JP3205469B2 - Flow data storage device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a flow data storage device, and more particularly to a flow data storage device of the type storing a pulse signal generated from a flow meter every time a fluid having a predetermined flow rate flows as flow data.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A flow meter is installed in a place where a gas, water, or the like is used in a home, office, factory, or the like, in order to measure the flow rate. A flow sensor is used to measure the flow rate of a fluid such as gas or tap water.The flow rate data, which is the output of the flow rate sensor, is used not only for charging for fluid consumption but also for obtaining the flow rate per hour. Flow rate data storage devices capable of storing flow rate data over a predetermined period of time have been developed because they can be used for various purposes, such as analysis of consumption trends.

As an example of a conventional flow rate data storage device,
For example, there is a flow rate data storage device to which the flow rate measurement method described in JP-A-4-60420 is applied.
This apparatus uses a flow sensor that outputs a pulse signal (hereinafter, referred to as a "flow signal") every time a predetermined amount of fluid flows in a pipeline, and there is a change in a time interval at which the flow signal is output. Only when the flow per hour changes, the number of flow rate signals output between the time when the change was recognized and the time when the previous change was recognized until the time when the current change was recognized (Because this corresponds to the “integrated amount”, hereinafter, it is referred to as “integrated amount”).

FIG. 6 shows a storage format of flow rate data in the conventional flow rate data storage device.

[0005] The storage format of the flow rate data is composed of 4 bytes of data at the time at which the time interval at which the flow rate signal is output is changed, and 2 bytes of integrated data, which is a total of 6 bytes. Time data includes hours, minutes, seconds,
One byte is allocated for each 1/256 second.

The flow rate data in this format is recorded by storing it in a memory provided in the flow rate data storage device. However, if the flow rate data exceeds the storage capacity of the memory, unrecorded flow rate data will be generated. Before this happens, for example, it is necessary for the meter reader to go to the installation location of the flow rate data storage device and collect the recorded flow rate data.

[0007]

For this reason, if the storage capacity of the memory provided in the flow rate data storage device is small, the flow rate data must be collected frequently, resulting in problems such as labor costs. In addition, even if it is decided to collect flow rate data regularly, the flow rate data may exceed the storage capacity of the memory before collection because the usage of gas and water varies depending on the season, for example. There is a problem of failing to record.

On the other hand, if the storage capacity of the memory provided in the flow rate data storage device is increased, the price of the memory increases and the cost of the flow rate data storage device increases, and the size of the memory increases. However, there is a problem that the size also becomes large.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and has an advantage in that the amount of flow data that can be recorded is increased by reducing the number of bytes of flow data. It is an object of the present invention to provide a flow data storage device having no flow data.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a storage unit for storing flow rate data, and a flow rate signal output from a flow meter every time a unit amount of fluid flows, The interval time from when this flow signal is received to when the next flow signal is received is measured, and when this interval time changes, it is received between the change in the previous interval time and the change in the current interval time. A flow rate signal processing unit that stores the integrated amount of the flow rate signal and the elapsed time from the change in the previous interval time to the change in the current interval time as flow rate data in the storage unit in a predetermined recording format. In the apparatus, the flow rate signal processing unit stores a plurality of types of recording formats having different ranges of elapsed time that can be recorded according to the length of the elapsed time. Configuration was.

[0011]

According to the present invention, when the flow rate signal processing unit which receives the flow rate signal from the flow meter stores the elapsed time from the previous flow rate change to the current flow rate change in the storage unit,
Depending on the length of the elapsed time, a plurality of types of recording formats having different ranges of the elapsed time that can be recorded are selectively used and stored.

[0012]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a flow rate data storage device according to the present invention.

The flow rate data storage device 1 comprises a CPU 2, a clock section 3, a counter section 4, a storage section 5, and an interface section 6. The CPU 2 includes a flow rate signal processing section 21, a time over processing section 22, The functions are realized by executing a program called a data transfer control unit 23.

The flow meter 7 outputs a flow signal each time a predetermined amount of fluid flows in the pipeline, and the flow data storage device 1 receives the flow signal by the flow signal processing unit 21. The flow signal processing unit 21 uses the count value from the counter unit 4 that counts the clock from the clock unit 3 to measure the time from the reception of the flow signal to the reception of the next flow signal (hereinafter referred to as “interval time”). Is measured.

Next, the processing at the time of receiving the flow signal in the flow signal processing section 21 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

FIG. 2 shows the flow signal processing unit 21 shown in FIG.
5 is a flowchart of a process at the time of receiving a flow signal in FIG.

The illustrated flowchart is an interrupt process started by receiving a flow signal from the flow meter 7. First, the count value from the counter unit 4 is set as the read interval time (F-1), and the counter unit 4 is cleared (F-1).
-2).

