TWI831489B - Water flow transmitter and management method for flowmeters - Google Patents

Abstract

A water flow transmitter and management method for flowmeters are provided. The water flow transmitter stores a lookup table recording a first flowmeter number and a first identifier of multiple flowmeters. The processor is configured to transmit a setting command to the multiple flowmeters; receive a second flowmeter number and update the first flowmeter number of each flowmeter of the lookup table by the second first flowmeter number; sort the first flowmeter number to obtain an order value and respectively update the first identifier by the order value; transmit the first identifier to each flowmeter for updating the second identifier of each flowmeter, such that the second identifier is the same with the first identifier; and manage the multiple flowmeters by the first identifier.

Description

Water meter transmitter and water meter management method

This case relates to a transmitter and a method of managing the transmitter, in particular, to a water meter transmitter and a method of managing the water meter through the transmitter.

The usage of tap water is recorded by water meters, and the water company sends personnel to the site to install water meters one by one. Since manual configuration of water meter settings takes a lot of time and labor, when the number of water meters is huge, the efficiency of manual configuration of water meters drops significantly.

Furthermore, the operation of water meters usually does not have a data security protection mechanism. If an intentional person wants to steal sensitive data in the water meter or tamper with the water meter data, it will be difficult to maintain confidentiality of data security.

Accordingly, based on the waste of human resources caused by manual configuration of water meters and the inability to protect the data security of water meter setting data, how to achieve rapid setting and data inheritance of the device has become a technical problem to be solved in this case.

The structure of the present invention executes an automatic sorting process during the setting process, and can addressable and isolate damaged or abnormal water meters, avoiding the waste of manual setting resources and the low efficiency caused by the time waiting for reading caused by damaged devices in the network. problem.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a water meter sensor is disclosed, including a communication module, a storage module and a processor. The communication module is configured to connect to multiple water meters. The storage module is configured to store a lookup table, wherein the lookup table records a first water meter number and a first identification code of the plurality of water meters. The processor is coupled to the communication module and the storage module, wherein the processor is configured to: send a setting instruction to the plurality of water meters through the communication module, wherein each water meter is based on a setting instruction after receiving the setting instruction. A second water meter number is sent out successively at random times; the second water meter number is received through the communication module and updated to the first water meter number of each water meter in the lookup table; a sorting process makes the first water meter number The water meter number is used to obtain a sorting value and update the first identification code according to the sorting value; the first identification code is sent to each water meter through the communication module, and each water meter updates each water meter according to the received first identification code. A second identification code of the water meter makes the second identification code the same as the first identification code; and the plurality of water meters are managed through the first identification code.

According to an embodiment of the present case, a water meter management method is disclosed, which is applied to a water meter sensor. The method includes: connecting to the plurality of water meters through the water meter sensor, wherein the water meter sensor stores a lookup table, and the lookup table records A first water meter number and a first identification code of the plurality of water meters; sending a setting command to the plurality of water meters, so that each water meter successively sends a respective second water meter number based on a random time after receiving the setting command. ; Receive the second water meter number and record the first water meter number of each water meter in the lookup table respectively; sort the first water meter number to obtain a sorting value and update the first identification code according to the sorting value; by The communication module sends the first identification code to each water meter, and each The water meter updates a second identification code of each water meter according to the received first identification code, so that the second identification code is the same as the first identification code; and manages the plurality of water meters through the first identification code. .

100:Water meter transmitter

110: Communication module

120: Processor

130:Storage module

133:Lookup table

1332:First water meter number

1334: First identification code

300:Water meter

310: Second water meter number

320: Second identification code

500:Central control device

710, 720, 730, 740: communication sequence

a1~a8: position

S210~S260, S310~S370, S410~S480: steps

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a water meter management architecture according to an embodiment of this case.

Figure 2 is a flow chart of a water meter management method according to an embodiment of this case.

Figure 3 is a flow chart of a water meter management method according to an embodiment of this case.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of selective meter reading and water meter arrangement positions according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of processing an abnormal water meter detected according to an embodiment of the present case.

One embodiment of this case is described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

Please refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of a water meter management structure according to an embodiment of this case. As shown in FIG. 1 , the water meter transmitter 100 is electrically or communicatively connected to multiple water meters 300 and the central control device 500 . In one embodiment, the water meter transmitter 100 is connected to multiple water meters 300 through a serial communication protocol (Modbus) (such as RS485). The water meter transmitter 100 can be a router that receives water meter data from multiple water meters 300 and serves as a relay transmission device (Router) for the water meters 300. For example, the water meter transmitter 100 can transmit water meter data to a water utility system.

In one embodiment, the water meter sensor 100 includes a communication module 110, a processor 120 and a storage module 130. The processor 120 is electrically connected to the communication module 110 and the storage module 130 . Storage module 130 packs Includes lookup table 133. The lookup table 133 is used to record the first water meter number 1332 and the first identification code 1334 of each water meter 300 .

In one embodiment, the communication module 110 is configured to connect to multiple water meters 300 . The multiple water meters 300 may be products manufactured by the same or different manufacturers. In one embodiment, the water meter 300 includes a second water meter number 310 and a second identification code 320 . The second water meter number 310 is, for example, the machine code of the water meter 300 when it leaves the factory. The second identification code 320 is, for example, an identification code (Modbus ID) of the serial communication protocol. It is worth mentioning that the first water meter number refers to the water meter number stored in the lookup table 133 , and the second water meter number refers to the water meter number stored in the water meter 300 .

