JP2001111701A - Wireless automatic meter reading system - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] The present invention relates to a wireless automatic meter reading system in which a wireless master device and a wireless slave device are configured in a 1: N ratio even if an abnormality occurs in a predetermined line and communication is not possible even if a center device is not available. It is an object of the present invention to secure a communication path between the meter and the meter. A wireless master device performs wireless communication with a wireless slave device by specific low-power wireless communication and a PHS base station (5) over a PHS line.
0 communicates with the center device 6 side. Therefore, even when an abnormality occurs in a predetermined communication line and communication is not possible when the base unit A communicates with the upstream device, the wireless line is applied to bypass the communication path incapable of communication,
A communication path through which communication can be performed can be secured.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention has a radio base station which communicates with a radio base station provided on a meter via a radio line in order to collect information including data read by the meter. The wireless master unit and the wireless slave unit are 1: N so that N wireless slave units can be connected to one wireless master unit.
The present invention relates to a wireless automatic meter reading system in which a wireless master device communicates with a center device using a wireless communication radio wave different from a radio communication radio wave with the wireless slave device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As shown in FIG. 5, a conventional wireless automatic meter reading system of this type is configured to wirelessly read meter reading data of usage amounts of, for example, water or gas measured by meters 10a to 10n or abnormal information generated by the meters. After transmission from the slave units 11a to 11n to the wireless base unit 12 via a wireless line, the transmission is performed via the terminal network control unit (T-NCU) 13, the exchange 14, and the automatic incoming call network control unit (MA-NCU) 15. To the center device 16 to collect data. In addition, reference numeral 17 shown in the figure denotes a network control unit (C-NCU) at the time of calling from the center, and reference numeral 18 denotes a no-ringing trunk installed in the exchange 14 when using the no-ringing communication service.

[0003] Such a radio master unit communicates information of a slave meter collected by a radio channel with a center device via a terminal network controller (T-NCU) for a wired channel. .

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional wireless automatic meter reading system in which the wireless master device and the wireless slave device are configured in a 1: N ratio, one wired line (analog line) is provided upstream from the master device. Public network).
If an error occurs in this line and communication via a wired line cannot be performed, there is a problem that communication between the center device and the meter cannot be performed at all.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to make it impossible for a master unit to communicate with its upstream device when an error occurs in a predetermined communication line and communication cannot be performed. However, an object of the present invention is to provide a wireless automatic meter reading system that can secure a communication path that can communicate by bypassing a communication path that cannot communicate by applying a wireless line.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wireless automatic meter reading system, comprising: a wireless remote unit provided in a meter via a wireless line to collect information including data read by the meter; It has a wireless master device for communication, and the wireless master device and the wireless slave device have a 1: N ratio so that N wireless slave devices can be connected to one wireless master device. The wireless master device performs wireless communication with the wireless slave device by specific low-power wireless communication and communicates with the center device via a mobile phone line or a teleterminal wireless line.

[0007] According to the above configuration, since the meter side is operated for several years using a battery, a low-power-consumption radio device is also required. According to the present invention, a specific low-power radio wave with low power consumption and good radio wave propagation characteristics is specified, and a mobile phone line or a telecommunication line applicable to data communication is also being provided on the upstream side from the base unit, with an infrastructure being provided. Specified for terminal wireless line. In addition, when the radio master unit communicates with a plurality of slave units, it communicates by radio waves of a specified low power radio, and when it communicates with the center device side, it communicates via each base station by radio waves of a mobile phone or tele terminal. As with a wired line, there is no problem that communication between the center and meters connected to multiple slave units cannot be performed at all due to a failure in one of the lines. Information transmission can be performed via a route.

A wireless automatic meter reading system according to a second aspect of the present invention includes a wireless meter reading group A including a master unit A and NA units on the meter side, and a wireless meter reading group including a master unit B and NB units on the meter side. B and at least two meter reading groups, and when communication with a predetermined base unit (for example, base unit A) PHS base station cannot be performed, communication with another base unit (for example, base unit B) is performed in a transceiver mode. The communication between the PHS modems is performed to secure a communication path between the center device and the slave units of the wireless meter reading group (for example, the wireless meter reading group A) of the predetermined master unit.

According to the above configuration, for example, the base unit A uses the communication between the PHS modems in the transceiver mode,
It is possible to communicate with the center device via the master unit B and the PHS base station.

A wireless automatic meter reading system according to a third aspect of the present invention is configured such that when communication between a predetermined master unit (for example, master unit A) and a PHS base station cannot be performed, a plurality of other master units (for example, master units) B and another master unit), information is transmitted via PHS modem communication in a transceiver mode, and a predetermined P
A communication path is provided between the center device and a slave unit of a corresponding wireless meter reading group (for example, wireless meter reading group A) of the master unit via an HS base station.

