WO2017183137A1

WO2017183137A1 - Smart meter

Info

Publication number: WO2017183137A1
Application number: PCT/JP2016/062528
Authority: WO
Inventors: 亮松芝; 剛士斎藤; 下江　寧文; 森本　正英
Original assignee: 三菱電機株式会社
Priority date: 2016-04-20
Filing date: 2016-04-20
Publication date: 2017-10-26
Also published as: JPWO2017183137A1; JP6556340B2

Abstract

Disclosed is a smart meter, wherein a terminal unit 13, voltage line 9, transformer 10, power supply unit 17, and switch unit 12, which include metal sections, respectively, are disposed at one end section in a meter main body, and at the other end section in the meter main body, an antenna unit 7 is disposed by being separated from the terminal unit, voltage line, transformer, power supply unit, and switch unit, thereby enabling to mount a communication board 4a and the antenna unit 7 in the smart meter main body, and enabling to achieve size reduction without deteriorating antenna characteristics.

Description

Smart meter

The present invention relates to a so-called smart meter having an electric energy measuring function and a communication function.

Smart meter is a next-generation watt-hour meter that enables two-way communication between consumers and electric power companies and has an energy management function. A smart meter is a power measurement unit that implements a function to measure the amount of power, etc., a terminal part that connects power lines, a terminal cover that covers the terminal part, a measurement board that is mounted inside the power measurement unit, and wireless or wired communication. It is comprised from the communication board to perform, and the opening-and-closing part which turns on and off of an electric current.

As a smart meter communication method, wireless communication (Patent Document 1) or wired communication (Patent Document 2) is used. In the case of wireless communication, a 2.4 GHz band (IEEE 802.15.4), a 920 MHz band (IEEE 802.15.4 g), a 400 MHz band (ARIB STD-T67) band, or the like is used as a communication frequency. In the case of wired communication, power line carrier communication (hereinafter referred to as PLC communication) is the mainstream. Communication methods and frequency bands differ depending on the country and power company.

As a method of mounting the communication board on the smart meter, when the communication frequency is 2.4 GHz band, 920 MHz band, etc. during wireless communication, the communication board is covered with a protective cover with the antenna mounted, and the outside of the meter body It is often attached to. On the other hand, in the case of the 400 MHz band, since the antenna is enlarged, the antenna is separated from the communication board, and both the antenna and the communication board are attached to the outside of the meter body while being covered with a protective cover.
In the case of PLC communication, the communication board is often covered with a protective cover and attached outside the meter body.

JP2015-129647A JP 2010-4346 A

Smart meter that uses wireless communication and PLC communication, a communication board and antenna are mounted inside the main body of the smart meter, and switching between wireless communication and PLC communication methods can be realized simply by replacing the communication board. It is desirable to realize a meter.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems. A communication board and an antenna are mounted inside the main body of the smart meter, and switching between communication methods of wireless communication and PLC communication is realized only by changing the communication board. The purpose is to realize a small and inexpensive smart meter.

In the smart meter according to the present invention, the terminal part including the metal part, the voltage line, the transformer, the power supply part, and the opening / closing part are disposed at one end part in the meter body,
The antenna unit is disposed at the other end in the meter body so as to be spatially separated from the terminal unit, the voltage line, the transformer, the power source unit, and the opening / closing unit. The substrate and the antenna part can be mounted inside the main body of the smart meter, and downsizing can be realized without deteriorating the antenna characteristics.

The smart meter of this invention is
An electric energy measuring unit for measuring electric energy;
An electric energy display unit for displaying electric energy;
A communication board for performing wireless communication or power line carrier communication with the outside;
An open / close unit for power supply power outage;
A power supply unit that generates power to be supplied to the power measurement unit, the power display unit, the communication board, and the opening / closing unit;
An antenna unit used when performing wireless communication with an external device through a communication board;
A measurement board on which the power measurement unit, the power display unit, a communication board, and the antenna unit are mounted;
A connector for connecting the communication board and the measurement board;
Wiring that connects the communication board and the power line that are required at the time of the power line carrier communication,
A voltage line for supplying a voltage to the electric energy measuring unit;
A transformer that detects the current flowing in the power line and outputs the current to the power measurement unit;
A terminal part for connecting a power line;
A smart meter with
The terminal part including the metal part, the voltage line, the transformer, the power supply part, and the opening / closing part are disposed at one end part in the meter body,
Since the antenna portion is disposed spatially separated from the terminal portion, the voltage line, the transformer, the power source portion, and the opening / closing portion at the other end portion in the meter body.
The communication board and the antenna can be mounted inside the main body of the smart meter, and the size can be reduced without deteriorating the antenna characteristics.

