CN113892010B

CN113892010B - Remote controller and air conditioning system

Info

Publication number: CN113892010B
Application number: CN201980096644.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 富田大树
Original assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corp
Current assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corp
Priority date: 2019-06-03
Filing date: 2019-06-03
Publication date: 2023-05-16
Anticipated expiration: 2039-06-03
Also published as: GB2596980B; GB2596980A; CN113892010A; GB202115092D0; JPWO2020245891A1; WO2020245891A1; JP7112167B2

Abstract

The air conditioning system has a plurality of remote controllers for controlling a plurality of air conditioning devices. The remote controller includes a first communication unit, a second communication unit, a third communication unit, and a main control unit. The first communication unit transmits an operation signal for controlling the air conditioner to the air conditioner. The second communication unit performs wireless communication with another remote controller or a wireless communication device capable of wireless communication. The third communication unit performs wired communication with another remote controller connected by wire. When the second communication unit or the third communication unit receives the operation signal and when there is another remote controller connected by wire, the main control unit controls the third communication unit to transmit the operation signal to the other remote controller connected by wire. The main control unit controls the second communication unit to transmit the operation signal to the other remote controller capable of wireless communication when the second communication unit or the third communication unit receives the operation signal, when the other remote controller capable of wireless communication is not present, and when the other remote controller capable of wireless communication is present.

Description

Remote controller and air conditioning system

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a remote controller for controlling an air conditioner and an air conditioning system.

Background

As a remote controller for controlling an air conditioner, a remote controller having a wireless communication function and capable of performing wireless communication with an external wireless communication device such as a smart phone, a tablet, or a mobile terminal is known (for example, refer to patent document 1). The remote controller receives an operation signal for operating the air conditioner from the wireless communication device and controls the air conditioner based on the operation signal. Thereby, the air conditioner can be operated from the external wireless communication device.

Patent document 1: japanese patent application laid-open No. 2015-224858

However, when the plurality of air conditioners are to be controlled at the same time, if the remote controllers are used, the wireless communication device needs to transmit operation signals to the plurality of remote controllers of the plurality of air conditioners, respectively. In order to eliminate such a trouble, a remote controller capable of communicating with other remote controllers and transmitting or receiving operation signals from or to the other remote controllers from the 1-station wireless communication device is required.

On the other hand, even if the remote controllers are capable of wireless communication with each other and capable of transmitting and receiving operation signals, the remote controllers located at positions where radio waves cannot reach from the wireless communication device or other remote controllers cannot receive the operation signals. In addition, if the intensity of radio waves of at least one of the 2 remote controllers that transmit and receive the operation signals to and from each other is unstable, the operation signals may not be transmitted reliably and quickly.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a remote controller and an air conditioning system which can communicate with other remote controllers and can reliably and rapidly transmit and receive operation signals for controlling an air conditioning apparatus.

A remote controller according to the present invention is a remote controller for performing wired communication or wireless communication between a plurality of remote controllers for controlling a plurality of air conditioners, the remote controller including: a first communication unit that transmits an operation signal for controlling the air conditioner to the air conditioner; a second communication unit configured to perform wireless communication with another remote controller or a wireless communication device capable of wireless communication; a third communication unit which performs wired communication with the other remote controllers connected by wires; and a main control unit configured to control the first communication unit, the second communication unit, and the third communication unit, wherein the main control unit controls the third communication unit to transmit the operation signal to the other remote controller that is connected by wire when the second communication unit or the third communication unit receives the operation signal and controls the second communication unit to transmit the operation signal to the other remote controller that is connected by wire when the second communication unit or the third communication unit receives the operation signal and does not have the other remote controller that is connected by wire.

An air conditioning system according to the present invention includes the plurality of remote controllers described above and a plurality of air conditioning apparatuses to be controlled by the plurality of remote controllers.

According to the remote controller and the air conditioning system of the present invention, when an operation signal for controlling the air conditioning apparatus is received from another remote controller and another remote controller connected by wire is present, the remote controller performing wired communication or wireless communication between the plurality of remote controllers in the air conditioning system transmits the operation signal to the other remote controller connected by wire. When the remote controller receives the operation signal, and when there is no other remote controller connected by wire, and when there is another remote controller capable of wireless communication, the remote controller transmits the operation signal to the other remote controller capable of wireless communication. This enables the operation signal for controlling the air conditioner to be transmitted and received reliably and quickly.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an air conditioning system according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of communication path information.

Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating functional blocks included in the remote controller according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating a processing flow in a case where the remote controller receives various signals.

Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of processing performed by a remote controller that receives an operation signal from a wireless communication device or receives an input from a user or the like.

Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of transmission processing of an operation signal by wire communication of the remote controller.

Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of transmission processing of an operation signal by wireless communication of a remote controller.

Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of processing performed by the remote controller on the slave side.

Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of processing performed by the remote controller 10 when the end signal is received.

Fig. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an air conditioning system according to embodiment 2.

Fig. 11 is a diagram illustrating functional blocks included in the wireless relay apparatus according to embodiment 2.

Fig. 12 is a diagram illustrating a processing flow in a case where a remote controller and a wireless relay apparatus in an air conditioning system receive various signals.

Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of first transmission processing of an operation signal by wireless communication by the remote controller in embodiment 2.

Fig. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of the second transmission processing of the operation signal by wireless communication of the remote controller in embodiment 2.

Fig. 15 is a flowchart showing an example of transmission processing of an operation signal by wired communication in the wireless relay apparatus.

Fig. 16 is a flowchart showing an example of transmission processing of an operation signal by wireless communication in the wireless relay apparatus.

Fig. 17 is a diagram showing an example of processing of the wireless relay apparatus when the end signal is received.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, the size relationship of each component may be different from the actual one.

Embodiment 1

Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an air conditioning system according to embodiment 1. The air conditioning system 1 is installed in a building, and includes a plurality of air conditioning devices 30 and a plurality of remote controllers 10 for controlling each of the plurality of air conditioning devices 30.

Each of the plurality of remote controllers 10 is grouped according to a predetermined condition. More than 1 remote control 10 is included in one group. In addition, in the case where a plurality of remote controllers 10 are included in one group, these remote controllers 10 are wired to each other. The predetermined condition is based on, for example, the distance between the remote controllers 10 or the arrangement of the remote controllers 10.

The air conditioning system 1 shown in fig. 1 has 6 remote controllers 10 divided into a group of 3, but the number of remote controllers 10 and the number of remote controllers 10 in the group of air conditioning systems 1 are not limited to the above. In addition, the number of remote controllers 10 included in each of the plurality of groups in the air conditioning system 1 may not be fixed, and need not be the same.

The remote controller 10 can perform wireless communication with the wireless communication device 20 and other remote controllers 10 according to a communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or ZigBee (registered trademark). Thereby, the remote controllers 10 can also communicate with the remote controllers 10 belonging to different groups.

In each case of wireless communication and wired communication, unique identification information for identifying itself from the other remote controllers 10 is assigned to each remote controller 10. Wherein the first identification information as identification information in wireless communication and the second identification information as identification information in wired communication are different from each other. In embodiment 1, ID (Identification) for identifying each other in wireless communication is assigned to each remote controller 10. Hereinafter, the ID in the wireless communication will be referred to as a wireless ID. The wireless ID is one example of the first identification information. In embodiment 1, IDs for identifying each other in wired communication are assigned to each remote controller 10. Hereinafter, the ID in the wired communication may be referred to as a wired ID. The wireless ID and the wired ID may also be distinguished by, for example, a header portion in the ID. In this case, for example, the first bit of the wireless ID may be set to 0 and the first bit of the wired ID may be set to 1.

The remote controller 10 transmits radio waves including its own wireless ID. The remote controller 10 detects the intensity of radio waves from other remote controllers 10 to determine whether or not wireless communication with the remote controller 10 of the transmission source of the radio waves is possible. Specifically, the remote controller 10 determines that wireless communication is possible when the intensity of the radio wave from another remote controller 10 is equal to or higher than the reference intensity. Hereinafter, radio waves may be referred to as radio waves, and the reference intensity may be referred to as reference intensity.

The remote controller 10 receives an instruction to operate the air conditioner 30 from a user or a manager (user or the like) of the air conditioner 30 via an input unit (not shown). The remote controller 10 transmits an operation signal for controlling the air conditioner 30 to be controlled. The remote controller 10 transmits and receives operation signals to and from other remote controllers 10 through wired communication or wireless communication. Thus, the remote controller 10 can operate the air conditioner 30 to be controlled by the other remote controller 10 by transmitting an operation signal to the other remote controller 10 by setting the other remote controller 10. This setting will be described later.

The wireless communication device 20 is, for example, a smart phone, a tablet terminal, a mobile terminal, or the like. The wireless communication device 20 receives input of information for operating the air conditioning device 30 from a user or the like, and transmits an operation signal corresponding to the information to the remote controller 10. The wireless communication device 20 in embodiment 1 transmits the operation signal to 1 or more remote controllers 10 specified by the wireless ID, but may transmit the operation signal to any remote controller 10 within a communicable range.

The air conditioner 30 performs an air conditioning operation of the air conditioning target space. In

embodiment

1, 1 or more air conditioners 30 are controlled by one remote controller 10. In the case where one remote controller 10 controls a plurality of air conditioners 30, the plurality of air conditioners 30 are grouped in advance. The air conditioner 30 of 1 or more of the control targets of one remote controller 10 receives the operation signal from the one remote controller 10 and operates based on the operation signal, but the operation signal may not be received from another remote controller 10 or the operation signal from another remote controller 10 may be invalidated.

The remote controller 10 is set to either one of the following two settings. The settings were as follows: when the remote controller 10 receives an operation signal for controlling the air conditioner 30 to be controlled by itself from another remote controller 10 or the wireless communication device 20, the air conditioner 30 is controlled by the operation signal. This setting is described as a permission setting. The other setting is as follows: when the remote controller 10 receives an operation signal for controlling the air conditioner 30 to be controlled by itself from another remote controller 10 or the wireless communication device 20, the operation signal is invalidated, and the air conditioner 30 is not controlled based on the operation signal. This setting is described as a prohibition setting.

The transmission method of the operation signals to the plurality of remote controllers 10 according to embodiment 1 includes two modes, i.e., a "normal mode" and a "batch setting mode". The normal mode is a mode of the air conditioner 30 in which the operation target is specified. The batch setting mode is a mode of the air conditioner 30 that is not a specific operation target.

In the normal mode, when an instruction input from a user or the like is present in the remote controller 10 for controlling the air conditioner 30 to be operated by the user or the like, the remote controller 10 controls the air conditioner 30 to be controlled based on the content of the instruction. In the normal mode, when an operation instruction is input from a user or the like to the air conditioner 30 to be controlled by another remote controller 10 with respect to the wireless communication device 20 or the remote controller 10, an operation signal addressed to the other remote controller 10 is transmitted from the wireless communication device 20 or the remote controller 10.

In the batch setting mode, the remote controller 10, which has an instruction input from a user or the like, controls the air conditioner 30 to be controlled based on the content of the instruction. In the batch setting mode, an operation signal is batch-transmitted from the wireless communication device 20 or the remote controller 10 having an instruction input from a user or the like to 1 or more remote controllers 10 included in the air conditioning system 1. In the batch setting mode, the remote controller 10 for which the prohibition setting is performed may or may not transmit the operation signal. The remote controller 10, which has received the operation signal and has performed permission setting, controls the air conditioner 30 based on the operation signal.

The remote controller 10 transmits and receives a request signal, an end signal, and a path signal to and from other remote controllers 10. The request signal is a signal that requests setting information and communication path information 100 described in detail below to the other remote controller 10. The setting information is information indicating whether to permit or prohibit setting of the remote controller 10, and is stored in each remote controller 10. The end signal is a signal for notifying the remote controller 10 of the transmission source of the operation signal that the remote controller 10 that received the operation signal has transmitted the operation signal to the other remote controllers 10 that did not receive the operation signal. The path signal is a signal corresponding to the communication path information 100 of the remote controller 10 indicating that the operation signal has been received. An operation signal, a request signal, an end signal, a path signal, or the like may be collectively referred to as a signal. The communication path information 100 will be described below.

Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of communication path information. The communication path information 100 includes an ID of the remote controller 10 that received the operation signal before the remote controller 10 that received the communication path information 100. The communication path information 100 in embodiment 1 includes third identification information for identifying each of a plurality of operation signals generated when a plurality of different instructions are input to at least one of the 1 or more wireless communication devices 20 and the 1 or more remote controllers 10, for example. In embodiment 1, the third identification information is an identifier that is included in the operation signal and identifies the operation signal from the other operation signals. The path signals corresponding to the communication path information 100 in embodiment 1 are transmitted together when the operation signals are transmitted from the remote controller 10 to the other remote controllers 10. The communication path information 100 includes, as information indicating a communication path through which the operation signal passes, IDs of the remote controllers 10 of 1 or more that have received the operation signal in the order in which the operation signal has been received.

When the remote controller 10 receives a request signal from another remote controller 10, the communication path information 100 is transmitted from the remote controller 10 to the other remote controller 10 as a response to the request signal. When the request signal includes an identifier of the operation signal and the remote controller 10 has received the operation signal including the identifier, the communication path information 100 including the identifier is transmitted to the source of the request signal. When the remote controller 10 does not receive the operation signal including the identifier, it transmits, for example, communication path information 100 including the identifier to the source of the request signal, and the communication path information 100 stores NULL values in a storage area for storing 1 or more IDs which are information indicating the communication path of the operation signal.

The reason why the remote controller 10 requests the communication path information 100 from the other remote controllers 10 is as follows. Before the remote controller 10 transmits an operation signal to another remote controller 10, the other remote controller 10 may receive the operation signal from another other remote controller 10 to control the air conditioner 30. In this case, the process of the remote controller 10 transmitting the same operation signal to the other remote controllers 10 may become useless. In order to omit such useless transmission processing and confirm whether or not the other remote controller 10 has received the operation signal before transmission of the operation signal, the remote controller 10 requests the communication path information 100 from the other remote controller 10.

In embodiment 1, the communication path information 100 is transmitted together with an end signal transmitted from the remote controller 10 to another remote controller 10. The reason why the communication path information 100 is transmitted together with the end signal from the remote controller 10 at the transmission destination of the operation signal to the remote controller 10 at the transmission source is as follows. First, the end signal is transmitted from the remote controller 10 at the end of the communication path through which the operation signal passes to the remote controller 10 that transmitted the operation signal to the remote controller 10 at the end. The remote controller 10 that received the end signal further transmits the end signal to the remote controller 10 that transmitted the operation signal to the remote controller 10. By acquiring the communication path information 100 together with the end signal, each remote controller 10 of the air conditioning system 1 can recognize which path the operation signal is transmitted through. When the remote controllers 10 receive the additional operation signals, the additional operation signals can be efficiently transmitted and received by referring to the communication path information 100 acquired together with the end signal. Accordingly, the communication path information 100 is transmitted together with the end signal.

The communication path information 100 illustrated in fig. 2 includes the following IDs connected in order: the wireless ID "001" of the remote controller 10 that initially received the operation signal from the wireless communication device 20 through wireless communication; a wired ID "103" of the remote controller 10 that receives the operation signal from the remote controller 10 of the wireless ID "001" through wired communication; and wireless ID "004" of remote controller 10 that receives the operation signal from remote controller 10 of the wired ID "103" through wireless communication. In embodiment 1, the communication path information 100 includes the wireless ID of the remote controller 10 when the remote controller 10 that has received the operation signal by wireless communication is present, and includes the wired ID of the remote controller 10 when the remote controller 10 that has received the operation signal by wired communication is present, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the communication path information 100 may include a wireless ID of the remote controller 10 when the remote controller 10 that has transmitted the operation signal by wireless communication is present, and may include a wired ID of the remote controller 10 when the remote controller 10 that has transmitted the operation signal by wired communication is present. When there is a remote controller 10 that has transmitted an operation signal, the communication path information 100 may include the ID of the remote controller 10 in the transmission order of the operation signal.

Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating functional blocks included in the remote controller according to embodiment 1. The remote controller 10 includes a first communication unit 11, a second communication unit 12, a third communication unit 13, a display control unit 14, a display unit 15, a main control unit 16, and a communication path management unit 17.

The first communication unit 11 performs wireless communication with the air conditioner 30 to be controlled, for example, by infrared rays. However, the communication between the first communication unit 11 and the air conditioner 30 is not limited to this, and may be performed by a wireless communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or ZigBee (registered trademark), or may be performed by a wired connection. The first communication unit 11 transmits an operation signal to the air conditioner 30 to be controlled. The first communication unit 11 may receive a signal indicating an operation state, an operation content, or the like from the air conditioner 30.

The first communication unit 11 includes a first communication control unit 11A and a first communication interface unit 11B. The first communication control unit 11A transmits an operation signal to the air conditioner 30 to be controlled via the first communication interface unit 11B. The first communication control unit 11A may receive a signal indicating an operation state, an operation content, or the like from the air conditioner 30 to be controlled via the first communication interface unit 11B.

The second communication unit 12 performs wireless communication with the wireless communication device 20 or the other remote controller 10 by a communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or ZigBee (registered trademark). The second communication unit 12 receives the operation signal from the wireless communication device 20, and transmits and receives signals such as an operation signal, a request signal, a path signal, and an end signal to and from the other remote controllers 10. In addition, the second communication section 12 transmits radio waves, and detects radio waves from the other remote controllers 10. Hereinafter, signals such as an operation signal, a request signal, a path signal, and an end signal may be collectively referred to as signals.

The second communication unit 12 includes a second communication control unit 12A, a wireless device detection unit 12B, and a second communication interface unit 12C. The second communication control unit 12A transmits and receives signals to and from the other remote controllers 10 via the second communication interface unit 12C. The second communication control unit 12A receives an operation signal from the wireless communication device 20 via the second communication interface unit 12C. In addition, the second communication control section 12A transmits radio waves via the second communication interface section 12C.

The wireless device detecting section 12B detects radio waves from the other remote controllers 10 via the second communication interface section 12C. At this time, the wireless device detecting section 12B detects the intensity of the radio wave. The wireless device detection unit 12B obtains the wireless ID of the other remote controller 10 that is the source of the radio wave.

The third communication unit 13 detects the wired remote controller 10 and acquires the wired ID of the remote controller 10. The third communication unit 13 transmits and receives signals to and from the other remote controller 10 connected by wire. The third communication section 13 has a third communication control section 13A and a third communication interface section 13B. The third communication control unit 13A transmits and receives signals to and from the other remote controllers 10 connected by wires via the third communication interface unit 13B. The third communication control unit 13A obtains the wired ID from the other remote controller 10 connected by wire via the third communication interface unit 13B.

The display control unit 14 controls the display unit 15, and the display unit 15 displays various information in accordance with an instruction from the display control unit 14. The main control unit 16 controls the first communication control unit 11A, the second communication control unit 12A, the wireless device detection unit 12B, the third communication control unit 13A, and the display control unit 14.

The main control unit 16 controls the first communication control unit 11A to transmit an operation signal to the air conditioner 30 to be controlled. When the second communication control unit 12A receives a signal via the second communication interface unit 12C, the main control unit 16 acquires information and the like included in the signal from the second communication control unit 12A. The main control unit 16 controls the second communication control unit 12A to transmit a signal to the other remote controller 10 via the second communication interface unit 12C. The main control section 16 controls the wireless device detecting section 12B to detect radio waves. The main control unit 16 obtains the intensity of the radio wave detected by the radio device detection unit 12B and the radio ID included in the radio wave from the radio device detection unit 12B. When the third communication control unit 13A receives a signal via the third communication interface unit 13B, the main control unit 16 acquires information and the like included in the signal from the third communication control unit 13A. The main control unit 16 controls the third communication control unit 13A to transmit a signal to the other remote controller 10 via the third communication interface unit 13B.

The main control unit 16 includes the ID of the remote control 10 in the communication path information 100 received together with the operation signal. When the second communication unit 12 receives the operation signal, the main control unit 16 includes the wireless ID of the remote control 10 in the communication path information 100. When the third communication unit 13 receives the operation signal, the main control unit 16 includes the wired ID of the remote control 10 in the communication path information 100. The main control unit 16 connects the wireless ID or the wired ID of the remote controller 10 to the ID of the end of the information indicating the communication path in the communication path information 100, and includes the same. The main control unit 16 stores the ID communication path information 100 received together with the operation signal and including the remote control 10 in the communication path management unit 17.

The main control unit 16 associates the intensity of the radio wave detected by the radio device detection unit 12B with the radio ID included in the radio wave, and stores the radio wave in the communication path management unit 17. The main control unit 16 may store the intensity of the radio wave in the communication path management unit 17 in association with the radio ID included in the radio wave and the radio ID included in the communication path information 100.

When the second communication unit 12 or the third communication unit 13 receives the operation signal and when the third communication unit 13 detects another remote controller 10 connected by wire, the main control unit 16 controls the third communication unit 13 to transmit the operation signal to the other remote controller 10 connected by wire. When the second communication unit 12 or the third communication unit 13 receives the operation signal and when the third communication unit 13 does not detect the other remote controller 10 connected by wire, the main control unit 16 controls the second communication unit 12 to transmit the operation signal to the other remote controller 10 that transmits the radio wave detected by the second communication unit 12.

The main control unit 16 in embodiment 1 transmits a request signal to the other remote controller 10 in order to confirm whether or not the other remote controller 10 has received the operation signal before controlling the second communication unit 12 or the third communication unit 13 to transmit the operation signal to the other remote controller 10. The main control unit 16 refers to the communication path information 100 included in the response to the request signal from the other remote controller 10, and determines whether or not the ID of the other remote controller 10 is included in the information indicating the communication path in the communication path information 100. When the ID of the other remote controller 10 is included in the information indicating the communication path in the communication path information 100, the main control unit 16 excludes the other remote controller 10 from the transmission target of the operation signal, since the other remote controller 10 has received the operation signal. When the ID of the other remote controller 10 is not included in the information indicating the communication path in the communication path information 100, the main control unit 16 receives no operation signal from the other remote controller 10, and controls the second communication unit 12 or the third communication unit 13 to transmit the operation signal to the other remote controller 10, with the other remote controller 10 being the transmission target of the operation signal.

When transmitting an operation signal by wireless communication, the main control unit 16 in embodiment 1 controls the second communication unit 12 so as to transmit the operation signal to the other remote controller 10 that transmits an electric wave having an intensity equal to or higher than a predetermined reference intensity. The main control unit 16 may control the second communication unit 12 so as to preferentially transmit the operation signal to the remote controller 10 that emits the radio wave having the higher intensity when transmitting the operation signal by the wireless communication. For example, the main control unit 16 may control the second communication unit 12 so that the operation signals are sequentially transmitted from the remote controller 10 that emits radio waves having higher intensity.

When the remote controller 10 to which the operation signal is to be transmitted is not present, the main control unit 16 controls the second communication unit 12 or the third communication unit 13 to transmit an end signal to the transmission source of the operation signal and a path signal corresponding to the communication path information 100 stored in the communication path management unit 17. When receiving the end signal, the main control unit 16 may control the display control unit 14 to display the communication path information 100 received together with the end signal on the display unit 15. When the end signal is received from the other remote controller 10 at the transmission destination of the operation signal and when there is another remote controller 10 at the transmission source of the operation signal, the main control unit 16 controls the second communication unit 12 or the third communication unit 13 to transmit the end signal and the communication path information 100 received together with the end signal to the transmission source.

The communication path management unit 17 stores the intensity of the radio wave transmitted from the other remote controller 10 acquired by the wireless device detection unit 12B, the wireless ID included in the radio wave, and the wired ID of the other remote controller 10 acquired by the third communication unit 13. The communication path management unit 17 stores the communication path information 100 received by the second communication unit 12 or the third communication unit 13 together with the operation signal and included in the ID by the main control unit 16. The communication path management unit 17 stores the communication path information 100 received by the second communication unit 12 or the third communication unit 13 together with the end signal. The communication path management unit 17 also stores setting information.

