The "Metrology Development Plan (2021-2035)" clearly states that metrology projects benefiting the people should be implemented, and the construction of relevant metrology infrastructure for water supply, gas supply, heating, electricity, communication, public transportation, logistics distribution, disaster prevention and risk avoidance, etc. should be strengthened to enhance the metrology guarantee capacity for grassroots people's livelihood. Focusing on areas of people's livelihood such as precision medicine, wearable devices, sports and fitness, and elderly care, we will improve the relevant metrological guarantee system and lay a solid metrological foundation for a high-quality life.
Electronic price scales are used for the settlement of market commodity trade and are closely related to people's lives. They are important measuring instruments for the state to implement compulsory management and an important technical support for realizing the people's aspiration for a better life and social equity. In recent years, the state has vigorously promoted the construction of social undertakings in the field of people's livelihood. As a commonly used device for weighing and trade settlement in the field of people's livelihood consumption, the market share of electronic pricing scales has been increasing year by year. Taking farmers' markets as an example, there are over 1,300 farmers' markets in Zhejiang Province, with more than 100,000 merchants (stalls), involving approximately 29,000 electronic pricing scales for trade settlement. Based on 500 transaction data per scale per day, 14.5 million weighing settlement data are involved on that day. A huge amount of data is scattered across various markets. Improving the data quality of weighing and settlement and ensuring the accuracy and reliability of trade settlement measurement data from electronic pricing scales are of vital importance to the real interests of every consumer. At present, the management of electronic price scales in China adopts a model of type approval plus mandatory verification to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the measurement values. According to the new product management Measures for Measuring instruments, the application shall be submitted by the electronic pricing scale manufacturing enterprise
After the type test by the authorized provincial metrological verification institution is qualified, the provincial market supervision and administration bureau will issue a type approval certificate, which will serve as the legal ID card for market access of the electronic pricing scale. During the usage process, to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the measurement value, verification shall be carried out once a year in accordance with the requirements of the metrological verification regulations. Only after passing the verification can it be put back into use.
There are four major problems under the current management model of electronic pricing scales:
(1) During the interval between two cycle verifications, it is impossible to confirm in real time whether the electronic pricing scale is inaccurate [3]. At present, the electronic pricing scales used by individual merchants are composed of single-chip microcomputers and peripheral circuits. The product technology is simple and the price is low. It lacks Internet of Things functions, and the accuracy of the measurement cannot be perceived in real time. Consumers only know in trade settlements that the electronic pricing scales they use have been verified as qualified and whether they are accurate during use, lacking real-time online measurement data support.
(2) The daily verification time and human resource cost input are large [4]. On average, it takes 30 minutes to complete the verification of each scale in accordance with the verification regulations. The number of items verified by one person in a day is about 16, which is not very efficient. The current personnel and equipment of the metrological verification institution are difficult to meet the huge verification demand.
(3) In the circulation field, there are a few unscrupulous individuals who, under the guise of maintenance, damage the accuracy of measuring instruments through equipment modification, installation of cheating functional components, etc., to make illegal profits. Due to their strong mobility, supervision and investigation have not achieved full coverage.
(4) Regarding the deficiencies of electronic pricing scales at both the regulatory and consumer ends
There is a lack of timely and effective communication Bridges. When consumers have doubts about the weight data of electronic pricing scales in the market, apart from re-weighing on fair scales in the market, there is no other effective feedback channel.
Suggestions for the measurement management of electronic pricing scales
By applying technologies such as the Internet and big data, the product form of electronic pricing scales is reshaped, transforming isolated instruments into Internet of Things weighing systems, and promoting Internet of Things intelligent electronic scales. Innovate the management model of electronic pricing scales, change the traditional single-cycle verification mode, and transform regular supervision into real-time intelligent supervision. Enhance consumer trust in electronic pricing scales, change post-event re-weighing to real-time scanning and verification, and create a fair and orderly consumption environment. The first is to adhere to putting people first. Actively respond to the new demands and expectations of the people, systematically study and solve the pain points, bottlenecks and difficulties that the people are concerned about in the entire process of comprehensive governance of electronic pricing scales, and effectively safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the people and market entities. The second is to adhere to digital and intelligent governance. Adhering to the approach of "big scenarios and small entry points", with "real-time perception and intelligent supervision" at its core, we aim to achieve digital, networked and intelligent management, promote the collaborative and overall intelligent governance of the electronic pricing scale comprehensive governance system, and focus on solving key issues concerning people's livelihood. The third is to adhere to closed-loop management. Improve the management mechanism of "pre-access, strict management during the process, and post-exit", and achieve closed-loop management throughout the entire chain from production and manufacturing, registration and filing, initial inspection, daily use, periodic inspection to maintenance and scrapping.
(1) Reshape the product form of electronic pricing scales, transform isolated instruments into Internet of Things weighing systems, and promote the popularization and application of intelligent networked electronic scales. In response to the current issues where the weighing data of electronic pricing scales cannot be uploaded in real time, or only weighing data and price data are uploaded, without achieving real-time detection of inaccurate weighing, cheating in weighing, unauthorized opening of seals, the existing product form of electronic pricing scales should be changed, and a new type of intelligent electronic pricing scale should be promoted. Guide farmers' markets, supermarkets and convenience stores to give priority to using electronic pricing scales with intelligent network connection functions.
The weighing data, display data and transmission data of the electronic pricing scale are encrypted, and each intelligent networked electronic scale is assigned a standard weighing characteristic curve. The status of the electronic pricing scale, such as whether the weighing is inaccurate, whether the management is out of control, and whether the network is disconnected, can be obtained in real time through the digital management system.