KR20240012008A - Remote meter device capable of repairing malfunctions and operating method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

A remote meter reading terminal device capable of recovering from malfunctions and a method of operating the same are disclosed. A remote meter reading terminal device capable of malfunction recovery according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a mode change unit and a mode change unit that changes the operating state of an MCU (Micro Controller Unit) from the first operation mode to the second operation mode at a preset collection cycle. When the operation state of the MCU is changed to the second operation mode by the unit, the usage collection unit that collects usage from the meter, the network interface unit that transmits the collected usage to the supply server, and the operation state of the MCU are changed to the second operation mode. It includes a count unit that counts the duration of the second operation mode from a point in time, and a reset unit that resets the MCU when the duration of the second operation mode exceeds a preset reference time as a result of the count.

Description

Remote meter reading terminal device capable of recovering from malfunction and its operating method {REMOTE METER DEVICE CAPABLE OF REPAIRING MALFUNCTIONS AND OPERATING METHOD THEREOF}

The present invention relates to a remote meter reading terminal device capable of malfunction recovery and an operating method thereof. More specifically, the present invention relates to a remote meter reading terminal device capable of malfunction recovery that automatically resets the MCU in situations where operation is not smooth to restore operation errors. and methods of operation thereof.

Substances closely related to daily life, such as city gas, electricity, and water, are supplied to consumers such as homes and businesses through a supplier, and the supplier measures the amount used by each consumer and charges a fee based on the usage.

In order to measure the amount used by each customer, it is common for each customer to be individually equipped with a meter, and the supplier must periodically accurately measure the meter and charge an accurate fee to each customer.

The most classic method of measuring meters was to assign dedicated personnel for weighing and have the personnel visit each house and measure the meters directly with the naked eye. This classic meter measurement method may take an excessive amount of time to weigh all customers depending on the number of personnel, and many measurement and recording errors occur due to manual work, and even in the process of entering manually prepared measurements into the computer. There was a problem where an error occurred.

As a way to solve the problems of manual work, wireless meter reading terminals that can be carried by personnel dedicated to weighing have appeared. However, the wireless meter reading terminal only relieved the inconvenience caused by manual input, but errors in the input process were still not resolved.

With the development of information and communication technology, a system for installing a remote meter reading terminal device connected to an existing meter has emerged as a way to solve various problems related to meter measurement. In this case, the remote meter reading terminal device receives the measured value of the meter and transmits it to the server, and is equipped with a communication module for communication with the server.

Like electronic devices with general communication functions, firmware is installed in the remote meter reading terminal device. However, frequent civil complaints are occurring due to malfunctions of firmware installed in remote meter reading terminal devices.

Even though firmware malfunction problems are often solved by system reset, the customer is not aware of this and ends up applying for after-sales service. Frequent A/S occurrences cause problems with manpower and costs for A/S processing, and if A/S specialists are not deployed, technicians do not have enough time to carry out on-site work due to A/S processing. There is a problem that causes the reliability of companies that supply remote meter reading terminal devices to decline.

Domestic Registered Patent No. 10-1779943 (published on September 13, 2017)

The technical problem to be achieved by the present invention in order to solve the above-described problems is to automatically reset the MCU and then perform operations that could not be performed before when a situation in which the remote meter reading terminal device is not operating smoothly is identified. The purpose is to present a remote meter reading terminal device capable of recovering from malfunctions and its operation method.

The problems of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

As a means to solve the above-described technical problem, a remote meter reading terminal device capable of recovering malfunctions according to an embodiment of the present invention changes the operating state of an MCU (Micro Controller Unit) from the first operation mode to the second operation mode at a preset collection cycle. A mode change unit that changes the operation mode, a usage collection unit that collects the usage amount from the meter when the operation state of the MCU is changed to the second operation mode by the mode change unit, a network interface unit that transmits the collected usage amount to the supply server, A counter that counts the duration of the second operation mode from the time the operation state of the MCU is changed to the second operation mode, and a counter that resets the MCU when the duration of the second operation mode exceeds a preset reference time as a result of the count. Includes a reset unit.

