JP2003322336A - Combustion apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a combustion apparatus provided with a signal conversion means for using a maintenance signal for remote operation of the combustion apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: A repeating device 80 inserted between a combustion apparatus 20 and a remote control 70 is provided with signal conversion means 87, 88, 89. A maintenance signal is used for remote operation of the combustion apparatus 20 by converting a monitor signal of the maintenance received from the combustion apparatus 20 into a signal extending a transmission distance, and transmitting to the remote control 70. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a combustion device which is remotely controlled by a remote controller and is monitored.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a maintenance device composed of a combustion device for outputting status information and failure information of the combustion device and a personal computer for maintaining the combustion device has been devised for the purpose of maintenance of the device. A conventional example is shown in FIG.
Shown in. First, the configuration of the conventional example shown in FIG. 5 will be described. In FIG. 5, reference numerals 1, 8, 10 and 12 are combustion equipments, 1 is a master device, 8 and 1
Reference numerals 0 and 12 are slaves, and the slaves 8, 10 and 12 are controlled by controlling the master 1. 2, 3 and 4 are slave unit connection terminals of the master unit 1, 5 are personal computer connection terminals of the master unit 1, and 6 is a main body functional unit of the master unit 1, for example, when the master unit 1 is a water heater, a water heating function and a hot water discharge function. Etc. have the original functions as devices of the parent device 1. Reference numeral 7 is a combustion device control means including a CPU of the base unit 1. 9, 11, 13 are slaves 8, 10, 12
It is a master unit connection terminal of. 14 is a personal computer as a maintenance device, 15 is a device connection terminal of the personal computer 14,
Reference numeral 16 is a CPU of the personal computer 14.

Next, the operation of the conventional example shown in FIG. 5 will be described. The personal computer 14 creates an operation state request signal for the parent device 1, the child devices 8, 10 and 12 by the CPU 12 and uses the device connection terminal 15 to output the parent device 1
It is transmitted to the personal computer connection terminal 5 of. The signal received by the personal computer connection terminal 15 is interpreted by the master unit control means 7, and is transmitted to the master unit main body functional unit 6 or the slave units 8, 10, 12.
With respect to the slave unit connection terminals 2, 3, 4 and the master unit connection terminals 9, 1
1, 13 are transmitted. On the other hand, the main unit main body functional unit 6 or the sub units 8, 10 and 12 return their respective operating states to the main unit control means 4. The master unit control means 4 is a CPU via a personal computer connection terminal 5 and a device connection terminal 15.
The requested operation status information is returned to 16.

By the above operation, the personal computer 14 can know the operating state of the combustion equipment 1, 8, 10, 12 and can maintain the combustion equipment 1, 8, 10, 12 with this information. At this time, the communication between the master unit 1 and the personal computer 14 is carried out between the CPUs of the master unit 1 and the personal computer 14, that is, the UART serial communication in which the master unit control means 7 and the CPU 12 can be directly connected, and the unbalanced serial communication which is common in personal computer communication. RS232C communication, which is communication, is used.

[0005]

However, in the conventional example, since UART serial communication or unbalanced serial communication RS-232C communication is used for communication between the personal computer and the combustion equipment, the communicable distance is about 10 m. Therefore, it is short to communicate between a personal computer installed in a general house and a combustion device. There has been a problem that the demand for remote control or monitoring of combustion equipment, which has been increasing in recent years, cannot be realized because the conventional communication system cannot obtain a sufficient communication distance. On the other hand, there is a contradiction that the communication system installed in the device is often unbalanced serial communication such as UART serial communication or RS232C due to a simple circuit configuration, which is a problem. It is extremely effective that the combustion device installed in the house can be remotely controlled / monitored from the remote controller installed in the house by using the UART serial communication signal mounted on the combustion device and the unbalanced serial communication signal such as RS232C.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention aims to realize a combustion device which uses a maintenance signal from the combustion device and can obtain a communication distance sufficient for remote control.

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is provided a combustion device which is remotely controlled by a remote controller, and a maintenance monitor signal transmitted from the combustion device is converted into a signal for extending a transmission distance and transmitted to the remote controller. The combustion device is provided with a signal converting means, and the maintenance signal is used as a combustion device used for remote control of the combustion device by the remote controller.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The invention according to claim 1 is a combustion device which is remotely operated by a remote controller, wherein a maintenance monitor signal transmitted from the combustion device is converted into a signal for extending a transmission distance. It is possible to realize a combustion device which is provided with a signal converting means for transmitting the maintenance signal to the remote control device of the combustion device by the remote controller.

