Automatic energy supply systems of the multi-rate calculating type

• US 4,162,530 A
• Filed: 12/16/1977
• Issued: 07/24/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nihon Vending Machine Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nihon Vending Machine Company Limited
• Inventors: Kitagawa, Kazuo, Kusui, Shoji
• Primary Examiner(s): Krass, Errol A.
• Application Number:
  US05/861,164
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: 364/464, 364/483, 364/481, 364/493, 364/492, 364/569, 235/92 EL, 235/92 AC, 324/115, 324/116, 307/139-141, 194/11, 340/152 R, 340/178
• US Class Current: 705/412
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/1333 adapted for special tariff measuring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/127 Shopping or accessing services according to a time-limitation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3433 the counter having monetary units
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/003 for electricity
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/08 with means for varying the tariff or changing the price
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices

Abstract

According to the supply system, a customer purchases a chip corresponding to a predetermined amount of electricity from a power company and sets the chip in a control device installed in the customer house. The supply system comprises an integrating watthour meter which integrates the power consumed by the customer and generates a pulse signal for each unit of consumed power, a timer responsive to the output of the integrating watthour meter for producing a time signal corresponding to a predetermined rate calculating interval, a multi-rate calculating unit responsive to the timer signal and the pulse signal for independently calculating a plurality of operation rate elements an electric switch for supplying power to the customer, a rate detection selection unit including a rate detection member, a multi-rate calculation function unit including a plurality of elements which are set with various parameters regarding tax and rate and adapted to be combined with the multi-rate calculating unit for calculating the rate, and a rate function unit including a rate element set with an amount of power corresponding to the amount of purchased power and adapted to be combined with the rate selection detection unit for producing a rate signal corresponding to the purchased amount of power. The switch is controlled by the rate signal for supplying to the customer a predetermined amount of power.

Claims

1. An automatic energy supply system of the multi-rate calculating type for controlling an amount of energy supplied to a customer comprising:

a pulse generating integrating means coupled to an energy source for integrating said amount of energy supplied to a customer and for generating an electric signal whenever a predetermined unit of said energy is supplied;

a pulse converter means for converting said electric signal into at least one pulse signal;

a timer means for generating a time signal corresponding to a predetermined rate calculating interval;

a switching means coupled to said energy source for switching said energy supplied to the customer on and off;

a multi-rate calculation function unit comprising a plurality of element means for providing energy rate parameters and tax parameters;

a rate function unit comprising a rate element means for providing money parameters which represent an amount of money corresponding to a predetermined amount of purchased energy;

a rate detection selection unit comprising a rate detection member means responsive to said money parameter provided by said rate element means, said rate detection member means being a means for producing a rate signal corresponding to said predetermined amount of purchased energy; and

a multi-rate calculating unit means coupled to said switching means and responsive to said time signal, to said at least one pulse signal, to said rate signal and to said energy rate and said tax rate parameters provided by said multi-rate calculation function unit, said multi-rate calculating unit means being a means for providing a sum signal to said switching means which causes said switching means to switch off when said amount of energy supplied to the customer corresponds to said predetermined amount of purchased energy and to said parameters regarding energy rates and tax.

2. The automatic energy supply system according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of element means of said multi-rate calculation function unit comprises:

a base rate element means for providing base rate parameters which correspond to an energy base rate;

a multi-rate element means for providing a plurality of energy multi-rate parameters which correspond to a plurality of energy multi-rates which are to be applied depending upon the amount of energy consumption in said predetermined rate calculating interval;

a tax exemption limit element means for providing tax exemption limit parameters corresponding to a tax exemption limit; and

wherein said multi-rate calculating unit comprises;

a base rate calculator means responsive to said time signal and to said base-rate parameter, said base rate calculator means being a means for generating a base rate signal which corresponds to an amount of energy supplied to the customer at said energy base rate;

a multi-stage rate calculator means responsive to said time signal, to said at least one pulse signal and to said energy multi-rate parameters, said multi-stage rate calculator means being a means for generating a plurality of multi-rate signals which correspond to said amount of energy supplied to the customer at each of said energy multi-rates;

a tax exemption limit calculator means responsive to said time signal, to said at least one pulse signal and to said tax exemption limit parameters, said tax exemption limit calculator means being a means for generating a tax limit signal which indicates whether said energy consumed by the customer has exceeded a predetermined tax exemption limit in said predetermined rate calculating interval; and

a sum calculator means responsive to said base rate signal, to said multi-rate signals, to said tax limit signal and to said rate signal, said sum calculating means being a means for supplying said sum signal to said switching means which switches said switching means off.

