 210 can transmit and receive data for maintenance and repair of the network with the data collecting apparatus 100 during the network repair period ("Yes" ).

On the other hand, if the current time is the network maintenance period ("Yes" in 1217), the communication unit 210 can transmit and receive data for maintenance and repair of the network with the data collection apparatus 100 during the network maintenance period "Yes", 1218).

During the network maintenance period, the communication unit 210 can transmit and receive data for maintenance and repair of the network with the data collecting apparatus 100 in the data slot allocated by the data collecting apparatus 100.

The disclosed embodiments may be embodied in the form of a recording medium storing instructions executable by a computer. The instructions may be stored in the form of program code and, when executed by a processor, may generate a program module to perform the operations of the disclosed embodiments. The recording medium may be embodied as a computer-readable recording medium.

The computer-readable recording medium includes all kinds of recording media in which instructions that can be decoded by a computer are stored. For example, it may be a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a magnetic tape, a magnetic disk, a flash memory, an optical data storage device, or the like.

The embodiments disclosed with reference to the accompanying drawings have been described above. It will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims. The disclosed embodiments are illustrative and should not be construed as limiting.

100: Data collection device
110: communication unit of the data collection device
120: control unit of the data collection device
200: meter reading device
210: communication unit of the meter reading device
220: Control part of meter reading device

Claims (18)

A communication unit for receiving meter reading data from one or more meter reading apparatuses during a meter reading data collection period and transmitting and receiving data for maintenance and repair of the network with the at least one meter reading apparatus during a network repair period; And
Determining whether there is a meter reading device that has not transmitted the meter reading data among the one or more meter reading devices during the meter reading data collection period and if there is a meter reading device that has not transmitted the meter reading data, And a control unit for setting a mode,
And the communication unit receives meter reading data from a meter reading device that has not transmitted the meter reading data in the recovery mode. The method according to claim 1,
The collision avoidance method includes a CSMA / CA (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance)
Wherein the time slot allocation scheme includes a Time Slot Channel Hopping (TSCH) scheme. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the controller terminates the recovery mode upon receiving meter reading data from a meter reading device that has not transmitted the meter reading data. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the communication unit receives a network participation request signal from the at least one meter reading device,
Wherein the control unit calculates the meter reading data collection period based on a total amount of meter reading data of one or more meter reading apparatuses that have transmitted the network join request signal and a preset data throughput. 5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the control unit determines the total amount of the inspection data based on the number of one or more inspection devices that transmitted the network participation request signal and the standard size value of the preset inspection data. 5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the controller determines a value obtained by dividing the total amount of the meter reading data by the data throughput as the meter reading data collection period. 5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the control unit determines the remaining period excluding the meter reading data collection period as the network repair period in a preset network operation period. 8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the communication unit broadcasts a network operation time schedule including information on the meter reading data collection period and the network repair period to the one or more meter reading apparatuses. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the communication unit receives meter reading data from a meter reading device which has not transmitted the meter reading data in the collision avoiding mode in the recovery mode. And transmits the metering data to the data collecting device in a collision avoiding manner during the metering data collecting period according to the network operating period schedule, A communication unit for transmitting and receiving data for maintenance and repair of the network and the collecting device; And
And a control unit for controlling data transmission / reception of the communication unit,
Wherein the communication unit receives the inspection data request signal from the data collection device during the network maintenance period,
Wherein the control unit controls the communication unit to retransmit the inspection data when the communication unit receives the inspection data request signal. 11. The method of claim 10,
The collision avoidance method includes a CSMA / CA (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance)
Wherein the time slot allocation scheme includes a Time Slot Channel Hopping (TSCH) scheme. 11. The method of claim 10,
And the control unit transmits the metering data to the data collection device in a collision avoiding mode upon receiving the metering data request signal. Receiving meter reading data from one or more meter reading devices in a collision avoiding mode during a meter reading data collection period;
Determining whether there is a meter reading device that has not transmitted the meter reading data among the one or more meter reading devices in a time slot assignment mode during the meter reading data collection period;
Transmitting and receiving data for maintenance and repair of the network with the at least one meter reading device during a network maintenance period,
Wherein the step of transmitting and receiving data for maintenance and repair of the network comprises:
Setting a recovery mode for at least a part of the network repair period if a meter reading device that does not transmit the meter reading data exists,
And receiving the meter reading data from the meter reading device which has not transmitted the meter reading data in the recovery mode. 14. The method of claim 13,
The collision avoidance method includes a CSMA / CA (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance)
Wherein the time slot allocation scheme includes a Time Slot Channel Hopping (TSCH) scheme. 14. The method of claim 13,
Wherein the step of transmitting and receiving data for maintenance and repair of the network comprises:
And terminating the recovery mode upon receiving the meter reading data from the meter reading device that has not transmitted the meter reading data. 14. The method of claim 13,
Receiving a network participation request signal from the one or more meter reading devices; And
Further comprising the step of calculating a meter reading data collection period based on a total amount of meter reading data of one or more meter reading devices that have transmitted the network join request signal and a preset data throughput. 17. The method of claim 16,
Wherein the step of calculating the meter reading data collection period comprises the step of determining the total amount of the meter reading data based on the number of the one or more meter reading devices that transmitted the network participation request signal and the standard size value of the preset meter reading data, / RTI > 17. The method of claim 16,
Further comprising the step of determining the remaining period excluding the metering data collection period as the network maintenance period in a preset network operation period.

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