Autonomous electronic module

Abstract

The autonomous electronic module (1) includes: a cell (2) providing a supply current (I.sub.cell) to the electronic module, a resistor (2) connected in series with the cell, the resistor exhibiting terminals, elements for measuring a voltage (20) across the terminals of the resistor and elements for evaluating the charge remaining (10, 11, 12), arranged so as to process a measurement of the voltage in order to calculate the charge remaining of the cell (2).

Claims

1. A meter (501) that evaluates a consumption of fluid or thermal energy of an installation, the meter comprising: an autonomous electronic module (1), that includes an electronic circuit (3), a cell (2) providing a supply current (I.sub.cell) to the electronic circuit (3), a resistor (6) connected in series to the cell (2), said resistor (6) including terminals for connection thereto, voltage measuring means (20) that measures a voltage across the terminals of the resistor (6) as an indication of the supply current (I.sub.cell), a temperature sensor (21) that provides a measurement of the temperature (T.sub.cell) of the cell (2), and means of evaluating a remaining charge (10, 11, 12), configured to process the supply current (I.sub.cell) and the measured the temperature (T.sub.cell) of the cell (2) to calculate the remaining charge of the cell (2), the means of evaluating the remaining charge being part of the electronic circuit (3), and including a computer (10) with at least one memory (11,12) connected thereto, the at least one memory (11,12) having stored therein predetermined value thresholds or predetermined value profiles; and means of measurement (40) connected to the autonomous electronic module that measures a flow of fluid or thermal energy provided at the installation, wherein said computer (10) is configured to evaluate the consumption of the fluid or thermal energy of the installation, and wherein said computer (10) is connected to a warning device (30) that receives an operating signal from the computer when all data relating to the measurement of the supply current (I.sub.cell) as a function of time does not fall between the predetermined value profiles and/or when the measurement of the supply current falls outside one of said predetermined value thresholds or predetermined value profiles stored in said at least one memory (11, 12).

2. The meter according to claim 1, wherein the voltage measurement means (20) comprise a differential amplifier (201).

3. The meter according to claim 1, wherein the at least one memory comprises a non-volatile memory (12), and said computer records in the non-volatile memory all the data relating to the measurement of the supply current (I.sub.cell) as a function of time.

4. The meter according to claim 1, wherein the computer uses the supply current (I.sub.cell) obtained by measuring the voltage across the terminals of the resistor and from the measurement (T.sub.cell) of the temperature of the cell to calculate the remaining charge.

5. The meter according to claim 4, wherein the at least one memory comprises a non-volatile memory (12), and said computer records in the non-volatile memory all data relating to the measurement of the temperature (T.sub.cell) as a function of time.

6. The meter according to claim 2, wherein the at least one memory comprises a non-volatile memory (12), and said computer records in the non-volatile memory all the data relating to the measurement of the supply current (I.sub.cell) as a function of time.

7. The meter according to claim 2, wherein the computer uses the supply current (I.sub.cell) obtained by measuring the voltage across the terminals of the resistor and from the measurement (T.sub.cell) of the temperature of the cell to calculate the remaining charge.

8. The meter according to claim 3, wherein the computer uses the supply current (I.sub.cell) obtained by measuring the voltage across the terminals of the resistor and from the measurement (T.sub.cell) of the temperature of the cell to calculate the remaining charge.

9. The meter according to claim 7, wherein the at least one memory comprises a non-volatile memory (12), and said computer records in the non-volatile memory all data relating to the measurement of the temperature (T.sub.cell) as a function of time.

10. The meter according to claim 8, wherein the at least one memory comprises a non-volatile memory (12), and said computer records in the non-volatile memory all data relating to the measurement of the temperature (T.sub.cell) as a function of time.

Description

(1) Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the description below of one embodiment of the invention. With regard to the attached drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic view of one embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT EXAMPLES OF THE INVENTION

(3) This concerns an autonomous electronic module 1, such as a meter for evaluating the consumption of fluid or thermal energy of an installation, said module comprising a cell 2 providing a supply current I.sub.cell to an electronic circuit 3 of the autonomous electronic module 1, a resistor 6 connected in series to the cell 2, said resistor 6 exhibiting terminals, means of measuring 20 a voltage across the terminals of the resistor and means for evaluating 10,11,12 the charge remaining, arranged so as to process the measurement of said voltage to calculate the charge remaining.

(4) The means of measuring 20 the voltage across the terminals of the resistor 6 is arranged so as to communicate a voltage relating to a measurement of the supply current I.sub.cell provided by the cell 2, the resistor 6 being connected between the supply of the autonomous electronic module and the cell.