According to the above configuration, for example, the master unit A uses the communication between the PHS modems in the transceiver mode,
It is possible to communicate with the center device via another PHS base station via a plurality of master units B and other master units.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wireless automatic meter reading system, wherein the wireless master device communicates with the center device via a PHS line, a mobile phone line, or a teleterminal wireless line. Side unit NA
A wireless meter reading group A including a base unit, a wireless base meter B and a wireless meter reading group B including a meter-side slave unit NB and at least two meter reading groups, and a predetermined master unit (for example, the master unit A) and a PHS base station or When communication with a mobile phone base station or a teleterminal base station is not possible, specific low-power wireless communication is performed with another base unit (for example, base unit B),
It is characterized in that a communication path between the center device side and the slave units of the wireless meter reading group (for example, the wireless meter reading group A) of the predetermined master unit is secured.

According to the above configuration, in the system using the PHS line, for example, when the base unit A cannot communicate with the predetermined PHS base station by the PHS radio, the base unit A and the other base unit B are connected to the low power radio. The base station B can realize communication between the center apparatus side and the base station A via a predetermined PHS base station by PHS radio.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a wireless automatic meter reading system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, reference numerals 1a, 1b and 1n denote meters, to which low power radio units 2a, 2b and 2n are connected. Reference numeral 3 denotes a low-power radio base station, and reference numeral 4 denotes a mobile phone radio modem. 5 is a mobile phone base station, 6 is a center device, 7 is an exchange, and 8 is a center modem.

Next, the operation and operation will be described. Information (for example, meter reading values, meter abnormality information, etc.) of each meter (1a, 1b to 1n) is stored in a low-power wireless handset (2a, 2b to 2n) and transmitted to the low power radio base station 3 by low power radio waves. In other words, communication between each of the wireless slave units and the wireless master unit is performed by low-power radio waves. Next, the information of the meter collected in the master unit is transmitted to the mobile phone base station 5 by a mobile phone wireless modem 4 by a mobile phone wireless signal, and further transmitted to the center device through a public line on the upstream side. When reading the information of the meters (1a, 1b to 1n) from the center device 6, the mobile phone base station 5 calls the mobile phone wireless modem 4 using the mobile phone radio wave, and the low power radio base unit is called. From 3, the low-power wireless sub-unit of the corresponding meter is called by low-power radio waves and communicates with the meter. Thus, in a 1: N wireless system, the meter communicates with the center device via low power radio waves and mobile phone radio waves. Therefore, compared to the conventional system in which the upstream side is connected by a wire from the master unit, if an error occurs in the wired unit, all communication becomes impossible. It is possible to make a detour.
In this example, the case where the mobile phone radio is used has been described, but the same effect as described above can be obtained by using the public infrastructure of the teleterminal line.

(Embodiment 2) FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a wireless automatic meter reading system according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a system diagram thereof.

The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a PHS line is used and a plurality of meter reading groups are provided. In FIG. , Each of the meters 1aA, 1bA ~
1 nA, 1 aB, 1 bB to 1 nB, low power wireless handsets 2 aA, 2 bA to 2 nA, and 2 aB, 2 bB to 2
nB, low power wireless base units 3A, 3B, PHS modem 4A,
4B are provided. 50 is a PHS base station.

The components having the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment have the same structure, and a description thereof will be omitted.

Next, the operation and the operation will be described. When communication between the PHS modem 4A of the master unit of the meter reading group A and the PHS base station 50 is not successful, the master unit is connected to the PHS modem 4A.
The communication between the PHS modem 4A and the PHS base station 50 is switched to the communication between the PHS modem 4A and the PHS modem 4B of the master unit of another meter reading group B. That is, communication between PHS modems in the transceiver mode is performed between the PHS modems 4A and 4B. The main unit of meter reading group B is PHS modem 4B
And transmits information of the meter reading group A to the center device 6 via the PHS base station 50. With this system, master unit A and PHS base station 50
Even when a communication failure occurs, communication can be performed via the master unit B. That is, the information of the meter, especially the gas meter, which has the function of shutting off the valve by the gas abnormality determination, can reliably send the abnormality information to the center when an abnormality occurs, and the gas meter can be surely notified by the center instruction. The valve can be shut off, and a reliable 1: N wireless system can be constructed.

FIG. 3 is a system diagram of the wireless meter reading system of the present embodiment. The circled area surrounded by a dotted line is a meter reading group centering on each master unit.
C, D, E, F, G, H, and 50 CS1 and 9 CS2 which are PHS base stations are shown. If the master unit A has a predetermined P
When PHS communication cannot be performed with the HS base station CS1, the master unit A communicates with the PHS base station CS1 via the master unit B of the meter reading group B, and a communication path between the center device and a meter in the meter reading group A. To secure.

