Gas Meter Selective Data Storage for Power Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional gas meters require large storage capacity and power for data storage and communication due to periodic accumulation and transmission of flow rate data, leading to increased size and battery capacity needs.

Innovation Solution

The gas meter reduces data storage and communication power requirements by selectively storing and transmitting only necessary flow rate data based on predetermined conditions, including data before and after appliance operation starts, and incorporating temperature data for improved analysis accuracy, with the center device determining appliance usage and potential abnormalities.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If flow rate data is accumulated periodically and transmitted to the center, then the center can determine gas appliance usage, but the gas meter requires large storage capacity and power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveappliance determination accuracyVSAvoiddata storage capacity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the necessary flow rate data for appliance determination from the complete periodic data set. By identifying and transmitting only the critical data points required for accurate appliance identification, the system reduces storage requirements while maintaining determination reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of transmitting all periodic flow rate data, the patent transmits only a partial set of data that is sufficient for appliance determination. This partial action approach reduces communication overhead and storage needs while achieving the same functional outcome.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

2Reliability

If flow rate data is accumulated periodically and transmitted to the center, then the center can determine gas appliance usage, but power consumption for communication increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveappliance determination accuracyVSAvoidcommunication power consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential flow rate data needed for appliance determination, reducing the volume of data that requires transmission. This extraction principle directly lowers communication power consumption while preserving the ability to accurately identify gas appliance usage patterns.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Quantity of substance

If data compression is performed to reduce storage amount, then storage capacity requirements decrease, but power consumption for communication remains large

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata storage amountVSAvoidcommunication power
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Rather than compressing all periodic data, the patent extracts only the necessary data points for appliance determination. This approach simultaneously reduces storage requirements and minimizes communication power consumption by transmitting fewer data points from the outset.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP3644024B1Gas meter
Publication Date: 2022.04.27 PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO LTD
  • EP3644024B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3644024B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3644024B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

A gas meter includes flow rate measurer (3) that measures a flow rate of gas in time series and storage unit (9) that stores the flow rate measured by flow rate measurer (3) as flow rate data. The gas meter also includes storage condition setting unit (7) that determines a condition for storing the flow rate data in storage unit (9) and communication unit (10) that communicates with center device (11). Storage unit (9) stores the flow rate data to satisfy the condition set by storage condition setting unit (7).