Switch operation system

Abstract

To provide a switch operation system capable of remotely operating switches such as breakers on a distribution board.SOLUTION: A switch operation system includes a camera 4, a switch operation device 1 for operating a switch 61, a rail 3, and a terminal 5 communicatively connected to the camera 4 and the switch operation device 1. The camera 4 captures an image of an area around the switch 61 and outputs captured video information to the terminal 5, the terminal 5 displays the received captured video information, the rail 3 is fixed in the longitudinal direction of a plurality of switches 61 arranged in a vertical row, and the switch operation device 1 is housed within the rail 3 so as to be slidable up and down within the rail 3. The switch operation device 1 is configured to move upward and downward directions within the rail 3 and operate each of the plurality of switches 61 arranged in a vertical row, based on commands input by a user through the terminal 5.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a switch operation system for remotely operating switches such as breakers in a distribution board. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, circuit (continuity) checks to see whether an electric circuit is continuous are performed by two or more workers. In detail, one worker turns on and off switches such as the breaker in the distribution board, while another worker uses an outlet checker for each outlet on each floor to check whether the circuit related to that outlet is continuous, whether the polarity of that outlet is correct, whether the outlet is grounded, etc. The two workers communicate with each other using smartphones or walkie-talkies while performing the circuit (continuity) checks.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses the configuration of an outlet checker that can check the polarity of an outlet with a single operation after inserting a plug into the outlet, thereby enabling accurate and rapid checking of the polarity of the outlet. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP2013-238546A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, even when using the outlet checker disclosed in Patent Document 1, when two or more workers are checking a circuit, the two workers must work separately, which can lead to miscommunication. In addition, one worker may have to attend to other matters or may need to move between floors, resulting in wasted time for the other worker, such as waiting time.

[0006] In order to address the above-mentioned problems, the present invention has an object to provide a switch operation system that can remotely operate switches such as breakers in a distribution board. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 comprises: A switch operation system having a camera that captures an image of the surroundings, a switch operation device that operates a plurality of switches arranged in a vertical line, a rail, and a terminal that is communicatively connected to the camera and the switch operation device, the camera captures an image of an area around the plurality of switches and outputs the captured image information to a terminal; The terminal displays the received captured image information, The rail is fixed in a longitudinal direction of the plurality of switches arranged in a vertical row, The switch operation device is accommodated within the rail so as to be slidable up and down within the rail, The switch operation device is a switch operation system that moves up and down within the rail and operates each of the multiple switches lined up in the vertical row based on a command input by a user through the terminal.

[0008] The invention according to claim 2 is as follows: A switch operation system having a camera that captures an image of the surroundings, a switch operation device that operates a plurality of switches arranged in a horizontal row, a rail, and a terminal that is communicatively connected to the camera and the switch operation device, the camera captures an image of an area around the plurality of switches and outputs the captured image information to a terminal; The terminal displays the received captured image information, The rail is fixed in a longitudinal direction of the plurality of switches arranged in a single horizontal row, The switch operation device is accommodated within the rail so as to be slidable left and right within the rail, The switch operation device is a switch operation system that moves left and right within the rail and operates each of the multiple switches lined up in the horizontal row based on a command input by a user through the terminal.

[0009] The invention according to claim 3 is as follows: The switch operation device has a gear having a plurality of teeth at regular intervals on its outer periphery, The gear is accommodated in the rail so as to be slidable up and down or left and right within the rail, A rack having a plurality of teeth at regular intervals is provided on one side of the inner side of the rail, The switch operation system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the switch operation device moves within the rail while the teeth of the gear and the teeth of the rack mesh with each other. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, a circuit (continuity) check to determine whether or not an electric circuit is continuous can be performed by a single worker, which contributes to labor saving.

[0011] Furthermore, even when a single worker is performing a circuit (continuity) check, the worker can remotely operate switches such as the breaker on the distribution board, eliminating the need to go back to the breaker on the distribution board to operate the switch, which is convenient as it reduces the effort and time required to check an outlet. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a switch operation system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an operation of the switch operating device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention pressing down a switch. [Diagram 3] 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a switch operation device in a switch operation system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4]1 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the teeth of a gear of a switch operating device in the switch operating system according to the first embodiment of the present invention are meshed with the teeth of a rack of a rail. FIG. [Diagram 5] 1 is a diagram conceptually showing the overall configuration of a camera in a switch operation system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 1 is a diagram conceptually showing an overall configuration of a terminal in a switch operation system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing executed by the switch operation system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen of a display means of a terminal in the switch operation system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a switch operation system according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the components described in the embodiment are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0014] <Embodiment Example 1> Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a switch operation system according to the embodiment 1. Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an operation of the switch operation device 1 pressing down a switch 61.

[0015] The switch operation system mainly includes a switch operation device 1 that operates a switch 61, a rail 3 in which a gear 14 of the switch operation device 1 is housed so as to be able to slide vertically, a camera 4, and a terminal 5 that operates the switch operation device 1 and the camera 4.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 1, a plurality of switches 61 are provided on the front of the distribution board 6 to be pressed down (pushed in) by a user such as an operator. In Fig. 1, 24 switches 61 are provided in two rows of 12 switches each. As shown in Fig. 2, when the left side of the switch 61 is pressed down, the right side lifts up and the switch 61 turns "ON" (=electrical circuit is conductive). On the other hand, when the right side is pressed down, the left side lifts up and the switch 61 turns "OFF" (=electrical circuit is non-conductive).

[0017] As shown in Fig. 1, rails 3 are provided on the left and right sides along the longitudinal direction of the twelve switches 61 arranged in a vertical row. The rails 3 are made of, for example, resin, and as shown in Fig. 2, the left and right ends of the rail 3 are bent forward in a U-shape so as to face each other. Therefore, the gear 14 of the switch operating device 1 is housed therein so as to be slidable up and down.

[0018] The switch operating device 1 has a function of moving up and down along the rail 3 and depressing (pushing in) a switch 61 related to a distribution board 6 based on a command received over a network from a terminal 5 held by a user such as a worker. The network is a wireless communication network, such as the Internet, an intranet, or a wide area wireless communication network such as a mobile phone network. The network may also be a wired communication network.

[0019] 3, the switch operation device 1 mainly includes a communication unit 11, a control unit 12, a drive unit 131, and a drive unit 132. The communication unit 11 is an I / F (interface) that transmits and receives commands and information by communicating with the terminal 5. The communication method of the communication unit 11 is not particularly limited, but in the present embodiment 1, for example, a wireless communication method such as Wifi (registered trademark), BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy), or LTE (Long Term Evolution) is used.

[0020] The control unit 12 is a microcomputer (=microcontroller) equipped with a processor such as a CPU or MPU, a memory, etc. Based on a command received from the terminal 5 via the communication unit 11, the control unit 12 operates the drive unit 131 to rotate the shaft 15 and the gear 14, and moves the switch operation device 1 in the vertical direction along the rail 3. Based on a command received from the terminal 5 via the communication unit 11, the control unit 12 also operates the drive unit 132 to slide the rectangular parallelepiped piece 16, for example made of resin, from above to below, and press down the switch 61.

[0021] The driving units 131 and 132 are actuators equipped with a DC (direct current) motor, gears, etc. The driving unit 131 drives based on a command from the control unit 12, and transmits the driving force to the shaft 15 and the gear 14. The driving unit 132 drives based on a command from the control unit 12, and transmits the driving force to the segment 16.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 3, the gear 14 has a plurality of teeth 141 at predetermined intervals along the outer periphery in the short direction. Meanwhile, as shown in Fig. 4, a rack 31 is provided on one side of the inside of the rail 3 (the left side in the figure). The rack 31 is plate-shaped, and has a plurality of teeth 311 at predetermined intervals on its surface. Therefore, the teeth 141 of the gear 14 and the teeth 311 of the rack 31 mesh with each other, so that the rotational motion of the gear 14 is converted into vertical linear motion along the rail 3. Also, the switch operating device 1 does not slip down within the rail 3, and can stop at any position.

[0023] <Camera 4 Configuration> The camera 4 captures an image of the surroundings of a switch 61 associated with a distribution board 6, and outputs captured image information to a terminal 5 via a network.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 5, the camera 4 is mainly composed of a camera unit 41 and a main body unit 42. The camera unit 41 has an imaging lens 411 provided at the tip of the camera unit 41, and a solid-state imaging element 412 using a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) type image sensor or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) type image sensor. The camera unit 41 outputs a video input signal related to captured video information of the surroundings of the switch 61 obtained by imaging to a signal processing unit 421. The main body unit 42 is provided with the signal processing unit 421 and a communication unit 422. The signal processing unit 421 performs a predetermined signal processing on the video input signal obtained from the camera unit 41, generates a video output signal, and outputs the video output signal to the communication unit 422. The communication unit 422 communicates with the terminal 5 via a network using a short-range wireless communication method such as BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy) or Wifi (registered trademark), or a wide-area wireless communication method such as LTE, and outputs a video output signal related to captured video information around the switch 61 to the terminal 5.

[0025] <Terminal 5 Configuration> The terminal 5 displays captured image information relating to the surroundings of the switch 61 received from the camera 4 via the network. The terminal 5 also outputs a command to the switch operation device 1 to operate the switch operation device 1. The terminal 5 is, for example, a smartphone or a tablet-type PC (Personal Computer) held by a user such as a worker. In the first embodiment, the description will be given on the premise that a so-called "switch operation application" (application program) that receives captured image information from the camera 4, displays it on the screen, and enables output of a command to the switch operation device 1 is installed in the terminal 5.

[0026] Next, the hardware configuration of the terminal 5 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0027] The control means 51 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes application programs (=apps), an operating system (OS), control programs, etc. stored in the storage means 52, etc., and controls the temporary storage of data, files, etc. required for program execution in the RAM (=Random Access Memory) 53.

[0028] In particular, when the control means 51 receives captured image information relating to the surroundings of the switch 61 from the camera 4 via the network, the control means 51 causes the display means 55 to display the captured image information.

[0029] In addition, when the control means 51 recognizes through the display means 55 a tap on an upward movement icon 551, a downward movement icon 552, or a switch push icon 553 (see Figure 8) displayed on the display means 55 for operating the switch operation device 1, the control means 51 outputs a command related to the tap to the switch operation device 1 through the communication means 57.

[0030] The RAM 53 is for temporarily storing various data and functions as a main memory, a work area, etc. of the control means 51. The ROM (=Read Only Memory) 54 stores therein programs such as a basic I / O program and various data used in basic processing.

[0031] The storage means 52 is, for example, a flash memory or an SSD (Solid State Drive), and functions as a large-capacity memory.

[0032] The display means 55 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, and displays commands input to the terminal 5 and response outputs from the terminal 5. The display means 55 also has a touch panel on the display screen, and accepts input of commands and information through operations using the fingers of a user such as a worker.

[0033] The bus 58 controls the flow of data within the terminal 5 .

[0034] The communication means 57 is a network I / F such as a LAN (Local Area Network) card, a network adapter, a network interface card, etc. The terminal 5 exchanges commands and information with the switch operation device 1 and the camera 4 via the communication means 57 over the network.

[0035] Furthermore, software that realizes the same functions as the above devices can be used to replace the hardware devices.

[0036] <Processing flow of the switch operation system> Next, a process flow of the switch operation system according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0037] A user such as a worker taps with his / her finger on the icon of the "switch operation application" displayed on the home screen of the terminal 5. The terminal 5 then recognizes the operation and starts up the "switch operation application" (step S701).

[0038] Terminal 5 outputs a command to camera 4 to output captured image information (step S702). Upon receiving the command, camera 4 captures an image of the area around switch 61 of distribution board 6, and outputs the captured image information to terminal 5 (step S703). Upon receiving captured image information relating to the area around switch 61 from camera 4, terminal 5 displays the image information on display means 55 (step S704), as shown in Fig. 8.

[0039] A user such as an operator touches an icon 554 of a pull-down menu displayed on the display means 55, and selects a switch operation device 1 corresponding to a switch 61 to be turned on / off. In Fig. 8, the switch operation device 1 with the identification information "SS1" is selected from among four switch operation devices 1 (identification information: SS1 to SS4).

[0040] A user such as an operator taps the upward movement icon 551 or the downward movement icon 552 while viewing the captured image information displayed on the display means 55 so that the switch operation device 1 associated with the identification information "SS1" is positioned next to the switch 61 to be turned on / off. When the terminal 5 recognizes, via the touch panel of the display means 55, a command to move the switch operation device 1 up or down, it outputs the command to the switch operation device 1 (step S705). The switch operation device 1 that has received the command moves up or down (step S706).

[0041] Looking at the screen, when the switch operating device 1 is placed next to the switch 61 to be turned ON / OFF, the user, such as a worker, taps the switch press icon 553. When the terminal 5 recognizes through the touch panel of the display means 55 an instruction to press the switch 61 to turn it "ON", it outputs the instruction to the switch operating device 1 (step S707). Having received the instruction, the switch operating device 1 slides the segment 16 from above to below to press down the switch 61 (step S708).

[0042] A user such as a worker uses an outlet checker to check the circuit (continuity). Thereafter, to turn the switch 61 in the "ON" state to "OFF", the user moves the switch operation device 1 (if the switch operation device 1 with the identification information "SS1" has turned the switch 61 "ON" then the identification information of the opposing switch operation device 1 is "SS2") that faces the switch operation device 1 that performed the "ON" operation, and places it next to the switch 61 in the "ON" state, and presses down the switch 61. As a result, the switch 61 becomes "OFF".

[0043] In this way, the switch operation system can remotely operate switches related to breakers and the like in a distribution board (especially switches arranged in a vertical row), allowing a single worker to check the circuit (continuity) to see whether or not an electrical circuit is conductive, thereby contributing to labor savings.

[0044] Furthermore, even when a single worker is performing a circuit (continuity) check, the worker can remotely operate switches such as the breaker on the distribution board, eliminating the need to go back to the breaker on the distribution board to operate the switch, which is convenient as it reduces the effort and time required to check an outlet.

[0045] Furthermore, the camera 4, rail 3, and switch operation device 1 are temporarily installed around the switch 61 related to the distribution board 6 using a magnet or the like, so that restoration to the original state is easy.

[0046] As described above, by using the switch operation system, it is possible to increase the economic productivity of the labor-intensive circuit (continuity) check work. Also, for users such as workers, the circuit (continuity) check work becomes a more rewarding and humane job.

[0047] <Variation 1> In the first embodiment, 24 switches 61 are arranged in two vertical rows of 12 switches each (2×12 switches 61 in a vertical row), and the switch operation device 1 moves up and down to press down each switch 61. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, 24 switches 61 may be arranged in two horizontal rows of 12 switches each (2×12 switches 61 in a horizontal row), and the switch operation device 1 may move left and right to press down each switch 61.

[0048] In addition, in the present embodiment 1, a configuration is shown in which the segment 16 is slid from above to below to press down the switch 61, but this is not limited to this configuration and any configuration that can press down the switch 61 will suffice. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 1: switch operating device, 11: communication unit, 12: control unit, 131: drive unit, 132: drive unit, 14: gear, 141: teeth, 15: shaft, 16: segment, 3: rail, 31: rack, 311: teeth, 4: camera, 41: camera unit, 411: imaging lens, 412: solid-state imaging element, 42: main body unit, 421: signal processing unit, 422: communication unit, 5: terminal, 51: control means, 52: storage means, 53: RAM, 54: ROM, 55: display means, 57: communication means, 58: bus, 6: distribution board, 61: switch

Claims

1. A switch operation system having a camera that captures an image of the surroundings, a switch operation device that operates a plurality of switches arranged in a vertical line, a rail, and a terminal that is communicatively connected to the camera and the switch operation device, the camera captures an image of an area around the plurality of switches and outputs the captured image information to a terminal; The terminal displays the received captured image information, The rail is fixed in a longitudinal direction of the plurality of switches arranged in a vertical row, The switch operation device is accommodated within the rail so as to be slidable up and down within the rail, A switch operation system characterized in that the switch operation device moves up and down within the rail and operates each of the multiple switches lined up in the vertical row based on commands input by a user through the terminal.

2. A switch operation system having a camera that captures an image of the surroundings, a switch operation device that operates a plurality of switches arranged in a horizontal row, a rail, and a terminal that is communicatively connected to the camera and the switch operation device, the camera captures an image of an area around the plurality of switches and outputs the captured image information to a terminal; The terminal displays the received captured image information, The rail is fixed in a longitudinal direction of the plurality of switches arranged in a single horizontal row, The switch operation device is accommodated within the rail so as to be slidable left and right within the rail, A switch operation system characterized in that the switch operation device moves left and right within the rail and operates each of the multiple switches lined up in the horizontal row based on commands input by a user through the terminal.

3. The switch operation device has a gear having a plurality of teeth at regular intervals on its outer periphery, The gear is accommodated in the rail so as to be slidable up and down or left and right within the rail, A rack having a plurality of teeth at regular intervals is provided on one side of the inner side of the rail, 3. The switch operation system according to claim 1, wherein the switch operation device moves within the rail while the teeth of the gear mesh with the teeth of the rack.

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