JP5159864B2 - Energy meter and power meter data transmission method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a watt-hour meter and a method for transmitting measurement data to a server of a company that has contracted for power use and data provision.

  Currently, for customers with high voltage or higher, power usage contracts with electric power companies have been liberalized, making it possible to arbitrarily change the contracting company (that is, the electric power company that uses electricity and pays the fee). ing. Following this, the need for full liberalization, including low-pressure customers, is expected to increase in the future.

JP 2002-107389 A

By the way, when changing the watt-hour meter installed in the customer house of high voltage or higher, there is a problem that the customer house becomes a power outage from the removal of the old electricity meter to the installation of the new electricity meter. To actually change the high-voltage watt-hour meter, it is necessary to replace it with a transformer for power supply and demand meters (VCT: Voltage Current Transformer) that reduces high voltage and large current to measurable values. It becomes big and the power outage time becomes longer.
Note that Patent Document 1 discloses various power charge calculation methods for helping to select a method most suitable for the current consumer's power usage situation, but the power company with which the customer has a power usage contract. Does not change.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and a main purpose thereof is to easily change the power company with which the customer contracts and provide data such as the amount of power used by the customer.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the present invention is a watt-hour meter that is installed in a consumer who uses electric power and transmits measurement data related to the consumer to a server of a company contracted with the consumer, Means for storing measurement data and contract company data including identification information of a destination server based on a contract, and periodically transmitting the measurement data to the server identified by the identification information of the destination server And means.
According to this configuration, based on the contract, the measurement data obtained by the consumer's watt-hour meter can be easily transmitted to the server of the power company or data utilization company to be provided.

In the watt-hour meter of the present invention, the contract company data further includes a type of the measurement data to be transmitted to the transmission destination server based on the contract, and periodically indicates the type from the measurement data. It is good also as a means which extracts data and transmits the said data to the said server identified with the identification information of the said transmission destination server.
When a consumer makes a power usage contract with an electric power company and makes a data provision contract with a data utilization company, the consumer determines the type of measurement data to be provided to the company. According to this configuration, the watt-hour meter stores the server of the provider company and the type of measurement data as contract company data. According to this, by setting the contract company data in the watt-hour meter, the measurement data to be provided by the consumer based on the contract can be transmitted to the server of the power company or data utilization company.

Further, in the watt-hour meter of the present invention, means for acquiring and storing contract change data including the contract company data based on a new contract and the time of switching to the new contract, and the contract change data It is good also as referring to and means which updates the stored contract company data to the contract company data included in the contract change data when the switching time comes.
When a consumer makes a power usage contract with an electric power company and makes a data provision contract with a data utilization company, the consumer starts to provide measurement data to be provided to the company (contract switching time). According to this configuration, the watt-hour meter stores the server of the provider company, the type of measurement data, and the provision start time as contract change data, and when that point arrives, the contract server data destination server and measurement Switch from the old contract to the new contract by updating the data type. According to this, by setting contract change data in the watt-hour meter, it is possible to easily change the power company or data utilization company to which the consumer should provide the measurement data based on the contract. The contract can be changed at an arbitrary timing by setting the contract switching time point to “immediate”.

In the watt-hour meter of the present invention, the means for acquiring and storing the contract change data may store a plurality of the contract change data having different switching times at the same time.
According to this configuration, by storing a plurality of contract change data at different contract switching points, a reservation contract is made with a plurality of electric power companies and data utilization companies at the same time, and the actual contract is changed according to the switching point. . According to this, for example, by setting the day of the week and time as the contract switching time point and creating a one-week contract execution schedule, it is possible to switch to a power company with a lower power charge according to the time zone in which power is used. . In addition, by switching the data utilization company every predetermined period, it is possible to compare and examine the contents of analysis and consulting regarding the use of electric power, and to determine the company worthy of data provision.

In the watt-hour meter of the present invention, before the contract company data is updated or before the measurement data is transmitted to the server, the contract company data is received from the server, and the received contract company is received. Means for determining whether or not the data and the contracted company data stored at that time match, and means for transmitting data indicating that to the server if they do not match as a result of the determination; It is good also as providing.
According to this configuration, it is determined whether or not the contract company data stored in the energy meter matches the contract company data held by the company that actually contracted. The server is not updated, and contract company data is not updated or measurement data is not transmitted. According to this, even if fraudulent contract company data is set in the watt-hour meter due to impersonation or the like, fraud can be detected, and thus it is possible to prevent the measurement data from being leaked to companies that are not contracted. .