The remote controller 10 according to embodiment 1 is configured by, for example, a processor such as CPU (Central Processing Unit) or MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory) or RAM (Random Access memory), a communication interface circuit, a display device such as a liquid crystal display or EL (Electroluminescence) display, and the like. The function of the first communication interface 11B can be realized by a communication interface circuit that performs communication using infrared rays or the like. The function of the second communication interface section 12C can be realized by a communication interface circuit that performs wireless communication based on Bluetooth (registered trademark) or ZigBee (registered trademark) or the like. The function of the third communication interface section 13B can be realized by a communication interface circuit for wired communication such as communication based on ethernet (registered trademark) or communication using an optical fiber. The function of the display unit 15 can be realized by a display device. The function of the communication path management unit 17 can be realized by a memory. The functions of the main control unit 16, the first communication control unit 11A, the second communication control unit 12A, the wireless device detection unit 12B, the third communication control unit 13A, and the display control unit 14 can be realized by reading and executing various programs stored in a memory by a processor. The remote controller 10 may be entirely or partially configured as dedicated hardware. For example, an integrated circuit such as ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) may be used to constitute all or part of the main control unit 16, the first communication control unit 11A, the second communication control unit 12A, the wireless device detection unit 12B, the third communication control unit 13A, and the display control unit 14.

Hereinafter, control processing of 1 or more air conditioning devices 30 by 1 or more remote controllers 10 in the air conditioning system 1 according to embodiment 1 will be described with reference to fig. 4 to 9. Hereinafter, a case where an operation signal is transmitted in the batch setting mode will be described. In the following, the side to which the operation signal, the request signal, the end signal, or the like is transmitted is referred to as the master side, and the side to which the operation signal, the request signal, the end signal, or the like is received is referred to as the slave side. Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating a processing flow in a case where the remote controller receives various signals. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of processing performed by a remote controller that receives an operation signal from a wireless communication device or receives an input from a user or the like. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of transmission processing of an operation signal by wire communication of the remote controller. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of transmission processing of an operation signal by wireless communication of a remote controller. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of processing performed by the remote controller on the slave side. Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of processing performed by the remote controller 10 when the end signal is received.

Before step S101 shown in fig. 4, a user or the like inputs an instruction to perform an operation in the batch setting mode to the wireless communication device 20 or the remote controller 10 in order to batch set 1 or more air conditioners 30. When an instruction of the operation is input to the wireless communication device 20, the wireless communication device 20 transmits an operation signal corresponding to the content of the instruction to 1 or more remote controllers 10 capable of wireless communication. Alternatively, the wireless communication device 20 transmits an operation signal to 1 or more remote controllers 10 designated by a user or the like.

In step S101, when the second communication unit 12 of the remote controller 10 receives the operation signal from the wireless communication device 20 (step S101: yes), the second communication unit 12 notifies the main control unit 16 that there is a reception of the operation signal, and the main control unit 16 moves the process to step S201 (FIG. 5). Alternatively, in step S101, when an instruction to operate is input from the user or the like to the remote controller 10 (yes in step S101), the main control unit 16 moves the process to step S201. In step S101, when an instruction to operate is input from a user or the like to the remote controller 10 (yes in step S101), the main control unit 16 may shift the process to step S202.

When the setting of the remote controller 10 is prohibited in step S201 (step S201: no), the main control unit 16 moves the processing of the remote controller 10 to step S204. When the remote controller 10 is set to the permission setting in step S201 (yes in step S201), the main control unit 16 instructs the first communication unit 11 to transmit the operation signal received in step S101 or the operation signal based on the content input in step S101 to the air conditioner 30 to be controlled in step S202. The first communication unit 11 transmits an operation signal to the air conditioner 30 to be controlled based on an instruction from the main control unit 16. The air conditioner 30 operates according to the operation signal.

In step S203, the display control unit 14 causes the display unit 15 to display the operation, setting, and the like of the air conditioner 30 based on the operation signal transmitted in step S202, in response to the instruction from the main control unit 16. For example, when the set temperature of the air conditioner 30 is changed according to the operation signal, the display control unit 14 controls the display unit 15 to display the changed set temperature and the changed set temperature. In step S101, when the remote controller 10 receives the operation signal from the wireless communication device 20, the process of step S203 may be omitted.

In step S204, the main control unit 16 generates the communication path information 100 including the identifier of the operation signal and the ID of the remote controller 10, and stores the generated communication path information in the communication path management unit 17. In step S204, when the remote controller 10 receives the operation signal from the wireless communication device 20 in step S101, the main control unit 16 stores the wireless ID of the remote controller 10 in the communication path information 100. In step S204, when the user inputs the remote controller 10 in step S101, the main control unit 16 stores the wired ID of the remote controller 10 in the communication path information 100. However, the present invention is not limited to these.

In step S205, the remote controller 10 is switched from the slave side to the master side, and the transmission of the operation signal is performed as follows. Hereinafter, a transmission process of an operation signal by the remote controller 10 will be described with reference to fig. 6.

In step S301 in fig. 6, the third communication unit 13 detects whether or not there is another remote controller 10 connected by wire, in response to an instruction from the main control unit 16. In this detection process, for example, a command (Ping command) in ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) may be used. When the other remote controller 10 connected by wire is not detected (no in step S301), the main control unit 16 moves the processing of the remote controller 10 to step S401 (fig. 7) described later. When there is another remote controller 10 connected by wire (yes in step S301), the third communication unit 13 acquires the wire ID of the other remote controller 10 connected by wire, and in step S302, the main control unit 16 stores the wire ID in the communication path management unit 17.

In step S303, the third communication unit 13 transmits a request signal to the remote controller 10 having the wired ID stored in the communication path management unit 17 in step S302, in response to an instruction from the main control unit 16. As described above, the request signal is a signal requesting setting information and communication path information 100. Here, the reason why the master remote controller 10 requests the setting information will be described.

In an example of the transmission processing of the operation signal by the remote controller 10 according to embodiment 1, the operation signal is not transmitted to the remote controller 10 in the prohibition setting. Even if an operation signal is transmitted to the remote controller 10 in the prohibition setting, an instruction of an operation from a user or the like cannot be reflected in the air conditioner 30 that is the control target of the remote controller 10. In order to eliminate such wasteful transmission processing, the remote controller 10 in this example does not send the operation signal to the remote controller 10 in the prohibition setting as a transmission target of the operation signal. Therefore, the remote controller 10 needs to confirm the setting information of the other remote controllers 10 and request the setting information from the other remote controllers 10. However, when the remote controller 10 in the prohibition setting is used as a relay to another remote controller 10 at the time of transmission of the operation signal, there is no such limitation.

Here, the reason why the remote controller 10 requests the communication path information 100 is to omit wasteful processing of repeatedly transmitting the same operation signal to the other remote controllers 10 as described above.

The processing of the remote controller 10 that receives the request signal and becomes the slave will be described with reference to fig. 4 and 8. When the third communication unit 13 of the remote controller 10 receives the request signal (yes in step S102), the main control unit 16 searches for the communication path information 100 including the identifier of the operation signal included in the request signal in step S501 (fig. 8). When the remote controller 10 on the slave side has received the operation signal, the communication path management unit 17 stores communication path information 100 including an identifier of the operation signal. If the remote controller 10 on the slave side does not receive the operation signal, the communication path management unit 17 does not store the communication path information 100 including the identifier of the operation signal.

In step S501, when the slave-side remote controller 10 has received the operation signal, the main control unit 16 controls the third communication unit 13 to transmit the communication path information 100 and the setting information acquired from the communication path management unit 17 to the remote controller 10 that is the source of the request signal. In step S501, when the slave-side remote controller 10 does not receive the operation signal, the main control unit 16 controls the third communication unit 13 to transmit setting information and communication path information 100 including the identifier to the remote controller 10 that is the source of the request signal, and stores the communication path information 100, for example, a NULL value in a storage area for storing an ID indicating the communication path.

Referring to fig. 6, the description of the remote controller 10 that transmitted the request signal in step S303 is returned. The third communication unit 13 receives the setting information and the communication path information 100 from 1 or more remote controllers 10 at the transmission destination of the request signal (step S304: no), and the remote controllers 10 stand by. When the third communication unit 13 receives the setting information and the communication path information 100 from 1 or more remote controllers 10 at the transmission destination of the request signal (yes in step S304), the main control unit 16 moves the processing of the remote controllers 10 to step S305. In step S305, the main control unit 16 determines whether or not the remote controller 10, which is the transmission source of the information, is to be the transmission target of the operation signal, based on the setting information and the communication path information 100 received in step S304.

When the main control unit 16 determines that none of the remote controllers 10 of 1 or more of the transmission sources of the setting information and the communication path information 100 is the transmission target of the operation signal (step S305: no), the main control unit 16 moves the processing of the remote controllers 10 to step S401 described later. When the main control unit 16 determines that at least one of the remote controllers 10 of 1 or more sources of the setting information and the communication path information 100 is to be the transmission target of the operation signal (yes in step S305), the main control unit 16 moves the processing of the remote controller 10 to step S306.

In step S306, the main control unit 16 controls the third communication unit 13 to transmit the operation signal to all the remote controllers 10 to which the operation signal was transmitted in step S305. At this time, the main control unit 16 controls the third communication unit 13 to transmit the communication path information 100 stored in the communication path management unit 17, which is received together with the operation signal, to the remote controller 10 to which the operation signal is to be transmitted.

With reference to fig. 7, the processing will be described in the case where there is no other remote controller 10 capable of wired communication in step S301 or where there is no remote controller 10 to which an operation signal is to be transmitted in step S305. The following relates to transmission processing of an operation signal by wireless communication by the remote controller 10. The following processing is processing in the case where there is no remote control 10 to which an operation signal based on wired communication is to be transmitted.

Here, the reason why the transmission processing of the operation signal by the wireless communication is performed in the case where the remote controller 10 connected by wire is not present in step S301 or in the case where the remote controller 10 to which the operation signal is to be transmitted is not present in step S305 is as follows. Since the wired communication is performed in preference to the wireless communication, the transmission and reception of the operation signal can be reliably and promptly performed without depending on the radio wave intensity. However, the processing by wired communication may not be performed due to the length of the signal line, the arrangement of the remote controller 10, or the like. Further, there is a possibility that the remote controller 10 to which the operation signal is to be transmitted may be included in the remote controller 10 that is not connected by wire. By transmitting an operation signal to such remote controller 10 by wireless communication, more air conditioning apparatuses 30 can be set in batch in the air conditioning system 1. Therefore, the remote controller 10 according to embodiment 1 performs processing based on wired communication with respect to the other remote controllers 10 to which the operation signal is to be transmitted and performs processing based on wireless communication with respect to the remote controllers 10 to which the operation signal is not to be transmitted.

In step S401, the main control unit 16 controls the second communication unit 12 to perform detection processing of radio waves transmitted from the other remote controllers 10. In step S402, the main control unit 16 determines whether or not the intensity of the electric wave detected in step S401 is equal to or higher than a reference intensity. When the intensity of the radio wave is equal to or higher than the reference intensity (yes in step S402), the main control unit 16 stores the radio ID included in the radio wave in the communication path management unit 17 in step S403. In place of the processing in step S402 and step S403, the main control unit 16 may store the intensity of the electric wave from the other remote controller 10 in the communication path management unit 17 for a predetermined period, and execute the processing after step S404 on the other remote controller 10 whose average of the intensity of the electric wave in the period is equal to or higher than the reference intensity.

In step S402, if there is no remote controller 10 that has transmitted a radio wave having an intensity equal to or higher than the reference intensity (step S402: NO), the main control unit 16 moves the processing of the remote controller 10 to step S408. The processing in step S408 is described below.

In step S404, the second communication unit 12 transmits a request signal to the remote controller 10 having the wireless ID stored in the communication path management unit 17 in step S403, in response to the instruction from the main control unit 16.