In one embodiment, when all water meters 300 are configured for the first time, since the water meter transmitter 100 has not yet obtained the second water meter number 310 of the water meter 300, the value of the field of the first water meter number 1332 in the lookup table 133 is null. ).

In one embodiment, the communication module 110 receives the second water meter numbers 310 from the plurality of water meters 300 . After the communication module 110 receives the second water meter number 310, the processor 120 updates the received second water meter number 310 of the water meter 300 to the first water meter number 1332 of the lookup table 133 respectively.

In one embodiment, the communication module 110 may support Global System for Mobile communication (GSM), Long Term Evolution (LTE), and Worldwide interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX). ), wireless fidelity (Wireless Fidelity, Wi-Fi), Bluetooth technology or wired network communication chip.

In one embodiment, the processor 120 may be a central processing unit (CPU), a system on chip (SoC), an application processor, a digital signal processor (digital signal processor) or a specific function Handle wafers or controllers.

In one embodiment, the storage module 130 may be a random access memory (Random Access Memory, RAM) or a non-volatile memory (such as flash memory, read only memory, ROM), Hard Disk Drive (HDD), Solid State Drive (SSD) or optical storage.

In one embodiment, the central control device 500 is connected to the water meter transmitter 100 through a serial communication protocol (such as RS485). The central control device 500 is used to access the data in the water meter sensor 100 and analyze the water meter data (such as flow data) through the graphical interface of the central control device 500 . The central control device 500 can be a tablet computer, a notebook computer, or an electronic device equipped with a processor and a storage medium that can execute related applications.

When the water meter 300 is not in use, its second identification code 320 is an initial value (for example, the value of the Modbus ID is 1). In other words, when multiple water meters 300 are connected to the water meter transmitter 100, the water meter transmitter 100 cannot distinguish and manage the multiple water meters 300 through the second identification code 320, but can only use the second water meter number 310 of the water meter 300 to operate the water meter. 300. In addition, since the length of the second water meter number 310 is usually quite long (for example, the length is 16 digits, a user management code of a water utility), it is quite inconvenient for users to manage the water meter 300 based on the second water meter number 310 . If the user does not use the second water meter number 310 to manage the water meter 300, he can only set the second identification codes 320 of the water meters 300 one by one. However, it takes quite a long time to set the second identification codes 320 of the water meters 300 one by one. Therefore, in some embodiments, this project proposes to use an automated identification code (Auto ID) to set the second identification code 320 of the water meter 300 to eliminate the manual setting process and improve management efficiency.

To further explain how the water meter transmitter 100 in this case automatically sets the second identification codes 320 of multiple water meters 300, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 for the following content. Figure 2 shows an embodiment of this case A flow chart of a water meter management method is shown. The water meter management method shown in FIG. 2 can be executed by the water meter transmitter 100 of FIG. 1 .

In step S210, the water meter transmitter 100 connects to multiple water meters 300 through the communication module 110.

In one embodiment, the number of water meters 300 that the water meter transmitter 100 can connect to at the same time through the communication module 110 is 20-50. In another embodiment, the number of water meters 300 that the water meter signal 100 can be connected to at the same time through the communication module 110 is 32, but is not limited.

In step S220, the processor 120 sends a setting command to the plurality of water meters 300 through the communication module 110.

In one embodiment, the water meter 300 calculates a random time after receiving the setting command, and waits for the random time before sending its second water meter number 310 to the water meter transmitter 100 . For example, if the random time is 50 milliseconds, the water meter 300 will count for 50 milliseconds before sending its second water meter number 310. This case ensures that the water meter transmitter 100 can receive packets (carrying the second water meter number 310) from different water meters 300 at different time points by making the random times calculated by multiple water meters 300 different, thereby avoiding the problem of Multiple water meters 300 return packets at the same time, causing packet loss.

In one embodiment, time is calculated and generated based on the weight value of the water meter and the time random number respectively.

In one embodiment, the water meter 300 can calculate the random time based on formula (1): random time = (last 3 digits of the water meter number % N × 10) + (R % 50) + C...Formula (1)

In formula (1), the parameter N is the number of water meter connections of the water meter transmitter 100 (for example, the total number of water meters 300 to be configured), and the parameter R is a random number generated by the water meter 300 (the random number range can be set by yourself), The symbol % is the modulus (Mod) operator, and the parameter C is a natural number (such as water meter transmitter 100 and water meter transmitter 100). transmission delay time between table 300). For example, if the last three digits of the water meter number are "789", parameter N is "32", parameter R is "6893" and parameter C is "4", the random time is 257 milliseconds.

In one embodiment, the water meter weight value may be the "%N×10" value in formula (1).

For the convenience of explanation, the parameter N in the following paragraphs is illustrated with a value of 32 and the parameter C is illustrated with a value of 4, but the case is not limited thereto.

In formula (1), the value of the random time ranges from 4 to 363 milliseconds. If it is considered that the transmission time required for each water meter 300 to send data to the communication module 110 to receive the data is 9 milliseconds, then the total time required for the water meter transmitter 100 is 288 milliseconds (32 units × 9 milliseconds). Therefore, the numerical range of [the last three digits of the water meter number %32×10] in formula (1) is 0 to 310. This numerical range can be close to the time required for the water meter transmitter 100 to receive the data of 32 water meters 300 one by one. time.

