Flow meter device

1. A flow meter device for measuring a flow value of a fluid used in an instrument, comprising:

a flow measuring section for measuring the flow value of the fluid flowing through a fluid passage connected to the instrument at each specified time interval;

a flow memory for storing the flow value of the fluid which is measured by the flow measuring section; and

a fuel cell determiner unit for determining that the instrument using the fluid is a fuel cell, when a condition A and a condition B are satisfied, in which

the condition A is such that a maximum value of determination target flow values is equal to or less than a second predetermined value, the determination target flow values being a predetermined number of flow values measured before and after a reference flow value which is equal to or greater than a first predetermined value and is closest to the first predetermined value, the determination target flow values being included in flow values stored in the flow memory, and

the condition B is such that a difference value derived by subtracting from each of the determination target flow values, an average value found from the each determination target flow value and a predetermined number of measurement flow values measured before the each determination target flow value, is equal to or less than a third predetermined value;

wherein the first predetermined value is determined so as to exclude the flow value of the fluid flowing through the fluid passage for a different factor, from the flow values of the fluid flowing through the fluid passage according to a change pattern corresponding to a kind of instrument, at a time point of starting of activation of the gas instrument,

the second predetermined value in the condition A is determined based on a maximum value of the flow values of a usage amount of the fuel cell per unit time, and

the third predetermined value in the condition B is determined based on a changing magnitude of the flow value of the fluid used in the fuel cell, at each specified time interval.

2. The flow meter device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the fuel cell determiner unit determines that the instrument using the fluid is a fuel cell, when a condition C in addition to the condition A and the condition B are satisfied, the condition C being such that a sum of the difference values found using the condition B is equal to or less than a fourth predetermined value, and

the fourth predetermined value is determined based on the changing magnitude of the flow value of the fluid used in the fuel cell, during a period in which the determination target flow values are measured.

3. The flow meter device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an instrument unique information memory for storing instrument unique information which is information indicating a change pattern corresponding to a kind of the instrument, of the flow value of the fluid used at a time point of starting of activation of the instrument;

a change pattern information generating unit for generating change pattern information indicating the change pattern of the flow values stored in the flow memory, when the fuel cell determiner unit determines that the instrument using the fluid is not the fuel cell; and

an instrument determiner unit for determining the kind of the instrument using the fluid by comparing the instrument unique information stored in the instrument unique information memory, to the change pattern information generated by the change pattern information generating unit.

4. A method of controlling a flow meter device for measuring a flow value of a fluid used in an instrument, the flow meter device including a flow memory for storing the measured flow value, the method comprising:

a first step of measuring the flow value of the fluid flowing through a fluid passage connected to the instrument at each specified time interval; and

a second step of storing the flow value measured in the first step, in the flow memory; and

determining that the instrument using the fluid is a fuel cell, when a condition A and a condition B are satisfied, in which

the condition A is such that a maximum value of determination target flow values is equal to or less than a second predetermined value, the determination target flow values being a predetermined number of flow values measured before and after a reference flow value which is equal to or greater than a first predetermined value and is closest to the first predetermined value, the determination target flow values being included in the flow values stored in the flow memory in the second step, and

the condition B is such that a difference value derived by subtracting from each of the determination target flow values, an average value found from the each determination target flow value and a predetermined number of measurement flow values measured before the each determination target flow value, is equal to or less than a third predetermined value;

the first determined value is determined so as to exclude the flow value measured during a period in which the fluid flows through a fluid passage for a factor other than the fluid supplied according to a change pattern of the flow value corresponding to a kind of the instrument at a time point of starting of activation of the instrument,

the second predetermined value in the condition A is determined based on a maximum value of the flow values of a usage amount of the fuel cell per unit time, and

the third predetermined value in the condition B is determined based on a changing magnitude of the flow value of the fluid used in the fuel cell, at each specified time interval.