JP2002039595A - Method for supporting maintenance of air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enhance efficiency of a repair of the like by facilitating acquiring of information regarding the state of an air conditioner. SOLUTION: A user transmits an electronic mail for requesting repair on a server system 400. A maintenance personnel transmits an electronic mail of a reply to an information processor 300, in response to the user's mail. The user registers the address of this reply with the processor 300. Thereafter, the processor 300 allows the personnel's accessing to data regarding a state of an air conditioner 110 stored in the processor 200. The processor 300 also allows remote operation of the conditioner 110 using the mail. Thus, the personnel can find out in detail the state of the conditioner 110. After the repair has been completed, the user deletes the address of the personnel. As for registering, expiration date is set to enable coping with forgetting of deletion of this. registration.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for supporting maintenance of an air conditioner with improved efficiency of repair and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An air conditioner monitors an indoor environment by using various sensors, and performs an automatic operation based on a result of the monitoring to realize a comfortable indoor environment.

[0003] In the event that a problem or the like occurs in such an air conditioner, a user has previously contacted a service center by telephone, and in response, a maintenance person has been on site to perform repairs.

[0004]

In the case of repair or the like, if the situation is known in advance, the parts necessary for repair can be prepared in advance, so that the working efficiency is improved. However, at present, the situation could not be understood without actually going to the site.

It is conceivable to preliminarily estimate the state of the air conditioner based on a report from a user who has requested repair or the like. However, whether the air conditioner can function sufficiently depends on the actual use environment. For example, even if the vehicle is operated in the same manner, the room temperature and the like differ depending on the material of the house (wooden / reinforced concrete), the size of the room, and the like. Furthermore, it greatly depends on the floor (the first floor, the second floor), the presence or absence of an adjacent room, whether or not it is a corner room, the presence or absence of a window, the installation position of an air conditioner, the sunshine, humidity, the outside air temperature, and the like. For this reason, it is difficult to accurately estimate the cause of a failure or the like only by reporting the situation from the customer.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a maintenance support method for an air conditioner that improves the efficiency of repair and the like.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a maintenance support method for an air conditioner according to a first aspect of the present invention provides a method for maintaining an air conditioner configured to be manageable by an information processing apparatus connectable to a network. In the support method, the maintenance of the air conditioner is requested to a predetermined partner (hereinafter, referred to as “maintenance request destination”), and the information processing via a network is performed in response to a request from the maintenance request destination based on the request. The maintenance of the air conditioner by an apparatus is permitted to the maintenance request destination, and thereafter, the permission is canceled according to an instruction from the maintenance request destination.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, maintenance of the air conditioner is requested to a predetermined maintenance request destination. In response to a request from the maintenance request destination based on the request, the management of the air conditioner by the information processing device through the network is permitted to the maintenance request destination. After that, the permission is canceled according to the instruction from the maintenance request destination.

A maintenance support method for an air conditioner according to claim 2 is
In the invention according to claim 1, the management to be permitted to the maintenance request destination includes accessing data relating to an operation state of the air conditioner stored in the information processing apparatus and monitoring operation state of the air conditioner. And at least one of remote control is included.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the maintenance request destination can perform various managements (for example, access to data relating to the operation status of the air conditioner stored in the information processing apparatus, Operation status monitoring and remote operation) are possible.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an air conditioner maintenance support method.
The invention according to claim 1, wherein the permission is performed by registering an e-mail address of the maintenance request destination in the information processing apparatus.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the management is permitted by registering the e-mail address of the maintenance request destination in the information processing apparatus.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an air conditioner maintenance support method.
In the invention according to claim 3, the registration is performed after limiting the period or the number of times that the management is permitted to the other party specified by the e-mail address, and exceeding the limitation of the period or the number of times. In this case, execution of the management is not permitted even if the electronic mail address of the other party is registered.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the registration of the e-mail address is performed after limiting the period or the number of times the management is permitted. If the period or the number of times is exceeded, execution of management is not permitted even if the other party's e-mail address is registered.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited by the embodiment.

