Monitoring the battery life of gas meters.

Description

1 / 26 Monitoring the battery life of gas meters. Description. Fundamentals of the Invention Field of the Present Invention

[001] The present invention relates to the field of gas meters. More specifically, the present invention relates to monitoring the residual capacity of the electric batteries of a gas meter. Fundamentals of the Related Technique

[002] It is known that a gas meter is a device installed in a location (a house, apartment, commercial building, industrial building, etc.) that benefits from the supply of fuel gas from a gas supplier, and whose function is to measure the gas actually distributed in that location.

[003] There are several types of gas meters, according to the technology used to measure gas distribution. However, the most significant distinction is between a dynamic measurement principle and a static measurement principle.

[004] Regardless of the technology employed to measure gas distribution, the operation of modern gas meters requires that they be equipped with electrical, electromechanical and / or electronic systems capable of performing different functions (e.g., generating / storing / managing measurement data, remote transmission of measurement data). Consequently, to ensure the proper functioning of a gas meter, the components of such systems must receive electrical power.

[005] For this purpose, one or more electric batteries are provided in a modern gas meter to enable it to operate autonomously and independently of the main electricity grid, ensuring accurate measurement of gas consumption and remote transmission of measurement data, regardless of the presence or operating conditions of the electricity grid. Petition 870250115901, dated 12 / 16 / 2025, page 12 / 45 2 / 26 This is particularly useful if the gas meter is installed in remote areas or in areas affected by frequent power outages.

[006] Known solutions allow estimating the battery life of a gas meter based on the average daily consumption of the various operations performed by the gas meter and the duration of these operations, calculated under laboratory conditions. For example, the battery life is estimated based on the average consumption obtained through laboratory tests and the initial battery capacity. Summary of the Present Invention

[007] The Applicant noted that known solutions have disadvantages that limit the reliability of gas meters.

[008] Solutions that provide an estimate of battery life based on data collected in the laboratory are unreliable, as batteries installed in the field can be affected by various factors that cannot be predicted in advance in the laboratory (for example, induced by temperature variations at the location where the gas meter is installed and degradations in the network coverage that force the meter to make repeated communication attempts, valve closing and reopening operations outside the statistical average of operating activities, or multiple combinations thereof), which can alter the actual consumption of the gas meter batteries in relation to that estimated in the laboratory.

[009] In view of the above, the Depositor has devised a solution to remedy this and other inconveniences.

[010] One or more aspects of the present invention are presented in the independent claims, with the advantageous features of the same invention being presented in the dependent claims, the text of which is incorporated herein by reference verbatim (with any feature). Petition 870250115901, dated 12 / 16 / 2025, p. 13 / 45 3 / 26 advantageous being presented with reference to a specific aspect of the present invention, which applies mutatis mutandis to any other aspect thereof).

[011] One aspect of the present invention relates to a gas meter.

[012] The gas meter comprises a gas metering system configured to generate indicative measurements of gas distributions.

[013] The gas meter comprises one or more additional electrical components, each configured to perform a respective additional activity.

[014] The aforementioned additional activity is different from the aforementioned generation of measurements indicative of gas supply.

[015] The gas meter comprises a power supply unit comprising one or more batteries to power said gas metering system and said one or more additional electrical components.

[016] The gas meter comprises a battery capacity calculation system configured to calculate the residual capacity of said one or more batteries.

[017] The aforementioned battery capacity calculation system comprises at least one electronic device for measuring the amount of electrical charge supplied by a given battery or batteries.

[018] The aforementioned electronic measuring device is configured to periodically sample at least the requested voltage or current from the respective battery and calculate the amount of electrical charge distributed by that battery based on the sampled values ​​obtained from said periodic sampling of at least the voltage or current.

[019] The aforementioned battery capacitance calculation system is configured to adjust a sampling frequency of said at least one electronic measuring device to: Petition 870250115901, dated 12 / 16 / 2025, page 14 / 45 4 / 26 - a first sampling frequency value when the gas meter is in a basic operating condition, in which none of the aforementioned one or more additional electrical components is performing the aforementioned respective additional activity, and - a second sampling frequency value higher than the first sampling frequency value when the gas meter is in an extended operating condition, in which at least one of said additional electrical components is performing said additional activity.

[020] According to one embodiment of the present invention, said electronic measuring device is configured to periodically store and update in a recorder a value of said quantity of electrical charge distributed by the battery, calculated based on the samples taken.

[021] According to one embodiment of the present invention, said gas measurement system comprises a control unit configured to: - Access the aforementioned register to retrieve the updated value of the amount of electrical charge distributed by the battery in response to an event; - calculate the aforementioned residual capacitance of the aforementioned one or more batteries (B (k)) using the aforementioned recovered updated value.

[022] According to one embodiment of the present invention, said event comprises at least one selected from: - the expiration of a predetermined reading period; - the start of additional activity by one or more of the aforementioned additional electrical components; - the termination of an additional activity by one or more of the aforementioned additional electrical components.

