KR20140132187A - An controller - Google Patents

Abstract

A controller according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: an input device for receiving a variety of inputs; an output device for displaying a variety of information; a communication device for receiving device information which is information related to the type and operation state of equipment from a variety of equipment; a memory for storing configuration information about a plurality of components of the equipment depending on the type of the equipment; and a processor to determine a method of displaying the components on the output device in consideration of a correlation between the components of which the equipment with grasping the configuration information includes.

Description

[0001] CONTROLLER [0002]

The present invention relates to a control device for visually displaying an operating state of equipment to be controlled.

In general, the control device is a device for controlling household appliances such as a TV, a video, an audio, an air conditioner, a wired broadcast converter, a satellite broadcast converter, and a fan. In some cases, the control device can control various home appliances remotely via wireless transmission of control frequency or wire communication. The control device may be a device specific to a specific home appliance or a computer equipped with software capable of controlling a specific home appliance.

The control device can control the equipment to be connected. For example, the control device may be applied to an air conditioner. A plurality of indoor units are connected to one outdoor unit, and these indoor units are installed in an indoor room for air conditioning, so that a plurality of air conditioners are installed .

In general, the control device is a device for controlling household appliances such as a TV, a video, an audio, an air conditioner, a wired broadcast converter, a satellite broadcast converter, and a fan. In some cases, the control device can control various home appliances remotely via wireless transmission of control frequency or wire communication. The control device may be a device specific to a specific home appliance or a computer equipped with software capable of controlling a specific home appliance.

The control device can control the equipment to be connected. For example, the control device may be applied to an air conditioner. A plurality of indoor units are connected to one outdoor unit, and these indoor units are installed in an indoor room for air conditioning, so that a plurality of air conditioners are installed .

A control device of an embodiment of the present invention includes an input device receiving various inputs; An output device for displaying various information; A communication device for receiving device information, which is information related to the type or operating state of equipment, from various equipment; A memory for storing configuration information on a plurality of components of the equipment according to the type of the equipment; And a processor that determines a method of displaying the component on the output device in consideration of the correlation between the plurality of components included in the equipment that is identified by the configuration information.

A control device control method according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of: receiving device information, which is information related to the type or operating state of equipment from various equipment; Retrieving configuration information relating to a plurality of components according to the type of the equipment, which is obtained from the equipment information, based on the equipment information; And determining a method to be displayed on the output device in consideration of a correlation between a plurality of components included in the equipment, which is grasped by the configuration information.

The control device of the embodiment of the present invention grasps the common points of components between the equipment to be displayed and the equipment to be displayed when the equipment to display the equipment information is changed and displays the information only by moving the icon without unnecessary loading Thus, the efficiency of information processing can be maximized.

The controller of the embodiment of the present invention can confirm the operation flow of the air conditioner at a glance by checking the data information storing the operating state of the air conditioner with a time series image or character.

The control device of an embodiment of the present invention can display an operation state of the equipments in a language selected by the user to control a wide range of objects.

The control device of the embodiment of the present invention stores the operation status as data information when the indoor unit or the outdoor unit generates a specific period or an error, and when the user needs the data information, it can check the data information of the required time or situation have.

The control device of the embodiment of the present invention can change the device information to be displayed and broaden the range of the equipment to which it can respond according to whether the equipment to communicate is connected to the slave equipment.

The control device according to an embodiment of the present invention displays each component according to the type of equipment to be communicated and displays the operation state and the failure state with an image so that the user can easily confirm the information.

1 illustrates an air conditioner and a refrigerator communicating with a control device and a control device according to an embodiment of the present invention;
2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;
3 is a diagram illustrating a structure of an air conditioner communicating with a controller according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a refrigerator represented by a controller according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.
FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 illustrate communication between a controller and an air conditioner or a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.
FIGS. 7 to 10 are views showing screens output by the output device of the control device according to the embodiment of the present invention; FIG.
11 is a flowchart showing a control method of the control apparatus in one embodiment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The advantages and features of the present invention, and the manner of achieving them, will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. To fully disclose the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art, and the invention is only defined by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification.

The terms first, second, etc. may be used to describe various elements, but such elements are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the first contact may be referred to as a second contact, and likewise, the second contact may be referred to as a first contact, It is all contact, but not the same contact.

The terms used in the description of the invention are intended to be illustrative only of specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. As used in the description of the invention and the appended claims, the singular forms are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The use of an indication may denote either or both of the singular and plural forms of the term and vice versa.