Preferably, the first operation mode may be a sleep mode, and the second operation mode may be a wake-up mode.

Also preferably, when the MCU is reset in the reset unit, RAM (Random Access Memory) and stack can be initialized.

Also preferably, when the reset of the MCU by the reset unit is completed, it may further include a control unit that controls the network interface unit to retransmit the usage amount to the supply server.

Meanwhile, a method of operating a remote meter reading terminal device capable of malfunction recovery according to another embodiment of the present invention includes changing the operating state of the MCU (Micro Controller Unit) from the first operation mode to the second operation mode at a preset collection cycle. Step, when the operation state of the MCU is changed to the second operation mode, collecting usage from the meter, transmitting the collected usage to the supply server, second operation from the time the operation state of the MCU is changed to the second operation mode It includes counting the duration of the mode, and resetting the MCU when the duration of the second operation mode as a result of the counting exceeds a preset reference time.

Preferably, the first operation mode may be a sleep mode, and the second operation mode may be a wake-up mode.

Also preferably, in the resetting step, when the MCU is reset, RAM (Random Access Memory) and stack may be initialized.

Also preferably, after the reset step, a step of retransmitting the usage amount to the supply server may be further included.

According to the present invention, the remote meter reading terminal device detects a malfunction on its own, resets the MCU on its own when the malfunction is detected, and is capable of restoring the malfunction by changing the malfunction state to a normal operation state without the administrator's manipulation; It has the effect of providing his method of operation.

In addition, as the remote meter reading terminal device repairs malfunctions on its own, there is no need for a manager to visit the site and the possibility of civil complaints is reduced, which has the effect of increasing work efficiency.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

1 is a network configuration diagram of a remote meter reading system capable of recovering malfunctions according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a block diagram of a remote meter reading terminal device capable of malfunction recovery according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
3 is a diagram illustrating the operating state of a remote meter reading terminal device capable of recovering malfunctions according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a remote meter reading terminal device capable of recovering from a malfunction according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The above objects, other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be easily understood through the following preferred embodiments related to the attached drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein and may be embodied in other forms. Rather, the embodiments introduced herein are provided so that the disclosed content will be thorough and complete and so that the spirit of the present invention can be sufficiently conveyed to those skilled in the art.

In this specification, when an element is referred to as being on another element, it means that it may be formed directly on the other element or that a third element may be interposed between them. Additionally, in the drawings, the thickness of components is exaggerated for effective explanation of technical content.

In this specification, when terms such as first, second, etc. are used to describe components, these components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are merely used to distinguish one component from another. Embodiments described and illustrated herein also include complementary embodiments thereof.

Additionally, when a first element (or component) is referred to as being operated or executed on (ON) a second element (or component), the first element (or component) means that the second element (or component) is ON. It should be understood as being operated or executed in an environment in which it is operated or executed, or operated or executed through direct or indirect interaction with a second element (or component).

If any element, component, device, or system is said to contain a component consisting of a program or software, even if explicitly stated, that element, component, device, or system is not intended to allow that program or software to run or operate. It should be understood as including hardware (e.g., memory, CPU, etc.) or other programs or software (e.g., operating system or drivers required to run the hardware) required to run the computer.

In addition, unless specifically stated in the implementation of an element (or component), it should be understood that the element (or component) may be implemented in any form of software, hardware, or software and hardware.

Additionally, the terms used in this specification are for describing embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. As used herein, singular forms also include plural forms, unless specifically stated otherwise in the context. As used in the specification, 'comprises' and/or 'comprising' does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other elements.

1 is a network configuration diagram of a remote meter reading system capable of malfunction recovery according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a remote meter reading system for securing a product warranty period according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention consists of a meter 100, a remote meter reading terminal device 200, and a supply server 300.