This embodiment is characterized mainly in that remote control of the air conditioner 110 and access to the information processing device 300 through the network 500 are enabled while ensuring security. Specifically, in the information processing apparatus 300, this is realized by registering and managing a person who permits access or the like. The details will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 1, the system according to this embodiment includes an air conditioner 110 and an information processing device 300 for managing the air conditioner 110. Also,
It is configured to include a server device 400, a terminal device 410, and a network 500.

First, the air conditioner 110 will be described with reference to FIGS. The air conditioner 110 generates a cool air or the like by using a refrigerant supplied from an outdoor unit (not shown) and blows the cool air or the like to maintain a desired indoor environment. Will be installed. As shown in FIG. 1, an air outlet 112 for cool air or the like, a terminal unit 113 for transmitting and receiving signals to and from the information processing device 300, and the like are provided on the front surface of the housing 111 of the air conditioner 110. Inside the housing 111, a heat exchanger, a blower fan and a blower fan motor 121 for operating the same (see FIG. 2), a ventilation mechanism for exhausting indoor air to the outside, an air purification mechanism for removing air dirt, and the like are housed. Have been.

As shown in FIG. 2, the air conditioner 110 includes a blower fan motor 121 for driving a blower fan (not shown), various sensors 122 for detecting temperature, etc., a communication circuit 123, a control circuit 125, and the like. It is configured. Further, although not shown in this figure, a ventilation mechanism such as a fan and an air purification mechanism such as a filter are also provided.

The sensor 122 is for detecting the state of the air conditioner, and further, the state inside and outside the room. In this embodiment, the outlet 112 is used as the sensor 122.
A temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of cold air or the like, a room temperature sensor for detecting the indoor temperature, an outdoor temperature sensor for detecting the outdoor temperature, and a humidity sensor for detecting the humidity.
Further, a pressure sensor and the like for detecting the refrigerant pressure are also provided.

The communication circuit 123 is for transmitting and receiving various signals to and from the information processing device 300. This communication circuit 1
Reference numeral 23 denotes a configuration for inputting and outputting this signal from the terminal unit 113. That is, various data and control programs are exchanged with the information processing device 300 via the cable connected to the terminal unit 113.
Rewriting of the flash memory 126 described later is also possible through the communication circuit 123. Communication circuit 12
3 operates according to an instruction from the control circuit 125.

The control circuit 125 controls and controls the entire air conditioning system. The control circuit 125 specifically includes a flash memory 126 which is a rewritable nonvolatile memory, a ROM 127 which is a non-rewritable nonvolatile memory, and a CPU 128. The CPU 128 controls the flash memory 12
6 or a control program stored in the ROM 127 to realize various functions. For example, the control circuit 125 controls the above-described units and an outdoor unit (not shown) to realize a functional operation as an air conditioner.

The control circuit 125 according to this embodiment
Represents data on the operation status of the air conditioner 110,
A function of transmitting the information to the information processing device 300 by the communication circuit 123 is provided. Examples of the data relating to the operation status include detection values of various sensors 122, set temperatures, operation status (for example, power ON / OFF, frequency in inverter control, voltage in PAM (Pulse Amplitude Modulation) control, power consumption), and the like. Can be Further, the control circuit 125 has a self-diagnosis function for checking whether or not there is an abnormality in the control circuit 125 itself and each part described above. If an abnormality is detected as a result of this self-diagnosis,
Failure content (for example, abnormal part, estimated failure factor)
Is transmitted to the information processing apparatus 300 as a part of data relating to the driving situation and the like.

In addition, the control circuit 125 includes the communication circuit 12
3 has a function of controlling each of the above units according to a control command input from the information processing apparatus 300.

