JP7553281B2 - Portable terminal for replacing gas bottles and gas bottle replacement system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a portable terminal for replacing gas bottles and a gas bottle replacement system.

Conventionally, LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) is loaded into gas containers such as cylinders and delivered to the eaves of contracted users. One or more gas containers are installed, and replacement work is performed before a certain number of containers become empty due to gas consumption. For example, if two gas containers are installed at the eaves of a contracted user, the gas container replacement work is performed when one gas container becomes empty. This work is sometimes referred to as a double one-sided replacement in this specification.

A gas meter system that measures the amount of gas used in the above-mentioned double one-sided replacement is known that prevents operational errors and enables accurate gas remaining amount warnings without the need for special dedicated equipment. This gas meter system also enables the business operator to easily obtain the amount of gas used by a contracted user up until the cylinder replacement. However, the above-mentioned conventional work methods and data input/output methods for replacing gas cylinders have caused problems such as not being able to grasp the situation in real time, requiring a lot of labor, and inputting errors (human error).

For example, the gas meter system described in Patent Document 1 comprises a flow measurement means for measuring the amount of gas used, a remaining pipe counter for measuring the amount of gas used measured by the flow measurement means separately from the normal meter reading, a short-range communication means, and a control means for controlling the flow measurement means and the short-range communication means. The remaining pipe counter notifies the remaining pipe counter value upon receiving a specific signal from a mobile terminal incorporating the short-range communication means, and resets the remaining pipe counter after the notification. Furthermore, the mobile terminal incorporating the short-range communication means allows a specific person skilled in the art, such as a gas company, to easily obtain the amount of gas used by a user up until the time of cylinder replacement.

JP 2014-240794 A

In the gas meter system described in Patent Document 1, when the gas meter receives a specific signal transmitted from a mobile terminal incorporating short-range communication means, the remaining pipe counter of the gas meter executes a reset operation. However, if the specific signal transmitted from the mobile terminal incorporating short-range communication means does not correspond to the gas meter for which the remaining pipe counter should be reset, there is a possibility that the gas meter will be connected incorrectly. In addition, the gas meter system described in Patent Document 1 does not take into account measures to deal with handle switching in double one-sided replacement, so there is a possibility that the handle may be forgotten to be switched.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the problems inherent in the conventional technology. The object of the present invention is to provide a portable terminal for gas bottle replacement and a gas bottle replacement system that can reduce the risk of operational errors and running out of gas by linking the work procedures for delivering and replacing gas bottles with the system in real time.

A portable terminal for gas container replacement according to an aspect of the present invention includes an imaging unit that images a barcode affixed to a gas container, and a communication information control unit that transmits gas container replacement completion information indicating that the gas container replacement work has been completed, which is required to transmit a residual quantity management counter reset request signal to the gas meter to reset the residual quantity management counter of the gas meter connected to the gas container, to an external system that transmits the residual quantity management counter reset request signal to the gas meter, at the timing of capturing an image of the barcode affixed to the gas container, and user identification information for identifying the user who has completed the gas container replacement work, and the user identification information is preferably associated with the gas meter in advance.

In the portable terminal for gas container replacement according to this aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the gas container whose barcode is imaged at the timing of transmitting the gas container replacement completion information and the user identification information is either a used gas container used by the user to be replaced, or a gas container filled with liquefied gas to be replaced with the used gas container.

The portable terminal for gas container replacement according to this aspect of the present invention preferably includes a display information generating unit that generates received display information corresponding to the response information when the communication information control unit receives response information to the residual quantity management counter reset request signal from the gas meter that has received the residual quantity management counter reset request signal via the external system, and generates not-received display information corresponding to the fact that the response information has not been received when the communication information control unit does not receive the response information via the external system, and a display unit that displays the received display information or the not-received display information.

When a pressure regulator with an automatic switching function is connected to the gas meter, the display information generating unit of the portable terminal for replacing the gas container according to this aspect of the present invention preferably generates switching instruction information for instructing the user to switch the handle of the pressure regulator with an automatic switching function to the spare gas container side, and the display unit preferably displays the generated switching instruction information.

In the portable terminal for gas container replacement according to this aspect of the present invention, the display unit preferably includes, in response to the work instruction information, pre-handle operation image information captured by the imaging unit, which is handle direction information after the handle of the pressure regulator with automatic switching function is automatically switched, and post-handle operation image information captured by the imaging unit, which is handle direction information after the handle of the pressure regulator with automatic switching function is switched to the spare gas container side, and an error determination unit that determines whether the handle has rotated a predetermined amount based on the pre-handle operation image information and the post-handle operation image information.

A gas container replacement system according to another aspect of the present invention preferably includes either the portable terminal for gas container replacement or the gas meter.

The gas meter of the gas container exchange system according to another aspect of the present invention preferably includes a screen unit that, upon receiving the remaining amount management counter reset request signal, resets the remaining amount management counter of the gas meter and displays reset success information indicating that the remaining amount management counter has been reset.

The external system of the gas container replacement system according to another aspect of the present invention preferably includes a centralized monitoring system that, upon receiving the user identification information and the gas container replacement completion information, transmits the remaining amount management counter reset request signal to the gas meter corresponding to the user identification information; a core system that receives the user identification information, the gas container replacement completion information, and the barcode information affixed to the gas container, and stores the gas container replacement completion information and the barcode information affixed to the gas container in association with the user identification information; and a center communication system that classifies the user identification information, the gas container replacement completion information, and the barcode information received from the gas container replacement mobile terminal, and transmits them to the centralized monitoring system and the core system.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a portable terminal for gas cylinder replacement and a gas cylinder replacement system that can reduce the risk of operational errors and running out of gas compared to conventional methods by linking the work procedures for delivery and replacement of gas cylinders with the system in real time.

1 is a schematic diagram showing an overview of an example of a gas container replacement system according to an embodiment of the present invention; 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams showing an example of an operation of the gas bottle replacement portable terminal according to the embodiment to read a barcode of a gas bottle. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of work content when replacing a gas container at a user's home according to this embodiment. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the work content of a regulator in a user's home and the operation of a gas container replacement system according to this embodiment. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a transition of a screen of a portable terminal for gas container replacement at a user's home according to the present embodiment. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a remaining tube reset operation when replacing a gas container at a user's home according to this embodiment. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a gas container delivery and replacement operation according to the present embodiment. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a portable terminal for gas container replacement according to the present embodiment. FIG. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overview of an example of a gas container replacement system according to a comparative example. A schematic diagram showing an example of the work content when replacing a gas container at a user's home and the work content at a gas company's office in a comparative example. 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the detailed contents of the work in FIG. 10 and a problem that may occur in the work.

Below, an example of a portable terminal for gas container replacement and a gas container replacement system according to the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are comprehensive or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, component arrangement and connection forms, steps, and order of steps shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, among the components in the following embodiments, components that are not described in an independent claim that indicates a superordinate concept will be described as optional components. Furthermore, the dimensional ratios in the drawings are exaggerated for the convenience of explanation and may differ from the actual ratios.

(Outline of the gas cylinder exchange system)
The gas bottle exchange system of the present embodiment can replace the dedicated handheld terminal that has been used in the past by installing a dedicated application on a mobile terminal such as a commercially available general smartphone or tablet. The dedicated handheld terminal that has been used in the past has been used to read the delivery slip, which is also the gas bottle slip to be exchanged, and the barcode attached to the gas bottle, and to tally up the work data at the office of the gas company after the delivery work is completed. However, the gas bottle exchange system of the present embodiment can provide the work data that was tally up by the conventional dedicated handheld terminal to the system in real time by reading the barcode using a camera mounted on the mobile terminal. Therefore, if the delivery person has one mobile terminal for the operation management and navigation system, he or she does not need to have a dedicated handheld terminal, so that the work efficiency of the delivery person can be improved. That is, the gas bottle exchange system of the present embodiment can be linked to a smartphone for the operation management and navigation system to manage the exchange of gas bottles, that is, the actions of the delivery person and the gas bottles, in real time. In addition, the possibility of seamless connection with future new systems is expected. In this specification, personnel who deliver gas bottles and perform gas bottle replacement work may be collectively referred to as delivery personnel.

When reading the barcode using a camera mounted on a mobile terminal, it is possible to reduce the probability of problems occurring in reading the barcode even in a dark place by using the light function of the smartphone. Furthermore, by using a mobile terminal, it will be possible in the future to use QR codes (registered trademark) and RF tags instead of the barcode, allowing various information to be input into the system by the mobile terminal. As an example, various information can include the user's address information, expiration date management information for gas containers, etc.

Furthermore, the gas container replacement system can cope with forgetting to reset the container replacement SW (switch) of the gas meter when replacing the entire amount of the single gas container/double gas container, as well as forgetting to switch the handle when replacing one side of the double, and forgetting to reset the container replacement SW of the gas meter. Turning on the container replacement SW of the gas meter is also called resetting the container replacement SW of the gas meter. When the container replacement SW of the gas meter is reset, the remaining amount management counter mounted on the gas meter is initialized, and when the remaining amount of gas in the gas container supplying gas reaches a predetermined level, a call is made. With the spread of LPWA terminals, it has become possible to read the meter daily instead of monthly, but some users wish to reset the remaining amount management counter when replacing the gas container. The entire amount of the single gas container/double gas container is also called single/double full amount replacement, and the remaining amount management counter is sometimes called the remaining pipe counter. In addition, when two gas containers are prepared in the user's home and the empty container is alternately replaced, this is also called the double one-sided replacement method, sometimes abbreviated to double one-sided.

The above-mentioned handle switching and gas meter remaining amount management counter reset will be explained in more detail below.

