JP2986540B2 - Line terminal equipment - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a line terminal device connected to a telephone line, and more particularly to a line terminal device in which it is effective to determine whether a data terminal device is connected or not. Things.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, types of line terminal devices connected to telephone lines have been increasing, and battery-powered line terminal devices and the like for specific applications have been developed. Here, a description will be given of a line terminal device for automatic meter reading of a gas meter or a water meter.

First, the block configuration of the line terminal device and the entire system will be described with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 7, the line terminal device 1 is connected to a center terminal device 8 which is a reporting destination via a telephone line 7, and is also connected to a data terminal device 6 having meter reading information such as a gas meter. The line terminal device 1 includes a dialing unit 5 for transmitting a selection signal, a DTE interface 3 for interfacing with the data terminal device 6, a power control unit 4 for controlling supply of battery power by an external input signal, and a clock function. It has a central control section 2 for controlling the power supply control section 4 and the dialing section 5 at a predetermined holding time.

Next, the operation in the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG. Central control unit 2 when in standby state of S31
Does not output a signal to the power supply control unit 4, so that no power is applied to the dialing unit 5 and the DTE interface 3 and the power consumption is low. At this time, the battery power is applied only to the central control unit 2.

When the clock in the central control unit 2 reaches a predetermined calling time (for example, 12:00) as in S32, the central control unit 2 outputs a signal to the power control unit 4 and applies power to the dialing unit 5 and the DTE interface 3. Then, a dialing operation is performed for a call destination registered in advance (S33). After the dialing operation is completed, the central control unit 2 connects the telephone line 7 and the DTE interface 3 to each other, and transmits the center terminal device 8 and the data terminal device 6 of the report destination.
A link between them is established (S34). After the link between the center terminal device 8 and the data terminal device 6 is established, the process enters a state of waiting for a link release command from the center terminal device 8 (S35).
When there is a link release command from the center terminal 8 to the line terminal 1 after the communication between the center terminal 8 and the data terminal 6 is completed, the central controller 2 releases the link (S3).
6) Return to the standby state.

However, in such a conventional line terminal device, since the line terminal device could not confirm the connection state with the data terminal device 6, the data terminal device 6 and the line terminal device 1
Even if the connection is broken, the operation is unconditionally shifted to the dialing operation, and the link between the center terminal device 8 and the data terminal device 6 is established. In other words, a link has been established although communication between the center terminal device 8 and the data terminal device 6 is impossible. For this reason, the line terminal device 1 consumes unnecessary current, and the center terminal device 8 repeats a data retransmission request because communication is impossible even in a link established state, so that the line use time is unnecessarily extended. . For this reason, the center terminal device 8 cannot access the data terminal device of another home, and an unnecessary line use fee is paid.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and by checking connection between a line terminal device and a data terminal device, unnecessary current consumption of the line terminal device is prevented, and disconnection between the line terminal device and the data terminal device is performed. To prevent unnecessary use of the center terminal device, avoid unnecessary use of telephone lines, and perform maintenance on the center terminal device when reporting a disconnection between the line terminal device and the data terminal device. It aims to increase management efficiency.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, a line terminal device of the present invention
The first means includes: a DTE interface unit that forms an interface with a data terminal device such as a gas meter or a water meter; a data generation unit that generates and transmits a message data signal to the data terminal device through the DTE interface unit; It is determined whether or not the message data signal from the data terminal device returned in response to the message data signal transmitted from the generation unit has a predetermined pattern (communication speed, message format). A data terminal device connection determination unit that determines connection abnormality.

Further, the second means of the present invention comprises a central control unit for operating a data generation unit for transmitting a telegram data signal to the data terminal device to activate a terminal call at a predetermined timing; a data terminal device connection determination unit; And a transmission stop signal for stopping a terminal call at the predetermined timing to the central control unit when the connection abnormality is detected by the data terminal device connection determination unit. A call suspending unit.

According to the present invention, the line terminal device transmits a data signal to the data terminal device in order to determine the connection status between the line terminal device and the data terminal device. The message data signal from the terminal device has a predetermined pattern (communication speed, message format)
The line terminal device itself can determine whether or not the connection pattern is abnormal, and if the pattern is not the predetermined pattern, determine that the connection is abnormal.

In addition, when starting a terminal call at a predetermined timing,
When a connection abnormality between the line terminal device and the data terminal device is detected, the calling at the predetermined timing can be stopped, so that unnecessary line capture is prevented and unnecessary current consumption of the line terminal device is suppressed. be able to.

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS.
This will be described with reference to FIGS.