However, the [last 3 digits of the water meter number %32×10] in formula (1) has a value of 0, so formula (1) additionally adds the value of [(R % 50) + C] to avoid calculation The random time that comes out is 0.

Accordingly, based on the random time designed by formula (1), this case can allocate the transmission time of multiple water meters 300 in turn without causing the time interval to be too long or too short. At the same time, it can also ensure that the water meter transmitter 100 will receive all water meters. 300 data, and can achieve the best effect of transmitting water meter data.

Step S230, receive the second water meter number 310 through the communication module 110, and update it to the first water meter number 1332 of the water meter 300 in the lookup table 133 respectively.

In one embodiment, the water meter transmitter 100 receives a first number of second water meter numbers 310, where the first number may be less than the number of water meter connections. In other words, before the water meter transmitter 100 has received all the water meters 300, it will continue to receive the second water meter number that has not been recorded in the lookup table 133. 310 updates the first water meter number 1332 in the lookup table 133 so that the lookup table 133 records the number of an actually connected water meter.

In step S240, the processor 120 sorts the first water meter number 1332 to obtain a sorting value, and changes the first identification code 1334 according to the sorting value.

In one embodiment, the processor 120 sorts the received first number of first water meter numbers 1332, for example, sorting according to the size of the first water meter numbers 1332, so that each water meter 300 is associated with the sorting value. For example, the larger the first water meter number 1332, the smaller the sorting value.

In one embodiment, the sort value can be used to update the first identification code 1334 of the water meter 300. For example, if the sort value of the water meter 300 is the value 2, then the first identification code 1334 of the water meter 300 will be updated to the value 2. In this step, because there are a first number of first water meter numbers 1332 in the lookup table 133, a first number of first identification codes 1334 are updated.

In step S250, the first identification code 1334 is sent to the water meter 300 through the communication module 110. The water meter 300 updates its second identification code 320 according to the received first identification code 1334, so that the second identification code 320 is the same as the first identification code 320. Identification code 1334. In this step, the first number of water meters 300 will update their second identification codes 320 .

For ease of understanding, the following embodiment describes steps S230 to S250. On the other hand, in order to simplify the description of the embodiment, the number of connections of the water meters 300 is 7 as an example, but this case is not limited to this number.

In step S220, the water meter transmitter 100 sends setting instructions to 7 water meters (as shown in Table 1 below). Therefore, the 7 water meters will calculate their own random time according to the aforementioned formula (1), count their own random time and then send the second Water meter number 310 and second identification code 320. The random time obtained by each water meter They are all different from each other, so the water meter transmitter 100 will receive the second water meter numbers 310 of the seven water meters at different points in time.

In one embodiment, the water meter transmitter 100 receives the second water meter number 310 returned by the first number (for example, 3) of water meters 300 within the first time. The water meter transmitter 100 will first sort the second water meter numbers 310 of the first number of water meters 300 . In one embodiment, the water meter transmitter 100 is sorted according to the size of the second water meter number 310 . For example, the water meter transmitter 100 receives the data of water meter B, water meter D and water meter E among the seven water meters in the first time, and sorts out a sorting value according to the size of the second water meter number 310, that is, the value of water meter D. The sorting value is 1, the sorting value of water meter B is 2, and the sorting value of water meter E is 3.

After obtaining the sorting value, the water meter transmitter 100 obtains the first round of sorting values, and then writes the sorting values into the values of the identification codes of water meters B, D, and E in the lookup table 133, as shown in Table 1 below.

In one embodiment, before receiving the second water meter number 310, the water meter transmitter 100 sets the values of the first identification codes 1334 of all water meters 300 to an initial value (for example, 0) in the lookup table 133, that is, the lookup table The first identification codes 1334 of all water meters 300 in 133 are the same initial value.

It should be noted that water meters 300 manufactured by different manufacturers include data fields for recording the second identification code 320 . In addition, the second identification code 320 of each water meter is an initial value (for example, 1) when it leaves the factory. Therefore, when the water meter sensor 100 sets the initial value of the first identification code 1334 of the lookup table 133, it can be set according to the actual situation ( For example value 1).

Following the above example, after the first round of sorting (that is, the first number of second water meter numbers 310 are received within the first time of sorting), since the first identification codes 1334 of water meters B, D, and E in the lookup table 133 have been It is updated from the initial value (value 0) to the sorting value, so the updated first identification code 1334 is not equal to the initial value. The values of the identification codes of the remaining four water meters (water meters A, C, F, and G) remain at their initial values.

In one embodiment, when the number of first identification codes 1334 read in the lookup table 133 equal to the initial value is less than a threshold value, the water meter sensor 100 determines that all the second identification codes 320 of all water meters 300 have been updated. For example, if the initial value is 0, then when all the first identification codes 1334 in the lookup table 133 are not 0, the second identification codes 320 of all water meters 300 have been updated.

In step S260, the water meter transmitter 100 uses the first identification code 1334 to connect and manage multiple water meters 300.

In one embodiment, since the water meter transmitter 100 completes the setting of the second identification codes 320 for all water meters 300, and the first identification code 1334 of the lookup table 133 corresponds to the second identification codes 320 of all connected water meters 300, therefore The water meter transmitter 100 can use the lookup table 133 to identify all water meters 300 and perform subsequent operations, such as reading the flow data of the water meters 300 .