Next, it is determined whether or not the overflow flag to be set by the time-over processing section 22 is set (F-3). If it has been set, the overflow flag is cleared (F-4), and the flow rate data is recorded by storing time 0 in the storage unit 5 in the recording format 2 described later (F-5). Go to F-12).

Then, clear the integrated amount (F-12),
After the elapsed time is cleared (F-13), the integrated amount is updated by adding "1" to the integrated amount (F-13).
-14) Then, the elapsed time is updated by adding the interval time between the previous flow signal received from the flow meter 7 and the current flow signal to the elapsed time, and the processing is terminated from (F-15). I do. Here, the elapsed time refers to the time from when the flow rate changes to when the flow rate changes next. Further, when the processing is completed, the CPU 2 enters the halt state, and enters a state in which power consumption is lower than that at the time of executing the processing. If it is determined in step (F-3) that the overflow flag has not been set, the flow signal processing unit 21 firstly sets the interval time between the previous flow signal received from the flow meter 7 and the current flow signal ( (Hereinafter, this time interval)
Is compared with the interval time at the time of the previous change in the flow rate (hereinafter referred to as “previous interval time”) to determine whether or not the flow rate has changed (F-6). This determination may be made assuming that there has been a change in the flow rate when the current interval time and the previous interval time do not match.However, since the number of flow rate data increases considerably, It is considered that there has been a change in the flow rate when the time has changed by 1% or more from the previous interval time.

If it is determined in step (F-6) that there is no change in the flow rate, the integrated amount is updated by adding "1" to the integrated amount (F-14). The elapsed time is updated by adding the interval time (F-15), and the process is terminated.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step (F-6) that there is a change in the flow rate, it is determined whether or not the integrated amount is a minimum value (F-7). Here, the minimum value will be described.

Here, a flow rate data storage device for storing flow rate data of a flow meter for measuring gas consumption flow rate will be described as an example. For example, when the use of a new gas appliance is started from a state where a certain flow rate of gas is flowing and consumed, the consumption flow rate of the gas increases while going through a transient state and reaches a predetermined flow rate.

As described above, since the change in the flow rate is not instantaneous but continuous, the interval time (the time from when the flow rate signal is received until the next flow rate signal is received) is always set in the process of this change. Will change. The flow rate data storage device according to the present invention can also be used when the flow signal output time interval changes similarly to the conventional flow rate data storage device to which the flow rate measurement method described in JP-A-4-60420 is applied. Since the flow rate data is stored, the flow rate data having the integrated amount of “1” is stored in the storage unit 5 every time the flow rate changes (when the flow rate signal is received) unless a new process described later is added. Since the storage capacity is stored and the storage capacity of the storage unit 5 is consumed, an attempt to reduce the consumption storage capacity without storing the flow rate data every time the flow rate signal is received does not work effectively.

Therefore, according to the present invention, when the integrated amount is the minimum value, that is, "1", a process of not storing the integrated amount of the flow rate data in the storage unit 5 is added to reduce the storage capacity of the storage unit 5. I'm trying to get rid of it. Returning to the description of FIG. 2, a specific description will be given.

If it is determined in step (F-7) that the integrated amount is not the minimum value, the integrated amount is recorded by storing it in the storage unit 5 in a recording format 3 described later (F-8). Subsequently, it is determined whether the elapsed time is 128 seconds or more (F-9). If the elapsed time is less than 128 seconds, the elapsed time is recorded by storing the elapsed time in the storage unit 5 in a recording format 1 described later (F-1).
0), when the elapsed time is 128 seconds or more, the elapsed time is recorded by storing it in the storage unit 5 in a recording format 2 described later (F-11).

Then, clear the integrated amount (F-12),
After the elapsed time is cleared (F-13), the integrated amount is updated by adding "1" to the integrated amount (F-13).
-14) Subsequently, the elapsed time is updated by adding the current interval time to the elapsed time, and the process ends from (F-15).

On the other hand, if it is determined in step (F-7) that the integrated amount is the minimum value, the process proceeds to step (F-9) without recording the integrated amount, and the recording format at that time is used. The elapsed time is recorded by storing it in the storage unit 5 (F-10, F-11). Then, clear the accumulated amount (F-12) and clear the elapsed time (F-13).
Is performed, the integrated amount is updated by adding "1" to the integrated amount (F-14). Subsequently, the elapsed time is updated by adding the present interval time to the elapsed time. The process ends from (F-15).

Here, the recording format will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 4 shows a storage format of flow data in the flow data storage device according to the present invention.

