CN111578325A - Thermodynamic device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a thermodynamic device. The thermal equipment is provided with a main control part, a communication module and a switching part, wherein the main control part is connected with the power supply part and controls the action of the thermal equipment; the communication module is connected with the power supply part and can execute communication with an external device; a switching unit that is disposed between the main control unit and the power supply unit and is capable of switching between a supply state in which the power supply unit supplies power to the main control unit and a shut-off state; the cut-off state is a state in which the supply of electric power from the power supply unit to the main control unit is stopped. The power supply unit supplies power to the communication module at all times. According to the present invention, the thermal device can suppress power consumption while maintaining a state in which communication with an external device is performed using a communication module.

Description

Thermodynamic device

Technical Field

The technology disclosed herein relates to a thermal device.

Background

Patent document 1 discloses a thermal device including a main control unit, a communication module (communication module), and a switching unit, wherein the main control unit is connected to a power supply unit and controls an operation of the thermal device; the communication module is connected with the power supply part; the switching part is configured between the power supply part and the main control part and between the power supply part and the communication module. The switching unit is capable of switching between a supply state and a cut-off state, wherein the supply state is a state in which the power supply unit supplies power to the main control unit and the communication module; the cut-off state is a state in which the power supply unit stops supplying power to the main control unit and the communication module.

[ Prior art documents ]

[ patent document ]

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2018-40515

Disclosure of Invention

[ technical problem to be solved by the invention ]

In the case of the thermal device of patent document 1, when the supply of power from the power supply unit to the main control unit is stopped and the switching unit is switched from the supply state to the cutoff state, the supply of power to the communication module is also stopped. Therefore, when the switching unit is in the off state, the thermal device cannot perform communication with the external device using the communication module. In such a thermal device, it is desirable to continuously maintain a state in which communication with an external device can be performed. In the case of the thermal device of patent document 1, in order to maintain a state in which communication with an external device can be performed, it is necessary to keep the supply state of the switching unit. In this case, since the power supply section always supplies power to the main control section and the communication module, power consumption increases.

In the present specification, a technique is provided that can suppress power consumption while maintaining a state in which communication with an external device is performed using a communication module.

[ technical means for solving problems ]

The thermal equipment disclosed by the specification is provided with a main control part, a communication module and a switching part, wherein the main control part is connected with a power supply part and is used for controlling the action of the thermal equipment; a communication module connected to the power supply unit and capable of performing communication with an external device; a switching unit that is disposed between the main control unit and the power supply unit and is capable of switching between a supply state in which the power supply unit supplies power to the main control unit and a shut-off state; the power-off state is a state in which the supply of power from the power supply unit to the main control unit is stopped, and power is always supplied from the power supply unit to the communication module.

According to the above configuration, the power supply unit supplies power to the communication module regardless of whether the switching unit is in the supply state or the disconnection state. That is, the communication module is maintained in a state in which communication with the external device can be performed even in a state in which power supply from the power supply unit to the main control unit is stopped. Therefore, even in a state where the supply of power to the main control section by the power supply section is stopped, the thermal device can perform communication with the external device using the communication module. In addition, the power consumption of the communication module is small. Therefore, the power consumption of the thermal device can be suppressed while maintaining the state in which the communication with the external device is performed using the communication module.

In the above thermodynamic device, it may be: the communication module transmits thermal device information related to the thermal device to the external device.

According to the above configuration, the communication module can transmit the thermal device information to the external device regardless of the state of the switching unit. Therefore, even if the switching section is in the off state, the user of the thermal device can know the state of the thermal device by confirming the thermal device information transmitted to the external device.

In the above thermodynamic device, it may be: the communication module transmits thermal device information to the plurality of external devices at predetermined intervals when the switching unit is in the supply state, and transmits thermal device information to a specific external device among the plurality of external devices at predetermined intervals when the switching unit is in the disconnection state.

According to the above configuration, the communication module transmits the thermal device information to a part of the specific external devices among the plurality of external devices when the switching unit is in the off state. Therefore, when the switching unit is in the off state, power consumption of the thermal device can be suppressed as compared with a configuration in which the thermal device information is transmitted to all of the plurality of external devices.

Can be as follows: the above-mentioned thermal device further has a first voltage measuring portion for measuring a voltage value supplied to the main control portion, and the thermal device information includes first voltage-related information measured by the first voltage measuring portion and related to the voltage value supplied to the main control portion.