First, the block configuration will be described with reference to FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. A first means showing the first means of the present invention
In the figure, a line terminal device 1 is connected to a telephone line 7 and a data terminal device 6. The line terminal device 1 includes a dialing unit 5 that performs a dialing operation on the telephone line 7, a DTE interface unit 3 that interfaces with the data terminal device 6, and data that generates a data message form that can communicate with the data terminal device 6. A generating unit 9, a data terminal device connection abnormality judging unit 10 for detecting a connection abnormality between the line terminal device 1 and the data terminal device 6 by receiving a telegram data signal from the data terminal device 6, a dialing unit 5, The power supply control unit 4 performs power supply to the data generation unit 9, the data terminal device connection determination unit 10, and the DTE interface unit 3 by an external input signal, and controls the dialing unit 5, the power supply control unit 4, and the data generation unit 9. And a central control unit 2 that receives a signal from the data terminal device connection determination unit 10.
FIG. 2, which shows another embodiment of the present invention, has all the constituent blocks of FIG. 1, and further has a reporting unit 11 for reporting to the center terminal device 8. FIG. 3, which shows another embodiment of the present invention, has all the configuration blocks of FIG. 2, and periodically sends out a trigger signal for checking a connection abnormality between the line terminal device 1 and the data terminal device 6. It has a periodic inspection trigger unit 12 to perform.

Since FIG. 3 includes all the blocks of FIGS. 1 and 2, only the operation of FIG. 3 will be described below.

The operation will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. 3 and the flowchart of FIG. In S11, the line terminal device 1 is in a standby state and performs the same operation as in the conventional example. The clock of the periodic inspection trigger unit 12 is set to a predetermined time (here, 24
), The periodic inspection trigger unit 12 outputs a signal to the central control unit 2, and the central control unit 2 outputs a signal to the data generation unit 9 and shifts to the calling operation of the data terminal device 6 (S13). ). At the same time, the central control unit 2 outputs a signal to the power control unit 4 and applies a voltage to each block. In the data generation unit 9, the data generation unit generates a message according to the communication speed and the message format of the data terminal device 6, and transmits a signal through the DTE interface unit 3. Here, since the data terminal device 6 is a gas meter, the communication speed is 300 bps, and the content of the electronic message is a meter reading request. The gas meter (DTE) that has received the signal from the data generation unit 9 outputs a telegram data signal to the data terminal device connection determination unit 10 through the DTE interface unit 3. The data terminal device connection determination unit 10 checks whether the received signal is in the same communication speed and message format as the transmission signal (for example, in response to a meter reading request message which is a message data signal from the line terminal device, the data terminal device The response message data signal from the device is a meter reading message.) In the event of an abnormality, a signal indicating a connection error is output to the central control unit 2. During this time, the central control unit 2 is in a state of waiting for a reception signal from the data terminal device connection determination unit 10 (S14). When there is no connection error from the data terminal device connection determination unit 10 to the central control unit 2, the central control unit 2 returns the line terminal device 1 to the standby state.

On the other hand, when the input signal from the data terminal device connection determination unit 10 indicates a connection abnormality, the process proceeds to S15. This S15
Then, the central control unit 2 sends the line terminal device 1 to the center terminal device 8.
The operation shifts to an operation of notifying that communication between the device and the data terminal device 6 (gas meter) is impossible. First, the dialing unit 5 is controlled to establish a link between the center terminal device 8 and the line terminal device 1 (S16). Next, the central control unit 2 sends the notification unit 1
1 to notify the center terminal device 8 that there is a connection error between the line terminal device 1 and the data terminal device 6 (gas meter) and communication is impossible (S17). When the notification ends, the central control unit 2 releases the link between the center terminal device 8 and the line terminal device 1 (S18), and returns to the standby state.

Next, an embodiment of the second means of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 4 shows its constituent blocks. In FIG. 4, the block configuration is the same as that of FIG. The call canceling unit 13 receives a signal from the data terminal device connection determining unit 10 as an input signal and outputs a signal to the central control unit 2. When a signal indicating a connection abnormality is received from the data terminal device connection determination unit 10, a call termination signal is sent to the central control unit 2.

Next, the operation will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 4. FIG. In FIG. 6, the standby state 11 and the operation of the call S13 of the data terminal device 6 are the same as those in the above-described embodiment, and thus the description is omitted. When the clock in the central control unit 2 reaches the calling time in S22, that is, the time when the meter reading data is sent to the center terminal device 8, the connection abnormality between the line terminal device 1 and the data terminal device 6 is checked (S14). The central control unit 2 outputs a signal to the data generation unit 9 to check for a connection abnormality,
A message is transmitted to the data terminal device 6 through the DTE interface unit 3. The data terminal device connection judging unit 10 transmits the data terminal device 6 via the DTE interface unit 3.
Is received and a signal is output to the call stopping unit 13. When the input signal to the call canceling unit 13 indicates that there is no abnormal connection, the call canceling unit 13 outputs a dialing operation start command to the central control unit 2 (S15). Hereinafter, the central control unit 2 establishes a link between the center terminal device 8 and the data terminal device 6 (S16), and releases the link according to a link release command from the center terminal device 8 (S17, S18). Connection determination unit 10 to call cancellation unit 13
When a signal indicating an abnormal connection is input, the call canceling unit 13 sends a dialing operation canceling command to the central control unit 2. As a result, the line terminal device 1 and the data terminal device 6
If a connection abnormality between the terminals is detected, that is, if communication with the data terminal device 6 is impossible, the line terminal device 1 does not form a link between the center terminal device 8 and the data terminal device 6.
In other words, only when it is confirmed that there is no connection abnormality between the line terminal device 1 and the data terminal device 6, the terminal shifts to the dialing operation and starts communication in order to make a terminal call from the data terminal device when the line terminal device is activated. I do. By performing this checking operation, conventionally, a connection error could not be found until communication using the telephone line between the center terminal device 8 and the data terminal device 6 was performed. The use of complicated telephone lines can be avoided.

