Gas meter

Abstract

To provide a gas meter capable of streamlining recovery work while ensuring the safety of the entire gas infrastructure including gas meters, and a gas shutoff reset determination system.SOLUTION: The gas meter includes: a flow rate measurement unit that is provided in a flow channel through which gas supplied to a gas appliance installed in a consumer's house flows, and measures a flow rate of the gas flowing through the flow channel; a self-diagnosis unit that performs self-diagnosis; a vibration detection unit that detects vibrations; a calculation unit that calculates earthquake index values that indicate the magnitude of earthquakes based on the vibration detected by the vibration detection unit; a shutoff unit that is switched from an open state in which gas can flow through the flow channel to a closed state in which the flow of the gas in the flow channel is shut off when the earthquake index value is equal to or higher than a predetermined value; and a reset method determination unit that determines a resetting method from the closed state to the open state of the shutoff unit based on a diagnosis result by the self-diagnosis unit and the earthquake index value when the shutoff unit becomes the closed state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1A

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a gas meter and a gas shutoff / restoration determination system that determines a method for restoring gas supply from a gas container after the supply has been shut off. [Background technology]

[0002] In an emergency such as an earthquake, the gas supply is cut off by closing the shutoff valve of the gas meter installed in the consumer's home. Patent Document 1 discloses a method for resetting the gas meter after shutoff according to the seismic intensity equivalent, i.e., a method for releasing the outflow of gas from the gas container. In the invention described in Patent Document 1, for example, if the seismic intensity equivalent is estimated to be upper 5, the gas meter is automatically reset on the condition that there is no gas leakage in the piping. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-055774 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the conventional system described above, which uniformly determines the method for restoring gas meters based on the seismic intensity, has the problem of not being able to further improve the safety of the entire gas infrastructure, including gas meters. Furthermore, it is difficult for the business operator performing the restoration work to grasp the priority of the gas meter restoration work and the time required for the work. This makes it difficult to perform the restoration work efficiently and quickly.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a gas meter and a gas shutoff / restoration determination system that can ensure the safety of the entire gas infrastructure, including the gas meter, and can make restoration work more efficient. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The gas meter of the present invention comprises a flow rate measuring unit that is provided in a flow path through which gas supplied to gas equipment installed in a consumer's home flows and that measures the flow rate of gas flowing through the flow path; a self-diagnosis unit that performs self-diagnosis; a vibration detection unit that detects vibrations; a calculation unit that calculates an earthquake index value that indicates the magnitude of an earthquake based on the vibrations detected by the vibration detection unit; a shutoff unit that switches from an open state that allows gas to flow through the flow path to a closed state that shuts off the flow of gas in the flow path when the earthquake index value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value; and a return method determination unit that determines a method for returning the shutoff unit from the closed state to the open state based on the diagnosis result by the self-diagnosis unit and the earthquake index value when the shutoff unit switches to the closed state.

[0007] According to the present invention, a restoration method for releasing the gas supply from the gas container is determined based on the diagnosis result by the self-diagnosis unit and the earthquake index value. As a result, the restoration method can be determined while taking into account the degree of impact on surrounding buildings, etc., based on the earthquake index value, rather than being determined uniformly using the self-diagnosis result. In this case, even if the restoration method for a consumer's home is provisionally determined to be manual restoration based on the diagnosis result by the self-diagnosis unit, the restoration method determination unit can determine the restoration method to be automatic restoration if the calculated earthquake index value is low. This can improve the efficiency of recovery work.

[0008] On the other hand, if a high earthquake index value is calculated, it is necessary to confirm the safety of the entire gas infrastructure (gas meter, pipelines to gas appliance supply, pipelines from outside to the gas meter, etc.). Therefore, it is necessary to encourage confirmation of safety outside the scope of the gas meter's direct involvement. Therefore, even if the self-diagnosis unit provisionally determines that the restoration method for a consumer's home is automatic restoration based on the diagnosis results, if the calculated earthquake index value is high, the restoration method determination unit can determine that the restoration method is manual restoration (i.e., visiting the site to perform the restoration work). This makes it possible to ensure the safety of the entire gas infrastructure.