(Handle switching)
When using a double single-sided regulator, the regulator has a function of automatically replenishing LP gas from the spare gas container when the supply pressure cannot be maintained by the LP gas container in use alone. In a double single-sided regulator, gas is normally supplied from the gas container in the direction in which the handle is tilted. Note that, as an example, an arrow symbol is provided on the handle, and it is also possible to confirm the direction in which the handle is tilted by the arrow symbol. Also, normally, the regulator is provided with a display window, and when the color displayed on the display window is not red, as described above, gas is supplied from the gas container in the direction in which the handle is tilted. However, when the display window on the handle is displayed in red, it indicates that gas is being supplied from the spare gas container (i.e., the container on the opposite side to the gas container in the direction in which the handle is tilted). Note that there may be cases where the regulator handle does not have an arrow symbol and is provided with a display window that displays a color such as red. Therefore, when a delivery person replaces an empty gas container, he or she must turn the handle to close the empty gas container and indicate with the handle that the spare gas container is the gas container in use. However, when replacing an empty gas container, the delivery person may forget to do this. When the handle is turned, the red display in the display window also disappears. For example, when the display window is red, the display window may change from red to white when the handle is turned.

That is, as an example, in the normal case of a double one-sided replacement operation, before the gas container is replaced, the color displayed in the display window of the handle is red, the gas container in the direction of the handle has no gas remaining, and gas is being supplied to the user's home from the gas container on the opposite side. When the delivery person turns the handle, the handle direction will indicate the gas container that was supplying gas when the delivery person arrived at the user's home, and the red display in the center of the handle will disappear.

(Reset the gas meter remaining amount management counter)
An LP gas meter is connected to the gas container of a user who has signed a contract for LP gas. When an abnormality occurs in the flow or pressure of gas, or when an earthquake of a predetermined seismic intensity or higher occurs, the built-in computer of the LP gas meter judges it to be dangerous and stops the gas or displays an alarm to stop the gas. The LP gas meter is also equipped with a gas container replacement switch. As described above, when the gas container replacement switch is turned on, the remaining amount management counter mounted on the LP gas meter is initialized, and when it is assumed that the remaining amount of gas in the gas container supplying gas has reached a predetermined amount, a call is made. Furthermore, when the gas container replacement switch is turned on, the centralized monitoring center is notified that the gas container has been replaced, and the gas company can also know that the replacement of the gas container has been completed. In this specification, the LP gas meter may also be referred to as a gas meter.

If the gas container replacement switch is not turned on, the remaining gas amount management counter will not be initialized, and even if the container replacement switch is turned on at a later date, the gas flow rate used from the time the container was replaced until the container replacement switch was turned on may not be counted. Also, if the LP gas meter's call at the remaining gas amount management level is delayed, accurate remaining gas amount management will not be possible, and gas may run out.

Next, we will explain in more detail the double one-sided replacement method, which is the most standard method used in ordinary households. The commonly used double one-sided replacement method uses an automatic switching regulator to automatically switch the supply of gas from a gas container that has run out of gas to the other gas container. Conventionally, after resetting the remaining amount management counter of the LP gas meter, when it is assumed that the gas container supplying gas on one side has a specified remaining amount, the LP gas meter notifies the centralized monitoring center of the information that the container on the other side is assumed to have a specified remaining amount. If the delivery and replacement work of the gas container is then completed before the gas container on the side to which the gas supply has been switched becomes empty, it is possible to prevent the gas from running out. However, if it takes a long time to replace the gas container, the gas flow rate used until the gas container is replaced is not counted, and so-called "eating" may occur. In other words, since the remaining pipe counter operates from the time the remaining pipe management counter is reset, there are cases where a considerable amount of gas has been consumed in the switched gas container after a remaining pipe alarm is notified of the gas container supplying gas. This phenomenon is called eating. If this jamming occurs repeatedly, it may cause the gas to run out as mentioned above. Also, because the gas container to be replaced is preset, there is a possibility that a container with no gas remaining may end up being the one to be replaced.

(Schematic diagram of an example of a gas bottle exchange system)
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a gas bottle exchange system 1000 according to the present embodiment.

This shows a configuration in which a dedicated application is installed on the gas bottle replacement mobile terminal 100, replacing the dedicated handheld terminal that has been used conventionally. Note that a commercially available smartphone or tablet can be used as the gas bottle replacement mobile terminal 100. In other words, the gas bottle replacement system 1000 is a system that makes it possible to simultaneously manage work history and gas bottle management using a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or tablet that has been conventionally used for delivery instructions and delivery management.

The delivery person heads to the user's home according to the delivery instruction information displayed on the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100, which is generated based on the user information managed by the core system 200 and the information such as the gas usage status of each user managed by the centralized monitoring system 300. The delivery person can also change the delivery order of the user's home indicated by the delivery instruction information by operating the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100. When heading to the user's home, the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100 may perform navigation such as avoiding traffic jams, but the navigation function may not be implemented as an option. In addition, the order of the user's homes indicated by the delivery instruction information can also be set by the core system 200 and the centralized monitoring system 300 in the order that will minimize the delivery time, taking into account road conditions such as traffic jams. For example, the order of the user's homes to be delivered to may be determined by the core system 200 based on the location information of the user's home included in the user information registered in the core system 200 and the past delivery time information between the user's homes so that the delivery time is shortened. In addition, the gas container exchange mobile terminal 100 can obtain information on road conditions such as congestion directly from other external systems that provide information on road conditions such as congestion, or via the core system 200. Such a navigation function may not be implemented as an option in this embodiment.

When the delivery person arrives at the user's home indicated by the delivery instruction information, he or she carries out the gas bottle replacement work in accordance with the work instructions displayed on the gas bottle replacement mobile terminal 100. The delivery person also outputs information indicating completion of the gas bottle replacement work from the gas bottle replacement mobile terminal 100 to the core system 200 and the centralized monitoring system 300, and then heads to the next user's home indicated by the delivery instruction information.

More specifically, the core system 200 has a function of storing and managing detailed information on contracts and users, such as the contract type of the contract user and user address information. The centralized monitoring system 300 also has a function of sharing some of the information of the core system 200 and monitoring information such as the individual gas usage status of the contract user and the status information of the LP gas meter. The core system 200 and the centralized monitoring system 300 are connected so that data can be shared using CSV or the like, and delivery instructions and delivery management, as well as work history management and gas bottle management, can be executed via the gas bottle replacement mobile terminal 100. The gas bottle replacement mobile terminal 100, the core system 200, and the centralized monitoring system 300 can transmit and receive data information by wireless communication such as a mobile phone network and wired communication. In addition, the gas bottle replacement mobile terminal 100 is equipped with a dedicated application for delivery instructions and delivery management, as well as work history management and gas bottle management. The dedicated application enables information to be sent and received in real time between the delivery person and the core system 200 and the centralized monitoring system 300 via a graphical user interface (described later) of the gas container exchange mobile terminal 100. The core system 200 and the centralized monitoring system 300 are also linked to the gas supplier's system in real time. Note that information for identifying a user may also be referred to as user identification information in this specification. In other words, the various pieces of information listed above as examples can be shared and stored in the core system 200 and the centralized monitoring system 300 in association with user information identified by the user identification information.

When the delivery person arrives at the user's home indicated by the delivery instruction information, the information of arrival at the user's home is input to the portable terminal 100 for gas bottle replacement, and the portable terminal 100 for gas bottle replacement displays the work procedure information on the display unit in order. The work procedure information indicating the actual work flow is incorporated in a dedicated application. The information of the user who will perform the work on the day of the work is transmitted from the core system 200 and the centralized monitoring system 300 to the portable terminal 100 for gas bottle replacement. The delivery person performs various tasks such as reading the barcode of the gas bottle and replacing the gas bottle according to the work procedure information instructed by the portable terminal 100 for gas bottle replacement. As a result, information for managing the work history and the gas bottle is transmitted from the portable terminal 100 for gas bottle replacement to the core system 200 and the centralized monitoring system 300 at a predetermined timing. After the delivery person performs all the work at the user's home according to the work procedure information, when the portable terminal 100 for gas bottle replacement transmits the work completion information, the next user's home information is displayed on the portable terminal 100 for gas bottle replacement.

For example, when the delivery person arrives at the user's home 400a in FIG. 1, the barcode 600a attached to the gas container 500a to be replaced is read. Also, the barcode of the new gas container delivered by the delivery person, which is not numbered in FIG. 1, is read. When the work completion information is transmitted from the mobile terminal 100 for gas container replacement, the delivery person moves to the user's home 400b, which is the next delivery destination indicated by the delivery instruction information. The same explanation will be given below, but when the delivery person arrives at the user's home 400b in FIG. 1, the barcode 600b attached to the gas container 500b to be replaced is read. Also, the barcode of the new gas container delivered by the delivery person, which is not numbered, is read. When the work completion information is transmitted from the mobile terminal 100 for gas container replacement, the delivery person moves to the user's home 400c, which is the next delivery destination indicated by the delivery instruction information. When the delivery person arrives at the user's home 400c in FIG. 1, the barcode 600c attached to the gas container 500c to be replaced is read. The mobile terminal 100 for gas container replacement also reads the barcode of the new gas container delivered by the delivery person, even though it is not numbered. When the work completion information is sent from the mobile terminal 100 for gas container replacement, if there is a next delivery destination indicated by the delivery instruction information, the delivery person moves to the next user's house, and if there is no next delivery destination, the delivery work completion information is displayed on the mobile terminal 100 for gas container replacement. When the work completion information is sent, the information of the user for whom the work has been completed and the barcode information of the replaced gas container are also sent.

In this way, by sending and receiving information for work history management and gas bottle management using the gas bottle replacement mobile terminal 100, it becomes possible to eliminate the need to carry two devices, a dedicated terminal and a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or tablet. In addition, the gas bottle replacement mobile terminal 100 makes it possible to share information for work history management and gas bottle management in real time with the core system 200, the centralized monitoring system 300, and the gas supplier's host computer.

2 is a schematic diagram showing an image of reading bar codes attached to an emptied gas container to be replaced and a filled gas container to be installed with liquefied gas using a gas container replacement mobile terminal 100. As shown in FIG. 2, the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100 can read both JAN codes and QR codes. This can be done by an imaging unit such as a CCD camera incorporated in the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100. Until now, the JAN codes attached to gas containers have been read with a dedicated bar code reader, but it is possible to use the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100 instead of the dedicated bar code reader. In addition, gas containers are currently marked with a JAN code, so it is necessary to be able to read the JAN code, but in the future, it will be possible to manage gas containers by including various information such as the manufacturing date of the gas container in the QR code.