  The present invention includes a watt-hour meter data transmission method. In addition, the problems disclosed by the present application and the solutions thereof will be clarified by the description of the mode for carrying out the invention and the drawings.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the change of the electric power company which a consumer contracts and provision of data, such as a consumer's electric power consumption, can be performed easily.

1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a data transmission / reception system 1 such as a power consumption amount. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an electric power company server 3. FIG. It is a figure which shows the hardware constitutions of the data utilization company server. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a smart meter 5. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration of a card 6. FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the data memorize | stored in the memory | storage part 56 of the smart meter 5, (a) shows the structure of the transmission basic data 56A, (b) shows the structure of the contract change data 56B, (c) is The configuration of the data provision change data 56C is shown, and (d) shows the configuration of the power usage amount data 56D. It is a figure which shows the structure of the data memorize | stored in the memory | storage part 63 of the card | curd 6, (a) shows the structure of the contract change data 63A, (b) shows the structure of the data provision change data 63B. 5 is a flowchart showing processing of the smart meter 5. It is a figure which shows the external appearance example of the smart meter 5, (a) shows the external appearance example 1 of the smart meter 5, (b) shows the external appearance example 2 of the smart meter 5.

  Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The watt-hour meter according to the embodiment of the present invention uses common hardware for each contracted company, and transmits data such as measured power consumption without being replaced when the contracted company is changed. Store and update the server identification information. The watt-hour meter transmits data such as the amount of power used with the measuring instrument code and contract power company code to the communication line network, and sends the data to the power company server corresponding to the contract power company code within the communication line network. Distribute. In addition, the watt-hour meter can insert a card that records the contents of each contract, and transmits data such as the amount of power used according to the contract contents of the inserted card. The customer can change the contract by replacing the card inserted into the electricity meter.

  According to the above, it is possible to meet the needs of customers who want to change contracted power companies frequently and easily. According to this, it becomes possible to select a charge menu and various services advantageous to the customer. In addition, since the power lines of each power company are connected, even if the load on the customer's house is linked to the nearest power line, it receives power from the power company's substation based on the power usage contract at that time. Can be considered.

<< First Embodiment >>
<System configuration and overview>
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a data transmission / reception system 1 (hereinafter referred to as a “data transmission / reception system”) 1 such as a power consumption amount. The data transmission / reception system 1 is configured such that an electric power company server 3 and a data utilization company server 4 and a smart meter 5 can communicate with each other via a network 2.

  The network 2 is realized by the Internet, a LAN (Local Area Network) or the like, and converts the company code unique to the servers 3 and 4 and the meter code unique to the smart meter 5 included in the data into a network address, and the network. According to the address, for example, data such as power consumption is distributed to the destination node. The network 2 may be constructed by each contracted power company. As an example, the network 2 wirelessly transmits data from the smart meter 5, and the receiving antennas of the respective power companies installed in the vicinity of the customer's homes. A form of receiving data is conceivable.

  The electric power company server 3 is a server computer installed in the electric power company, receives data via the network 2 from the smart meter 5 of the customer's house that has a contract for electric power use, and charges related to electric power based on the data Perform calculations and supply-demand adjustment.

  The data utilization company server 4 is a server computer installed in the data utilization company, receives data from the smart meter 5 of a customer who has a contract for data provision via the network 2, and uses the power based on the data. Create data on usage analysis and consulting.

  The smart meter 5 is a next-generation electronic power meter that is installed at each customer's house and includes a calculation / control function and a communication module. On the other hand, the data transmitted from the servers 3 and 4 is received via the network 2. The card 6 storing the contract data with the power company and the data provided to the data utilization company can be inserted, and the data is taken from the card 6 and stored.

