JP2004132683A - Fault diagnosis system, inspection device, and data server - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fault diagnosis system and a device used therein capable of improving accuracy of fault diagnosis, and reducing oversights. <P>SOLUTION: The fault diagnosis system carries out fault diagnosis of an air conditioner 11, and it is provided with a sound detecting device 16, the data server 17, and a fault diagnosis means 37. The sound detecting device 16 detects sound information of the air conditioner 11. The data server 17 constructs a data base based upon past sound information which is sound information that has been detected in the past, and an apparatus state of the air conditioner 11 when the past sound information was detected. The fault diagnosis means 37 carries out fault diagnosis on the basis of data of the data base and new sound information which is sound information of the diagnosis object air conditioner 11. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a failure diagnosis system, particularly to a failure diagnosis system for diagnosing a failure of an air conditioner, and an apparatus used for the same.
[0002]
[Prior art]
When a trouble occurs in the air conditioner, a failure is checked and repaired by a service engineer who performs maintenance. The service engineer often specifies the location of the cause of the failure based on detection information of sensors built in the air conditioner.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
A veteran service engineer who has become accustomed to repairing a malfunctioning air conditioner that is subject to failure confirmation, uses the five senses in addition to the information detected by the sensors built into the air conditioner, Can be specified. In other words, it is possible to more accurately and promptly determine the location of the cause of the failure based on abnormal noise or an unusual odor.
[0004]
However, it is difficult for a new service engineer or a service engineer who does not repair the target air conditioner much to identify the cause of the failure using the five senses. For this reason, there is a need for a method that can identify the location of the cause of the failure in the same manner as a veteran service engineer.
An object of the present invention is to provide a failure diagnosis system capable of improving the accuracy of failure diagnosis and reducing oversight, and an apparatus used for the system.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
A failure diagnosis system according to a first aspect is a failure diagnosis system that performs a failure diagnosis of an air conditioner, and includes an information detection device, a data server, and a failure diagnosis unit. The information detection device detects at least one of detection information of sound, vibration, odor, and video of the air conditioner. The data server constructs a database based on past information, which is detection information detected in the past, and the device state of the air conditioner when the past information was detected. The failure diagnosis means performs a failure diagnosis based on the data in the database and the new information that is the detection information of the air conditioner to be diagnosed.
[0006]
The information detection device detects, from outside the air conditioner, detection information that is at least one of sound, vibration, odor, and video generated by the air conditioner. Note that the information detection device can also detect detection information in a state where the air conditioner is disassembled when the air conditioner is repaired. Further, the information detection device may be provided in the air conditioner in advance. The data server constructs a database based on past information detected in the past by the information detection device and the device state of the air conditioner corresponding to the past information. The equipment state refers to the state of the air conditioner.Specifically, the equipment is in a normal state in which it is operating normally, a failure state in which it has failed, or even if the operation continues, it may not lead to a failure. It refers to an inefficient state, which is an efficient operation state, or a failure-risk state, which is a state in which a failure has not occurred but is expected to continue if the operation is continued. It also includes the cause of failure. The past information includes detection information when the target air conditioner is installed at the current installation location, detection information at the time of trial operation performed before shipment of the air conditioner (in a normal state), and the like. The failure diagnosis means performs a failure diagnosis based on the data in the database and the new information. The new information is detection information detected when performing a failure diagnosis.
[0007]
A seasoned service engineer who has become accustomed to repairing a malfunctioning air conditioner that is subject to failure confirmation, has experienced in the past in addition to the information detected by the sensors built into the air conditioner ( By using a comparison between the detection information (similar to the five senses) and the current detection information (similar to the five senses), the location of the cause of the failure can be specified accurately and quickly.
[0008]
Here, based on the new information and the database, the failure diagnosis means grasps the device state of the air conditioner and performs failure diagnosis. That is, the failure diagnosis system can perform failure diagnosis based on the database on the device state of the air conditioner at the time of detecting new information. Therefore, the failure diagnosis system can perform the same failure diagnosis as a veteran service engineer. As a result, even a service engineer who has not been able to repair the air conditioner in which a problem has occurred can improve the accuracy of the fault diagnosis and reduce oversight since the number of means for diagnosing the air conditioner can be increased. It becomes possible.
[0009]
In addition, the detection information regarding the sound generated from the air conditioner includes a refrigerant passing sound, a fan sound, a compressor motor sound, and the like. The detection information on the vibration includes vibration of the rotation of the motor of the fan, vibration of the shaft of the rotation of the motor of the compressor, and the like. Examples of the odor detection information include an odor generated when the motor of the compressor burns. Examples of the detection information relating to the video include an image of a filter stain and a fin element stain.