The meter 100 is a device that measures the usage of a meter reading object. When a meter reading object is supplied from a supplier through a supply pipe, it is installed and connected to a supply pipe on the demand side. Here, the meter reading target may be any energy source that measures usage periodically and charges fees according to the cycle, such as water and sewage, city gas, and electricity.

The meter 100 is standardized to communicate with external devices using a universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART) communication method.

The meter 100 may be installed indoors, but may also be installed outdoors depending on the situation. When the meter 100 is installed outdoors, the meter is installed inside a protective case to protect against weather phenomena and external shocks.

The remote meter reading terminal device 200 is connected to the meter 100 through a wired cable, and can transmit and receive information to and from the meter 100 using the UART communication method. When the meter 100 is installed outdoors and inside the protective case, the remote meter reading terminal device 200 is also installed inside the protective case.

The remote meter reading terminal device 200 transmits the usage measured by the meter 100 to the supply server 300 through communication with the supply server 300. For this purpose, the remote meter reading terminal device 200 supports network communication.

In this way, the remote meter reading terminal device 200 collects usage from the meter 100 and transmits the collected usage to the supply server 300. In this process, if a malfunction of internal hardware or software occurs, a situation may arise in which the corresponding function cannot be performed.

At this time, there may be a situation where a serious problem has occurred in the remote meter reading terminal device 200, but in most cases, considering that power is always supplied to the remote meter reading terminal device 200, resetting the remote meter reading terminal device 200 may be necessary. There are many situations that can be resolved.

Conventionally, in order to reset the remote meter reading terminal device 200, an administrator had to visit and perform an operation to reset the device. However, in this embodiment, the remote meter reading terminal device 200 determines a malfunction state and determines that it is in a malfunction state. If so, perform a reset on its own.

That is, the remote meter reading terminal device 200 determines its own operating state, and if it determines that its operating state is in a malfunction state, it resets itself. Through this operation, the administrator can reset the remote meter reading terminal device 200 without having to visit the installation location of the remote meter reading terminal device 200. The remote meter reading terminal device 200 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 2 described later.

The supply server 300 is a server on the supply side that supplies energy sources corresponding to the meter reading target to each demand place. The meter 100 and a remote meter reading terminal are used to measure the amount of energy source used by each demand place and charge a fee. The device 200 is installed at each demand location.

Figure 2 is a block diagram of a remote meter reading terminal device capable of recovering from malfunctions according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, the remote meter reading terminal device 200 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a hardware unit 210 and a software unit 220.

The hardware unit 210 is a part that includes the hardware configuration of the remote meter reading terminal device 200, and is linked with the software unit 220, including an MCU 211, RAM (Random Access Memory) 212, and STACK (213).

The software unit 220 is a part that includes the software configuration of the remote meter reading terminal device 200, and includes a mode change unit 221, usage collection unit 222, network interface unit 223, and count unit 224. , a reset unit 225, and a control unit 226.

The mode change unit 221 changes the operation state of the MCU (Micro Controller Unit) from the first operation mode to the second operation mode at a preset collection cycle. The operating state of the remote meter reading terminal device 200 is divided into a first operation mode and a second operation mode.

The first operation mode may be a sleep mode, and the second operation mode may be a wake-up mode. The sleep mode is a mode corresponding to the operating state in the standby state because there is no need to perform any special operation, and the wake-up mode is a mode for starting the operation because the remote meter reading terminal device 200 needs to perform an operation. am.

The remote meter reading terminal device 200 must normally remain in sleep mode, but change to wake-up mode and begin operation when a preset collection period is reached. Accordingly, the mode change unit 221 changes the sleep mode to the wake-up mode when the collection cycle arrives, and changes the wake-up mode back to the sleep mode when the corresponding operation is completed.