[0009] In the above invention, the gas meter may further include a memory unit that stores customer home information regarding the customer home, and the recovery method determination unit may determine the recovery method based on the customer home information in addition to the diagnosis results by the self-diagnosis unit and the earthquake index value.

[0010] According to the above configuration, by adding customer home information (for example, information indicating the publicity level associated with each customer home, such as a general household or a hospital) to the information used when determining the restoration method, the restoration method can be determined according to the publicity level. This makes it possible to improve the flexibility of restoration work, on the premise that the safety of the entire gas infrastructure, including gas meters, can be ensured and restoration work can be made more efficient.

[0011] The gas shutoff restoration determination system of the present invention is a gas shutoff restoration determination system comprising a gas meter corresponding to a customer's home and a center server capable of communicating with the gas meter, wherein the gas meter comprises: a flow measurement unit provided in a flow path through which gas supplied to gas equipment installed in the customer's home flows and measuring the flow rate of gas flowing through the flow path; a self-diagnosis unit performing self-diagnosis; a vibration detection unit detecting vibrations; a calculation unit calculating an earthquake index value indicating the magnitude of an earthquake based on the vibrations detected by the vibration detection unit; a shutoff unit switching from an open state allowing gas to flow through the flow path to a closed state that shuts off the flow of gas in the flow path when the earthquake index value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value; and a communication unit communicating with the center server, wherein the center server comprises an inspection method determination unit that determines an inspection method for the gas meter corresponding to each customer's home based on the diagnosis results by the self-diagnosis unit and the earthquake index value obtained from the gas meter.

[0012] According to the present invention, an inspection method, such as an inspection order for gas meters corresponding to each consumer's home, is determined based on the diagnosis results and the earthquake index value by the self-diagnosis unit. This allows the inspection order to be determined not just based on the self-diagnosis results but also taking into account the degree of impact on surrounding buildings, etc., based on the earthquake index value. For example, if the earthquake index value is high, it is necessary to confirm the safety of the entire gas infrastructure (gas meters, pipelines to gas appliance supply, pipelines from outside to gas meters, etc.). Therefore, it is necessary to encourage confirmation of safety beyond the scope directly affected by the gas meter. In this regard, even if the diagnosis result of the self-diagnosis unit is normal, if the earthquake index value is high, it is determined that on-site inspection is necessary, and the inspection method determination unit can determine to increase the priority of restoration work. This allows for the separation and speed of on-site restoration work (confirmation work) from other restoration work, thereby ensuring high safety of the gas infrastructure. Furthermore, because restoration work takes time when the diagnosis result of the self-diagnosis unit is abnormal, the priority of restoration work can be lowered regardless of the earthquake index value. This makes it possible to improve the efficiency of restoration work.

[0013] In the above invention, the inspection method determination unit may determine the inspection method for the gas meter based on an SI value as the earthquake index value.

[0014] According to the above configuration, the inspection method determination unit can determine the inspection method more precisely by using the SI value, which quantifies the degree of damage to the building, as the earthquake index value. Note that various values ​​that can be used to compare the scale of an earthquake, such as seismic intensity, magnitude, acceleration, amplitude, and displacement, can be used as the earthquake index value.

[0015] In the above invention, the center server may further include a memory unit that stores customer home information regarding the customer home, and the inspection method determination unit may determine the inspection method based on the customer home information in addition to the diagnosis results by the self-diagnosis unit and the earthquake index value.

