Multi-channel water meter concentrator and remote meter reading system

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of multi-channel water meter concentrator and remote meter reading system, and multi-channel water meter concentrator includes switching circuit and controller;Switching circuit is connected with multiple MBUS communication ports, for establishing communication connection with multiple intelligent MBUS water meter, controller is connected with mobile terminal by bluetooth communication module, controller is connected with remote terminal by 4G communication module, controller is connected with 485 water meter by RS485 communication module, controller is also connected with switching circuit.This utility model realizes the switching of multi-line intelligent wired MBUS water meter data acquisition by switching circuit, avoids affecting the acquisition data in whole water meter concentrator due to one port failure, reduces concentrator failure rate, improves line troubleshooting efficiency, and improves the accuracy of meter reading data;And by 4G communication module, the water meter data collected is uploaded to remote terminal, data is uniformly arranged, convenient for water company to carry out pipeline analysis and energy consumption management, improve the timeliness of meter reading data.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of automated water meter data acquisition technology, and in particular to a multi-channel water meter concentrator and a remote meter reading system. Background Technology

[0002] The water meter data concentrator is the central management and control device of the remote centralized meter reading system. It is used to realize functions such as timed reading of terminal data, system command transmission, data communication, network management, event logging, and horizontal data transmission.

[0003] Existing water meter collectors are directly supplied by water meter manufacturers, but their downlink communication protocols only support the water meters of the water meter manufacturers. Furthermore, they use AC or DC power supply, have few hardware interfaces, low load capacity, and chaotic line management. For example, when a water meter is damaged, all water meters on the bus will be unable to read the meter, resulting in low accuracy of the data collected by the entire collector. Utility Model Content

[0004] The main purpose of this invention is to provide a multi-channel water meter concentrator, which aims to solve the problem of low overall data accuracy caused by existing water meter collectors due to limited hardware interfaces, low load capacity, and chaotic line management.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model proposes a multi-channel water meter concentrator, which includes:

[0006] A switching circuit is connected to multiple MBUS communication ports, each of which is used to establish a communication connection with multiple smart MBUS water meters.

[0007] The controller is connected to a mobile terminal via a Bluetooth communication module, to a remote terminal via a 4G communication module, and to a 485 water meter via an RS485 communication module. The controller is also connected to the switching circuit. The controller receives user setting signals from the mobile terminal and, based on these user setting signals, collects 485 water meter data signals from the 485 water meter via the RS485 communication module. It also controls the switching circuit to operate based on the user setting signals, connects the controller to an MBUS communication port, collects MBUS water meter data signals from multiple smart MBUS water meters connected to the MBUS communication port, and transmits the 485 water meter data signals and / or the MBUS water meter data signals to the remote terminal.

[0008] In one embodiment, the multi-channel water meter concentrator further includes a power module connected to the controller and the 4G communication module, the power module being used to provide operating power to the controller and the 4G communication module.

[0009] In one embodiment, the power module includes a step-down circuit, the input terminal of which is connected to an input power source, and the output terminal of which is connected to the 4G communication module. The step-down circuit is used to step down the input power source and then output it to the 4G communication module.

[0010] In one embodiment, the input power source includes an external municipal power supply, a DC power supply provided by an external power adapter, or a DC power supply provided by an internal dry cell battery.

[0011] In one embodiment, the power module includes a power selection circuit, and the controlled terminal of the power selection circuit is connected to the controller;

[0012] The controller is used to control the power selection circuit to operate according to the user setting signal, and select the DC power supply provided by the external power adapter, the municipal power supply, or the DC power supply provided by the internal dry cell battery.

[0013] This utility model also proposes a remote meter reading system, which includes a remote terminal and the aforementioned multi-channel water meter concentrator.

[0014] This utility model's technical solution achieves switching of multi-line intelligent wired MBUS water meter data acquisition through a switching circuit, avoiding the impact of a single port failure on the data collected in the entire water meter collector, reducing the concentrator failure rate, improving line troubleshooting efficiency, and enhancing the accuracy of meter reading data. Furthermore, it uploads the collected water meter data to a remote terminal via a 4G communication module, allowing for unified data processing and facilitating pipeline analysis and energy consumption management by the water company, thereby improving the timeliness of meter reading data. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is an overall block diagram of the multi-channel water meter concentrator of this utility model;

[0016] In the diagram: 10-Power module, 11-Municipal power supply, 12-Dry battery, 13-Power adapter, 20-Controller, 30-Bluetooth communication module, 31-Mobile terminal, 40-RS485 communication module, 41-Wired 485 water meter, 50-Switching circuit, 60-MBUS communication port, 61-Smart wired MBUS water meter, 70-4G communication module, 71-Remote terminal. Detailed Implementation

[0017] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this utility model clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this utility model. The components of the embodiments of this utility model described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0018] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0019] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0020] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "inner", "outer", "left", "right", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship that the utility model product is usually placed in during use, or the orientation or positional relationship that is commonly understood by those skilled in the art. They are only used to facilitate the description of this utility model and to simplify the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or component referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.