The processing of the remote controller 10 that receives the request signal and becomes the slave will be described with reference to fig. 4 and 8. When the second communication unit 12 of the remote controller 10 receives the request signal (yes in step S102), the main control unit 16 searches for the communication path information 100 including the identifier of the operation signal included in the request signal in step S501 (fig. 8). When the remote controller 10 on the slave side has received the operation signal, the communication path management unit 17 stores communication path information 100 including an identifier of the operation signal. If the remote controller 10 on the slave side does not receive the operation signal, the communication path management unit 17 does not store the communication path information 100 including the identifier of the operation signal.

In step S501, when the slave-side remote controller 10 has received the operation signal, the main control unit 16 controls the second communication unit 12 to transmit the communication path information 100 acquired from the communication path management unit 17 and the setting information to the remote controller 10 that is the source of the request signal. In step S501, when the slave-side remote controller 10 does not receive the operation signal, the main control unit 16 controls the second communication unit 12 to transmit setting information and communication path information 100 including the identifier to the remote controller 10 of the transmission source of the request signal, and stores the communication path information 100, for example, a NULL value in a storage area for storing an ID indicating the communication path.

Referring to fig. 7, the description of the remote controller 10 that transmitted the request signal in step S404 is returned. During the period from when the setting information and the communication path information 100 are received from 1 or more remote controllers 10 at the transmission destination of the request signal (step S405: no), the remote controllers 10 are on standby. When the second communication unit 12 receives the setting information and the communication path information 100 from 1 or more remote controllers 10 at the transmission destination of the request signal (yes in step S405), the main control unit 16 moves the processing of the remote controllers 10 to step S406. In step S406, the main control unit 16 determines whether or not the remote controller 10, which is the transmission source of the information, is to be the transmission target of the operation signal, based on the setting information and the communication path information 100 received in step S405.

When the main control unit 16 determines that none of the remote controllers 10 of 1 or more of the transmission sources of the setting information and the communication path information 100 is the transmission target of the operation signal (step S406: no), the main control unit 16 moves the processing of the remote controllers 10 to step S408 described later. When the main control unit 16 determines that at least one of the remote controllers 10 of 1 or more sources of the setting information and the communication path information 100 is to be the transmission target of the operation signal (yes in step S406), the main control unit 16 moves the processing of the remote controller 10 to step S407.

In step S407, the main control unit 16 controls the second communication unit 12 to transmit the operation signal to all the remote controllers 10 to which the operation signal was transmitted in step S406. At this time, the main control unit 16 controls the second communication unit 12 to transmit the communication path information 100 stored in the communication path management unit 17, which is received together with the operation signal, to the remote controller 10 to which the operation signal is to be transmitted.

In step S408, the remote controller 10 transmits an end signal and the communication path information 100 stored in the communication path management unit 17 to the remote controller 10 or the wireless communication device 20 that is the transmission source of the operation signal.

Next, with reference to fig. 8, a process performed by the remote controller 10 transmitting the communication path information 100 according to the request signal in step S501 will be described. In step S502, the main control unit 16 of the remote controller 10 determines whether or not the operation signal and the communication path information 100 are received from the remote controller 10 on the dominant side based on the notification from the second communication unit 12 or the third communication unit 13.

The slave-side remote controller 10 waits for an operation signal from the master-side remote controller 10 until a predetermined time elapses. When the slave-side remote controller 10 does not receive the operation signal and the communication path information 100 within a predetermined time from the master-side remote controller 10 (step S502: no), the processing of the remote controller 10 ends. When the slave remote controller 10 receives the operation signal and the communication path information 100 within a predetermined time from the master remote controller 10 (yes in step S502), the main control unit 16 controls the first communication unit 11 to transmit the operation signal to the air conditioner 30 to be controlled in step S503. Thus, the air conditioner 30 that received the operation signal operates based on the operation signal. In step S504, the display control unit 14 updates the display content of the display unit 15 in response to the instruction from the main control unit 16. In addition, in the case where the operation signal is transmitted from the wireless communication device 20 to the remote controller 10 in step S101, the process of step S504 may be omitted.

In step S505, the main control unit 16 stores the communication path information 100 received from the master remote controller 10 in the communication path management unit 17. In this storage, the main control unit 16 stores the ID of the remote controller 10 in a storage area indicating the ID of the communication path in the communication path information 100 received from the remote controller 10 on the leading side. The stored ID is a wired ID when the third communication unit 13 receives the operation signal, and is a wireless ID when the second communication unit 12 receives the operation signal. When 1 or more IDs are previously included in the storage area of the communication path information 100 indicating the IDs of the communication paths received from the master remote controller 10, the main control unit 16 connects the wired ID or the wireless ID of the remote controller 10 to the last ID of the 1 or more IDs.

In step S506, the remote controller 10 is switched from the slave side to the master side, and the process moves to step S301 (fig. 6) described above.

Next, with reference to fig. 4 and 9, a process in a case where the remote controller 10 receives the end signal will be described. In step S103 (FIG. 4), when the second communication unit 12 or the third communication unit 13 of the remote controller 10 does not receive the end signal (step S103: NO), the remote controller 10 returns to the standby state of the signal. In step S103, when the second communication unit 12 or the third communication unit 13 of the remote controller 10 receives the end signal and the path signal from the remote controller 10 at the destination of the transmission operation signal (step S103: yes), the main control unit 16 moves the processing of the remote controller 10 to step S601.

In step S601, the main control unit 16 stores the communication path information 100 received together with the end signal in the communication path management unit 17. At this time, the main control unit 16 updates the communication path information 100 stored in the communication path management unit 17 in step S204 or step S505, based on the communication path information 100. Alternatively, the main control unit 16 may store the communication path information 100 in the communication path management unit 17 together with the communication path information 100 stored in the communication path management unit 17 in step S204 or step S505.

The communication path information 100 stored in step S601 includes IDs of 1 or more remote controllers 10 that receive the operation signals by wired communication or wireless communication in the order of reception of the operation signals. The remote controller 10 can omit the processing of steps S301 to S305, the processing of steps S401 to S406, the processing of step S501, and the like described above by using the communication path information 100 at the time of the reception of the next operation signal. That is, when the remote controller 10 receives the operation signal, the operation signal may be transmitted to the remote controller 10 having the ID connected to the next bit of the ID of the remote controller in the communication path information 100.

The main control unit 16 may determine the transmission destination of the next operation signal by using the intensity of the electric wave emitted from the remote controller 10 having the wireless ID included in the communication path information 100 in order to make the transmission of the next operation signal smoother in the air conditioning system 1. For this purpose, the main control unit 16 may store the intensity of the radio wave emitted from the remote controller 10 having the radio ID included in the communication path information 100 and the intensity of the radio wave detected by the radio device detection unit 12B in the communication path management unit 17 in association with the radio ID in the communication path information 100.

Next, in step S602, the main control unit 16 determines whether or not an ID stored earlier than the ID of the remote controller 10 exists in the communication path information 100. That is, the main control unit 16 determines whether or not there is another remote controller 10 that has transmitted an operation signal to the remote controller 10.

In the case where there is a remote controller 10 of the transmission source of the operation signal (step S602: yes), in step S603, the remote controller 10 is switched from the slave side to the master side. Thus, the main control unit 16 controls the second communication unit 12 or the third communication unit 13 to transmit the end signal and the communication path information 100 received in step S103 to the remote controller 10 that is the source of the operation signal.

If there is no remote controller 10 from which the operation signal is transmitted (no in step S602), in step S604, the main control unit 16 instructs the display control unit 14 to update the display content of the display unit 15. Here, the main control unit 16 instructs the display control unit 14 to display the content of the communication path information 100 received in step S103 on the display unit 15. The display control unit 14 causes the display unit 15 to display the content of the communication path information 100 in response to an instruction from the main control unit 16. Alternatively, when the transmission source of the operation signal is the wireless communication device 20 (step S602: no), the main control unit 16 controls the second communication unit 12 to transmit the communication path information 100 to the wireless communication device 20 in step S604. The wireless communication device 20 that has received the communication path information 100 causes a display unit, not shown, to display the content of the communication path information 100. The main control unit 16 can determine whether the transmission source of the operation signal is the wireless communication device 20, based on whether the ID initially included in the ID storage area of the communication path information 100 is the wireless ID.

In addition, in step S604, instead of automatically displaying the content of the communication path information 100 on the display unit 15 of the remote controller 10, the display control unit 14 may control the display unit 15 to display information indicating that the content of the communication path information 100 can be displayed. In this case, the display control unit 14 may cause the display unit 15 to display the content of the communication path information 100 by a user or the like operating the remote controller 10.

The content of the communication path information 100 is displayed on the display unit 15 or the wireless communication device 20, so that all the air-conditioning devices 30 that have received the operation signal are displayed, and the user or the like confirms that the air-conditioning device 30 that has been controlled, such as the setting change, has been performed.

The air conditioning system 1 according to embodiment 1 includes a remote controller 10, and the remote controller 10 performs wired or wireless communication between a plurality of remote controllers 10 that control a plurality of air conditioning apparatuses 30, respectively. The remote controller 10 according to embodiment 1 includes a first communication unit 11, a second communication unit 12, a third communication unit 13, and a main control unit 16. The first communication unit 11 transmits an operation signal for controlling the air conditioner 30 to the air conditioner 30. The second communication unit 12 performs wireless communication with another remote controller 10 or a wireless communication device 20 capable of wireless communication. The third communication unit 13 performs wired communication with the other remote controller 10 connected by wire. The main control section 16 controls the first communication section 11, the second communication section 12, and the third communication section 13. When the second communication unit 12 or the third communication unit 13 receives the operation signal and when there is another remote controller 10 connected by wire, the main control unit 16 controls the third communication unit 13 to transmit the operation signal to the other remote controller 10 connected by wire. The main control unit 16 controls the second communication unit 12 to transmit the operation signal to the other remote controller 10 capable of wireless communication when the second communication unit 12 or the third communication unit 13 receives the operation signal, when the other remote controller 10 capable of wireless communication is not present, and when the other remote controller 10 capable of wireless communication is present. The remote controller 10 according to embodiment 1 preferentially transmits an operation signal to the wired remote controller 10. As a result, the remote controller 10 and the air conditioning system 1 according to embodiment 1 can quickly and reliably transmit and receive operation signals.

Each of the plurality of remote controllers 10 according to embodiment 1 includes: first identification information identifying each of the plurality of remote controllers 10 in wireless communication; and second identification information identifying each of the plurality of remote controllers 10 in wired communication. The second communication unit 12 of the remote controller 10 transmits an electric wave including the first identification information of the remote controller 10, and detects a radio wave emitted from another remote controller 10 capable of wireless communication. When there is another remote control 10 connected by wire, the third communication unit 13 obtains second identification information of the other remote control 10 connected by wire. Thus, the remote controller 10 can recognize the remote controller 10 capable of wired communication or wireless communication, and can accurately transmit and receive the operation signal.

In the air conditioning system 1 according to embodiment 1, an operation signal is transmitted and received together with communication path information 100, and the communication path information 100 includes third identification information for identifying the operation signal from other operation signals, and indicates a communication path through which the operation signal passes. The remote controller 10 further includes a communication path management unit 17 that stores the communication path information 100. The communication path management unit 17 stores the communication path information 100 including the first identification information of the remote controller 10 when the second communication unit 12 receives the operation signal and the communication path information 100, and stores the communication path information 100 including the second identification information of the remote controller 10 when the third communication unit 13 receives the operation signal and the communication path information 100. Since the communication path management unit 17 stores the communication path information 100 including the ID of the remote controller 10 that received the operation signal, the operation signal is transmitted and received in an effective communication path using the communication path information 100. This enables the air conditioning device 30 in the air conditioning system 1 to be quickly controlled.