The flash memory 126 stores a control program, parameter setting values, and the like, which are updated as necessary. For example, a control program for controlling each part of the air conditioner 110 to adjust temperature, humidity, and the like is stored in the flash memory 126. On the other hand, the ROM 127 stores a minimum necessary program that is not likely to be rewritten. For example, a start-up program at power-on, a program that defines an operation in a rewrite mode described later, and the like are stored in the ROM 127.
Stored in The rewrite mode is a predetermined operation mode for updating the contents of the flash memory 126. The transition to the rewriting mode is performed by the information processing device 3
It is configured to be performed in response to an instruction from 00.

Next, the information processing apparatus 300 will be described. The information processing device 300 is for managing the air conditioner 110 and has a function of storing data indicating the operation status and the like transmitted from the air conditioner 110. In addition, it has a function of controlling the air conditioner 110 in accordance with a remote control instruction or the like transmitted through the network 500. In this case, access to data, remote control, and the like are permitted only to those who are registered in advance in a permission address registration table 3150 described later.

As shown in FIG. 3, the information processing apparatus 300 is internally provided with a display circuit 311, an input circuit 312, a communication circuit 313, a network connection circuit 314, a storage circuit 315, and a control circuit 316. I have.

The display circuit 311 is for displaying various kinds of information necessary when a user inputs an operation instruction. The display circuit 311 is a CRT (Ca) that constitutes the display screen 301 (FIG. 1).
thode Ray Tube), a circuit for processing a display signal, and the like. Confirmation of the input contents at that time can be performed on the display screen 301. The display circuit 311 operates according to an instruction from the control circuit 316.

The input circuit 312 receives an input of an operation instruction from a user, and includes an input device 302 (FIG. 1) such as a keyboard and a mouse. The input circuit 312 is configured to output the received input content to the control circuit 316.

The communication circuit 313 is connected to another device (here,
This is for exchanging signals with the air conditioner 110). The communication circuit 313 is configured to operate according to an instruction from the control circuit 316.

The network connection circuit 314 connects the information processing device 300 to the network 500. In this embodiment, the network 500
Assumed mainly for the Internet. For this reason, the network connection circuit 314 corresponds to a protocol adopted in the Internet such as TCP / IP.

The storage circuit 315 stores a control program and various data. This control program is loaded into the memory 317 as needed, and
318.

As the data stored in the storage circuit 315, there are data relating to the operating condition transmitted from the air conditioner 110, data input by the user using the input device 302, and the like. Further, an allowed address registration table 3150 is stored.

The permission address registration table 3150 is
This is for registering an identification code of a partner who is permitted to perform a predetermined operation. In this embodiment, the e-mail address is used as it is as the identification code. As shown in FIG. 4, the permission address registration table 3150 stores the addresses (315 in FIG.
1) and the expiration date of the permission for the address (indicated by reference numeral 3152 in the figure) are registered in association with each other. Only the person registered in the permission address registration table 3150 is stored in the storage circuit 315.
Access to the data related to the air conditioner 110 stored in is stored. Further, only a remote operation instruction from a registered person is accepted (permitted).

The contents of the permission address registration table 3150 are registered by the user using the input device 302,
It will be updated. To ensure security, a predetermined password is required at the time of registration or the like.

The storage circuit 315 includes a computer-readable recording medium. For example, a hard disk device, a magneto-optical disk device, a magnetic recording medium (for example, a magnetic disk, a magnetic tape), a nonvolatile memory such as a flash memory, a read-only storage medium such as a CD-ROM, and a RAM ( Random Acc
ess memory) or a combination thereof. Note that the storage circuit 3
These storage media (or recording media) constituting 15
Need not necessarily be fixedly provided in the information processing apparatus 300. The information processing apparatus 300 may be configured to be detachable (or detachable). The same applies to a mechanism (for example, a drive device) for reading and writing data from and to a storage medium (or a recording medium). Furthermore, these do not necessarily have to be provided in the information processing apparatus 300 itself.
It suffices if it is configured to be accessible from 0.

The control circuit 316 controls the information processing device 30
0 controls and controls the entirety of the memory 317 and C
And a PU 318. As described above, the program stored in the storage circuit 315 is stored in the memory 3
17 are loaded into the CPU 17 and executed by the CPU 318, thereby controlling the above-described units to realize various functions.