The invention described in claim 2 is a combustion equipment U
By converting an ART serial communication signal or an unbalanced serial communication signal into a balanced serial communication signal, it is possible to realize a combustion device that uses a maintenance signal for remote operation of the device.

The invention described in claim 3 is a combustion equipment U
By converting an ART serial communication signal or an unbalanced serial communication signal into a specific low power wireless communication signal, it is possible to realize a combustion device that uses a maintenance signal for remote operation of the device.

The invention described in claim 4 is a combustion equipment U
By converting the ART serial communication signal or the unbalanced serial communication signal into the power line carrier wireless communication signal, it is possible to realize a combustion device that uses the maintenance signal for remote operation of the device.

[0012] The invention described in claim 5 is a combustion equipment U
By converting an ART serial communication signal or an unbalanced serial communication signal into a Bluetooth communication signal, it is possible to realize a combustion device that uses a maintenance signal for remote operation of the device.

The invention described in claim 6 is a combustion equipment U
By converting an ART serial communication signal or an unbalanced serial communication signal into an Ethernet communication signal, it is possible to realize a combustion device that uses a maintenance signal for remote operation of the device.

The invention described in claim 7 is a combustion equipment U
By converting an ART serial communication signal or an unbalanced serial communication signal into an Echonet communication signal, it is possible to realize a combustion device that uses a maintenance signal for remote operation of the device.

The invention described in claim 8 can realize a combustion device which uses a maintenance signal for remote operation of the device by bidirectionally converting a communication signal in the combustion device.

According to the invention described in claim 9, it is possible to realize a combustion device in which the signal conversion means is inserted as a separate casing between the combustion device and the remote controller, and the signal conversion means is replaceable.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, the maintenance signal is used as the maintenance information, operating state information, setting information, failure information of the combustion equipment, history information thereof, operation command, setting instruction and maintenance information inquiry to the combustion equipment. By including at least one of the operation information inquiry, the failure information inquiry, and the history information inquiry, it is possible to realize a combustion device that uses a maintenance signal for remote operation of the combustion device.

The invention described in claim 11 is a program for causing a computer to execute at least a part of the function of the combustion equipment.

Since it is a program, a part or all of the combustion equipment of the present invention can be easily realized by using a computer, information terminal, etc. at home.
Moreover, the program can be easily distributed by recording it on a recording medium or distributing the program using a communication line.

[0020]

EXAMPLES Examples of the present invention will be described below.

(Embodiment 1) First, the construction of the combustion equipment of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the overall configuration of a remote control system including the combustion device of this embodiment. In FIG. 1, 20 is a combustion device (hereinafter, referred to as a device) of the present embodiment, 21 is a master device, and 40, 50, 60 are slave devices. In the present embodiment, the parent device 21 is a gas combustion device that produces hot water with gas and supplies water to a bath, kitchen, washroom or the like. Further, the child device 40 is a hot water floor heating device that functions by using the hot water generated by the parent device 21, and the child device 50 is a hot water bathroom drying device that functions by using the hot water generated by 21 and the child device 60.
Indicates an operation device having an operation unit of the master device 21 and installed in a bathroom or the like. The hot water floor heating system is a floor heating system that functions by circulating the hot water boiled in the combustion equipment.The hot water bathroom dryer uses the heat of the hot water boiled in the combustion equipment to dry the clothing and other items in the bathroom. It is a drying device having a function to do. In addition to these, although not described in the present embodiment, as a slave unit, a hot water air conditioner that functions by utilizing the amount of heat of hot water,
A fan heater or the like that functions by utilizing the amount of heat of hot water can be used.

Of course, the device 20 may be a water heater such as a gas water heater, an oil water heater, an electric water heater or a heat pump water heater which uses electricity for control.

Reference numeral 70 denotes a remote controller for performing remote control and status monitoring of the device 20, and reference numeral 80 denotes a relay device installed between the device 20 and the remote controller 70 for converting signals from both devices. Two
2, 23 and 24 are device-to-device connecting means of the master device 21 connected to the slave devices 40, 50 and 60, 25 is a device-to-relay device connecting device of the master device 21 connected to the relay device 80, and 41, 51 and 61 are master devices. The parent device connecting means of the child devices 40, 50 and 60 connected to the device 21 is shown. 71 is a display part of the remote controller 70, 72, 73,
74 and 75 are operation switches of the remote controller 70, and 76 is a relay device connecting means of the remote controller 70 that is connected to the relay device 80. Reference numeral 81 is connection means to the master device of the relay device connected to the base device 21, 82, 83 and 84 are connection means to the remote control device of the relay device 80 connected to the remote controller 70, and 85 is the relay device 80.
The maintenance terminal of is shown.