According to the above configuration, the user of the thermal device can know whether or not the power supply to the main control unit is stopped by checking the first voltage-related information transmitted to the external device.

Can be as follows: the above thermal device also has a power supply section having a battery.

In the above configuration, when the power supplied from the battery to the main control unit and the communication module is insufficient, the battery needs to be replaced. When the frequency of replacing the battery is high, it is troublesome for the user. As described above, the power consumption when the communication module operates is small. Therefore, the battery can be prevented from being consumed when the switching unit is in the disconnected state. Therefore, the frequency of replacement of the battery can be reduced, and convenience of the user can be improved.

Can be as follows: the above-mentioned thermal device further has a second voltage measuring section for measuring a voltage value of the battery, and the thermal device information includes second voltage-related information related to the voltage value of the battery measured by the second voltage measuring section.

According to the above configuration, the user of the thermal device can determine whether or not the battery mounted to the thermal device should be replaced by confirming the second voltage-related information transmitted to the external device. Therefore, the user of the thermal device can replace the battery before the power supplied from the battery to the main control portion and the communication module is insufficient. As a result, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a situation in which the thermal device does not operate due to insufficient power supplied from the battery to the main control unit and the communication module.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a heating cooking system according to the present embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a circuit configuration of the heating cooker according to the present embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a flowchart of cooker information transmission processing of the present embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a flowchart of the server (server) processing in this embodiment.

Fig. 5 shows an example of each screen displayed on the mobile terminal in the present embodiment.

Fig. 6 is a sequence diagram of the transmission of cooker information from the heating cooker in the present embodiment.

[ description of reference ]

2: a heating cooking system; 4: the Internet (Internet); 6: a repeater; 10: a heating cooker; 12: stove burners (stove burners); 14: oven burners (grate); 16: a power switch; 20: a main control substrate; 22: a main control circuit; 24: a CPU; 26: a power supply cutoff circuit; 28: a communication circuit; 30: a BT module; 32: a BT control circuit; 34: a CPU; 36: a main voltage measurement circuit; 38: a battery voltage measurement circuit; 40: a communication circuit; 42: a BT communication circuit; 50: a battery mounting portion; 52: a battery; 90: an alarm; 92: a notification mechanism; 100: a mobile terminal; 102: a display unit; 104: an operation section; 106: a BT communication circuit; 108: a Wi-Fi communication circuit; 110: a terminal control circuit; 112: a CPU; 114: a memory; 116: a cooker application; 200: and a management server.

Detailed Description

(Structure of heating cooking System 2, FIG. 1)

The heating cooking system 2 shown in fig. 1 includes a heating cooker 10, an alarm 90, a mobile terminal 100, a management server 200, and a relay 6. The heating cooker 10, the alarm 90, and the relay 6 are provided in the same house. In fig. 1, a BT connection for performing Bluetooth (hereinafter, referred to as "BT") communication in accordance with a Bluetooth (registered trademark) scheme is shown by a chain double-dashed line, and a Wi-Fi connection for performing Wi-Fi communication in accordance with a Wi-Fi scheme is shown by a chain double-dashed line.

The heating cooker 10 and the alarm 90 can communicate with each other by BT communication. In addition, the heating cooker 10 and the relay 6 can communicate with each other by BT communication. In addition, the heating cooker 10 and the mobile terminal 100 can communicate with each other through BT communication. The mobile terminal 100 and the repeater 6 are each capable of performing Wi-Fi communication in a Wi-Fi manner to connect with the internet 4. The management server 200 is connected to the internet 4. The heating cooker 10 can access the internet 4 through the relay 6.

(Structure of heating cooker 10, FIGS. 1 and 2)

The structure of the heating cooker 10 will be described with reference to fig. 1 and 2. Fig. 2 shows a schematic of the circuit configuration of the heating cooker 10. As shown in fig. 1, the heating cooker 10 has a burner 12, an oven burner 14, a power switch 16, a main control substrate 20, a BT module 30, and a battery mount 50. A battery 52 is mounted on the battery mounting portion 50. The battery 52 is, for example, a dry battery or a rechargeable battery, and supplies electric power to the electronic components of the heating cooker 10.