The functions provided by the control circuit 316 include, for example, an electronic mail transmission / reception function.
The information processing apparatus 300 is always connected to the network 500
, And the transmitted e-mail is stored and held in the storage circuit 315.

The control circuit 316 includes a communication circuit 313
It has a function of controlling the air conditioner 110 by transmitting a predetermined operation instruction to the air conditioner 110 through the. In particular, in this embodiment, by creating this operation instruction based on the e-mail sent through the network 500, remote operation through the network 500 is possible. In addition, this remote operation enables not only normal operation control of the air conditioner 110 but also rewriting of a control program stored in the flash memory 126 (FIG. 2).

Further, the control circuit 316 has a function of managing the remote operation and access to various data based on the above-described permission address registration table 3150. These functions will be described in more detail in the operation description.

In addition, the control circuit 316 includes various additional functions (for example,
Clock function).

The information processing apparatus 300 can be actually realized by executing software for realizing the operation of the present embodiment on a computer system such as a so-called personal computer. Here, the “computer system” includes an OS and hardware such as peripheral devices. Further, in addition to the above-described configuration, it may be realized by dedicated hardware.

The server device 400 will be described. The server device 400 is opened by a maker or the like that manufactures the air conditioner 110, and is capable of receiving a repair request or the like from a user by e-mail. The hardware configuration of the server device 400 is almost the same as the information processing device 300. However, the functions are different from those of the information processing device 300. Specifically, the server device 400 includes an electronic mail and various data transmitted from the information processing device 300 via the network 500 (or is accessible from the server device 400). It is configured to accumulate in a storage device (not shown) such as a hard disk device. The accumulated data is analyzed and used for construction of a database used for specifying a cause of failure. The stored data and database are accessible from the terminal device 410.

The actual server device 400 is realized by executing a predetermined program on a computer system. "Computer system" here
"Includes a homepage providing environment (or display environment) if a WWW system is used.

Next, the terminal device 410 will be described. The terminal device 410 is a portable information processing terminal used by maintenance personnel. The terminal device 410 is connected to the network 50
It has a function to send and receive e-mails through the Internet.
The hardware configuration of such a terminal device 410 is basically the same as that of the information processing device 300 and the server device 400 except that it is designed with emphasis on vibration resistance, miniaturization, and the like. However, the functions are different. The terminal device 410
Basically, you only need to have a function to send and receive e-mail.

The actual terminal device 410 can be realized by a portable telephone, a PHS (Personal Handyphone System), a notebook personal computer, or the like having an electronic mail transmitting / receiving function, a WWW browser, and the like.

Next, an outline of a procedure for repairing the system will be described with reference to FIG. Usually, the air conditioner 110
The control circuit 125 controls the blower fan motor 121 and the like based on the detection result of the sensor 122 to perform automatic operation such that the indoor temperature or the like matches the target value specified by the user. . In parallel with this, the detection result of the sensor 122, the result of the self-diagnosis, etc.
The data is transmitted to the information processing device 300 through a cable connected to the terminal unit 113. Then, the information processing device 30
0 stores this information in the storage circuit 315.

When an abnormality occurs in the air conditioner 110 in such a situation, the user can use e-mail or the like to
Request repair to the service center (step S10
1). In this case, the contents described in the e-mail
The contents of the request, the user's name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, and the like are listed.

[0049] Upon receiving this, the maintenance staff of the service center sends a reply e-mail to the repair request source (step S102). The e-mail of this reply includes confirmation of the repair request, access to the information processing device 300, and the air conditioner 11
The contents of requesting permission such as remote control 0 are set.