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the contents of the gas container replacement work in the gas container replacement system 1000 of Figure 1. Figure 3(a) on the left of the → in Figure 3 shows how the work of switching the regulator handle 800 (not shown) in a double one-sided replacement is incorporated into the work procedure of the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100 to prevent forgetting to switch the handle.

3(a), before starting the handle switching work, the delivery person inputs arrival information indicating that he/she has arrived at the user's house into the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100. Details will be described later. When the arrival information is input into the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100, a confirmation screen for the regulator handle switching work is displayed on the display unit of the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100. Details will be described later, but the delivery person performs the handle switching work according to the confirmation screen for the regulator handle switching work. Details will be described later, but in order for the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100 to determine whether the handle switching work has been performed reliably, the state of the handle during the handle switching work may be captured by an imaging unit such as a CCD camera of the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100. After that, the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100 may notify the core system 200 of the completion information of the handle switching work. In addition, the captured image of the state of the handle 800 before and after the handle switching work captured by the imaging unit may also be transmitted from the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100 to the core system 200.

Figure 3 (b) on the right side of the → in Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing a delivery person replacing a gas bottle according to a confirmation screen for the gas bottle replacement work displayed on the display unit of the gas bottle replacement mobile terminal 100. The delivery person reads the barcode of the gas bottle with the gas bottle replacement mobile terminal 100 according to the confirmation screen for the gas bottle replacement work. That is, the delivery person reads the barcode 600k and the barcode 600s attached to the gas bottle 500k to be replaced that has been emptied of gas and the gas bottle 500s to be installed that has been filled with gas with the gas bottle replacement mobile terminal 100. The reading order can be preset in the gas bottle replacement system 1000. For example, the delivery person reads the barcode 600s attached to the gas bottle 500s to be installed that has been filled with gas with the gas bottle replacement mobile terminal 100. Since the portable terminal 100 for gas bottle replacement transmits barcode information to the core system 200 at a predetermined timing, the core system 200 can add information on the gas bottle filled with gas to be installed in the user's home to the user information. The gas bottle information included in the user information is also shared with the centralized monitoring system 300. For example, a delivery person reads the barcode 600k attached to the gas bottle 500k to be replaced, which has been emptied of gas, with the portable terminal 100 for gas bottle replacement. Since the portable terminal 100 for gas bottle replacement transmits barcode information to the core system 200, the core system 200 can store information indicating that the gas bottle 500k is not filled with gas, delivery information for the gas bottle 500k, and other information. The information indicating that the gas bottle 500k is not filled with gas, and delivery information for the gas bottle 500k, and other information can also be shared with the centralized monitoring system 300.

When the barcodes attached to the emptied gas container 500k to be replaced and the filled gas container 500s to be installed are read by the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100, the barcode information is transmitted to the core system 200 at a predetermined timing. The predetermined timing is the timing at which the barcode 600s of the gas container 500s filled with liquefied gas to be replaced with the gas container 500k is read by the imaging unit when the barcode 600k of the used gas container 500k is read first. Alternatively, the predetermined timing is the timing at which the barcode 600s of the used gas container 500k is read when the barcode 600s of the gas container 500s filled with liquefied gas is read first. In this case, the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100 transmits user information performing the replacement work and work completion information to the centralized monitoring system 300 at the timing at which the barcode attached to the gas container is read. The centralized monitoring system 300 transmits a remaining pipe counter reset request signal to the LP gas meter 700 of the user's home corresponding to the received user information performing the replacement work. When the LP gas meter 700 of the user's home successfully receives the remaining pipe counter reset request signal, the LP gas meter 700 transmits a remaining pipe counter reset response signal or an Ack signal to the centralized monitoring system 300. The LP gas meter 700 of the user's home also resets the remaining pipe counter and displays information indicating that the remaining pipe counter of the LP gas meter 700 has been reset on the screen unit 710 of the LP gas meter 700. The information indicating that the remaining pipe counter has been reset may be text information and/or image information. The user information is associated with gas meter identification information that identifies the LP gas meter 700 used in the user's home, and is stored in the core system 200 and the centralized monitoring system 300.

The centralized monitoring system 300, which has received the remaining tube counter reset response signal or Ack signal, transmits the remaining tube counter reset response signal or Ack signal to the gas container replacement portable terminal 100, which has read the barcode affixed to the gas container. The gas container replacement portable terminal 100, which has received the remaining tube counter reset response signal or Ack signal, displays information indicating that the remaining tube counter of the LP gas meter 700 at the user's home being visited has been reset on the display unit of the gas container replacement portable terminal 100. The information indicating that the remaining tube counter has been reset may be text information and/or image information. The remaining tube counter reset response signal or Ack signal may be transferred while being format-converted.

As will be described later, the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100 transmits information about the user performing the replacement work, work completion information, and barcode information to the centralized monitoring system 300 at a predetermined timing when the barcode affixed to the gas container is read. The order in which the barcodes affixed to the gas containers are read may be preset in the gas container replacement system 1000. Also, the order in which the barcodes affixed to the gas containers are read may not be preset in the gas container replacement system 1000.

According to the above configuration, an application can be used that incorporates the regulator handle switching operation when replacing a gas bottle into the delivery operation procedure, making it possible to prevent forgetting to switch the regulator handle. In addition, by reading the barcode of the gas bottle to be replaced when replacing a gas bottle, gas bottle replacement information can be automatically and in real time notified to the core system 200 and the centralized monitoring system 300. Furthermore, by reading the barcode of the gas bottle to be replaced when replacing a gas bottle, it becomes possible to reset the remaining pipe counter of the LP gas meter 700 from the centralized monitoring system 300.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the state in which the regulator handle switching operation is linked with a dedicated application on the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100.

When a screen (not shown) instructing the regulator handle switching operation is displayed on the gas container exchange mobile terminal 100 from a dedicated application, the delivery person captures the handle direction information and handle direction attached information of the regulator handle 800 with an imaging unit such as a CCD camera. The handle direction information is information indicating the direction in which the regulator handle 800 is tilted, and may be information indicated in various forms. For example, the handle direction information may be indicated by the direction of an arrow symbol 810 provided on the handle 800 as shown in FIG. 4, but is not limited to this form. For example, the direction indicated by the shape of the rotatable handle 800 may be used as the handle direction information. As an example, if the handle 800 is in the shape of a lever, the direction of the tip of the lever may be used as the handle direction information, and if the handle 800 is in the shape of a teardrop, the direction in which the shape narrows may be used as the handle direction information.

An example of the handle direction attached information is the remaining amount of gas in the gas container indicated by the handle direction information. In addition, when the remaining amount of gas in the gas container indicated by the handle direction information is exhausted and gas is being supplied to the user's home from the gas container on the opposite side of the gas container indicated by the handle direction information, the handle direction attached information indicates the situation by color, as an example. The before-switch handle operation image 150b in FIG. 4 shows an example of image information of the handle direction information and the handle direction attached information displayed in the display window of the regulator handle 800 before the handle switching operation, which are captured by the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100. In the before-switch handle operation image 150b, the handle direction information is indicated by the direction of the arrow symbol, and the handle direction attached information is indicated by the color of the arrow symbol. Note that the handle direction information in the before-switch handle operation image 150b indicates the handle direction of the regulator before the handle switching operation. In addition, when the arrow symbol is red in the before-switch handle operation image 150b, it indicates that gas is being supplied to the user's home from the gas container on the opposite side of the gas container indicated by the handle direction information. In this case, the gas remaining in the gas container indicated by the handle direction information is depleted or is running low. Furthermore, the handle direction ancillary information may not be information shown together with the handle direction information. For example, when the handle direction information is shown by the rotation direction of the handle 800, the handle direction ancillary information may be shown by a color displayed in a display window located in a part of the handle 800.

Next, the delivery person rotates the regulator handle 800 in the direction of the gas container 500y that supplies gas to the user's house according to a screen (not shown) that instructs the regulator handle switching operation of the dedicated application. When the delivery person rotates the regulator handle 800 in the direction of the gas container 500y, the display content of the regulator handle 800 display window changes to the switching handle operation image 150c as shown in FIG. 4. When the delivery person captures the handle direction information and handle direction auxiliary information displayed in the display window of the regulator handle 800 with the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100, the switching handle operation image 150c is displayed on the gas container replacement mobile terminal and transmitted to the core system 200. In addition, the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100 can obtain information from systems such as GNSS and mobile terminal communication networks, and generate location information and date and time information. Therefore, the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100 can transmit the location information and date and time information at the time when the switching handle operation image 150c is captured to the core system 200. Furthermore, the core system 200 can store information including the image 150b before the switching handle operation, the image 150c after the switching handle operation, location information, and date and time information as regulator handle switching information. The core system 200 can also store the regulator handle switching information in association with user information.

If the handle direction information and handle direction ancillary information included in the pre-switch handle operation image 150b are different from the information that should be displayed before operating the regulator handle 800, the gas container replacement portable terminal 100 can notify the delivery person of warning information. For example, an error message can be displayed in text and/or images on the display unit of the gas container replacement portable terminal 100. Furthermore, for example, the gas container replacement portable terminal 100 can notify audio information or any sound information as warning information. The information that should be displayed before operating the regulator handle 800 can be stored in advance in the memory unit of the gas container replacement portable terminal 100 from the core system 200.

Furthermore, if the handle direction information and handle direction ancillary information included in the post-switch handle operation image 150c differ from the information that should be displayed after the regulator handle 800 is operated, the gas container replacement portable terminal 100 can notify the delivery person of warning information. For example, an error message can be displayed in text and/or images on the display unit of the gas container replacement portable terminal 100. Furthermore, for example, audio information or any sound information can be notified from the gas container replacement portable terminal 100 as warning information. The information that should be displayed after the regulator handle 800 is operated can be stored in advance in the memory unit of the gas container replacement portable terminal 100 from the core system 200.

According to the above configuration, a screen instructing the operator to switch the regulator handle from a dedicated application is displayed on the display unit of the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100, making it possible to prevent the delivery person from forgetting to switch the regulator handle. In addition, if the delivery person is notified of warning information when the image before the switch handle operation 150b and/or the image after the switch handle operation 150c differ from the expected image, it is possible to further prevent the delivery person from forgetting to switch the regulator handle.