The cooktop burner 12 is a burner for heating a heating target (for example, a cooking container). A gas supply passage (not shown) is connected to the burner 12. A range adjustment valve (not shown) for adjusting the supply amount of the gas to the range burner 12 is provided in the gas supply passage. The burner 12 ignites by operating an igniter (igniter) (not shown) in a state where gas is supplied to the burner 12. In the present embodiment, the heating cooker 10 has three cooktop burners 12. The oven burner 14 is a burner for heating food materials stored in an oven (not shown). Power switch 16 is a switch for switching the power ON (ON) and power OFF (OFF) of heating cooker 10.

The main control board 20 has a main control circuit 22, a power supply cutoff circuit 26, and a communication circuit 28. The main control circuit 22 includes a CPU24 and a Memory (not shown). The main control circuit 22 controls the operations of the components of the heating cooker 10 by the CPU24 executing processing based on the information stored in the memory.

As shown in fig. 2, the power supply cutoff circuit 26 is a switching circuit for switching between a state in which power is supplied from the battery 52 to the main control circuit 22 (hereinafter referred to as "supply state") and a state in which power supply from the battery 52 to the main control circuit 22 is stopped (hereinafter referred to as "cutoff state"). The power supply cutoff circuit 26 is provided between the main control circuit 22 and the battery 52. The power supply cutoff circuit 26 operates in conjunction with the power switch 16. That is, the state of the power shutoff circuit 26 is switched every time the power switch 16 is operated. The communication circuit 28 is a circuit for performing communication with a BT module 30 (in detail, a BT control circuit 32).

As shown in fig. 1, the BT module 30 has a BT control circuit 32, a main voltage measurement circuit 36, a battery voltage measurement circuit 38, a communication circuit 40, and a BT communication circuit 42. Note that the BT communication circuit 42 is not shown in fig. 2.

As shown in fig. 2, the BT module 30 is provided in parallel with the main control substrate 20. Therefore, even if the power shutoff circuit 26 is in the shutoff state, the power is supplied from the battery 52 to the BT module 30. That is, the BT module 30 is always supplied with electric power from the battery 52. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the power ON (ON) state of the heating cooker 10 means a state in which power is supplied to the main control board 20 and the BT module 30. The power supply of the heating cooker 10 being in the OFF state means a state in which the supply of power to the main control board 20 is stopped and power is supplied to the BT module 30.

The BT control circuit 32 has a CPU34 and a memory (not shown). The BT control circuit 32 controls the operations of the respective components of the BT module 30 by the CPU34 executing processing based on the information stored in the memory.

The master voltage measuring circuit 36 is a circuit for measuring a master voltage MV, which is a voltage value supplied to the master control board 20 (specifically, the master control circuit 22). The battery voltage measuring circuit 38 is a circuit for measuring a voltage value of the battery 52, i.e., a battery voltage BV. The communication circuit 40 is a circuit for performing communication with the main control board 20 (specifically, the main control circuit 22).

The BT communication circuit 42 of fig. 1 is a wireless communication circuit for performing BT communication with an external apparatus.

(Structure of alarm 90, FIG. 1)

The alarm 90 is a device that notifies the surrounding of an abnormality of the carbon monoxide (CO) concentration in a room when the abnormality exists. The alarm 90 has a notification mechanism 92 such as a buzzer (buzzer), a speaker (speaker), and a lamp (lamp).

(Structure of Mobile terminal 100, FIG. 1)

The mobile terminal 100 is a mobile terminal device such as a mobile phone or a smart phone. The mobile terminal 100 has a display unit 102, an operation unit 104, a BT communication circuit 106, a Wi-Fi communication circuit 108, and a terminal control circuit 110. The display unit 102 is a display (display) for displaying various information. The display unit 102 may function as a so-called touch panel (i.e., the operation unit 104). The operation portion 104 has a plurality of keys. The user can input various instructions to the mobile terminal 100 by operating the operation unit 104. The BT communication circuit 106 is a wireless communication circuit for performing BT communication with an external apparatus. The mobile terminal 100 is capable of performing BT communication with the heating cooker 10 through the BT communication circuit 106. The Wi-Fi communication circuit 108 is a wireless communication circuit for performing Wi-Fi communication with an external device. The mobile terminal 100 is capable of accessing the internet 4 through the Wi-Fi communication circuit 108. The terminal control circuit 110 has a CPU112 and a memory 114. The memory 114 is composed of a volatile memory, a nonvolatile memory, and the like. The terminal control circuit 110 controls the operations of the components of the mobile terminal 100 by the CPU112 executing processing based on the information stored in the memory 114. A cooker application 116 is stored in the memory 114. The cooker application 116 is a program provided by a supplier (vendor) of the heating cooker 10, and is a program for causing the heating cooker 10 to perform automatic cooking. The cooker application 116 is also a program for checking the operating state of the heating cooker 10.