When the second communication unit 12 or the third communication unit 13 receives the operation signal and when there is another remote controller 10 connected by wire, the main control unit 16 according to embodiment 1 controls the third communication unit 13 to transmit a request signal requesting communication path information 100 including an identifier of the operation signal to the other remote controller 10 connected by wire. The main control unit 16 uses the communication path information 100 including the identifier received by the third communication unit 13 from the other remote controller 10 connected by wire to determine whether or not the other remote controller 10 connected by wire is to be the transmission target of the operation signal. When the other remote controller 10 connected by wire is set as a transmission target of the operation signal, the main control unit 16 controls the third communication unit 13 to transmit the operation signal to the other remote controller 10 connected by wire. Thus, the remote controller 10 refers to whether or not the other remote controllers 10 connected by wire have received the operation signal, and based on the reference result, can perform efficient transmission processing of the operation signal.

In embodiment 1, the main control unit 16 sets the other remote control 10 connected by wire as the transmission target of the operation signal when the wireless ID and the wired ID of the other remote control 10 connected by wire do not exist in the storage area of the information indicating the communication path in the communication path information 100 including the identifier of the operation signal received from the other remote control 10 connected by wire as the response of the request signal, and sets the other remote control 10 connected by wire as the transmission target of the operation signal when the wireless ID or the wired ID of the other remote control 10 connected by wire exist. This can eliminate the transmission process of the repeated operation signal to the other remote controller 10 connected by wire. Therefore, the transmission of the operation signal in the air conditioning system 1 can be speeded up.

In embodiment 1, when the second communication unit 12 or the third communication unit 13 receives an operation signal, and when there is no other remote controller 10 to which the operation signal is to be transmitted and which is to be connected by wire, and when there is another remote controller 10 capable of wireless communication, the main control unit 16 controls the second communication unit 12 to transmit a request signal requesting communication path information 100 including an identifier of the operation signal to the other remote controller 10 capable of wireless communication. The main control unit 16 uses the communication path information 100 including the identifier of the operation signal received from the other wireless-communication-enabled remote controller 10 to determine whether or not the other wireless-communication-enabled remote controller 10 is to be the transmission target of the operation signal. When the other remote controller 10 capable of wireless communication is set as a transmission target of the operation signal, the main control unit 16 controls the second communication unit 12 to transmit the operation signal to the other remote controller 10 capable of wireless communication. Thus, the remote controller 10 can transmit the operation signal to the remote controllers 10 capable of wireless communication other than the same group, and the operation signal can be transmitted to the remote controllers 10 provided in a wide range.

In embodiment 1, the main control unit 16 sets the other wireless-communication-enabled remote controller 10 to be the transmission target of the operation signal when the wireless ID and the wired ID of the other wireless-communication-enabled remote controller 10 do not exist in the storage area of the information indicating the communication path in the communication path information 100 including the identifier of the operation signal received from the other wireless-communication-enabled remote controller 10 in response to the request signal, and sets the other wireless-communication-enabled remote controller 10 not to be the transmission target of the operation signal when the wireless ID or the wired ID of the other wireless-communication-enabled remote controller 10 exists. Thus, the remote controller 10 can omit the transmission process of the repeated operation signal to the other remote controllers 10 capable of wireless communication. Therefore, the transmission of the operation signal in the air conditioning system 1 can be speeded up.

In embodiment 1, when the second communication unit 12 or the third communication unit 13 receives an operation signal, when there is no other remote controller 10 to which a transmission target of the operation signal is connected by wire, and when there is no other remote controller 10 capable of wireless communication to which the transmission target of the operation signal is to be transmitted, the main control unit 16 controls the second communication unit 12 or the third communication unit 13 to transmit an end signal indicating that the transmission process of the operation signal is ended, and communication path information 100 including an identifier of the operation signal stored in the communication path management unit 17, to the other remote controller 10 or the wireless communication device 20 that is the transmission source of the operation signal. Thus, the other remote controller 10 or the wireless communication device 20 that is the source of the operation signal can detect that the transmission process of the operation signal is completed.

When the second communication unit 12 or the third communication unit 13 receives the end signal and the communication path information 100, the main control unit 16 in embodiment 1 stores the communication path information 100 in the communication path management unit 17, and controls the second communication unit 12 or the third communication unit 13 to transmit the end signal and the communication path information 100 to the remote controller 10 or the wireless communication device 20 that includes the transmission source of the operation signal of the identifier in the communication path information 100. In this way, the remote controller 10 can acquire information on a communication path through which the operation signal transmitted from the remote controller 10 passes, and can use the information in transmitting and receiving the operation signal later, thereby enabling the transmission of the operation signal to be speeded up in the air conditioning system 1.

The remote controller 10 according to embodiment 1 further includes a display unit 15, and when the second communication unit 12 or the third communication unit 13 receives the end signal and the communication path information 100, the display unit 15 displays the content indicated by the communication path information 100 in response to an instruction from the main control unit 16. Thus, the user or the like who inputs an operation instruction to the remote controller 10 can know the air conditioner 30 in which the operation instruction is reflected, and the convenience of the user or the like can be improved.

In embodiment 1, when the second communication unit 12 receives the operation signal and the communication path information 100, the main control unit 16 connects the wireless ID of the remote controller 10 to the end of the information indicating the communication path in the communication path information 100, and when the third communication unit 13 receives the operation signal and the communication path information 100, connects the wired ID of the remote controller 10 to the end of the information indicating the communication path in the communication path information 100, and stores the communication path information 100 obtained by connecting the wireless ID or the wired ID in the communication path management unit 17. Thus, the remote controller 10 can accurately acquire the communication path through which the operation signal is transmitted and received by the communication path information 100, and can rapidly transmit and receive the operation signal.

When receiving an additional operation signal from another remote controller 10, the main control unit 16 in embodiment 1 controls the second communication unit 12 or the third communication unit 13 so as to transmit the additional operation signal to the other remote controller 10 based on the communication path information 100 stored in the communication path management unit 17 and the communication path information 100 received by the second communication unit 12 or the third communication unit 13 together with the end signal. Thus, the remote controller 10 can more rapidly transmit and receive the operation signal.

The request signal in embodiment 1 is a signal that requests setting information of another remote control 10 at the transmission destination of the request signal together with communication path information 100 including the identifier of the operation signal. The setting information is information indicating whether or not the other remote controller 10 can control the air conditioner 30 that is the control target of the other remote controller 10 based on the operation signal received from the remote controller 10 or the wireless communication device 20. The main control unit 16 does not set the other remote controller 10 to be the transmission target of the operation signal when the setting information received from the other remote controller 10 at the transmission destination of the request signal indicates that the air conditioner 30 to be controlled by the other remote controller 10 cannot be controlled according to the operation signal received from the remote controller 10 or the wireless communication device 20. This enables efficient transmission of the operation signal.

The main control unit 16 in embodiment 1 associates the intensity of the radio wave detected by the second communication unit 12 with the radio ID included in the radio wave, and stores the radio wave in the communication path management unit 17. When the main control unit 16 controls the second communication unit 12 to transmit the operation signal, the main control unit controls the second communication unit 12 to transmit the operation signal to the other remote controller 10 having the radio wave with the intensity equal to or higher than the predetermined reference intensity among the other remote controllers 10 capable of wireless communication. This makes it possible to use a communication path for transmitting the operation signal more reliably and quickly at the time of transmitting the operation signal, and to achieve efficiency of control in the air conditioning system 1.

The main control unit 16 in embodiment 1 associates the intensity of the radio wave detected by the second communication unit 12 with the radio ID included in the radio wave and stores the radio wave in the communication path management unit 17, the intensity being equal to or higher than a predetermined reference intensity. When the main control unit 16 controls the second communication unit 12 to transmit the operation signal, the main control unit controls the second communication unit 12 to transmit the operation signal to the other remote controller 10 having the wireless ID stored in the communication path management unit 17. This makes it possible to use a communication path for transmitting an operation signal more reliably and quickly at the time of transmission of the operation signal, thereby realizing efficiency of control in the air conditioning system 1 and saving of a storage area of the communication path management unit 17 in the remote controller 10.

The main control unit 16 in embodiment 1 associates the intensity of the radio wave detected by the second communication unit 12 with the radio ID included in the radio wave, and stores the radio wave in the communication path management unit 17, and when controlling the second communication unit 12 to transmit the operation signal, controls the second communication unit 12 so that the operation signal is preferentially transmitted to the other remote controller 10 which transmits the radio wave having a higher intensity among the other remote controllers 10 which can perform radio communication. Thereby, the operation signal can be transmitted more quickly and reliably in the air conditioning system 1.

Embodiment 2

Embodiment 2 will be described below. The description of the repetition of embodiment 1 is omitted unless otherwise specified. The same reference numerals are given to the same or corresponding components as those in embodiment 1.

In the air conditioning system 1 according to embodiment 1, when a plurality of groups each including 1 or more remote controllers 10 are provided at separate locations, there is a possibility that the groups may not be covered with the operation signal. Thus, there is a possibility that an operation intended by a user or the like cannot be performed in the air conditioning system 1. The air conditioning system 1A according to embodiment 2 can transmit and receive operation signals to and from a plurality of groups provided at separate locations.

Fig. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an air conditioning system according to embodiment 2. The air conditioning system 1A according to embodiment 2 has 1 or more wireless relay devices 40 in addition to the respective configurations included in the air conditioning system 1 according to embodiment 1. The 1 or more wireless relay apparatuses 40 are, for example, the remote controller 10, the computer, the gateway, the router, and the like. The wireless relay device 40 is provided to enable wireless communication between groups when the air conditioning system 1A includes a plurality of groups including 1 or more remote controllers 10. The wireless relay device 40 may be connected to 1 or more remote controllers 10 by wire or may not be connected to the same. In the example of the air conditioning system 1A shown in fig. 10, the wireless relay device 40 is wired to the remote controller 10 included in one group, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

The wireless relay device 40 transmits and receives signals such as an operation signal, a path signal, a request signal, and an end signal to and from the remote controller 10. The wireless relay device 40 transmits and receives an operation signal together with a path signal and transmits and receives an end signal together with the path signal, similarly to the remote controller 10. The wireless relay apparatus 40 transmits a request signal to the remote controller 10. The wireless relay apparatus 40 has an ID as an example of fourth identification information that is unique to itself from other wireless relay apparatuses 40, remote controllers 10, and the like, similarly to the remote controllers 10. The following describes the structure of the wireless relay apparatus 40.

Fig. 11 is a diagram illustrating functional blocks included in the wireless relay apparatus according to embodiment 2. The wireless relay device 40 includes a first relay unit 41, a second relay unit 42, a relay-side display control unit 43, a relay-side display unit 44, a relay-side main control unit 45, and a relay-side path management unit 46.

The first relay unit 41 performs wireless communication with the remote controller 10 by a communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or ZigBee (registered trademark). In the case where the air conditioning system 1A includes a plurality of wireless relay apparatuses 40, the wireless relay apparatuses 40 may not communicate with each other, but may communicate with other wireless relay apparatuses 40 via the first relay unit 41 by a communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or ZigBee (registered trademark). In embodiment 2, when another wireless relay apparatus 40 that detects a radio wave exists in the wireless relay apparatus 40, the wireless relay apparatuses 40 are configured to communicate with each other.

The first relay 41 transmits and receives signals to and from the remote controller 10. In addition, the first relay section 41 transmits radio waves. The radio wave includes an ID of the wireless relay apparatus 40. The first relay unit 41 detects radio waves transmitted from the remote controller 10 or the wireless relay apparatus 40. The first relay unit 41 includes a first relay control unit 41A, a relay-side wireless detection unit 41B, and a first relay interface unit 41C.

The first relay control unit 41A transmits and receives signals to and from the remote controller 10 or the other wireless relay device 40 via the first relay interface unit 41C. The relay-side wireless detection section 41B detects radio waves from the remote controller 10 or other wireless relay device 40 via the first relay interface section 41C. At this time, the relay-side wireless detection unit 41B detects the intensity of the radio wave. The relay-side wireless detection unit 41B obtains the wireless ID of the remote controller 10 or the ID of the wireless relay device 40, which is the source of the radio wave. In addition, the first relay control section 41A transmits radio waves via the first relay interface section 41C.

