JP4214973B2 - Automatic meter reading wireless measuring device and program thereof - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an automatic meter-reading wireless measuring device for measuring a wireless communication state of an automatic meter-reading system when performing meter-reading of usage amounts of gas, water, electricity, etc. and a program thereof.

  Conventionally, an automatic meter reading system that collects data recorded in meters for measuring usage of gas, water, electricity, etc. in homes, offices, factories, etc. to a center that is a remote metering meter device via a communication line such as a telephone. In this automatic meter reading system, for example, a telephone line and a meter installed in each consumer are connected by a communication line, and communication is performed between the center and the meter via the telephone line. .

  By the way, in the case of such an automatic meter reading system, it is necessary to connect a telephone line and a meter with a communication line, so that labor and cost for routing and wiring the communication line inside and outside the customer are required. In particular, when the telephone line and the meter are separated from each other, this wiring work is a considerable burden, and in the case of an existing house, the wiring is sometimes impossible.

  Therefore, a wireless master unit is connected to each customer's telephone line via a terminal network controller (hereinafter referred to as “T-NCU”), and a wireless slave unit is connected to the meter. An automatic wireless meter-reading system that eliminates the need for indoor and outdoor wiring has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  FIG. 2 shows a conventional automatic wireless meter reading system described in Patent Document 1. In FIG.

  In FIG. 2, 1 is a center, 2 is a public telephone line, 3 is a customer, 4 is a terminal network control unit (T-NCU), 5 is a wireless master unit, and has a transmission / reception circuit. The NCU 4 is connected by a public telephone line, and the T-NCU 4 and the wireless master unit 5 are connected by a communication line a. Reference numeral 6 denotes a wireless slave unit which has a transmission / reception circuit and is connected to an automatic meter-reading meter 7 by a communication line b. The wireless master device 5 and the wireless slave device 6 can communicate with each other wirelessly, and information in the automatic meter-reading meter 7 is transmitted from the wireless slave device 6 to the wireless master device 5.

  From the center 1, the wireless master unit 5 is driven via the terminal network control unit (T-NCU) 4 installed in the customer 3 through the public telephone line 2, and the wireless master unit 5 changes to the wireless slave unit 6. On the other hand, a radio signal is sent. When receiving the signal from the wireless master device 5, the wireless slave device 6 takes out the weighing information stored in the automatic meter-reading meter 7 and transmits this information to the wireless master device 5 wirelessly. The wireless master device 5 sends the information received from the wireless slave device 6 to the center 1 via the T-NCU 4 and the public telephone line 2.

  As a result, it is not necessary to wire an automatic meter-reading meter in the building as in the prior art, and the construction is simplified and the aesthetics of the building are not impaired. In addition, when an automatic meter reading system is applied later, particularly in an existing apartment house or tenant building, it is not necessary to perform wiring work or the like for each meter, so that the automatic meter reading system can be easily realized.

By the way, in such a system, the registration operation of the wireless master device and the wireless slave device is performed by inputting a predetermined operation, for example, a start switch for the wireless slave device and the wireless master device simultaneously after connecting the wireless slave device and the meter. When the slave unit acquires the meter management ID from the meter, transmits the acquired meter management ID to the wireless master unit by wireless transmission, and the wireless master unit acquires the meter management ID from the wireless slave unit, the next The communication information necessary for the wireless communication is transmitted to the wireless slave unit. As a result, the registration operation of the wireless master device and the wireless slave device is completed, and communication from the center, which is the distance measuring needle device, to the meter is enabled thereafter.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-85938

  However, in the conventional configuration, after these registration operations, communication from the center, which is a distance measuring meter device, becomes possible. However, in wireless communication, communication failure often occurs due to delicate timing of communication. is there.

  Usually, in the meter-reading operation from the center, a response signal (so-called ACK signal) for returning that the wireless reception was possible in the downstream communication from the wireless master device to the wireless slave device or the upstream communication from the wireless slave device to the wireless master device. ) Must be returned within tens to hundreds of milliseconds after wireless reception. Depending on the combination of the various wireless master units and wireless slave units, the timing of this ACK signal may vary, and communication failures may occur. Communication may have failed.

  It has been extremely difficult to find out the cause of communication failure due to the timing of such wireless communication, and it has taken the problem that it takes a considerable time until normal communication is possible.