(Structure of management Server 200, FIG. 1)

The management server 200 is a server provided by a provider of the heating cooker 10. In the server process of fig. 4 described later, the management server 200 periodically receives cooking information including information on the operating state of the heating cooker 10 (state information, "power OFF (OFF)" or the like described later), the battery voltage BV, and the like from the heating cooker 10, and stores the information. In addition, the management server 200 transmits the cooker information to the mobile terminal 100 in response to receiving the request signal from the mobile terminal 100.

(cooking device information Transmission processing, FIG. 3)

With reference to fig. 3, a cooker information transmission process performed by the BT control circuit 32 of the BT module 30 of the heating cooker 10 will be described. When the battery 52 is incorporated in the battery unit 50 of the heating cooker 10, that is, when the power supply from the battery 52 to the BT module 30 is started, the BT control circuit 32 starts the processing of fig. 3. In the following processing, a description will be given assuming that BT connection is established between heating cooker 10 and relay 6 and between heating cooker 10 and alarm 90.

In step S10, the BT control circuit 32 monitors the elapse of a first predetermined time (for example, 10S) after the elapse of the time after the power supply of the heating cooker 10 is switched from OFF (OFF) to ON (ON). When the elapsed time after the power supply of heating cooker 10 is switched from OFF (OFF) to ON (ON) has elapsed for the first predetermined time, BT control circuit 32 determines YES in step S10 and the process proceeds to step S20.

In step S20, the BT control circuit 32 determines whether or not to supply power to the main control substrate 20. Specifically, the BT control circuit 32 determines whether or not the master voltage MV measured by the master voltage measuring circuit 36 is equal to or higher than a first predetermined voltage (for example, 2.5V). When the main voltage MV is equal to or higher than the first predetermined voltage, the BT control circuit 32 determines YES in step S20, and the process proceeds to step S22. On the other hand, when the main voltage MV is less than the first predetermined voltage, the BT control circuit 32 determines NO (NO) in step S20, and the process proceeds to step S30.

In step S22, the BT control circuit 32 acquires the state information of the heating cooker 10 from the main control circuit 22. Specifically, the BT control circuit 32 supplies a status information request to the main control circuit 22 through the communication circuits 28, 40. The main control circuit 22 determines the operating status of the burner 12 and the oven burner 14 after obtaining the status information request. Then, the main control circuit 22 supplies the state information including the determined operation state to the BT control circuit 32 through the communication circuit 40. For example, in the case where at least one of the three range burners 12 is in an active state, the state information includes "range ON (ON)". In addition, the status information includes "oven ON (ON)" when the oven burner 14 is in the operating state. In addition, the status information includes "power ON (ON)" when the operations of the burner 12 and the oven burner 14 are stopped.

In step S24, the BT control circuit 32 transmits the cooker information including the status information acquired from the main control circuit 22 to the relay 6 and the alarm 90. Further, the BT control circuit 32 transmits the cooker information to the portable terminal 100 also when the BT connection with the portable terminal 100 is established. After the end of step S24, the process returns to step S10. In step S10 after step S24, the BT control circuit 32 monitors that the first predetermined time has elapsed since the transmission of the cooker information.

On the other hand, when the main voltage MV is lower than the first predetermined voltage, the BT control circuit 32 determines NO (NO) in step S20, and transmits the cooker information to the relay 6 in step S30. The cooker information in step S30 includes "power OFF (OFF)" indicating that the power of the heating cooker 10 is "OFF (OFF)" and the battery voltage BV measured by the battery voltage measuring circuit 38. Further, the relay device 6 receives the cooker information from the heating cooker 10, and then transmits the cooker information to the management server 200 via the internet 4. In this manner, when the main voltage MV is lower than the first predetermined voltage (NO in step S20), the BT control circuit 32 does not transmit the cooker information to the alarm 90 and the portable terminal 100. After the end of step S30, the process returns to step S10. In step S10 after step S30, the BT control circuit 32 monitors that the first predetermined time has elapsed since the transmission of the cooker information.