FIG. 2 is a detailed block diagram of the device 20 of this embodiment, FIG. 3 is a detailed block diagram of the remote controller 70 of this embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a detailed block diagram of the relay device 80 of this embodiment.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 26 denotes a main body function section having functions such as boiling water and tapping water, which are main body functions of the base unit 21.
Reference numeral 7 denotes a master unit control means including a CPU of the master unit 21, and the like.
Is a parent device information storage means for storing the operating state and failure information of the parent device 21, 29 is a child device control means for controlling the child devices 40, 50 and 60, and 30 is a remote controller 70.
A transmitting / receiving means for transmitting and receiving is shown. Also, 42, 52,
Reference numeral 62 denotes a slave unit control means including CPUs of the slave units 40, 50 and 60, and 43, 53 and 63 denote slave unit main body functional units having respective main body functions of the slave units 40, 50 and 60.

FIG. 3 is a detailed block diagram of the remote controller 70. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 77 is a remote controller control means constituted by the CPU of the remote controller 70, 78 is a timer setting means, 79
Indicates a transmitting / receiving means for transmitting / receiving to / from the relay device.

FIG. 4 is a detailed block diagram of the relay device 80. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 86 is a relay device control means constituted by the CPU of the relay device 80, 87, 88 and 89 are signal conversion means, 90, 91 and 92 are transmission / reception means for transmitting / receiving with the remote controller 70, and 93 is transmission / reception with the master device 21. Sending and receiving means, 94
Is a timer means, 95 and 96 are priority setting means A, and priority setting means B and 97 are selection means.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.
When controlling on / off of the main unit (combustion device) 21, temperature setting, water amount setting, automatic bath hot water filling, etc., a slave unit (hot water floor heating device) 40 and a slave unit (hot water bathroom dryer) 50 When performing control such as on / off and temperature setting, remote control is performed from a remote controller 70 which is not necessarily installed near the parent device 21 and the child devices 40 and 50. For example, the operation switch 72 is operated to control ON / OFF of the master unit. When setting the temperature of the hot water, the operation switch 73 is operated. In addition, child machine (hot water floor heating system) 4
To control ON / OFF of 0, the operation switch 74 is operated. In addition, when controlling the on / off of the child device (hot water bathroom dryer) 50, the operation switch 75
To operate. When performing other functions, control is performed by operating the operation switches not shown.
In addition, the operating state, the setting state, the failure state, and the history of these of the master device 21 and the slave devices 40 and 50 are not necessarily the master device 21 and the slave device 4.
Remote monitoring is performed with the remote controller 70 not installed near 0 and 50.

The locations of these devices are, for example, the base unit 2
It is possible to install 1 on the pipe shaft of an apartment or an outdoor wall. In addition, child device 40 (hot water floor heating device)
It is possible to install the device in a living room, a bedroom, a child's room, a study, etc., the child device 50 (hot water bathroom dryer) in the bathroom, and the child device (operating device) 60 in the bathroom. Also, the remote controller 70
Can be installed in the kitchen, living room or corridor.

The detailed operation of this embodiment will be described below. Maintenance information, operation state information, setting information, failure information and history information of the slave unit (hot water floor heating device) 40 are transmitted from the slave unit control means 42 via the master unit connecting means 41 and the slave unit connecting means 22. It is stored in the child device information storage means 31. Also,
Maintenance information, operating state information, setting information, failure information, and history information of the parent machine are stored in the parent machine information storage means 28.
Here, the maintenance information is information indicating the states of the parent device and the child device, and is, for example, the combustion temperature of the heater, the rotation speed of the fan, the amount of water that can be turned into hot water, the amount of running water of the pipe in the device, and the like. In addition, the operating state information and information indicating whether the parent device or the child device is currently in the on state, in the off state, or in the standby state. The setting information is the setting information of the parent device and the child device such as the temperature setting value of boiling hot water, the boiling flow rate setting value, and the automatic hot water filling setting state. Further, the failure information is information on the currently failed parts. The history information is information indicating the history of various information described above. The master unit 20 transmits the information stored in the slave unit information storage unit 31 and the master unit information storage unit 28 from the transmission / reception unit 30, and receives the information by the transmission / reception unit 93 via the relay device connection unit and the master unit connection unit 81. , To the relay device control means 86.

In this embodiment, the communication between the transmitting / receiving means 30 and the transmitting / receiving means 93 is assumed to be unbalanced serial communication. The relay device control means 86 transfers the signal transmitted to the relay device 80 to the signal conversion means 87, 88, 89, and the signal conversion means 87, 88, 89 converts the unbalanced serial communication signal and various communication signals. In the unbalanced serial communication, for example, the RS232C system has a communicable distance of about 10 m, and there is a limit to where it can be used. However, conversion to various communication signals enables communication of several hundred meters.