It is a figure which shows Embodiment 1 of this invention, and is a perspective view which shows an example of the external appearance of a smart meter. It is a figure which shows Embodiment 1 of this invention, and is a front view which shows an example of schematic structure inside a smart meter. It is a figure which shows Embodiment 1 of this invention, and is the vertical side view which looked at the cross section in the A1-A1 line shown by FIG. 2 in the arrow direction. It is a figure which shows Embodiment 1 of this invention, and is a front view which shows an example of a structure of the measurement board mounted in an electric energy measuring unit. It is a figure which shows Embodiment 1 of this invention, and is a block diagram which shows an example of the main function parts of an electric energy measuring unit. It is a figure which shows Embodiment 1 of this invention, and is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the pin arrangement | positioning of the connector which connects a communication board | substrate and a measurement board | substrate. It is a figure which shows Embodiment 1 of this invention and is explanatory drawing which shows an example of arrangement | positioning of an impedance matching circuit. It is a figure which shows Embodiment 2 of this invention, and is a front view which shows the other example of schematic structure inside a smart meter. It is a figure which shows Embodiment 2 of this invention, and is the vertical side view which looked at the cross section in the A2-A2 line shown by FIG. 8 in the arrow direction. It is a figure which shows Embodiment 2 of this invention, and is a block diagram which shows the other example of the main function part of an electric energy measuring unit. It is a figure which shows Embodiment 2 of this invention, and is explanatory drawing which shows an example of pin arrangement | positioning of the connector which connects a lead wire. It is a figure which shows Embodiment 3 of this invention, and is a front view which shows the further another example of schematic structure inside a smart meter. It is a figure which shows Embodiment 3 of this invention, and is the vertical side view which looked at the cross section in the A3-A3 line shown by FIG. 12 in the arrow direction. It is a figure which shows Embodiment 3 of this invention, and is a block diagram which shows the other example of the main function part of an electric energy measuring unit. It is a figure which shows Embodiment 4 of this invention, and is a front view which shows the further another example of schematic structure inside a smart meter. It is a figure which shows Embodiment 4 of this invention, and is a top view which shows an example of the antenna using the lead | read | reed of an electric energy display part. It is a figure which shows Embodiment 4 of this invention, and is a front view which shows an example of the antenna using the lead | read | reed of an electric energy display part.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the smart meter 1.
In the description of Embodiments 1 to 4 below, among the three-dimensional X direction, Y direction, and Z direction, the horizontal direction is the X direction, the vertical direction is the Y direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X direction and the Y direction ( Depth direction) is exemplified as the Z direction. Also, the length in the X direction is expressed as width, the length in the Y direction as height, and the length in the Z direction as thickness.

2, FIG. 3, FIG. 4, and FIG. 5 show an example of a schematic configuration of the smart meter 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a front view showing an example of a schematic configuration inside the smart meter. 3 is a longitudinal side view of the cross section taken along the line A1-A1 shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a front view showing an example of the configuration of a measurement board mounted on the electric energy measurement unit. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of main functional units of the electric energy measuring unit.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the smart meter 1 includes a measurement board 3 that measures electric energy, a wireless communication board 4 a that performs wireless communication, and a general-purpose connector that connects the wireless communication board 4 a and the measurement board 3. 5. Detected by antenna unit 7 mounted on measurement board 3, power line 8 for supplying power, voltage line 9 for transmitting voltage from power line 8 to measurement board 3, transformer 10 for detecting current, transformer 10 A current line 11 for transmitting current to the measurement board 3, an electric energy measuring unit 2 having an opening / closing part 12 for turning on and off the current, a terminal part 13 for connecting the power line 8, a terminal cover 14 for covering the terminal part 13, It has.