  The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and can easily identify a factor causing communication failure due to timing at the time of wireless communication of an automatic meter-reading radio, and can improve the reliability of an automatic meter-reading system. It aims at providing the measuring device of an automatic meter-reading radio.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned problem, wireless communication is performed between a wireless master unit connected to the remote metering meter device and a wireless slave device connected to the meter via a line, and the meter and the remote metering meter device are connected to each other. In the automatic metering wireless measuring device that measures the wireless communication status for the automatic metering wireless device of the automatic metering system that performs meter reading so that the meter can communicate, the automatic metering wireless measuring device detects the presence or absence of radio waves , A signal demodulator that demodulates the data signal from the radio wave, a telegram analyzer that analyzes the communication content using the data signal from the signal demodulator, and a communication interval measurement unit that measures the time during which the radio wave from the radio wave detector is not detected And a storage unit for storing the contents received from the message analysis unit and the communication interval measurement unit, and a control unit for displaying the contents stored in the storage unit on the display unit. The control unit communicates from the message analysis unit. Upon receiving the communication distance from the volume and the communication distance measuring unit, and to control so as to perform display of the measured communication distance in the communication content and communication interval measuring portion measured by the message analysis unit to the display unit Configured.

  As described above, according to the present invention, in the wireless communication between the wireless master device and the wireless slave device, if there is a radio wave, the communication content is analyzed and stored in the storage unit, and the time during which the radio wave is not detected, that is, the wireless communication The interval time is also stored in the storage unit, and the display unit controls the display of the received content and the communication interval. Therefore, when a communication failure occurs due to a slight timing shift, the communication contents and communication timing in each communication can be known, and the timing defect becomes clear.

  According to the above invention, it is possible to easily identify the cause of communication failure during wireless communication of the automatic meter-reading wireless device, and to improve the reliability of the automatic meter-reading system.

In the first invention, wireless communication is performed between a wireless master unit connected to the remote metering meter device and a wireless slave device connected to the meter via a line, and communication between the meter and the remote metering meter device is possible. As for the automatic meter reading wireless measuring device that measures the wireless communication state for the automatic meter reading radio of the automatic meter reading system that performs meter reading as an automatic meter reading wireless measuring device, the radio wave detecting unit that detects the presence or absence of radio waves, A signal demodulating unit that demodulates a data signal from a radio wave, a telegram analyzing unit that analyzes communication contents using the data signal from the signal demodulating unit, a communication interval measuring unit that measures a time during which no radio wave is detected from the radio wave detecting unit, and a telegram Consists of a storage unit that stores the content received from the analysis unit and the communication interval measurement unit, and a control unit that displays the content stored in the storage unit on the display unit. Upon receiving the communication distance from the septum measuring unit, which make it possible to control so as to perform display of the measured communication distance in the communication content and communication interval measuring portion measured by the message analysis unit to the display unit Therefore, the communication contents and communication timing in each communication can be known, and the cause of the communication failure can be easily identified.

  Further, there is provided a program for causing a computer to function at least a part of each part of the automatic meter-reading wireless measuring apparatus according to the first invention. Since it is a program, it is possible to easily realize at least a part of the automatic meter-reading wireless measuring apparatus of the present invention by cooperating hardware resources such as electrical / information equipment and a computer. In addition, the program can be distributed / updated and installed easily by recording on a recording medium or distributing the program using a communication line.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, this invention is not limited by this embodiment.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an automatic meter reading wireless measuring apparatus according to the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, a remote meter reading device (center) 1 is connected to a wireless master device 5 from a public telephone line 2 via a T-NCU 4. The wireless slave device 6 is provided opposite to the wireless master device 5 and is connected to the meter 7 of the customer 3.

  8 is an automatic meter-reading wireless measuring device, 9 is an antenna, 10 is a radio wave detector for detecting the presence or absence of radio waves, 11 is a signal demodulator for demodulating data signals from radio waves, and 12 is a telegram analyzer for analyzing communication contents from radio waves. , 13 is a communication interval measuring unit that measures a time during which radio waves from the radio wave detecting unit are not detected, 14 is a storage unit that stores the contents received from the message analysis unit 12 and the communication interval measuring unit 13, and 16 is stored in the storage unit 14 When the communication content from the message analysis unit 12 and the communication interval from the communication interval measurement unit 13 are received, the control unit 16 stores the communication content and the communication interval in the storage unit. 14 and the display unit 15 is controlled to display the received contents and the reception interval.

  In the case of automatic meter reading from the center, if a meter reading request is transmitted from the remote meter reading device 1 to the wireless master device 5 via the public telephone line 2 and the T-NCU 4, the wireless master device 5 transmits the wireless slave device. 6, a meter reading request of the meter 7 is transmitted wirelessly, and the wireless slave device 6 transmits a meter reading request to the meter 7 of the consumer 3. When receiving the meter reading response from the meter 7, the wireless slave device 6 wirelessly transmits the meter reading response to the wireless master device 5.

