JP2003085064A - Communication terminal device used in building equipment controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate the connection of a building equipment (for example, a refrigerator) to a network irrespective of the model of the equipment. SOLUTION: A refrigerator controller 12 stores model information about a refrigerator 11, and a communication-dedicated board 13 has a network variable correlation table 132 where control information and network variables are correlated for each refrigerator model name. The communication-dedicated board, when connected to the refrigerator controller, obtains the model information from the refrigerator controller, and searches for a network variable table corresponding to a model name corresponding to the model information and refers to the network variable correlation table to correlate control information and network variables. Even when the control information is different according to the refrigerator model, the refrigerator controller can be easily connected to the network.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a communication terminal device used for a building facility, for example, a control device for controlling a refrigerator, and more particularly to transmitting the state of the building facility to the network and the network. The present invention relates to a communication terminal device that is used together with a control device that controls a building facility by receiving a control command or the like for the building facility via the.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, building equipment (eg, refrigerator)
Is controlled and monitored by the building equipment control device, and when controlling the building equipment, the building equipment control device inputs the building equipment status and the building equipment status. The specified setting values are input and set,
The building equipment control device controls the building equipment based on the set value and the state of the building equipment.

The control status of the control device is sent separately to the central monitoring room or the like. There are various types of building equipment, and each building equipment is equipped with a control device (for example, a refrigerator has a refrigerator control device, an elevator has an elevator control device, and a water supply facility has water supply equipment). A control device is provided). Moreover, when trying to monitor the control status of building equipment in a plurality of buildings, the number of building equipment becomes enormous. Therefore, in recent years, the state of each building facility (that is, the control state of the control device) is monitored using a network. For example, a so-called local operating network (LON) is known as the network. There is.

When the building equipment is monitored using the LON, a building equipment control device is generally connected to the LON using a microcomputer chip called a neuron chip (the communication protocol (Rontalk ( LON TALK)) is stored.

Thus, by using a network such as LON, it is possible to centrally manage a large number of building facilities for a plurality of buildings at one place.

[0006]

By the way, even in the same building facility (for example, a refrigerator), the model is often different for each building, and if the model is different, the building facility control device is inevitable. The control parameters handled in 1. and the control information indicating the amount of state indicating the state of the building equipment are different, and when connecting the building equipment control device to a network such as LON, the control information is associated with network variables according to the model. In addition, it is necessary to associate the network variable with the control information corresponding to the model. That is, even in the same building facility, it is necessary to prepare a communication terminal device (device having a microcomputer chip such as a neuron chip) for each model.

As described above, the building equipment control device is
When connecting to a network such as N, it is necessary to prepare a communication terminal device according to the model, and if multiple building facilities are connected to the network and centrally managed for multiple buildings, Different communication terminals must be prepared for each equipment model. That is, it is necessary to prepare a communication terminal device in which control information and network variables are associated with each other for each model, and it is extremely troublesome to connect the building equipment control device to the network. There is.

An object of the present invention is to provide a communication terminal device capable of easily connecting a building equipment control device to a network regardless of the type of building equipment.

[0009]

According to the present invention, when receiving the control information relating to the building equipment from the control device for controlling the building equipment and transmitting the control information to the network, the control information is stored in a predetermined network variable. A communication terminal device that sends the data in association with each other, wherein the control device stores model information indicating the model name of the building facility, and the control information and the network variable are stored for each model name of the building facility. A corresponding network variable correspondence table,
When connected to the control device, the model information is obtained from the control device, the network variable table corresponding to the model name corresponding to the model information is searched as a search network variable correspondence table, and according to the model of the building equipment. When the control information is different, it has a communication control means for associating the control information with the network variable by referring to the search network variable correspondence table, and a communication terminal device for a building equipment control device. Is obtained.

In this way, model information representing the model name of the building equipment is stored in the control device, and the communication terminal device corresponds to the network variable in which the control information is associated with the network variable for each model name of the building equipment. When the communication terminal device is connected to the control device, the communication terminal device obtains model information from the control device and searches the network variable table corresponding to the model name corresponding to the model information as a search network variable correspondence table. Since the control information and the network variables are associated with each other by referring to the search network variable correspondence table, the building equipment control device can be easily networked even when the control information varies depending on the building equipment model. Can be connected to.