The smart meter 1 is installed in each consumer and can automatically transmit the amount of power used using the communication function to a management center such as an electric power company. Also, with this communication function, it is possible to remotely control the open / close unit 12 from the management center and remotely control connection and disconnection of wiring.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing the configuration of the measurement board 3 mounted on the electric energy measurement unit 2. The measurement board 3 includes an electric energy measurement unit 15, an electric energy display unit 16, a power supply unit 17, and an antenna unit 7, and a wireless communication board 4 a is attached to the back surface of the measurement board 3 via a connector 5. The measurement board 3 and the wireless communication board 4a are electrically connected by a connector 5. As shown in the figure, the wireless communication board 4a and the antenna unit 7 are arranged in the electric energy measuring unit 2, that is, in the electric energy meter main body, without being covered with a general protective cover for protecting them.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating an example of main functional units of the electric energy measuring unit 2. The electric energy measuring unit 2 includes an electric energy measuring unit 15, an electric energy display unit 16, an opening / closing unit 12, a power supply unit 17, an antenna unit 7, and a wireless communication substrate 4a.
In FIG. 5, among the connection lines among the electric energy measurement unit 15, the electric energy display unit 16, the opening / closing unit 12, the power supply unit 17, the antenna unit 7, and the wireless communication board 4 a, the connection line indicated by a solid line is a signal. Connection lines indicated by lines and dotted lines are power supply lines.

In FIG. 2, FIG. 3, and FIG. 4, detailed descriptions other than the essential parts of the invention are omitted for easy understanding of the configuration. Hereinafter, an example of the proposed smart meter 1 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2, 3, 4, and 5.

The terminal cover 14 shown in FIG. 1 is formed of a non-metallic member. For example, the terminal cover 14 is made of resin. The terminal cover 14 is installed so as to cover the terminal portion 13.

The terminal unit 13 connects the power line 8. The terminal part 13 contains a metal member as a structural member, for example. As shown in FIG. 2, the terminal portion 13 is connected to face the electric energy measuring unit 2.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the power line 8 has one end connected to the terminal portion 13 and the other end connected to the opening / closing portion 12 and is disposed along the Y direction. The electric power line 8 propagates electric power from the electric power company to the switchboard of each consumer via the opening / closing part 12.

As shown in FIG. 3, the voltage line 9 has one end connected to the terminal portion 13 and the other end connected to the measurement substrate 3. The voltage line 9 propagates the voltage supplied from the power line 8 to the power amount measuring unit 15 and the like.

The transformer 10 is installed so as to surround the power line 8 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The transformer 10 detects the current flowing through the power line 8 and propagates it to the power amount measurement unit 15. In the Z direction, the transformer 10 is disposed in either the back side or the near side from the center of the thickness of the electric energy measurement unit 2.

The current line 11 connects the transformer 10 and the measurement board 3 as shown in FIG. The current line 11 transmits the current detected by the transformer 10 to the measurement board 3.

The electric energy measuring unit 15 is arranged inside the electric energy measuring unit 2. The electric energy measuring unit 15 measures the electric energy of the consumer. As shown in FIG. 5, the electric energy measuring unit 15 is electrically connected to the electric energy display unit 16, the opening / closing unit 12, and the wireless communication board 4a. The signal of the measured electric energy is sent to the communication unit, the electric energy display unit 16 and the like. The electric energy measuring unit 15 includes, for example, a metal member as a constituent member.

The electric energy display unit 16 visually displays the electric energy measured by the electric energy measuring unit 15 described later. The electric energy display unit 16 has a shape having a long side and a short side. The power amount display unit 16 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the X direction, for example. At this time, the power amount display unit 16 is formed in a size that can be stored in the measurement board 3 of the power amount measurement unit 2. The power amount display unit 16 is installed so as to be visible on the surface portion of the power amount measurement unit 2 from the outside in order to visually display the power amount measured by the power amount measurement unit 15. For example, the power amount display unit 16 is installed so as to be seen from a window portion formed on the surface of the power amount measurement unit 2.

The power supply unit 17 generates power to be supplied to the power amount measurement unit 15, the power amount display unit 16, the opening / closing unit 12, and the wireless communication board 4a. The electric energy measuring unit 15 includes, for example, a metal member as a constituent member.

The opening / closing unit 12 is a switch that opens and closes an electric power circuit. The opening / closing unit 12 is electrically connected to the electric energy measuring unit 15. The opening / closing unit 12 controls the power supply / interruption according to the control signal received by the wireless communication board 4a.