The second relay unit 42 detects the wired remote controller 10 and acquires the wired ID of the remote controller 10. The second relay unit 42 transmits and receives signals to and from the remote controller 10 connected by wire. The second relay unit 42 has a second relay control unit 42A and a second relay interface unit 42B. The second relay control unit 42A transmits and receives signals to and from the remote controller 10 connected to the wire via the second relay interface unit 42B. The second relay control unit 42A obtains the wired ID from the wired remote controller 10 via the second relay interface unit 42B.

The relay-side display control unit 43 controls the relay-side display unit 44, and the relay-side display unit 44 displays various information in accordance with an instruction from the relay-side display control unit 43. The relay-side main control unit 45 controls the first relay control unit 41A, the second relay control unit 42A, the relay-side wireless detection unit 41B, and the relay-side display control unit 43.

When the first relay control unit 41A receives a signal via the first relay interface unit 41C, the relay-side main control unit 45 acquires information and the like included in the signal from the first relay control unit 41A. The relay-side main control unit 45 controls the first relay control unit 41A, and transmits a signal to the remote controller 10 or the other wireless relay device 40 via the first relay interface unit 41C. The relay-side main control section 45 controls the relay-side wireless detection section 41B to detect radio waves. The relay-side main control unit 45 acquires the intensity of the radio wave detected by the relay-side wireless detection unit 41B and the ID included in the radio wave from the relay-side wireless detection unit 41B. When the second relay control unit 42A receives a signal via the second relay interface unit 42B, the relay-side main control unit 45 acquires information and the like included in the signal from the second relay control unit 42A. The relay-side main control unit 45 controls the second relay control unit 42A, and transmits a signal to the remote controller 10 or the other wireless relay device 40 via the second relay interface unit 42B.

The relay-side main control unit 45 stores the communication path information 100 received together with the operation signal in the relay-side path management unit 46. In this case, the relay-side main control unit 45 may include the ID of the wireless relay device 40 including the relay-side main control unit 45 in the communication path information 100.

The relay-side main control unit 45 associates the intensity of the radio wave detected by the relay-side wireless detection unit 41B with the ID included in the radio wave, and stores the association in the relay-side path management unit 46. The relay-side main control unit 45 may store the strength of the radio wave in the relay-side path management unit 46 in association with the ID included in the radio wave and the ID included in the communication path information 100.

When the first relay unit 41 or the second relay unit 42 receives the operation signal and the second relay unit 42 detects the wired remote controller 10, the relay-side main control unit 45 controls the second relay unit 42 and transmits the operation signal to the wired remote controller 10. When the first relay unit 41 or the second relay unit 42 receives the operation signal and the second relay unit 42 does not detect the wired remote controller 10, the relay-side main control unit 45 controls the first relay unit 41 and transmits the operation signal to the remote controller 10 or the wireless relay device 40 that transmits the radio wave detected by the first relay unit 41.

The relay-side main control unit 45 in embodiment 2 transmits a request signal to the remote controller 10 in order to confirm whether or not the remote controller 10 has received an operation signal before controlling the first relay unit 41 or the second relay unit 42 to transmit the operation signal to the remote controller 10. The relay-side main control unit 45 refers to the communication path information 100 included in the response from the remote controller 10 to the request signal, and determines whether or not the ID of the remote controller 10 is included in the information indicating the communication path in the communication path information 100. When the ID of the remote controller 10 is included in the information indicating the communication path in the communication path information 100, the relay-side main control unit 45 excludes the remote controller 10 from the transmission target of the operation signal, since the remote controller 10 has received the operation signal. When the ID of the remote controller 10 is not included in the information indicating the communication path in the communication path information 100, the remote controller 10 does not receive the operation signal, and therefore the relay-side main control unit 45 sets the remote controller 10 as a transmission target of the operation signal and controls the first relay unit 41 or the second relay unit 42 to transmit the operation signal to the remote controller 10.

When transmitting an operation signal by wireless communication, the relay-side main control unit 45 in embodiment 2 controls the first relay unit 41 so as to transmit the operation signal to the remote controller 10 or the other wireless relay device 40 that transmits a radio wave having an intensity equal to or higher than a predetermined reference intensity. The relay-side main control unit 45 may control the first relay unit 41 so that the operation signal is preferentially transmitted to the remote controller 10 that emits the radio wave having the higher intensity when the operation signal is transmitted by the wireless communication. For example, the relay-side main control unit 45 may control the first relay unit 41 so that the operation signals are sequentially transmitted from the remote controller 10 that emits radio waves having a higher intensity.

When there is no remote controller 10 or wireless relay device 40 to which an operation signal is to be transmitted, the relay-side main control unit 45 controls the first relay unit 41 or the second relay unit 42 to transmit an end signal to the transmission source of the operation signal. In this case, the relay-side main control unit 45 may control the first relay unit 41 or the second relay unit 42 to transmit a path signal corresponding to the communication path information 100 stored in the relay-side path management unit 46 together with the end signal.

When receiving the end signal, the relay-side main control unit 45 may control the relay-side display control unit 43 so that the relay-side display unit 44 displays the communication path information 100 received together with the end signal. When the end signal is received from the remote controller 10 or the wireless relay device 40 that is the transmission destination of the operation signal and when the remote controller 10 or the wireless relay device 40 that is the transmission source of the operation signal is present, the relay-side main control unit 45 controls the first relay unit 41 or the second relay unit 42 to transmit the end signal and the communication path information 100 received together with the end signal to the transmission source.

The relay-side path management unit 46 stores the intensity of the radio wave transmitted from the remote controller 10 or the wireless relay device 40 acquired by the relay-side wireless detection unit 41B, the ID included in the radio wave, and the wired ID of the remote controller 10 acquired by the second relay unit 42. The relay-side path management unit 46 stores the communication path information 100 received by the first relay unit 41 or the second relay unit 42 together with the operation signal and included in the ID by the relay-side main control unit 45. The relay-side path management unit 46 stores the communication path information 100 received by the first relay unit 41 or the second relay unit 42 together with the end signal. The relay-side path management unit 46 may store the setting information when receiving the setting information from the remote controller 10 in response to the request signal.

The wireless relay device 40 according to embodiment 2 may be configured by a processor such as a CPU or MPU, a memory such as a ROM or RAM, a communication interface circuit, a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an EL display, or the like, for example. The function of the first relay interface section 41C can be realized by a communication interface circuit that performs wireless communication by Bluetooth (registered trademark) or ZigBee (registered trademark) or the like. The function of the second relay interface section 42B can be realized by a communication interface circuit for wired communication such as communication based on ethernet (registered trademark) or communication using an optical fiber. The function of the relay-side display unit 44 can be realized by a display device. The function of the relay-side path management unit 46 can be realized by a memory. The functions of the relay-side main control unit 45, the first relay control unit 41A, the relay-side wireless detection unit 41B, the second relay control unit 42A, and the relay-side display control unit 43 can be realized by a processor reading and executing various programs stored in a memory. The wireless relay apparatus 40 may be entirely or partially dedicated hardware. For example, an integrated circuit such as ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) may be used to constitute all or part of the relay-side main control unit 45, the first relay control unit 41A, the relay-side wireless detection unit 41B, the second relay control unit 42A, and the relay-side display control unit 43.

Hereinafter, control processing of 1 or more air conditioners 30 by 1 or more

remote controllers

10 and 1 or more wireless relay devices 40 in the air conditioning system 1A according to embodiment 2 will be described with reference to fig. 12 to 17, and fig. 5, 6, and 8. Hereinafter, a case where an operation signal is transmitted in the batch setting mode will be described as in embodiment 1. Fig. 12 is a diagram illustrating a processing flow in a case where a remote controller and a wireless relay apparatus in an air conditioning system receive various signals. Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of first transmission processing of an operation signal by wireless communication by the remote controller in embodiment 2. Fig. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of the second transmission processing of the operation signal by wireless communication of the remote controller in embodiment 2. Fig. 15 is a flowchart showing an example of transmission processing of an operation signal by wired communication in the wireless relay apparatus. Fig. 16 is a flowchart showing an example of transmission processing of an operation signal by wireless communication in the wireless relay apparatus. Fig. 17 is a diagram showing an example of processing of the wireless relay apparatus when the end signal is received.

In step S701, the processing in step S701 shown in fig. 12 is similar to the processing in step S101 in fig. 4 in embodiment 1, and in step S701, when the second communication unit 12 of the remote controller 10 receives an operation signal from the wireless communication device 20 or when an operation instruction is input to the remote controller 10 by a user or the like (yes in step S701), the main control unit 16 moves the processing to step S201 (fig. 5). In addition, in step S701, when an operation instruction is input from a user or the like to the remote controller 10 (yes in step S701), the main control unit 16 may shift the process to step S202. The processing in the following steps S201 to S205 is similar to that in embodiment 1, and therefore, a description thereof is omitted.

In step S301 (fig. 6) subsequent to step S205, the third communication unit 13 detects whether or not there is another remote controller 10 connected by wire, in accordance with an instruction from the main control unit 16. When the other remote controller 10 connected by wire is not detected (no in step S301), the main control unit 16 moves the processing of the remote controller 10 to step S801 (fig. 13) described later. In the case where there is another remote controller 10 connected by wire (yes in step S301), the processing in step S302 and step S303 is similar to embodiment 1, and therefore, the description thereof is omitted.

With reference to fig. 12 and 8, the processing of the remote controller 10 that transmits the request signal from the remote controller 10 on the master side in step S303 will be described. When the third communication unit 13 of the remote controller 10 receives the request signal (yes in step S702), the process of the remote controller 10 proceeds to step S501 (fig. 8). The processing in steps S501 to S506 is similar to the processing in embodiment 1, and therefore, the description thereof is omitted.

Referring to fig. 6, the description of the remote controller 10 that transmitted the request signal in step S303 is returned. The processing in step S304 is similar to that in embodiment 1, and therefore, description thereof is omitted. In step S305, the main control unit 16 of the remote controller 10 determines whether or not the remote controller 10 that has received the setting information and the transmission source of the communication path information 100 in step S304 is to be the transmission target of the operation signal.

When the main control unit 16 determines that none of the remote controllers 10 of 1 or more of the transmission sources of the setting information and the communication path information 100 is the transmission target of the operation signal (step S305: no), the main control unit 16 moves the processing of the remote controllers 10 to step S801 (fig. 13) described later. When the main control unit 16 determines that at least one of the remote controllers 10 of 1 or more of the transmission sources of the setting information and the communication path information 100 is the transmission target of the operation signal (step S305: yes), the processing in step S306 is similar to that in embodiment 1, and therefore, the description thereof is omitted.

The following describes the processing after step S801 with reference to fig. 13. In step S801, the main control unit 16 controls the second communication unit 12 to perform detection processing of radio waves transmitted from the other remote controllers 10. In step S802, the main control unit 16 determines whether or not the intensity of the electric wave detected in step S801 is equal to or higher than a reference intensity. In step S802, when there is no remote controller 10 that transmits a radio wave having an intensity equal to or higher than the reference intensity (step S802: NO), the main control unit 16 moves the process of the remote controller 10 to step S901 (FIG. 14). In step S802, when the intensity of the electric wave is equal to or higher than the reference intensity (step S802: yes), the respective processes of step S803, step S804, and step S805 are the same as the respective processes of step S403, step S404, and step S405 in FIG. 7, and therefore, the explanation thereof is omitted. The processing of the remote controller 10 to which the request signal is transmitted in step S404 is similar to the processing in S702 in fig. 12 and fig. 8 described above, and therefore, the description thereof is omitted.

In step S806, the main control unit 16 of the remote controller 10 determines whether or not to set the remote controller 10, which is the transmission source of the information, as the transmission target of the operation signal, based on the setting information and the communication path information 100 received in step S805. When the main control unit 16 determines that none of the remote controllers 10 of 1 or more of the transmission sources of the setting information and the communication path information 100 is the transmission target of the operation signal (no in step S806), the main control unit 16 moves the processing of the remote controllers 10 to step S901. When it is determined that at least one of the remote controllers 10 of 1 or more sources of the setting information and the communication path information 100 is the transmission target of the operation signal (yes in step S806), the main control unit 16 performs the processing in step S807, and therefore, similar to the processing in step S407, the description thereof is omitted.

