KR940008397B1 - Automatic inspection device - Google Patents

Abstract

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Description

Automatic meter reading device

1 is a block diagram showing the basic configuration of the automatic meter reading apparatus of the present invention.

2 is a flow chart showing a first embodiment of the automatic meter reading apparatus.

3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the fault determining means.

4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the transmitting means.

* Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

1, 103: phone 3, 104: meter monitor device

6, 101: pulse generator circuit 10, 106: microprocessor

13, 102: integration means 15, 105: transmission means

17, 107: fault determination means

The present invention relates to an automatic meter reading device that transmits the amount of gas, water, electricity and the like to a management center using a communication device.

In the case of the conventional gas, water, electricity, etc., there is a problem that the meter must deliberately inspect the totalizers attached to each value.

So today, an automatic meter reading device that transmits gas, water, electricity, etc. to a management center through a telephone line network is used. This automatic meter reading device uses a pulse generator circuit that generates a pulse signal according to the amount of gas, water, electricity, etc., an integration means for accumulating the generated pulse signal of the pulse generator circuit, and the integrated data using a telephone line network. Use a microphone processor programmed with a means of transmission. The pulse generating circuit used in the automatic meter reading device is provided with a switch or a poco coupler at a place (for example, a meter of an accumulator) that rotates or reciprocates according to the usage amount of gas, water, electricity, etc. This may cause malfunctions due to various factors such as external shock, excessive voltage application, incorrect handling, or intention of the user. And if the pulse generating circuit breaks, the automatic meter reading cannot be performed.

Here, the lead wire for fault reading of the Pulsing generation circuit is connected, and the self-diagnosis circuit is installed in the microprocessor or separately from the microprocessor. Notifying is designed. However, when the self-diagnosis circuit is mounted in the automatic meter reading device, it is necessary to install lead wiring between the pulse generating circuit and the self-diagnosis circuit and the self-diagnosis circuit. As a result, the automatic reading device equipped with a self-diagnosis circuit has a problem that the manufacturing cost increases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide an automatic meter reading apparatus capable of detecting a failure without adding a circuit or lead wiring for self-diagnosis.

In order to achieve the above object of the present invention, a pulse generating circuit 101 for generating a pulse signal in accordance with the amount of gas, water, electricity, etc. shown in FIG. Integrating means 102 for integrating the pulse signal and transmitting means 105 for transmitting data about the number of pulse signals accumulated in the integrating means 102 to the management center 104 using the communication device 103 are programmed. In the automatic meter reading apparatus provided with the microprocessor 106, the microprocessor 106 fails when the pulse generating circuit 101 does not generate a pulse signal over a predetermined time. And a failure determining means 107 for determining that the failure determining means 107 determines the failure of the pulse generating circuit 101. The pulse generating circuit 101 generates a pulse signal over a predetermined time period. Why doesn't it happen? To transmit to the management center using the transmitting means 105 as the technical means.

It is not conceivable to use gas, electricity or water for several days in normal life. Therefore, when no pulse signal is generated over a predetermined time (long term), it is considered that the pulse operation circuit does not operate.

In the present invention, when the pulse generating circuit does not generate a pulse signal over a predetermined time as shown in the above configuration, the failure determining means determines the failure of the pulse generating circuit, and transmits a "pulse" to the management center using the transmitting means. Generation circuit does not generate a pulse signal over a predetermined time. " This allows the management center to know the automatic meter reading device in which the pulse generating circuit is broken among the automatic meter reading devices installed in various places.

According to the present invention, it is possible to know the failure of the pulse generating circuit by the correspondence of the program in the microprocessor, and the result is that the installation of the lead wiring for installing the self-diagnosis circuit or the self-diagnosis circuit is unnecessary as in the prior art. It is possible to manufacture an automatic detection device that detects a failure of a low price.

Next, the automatic meter reading apparatus of this invention is demonstrated based on the Example shown in drawing.

2 shows a schematic block diagram of the automatic meter reading apparatus.