[0021] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be interpreted as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0022] In the description of this utility model, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, terms such as "set" and "connection" should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can be a connection within two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0023] Existing water meter collectors are directly supplied by water meter manufacturers, but their downlink communication protocols only support the water meters of the water meter manufacturers. Furthermore, they use AC or DC power supply, have few hardware interfaces, low load capacity, and chaotic line management. For example, when a water meter is damaged, all water meters on the bus will be unable to read the meter, resulting in low accuracy of the data collected by the entire collector.

[0024] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention proposes a multi-channel water meter concentrator. The specific embodiments of this invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0025] like Figure 1 As shown, the multi-channel water meter concentrator includes:

[0026] A switching circuit 50 is connected to multiple MBUS communication ports 60, each of which is used to establish a communication connection with multiple smart MBUS water meters.

[0027] The controller 20 is connected to the mobile terminal 31 via a Bluetooth communication module 30, to the remote terminal 71 via a 4G communication module 70, and to the 485 water meter via an RS485 communication module 40. The controller 20 is also connected to the switching circuit 50. The controller 20 receives user setting signals sent by the mobile terminal 31, and collects 485 water meter data signals from the 485 water meter via the RS485 communication module 40 according to the user setting signals. It also controls the switching circuit 50 to operate according to the user setting signals, connects the controller 20 to an MBUS communication port 60, collects MBUS water meter data signals from multiple smart MBUS water meters connected to the MBUS communication port 60, and transmits the 485 water meter data signals and / or the MBUS water meter data signals to the remote terminal 71.

[0028] In this embodiment, the switching circuit 50 can be implemented by any switchable controller 20 that connects or disconnects the path between the controller 20 and multiple MBUS communication ports 60, such as multiple switching transistors or multi-pole multi-throw relays. Specifically, the first end of the switching circuit 50 is connected to the controller 20, the second end of the switching circuit 50 is connected to multiple MBUS communication ports 60, and the controlled end of the switching circuit 50 is connected to the control end of the controller 20. The controller 20 can be implemented using MCU, DSP (Digital Signal Processor), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), SOC (System On Chip), etc.

[0029] The mobile terminal 31 can be a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or smartwatch. Users can set meter reading methods, meter reading intervals, network parameters, device number, RS485 communication configuration, heartbeat interval, MBUS power-on / off time, data upload method, and local meter reading through the mobile terminal 31. The mobile terminal 31 sends the corresponding user setting signals and can also view water meter data through the mobile terminal 31, so as to promptly detect whether the water meter has stopped or is faulty, and take corresponding measures.

[0030] In this embodiment, the MBUS communication port 60 can be configured with four ports, each capable of supporting 64 water meters, for a total of 256 water meters. This avoids the situation where a single water meter failure would prevent all water meters on the bus from being read, thus avoiding large-scale troubleshooting for each water meter and improving troubleshooting efficiency, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the water meter data collected. It is understood that the controller 20 establishes a communication connection with the mobile terminal 31 via the Bluetooth communication module 30. The controller 20 collects water meter data from the wired 485 water meter 41 and / or the smart wired MBUS water meter 61 based on the accessed user setting signal. That is, when a user needs to read the data from the wired 485 water meter 41, the controller 20 collects the data from the wired 485 water meter 41 via the RS485 communication module 40. Water meter data from water meter 41; when a user needs to read the meter data of smart wired MBUS water meter 61, controller 20 controls switching circuit 50 to connect MBUS communication port 60 connected to smart wired MBUS water meter 61 to controller 20, so as to collect the corresponding water meter data of smart wired MBUS water meter 61; then, controller 20 transmits the collected water meter data of wired water meter 41 and smart wired MBUS water meter 61 to remote terminal 71, so that staff can directly monitor water meter data on the system management platform in the office, reducing labor costs and improving the accuracy of meter reading data, so as to facilitate data statistics and water management, and to have a comprehensive and convenient grasp of the city's water use situation.