[0016] According to the above configuration, by adding customer home information (for example, information indicating the publicness level associated with each customer home, such as an ordinary home or a hospital) to the information used when determining the inspection method, the inspection method can be determined according to the publicness level. This allows hospitals and the like, which have a higher publicness level than ordinary homes, to be given priority for inspection. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present invention, it is possible to ensure the safety of the entire gas infrastructure, including gas meters, improve the efficiency of recovery work, and prioritize recovery work for customers' homes that prioritize business and operations, thereby providing a gas meter and gas shut-off / restoration determination system that can be used to accelerate recovery work after a disaster occurs. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1A] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration including a gas meter in a customer's home according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 1B] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a flow path through which gas flows. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a recovery method table used when determining a recovery method. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of the recovery method table. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of the recovery method table. [Figure 5] 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a gas cutoff restoration determination system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 6] 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a customer's home in a gas shutoff restoration determination system. FIG. [Figure 7] 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a center server in a gas shutoff restoration determination system. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an inspection ranking table created when determining the inspection ranking for each customer's home. [Figure 9]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of an inspection order table created when determining the inspection order for each customer's home. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] A gas meter and a gas shutoff / restoration determination system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The gas meter and gas shutoff / restoration determination system described below is merely one embodiment. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment, and additions, deletions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0020] (Gas meter) FIG. 1A is a block diagram showing a configuration including a gas meter 13 in a customer's home 20 according to this embodiment. FIG. 1B is a block diagram showing a flow path 13r through which gas flows. As shown in FIG. 1A, the customer's home 20 is provided with two gas containers 11, a switch 12, a gas meter 13, and two gas appliances 14. Examples of the customer's home 20 include, but are not limited to, hospitals, schools, municipal facilities, nursing homes, ordinary homes, and commercial facilities, and may be any building in which gas can be used.

[0021] The gas container 11 is also called a gas cylinder, and is filled with a gas such as LP gas (liquefied petroleum gas). The switch 12 switches the flow path 13r so that the gas in one of the two gas containers 11 is supplied to the gas appliance 14. As a result, even if one of the two gas containers 11 runs out of gas, the gas in the other gas container 11 can be supplied to the gas appliance 14.

[0022] The gas appliance 14 is, for example, a gas stove, a gas water heater, a gas fan heater, etc. However, the gas appliance 14 is not limited to the above and may be any appliance that consumes gas.

[0023] The gas meter 13 measures the flow rate (i.e., the amount of gas used) of gas supplied to each gas appliance 14. The detailed configuration of the gas meter 13 will be described below.

[0024] The gas meter 13 includes a flowmeter unit 13a, a self-diagnosis unit 13b, a vibration detection unit 13c, a calculation unit 13d, a shutoff unit 13e, an on-off control unit 13f, a recovery method determination unit 13g, a memory unit 13h, and a communication unit 13i. Of the components of the gas meter 13, the self-diagnosis unit 13b, the calculation unit 13d, the on-off control unit 13f, and the recovery method determination unit 13g are functionally realized by a microcontroller including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and memory (ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory)) that stores a program, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or the like. The memory unit 13h can be various types of memory, a hard disk, or the like.

[0025] The flow rate measuring unit 13a is provided in a flow path 13r through which gas supplied to the gas appliance 14 flows, and measures the flow rate of the gas flowing through the flow path 13r. In other words, the flow rate measuring unit 13a measures the amount of gas used in the gas appliance 14.

[0026] The self-diagnosis unit 13b performs a self-diagnosis of the gas meter 13. Specifically, the self-diagnosis unit 13b diagnoses whether the gas meter 13 itself can operate normally and whether gas can be supplied to the gas appliances 14. For example, the self-diagnosis unit 13b detects gas leaks from components of the gas meter 13, drops in gas pressure in the components, whether the components can operate normally, and whether the components can communicate normally between each other and whether there are any abnormalities such as broken wires. However, these abnormalities are merely examples of abnormalities that can be detected by the self-diagnosis unit 13b, and are not limited to the above. In other words, abnormalities detected by the self-diagnosis unit 13b include all of the various abnormalities that occur when the gas meter 13 itself cannot operate normally and when gas cannot be supplied to the gas appliances 14.