[023] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the Petition 870250115901, dated 12 / 16 / 2025, p. 15 / 45 5 / 26 The aforementioned event additionally includes the expiration of a guard time interval, said guard time interval beginning from the occurrence of the termination of an additional activity.

[024] According to one embodiment of the present invention, said electronic measuring device is also configured to measure the temperature of the respective battery.

[025] According to one embodiment of the present invention, said control unit is configured to normalize said updated value recovered based on said measured temperature.

[026] According to one embodiment of the present invention, said control unit is configured to normalize said recovered updated value based on an average value of the current distributed by the respective battery during a period elapsed between: - the occurrence of the event in response to which the control unit accessed the record, and - the occurrence of a previous event.

[027] According to one embodiment of the present invention, said control unit is configured to: - to estimate the electrical consumption of the electronic measuring device; - Calculate the aforementioned residual capacitance (of the aforementioned one or more batteries) using, in addition to the aforementioned recovered updated value, also the aforementioned estimated electrical consumption of the electronic measuring device.

[028] According to one embodiment of the present invention, said one or more additional electrical components comprise at least one communication unit.

[029] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the respective additional activity comprises the transmission of said measurements indicative of gas distributions by Petition 870250115901, dated 12 / 16 / 2025, page 16 / 45 6 / 26 refers to at least one communication unit using a corresponding wireless transmission technology.

[030] According to one embodiment of the present invention, said one or more additional electrical components comprise a user interface.

[031] According to one embodiment of the present invention, said additional activity comprises activating said user interface.

[032] According to one embodiment of the present invention, said one or more additional electrical components comprise a valve 104 provided in a gas inlet duct of the gas meter.

[033] According to one embodiment of the present invention, said additional activity comprises actuating said valve to selectively enable / disable the entry of gas through said gas inlet duct of the gas meter.

[034] According to one embodiment of the present invention, said electronic measuring device is a fuel indicator type measuring device.

[035] According to one embodiment of the present invention, said one or more additional electrical components further comprise one or more additional sensor devices configured to measure at least one temperature, one pressure or one acceleration.

[036] According to one embodiment of the present invention, said additional activity comprises the activation of at least one of said additional sensor devices, which causes the corresponding waiting limit of said additional sensor device to be exceeded. Brief Description of the Drawings

[037] These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from reading the description. Petition 870250115901, dated 12 / 16 / 2025, p. 17 / 45 7 / 26 detailed below are illustrative and non-limiting embodiments of the invention. For better understanding, the following description should be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a simplified functional block diagram of a gas meter according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 shows, in terms of functional blocks, the operations performed by a gas meter control unit of Figure 1 to calculate the residual capacity of a gas meter battery according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Description of Illustrative, Non-Limiting Embodiments of the Present Invention

[038] With reference to the drawings, Figure 1 shows, in terms of simplified functional blocks, an example of a gas meter 100 for measuring gas distributed by a gas supplier to a location (such as a house, an apartment, a villa, a commercial establishment, an industrial plant, a warehouse), in which the gas meter 100 is installed, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[039] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the gas meter 100 comprises an inlet tube 102(in) for receiving gas from a gas supply network (not shown).

[040] According to one embodiment, the gas meter 100(i) comprises a measuring chamber (or tube) 110 in fluid communication with the inlet tube 102(in) and with an outlet tube 102(out), consequently defining a passage for the gas from the inlet tube 102(in) to the outlet tube 102(out). The outlet tube 102(out) is connected to a site gas distribution network (not shown), in which the gas meter 100 is installed for the distribution of the received gas to one or more gas usage points within the site.

[041] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the Petition 870250115901, dated 12 / 16 / 2025, page 18 / 45 8 / 26 gas meter 100 comprises a control unit 115, for example, comprising one or more electronic processors, configured to manage the operations performed by the gas meter 100.

[042] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a sensor 120 for measuring the gas flow flowing from the inlet tube 102(in) to the outlet tube 102(out) is coupled to the measuring chamber 110 (for example, placed inside the measuring chamber 110). The sensor 120 is configured to generate detection data R indicative of measurements of one or more physical quantities related to / influenced by / determined by the gas flow passing through the measuring chamber 110.

[043] According to one embodiment of the present invention, sensor 120 is a static technology-based sensor configured to measure gas from family II (natural gas), with natural gas / hydrogen mixtures and / or with gas from family III (liquid propane gas). Sensor 120 and control unit 115 are connected to exchange data and messages, such as commands (from control unit 115 to sensor 120) to control sensor 120 by control unit 115, and detection data R (from sensor 120 to control unit 115) generated by sensor 120. Without going into details known to those skilled in the art, control unit 115 is configured to process the detection data R received from sensor 120 to calculate the corresponding measurement data M, indicative of an actual quantity of gas distributed to the location where gas meter 100 is installed.

