1. A fuel instrument determination device comprising:
a first obtaining section for obtaining a slope of a change in a fuel flow rate in a first measurement period;
a second obtaining section for obtaining a slope of a change in the fuel flow rate in a second measurement period which is different in length from the first measurement period; and
a determiner section for determining a fuel instrument, using the slope of the change in the fuel flow rate in the first measurement period and the slope of the change in the fuel flow rate in the second measurement period.
2. The fuel instrument determination device according to claim 1,
wherein the second measurement period includes a plurality of first measurement periods.
3. The fuel instrument determination device according to claim 2,
wherein the determiner section is configured to determine the fuel instrument, using each of slopes of changes in fuel flow rates in the plurality of first measurement periods and the slope of the change in the fuel flow rate in the second measurement period.
4. The fuel instrument determination device according to claim 2,
wherein the second measurement period is composed of the plurality of first measurement periods which are successive.
5. The fuel instrument determination device according to claim 4,
wherein the second obtaining section is configured to perform calculation to obtain the slope of the change in the fuel flow rate in the second measurement period, using the slope of the change in the fuel flow rate in the first measurement period, which is obtained by the first obtaining section.
6. The fuel instrument determination device according to claim 1,
wherein the determiner section is configured to determine the fuel instrument, depending on whether or not the slope of the change in the fuel flow rate in the first measurement period falls within a first range.
7. The fuel instrument determination device according to claim 1,
wherein the determiner section is configured to determine the fuel instrument, depending on whether or not the slope of the change in the fuel flow rate in the second measurement period falls within a second range.
8. The fuel instrument determination device according to claim 1,
wherein the determiner section is configured to determine the fuel instrument, depending on whether or not the slope of the change in the fuel flow rate in the first measurement period falls within a first range, and whether or not the slope of the change in the fuel flow rate in the second measurement period falls within a second range.
9. The fuel instrument determination device according to claim 8,
wherein the first range includes the second range.
10. The fuel instrument determination device according to claim 2,
wherein the determiner section is configured to determine the fuel instrument, depending on whether or not slopes of changes in fuel flow rates in all of the first measurement periods included in the second measurement period fall within the first range.
11. The fuel instrument determination device according to claim 1,
wherein the first measurement periods are equal in length to each other.
12. The fuel instrument determination device according to claim 1, comprising:
a flow rate obtaining section for obtaining a gas flow rate from a gas meter via a network;
wherein the first obtaining section is configured to obtain a slope of a change in a gas fuel flow rate in the gas meter in the first measurement period; and
wherein the second obtaining section is configured to obtain a slope of a change in the gas fuel flow rate in the gas meter in the second measurement period.
13. The fuel instrument determination device according to claim 1,
wherein the first obtaining section is configured to obtain from a gas meter a slope of a change in a gas fuel flow rate in the gas meter in the first measurement period via a network; and
wherein the second obtaining section is configured to perform calculation to obtain a slope of a change in the gas fuel flow rate in the gas meter in the second measurement period, using the slope of the change in the gas fuel flow rate in the gas meter in the first measurement period, which is obtained by the first obtaining section.
14. The fuel instrument determination device according to claim 1,
wherein the first obtaining section is configured to obtain from a gas meter a slope of a change in a gas fuel flow rate in the gas meter in the first measurement period via a network; and
wherein the second obtaining section is configured to obtain from the gas meter a slope of a change in the gas fuel flow rate in the gas meter in the second measurement period via the network.
15. A flow meter device comprising:
a fluid passage:
a flow rate measurement section for measuring a fuel flow rate of a fuel flowing through the fluid passage;
a first obtaining section for obtaining a slope of a change in the fuel flow rate in a first measurement period;
a second obtaining section for obtaining a slope of a change in the fuel flow rate in a second measurement period which is different in length from the first measurement period; and
a determiner section for determining a fuel instrument which is connected to the fluid passage, using the slope of the change in the fuel flow rate in the first measurement period and the slope of the change in the fuel flow rate in the second measurement period.
16. A gas meter comprising:
a fluid passage:
a flow rate measurement section for measuring a flow rate of a gas flowing through the fluid passage;
a first obtaining section for obtaining a slope of a change in a gas fuel flow rate in a first measurement period;
a second obtaining section for obtaining a slope of a change in the gas fuel flow rate in a second measurement period which is different in length from the first measurement period; and
a determiner section for determining a gas fuel instrument which is connected to the fluid passage, using the slope of the change in the gas fuel flow rate in the first measurement period and the slope of the change in the gas fuel flow rate in the second measurement period.