It will be understood that the term "and / or" refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the listed related items. The terms "comprises" and / or "comprising" when used in this specification specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, But do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

The term " if, "as used herein refers to the term" when "or" upon ", or" in response to determining "or" Quot; and "to " Similarly, the phrase " when determined "or" when an " specified condition or event is detected " Quot; or "in response to detecting [the specified condition or event]. &Quot;

In the following, embodiments of computing devices, user interfaces for such devices, and related processes for utilizing such devices may be described.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 is a view showing an air conditioner and a refrigerator communicating with a control device and a control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a control device 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention can communicate with various equipments. For example, the controller 140 may communicate with the outdoor unit 120, the indoor unit 130, or the refrigerator 110.

The control device 150 can receive device information, which is information related to the type of the equipment or the operation status from the various equipment. The control device 150 can communicate with a plurality of equipments. For example, the control device 140 may communicate with a master facility device or a slave facility device. The control device 140 can send control signals to the master equipment or the slave equipment to control them individually.

The control device 140 may receive different device information depending on the connected equipment among the master equipment or the slave equipment. For example, when communicating with the master equipment, the controller 140 determines whether master equipment information including the operating state of the master equipment and all the slave equipment information including the operating state of the slave equipment connected to the master equipment Lt; / RTI >

For example, the master equipment may be an air conditioner for harmonizing the indoor air. When the master equipment is an air conditioner, the controller 140 can receive master device information, which is device information of the air conditioner, and slave device information, which is device information of the slave equipment, from the outdoor unit 120.

When the control device 140 communicates with the slave equipment, the slave equipment can receive the device information of the slave equipment. The control device 140 can transmit a control signal for controlling the operation of the equipment.

1, the control device 140 is illustrated as a notebook computer. However, the control device 140 is not limited to the type of the notebook computer, but may be any type of device capable of operating a program, such as a notebook computer, a tablet PC, have.

For example, the slave equipment communicating with the master facility equipment may be a refrigerator. For example, an outdoor unit of an air conditioner, which is a master equipment, and a refrigerator which is a slave equipment can exchange refrigerant. The control device 140 can indicate the exchange of refrigerant between the air conditioner and the refrigerator.

The control device 140 of one embodiment can communicate with the air conditioner or the refrigerator. 2. Description of the Related Art Generally, an air conditioner is a cooling / heating system in which a room is cooled by a repetitive action of sucking hot air in a room and exchanging heat with coolant at a low temperature, Condenser - expansion valve - evaporator to form a series of cycles.

2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a control apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2, a control device 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a control device that controls the operation of a facility device and includes an output device 230, a communication device 240, a processor 210, a memory When there is at least one slave equipment that is stored in the memory 220 and is executed by the processor 210 and connected to the master equipment to which the communication device 240 is connected, The slave device information including the master device information including the operation state of the master equipment and the slave device information including the operation state of the slave equipment connected to the master equipment are received and the master device information or the slave device information is displayed in a time- Program.

The processor 210 may perform various functions for the control device 140 and may execute or perform various software programs and / or sets of instructions stored in the memory 220 to process the data. The processor 210 may process the signal based on information stored in the memory 220.

For example, the processor 210 may display the data stored in the memory 220 with the output device 230, or may execute a program stored in the memory 220. [

The processor 210 may change the appliance to be displayed by the output device. For example, the processor 210 may select an equipment to be displayed as an output device among a plurality of master equipment or a plurality of slave equipment.

The processor 210 may store history data in which the master device information or the slave device information is stored in the memory 220 in the order of time received from the master equipment.

The processor 210 may transmit a control signal to the master equipment to control the operation of the master equipment or the slave equipment. The processor 210 may change the master equipment and the slave equipment to be displayed by the output device 230. [

The processor 210 may perform control to check whether the master equipment or the slave equipment has a failure and a failure location. The processor 210 may determine whether the master equipment and the slave equipment are malfunctioning based on changes in the master equipment information or the slave equipment information.

The processor 210 receives the master device information or the slave device information in real time and displays the master device information or the slave device information on the output device 230 in real time.

The processor 210 can display information on equipment equipments differently corresponding to the type or connection position of equipment equipments corresponding to equipment information received by the communication device 240. [ For example, when the equipment to be connected to the communication device 240 is a refrigerator or an air conditioner, the information to be displayed may vary depending on its constituent elements or operating methods.

The processor 210 can determine the type of the master equipment and the slave equipment based on the master equipment information or the slave equipment information. The processor 210 may display, on the basis of the master device information or the slave device information, the operation status and the failure status of the components of the master equipment and the slave equipment with an image on the output device 230.

The processor 210 may retrieve configuration information from the memory 220. The processor 210 can identify the components included in the equipment based on the configuration information loaded from the memory 220. [

The processor 210 may display the components that the equipment includes. The processor 210 may vary the arrangement of the components when the equipment to be displayed is changed.

The processor 210 may display components of a plurality of equipments connected to the controller. According to an embodiment, the processor 210 may display all of the components of a plurality of equipments connected to the control device by the output device 230, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

For example, the processor 210 may display all of the components of the equipment corresponding to the received equipment information by the output device 230, and may adjust the size, shape, position, have.