3. The automatic energy supply system according to claim 2 which further comprises a tax exemption limit processing unit, comprising:

an exempted tax compensation circuit means responsive to said tax limit signal, said exempted tax compensation circuit means being a means for providing said sum calculator means an exempted energy signal which represents an amount of tax exempted energy; and

a tax exemption limit display responsive to said tax limit signal.

4. The automatic energy supply system of claim 2 further comprising a first coupling means on said multi-rate calculation function unit and on said multi-rate calculating unit, said first coupling means being a means for manually operatively coupling said multi-rate calculation function unit to said multi-rate calculating unit and manually decoupling said multi-rate calculation function unit from said multi-rate calculating unit.

5. An automatic energy supply system according to claim 2 wherein said base rate element means is a plug-in type presetter and wherein said base rate calculator means comprises:

a preset counter which is responsive to said plug-in type presetter;

a clock means for generating a clock signal;

a first gating circuit means responsive to said clock signal and to said time signal for generating an output which counts down said preset counter; and

a second gating circuit means for generating said base rate signal in response to an output of said preset counter, to said clock signal and to said time signal.

6. An automatic energy supply system according to claim 5 which further comprises a tax exemption processing unit comprising:

an exempted tax compensation circuit means responsive to said tax limit signal, said exempted tax compensation circuit means being a means for generating an exempted energy signal which represents an amount of tax exempted energy; and

wherein said sum calculator means comprises;

an up-down counter having a count-down input responsive to said output of said first gating circuit means and to said plurality of multi-rate signals generated by said multi-stage rate calculator means and a count-up input responsive to said exempted energy signal and to said rate signal.

7. The automatic energy supply system of claim 1 further comprises:

a second coupling means on said rate function unit and on said rate detection selection unit, said second coupling means being a means for manually operatively coupling said rate function unit to said rate detection selection unit and manually decoupling said rate function unit from said rate detection selection unit;

a utility company selection means for verifying that said rate function unit is a rate function unit of a predetermined utility company; and

wherein said rate function unit further comprises;

a fracture function element means for responding to a fracture signal by switching from an enable state to a disable state; and

wherein said rate detection selection unit further comprises;

a fracture function member means for generating said fracture signal at a time subsequent to when said rate function unit is manually coupled to said rate detection selection unit; and

a control member means responsive to said utility company selection means, said control member means being a means for switching said switching means on provided said fracture element is in an enable state at a time when said rate function unit is manually coupled to said rate detection selection unit and provided said rate function unit is a rate function unit of a predetermined utility company.

8. The automatic energy supply system of claim 1 further comprising a second coupling means on said rate function unit and on said rate detection selection unit, said second coupling means being a means for manually operatively coupling said rate function unit to said rate detection selection unit and manually decoupling said rate function unit from said rate detection selection unit and wherein said rate function unit further comprises:

a utility company element means for providing a company parameter which corresponds to a predetermined utility company; and

a fracture function element means for responding to a fracture signal by switching from an enable to a disable state; and

wherein said rate detection selection unit further comprises;

a fracture function member means for generating said fracture signal at a time subsequent to when said rate function unit is manually coupled to said rate detection selection unit;

a utility company selection member means responsive to said utility company selection member means, said utility company selection member means being a means for generating a certification signal when said company parameter corresponds to a predetermined utility company which supplies the energy to the customer; and

a control member means for switching said switch means on provided said certification signal is generated and provided said fracture element is in an enable state at a time when said rate function unit is manually coupled to said rate detection selection unit.

9. An automatic energy supply system according to claim 8 wherein said utility company element means comprises:

a plurality of magnets; and

wherein said utility company selection member comprises;

a plurality of serially connected switch elements responsive to said magnets; and

a coincidence logic circuit means coupled to said switch elements for generating said certification signal provided said plurality of magnets cause said switch element means to switch when said rate function unit is manually coupled to said rate detection selection unit.

10. An automatic energy supply system according to claim 1 wherein said pulse generating integrating means comprises:

a power current converter which converts electric power supplied to the customer into a current signal;

a current frequency converter which converts said current signal into said electric signal; and

an integrating watt-hour meter for integrating said electric signal.