SK5722001A3 - System and method for reading and billing of consumption values - Google Patents

Abstract

A measuring point (3) collects consumption values for properties. A data collector (4) assembles collected consumption values. A memory device (5,9) stores the data collected in the data collector. A user terminal (8) connects to an external data network (11) such as the Internet where a program application (10) runs access and input modules for consumer billing.

Description

Technical field

The invention relates to a system for selecting and reading consumed quantities of an object with at least one measuring point for recording the consumed quantities of the object, with at least one data collector for associating the recorded consumed quantities, a recording device for storing data stored in the data collector. to an external data network, in particular to the Internet, as well as to an appropriate way.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

For consumption-dependent deductions, such as heat or water costs in apartments or industrial premises, it is currently common to deduct the quantities consumed once a year. Readings are recorded manually, on a laptop computer, or remotely downloaded via modem and transmitted to a value deduction firm. In addition, such a company shall receive, in writing or by electronic means, data on the cost of heat or water for the entire building, as well as data on the individual tenants of the building. Subtracted quantities, cost data and tenant data are then processed for consumption dependent deduction. In particular, rental buildings which are not managed by a housing community or by an organization in charge of the management of the house have the problem that the establishment and transmission of data entails considerable effort.

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EP-924 949 A1 discloses a computer-aided data recording, data processing and communication system in which the consumed quantities are recorded at a measuring point by means of a data transmission device and transmitted to a central computer unit in which a data record of the object is available . The data record contains the quantities actually consumed and one predetermined expected value that is related to it. The user can access the Internet or some direct connection to the central computer unit to inspect the data record and to check whether its actual consumption corresponds to or exceeds the expected value. below. The consumption status can then be adjusted if necessary. The database may contain, in addition to the main set of data pertaining to the building and service offerings, a list of building owners, consumption deductions, address change forms. Thus, for example, the user can call up a prepared form, transfer it to his terminal, fill in and send it back to a computer unit, in which the data is evaluated and, if necessary, the corresponding operations begin. However, the lessor cannot deduct the consumption costs himself. However, this is done through a company (specializing in it) and can only be viewed via the Internet. In addition, all data necessary for the deduction, such as tenant and consumption cost data, must be stored and managed in a database, which entails considerable effort.

EP 0 884 569 A1 and DE 297 19 851 U1 disclose consumption determination devices in which consumption data are read and recorded by means of a chip card. These smart cards are then either sent directly to the counting center or introduced into a suitable reading device which transfers the data recorded on the smart card, for example, over the telephone network to the counting center. Here too, the lessor has no influence on the deduction of consumption costs.

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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a system for selecting and counting of the aforementioned type that is easy to operate and allows the user a high degree of flexibility in determining deductions.

In principle, this object is achieved by providing a program in the external data network to determine the consumption deduction, a program having a module for accessing consumed amounts in the data recording device and a module for storing secondary data such as cost data and tenant data and that the program is serviceable by the user at the user terminal.

With the system according to the invention, the entire process of data collection and data processing can be carried out by the owner or manager of the rented building without requiring the intervention of the company in charge of selecting or evaluating the quantities consumed. The consumed quantities recorded by the readers of the measured values at the various measuring points, which are pooled in the data collectors and temporarily stored in the recording equipment, can be processed and read at any time directly by the owner or administrator using the program. Programs of this type which, when retrieved from the Internet, are loaded on the user's local terminal, for example, on a computer with an Internet connection, can send cost and tenant data locally to the user's terminal. Usual encoding means reliably protect tenant data from unauthorized access by third parties. In addition, the owner or administrator has the cost deduction immediately available after the programs have been introduced without having to wait for the processing carried out by a specialized firm.

According to the invention, the data is transferred via a modem connection from the data collector to a recording device accessible to the program. Transmission is planned at least once a year. The recording device can also be integrated into the user terminal, which then forms a central computer unit. In this way, consumption data is recorded directly with the owner or manager,

31695 T at any time so they have them at any time available without the need to connect to the central computer unit via the data network.

In another embodiment of the invention, the data recording device is a portable recording device such as a smart card. At least one data collector has a communication interface written to a smart card. The sending of data by means of a modem and / or an external data network may thus be excluded. For example, the owner or manager of the apartment goes to the building with the smart card once a year and reads the data collector, or the tenant reads the consumed quantities on the smart card and leaves the owner or manager with the smart card with the intercepted values.

It may be provided that a program from an external data network can be stored on the user terminal, thereby becoming prominently available upon storage. Then, the entire consumption reading can be performed without access to the external data network when the consumption data is stored either on the smart card or on the user terminal itself. Calling from the Internet is only necessary if the program is updated.

Preferably, the module is configurable to access consumed amounts in a user program for various recording devices.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for selecting and subtracting consumed amounts of an object, wherein the recorded consumed amounts are pooled at at least one measuring point and transmitted to a recording device at intervals of time. A program that is available from an external data network, in particular from the Internet, is run by a user from the user terminal to determine the consumption countdown, and the program establishes a link to the recording device to retrieve the necessary consumption data, thereby giving the user a countdown. such as cost and tenant data, and the program deducts the quantities consumed and makes them available to the user at the user terminal.

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In this way, the program examines the entered secondary data preferably for credibility.

In order to save the input of fixed data for future readings, it is proposed according to the invention that the program memorize the variable data along with the corresponding secondary data of the counting unit at the user terminal. These data can then be read by the program at the next countdown without the need for re-entry.

The method can be carried out particularly advantageously with the system for selecting and subtracting the amounts used as described above.

The invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawing shows schematically an arrangement of a system for selecting and counting consumed amounts according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the system area 6, the recorded consumed amounts are pooled and stored in memory to be further processed in the system area 2 and, for example, read.

The area 6 comprises a plurality of metering points 3 which record characteristic consumed quantities of an object such as water or heat consumption and which are connected to the data collector 4 to associate the recorded data. This connection may be established by a conductive connection or by radio. To this end, in the present case, the measuring points 3 have a corresponding radio signal source and a data collector 4 have a corresponding radio signal receiver. Especially in larger houses, multiple data collectors 31695 T can be planned. · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · Approximately one per apartment, which can communicate with each other and, advantageously, can transmit all the consumed quantities to the central data collector 4.

The amounts consumed are stored in the data recording device 5 to be collected at regular intervals, but at least once a year. For this purpose, the data collector 4 is used, in the manner of being implemented via a modem connection 6 of a fixed network or a GSM network with, for example, a central computer unit 7 on which the consumed quantities are stored. The computer unit 7 is connected to or integrated in the user terminal 8. However, it is also possible to operate the computer unit 7 separately and via a further modem connection 6 or the like to connect to the user terminal 8.

An alternative way of storing the consumed amounts is that there are always smart card interfaces (not shown) for the data collector 4 and the user terminal 8 into which the smart card is pluggable. In the data collector 4, the consumption data is written to the smart card and read in the user terminal 8. It is also possible to use “Smart Cards” to store the consumed quantities.

The system area 2 comprises a user terminal 8 from which the consumed amounts stored on the recording device 5 can be accessed. The user terminal 8 is, for example, at the owner or facility manager to allow the consumption data to be read separately. For this purpose, the user terminal 8 can access a power-down timer 10 available in an external data network 11, such as the Internet, and is constructed as an Internet program in a conventional programming language, such as a Java script, and the like.

After invoking the program 10 in the external data network, the necessary parts of the program are loaded into the central computer (web server) and / or loaded onto the user terminal 8 to load the program. In particular, one module for accessing consumed amounts in the recording device 5 and with one module for entering secondary data such as cost data, tenant data and the like.

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The module for reading the consumed amounts can be set by the user to various recording devices 5, such as a computer unit 7, a chip card 9 and the like. Once configured, the module accesses the intermediate stored consumptions separately during program run.

, The secondary data entry module requires the user to enter the data necessary to read into the data fields designed for this. After entering *, a plausibility test is carried out to examine whether the data is complete or whether there is an obvious error. A complete entry is submitted when all the fields marked as mandatory show actual input values after the entry. In addition, a simple check can be made to ensure that numbers or letters have been entered in the correct positions.

In order to ensure that the quantities consumed are correctly matched to the secondary data, the consumed quantities of the counting unit may be assigned a feature that must be entered when the counting is made to ensure that the consumed quantities are correctly assigned to the counting unit and avoid simple confusion.

Once the data is fully entered, the program accesses the stored stored quantities and creates a consumption countdown that can be printed by the user. In addition, the program may establish static information on consumption and / or consumption trends in recent years and make it available to the user.

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With the proposed system for the collection and deduction of • quantities consumed, the building owner or manager captures all the required data and creates a finished deduction program, which is sent directly or at the request of the consumption deduction firm, eg transmitted and printed via the Internet.

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Claims (9)

PATENT CLAIMS System for collecting and reading consumed quantities of an object, with at least one measuring point (3) for registering consumed quantities of an object, with at least one data collector (4) for associating registered consumed quantities, with a recording device (5, 9) for recording the data collected in a data collector (4) and a user terminal (8) which is connectable to an external data network, in particular the Internet, characterized in that a program (10) is provided in the external data network (11) for generating a countdown (12) the program (10) having a module for accessing consumed amounts in the data recording device (5, 9) and a module for entering secondary data such as cost or tenant data, and that the program (10) is serviceable by a user on a user terminals (8). System according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one data collector (4) comprises a modem (6) or the like for conveying the consumed amounts to the data recording device (5). System according to claim 1 or characterized in that the data recording device (5) is integrated in the user terminal (8). System according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one data collector (4) has an interface for writing to a portable recording device, in particular a smart card (9). System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the program (10) can be stored from the external data network (11) to the user terminal (8). 31695 T ·· ····················· · ··· ·· · System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the module for accessing consumed quantities is user configurable for various data recording devices (5, 9). A method for selecting and subtracting consumed quantities of an object, wherein at least one measuring point (3) the registered consumed quantities are pooled and transferred at certain intervals to a data recording device (5, 9), characterized in that in an external data network (11), in particular the Internet, there is an executable program (10) available for generating a user consumption readout from the user terminal (8), wherein the program (10) forms a connection to the data recording device (5, 9) to read consumption, wherein the user enters the necessary secondary data to create a deduction, such as cost or tenant data, and wherein the program (10) creates a deduction of consumed quantities and makes it available to the user at the user terminal (8). Method according to claim 7, characterized in that, with the aid of a program (10), the entered secondary data are examined for plausibility. Method according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the user terminal (8) stores variable data with secondary data corresponding to the counting unit.