When the operation state of the MCU 211 is changed to the second operation mode by the mode change unit 221, the usage collection unit 222 collects the usage amount from the meter 100. The meter 100 and the remote meter reading terminal device 200 are connected through a wired cable, and the usage collection unit 222 can collect usage from the meter 100 through this wired cable.

The network interface unit 223 supports the network interface of the remote meter reading terminal device 200. Through this, the remote meter reading terminal device 200 can communicate with the supply server 300 and transmit and receive necessary information. For example, the remote meter reading terminal device 200 can transmit the usage collected by the usage collection unit 222 to the supply server 300 and receive update information such as firmware from the supply server 300. .

The counter 224 counts the duration of the second operation mode from the time when the operation state of the MCU 211 changes from the first operation mode to the second operation mode. The second operation mode duration corresponds to situations such as communication delays in the normal time required for the remote meter reading terminal device 200 to collect usage from the meter and transmit the collected usage to the supply server 300. It is desirable to set it considering the spare time for.

The reset unit 225 resets the MCU 211 when the duration of the second operation mode exceeds a preset reference time as a result of the count by the counter 224. When the MCU 211 is reset, memories such as RAM 212 and stack 213 are also initialized.

The control unit 226 controls the overall operation of the remote meter reading terminal device 200. That is, the control unit 226 controls signal input and output between the mode change unit 221, usage collection unit 222, network interface unit 223, count unit 224, and reset unit 225.

When the reset of the MCU 211 is completed by the reset unit 225, the control unit 226 controls the network interface unit 223 to retransmit the usage amount to the supply server 300 in preparation for a situation in which the previous operation was not completed. Let's do it.

Figure 3 is a diagram for explaining the operating state of a remote meter reading terminal device capable of recovering from a malfunction according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment, changes in the operating state of the remote meter reading terminal device 200 according to time changes will be explained. (a) corresponds to a normal operating state, and (b) corresponds to an abnormal operating state.

(a) is a normal operating state, and states A and B appear alternately according to a preset cycle. Here, state A may be a sleep mode as the first operation mode, and state B may be a wake-up mode as the second operation mode.

In reality, the time intervals between state A and state B may be different from each other, but in this embodiment, they are shown as the same period for convenience of explanation. When the remote meter reading terminal device 200 operates as shown in (a), there is no problem and normal operation is performed.

(b) is an abnormal operating state, which changes from state A to state B at a preset period, but does not return to state A and continues in state B.

The fact that state B continues means that an error occurred while the remote meter reading terminal device 200 was collecting usage from the meter 100 and the usage collection was not completed, or the collected usage could not be transmitted to the supply server 300. This means that a problem has occurred, such as a transmission error occurring and the transmission of usage not being completed, which means that a situation has occurred in which the operation cannot be completed normally.

State C changes from state A to state B, but state B does not return to state A, and state B continues, is shown as state C. Since the occurrence of state C means that it is not in a normal operating state, the control unit 226 controls the reset unit 225 to reset the MCU 211.

Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a remote meter reading terminal device capable of recovering from a malfunction according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Here, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4, a method of operating a remote meter reading terminal device capable of recovering from a malfunction according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described.

When the preset collection period reaches the remote meter reading terminal device 200, the mode change unit 221 changes the operation state of the MCU 211 from the first operation mode to the second operation mode (S401). That is, the MCU 211 in sleep mode can be changed to wake-up mode.

When the operation state of the MCU 211 is changed to the second operation mode (S403-Y), the count unit 224 counts the operation mode duration from the time when the first operation mode is changed to the second operation mode (S405), The usage amount collection unit 222 collects the usage amount from the meter 100 (S407). At this time, if there is a problem with the connection between the meter 100 and the remote meter reading terminal device 200, the collection of usage may not be smooth.

The usage collected from the meter 100 by the usage collection unit 222 is transmitted to the supply server 300 by the network interface unit 223 (S409). At this time, if communication between the remote meter reading terminal device 200 and the supply server 300 is not smooth, the usage amount may not be transmitted properly.