[0010]
A failure diagnosis system according to a second aspect is the failure diagnosis system according to the first aspect, wherein the failure diagnosis unit compares the new information and the past information corresponding to the device state of the database that is in a normal operation state. Diagnose the failure by comparing.
If the air conditioner is different from the normal operation state, the detection information detected by the information detection device and the past information corresponding to the device state of the database in the normal operation state (hereinafter referred to as corresponding past information). Are often different. In addition, if the air conditioner continues to operate while being different from the normal operation, it tends to break down.
[0011]
Here, the corresponding past information of the air conditioner is compared with the new information of the air conditioner to be subjected to failure diagnosis, and if there is a difference, the air conditioner is in an abnormal state (failure state, inefficient state, or Diagnosis is at risk of failure). Therefore, the failure diagnosis means can easily perform the failure diagnosis.
A failure diagnosis system according to a third aspect is the failure diagnosis system according to the first or second aspect, wherein the information detecting device has a built-in failure diagnosis unit, and further receives data of a database from a data server. .
[0012]
Here, since the information detection device includes the failure diagnosis unit, it is possible to save the trouble of communication between the information detection device and the failure diagnosis unit as compared with the case where the failure diagnosis unit is not included. This further improves the convenience of the failure diagnosis.
As a method of receiving the data of the database from the information detecting device, for example, a data center is connected to the data server at a service center or the like which can connect the information detecting device to receive the data before the failure diagnosis. And a method of connecting to a data server via a communication network such as a mobile phone network or the Internet so that a necessary range of a database is supplied when necessary.
[0013]
A failure diagnosis system according to a fourth aspect is the failure diagnosis system according to the first or second aspect, wherein the failure diagnosis means is transportable, and further receives data of a database from a data server. Further, the information detection device can be connected to a failure diagnosis unit.
Here, since the failure diagnosis means can be transported, it is not necessary to provide a facility for performing failure diagnosis. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the construction cost of the failure diagnosis system. Further, for example, when a plurality of failure diagnosis units are used, each of the failure diagnosis units can function as a backup system for each other. As a result, the robustness of the failure diagnosis system can be improved.
[0014]
Further, the information detection device and the transportable failure diagnosis means can be connected. By connecting to each other, the detection information detected by the information detection device can be provided to the failure diagnosis unit, and the result of the failure diagnosis diagnosed by the failure diagnosis unit can be provided to the information detection device.
The transportable failure diagnosis means may be miniaturized, for example, a notebook personal computer, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), or the like. In addition, the computer is not limited to being transported manually, and may be, for example, a computer mounted on an automobile or the like. Further, the connection between the information detection device and the failure diagnosis unit is not limited to a close connection, and may be a remote connection or a connection via wireless.
[0015]
A failure diagnosis system according to a fifth aspect is the failure diagnosis system according to the fourth aspect, wherein the failure diagnosis unit is mounted on a vehicle.
Here, the failure diagnosis unit is downsized and mounted on a vehicle. This makes it possible to perform a failure diagnosis at the installation location of the air conditioner that is the target of the failure diagnosis.
A failure diagnosis system according to a sixth aspect is the failure diagnosis system according to the first or second aspect, wherein the data server includes a failure diagnosis unit.
[0016]
Here, since the data server incorporates the failure diagnosis means, it is possible to save the trouble of communication between the data server and the failure diagnosis means. This further improves the convenience of the failure diagnosis.
A failure diagnosis system according to claim 7, wherein the failure diagnosis means is a replacement part of the air-conditioning apparatus whose replacement is required by failure diagnosis. Is output.
[0017]
Here, a failure diagnosis unit that has performed a failure diagnosis based on the detection information detected by the information detection device and the data in the database outputs a replacement part of the air conditioner. By replacing parts according to the output of the failure diagnosis means, even a newcomer can perform repairs like a veteran.
The failure diagnosis system according to claim 8 is the failure diagnosis system according to claim 7, further comprising a parts management server that builds a parts management database that manages inventory information of parts of the air conditioner in a parts store. . Further, the failure diagnosis means can search the component management database for a component storage that is close to the location of the air conditioner among the component storages having replacement parts, and can output a search result.
[0018]
Here, the location of the parts storage where the failure diagnosis means has replacement parts required for repair can be output. This allows a service engineer who repairs the air-conditioning apparatus to obtain a replacement part from the parts store of the output result. Further, the output component storage is a component storage close to the location of the air conditioner to be subjected to failure diagnosis. Therefore, the time required for the service engineer to obtain the replacement part can be minimized.