For example, the processor 210 may receive the master device information including the operation state of the master equipment, the model information and the failure information from the master equipment, and the slave equipment information of the slave equipment connected to the master equipment .

The processor 210 can identify the components of the master equipment and the slave equipment that have received the device information. The processor 210 may display both the master equipment and the components of the slave equipment with an output device 230.

For example, if the master equipment is an air conditioner and the slave equipment is a refrigerator that communicates with the air conditioner, the processor 210 may be configured to control both the components of the air conditioner and the components of the refrigerator Can be displayed. The components of the air conditioner may be, for example, a heat exchanger, a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve or an evaporator. The components of the refrigerator may be, but are not limited to, heat exchangers, compressors, defrost heaters, condensers, accumulators, and the like.

The processor 210 can grasp the correlation between the components of the equipment that is requested to display the device information. The processor 210 may display all of the components of the plurality of equipments by the output device 230 and adjust the size, shape or arrangement of the components other than the components of the equipments requested to be displayed.

For example, the processor 210 displays the components of the equipment that are requested to display the device information in a size or shape that allows the user to easily recognize the components, The size of the excluded components may be reduced to a minimum and the shape may be simplified, but is not limited thereto.

The processor 210 may change the location at which the output device 230 displays the component when the equipment component for displaying the device information is changed. When the device information is plural and the input device receives an input to change the equipment information to display the equipment information, the processor 210 selects among the components of the equipment corresponding to the equipment information to be displayed, It is possible to correct the coordinates on the output device of the component common to the component of the equipment corresponding to the equipment.

The processor 210 may check the connection state between a plurality of components of the equipment and display the same on the output device 230. [ The processor 210 can correct the size of an output device of a component that is not common with the component of the equipment corresponding to the device information displayed in the device, from among the components of the equipment corresponding to the device information to be displayed.

The processor 210 can display the names of components not common with the components of the equipment corresponding to the equipment information displayed in the equipment, among the components of the equipment corresponding to the equipment information to be displayed.

The processor 210 can change the form on the output device 230 of a component that is not common with the component of the equipment corresponding to the equipment information displayed in the apparatus, among the components of the equipment corresponding to the equipment information to be displayed .

The processor 210 may store the history data in the memory 220 in the order of time in which the device information is received from the equipment. The processor 210 may transmit a control signal for controlling the operation to the facility apparatus connected to the control apparatus. The processor 210 may control equipment connected to the control device. The processor 210 may perform control to check whether the equipment is faulty or faulty. The processor 210 can determine whether or not the equipment has failed based on the change in the equipment information.

The memory 220 may include a high speed random access memory. The memory 220 may also include non-volatile memory, such as, but not limited to, one or more magnetic disk storage devices, flash memory devices, or other non-volatile solid state memory devices.

For example, the memory 220 may include, but is not limited to, Electronically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory (EEP-ROM). The EEP-ROM can be written and erased by the processor 210 during the operation of the processor 210. [ The EEP-ROM may be a storage device in which information stored in the EEPROM is not erased even if power supply to the controller 140 is turned off and the power supply is stopped.

The memory 220 may store various programs or data in cooperation with the processor 20. The program stored by the memory 220 may be executed by the processor 210. [

The memory 220 may store configuration information related to a plurality of components of the equipment according to the type of equipment. The configuration information may include information about each component of the equipment. For example, the configuration information may include shapes or locations for displaying the components of the appliance to the output device 230. The configuration information may be received from each equipment and stored in the memory 220 or received from an external server, but is not limited thereto.

The communication device 240 can communicate with the equipment connected to the control device. When there is at least one slave equipment connected to the master equipment to which the communication device 240 is connected, the program is transmitted from the master equipment to master equipment information including the operating state of the master equipment, The slave device information including the operating state of the slave equipment can be received.

The program stored in the memory 220 may include a program for displaying master device information or slave device information in an output device in a time series manner. For example, the program may cause the communication device 240 to receive the equipment information of the equipment when there is an input to confirm the operation status of the equipment to which the control device 140 communicates.

The device information of the equipment to be received by the communication device 240 may include model information or configuration information of the equipment. The processor 210 may execute a program to determine the model and configuration of the equipment from the equipment information, and display the operation state of the equipment with the output device 230.

The processor 210 can receive the device information from the selected object when the object to be communicated is selected among the equipments. The processor 210 may include an interface through which one or more slave equipment connected to the selected master equipment can select an object to receive the device information.

The master facility apparatus may be a facility apparatus communicating with the control apparatus 140, and the slave facility apparatus may be a facility apparatus communicating with the master facility apparatus. The slave equipment can send its equipment information to the master equipment.