In this embodiment, the signal converting means 87 converts an unbalanced serial communication signal and a balanced serial communication signal such as RS422 or RS485. Further, the signal conversion means 88
Converts unbalanced serial communication signals and specified low power wireless communication signals. Further, the signal converting means 89 converts an unbalanced serial communication signal and an Ethernet communication signal. Besides this, although not described in the present embodiment, it is conceivable to convert an unbalanced serial communication signal and a power line carrier communication signal, a Bluetooth communication signal, an Echonet communication signal and the like.

Further, in this embodiment, the signal converting means 87, 8
Although the configuration is such that the relay devices 8 and 89 and the relay device control means are connected to each other through dedicated paths, the configuration may be such that the relay device control means is connected to a plurality of signal conversion means via a common route. In this case, the signal transmission from the relay device control means 86 to the signal conversion means 87, 88, 89 divides the signal into appropriate packets, and the first packet is transmitted to the signal conversion means 87 first, not simultaneously, and then To the signal conversion means 88,
Then, the signal is transmitted to the signal converting means 89. Next, the second packet is transmitted to the signal converting means 87, then to the signal converting means 88, and then to the signal converting means 89, from the relay device controlling means 86 to the signal converting means 87, 88. 8
There is a method of transmitting signals to 9 in time series. In addition, there is a method in which the signal converting means used by the selecting means 97 is selected and the relay device controlling means transmits the signal only to the selected signal converting means. There is also a method of automatically selecting the signal conversion means to be used. This is the remote control 70
There is a method in which the transmission / reception means of the relay device 80 which can receive the signal transmitted from the relay device 80 is detected, and the relay device control means 86 transmits the signal only to the signal conversion means connected to this transmission / reception means.

The transmitting / receiving means 90, 91, 92 transmit the signals converted in the communication system by the signal converting means 87, 88, 89 to the remote controller 70 via the remote controller connecting means 82, 83, 84.
To the relay device connecting means 76. In this embodiment, there are three sets of the signal conversion means, the transmission / reception means, and the remote control connection means of the relay device 80, but it goes without saying that one set may be provided, or more sets may be provided. . Needless to say, the transmitting / receiving means and the remote-control connecting means may be shared by a plurality of signal converting means. Information transmitted to the remote controller 70 is received by the transmission / reception unit 79 and reaches the remote controller control unit 77. By displaying the information on the display unit 71, the remote controller controlling unit 77 can monitor the information of the device 20 with the remote controller 70 not necessarily installed near the device 20.

In addition, for example, the remote controller control means 77 operates the operation switch 74 to issue a control command for turning on the slave unit 40 from the transmission / reception means 79 in balanced serial communication (eg RS48).
When transmitted in 5), the transmission / reception unit 91 receives the control command of the slave unit 40 via the relay device connection unit 76 and the remote control connection unit 83. The signal converting means 88 is the transmitting / receiving means 9.
1 converts the control command of the slave unit 40 received by the balanced serial communication into the unbalanced serial communication (for example, RS232C), and transmits the unbalanced serial communication from the transmission / reception unit 93 via the relay device control unit 86. The transmission / reception means 30 receives the control command of the slave unit 40 via the master unit connection unit 81 and the relay device connection unit 25, and the slave unit control unit 29 transmits the slave unit 40 as an ON signal to the slave unit 40 via the master unit control unit. Machine connection means 2
3. The slave unit control unit 42 turns on the slave unit main body function unit via the master unit connection unit 41. The ON / OFF control of the parent device 21 and the other child device 50 and the setting control such as the temperature setting can be performed in the same manner.

