An object of the present invention is to perform a suitable registration of a flow rate of appliances to promote the optimization of a usage time limitation function. In a gas shut-off device according to the invention, a flow rate detection unit measures a flow rate, a flow rate calculation unit calculates values of instant flow rates from a detection value, an average flow rate calculation unit obtains an average flow rate from the obtained instant flow rates, a flow rate change decision unit decides the presence or absence of a change in the flow rate based on the obtained average flow rate, a flow rate storage unit stores a value of the obtained average flow rate, an increase flow rate registration unit registers an amount of the flow rate change at the time of increase change decision by the flow rate change decision unit, a decrease flow rate re-registration unit reduces the registered flow rate near an amount of the flow rate change at the time of decrease change decision by the flow rate change decision unit, and re-registers and replaces it with a value of the average flow rate obtained by the average flow rate calculation unit after the reduction of the registered flow rate, and a shut-off unit shuts off the supply of gas when decided as an abnormality by an abnormality decision unit from the registered flow rate and a decision value.

Gas shut-off device

A method of inference of appliance usage from a point measurement on a supply line, said supply line being common to multiple appliances and/or components of appliances comprises the steps of: obtaining data from said measurement point; sampling power and reactive power at intervals substantially throughout periods of operation of said appliances or components of appliances corresponding to appliances or components of appliances being in ON and/or OFF modes of use; identifying characteristics of events by assessing power and reactive power change during an event; and by assessing one or more additional characteristics derivable from said power and reactive power to characterise an appliance; grouping events and/or cycles of events into clusters of similar characteristics; and inferring appliance usage based on said grouping.

A method of inference of appliance usage. data processing apparatus and/or computer software

Use limit function of an appliance having a variable quantity of gas used is secured adequately. The gas cut-off device comprises a flow rate detection means (10), a flow rate operating means (11), an average flow rate operating means (12), a means (13) for storing the average flow rate value, a means (14) for judging variation in flow rate, a flow rate registration means (15) for registering variation in flow rate or deleting a registered flow rate close to the variation in flow rate when the flow rate variation judging means (14) judges increment or decrement of variation, a flow rate storage means (16), a flow rate variation correction storage means (17) for judging whether the total registered flow rate deleted in the past and the average flow rate fall within a predetermined range when the flow rate variation judging means judges a variation and only the maximum flow rate is registered, a judgment period means (18) for deleting the flow rate in the storage means and the registered flow rate when a judgment is made that the flow rate has not varied for a predetermined period and registering them again, a monitor value storage means (19), a means (20) for judging whether an abnormality exists or not by comparing the flow rate of the flow rate registration means with the judgment value of the monitor value storage means, and a use time correction means (22) for outputting a correction signal when the judgment period means performs registration again.

Gas cut-off device

A utility data processing system for processing data relating to consumption of a utility comprises: a fact memory for storage of facts relating to utility consumption received from fact sources, at least one fact source module for deriving facts from utility consumption data and adding the derived facts to the fact memory, an inference module for inferring new facts relating to utility consumption from one or more facts stored in the fact memory, and an interface module.

Utility data processing system

An object is to prevent a mistaken shutoff caused by the mistaken registration of an appliance of which an amount of gas used changes. An individual flow registration maintenance unit maintains a registered flow rate deleted due to an increase/decrease in flow rate, again, performs determination on the flow rate maintained when a new flow rate is registered or a flow rate added with the maintained flow rate, and in the case where it is regarded to be the same, re-register the maintained flow rate.

Gas shutoff device

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a flow measuring instrument provided with an appliance determination means for determining an appliance connected to a flow passage to measure a using flow rate in every appliance. SOLUTION: This flow measuring instrument is provided with a started-up appliance determining means for determining the appliance connected to the flow passage to be used, based on an optional specified interval differential flow rate found from a flow rate value measured in every a prescribed time interval by a flow measuring means, and a stopped appliance determining means for determining the use-stopped appliance, based on the specified interval differential flow rate. The instrument can determines precisely the appliance stopped because a selecting appliance range is narrow, since the stopped appliance is determined based on two pieces of information of use starting-up appliance information and flow rate information, by providing an appliance correlating means for determining the stopped appliance out of the appliances determined as the use started-up appliances, with selection based on a stop determination condition, and for correlating the started-up appliance with the stopped appliance. COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Flow measuring instrument

An ultrasonic flow rate measurement device includes a measurement channel, through which a fluid to be measured flows; and a sensor fixing casing having openings formed in the measurement channel and sensor fixing cavities communicating with the openings Moreover, the ultrasonic flow rate measurement device includes a pair of ultrasonic sensors contained in the sensor fixing cavities, for measuring the flow rate of the fluid to be measured; and a flow rate measuring unit for detecting the flow rate based on an ultrasonic wave propagation time between the pair of ultrasonic sensors Furthermore, the ultrasonic flow rate measurement device includes a suppressing member formed at each of the openings, for suppressing the fluid to be measured from intruding into each of the sensor fixing cavities, wherein the suppressing member is molded integrally with the sensor fixing casing

Ultrasonic flow rate measurement device

An ultrasonic fluid measurement instrument is capable of highly accurate fluid measurement. A measurement part is provided forming a plurality of split channels partitioned by partition boards halfway across a fluid channel, and at least a pair of ultrasonic transmitter-receivers for transmitting ultrasonic waves into the fluid flowing through the split channels and receiving ultrasonic waves that have passed through the fluid. Further, an arithmetic unit calculates the flow velocity and/or flow volume of the fluid according to the propagation time of the ultrasonic waves. The measurement part further includes an approach channel for preliminarily rectifying the fluid flowing to the split channels.

Ultrasonic type fluid measurement device

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a gas meter device, that by implementing an operation sequentially of the variation of difference of instantaneous flow rate outputted from a flow-metering means, the variation of busy condition of gas apparatuses is discriminated from that variability, capable of comparing the measured variation (difference value) of flow rate of gas with the registered data to discriminate a kind of gas apparatus. SOLUTION: The gas meter device is comprised by containing a flow-metering means 3, connected with gas supply lines for domestic use, measuring gas flow rate at a constant time interval, an operation means 5 calculating the difference of flow rate outputted from the flow-metering means 3, and a comparing and discriminating means 8 where, by comparing the calculated difference from the operation means 5 with the magnitude of variation discriminating value registered in a memory means 6, the variation is discriminated of busy condition of gas apparatuses. COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Gas meter device

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To present a management method for various gas appliances to promote the use of gas. SOLUTION: A gas meter device 100 discriminates gas appliances 400a, 400b, 400c and the operating situations of these gas appliances and sends the result to a gas appliance management device 300. The gas appliance management device 300 computes a gas rate according to information stored in a management information storage part 340. COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Hajime Miyata

Papers

Flow measuring instrument

Ultrasonic flow rate measurement device

Ultrasonic type fluid measurement device

Gas meter device

Gas appliance management system and gas supply system