(Server processing, FIG. 4)

Next, a process executed by the management server 200 will be described with reference to fig. 4. In step S110, the management server 200 monitors the reception of the cooker information from the heating cooker 10. When the cooker information is received from the heating cooker 10, the management server 200 determines YES in step S110, and the process proceeds to step S112. In step S112, the management server 200 stores the cooker information received in step S110 in a memory (not shown) of the management server 200. After step S112 ends, the process returns to step S110.

In addition, simultaneously with the monitoring in step S110, the management server 200 monitors the reception of the request signal from the mobile terminal 100 in step S120. The request signal is a signal requesting transmission of cooker information stored in the memory of the management server 200. For example, when the user of the heating cooker 10 wants to know the operation state of the heating cooker 10 at an outside location or the like, the user activates the cooker application 116 in the mobile terminal 100. When the user causes operation unit 104 of mobile terminal 100 to perform an operation for confirming the operating state of heating cooker 10, a request signal is transmitted from mobile terminal 100 to management server 200. When receiving the request signal from the mobile terminal 100, the management server 200 determines YES (YES) in step S120, and the process proceeds to step S122.

In step S122, the management server 200 determines whether a connection is currently established with the relay 6 through the internet 4. In the present embodiment, the management server 200 transmits a confirmation signal for confirming that the connection with the repeater 6 is established through the internet 4 to the repeater 6. Upon receiving the confirmation signal from the management server 200, the relay 6 transmits a response signal to the confirmation signal to the management server 200. When receiving the response signal from the relay 6, the management server 200 determines YES in step S122, and the process proceeds to step S124. On the other hand, when the response signal is not received from the relay 6, the management server 200 determines NO (NO) in step S122, and the process proceeds to step S132. In the modification, the management server 200 may be configured to periodically transmit the confirmation signal to the relay 6.

In step S124, the management server 200 determines whether the BT connection between the relay 6 and the heating cooker 10 is currently established. In the present embodiment, the management server 200 determines whether the BT connection between the relay 6 and the heating cooker 10 is currently established, based on whether or not the elapsed time from the reception of the latest cooker information is equal to or longer than the second predetermined time. The second predetermined time may be longer than the first predetermined time. When the elapsed time after receiving the latest cooking device information is less than the second predetermined time, the management server 200 determines YES in step S124, and the process proceeds to step S130. On the other hand, when the elapsed time after receiving the latest cooker information is equal to or longer than the second predetermined time, the management server 200 determines NO (NO) in step S124, and the process proceeds to step S132. In the modification, the management server 200 may receive information indicating whether or not the BT connection between the relay 6 and the heating cooker 10 is established from the relay 6.

In step S130, the management server 200 transmits the cooker information in the memory of the management server 200 to the mobile terminal 100. Upon receiving the cooker information from the management server 200, the mobile terminal 100 displays a screen corresponding to the information in the cooker information on the display unit 102. When the cooker information includes "power OFF (OFF)" and the battery voltage BV, a power OFF (OFF) screen D1 (see fig. 5 a) is displayed on the display unit 102. On the power OFF (OFF) screen D1, a message indicating that the heating cooker 10 is powered OFF (OFF) and the battery voltage BV are displayed on the display unit 102. When the cooker information includes "power ON (ON)", the stopped screen D2 is displayed (see fig. 5 (b)). In the stop screen D2, a message indicating that the operation of the burner 12 and the oven burner 14 is stopped is displayed. When the cooker information includes "burner ON (ON)" or "oven ON (ON)", the ON-combustion screen D3 (see fig. 5 c) is displayed ON the display unit 102. In the burning screen D3, a message indicating that the burner 12 or the oven burner 14 is in an active state is displayed. In this manner, the user of the heating cooker 10 can know the current operating state of the heating cooker 10. After step S130 ends, the process returns to step S110.

In addition, in step S132, the management server 200 transmits the communication abnormality information to the mobile terminal 100. Upon receiving the communication abnormality information from the management server 200, the mobile terminal 100 displays a communication abnormality screen D4 (see fig. 5 (D)) on the display unit 102. A message indicating a communication abnormality is displayed on the communication abnormality screen D4. After step S132 ends, the process returns to step S110.