The maintenance terminal 85 has a function of outputting a maintenance signal of the device received by the relay device 80 from the device 20, and the maintenance of the device 20 is performed by connecting a personal computer or the like to the maintenance terminal 85. Information can be monitored. The device 20 can also be controlled from a personal computer connected to the maintenance terminal 85. Signal for maintenance is base unit 2
1, maintenance information, operating status information, setting information, failure information, and history information of these. Originally, this signal is a signal output from the relay device connection means 25 of the master device 21, and by connecting a personal computer to the relay device connection means 25, the status information of the master device 21 and the slave devices 40 and 50 can be obtained, It is a signal that can control the master device 21 and the slave devices 40 and 50, and is a relay device 80 of this embodiment.
Is configured to output a maintenance signal from the maintenance terminal 85, and even if the master device connection means 81 is connected to the relay device connection means 25, the device can be connected by connecting the personal computer to the maintenance terminal 85. Can be maintained. Further, when the remote-control connecting means 82, 83, 84 and the maintenance terminal 85 are used at the same time, when the priority setting means A95 is set, the output from the remote-control connecting means 82, 83, 84 is output from the maintenance terminal 85 rather than the output. It has the function of prioritizing signals. Further, it has a function of not outputting a signal from the remote control connection means 82, 83, 84 when the priority setting means B is set. Further, when the timer means 94 sets an arbitrary time, a function of transmitting a control signal to the device 20 after a lapse of the time set by the timer means 94 from the time when the relay device 80 receives the control command from the remote controller 70 is provided. Have Further, the timer setting means 78 is a timer means 94.
You can set the set time to. It goes without saying that the device 20 can be controlled from an outdoor PDA, mobile phone, personal computer or the like via the remote control 70 by connecting to the web from the remote control, or the information of the device 20 can be monitored by an outdoor PDA, mobile phone, personal computer or the like. Yes. In this embodiment, the signal conversion means 87, 88,
Although 89 is mounted in the relay device 80 and is mounted in a separate housing from the device 20, the signal converting means 87, 88, 89 may be integrated with the device 20. It goes without saying that 87, 88, 89 or the relay device 80 may be built in the housing of the device 20. Further, it goes without saying that the device 20 may not include any child device and may be configured only by the parent device, and the remote control device 70 may be configured by a personal computer.

[0037]

As described above, in the conventional example, the communication between the personal computer and the combustion device is for maintenance, and the unbalanced serial communication such as the UART serial communication or the RS-232C communication is used. Is as short as about 10 m, and there has been an increasing demand for remote control or monitoring of combustion equipment in recent years. However, the conventional method cannot obtain a sufficient communication distance and cannot control remotely. It was However, according to the present invention, the signal output from the combustion equipment is RS422 by the signal conversion means.
And balanced serial communication such as RS485, specified low power wireless communication, power line carrier communication, Bluetooth communication,
Since Ethernet communication, Echonet communication, etc. are used, a communicable distance of about several hundred meters can be realized.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a remote control system including a combustion device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a combustion device that is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a remote controller that constitutes a remote controller system including a combustion device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a relay device including a signal conversion unit for a combustion device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

20 equipment (combustion equipment) 21 Base unit (combustion device body) 40 handset (hot water floor heating system) 50 handset (hot water bathroom dryer) 60 Remote unit (operating device) 70 remote control 80 relay device 87, 88, 89 Signal conversion means

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Yasuo Yoshimura             1006 Kadoma, Kadoma-shi, Osaka Matsushita Electric             Sangyo Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 3K068 KA04                 5K048 AA04 BA08 BA14 DA07 DC01                       DC03 EB02 EB08 GB08 HA02                       HA03 HA07

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. A combustion device which is remotely operated by a remote controller, comprising signal conversion means for converting a maintenance monitor signal transmitted from the combustion device into a signal for extending a transmission distance and transmitting the signal to the remote controller. A combustion device that uses a signal for remote control of the combustion device by the remote controller. 2. The combustion device according to claim 1, wherein the signal converting means converts a UART serial communication signal or an unbalanced serial communication signal into a balanced serial communication signal. 3. The combustion device according to claim 1, wherein the signal converting means converts the UART serial communication signal or the unbalanced serial communication signal into a specific low power wireless communication signal. 4. The combustion device according to claim 1, wherein the signal conversion means converts a UART serial communication signal or an unbalanced serial communication signal into a power line carrier communication signal. 5. The combustion device according to claim 1, wherein the signal conversion means converts a UART serial communication signal or an unbalanced serial communication signal into a Bluetooth communication signal. 6. The combustion device according to claim 1, wherein the signal converting means converts the UART serial communication signal or the unbalanced serial communication signal into an Ethernet (registered trademark) communication signal. 7. The combustion device according to claim 1, wherein the signal converting means converts a UART serial communication signal or an unbalanced serial communication signal into an Echonet communication signal. 8. The combustion device according to claim 1, wherein the signal conversion means bidirectionally converts the communication signal. 9. The combustion equipment according to claim 1, wherein the signal conversion means is inserted as a separate casing between the combustion equipment and the remote controller, and the signal conversion means is replaceable. 10. The maintenance signal is equipment maintenance information, operating status information, setting information, failure information, history information of these, operation command, setting command, maintenance information inquiry, operation information inquiry, and failure information inquiry to the device. And at least one of these historical information inquiries, The combustion device according to claim 1. 11. A program for causing a computer to execute a part or all of the functions of the combustion apparatus according to claim 1.