SK2742001A3 - System for controlling consumption of a medium, especially a mains-connected medium - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for controlling the consumption of a medium such as electricity, gas, or water at individual consumption points. A particular quantity for consumption can be allocated to each consumption point in exchange for prepayment. Each consumption point is equipped with a consumption-measuring device (7) for determining the actual consumption of the medium, a controllable blocking device (11) for interrupting the supply of the medium in the event that the allocated quantity for consumption is used up by actual consumption, and a control device (9) for controlling the blocking device (11). Said control device (9) allows the blocking device (11) to adjust to blocking mode if the allocated quantity for consumption is used up by actual consumption and comprises a receiver, especially a radio receiver (13), for receiving an information signal from a transmitting centre (15), said information signal containing information regarding the quantity for consumption allocated to the consumption point (3) concerned.

Description

Technical field

The invention relates to a system for monitoring the consumption of a medium, in particular a line-bound medium, such as electricity, gas, water, heat, at individual consumption points, and a consumption control device, wherein each consumption point can be allocated an appropriate amount of media for consumption. , in particular against payment in advance or, where appropriate, on credit to be provided by the media supplier at the place of consumption.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention can be included in the field of supply technology in a broad sense. In a conventional supply technique, it is common that the consumption of the medium, i. j. the amounts of media that are bound to the lines, such as water, gas, heat or electricity, are measured by consumption counters and the measured consumption is calculated with the owner of the place of consumption, respectively. charges the owner of the place of use. Place of consumption, respectively. the place of use in this sense may be an apartment, house, factory equipment, etc., that is to say the unit to be supplied with the respective medium for which the consumption of the medium is to be booked, respectively. control.

In order to record consumption, the installed consumption meters are usually read and checked at regular intervals by designated workers, ie persons trained to do so. The consumption readings shall then be entered in the settlement system of the relevant supply undertaking in order to issue an account to the customer.

The first possibility of improvement is remote meter reading, in which the state of the (electronic) counter is transmitted via suitable communication systems to the clearing point of the supplying company, so there is no need to visit the consumption point to make a reading and in this sense to apartments. This can significantly reduce personnel costs

-2 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Consumption data. Furthermore, subtraction and input errors can be drastically reduced.

However, especially in old apartments, installation of communication lines, bus systems, etc. causes considerable costs. Furthermore, installation work disturbs residents. The remote transmission of consumption data to the clearing point via modem and telephone is uneconomical due to the relatively high basic telephone charges, especially with only a monthly meter reading and in particular only with a yearly meter reading only.

Even modern radiotelephony systems would require very high on-going basic charges in addition to the considerable cost of the apparatus, and would therefore be uneconomical to transfer consumption data to the clearing point.

There is also a considerable organizational cost of issuing an account and checking payments with this method of consumption and settlement.

In some countries, the so-called prepay model is preferred, whereby the medium is delivered only after subscription. For this purpose, the consumption counter is, in the simplest case, fitted with a tamper-proof clearing and control unit, with coin insertion, with the locking element (shut-off valve or current switch) always releasing the corresponding quantity for consumption to suitable coins. More modern solutions use cards instead of coins to enter value (similar to widely used phone cards). As a result, consumption quantities, for example in m ³ , kWh and the like, can be allocated as an alternative to financial value allocations, whereby the allocation of consumption quantities can be more easily correlated with the consumption indicator of conventional consumption counters. The disadvantages of such a card solution are the cost of the cards, the cost of the automatic card reader and, above all, the handling and operation problems. For security reasons, only expensive smart cards are suitable, not simple magnetic cards. Normally, special cards must be used, which must be differently coded for each vendor, so users must purchase or charge multiple different coded cards for multiple media vendors. In addition, relatively large costs must be used to allow the above subscriber systems to operate with a degree of handling safety.