The telephone 1 is a communication device which electroprocesses sound waves and transmits them to a remote place via the telephone line network 2, and the telephone 1, which has received them, is reduced to sound waves again by electrical processing to make a call. In some households where the telephone 1 is installed, there is an automatic metering device 4 which periodically sends the amount of gas used in the household to a metering monitor device (computer) 3 of a gas management center (for example, a gas supply company). It is installed. The automatic meter reading device 4 is connected between the telephone 1 and the telephone line network 2 and has a control circuit 5 therein, and at the same time a pulse generating circuit for generating a pulse signal according to the gas usage in the outside. (6) is provided. The pulse generating circuit 6 is attached to a gas integrating meter (not shown) that accumulates and displays the amount of gas used. For example, a rotary plate that rotates in conjunction with a rotation meter in the gas integrating instrument is provided. At the same time, an opening thread is provided for every 10 liters of gas used in the rotary plate, and this pulse is detected by a photocoupler to generate a pulse signal, or the switch is turned on every 10 liters of gas using the rotary plate as a cam. It may be installed so as to generate a pulse signal.

The control circuit 5 includes a line use detection circuit 7 for detecting a call state of the telephone 1 connected to the automatic meter reading device 4, and a ring tone detection circuit 8 for detecting an incoming call tone of the telephone 1; And a change circuit 9 which separates the telephone line 1 and the telephone line network 2 and connects the internal circuits of the telephone line network 2 and the automatic detection device 4, and the microprocessor 10 in which various kinds of control are programmed. And a dial signal generation circuit 11 generated by converting the output of the microprocessor 10 into a dial signal or a push phone signal, and a monitor signal, for example, from the meter monitor device 3 of the management center. And a center signal detection circuit 12 for reception detection. The microprocessor 10 is programmed with an automatic meter reading function for performing automatic meter reading. The automatic meter reading function includes an integration means 13 for counting pulse signals generated by the pulse generating circuit 6, an input calender 14 for notifying the meter usage monitoring device 3 of the management center of gas usage; It is comprised by the transmission means 15 which transmits the usage-amount of the gas integrated by the integration means 13 to the meter reading monitor apparatus 3 of a management center when the calendar 14 shows the notification date and time of gas usage. And the calendar 14 is counted by the timer 16 built in the microprocessor 10. The microprocessor 10 is also programmed with a failure notification function for detecting a failure of the pulse generating circuit 6. It is not conceivable to use gas, electricity or water for several days in normal life. Therefore, when no pulse signal is generated over a predetermined time (above), it is considered that the pulse generating circuit 6 does not operate.

By using this, the fault notification function includes fault determination means 17 for determining that the pulse generation circuit 6 is faulty when the pulse signal of the pulse generation circuit 6 does not occur for a long time, and the transmission means 15. It is composed of As a result, the transmitting means 15 transmits the amount of usage to the meter monitor apparatus 3 of the management center, and the pulse generating circuit 6 causes the reason that "the pulse signal does not occur for a long time", that is, the pulse generating circuit 6. A function is also programmed to transmit a signal with a failure to the meter monitor device 3 of the management center. The fault determination means 17 is provided with a fault detection counter 18 connected to the timer 16 for measuring the interval of the pulse signal.

Next, an example of the operation of the failure determining means 17 will be described based on the flowchart of FIG.

First, the counter 18 is started in step S ₁ .

Next, at step S ₂ , it is determined whether or not the pulse generating circuit 6 has generated a pulse signal. If the determination result is Yes, the staff member sets (S _3), the counter 18 in the Lee and returns to the step (S _1). When the panda result of step S ₂ is NO, it is determined in step S _{4 whether} the counter 18 has reached a predetermined time (for example, 10 days or two weeks). If the result of the determination is NO, the process returns to step S ₂ , and if YES, the reason of "no pulse signal is generated over a long period" is determined in step S ₅ . Send to The setting time of the counter 18 may be easily set in accordance with the region or the use state.

Next, an operation example of the transmission means 15 will be described based on the flowchart of FIG.

When the gas consumption is transmitted to the meter monitor device 3 of the management center by the calendar 14 or when the failure determining means 17 detects a failure of the pulse generating circuit 6, the line usage is detected at step S ₁₁ . The circuit 7 judges whether or not the telephone 1 is busy.

And if an active call will return to the step (S _11), there is not a busy determines whether or whether the telephone 1 by the ringing detector circuit (8) in the step (S ₁₂₎ is of the incoming call. If while the incoming call is a return to the step (S _11), if not of the incoming call is to cut the telephone 1 and the telephone line network (2) by the conversion circuit (9) in the step (S _13), the phone The internal network (the dial signal generation circuit 11 and the center signal detection circuit 12) of the line network 2 and the automatic meter reading device 4 are connected (line closed). Next, at step S ₁₄ , it is determined whether 3 seconds have elapsed after the line is closed. If it is not lapsed, the process returns to the step (S _14). If the line is pyegyeol 3 seconds has elapsed, will automatically dial to the step (S _15), the dial signal generator inspection monitor unit 3 of the control center by using the circuit 11 in.