[0019]
In the case where the information detection device is provided in advance in the air conditioner, before the service engineer goes to the repair site of the air conditioner, the replacement parts are output by the failure diagnosis means and the parts storage having the inventory is provided. Can also be output. In this case, the service engineer may obtain the replacement part via the parts storage on the way to the repair site and then go to the repair site. By performing such a procedure, it is possible to quickly repair the air conditioner.
[0020]
Also, the parts management server may have a parts management database for centrally managing a plurality of parts warehouses, or may have a parts management database provided for each parts warehouse and managing only the warehouse. good. In the latter case, the failure diagnosis means performs a search based on the component management databases of the plurality of component management servers.
A failure diagnosis system according to a ninth aspect is the failure diagnosis system according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, wherein the information detection device is a telephone that can detect the detection information.
[0021]
Here, the information detection device is a telephone. The telephone is at least capable of communication. For this reason, when the information detection device is a telephone, communication with the failure diagnosis unit becomes possible.
Further, since the telephone has a microphone unit for telephone calls and other functions, detection information can be detected. For this reason, it is possible to detect the detection information by the telephone and transmit the detection information to the failure diagnosis means using the communication means of the telephone.
[0022]
Note that examples of the detection that can be performed by a telephone that detects the detection information include detection of acoustic information by a microphone unit and detection of video information by a digital camera unit.
Further, a mobile phone may be used as the phone. When a mobile phone is used, it can be introduced as a multifunctional and inexpensive information detection device, so that the initial cost of the failure diagnosis system can be reduced.
[0023]
A failure diagnosis system according to a tenth aspect is the failure diagnosis system according to the ninth aspect, wherein the telephone has a digital camera unit.
Here, the telephone has a digital camera unit. As a result, video information can be detected. The detected video information can be transmitted to the failure diagnosis means using the communication function of the telephone.
[0024]
An examination device according to an eleventh aspect is a examination device that causes a failure diagnosis unit to perform a failure diagnosis of an air conditioner, and includes an information detection unit, a transmission acquisition unit, and an output unit. The information detection unit detects at least one piece of detection information of sound, vibration, odor, and video of the air conditioner. The transmission acquisition unit transmits the detection information and acquires a result of the failure diagnosis. The output unit outputs a result of the failure diagnosis.
[0025]
The examination device detects at least one of sound, vibration, odor, and video generated by the air conditioner. It should be noted that the examination device can also detect the detection information in a state where the air conditioner is disassembled when the air conditioner is repaired. By transmitting this information to the failure diagnosis means, the state of the air conditioner is grasped and failure diagnosis is performed. The failure diagnosis result is acquired by the transmission acquisition unit and output by the output unit.
[0026]
Here, since the result of the failure diagnosis is output by the examination device that detects the information of the air conditioner, the result of the failure diagnosis can be obtained at the site where the examination and repair of the air conditioner are performed. Therefore, a service engineer or the like repairing the air conditioner can know the result of the failure diagnosis at the site of the examination and repair.
The output unit is, for example, a printing unit such as a printer, a display unit such as a display, a notification unit such as a speaker, and the like.
[0027]
A medical examination device according to a twelfth aspect is the medical examination device according to the eleventh aspect, further comprising an input unit that receives a device state of the air conditioner. Further, the transmission acquisition unit can transmit the device status.
The device state indicates the state of the air conditioner, specifically, indicates whether the air conditioner is operating normally or has failed, and what is the cause of the failure.
[0028]
Here, by accepting the device state of the air conditioner at the input unit, it is possible to increase the diagnostic materials of the failure diagnostic means. As a result, the accuracy of the result of the failure diagnosis by the failure diagnosis means can be improved.
For example, it is assumed that the failure diagnosis unit is performing failure diagnosis of the air conditioner based on a database based on detection information (past information) detected in the past and the device state. At this time, the accuracy of the failure diagnosis by the failure diagnosis means is improved by further adding the device status input at the input unit and the detection information (new information) corresponding to the device status newly detected this time to the database. Can be done.
[0029]
In addition, for example, if it is possible to output the parts necessary for repairing the air conditioner based on the result of the failure diagnosis, the repair can be performed more smoothly.
Further, it is assumed that, for example, after the failure diagnosis of the failure diagnosis unit is performed, the input unit receives the device state determined by the service engineer repairing the air conditioner. At this time, the diagnostic device sends the device status and the new information, so that the diagnostic material of the failure diagnostic means can be corrected. That is, if the result of the failure diagnosis by the failure diagnosis unit matches the device state found by the repair by the service engineer, the accuracy of the failure diagnosis by the failure diagnosis unit can be supported. As a result, the accuracy of the result of the failure diagnosis by the failure diagnosis means can be improved.
