Gas Meter Management System with Map Visualization

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional gas meter management systems primarily focus on quickly addressing emergency abnormalities like gas leakage or pressure reduction without continuously monitoring the state of gas meters in residences, lacking comprehensive monitoring and analysis of gas meter conditions.

Innovation Solution

A gas meter management system that includes a gas meter installed in residences with a flow rate measurer, controller, and communication unit, which transmits data to a center device for analysis and display on a map, allowing for real-time monitoring and abnormality detection, including flow rate, pressure, seismic intensity, and temperature data, enabling visualization and prioritization of recovery operations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If conventional gas meter management systems focus on quickly addressing emergency abnormalities like gas leakage or pressure reduction, then emergency response speed is improved, but comprehensive monitoring capability of gas meter conditions deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveemergency response speedVSAvoidcomprehensive monitoring capability
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments monitoring into two distinct modes: emergency abnormality detection (gas leakage, pressure reduction) and comprehensive state monitoring (flow rate, temperature, vibration). This segmentation allows the system to maintain specialized emergency response capabilities while simultaneously gathering comprehensive operational data through separate monitoring channels.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The gas meter management system is designed with multi-functionality to perform both emergency detection and comprehensive monitoring tasks. The same system infrastructure supports multiple monitoring objectives, enabling it to detect emergencies quickly while also tracking overall gas meter health parameters such as flow rate, temperature, and vibration patterns.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Productivity

If conventional systems specify regions with abnormalities without continuous monitoring, then resource allocation for emergency response is improved, but accuracy of abnormality detection deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource allocation efficiencyVSAvoidabnormality detection accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary continuous monitoring of gas meter parameters including flow rate, temperature, and vibration before emergencies occur. This preliminary data collection establishes baseline conditions and enables early detection of developing issues, improving the accuracy of abnormality detection while maintaining efficient resource allocation through proactive rather than reactive monitoring.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of operation

If conventional systems display abnormality information on maps without detailed gas meter state data, then emergency response coordination is improved, but diagnostic capability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveemergency response coordinationVSAvoiddiagnostic capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The information display is segmented into two hierarchical levels: a map-level view showing geographic locations of abnormalities for coordination purposes, and a detailed device-level view providing comprehensive diagnostic data including flow rate, temperature, and vibration measurements. This segmentation allows operators to efficiently locate emergencies on maps while maintaining access to detailed diagnostic information when needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system adds a temporal dimension to the spatial map display by incorporating time-series data of gas meter parameters. This enables the display to show not only where abnormalities occur on the map but also how parameters have changed over time, providing both geographic context for coordination and historical context for diagnosis.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP3647744B1Gas meter management system
Publication Date: 2022.01.26 PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO LTD
  • EP3647744B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3647744B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP3647744B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Gas meter (10) and center device (20) are included. Gas meter (10) is installed in a residence or the like of each customer, and includes flow rate measurer (11). Center device (20) collects information obtained by gas meter (10). In addition, center device (20) manages positional information indicating a position of gas meter (10), and displays information including a result of analyzing information obtained from gas meter (10), together with the position of gas meter (10) on a map. By employing this configuration, the information obtained from gas meter (10) is collected by center device (20), and information based on collected data is displayed on a map on which gas meter (10) is positioned. This enables the information obtained from gas meter (10) to be visually reported.