In the electric energy measurement unit 2, the antenna unit 7 is spaced from the terminal unit 13 made of a metal member, the power line 8, the voltage line 9, the transformer 10, the current line 11, and the switching unit 12 in the Y direction. Be placed. The antenna unit 7 is disposed on the measurement board 3 so as to be spaced from the power amount measurement unit 15 made of a metal member and the power supply unit 17 in the Y direction. The antenna unit 7 is mounted as a pattern printed on the measurement board 3. A plurality of antennas having different frequency bands may be mounted on the antenna unit 7. One end of the antenna unit 7 is connected to the feeding point, and the other end is opened. The antenna unit 7 is installed at a distance in the Y direction from the constituent member including the metal member, and there is no shielding object. Therefore, deterioration of the antenna performance of the antenna unit 7 is suppressed.

The wireless communication board 4a performs wireless communication. The wireless communication board 4 a has a general-purpose connector 5 for connection with the measurement board 3. The wireless communication board 4a is disposed in the vicinity of the antenna unit 7, and a connection line that connects the antenna unit 7 and a later-described general-purpose connector 5 is a pattern wiring, so that it is difficult for noise to get on. Therefore, deterioration of the antenna performance of the antenna unit 7 is suppressed.

The general-purpose connector 5 for connection to the measurement board 3 and the feeding point of the antenna unit 7 are arranged close to the Y direction. The general-purpose connector 5 for connecting the wireless communication board 4a and the measurement board 3 shown in FIG. 2 may be installed in the X direction or in the Y direction.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of pin arrangement of the connector 5 for connecting the wireless communication board 4a. As shown in FIG. 6, the general-purpose connector 5 for connecting the wireless communication board 4a and the measurement board 3 has grounding pins for grounding around signal pins through which high-frequency wireless signals pass. The grounding pin acts as a shield against the high-frequency radio signal passing through the signal pin, and the characteristic impedance can be adjusted low.
In FIG. 6, black squares are grounding pins, white squares are signal pins through which radio signals pass, and hatched squares are pins for other uses such as a power source.
In FIG. 6, the number of pins of the general-purpose connector 5 is two rows of 10 pins, but other numbers of pins may be used.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the arrangement of an impedance matching circuit (also referred to as an impedance matching circuit) 19. The impedance matching circuit 19 is arranged at three locations near the input / output portion of the general-purpose connector 5a mounted on the measurement board and the general-purpose connector 5b mounted on the wireless communication board, and near the feeding point 18 of the antenna. It may be one place or two places. The

impedance matching circuits

19 and 19 mounted on the measurement board 3 are connected by a pattern wiring 21 provided on the measurement board 3 itself. The characteristic impedance can be adjusted by the impedance matching circuit 19.

With such a configuration, the electric power supplied from the electric power company is supplied to each electric appliance of the consumer through the electric power line 8 via the electric energy measuring unit of the smart meter 1. The amount of power detected by the power amount measuring unit 15 is sent to the power amount display unit 16 as a signal. This power amount information signal is also sent to the wireless communication board 4 a via the general-purpose connector 5. The wireless communication board 4a transmits a radio wave carrying information related to power consumption to the management center via the antenna unit 7. Further, the wireless communication board 4a receives a radio wave on which an instruction such as a control instruction from a management center or the like is placed via the antenna unit 7. Further, the wireless communication board 4a acquires information on the adjustment of the amount of power to each home appliance, the power consumption of each home appliance, and the like by transmitting and receiving signals to and from home appliances provided in the consumer via the antenna unit 7. The acquired information is received by the antenna unit 7 and sent to the power amount measuring unit 15 via the wireless communication board 4a. Moreover, the acquired information can also be transmitted to a management center or a consumer's terminal etc. via the wireless communication board 4a. Transmission / reception of signals between the communication board and each communication place via the antenna unit 7 is performed as needed.

According to this embodiment, the wireless communication board 4a and a plurality of antennas having different frequency bands can be mounted inside the main body of the smart meter 1 without deteriorating the antenna characteristics. In addition, since the wireless communication board 4a and a plurality of antennas having different frequency bands are configured to be mounted inside the main body of the smart meter 1, it is not necessary to separately use a dedicated protective cover for the wireless communication board 4a and the antenna 7, and it is inexpensive. The effect is that it can be implemented in a simple manner. Furthermore, the characteristic impedance can be adjusted by arranging the signal pins of the general-purpose connector so that they are surrounded by ground pins and installing matching circuits at the three locations of the general-purpose connector input section, output section, and antenna feed point. Therefore, it can be shared by communication boards of different communication frequency bands, and therefore, switching of communication frequency bands can be realized only by replacing the communication boards.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
Hereinafter, the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 8, FIG. 9, FIG. 10, and FIG. FIG. 8 is a front view showing a schematic configuration inside the smart meter according to the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a vertical side view of the cross section taken along the line A2-A2 shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating main functional units of the electric energy measuring unit according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of pin arrangement of the connector 5 to which the lead wire 6 of the second embodiment is connected. The smart meter 1 according to the present embodiment has substantially the same configuration as the smart meter 1 according to the first embodiment. Therefore, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