[044] However, it is emphasized that the concepts of the present invention are directly applicable to meters equipped with sensors manufactured with different technologies, such as diaphragm, rotary piston, turbine and infrared sensors.

[045] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a valve 104, for example, a solenoid valve, is Petition 870250115901, dated 12 / 16 / 2025, page 19 / 45 9 / 26 advantageously provided in the inlet pipe 102(in) and operated by the control unit 115 to selectively enable / disable the gas inlet to the measuring chamber 110 - and consequently to selectively enable / disable the distribution of received gas to the gas usage points within the premises where the gas meter 100 is installed.

[046] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the gas meter 100 further comprises a user interface 125 controlled by the control unit 115 and comprising, for example, a display for showing information (such as measurement data M calculated by the control unit 115), buttons and / or interfaces for wired connections (for example, such as RS232, USB and optical ports) to enable a user or operator to interact with the gas meter 110(i).

[047] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the gas meter 100 comprises a memory unit 130 configured to store data, such as measurement data M. For example, the memory unit 130 may be coupled to the control unit 115 or may form a direct part thereof.

[048] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the gas meter 100 comprises one or more communication units CU(j) (j = 1, 2, ...) controlled by the control unit 115 to transmit measurement data M to the gas supplier, exploiting a corresponding wireless transmission technology. According to an exemplary and non-limiting embodiment, the communication units CU(j) comprise a communication unit configured to transmit measurement data M using Narrowband Internet of Things (NBIoT) technology, a communication unit configured to transmit measurement data M using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology, and a communication unit configured to transmit measurement data M using Long-Range technology. Petition 870250115901, dated 12 / 16 / 2025, page 20 / 45 10 / 26 Range (Long Range (LoRa)). However, the concepts of the present invention are applicable to cases with a different number of CU(j) communication units (for example, with a single CU(j) communication unit) and to different wireless transmission technologies.

[049] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the gas meter 100 comprises a power supply unit 135, for example, comprising one or more batteries B(k), to supply electrical power to the electrical / electronic / electromechanical components of the gas meter 100.

[050] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the power supply unit 135 may comprise at least one communication battery B(1) to power the communication units CU(j) and a metrological battery B(2) to power the gas meter elements 100 dedicated to generating and managing measurement data M. The concepts of the present invention are, however, applicable to cases with a different number of batteries B(k) (for example, with a number of batteries greater than two, comprising one battery dedicated to activating the user interface 125 and / or one for activating the valve 104, or also with a single battery to power all the meter components).

[051] According to one embodiment of the present invention, each battery B(k) is coupled to a respective electronic measuring device FG(k) of the amount of electric charge supplied by battery B(k).

[052] According to a further embodiment, a single electronic measuring device FG(k) may be provided, coupled to a plurality of batteries B(k), to measure the amount of electric charge supplied by such batteries B(k).

[053] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the measuring device FG(k) is a device configured to periodically sample the voltage and current demanded from Petition 870250115901, dated 12 / 16 / 2025, page 21 / 45 11 / 26 respective battery B(k) and to calculate the amount of electric charge Q supplied by battery B(k) based on the sampled voltage and current values.

[054] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the measuring device FG(k) comprises an internal recorder in which the measuring device FG(k) periodically stores and updates a value of the amount of charge Q supplied by the battery B(k) calculated based on the samples collected.

[055] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the measuring device FG(k) is additionally capable of measuring and also periodically sampling the temperature of the respective battery B(k).

[056] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the measuring device FG(k) is a fuel gauge type device, for example, such as the MAX17260 fuel gauge developed by Analog Devices, Inc.

[057] As will be described in detail below, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 115 is configured to periodically read the internal register of the measuring device FG(k) and calculate the residual capacity of the respective battery B(k) using the value of the distributed charge quantity Q stored in the internal register. As will be described in detail below, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the residual capacity of the batteries B(k) is calculated by the control unit 115 performing normalization operations that take into account, among the average current drawn from the batteries B(k), the temperature of the batteries B(k) and the current consumed by the measuring devices FG(k) themselves.

[058] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the sampling frequency used by the measuring device FG(k) to sample voltage and current is adjustable to various values, depending on the operations performed by the gas meter 100. Petition 870250115901, dated 12 / 16 / 2025, page 22 / 45 12 / 26

[059] In particular, according to one embodiment of the present invention, each measuring device FG(k) is configured to sample the voltage and current of the respective battery B(k): - at a first sampling frequency F1 when the gas meter 100 is in a basic operating condition, in which the gas meter 100 only performs the operations to generate and manage the measurement data M, and - at a second sampling frequency F2 > F1 when the gas meter 100 is in an extended operating condition, in which the gas meter 100 performs, in addition to the normal operations to generate and manage the measurement data M, one or more of the following additional activities: transmit the measurement data M via a communication unit CU(j), activate the user interface 125, actuate the valve 104.