  According to FIG. 1, for example, the consumer 5a makes a power usage contract with the power company 3a and provides data to the data utilization companies 4a and 4b. At this time, the smart meter 5A transmits data to the power company server 3A and the data utilization company servers 4A and 4B via the network 2.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the power company server 3. The power company server 3 includes a communication unit 31, a display unit 32, an input unit 33, a processing unit 34, and a storage unit 35, and is configured so that each unit can transmit and receive data via the bus 36. The communication unit 31 is a part that performs IP (Internet Protocol) communication and the like with the smart meter 5 via the network 2, and is realized by, for example, a NIC (Network Interface Card) or the like. The display unit 32 is a part that displays data according to an instruction from the processing unit 34, and is realized by, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD). The input unit 33 is a part where an operator inputs data (for example, data indicating a measuring instrument code), and is realized by, for example, a keyboard or a mouse. The processing unit 34 exchanges data between the units via a predetermined memory and controls the entire power company server 3. A program in which a CPU (Central Processing Unit) is stored in the predetermined memory It is realized by executing. The storage unit 35 stores data from the processing unit 34 and reads the stored data, and is realized by, for example, a nonvolatile storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive). The

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the data utilization company server 4. The data utilization company server 4 includes a communication unit 41, a display unit 42, an input unit 43, a processing unit 44, and a storage unit 45, and is configured so that each unit can transmit and receive data via the bus 46. The communication unit 41 is a part that performs IP communication and the like with the smart meter 5 via the network 2 and is realized by, for example, a NIC or the like. The display unit 42 is a part that displays data according to an instruction from the processing unit 44, and is realized by, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD). The input unit 43 is a part where an operator inputs data (for example, data indicating a measuring instrument code), and is realized by, for example, a keyboard or a mouse. The processing unit 44 delivers data between each unit via a predetermined memory and controls the entire data utilization company server 4. The CPU executes a program stored in the predetermined memory. It is realized by. The storage unit 45 stores data from the processing unit 44 and reads the stored data, and is realized by, for example, a nonvolatile storage device such as an HDD or an SSD.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the smart meter 5. The smart meter 5 includes a communication unit 51, a display unit 52, a measurement unit 53, a reading unit 54, a processing unit 55, a storage unit 56, and a blocking unit 57, and each unit can transmit and receive data via a bus 58. Is done. The communication unit 51 is a part that performs IP communication and the like with the servers 3 and 4 via the network 2 and is realized by, for example, a NIC or the like. The display unit 52 is a part that displays data according to an instruction from the processing unit 55, and is realized by, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD). The measurement part 53 is a part which measures the electric power consumption etc. of a customer's house, for example, is implement | achieved by the electric energy meter etc. The reading unit 54 is a part that reads data stored in the card 6 inserted into the smart meter 5 or touching a predetermined location, and is realized by, for example, a reader of a non-contact type IC card. The processing unit 55 delivers data between each unit via a predetermined memory and controls the entire smart meter 5 and is realized by the CPU executing a program stored in the predetermined memory. Is done. The storage unit 56 stores data from the processing unit 55 and reads the stored data, and is realized by a nonvolatile storage device such as an HDD or an SSD. The interruption | blocking part 57 is an apparatus which implements or stops the electric power feeding from a power line to a customer's house, and is implement | achieved by circuit breakers, such as CB (Circuit Breakers).

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the card 6. The card 6 includes a communication unit 61, a processing unit 62, and a storage unit 63, and is configured so that each unit can transmit and receive data via the bus 64. The communication unit 61 is a part that performs data communication with the smart meter 5 and is realized by, for example, an interface of a non-contact type IC card. The processing unit 62 delivers data between the respective units via a predetermined memory and controls the entire card 6 and is realized by the CPU executing a program stored in the predetermined memory. The The storage unit 63 stores data from the processing unit 62 and reads the stored data, and is realized by, for example, a nonvolatile storage device such as an HDD or an SSD.

<Data structure>
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of data stored in the storage unit 56 of the smart meter 5. FIG. 6A shows the configuration of the transmission basic data 56A. The transmission basic data 56A is data that is the basis of the power consumption data 56D transmitted from the smart meter 5 to the servers 3 and 4, and includes the meter code 56A1, contract company data 56A2, data provider company data 56A3, time information. 56A4, electric power 56A5, and electric energy 56A6. The measuring instrument code 56A1 is a code unique to the smart meter 5. The contract company data 56A2 is data relating to the power company with which the customer's house where the smart meter 5 is installed has a power usage contract. Specifically, the contract company data 56A2 includes a company code as a data transmission destination and a prior contract Is a data type indicating a data name to be transmitted (for example, time information and electric energy). In the data type, not only the data name but also data indicating notification of suspension or abolition of the power usage contract with the power company may be set. The data provider company data 56A3 is data related to a data utilization company that provides data to the customer's home where the smart meter 5 is installed. Specifically, the data provider company data 56A3, This is a data type indicating a data name (for example, time information and electric energy) to be transmitted by contract. Note that the measurement data measurement interval and transmission interval may be set in the contract company data 56A2 and the data providing company data 56A3.