(An example of screen transition of the gas bottle replacement mobile terminal 100 using a dedicated application)
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of screen transitions of the gas bottle replacement mobile terminal 100 using a dedicated application for delivery and replacement of a gas bottle.

5(a) is an example of a screen displayed on the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100 when starting the gas container replacement work at a user's home. In FIG. 5(a), a list of user home information to which the gas container should be delivered and replaced on the work day, or a part of the list, is displayed in the order in which the gas container should be delivered. When the delivery person arrives at the first user home to which the gas container should be replaced, touching or pointing to the first user home information 50 on the screen of the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100 may display the screen of FIG. 5(b) on the screen of the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100. That is, when the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100 displays the screen of FIG. 5(a), if it detects that the user home information has been touched or pointed to, it can recognize that the gas container replacement work will be started at the user home indicated by the touched or other user home information. The user home information is displayed as text information and/or image information. The image information may also include exterior photograph information of the user home and surrounding map information. It is also possible to configure the gas container replacement portable terminal 100 to detect the arrival of the delivery person at the first user's home when the delivery person arrives at the first user's home to deliver and replace the gas container. In this case, when the gas container replacement portable terminal 100 detects the arrival of the delivery person at the first user's home, the screen of FIG. 5(a) may be displayed.

Figure 5(b) is an example of a screen displayed when starting the gas bottle replacement work. When the delivery person arrives at the user's house, the procedure for starting the regulator handle switching work is displayed. In the case of a work such as a single (gas bottle) / double (gas bottle) full amount replacement, since there is no regulator handle switching work, the screens of Figures 5(b) and 5(c) may be omitted. In Figure 5(b), area 51 of the screen requests that an image of the regulator handle part before the regulator handle switching work be taken with the gas bottle replacement mobile terminal 100. As shown in the screen of Figure 5(b), when the delivery person takes an image of the regulator handle part with the gas bottle replacement mobile terminal 100, the photographed part is displayed in area 52. In addition, before tapping or pointing to any part of area 52 in Figure 5(b), it is also possible that the image captured by the imaging unit such as a CCD camera is displayed continuously like a video. Also, in area 51 of FIG. 5(b), information on the part to be photographed and/or information on instructions for photographing are displayed, and when any part of area 52 is tapped or pointed to, the captured image at the time of tapping or pointing can be fixed and continuously displayed. Furthermore, the captured image can be transferred from gas container replacement portable terminal 100 to core system 200 and stored in core system 200. Note that areas 51 and 52 can be displayed on gas container replacement portable terminal 100 in any shape and arrangement.

5(c) is a schematic diagram showing an example of the screen of the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100 after the delivery person performs the regulator handle switching work after photographing the regulator handle part in FIG. 5(b). In FIG. 5(c), information requesting that the image of the regulator handle part after the regulator handle switching work be photographed with the camera of the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100 is displayed in area 53. That is, the information displayed in area 53 in FIG. 5(c) requests the delivery person to perform the regulator handle switching work after photographing the regulator handle part in FIG. 5(b). As shown in the screen of FIG. 5(c), when the delivery person photographs the regulator handle part with the camera of the gas container replacement mobile terminal, the photographed part is displayed in area 54. Note that before tapping or pointing to any part of area 54 in FIG. 5(c), it is also possible to display the camera image continuously like a video. And, when tapping or pointing to any part of area 54 in FIG. 5(c), it is also possible to configure the image captured at the time of tapping or pointing to be fixed and continue to be displayed. Furthermore, the captured image at the time of tapping or pointing can be transferred from the gas container exchange mobile terminal 100 to the core system 200 and stored in the core system 200. The dedicated application implemented in the gas container exchange mobile terminal 100 judges whether the switching direction of the regulator handle photographed in FIG. 5(c) and the switching direction of the regulator handle photographed in FIG. 5(b) correspond to the expected direction. For example, if the directions of the regulator's connection ports with different gas containers differ by 180 degrees, the dedicated application judges whether the captured image of the handle has been rotated by 180 degrees. Also, for example, if the directions of the regulator's connection ports with different gas containers differ by X degrees, the dedicated application judges whether the captured image of the handle has been rotated by X degrees (X is an arbitrary real number). If the switching direction of the regulator handle photographed in FIG. 5(b) and FIG. 5(c) has not rotated to the expected angle, it is also possible to notify the delivery person that the regulator handle switching operation has not been performed normally. The notification information may be text information and/or sound information. The determination of whether the regulator handle 800 has rotated to the expected angle may be performed by the core system 200. The expected angle does not need to be exactly X degrees, but may be an angle at which the connection port between the gas container to be replaced and the regulator is closed. Areas 53 and 54 can be displayed on the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100 in any shape and arrangement.

Furthermore, the dedicated application may be configured to be able to determine whether the color of the part that should change color has changed to the expected color based on the captured images taken before and after the switching operation of the adjuster handle 800 in Fig. 5(b) and Fig. 5(c). Note that the core system 200 may be configured to be able to determine whether the color of the part that should change color has changed to the expected color based on the captured images taken before and after the switching operation of the adjuster handle 800 in Fig. 5(b) and Fig. 5(c).

For example, the dedicated application can move to the next work screen when the image of the steering wheel switching direction captured in FIG. 5(b) and FIG. 5(c) rotates to the expected angle and the color of the part that should change color changes to the expected color. In this case, the dedicated application can notify the delivery person of error information by text information and/or sound information when the image of the steering wheel switching direction and/or the color of the image of the part that should change color differs from the expected image. The above-mentioned series of judgments may be executed by the core system 200.

Figure 5 (d) is a schematic diagram showing an example of the screen of the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100 after the delivery person has successfully performed the regulator handle switching operation. When the delivery person has successfully completed the regulator handle switching operation, the gas container replacement operation will be performed. In this case, the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100 reads bar codes such as JAN codes and QR codes attached to the empty gas container at the user's home and the gas container filled with liquefied gas transported by the delivery person. Figure 5 (d) shows an example of a case where a QR code is attached to the gas container. The order of reading the bar codes attached to the empty gas container and the gas container filled with liquefied gas transported by the delivery person may or may not be determined in advance. The read bar code information is transmitted to the core system 200 at a predetermined timing.

For example, since the barcode information of the empty gas bottle corresponds to the user information, the delivery person may first read the barcode of the empty gas bottle. In this case, if the delivery person mistakenly reads the barcode of the gas bottle of the user's home or reads the barcode of the gas bottle of the user's home that is not empty, it is also possible to notify the delivery person of error information by text information and/or sound information. That is, by associating the user's home information with the barcode information of the empty gas bottle and storing it in a dedicated application, it is possible to eliminate the need for the gas bottle slip to be replaced that was previously required for each user's home. Note that the information of the gas bottle whose barcode should be read may be displayed in the area 55 of FIG. 5(d). For example, the area 55 of FIG. 5(d) may display information instructing the user to read the barcode of the empty gas bottle, or information instructing the user to read the barcode of the gas bottle filled with liquefied gas that the delivery person has transported. It is also possible to configure the delivery person to read the barcode attached to the target gas bottle based on the information displayed in the area 55. Additionally, area 55 in FIG. 5(d) may simply display information requesting that a barcode attached to the gas bottle be read.

Furthermore, the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100 can transmit specified information when the delivery person reads the barcode of the empty gas container or the barcode of the gas container filled with liquefied gas that has been transported. The specified information includes user information, barcode information, and gas container replacement completion information. However, the specified information needs to be transmitted when both the barcode of the empty gas container and the barcode affixed to the gas container filled with liquefied gas that has been transported by the delivery person are read in either order.

The remaining gas counter is placed on the LP gas meter located between the gas container and the gas-using equipment in the user's home, and is used to notify the centralized monitoring system 300 of a value that indicates how much gas remains in the gas container in use.

Furthermore, as described above, the centralized monitoring system 300, which has received the user information and the gas container replacement completion information, transmits a remaining pipe counter reset request signal to the LP gas meter 700 at the user's home. When the LP gas meter 700 at the user's home successfully receives the remaining pipe counter reset request signal, it transmits a remaining pipe counter reset response signal or an Ack signal to the centralized monitoring system 300. Furthermore, the LP gas meter 700 at the user's home resets the remaining pipe counter, and displays information indicating that the remaining pipe counter of the LP gas meter has been reset on the screen unit 710 of the LP gas meter. The information indicating that the remaining pipe counter has been reset may be text information and/or image information.

The centralized monitoring system 300, which has received the remaining tube counter reset response signal or Ack signal, transmits the remaining tube counter reset response signal or Ack signal to the gas container replacement portable terminal 100, which has read the barcode affixed to the gas container. The remaining tube counter reset response signal or Ack signal input to the centralized monitoring system 300 and the remaining tube counter reset response signal or Ack signal output from the centralized monitoring system 300 may have different formats. The gas container replacement portable terminal 100, which has received the remaining tube counter reset response signal or Ack signal, displays information on the display unit indicating that the remaining tube counter of the LP gas meter 700 at the user's home that the delivery person is visiting has been reset. The information indicating that the remaining tube counter has been reset may be text information and/or image information.

As described above, when the gas container replacement portable terminal reads the barcode of one of the gas containers, the gas container replacement portable terminal can transmit user information, barcode information, and gas container replacement completion information. However, before transmitting the user information, barcode information, and gas container replacement completion information, it is necessary to read both the barcode affixed to the emptied gas container to be replaced and the barcode affixed to the filled gas container to be installed. In this case, the reading order of the barcodes affixed to the gas containers may be preset in the gas container replacement system 1000. Also, the reading order of the barcodes affixed to the gas containers may not be preset in the gas container replacement system 1000.

As described above, information indicating that the remaining pipe counter of the LP gas meter of the user's home that the delivery person is visiting has been reset, which is display information not shown, is displayed on the screen of the gas container replacement portable terminal. For example, text information and/or sound information may be displayed on the gas container replacement portable terminal 100 so that the delivery person can confirm on the gas container replacement portable terminal 100 that the remaining pipe counter of the LP gas meter has been reset. When the delivery person checks the screen and performs an operation such as tapping on the screen, the work completion screen of FIG. 5(e) may be displayed.