• · 9 • · • ··· • · · • · ···· • ··· • · · · • · • · • · · · • • • · • • • ·· ·· · · · · · • · • ·

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a convenient and reliable system for monitoring consumption and / or consumption. a usage control system that can be operated at relatively low cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The subject of the invention is a system for controlling consumption, respectively. use of the medium, such as electricity, gas, water, heat and the like, at each point of consumption, whereby each point of consumption can be allocated a quantity of medium for consumption, in particular against payment in advance or where each point of consumption is equipped with a consumption control device and each consumption control device includes:

(a) a consumption measuring device to determine the actual consumption of the medium at the relevant point of consumption;

(b) a maneuverable interlocking device that can interrupt the supply of the medium to the relevant point of consumption if the allocated quantity for consumption has actually been exhausted; and

(c) a control device controlling the interlocking device which compares the actual consumption of the medium, as determined by the consumption metering device, with the corresponding allocated amount of consumption and activates the interlocking device to block the supply of media to the point of consumption if the allocated amount of consumption is exhausted by actual consumption media, the control device comprising a receiver for receiving an information signal from a data transmission center that includes information allocated for consumption.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a system integratable consumption control device for installation at a point of consumption.

The system of the present invention can be operated as a subscriber system in which the allocation of a quantity for consumption to a single consumption point and thus the control of the quantities of consumption is carried out via an information signal. For the system according to

In this invention, one-way data transmission to the consumption point receivers is sufficient, so no transmission equipment is needed at the consumption points. .

If the unidirectional transfer of data is to take place via lines, the installed line network, for example, the telephone network and / or the television cable network, through which the data center can transmit value reports, ie on the allocation of quantities for consumption to the places of consumption concerned.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, however, the unidirectional data transmission is to be carried out by radio. In this case, the receiver is a radio receiver which receives the information signal as a radio signal from the data transmission center, respectively. from a transmitter that communicates with a data center. On-site installation, in particular of battery-powered radio receivers, is possible at the lowest cost and will result in less cost than installing data-bound devices.

It is also conceivable within the scope of the present invention to provide mixed forms of wireless and wire-bound unidirectional data transmission from the data center to the respective consumption points, such that part of the transmission path may be wireless and another part of the transmission path may be wired, optionally necessary intermediate receivers and intermediate transmitters.

The operation of the subscriber system in the broader sense may be organized, for example, by keeping accounts at the supplying undertaking supplying the medium at the points of consumption included in the system. Account holders, namely customers of a supplying business that use places of consumption, may, according to their media requirements, make advance payments to their accounts, for example in the form of monthly deductions. Corresponding to the prepayment for the consumption of the medium at a particular point of consumption, a certain amount of medium is provided to that point of consumption.

If the account status for a particular consumption point is updated by payment, i.e. increased, a corresponding value transfer (transmission of new allocated quantities for consumption data) can be performed, preferably by radio from the supply company data center to the consumption point control device. The radio signal (information signal) shall contain at least a unique address of the location

-5consumables and new value information that directly or indirectly indicates to the relevant control device the amount of medium to be released for consumption. The value information may be in the form of an incremental value corresponding to the current prepaid amount, which the respective addressing control device always adds on the spot to the possibly existing Assigned Quantity Asset in order to calculate a new benchmark for comparison with actual consumption. However, it is preferable not to transmit the respective incremental quantity allocations for consumption, but to transmit the absolute values that the control device uses immediately or, where appropriate, multiplied by a conversion factor to compare the consumption quantities. This absolute value is preferably a value which, with respect to the consumption counter of the respective consumption point, represents the absolute future value of the counter state at which the current prepaid consumption amount is exhausted. Such transmission and processing of absolute counter status data instead of increments of allocated quantities for consumption has the advantage that, for security reasons, a multiple transmission of the respective value message from the transmitting station to the respective consumption point can take place. If only the incremental allocations were transferred and added to the relevant control devices, it would have to be ensured that duplication or duplication would not occur in the case of multiple transfers. multiplying the quantity allocated at the place of consumption. In the preferred operation of the system of the present invention with the transmission of absolute counter status data as consumption allocation data, no addition of consumption allocation data is performed at the on-site control device, but the actual transmitted data is taken over for comparison with actual consumption. The control device compares the value of the respective actually consumed volume of the medium recorded (accumulated) by the consumption measuring device with the (absolute accumulated) value of the allocated quantity to be released for the respective consumption point. If the actual consumption of the medium exceeds the allocated amount for consumption, the control device will ensure that the interlocking device interrupts the further supply of the point of consumption with the medium. The customer can now make a new prepayment to the supplier to continue to be the medium