17. A fuel instrument determination method, comprising:
obtaining a slope of a change in a fuel flow rate in a first measurement period;
obtaining a slope of a change in the fuel flow rate in a second measurement period which is different in length from the first measurement period; and
determining a fuel instrument, using the slope of the change in the fuel flow rate in the first measurement period and the slope of the change in the fuel flow rate in the second measurement period.
18. The fuel instrument determination method, according to claim 17,
wherein the second measurement period includes a plurality of first measurement periods.
19. The fuel instrument determination method, according to claim 18,
wherein in the determination, the fuel instrument is determined, using each of slopes of changes in fuel flow rates in the plurality of first measurement periods and the slope of the change in the fuel flow rate in the second measurement period.
20. The fuel instrument determination method, according to claim 18,
wherein the second measurement period is composed of the plurality of first measurement periods which are successive.
21. The fuel instrument determination method, according to claim 17,
wherein in the determination, the fuel instrument is determined depending on whether or not the slope of the change in the fuel flow rate in the first measurement period falls within a first range.
22. The fuel instrument determination method, according to claim 17,
wherein in the determination, the fuel instrument is determined depending on whether or not the slope of the change in the fuel flow rate in the second measurement period falls within a second range.
23. The fuel instrument determination method, according to claim 17,
wherein in the determination, the fuel instrument is determined depending on whether or not the slope of the change in the fuel flow rate in the first measurement period falls within a first range, and whether or not the slope of the change in the fuel flow rate in the second measurement period falls within a second range.
24. The fuel instrument determination method, according to claim 23,
wherein the first range includes the second range.
25. The fuel instrument determination method, according to claim 17,
wherein the determiner section is configured to determine the fuel instrument, depending on whether or not slopes of changes in fuel flow rates in all of the first measurement periods included in the second measurement period fall within the first range.
26. The fuel instrument determination method, according to claim 17,
wherein the first measurement periods are equal in length to each other.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A communication apparatus for allocating packets to a plurality of carrier waves via which the packets are transmitted to another communication apparatus, the communication apparatus comprising:
a receiver configured to receive, from the another communication apparatus, first line-quality information including a current line-quality value for each of the plurality of carrier waves;
a calculator configured to calculate, for each of the plurality of carrier waves, a tolerance parameter indicating a tolerable margin of the current line-quality value for causing a change of a modulation method that is to be used for each of the plurality of carrier waves, based on the received current line-quality value;
an allocator configured to allocate the packets staying in the allocator to the plurality of carrier waves, based on a service-quality level assigned to each of the packets and the tolerance parameter calculated for each of the plurality of carrier waves, such that a first packet having the service-quality level equal to or higher than a second packet is allocated, on a priority basis, to a first carrier wave having the tolerance parameter equal to or larger than a second carrier wave to which the second packet is allocated; and
a compositor configured to combine, for each of the plurality of carrier waves, two types of tolerance parameters into a combined tolerance parameter, wherein
the first line-quality information includes, as a current line-quality value, a current CN (Carrier to Noise ratio) value and a current receiving level, for each of the plurality of carrier waves, a CN-tolerance parameter indicating a tolerable margin of the current CN value for causing a change of a modulation method that is to be used for each of the plurality of carrier waves, a level-tolerance parameter indicating a tolerable margin of the current receiving level for causing a change of a modulation method that is to be used for each of the plurality of carrier waves,
the calculator calculates, for each of the plurality of carrier waves, the CN-tolerance parameter and the level-tolerance parameter,
the compositor combines, for each of the plurality of carrier waves, the calculated CN-tolerance parameter and the calculated level-tolerance parameter into the combined-tolerance parameter, and
the allocator allocates the packets staying in the allocator to the plurality of carrier waves, based on a service-quality level assigned to each of the packets and the combined tolerance parameter calculated for each of the plurality of carrier waves, such that the first packet having the service-quality level equal to or higher than the second packet is allocated, on a priority basis, to a third carrier wave having the combined tolerance parameter equal to or larger than a fourth carrier wave to which the second packet is allocated.