5(e) is displayed, and when all the gas container replacement work is completed, the delivery person selects the area 57 where the display information of the user's home where all the gas container replacement work is completed is displayed by tapping or other operations. As shown in FIG. 5(e), the display information of the user's home where the gas container replacement work is completed may be displayed in the area 57, and the display information of the user's home at the next delivery destination may be displayed in the area 58. When the area 57 where the display information of the user's home where all the gas container replacement work is completed is selected by tapping or other operations, the area 58 where the display information of the user's home at the next delivery destination is displayed may be displayed at the top of the user's home at the delivery destination. The top may be the upper side or side of the display unit of the gas container replacement mobile terminal. It is also possible to configure the navigation to the next delivery destination to be started by selecting the display information of the user's home where the gas container replacement work is completed by tapping or other operations. The confirmation information before the adjustment handle switching in FIG. 5(b) and the confirmation information after the adjustment handle switching in FIG. 5(c) may be transmitted to the core system 200 at the timing when the screen is operated by tapping or other operations.

The gas bottle replacement work will be carried out according to the number of gas bottles installed in the user's home. For example, in the case of a double one-sided replacement, one gas bottle will be replaced as described above. However, for example, if there are multiple gas bottles supplying gas to one user's home and the multiple supply source gas bottles have been switched, the barcodes of the multiple gas bottles to be replaced and the new gas bottle that has been delivered may be read.

In addition, when all gas containers installed in the user's home are replaced, the screens of FIG. 5(b) and FIG. 5(c) may be skipped by a dedicated application of the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100. In this case, the screen of FIG. 5(d) is displayed after the screen of FIG. 5(a), and information instructing to read the barcodes attached to all gas containers before and after replacement is displayed. For example, by tapping FIG. 5(a), the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100 can determine that a delivery person is performing replacement work at the user A's home. In this case, the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100 can identify the identification information and number of gas containers to be replaced contained in the user information of the user A's home. Therefore, the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100 can determine the number of times the barcode reading request screen of FIG. 5(c) has been displayed at the user A's home, and whether the gas container to be replaced has been read. If a barcode for a different gas container is read on the screen for reading the barcode for the gas container to be replaced, the portable terminal for replacing the gas container can be configured to display error information or emit a sound.

In addition, the information indicating that the remaining pipe counter of the LP gas meter of the user's home that the delivery person is visiting has been reset may be display information displayed in area 57 of FIG. 5(e). For example, the display information displayed in area 57 may be information indicating that the gas container replacement work at user A's home has been completed.

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the operation when the remaining tube counter is reset in the gas container replacement system 1000.

When the delivery person reads the barcodes of the gas bottle to be replaced at the user's home and the new gas bottle that has been delivered, the specified information is output from the gas bottle replacement mobile terminal 100 to the center communication system 900 via a base station (not shown). As described above, the specified information is sent when the barcode of the gas bottle is read, but the timing of which gas bottle's barcode is read can be set arbitrarily in the gas bottle replacement system 1000. As described above, the specified information includes user information, barcode information, and gas bottle replacement completion information.

The user information and gas container replacement completion information output to the center communication system 900 are transmitted from the center communication system 900 to the centralized monitoring system 300. The centralized monitoring system 300 recognizes the LP gas meter that has the remaining amount management counter that should be reset from the user information of the delivery person performing the gas container replacement work. The user information and gas container information are shared with the core system 200.

In addition, the user information, barcode information, and gas container replacement completion information output to the center communication system 900 are transmitted from the center communication system 900 to the core system 200. In this way, the center communication system 900 can have the function of classifying information to be transmitted to the core system 200 and the centralized monitoring system 300 and transmitting it to each system.

The centralized monitoring system 300, which has received the user information and the gas container replacement completion information, transmits a remaining pipe counter reset signal to the LP gas meter 700 of the user's home where the gas container replacement work is being performed, to reset the remaining pipe counter of the LP gas meter 700 of the user's home. The LP gas meter 700 of the user's home that has received the remaining pipe counter reset signal resets the remaining pipe counter. In addition, the LP gas meter 700 displays reset success information indicating that the remaining pipe counter has been reset as text information and/or image information on the screen unit 710 of the LP gas meter. The delivery person can recognize that the remaining pipe counter of the LP gas meter 700 has been reset by visually checking the reset success information indicating that the remaining pipe counter displayed on the screen unit 710 of the LP gas meter 700 has been reset. The reset success information can be made non-displayable after a predetermined time has elapsed. The predetermined time can be set to any time in the gas container replacement system 1000. The reset success information can also be made to blink at a predetermined time interval. In this case, the predetermined time interval can also be set to any time in the gas container replacement system 1000.

When the LP gas meter 700 has successfully reset the remaining tube counter, it transmits a response information signal, such as a remaining tube counter reset response signal, to the centralized monitoring system 300. The response information signal may be an Ack signal. The centralized monitoring system 300, which has received the response information signal, transmits a response information signal to the gas container replacement portable terminal 100 via the center communication system 900, indicating that the remaining tube counter of the LP gas meter 700 has been successfully reset. The gas container replacement portable terminal 100, which has received the response information signal, displays information indicating that the remaining tube counter has been reset as text information and/or image information on the display unit 150 of the gas container replacement portable terminal. The delivery person can recognize that the remaining tube counter of the LP gas meter 700 has been reset by visually checking the information indicating that the remaining tube counter has been reset displayed on the display unit 150 of the gas container replacement portable terminal.

In addition, the information indicating that the remaining tube counter has been reset may be information such as "User A's home completed," as shown in area 57 of FIG. 5(e). The information indicating that user A's home has been completed may be displayed as text information and/or image information.

The gas bottle barcode information read by the gas bottle replacement mobile terminal 100 is transmitted to the core system 200 and stored in association with the user information. The gas bottle barcode information can also be configured to be shared in real time with the centralized monitoring system 300. Furthermore, the user information can also be configured to be associated with gas bottle replacement completion information and stored in the core system 200.

According to the above-mentioned configuration, when replacing a gas container, the delivery person reads the barcode of the gas container to be replaced, and the information of the gas container to be replaced can be linked in real time to the core system 200 and the centralized monitoring system 300. In addition, the remaining pipe counter of the LP gas meter is reset simply by reading the barcode of the gas container to be replaced by the delivery person, so it is possible to prevent the delivery person from forgetting to reset the remaining pipe counter. In addition, the procedure for reading the barcode of the gas container to be replaced by the delivery person can be incorporated into the container replacement work by a dedicated application, so it is possible to achieve the above-mentioned real-time linkage and prevention of forgetting to reset the remaining pipe counter.

(Example of Operation of Gas Bottle Exchange System 1000)
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the gas bottle exchange system 1000.

In step S701, as an example, a list or part of user home information to which gas containers should be delivered and replaced on the work day is displayed on the display unit of the gas container replacement portable terminal in the order in which they should be delivered. The user home information displayed in the order in which they should be delivered is information transmitted from the core system 200 to the gas container replacement portable terminal. It is also possible for the delivery person to change the delivery order by operating the gas container replacement portable terminal 100. When the delivery person performs an operation such as tapping on the user home information displayed on the display unit of the gas container replacement portable terminal, the gas container replacement portable terminal proceeds to step S702. It is also possible for the delivery person to transmit delivery start information indicating that delivery has started to the core system 200 when the delivery person performs an operation such as tapping on the user home information displayed on the display unit of the gas container replacement portable terminal.

In step S702, navigation information to the user's house selected in step S701 is transmitted from the centralized monitoring system 300 to the gas container replacement portable terminal, and is displayed on the display unit of the gas container replacement portable terminal. The delivery person delivers the gas container filled with liquefied gas loaded on a vehicle such as a truck to the user's house selected in step S701 according to the navigation information. The navigation information may be transmitted in advance from an external navigation system (not shown) to the gas container replacement portable terminal via a portable terminal line and stored in the storage unit of the gas container replacement portable terminal. In this case, it is also possible to configure the gas container replacement portable terminal to be provided with real-time road information such as road congestion information and accident information according to the vehicle's movement status as necessary. Next, the gas container replacement portable terminal proceeds to step S703. In the gas container replacement system 1000 according to this embodiment, it is also possible to configure the gas container replacement portable terminal not to perform navigation in step S702.

In step S703, the delivery person arrives at the user's home selected in step S701. Upon arriving at the selected user's home, the delivery person performs an operation such as tapping on the user's home information displayed on the display unit of the gas container replacement portable terminal, and information on the start of the container replacement work is detected by the gas container replacement portable terminal. For example, the display and operation shown in FIG. 5(a) described above may be executed. Note that since the gas container replacement portable terminal is equipped with a position detection function using GNSS or the like, when the gas container replacement portable terminal arrives at the selected user's home, information on the start of the container replacement work may be detected by the gas container replacement portable terminal. Next, the gas container replacement portable terminal proceeds to step S704.

In step S704, information requesting that image information of the regulator handle before rotation is captured by the camera of the portable terminal for gas container replacement is displayed on the display unit of the portable terminal for gas container replacement. The delivery person captures the state of the handle part of the regulator before rotation of the handle according to the information displayed on the display unit of the portable terminal for gas container replacement. An example of the state of the handle part of the regulator before rotation of the handle is shown in FIG. 5(b) above. Next, the portable terminal for gas container replacement proceeds to step S705.

In step S705, information requesting that image information after the regulator handle rotation operation be captured by the camera of the gas container replacement portable terminal is displayed on the display unit of the gas container replacement portable terminal. The delivery person rotates the regulator handle and captures the state of the handle part after the regulator handle rotation operation according to the information displayed on the display unit of the gas container replacement portable terminal. If the amount of rotation of the regulator handle is the amount of rotation expected for the regulator at the user's home, the gas container replacement portable terminal proceeds to step S706. In this case, image information and/or sound information indicating that the amount of rotation of the regulator handle is appropriate may be output from the gas container replacement portable terminal. Image information indicating that the amount of rotation of the regulator handle is appropriate may be displayed on the display unit of the gas container replacement portable terminal. In addition, image information captured of the handle part before and after the regulator handle rotation operation may be transmitted to the core system 200 as evidence. In this case, the date and time information and the location information of the regulator handle rotation work may also be transmitted from the gas container replacement portable terminal to the core system 200 as evidence. The date and time information may be the date and time information of the delivery person photographing the handle part of the regulator after the regulator handle rotation work. The amount of rotation of the regulator handle may differ depending on the direction of the gas piping of the regulator, so it is stored in the core system 200 in correspondence with the user information. Therefore, the expected amount of rotation of the regulator handle may be stored in advance in the storage unit of the gas container replacement portable terminal from the core system 200 in correspondence with the user information. The operations of steps S704 and S705 may be skipped and not executed. For example, when all of the gas containers placed in the user's home are replaced, the operations of steps S704 and S705 are skipped and not executed. Since the information indicating that all of the gas containers placed in the user's home are replaced corresponds to the user information, in step S701, the gas container replacement portable terminal can determine to skip steps S704 and S705.