• ·· • · • ··· · · • · • · ···· • · · · • · · · ··· • · · ·· ·· · · · · · ·· ··

supplied. The supply undertaking shall send a corresponding value message, preferably radio, to the point of consumption and the interlocking device shall resume supply of the point of consumption.

Most often, the interlocking device will not have to be activated at all, since the corresponding timely prepayment will still have a value of the point of consumption, each update of this asset being transmitted as new information on the allocation of quantity to consumption, preferably by radio, to the point of consumption control device.

The system according to the invention makes it possible, where appropriate, to maintain the prescribed minimum basic supply independently of the advance payment. For example, an information signal may be released at a certain point in time for a particular supply point of the medium at a particular point of consumption.

The system of the present invention exhibits a number of advantages over prior art power management systems. For example, no credit cards are required, as mentioned above. This eliminates cost, loss, misuse, copying or card handling.

The radio receiver can be waterproof and tamper-proof integrated into the housing of the respective control device. The power metering device, the interlocking device and the control device can be combined into one unit (the power control device as an integrated prepayment terminal). With such an integrated prepayment terminal, for example, the same display may show the counter reading of the power metering device and the residual value that is still available, for example, alternately.

Contrary to the aforementioned card payment system, the value assignment or quantity allocation for consumption is tied to one particular receiver. Thus, in the event of a dispute or doubt about the acquired media supply entitlement, the consumption amount that has been released for the relevant consumption point can always be compared with the consumption value recorded by the consumption metering device and checked for consistency (consumption value) must always be less than the amount released for consumption). If a residual value is displayed at the consumption point, then when replacing the consumption metering device, t. j.

• ·· • · • ··· ·· ···· • · · • · ··· ·· • · • · • · • · ·· ·· ··· • · • ·

consumption counters, or when replacing a customer using a consumption site, can secure the value of the transferred asset.

The unidirectional data communication system of the power management system of the present invention may not meet too high demands, since the respective amounts of data and data transmission rates when transmitting information from the transmitter to the consumption points are small. In a particularly preferred embodiment of the power management system of the present invention, a so-called pager system is used as the radio data communication system. It is a simple, centralized, one-way data communication system. So far, pan-systems have generally been used to provide short messages in the form of numbers or short texts in a targeted way to certain individuals. Currently operated pager-systems have low data rate (1200 Baud), small overall HF bandwidth, sensitive (-120 dbm) receivers that have low power consumption (battery life with coin-cell batteries usually about 1000 hours) and simple LCD display. In such DC systems, as in the radio, the central power transmitter can cover a very large area, so that the cellular infrastructure is very thin compared to the radiotelephony technology infrastructure and can be implemented inexpensively. In addition, in such pager systems, the occurrence of data due to low data rates and short message lengths requires on average less than a thousandth of total transmission capacity compared to radiotelephony technology, so that a single radio station can easily serve, not only in terms of broadcasting but also in terms of data, 100,000 pagers. At the same time, the exclusively central possibility of initiating and memorizing and delaying data transmission will greatly simplify the management of the occupation and usability of the broadcast channel of these systems. Since the terminals do not contain any transmitter, they can be small and can be realized inexpensively, with very low power consumption. Furthermore, the low data rate allows simple and sensitive receivers. To prevent loss of data when transmitting by radio, pager messages are normally numbered and transmitted multiple times over time. The pager-receiver can then recognize this when a repetition is received and simply ignore the repetition. Each receiver receives a unique call number. As an example for a pager system in Germany, one can cite

-8 ························ · "SCALĽ" offer by German Telekom. There is no basic fee for the 'SCALL' offer, but only a fixed fee for message transmission is required.