[0027] The vibration detection unit 13c detects vibrations. Specifically, the vibration detection unit 13c is a seismic sensor that detects the acceleration value of vibrations. Based on the detection results obtained by the vibration detection unit 13c, the SI value, which will be described later, is calculated. The SI (Spectral Intensity) value is a value that is generally used as a numerical representation of the degree of damage that will occur to a building.

[0028] The calculation unit 13d calculates an earthquake index value that indicates the magnitude of the earthquake based on the vibration detected by the vibration detection unit 13c. In this embodiment, the calculation unit 13d calculates, for example, an SI value as the earthquake index value.

[0029] When the earthquake index value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the shutoff unit 13e switches from an open state, allowing gas to flow through the flow path 13r, to a closed state, blocking the flow of gas through the flow path 13r. The on-off control unit 13f controls the on-off operation of the shutoff unit 13e. When the SI value due to an earthquake or other cause exceeds a predetermined value or when some abnormality occurs, the on-off control unit 13f causes the shutoff unit 13e to shut off the flow path 13r. This blocks the supply of gas from the gas container 11 to the gas appliance 14.

[0030] When the shutoff unit 13e is shut off under the control of the on-off control unit 13f, the reset method determination unit 13g determines a reset method for releasing the outflow of gas from the gas container 11. In this case, the reset method determination unit 13g determines the reset method based on the type of self-diagnosis and the SI value. The reset methods include automatic reset, remote reset, and manual reset.

[0031] Automatic restoration is a process in which the gas meter 13 itself automatically performs a gas leak test, and if no gas leak is detected, the switching control unit 13f automatically transitions the shutoff unit 13e from a closed state to an open state. Because the gas meter 13 itself makes this determination, automatic restoration requires that a high level of safety be confirmed. Remote restoration is a process in which the shutoff unit 13e transitions from a closed state to an open state in response to a command from the center server 10 (described below). Because remote restoration is performed remotely based on human judgment, remote restoration can be performed after collecting surrounding information, etc. Manual restoration is a process in which the operator transitions the shutoff unit 13e from a closed state to an open state through on-site restoration work. Manual restoration is performed after an on-site inspection when it is unclear whether restoration is appropriate. The determination of the restoration method by the restoration method determination unit 13g will be described in detail later.

[0032] The memory unit 13h of each gas meter 13 pre-stores consumer home information indicating the publicity level of the consumer home corresponding to that gas meter 13. The memory unit 13h also stores a recovery method table T1 (described below) that is referenced when determining a recovery method (automatic recovery, remote recovery, or manual recovery). The recovery method table T1 includes information indicating predetermined parameters. Examples of the parameters include various self-diagnoses (such as abnormality (a) and abnormality (b) described below) and an SI value serving as an earthquake index. Consumer home information regarding the consumer home 20 in which the gas meter 13 is installed may also be included in the recovery method table. This will be described later. The consumer home information is information indicating the publicity level corresponding to the consumer home 20, with a higher value indicating a higher publicity. For example, the consumer home information for a consumer home 20 that is a hospital is set to 5, and the consumer home information for a consumer home 20 that is an ordinary household is set to 1.

[0033] The communication unit 13i has a function of wirelessly communicating with the center server 10, which will be described later. As a wireless communication method between the communication unit 13i and the center server 10, for example, a communication network such as the Internet, a LAN, or LPWA (Low Power Wide Area) can be used. The communication unit 13i periodically transmits to the center server 10 information such as information on the amount of gas used by the gas appliances 14 in the consumer's home 20 and consumer's home information for identifying the consumer's home. In addition to periodic transmissions, the communication unit 13i may also transmit information to notify of the detection of an abnormality at the time of detection, such as an alarm when an abnormality is detected.

[0034] The following describes the process for determining the restoration method for a gas meter 13 whose shutoff unit 13e has been closed due to an earthquake. The gas meter 13 that has been closed has its restoration method determined by the restoration method determination unit 13g based on the diagnosis result by the self-diagnosis unit 13b and the earthquake index value. Figure 2 shows a restoration method table T1 used when determining the restoration method.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 2, the recovery method table T1 includes earthquake index values ​​(SI values), self-diagnoses, and recovery methods.

