GAS METER AND GAS SECURITY SYSTEM

• US 20110000310A1
• Filed: 02/24/2009
• Published: 01/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), The High Pressure Gas Safety Institute Of Japan
• Inventors: Shirasawa, Tadanori, Yokohata, Mitsuo, Saito, Hisashi, Kubo, Kazuo, Namba, Mitsuo, Nakamura, Hirozumi
• Granted Patent: US 8,250,932 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/861.18
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 5/06 using electric or acoustic means
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/002 for gases
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/003 using electromagnetic, electric or electronic means G01F15/002, G01F15/02 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/005 Valves valves in general F16K
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/063 using electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/10 Preventing damage by freezing or excess pressure or insufficient pressure

Abstract

The present invention is intended to make it possible to set security functions as necessary depending on usage environment, etc. and to improve the security functions; a function setting section 1116 sets security function information received from the outside via a communication line as security functions regarding the user of gas. According to the set security function, in the case that the operation conditions of the security function are satisfied, a monitoring section 112 detects a problem during the use of gas and outputs a security signal to a control section 114. Based on the security signal from the monitoring section 112, the control section 114 shuts off the supply of gas in the case that a phenomenon satisfying an operation condition of the set function having been set has occurred.

Claims

1. A gas meter comprising:

a flow rate measurement section for measuring a flow rate of gas flowing through a gas flow path,

a flow rate computing section for calculating predetermined flow rate data based on flow rate measurement values measured by said flow rate measurement section,

a function setting section for setting security functions regarding a use of gas,

a monitoring section for monitoring problems during the use of gas according to security functions including a set function having been set by said function setting section,

a control section for performing a processing of the security functions in the case that a problem is detected by said monitoring section, and

a communication section for establishing communication with a monitoring center for managing a supply of gas based on an instruction of said control section, wherein

said function setting section receives security function information transmitted from said monitoring center via said communication section and sets a predetermined security function based on said security function information, and

said control section shuts off the supply of gas in the case that a phenomenon satisfying an operation condition of the set function having been set by said function setting section has occurred.

2. The gas meter according to claim 1, further comprising:

a security function information storage section for storing the security function information received via said communication section, wherein

said function setting section selects a desired security function information from a plurality of security function information stored in said security function information storage section.

3. The gas meter according to claim 1, wherein

said function setting section can set, as said security function information, at least one of functions for detecting problems due to phenomena, such as excess of flow rate, excess of usage time, leakage detection, abnormal pressure, pulsation detection, operation of a seismoscope and operation of a warning device.

4. A gas security system comprising the gas meter of claim 1 and a monitoring center connected to said gas meter via a communication line to receive notices from said gas meter.

5. A gas meter comprising:

a flow rate measurement section for measuring a flow rate of gas flowing through a gas flow path,

a flow rate computing section for calculating predetermined flow rate data based on flow rate measurement values measured by said flow rate measurement section,

a function setting section for setting security functions regarding a use of gas,

a security function information storage section for storing security functions regarding the use of gas,

a monitoring section for monitoring problems during the use of gas according to security functions including a set function having been set by said function setting section,

a control section for performing a processing of the security functions in the case that a problem is detected by said monitoring section, and

a communication section for establishing communication with a monitoring center for managing a supply of gas based on an instruction of said control section, wherein

said function setting section receives a security function selection signal transmitted from said monitoring center via said communication section and selects a predetermined security function from said security function information storage section based on said security function selection signal and set the function, and

said control section shuts off the supply of gas in the case that a phenomenon satisfying an operation condition of the set function having been set by said function setting section has occurred.

6. The gas meter according to claim 5, wherein

said function setting section selects a desired security function information from a plurality of security function information stored beforehand in said security function information storage section based on said security function selection signal.

7. The gas meter according to claim 5, wherein

security function information can be received via said communication section, and

said function setting section selects a desired security function information from a plurality of security function information stored in said security function information storage section via said communication section based on said security function selection signal.

8. The gas meter according to claim 5, wherein

said function setting section can set, as said security function information, at least one of functions for detecting problems due to phenomena, such as excess of flow rate, excess of usage time, leakage detection, abnormal pressure, pulsation detection, operation of a seismoscope and operation of a warning device.

9. A gas security system comprising the gas meter of claim 5 and a monitoring center connected to said gas meter via a communication line to receive notices from said gas meter.

10. A gas meter comprising:

a flow rate measurement section for measuring a flow rate of gas flowing through a gas flow path,

a flow rate computing section for calculating predetermined flow rate data based on flow rate measurement values measured by said flow rate measurement section,

a function setting section for setting security functions regarding a use of gas,

a security function information storage section for storing security function information regarding the use of gas,

a monitoring section for monitoring problems during the use of gas according to security functions including a set function having been set by said function setting section,

a control section for performing a processing of the security functions in the case that a problem is detected by said monitoring section, and

a communication section for establishing communication with a terminal possessed by the user of gas, wherein

said function setting section obtains a security function selection signal transmitted from said terminal via said communication section and selects a predetermined security function from said security function information storage section based on said security function selection signal and set the function, and

said control section shuts off the supply of gas in the case that a phenomenon satisfying an operation condition of the set function having been set by said function setting section has occurred.

11. The gas meter according to claim 10, wherein

said function setting section can set, as said security function information, at least one of functions for detecting problems due to phenomena, such as excess of flow rate, excess of usage time, leakage detection, abnormal pressure, pulsation detection, operation of a seismoscope and operation of a warning device.

12. A gas security system comprising the gas meter of claim 10 and a terminal connected to said gas meter via a network to transmit a security function selection signal corresponding to the security function selected by the user of gas from among a plurality of security functions regarding the use of gas to said gas meter.