Prepaid Power Meter Flow Limiting to Prevent Abrupt Cut-Offs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing prepaid resource distribution networks face challenges in managing resource consumption, particularly in electricity distribution, where sudden power cuts can harm safety equipment or spoil refrigerated goods due to communication delays in credit recharge.
Innovation Solution
A meter device with a processor-controlled regulating member having three states: blocking consumption, allowing up to a first flow rate limit, and a second flow rate limit greater than zero, which can transition to blocking consumption if the second limit is exceeded or after a time, with communication interfaces for state control and information transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a time delay is implemented before power cut-off to account for communication delays in credit recharge, then the reliability of critical equipment is improved, but the productivity of resource consumption control deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The regulating member dynamically transitions between three states (blocking consumption, allowing up to first flow rate limit, allowing up to second flow rate limit) based on real-time credit balance and consumption rate monitoring, enabling adaptive control that resolves the contradiction between equipment reliability and consumption control effectiveness
2Ease of operation
If power supply is cut off immediately upon credit overrun detection, then the ease of operation of credit management is improved, but the object-affected harmful factors worsen due to damage to safety equipment and refrigerated goods
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a cushioning mechanism by transitioning to a third state that allows consumption up to a second flow rate limit (greater than zero but less than the first limit) when credit is low, providing a buffer that prevents immediate harmful effects while maintaining credit management control
Solution Approach 2:
The regulating member applies different flow rate limits (first limit vs. second limit) based on local conditions of credit balance, enabling differentiated control that protects critical equipment while maintaining operational flexibility
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a third state allowing consumption up to a second flow rate limit is introduced, then the harmful factors affecting objects are reduced, but the device complexity increases due to additional state management
Solution Approach 1:
The control range of the regulating member is segmented into three distinct states with different flow rate limits, allowing the system to apply appropriate control measures for different credit conditions, thereby reducing harmful effects while maintaining manageable complexity through structured state division
Data Source
AI summary
A meter device for metering information representative of an amount of resource consumed includes a regulating member that can be in one of three states (first state blocking consumption of the resource, second state authorizing consumption up to a first flow rate limit, a third state authorizing consumption of the resource up to a second flow rate limit); verifying whether a credit level is equal to or greater than the amount consumed; and if the verification is negative and the regulating member of the given meter is in the second state, transmitting a message to set the regulating member in the third state, the processor being configured, when the regulating member is in the third state and a flow rate of consumed resource is greater than the second flow rate limit, to change the state of the member from the third state to the first state.