[0036] The recovery method determination unit 13g determines a recovery method based on the information stored in the recovery method table T1. In other words, the recovery method table T1 is a judgment table used by the recovery method determination unit 13g to determine a recovery method. The recovery method determination unit 13g determines a recovery method by referring to the recovery method table T1 based on the SI value calculated by the calculation unit 13d and the diagnosis result by the self-diagnosis unit 13b.

[0037] When determining the restoration method using the restoration method table T1, if the diagnosis result by the self-diagnosis unit 13b is abnormal (a), manual restoration is selected as a general rule. However, even if the diagnosis result is abnormal (a), if the SI value is less than a threshold value (for example, 12), the restoration method is determined to be remote restoration. On the other hand, if the diagnosis result by the self-diagnosis unit 13b is abnormal (b), automatic restoration is selected as a general rule. However, even if the diagnosis result is abnormal (b), if the SI value is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the restoration method is determined to be remote restoration. Abnormality (a) and abnormality (b) are both abnormalities occurring within the gas meter 13, but are different types of abnormalities. Furthermore, if the diagnosis result by the self-diagnosis unit 13b is normal, automatic restoration is selected.

[0038] Here, the restoration method table may further include customer home information indicating the publicness level. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing another example of a restoration method table T1a, and Fig. 4 is a diagram showing yet another example of a restoration method table T1b.

[0039] 3, the restoration method table T1a includes not only the SI value and the type of self-diagnosis but also customer home information indicating the publicness level. The restoration method determination unit 13g determines the restoration method by referring to the restoration method table T1a based on the SI value calculated by the calculation unit 13d, the diagnosis result by the self-diagnosis unit 13b, and the customer home information pre-stored in the memory unit 13h.

[0040] Below, several examples of the process of determining the restoration method based on the restoration method table T1a will be described. When determining the restoration method using the restoration method table T1a, if the diagnosis result by the self-diagnosis unit 13b is abnormal (a), manual restoration is selected as the restoration method in principle. However, even if the diagnosis result is abnormal (a), if the publicity is 1 (i.e., if the publicity is low), the restoration method is determined to be remote restoration. A consumer home with a publicity of 1 is, for example, an ordinary residence. On the other hand, if the diagnosis result by the self-diagnosis unit 13b is abnormal (b), remote restoration is selected as the restoration method in principle. However, even if the diagnosis result is abnormal (b), if the publicity exceeds 1 (i.e., if the publicity is high), the restoration method is determined to be manual restoration. Note that in cases where the "restore method to be determined" in the restoration method table T1a is left blank, a basic restoration method is selected as the restoration method. This also applies to the restoration method table T1b in FIG. 4.

[0041] As shown in Fig. 4, the restoration method table T1b also includes not only the SI value and the type of self-diagnosis, but also customer home information indicating the publicity level. The restoration method determination unit 13g may determine the restoration method by referring to the restoration method table T1b based on the calculated SI value, the diagnosis result by the self-diagnosis unit 13b, and the customer home information. Note that the basic restoration methods corresponding to the SI value and the type of self-diagnosis in the restoration method table T1b are the same as those in the restoration method table T1a.

[0042] When determining the restoration method using the restoration method table T1b, if the publicity of the consumer's home is high (for example, if the publicity is 5 or more), automatic restoration is determined if the basic restoration method is remote restoration, and remote restoration is determined if the basic restoration method is manual restoration. This is based on the viewpoint of prioritizing the convenience and efficiency of restoration work when the consumer's home is, for example, an unmanned commercial facility. On the other hand, if the publicity of the consumer's home is low (for example, if the publicity is less than 5), manual restoration is determined as the restoration method in all cases. As described above, the restoration method can be determined in accordance with the publicity.