[0030]
A medical examination device according to a thirteenth aspect is the medical examination device according to the eleventh or twelfth aspect, and includes a failure diagnosis unit. Further, the communication apparatus further includes a communication unit capable of receiving data of a database based on past information that is detection information detected in the past and the device state of the air conditioner when the past information is detected. Further, the failure diagnosis unit performs the failure diagnosis based on the data and the new information that is the detection information of the air conditioner to be diagnosed.
[0031]
The database is constructed from the device status and the contents of past information at that time. The failure diagnosis unit performs a failure diagnosis based on the database received by the communication unit and information on the air conditioner to be diagnosed.
In this case, since the examination device has the built-in failure diagnosis means, it is possible to save the trouble of communication between the examination device and the failure diagnosis means as compared with the case where the failure diagnosis means is not built in. This further improves the convenience of the failure diagnosis.
[0032]
As a method of supplying the data of the database to the examination device, for example, a data center is connected to the supply source at a service center or the like that enables connection between the database supply source and the examination device, and the data is supplied in advance before the failure diagnosis. And a method in which data can be connected to a supply source via a communication network such as a mobile phone network or the Internet and the necessary range of data is supplied to the examination device when necessary.
[0033]
A data server according to a fourteenth aspect includes a communication unit and a database construction unit. The communication means receives at least one piece of detection information of sound, vibration, odor, and video of the air conditioner. The database construction means constructs a database based on past information, which is detection information detected in the past, and the device state of the air conditioner when the past information was detected.
[0034]
The data server constructs a database based on past information detected in the past by the information detection device and the device state of the air conditioner corresponding to the past information. The device state indicates the state of the air conditioner, and specifically indicates whether the air conditioner is operating normally or has failed, and what is the cause of the failure.
Here, when the data server constructs a database, it is possible to perform a failure diagnosis of the air conditioner using the database.
[0035]
The data server according to claim 15 is the data server according to claim 14, and further includes a failure diagnosis unit. The failure diagnosis unit performs a failure diagnosis based on the data in the database and the new information that is the detection information of the air conditioner to be diagnosed.
The failure diagnosis means performs a failure diagnosis based on the new information and the database constructed by the data server. The new information is detection information detected when performing a failure diagnosis.
[0036]
Here, since the data server incorporates the failure diagnosis means, it is possible to save the trouble of communication between the data server and the failure diagnosis means when performing the failure diagnosis. This further improves the convenience of the failure diagnosis.
[0037]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a failure diagnosis system according to the present invention. The failure diagnosis system collects sounds generated from the air conditioner 11, diagnoses the device state of the air conditioner 11 from outside the device, and further diagnoses the air conditioner 11.
[0038]
The operation of the air conditioner 11 generates various sounds. For example, the noise mainly includes a refrigerant passing sound generated by a refrigerant passing through a pipe, a rotation sound and a wind noise generated by a fan, and a motor rotation sound generated by a compressor. Here, the refrigerant passing sound changes when the valve is switched or the like. The state of the inside of the pipe and the viscosity of the refrigerant itself can be known from the degree of the change in the sound. If the sound generated from the fan is abnormally louder than normal, it is diagnosed that the condition of the fan motor is poor. Further, if the motor rotation noise generated from the compressor is different from the normal state, it is also determined that the motor is in poor condition.
[0039]
The failure diagnosis system diagnoses the device state of the air conditioner 11 from outside based on these sounds. The device states to be diagnosed include a normal state of normal operation, a malfunctioning failure state, an inefficient operating state that may not lead to a failure even if continued operation, but an inefficient operating state, A failure-prone state, which is a state in which no failure has occurred but is expected to continue when operation is continued, and the like.
[0040]
<Overall configuration>
The failure diagnosis system collects a sound generated from the air conditioner 11 as sound information and can display a failure diagnosis result, and builds a database based on the collected sound information and a sound information. And a data server 17 for performing a failure diagnosis of the air conditioner 11 based on the database.