(concrete example, FIG. 6)

Next, a specific example realized by the processing of fig. 3 and 4 will be described. In the initial state of this example, the battery 52 is attached to the battery mounting portion 50 of the heating cooker 10, and the power supply of the heating cooker 10 is turned OFF (OFF). Therefore, the power is supplied from the battery 52 to the BT module 30, and the power supply from the battery 52 to the main control substrate 20 is stopped.

At T10, the operation for putting the power of heating cooker 10 in the ON (ON) state is performed ON power switch 16 by the user. In this case, the power shutoff circuit 26 of the main control board 20 is switched from the shutoff state to the supply state. Then, the battery 52 starts supplying power to the main control circuit 22.

In T12, an ignition operation for igniting the burner 12 is performed on the heating cooker 10 by the user. In this case, the main control circuit 22 ignites the burner 12.

When a first predetermined time has elapsed after the power supply of heating cooker 10 is turned ON (ON) (YES in step S10 of fig. 3), BT control circuit 32 determines that power is supplied to main control board 20 in T20 (YES in step S20) and supplies a status information request to main control circuit 22.

When the status information request is acquired from the BT control circuit 32 at T20, the main control circuit 22 determines that the burner 12 is in the combustion state, and supplies status information including "burner ON (ON)" to the BT control circuit 32.

After acquiring the status information from the main control circuit 22 at T22 (step S22 of fig. 3), the BT control circuit 32 transmits the cooker information to the management server 200 through the BT communication circuit 42 and the relay 6 at T30. Further, the BT control circuit 32 transmits the cooker information to the alarm 90 at T32.

Upon receiving the cooker information from the heating cooker 10 at T30, the management server 200 stores the cooker information in the memory of the management server 200 at T34.

Then, in T40, an operation for putting the right burner in an OFF (OFF) state is performed by the user. In this case, the main control circuit 22 turns off the burner 12 at T42. Then, at T44, the operation for turning OFF (OFF) the power of the heating cooker 10 is performed on the power switch 16 by the user. In this case, the power supply cutoff circuit 26 of the main control board 20 is switched from the supply state to the cutoff state, and the supply of electric power from the battery 52 to the main control circuit 22 is stopped.

When the first predetermined time has elapsed after the cooking device information is transmitted (YES in step S10 of fig. 3), the BT control circuit 32 determines that power is not supplied to the main control board 20 (NO in step S20), and determines the battery voltage BV. Then, in T50, the BT control circuit 32 transmits the cooker information including "power OFF (OFF)" and the battery voltage BT to the management server 200 through the BT communication circuit 42 and the repeater 6.

The management server 200 receives the cooker information from the heating cooker 10 at T50, and stores the cooker information in the memory of the management server 200 at T52.

As described above, the battery 52 supplies power to the BT module 30 regardless of whether the power shutoff circuit 26 of the main control substrate 20 is in the supply state or the shutoff state. That is, even in a state where the supply of power from the battery 52 to the main control substrate 20 is stopped, the BT module 30 maintains a state in which communication with the external device can be performed. Therefore, even in a state where the supply of power from the battery 52 to the main control board 20 is stopped, the heating cooker 10 can perform communication with an external device using the BT module 30. In addition, the BT module 30 consumes less power when operating. Therefore, the power consumption of the heating cooker 10 can be suppressed while maintaining the communication with the external device using the BT module 30.

In addition, the BT module 30 transmits the cooker information to the portable terminal 100 regardless of the state of the power shutoff circuit 26 of the main control substrate 20. Therefore, even if the power shutoff circuit 26 is in the shutoff state, the user of the heating cooker 10 can know the state of the heating cooker 10 by confirming the cooker information transmitted to the mobile terminal 100.

In addition, when the power shutoff circuit 26 of the main control board 20 is in the supply state (YES in step S20 of fig. 3), the BT module 30 transmits the cooker information to the plurality of external devices (for example, the relay device 6, the alarm device 90, and the portable terminal 100). On the other hand, when the power shutoff circuit 26 is in the shutoff state (NO in step S20 of fig. 3), the BT module 30 transmits the cooker information only to the relay 6. Therefore, when the power shutoff circuit 26 is in the shutoff state, the power consumption of the heating cooker 10 can be suppressed as compared with a configuration in which cooker information is transmitted to all of the plurality of external devices.