In the storage format according to the present invention, two bytes are prepared for each of the integrated amount and the elapsed time. As described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 2, when the integrated amount is the minimum value, that is, “1”, the integrated amount is not recorded and only the elapsed time is recorded. Even when the value is not a value, even if the integrated amount and the elapsed time are recorded, the flow rate data is only 4 bytes in total, which is 2 bytes less than the conventional 6 bytes.

FIG. 5 shows the details of the storage format according to the present invention shown in FIG. 4, wherein (a) shows the recording format 1, (b) shows the recording format 2, and (c) shows the recording format 3.

The recording formats 1 to 3 are distinguished from each other by upper two bits called a mode. When the mode is 00, the recording format is 1; when the mode is 10, the recording format is 2; Indicates format 3.

The recording format 1 shown in FIG. 5A and the recording format 2 shown in FIG. 5B are for the elapsed time shown in FIG. 4, and when the elapsed time is less than 128 seconds, the recording format 1 is used. When the time is longer than 128 seconds, the recording format 2 is used. On the other hand, FIG.
The recording format 3 shown in (c) is for the integrated amount shown in FIG.

Explaining from the recording format 1, the upper 2 bits are the mode and the lower 14 bits are the elapsed time.
In this format, 0.007812 is used in units of 0.0078125 seconds using bits indicating 2 ^-7 to ²⁶ seconds.
Record the elapsed time ranging from 5 seconds to 127.9921875 seconds.

Next, for the recording format 2, the upper 2 bits are the mode and the lower 14 bits are the elapsed time. In this format, but using a bit indicating 2 ^{0-2 13} seconds, for using the recording format 1 for the elapsed time of less than 128 seconds, 128 seconds to 16 in 1 second increments
Record the elapsed time in the range of 383 seconds.

Finally, for recording format 3,
The upper 2 bits are the mode, and the lower 14 bits are the integration amount. In this format, the number of flow signal 2 ^{0-2 13}
2 bits to 16383 in units of 1 using bits indicating
Record the integrated amount of this range. When the integrated amount is one, the integrated amount is not recorded as described above.

Next, the processing at the time over in the time over processing section 22 shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a process at the time of time over in the time over processing section 22 shown in FIG.

As described with reference to FIG. 5B, even if the recording format 2 is used, recording can be performed only up to 16383 seconds. Therefore, in the present invention, the time-over processing unit 22 is provided so as to cope with an elapsed time of 16384 seconds or more.

The flowchart shown in FIG. 3 is an interrupt process started by receiving an overflow signal from the counter unit 4 shown in FIG. The counter section 4 counts the clock from the clock section 3 and outputs an overflow signal when the count reaches 16384 seconds.

First, it is determined whether or not the overflow flag to be set by the time-over processing section 22 has been set (S-1). If it is set, the time 0 is recorded in the storage unit 5 by recording it in the recording format 2 (S-2), and then the counter unit 4 is cleared, that is, the count number is reset, and a time of 16384 seconds is measured. (S-9), and the process ends. When the processing is completed, the CPU 2 enters the halt state, and enters a state in which power consumption is smaller than that at the time of executing the processing.

Here, the meaning of recording the time 0 in the recording format 2 in step (S-2) will be described. As described with reference to FIG. 5B, the recording format 2 is a format for recording the elapsed time in the range of 128 seconds to 16383 seconds, and it is generally possible that time 0 is recorded in this format. Absent. Therefore, in the present invention, time 0 is recorded in the recording format 2 in order to indicate that the elapsed time is 16384 seconds. Step (F-5) in FIG. 2 described above has the same meaning.

Returning to the description of FIG. 3, if it is determined in step (S-1) that the overflow flag has not been set, the overflow flag is set (S1).
-3), it is determined whether or not the integrated amount is a minimum value (S-4).

If it is determined in step (S-4) that the integrated amount is not the minimum value, the integrated amount is stored in the storage unit 5 in the recording format 3 and recorded (S-
5) Subsequently, it is determined whether the elapsed time is 128 seconds or more (S-6). If the elapsed time is less than 128 seconds,
The elapsed time up to the previous time is recorded by storing it in the storage unit 5 in the recording format 1 (S-7).
If the time is longer than 28 seconds, the elapsed time up to the previous time is recorded by storing it in the storage unit 5 in the recording format 2 (S-8).

Then, the counter section 4 is cleared, that is, the count number is reset, so that the timing of 16384 seconds is restarted (S-9), and the processing is terminated.

The storage unit 5 shown in FIG. 1 stores flow rate data by the above-described processing. The meter reader collects the flow data by connecting the collection device carried by the meter reader to the interface unit 6 and transferring the flow data stored in the storage unit 5 to the collection device via the flow data transfer processing unit 23. Done by

The flow rate data transfer processing in the flow rate data transfer processing section 23 is also an interrupt processing like other processing, and this processing is interrupted by, for example, connection to the interface section 6 of the collection device. In addition, the CPU 2 is in the halt state by the end of the flow rate data transfer processing, and the power consumption is lower than when the processing is executed.