  Here, in the case of uplink communication from the wireless slave device 6 to the wireless master device 5, the wireless master device 5 wirelessly transmits a response signal (so-called ACK signal) for returning that wireless reception from the wireless slave device 6 was successful. Return within tens to hundreds of milliseconds after receiving. After transmitting the ACK signal to the wireless slave device 6, the wireless master device 5 transmits a meter reading response to the remote metering meter device 1 via the T-NCU 4. When the meter reading response is received at the center 1, a communication end signal is sent to the wireless master device 5 via the line 2 and the T-NCU 4. When the wireless master device 5 sends an end signal to the wireless slave device 6, the wireless slave device 6 returns an ACK signal to the wireless master device 5 within several tens to several hundred milliseconds after wireless reception. In this way, the meter reading value of the meter 7 can be intensively measured at the center 1.

  The analysis and display of the wireless communication is performed by monitoring the mutual wireless communication between the wireless master unit 5 and the wireless slave unit 6, and when the radio wave detection unit 10 detects the radio wave from the antenna 9, the signal demodulation unit 11 detects the data signal from the radio wave. The telegram analyzing unit 12 analyzes the communication content from the data signal from the signal demodulating unit 11 and transmits the communication content to the control unit 16. The communication interval measurement unit 13 measures the time during which the radio wave from the radio wave detection unit 10 is not detected and transmits the time to the control unit 16. At this time, the control unit 16 causes the storage unit 14 to store the communication content in the storage unit 14.

  The control unit 16 displays the contents stored in the storage unit 14 on the display unit 15 in order, so that the timing of wireless communication can be known.

  In addition, since the contents of communication can be displayed, it is possible to easily find mistakes in the communication data itself.

  The means described in this embodiment is a program for cooperating hardware resources such as a CPU (or microcomputer), a RAM, a ROM, a storage / recording device, an electric / information device including an I / O, a computer, and the like. You may implement with the form. In the form of a program, new functions can be easily distributed / updated and installed by recording them on a recording medium such as magnetic media or optical media or distributing them via a communication line such as the Internet.

  As described above, the automatic meter-reading wireless measuring device and the program thereof according to the present invention monitor the wireless transmission and wireless reception communication contents and the wireless communication interval in the wireless communication between the wireless master device and the wireless slave device. By monitoring both the communication at the delicate timing of wireless communication and the communication in the second frequency band (so-called subchannel), if there is a radio wave, analyze the communication content and store it in the storage unit, Since control is performed to display the received contents in the order of reception, automatic wireless meter reading can be performed with peace of mind. In addition, the first frequency band and the second frequency band can be selected so that different channels can be received for each system.

Furthermore, since data communication can be observed at the same time, it is effective for analysis when a communication failure occurs.

  In addition, since the present invention can be applied to any wireless communication system, it can be applied to uses other than automatic wireless meter reading.

1 is a block diagram of an automatic meter reading wireless measurement device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Block diagram of a conventional automatic meter reading system

Explanation of symbols

1 Remote measuring needle device (center)
2 Public telephone line 3 Customer 4 T-NCU
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 5 Radio | wireless main | base station 6 Radio | wireless subunit | mobile_unit 7 Meter 8 Automatic meter-reading radio | wireless measuring apparatus 9 Antenna 10 Radio wave detection part 11 Signal demodulation part 12 Message | telegram analysis part 13 Communication interval measurement part 14 Storage part 15 Display part 16 Control part

Claims (2)

A wireless master unit connected to the remote meter reading device via a line;
Automatic measurement of the wireless communication state of an automatic meter reading system that performs wireless communication with a wireless slave unit connected to the meter and enables the meter and the meter reading device to communicate with each other. In the meter reading wireless measurement device,
The automatic meter reading wireless measuring device is
A radio wave detector for detecting the presence or absence of radio waves;
A signal demodulator that demodulates data signals from radio waves;
A telegram analysis unit that analyzes communication contents by a data signal from the signal demodulation unit;
A communication interval measuring unit for measuring a time during which no radio wave is detected from the radio wave detecting unit;
A storage unit for storing contents received from the electronic message analysis unit and the communication interval measurement unit;
A control unit for displaying the content stored in the storage unit on a display unit;
Wherein,
When the communication content from the message analysis unit and the communication interval from the communication interval measurement unit are received, the communication content measured by the message analysis unit and the communication interval measured by the communication interval measurement unit with respect to the display unit An automatic meter-reading wireless measuring device that controls to display A program for causing a computer to function at least a part of each part of the automatic meter-reading wireless measuring apparatus according to claim 1.

Images