As described above, according to the line terminal device of the first embodiment of the present invention, the line terminal device confirms the connection between the line terminal device 1 and the data terminal device 6, and reports a disconnection to the center terminal device 8 when the connection is abnormal. Therefore, the connection abnormality can be monitored on the side of the center terminal device 8, and the maintenance management efficiency increases. Further, in the second embodiment, when the connection is abnormal, unnecessary operation of the center terminal device 8 can be prevented, and useless use of the telephone line is avoided.
Further, it is possible to suppress the current consumption due to the meaningless calling of the line terminal device.

Effects of the Invention As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, a DTE interface unit that configures an interface with a data terminal device such as a gas meter or a water meter, and a message data signal to the data terminal device through the DTE interface unit A data generation unit for generating and transmitting the data, and whether the data data signal from the data terminal device returned in response to the data data signal transmitted from the data generation unit has a predetermined pattern (communication speed, data form) It has a configuration of a data terminal device connection determination unit that determines whether or not the connection is abnormal if the pattern is not the predetermined pattern, so that the line terminal device itself can be connected to the data terminal device connected downstream thereof. Abnormalities (such as breaks in connection lines) can be detected, and the connected data terminal device transmits and receives prescribed message information. It is possible to determine whether the terminal device is a corresponding terminal device.

A central control unit that operates a data generation unit that transmits a telegram data signal to the data terminal device to activate a terminal call at a predetermined timing; a data terminal device connection determination unit and a central control unit that are connected to the data control unit; When a connection abnormality is detected by the terminal device connection determination unit, the terminal device has a configuration of a call suspension unit that sends a call suspension signal for suspending the terminal call at the predetermined timing to the central control unit. Since the connection state between the line terminal device and the data terminal device on the downstream side of the line terminal device is detected abnormally, and when the line terminal device is abnormal, the data terminal device call operation by starting the line terminal device is stopped.
There is an effect that the telephone line is not wasted and the telephone charge is not wasted.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the line terminal device of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the line terminal device of the second embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the line terminal device of the third embodiment. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the line terminal device of the fourth embodiment, FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the first embodiment, FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the line terminal device of FIG. 4, and FIG. FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a conventional line terminal device, and FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a conventional example. 1 ... line terminal device 2 ... central control unit 3 ... DTE interface unit 4 ... power supply control unit 5 ... dialing unit 6 ... data terminal device (DTE) 9 ... data generation , A data terminal device connection determination unit, 11 a reporting unit, 12 a periodic inspection trigger unit, 13 a call termination unit.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Shinichi Nakane 1006 Kazuma Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture Inside Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Kunihiko Yamashita 1006 Kadoma Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture Inside Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Shuichi Okuno 1-2-2, Benten, Minato-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka Inside NTT Kansai Telecon Corporation (56) References JP-A-63-117547 (JP, A) JP-A-63-310256 (JP, A) JP-A-59-195788 (JP, A) JP-A-63-105558 (JP, A) JP-A-60-242759 (JP, A) JP-A-2-230893 (JP, A) (58) t.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) H04M 11/00-11/10

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A DTE interface unit that forms an interface with a data terminal device such as a gas meter or a water meter, a data generation unit that generates and transmits a message data signal to the data terminal device through the DTE interface unit, A message data signal from the data terminal device returned in response to the message data signal transmitted from the generation unit has a predetermined pattern (communication speed, message format)
And a data terminal device connection determination unit that determines whether the data pattern is not the predetermined pattern and determines that the connection is abnormal when the pattern is not the predetermined pattern. 2. A central control unit for operating a data generation unit for transmitting a telegram data signal to a data terminal device to activate a terminal call at a predetermined timing; a data terminal device connection determination unit and a central control unit. A call stopping unit that sends a call stop signal for stopping the terminal call at the predetermined timing to the central control unit when a connection abnormality is detected by the data terminal device connection determining unit; The line terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising: