Monitoring the battery life of the gas meter.

Abstract

A gas meter will be provided. [Solution] The meter includes a battery capacity calculation system configured to calculate the remaining capacity of one or more batteries, the battery capacity calculation system includes at least one electronic measuring device that measures the amount of charge supplied by one of the one or more batteries, the electronic measuring device being configured to periodically sample at least one of the voltage or current required from the battery, and to calculate the amount of charge supplied from the battery based on the sampled value obtained from the periodic sampling of at least one of the voltage or current. The battery capacity calculation system is configured to set the sampling frequency of one of the electronic measuring devices to a first sampling frequency value when the gas meter is in a basic operating state, and to a second sampling frequency value greater than the first sampling frequency value when the gas meter is in an extended operating state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of gas meters. More particularly, the present invention relates to monitoring the remaining capacity of the electric battery of a gas meter.

Background Art

[0002] A gas meter is known to be a device installed on a site (such as a house, apartment, commercial building, industrial building, etc.), which benefits from the supply of combustible gas by a gas supplier and has the function of generating a measured value of the gas effectively supplied at that location.

[0003] Depending on the technology used to measure gas supply, there are various types of gas meters. However, the most important difference is the difference between the dynamic measurement principle and the static measurement principle.

[0004] Regardless of the technology used to measure gas supply, the operation of modern gas meters requires an electrical, electromechanical and / or electronic system that enables the gas meter to perform different functions (for example, generation / storage / management of measurement data, remote transmission of measurement data). Therefore, in order to ensure the proper operation of the gas meter, the components of such a system must receive electrical energy.

[0005] For this purpose, modern gas meters are provided with one or more electric batteries to enable the gas meter to operate autonomously independently of the main power grid, ensuring accurate measurement of gas consumption and remote transmission of measurement data regardless of the presence or operating state of the power grid. This is particularly useful when the gas meter is installed in a remote area or an area affected by frequent power outages.

[0006] Known solutions involve estimating the battery life of a gas meter based on the average daily consumption and duration of various operations performed by the gas meter, calculated under laboratory conditions. For example, battery life is estimated based on average consumption obtained from laboratory tests and the initial capacity of the battery. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] The applicant realized that known solutions were affected by drawbacks that limited the reliability of gas meters.

[0008] Solutions that present battery duration estimates based on laboratory data are unreliable because batteries installed in the field may be subject to many influences that cannot be predicted a priori in the laboratory (e.g., temperature fluctuations on the site where the gas meter is installed, degradation of network coverage causing the gas meter to perform repeated communication attempts, valve closing and reopening operations outside the statistical mean of operating activity, or a combination of these), which may alter the actual battery consumption of the gas meter compared to the laboratory estimate.

[0009] Taking the above into consideration, the applicant has devised a solution to improve this inconvenience and any further inconveniences. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] One or more aspects of the present invention are described in the independent claims, and advantageous features of the same invention are described in the dependent claims, the wording of which is incorporated herein by reference (any advantageous feature is described by reference to a particular aspect of the present invention which is applied mutatis mutandis to any other aspect of the present invention).

[0011] One aspect of the present invention relates to a gas meter.

[0012] The gas meter includes a gas measuring system configured to produce a measurement indicating the gas supply.

[0013] The gas meter includes one or more additional electrical components, each configured to perform a corresponding additional operation.

[0014] The additional operation differs from the generated measurement indicating gas supply.

[0015] The gas meter includes a power unit with one or more batteries for supplying power to the gas measurement system and one or more additional electrical components.

[0016] The gas meter includes a battery capacity calculation system configured to calculate the remaining capacity of one or more batteries.

[0017] The battery capacity calculation system comprises at least one electronic device for measuring the amount of charge supplied by one of the corresponding batteries in one or more batteries.

[0018] The electronic measuring device is configured to periodically sample at least one of the required voltage or current from a corresponding battery, and to calculate the amount of charge supplied from the battery based on the sampled values ​​obtained from the periodic sampling of at least one of the voltage or current.

[0019] The battery capacity calculation system uses the sampling frequency of at least one electronic measuring device, If the gas meter is in a basic operating state where none of the one or more additional electrical components are performing their corresponding additional operations, the first sampling frequency value is set to: If the gas meter is in an extended operating state in which at least one of one or more additional electrical components is performing a corresponding additional operation, the second sampling frequency value is greater than the first sampling frequency value. It is configured to be set up.

[0020] According to an embodiment of the present invention, an electronic measurement device is configured to store, in a register, a value of the amount of charge supplied by a battery calculated based on executed sampling and to update it periodically.

[0021] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a gas measurement system accesses a register to obtain an updated value of the amount of charge supplied by a battery in response to the occurrence of an event, and includes a control unit configured to calculate the remaining capacity of one or more batteries (B(k)) using the obtained updated value.

[0022] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the event is the expiration of a predetermined reading period, the start of additional operation by one or more additional electrical components, the end of additional operation by one or more additional electrical components and includes at least one selected from the above.

[0023] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the event includes the expiration of a guard time interval started from the end of the additional operation.

[0024] According to an embodiment of the present invention, an electronic measurement device is configured to measure the temperature of a corresponding battery.

[0025] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit is configured to normalize the obtained updated value based on the measured temperature.

[0026] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit [[ID= thirty-eight]]is configured to normalize the obtained updated value based on the average current value supplied by the corresponding battery during the period between the occurrence of an event in response to the control unit accessing the register and the occurrence of the previous event and.

[0027] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit To estimate the power consumption of an electronic measuring device, The system is configured to calculate the remaining capacity of one or more batteries by using the acquired updated values ​​as well as the estimated power consumption of the electronic measuring device.

[0028] According to embodiments of the present invention, one or more additional electrical components include at least one communication unit.

[0029] According to embodiments of the present invention, the corresponding additional operation includes transmitting a measurement indicating gas supply via a corresponding wireless transmission technique by at least one communication unit.

[0030] According to embodiments of the present invention, one or more additional electrical components include a user interface.

[0031] According to embodiments of the present invention, the corresponding additional operation includes activating a user interface.

[0032] According to embodiments of the present invention, one or more additional electrical components include a valve 104 provided in the gas inlet duct of the gas meter.

[0033] According to embodiments of the present invention, the corresponding additional operation includes activating a valve to selectively enable / disable the inflow of gas through the gas inlet duct of the gas meter.

[0034] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the electronic measuring device is a fuel gauge type measuring device.

[0035] According to embodiments of the present invention, one or more additional electrical components further comprise one or more additional sensor devices configured to measure at least one of temperature, pressure, or acceleration.

[0036] According to embodiments of the present invention, the corresponding additional operation includes activating at least one additional sensor device, which causes the corresponding standby threshold of the additional sensor device to be exceeded.

[0037] These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become even clearer by reading the following detailed description of exemplary and non-limiting embodiments of the invention. For a better understanding, the following description should be read with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0038] [Figure 1] This is a simplified block diagram of the functions of a gas meter according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] The operation performed by the control unit of the gas meter in Figure 1 to calculate the remaining battery capacity of the gas meter according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown with respect to the functional blocks. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0039] Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 relates to a simplified functional block and shows an example of a gas meter 100 for measuring gas supplied by a gas supplier to a site (house, apartment, villa, commercial business, industrial plant, warehouse, etc.) where the gas meter 100 is installed, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the gas meter 100 includes an inlet pipe 102(in) for receiving gas from a gas supply network (not shown).

[0041] According to one embodiment, the gas meter 100 includes a measuring chamber (or pipe) 110 that is in fluid communication with an inlet pipe 102(in) and an outlet pipe 102(out), thereby defining the gas passage from the inlet pipe 102(in) to the outlet pipe 102(out). The outlet pipe 102(out) is connected to a gas distribution network of a site (not shown) where the gas meter 100 is installed to supply gas to be accepted at one or more gas usage points on the site.

[0042] According to embodiments of the present invention, the gas meter 100 includes a control unit 115 comprising one or more electronic processors configured to manage operations performed by the gas meter 100.

[0043] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a sensor 120 for measuring the flow of gas from an inlet pipe 102(in) to an outlet pipe 102(out) is coupled to a measurement chamber 110 (for example, located inside the measurement chamber 110). The sensor 120 is configured to generate detection data R indicating measurements of one or more physical quantities related to / affected by / determined by the gas flow across the measurement chamber 110.

[0044] According to embodiments of the present invention, the sensor 120 is an electrostatic sensor configured to measure Family II gases (natural gas), natural gas / hydrogen mixtures, and / or Family III gases (liquid propane gas). The sensor 120 and the control unit 115 are connected to exchange data and messages, such as commands (from the control unit 115 to the sensor 120) for the control unit 115 to control the sensor 120, and detection data R generated by the sensor 120 (from the sensor 120 to the control unit 115). Without going into details known to those skilled in the art, the control unit 115 is configured to process the detection data R received from the sensor 120 to calculate corresponding measurement data M indicating the actual amount of gas supplied to the site where the gas meter 100 is installed via the gas meter 100.