Please refer to FIG. 3 , which is a flow chart of a water meter management method according to an embodiment of the present invention. The water meter management method in FIG. 3 can be executed by the water meter transmitter 100 in FIG. 1 . Compared with FIG. 2 , FIG. 3 reveals the process of setting the second identification code 320 of the water meter 300 .

In step S310, the water meter transmitter 100 sets the first identification code 1334 of each water meter 300 in the lookup table 133 as an initial value.

In one embodiment, the initial value may be a value of 0.

In step S320, the processor 120 sends a setting command to the plurality of water meters 300 through the communication module 110. The description of this step is similar to step S220 in Figure 2, so it will not be repeated again.

In step S330, the communication module 110 receives the second water meter number 310 and updates it to the first water meter number 1332 of the water meter 300 in the lookup table 133 respectively. The description of this step is similar to step S230 in Figure 2, so it will not be repeated again.

In step S340, the processor 120 sorts the first water meter number 1332 to obtain a sorting value and updates the first identification code 1334 from the initial value to the sorting value.

Following the above embodiment, the water meter transmitter 100 receives the second water meter number 310 returned by the three water meters 300 within the first time, and after obtaining the first round of sorting values, updates the lookup table 133 with the sorting values ( As shown in Table 1 above).

In step S350, the first identification code 1334 is sent to the water meter 300 through the communication module 110. The water meter 300 updates its second identification code 320 according to the received first identification code 1334, so that the second identification code 320 is the same as the first identification code 320. An identification code of 1334. The description of this step is similar to step S250 in Figure 2, so it will not be repeated again.

In step S360, the water meter transmitter 100 determines whether the identification codes of all water meters 300 have been updated.

In one embodiment, the water meter transmitter 100 calculates the number of first identification codes 1334 of all water meters 300 in the lookup table 133 that are equal to the initial values. When the number of first identification codes 1334 equal to the initial value is less than a threshold, it means that the second identification codes 320 of all water meters 300 have been updated, and step S370 is executed. When the number of first identification codes 1334 equal to the initial value is not less than a threshold value, it means that the second identification codes 320 representing all water meters 300 have not been updated, and it is necessary to return to step S330.

For example, the threshold value can be 1. Following the above example, the number of first identification codes 1334 of the water meters 300 in the first round in the lookup table 133 (Table 1) is equal to the initial value, which is 4 (including water meters A, C, F, and G). Since the number 4 is not less than the threshold value 1, the second identification code 320 of the water meter has not been updated at this stage, and it is necessary to return to step S330.

In one embodiment, the water meter transmitter 100 receives the second water meter number 310 returned by the second number (for example, 4) water meters 300 within the second time and updates the second water meter number 310 to the lookup table 133 ( Step S330), wherein the second time is after the first time. It is worth mentioning that part of the second water meter number 310 received by the water meter transmitter 100 at the second time may have been received at the first time. Therefore, the water meter transmitter 100 only needs to respond to the second water meter number 310 that has not yet been received. Water meter number 310 is updated to lookup table 133.

In one embodiment, the water meter transmitter 100 sorts all currently updated first water meter numbers 1332 and updates the existing first identification code 1334 with the newly obtained sorting value (step S340).

For example, the water meter transmitter 100 updates the first water meter numbers 1332 of water meters A, water meter C, water meter F and water meter G among the seven water meters 300 at the second time, and can be based on all updated first water meter numbers 1332 The sequence of the sorting values from water meter A to water meter G is "7-4-1-5-2-6-3", among which the sorting value of water meter A is "7".

After obtaining the new sorting value (second round), the water meter transmitter 100 writes the sorting values into the lookup table 133 respectively, as shown in Table 2 below.

For example, the water meter transmitter 100 receives the second water meter number 310 of water meter B at the first time, so the second water meter number 310 of water meter B will be added to the sorting and the sorting value of water meter B in the first round is obtained as "2" . At this time, the first identification code 1334 of water meter B in the first round in the lookup table 133 will be updated from the initial value "0" to the sorting value "2".

The water meter transmitter 100 will receive the second water meter number 310 of other water meters at the second time. Because other water meter numbers are added to the sorting, the first identification code 1334 of water meter B in the second round will change. For example, the sorting value of water meter B in the second round is "4". At this time, the first identification code 1334 of water meter B in the second round in the lookup table 133 is updated from the original value "2" to the second round sorting value "4".

As explained above, the water meter transmitter 100 sorts all the water meter numbers that have been received so far. If the water meter numbers have been sorted in the first round and the corresponding identification code has been updated (for example, the identification code of water meter B in the first round is 2), then in the second round because other new water meter numbers are added to the sorting, The water meter numbers are sorted again and the corresponding identification codes are updated to new sorting values (for example, the identification code of water meter B in the second round is updated to 4). In other words, before the identification codes of all water meters 300 are completely updated, the value (sorting value) of the identification code of each water meter 300 in each round may be different.

In one embodiment, the water meter transmitter 100 uses a random time difference between all water meters 300 to maximize the amount of water meter data received in each round.

It is worth mentioning that the first time and the second time can be a self-designed time length, so that the processor 120 performs each round of sorting according to the time length. In another embodiment, the processor 120 may perform one round of sorting after receiving several second water meter numbers (eg, 5).

If the second identification codes 320 of all water meters 300 have been updated, in step S370, the water meter transmitter 100 completes the setting process of all water meters 300.