In step S706, information requesting reading of the barcode of the gas container to be replaced that is installed in the visited user's home is displayed on the display unit of the portable terminal for gas container replacement. Normally, gas is no longer being supplied from the gas container to be replaced that is installed in the user's home, and gas is being supplied to the user's home from a spare gas container connected to a regulator. The delivery person reads the barcode of the gas container to be replaced that is installed in the user's home with the portable terminal for gas container replacement. The information of the gas container read by the portable terminal for gas container replacement is transmitted to the core system 200 at the timing described above. Next, the portable terminal for gas container replacement proceeds to step S707.

In step S707, information requesting the reading of the barcode of a new gas container filled with liquefied gas that has been delivered and is to be installed at the user's home being visited is displayed on the display unit of the portable terminal for gas container replacement. The delivery person reads the barcode of the new gas container to be installed at the user's home with the portable terminal for gas container replacement. The information of the new gas container read by the portable terminal for gas container replacement is transmitted to the core system 200 at the above-mentioned timing. Note that the procedures of steps S706 and S707 may be reversed. The procedures of steps S706 and S707 can be determined in advance in the gas container replacement system 1000. In addition, the procedures of steps S706 and S707 can be determined in advance by the delivery person. Therefore, after reading the barcode of the empty gas container installed at the user's home, it is possible to transmit predetermined information to the center communication system 900 at the timing of reading the barcode of the new gas container filled with liquefied gas. Alternatively, after reading the barcode of the new gas container, it is possible to transmit predetermined information to the center communication system 900 at the same time as reading the barcode of the empty gas container. Here, the predetermined information is information including user information, barcode information, and gas container replacement completion information, as described above. Note that the request information to read the barcode of the new gas container may be displayed on the display unit of the portable terminal for gas container replacement before or after the new container is installed. Next, the portable terminal for gas container replacement proceeds to step S708.

In step S708, the delivery person can recognize that the remaining tube counter of the LP gas meter 700 has been reset by visually checking the information indicating that the remaining tube counter has been reset, displayed on the screen unit 710 of the LP gas meter 700. Furthermore, information indicating that the remaining tube counter has been reset is displayed on the display unit 150 of the gas container replacement portable terminal 100. Therefore, the delivery person can recognize that the remaining tube counter of the LP gas meter 700 has been reset by visually checking the information displayed on the display unit 150 of the gas container replacement portable terminal 100. Next, the gas container replacement portable terminal proceeds to step S709.

In step S709, a work completion confirmation screen is displayed on the display unit of the gas container replacement portable terminal 100, and if all gas container replacement work has been completed, the delivery person selects the display information of the user's home where all gas container replacement work has been completed by tapping or other operation. Note that the operations of steps S708 and S709 can also be performed on the screen of FIG. 5(e) as described above. Next, the gas container replacement portable terminal proceeds to step S710.

In step S710, the gas container replacement portable terminal determines whether all delivery and replacement work for the corresponding work day has been completed. If all delivery and replacement work has been completed (step S710: YES), the gas container replacement portable terminal displays information that all delivery and replacement work has been completed on the display unit of the gas container replacement portable terminal, and ends the processing for the corresponding work day. If all delivery and replacement work has not been completed (step S710: NO), the gas container replacement portable terminal proceeds to step S701 to display information about the user's home as the next delivery destination on the display unit of the gas container replacement portable terminal.

(Configuration example of the gas bottle exchange portable terminal 100)
FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the gas bottle replacement portable terminal 100. As shown in FIG.

The gas container replacement portable terminal 100 includes an input unit 110 such as a touch panel, an imaging unit 120 such as a CCD camera, a control unit 130, an external I/F unit (I/F: Inter Face) for communicating with an external electronic device wirelessly or via a wire, a display unit 150, and a memory unit 160. The input unit 110 such as a touch panel may be configured to be superimposed on the display unit 150 such as an LCD or an organic EL.

The input unit 110, such as a touch panel, has a function of inputting input information to the portable terminal 100 for gas container replacement by a worker such as a delivery person. When the input unit 110 is a sensor such as a touch panel, an example of the input information is tap information by the worker. The tap information may include position information of the input unit 110. For example, when the input unit 110 and the display unit 150 are superimposed, the portable terminal 100 for gas container replacement can determine, from the tap information, which part of the display information displayed on the display unit 150 was tapped. The input information may also include numerical information or text information written by the worker on the input unit 110.

The imaging unit 120 has a function of capturing image information. One example of the imaging unit 120 is a CCD camera. The imaging unit 120 is capable of capturing images of the barcode on the gas bottle and the handle portion of the regulator. In addition, in order to associate with user information, the imaging unit 120 is also capable of capturing images of the exterior of the user's home and the installation status of the gas bottle in the user's home. In this case, it is also possible to display the exterior of the user's home and the installation status of the gas bottle in the user's home as user home information on the display unit 150 of the gas bottle replacement mobile terminal 100.

The control unit 130 includes an analysis unit 131, an error determination unit 132, a communication information control unit 133, a display information generation unit 134, a position information generation unit 135, and a timing unit 136.

The analysis unit 131 has a function of executing analysis of information such as input information input to the input unit 110 and a barcode imaged by the imaging unit 120. As an example, the analysis unit 131 has a function of identifying the display information of the display unit 150 that was tapped from position information of the input unit 110 included in the input information in the case of a tap operation. The analysis unit 131 also has a function of analyzing information to determine whether or not there is an error in the imaged barcode information from the barcode information affixed to the gas container.

The error determination unit 132 has a function of determining whether the analysis information analyzed by the analysis unit 131 is appropriate. As an example, if the display information of the tapped display unit 150 is appropriate, information for generating the next display information is output to the display information generation unit 134. Also, if the display information of the tapped display unit 150 is appropriate, information such as confirmation information corresponding to the display information may be output to the communication information control unit 133. Furthermore, if the display information of the tapped display unit 150 is not appropriate, information for generating error display information is output to the display information generation unit 134. Also, if there is no error in the barcode information obtained by capturing an image of a barcode affixed to a gas container, the barcode information is output to the communication information control unit 133.

The communication information control unit 133 has a function of transmitting and receiving various information to and from the core system 200 and the centralized monitoring system via the external I/F unit 140. For example, the communication information control unit 133 receives information such as a dedicated application, a delivery order for each work day, and replacement work information from the core system 200 via the external I/F unit 140. The information received from the core system 200 and the centralized monitoring system may be stored in the storage unit 160. The communication information control unit 133 can cause the display information generation unit 134 to generate display information to be displayed on the display unit 150 in sequence according to the received dedicated application. In addition, when navigation information is received, the communication information control unit 133 can cause the display information generation unit 134 to generate navigation display information to be displayed on the display unit 150 according to the navigation information. In addition, the communication information control unit 133 can also transmit user information, barcode information, and gas container replacement completion information to the center communication system 900 when transmitting barcode information captured without error.

The display information generating unit 134 has a function of generating display information to be displayed on the display unit 150. As an example, the display information generating unit 134 has a function of generating delivery instruction information. For example, it is possible to display all or part of the user home information to which the delivery person delivers and replaces the gas container on the day of work in the delivery order. In addition, the display information generating unit 134 may be capable of generating display information for displaying navigation information that guides the vehicle that delivers the gas container to the user's home. In addition, the display information generating unit 134 generates display information that prompts the user to capture the handle part of the regulator and the barcode of the gas container with the imaging unit 120 according to the gas container replacement procedure. In addition, the display information generating unit 134 can also output the coordinate information on the display unit 150 of the display information to be displayed on the display unit 150 to the analysis unit 131. The analysis unit 131 becomes able to analyze the display information tapped by the delivery person on the input unit 110 based on the coordinate information and the position information included in the tap information. Furthermore, the centralized monitoring system 300 can transmit a response information signal indicating that the remaining pipe counter of the LP gas meter has been successfully reset to the display information generating unit 134 via the external I/F unit 140. Upon receiving the response information signal, the display information generating unit 134 can generate display information for displaying information indicating that the remaining pipe counter has been reset on the display unit 150 as text information and/or image information.

The position information generating unit 135 has a function of generating position information of the gas container replacement portable terminal 100 by utilizing a global navigation satellite system such as GNSS, a gyro, and position information received through a portable terminal line. A gyro (not shown) may be included in the position information generating unit 135. The position information generated in the position information generating unit 135 can be used at any time in each functional block of the control unit 130.

The timing unit 136 may be a timer capable of timing, but it is also possible to utilize timing information received through a mobile terminal line, timing information received from a communication satellite, etc. The timing information generated by the timing unit 136 can be used at any time in each functional block of the control unit 130.

The external I/F unit 140 has a function of transmitting and receiving various information to and from the core system 200 and the centralized monitoring system 300 via the center communication system 900. The information transmitted from the external I/F unit 140 includes barcode information on the gas bottle, user information indicating the user's home where the gas bottle is being replaced, and gas bottle replacement completion information. In addition, as necessary, the information transmitted from the external I/F unit 140 includes image information on the handle part of the regulator, time information, location information, other image information, and other information. The information transmitted from the core system 200 or the centralized monitoring system 300 includes information such as a dedicated application for the gas bottle replacement system 1000, a remaining tube counter reset response signal, a delivery order for each work day, and replacement work information. Note that navigation information may be transmitted. Update information for the dedicated application for operating the gas bottle replacement system 1000, or the updated dedicated application, can be transmitted and received at any timing.