Further, the control device stores a network variable correspondence table relating to building equipment controlled by the control device. If the search network variable correspondence table does not exist, the communication control means stores in the control device. The obtained network variable correspondence table is obtained as a sending network correspondence table, and the sending network variable table is referenced to associate the control information with the network variable.

In this way, if the network variable correspondence table relating to the building equipment controlled by the control device is stored in the control device and the above-mentioned search network variable correspondence table does not exist, the communication terminal device is stored in the control device. The network variable correspondence table is obtained as the sending network correspondence table, and the sending network variable table is referenced to correlate the control information with the network variables, so when the control information differs depending on the building equipment model. Even if the communication terminal device does not have the network variable correspondence table corresponding to the model, the building equipment control device can be easily connected to the network. The communication control means, for example, when receiving control data from the network, associates the network variable with the control data based on the search network variable correspondence table.

[0013]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings. However, unless otherwise specified, the dimensions, shapes, relative arrangements, and the like of the components described in this embodiment are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention thereto, but are merely illustrative examples. In the following description, as a building facility, a refrigerator will be described as an example, but the building facility is not limited to a refrigerator, and, for example, there are elevator facilities and water supply facilities, and these are also the same. The present invention can be applied.

Referring to FIG. 1, refrigerator 11 is controlled by refrigerator controller 12. In the illustrated example, the refrigerator control device 12 includes a process input / output device 12a, a central processing unit 12b, a storage device 12c, and a communication interface 12d, and the storage device 12c has a control information storage area 121 described later. A program storage area 122 is defined.

The refrigerator controller 12 is connected to the refrigerator 11 by the process input / output device 12a, and as will be described later, the refrigerator 11 is connected by the process input / output device 12a.
This state is input to the central processing unit 12b and a control command is given to the refrigerator 11 from the central processing unit 12b. Further, the refrigerator control device 12 is connected to a communication terminal device (herein, referred to as a communication dedicated board) 13 by a communication interface 12d, and the communication dedicated board 1
3 causes the refrigerator controller 12 to connect to a network (eg, a local operator network (LO
N)) 14 is connected. In the following description, the network 14 will be described as being a LON.

As shown in the figure, the communication-dedicated board 13 includes a neuron chip 13a, a storage device 13b, and a communication interface 13c, and the storage device 13b includes:
The model information storage area 131 is defined, and at least one network variable correspondence table 132 is defined. Then, the communication dedicated board 13 performs protocol conversion between the control information and the network variable as described later.

Assuming that the refrigerator 11 is an absorption refrigerator, the process input / output device 12a has a state of the absorption refrigerator (device state information indicating states of various devices constituting the refrigerator and operation of the refrigerator). A refrigerator status indicating a state) is given from the absorption refrigerator, and the device input / output device 12a gives the device state information and the refrigerator status to the central processing unit 12b (the process input / output device 12a is given from the absorption refrigerator). If the input data is analog input, it is converted into digital, that is, A / D converted and given to the central processing unit 12b). This device state information includes, for example, cooling water inlet temperature, cold / hot water outlet temperature, cold / hot water outlet temperature, high pressure regenerator solution temperature, exhaust gas temperature, high pressure regenerator pressure as analog inputs, and as digital inputs,
Gas pressure switch, pump motor overcurrent, cold / hot water pump interlock, cooling water pump interlock, etc.

Further, the refrigerator status includes cold water pump operation, cooling water pump operation, operation, dilution operation,
There is also a status indicating that it is stopped.

Various set values are set in the central processing unit 12b, and these set values include, for example, a cold water outlet temperature set value and a hot water outlet temperature set value. Central processing unit 1
2b gives various control commands based on these set values, device status information, and refrigerator status. For example, the control command includes a solution pump operation, a refrigerant pump operation, an extraction pump operation, a cold / hot water pump start / stop command, a cooling water pump start / stop command, and the like.