The heating cooker 10 operates by electric power supplied from the battery 52. In such a configuration, when the power supplied from the battery 52 to the main control substrate 20 and the BT module 30 is insufficient, the battery 52 needs to be replaced. When the frequency of replacing the battery 52 is high, it is troublesome for the user. As described above, the power consumption of the BT module 30 is small when operating. Therefore, the consumption of the battery 52 when the power shutoff circuit 26 is in the shutoff state can be suppressed. Therefore, the frequency of replacement of the battery 52 can be reduced, and user convenience can be improved.

In addition, in the case where the power shutoff circuit 26 of the main control board 20 is in the shutoff state (NO in step S20 of fig. 3), the BT module 30 transmits to the relay 6 the cooker information including the battery voltage BV measured by the battery voltage measuring circuit 38 (step S30). Then, the relay 6 transmits the cooker information to the management server 200. In this case, the user of the heating cooker 10 can operate the mobile terminal 100 to acquire the cooker information stored in the management server 200, and can check the battery voltage BV in the cooker information. Therefore, the user of the heating cooker 10 can determine whether or not the battery 52 attached to the heating cooker 10 should be replaced. Therefore, the user of the heating cooker 10 can replace the battery 52 before the power supplied from the battery 52 to the main control board 20 and the BT module 30 is insufficient. As a result, it is possible to suppress the heating cooker 10 from being in operation due to the shortage of the electric power supplied from the battery 52 to the main control board 20 and the BT module 30.

In addition, the power consumption amount consumed by the module capable of performing communication according to the BT method is, for example, smaller than the power consumption amount consumed by the module capable of performing communication according to the Wi-Fi (registered trademark). Therefore, the power consumption of the heating cooker 10 can be suppressed while communication with the external device using the BT module 30 is kept being performed.

(corresponding relationship)

The heating cooker 10 is an example of a "thermal device". The main control circuit 22 and the BT module 30 are examples of a "main control section" and a "communication module", respectively. The power shutoff circuit 26 is an example of a "switching unit". The first predetermined time is an example of a "predetermined period". The cooker information is an example of "thermal equipment information". The repeater 6, the alarm 90, and the mobile terminal 100 are examples of "a plurality of external devices". The repeater 6 is an example of "a part of the specific external device". The master voltage measuring circuit 36 and the battery voltage measuring circuit 38 are examples of a "first voltage measuring unit" and a "second voltage measuring unit", respectively. "power ON (ON)" and "power OFF (OFF)" in the cooker information are examples of the "first voltage-related information". The battery voltage BV in the cooker information is an example of "second voltage-related information".

The embodiments are described in detail above, but these are merely examples and do not limit the claims. The techniques described in the claims include those obtained by variously changing or modifying the specific examples illustrated above.

(first modification) "thermal device" is not limited to cooking device 10, and may be a dish washing machine, a clothes dryer, or the like.

(second modification) "communication mode" is not limited to the BT module 30, and may be a wireless communication module such as a Wi-Fi module or a wired communication module.

(third modification) heating cooker 10 may be operated without battery mounting portion 50 using a commercial power supply as a power supply source. In the present modification, a commercial power supply is an example of a "power supply unit".

(fourth modification) in step S30 of fig. 3, the BT control circuit 32 may transmit the cooker information to the relay 6 and the alarm 90. Further, the BT control circuit 32 may transmit the cooker information to the portable terminal 100 when the BT connection with the portable terminal 100 is established.

(fifth modification) in step S30 of fig. 3, the BT control circuit 32 may also transmit cooker information including the main voltage MV and the battery voltage BV to the relay 6. In the present modification, in step S112 of fig. 4, the management server 200 stores cooker information including the main voltage MV and the battery voltage BV. Then, the management server 200 transmits cooker information including the main voltage MV and the battery voltage BV to the portable terminal 100 when receiving a request signal from the portable terminal 100 in a state where the cooker information is stored. In this case, the display section 102 of the mobile terminal 100 displays a screen including the main voltage MV and the battery voltage BV. With this configuration, the user can know that the power supply of heating cooker 100 is turned OFF (OFF). In the present modification, in step S24, the BT control circuit 32 may transmit cooker information including the main voltage MV and the state information to the relay 6 and the alarm 90. In the present modification, the main voltage MV is an example of "first voltage-related information".