The previously described advantages of pager systems can be utilized in the power control system of the present invention with unidirectional radio transmission.

As an alternative to such conventional pager services, other systems for transmitting data of the type of radio broadcasting which allow the transmission of the value message and the corresponding address of the receiver are also contemplated. Because only a relatively small transmission capacity is needed, the transmission of value messages (consumption allocation information) by radio could also be carried out via conventional radio transmitters, for example outside the audible area, as in the German RDS (Radio-Daten-System) or, alternatively, via conventional television transmitters in a television blackout interval, such as a videotext system.

However, other transmission frequencies accessible to the service provider can also be used to build their own centralized broadcasting service. For a typical value message length with a unique receiver address and consumption allocation information or value information of a total of about 16 usable bytes and a total length including encryption and a security layer total of 200 bits, for example, at a baud rate of 1200 Baud, the transfer time is only 1 / 6 seconds. If, for security reasons, the message is transmitted at different intervals for a total of six times, for example, up to 3600 consumption points can be communicated via one single transmission channel per hour in order to release the media supply respectively. time extension. With an average monthly update of the allocation of quantity for consumption, the communication-technical capacity of only one transmitter for this use would be sufficient for about 2.6 million consumption points.

With modern coding techniques, such as a digital, time-dependent signature, it is possible that, despite an open and unsecured standard communication channel to the receiver (prepayment-pager) at the point of consumption, unauthorized value transfer can be safely excluded. If, in one embodiment, the operation of the system of the present invention would be arranged such that the transmitted consumption allocation data are incremental values

• ·· • · • ··· ·· • · • · ···· • · · · • · • · • · • · ·· ·· · · · · · · · · ·

Thus, for example, the order of the value code characters can be time-coded, so that the capture of the value transfer message and its later repetition (i.e., duplicate the value) can be recognized and prevented. In addition, the destination number of the message, i.e. the address, can be encoded once again, so that a "redirection" of the value message to another consumption point would be recognized. From a data protection perspective, moreover, the assignment of a quantity for consumption not only in cryptography, but the transmitted value and the address of the consumption location, for example the counter number of the associated consumption counter, can also be additionally cryptographically encoded.

Conventional pager services can thus be used to operate the power management system of the present invention. However, for the consumption control system of the present invention, all other methods of transmitting data of the radio broadcasting type which allow data to be transmitted by radio from a suitable centralized transmitter or group of transmitters to consumption points are also contemplated and which can transmit a unique receiver address for each message transmitted. .

The invention further relates to a system for controlling the use of an information medium or service provided by a central contractor via lines, respectively. via a radio, such as a prepaid TV program, the possibility of using a bank of data via computer networks and the like, rather than individual decentralized places of use, where each place of use may be allocated a corresponding asset for use, especially after payment in advance or the use shall be supplied by the supplier to the appropriately allocated asset by the medium / service, each use being equipped with a use control device and each use control device comprising the following elements:

(a) a measuring device to record the actual use of the medium at the relevant place of use;

(b) a manageable interlocking device by which the possibility of using the medium / service can be withdrawn with respect to the relevant place of use when the allocated asset for use is actually consumed; and

• ·· • · • ··· ·· • · • e ···· • ··· ·· · • · ·· • · · ·· ·· · · · · · ·· ··

(c) a control device controlling the interlocking device which compares the actual use of the medium / service recorded by the metering device with the respective assigned asset to be used and which activates the interlocking device to block the supply of the medium / service to the use point; to eliminate the possibility of use at the point of use when the allocated asset for use is actually consumed, the control device including a receiver for receiving an information signal from the data transmission center which contains information about the allocated asset for use.