[060] According to one embodiment of the present invention, under basic operating conditions, any additional sensing devices of the gas meter 100, such as pressure sensors, temperature sensors and acceleration sensors, operate in standby mode.

[061] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the extended operating condition may be additionally triggered by exceeding waiting limits by any additional sensor devices of the gas meter 100, for example, such as exceeding pre-alarm and temperature alarm limits and / or exceeding an accelerometry background noise filtering limit.

[062] In basic operating mode, the electrical consumption of gas meter 100 is lower and approximately constant, while in extended operating mode, the electrical consumption of gas meter 100 is subject to increases compared to the value in basic operating mode, due to the operation of electrical / electronic / electromechanical components of gas meter 100 (hereinafter, simply Petition 870250115901, dated 12 / 16 / 2025, page 23 / 45 13 / 26 identified as “additional electrical components”), such as the communication unit CU(j), the user interface 125 and / or the valve 104, for carrying out respective additional activities (additional in relation to the generation and management of measurement data M).

[063] According to one embodiment of the present invention, said additional electrical components may further include any additional sensor devices, such as pressure sensors, temperature sensors and acceleration sensors.

[064] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the first sampling frequency F1 corresponds to a sampling period equal to 5000-6000 ms, for example, 5500 ms, while the second sampling frequency F2 corresponds to a sampling period equal to 130-190 ms, for example, 150 ms.

[065] Figure 2 shows, in terms of functional blocks, the operations performed by the control unit 115 to calculate the residual capacity of a battery B(k) of the meter 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[066] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the operations performed by the control unit 115, illustrated in Figure 2, are performed in parallel for each of the batteries B(k) of the gas meter 100.

[067] According to one embodiment of the present invention, after the gas meter 100 is connected (block 202), the control unit 115 performs an initialization step (block 204).

[068] According to one embodiment of the present invention, in the initialization step, the control unit 115 adjusts the operation of the gas meter 100 to the basic operating condition, in which the gas meter 100 performs only the operations to generate and manage the measurement data M based on the data collected by the sensor 120 for measuring the gas flow. Petition 870250115901, dated 12 / 16 / 2025, page 24 / 45 14 / 26

[069] According to one embodiment of the present invention, in the initialization step, the control unit 115 also activates the measuring device FG(k), adjusting its operation to the first sampling frequency F1.

[070] According to one embodiment of the present invention, in the initialization step, the control unit 115 additionally records in a register (for example, stored in the memory unit 130) an initial residual capacity value CRB(k) of battery B(k), for example, equal to the declared maximum capacity of battery B(k) if battery B(k) is a new battery.

[071] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 115 enters an event standby condition (block 206) and remains in the standby stage until an EV event occurs. During the standby condition, the measuring device FG(k) continues to periodically sample (at the adjusted sampling frequency) the requested voltage and current from battery B(k), calculates the amount of electrical charge Q supplied by battery B(k) based on the sampled voltage and current values, and updates the calculated value in its own internal register.

[072] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the EV events that can cause the exit from the event standby condition comprise the expiration of a reading period of the RP measuring device (block 210). For example, the RP reading period can be set to a time period corresponding to a predetermined number of hours, for example, such as four hours.

[073] Thus, in the absence of occurrences of other types of EV events, control unit 115 periodically exits the event standby condition after each expiration of the RP read period.

[074] As will be described in detail below in the present description, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the EV events that can cause the exit from the waiting condition of Petition 870250115901, dated 12 / 16 / 2025, page 25 / 45 15 / 26 events include other types of events, such as the start or end of specific activities, or the expiration of periods triggered by the end of such activities.

[075] According to one embodiment of the present invention, after the occurrence of an EV event, the control unit 115 exits the event standby condition and accesses the internal register of the measuring device FG(k) to retrieve the updated value of the amount of electric charge Q supplied by the battery B(k) calculated by the measuring device FG(k) (block 220).

[076] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 115 subjects the recovered value of the quantity of electric charge Q to a normalization procedure (block 222).

[077] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the normalization procedure provides the normalization of the recovered value of the quantity of electric charge Q based on the temperature of the battery B(k). As described above, the value of the battery temperature B(k) can be measured by the measuring device FG(k) itself.

[078] In addition to normalization based on battery temperature, or instead of it, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the normalization procedure may provide normalization of the recovered value of the amount of electric charge Q based on the value of the average current distributed by the battery B(k) during the period elapsed between the occurrence of the current EV event and the occurrence of the previous EV event.

[079] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 115 updates the residual capacity value CRB(k) of battery B(k) stored in the memory unit 130 based on the value of the recovered (and normalized) amount of electrical charge Q (block 230).

[080] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the value of the residual capacity CRB(k) is updated by subtracting Petition 870250115901, dated 12 / 16 / 2025, page 26 / 45 16 / 26 of the residual capacity value CRB(k) stored in the memory unit 130 the value of the amount of electrical charge Q recovered (and normalized).