  The time information 56A4 is the time and time zone when the power 56A5 and the power amount 56A6 are measured. Electric power 56A5 is electric power used by the customer's house at a predetermined time. The amount of power 56A6 is the amount of power used by the customer's house during a predetermined time period. The time information 56A4, the power 56A5, and the power amount 56A6 are periodically measured (for example, every hour) by the measurement unit 53, and data for a predetermined period (for example, one day) is accumulated in the storage unit 56. The

  FIG. 6B shows the configuration of the contract change data 56B. The contract change data 56B is data that is set to change the power company that implements the power usage contract to a predetermined date and time, and includes one or more records including the usage contract switching date and time 56B1 and the new contract company data 56B2. . The usage contract switching date and time 56B1 is set to the date and time when the power usage contract is switched from the old contract to the new contract. The new contract company data 56B2 is new contract company data after changing the power usage contract, and the storage contents thereof are the same as the contract company data 56A2.

  FIG. 6C shows the configuration of the data provision change data 56C. The data provision change data 56C is data set in order to change the data utilization company of the data provision destination to a predetermined date and time, and includes one or more records including the data provision switching date and time 56C1 and the new data provision company data 56C2. Become. The data provision switching date and time 56C1 is set to the date and time when switching from old data provision to new data provision. The new data provider company data 56C2 is new data provider company data after the data provision change, and the storage contents are the same as the data provider company data 56A3.

  FIG. 6D shows the configuration of the power consumption data 56D. The power usage amount data 56D is data generated based on the transmission basic data 56A and transmitted to the servers 3 and 4, and includes company code 56D1, measuring instrument code 56D2, time information 56D3, power 56D4, and power amount 56D5. including. The company code 56D1 is a code unique to the servers 3 and 4 for specifying the data transmission destination and the contracted party company, and the company code of the contract company data 56A2 or the data providing company data 56A3 is set in the transmission basic data 56A. Is done. The measuring instrument code 56D2 is a code specific to the smart meter 5 that identifies the data transmission source and the customer's house, and the measuring instrument code 56A1 of the transmission basic data 56A is set. The time information 56D3, the power 56D4, and the power amount 56D5 are measurement data to be transmitted to the servers 3 and 4, and the measurement data corresponding to the data type of the contract company data 56A2 or the data provider company data 56A3 among the transmission basic data 56A. Is set. In the example of FIG. 6D, since the data type determined by the contract is “time information, power, power amount”, time information 56D3, power 56D4, and power amount 56D5 are set. Not all of the information 56D3, the power 56D4, and the power amount 56D5 are set, and other data may be set.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of data stored in the storage unit 63 of the card 6. FIG. 7A shows the configuration of the contract change data 63A. The contract change data 63A is the same as the contract change data 56B of the smart meter 5. FIG. 7B shows the configuration of the data provision change data 63B. The data provision change data 63B is the same as the data provision change data 56C of the smart meter 5.

<System processing>
FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing processing of the smart meter 5. In this process, in the smart meter 5, the processing unit 55 mainly takes in new contract data by the reading unit 54, and refers to and updates the data in the storage unit 15, while measuring the power consumption and the like to the servers 3 and 4. Is to be transmitted.

  The customer makes a contract in advance with the new power company from when (from what day of the month, what day) to use the power of the power company, and registers the new contract contents and the data of the start date of the implementation in the smart meter 5 The card 6 is received. And the card | curd 6 is inserted in the smart meter 5 installed in a consumer's house, or is made to contact.

  First, the smart meter 5 determines whether or not a new card 6 has been inserted or contacted (S801). When a new card 6 is inserted or contacted (YES in S801), the reading unit 54 reads the contract change data 63A or the data provision change data 63B from the card 6, and the contract change data 56B or the data provision change data 56C. Is stored in the storage unit 56 (S802). If no new card 6 is inserted or contacted (NO in S801), the process in S802 is skipped. In addition, when a customer inserts the card | curd 6 in a card insertion slot, after reading data, it shall extract the card | curd 6 from a card insertion slot.