The following describes the processing after step S901 with reference to fig. 14. In step S901, the main control unit 16 of the remote controller 10 controls the third communication unit 13, detects the presence or absence of the wired wireless relay device 40, controls the second communication unit 12, and detects a radio wave including the ID of the wireless relay device 40. In step S901, when the second communication unit 12 and the third communication unit 13 do not detect the wireless relay apparatus 40 (step S901: NO), in step S902, the main control unit 16 controls the second communication unit 12 or the third communication unit 13 to transmit an end signal to the remote controller 10 or the wireless communication apparatus 20 that is the transmission destination of the operation signal. After the transmission of the end signal, the remote controller 10 ends the processing. The other remote controller 10 that received the end signal (yes in step S704 in fig. 12) moves the process to step S601 shown in fig. 9. The processing in the subsequent steps S601 to S604 is similar to that in embodiment 1, and therefore, the description thereof is omitted.

In step S901, when the second communication unit 12 or the third communication unit 13 detects the wireless relay device 40 (step S901: yes), in step S903, the main control unit 16 controls the second communication unit 12 or the third communication unit 13 to transmit an operation signal to the detected wireless relay device 40. The remote controller 10 transmits an operation signal to the wireless relay apparatus 40, and then ends the process.

Next, with reference to fig. 12, 15, and 16, a process of the wireless relay apparatus 40 that receives an operation signal from the remote controller 10 or the wireless relay apparatus 40 will be described. In step S703 (fig. 12), when the wireless relay apparatus 40 receives an operation signal from the remote controller 10 or another wireless relay apparatus 40 (yes in step S703), the processing after step S1001 (fig. 15) is performed.

In step S1001, the second relay unit 42 detects whether or not there is another remote controller 10 connected by wire, based on an instruction from the relay-side main control unit 45. In this detection process, for example, a command in ICMP may be used. When the wired remote controller 10 is not detected (no in step S1001), the relay-side main control unit 45 moves the process of the wireless relay apparatus 40 to step S1101 (fig. 16), which will be described later. When there is a wired remote controller 10 (yes in step S1001), the second relay unit 42 acquires the wired ID of the wired remote controller 10, and in step S1002, the relay-side main control unit 45 stores the wired ID in the relay-side path management unit 46.

In step S1003, the second relay unit 42 transmits a request signal to the remote controller 10 having the wired ID stored in the relay-side path management unit 46 in step S1002, in response to the instruction from the relay-side main control unit 45. As described above, the request signal is a signal requesting setting information and communication path information 100. The reason why the wireless relay apparatus 40 requests the setting information and the communication path information 100 is the same as the reason why the remote controller 10 requests these information. The processing of the remote controller 10 on the slave side receiving the request signal is similar to the processing described above with reference to fig. 12 and 8, and therefore, the description thereof is omitted.

After the processing in step S1003, the second relay unit 42 receives the setting information and the communication path information 100 from the remote controllers 10 of 1 or more of the transmission destinations of the request signal (step S1004: no), and the wireless relay apparatus 40 stands by. When the second relay unit 42 receives the setting information and the communication path information 100 from 1 or more remote controllers 10 at the transmission destination of the request signal (yes in step S1004), the relay-side main control unit 45 advances the process of the wireless relay apparatus 40 to step S1005. In step S1005, the relay-side main control unit 45 determines whether or not the remote controller 10, which is the transmission source of the information, is to be the transmission target of the operation signal, based on the setting information and the communication path information 100 received in step S1004. The method of determination is the same as the method of determination of the remote controller 10 in step S305.

When the relay-side main control unit 45 determines that none of the remote controllers 10 of 1 or more of the transmission sources of the setting information and the communication path information 100 is the transmission target of the operation signal (step S1005: no), the relay-side main control unit 45 moves the processing of the wireless relay apparatus 40 to step S1101 described later. When the relay-side main control unit 45 determines that at least one of the remote controllers 10 of 1 or more sources of the setting information and the communication path information 100 is the transmission target of the operation signal (yes in step S1005), the relay-side main control unit 45 moves the processing of the wireless relay apparatus 40 to step S1006.

In step S1006, the relay-side main control unit 45 controls the second relay unit 42 to transmit the operation signal to all the remote controllers 10 to which the operation signal was transmitted in step S1005. At this time, the relay-side main control unit 45 controls the second relay unit 42 to transmit the communication path information 100 received together with the operation signal and stored in the communication path management unit 17 to the remote controller 10 to which the operation signal is transmitted.

With reference to fig. 16, the processing in the case where there is no other remote controller 10 capable of wired communication in step S1001 or where there is no remote controller 10 to which an operation signal is to be transmitted in step S1005 will be described. The following processing is processing in the case where there is no remote controller 10 to which an operation signal based on wired communication is to be transmitted.

In step S1101, the relay-side main control unit 45 controls the first relay unit 41 to perform detection processing of radio waves transmitted from the remote controller 10. In step S1102, the relay-side main control unit 45 determines whether or not the intensity of the electric wave detected in step S1101 is equal to or higher than a reference intensity. When the intensity of the radio wave is equal to or higher than the reference intensity (yes in step S1102), in step S1103, the relay-side main control unit 45 stores the radio ID included in the radio wave in the relay-side path management unit 46. In addition, instead of the processing in step S1102 and step S1103, the relay-side main control unit 45 may store the intensity of the electric wave from the remote controller 10 in the relay-side path management unit 46 for a predetermined period, and execute the processing after step S1104 on the remote controller 10 in which the average of the intensity of the electric wave in the period is equal to or higher than the reference intensity.

In step S1102, when there is no remote controller 10 that transmits radio waves having an intensity equal to or higher than the reference intensity (step S1102: no), the relay-side main control unit 45 moves the process of the wireless relay apparatus 40 to step S1108. The processing in step S1108 will be described later.

In step S1104, the first relay unit 41 transmits a request signal to the remote controller 10 having the wireless ID stored in the relay-side path management unit 46 in step S1103, in response to the instruction from the relay-side main control unit 45.

The processing of the remote controller 10 on the slave side, which receives the request signal, is similar to the processing described above with reference to fig. 12 and 8, and therefore, the description thereof is omitted. The wireless relay apparatus 40 waits for a period of time until the setting information and the communication path information 100 are received from 1 or more remote controllers 10 at the transmission destination of the request signal (step S1105: no). When the first relay unit 41 receives the setting information and the communication path information 100 from 1 or more remote controllers 10 at the transmission destination of the request signal (yes in step S1105), the relay-side main control unit 45 moves the process of the wireless relay apparatus 40 to step S1106. In step S1106, the relay-side main control unit 45 determines whether or not the remote controller 10, which is the transmission source of the information, is to be the transmission target of the operation signal, based on the setting information and the communication path information 100 received in step S1105.

When the relay-side main control unit 45 determines that none of the remote controllers 10 of 1 or more of the transmission sources of the setting information and the communication path information 100 is the transmission target of the operation signal (step S1106: no), the relay-side main control unit 45 moves the processing of the wireless relay device 40 to step S1108, which will be described later. When the relay-side main control unit 45 determines that at least one of the remote controllers 10 of 1 or more sources of the setting information and the communication path information 100 is the transmission target of the operation signal (yes in step S1106), the relay-side main control unit 45 moves the process of the wireless relay device 40 to step S1107.

In step S1107, the relay-side main control unit 45 instructs the first relay unit 41 to transmit the operation signal to all the remote controllers 10 to which the operation signal was transmitted in step S1106. At this time, the relay-side main control unit 45 controls the first relay unit 41 to transmit the communication path information 100 received together with the operation signal to the remote controller 10 to which the operation signal is to be transmitted.

In step S1108, the wireless relay apparatus 40 transmits the end signal and the communication path information 100 to the remote controller 10 or the wireless relay apparatus 40 that is the transmission source of the operation signal.

In step S704 in fig. 12, when the wireless relay apparatus 40 receives the end signal from the remote controller 10 or another wireless relay apparatus 40 (step S704: yes), the relay-side main control unit 45 moves the process based on the wireless relay apparatus 40 to step S1201 in fig. 17. In step S1201, the relay-side main control unit 45 stores the communication path information 100 received together with the end signal in the relay-side path management unit 46. Next, in step S1202, the relay-side main control unit 45 transmits an end signal and the communication path information 100 to the remote controller 10 or the wireless relay device 40 that is the source of the operation signal including the identifier included in the communication path information 100.

The air conditioning system 1A according to embodiment 2 includes 1 or more wireless relay devices 40 that relay communication between the remote controller 10 and other remote controllers 10. When the wireless relay device 40 wirelessly communicates with at least one remote controller 10 and receives an operation signal, the operation signal is transmitted to the other remote controllers 10 connected by wire when the remote controllers 10 connected by wire are present. The wireless relay apparatus 40 transmits an operation signal to the wireless communication remote controller 10 when the wired remote controller 10 is not present. Thus, even when a group including 1 or more remote controllers 10 is separated from each other and wireless communication is not possible, the wireless relay device 40 relays the operation signal, so that signal transmission is possible. Further, since the wireless relay apparatus 40 preferentially transmits the operation signal to the wired remote controllers 10 among the 1 or more remote controllers 10, the transmission of the operation signal in the air conditioning system 1A can be performed promptly and reliably.

When an operation signal is received, the remote controller 10 according to embodiment 2 transmits the operation signal to the wireless relay device 40 when there is no other remote controller 10 that is connected to the remote controller 10 by wire, when there is no other remote controller 10 that can communicate with the remote controller 10 by wireless, and when there is a wireless relay device 40 that can communicate by wire or wireless. Thus, even if the remote controller 10 is installed in a place where the remote controller 10 cannot be reached, the transmission of the operation signal is enabled, and the air conditioner 30 can be controlled over a wider range.

When an operation signal is received by the remote controller 10 according to embodiment 2, and when another remote controller 10 connected to the remote controller 10 by wire receives the operation signal earlier than the remote controller 10, and when another remote controller 10 capable of wireless communication with the remote controller 10 is not present, and when a wireless relay device 40 capable of wired communication or wireless communication is present, the remote controller 10 does not transmit the operation signal to the other remote controller 10 connected by wire, but transmits the operation signal to the wireless relay device 40. Thus, the remote controller 10 does not transmit the same operation signal as the operation signal that has been received by the other remote controller 10 connected by wire to the other remote controller 10 connected by wire, and therefore, unnecessary transmission processing can be omitted. Therefore, the transmission of the operation signal can be speeded up. Further, since the remote controller 10 transmits an operation signal to the remote controller 10 in a wider range via the wireless relay device 40.

When an operation signal is received and when another remote controller 10 connected to the remote controller 10 by wire is not present, and when another remote controller 10 capable of wirelessly communicating with the remote controller 10 receives the operation signal earlier than the remote controller 10 and when a wireless relay device 40 capable of wired or wireless communication is present, the remote controller 10 according to embodiment 2 does not transmit the operation signal to the other remote controller 10 capable of wireless communication, but transmits the operation signal to the wireless relay device 40. Thus, the remote controller 10 does not transmit the same operation signal as the operation signal that has been received by the other remote controller 10 capable of wireless communication to the other remote controller 10 capable of wireless communication, and therefore, unnecessary transmission processing can be omitted. Therefore, the transmission of the operation signal can be speeded up. Further, since the remote controller 10 transmits an operation signal to the remote controller 10 in a wider range via the wireless relay device 40.

When an operation signal is received by the remote controller 10 according to embodiment 2, and when another remote controller 10 connected to the remote controller 10 by wire receives the operation signal earlier than the remote controller 10, and when another remote controller 10 capable of wireless communication with the remote controller 10 receives the operation signal earlier than the remote controller 10, and when a wireless relay device 40 capable of wired communication or wireless communication is present, the remote controller transmits the operation signal to the wireless relay device 40. Thus, the remote controller 10 does not transmit the same operation signal as the operation signal that has been received by the other remote controller 10 to the other remote controller 10, and thus unnecessary transmission processing can be omitted. Therefore, the transmission of the operation signal can be speeded up. Further, since the remote controller 10 transmits an operation signal to the remote controller 10 in a wider range via the wireless relay device 40.