[0049]

As described above, according to the present invention,
The flow rate data, which was conventionally 6 bytes uniformly, can be reduced to 2 bytes when the integrated amount is the minimum value and 4 bytes even when the integrated amount is not the minimum value. / 3 or less.

For this reason, it is less likely that the flow rate data exceeds the storage capacity of the memory provided in the flow rate data storage device and the flow rate data is not missed, and the number of times flow rate data collection by meter readers and the like can be reduced.

According to the present invention, there is no need to increase the storage capacity of the memory provided in the flow rate data storage device.
The cost of the flow rate data storage device does not increase due to the increase in the price of the memory, and the flow rate data storage device does not increase in size due to the increase in the memory.

Further, according to the present invention, FIG.
Since the recording format is selectively used depending on the elapsed time as shown in (b), a wide range of elapsed time can be recorded without increasing the data length of the elapsed time data in the flow rate data.

Further, according to the present invention, FIG.
Even when the elapsed time is too long to be represented by the recording format 2 shown in the above, it can be represented by recording the time 0 in the recording format 2.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a flow rate data storage device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a process at the time of receiving a flow signal in a flow signal processing unit 21 shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a process at a time over in a time over processing unit 22 shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows a storage format of flow data in the flow data storage device according to the present invention.

5A and 5B show details of a storage format according to the present invention shown in FIG. 4, wherein FIG. 5A shows a recording format 1, FIG. 5B shows a recording format 2, and FIG.

FIG. 6 shows a storage format of flow rate data in a conventional flow rate data storage device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Flow rate data storage device 2 CPU 21 Flow rate signal processing part 22 Time-over processing part 23 Flow rate data transfer processing part 3 Clock part 4 Counter part 5 Storage part 6 Interface part 7 Flow meter

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Tatsuro Sato 1-2-3 Shimura, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo Inside Kinmon Seisakusho Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Yuichi Sato 2-13-7 Midori, Sumida-ku, Tokyo 1009 Urban Highlands Ryogoku No. (72) Inventor Shin Yamagami 1 Sans Queer Kawasaki 8-504, Nisshin-cho, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture (72) Inventor Shinichi Sasayama 2-2-7 Takasago, Katsushika-ku, Tokyo Takasago Apartment 215 (72) Inventor Hajime Nakamura 2-7-9 Innai, Funaibashi-shi, Chiba 104 T & S Nishifune 104 (56) References JP-A-4-60420 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G01F 1/00-15/18

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] A storage unit for storing flow rate data, a flow rate signal output from a flow meter every time a unit amount of fluid flows, and from receiving the flow rate signal until receiving the next flow rate signal. Is measured, and when the interval time changes, the integrated amount of the flow signal received between the change in the previous interval time and the change in the current interval time and the change in the previous interval time indicate the current time. A flow rate data processing unit having a flow rate signal processing unit that stores an elapsed time until a change in the interval time as flow rate data in the storage unit in a predetermined recording format, wherein the flow rate signal processing unit has a length of the elapsed time. In response to the,
A flow rate data storage device characterized in that a plurality of types of recording formats having different ranges of elapsed time that can be recorded are selectively used and stored. 2. A storage unit for storing flow rate data, a flow rate signal output from a flow meter every time a unit amount of fluid flows, and from receiving the flow rate signal until receiving the next flow rate signal. Is measured, and when the interval time changes and the integrated amount of the flow signal received between the change in the previous interval time and the change in the current interval time is the minimum value, the change in the previous interval time is performed. Only the elapsed time from the change of the interval time to the change of the current interval time is stored in the storage unit as the flow rate data, and the flow rate received during the change of the interval time and the change of the current interval time from the change of the previous interval time When the integrated amount of the signal is not the minimum value, the integrated amount of the flow rate signal received between the change of the previous interval time and the change of the current interval time and the elapsed time from the change of the previous interval time to the change of the current interval time Time and In the flow data storage device and a flow rate signal processing unit for storing a predetermined recording format as the amount data in the storage unit, the flow rate signal processing unit, according to the length of the elapsed time,
A flow rate data storage device characterized in that a plurality of types of recording formats having different ranges of elapsed time that can be recorded are selectively used and stored. 3. The flow rate data storage device according to claim 1, wherein the flow rate signal processing section stores the flow rate data in the storage section when a change rate of the interval time is 1% or more. 4. The flow rate data storage device according to claim 1, wherein the flow rate signal processing section stores the flow rate data in the storage section when a change rate of the interval time is less than 1%. 5. The method according to claim 2, wherein said minimum value is one.
The flow rate data storage device according to any one of the above.