The water meter sensor 100 completes the setting process, which means that the second identification codes 320 of all water meters 300 have been updated, and the second identification codes 320 of the water meters 300 are different from each other, so that the user can target the second identification codes when managing the water meters 300 320 to distinguish the water meter 300. Accordingly, this case can automatically set the water meters 300, thus solving the waste of human resources caused by manually setting the water meters 300 one by one, and improving the efficiency of managing the water meters 300.

It is worth mentioning that after completing the process of setting all water meters 300 in step S370, the second identification codes 320 of all water meters 300 are set with different identification codes, and the first identification codes 1334 recorded in the lookup table 133 are the same as The second identification code 320 enables the water meter transmitter 100 to manage the water meter 300 having the second identification code 320 that is the same as the first identification code 1334 according to the first identification code 1334 of the lookup table 133 . In the following description, in some cases, the first identification code 1334 and the second identification code 320 are used interchangeably because they have the same numerical value.

In one embodiment, the algorithm for sorting the first water meter number 1332 in step S240 and step S340 may be a bubble sort algorithm, a selection sort algorithm, an insertion sort algorithm, a quick sort algorithm, a stacking sort algorithm, or any other algorithm. sorting algorithm.

In one embodiment, the water meter transmitter 100 can use a communication sequence to set the order in which the water meters 300 are to be polled (ie, read in turn). The communication sequence is the sequence of the second identification codes 320 of the water meters 300 to be read. For example, the sequence of the second identification code 320 recorded in the communication sequence is "1-2-3-4-5-6-7", then the water meter transmitter 100 polls the water meter C-E-G-B-D-F-A in sequence (as shown in Table 2 above) ).

Please refer to FIG. 4 , which is a schematic diagram of selective meter reading and water meter placement according to an embodiment of the present invention. The water meter transmitter 100 can design different communication sequence patterns to selectively read the water meter data of the corresponding water meter 300 . The water meter data includes flow data, a second water meter number 310 and a second identification code 320.

In one embodiment, after the water meter transmitter 110 completes the setting of the second identification code 320 of the water meter 300, the first identification code 1334 recorded in the lookup table 133 may correspond to the installation locations of multiple water meters 300. As shown in Figure 4, the water meter corresponding to the first identification code having the numerical value "4" (and the second identification code of this water meter also having the numerical value "4") is set at position a1. The water meter corresponding to the first identification code having the numerical value "8" (and the second identification code of this water meter also having the numerical value "8") is set at position a2. The water meter corresponding to the first identification code having the numerical value "12" (and the second identification code of this water meter also having the numerical value "12") is set at position a3, and so on.

In one embodiment, the water meter sensor 100 can sequentially read water meters having the same second identification code 230 as the numerical sequence according to a numerical sequence of the communication sequence mode, so as to selectively read multiple water meters. several.

For example, the communication sequence mode is expressed by formula (2): Communication sequence mode = A×n+B. ． ． Formula (2)

Among them, the first parameter A and the second parameter B are preset natural numbers, and the variable n is a natural number.

For example, the communication sequence mode can be 4n+1 or 3n+2, etc. When the communication sequence mode used by the processor 120 is 4n+1, the numerical sequence is 1-5-9-13, in which the variable n is 0, 1, 2 and 3. The values of the first parameter A and the second parameter B and the end value of the variable n can be designed differently depending on the situation.

In one embodiment, the communication sequence records the second identification codes 320 of the plurality of water meters 300 to be read, and the communication sequence pattern is a rule or pattern representing the communication sequence. For example, if the communication sequence mode is 4n+1, the communication sequence is, for example, 1-5-9-13-17-21-25-29. If the total number of water meters 300 is 32, the water meter transmitter 100 does not need to read all water meters, but selectively reads some of the water meters 300 according to the order of the communication sequence, for example, with the communication sequence 1-5-9- 13-17-21-25-29 to read the water meters with the second identification codes 1, 5, 9, 13, 17, 21, 25 and 29 respectively. In this way, the water meter transmitter 100 can jump first Through partial water meters (for example, water bills do not need to be settled yet), only the part of the water meters whose data is needed can be read, and the time required to read the water meter data can be greatly reduced.

As shown in Figure 4, the communication sequence mode of communication sequence 710 is 4n+1; the communication sequence mode of communication sequence 720 is 4n+2; the communication sequence mode of communication sequence 730 is 4n+3; and the communication sequence mode of communication sequence 740 is 4n. Among them, the variable n can be a natural number from 0 to 8.

In one embodiment, the communication sequences 710 to 740 can respectively correspond to locations (such as booths) with different reading frequencies. For example, locations a1 to a8 are planned as stalls for temporary tenants (such as daily rent), and are respectively configured with water meters with second identification codes of 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, and 32. 300, where position a1 corresponds to the water meter with an identification code of 4, position a2 corresponds to a water meter with an identification code of 8, and so on. In this embodiment, the communication sequence 740 indicates the eight water meters 300 with identification codes 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28 and 32 based on their communication sequence pattern (ie, 4n).

In one embodiment, the water meter transmitter 100 selects a communication sequence mode according to the reading frequencies of multiple water meters, so as to use the communication sequence of the communication sequence mode to read several of the multiple water meters.

For example, the reading frequency of the water meters located at positions a1 to a8 is once every half hour. Since the water consumption of temporary tenants needs to be counted more frequently, the stalls of temporary tenants can be set up at locations a1 to a8. When the water meter sensor 100 needs to read the water consumption of the temporary tenant's stall every half hour and calculate the total water consumption for a day, the communication sequence 740 can be used to read the eight water meters 300 at locations a1 to a8. In this way, the water meter transmitter 100 does not need to frequently read the data of all water meters 300 in order to read the eight water meters at positions a1 to a8 (for example, the data of the other 24 water meters except the 8 water meters at positions a1 to a8 are not required). There is no need to be read), by selectively prioritizing the required water meters, the communication speed of the water meter transmitter 100 can be maximized, and the water bill can be quickly calculated.

In one embodiment, the water meter transmitter 100 polls the water meter 300 according to the communication sequence. Under normal operation, the water meter 300 will return water meter data to the water meter transmitter 100.

In one embodiment, if the water meter transmitter 100 does not receive a response from the water meter 300 within a period of time, it will send the request again to the non-responding water meter 300 and record the number of non-responses as one. If the number of unresponsive times reaches a cumulative number (for example, 3 times), the water meter transmitter 100 will classify the unresponsive water meter 300 as an abnormal water meter and remove the first identification code 1334 of the abnormal water meter from the communication sequence.

In one embodiment, the water meter transmitter 100 will back up the water meter data of the abnormal water meter (such as all flow data since the abnormal water meter was activated, the second water meter number 310 and the second identification code 320) to the storage module 130.

Since the first identification code 1334 of the abnormal water meter is removed from the communication sequence, the water meter transmitter 100 will not read the abnormal water meter the next time it polls the water meter 300 according to the communication sequence. Accordingly, the water meter sensor 100 can avoid the waiting time caused by reading abnormal water meters, and ensure that the communication between the water meter sensor 100 and other normal water meters will not be affected by abnormal water meters, thereby improving the performance of the water meter sensor 100 in reading water meters. .

In one embodiment, after the water meter transmitter 100 removes the first identification code 1334 of the abnormal water meter from the communication sequence, it can try to read the abnormal water meter again one day later. If the water meter transmitter 100 receives a response from an abnormal water meter, the subsequent steps are illustrated in Figure 5 .

Please refer to FIG. 5 , which is a flow chart of processing an abnormal water meter detected according to an embodiment of the present case. When an abnormal water meter is excluded from the communication sequence, the abnormal water meter may be damaged and cannot be used anymore and needs to be replaced with a replacement water meter. Alternatively, the abnormal water meter can continue to be used after repair.

In one embodiment, the replacement water meter is installed at the location of the abnormal water meter. The replacement water meter can be a brand new water meter or an old water meter that can still be used after repair. If the water meter transmitter 100 obtains a response from a water meter originally installed at the location of the abnormal water meter, the responding water meter may be a replacement water meter or an old water meter after repair.

In one embodiment, the lookup table 133 has recorded the first water meter numbers 1332 of multiple normal water meters. It should be noted that if the replacement water meter is a brand new water meter, the lookup table 133 does not contain any information about the replacement water meter (such as the first water meter number 1332 and the first identification code 1334).

In step S410, the water meter transmitter 100 sends a repair command to a replacement water meter. In one embodiment, the central control device 500 is connected to the water meter transmitter 100, and sends the repair command through the human-machine interface, and sends the repair command to all water meters 300 through the water meter transmitter 100. After receiving the repair command, the replacement water meter will send its second water meter number 310 to the water meter signal 100. The description of this step is similar to the aforementioned step S220 (step S320) and will not be repeated here.

In step S420 , the water meter transmitter 100 updates the second water meter number of the replacement water meter to the first water meter number of the lookup table 133 . The description of this step is similar to the aforementioned step S230 (step S330) and will not be repeated here.

In step S430, the water meter transmitter 100 sorts the first water meter numbers 1332 of the multiple normal water meters and the replacement water meters to obtain the sorting values, and updates the first identification codes 1334 of the multiple normal water meters and the replacement water meters in the lookup table 133 respectively according to the sorting values. . The description of this step is similar to the aforementioned step S230 (step S330) and step S240 (step S340), and will not be repeated here.

In one embodiment, the water meter transmitter 100 returns the first identification code 1334 to each normal water meter and the replacement water meter respectively, so that each normal water meter and the replacement water meter are updated according to the first identification code 1334. Respective second identification code 320. The description of this step is similar to the aforementioned step S250 (step S350) and will not be repeated here.

In step S440, the water meter transmitter 100 determines whether the second identification codes 320 of all water meters 300 have been updated. The description of this step is similar to the aforementioned step S360 and will not be repeated here.

In step S450, the water meter transmitter 100 determines whether the first water meter number 1332 of the abnormal water meter in the lookup table 133 is different from the first water meter number 1332 of the replacement water meter.

In one embodiment, when the water meter sensor 100 determines that an abnormality occurs in a certain water meter, it will read the water meter again after a period of time (such as one day). If the abnormal water meter can return to normal operation after repair, there is no need to use a new water meter.

In step S450, if the replacement water meter is the original water meter, the first water meter number 1332 of the replacement water meter will be the same as the first water meter number 1332 of the abnormal water meter. At this time, the step of processing the abnormal water meter proceeds to step S480.

In step S480, the water meter transmitter 100 does not write the backed up flow data of the abnormal water meter into the replacement water meter. Since the replacement water meter is a repaired water meter and has all the water meter data as the original water meter, the water meter transmitter 100 does not need to write back the backup data to the replacement water meter.

In one embodiment, if the abnormal water meter still cannot return to normal operation after repair, a new water meter is needed to replace the abnormal water meter. In step S450, if the replacement water meter is a new water meter, the first water meter number 1332 of the replacement water meter will be different from the first water meter number 1332 of the abnormal water meter. At this time, the step of processing the abnormal water meter proceeds to step S460.

In step S460, the water meter transmitter 100 uses the first identification code 1334 of the replacement water meter to connect to the replacement water meter and writes the backed up flow data of the abnormal water meter into the replacement water meter. In one embodiment, the replacement water meter is installed at the location of the abnormal water meter to replace the abnormal water meter. In the aforementioned step S430, replace the water meter The first identification code 1334 has been updated, and in step S460, the replacement water meter receives the backup flow data of the abnormal water meter from the water meter transmitter 100, so the replacement water meter can inherit the data and setting values of the old water meter (i.e., the abnormal water meter), and Ensure that all water meter data are consistent and replaceable.

In step S470, the water meter transmitter 100 completes the setting procedures of all water meters 300. The description of this step is similar to the aforementioned step S370 and will not be repeated here.

In one embodiment, the transmission between the water meter transmitter 100 and the water meter 300 will be encrypted. For example, the water meter transmitter 100 will encrypt the data packet before sending any data packet, so the data packet received by the water meter 300 is encrypted data to prevent the data of the water meter 300 from being tampered with. On the other hand, the water meter 300 will also encrypt the data packet before sending any data packet to prevent devices other than the water meter transmitter 100 from intercepting the data of the water meter 300, thereby preventing the sensitive data of the water meter 300 from being stolen. Encryption algorithms include symmetric encryption algorithms. In other embodiments, the encryption algorithm includes a hexadecimal (HEX) code encryption algorithm (such as hashing), a hash (Harsh) encryption algorithm, and the use of Object Security of Constrained Application (OSCOAP). Protocol) encryption algorithm. In one embodiment, the water meter transmitter 100 can decrypt the data packet of the water meter 300, and the water meter 300 can decrypt the data packet of the water meter transmitter 100. Accordingly, this case can improve the data security between the water meter transmitter 100 and the water meter 300, preventing the data of the water meter 300 from being tampered with and sensitive data from being stolen. Following the above concept, this case provides a data encryption format and encryption method, so that during the above setting process, the data is kept confidential and the settings will not be tampered with.

In summary, the water meter transmitter 100 and the water meter management method of this case can automatically set the second identification code 320 of the water meter 300 to improve management efficiency, and can ensure that the water meter transmitter 100 does not miss any water meter by designing random times. 300's data, there is no need for the manager to manually confirm the unset water meter 300 later, so the effect of comprehensive automatic configuration of the water meter 300 can be achieved.

The above are only specific examples of this case, and do not limit the scope of the patent application in this case. Therefore, all equivalent changes made by applying the content of this case are similarly included in the scope of this case and are hereby stated.

S210~S260: steps

Claims (21)