[081] According to one embodiment of the present invention, in order to increase the accuracy of the measurement of the residual capacity CRB(k) of battery B(k), the control unit 115 also subtracts from the value of the residual capacity CRB(k) stored in the memory unit 130 an estimate FGS of the electrical consumption of the measuring device itself FG(k) during the period elapsed between the occurrence of the current EV event and the occurrence of the previous EV event. For example, the estimate FGS of the electrical consumption of the measuring device FG(k) is calculated taking into account the period elapsed between the occurrence of the current EV event and the occurrence of the previous EV event, and an average value of the current consumed by the measuring device FG(k), verified in a test step, taking into account the sampling frequency used by the measuring device FG(k) during that period.

[082] For example, with reference to a measuring device FG(k), such as the MAX17260 fuel gauge, with a sampling frequency equal to the first sampling frequency F1 (corresponding to a sampling period of 5500 ms), the average value of the current consumed by the measuring device FG(k) is 5 to 12 μA, while with a sampling frequency equal to the second sampling frequency F2 (corresponding to a sampling period of 150 ms), the average value of the current consumed by the measuring device FG(k) is 15 to 30 μA.

[083] According to one embodiment of the present invention, after updating the residual capacity value CRB(k) of battery B(k), the control unit 115 verifies the operating condition of the gas meter 100 (block 235).

[084] If the gas meter 100 is in the condition of Petition 870250115901, dated 12 / 16 / 2025, page 27 / 45 17 / 26 basic operation (output branch S of block 235), in which gas meter 100 performs only the operations to generate and manage measurement data M, control unit 115 returns to event standby condition (returns to block 206).

[085] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the EV events that can cause the exit from the event standby condition additionally comprise the start of an additional AA activity that is executed by gas meter 100 (block 238). According to one embodiment of the present invention, such additional AA activity can be: - a transmission of measurement data M via a communication unit CU(j); - an activation of user interface 125, for example, after a user or operator interacts with user interface 125; - actuating valve 104, for example, to enable / disable gas entry into measuring chamber 110.

[086] According to one embodiment of the present invention, such additional AA activity may involve further activating the operation of any additional sensor devices of the gas meter 100 (such as pressure, temperature and acceleration sensors), which causes the corresponding waiting limits to be exceeded.

[087] According to one embodiment of the present invention, after the occurrence of an EV event that triggers the start of an additional AA activity, the gas meter 100 enters the extended operating condition, indicating that the gas meter 100 performs, in addition to the normal operations to generate and manage the measurement data M, the additional AA activity, and the control unit 115 exits the event standby condition and performs the operations already described above to: - recover the updated value of the amount of electric charge Q distributed by battery B(k) calculated by Petition 870250115901, dated 12 / 16 / 2025, page 28 / 45 18 / 26 FG(k) measuring device (block 220); - normalize the recovered value of the quantity of electric charge Q (block 222), and - update the residual capacity value CRB(k) of battery B(k) stored in memory unit 130 based on the recovered (and normalized) electrical charge quantity Q (block 230).

[088] According to one embodiment of the present invention, after updating the residual capacity value CRB(k) of battery B(k), the control unit 115 verifies the operating condition of the gas meter 100 (block 235).

[089] After the start of the additional AA activity, the gas meter 100 is no longer in the basic operating condition, but rather in the extended operating condition (output branch N of block 235). At this point, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 115 verifies whether the EV event that has just occurred is an event indicative of the start of an additional AA activity (block 240).

[090] According to one embodiment of the present invention, if the control unit 115 determines that the event EV that has just occurred is an event indicative of the start of an additional activity AA (output branch S of block 240), the control unit 115 adjusts the sampling frequency of the measuring device FG(k) to the second sampling frequency F2, which is higher than the first sampling frequency F1 (block 245), and then returns to the event waiting condition (returns to block 206).

[091] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the EV events that can cause the exit from the event wait condition additionally comprise the termination of the execution of one of the additional AA activities mentioned above (block 248).

[092] According to one embodiment of the present invention, after Petition 870250115901, dated 12 / 16 / 2025, page 29 / 45 19 / 26 Upon the occurrence of an EV event that predicts the termination of an additional AA activity, control unit 115 exits the event waiting condition and performs the operations described above to: - retrieve the updated value of the amount of electric charge Q distributed by battery B(k) calculated by the measuring device FG(k) (block 220); - normalize the recovered value of the quantity of electric charge Q (block 222), and - update the residual capacity value CRB(k) of battery B(k) stored in memory unit 130 based on the recovered (and normalized) electrical charge quantity Q (block 230).

[093] As will be described below, according to one embodiment of the present invention, to allow the time necessary for the currents involved to stabilize after the end of an additional activity AA, the gas meter 100 is temporarily maintained in the extended operating condition for a respective guard time interval RT, from the occurrence of the end of the additional activity AA.

[094] Again, in this case, according to an embodiment of the present invention, after updating the residual capacity value CRB(k) of battery B(k), the control unit 115 checks the operating condition of the gas meter 100 (block 235).