2. The communication apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a memory configured to store a target line-quality value for assuring a predetermined target error-rate, in association with each of modulation methods provided for transmitting the packets via the plurality of carrier waves, wherein
the calculator acquires the target line-quality value associated with a modulation method that is currently being used for each of the plurality of carrier waves, by referring to the memory, and
the calculator calculates, for each of the plurality of carrier waves, the tolerance parameter by obtaining a difference between the acquired target line-quality value and the current line-quality value received by the receiver.
3. The communication apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a variation-rate calculator configured to calculate, for each of the plurality of carrier waves, a first variation rate indicating a degree of change in the tolerance parameter during a predetermined duration time, wherein
the allocator allocates the packets staying in the allocator to the plurality of carrier waves, based on the service-quality level assigned to each of the packets and a combination of the tolerance parameter and the first variation rate that are calculated for each of the plurality of carrier waves, such that the first packet having the service-quality level equal to or higher than the second packet is allocated, on a priority basis, to a third carrier wave that has a combination of the first variation rate equal to or smaller than a fourth carrier wave to which the second packet is allocated, and the tolerance parameter equal to or larger than the fourth carrier wave.
4. The communication apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a second variation-rate calculator configured to calculate, for each of the plurality of carrier waves, a second variation rate indicating a degree of change in the combined tolerance parameter during a predetermined duration time, wherein
the allocator allocates the packets staying in the allocator to the plurality of carrier waves, based on the service-quality level assigned to each of the packets and a combination of the combined tolerance parameter and the second variation rate, such that the first packet having the service-quality level equal to or higher than the second packet is allocated, on a priority basis, to a fifth carrier wave that has a combination of the second variation rate equal to or smaller than a sixth carrier wave to which the second packet is allocated, and the combined tolerance parameter equal to or larger than the sixth carrier wave.
5. The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein
when a fault has occurred in a first carrier wave included in the plurality of carrier waves,
the calculator further calculates a tolerance parameter for a backup carrier wave other than the plurality of carrier waves,
the allocator allocates the packets staying in the allocator to the backup carrier wave and the plurality of carrier waves excluding the first carrier wave, based on the service-quality level assigned to each of the packets and the tolerance parameter calculated for each of the plurality of carrier waves and the backup carrier wave, such that the first packet having the service-quality level equal to or higher than the second packet is allocated, on a priority basis, to a third carrier wave having the tolerance parameter equal to or larger than a fourth carrier wave to which the second packet is allocated.
6. A method for a communication apparatus to allocate packets to a plurality of carrier waves via which the packets are transmitted to another communication apparatus, the method comprising:
receiving, from the another communication apparatus, a current line-quality value for each of the plurality of carrier waves;
calculating, for each of the plurality of carrier waves, a tolerance parameter indicating a tolerable margin of the current line-quality value for causing a change of a modulation method that is to be used for each of the plurality of carrier waves, based on the received current line-quality value; and
allocating the packets staying in the communication apparatus to the plurality of carrier waves, based on a service-quality level assigned to each of the packets and the tolerance parameter calculated for each of the plurality of carrier waves, such that a first packet having the service-quality level equal to or higher than a second packet is allocated, on a priority basis, to a first carrier wave having the tolerance parameter equal to or larger than a second carrier wave to which the second packet is allocated; and
combining, for each of the plurality of carrier waves, two types of tolerance parameters into a combined tolerance parameter, wherein
the first line-Quality information includes, as a current line-quality value, a current CN (Carrier to Noise ratio) value and a current receiving level, for each of the plurality of carrier waves, a CN-tolerance parameter indicating a tolerable margin of the current CN value for causing a change of a modulation method that is to be used for each of the plurality of carrier waves, a level-tolerance parameter indicating a tolerable margin of the current receiving level for causing a change of a modulation method that is to be used for each of the plurality of carrier waves, and the method further comprising:
calculating, for each of the plurality of carrier waves, the CN-tolerance parameter and the level-tolerance parameter,
combining, for each of the plurality of carrier waves, the calculated CN-tolerance parameter and the calculated level-tolerance parameter into the combined-tolerance parameter, and
allocating the packets staying in the allocator to the plurality of carrier waves, based on a service-quality level assigned to each of the packets and the combined tolerance parameter calculated for each of the plurality of carrier waves, such that the first packet having the service-quality level equal to or higher than the second packet is allocated, on a priority basis, to a third carrier wave having the combined tolerance parameter equal to or larger than a fourth carrier wave to which the second packet is allocated.