A water meter transmitter, including: a communication module configured to connect to multiple water meters; A storage module configured to store a lookup table, wherein the lookup table is used to record a first water meter number and a first identification code of the plurality of water meters; A processor coupled to the communication module and the storage module, wherein the processor is configured to: Send a setting command to the plurality of water meters through the communication module, wherein each water meter successively sends its own second water meter number based on a random time after receiving the setting command; Receive the second water meter number through the communication module and update the first water meter number to each water meter in the lookup table respectively; Sort the first water meter number to obtain a sorting value and update the first identification code according to the sorting value; The updated first identification code is sent to each water meter through the communication module, and each water meter updates a second identification code of each water meter based on the received first identification code, so that the second identification code is the same. at the first identification code; and The plurality of water meters are managed through the first identification code. The water meter transmitter of claim 1, wherein the random time is calculated and generated based on a water meter weight value and a time random number respectively. The water meter transmitter of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to: Before receiving the second water meter number, set the first identification code of each water meter in the lookup table to an initial value; After generating the sorting value, updating the first identification code in the lookup table from the initial value to the sorting value; and When the number of the first identification codes in the lookup table equal to the initial value is less than a threshold value, it is determined that all the second identification codes of each water meter have been updated. The water meter transmitter of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to: Sort the first water meter number at a first time to obtain a first sorting value, and change the first identification code according to the sorting value; When it is determined that the first identification codes of the plurality of water meters have not all been updated, continue to receive the second water meter numbers transmitted by the plurality of water meters based on the random time and update the first water meter numbers in the lookup table respectively; and Sorting the first water meter numbers at a second time to obtain a second sorting value, and updating the first identification code according to the second sorting value, wherein the first sorting value of each water meter is different from the second sorting value , and the second time is after the first time. The water meter sensor as described in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to back up a flow rate data of the abnormal water meter and the second water meter number when an abnormal water meter is detected among the plurality of water meters, wherein when the abnormal water meter is detected, When the processor determines that the number of responses from the multiple water meters has not been received for a predetermined number of times, it marks the water meter that has not responded as an abnormal water meter. The water meter sensor as described in claim 5, wherein the plurality of water meters include a plurality of normal water meters and a replacement water meter, the lookup table records the first water meter number of the plurality of normal water meters, and the replacement water meter is set on the abnormal water meter. is located, and the processor is configured to: Send a repair command to a replacement water meter, causing the replacement water meter to send the second water meter number, and record the second water meter number of the replacement water meter in the first water meter number of the lookup table; Sorting the first water meter numbers of the multiple normal water meters and the replacement water meter to obtain the sorting value and changing the first identification codes of the multiple normal water meters and the replacement water meter in the lookup table respectively according to the sorting value; The first identification code is sent to the plurality of normal water meters and the replacement water meter through the communication module, so that the plurality of normal water meters and the replacement water meter update the second identification code according to the received first identification code, so that The second identification code is the same as the first identification code. The water meter transmitter of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to use the replacement when it is determined that the first water meter number of the replacement water meter in the lookup table is different from the first water meter number of the abnormal water meter. The first identification code of the water meter is connected to the replacement water meter and the flow data of the abnormal water meter is written into the replacement water meter. The water meter transmitter of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to sort the first water meter numbers according to the size of the first water meter numbers. The water meter transmitter of claim 1, wherein the first identification code corresponds to the installation locations of the plurality of water meters, and the processor is configured to: The plurality of water meters having the same second identification code as the communication sequence are sequentially read according to a communication sequence of a communication sequence mode, so as to selectively read several of the plurality of water meters. The water meter transmitter of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to select the communication sequence mode according to a reading frequency of the plurality of water meters to use the communication sequence of the communication sequence mode to read the plurality of water meters. of several. A water meter management method, applied to a water meter transmitter, the method includes: Connected to the plurality of water meters through the water meter transmitter, wherein the water meter transmitter stores a lookup table for recording a first water meter number and a first identification code of the plurality of water meters; Send a setting command to a plurality of water meters, so that each water meter successively sends a second water meter number based on a random time after receiving the setting command; Receive the second water meter number and record the first water meter number of each water meter in the lookup table; Sort the first water meter number to obtain a sorting value and update the first identification code according to the sorting value; The updated first identification code is sent to each water meter through the communication module, and each water meter updates a second identification code of each water meter based on the received first identification code, so that the second identification code is the same. at the first identification code; and The plurality of water meters are managed through the first identification code. The water meter management method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the time-varying time is calculated based on a water meter weight value and a time random number respectively. The water meter management method described in request item 11 further includes: Before receiving the second water meter number, set the first identification code of each water meter in the lookup table to an initial value; After generating the sorting value, updating the first identification code in the lookup table from the initial value to the sorting value; and When the number of the first identification codes in the lookup table equal to the initial value is less than a threshold value, it is determined that all the second identification codes of each water meter have been updated. The water meter management method described in request item 11 further includes: Sort the first water meter number at a first time to obtain a first sorting value, and change the first identification code according to the sorting value; When it is determined that the first identification codes of the plurality of water meters have not all been updated, continue to receive the second water meter numbers transmitted by the plurality of water meters based on the random time and record the first water meter numbers in the lookup table respectively; as well as Sorting the first water meter numbers at a second time to obtain a second sorting value, and updating the first identification code according to the second sorting value, wherein the first sorting value of each water meter is different from the second sorting value , and the second time is after the first time. The water meter management method described in request item 11 further includes: When an abnormal water meter among the plurality of water meters is detected, a flow data of the abnormal water meter and the second water meter number are backed up, wherein the water meter sensor does not receive a response from the water meter sensor for a predetermined number of times. times, the water meter that has not responded is marked as an abnormal water meter. The water meter management method described in claim 15 further includes: Set a replacement water meter to the location of the abnormal water meter, wherein the lookup table records the first water meter number of multiple normal water meters; Send a repair command to a replacement water meter to cause the replacement water meter to send the second water meter number; record the second water meter number of the replacement water meter in the first water meter number of the lookup table; Sorting the first water meter numbers of the multiple normal water meters and the replacement water meter to obtain the sorting value and changing the first identification codes of the multiple normal water meters and the replacement water meter in the lookup table respectively according to the sorting value; Send the first identification code to the plurality of normal water meters and the replacement water meter, so that the plurality of normal water meters and the replacement water meter update the second identification code according to the received first identification code, so that the second identification code Same as the first identification code. The water meter management method as described in request item 16 further includes: When the first water meter number of the replacement water meter in the lookup table is different from the first water meter number of the abnormal water meter, the first identification code of the replacement water meter is used to connect to the replacement water meter and the abnormal water meter is connected to the first water meter number of the abnormal water meter. The flow data is written to the replacement water meter. The water meter management method as described in claim 11, wherein the step of sorting the water meter numbers further includes: The first water meter numbers are sorted according to the size of the first water meter numbers. The water meter management method as described in claim 11, wherein the data exchange between the water meter transmitter and the plurality of water meters uses an encryption algorithm, and the encryption algorithm includes a hexadecimal (HEX) code encryption algorithm, hash code Harsh encryption algorithm and encryption algorithm using Object Oriented Security Protocol (OSCOAP). The water meter management method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first identification code corresponds to the installation locations of the plurality of water meters. After completing the step of setting the identification code, the step includes: The plurality of water meters having the same second identification code as the communication sequence are sequentially read according to a communication sequence of a communication sequence mode, so as to selectively read several of the plurality of water meters. The water meter management method described in claim 20 further includes: The communication sequence mode is selected according to a reading frequency of the plurality of water meters to read several of the plurality of water meters using the communication sequence of the communication sequence mode.

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