In response to a request from the maintenance staff, the user permits the maintenance staff to access the information processing apparatus 300 (step S103). This permission specifically states:
Register the e-mail address described as the source in the reply e-mail (or the e-mail address specifically specified in the contents of the e-mail) in the permitted address registration table 3150 (FIG. 4). Perform in. At this time, the expiration date for permitting access is also set. If you set it as infinite,
The permitted state will continue until the user explicitly cancels the registration. It should be noted that the permitted address registration table 3150 is arbitrarily set by the party permitted to access or the like.
In order to prevent the contents from being rewritten, a predetermined password is required for this registration or the like.

At the time of permission, the maintenance personnel,
The server device 400 or the terminal device 410 is used to access the information processing device 300 to obtain data and the like necessary for confirming the failure location (step S104). Specifically, desired data is obtained by reading data on the air conditioner 110 stored in the storage circuit 315. Further, if necessary, the air conditioner 110 is remotely operated by using e-mail, and the operation status is confirmed. The operation of accepting access by the information processing apparatus 300 at this time will be described later with reference to FIG. The remote operation will be described later in detail with reference to FIG.

The maintenance staff estimates the location of the failure by analyzing the data thus obtained (step S1).
05). Then, after preparing parts and the like based on the estimated result, the user visits the user's house to perform repair (step S106). It is not always necessary to visit the user's home for repair. If repair is possible by remote control, repair is performed by remote control. A case where repair can be performed by remote operation is a case where repair can be performed by rewriting a program stored in the flash memory 126 of the air conditioner 110, for example.

After the repair is completed, the user deletes the address of the maintenance staff from the permitted address registration table 3150 (step S107). As a result, thereafter, the maintenance staff cannot access the data stored in the information processing device 300 and cannot remotely control the air conditioner 110.

In some cases, the user forgets to cancel the registration. However, in this embodiment, an expiration date is set for each of the addresses registered in the permitted address registration table 3150. If the expiration date has passed, access or the like is not permitted. Therefore,
There are no security issues.

Next, an operation of permitting access to data in the information processing apparatus 300 will be described with reference to FIG. The control circuit 316 of the information processing device 300
It is always determined during the operation whether or not an access request has been made through step 0 (step S151).

If the result of determination in step S151 is that there is an access request, control circuit 316 first requests the other party to input an identification code (here, an e-mail address) (step S152). Then, the system enters a standby state while confirming the presence or absence of an input from the other party (step S153).

When the access request at this time is made by the maintenance staff, the maintenance staff inputs the identification code by the server device 400 (or the terminal device 410) in response to the request, and sends the identification code to the information processing device 300. Will be sent.

If the input of the identification code is confirmed in step S153, the control circuit 316 proceeds to step S154. Although not shown in this figure,
If the standby state continues for a predetermined time limit without inputting the identification code, the process returns to step S151.

In step S154, the control circuit 31
6 determines whether to permit access. This determination is made based on whether or not both of the following two conditions are satisfied. That is, the first condition is
At this time, it is determined whether or not the input identification code (e-mail address in this case) matches any of the addresses registered in the permitted address registration table 3150. The second condition is whether it is within the expiration date set for the address. Access is permitted only when both conditions are satisfied.
Even if the first condition is satisfied, access is not permitted if the second condition is not satisfied.

If the access is permitted in step S154, the access operation is performed in response to the request from the other party (step S155). That is, in response to the request, the data relating to the air conditioner 110 stored in the storage circuit 315 is read, and transmitted to the other party through the network 500 by the network connection circuit 314. After the access at this time ends,
The control circuit 316 returns to Step S151.

When the access is not permitted in step S154, although not shown in this figure, the fact is notified to the other party, and the process returns to step S151.

Next, the operation of receiving a remote control instruction will be described with reference to FIG. Prior to a specific description of the operation, a predetermined rule (rule) for electronic mail for remote control will be described. In this embodiment, the title of the e-mail for remote operation is set to "remote operation". In the content part, it is defined that the content of the control (operation instruction), the setting condition, and the execution timing are entered. Here, the contents of the control include “cooling start” and “stop”. The setting condition is a set temperature or the like. The execution timing is
For example, relative time (for example, "one hour later"),
Alternatively, an absolute time (for example, “4:30”)
Is specified. Whether or not it is an e-mail for remote operation and its contents are decoded based on such a rule. Hereinafter, a specific operation will be described with reference to FIG.