The processor 210 may display an output device 230 with an interface through which the equipment can be selected to display the device information. When the user selects the device information to be checked, the processor 210 can display the device information of the equipment selected by the output device 230. [

The processor 210 may display the device information of the equipment by the output device 230. The processor 210 may display device information of the equipment in real time. Processor 210 may display output device 230 as soon as communication device 240 receives device information.

The processor 210 may display an operation of the equipment based on the equipment information of the equipment. For example, if the master equipment is an air conditioner and the slave equipment is a refrigerator, the processor 210 may indicate the movement of the refrigerant between the air conditioner and the refrigerator.

For example, when the master equipment is an air conditioner and the slave equipment is a refrigerator, the processor 210 receives information on the type of refrigerant used by the air conditioner and the refrigerator, Can be displayed.

The processor 210 may store the device information in the memory 220 in the order of time that the communication device 240 received. For example, the processor 210 may organize and store the master device information or the slave device information according to the temporal order received from the master equipment in the memory 220.

In one embodiment, processor 210 may store device information in memory 220 at regular intervals. The processor 210 may control the period of storing device information of the equipment. For example, the processor 210 may display the output device 230 with an interface through which the device information of the equipment can be stored.

The processor 210 may display the operating state in a time-series image. The processor 210 may display a time-series change in the operating state of the air conditioner, which is an operating state, as an image. The processor 210 may cause the output device 230 to display the operation state in real time, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

The air conditioner may further include a pipe connecting the indoor unit and the outdoor unit, and a valve controlling the flow of the pipe. The processor 210 may display an operation state of the indoor unit, the outdoor unit, the piping, or the valve by color change.

For example, the processor 210 may display the fan operation state of the outdoor unit as an image in which the rotary vane rotates. The processor 210 may indicate the fan operation speed of the outdoor unit at a speed at which the rotary vane rotates.

For example, the processor 210 may display a blue color when the output device 230 has a fluid flow in the pipe. For example, the processor 210 may indicate whether the valve is on or off by displaying the shape and color of the valve.

The processor 210 may adjust the reproduction speed of the image. The processor 210 may display a window for receiving the playback speed of the image.

The output device 230 may include a speaker for outputting sound or a display device for emitting light to perform a visual display. The input device (not shown) may include means for accepting inputs from the outside such as physical buttons, dials, slider switches, and click wheels.

The output device 230 may be a light emitting polymer display (LPD), a liquid crystal display, a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display, an organic light-emitting diode, a flexible display a flexible display, and a 3D display. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

According to an embodiment, the output device 230 may include a touch sensitive touch screen. The touch sensitive touch screen may display a visual output to the user and accept input from the user based on the tactile touch.

The visual output may include graphics, text, icons, video, and combinations thereof. Depending on the embodiment, some or all of the visual output may correspond to user interface entities.

The touch sensitive touch screen may detect a contact thereon and convert the detected contact into corresponding user interface entities displayed on the touch screen.

The output device 230 may display information for controlling the object to which the control device 140 is connected. When the control device 140 controls the air conditioner or the refrigerator, the output device 230 may display information necessary for harmonizing air or necessary information for refrigeration.

For example, the output device 230 can display an operation mode such as cooling, heating, dehumidifying or air cleaning of the air conditioner, and can display the room temperature, the wind direction, the presence or absence of a heat source in the room, The present invention is not limited to this, and it is possible to display information of a wide range necessary for control.

The communication device 240 can use a wireless or wired communication method in communication with the equipment, but is not limited thereto. The communication device 240 can receive the device information from the equipment. The communication device 240 may transmit the device information received from the equipment to the processor 210. [

When the communication device 240 wirelessly communicates with the facility device, the communication device 240 may include an RF (Radio Frequency) circuit. The communication device 240 can transmit and receive RF signals, which are electromagnetic signals. The RF circuit converts electrical signals and electromagnetic signals to each other, and can communicate with the communication network and other communication devices through electromagnetic signals.

For example, the RF circuitry may include, but is not limited to, an antenna system, an RF transceiver, one or more amplifiers, a tuner, one or more oscillators, a digital signal processor, a CODEC chipset, Lt; / RTI > circuit.

In another embodiment, the communication device 240 may be a wireless communication device such as Bluetooth, Radio Frequency Identification, IrDA, Ultra Wideband, ZigBee, Wi- Fi may be used, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

4 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a refrigerator represented by a controller according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4, the refrigerator of the embodiment includes a memory 320, a sensing unit 330, a heat exchanger 340, a compressor 350, a refrigerator fan 360, a freezer fan 370, a defrost heater 380, A condenser fan 390, and a controller 310 for controlling the overall operation of the refrigerator.