The above-mentioned usage control system corresponds to the structure of the system to control the consumption of the supplied media, the amount of which can be recorded, such as current, gas, water, heat. Thus, the advantages described with respect to the power management system and correspondingly adapted features can be transferred to the above-mentioned information management system for information media / services. For example, information media / services in this sense may be: pay-TV services via cable or satellite, radio, telecommunications services, data banks accessible via the Internet, libraries, etc.

For media that are generally offered scrambled, such as pay-TV services, the blocking device will include a decoder that decodes the scrambled received program, respectively. decrypts it, making it usable at a decentralized point of use. When the blocking device enters a locked state, the decoder is then automatically switched to a passive state, so that the program will not be available decoded until the usage asset for the usage location is updated.

Further variants (according to the original claims) of the information media or service control system as set forth in claim 18 are set forth in claims 19 to 25. Claims 26 to 32 claim a use control device for a use control system according to the present invention. invention.

Usage recording will most often be recording the usage time of the information medium / service, and it may be assumed that usage times will be weighted by weighting factors. As an example, we would like to weigh the usage times when using a telephone service, depending on whether

• ·· · · ···· · · • ·· · • · • • • • · • ··· • • · · · • • • • · · • · • • · • • • • · · • • • • • • ··· ·· · · · · · · · · · ·

long distance or local call. In the case of long distance calls, the tariff unit is usually smaller than in the case of a local call.

One embodiment of the invention will now be explained with reference to the drawing.

* Overview of pictures in the drawing

The figure shows a block diagram of a media consumption control system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The figure shows in a highly schematic manner a part of the media supply network, namely the network 1 of the plurality of water supply points 3, which are connected to the drinking water reservoir 5 of the respective water supply company by the network of pipes 1.

The supply points 3 may be houses, apartments and the like, for which consumption is always recorded separately. As a consumption metering device, a water meter 7 is installed at each consumption point, which increases the state of its counter correspondingly to the amount of water taken at the respective consumption point 3 from the pipeline network 1 to record the actual water consumption at consumption point 3. The water meter 7 is connected to an electronic control device 9 which receives the meter status data from the water meter 7 and compares the corresponding meter status value with the value of the allocated quantity for consumption to see if the prepaid demand for the amount of water for consumption is exhausted. If the control device 9 detects that the value of the actual water consumption electronically provided by the water meter 7 has exceeded the actual assigned amount for consumption, the control device 9 allows the blocking device 11, i.e. the shut-off valve 11 operated by the control device 9, to be locked, thereby interrupting the water supply of the respective consumption point 3.

The control device 9 comprises a consumption information indicator 17 and a radio receiver 13. The radio receiver 13 can be addressed by radio signals from the transmitter.

• ·· • · • ··· · · • · • · ···· • · · · · ♦ · • · · ·· ·· · · · · · ·· ··

station 15 to selectively transmit to the radio control device 9 the consumption consumption allocation data to the control device 9 of the respective consumption point 3. The transmission station 15 and the radio receivers 13 of the consumption points 3 are elements of a so-called pagersystem, being a simple, centralized, unidirectional data communication system. The pager system can be integrated into the existing pager service data communication system, for example in Germany into the "SCAL" system of the German Telekom.

Elements 7, 9, 11 and 13 in the figure represent an exemplary embodiment of a power monitoring device 4 according to the present invention.

With respect to the consumption control system, roughly sketched in the figure, it is assumed, for example, that an account is maintained at the supply undertaking for each consumption point 3. As soon as a payment is credited to the account of the consumption point 3, a value transmission (quantity allocation information) from the broadcast station 15 to the addressed consumption point 3 is called from the clearing center of the supplying company. The control device 9 of the respective consumption point 3 then updates the value of the assigned quantity for consumption to which the actual consumption is to be compared. If the blocking device 11 was in the locked state prior to receiving the consumption quantity allocation data, the control device 9 ensures that the blocking device 11 is again in a permeable state and releases the water supply for the respective consumption point 3.