The above equipment status information, refrigerator status,
The set value, the control command, and the operation command signal are stored in the control information storage area 121 as control information. Further, the control information storage area 121 stores model information indicating the model of the refrigerator. A control program is stored in the program storage area 122, and the central processing unit 1
2b will perform control calculation etc. based on a control program. Specifically, the control program includes analog control calculation, digital control calculation, communication processing, and the like.

On the other hand, the storage device 13b of the dedicated communication board 13
The model information is stored in the model information storage area 131 defined in 1. as will be described later. In addition, the neckwork variable correspondence table 132 includes the network variables exchanged on the LON, the refrigerator controller 12, and the communication dedicated board 13.
It is a table that correlates the data transmitted and received between the tables, and the table is defined for each model. For example, in FIG.
As shown in, each table stores a model name, a data type (control information), and an index number (network variable) corresponding to each data type. That is, the neckwork variable correspondence table 132 stores a correspondence table of data types and network variables for each model.

Here, a case where the above-mentioned refrigerator controller 12 is connected to the network (LON) 14 by using the communication dedicated board 13 will be described. Referring to FIG. 3, when the communication interface 12d of the refrigeration control device 12 and the communication interface 13c of the dedicated communication substrate 13 are connected, the neuron chip 13a is connected to the LON 14 and the power is turned on (step S1), The neuron chip 13a makes a model information request to the central processing unit 12b (step S2).

In response to this model information request, the central processing unit 12b accesses the storage device 12c, reads the model information indicating the model of the refrigerator from the control information storage area 121, and reads it into the neuron chip 13a. (Step S3). And neuron chip 1
3a stores this read model information in the model information storage area 131 of the storage device 13b as write model information (step S4). As the model information to be written, for example, an ASCII character string of 3 characters is stored in the model information storage area 131, the gas-fired absorption refrigerator is “MGS”, the vapor absorption refrigerator is “MDS”, and the turbo refrigerator is “TSR”. It is represented by ".

After storing the write model information in the model information storage area 131 as described above, the neuron chip 13a searches the network variable correspondence table 132 using the write model information as a key to search for the model name corresponding to the write model information. Is checked in the neckwork variable correspondence table 132 (step S5). If there is a model name corresponding to the written model information, the neuron chip 13a
Uses a table in which the model name exists (hereinafter referred to as a corresponding table) as a correspondence table between control information and network variables (step S6). That is, the neuron chip 13a refers to the corresponding table to associate the control information with the network variable and perform the protocol conversion.

Thereafter, the neuron chip 13a makes a control information request to the central processing unit 12b at a predetermined cycle (every predetermined time) (step S).
7). The central processing unit 12b sends the control information to the neuron chip 13a in response to the control information request (step S8). Then, in the neuron chip 13a, it is checked whether or not there is control information whose value or state has changed during the period indicated by the above-described predetermined cycle (step S9), and the control whose value or state has changed is checked. If there is information, with respect to the control information, only the relevant control information (whose value or state has changed) is set in the network variable by referring to the corresponding table (step S10).
In this way, the neuron chip 13a sends the network variable to the LON 14.

In step S9, if there is no control information whose value or state has changed, the process returns to step S7,
The neuron chip 13a makes a control information request at a predetermined time.

On the other hand, regarding the control information such as the command received via the LON 14, the neuron chip 13a refers to the corresponding table, and the control information (control command) is obtained from the network variable.
Is converted into a protocol and is given to the central processing unit 12b. Then, the central processing unit 12a controls the refrigerator 11 based on this control command.

By the way, in the above description, the correspondence table between the data types and the network variables (network variable correspondence table) for each model is stored in advance in the neckwork variable correspondence table 132 in the communication dedicated board 13. It may be difficult to store the network variable correspondence table for all models. In other words, if there is no corresponding table in step S5, the neuron chip 13a cannot perform protocol conversion.