The sensing unit 330 may include a temperature sensor (not shown) for sensing the temperature inside the refrigerator, a defrost sensor (not shown) for detecting the temperature of the surface of the evaporator to determine whether the defrosting operation is performed, A refrigerator fan motor sensor (not shown) for sensing whether the refrigerator compartment fan 360 is operating normally, a freezer compartment fan motor sensor (not shown) for sensing whether the refrigerator compartment fan 370 is operating normally, And a condenser fan motor sensor (not shown) for sensing whether the condenser fan 390 operates normally to generate heat generated from the condenser during heat exchange with the refrigerant.

The memory 320 may store device information including an operating state of the refrigerator. The device information may store device information indicating an operation state sensed by the sensing unit 330 for a predetermined period of time during operation of the refrigerator.

The refrigerator performs a circulation cycle in which the refrigerant circulates along the refrigerant pipe and is compressed, expanded, evaporated, and condensed. The refrigerator performs refrigeration or freezing while heat exchange with ambient air is performed due to a phase change of the refrigerant during the circulation cycle. To this end, a compressor 350 for compressing the refrigerant, an expansion valve for expanding the refrigerant, a heat exchanger serving as an evaporator for evaporating the refrigerant, and a heat exchanger serving as a condenser for condensing the refrigerant may be provided.

FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 are diagrams illustrating communication between a controller and an air conditioner or a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The control device 140 can communicate with the equipment. The control device 140 can determine whether the partner equipment that performs communication is a master equipment. The control device 140 can receive the device information from the master facility device. The control device 140 can also receive the device information of the slave equipment when the master equipment includes the slave equipment below.

For example, the control device 140 can communicate with the outdoor unit 120 of the air conditioner. The control device 140 can set the outdoor unit 120 as a master equipment, and receive master device information and slave device information from it.

For example, when the master facility equipment to which the control device 140 communicates is an air conditioner and the slave equipments located under the air conditioner is a refrigerator, the refrigerator transmits device information about its operating state to the air conditioner To the outdoor unit (120) of the vehicle.

The outdoor unit 120 can receive slave device information from the connected indoor unit 130 and the refrigerator 110. The outdoor unit 120 can transmit the master device information and the slave device information to the control device 140 at the request of the control device 140. [

The master equipment can receive slave equipment information from the slave equipment at any time. The control device 140 can receive master device information and slave device information from the master equipment in real time.

Referring to FIG. 6, the control device 140 can communicate with the equipment. The control device 140 can communicate with the slave equipment.

Slave equipment and master equipment can perform one-way communication. For example, the slave equipment can transmit the slave equipment information to the master equipment. The slave equipment may or may not have other slave equipment at the bottom.

If the slave equipment does not have other slave equipment at the bottom, it can transmit only the slave equipment information to the control unit 140. The control device 140 can display the device information received from the equipment device as an output device.

7 to 10 are views showing screens output by the output device of the control device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7, the control device may display the device information as an output device. For example, when a facility device to be checked for device information is selected, the control device can output a screen that allows the output device to select a slave device connected to the selected master facility device. For example, when displaying the device information of the air conditioner, the control device may display the outdoor device, which is the master facility device, and the indoor device, which is the slave facility device, but is not limited thereto.

In another embodiment, the control device may display device information of the refrigerator which is a slave facility device. In the case where the control device displays the device information of the refrigerator, the components of the refrigerator and the operation status thereof may be displayed, and the master equipment may not be displayed, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

The display window 210 may include, but is not limited to, an operation mode of the equipment, an error, product information, and on-site information of the equipment. The display window 210 may display the above-mentioned various information by reflecting the model information and the configuration information.

The device information window 220 can display device information of the equipment. The operation state of the equipment to be displayed may be changed in accordance with the model information stored in the device information window 220 by the control device. For example, the control device can grasp the model information of the equipment based on the equipment information received from the equipment, and can change the displayed list accordingly.

The device information window 220 may display the target pressure, the current pressure, the compression ratio, the room temperature, the operation of each component, the operation of the valve, and the like of the equipment, but the type of the display information is not limited.

The device information window 220 can display the operation statuses of the master equipment and the slave equipment. The device information window 220 can display the operation status of each component of the equipment by color. The device information window 220 can display information on connection relationships of a plurality of equipments.

The graph window 230 may display a plurality of device information tabs 238 at the top and may select one of the plurality of device information tabs 238, You can graph the values. For example, the plurality of device information tabs 238 may correspond to the pressure of the equipment, the temperature of the air to which the equipment is harmonized, the compressor discharge temperature, the EEV opening, the fan speed, and the like.

The graph window 230 may display the graph reflecting the model information derived from the equipment information of the equipment and the configuration information indicating the components of the equipment. The device information tab 238 may include various parameters of the equipment included in the configuration information. The graph window 230 may display a graph corresponding to the selected device information tab 238.