[095] After the previous start of the additional AA activity, which has now ended, the gas meter 100 is still in the extended operating condition (output branch N of block 235). At this point, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 115 verifies whether the EV event that has just occurred is an event indicative of the start of an additional AA activity (block 240).

[096] According to one embodiment of the present invention, if the control unit 115 determines that the EV event that ended Petition 870250115901, dated 12 / 16 / 2025, page 30 / 45 If event 20 / 26 does not indicate the start of an additional AA activity (output branch N of block 240), control unit 115 checks if the EV event that just occurred is an event indicating the end of an additional AA activity (block 250).

[097] According to one embodiment of the present invention, if control unit 115 determines that the event EV that has just occurred is an event indicative of the termination of an additional AA activity (output branch S of block 250), control unit 115 activates a timer corresponding to a guard time interval RT sufficient to stabilize the currents to be measured (block 255). According to one embodiment of the present invention, given that the current values ​​required from battery B(k) by the execution of an additional AA activity depend on the specific type of additional AA activity, the duration of the guard time interval RT depends on the type of additional AA activity that has been terminated.

[098] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 115 then returns to the event standby condition, while still maintaining the sampling frequency of the measuring device FG(k) at the second sampling frequency F2 (return to block 206).

[099] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the EV events that can cause the exit from the event hold condition additionally comprise the expiration of the RT guard time interval (block 258).

[100] According to one embodiment of the present invention, after the occurrence of an EV event involving the expiration of the RT hold time interval, the control unit 115 exits the event standby condition and performs the operations described above to: - recover the updated value of the amount of electric charge Q distributed by battery B(k) calculated by Petition 870250115901, dated 12 / 16 / 2025, page 31 / 45 21 / 26 FG(k) measuring device (block 220); - normalize the recovered value of the quantity of electric charge Q (block 222), and - update the residual capacity value CRB(k) of battery B(k) stored in memory unit 130 based on the recovered (and normalized) electrical charge quantity Q (block 230).

[101] Again, in this case, according to an embodiment of the present invention, after updating the residual capacity value CRB(k) of battery B(k), the control unit 115 checks the operating condition of the gas meter 100 (block 235).

[102] After the previous start of the additional AA activity, which has now ended, the gas meter 100 is still in the extended operating condition (output branch N of block 235). At this point, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 115 verifies whether the EV event that has just occurred is an event indicative of the start of an additional AA activity (block 240).

[103] According to one embodiment of the present invention, if control unit 115 determines that the EV event that has just occurred is not an event indicating the start of an additional AA activity (output branch N of block 240), control unit 115 checks whether the EV event that has just occurred is an event indicating the end of an additional AA activity (block 250).

[104] According to one embodiment of the present invention, if control unit 115 determines that the EV event that has just occurred is not an event indicating the end of an additional AA activity (output branch N of block 250), control unit 115 checks whether the EV event that has just occurred is an event indicating the expiration of the guard time interval RT (block 260). Petition 870250115901, dated 12 / 16 / 2025, page 32 / 45 22 / 26

[105] According to one embodiment of the present invention, if the control unit 115 determines that the event EV that has just occurred is an event indicative of the expiration of the guard time interval RT (output branch S of block 260), the gas meter 100 enters the basic operating condition, the control unit 115 adjusts the sampling frequency of the measuring device FG(k) to the first sampling frequency F1, lower than the second sampling frequency F2 (block 265) and then returns to the event waiting condition (returns to block 206).

[106] According to one embodiment of the present invention, if control unit 115 determines that the event EV that has just occurred is not an event indicative of the expiration of the RT guard time interval (output branch N of block 260), control unit 115 returns to the event waiting condition (return to block 206).

[107] According to one embodiment of the present invention, if the gas meter 100 needs to perform two or more overlapping additional AA activities (for example, the occurrence of an AA activity start event related to a new activity before the occurrence of an AA activity end event related to another activity already in progress), before causing the gas meter 100 to enter the basic operating condition and adjusting the sampling frequency of the measuring device FG(k) to the first sampling frequency F1, the control unit 115 waits until all guard time intervals RT related to all ongoing additional AA activities have expired.

[108] According to one embodiment of the present invention, if the reading period RP expires while an additional activity AA is still in progress, the control unit 115 remains in the event standby condition (block 206) and the value of the quantity of electric charge Q calculated by the measuring device FG(k) is not read, since the value has already been read at the beginning of the Petition 870250115901, dated 12 / 16 / 2025, pages 33 / 45 23 / 26 Additional Activity AA.

[109] The calculation of the residual capacity of battery B(k) according to the embodiment of the present invention described with reference to Figure 2 can be summarized as follows.