Therefore, the network variable correspondence table of the refrigerator is stored in the storage device 12c of the refrigerator controller 12. If there is no corresponding table in step S5, the neuron chip 13a requests the central processing unit 12b to send the network conversion correspondence table (step S11). As a result, the central processing unit 12b reads the network variable correspondence table from the storage device 12c and sends it to the neuron chip 13a as a sending network variable correspondence table (step S12). And the neuron chip 13a
Stores this sending network variable correspondence table in the storage device 1
It is stored in 3b (step S13). Then, the neuron chip 13a will execute step S7.

As described above, the neuron chip 13
a performs steps S7 to S10 until the power is turned off. Then, when the power is turned off, the neuron chip 13a stops the processing. When the power is turned on again, the model information has already been acquired, so the neuron chip 13a executes steps S7 to S10 shown in FIG.

In the above example, an example in which at least one network variable correspondence table is stored in the storage device 13b has been described, but it is not necessary to store the network variable correspondence table in the storage device 13b in advance. In this case, when the communication-dedicated board 13 is connected to the refrigerator controller 12, the network variable correspondence table is sent from the refrigerator controller 12 to the communication-dedicated board 13 as described above.

Further, the correspondence between the network variable and the control information is determined in advance for each model, and the central processing unit 12b sends the control information to the neuron chip 13a in correspondence with the network variable according to the agreement. Good. In this case, the control command received from the LON 14 is protocol-converted according to the above-mentioned agreement and sent to the central processing unit 12b.

[0033]

As described above, according to the present invention, model information representing the model name of building equipment is stored in the control device, and the communication terminal device stores control information and network variables for each model name of building equipment. When the communication terminal device is connected to the control device, the communication terminal device obtains model information from the control device and searches the network variable table corresponding to the model name corresponding to the model information. Since the search is performed as a network variable correspondence table, and the control information and the network variables are associated by referring to the search network variable correspondence table, even when the control information differs depending on the model of the building equipment,
The effect is that the facility control device for buildings can be easily connected to the network.

Further, in the present invention, the network variable correspondence table relating to the building equipment controlled by the control device is stored in the control device, and if the above-mentioned search network variable correspondence table does not exist, the communication terminal device becomes the control device. Since the stored network variable correspondence table is obtained as the sending network correspondence table, and the sending network variable table is referenced to associate the control information with the network variables, the control information differs depending on the model of the building equipment. In this case, even if the communication terminal device does not have the network variable correspondence table corresponding to the model, there is an effect that the building equipment control device can be easily connected to the network.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a communication terminal device according to the present invention together with a refrigerator and a refrigerator controller.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a network variable correspondence table used in the communication terminal device shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the communication terminal device shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 Refrigerator 12 Refrigerator Control Device 12a Process Input / Output Device 12b Central Processing Units 12c, 13b Storage Devices 12d, 13c Communication Interface 13 Communication Dedicated Board (Communication Terminal Device) 13a Neuron Chip (Communication Control Means) 14 Network (Local Operatoring) Network (LON) 121 Control information storage area 122 Program storage area 131 Model information storage area 132 Network variable correspondence table

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Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A communication terminal device which, when receiving control information relating to the building facility from a control device for controlling the building facility and transmitting the control information to the network, sends the control information in association with a predetermined network variable. In the control device, model information indicating a model name of the building equipment is stored, and a network variable correspondence table in which the control information and the network variable are associated with each other for each model name of the building equipment, When connected to the control device, the model information is obtained from the control device, the network variable table corresponding to the model name corresponding to the model information is searched as a search network variable correspondence table, and according to the model of the building equipment. Communication for associating the control information with the network variable by referring to the search network variable correspondence table A communication terminal device for use in a building equipment control device, comprising: a control means. 2. The control device stores a network variable correspondence table relating to building equipment controlled by the control device, and if the search network variable correspondence table does not exist, the communication control means stores in the control device. 2. The network variable correspondence table obtained is obtained as a sending network correspondence table, and the sending network variable table is referenced to associate the control information with the network variable. Communication terminal device used for the building equipment control device. 3. The communication control means, when receiving control data from the network, associates the network variable with the control data based on the search network variable correspondence table. A communication terminal device used in the building equipment control device according to claim 1.