When the monitoring tab T101 is selected from among the plurality of display type tabs 228, the output device can display the operating status of the equipment in a character or picture. When a detailed graph (T130) tab is selected from a plurality of display type tabs 228, the output device can display a graphical representation of the operating status of the equipment. For example, the operation state may include a plurality of pieces of device information, and the graph may display a plurality of pieces of device information by lines of different colors, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

The control device may receive device information indicating the current or past operating state from the selected master equipment or slave equipment when the master equipment or slave equipment to be checked is selected, It is possible to display only the device information of the selected equipment after receiving master device information and slave device information from the master equipment.

When receiving the device information, the control device can display the operation status of the equipment selected by the output device. When receiving the device information, the control device can display the connection status among the plurality of selected equipment devices. For example, the control device may display a time-series image or characters of the outdoor unit, the indoor unit, the connection state between the outdoor unit and the indoor unit, or the connection state between the outdoor unit and the refrigerator.

For example, if the master equipment is an air conditioner and the slave equipment is a refrigerator, the controller can display a table showing the respective operating states (table 224). In the table 224 in FIG. 7, numerical values under M are the operating states of the master equipments, and numerals under S1 are the operating states of the slave equipments.

The control device can display the received device information in a language desired by the user. For example, if the received device information is stored in a first language, the controller may cause the output device to display the device information in a second language selected by the user.

The control device can store the device information at a constant cycle. The control device can determine the period of storing the device information of the master equipment device or the slave equipment device. The control device can determine the period during which the device information is stored. The control device can delete the device information when the storage period is exceeded from the time when the device information is stored.

The control device can change the storage period and the storage period for storing the history data. The control device can display a window for changing the storage period and the storage period in the output device.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, the controller can display device information in a time-series image. The control device can display a time-series change in the device information, which is the operating state of the air conditioner, as an image. The control device can output the device information in real time to the output device, but it is not limited thereto, and the device information can be displayed as a video at a desired speed.

When the master equipment is an air conditioner and the slave equipment is a refrigerator, the air conditioner and the refrigerator can be connected to a pipe for exchanging refrigerant. The piping may have a valve for regulating the flow. The control device can display the operation state of the valve controlling the flow of the refrigerant in the air conditioner, the refrigerator, the piping or the piping by the color change.

For example, the control device can display the operating state of the fan inside the equipment by an image in which the rotating blades rotate. The control device can indicate the operating speed of the fan inside the equipment at the speed at which the rotating blades rotate.

For example, the control device can display in blue when the output device 50 has a fluid flow in the pipe. For example, the program may indicate whether the valve is on / off by displaying the shape and color of the valve.

The control device can adjust the reproduction speed of the image indicating the operation state of the equipment. The control device can display a window for receiving the playback speed of the video.

The controller can display the outdoor unit display area V110 indicating the outdoor unit and the indoor unit display area V120 indicating the indoor unit when the equipment to display the device information is the air conditioner (FIG. 8A).

The output device can display an outdoor unit selection button T 140 for selecting an outdoor unit to be displayed and an indoor unit selection button T 150 for selecting an indoor unit to be displayed. For example, when there are a plurality of outdoor units or indoor units, the user can select an outdoor unit or an indoor unit to check the device information using the outdoor unit selection button T 140 or the indoor unit selection button T 150. The control device may display a pipe connecting the outdoor unit and the indoor unit and a valve controlling the flow of the pipe.

For example, the control device can represent the fan speed of the outdoor unit at the speed at which the rotary vane revolves. The control device can express the error of the fan of the outdoor unit by the color of the rotating blades. For example, when the fan of the outdoor unit is normal, the control unit may display the color of the rotary blades in blue, and when an error occurs in the fan of the outdoor unit, the color of the rotary blades may be displayed in red, but it is not limited thereto.

The controller can display the normal flow of the flow in the pipe V130 in different colors. The control device can display the pipe V130 in a blue color when the flow of the pipe V130 is normal and the pipe V130 in red when an error occurs in the flow of the pipe V130.

The control device can display a configuration different from that of the air conditioner when the equipment to display the device information is a refrigerator (Fig. 8B). For example, referring to Fig. 8A, when the equipment to be displayed is an air conditioner, the control device may display an accumulator 210 (Fig. 8A) that blocks liquid refrigerant from entering the compressor, When the equipment to be displayed is a refrigerator, the control device displays the receiver 310 so as to be positioned between the condenser and the expansion device, so that the position of the component to be displayed may change.

For example, referring to Fig. 8A, the types of compressors to be displayed may be different from each other when the equipment to be displayed is an air conditioner or when the equipment to be displayed is a refrigerator (Fig. 8 220 and 320 in FIG. 8 (B)).

For example, when the control device indicates the operation state of the master facility device as the air conditioner and the slave facility device as the refrigerator, the control device may show the pipe for allowing the air conditioner and the refrigerator to exchange refrigerant with each other. The control device shows a valve (230 in Fig. 8 (A) and 330 in Fig. 8 (B)) for controlling the flow of refrigerant in the pipe, and can display the flow of refrigerant and the operation state of the valve.