The memory unit 160 has a function of storing a dedicated application for operating the gas container replacement system 1000, and information such as the delivery order for each work day and replacement work information in association with user information. The replacement work information may also include display information to be displayed on the display unit 150 and barcode information of the gas container to be replaced associated with the user information. Note that navigation information associated with the dedicated application may also be stored in the memory unit 160.

The gas container replacement mobile terminal 100 having the above-mentioned configuration can reduce the workload of gas container replacement compared to conventional methods, and can also reduce the risk of the user running out of gas.

Comparative Example
In the gas bottle exchange system 1000 according to the present embodiment described above, it is sufficient to carry the portable terminal 100 for gas bottle exchange, but in the following comparative example, a conventional embodiment using a dedicated barcode reader SB and a portable terminal HK for delivery will be described as a comparative example. Note that the portable terminal for delivery can also be an electronic device such as a smartphone.

Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a conventional system shown as a comparative example. The conventional system includes a work history and container management system in the upper part of Figure 9 and a delivery instruction and delivery management system in the lower part of Figure 9.

The upper part of FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of a work history and container management system realized by a dedicated barcode reader SB. The delivery person has a delivery slip for the user's home where the gas container is to be replaced on the day of the work, and at the user's home 400a, reads the barcode on the delivery slip HDa for the user's home 400a with the dedicated barcode reader SB. That is, the barcode on the delivery slip HDa for the user's home 400a corresponds to the barcode on the container slip that corresponds to the barcode attached to the gas container to be replaced at the user's home 400a. Next, the delivery person reads the barcode of the empty gas container at the user's home 400a and the barcode of the new container filled with liquefied gas that has been delivered with the dedicated barcode reader. The barcode information of both the gas containers before and after replacement, which is associated with the information of the user's home 400a, is stored in a memory unit (not shown) of the dedicated barcode reader. When the delivery person arrives at user's home 400b, where the gas container replacement work is to be performed next after user's home 400a, the delivery person reads the barcode on the delivery slip HDb for user's home 400b with a dedicated barcode reader. Next, the delivery person reads the barcodes attached to both the gas containers before and after replacement at user's home 400b with a dedicated barcode reader. The barcode information of both the gas containers before and after replacement, which is associated with the information of user's home 400b, is stored in a memory unit (not shown) of the dedicated barcode reader. When the delivery person arrives at user's home 400c, where the gas container replacement work is to be performed next after user's home 400b, the delivery person reads the barcode on the delivery slip HDc for user's home 400c with a dedicated barcode reader. Next, the delivery person reads the barcodes attached to both the gas containers before and after replacement at user's home 400c with a dedicated barcode reader. The barcode information of both the gas containers before and after replacement, which is associated with the information of user's home 400c, is stored in a memory unit (not shown) of the dedicated barcode reader.

In the upper part of Figure 9, when the gas container replacement work for the day is completed, the delivery person returns to the gas supplier's office, and the work history and container management information stored in the memory unit of the dedicated barcode reader SB is uploaded to the gas supplier's host computer system, where it is stored and managed. In this case, the connection between the dedicated barcode reader and the host computer system is performed by wire or wirelessly.

The lower part of FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of a delivery instruction/delivery management system realized by a delivery mobile terminal HK such as a smartphone or tablet. When the delivery mobile terminal HK is started on a work day and delivery start instruction information is input to the delivery mobile terminal, delivery instruction information (not shown) is displayed on the display unit of the delivery mobile terminal. The delivery instruction information may include information about the user's home as the delivery destination. The delivery order can be determined by the delivery person. For example, the delivery person can bundle and carry the delivery slips in the order of visiting the user's home. In addition, when the delivery instruction information includes information about the user's home as the delivery destination, the delivery instruction information can be changed to the delivery order determined by the delivery person. When the delivery person arrives at the user's home instructed by the delivery instruction information and completes the gas container replacement work, the delivery person inputs work completion information into the delivery mobile terminal. When the work completion information is input into the delivery mobile terminal, the work completion information is transmitted from the delivery mobile terminal HK to the current situation centralized monitoring system 3000 wirelessly or by wire. The current centralized monitoring system 3000 that receives the work completion information shares the work completion information with the current core system 2000 using data information such as CSV. The current core system 2000 that receives the work completion information shares the work completion information with the gas supplier's host computer system wirelessly or via wired connection.

For example, in the lower part of FIG. 9, when the user at home 400a inputs work completion information into the delivery portable terminal after completing the gas container replacement work, information on user home 400b, where the gas container replacement work should be performed next, is displayed on the display unit of the delivery portable terminal. A navigation screen from user home 400a to user home 400b may be displayed on the display unit of the delivery portable terminal. Furthermore, when the delivery person arrives at user home 400b and inputs work completion information into the delivery portable terminal after completing the gas container replacement work, information on user home 400c, where the gas container replacement work should be performed next, is displayed on the display unit of the delivery portable terminal. Furthermore, when the delivery person arrives at user home 400c and inputs work completion information into the delivery portable terminal after completing the gas container replacement work, completion information indicating that the delivery work for that day has been completed is displayed on the display unit of the delivery portable terminal.

As shown in FIG. 9, in the conventional system, the delivery person had to carry two electronic portable devices, a dedicated barcode reader SB for the work history/container management system and a delivery portable terminal HK for the delivery instruction/delivery management system, to carry out the delivery and gas container replacement work. Furthermore, in addition to the two electronic portable devices, the delivery person had to carry a delivery slip corresponding to the user's home to be visited. Also, the barcode information of the gas container stored in the memory unit of the dedicated barcode reader could not be shared between systems in real time.

Figure 10 is a schematic diagram showing in more detail the work content in the work history/container management system realized by the dedicated barcode reader SB in the upper part of Figure 9.

In FIG. 10(a), the delivery person prepares at the gas company's office by printing container slips for the gas containers to be replaced that are located at the user's home that the delivery person will visit on the day of the work. The container slips may be replaced in an order determined by the delivery person.

In FIG. 10(b), when the delivery person arrives at the specified user's home, he or she reads the barcode on the container slip YDa prepared in FIG. 10(a) corresponding to the user's home where the delivery person has arrived, using a dedicated barcode reader.

In FIG. 10(c), a dedicated barcode reader reads the barcode attached to the empty gas bottle to be replaced that is installed in the specified user's home. The barcode information attached to the read empty gas bottle is stored in the memory unit of the dedicated barcode reader. In this case, the gas bottle information specified in the barcode information of the container slip YDa read in FIG. 10(b) may differ from the gas bottle information specified in the barcode information of the gas bottle read in FIG. 10(c). In this case, the dedicated barcode reader can also output error information. The error information can be information displayed on the screen of the dedicated barcode reader, or predetermined sound information for notifying the delivery person that an error has occurred. In addition, the error information is information to be notified to the delivery person, and is not information to be sent to the current core system 2000 or the current centralized monitoring system 3000.

In FIG. 10(d), a dedicated barcode reader reads the barcode affixed to a new gas container that is to be filled with liquefied gas delivered by a delivery person and installed. The barcode information affixed to the new gas container that has been read is stored in the memory unit of the dedicated barcode reader.

In FIG. 10(e), the delivery person rotates the regulator handle 800 in the direction of the piping of the newly installed gas container, and turns on the container replacement switch of the LP gas meter using a tool dedicated to the LP gas meter. When the container replacement switch of the LP gas meter is turned on, the remaining pipe counter of the LP gas meter is reset. Note that the task of rotating the regulator handle 800 in the direction of the piping of the newly installed gas container may be the first task performed by the delivery person after arriving at the user's home. Also, as described above, when all gas containers located at the user's home are replaced, the task of rotating the regulator handle 800 may not be required.

In FIG. 10(f), when the delivery person has completed all the gas container replacement work at the user's home that should be performed by the delivery person on the day of the work, the delivery person returns to the gas company's office and transfers the various information stored in the memory unit of the dedicated barcode reader SB to the gas company's host computer system.

Figure 11 is a schematic diagram showing in more detail the work to be performed at the user's home and at the gas supplier in the work history and container management system realized by the dedicated barcode reader SB in the upper part of Figure 9, as well as concerns regarding the work.

Figure 11 (a) is a diagram that shows a schematic diagram of a delivery person who arrives at a user's house rotating the regulator handle 800 so that the direction indicated by the handle 800 faces the piping direction of the gas container that is supplying gas. In this case, the delivery person needs to visually confirm that the regulator handle 800 has been rotated, but because this is left to the discretion of the delivery person, as shown in the figure, there are cases where the delivery person forgets to rotate the regulator handle. In other words, the conventional system was not able to monitor the check of the rotation of the regulator handle 800.

Figure 11 (b) is a diagram that shows a schematic diagram of a delivery person using a dedicated barcode reader to read the barcodes of the gas container to be replaced that was installed at the user's home, and the barcodes of the new gas container to be installed at the user's home filled with the delivered liquefied gas. The dedicated barcode reader temporarily stores the read information in its own memory, so it was not possible to ensure real-time integration with the conventional system.

Figure 11 (c) is a schematic diagram showing the process in which a delivery person manually turns on the container replacement switch of an LP gas meter and resets the remaining pipe counter of the LP gas meter. Because the delivery person manually turns on the container replacement switch of the LP gas meter using a dedicated tool 7100 for the LP gas meter, there were cases in which the delivery person forgot to turn on the container replacement switch of the LP gas meter. As an example, a magnet is attached to the tip of the dedicated tool 7100, and it is possible to turn on the container replacement switch of the LP gas meter in response to the magnetic field of the magnet. In other words, conventional systems were not able to monitor the check of the work on the container replacement switch of the LP gas meter.

Figure 11 (d) is a diagram showing the transfer of various information from the dedicated barcode reader SB to the gas company's host computer system when the delivery person has completed all gas container replacement work at the user's home on the day of work and returned to the gas company's office. In other words, after the delivery person returns to the gas company's office, the various information from the dedicated barcode reader is received by the current core system 2000, which is the gas company's host computer system. Therefore, the various information stored in the memory unit of the dedicated barcode reader could not be shared between systems in real time.

The following describes the features of the gas bottle replacement portable terminal 100 and the gas bottle replacement system 1000 of this embodiment.