In FIG. 3, the master unit A which cannot perform CS1 communication passes through the master unit B, master unit D, master unit F and the master unit of the three meter reading groups, and via another PHS base station CS2. Also, a case is shown in which a communication path with the center device is secured. That is, when the PHS base station CS1 itself breaks down, a bypass route for communication is created via the master unit of the wireless metering system, and information transmission between the meter and the center in the corresponding meter reading group can be reliably performed. .

(Embodiment 3) FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a wireless automatic meter reading system according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. The difference between the third embodiment and the second embodiment is that the communication between the base units
The point is that communication is performed not with S radio waves but with low power radio waves. Components having the same reference numerals as those of the second embodiment have the same structure, and the description will be omitted.

Next, the operation and the operation will be described. If communication between the PHS modem 4A of the master unit of the meter reading group A and the PHS base station 50 is not successful, the master unit is connected to the PHS modem 4A.
From the communication between the PHS base station 50 and the
Low-power wireless base unit 3 of base unit B of meter reading group B different from A
Switch to communication with B. The master unit of the meter reading group B communicates with the PHS base station 50 using the PHS modem 4B, and transmits information of the meter reading group A to the center device 6 via the PHS base station 50. With this system, even when a communication failure occurs between master unit A and PHS base station 50,
Communication is possible via the master unit B. Even if the PHS modem of the master unit A breaks down, the meter in the meter reading group A can secure a route that can reliably communicate with the center device.

In particular, the master unit of the present invention is fixedly installed on, for example, a telephone pole or an electric wire, and the PHS base station is also fixed and operated at a predetermined location. The communication route can be changed using the PHS transmission / reception function of the device or the transmission / reception function of the low power radio wave, and information transmission between the meter and the center device can be reliably performed.

[0027]

As described above, in the wireless automatic meter reading system according to the first aspect of the present invention, when the wireless master device communicates with a plurality of slave devices, the wireless master device communicates with a specific low-power radio wave, When communicating with the center device side, it communicates via a mobile phone line or a teleterminal line, so when a failure occurred on one of the lines, such as a wired line, the center device and multiple slave units were connected. Without causing the trouble of not being able to communicate with the meter at all,
There is an effect that information transmission can be reliably performed by passing through a detour path via a wireless line.

The wireless automatic meter reading system according to the second aspect of the present invention provides a wireless meter reading group A including a master unit A and NA units on the meter side, and a wireless meter reading group B including a master unit B and NB units on the meter side. And at least two meter reading groups, and when communication between a predetermined parent device (for example, the parent device A) and the PHS base station cannot be performed, communication with another parent device (for example, the parent device B) is performed in the transceiver mode. Since the communication between the PHS modems is performed and a communication path is established between the center device and the slave units of the wireless metering group (for example, wireless metering group A) of the predetermined master unit, the meter of meter reading group A has There is an effect that it is possible to reliably communicate with the center device via the device B and the PHS base station.

In the wireless automatic meter reading system according to the third aspect, when communication between a predetermined master unit and a PHS base station cannot be performed, communication between PHS modems in a transceiver mode with a plurality of other master units is possible. , And a communication path is established between the center device and the child device of the corresponding wireless meter reading group of the parent device via a predetermined PHS base station. PH
By using the communication between the S modems, there is an effect that it is possible to communicate with the center device via another PHS base station which is not under the control of the master A via a plurality of masters B and other masters.

The wireless automatic meter reading system according to the fourth aspect of the present invention is configured such that when communication between a predetermined base unit (for example, base unit A) and a PHS base station, a mobile phone line base station, or a teleterminal base station cannot be performed, A specific low-power wireless communication is performed with another master unit (for example, master unit B), and a communication path between the center device and a slave unit of a wireless meter reading group (for example, wireless meter reading group A) of the predetermined master unit is determined. Since this is ensured, there is an effect that communication between the center device and the base unit can be realized through a predetermined base station via the base unit B via a PHS line, a mobile phone line, or a teleterminal wireless line.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a wireless automatic meter reading system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a wireless automatic meter reading system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a system diagram of a wireless automatic meter reading system according to a modification of the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a wireless automatic meter reading system according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a conventional wireless automatic meter reading system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1a, 1b, １1n meter 1aA, 1bA, ｎ1nA meter 1aB, 1bB, １1nB meter 2a, 2b, 電力 2n Low power wireless handset 2aA, 2bA, ２2nA ２2 nB Low power radio base station B 3 Low power radio base station 3A Low power radio base station A 3B Low power radio base station B 4 Mobile phone wireless modem 4A PHS modem A 4B PHS modem B 5 Mobile phone base station 50 PHS base station 6 Center equipment