In the sixth modification, the BT control circuit 32 may determine whether or not the battery voltage BV is equal to or less than the second predetermined voltage when the determination in step S20 of fig. 3 is "NO (NO)". The second predetermined voltage is a threshold value for determining whether the battery 52 needs to be replaced. In the present modification, when determining that the battery voltage BV is less than the second predetermined voltage, the BT control circuit 32 transmits, to the relay 6, the cooking device information including information indicating "power OFF (OFF)" and that the battery voltage BV is less than the second predetermined voltage in step S30. When determining that the battery voltage BV is equal to or higher than the second predetermined voltage, the BT control circuit 32 transmits, to the relay unit 6, the cooking device information including information indicating "power OFF (OFF)" and that the battery voltage BV is equal to or higher than the second predetermined voltage in step S30. In this case, the display unit 102 of the mobile terminal 100 displays a screen including information indicating that the battery voltage BV is less than the second predetermined voltage or that the battery voltage BV is equal to or more than the second predetermined voltage. With this configuration, the user can know whether or not the battery 52 needs to be replaced. In the present modification, the information indicating that the battery voltage BV is less than the second predetermined voltage and the information indicating that the battery voltage BV is equal to or more than the second predetermined voltage are examples of "second voltage-related information".

(sixth modification) the heating cooker 10 may not have at least one of the main voltage measuring circuit 36 and the battery voltage measuring circuit 38. In the present modification, at least one of the "first voltage measuring unit" and the "second voltage measuring unit" can be omitted.

(seventh modification) management server 200 may be configured to transmit update program data for updating information (e.g., a program) stored in a memory of CPU24 of main control circuit 22 to heating cooker 10. In the present modification, when the update program data is received from the management server 200 via the relay 6, the BT control circuit 32 determines whether or not to supply power to the main control board 20. When determining that the power is supplied to the main control board 20, the BT control circuit 32 transmits the update program data to the main control circuit 22 via the communication circuits 28 and 40. The main control circuit 22 updates the information in the memory of the CPU24 using the received update program data. On the other hand, when determining that the power is not supplied to the main control board 20, the BT control circuit 32 monitors switching of the power supply state to the main control board 20. When determining that the power supply from the state of not supplying power to the main control board 20 is switched to the state of supplying power to the main control board 20, the BT control circuit 32 transmits the update program data to the main control circuit 22 via the communication circuits 28 and 40. The main control circuit 22 updates the information in the memory of the CPU24 using the received update program data. In this manner, even in a state where power is not supplied to main control board 20, heating cooker 10 can receive update program data from management server 200, and can use the data to update information in the memory of CPU 24.

The technical elements described in the specification and the drawings exhibit technical usefulness by themselves or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. In addition, the techniques illustrated in the present specification or the drawings can achieve a plurality of objects at the same time, and achieving one of the objects has technical usefulness by itself.

Claims (6)

1. A thermal power plant, characterized in that,

comprises a main control part, a communication module and a switching part, wherein,

the main control part is connected with the power supply part and controls the action of the thermal equipment;

the communication module is connected with the power supply part and can execute communication with an external device;

the switching unit is disposed between the main control unit and the power supply unit, and is capable of switching between a supply state in which the power supply unit supplies power to the main control unit and a shut-off state; the cut-off state is a state in which the supply of electric power from the power supply unit to the main control unit is stopped,

the power supply unit always supplies power to the communication module.

2. A thermodynamic device as claimed in claim 1,

the communication module transmits thermal device information related to the thermal device to the external device.

3. A thermodynamic device as claimed in claim 2,

the communication module transmits the thermal device information to the plurality of external devices at predetermined intervals when the switching unit is in the supply state, and transmits the thermal device information to a part of specific external devices among the plurality of external devices at predetermined intervals when the switching unit is in the disconnection state.

4. A thermodynamic device as claimed in claim 2 or 3,

the thermal device further has a first voltage measuring section for measuring a voltage value supplied to the main control section,

the thermal device information includes first voltage-related information measured by the first voltage measuring part and related to a voltage value supplied to the main control part.

5. A thermodynamic device as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4,

the thermal device also has the power supply section having a battery.

6. A thermodynamic device as claimed in claim 5,

the thermal device also has a second voltage measuring section for measuring a voltage value of the battery,

the thermal device information includes second voltage-related information measured by the second voltage measuring part and related to a voltage value of the battery.

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