  At this time, since the contract change data 56B or the data provision change data 56C is newly stored, the contract switching date and time is fixed. The data utilization company server 4 may be notified. According to this, since the power company of the old contract knows the scheduled date and time of the contract suspension, it can be reflected in the future supply and demand forecast. In addition, since the data utilization company of the old contract knows the scheduled date and time of the data provision suspension, it can be reflected in the future business plan.

  Next, the smart meter 5 refers to the contract change data 56B and the data provision change data 56C in the storage unit 56, and determines whether the use contract switching date and time 56B1 or the data provision switching date and time 56C1 has been reached by the clock function of the processing unit 55. Determination is made (S803). If the usage contract switching date and time 56B1 has come (YES in S803), the contract company data 56A2 of the transmission basic data 56A is updated with the new contract company data 56B2 (S804). If the data provision switching date and time 56C1 has come (YES in S803), the data provider company data 56A3 of the transmission basic data 56A is updated with the new data provider company data 56C2 (S804). If neither the usage contract switching date and time 56B1 nor the data provision switching date and time 56C1 is reached (NO in S803), the process of S804 is skipped. The card 6 may be inserted into the card insertion slot, and the use contract switching date / time 56B1 or the data provision switching date / time 56C1 of the card 6 may be checked.

  Subsequently, for example, the smart meter 5 refers to the contract company data 56A2 and the data provider company data 56A3 in the storage unit 56, and uses the clock function of the processing unit 55 to periodically transmit the power consumption data 56D. It is determined whether or not (S805). If the regular transmission time has arrived (YES in S805), the power consumption amount data 56D is created from the transmission basic data 56A in the storage unit 56 and transmitted to the power company server 3 or the data utilization company server 4 (S806). ). If the regular transmission time has not come (NO in S805), the process of S806 is skipped.

  At this time, the electric power company server 3 installed in the newly contracted electric power company manages the electric power consumption and the like based on the electric power consumption data sent from the smart meter 5 and calculates and charges the electric power charge. .

  Furthermore, the smart meter 5 refers to, for example, the contract company data 56A2 and the data provider company data 56A3 in the storage unit 56, and determines whether or not it is time to periodically measure the measurement data by the clock function of the processing unit 55. Determination is made (S807). If the regular measurement time has come (YES in S807), the measurement data is acquired from the measurement unit 53, and set in the storage unit 56 as time information 56A4, power 56A5, and power amount 56A6 of the transmission basic data 56A (S808). ). If the regular measurement time has not come (NO in S807), the process of S808 is skipped. Then, the process returns to S801.

  In addition, in order for a consumer to abolish the contract with the previous contract electric power company, it contracts with an electric power company in advance about the contract abolition date, the data is set to the card | curd 6, and it registers into the smart meter 5. At this time, in the contract change data 56B, the code of the power company whose contract has been abolished is set in the company code of the new contract company data 56B2, and “contract abolition” is set as the data type.

  In addition, in order to change the charge menu at the same electric power company, the contract content management system in the electric power company server 3 may be changed, or the setting information may be changed by the card 6 in the same manner as the above "Abolition of contract". The contract menu data may be included in the data 56D such as the data type and power consumption amount of the contract company data 56A2.

<< Second Embodiment >>
In the first embodiment, the method of switching the contract in a planned manner according to the contract change data 63A stored in the card 6 has been described, but a method in which the customer switches the contract at an arbitrary timing is conceivable. The method will be described.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an appearance example of the smart meter 5. FIG. 9A shows an external appearance example 1 of the smart meter 5. The smart meter 5 is provided with a card insertion slot and a card selection button as standard functions, and a date display unit and a date setting button as optional functions. A plurality of card insertion openings are provided, and in the example of FIG. 9A, three cards 6 can be inserted simultaneously. The card selection button is a button for selecting which card 6 is used to execute the contract, and the corresponding card selection button is lit during the execution of the contract. The date and time display unit displays the switching date and time that is the timing of switching to the contract content of the card 6, but when the switching date and time is not set, displays gray or black indicating invalidity. The date and time setting button is a button for arbitrarily setting the switching date and time.