The control device may display a selection tab (T160) in which the user can select the equipment to be checked for the device information. For example, when there are a plurality of slave facility devices connected to the master facility device, the control device can select the equipment device to confirm the device information.

The control device can change the equipment to display the device information. For example, when the control device displays the device information of the air conditioner and is instructed to display the device information of the refrigerator, the screen configuration of the output device 150 may be changed.

For example, the control device can display all the components of a plurality of equipments that have received the device information with the output device. The control device may vary the size, shape or positions of the plurality of components displayed by the output device, depending on the situation.

The control device can correct the size of a component on the output device that is not common with the component of the equipment corresponding to the device information displayed in the equipment, corresponding to the equipment information to be displayed.

The control device can display the name (240, 340) in the component elements that are not common with the components of the equipment component corresponding to the device information displayed in the apparatus, among components of the equipment component corresponding to the device information to be displayed.

The control device can change the type of the component on the output device that is not common with the components of the equipment corresponding to the equipment information displayed in the equipment, from among the components of the equipment corresponding to the equipment information to be displayed.

For example, when displaying the device information of the air conditioner, the control device can display the accumulator (A, 210 in Fig. 8) as an icon easy to understand by the user, When receiving the command, the size, shape or position of the accumulator can be changed and displayed (Fig. 8 (B), 340).

For example, when displaying the device information of the refrigerator, the control device may display the receiver (FIG. 8 (B), 310) as an easy-to-see icon by the user, When receiving the command, the size, shape or position of the receiver can be changed and displayed (Fig. 8 (A), 240).

9, when a plurality of pieces of equipment information are received and an input for changing the equipment equipment to display the equipment information is received, among the components of the equipment equipment corresponding to the equipment information to be displayed, It is possible to correct the coordinates on the output device of the component common to the component of the equipment corresponding to the information. 9 (A), the receiver which is a component of the refrigerator can be represented by a small simple icon. In Fig. 9B, the receiver, which is a component of the refrigerator, can be displayed as a concrete icon so that the user can intuitively understand which constituent element, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

For example, in Fig. 9 (A), x and y in a command img (x, y, w, h) designating a receiver which is a component of the refrigerator, Horizontal position and vertical position, and w and h may be the width and height of the component icon.

Img (x, y, w, h), which is a command for designating a receiver which is a component of the refrigerator, is determined by the horizontal position of the position displayed on the output device of the component, You can adjust the vertical position and the width and height of the component icons (img (x ', y', w ', h').

Referring to FIG. 10, the graph window A can display device information of the equipments in real time. The graph window A can display the device information corresponding to the selected device information tab according to the flow of time.

The control device 150 displays an image window (not shown) for displaying the device information of the home appliance in a time-series motion picture when the image tab (not shown) is selected from a plurality of display style tabs can do.

11 is a flowchart showing a control method of the control apparatus of one embodiment.

11, a method of operating a control device according to an embodiment includes receiving (S510) device information, which is information related to the type or operation state of equipment, from various equipment devices, A step S530 of determining a method to be displayed on the output device in consideration of a correlation between a plurality of constituent elements included in the equipments recognized as the constituent information (step S530) .

The control device can receive the device information from the equipment device (S510). The control device can display the received device information in real time on the output device. For example, the control device may display it as an output device upon receiving the device information.

The control device can receive the device information from the master facility device. The control device can receive master device information indicating the operation state of the master equipment from the master equipment. The control device can receive the slave device information from the master equipment.

The step (S520) of loading configuration information related to a plurality of components corresponding to the type of the facility device identified by the device information can prepare the screen configuration by calling the configuration information from the memory. The configuration information may be information on the constituent elements included in each of the plurality of equipments connected to the control apparatus. The control device can determine the components of the equipments to be displayed by the output device based on the configuration information.

Based on the configuration information, the control device displays the components of the equipment with the output device, and can display the operation of the equipment in a time-series manner based on the received equipment information.

(S530) of determining a method to be displayed on the output device in consideration of a correlation among a plurality of components included in the equipment, which is determined by the configuration information, includes a step of determining whether the component is to be displayed on the output device, Can be determined.

In the step S530 of determining the manner of displaying on the output device, when the equipment to be displayed on the device information is changed, the display position of the component can be changed.

In the step S530 of determining the method, when the device information is plural and the input for changing the equipment to display the device information is received, among the components of the equipment corresponding to the device information to be displayed, It is possible to correct the coordinates on the output device of the component common to the component of the equipment corresponding to the equipment.

The control device control method of one embodiment may further include a step of identifying a connection state between a plurality of components of the equipment and displaying the connection state with an output device. For example, the control device can display the flow of the coolant or the like between the components by the output device based on the device information.