[0045] However, it should be emphasized that the concept of the present invention is directly applicable to meters equipped with sensors made using different technologies, such as diaphragms, rotary pistons, turbines, and infrared sensors.

[0046] According to embodiments of the present invention, a valve 104, such as a solenoid valve, is advantageously provided in the inlet pipe 102 (inlet) and can be operated by a control unit 115 to selectively enable / disable the entry of gas into the measurement chamber 110, thereby selectively enabling / disabled the gas supply received at gas usage points on the site where the gas meter 100 is installed.

[0047] According to embodiments of the present invention, the gas meter 100 further comprises a user interface 125 controlled by a control unit 115, and also comprises a display for displaying information (such as measurement data M calculated by the control unit 115), buttons, and / or interfaces for wired connections (e.g., RS232, USB, and optical ports) that enable a user or operator to interact with the gas meter 100.

[0048] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the gas meter 100 includes a memory unit 130 configured to store data such as measurement data M. For example, the memory unit 130 can be coupled to a control unit 115, or can be directly part of the latter.

[0049] According to embodiments of the present invention, the gas meter 100 comprises one or more communication units CU(j) (j=1,2,...) controlled by a control unit 115 to transmit measurement data M to a gas supplier using corresponding wireless transmission technology. According to exemplary and non-limiting embodiments, the communication units CU(j) include communication units configured to transmit measurement data M using narrow-bandwidth Internet of Things (NBIoT) technology, communication units configured to transmit measurement data M using Bluetooth® Low Energy (BLE) technology, and communication units configured to transmit measurement data M using Long Range (LoRa) technology. However, the concept of the present invention is applicable to cases having different numbers of communication units CU(j) (e.g., using a single communication unit CU(j)) and different wireless transmission technologies.

[0050] According to embodiments of the present invention, the gas meter 100 includes a power supply unit 135, for example, one or more batteries B(k), to supply electrical energy to the electrical / electronic / electromechanical components of the gas meter 100.

[0051] According to embodiments of the present invention, the power supply unit 135 may include at least one communication battery B(1) for supplying power to the communication unit CU(j), and a metering battery B(2) for supplying power to elements of the gas meter 100 dedicated to generating and managing measurement data M. Nevertheless, the concept of the present invention is applicable when there are different numbers of batteries B(k) (for example, more than two batteries including a battery dedicated to starting the user interface 125 and / or a battery for starting the valve 104, or a single battery that supplies power to all components of the meter).

[0052] According to an embodiment of the present invention, each battery B(k) is coupled to a corresponding electronic measuring device FG(k) that measures the amount of charge supplied from the battery B(k).

[0053] According to a further embodiment, a single electronic measuring device FG(k) can be provided, which is coupled to a plurality of batteries B(k) and measures the amount of charge supplied from such batteries B(k).

[0054] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the measuring device FG(k) is configured to periodically sample the required voltage and current of the corresponding battery B(k) and to calculate the amount of charge Q supplied from the battery B(k) based on the sampled voltage and current values.

[0055] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the measuring device FG(k) is equipped with an internal register, and the measuring device FG(k) stores in the internal register the value of the amount of charge Q supplied from battery B(k) calculated based on sampling, and updates it periodically.

[0056] According to embodiments of the present invention, the measuring device FG(k) can also measure the temperature of the corresponding battery B(k) and periodically sample it.

[0057] According to embodiments of the present invention, the measuring device FG(k) is a fuel gauge type device, such as the MAX17260 fuel gauge developed by Analog Devices, Inc.

[0058] As will be described in detail below, according to embodiments of the present invention, the control unit 115 is configured to periodically read the internal register of the measuring device FG(k) and to calculate the remaining capacity of each battery B(k) using the value of the supplied charge amount Q stored in the internal register. As will be described in detail below, according to embodiments of the present invention, the remaining capacity of battery B(k) is calculated by the control unit 115 by performing a normalization operation that takes into account one or more of the average current required from battery B(k), the temperature of battery B(k), and the current consumed by the FG(k) measuring device itself.

[0059] According to embodiments of the present invention, the sampling frequency used by the measuring device FG(k) to sample voltage and current can be set to a plurality of values ​​depending on the operation performed by the gas meter 100.

[0060] In particular, according to embodiments of the present invention, each measuring device FG(k) measures the voltage and current of the corresponding battery B(k), When the gas meter 100 is in a basic operating state that performs only operations for generating and managing measurement data M, at the first sampling frequency F1, When the gas meter 100 is in an extended operating state that performs one or more of the following additional operations in addition to its normal operation for generating and managing measurement data M, namely transmitting measurement data M via the communication unit CU(j), activating the user interface 125, and activating the valve 104, at the second sampling frequency F2 > F1, It is configured to sample.

[0061] According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the basic operating state, any additional sensor devices of the gas meter 100, such as a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, and an acceleration sensor, operate in a standby state.

[0062] According to embodiments of the present invention, the extended operating state may be further triggered by the exceedance of standby thresholds by any additional sensor device of the gas meter 100, for example, by the exceedance of temperature pre-alarm and alarm thresholds, and / or by the exceedance of acceleration measurement background noise rejection thresholds.

[0063] In the basic operating mode, the power consumption of the gas meter 100 is lower and remains nearly constant. However, in the extended operating mode, the power consumption of the gas meter 100 is subject to an increase compared to the value in the basic operating mode due to the operation of electrical / electronic / electromechanical components of the gas meter 100 (hereinafter simply referred to as "additional electrical components") such as the communication unit CU(j), user interface 125, and / or valve 104, for the execution of corresponding additional operations (additional matters relating to the generation and management of measurement data M).

[0064] According to embodiments of the present invention, the additional electrical components may further include any additional sensor devices such as pressure sensors, temperature sensors, and acceleration sensors.

[0065] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the first sampling frequency F1 corresponds to a sampling period equal to 5000 to 6000 ms, for example, 5500 ms, and the second sampling frequency F2 corresponds to a sampling period equal to 130 to 190 ms, for example, 150 ms.

[0066] Figure 2 shows, with respect to functional blocks, the operations performed by the control unit 115 to calculate the remaining capacity of battery B(k) of meter 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0067] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the operations performed by the control unit 115 shown in Figure 2 are performed in parallel with each of the batteries B(k) of the gas meter 100.

[0068] According to an embodiment of the present invention, following the switching on of the gas meter 100 (block 202), the control unit 115 performs an initialization step (block 204).

[0069] According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the initialization step, the control unit 115 sets the operation of the gas meter 100 to a basic operating state in which the gas meter 100 performs only operations for generating and managing measurement data M based on data collected by the sensor 120 for measuring the gas flow rate.

[0070] According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the initialization step, the control unit 115 also starts the measuring device FG(k) and sets its operation to the first sampling frequency F1.

[0071] According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the initialization step, the control unit 115 writes an initial remaining capacity value CRB(k) of battery B(k), which is equal to the published maximum capacity of battery B(k), to a register (for example, stored in the memory unit 130) if battery B(k) is a new battery.

[0072] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 115 enters an event standby state (block 206) and remains in the standby process until an event EV occurs. During the standby state, the measuring device FG(k) continuously samples the voltage and current required from the battery B(k) periodically (at a set sampling frequency), calculates the amount of charge Q supplied from the battery B(k) based on the sampled voltage and current values, and updates its internal register with the calculated value.

[0073] According to embodiments of the present invention, an event EV that may cause the termination of the event waiting state includes the expiration of the readout period of the measuring device RP (block 210). For example, the readout period RP may be set to a period corresponding to a predetermined time, such as 4 hours.

[0074] As a result, the control unit 115 periodically terminates the event standby state each time the readout period RP expires, provided that no other type of event EV occurs.

[0075] As described in detail below herein, according to embodiments of the present invention, an event EV that can cause the termination of an event waiting state includes the commencement or termination of a particular operation, or other types of events such as the expiration of a period triggered by the termination of such operation.

[0076] According to an embodiment of the present invention, when event EV occurs, the control unit 115 terminates the event standby state and accesses the internal register of the measuring device FG(k) to obtain the updated value of charge quantity Q supplied by battery B(k) calculated by the measuring device FG(k) (block 220).

[0077] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 115 performs a normalization procedure on the acquired value of charge quantity Q (block 222).

[0078] According to embodiments of the present invention, the normalization procedure involves normalizing the value of the acquired charge quantity Q based on the temperature of battery B(k). As described above, the value of the temperature of battery B(k) may be measured by the measuring device FG(k) itself.

[0079] In addition to, or instead of, normalization based on battery temperature, according to embodiments of the present invention, the normalization procedure may normalize the value of the acquired charge Q based on the value of the average current supplied from battery B(k) during the period from the occurrence of the current event EV to the occurrence of the previous event EV.

[0080] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 115 updates the value of the remaining capacity CRB(k) of the battery B(k) stored in the memory unit 130 based on the acquired (and normalized) value of the charge Q (block 230).

[0081] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the value of the remaining capacity CRB(k) is updated by subtracting the acquired (and normalized) value of the charge amount Q from the value of the remaining capacity CRB(k) stored in the memory unit 130.

[0082] According to an embodiment of the present invention, in order to improve the accuracy of measuring the remaining capacity CRB(k) of battery B(k), the control unit 115 also subtracts an estimated power consumption value FGS of the measuring device FG(k) itself from the value of the remaining capacity CRB(k) stored in the memory unit 130 for the period elapsed between the occurrence of the current event EV and the occurrence of the previous event EV. For example, the estimated power consumption value FGS of the measuring device FG(k) is calculated taking into account the elapsed period between the occurrence of the current event EV and the occurrence of the preceding event EV, and the sampling frequency used by the measuring device FG(k) during such a period, and the average value of the current consumed by the measuring device FG(k) as verified in the test process.

[0083] For example, referring to a measuring device FG(k) such as the fuel gauge MAX17260, at a sampling frequency equal to the first sampling frequency F1 (corresponding to a sampling period of 5500 ms), the average current consumed by the measuring device FG(k) is 5uA to 12uA, and at a sampling frequency equal to the second sampling frequency F2 (corresponding to a sampling period of 150 ms), the average current consumed by the measuring device FG(k) is 15uA to 30uA.

[0084] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 115 updates the remaining capacity value CRB(k) of the battery B(k) and then verifies the operating status of the gas meter 100 (block 235).

[0085] If the gas meter 100 is in a basic operating state that only performs operations to generate and manage measurement data M (branch S of block 235), the control unit 115 returns to the event standby state (returns to block 206).

[0086] According to embodiments of the present invention, an event EV that may cause exit from the event standby state further includes the initiation of an additional operation AA performed by the gas meter 100 (block 238). According to embodiments of the present invention, such an additional operation AA is Transmission of measurement data M by communication unit CU(j), The activation of the user interface 125 after interaction between the user or operator and the user interface 125. Activation of valve 104 to allow / prevent gas from entering the measurement chamber 110, Either of these is acceptable.

[0087] According to embodiments of the present invention, such additional operation AA may further include activating any additional sensor device of the gas meter 100 (such as a pressure sensor, temperature sensor, or acceleration sensor) that causes the corresponding standby threshold to be exceeded.

[0088] According to an embodiment of the present invention, following the occurrence of event EV which triggers the initiation of additional operation AA, the gas meter 100 performs additional operation AA in addition to the normal operation for generating and managing measurement data M, enters an extended operation condition indicating that the control unit 115 terminates the event standby state, and performs the operations already described above. The updated value of the amount of charge Q supplied from battery B(k), calculated by the measuring device FG(k), is obtained (block 220). The value of the acquired charge quantity Q is normalized (block 222), Based on the acquired charge amount Q, the value of the remaining capacity CRB(k) of battery B(k) stored in the memory unit 130 is updated (block 230).

[0089] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 115 updates the remaining capacity value CRB(k) of the battery B(k) and then verifies the operating status of the gas meter 100 (block 235).

[0090] After the start of additional operation AA, the gas meter 100 is no longer in the basic operating state, but rather in the extended operating state (branch N of block 235). At this point, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 115 verifies whether the event EV that has just occurred is an event indicating the start of additional operation AA (block 240).

[0091] According to an embodiment of the present invention, if the control unit 115 determines that the event EV that has just occurred is an event that indicates the start of additional operation AA (branch S in block 240), the control unit 115 sets the sampling frequency of the measuring device FG(k) to a second sampling frequency F2 which is greater than the first sampling frequency F1 (block 245), and then returns to the event waiting state (return to block 206).

[0092] According to embodiments of the present invention, an event EV that may cause exit from the event waiting state further includes the completion of one of the additional operations AA described above (block 248).

[0093] According to an embodiment of the present invention, following the occurrence of event EV which results in the termination of additional operation AA, the control unit 115 terminates the event standby state. Obtain the updated value of the amount of charge Q supplied from battery B(k) calculated by the measuring device FG(k) (block 220), Normalizing the value of the acquired charge quantity Q (block 222), and Based on the acquired (and normalized) charge amount Q, the previously described operation is performed to update the value of the remaining capacity CRB(k) of battery B(k) stored in the memory unit 130 (block 230).

[0094] As described below, according to embodiments of the present invention, in order to allow the time necessary for the current involved to stabilize after the completion of additional operation AA, the gas meter 100 is temporarily maintained in an extended operating state for a corresponding guard time interval RT that begins from the occurrence of the completion of additional operation AA.

