Patent ID: 8305231
Filing Date: 2012-11-06
Classification: F23N,G01D,G01F,Y02B,Y04S

Abstract:
1. A gas appliance monitoring apparatus for monitoring a use state of a plurality of gas appliances connected to piping after passing through a gas meter, said gas appliance monitoring apparatus installing a wireless module capable of transmitting and receiving directly to and from a plurality of parties using a communication line other than a telephone line, wherein the gas meter comprises a flow rate measurement unit for measuring a gas flow rate, a gas shut-off valve for shutting off a gas flow path at an abnormal time, a control circuit for performing predetermined processing based on a measurement result of the flow rate measurement unit and outputting a flow rate information, a meter wireless module for transmitting and receiving information to and from a plurality of parties, and a communication switch unit for switching a communication frequency band depending on the parties, wherein the meter wireless module has at least a communication frequency band with a base station and a communication frequency band with a specific gas appliance, wherein the specific gas appliance is provided with an appliance information transmitter for detecting an operation start of the appliance and transmitting appliance information to the gas meter, wherein the appliance information transmitter comprises an appliance detection unit for detecting the operation start of the appliance without receiving a signal from a gas appliance controller and an appliance wireless module for transmitting an appliance operation start signal from the appliance detection unit to the gas meter in a predetermined communication frequency band, wherein the control circuit has a continuous use time monitor unit for monitoring a continuous operation time of the appliance based on the flow rate information, a by-flow-rate-range continuous use time storage unit presetting and storing a continuously usable time by a flow rate range, a specific appliance monitor unit for monitoring a continuous operation time of the specific gas appliance based on the appliance information transmitted from the appliance information transmitter and the flow rate information, and a specific appliance use time storage unit presetting and storing a continuously usable time of the specific gas appliance, and wherein when the continuous operation time monitored by the continuous use time monitor unit reaches a stored value in the by-flow-rate-range continuous use time storage unit, a predetermined processing mode is executed and when the continuous operation time monitored by the specific appliance monitor unit reaches a stored value in the specific appliance use time storage unit, the gas shut-off valve is operated on a top-priority basis for stopping supply of the gas and the meter wireless module is used to transmit the continuous use time passage information at least to the base station.