When an operation signal is received, the wireless relay apparatus 40 according to embodiment 2 transmits the operation signal to the wired remote controller 10 when the wired remote controller 10 that has not received the operation signal is present. Further, the wireless relay apparatus 40 transmits the operation signal to the remote controller 10 capable of wireless communication when the operation signal is received by the wired remote controller 10 earlier than the wireless relay apparatus 40 and when the remote controller 10 capable of wireless communication is present which does not receive the operation signal. The wireless relay apparatus 40 can reliably transmit the operation signal, since it transmits the operation signal when there is the remote controller 10 connected by wire that does not receive the operation signal. In addition, when the operation signal has been received by the wired remote controller 10, the wireless relay device 40 transmits the operation signal to the remote controller 10 capable of wireless communication, which does not receive the operation signal, and therefore, it is possible to omit wasteful transmission processing of the operation signal and to further spread the operation signal into the air conditioning system 1A.

Description of the reference numerals

1. Air conditioning system; remote control; a first communication unit; a first communication control section; a first communication interface; a second communication unit; a second communication control section; wireless device detection unit; a second communication interface; third communication part; third communication control section; third communication interface; a display control section; a display; a main control unit; a communication path management unit; wireless communication device; air conditioning apparatus; 40. wireless relay apparatus; first relay; first relay control unit; a relay-side wireless detection unit; first relay interface section; second relay; a second relay control unit; second relay interface section; a relay-side display control unit; 44. a relay-side display unit; 45. the relay-side main control unit; a relay-side path management unit; communication path information.

Claims

1. A remote controller for performing wired communication or wireless communication between a plurality of remote controllers for controlling a plurality of air conditioners, respectively, wherein,

the remote controller is provided with:

a first communication unit that transmits an operation signal for controlling the air conditioner to the air conditioner;

a second communication unit that performs wireless communication with another remote controller or a wireless communication device capable of wireless communication;

a third communication unit which performs wired communication with the other remote controllers connected by wires; and

a main control unit that controls the first communication unit, the second communication unit, and the third communication unit,

the main control unit controls the third communication unit to transmit the operation signal to another remote controller connected by wire, when the second communication unit or the third communication unit receives the operation signal and when another remote controller connected by wire to be a transmission target of the operation signal is present; when the second communication unit or the third communication unit receives the operation signal, when there is no other remote control unit to which the operation signal is to be transmitted by wire connection, and when there is another remote control unit capable of wireless communication, the second communication unit is controlled to transmit the operation signal to the other remote control unit capable of wireless communication,

The plurality of remote controllers each have: first identification information for identifying each of the plurality of remote controllers in wireless communication; and second identification information for identifying each of the plurality of remote controllers in the wired communication,

the operation signal is transmitted and received together with communication path information including third identification information for identifying the operation signal from other operation signals and indicating a communication path through which the operation signal passes,

the remote controller further includes a communication path management unit for storing the communication path information,

the communication path management unit stores the communication path information including the first identification information of the remote controller when the second communication unit receives the operation signal and the communication path information, and stores the communication path information including the second identification information of the remote controller when the third communication unit receives the operation signal and the communication path information.

2. The remote control of claim 1, wherein,

the second communication section of the remote controller transmits an electric wave containing the first identification information of the remote controller, and detects a radio wave emitted from another remote controller capable of wireless communication,

The third communication unit obtains the second identification information of the other remote controllers connected by wire when the other remote controllers connected by wire exist.

3. The remote controller according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

the main control unit controls the third communication unit to transmit a request signal requesting the communication path information including the third identification information of the operation signal to the other remote controller connected by wire, when the second communication unit or the third communication unit receives the operation signal and when there is the other remote controller connected by wire to the third communication unit; determining whether or not the other remote control connected by wire is to be a transmission target of the operation signal using the communication path information including the third identification information of the operation signal received by the third communication unit from the other remote control connected by wire; when the other remote controller connected by wire is set as the transmission target of the operation signal, the third communication unit is controlled to transmit the operation signal to the other remote controller connected by wire.

4. The remote control of claim 3, wherein,

The main control unit sets the other remote controllers connected by wire as the transmission target of the operation signal when the first identification information and the second identification information of the other remote controllers connected by wire are not present in a storage area of the information indicating the communication path in the communication path information including the third identification information of the operation signal received from the other remote controllers connected by wire as the response of the request signal, and sets the other remote controllers connected by wire as the transmission target of the operation signal when the first identification information or the second identification information of the other remote controllers connected by wire are not present.

5. The remote control of claim 3, wherein,

the main control unit controls the second communication unit to transmit the request signal requesting the communication path information including the third identification information of the operation signal to the other remote controller capable of wireless communication, when the second communication unit or the third communication unit receives the operation signal, when the other remote controller to which the transmission target of the operation signal is connected by wire is not present, and when the other remote controller capable of wireless communication is present; determining whether or not the other remote controller capable of wireless communication is to be a transmission target of the operation signal, using the communication path information including the third identification information of the operation signal received from the other remote controller capable of wireless communication; when the other remote controller capable of wireless communication is set as a transmission target of the operation signal, the second communication unit is controlled to transmit the operation signal to the other remote controller capable of wireless communication.

6. The remote control of claim 5, wherein,

the main control unit sets the other remote controller capable of wireless communication as a transmission target of the operation signal when the first identification information and the second identification information of the other remote controller capable of wireless communication are not present in a storage area indicating information of the communication path among the communication path information including the third identification information of the operation signal received from the other remote controller capable of wireless communication as a response to the request signal, and sets the other remote controller capable of wireless communication as a transmission target of the operation signal when the first identification information or the second identification information of the other remote controller capable of wireless communication are present.

7. The remote control of claim 5, wherein,

the main control unit controls the second communication unit or the third communication unit to transmit an end signal indicating that the transmission process of the operation signal has ended to the other remote controller of the transmission source of the operation signal and the communication path information including the third identification information of the operation signal stored in the communication path management unit, when the second communication unit or the third communication unit receives the operation signal and when the other remote controller of the transmission target of the operation signal is not connected by wire and when the other remote controller capable of wireless communication of the transmission target of the operation signal is not present.

8. The remote control of claim 7, wherein,

the main control unit stores the communication path information in the communication path management unit when the second communication unit or the third communication unit receives the end signal and the communication path information, and controls the second communication unit or the third communication unit to transmit the end signal and the communication path information to the remote controller of the transmission source of the operation signal or the wireless communication device of the transmission source of the operation signal including the third identification information in the communication path information.

9. The remote controller according to claim 7 or 8, wherein,

the remote controller further includes a display unit that displays, when the second communication unit or the third communication unit receives the end signal and the communication path information, contents indicated by the communication path information in response to an instruction from the main control unit.

10. The remote controller according to claim 7 or 8, wherein,

the main control unit is configured to, when the second communication unit receives the operation signal and the communication path information, connect the first identification information of the remote controller including the main control unit to an end of information indicating the communication path in the communication path information; when the third communication unit receives the operation signal and the communication path information, the second identification information of the remote controller including the main control unit is connected to the end of the information indicating the communication path in the communication path information; and storing the communication path information obtained by linking the first identification information or the second identification information in the communication path management unit.

11. The remote control of claim 10, wherein,

the main control unit controls the second communication unit or the third communication unit to transmit the additional operation signal to the other remote controller based on the communication path information stored in the communication path management unit and the communication path information received by the second communication unit or the third communication unit together with the end signal when the additional operation signal is received from the other remote controller.

12. The remote control of claim 3, wherein,

the request signal is a signal which requests setting information of the other remote controller of the transmission destination of the request signal together with the communication path information including the third identification information of the operation signal,

the setting information is information indicating whether the other remote controller can control the air conditioner of the control object of the other remote controller based on the operation signal received from the remote controller or the wireless communication device,

the main control unit does not set the other remote controller to be the transmission target of the operation signal when the setting information received from the other remote controller at the transmission destination of the request signal indicates that the air conditioner to which the other remote controller cannot be controlled according to the operation signal received from the remote controller or the wireless communication device.

13. The remote controller according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

the second communication unit detects an electric wave emitted from the other remote controller capable of wireless communication, the electric wave including the first identification information of the other remote controller capable of wireless communication,

the main control unit associates the intensity of the electric wave detected by the second communication unit with the first identification information included in the electric wave, and stores the association in the communication path management unit; when the second communication unit is controlled to transmit the operation signal, the second communication unit is controlled to transmit the operation signal to the other wireless-communication-enabled remote controller that transmits the radio wave having an intensity equal to or higher than a predetermined reference intensity among the other wireless-communication-enabled remote controllers.

14. The remote controller according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

the main control unit associates and stores the intensity of the electric wave with the first identification information included in the electric wave, the intensity of the electric wave being equal to or higher than a predetermined reference intensity, the intensity of the electric wave being detected by the second communication unit, in the communication path management unit; when the second communication unit is controlled to transmit the operation signal, the second communication unit is controlled to transmit the operation signal to the other remote controller having the first identification information stored in the communication path management unit.

15. The remote controller according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

the main control unit associates the intensity of the electric wave detected by the second communication unit with the first identification information included in the electric wave, and stores the association in the communication path management unit; when the second communication unit is controlled to transmit the operation signal, the second communication unit is controlled to transmit the operation signal preferentially to the other wireless communication-enabled remote controller that transmits the radio wave having a higher intensity among the other wireless communication-enabled remote controllers.

16. An air conditioning system, wherein,

the air conditioning system includes a plurality of remote controllers according to any one of claims 1 to 15, and a plurality of air conditioning apparatuses to be controlled by the plurality of remote controllers.

17. The air conditioning system of claim 16, wherein,

the air conditioning system further has 1 or more wireless relay devices that relay communication between the remote controller and other remote controllers,

The wireless relay device transmits the operation signal to the remote controller which is the transmission target of the operation signal and is connected to the remote controller which is the transmission target of the operation signal when the wireless relay device receives the operation signal by performing wireless communication with at least one of the remote controllers, and transmits the operation signal to the remote controller which is capable of wireless communication when the wireless relay device does not have the remote controller which is the transmission target of the operation signal.

18. The air conditioning system of claim 17, wherein,

the remote controller transmits the operation signal to the wireless relay device when the operation signal is received, when there is no other remote controller to which the operation signal is transmitted, which is capable of wireless communication with the remote controller, and when there is the wireless relay device capable of wired communication or wireless communication.

19. The air conditioning system according to claim 17 or 18, wherein,

When the remote controller receives the operation signal, and when the other remote controller connected to the remote controller by wire receives the operation signal earlier than the remote controller, and when the other remote controller to which the operation signal is to be transmitted is not present, which is capable of wireless communication with the remote controller, and when the wireless relay device capable of wired communication or wireless communication is present, the remote controller does not transmit the operation signal to the other remote controller connected by wire, but transmits the operation signal to the wireless relay device.

20. The air conditioning system according to claim 17 or 18, wherein,

the remote controller does not transmit the operation signal to the other remote controllers capable of wireless communication, but transmits the operation signal to the wireless relay device when the operation signal is received, and when the other remote controllers capable of wireless communication with the remote controller receive the operation signal earlier than the remote controllers, and when the wireless relay device capable of wired communication or wireless communication is present, the other remote controllers being the transmission targets of the operation signal, which are connected to the remote controllers by a wire.

21. The air conditioning system according to claim 17 or 18, wherein,

the remote controller may be configured to transmit the operation signal to the wireless relay device when the operation signal is received, when the other remote controller connected to the remote controller by wire receives the operation signal earlier than the remote controller, when the other remote controller capable of performing wireless communication with the remote controller receives the operation signal earlier than the remote controller, and when the wireless relay device capable of wire communication or wireless communication is present.

22. The air conditioning system according to claim 17 or 18, wherein,

the wireless relay device transmits the operation signal to the wired remote controller when the wired remote controller that does not receive the operation signal is present when the operation signal is received, and transmits the operation signal to the wireless communication-enabled remote controller when the wired remote controller receives the operation signal earlier than the wireless relay device is present when the wireless communication-enabled remote controller that does not receive the operation signal is present.