Embodiment 2 proposes a smart meter 1 that uses PLC communication as a communication method and uses a lead wire 6 for connection between the second PLC communication board 4b and the power line 8. The second PLC communication board 4b performs PLC communication. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the lead wire 6 is used to connect the second PLC communication board 4 b and the power line 8. The second PLC communication board 4 b has a general-purpose connector 5 for connection to the measurement board 3 and a general-purpose connector 22 for connecting the lead wire 6. One end of the lead wire 6 is connected to the general-purpose connector 5 for connecting the second PLC communication board 4b and the measurement board 3, and the other end is connected to the terminal portion 13 to which the power line 8 is connected.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of pin arrangement of the connector according to the second embodiment. One end of the lead wire 6 used for connection between the second PLC communication board 4b illustrated in FIG. 8 and the power line 8 is connected to a pin of the general-purpose connector 22 shown in FIG. Although FIG. 11 shows the case of 2 pins, other numbers of pins may be used. Moreover, you may use the pin which is not using the connector 5 which connects the 2nd PLC communication board | substrate 4b shown in FIG.

According to the present embodiment, the communication board can be switched between wireless communication and PLC communication by providing the lead wire that can connect the signal injection pin for PLC communication provided in the general-purpose connector and the voltage signal terminal input to the measurement board. The measurement board 3 can be shared regardless of the communication method.

Embodiment 3 FIG.
Hereinafter, the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 12, FIG. 13, and FIG. FIG. 12 is a front view showing a schematic configuration inside the smart meter 1 of the third embodiment. 13 is a longitudinal side view of the cross section taken along the line A3-A3 shown in FIG. FIG. 14 is a block diagram of main functional units of the electric energy measurement unit according to the third embodiment. The smart meter 1 of the present embodiment has a configuration substantially equivalent to that of the smart meter 1 of the first and second embodiments. Therefore, the same components as those in the first and second embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

In the smart meter 1 according to the third embodiment, the PLC communication is used as a communication method, and the smart meter using the pattern wiring 23 provided on the measurement board 3 for connection between the third PLC communication board 4c and the power line 8 is used. 1 is proposed. The third PLC communication board 4c performs PLC communication. As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the pattern wiring 23 is used to connect the third PLC communication board 4 c and the power line 8. One end of the pattern wiring 23 is connected to the general-purpose connector 5 for connecting the third PLC communication board 4c and the measurement board 3, and the other end is connected to a land 24 to which a voltage on the measurement board 3 is supplied. Voltage supply onto the measurement substrate 3 is performed by the voltage line 9 described above.

One end of the pattern 23 used to connect the third PLC communication board 4c and the power line 8 is the general-purpose connector 5 for connecting the third PLC communication board 4c and the measurement board 3 as described in the first embodiment. One of the other pins excluding the signal pin for ground and the ground pin, or a pin remote from the signal pin for wireless communication.

According to the present embodiment, the connection between the PLC communication board and the power line 8 can be realized by a cheaper method as compared with the second embodiment.

According to the above-described embodiment, in the smart meter 1 using wireless communication and PLC communication, the wireless communication board, the second PLC communication board or the third PLC communication board, and the antenna 7 are mounted in the main body of the smart meter 1. Then, switching between wireless communication and PLC communication can be realized only by replacing the wireless communication board, the second PLC communication board, or the third PLC communication board, and a small and inexpensive smart meter 1 can be provided.

Embodiment 4 FIG.
The fourth embodiment will be described with reference to the first embodiment. In the fourth embodiment, a smart meter 1 using the lead of the electric energy display unit 16 in the first embodiment as an antenna is proposed. FIG. 16 is a plan view showing an example of an antenna using a lead of the power amount display unit. FIG. 17 is a plan view showing an example of an antenna using a lead of the power amount display unit. The smart meter 1 according to the present embodiment has substantially the same configuration as the smart meter 1 according to the first embodiment. Therefore, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

In the smart meter 1, the display unit is disposed in the vicinity of the surface of the casing, and is connected to the measurement substrate 3 with a long lead 27.
The smart meter 1 according to the fourth embodiment proposes the smart meter 1 using the lead of the electric energy display unit 16 according to the first embodiment as an antenna.
In the smart meter 1 according to the fourth embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, a plurality of leads of at least a part of a large number of leads 27 that connect the electric energy display unit 16 and the measurement board 3 are used. The 4th antenna part 26 is comprised.
The leads 28 used as the antenna are electrically connected by the connection terminals 29 and the pattern wiring provided on the measurement substrate 3.
The fourth antenna unit 26 includes a plurality of

leads

28, 28,... Used as an antenna, a connection terminal 29 for connecting the leads, and a feeding point 30. The connection terminal 29 for connecting the

leads

28, 28,... Used as an antenna is made of the same material as the lead 27 for connecting the power amount display unit 16 and the measurement board 3, for example.

The wireless communication board 4a is disposed at a location shown in FIG. The general-purpose connector 5 that connects the wireless communication board 4 a and the measurement board 3 is disposed in the vicinity of the power amount display unit 16.
By disposing the general-purpose connector 5 that connects the wireless communication board 4a and the measurement board 3 close to the feeding point 30 of the fourth antenna 26, the gap between the feeding point 30 of the general-purpose connector 5 and the fourth antenna 26 is increased. It is difficult for noise to ride between the pattern wirings to be connected, and deterioration of the antenna performance is suppressed.

According to the present embodiment, by using the lead of the power amount display unit 16 as an antenna, it is possible to reduce the mounting space of the antenna, and to realize a reduction in size and cost as compared with the first embodiment.

According to the above-described embodiment, in the smart meter 1 using wireless communication and PLC communication, it is possible to incorporate antennas in a plurality of frequency bands by using a part of the measurement board as an antenna region. The characteristic impedance can be adjusted by arranging the signal pins of the general-purpose connector so that they are surrounded by ground pins, and installing matching circuits at three locations: the input section, output section, and antenna feed point of the general-purpose connector. Thus, switching of the communication frequency band can be realized only by replacing the communication board. In addition, the PLC communication signal injection pin provided on the general-purpose connector and the voltage signal terminal input to the measurement board are connected by lead wires or pattern wiring, so that switching between wireless communication and PLC communication can be performed only by changing the communication board. The measurement board can be shared regardless of the communication method. In addition, by using the lead of the power amount display unit 16 as an antenna, it is possible to reduce the mounting space of the antenna and realize further downsizing and cost reduction as compared with the first embodiment.

The power amount display portion provided on the measurement board may be a liquid crystal panel, and the unused pins of the terminals connecting the liquid crystal panel and the measurement board may be part of the pattern antenna.

As is clear from the above description and the respective drawings, the first embodiment has the following technical features.
Feature point 1: Electric energy measuring unit for measuring electric energy;
An electric energy display unit for displaying electric energy;
A communication board for performing wireless communication or PLC communication with the outside;
An open / close unit for power supply power outage;
A power supply unit that generates power to be supplied to the power measurement unit, the power display unit, the communication board, and the opening / closing unit;
An antenna unit used when performing wireless communication with an external device through a communication board;
A measurement board on which the power measurement unit, the power display unit, a communication board, and the antenna unit are mounted;
A connector for connecting the communication board and the measurement board;
Wiring for connecting the communication board and a power line required at the PLC communication;
A voltage line for supplying a voltage to the electric energy measuring unit;
A transformer that detects the current flowing in the power line and outputs the current to the power measurement unit;
A terminal part for connecting a power line;
A smart meter with
The terminal part including the metal part, the voltage line, the transformer, the power supply part, and the opening / closing part are disposed at one end part in the meter body,
The antenna portion is disposed spatially separated from the terminal portion, the voltage line, the transformer, the power source portion, and the opening / closing portion at the other end portion in the meter body.
Feature point 2: By configuring a part of the measurement board as an antenna region, the antenna can be built in the meter body even in a 400 MHz band that requires a relatively large antenna.
Feature 3: The communication board is arranged in a bare state not covered with a dedicated protective cover, at a position near the antenna on the back side of the measurement board in the meter body.
Feature point 4: The communication board and the measurement board are connected by a general-purpose connector, and the pin arrangement in the connector is an arrangement in which the periphery of the signal pin is surrounded by a ground pin.
Feature 5: Impedance matching circuits are provided at three locations: a general-purpose connector input section, a connector output section, and an antenna feed point.
Feature 6: A signal injection pin for PLC communication provided in a general-purpose connector and a voltage signal terminal (land) input to the measurement board are connected by pattern wiring.
Feature 7: The structure is such that the power amount display portion provided on the measurement board is a liquid crystal panel, and the unused pins of the terminals connecting the liquid crystal panel and the measurement board are part of the pattern antenna.