  In appearance example 1, since three cards 6 can be simultaneously inserted into the card insertion slot, the customer inserts up to three cards 6, presses the card selection button at an arbitrary timing, and the card to be applied at that time By selecting 6, the contracted power company can be switched immediately. At this time, in the use contract switching date and time 63A1 and the data provision switching date and time 63B1 of the card 6, a code indicating "immediate switching" is set instead of the scheduled switching date and time.

  When the smart meter 5 detects that the card selection button has been pressed at the timing of S801 in FIG. 8 (YES in S801), the smart meter 5 receives the change data from the card 6 inserted into the card insertion slot of the pressed card selection button. For example, it is stored in the storage unit 56 as contract change data 56B (S802). Next, the contract change data 56B is referenced, and since the use contract switching date and time 56B1 is “immediate switching” (YES in S803), the contract company data 56A2 is immediately updated with the new contract company data 56B2 (S804). . According to this, the consumer can switch the contract at an arbitrary timing.

  On the other hand, the customer inserts up to three cards 6 into the card insertion slot, and then uses the date and time display section and the date and time setting button to press the date and time for switching to the contract contents of each card 6 without pressing the card selection button. Set. According to this, for example, it is possible to set a schedule so as to automatically switch to an electric power company having a good power consumption condition according to the day of the week or the time.

  When the smart meter 5 detects that the date / time setting button is pressed at the timing of S801 in FIG. 8 (YES in S801), the smart meter 5 uses, for example, the card 6 inserted into the card insertion slot of the pressed date / time setting button, for example, The new contract company data 63A2 of the contract change data 63A is read and stored in the storage unit 56 as the new contract company data 56B2 of the contract change data 56B in the storage unit 56, and the date and time displayed on the date and time display unit is used as the use contract switching date and time 56B1. It memorize | stores in the memory | storage part 56 (S802).

  FIG. 9B shows an appearance example 2 of the smart meter 5. The smart meter 5 is provided with one card insertion slot and three company display units and company selection buttons as a touch panel. Since there is only one card insertion slot, only one card 6 can be inserted at a time. Since there are three company display sections, up to three companies can be displayed. The company selection button is provided with “select”, “decision”, and “cancel”. Each time “Select” is pressed, the company name highlighted by a thick frame, color, etc. changes as follows: company C1 → company C2 → company C3 → company C1. The selected company name is specified. When “OK” is pressed, it is determined to execute the contract of the company selected at that time. When “Cancel” is pressed, the highlighting transition by “Select” is canceled and the original company name is highlighted.

  The smart meter 5 reads, for example, the contract change data 63A from the card 6 every time a single card 6 is inserted into the card insertion slot (YES in S801) at the timing of S801 in FIG. The contract change data 56B is stored in the storage unit 56 (S802). Thereby, a plurality of contract change data 56B is stored, and a plurality of company names are displayed on the company display section. Next, when the company name is selected by the company selection button, referring to the use contract switching date and time 56B1 of the contract change data 56B, it is “immediate switching” (YES in S803), so a new contract is immediately made. The contract company data 56A2 is updated with the company data 56B2 (S804). According to this, the consumer can switch the contract at an arbitrary timing. Since the touch panel is used, even if a large number of contract change data 56B are stored, as long as the company name can be identified, it can be displayed as “selectable”.

  Note that, among the new contract company data 56B2 of the contract change data 56B, by setting the power charge menu and its code as the data type, the charge menu may be switched as needed even for the same power company. At that time, for example, on the touch panel of FIG. 9B, the name of the charge menu may be displayed instead of the company name so that the charge menu can be arbitrarily selected.

<< Third Embodiment >>
In the first and second embodiments, it has been described that the contract change data 56B and the data provision change data 56C are set by operating the smart meter 5 main body using the card 6, but the remote server It is conceivable to set from 3, 4 or a customer terminal through the network 2 (communication line). At this time, after the customer and the electric power company or the data utilization company perform the procedure of the reservation contract, the data based on the contract is transmitted from the server 3, 4 or the terminal of the customer to the smart meter 5.