[0043] (Gas shutoff and restoration determination system including gas meter) Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the gas shutoff restoration determination system 100 according to this embodiment. Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration inside a customer's home 20 in the gas shutoff restoration determination system 100. Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the center server 10 in the gas shutoff restoration determination system 100. In Fig. 6, the same components as those in Fig. 1 are given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted unless otherwise noted.

[0044] As shown in Fig. 5, the gas shutoff and restoration determination system 100 includes a center server 10 and a plurality of customer homes 20. Although Fig. 5 illustrates four customer homes 20, the gas shutoff and restoration determination system 100 may have three or fewer customer homes 20, or may have five or more customer homes 20.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 6, the gas meter 13A in the gas shutoff restoration determination system 100 includes a flow meter side unit 13a, a self-diagnosis unit 13b, a vibration detection unit 13c, a calculation unit 13d, a shutoff unit 13e, an opening / closing control unit 13f, a memory unit 13h, and a communication unit 13i.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 7, the center server 10 includes an inspection order determination unit 10a, a memory unit 10b, and a communication unit 10c. The inspection order determination unit 10a corresponds to the inspection method determination unit. The inspection order determination unit 10a is functionally realized by a microcontroller including a CPU, a memory storing a program, and a RAM, or an ASIC. The memory unit 10b can be various types of memory or a hard disk. The communication unit 10c communicates wirelessly with the communication unit 13i in each consumer's home 20. The processing of the inspection order determination unit 10a will be described in detail later.

[0047] The memory unit 10b of the center server 10 stores logic (arithmetic formula) for determining the inspection order, which will be described later, from the SI value calculated by the calculation unit 13d of the gas meter 13A, the diagnosis result by the self-diagnosis unit 13b, and customer home information about the customer home 20. The memory unit 10b also stores in advance customer home information indicating the publicness level of the customer home corresponding to each gas meter 13A.

[0048] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an inspection order table T2 that is created when determining the inspection order for each customer home 20. As shown in FIG.

[0049] 8, the inspection order table T2 includes the earthquake index value (SI value), the self-diagnosis result, and the determined inspection order for each customer home 20. The inspection order table T2 and an inspection order table T3 described below are stored in the memory unit 10b.

[0050] When the inspection order determination unit 10a receives the SI value and the self-diagnosis result from each gas meter 13A, it stores the SI value and the self-diagnosis result for each consumer home 20 in the inspection order table T2. The same applies to FIG. 9 described later. Furthermore, the inspection order determination unit 10a determines the inspection order of the gas meters 13A corresponding to each consumer home 20 based on the SI value and the self-diagnosis result stored in the inspection order table T2. A specific explanation will be given below. In the inspection order table T2, the four consumer homes 20 are described as consumer homes E to H in order to identify each of them.

[0051] In inspection order table T2, for consumer home E, the SI value is set to 16 and the self-diagnosis result is determined to be abnormal. Similarly, for consumer home F, the SI value is set to 17 and the self-diagnosis result is determined to be normal, and for consumer home G, the SI value is set to 15 and the self-diagnosis result is determined to be normal. Furthermore, for consumer home H, the SI value is set to 16 and the self-diagnosis result is determined to be normal.

[0052] From the viewpoint that recovery work takes time when the self-diagnosis result is abnormal, the inspection order determination unit 10a first sets the inspection order of a gas meter 13A that is normal among the self-diagnosis results higher than the inspection order of an abnormal gas meter 13A. In other words, the inspection order of an abnormal gas meter 13A is lower than the inspection order of a normal gas meter 13A. In this case, the inspection orders of consumer homes F, G, and H in FIG. 8 take precedence over the inspection order of consumer home E. At this point, the inspection order determination unit 10a determines the inspection order of the gas meter 13A corresponding to consumer home E to be fourth. The inspection order determination unit 10a stores the determined inspection order in an inspection order table T2 (the same applies hereinafter).