In addition, in each figure, the same code | symbol shows the same or an equivalent part.
In the present invention, each embodiment can be appropriately modified, omitted, or combined within the scope of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Smart meter, 2 ... Electric energy measuring unit, 3 ... Measurement board, 4a ... Wireless communication board, 4b ... 2nd PLC communication board, 4c ... 3rd PLC communication board, 5 ... General-purpose connector, 5a ... Measurement board 5 ... General-purpose connector mounted on the wireless communication board, 6 ... Lead wire for connecting the communication board and the power line, 7 ... Antenna part, 8 ... Power line, 9 ... Voltage line, 10 ... Transformer, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Current line, 12 ... Opening / closing part, 13 ... Terminal part, 14 ... Terminal cover, 15 ... Electric energy measuring part, 16 ... Electric energy display part, 17 ... Power supply part, 18 ... Feeding point of antenna, 19 ... Matching circuit 20 ... Pin arrangement of general purpose connector, 21 ... Pattern for connecting matching circuits on measurement board, 22 ... General purpose connector for connecting lead wire, 23 ... Pattern wiring for connecting third communication board and power line, 24 Land to which voltage is supplied, 26... 4th antenna section, 27... Lead for connecting the electric energy display section and the measurement board, 28... Lead used as an antenna, 29... Terminal for connecting the leads, 30. Antenna feed point.

Claims

An electric energy measuring unit for measuring electric energy;
An electric energy display unit for displaying electric energy;
A communication board for performing wireless communication or power line carrier communication with the outside;
An open / close unit for power supply power outage;
A power supply unit that generates power to be supplied to the power measurement unit, the power display unit, the communication board, and the opening / closing unit;
An antenna unit used when performing wireless communication with an external device through a communication board;
A measurement board on which the power measurement unit, the power display unit, a communication board, and the antenna unit are mounted;
A connector for connecting the communication board and the measurement board;
Wiring that connects the communication board and the power line that are required at the time of the power line carrier communication,
A voltage line for supplying a voltage to the electric energy measuring unit;
A transformer that detects the current flowing in the power line and outputs the current to the power measurement unit;
A terminal part for connecting a power line;
A smart meter with
The terminal part including the metal part, the voltage line, the transformer, the power supply part, and the opening / closing part are disposed at one end part in the meter body,
The antenna portion is disposed spatially separated from the terminal portion, the voltage line, the transformer, the power supply portion, and the opening / closing portion at the other end portion in the meter body. Smart meter to do.
The smart meter according to claim 1,
The smart meter, wherein the power amount display unit is disposed between the antenna unit and the power amount measuring unit.
In the smart meter according to claim 1 or 2,
The smart meter, wherein the antenna unit is mounted on the front side of the measurement board.
In the smart meter according to claim 1 or 2,
The smart meter, wherein the antenna portion is formed on a part of the measurement substrate.
In the smart meter according to claim 3 or 4,
The smart meter, wherein the communication board is mounted on the back side of the measurement board via the connector.
The smart meter according to claim 5, wherein
The smart meter, wherein the opening / closing part, the transformer, and the terminal part are arranged on the back side of the measurement board so as to be spatially separated from the measurement board.
The smart meter according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The smart board, wherein the communication board and the measurement board are connected by a connector, and an arrangement of pins in the connector is an arrangement in which a signal pin is surrounded by a ground pin.
In the smart meter according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
A smart meter, wherein impedance matching circuits are provided at three locations: an input portion of the connector, an output portion of the connector, and a feeding point of the antenna portion.
The smart meter according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
A smart meter, wherein a signal injection pin of the connector for the power line carrier communication and a voltage signal terminal input to the measurement board are connected by a pattern wiring.
The smart meter according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
The smart meter, wherein the antenna unit is formed by a lead connecting the power amount display unit and the measurement board.
The smart meter according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
The smart meter according to claim 1, wherein the power amount display unit is a liquid crystal panel, and the antenna unit is a pattern antenna using a vacant pin of a terminal connecting the liquid crystal panel and the measurement board.