Flow Rate Measuring Device Appliance Identification
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional gas meter instruments face errors in identifying appliances due to variations in flow rate caused by manual operation and ignition states, leading to erroneous judgments when comparing flow rate difference values and code strings with registered data.
Innovation Solution
A flow rate measuring device with a flow rate measurement unit, calculation unit, flow rate classification table, difference value conversion unit, appliance feature extraction unit, and appliance identification unit, which generates an appliance feature code string by comparing specific codes and absorbs variations through code deletion and sign addition, improving accuracy and reducing memory requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If flow rate difference values are compared with preliminarily registered data to identify appliances, then appliance identification can be performed, but variations due to manual operation and ignition states cause erroneous judgments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the significant feature codes from the flow rate difference code string by comparing each code with the previous one and selectively keeping only those that represent actual appliance operation features. This extraction process removes variations caused by manual operation and ignition states, leaving only the stable appliance identification features.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter representation by converting continuous flow rate difference values into discrete code values through classification, and then further processes these codes to extract only the significant ones. This parameter transformation makes the system more robust against variations in operation conditions.
2Loss of information
If all flow rate difference code values are stored and compared, then complete appliance operation data is retained, but memory requirements and calculation complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential feature codes from the complete flow rate difference code string by comparing each code with the previous one and selectively retaining only those that represent meaningful appliance operation features. This reduces both memory requirements and calculation complexity while preserving the essential information needed for accurate appliance identification.
3Measurement precision
If detailed flow rate measurements are performed at constant time intervals, then precise flow rate data is obtained, but calculation time and processing load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the significant change points from the continuous flow rate measurement data by comparing consecutive code values and selectively keeping only those that represent actual appliance operation features. This reduces the amount of data that needs to be processed while maintaining the precision of flow rate measurement for identification purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the continuous flow rate measurement data into discrete code values through classification, and then further segments these codes by extracting only the significant ones. This segmentation approach reduces processing load while maintaining measurement precision.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3(a)~3(b)
AI summary
The present invention provides a flow rate measuring device capable of simplifying calculation, reducing the amount of a memory required for the calculation, absorbing variations due to manual operation and depending on the state of ignition, and improving the accuracy of appliance identification by using a configuration in which the features of appliances are extracted. The flow rate measuring device is formed of a difference value conversion unit 112 for converting the difference values of the flow rate measured at constant time intervals by an ultrasonic flowmeter 104; an appliance feature extraction unit 214 for creating an appliance feature code string indicating the feature of each appliance by making comparison and judgment using the third last code, the second last code, the last code and the current code of the codes obtained at constant time intervals and by performing code deletion, etc.; and an identification unit 116 for performing appliance identification by comparing the appliance feature code string with an appliance inherent feature code string indicating the feature code string inherent in each appliance.