[0095] In this case as well, according to the embodiment of the present invention, after updating the value of the remaining capacity CRB(k) of battery B(k), the control unit 115 verifies the operating status of the gas meter 100 (block 235).

[0096] Following the start of the additional operation AA that just finished, the gas meter 100 remains in the extended operation state (branch N of block 235). At this point, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 115 verifies whether the event EV that just occurred is an event indicating the start of additional operation AA (block 240).

[0097] According to an embodiment of the present invention, if the control unit 115 determines that the event EV that has just occurred is not an event that indicates the start of additional operation AA (branch N of block 240), the control unit 115 verifies whether the event EV that has occurred is an event that indicates the end of additional operation AA (block 250).

[0098] According to an embodiment of the present invention, if the control unit 115 determines that the event EV that has just occurred is an event indicating the end of an additional operation AA (branch S of block 250), the control unit 115 activates a timer corresponding to a guard time interval RT that is sufficient to stabilize the measured current (block 255). According to an embodiment of the present invention, assuming that the current value required from battery B(k) by the execution of additional operation AA depends on a particular type of additional operation AA, the duration of the guard time interval RT depends on the type of additional operation AA that has been completed.

[0099] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 115 then returns to the event standby state and maintains the sampling frequency of the measuring device FG(k) at the second sampling frequency F2 (returning to block 206).

[0100] According to embodiments of the present invention, an event EV that may cause exit from the event waiting state further includes the expiration of the guard time interval RT (block 258).

[0101] According to an embodiment of the present invention, following the occurrence of event EV accompanied by the expiration of the guard time interval RT, the control unit 115 terminates the event waiting state and performs the operation already described above. The updated value of the amount of charge Q supplied from battery B(k), calculated by the measuring device FG(k), is obtained (block 220). The value of the acquired charge quantity Q is normalized (block 222), and Based on the acquired (and normalized) value of charge amount Q, the value of the remaining capacity CRB(k) of battery B(k) stored in memory unit 130 is updated (block 230). We will carry out the following.

[0102] In this case as well, according to the embodiment of the present invention, after updating the value of the remaining capacity CRB(k) of battery B(k), the control unit 115 verifies the operating status of the gas meter 100 (block 235).

[0103] Following the start of the completed additional operation AA, the gas meter 100 remains in the extended operation state (branch N of block 235). At this point, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 115 verifies whether the event EV that has just occurred is an event indicating the start of additional operation AA (block 240).

[0104] According to an embodiment of the present invention, if the control unit 115 determines that the event EV that occurred is not an event indicating the start of additional operation AA (exit branch N of block 240), the control unit 115 verifies whether the event EV that just occurred is an event indicating the end of additional operation AA (block 250).

[0105] According to an embodiment of the present invention, if the control unit 115 determines that the event EV that occurred is not an event indicating the end of additional operation AA (exit branch N of block 250), the control unit 115 checks whether the event EV that just occurred is an event indicating the end of the guard time interval RT (block 260).

[0106] According to an embodiment of the present invention, when the control unit 115 determines that the event EV that has occurred is an event indicating the expiration of the guard time interval RT (branch S in block 260), the gas meter 100 enters a basic operating state, and the control unit 115 sets the sampling frequency of the measuring device FG(k) to a first sampling frequency F1 which is smaller than the second sampling frequency F2 (block 265), and then returns to the event standby state (returns to block 206).

[0107] According to an embodiment of the present invention, if the control unit 115 determines that the event EV that occurred is not an event indicating the expiration of the guard time interval RT (exit branch N of block 260), the control unit 115 returns to the event waiting state (returns to block 206).

[0108] According to an embodiment of the present invention, if the gas meter 100 must perform two or more superimposed additional operations AA before the gas meter 100 enters a basic operating state and the sampling frequency of the measuring device FG(k) is set to a first sampling frequency F1 (for example, the occurrence of an additional operation start event AA for a new operation that occurred before the occurrence of an additional operation end event AA for another operation already in progress), the control unit 115 waits until all guard time intervals RT related to all ongoing additional operations AA have expired.

[0109] According to an embodiment of the present invention, if the readout period RP expires while the additional operation AA is still in progress, the control unit 115 is kept in an event standby state (block 206), and the value of the charge quantity Q calculated by the measuring device FG(k) is not read out because the value has already been read out at the start of the additional operation AA.

[0110] The calculation of the remaining capacity of battery B(k) according to the embodiment of the present invention described with reference to Figure 2 can be summarized as follows.