[110] In the absence of occurrences of additional AA activities - such as the transmission of measurement data M via the communication unit CU(j), activation of the user interface 125, actuation of the valve 104 (and possibly an activation of the operation of possible additional sensor devices, such as pressure, temperature and acceleration sensors, which causes the corresponding waiting limits to be exceeded) -, the control unit 115 periodically updates the value of the residual capacity CRB(k) of battery B(k), reading the value of the amount of electrical charge Q distributed by battery B(k), calculated by the measuring device FG(k), in each reading period RP (for example, every 4 hours). In this condition, the value of the amount of electrical charge Q distributed by battery B(k), calculated by the measuring device FG(k), is updated at a frequency corresponding to the first frequency F1.

[111] When the gas meter 100 performs an additional activity AA - such as a measurement data transmission M via the communication unit CU(j), an activation of the user interface 125, an actuation of the valve 104 (and possibly an activation of an operation of possible additional sensor devices, such as pressure, temperature and acceleration sensors, which causes the corresponding waiting limits to be exceeded) -, the control unit 115 updates the residual capacity value CRB(k) of the battery B(k) three times and, in particular, reads the value of the amount of electrical charge Q supplied by the battery B(k) calculated by the measuring device FG(k): 1) at the start of the additional activity AA; 2) upon completion of the additional activity AA, and Petition 870250115901, dated 12 / 16 / 2025, pages 34 / 45 24 / 26 3) as soon as the RT retention period has elapsed.

[112] In this condition, the value of the amount of electric charge Q distributed by the battery B(k), calculated by the measuring device FG(k), is updated at a frequency corresponding to the second frequency F2.

[113] In relation to known solutions, which only allow obtaining an estimate of battery life, the solution according to the embodiments of the invention described in the present invention allows obtaining a calculation of the actual residual capacity of the batteries.

[114] Knowing the actual residual capacity of batteries has several advantages over known solutions that provide only an estimate.

[115] Firstly, while estimates cannot take into account the occurrence of specific events that may alter battery consumption, such as the occurrence of unforeseen additional activities, knowledge of the actual residual capacity of the batteries prevents the gas meter 100 batteries from discharging unexpectedly, preserving the correct functioning of the gas meter.

[116] Furthermore, being aware of the actual residual capacity of the batteries, it is possible to predict operator intervention, for example, to replace the batteries, only when necessary.

[117] According to the suggested solution, the sampling frequency of the measuring device FG(k) is variable and, therefore, it is advantageously possible to use a lower sampling frequency (the first sampling frequency F1) during the basic operating condition, when the consumption of the meter components is constant, and to use a higher sampling frequency (the second sampling frequency F2) only in conjunction with additional activities that involve greater Petition 870250115901, dated 12 / 16 / 2025, pages 35 / 45 25 / 26 consumption. In this way, it is possible to evaluate the amount of charge Q supplied by the batteries B(k) in a sufficiently precise manner, without having to perform an excessively high number of samplings, thus reducing the electrical consumption caused by the operation of the measuring device FG(k) itself.

[118] In particular, given that gas meter 100 will operate primarily in the basic operating condition (the execution of the additional activities AA that cause gas meter 100 to operate in the extended operating condition actually covers a very small fraction of the total service life of the meter, for example, less than 1%), the sampling frequency of the measuring device FG(k) used will be primarily the first sampling frequency F1 and therefore the contribution to battery consumption due to the measuring device FG(k) itself will be reduced. Consequently, any errors in the FGS estimate of the electrical consumption of the measuring device FG(k) will contribute insignificantly to the calculation of the residual capacity CRB(k) of battery B(k) (for example, to a fraction less than 2.5% of the total battery life).

[119] The solution according to the embodiments of the invention described in the present invention provides for a continuous and detailed measurement of the electric current consumed by the components of the gas meter 100. By virtue of this knowledge, it is advantageously possible to identify some unforeseen failure conditions or abnormal behaviors of some components of the gas meter 100, identifiable, for example, by the presence of excessive consumption caused by components of the gas meter 100 under certain operating conditions.

[120] An illustrative and non-exhaustive list of faults or anomalous behaviors detectable from the analysis of the detected electrical current includes: - anomalies in the operation of control unit 115; - Malfunction of sensor 120 for measuring flow of Petition 870250115901, dated 12 / 16 / 2025, pages 36 / 45 26 / 26 gas; - Excessive leakage from the electrical circuits responsible for generating the measurement data M; - anomalous behavior during the actuation of valve 104; - User interface malfunction 125; - anomalies in the operation of the CU(j) communication units; - Malfunction of any additional sensor devices, such as pressure sensors, temperature sensors, and acceleration sensors.