The step of determining a method (S530) is to correct the size of a component on the output device of a component not common to the component of the equipment corresponding to the device information displayed in the apparatus .

The step of determining the method (S530) may display the name of a component that is not common with the component of the equipment corresponding to the equipment information displayed in the equipment, from among the components of the equipment corresponding to the equipment information to be displayed.

The present invention is not necessarily limited to these embodiments, as all the constituent elements constituting the embodiment of the present invention have been described as being combined or combined in one operation. Within the scope of the present invention, depending on the embodiment, all of the components may operate selectively in combination with one or more.

All of the components may be implemented as one independent hardware, but a part or all of the components may be selectively combined to provide a computer having a program module that performs some or all of the functions combined in one or a plurality of hardware May be implemented as a program.

A plurality of codes and code segments constituting a computer program may be easily deduced by those skilled in the art. Such a computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, readable and executed by a computer, thereby realizing an embodiment of the present invention. As the storage medium of the computer program, a magnetic recording medium, an optical recording medium, a carrier wave medium, or the like may be included.

It is to be understood that the terms "comprises", "comprising", or "having" as used in the foregoing description mean that the constituent element can be implanted unless specifically stated to the contrary, But should be construed as further including other elements.

All terms, including technical and scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs, unless otherwise defined.

Commonly used terms, such as predefined terms, should be interpreted to be consistent with the contextual meanings of the related art, and are not to be construed as ideal or overly formal, unless expressly defined to the contrary.

The foregoing description is merely illustrative of the technical idea of the present invention, and various changes and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention.

The embodiments of the present invention are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention but to limit the scope of the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention should be construed according to the following claims, and all technical ideas falling within the scope of the same shall be construed as falling within the scope of the present invention.

110: Refrigerator
120: outdoor unit
130: indoor unit
140: Control device

Claims (16)

An input device for receiving various inputs;
An output device for displaying various information;
A communication device for receiving device information, which is information related to the type or operating state of equipment, from various equipment;
A memory for storing configuration information on a plurality of components of the equipment according to the type of the equipment; And
And a processor for determining a method of displaying the component on the output device in consideration of a correlation between a plurality of components included in the equipment that is identified by the configuration information. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the processor changes the position at which the output device displays the component when the equipment component to display the device information is changed. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein when the device information is plural and the input device receives an input for changing the equipment to display the device information,
Wherein the processor corrects the coordinates on the output device of a component common to the components of the equipment corresponding to the equipment information displayed in the equipment among the components of the equipment corresponding to the equipment information to be displayed. The method of claim 3,
Wherein the processor grasps a connection state between a plurality of components of the equipment, and displays the connection state with the output device. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the processor corrects the size of a component on the output device that is not common with the component of the equipment corresponding to the device information displayed in the equipment among the components of the equipment corresponding to the device information to be displayed. 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the processor displays the name of a component that is not common with the component of the equipment corresponding to the device information displayed previously, out of the components of the equipment corresponding to the device information to be displayed. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the processor changes the type of a component on the output device that is not common to the components of the equipment corresponding to the equipment information displayed in the equipment among the components of the equipment corresponding to the equipment information to be displayed. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the processor stores history data in which the device information is summarized in a time order received from the equipment. The method according to claim 1,
And said processor transmits a control signal for controlling operation to said equipment. The method according to claim 1,
The processor performs control for checking whether the equipment is faulty or faulty,
And determines whether or not the equipment has failed based on the change of the equipment information. Receiving device information, which is information related to the type or operating state of the equipment, from various equipment;
Retrieving configuration information relating to a plurality of components corresponding to the type of the facility equipment grasped by the device information; And
And determining a method to be displayed on the output device in consideration of a correlation between a plurality of components included in the equipment that is grasped by the configuration information. 12. The method of claim 11,
The method comprising:
And changes the position at which the component is displayed when the equipment to be displayed is changed. 13. The method of claim 12,
The method comprising:
Wherein when the device information is plural and an input for changing the equipment to display the device information is received,
And corrects the coordinates on the output device of the component common to the components of the equipment corresponding to the equipment information displayed in the apparatus, from among the components of the equipment corresponding to the equipment information to be displayed. 12. The method of claim 11,
Further comprising the step of identifying the connection state between a plurality of components of the equipment and displaying the connection state with the output device. 12. The method of claim 11,
The method comprising:
And corrects the size of a component on the output device that is not common with the component of the equipment corresponding to the device information displayed in the apparatus, corresponding to the device information to be displayed. 12. The method of claim 11,
The method comprising:
Wherein the name of a component which is not common with the component of the equipment corresponding to the equipment information displayed in the past is displayed from among the components of the equipment corresponding to the equipment information to be displayed.

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