For example, the following procedure can be considered.
(1) The customer terminal displays a contract change screen, acquires data indicating that the power usage contract is to be switched to the B power company by the operation of the consumer, and transmits the data to the server 3 of the B power company.
(2) The server 3 of the B power company receives data indicating the contract switching from the terminal of the customer, and instructs the smart meter 5 of the consumer to send measurement data to the server 3 of the B power company in the future. A confirmation message is sent to the customer's terminal.
(3) The customer terminal receives a confirmation message from the server 3 of the B power company and displays it. When the fact of OK is acquired by the operation of the customer, data indicating that is transmitted to the server 3 of the B electric power company.
(4) When the server 3 of the B power company receives data indicating OK from the terminal of the consumer, the customer 3 receives data including the measuring instrument code and an instruction to send measurement data to the server 3 of the B power company in the future. To the smart meter 5.
(5) The smart meter 5 receives the instruction data from the server 3 of the electric power company B, and sets the contract change data 56B in the storage unit 56.

<< Fourth Embodiment >>
In the data transmission / reception system 1, it is conceivable to take measures to prevent the data registered in the smart meter 5 from being changed without permission (impersonation measures). As one method, first, in the smart meter 5, before the timing of switching the contract to be executed (S804 in FIG. 8) or the timing of transmitting data such as the amount of power used (S806 in FIG. 8), the server 3 of the contract partner company. 4 transmits contract confirmation data (same contents as new contract company data and new data provider company data) and a data transmission instruction signal such as used electric energy to the smart meter 5.

  The smart meter 5 receives the contract confirmation data and the data transmission instruction signal such as the electric energy used from the servers 3 and 4, and whether the contract confirmation data matches the company data (company code and data type) in the storage unit 56. Confirm whether or not. If they match, the contract to be executed is switched, or data such as the amount of power used is transmitted to the servers 3 and 4.

  If they do not match, the smart meter 5 does not switch the contract to be executed or does not transmit data such as the amount of power used to the servers 3 and 4. Then, data indicating that a security error has occurred is returned to the servers 3 and 4 and transmitted to the mobile phone of the customer. Further, if the company code is a power company, the power line is blocked by the blocking unit 57 to prevent unauthorized use of power.

  Note that the power of the previous power company may be usable until the switch to a newly contracted power company. In addition, when a new resident begins to use electricity in a newly built customer's house or a rental apartment or apartment, the power line is shut off in advance, and when the contract confirmation data and the company data match, When the blocking part 57 is closed for the first time, power can be used.

  In the above embodiment, in order to make each device in the data transmission / reception system 1 shown in FIG. 1 function, a program executed by the processing unit (CPU) is recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the recorded program The data transmission / reception system 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is realized by causing the computer to read and execute. In this case, the program may be provided to the computer via a network such as the Internet, or a semiconductor chip or the like in which the program is written may be incorporated in the computer.

  According to the embodiment of the present invention described above, the power company server 3 to which the customer's smart meter 5 should transmit data by executing the power usage contract and the data to transmit data by executing the data provision contract The utilization company server 4 can be switched easily.

  More specifically, as shown in S801 and S802 (first embodiment) in FIG. 8, the card 6 is inserted and contacted, and as shown in the second embodiment, the card 6 and contracting company data are switched. Alternatively, as shown in the third embodiment, the contract change data 56B and the data provision change data 56C to be newly applied to the smart meter 5 can be switched by operating the contract change screen.

  Next, as shown in S803 and S804 of FIG. 8, the contract company data 56A2 or the data provider company data 56A3 is updated when the use contract switching date 56B1 or the data provision switching date 56C1 is reached. Then, as shown in S805 and S806 of FIG. 8, the power consumption amount data 56D is periodically created from the updated transmission basic data 56A and transmitted to the designated servers 3 and 4. According to this, a new contract can be implemented by changing the transmission basic data 56A according to the contract change data 56B and the data provision change data 56C.

  According to the above, it is possible to meet the demand of a customer who wants to change the contracted company arbitrarily by a simple procedure. In the future, when the smart meter 5 becomes widespread and data such as the amount of power used by the smart meter 5 is provided to other than the electric power company, one form can be presented. Can contribute to institutional design. For example, when data such as the amount of power used is disclosed, it is assumed that a third-party organization that aggregates the data such as the amount of power used and distributes it to the necessary locations is assumed. The smart meter 5 can also cope with the system by storing the data transmission destination and making it changeable.

<< Other embodiments >>
As mentioned above, although the form for implementing this invention was demonstrated, the said embodiment is for making an understanding of this invention easy, and is not for limiting and interpreting this invention. The present invention can be changed and improved without departing from the gist thereof, and equivalents thereof are also included in the present invention. For example, the following embodiments can be considered.