[121] Of course, to meet local and specific requirements, a person skilled in the art may apply various logical and / or physical modifications and alterations to the above invention. More specifically, although the present invention has been described with some degree of particularity in relation to its preferred embodiment, it should be understood that various omissions, substitutions and modifications in form and details, as well as other embodiments, are possible. In particular, several embodiments of the invention may also be put into practice without the specific details provided in the previous description, in order to provide a deeper understanding thereof; conversely, well-known functions may have been omitted or simplified so as not to overburden the description with unnecessary details. Petition 870250115901, dated 12 / 16 / 2025, pp. 37 / 45

Claims

1 / 4 CLAIMS 1. Gas meter (100) comprising: - a gas metering system (115, 120, 130) configured to generate indicative measurements of gas distributions; - one or more additional electrical components (CU(j), 125, 104), each configured to perform a respective additional activity, said additional activity being different from said generation of indicative measurements of gas distributions; - a power supply unit (135) comprising one or more batteries (B(k)) to power said gas metering system (115, 120, 130) and said one or more additional electrical components (CU(j), 125, 104); - a battery capacity calculation system (115, FG(k)) configured to calculate the residual capacity of said one or more batteries (B(k)), said battery capacity calculation system (115,FG(k)) comprising at least one electronic measuring device (FG(k)) for the amount of electrical charge distributed by a respective battery from said one or more batteries (B(k)), said electronic measuring device (FG(k)) being configured to periodically sample at least one of the voltage and current requested from said battery (B(k)) and to calculate the amount of electrical charge distributed by said battery (B(k)) based on the sampled values ​​obtained from said periodic sampling of at least one of the voltage and current, characterized in that said battery capacitance calculation system (115, FG(k)) is configured to adjust a sampling frequency of said at least one electronic measuring device to: - a first sampling frequency value when the gas meter (100) is in a basic operating condition. Petition 870250115901, dated 12 / 16 / 2025, page 38 / 45 2 / 4in which none of the aforementioned one or more additional electrical components (CU(j), 125, 104) is performing the aforementioned respective additional activity, and - a second sampling frequency value greater than the first sampling frequency value when the gas meter (100) is in an extended operating condition, in which at least one of the aforementioned one or more additional electrical components (CU(j), 125, 104) is performing the aforementioned respective additional activity.

2. Gas meter (100), according to claim 1, characterized in that: - said electronic measuring device (FG(k)) is configured to periodically store and update in a register a value of said quantity of electrical charge distributed by the battery, calculated based on the samples taken; - said gas measuring system (115, 120, 130) comprises a control unit (115) configured to: - access said register to retrieve the updated value of said quantity of electrical charge distributed by the battery in response to the occurrence of an event; - calculate said residual capacitance of said one or more batteries (B(k)) using said retrieved updated value; - said event comprises at least one selected from: - the expiration of a predetermined reading period; - the start of an additional activity by one or more of said additional electrical components;- the termination of an additional activity by one or more of the aforementioned additional electrical components; the aforementioned event possibly additionally comprising the expiration of a guard time interval, the aforementioned Petition 870250115901, dated 12 / 16 / 2025, page 39 / 45 3 / 4 guard time interval beginning from the occurrence of the termination of an additional activity.; 3. Gas meter (100), according to claim 2, characterized in that: - said electronic measuring device (FG(k)) is configured to also measure the temperature of the respective battery (B(k)); - said control unit (115) is configured to normalize said updated value recovered based on said measured temperature.

4. Gas meter (100), according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that said control unit (115) is configured to normalize said updated value recovered based on an average current value distributed by the respective battery (B(k)) during a period elapsed between: - the occurrence of the event in response to which the control unit accessed the register, and - the occurrence of a previous event.

5. Gas meter (100), according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that said control unit (115) is configured to: - estimate the electrical consumption of the electronic measuring device (FG(k)); - calculate said residual capacitance (of said one or more batteries (B(k)) using, in addition to said recovered updated value, also said estimated electrical consumption of the electronic measuring device (FG(k)).

6. Gas meter (100), according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that: - said one or more additional electrical components (CU(j), 125, 104) comprise at least one communication unit (CU(j)); Petition 870250115901, dated 16 / 12 / 2025, p. 40 / 45 4 / 4 - the respective additional activity comprises the transmission of said indicative measurements of gas distributions by said at least one communication unit (CU(j)) via a corresponding wireless transmission technology.

7. Gas meter (100), according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that: - said one or more additional electrical components (CU(j), 125, 104) comprise a user interface (125); - said respective additional activity comprises an activation of said user interface (125).

8. Gas meter (100), according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that: - said one or more additional electrical components (CU(j), 125, 104) comprise a valve (104) provided in a gas inlet duct with the gas meter (100); - said additional activity comprises actuating said valve (104) to selectively enable / disable gas inlet through said gas inlet duct of the gas meter (100).

9. Gas meter (100), according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said electronic measuring device (FG(k)) is a fuel indicator type measuring device.

10. Gas meter (100), according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that: - said one or more additional electrical components (CU(j), 125, 104) further comprise one or more additional sensor devices configured to measure at least one of temperature, pressure and acceleration; - said additional activity comprises the actuation of at least one of said additional sensor devices, which causes the exceeding of a corresponding hold-up limit of said additional sensor device. Petition 870250115901, dated 12 / 16 / 2025, p. 41 / 45

Images