Next it is determined whether or not the step (S _16), the center signal detection circuit 12, a check whether a notification response signal line. When receiving the response signal, in step S ₁₇ , information on the gas usage amount or information on the failure of the pulse generating circuit 6 is transmitted in accordance with the transmission agreement of the transmission control.

Next, in step S ₁₈ , it is determined whether or not the center signal detection circuit 12 has received the information retransmission signal from the notification line. When the information retransmission signal is received, the process returns to step _S17 . Information is sent to up to three management centers. If the information retransmission signal is not received, it is determined in step S ₁₉ whether 3 seconds have elapsed after the transmission of the information has ended. If 3 seconds have not elapsed after the transmission of the information, the process returns to step S ₁₈ , and if 3 seconds have elapsed after the transmission type of the information, the conversion circuit 9 performs the telephone circuit network 2 at step S ₂₀ . ) And the internal circuits (dial signal generation circuit 11 and center signal detection circuit 12) of the automatic meter reading device 4 are disconnected, the telephone line 1 and the telephone network 2 are connected, and (the line is open). .

When not receiving a response signal from the line notification in step (S _16), it is determined whether or not 15 seconds have elapsed subsequent to the auto-dial notification to the line in the step (S _21). If 15 seconds have not elapsed, the process returns to the step (S _16), if a lapse of 15 seconds, then opens the line in the step (S _22). Then it is determined whether or not three or more times the outgoing line of the automatic dial in the step (S _23). If the calling number is less than 3 times, subjected to the line open in the step (S ₂₄₎ and determines whether or not 5 seconds have elapsed. If 5 seconds have not elapsed, the process returns to step S ₂₄ , and if 5 seconds has elapsed, the process returns to step S ₁₁ . If it is determined in step S ₂₃ that the number of times of automatic dialing has been performed three or more times, it is determined whether or not the number of times of automatic dialing has been performed in step S ₂₅ . If true end if the calling has been performed 9 times, and less than 9 times, it is determined whether or not 5 minutes have passed, standing is performed at the line opening step (S _26). When 5 minutes have not passed, step S ₂₆ is repeated, and when 5 minutes has elapsed, the process returns to step S ₁₁ again.

In this embodiment, as shown in the above embodiment, when the pulse generating circuit 6 does not generate a pulse signal over a predetermined time, the reason for the "pulse generation circuit does not generate a pulse signal over a predetermined time" is given to the management center. Since the control center transmits the data, the management center can know the automatic reading device 4 in which the pulse generating circuit 6 has failed among the automatic reading devices 4 installed in various places.

According to the present invention, since the failure of the pulse generating circuit 6 can be known only by the program processing in the microprocessor 10, it is unnecessary to install lead wiring for installing the self-diagnosis circuit or the self-diagnosis circuit as in the prior art. As a result, the automatic meter reading device 4 which detects the failure of the pulse generating circuit 6 can be manufactured cheaply, and the automatic meter reading device 4 can be provided to the market.

In addition, in this embodiment, a pulse generating circuit is attached to a gas integrator (not shown) and an example in which a pulse signal is generated by using rotation of a rotation meter in the gas integrator is shown. Therefore, a dedicated device for generating a pulse signal may be provided in the gas pipe. In addition, the automatic meter reading may be combined with other home security functions such as a gas burn notification function, a gas leakage alarm function, a crime prevention function, and the like to notify the management center of gas consumption of propane gas. In the present embodiment, the automatic meter reading of the gas consumption is taken as an example, but the same applies to the automatic meter reading of electricity or water.

Claims (1)

A pulse generation circuit for generating a pulse signal in accordance with the amount of gas, water, electricity, etc. used; integration means for integrating the pulse signal generated in the pulse generation circuit; and data relating to the number of pulse signals accumulated by the integration means. An automatic meter reading device having a microprocessor in which a transmission means for transmitting to a management center by a communication device is programmed, the microprocessor may generate the pulse when the pulse generation circuit does not generate a pulse signal over a predetermined time period. And a failure determining means for determining that the circuit is a failure, and the reason why the pulse generation circuit does not generate the pulse signal over a predetermined time when the failure determination means determines a failure of the pulse generation circuit. Automatic meter reading device configured to transmit to the management center through.

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