Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Yusuke Kitano

Mitsuo Yokohata

Shota Teramoto

Masaaki Sakata

A flow measurement device includes a flow rate measurement unit, an arithmetic unit that calculates a difference value between a the first flow rate value and a second flow rate value, and a difference value conversion unit that calculates a flow rate ratio, based on the difference value. An appliance characteristic extraction unit extracts at least one appliance characteristic quantity indicating a characteristic of a flow rate change and a value calculated from a first flow rate value and a second flow rate value, as an appliance characteristic quantity. Furthermore, an appliance inherent characteristic information holding unit holds appliance inherent characteristic quantities indicating a characteristic flow rate state of a specific gas appliance, and an appliance discrimination unit discriminates a gas appliance, based on a comparison between the appliance characteristic quantity and the appliance inherent characteristic quantity.

Flow measurement device

A flow rate measurement device includes a flow rate measurer to measure a fluid flow rate at regular time intervals, a period setting unit, an arithmetic unit to calculate first average flow rates and amounts of change each between the average flow rates in sequence, and second average flow rates and amounts of change each between the average flow rates in sequence, and a fuel cell determinator to determine whether a fuel cell is in operation. The fuel cell determinator determines that a fuel cell is in operation when an increment of the second average flow rate repeats for first predetermined successive times, an increment of the first average flow rate repeats for second predetermined times or more in each of the second periods, and an increment of the first average flow rate not greater than or equal to a third predetermined flow rate in each of the second periods.

Flow rate measurement device

Flow rate measurement device includes flow rate measurement unit that measures a flow rate of gas at a prescribed time interval, and arithmetic unit that calculates a characteristic flow rate from the flow rates measured within a predetermined period, and calculates a ratio of each flow rate measured at multiple times within the predetermined period with respect to the characteristic flow rate. In addition, flow rate measurement device includes appliance characteristic extraction unit that extracts an appliance characteristic quantity which indicates a characteristic of a flow rate change in currently using gas appliances within the predetermined period, the appliance characteristic quantity being the ratio or information obtained from the ratio, and appliance inherent characteristic information holding unit that holds an appliance inherent characteristic quantity indicating a characteristic flow rate state of a specific gas appliance. Furthermore, flow rate measurement device includes appliance discrimination unit that discriminates the currently using gas appliance by comparing the appliance characteristic quantity with the appliance inherent characteristic quantity.

A gas meter that is a flow rate measurement device includes a flow rate measurement unit for measuring, at a constant time interval, a flow rate of gas flowing in a passage, a pressure measurement unit for measuring pressure of the gas in the passage, a power supply unit for supplying power to a pressure measurement unit, and an appliance determination unit for determining an appliance being used based on a gas flow rate value. The gas meter further includes a measurement interval controller for determining a gas non-use state, an appliance determination performing state, or an appliance determination non-performing state based on the gas flow rate value and operation information of the appliance determination unit, for controlling the power supply unit in accordance with the determined state, and for changing an interval for turning on/off power supplied to the pressure measurement unit.

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Yusuke Kitano