The portable terminal 100 for gas container replacement according to the first aspect preferably includes an imaging unit 120 for imaging a barcode attached to a gas container. The portable terminal 100 for gas container replacement preferably includes an external system for transmitting a residual quantity management counter reset request signal to the gas meter 700 connected to the gas container to reset the residual quantity management counter of the LP gas meter 700. The portable terminal 100 for gas container replacement preferably includes a communication information control unit 133 for transmitting predetermined information to the external system. The gas meter includes an LP gas meter. The predetermined information required for transmitting the residual quantity management counter reset request signal to the gas meter preferably includes gas container replacement completion information indicating that the gas container replacement work has been completed and user identification information for identifying the user who has completed the gas container replacement work. The timing at which the predetermined information is transmitted is preferably the timing at which the barcode attached to the gas container is imaged. The user identification information and the gas meter are preferably associated in advance.

With the above configuration, it is possible to provide a portable terminal for gas container replacement that can reduce the risk of operational errors and running out of gas compared to conventional methods by linking the work procedures for delivery and replacement of gas containers with the system in real time.

When the communication information control unit 133 of the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100 according to another embodiment transmits the gas container replacement completion information and the user identification information, it is preferable that the following processing has already been executed. That is, it is preferable that the barcode of the used gas container used by the user to be replaced and the barcode of the gas container filled with liquefied gas to be replaced with the used gas container have already been read by the imaging unit 120.

According to the above configuration, the delivery person reads the barcodes of all gas containers to be replaced, and when the barcode of the last gas container to be replaced is read, gas container replacement completion information and user identification information are transmitted. Therefore, since the work procedure is incorporated in the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100 so as to read the barcodes of all gas containers to be replaced, it is possible to reduce the risk of work errors or forgetting to perform work more than before.

In the second aspect of the gas container replacement portable terminal 100, the gas container whose barcode is imaged at the timing of transmitting the gas container replacement completion information and the user identification information is preferably any of the following gas containers: That is, it is preferably either a used gas container to be replaced that has been used by the user, or a gas container filled with liquefied gas to be replaced with a used gas container.

According to the above configuration, the delivery person reads the barcodes of all gas containers to be replaced, and when the barcode of the last gas container to be read is read, gas container replacement completion information and user identification information are transmitted. Therefore, if the delivery person follows the work procedure, the gas container replacement completion information and user identification information are transmitted, and the remaining amount management counter can be automatically reset in real time at the appropriate timing.

The portable terminal 100 for gas container replacement according to the third aspect preferably includes a display information generating unit 134. When the communication information control unit receives response information to the remaining amount management counter reset request signal from the gas meter that has received the remaining amount management counter reset request signal via an external system, the display information generating unit 134 preferably generates received display information corresponding to the response information. Also, when the communication information control unit 133 does not receive the response information via the external system, the display information generating unit 134 preferably generates not received display information corresponding to the fact that the response information has not been received. Furthermore, the portable terminal 100 for gas container replacement preferably includes a display unit 150 that displays the received display information or not received display information.

According to the above configuration, the delivery person can check in real time whether the reset of the gas meter's remaining amount management counter was successful or not using the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100 that the delivery person has in hand, which makes it possible to reduce the risk of operational mistakes or forgetting to perform the task more than before.

When a pressure regulator with an automatic switching function is connected to a gas meter, the display information generating unit 134 of the gas container replacement portable terminal 100 according to the fourth aspect preferably executes the following process. That is, the display information generating unit 134 preferably generates switching work instruction information for instructing the user to switch the handle of the pressure regulator with an automatic switching function to the spare gas container side. In addition, the display unit 150 preferably displays the generated switching work instruction information.

According to the above configuration, the delivery person can reduce the risk of making mistakes or forgetting to perform a task because the operation of the handle of the pressure regulator with an automatic switching function connected to the gas meter is incorporated into the operation procedure of the mobile terminal 100 for replacing the gas container that the delivery person has at hand.

The display unit 150 of the gas container replacement portable terminal 100 according to the fifth aspect preferably displays the following information. The display unit 150 preferably displays pre-handle operation image information captured by the image capture unit 120, which indicates handle direction information after the handle of the pressure regulator with automatic switching function is automatically switched, in response to the work instruction information. The display unit 150 also preferably displays post-handle operation image information captured by the image capture unit 120, which indicates handle direction information after the handle of the pressure regulator with automatic switching function is switched to the spare gas container side. Furthermore, the gas container replacement portable terminal 100 preferably includes an error determination unit 132 that determines whether the handle has rotated a predetermined amount based on the pre-handle operation image information and the post-handle operation image information.

According to the above configuration, the operation procedure of the mobile terminal 100 for gas container replacement held by the delivery person includes a procedure for checking whether the handle rotation operation has been performed correctly, which reduces the risk of making an operational mistake or forgetting to perform an operation.

The gas container exchange system 1000 according to the sixth aspect preferably includes either the gas container exchange mobile terminal 100 according to any one of the first to fifth aspects and a gas meter. As described above, the LP gas meter 700 is included in the gas meter.

With the above configuration, it is possible to provide a portable terminal for gas container replacement that can reduce the risk of operational errors and running out of gas compared to conventional methods by linking the work procedures for delivery and replacement of gas containers with the system in real time.

It is preferable that the gas meter of the gas container exchange system 1000 according to the seventh aspect includes a screen unit 710 that resets the remaining amount management counter of the gas meter when it receives a remaining amount management counter reset request signal and displays reset success information.

With the above configuration, the delivery person does not need to manually operate the gas meter switch to reset the gas meter remaining amount management counter. Therefore, it is possible to provide a portable terminal 100 for gas container replacement that can reduce the risk of operational errors and running out of gas compared to conventional methods.

In the gas container replacement system 1000 according to the eighth aspect, the external system preferably includes the following systems. That is, the external system preferably includes a centralized monitoring system 300 that, upon receiving user identification information and gas container replacement completion information, transmits a residual quantity management counter reset request signal to a gas meter corresponding to the user identification information. The external system also preferably includes a core system 200 that receives the user identification information, gas container replacement completion information, and barcode information affixed to the gas container, and stores the gas container replacement completion information and the barcode information of the gas container in association with the user identification information. Furthermore, the external system preferably includes a center communication system 900 that classifies the user identification information, gas container replacement completion information, and barcode information received from the gas container replacement mobile terminal 100 and transmits them to the centralized monitoring system 300 and the core system 200.

With the above configuration, the gas container exchange system 1000 can utilize the existing core system 200, centralized monitoring system 300, and center communication system 900, making it possible to build a new system easily and at low cost.

Although the embodiments have been described in detail with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the contents described in the above embodiments. Furthermore, the components described above include those that a person skilled in the art would easily imagine and those that are substantially the same. Furthermore, the configurations described above can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the configuration can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 Portable terminal for gas bottle replacement 110 Input unit 120 Imaging unit 130 Control unit 131 Analysis unit 132 Error determination unit 133 Communication information control unit 134 Display information generation unit 140 External I/F unit 150 Display unit 160 Storage unit 200 Core system 300 Centralized monitoring system 700 LP gas meter 710 Screen unit 1000 Gas bottle replacement system

Claims (7)

a communication information control unit that receives information on a first gas container to be replaced and included in one or more gas containers installed in a user's home from an external system, and user information;
a storage unit that stores information about the first gas container in association with the user information;
an imaging unit that images a first barcode affixed to the first gas container and a second barcode affixed to a second gas container filled with liquefied gas and to be replaced with the first gas container during a gas container replacement operation;
Including,
the communication information control unit transmits, to the external system, gas container replacement completion information indicating that the replacement work of the gas container has been completed, and the user information , which is required for transmitting , from the external system to the gas meter, a remaining amount management counter reset request signal for resetting a remaining amount management counter of a gas meter connected to the one or more gas containers , at a timing when the imaging unit captures an image of both the first barcode and the second barcode in any order;
In the external system, the user information and the gas meter are associated in advance with each other. a display information generating unit which generates reception display information corresponding to the response information when the communication information control unit receives response information to the remaining amount management counter reset request signal from the gas meter which has received the remaining amount management counter reset request signal via the external system, and which generates non-received display information corresponding to the fact that the response information has not been received when the communication information control unit does not receive the response information via the external system;
The portable terminal for gas container replacement according to claim 1 , further comprising a display unit for displaying the received display information or the unreceived display information. the display information generation unit generates switching operation instruction information for instructing an operation of switching a handle of the pressure regulator with an automatic switching function from the first gas container side to a third gas container side that supplies gas and is included in the one or more gas containers, when the pressure regulator with an automatic switching function is connected to the gas meter;
The portable terminal for gas container replacement according to claim 2 , wherein the display unit displays the generated switching operation instruction information. In response to the work instruction information, the display unit displays pre-handle operation image information captured by the imaging unit, which is handle direction information after the handle of the pressure regulator with automatic switching function is automatically switched, and displays post-handle operation image information captured by the imaging unit, which is handle direction information after the handle of the pressure regulator with automatic switching function is switched to the third gas container side,
4. The portable terminal for gas container replacement according to claim 3 , further comprising an error determination unit that determines whether the steering wheel is rotated a predetermined amount based on the pre-steering wheel operation image information and the post-steering wheel operation image information. A portable terminal for replacing a gas container according to any one of claims 1 to 4 ,
A gas bottle exchange system comprising the gas meter. The gas container replacement system of claim 5, wherein the gas meter includes a screen unit that, when receiving the remaining amount management counter reset request signal, resets the remaining amount management counter of the gas meter and displays reset success information indicating that the remaining amount management counter has been reset. The external system includes:
a centralized monitoring system that, upon receiving the user information and the gas container replacement completion information, transmits a residual gas amount management counter reset request signal to the gas meter corresponding to the user information ;
a core system that receives the user information , the gas container replacement completion information, and information of the second barcode affixed to the second gas container, and stores the gas container replacement completion information and the information of the second barcode affixed to the second gas container in association with the user information ;
The gas bottle replacement system described in claim 5 or 6, further comprising a center communication system which classifies the user information , the gas bottle replacement completion information, and the second barcode information received from the gas bottle replacement portable terminal and transmits them to the centralized monitoring system and the core system.

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