(5) The means of evaluating the remaining charge 10, 11, 12 of the cell process the data relating to the measurement of the supply current I.sub.cell provided by the cell 2, that is, the voltage across the terminals of the resistor 6, to derive from this the remaining charge in the cell. The means of evaluating the remaining charge 10, 11, 12 comprise a computer 10. This computer 10 is arranged to process the voltage representing the supply current I.sub.cell provided by the cell. A volatile memory 11 is linked to the computer 10. This volatile memory 11 is a memory in which the data provided by the voltage measurement means 20 across the terminals of the resistor 6 are located so that they can be processed rapidly by the computer 10. These data are lost as soon as the cell 2 is no longer in an operating state. In one embodiment, the means of evaluating the remaining charge comprise a non-volatile memory 12 in order to record the developing pattern of the consumption of current during the time in which the autonomous electronic module 1 is operating and therefore to retain the data relating to the history of the consumption of current by the autonomous electronic module 1 when the cell 2 supplying the autonomous electronic module 1 is no longer in an operating state.

(6) More particularly, the computer 10 is arranged to process the voltage representing the supply current I.sub.cell provided by the cell 2 from the data relating to the measurement of the supply current I.sub.cell derived from the measurement of the voltage across the terminals of the resistor 6. In one embodiment, the computer 10 is connected to a first warning device 30 arranged to receive a first operating signal of the computer 10 when the signal representing the supply current I.sub.cell does not fall between the predetermined value thresholds contained in the volatile memory 11 or in the non-volatile memory 12.

(7) In another embodiment, the volatile memory 11 or the non-volatile memory 12 comprises predetermined value profiles. In this case, the computer 10 performs a comparison between all of the data relating to the measurement of the supply current I.sub.cell as a function of time and the predetermined value profiles stored in one of the volatile 11 and non volatile memories 12. The computer 10 can be connected to a second warning device 30 arranged to receive a second operating signal of the computer 10 when all of the data relating to the measurement of the supply current I.sub.cell as a function of time does not fall between the predetermined value profiles. The first warning device 30 and the second warning device 30 can be defined by a single warning device 30. The first and second warning devices 30 comprise, for example, means of communication by radio frequency.

(8) The resistor 6 is a resistor with a low value. It represents a first terminal connected to the cell and a second terminal connected to the supply, i.e. the terminal +, of the electronic circuit 3 of the autonomous electronic module 1. The first and second terminals represent respectively a first electrical potential 202 and a second electrical potential 203. A differential amplifier 201, is arranged to calculate a difference in electrical potential, the differential amplifier being connected in parallel to the first and second terminals of the said resistor 2. At its outlet 206, the differential amplifier 201 supplies a voltage value measured, therefore, by computer 10. The differential amplifier is itself supplied at 204, 205 by cell 2 in parallel to the electronic circuit 3 of the autonomous electronic module 1.

(9) In an alternative version, the autonomous electronic module 1 comprises a temperature sensor 21 arranged to provide a measurement T.sub.cell of the temperature of the cell 2. The computer 10 is thus arranged to calculate the remaining charge from the signal representing the supply current I.sub.cell and from the measurement of the temperature T.sub.cell of the cell 2.

(10) The temperature sensor 21 thus enables the temperature T.sub.cell associated with the cell 2 to be acquired. Alternatively, the temperature sensor 21 comprises a sensing element connected to the enclosure into which the cell is inserted. The temperature T.sub.cell of the cell is therefore an ambient temperature of the enclosure into which the cell is inserted.

(11) Thus the computer 10 is arranged to calculate the remaining charge from the signal representing the supply current I.sub.cell and from the measurement of the temperature T.sub.cell of the cell 2. However, the non-volatile memory 12 may also comprise all of the data relating to the measurement of the temperature T.sub.cell of the cell 2 as a function of time, as well as all of the data relating to the measurement of the supply current I.sub.cell as a function of time. Thus, the non-volatile memory 12 is useful in that it makes it possible to know, for example, the number of hours of operation during which the autonomous electronic module 1 has consumed a large amount of current and how many times the cell 2 has overheated, etc . . . .

(12) Pursuant to another aim of the invention, a meter 501 is envisaged to evaluate the consumption of fluid or thermal energy of an installation, where the meter comprises the autonomous electronic module 1 as defined above, as well as measurement means 40 connected to the autonomous electronic module 1 and arranged to measure fluid flow or thermal energy flow at the installation. The computer 10 can be common in order, on the one hand, to calculate the remaining charge, and, on the other hand, to evaluate the consumption of fluid or thermal energy by the installation. The meter is a water, gas or thermal energy meter.

(13) It goes without saying that it is possible to make numerous modifications to the invention without departing from its scope.