The control circuit 316 of the information processing apparatus 300 constantly checks whether or not an e-mail has been newly received (step S201). This check is performed by checking the reception history of the information processing apparatus 300 itself.

If the result of the check in step S201 is that an e-mail has been newly received, the control circuit 31
6 indicates that the newly received e-mail is sent to the air conditioner 110.
It is determined whether or not the object is for remote operation (step S202). This determination is made for all newly received e-mails. As described above, in this embodiment, the title of the electronic mail for remote operation is “remote operation”. Therefore, this determination is made based on whether or not the title of the e-mail is “remote operation”.

If the result of determination in step S202 is that there is no e-mail for remote control, the flow returns to step S201.

If the result of determination in step S202 is that there is at least one e-mail for remote control,
Subsequently, the control circuit 316 determines whether or not the source of the e-mail for the remote operation is permitted to perform the remote operation (step S203). This determination is based on the following 2
This is performed based on whether all of the two conditions are satisfied. That is, the first condition is that the e-mail address of the sender is stored in the permission address registration table 3150.
Is any of the addresses registered in. The second condition is whether it is within the expiration date set for the address. Remote operation is permitted only when both conditions are satisfied. Even if the first condition is satisfied, access is not permitted if the second condition is not satisfied.

If the result of determination in step S203 is that permission has been granted, control proceeds to step S204. In step S204, control circuit 316 analyzes the contents of the e-mail for the remote operation to decode the contents of the instruction. This decryption is also performed in accordance with the above-described rules for e-mail for remote operation.

Thereafter, the control circuit 316 determines a control command, an execution timing, and the like based on the result of the decryption, and stores the determined control command in the storage circuit 315 (step S205). If the execution timing is not specified in the e-mail, it is treated as being executed immediately. Thereafter, the process returns to step S201 again.

The control circuit 316 transmits the control command held in the storage circuit 315 to the air conditioner 110 when its execution timing comes. Then, the air conditioner 110 operates according to the control command.

Although the description here has been made only of the remote operation by the maintenance staff, it is of course possible for the user to perform the remote operation by himself.

As described above, in this embodiment,
Data on the state of the air conditioner 110 installed in each home or the like can be confirmed without actually going to the site. Further, by operating the air conditioner 110 remotely as needed, more detailed data can be obtained. Therefore, maintenance, maintenance, and the like can be made more efficient. In other words, in the case of repair or the like, until now, it was impossible to know the status of the failure unless the user actually went to the site, but in this embodiment, various information can be obtained without going to the site. In addition, it is possible to analyze the usage status retroactively. Therefore, when a repair or the like is performed, a failure site is specified in advance, and a component that is presumed to have a failure is prepared in advance, so that the repair can be completed in one visit. Alternatively, in some cases, the repair can be completed only by remote control. Further, it is easy to confirm whether or not the repair has been completed.

In addition, access to data and remote control
Only those who have a pre-registered identification code (here, e-mail) are permitted. Therefore, it is also excellent in security. Further, since the expiration date of the identification code can be set, there is no security problem due to a human error such as forgetting to delete the registration.

In this embodiment, since the instruction for the remote operation is transmitted using general electronic mail, it is not necessary to use a dedicated device or the like. That is, it is highly versatile and easy to implement.

In the above-described embodiment, the effective range of the registration in the permitted address registration table 3150 is set by the expiration date (that is, the end time of the period during which the access is permitted). You may make it set. For example, it may be set according to the length of the period during which access is permitted, the number of times of access, the frequency, and the like. However, in this case, the identification code (address)
Each time, it is necessary to count and hold the number of accesses (or the remaining number of accessible times) up to that time.

The rules of the e-mail for remote operation are not limited to the above-described embodiment. Further, the method of determining whether or not the electronic mail is for remote operation is not limited to the above-described embodiment. Further, the remote control instruction may be transmitted in a form other than electronic mail.