[0053] Next, the inspection order determination unit 10a determines the inspection order for each of the consumer homes F, G, and H. At this time, the inspection order determination unit 10a prioritizes the inspection order as the SI value increases. In FIG. 8, the SI values ​​are largest for consumer home F, consumer home H, and consumer home G, so the inspection order determination unit 10a determines the inspection order for consumer home F to be first, the inspection order for consumer home H to be second, and the inspection order for consumer home G to be third. After determining the inspection order for each consumer home 20 in the inspection order table T2, the inspection order determination unit 10a notifies the gas meter 13A corresponding to each consumer home 20 of the inspection order.

[0054] As described above, when the self-diagnosis result is abnormal, the recovery work takes time, so the priority of the recovery work, i.e., the inspection order, can be lowered regardless of the SI level, which makes it possible to make the recovery work more efficient.

[0055] The inspection order determination unit 10a may determine the inspection order of each consumer home 20 based on consumer home information in addition to the self-diagnosis results and the SI values. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an inspection order table T3 created when determining the inspection order for each consumer home 20. In the inspection order table T3, consumer homes I to M are written to identify each of the five consumer homes 20.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 9, the inspection order table T3 includes the earthquake index value (SI value) for each customer home 20, the self-diagnosis result, customer home information, and the determined inspection order.

[0057] In the inspection order table T3, for example, for consumer home I, which is a hospital, the SI value is set to 16, the self-diagnosis result is set to normal, and the consumer home information is set to 5. Similarly, for example, for consumer home J, which is a commercial facility, the SI value is set to 10, the self-diagnosis result is set to normal, and the consumer home information is set to 3. For example, for consumer home K, which is an ordinary household, the SI value is set to 15, the self-diagnosis result is set to abnormal, and the consumer home information is set to 1. Furthermore, for example, for consumer home L, which is an evacuation shelter, the SI value is set to 17, the self-diagnosis result is set to normal, and the consumer home information is set to 5. For example, for consumer home M, which is a nursing home, the SI value is set to 15, the self-diagnosis result is set to abnormal, and the consumer home information is set to 5.

[0058] From the same perspective as described above, the inspection priority determination unit 10a first sets the inspection priority of a normal gas meter 13A among the self-diagnosis results higher than the inspection priority of an abnormal gas meter 13A. In this case, the inspection priority of each of the customer homes I, J, and L in Figure 9 takes priority over the inspection priority of the customer homes K and M.

[0059] Next, the inspection order determination unit 10a prioritizes the inspection order for the customer home information of customer home K, M, with the customer home information of customer home M being larger. In Figure 9, the customer home information of customer home M is larger than that of customer home K, so the inspection order determination unit 10a determines the inspection order of customer home M to be fourth and the inspection order of customer home K to be fifth. The inspection order determination unit 10a stores the determined inspection orders in an inspection order table T3.

[0060] Next, as described above, the inspection priority determination unit 10a prioritizes the inspection priority of the customer home information of the customer homes I, J, and L, with respect to the customer home information of the customer homes I, J, and L. In Fig. 9, the customer home information of customer home J is smaller than that of customer home I and customer home L, so the inspection priority determination unit 10a determines the inspection priority of customer home J as third.

[0061] Here, the consumer home information of consumer home I and the consumer home information of consumer home L both have the same value of 5. Therefore, when determining the inspection order of consumer homes I and L, the inspection order determination unit 10a prioritizes the inspection order for consumer homes I and L as the larger the SI value. In FIG. 9, the SI value of consumer home L is larger than the SI value of consumer home I, so the inspection order determination unit 10a determines the inspection order of consumer home L as number 1 and the inspection order of consumer home I as number 2. After determining the inspection order of each consumer home 20 in the inspection order table T3, the inspection order determination unit 10a notifies the gas meter 13A corresponding to each consumer home 20 of the inspection order. As described above, it is possible to determine the inspection order of the restoration work based on the priority required for the safety of the entire gas infrastructure, including the gas meter 13A, due to the high SI value, while improving the efficiency of the restoration work.