As already mentioned, the consumption control system according to the invention is preferably organized so that increment corresponding to the current prepayment is not transmitted to the respective consumption points 3 from the transmission station 15 and the control device 9 does not transmit it to the respective consumption points 3. it does not take into account, but the value that represents the absolute future value of the counter at which the current pre-paid amount for consumption is exhausted is transferred to the consumption counter 7 of the respective consumption point 3. Such transmission and processing of absolute counter status data instead of increments of allocated quantities for consumption has the advantage that, for safety reasons, multiple transmission of the respective value message from the broadcast station 15 to the respective consumption point 3 can be effected without problems. If only increments of assigned quantities were transmitted for consumption and always

• ·· · · ···· ·· · ·· · • · • • · ·· • ··· • · · · · • · · • · · • · · • · • · · • · · • · • • · · ··· ·· · · · · · ·· ···

should be added to the corresponding control devices 9, it would be necessary to ensure that duplication or duplication does not occur. multiplying the allocated amount at the consumption point 3. When transferring the counter status data as consumption quantity data, the on-site control device 9 does not add any quantity allocation data * for consumption, but downloads the currently transmitted data for comparison with the actually consumed quantity.

Let us point out that in the system as shown in the location of the respective consumption point 3, the pre-paid consumption monitoring device 4 can be formed as an instrument unit from the consumption counter 7, the control device 9, the locking device 11 and the radio 13 it gets from the battery.

In particular, depending on the circumstances of the respective consumption points 3, it may also be expedient to separate the interlocking device 11 on the one hand and the control device 9 on the other, and logically connect them to each other only by wired or wireless local communication systems. Here, too, simple one-way communication is sufficient, this time from the control device 9 to the locking device 11. This communication system should also be secured by appropriate cryptographic techniques against counterfeiting, duplication, replay and other manipulation techniques. In addition, the interlocking device 11 should be able to stop supplying the assigned consumption point 3 with the medium even without supplying external auxiliary power if invalid, especially handling, suspicious signals from the control device 9 to the interlocking device H are transmitted.

In the design separation of the control device 9 on one side and the consumption counter 7, respectively. For example, a plurality of consumption counters (e.g., multiple offtake counters in a single apartment) and corresponding multiple plumbing devices 11 can be associated with one common control device 9 when designing the device elements 7, 9, H, 13. In order to control consumption, the individual components can be implemented for operation on the network, while the other battery operated components can be connected via radio. It is therefore possible to place

• ·· • · • ··· ·· • · • · ···· • ··· ·· · • · • · • · • · · • · • • · ·· ·· · · · · · · · · ·

the consumption counter 7 and the blocking device 11 at the installation-technically advantageous points of the water supply network at the consumption point 3, while the radio receiver 13 is located at another location which is technically more advantageous in terms of transmission.

To save electric current, resp. In order to extend the life of the batteries, it can generally be assumed within the scope of the invention that the radio receivers will not operate continuously but will only switch on occasionally, for example, for one minute per hour or per second per minute, etc. If these periodic switching points are selected according to certain rules, including the organization of the broadcasting of the broadcasting center 15, a correspondingly adapted broadcasting operation can be realized in which the respective point of consumption is addressed to the transmitter 15 only when it is ready for reception. A simplification would be, for example, if the switch-on intervals were arranged so that they correspond in time to the last two digits of the radio address. Then, the clearing house can, for example, sort the respective value transfer requests according to the last two digits and transmit the value transfer messages only at an appropriate time interval. Thus, despite the operation of the receivers 13 in time intervals, the overall transmission capacity of the broadcasting system is not reduced. However, the clock of the transmitter 15 and the receivers 13 need to be synchronized. However, since the transmitter 15 can also send regular general messages ("for all") in addition to targeted (addressed) value transfer messages, it could also synchronize the clock of all receivers 13.