In the above embodiment, the information processing device 3
00 is always connected to the network 500, but the form of connection to the network 500 is not limited to this. The information processing device 300 is connected to another device (for example,
Network 500 via a server device) or an institution (eg, a provider in an Internet connection)
May be connected only when necessary. However, in this case, the information processing device 300 needs to periodically access the device storing the e-mail addressed to the information processing device 300 and download the received e-mail.

In the above embodiment, the network 5
Although the Internet was assumed as 00, the form of connection to the Internet is not particularly limited.
The information processing device 300 may be directly connected to the Internet via a dedicated line. Alternatively, a part of the line part in the middle may be connected to the Internet using a public line. In this case, the network 500
Is constituted by a public line and the Internet. The network 500 may be a network other than the Internet.

The “computer-readable recording medium” referred to in this specification is a short-time communication line such as a communication line for transmitting a program via a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line. while,
This includes those that dynamically hold programs and those that hold programs for a certain period of time, such as volatile memories in computer systems serving as servers and clients in that case.

The above-mentioned program may be for realizing a part of the above-mentioned functions, and may be for realizing the above-mentioned functions in combination with a program already recorded in a computer system. You may.

[0080]

As described above, according to the maintenance support method for an air conditioner of the present invention, the efficiency of repair of the air conditioner can be improved. The details are as follows.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a maintenance request destination (for example, a service center or a maintenance person) can know the state of the air conditioner without going to the site where the air conditioner is installed. Therefore, after the parts necessary for maintenance are prepared in advance, it is possible to visit the site and perform repairs and the like. In some cases, maintenance (repair, inspection, etc.) can be completed only by remote control. That is, the efficiency of the repair of the air conditioner can be improved.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the maintenance request destination can perform remote control of the air conditioner and acquisition of data on the operation state of the air conditioner without visiting the site. Therefore, it is possible to obtain in advance detailed information on the failure status of the air conditioner. Therefore,
The efficiency of repair and the like can be improved.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since an electronic mail address is used as an identification code (or password) for specifying a partner to whom management is permitted, a dedicated identification code or the like is newly issued. No need. Since the present invention can be realized by using an e-mail address management function often provided in an information processing apparatus, implementation is easy. Further, the possibility that the maintenance request destination forgets the identification code is very low.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, even if the user forgets to cancel the registration of the e-mail address of the maintenance request destination after the maintenance is completed, the management of the air conditioner is permitted to the maintenance request destination. The state does not continue indefinitely. Therefore, it is excellent in security.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of an air conditioner system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an air conditioner.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an information processing apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an allowed address registration table.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an outline of a procedure at the time of repair or the like.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of permitting access to data in the information processing apparatus.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a remote operation receiving operation in the information processing apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 110 air conditioner 300 information processing device 315 storage circuit 3150 permission address registration table 3151 address 3152 expiration date 316 control circuit 400 server device 410 terminal device 500 network

Claims (4)

[Claims] An air conditioner maintenance support method configured to be manageable by an information processing device connectable to a network, wherein a request for maintenance of the air conditioner is given to a predetermined partner (hereinafter, referred to as a “maintenance request destination”). In response to a request from the maintenance request destination based on the request, the management of the air conditioner by the information processing device through a network is permitted to the maintenance request destination, and then the maintenance request destination Revoking the permission according to an instruction. 2. The management permitted to the maintenance request destination includes access to data relating to the operation status of the air conditioner stored in the information processing device, monitoring of the operation status of the air conditioner, and remote operation. The maintenance support method for an air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein at least one of them is included. 3. The air conditioner maintenance support method according to claim 1, wherein the permission is performed by registering the e-mail address of the maintenance request destination in the information processing apparatus. 4. The registration is performed after limiting the period or the number of times that the management is permitted to the other party specified by the e-mail address. The maintenance support method for an air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein execution of the management is not permitted even if the e-mail address of the other party is registered.