[0031] In this embodiment, the multi-channel water meter concentrator is designed according to industrial-grade standards, the electronic components meet the temperature range of -40℃ to +75℃, the PCB uses FR-2A grade board material, and has been treated for moisture and dust resistance.

[0032] This utility model's multi-channel water meter concentrator uses a switching circuit 50 to switch the data acquisition of multiple smart wired MBUS water meters 61, avoiding the impact of a single port failure on the data collected in the entire water meter concentrator, reducing the concentrator's failure rate, improving line troubleshooting efficiency, and enhancing the accuracy of meter reading data. Furthermore, it uses a 4G communication module 70 to upload the collected water meter data to a remote terminal 71, allowing for unified data processing and facilitating pipeline analysis and energy consumption management by the water company, thus improving the timeliness of meter reading data.

[0033] In one embodiment, the multi-channel water meter concentrator further includes a power module 10, which is connected to the controller 20 and the 4G communication module 70, and is used to provide operating power to the controller 20 and the 4G communication module 70.

[0034] In one embodiment, the power module 10 includes a step-down circuit. The input terminal of the step-down circuit is used to connect to an input power supply, and the output terminal of the step-down circuit is connected to the 4G communication module 70. The step-down circuit is used to step down the input power supply and then output it to the 4G communication module 70.

[0035] In this embodiment, a power supply module 10 is used to provide working power to the controller 20 and the 4G communication module 70. That is, the controller 20 and the 4G communication module 70 are powered by an AC power supply or a DC power supply after DC / DC conversion.

[0036] Because the 4G communication module 70 has special requirements for power supply (3.8V, 2A) during data transmission, the instantaneous large current surge makes the dry cell battery 12 unable to meet its needs; therefore, this embodiment is equipped with a step-down circuit to meet its power supply requirements. Specifically, the step-down circuit is connected to the input power supply and performs step-down processing on the input power supply, that is, the 7.2V voltage is reduced to 3.8V to meet the power supply requirements.

[0037] In one embodiment, the input power source includes an external municipal power supply 11, a DC power supply provided by an external power adapter 13, or a DC power supply provided by an internal dry cell battery 12.

[0038] In this embodiment, the power supply module 10 can be supplied with three types of input power: first, it can be powered by an external AC220V municipal power supply 11, which is suitable for situations where there is a municipal power supply 11 available around the water meter; second, it can be powered by DC power provided by the installed internal dry cell battery 12, which is suitable for situations where there is no suitable external power supply around the water meter; and third, it can be powered by DC power provided by an external power adapter 13, which is suitable for plug-and-play situations where no secondary wiring is required. Multiple power supply options are available to meet the power needs of the multi-channel water meter concentrator.

[0039] In one embodiment, the power module 10 includes a power selection circuit, and the controlled terminal of the power selection circuit is connected to the controller 20;

[0040] The controller 20 is used to control the power selection circuit to operate according to the user setting signal, and select the DC power supply provided by the external power adapter 13, the municipal power supply 11, or the DC power supply provided by the internal dry cell battery 12.

[0041] In this embodiment, the power selection circuit can be implemented using any power selection circuit with selection function, such as a selector or a switching transistor. The controller 20 controls the operation of the power selection circuit according to the user setting signal. Specifically, when the number of meters read is small, the meter reading frequency is low, or it is used as a handheld meter reader, dry cell batteries 12 can be used for power supply. When the meter reading frequency is high and there are many water meters, an external power supply is used to achieve real-time data transmission with zero delay. It should be noted that when using dry cell batteries 12 for power supply, the transmission time of each data collector needs to be controlled within 1 minute, the static power consumption is 11uA, and the theoretical service life of dry cell batteries 12 exceeds 3 years. A large-capacity battery can be configured for power supply.

[0042] This utility model also proposes a remote meter reading system, which includes a remote terminal 71 and the aforementioned multi-channel water meter concentrator. The specific structure of the multi-channel water meter concentrator is as described in the above embodiments. Since this remote meter reading system adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be elaborated here.

[0043] This utility model's multi-channel water meter concentrator enables multi-line water meter data acquisition and remote transmission, avoiding the impact of a single port failure on the entire concentrator's data, reducing the concentrator's failure rate, and improving line troubleshooting efficiency. One channel can handle up to 64 water meters, avoiding the need for large-scale troubleshooting of each individual meter. It also features three power modes for different power distribution scenarios and can be used as a mobile handheld meter reading concentrator. Furthermore, it overcomes the difficulties of on-site meter reading, reducing the workload of staff, saving manpower and resources, and improving the accuracy and timeliness of meter reading data. The remote terminal 71 consolidates the collected data, facilitating pipeline analysis and energy consumption management for the water company.