[0111] If no additional operations AA occur, such as the transmission of measurement data M by the communication unit CU(j), activation of the user interface 125, or activation of the valve 104 (or, in some cases, activation of possible additional sensor devices such as pressure sensors, temperature sensors, and acceleration sensors, which may cause the corresponding standby threshold to be exceeded), the control unit 115 periodically updates the value of the remaining capacity CRB(k) of battery B(k) by reading the value of the amount of charge Q supplied by battery B(k), calculated by the measuring device FG(k), during each reading period RP (e.g., every 4 hours). In this state, the value of the amount of charge Q supplied by battery B(k), calculated by the measuring device FG(k), is updated at a frequency corresponding to the first frequency F1.

[0112] When the gas meter 100 performs additional operations AA, such as transmitting measurement data M via the communication unit CU(j), activating the user interface 125, or activating the valve 104 (and potentially activating additional sensor devices such as pressure sensors, temperature sensors, and acceleration sensors that may cause the corresponding standby threshold to be exceeded), the control unit 115 updates the value of the remaining capacity CRB(k) of the battery B(k) three times. Specifically, it updates the value by reading the value of the amount of charge Q supplied from the battery B(k) calculated by the measuring device FG(k), at the following timings. 1) At the start of additional action AA, 2) At the end of additional operation AA, and 3) When the guard time interval RT has elapsed

[0113] In this state, the value of the charge amount Q supplied from battery B(k), calculated by the measuring device FG(k), is updated at the frequency corresponding to the second frequency F2.

[0114] With respect to known solutions that only allow obtaining an estimate of the battery's lifespan, the solutions according to embodiments of the present invention described herein allow obtaining the calculation of the battery's actual remaining capacity.

[0115] Knowing the actual remaining capacity of a battery offers several advantages over known solutions that only provide estimates.

[0116] Firstly, while estimates cannot account for the occurrence of certain events that may alter battery consumption, such as the occurrence of unforeseen additional operation, knowing the actual remaining capacity of the battery prevents the gas meter 100's battery from discharging in unforeseen ways and maintains the correct operation of the gas meter.

[0117] Furthermore, by recognizing the actual remaining capacity of the battery, it is possible to intervene as needed, for example, by replacing the battery.

[0118] According to the proposed solution, the sampling frequency of the measuring device FG(k) is variable, and therefore, it is advantageous to use a lower sampling frequency (first sampling frequency F1) during basic operation when the consumption of meter components is constant, and a higher sampling frequency (second sampling frequency F2) only in conjunction with additional operation involving larger consumption. This allows for sufficiently accurate evaluation of the amount of charge Q supplied by battery B(k) without the need to perform an excessive number of samples, and thus reduces the power consumption caused by the operation of the measuring device FG(k) itself.

[0119] In particular, assuming that the gas meter 100 operates primarily in its basic operating state (the execution of additional operation AA, which operates the gas meter 100 in an extended operating state, covers only a small percentage of the meter's overall operating life, e.g., less than 1%), the sampling frequency of the measuring device FG(k) used will primarily be the first sampling frequency F1, and therefore the contribution of the measuring device FG(k) itself to battery consumption will be reduced. As a result, any error in the estimated power consumption FGS of the measuring device FG(k) will contribute to the calculation of the remaining capacity CRB(k) of battery B(k) in a negligible manner (e.g., less than 2.5% of the total battery life).

[0120] The solutions according to embodiments of the present invention described herein result in continuous and detailed measurement of the current consumed by the components of the gas meter 100. This knowledge is advantageous in that it is possible to identify, for example, any malfunction or unexpected abnormal behavior of some identifiable component of the gas meter 100 due to the presence of excessive consumption caused by the components of the gas meter 100 under certain operating conditions.

[0121] An exemplary and non-exclusive list of faults or abnormal behaviors that can be detected from the analysis of the detected current includes: Abnormalities in the operation of the control unit 115, Failure of gas flow measurement sensor 120, Excessive leakage in the electrical circuit responsible for generating the measurement data M, Abnormal behavior during operation of valve 104. User interface 125 failure, Abnormal operation of communication unit CU(j), Failure of any additional sensor devices, such as pressure sensors, temperature sensors, and acceleration sensors.

[0122] Naturally, to satisfy local and specific requirements, those skilled in the art can apply various logical and / or physical modifications and changes to the above invention. More specifically, while the invention has been described to some extent in relation to its preferred embodiments, it should be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes are possible in its form and details, and other embodiments are also possible. In particular, various embodiments of the invention can also be carried out without the specific details given in the foregoing description in order to provide a deeper understanding thereof. Conversely, well-known features may be omitted or simplified to avoid the burden of unnecessary detailed explanations.