If the operation mode duration exceeds the standard time as a result of the count by the counter 224, the control unit 226 controls the reset unit 225 to reset the MCU 211.

The reset unit 225 resets the MCU 211 (S413). Along with resetting the MCU 211, the RAM 212 and stack 213 are also initialized. As the MCU 211, RAM 212, and stack 213 are initialized, unnecessary data is cleaned up and various errors can be resolved.

After the reset is completed by the reset unit 225, the network interface unit 223 retransmits the usage collected from the meter 100 to the supply server 300 (S415), and the mode change unit 221 retransmits the usage amount collected from the meter 100 to the MCU 211. ) changes the operation state to the first operation mode (S417).

If the operation mode duration does not exceed the reference time in step S411, that is, if the second operation mode is smoothly changed to the first operation mode, the meter 100 and the remote meter reading terminal device 200 operate smoothly. Since this is being done, steps S413 to S417 are unnecessary.

Through this procedure, when the wake-up mode continues for an abnormally long time, it is determined that a malfunction of the remote meter reading terminal device 200 has occurred, and the MCU 211 of the remote meter reading terminal device 200 is reset on its own. By resetting the MCU 211, errors in the remote meter reading terminal device 200 can be resolved to some extent.

By resetting the MCU 211 on its own when an error occurs in the remote meter reading terminal device 200, it is possible to minimize situations in which an administrator must visit a remote location in person and the possibility of civil complaints occurring.

Those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains will understand that the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without changing its technical idea or essential features. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims described below rather than the detailed description above, and all changes or modified forms derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalent concepts should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention. do.

200: remote meter reading terminal device 210: hardware unit
211: MCU 212: RAM
213: Stack 220: Software section
221: Mode change unit 222: Usage collection unit
223: network interface unit 224: count unit
225: reset unit 226: control unit

Claims (8)

a mode changer that changes the operation state of the MCU (Micro Controller Unit) from the first operation mode to the second operation mode at a preset collection cycle;
a usage collection unit that collects usage from a meter when the operation state of the MCU is changed to the second operation mode by the mode change unit;
a network interface unit transmitting the collected usage amount to a supply server;
a counter that counts the duration of the second operation mode from the time when the operation state of the MCU is changed to the second operation mode; and
A remote meter reading terminal device capable of recovering malfunctions, comprising: a reset unit that resets the MCU when the duration of the second operation mode exceeds a preset reference time as a result of the count. According to claim 1,
A remote meter reading terminal device capable of recovering from a malfunction, wherein the first operation mode is a sleep mode and the second operation mode is a wake-up mode. According to claim 1,
A remote meter reading terminal device capable of recovering from a malfunction, wherein when the MCU is reset in the reset unit, RAM (Random Access Memory) and stack are initialized. According to claim 1,
When the reset of the MCU by the reset unit is completed, a control unit that controls the network interface unit to retransmit the usage amount to the supply server. Changing the operation state of the MCU (Micro Controller Unit) from the first operation mode to the second operation mode at a preset collection cycle;
When the operating state of the MCU changes to the second operating mode, collecting usage from a meter;
transmitting the collected usage amount to a provision server;
Counting the duration of the second operation mode from the time when the operation state of the MCU is changed to the second operation mode; and
As a result of the count, if the duration of the second operation mode exceeds a preset reference time, resetting the MCU. According to claim 5,
A method of operating a remote meter reading terminal device capable of recovering from a malfunction, wherein the first operation mode is a sleep mode and the second operation mode is a wake-up mode. According to claim 5,
In the resetting step, when the MCU is reset, the RAM (Random Access Memory) and the stack are initialized. According to claim 5,
A method of operating a remote meter reading terminal device capable of recovering from a malfunction, further comprising: retransmitting the usage amount to the supply server after the resetting step.

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