The latter aspect can of course also be applied to the usage control system according to any one of claims 18 to 25 (original claims).

Claims (12)

1. System to control consumption, respectively. the use of a medium, such as electricity, water, gas, heat and the like, at individual consumption points (3), whereby each consumption point (3) can be allocated an appropriate amount * of consumption for consumption, in particular after payment in advance or to be supplied by the media supplier for the respective consumption point, each consumption point (3) being equipped with a consumption monitoring device (4) and each consumption monitoring device (4) comprising the following elements: (a) a consumption metering device (7) to record the actual consumption of the medium at the appropriate consumption point (3); (b) a controllable blocking device (11) by means of which the supply of the medium to the relevant consumption point (3) can be interrupted if the allocated quantity for consumption is actually used up; and c) a control device (9) controlling the interlocking device (11) which compares the actual consumption of the medium recorded by the consumption measuring device (7) with the corresponding allocated amount of consumption and activates the interlocking device (11) to block the supply of the medium to the site (3) consumption, if the allocated amount for consumption has been exhausted by actual consumption of the medium, the control device (9) comprising a radio receiver (13), characterized in that the radio receivers (13) are designed and suitable for receiving information signals from the central office (15) for transmitting data containing information on the respective allocated amounts for consumption, and that these radio receivers (13) are part of a one-way data radio communication system which foresees data transmission from the data transmission central (15) to the radio receivers (13); each radio receiver (13) being from a central broadcasting center (15) and unambiguously addressable so that data on the allocation of quantities for consumption can be transferred individually assigned to the relevant consumption point (3). System according to claim 1, characterized in that the information on the allocation of the quantities for consumption transmitted by the information signal comprises: • ·· • · • ··· • · · · · • · • · • · · ···· ·· • · · ··· · · • · · · · · ·· ·· · · ··· ·· · · the absolute value of the assigned quantity assigned to the relevant consumption point (3), which corresponds to or is proportional to the value of the counter of the consumption measuring device, when the current allocated quantity for consumption is reached, and wherein the control device (9) is adjusted to compares the absolute value of the assigned quantity for consumption or, where appropriate, proportional to it, with the actual consumption of the medium at the place of consumption (3). System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that from the broadcasting station (15) to the respective receiver (13), the information signals are always transmitted by cryptographically signed data, which can be processed by the respective control device (9). System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that cryptographically encoded data, which can be processed by the respective control device (9), is always transmitted from the transmitting station (15) to the respective receiver (13). System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control device (9) switches each of its receivers (13) only at certain times assigned to the receiver, in particular periodically, into a readiness state for receiving, and that the central unit (15) only communicates with the respective receiver (13) at certain times. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each control device (9) comprises an electronic clock and that the broadcast center (15) can transmit synchronization signals to the clocks of the control devices of all consumption points (3) together. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in one consumption monitoring device (4) the devices (7) are • ·· • · • ··· • · • · • · ···· • · · · · · • · • · • · ·· ·· · · · · · · · · · for measuring consumption, the locking device (11) and the control device (9) connected to a single instrument unit. System according to claim 7, characterized in that the instrumentation receives its operating current from a battery or accumulator. System according to claim 6, characterized in that the consumption measuring device, which is preferably operated with the battery, is arranged separately from the control device and the locking device and communicates at least unidirectionally, for example by radio, with the control device. System according to claim 6, characterized in that the locking device is arranged separately from the consumption measuring device and the control device and that the control device communicates at least unidirectionally, for example by radio, with the locking device. System according to any one of claims 6 to 10, characterized in that the consumption monitoring device comprises at least one device (17) for displaying information on the amount allocated for consumption and / or the actual consumption of the medium and / or the remaining asset per quantity. consumption. System according to any one of claims 6 to 11, characterized in that the locking device (11) comprises a locking mechanism that allows the locking device (11) to enter a locked state if the power monitoring device enters an irregular operating state. , such as short-circuiting, line breaks, and the like.