[0044] In practical applications, the relevant technical parameters of the multi-channel water meter concentrator are as follows: uplink communication is 4G, and the downlink interface is a 4-channel MBUS meter reading bus port; the power supply can use a power supply with a rated voltage of 220V±20% and a frequency of 50HZ-6%~+2%; load capacity: each MBUS bus interface can support 64 valve-controlled meters, and a single unit can support 256 valve-controlled wired direct-reading meters; power consumption of the whole unit in non-meter reading mode is <1.5W; the operating environment temperature is -25~+55℃, and the relative humidity is 5%~100%; the external interface supports RS-485 serial port and Bluetooth; the storage capacity is ≥64KB; the reliability MTBF is ≥10×10 4 h; The communication antenna is externally mounted, with an antenna gain ≥2dBi and a maximum power handling capacity ≥50W.

[0045] In summary, the multi-channel water meter concentrator possesses the following functions: meter reading and acquisition function, i.e., the ability to acquire and transmit signals from various remote meters; data processing function, i.e., the ability to sort, store, and forward acquired data; communication and reporting function, i.e., the ability to communicate bidirectionally with the main station, i.e., the ability to receive and respond to commands from the main station for data acquisition and parameter setting; setting function, i.e., the ability to remotely distribute files, remotely set meter reading cycles, reporting cycles, and IP addresses; power management function, i.e., adopting a low-power design with power management for the downstream port (meter connection port), using a "0" power consumption mode when not reading or collecting data, i.e., not supplying power to the downstream meter port; self-diagnostic function to ensure reliable terminal operation, as well as M-bus bus overload protection and output short-circuit protection; automatic time synchronization, i.e., automatically connecting with the data server daily to ensure consistency between the internal clock and the software clock; and remote configuration, i.e., the ability to remotely read and set its own operating parameters, address, server IP, and port in real time. Command execution and forwarding allows the smart meter to receive software instructions and perform operations such as data reading, parameter setting, and time synchronization; debugging interface allows the smart meter to read and set its own operating parameters, address, server IP, and port via RS485 interface and Bluetooth handheld device; self-restart function enables the smart meter to protect itself and restart after encountering a fault.

[0046] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the technical principles of the present utility model, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A multi-channel water meter concentrator, characterized in that, The multi-channel water meter concentrator includes: A switching circuit is connected to multiple MBUS communication ports, each of which is used to establish a communication connection with multiple smart MBUS water meters. The controller is connected to a mobile terminal via a Bluetooth communication module, to a remote terminal via a 4G communication module, and to a 485 water meter via an RS485 communication module. The controller is also connected to the switching circuit. The controller receives user setting signals from the mobile terminal and, based on these user setting signals, collects 485 water meter data signals from the 485 water meter via the RS485 communication module. It also controls the switching circuit to operate based on the user setting signals, connects the controller to an MBUS communication port, collects MBUS water meter data signals from multiple smart MBUS water meters connected to the MBUS communication port, and transmits the 485 water meter data signals and / or the MBUS water meter data signals to the remote terminal.

2. The multi-channel water meter concentrator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The multi-channel water meter concentrator also includes a power module, which is connected to the controller and the 4G communication module. The power module is used to provide operating power to the controller and the 4G communication module.

3. The multi-channel water meter concentrator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The power module includes a step-down circuit. The input terminal of the step-down circuit is used to connect to the input power supply, and the output terminal of the step-down circuit is connected to the 4G communication module. The step-down circuit is used to step down the input power supply and then output it to the 4G communication module.

4. The multi-channel water meter concentrator according to claim 3, characterized in that, The input power source includes external municipal power, DC power supplied by an external power adapter, or DC power supplied by an internal dry cell battery.

5. The multi-channel water meter concentrator according to claim 4, characterized in that, The power module includes a power selection circuit, and the controlled terminal of the power selection circuit is connected to the controller. The controller is used to control the power selection circuit to operate according to the user setting signal, and select the DC power supply provided by the external power adapter, the municipal power supply, or the DC power supply provided by the internal dry cell battery.

6. A remote meter reading system, characterized in that, The remote meter reading system includes a remote terminal and a multi-channel water meter concentrator as described in any one of claims 1-5.

Images