[0062] As described above, according to the gas meter 13 of this embodiment, the restoration method for the gas meter 13 is determined based on the self-diagnosis result, the SI value, and the customer home information. As a result, rather than determining the restoration method uniformly using the self-diagnosis result, the restoration method can be determined taking into account the degree of impact on surrounding buildings, etc. based on the SI value and the public level corresponding to the customer home. As a result, it is possible to ensure high safety of the entire gas infrastructure including the gas meter 13, improve the efficiency of restoration work, and improve the flexibility of restoration work.

[0063] Furthermore, according to the gas shutoff and restoration determination system 100 of this embodiment, the inspection order of the gas meters 13A of each consumer home 20 is determined based on the self-diagnosis results and the SI value. This allows the inspection order to be determined not just by using the self-diagnosis results but also by taking into account the degree of impact on surrounding buildings, etc., based on the SI value. This ensures high safety of the entire gas infrastructure, including the gas meters 13A, and improves the efficiency of restoration work, while also improving the flexibility of restoration work. Furthermore, by determining the inspection order of the gas meters 13A corresponding to each consumer home 20 based on the self-diagnosis results, the SI value, and the consumer home information, the inspection order of consumer homes 20 with high public utility can be prioritized over the inspection order of consumer homes 20 with low public utility. This allows the inspection order to be determined taking into account the public utility level of the consumer home 20.

[0064] (Variation) The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the following modifications are possible.

[0065] In the gas shutoff and restoration determination system 100 of the above embodiment, when determining the inspection order of the gas meters 13A of each consumer home 20 based on the inspection order table T3, the magnitude of the consumer home information is determined first, and then the inspection order is determined based on the magnitude of the SI value. However, this is not limited to this, and it is also possible to determine the magnitude of the SI value first, and then determine the inspection order based on the magnitude of the consumer home information.

[0066] Furthermore, in the gas shutoff and restoration judgment system 100 of the above embodiment, the inspection order determination unit 10a determines the inspection order of the gas meter 13 for each consumer's home 20 as an example of an inspection method, but this is not limited to this, and as another example of an inspection method, it is also possible to determine a restoration method for the gas meter 13 for each consumer's home 20.

[0067] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the SI value is used as the earthquake index value, but this is not limiting, and the value of seismic intensity or the like may also be used as the earthquake index value.

[0068] In addition, in the above embodiment, two gas containers 11 and two gas appliances 14 are exemplified for each consumer's home 20, but this is not limited to this, and the number of gas containers 11 may be one or three or more, and the number of gas appliances 14 may be one or three or more.

[0069] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the gas container 11 is filled with LP gas (liquefied petroleum gas) as an example of gas, but this is not limited thereto, and the gas container 11 may be filled with other gases such as oxygen. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 10. Central Server 10a Inspection Priority Determination Section 10b Storage section 10c Communication Department 11 Gas bottles 13,13A Gas Meter 13a Flow meter side 13b Self-diagnosis section 13c Vibration detection unit 13d Calculation section 13e Breaker 13f Opening and closing control section 13g Recovery method determination section 13h Storage section 13i Communications Department 13r flow path 14 Gas appliances 20 Customer house 100 Gas shutoff restoration judgment system

Claims

[Claim 1] a flow rate measuring unit that is provided in a flow path through which gas supplied to a gas appliance installed in a consumer's home flows and that measures the flow rate of the gas flowing through the flow path; a self-diagnosis unit that performs self-diagnosis; a vibration detection unit that detects vibrations; a calculation unit that calculates an earthquake index value that indicates the magnitude of an earthquake based on the vibration detected by the vibration detection unit; a shutoff unit that switches from an open state in which gas can flow through the flow path to a closed state in which the flow of gas within the flow path is shut off when the earthquake index value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value; a storage unit that stores customer home information regarding the customer home; a return method determination unit that, when the shutoff unit is in the closed state, determines a method for returning the shutoff unit from the closed state to the open state based on the diagnosis results by the self-diagnosis unit, the earthquake index value, and the customer home information.

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