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04Q 9/00 311 H04B 7/26 109M (71) Applicant 000221834 Toho Gas Co., Ltd. Sakurada, Atsuta-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi, Japan Town No. 19-18 (71) Applicant 000003078 Toshiba Corporation 72 Horikawa-cho, Saiwai-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa (71) Applicant 000005234 Fuji Electric Co., Ltd. Inventor Shinichi Nakane 1006 Kazuma Kazuma, Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture Inside Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. 1006 Oji Kadoma Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Masafumi Nakagawa 1006 Oji Kadoma Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture Matsushita Electric Within Sangyo Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Mamoru Suzuki 1-4-5 Toyosumi, Kashiwa-shi, Chiba 103 Minami-Kashiwa Park Homes 103 (72) Inventor Kiyohisa Ishikawa 3-28-7-502 Minamisenju, Arakawa-ku, Tokyo (72) Inventor Jun Fujiwara 1-6-14-901 Morishita, Koto-ku, Tokyo (72) Inventor Masahiro Yasui 4-1-2, Hirano-cho, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi Inside Osaka Gas Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Shoji Yamaguchi, Osaka-shi Chuo 4-1-2, Hirano-cho, Osaka Osaka Gas Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Noriaki Iwamoto 4-1-2, Hirano-cho, Chuo-ku, Osaka City Osaka Gas Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Akira Higashino Osaka 4-1-2, Hirano-cho, Chuo-ku Osaka Gas Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Tatsuya Ichihashi 1-27 Kanakawacho, Minato-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi (72) Inventor Toshihiko Kawai 70 Yanagicho, Saiwai-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa Inside Toshiba Yanagimachi Plant (72) Inventor Masaharu Takeda 70, Yanagimachi, Saiwai-ku, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture Inside Toshiba Yanagimachi Plant (72) Inventor Kondo Fujiro Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Takeshi Numagami 1-1, Tanabe Nitta, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture Fuji Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Matsumoto Eiji 1-1-1 Tanabe Shinda, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture F-term in Fuji Electric Co., Ltd. (reference) 2F073 AA07 AA08 AB01 AB05 BB01 BC02 CC01 CC08 DD02 GG01 5K048 AA05 AA06 BA35 DA02 DA08 DB01 DC01 DC06 EB10 HA01 HA02 HA03 5K067A AA41 BB04 BB27 EE02 EE10 EE22 EE35 GG01 GG11 HH21 5K101 KK12 LL12 MM05 MM07 RR16

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A wireless master device for communicating with a wireless slave device provided on a meter via a wireless line to collect information including data read by a meter, wherein the wireless master device is one. The radio base station and the radio base station are configured in a one-to-N relationship so that N radio base stations can be connected to the radio base station. Automatic wireless meter reading system that performs wireless communication with the machine and communicates with the center device via a mobile phone line or a teleterminal wireless line. 2. A wireless master device that communicates with a wireless slave device provided on a meter via a wireless line in order to collect information including data read by the meter. The radio base station and the radio base station are configured in a one-to-N relationship so that N radio base stations can be connected to the radio base station. A wireless metering group A including a master unit A and NA slave units on the meter side, and a master unit B, which performs wireless communication with the device and communicates with the center device side via a PHS base station via a PHS line. And a wireless meter reading group B composed of NB units on the meter side and at least two meter reading groups, and when communication between a predetermined master unit and the PHS base station cannot be performed, a transceiver mode is set between the master unit and another master unit. Communication between PHS modems, and the center device side and the predetermined A wireless automatic meter reading system that secures a communication path between slave units in the wireless meter reading group of the master unit. 3. When communication between a predetermined master unit and the PHS base station cannot be performed, information is transmitted between the master unit and a plurality of master units via PHS modem communication in a transceiver mode.
3. The wireless automatic meter reading system according to claim 2, wherein a communication path between the center device side and the slave units of the corresponding wireless meter reading group of the master unit is secured via a predetermined PHS base station. 4. A wireless master device is a system for communicating with a center device through a PHS line, a mobile phone line, or a teleterminal wireless line, and includes a wireless meter reading group A including a master device A and NA units on a meter side. Communication between a predetermined base unit and a PHS base station, a mobile phone base station, or a teleterminal base station having a wireless meter reading group B including a base unit B and meter side slave units NB and at least two meter reading groups. A wireless automatic meter reading system that performs specific low-power wireless communication with another master unit and secures a communication path between the center device and the slave units in the wireless meter reading group of the predetermined master unit.