Claims

1. A gas measurement system (115, 120, 130) configured to generate measurements indicating gas supply, One or more additional electrical components (CU(j), 125, 104), each configured to perform a corresponding additional operation, wherein the additional operation is different from generating a measurement value indicating the gas supply, A supply unit (135) comprising the gas measurement system (115, 120, 130) and one or more batteries (B(k)) for supplying power to one or more additional electrical components (CU(j), 125, 104), A battery capacity calculation system (115, FG(k)) configured to calculate the remaining capacity of one or more batteries (B(k)), wherein the battery capacity calculation system (115, FG(k)) comprises at least one electronic measuring device (FG(k)) for measuring the amount of charge supplied from one of the one or more batteries (B(k)), and the electronic measuring device (FG(k)) is configured to periodically sample at least one of the voltage and current required from the corresponding battery (B(k)), and to calculate the amount of charge supplied by the corresponding battery (B(k)) based on the sampled value obtained from the periodic sampling of at least one of the voltage and current, A gas meter (100) comprising, The battery capacity calculation system (115, FG(k)) sets the sampling frequency of the at least one electronic measuring device (FG(k)) to If the gas meter (100) is in a basic operating state in which none of the one or more additional electrical components (CU(j), 125, 104) are performing their corresponding additional operations, the sampling frequency is set to a first sampling frequency value. If the gas meter (100) is in an extended operating state in which at least one of the one or more additional electrical components (CU(j), 125, 104) is performing a corresponding additional operation, the sampling frequency is set to a second sampling frequency value that is greater than the first sampling frequency value. It is configured in such a way. A gas meter (100) characterized by the following features.

2. The electronic measuring device (FG(k)) is configured to store the value of the amount of charge supplied from the battery, calculated based on the performed sampling, in a register and to periodically update it. The aforementioned gas measurement system (115, 120, 130) Access the register and obtain the updated value of the charge amount supplied from the battery in response to the occurrence of the event. The remaining capacity of one or more batteries (B(k)) is calculated using the acquired updated values. The control unit (115) is configured as follows: The aforementioned event is, Expiration of the prescribed reading period, Initiation of additional operation by one or more additional electrical components, Termination of additional operation by the one or more additional electrical components mentioned above. Includes at least one selected from, The aforementioned event includes the expiration of the guard time interval that begins from the end of the aforementioned additional operation. The gas meter (100) according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned electronic measuring device (FG(k)) is configured to measure the temperature of each battery (B(k)), The control unit (115) is configured to normalize the updated value obtained based on the measured temperature. The gas meter (100) according to claim 2.

4. The control unit (115) is configured to normalize the acquired update value based on the average current value supplied from each battery (B(k)) during the period between the occurrence of the event that triggered access to the register and the occurrence of the preceding event. A gas meter (100) according to claim 2 or claim 3.

5. The control unit (115) is The power consumption of the aforementioned electronic measuring device (FG(k)) is estimated, In addition to the updated values ​​obtained, the estimated power consumption of the electronic measuring device (FG(k)) is also used to calculate the remaining capacity of one or more batteries (B(k)). It is structured in such a way. The gas meter (100) according to claim 2.

6. The one or more additional electrical components (CU(j), 125, 104) each include at least one communication unit (CU(j)), The corresponding additional operation includes transmitting the measured values ​​indicating the gas supply via the corresponding wireless transmission technology by the at least one communication unit (CU(j)), The gas meter (100) according to claim 1.

7. The one or more additional electrical components (CU(j), 125, 104) are equipped with a user interface (125), The corresponding additional operation includes activating the user interface (125), The gas meter (100) according to claim 1.

8. The one or more additional electrical components (CU(j), 125, 104) include a valve (104) provided in the gas inlet duct of the gas meter (100), The corresponding additional operation includes the operation of the valve (104) to selectively enable / disable the inflow of gas through the gas inflow duct of the gas meter (100), The gas meter (100) according to claim 1.

9. The gas meter (100) according to claim 1, wherein the electronic measuring device (FG(k)) is a fuel gauge type measuring device.

10. The one or more additional electrical components (CU(j), 125, 104) further comprises one or more additional sensor devices configured to measure at least one of temperature, pressure, and acceleration. The corresponding additional operation includes activating at least one of the additional sensor devices, which causes the corresponding standby threshold of the additional sensor device to be exceeded. The gas meter (100) according to claim 1.

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