(1) In the above embodiment, it has been described that the contract change data 63 </ b> A of the card 6 is stored in the storage unit 56 of the smart meter 5 by inserting or contacting the card 6 into the smart meter 5. The medium is not limited to a card, and any medium can be used as long as it can store and read data. For example, a non-contact communication type mobile phone or a recording medium equipped with a USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface may be used.

(2) In the above embodiment, it has been described that data transmission / reception is performed between the servers 3 and 4 and the smart meter 5 via the network 2, but the data is received and the servers 3 and 4 and the smart meter are received. 5 may be converted to a network address and a computer (PC, server, etc.) having a function of transmitting data according to the network address may be connected to the servers 3 and 4 and the smart meter 5.

1 Data transmission / reception system such as power consumption 2 Network 3 Electric power company server (server)
4 Data utilization company server (server)
5 Smart meter (electric energy meter)
55 Processing Unit 56 Storage Unit 56A Transmission Basic Data 56A1 Measuring Instrument Code 56A2 Contracted Company Data (Destination Server Identification Information, Measurement Data Type)
56A3 Data provider data (contract company data, destination server identification information, type of measurement data)
56A4 Time information (measurement data)
56A5 Electric power (measurement data)
56A6 Electric energy (measurement data)
56B Contract change data 56C Data provision change data (contract change data)
56D Data such as power consumption (data)
6 cards

Claims (10)

A watt-hour meter that is installed in a consumer who uses power and transmits measurement data related to the consumer to a server of a company contracted with the consumer,
Means for storing the measurement data and contract company data including identification information of a destination server based on a contract;
Means for periodically transmitting the measurement data to the server identified by the identification information of the destination server;
A watt-hour meter comprising: The watt-hour meter according to claim 1,
The contract company data further includes a type of the measurement data to be transmitted to the destination server based on the contract,
A watt-hour meter further comprising means for periodically extracting data indicated by the type from the measurement data and transmitting the data to the server identified by the identification information of the destination server. The watt-hour meter according to claim 1 or 2,
Means for acquiring and storing contract change data including the contract company data based on a new contract and the time of switching to the new contract;
Means for referring to the contract change data and updating the stored contract company data to the contract company data included in the contract change data when the switching time comes;
A watt-hour meter further comprising: The watt-hour meter according to claim 3,
The watt-hour meter characterized in that the means for acquiring and storing the contract change data stores a plurality of the contract change data at different switching times at the same time. The watt-hour meter according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
Before updating the contract company data or before sending the measurement data to the server,
Means for receiving the contract company data from the server and determining whether or not the received contract company data matches the contract company data stored at that time;
If the result of the determination is that they do not match, means for transmitting data indicating that to the server;
A watt-hour meter further comprising: A computer built in a watt-hour meter installed in a consumer who uses power is a method for transmitting measurement data relating to the consumer to a server of a company contracted with the consumer,
The computer
Storing the measurement data and contract company data including identification information of a destination server based on a contract;
Periodically transmitting the measurement data to the server identified by the identification information of the destination server;
The watt-hour meter data transmission method characterized by performing. The watt-hour meter data transmission method according to claim 6,
The contract company data further includes a type of the measurement data to be transmitted to the destination server based on the contract,
The computer
The watt-hour meter data further comprising the step of periodically extracting the data indicated by the type from the measurement data and transmitting the data to the server identified by the identification information of the destination server. Transmission method. It is the watt-hour meter data transmission method of Claim 6 or 7,
The computer
Obtaining and storing contract change data including the contract company data based on a new contract and the time of switching to the new contract;
Referring to the contract change data and updating the stored contract company data to the contract company data included in the contract change data when the switching time is reached;
The watt-hour meter data transmission method characterized by further executing. The watt-hour meter data transmission method according to claim 8,
The computer
In the step of acquiring and storing the contract change data, a plurality of the contract change data at different switching times are stored at the same time. The watt-hour meter data transmission method according to any one of claims 6 to 9,
The computer
Before updating the contract company data or before sending the measurement data to the server,
Receiving the contract company data from the server, determining whether the received contract company data matches the contract company data stored at that time;
If the result of determination is that they do not match, the step of transmitting data indicating that to the server;
The watt-hour meter data transmission method characterized by further executing.

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