[0041]
The sound detecting device 16 is portable, and is brought to a repair site by a service engineer who repairs the air conditioner 11, and acquires the sound generated from the air conditioner 11. The sound detection device 16 includes a sound collection unit 21 that collects sound generated from the air-conditioning apparatus 11, a communication unit 22 for performing communication with the data server 17, a touch-panel operation display unit 23 capable of performing display and input, And a processing unit 24 that performs control processing of each unit. The sound collector 21 is a directional sound collector, and collects sound generated by directing the sound toward the indoor unit 12 or the outdoor unit 13 of the air conditioner 11. The communication unit 22 is connected to a communication terminal such as a mobile phone or a public telephone, and communicates with the data server 17 via the public line 18. In the present embodiment, the communication unit 22 is connected to the mobile phone 25. The operation display unit 23 displays a result of the failure diagnosis performed by the data server 17. Further, the operation display unit 23 can display a display based on the sound information collected by the sound collection unit 21, and can input a device state of the air conditioner 11, a model name of the air conditioner 11, and the like. . Examples of the display based on the sound information include raw data (spectrum) display of collected sound, volume display (dB display), display after spectrum analysis, and the like. The device state input to the operation display unit 23 indicates the state of the air conditioner 11, and indicates, for example, whether the air conditioner 11 is operating normally or has failed, and where the cause of the failure is. ing. The processing unit 24 transmits the sound information collected by the sound collection unit 21 by the communication unit 22, transmits the sound information together with the device state input by the operation display unit 23 from the communication unit 22, The failure diagnosis result received from the server 17 is displayed on the operation display unit 23.
[0042]
The data server 17 includes a server communication unit 31 for performing communication with the sound detection device 16 and a server processing unit 32 for performing various processes. The server communication unit 31 is connected to the public line 18 and communicates with the communication unit 22 via the mobile phone 25. The server processing unit 32 includes a server storage unit 35, a database construction unit 36, and a failure diagnosis unit 37. The server storage means 35 stores a database. The database construction unit 36 constructs a database based on the sound information and the device status received by the server communication unit 31. This database associates the device state of the air conditioner 11 with the sound information generated from the air conditioner 11 in the device state. The failure diagnosis unit 37 compares the sound information of the database constructed by the database construction unit 36 with the sound information obtained from the server communication unit 31 (hereinafter, referred to as new sound information), and compares the sound information of the air conditioner 11. Diagnose the device status and perform failure diagnosis. The server processing unit 32 transmits the failure diagnosis result diagnosed by the failure diagnosis unit 37 to the sound detection device 16 via the server communication unit 31.
[0043]
<Operation>
In the failure diagnosis system, the data server 17 constructs a database based on the sound information and the device status, and the data server 17 performs a failure diagnosis using the database and reconstructs the database. First, the procedure for constructing a database will be described, and then the procedure for failure diagnosis will be described.
[0044]
(A) Database construction
The sound generated by the air conditioner 11 is collected as sound information by the sound collector 21 of the sound detector 16 brought by the service engineer. Further, the operation display unit 23 receives the device state of the air conditioner 11 confirmed by the service engineer as the device state at the time of sound collection. The sound information and the device status are transmitted from the communication unit 22 to the server communication unit 31 of the data server 17 via the public line 18 by the mobile phone 25. The database construction means 36 of the server processing unit 32 constructs a database based on the sound information and the device status. That is, sound information generated in a specific device state of the air conditioner 11 is stored as a database. The constructed database is stored in the server storage unit 35.
[0045]
(B) Failure diagnosis
The service engineer having received the failure notification performs a failure diagnosis of the air conditioner 11 based on the sensor values of the temperature sensor and the pressure sensor of the air conditioner 11.
Further, the sound collection unit 21 of the sound detection device 16 brought by the service engineer collects sound generated from the air conditioner 11 as new sound information. Here, when the "diagnosis" display displayed on the operation display unit 23 at the time of sound collection is pressed by the service engineer, the processing unit 24 determines that an instruction for failure diagnosis has been received. Accordingly, the processing unit 24 sends the sound information and the diagnosis request signal from the communication unit 22 to the server communication unit 31 of the data server 17 via the public line 18 using the mobile phone 25. The server processing unit 32 that has received the diagnosis request signal performs a failure diagnosis by the failure diagnosis unit 37. The failure diagnosing means 37 includes sound information (sound information stored in the past; hereinafter, referred to as past sound information) in a database stored in the server storage means 35 and sound information (newly obtained from the server communication unit 31). Then, a diagnosis of the device state of the air conditioner 11, that is, a failure diagnosis is performed.
[0046]
For example, when the new sound information is compared with the corresponding past sound information in the database and it is found that the sound generated from the fan is larger than that during normal operation, the failure diagnosing means 37 determines that the state of the fan motor is inefficient. If it is in the state, a failure diagnosis is performed.
Further, for example, if the new sound information substantially matches the past sound information in the database and the corresponding device state of the air conditioner 11 is a compressor failure state, the failure diagnosis unit 37 determines that a failure has occurred in the compressor. If it is, perform a fault diagnosis.
[0047]
The failure diagnosis result diagnosed by the failure diagnosis unit 37 is sent from the server communication unit 31 to the communication unit 22 of the sound detection device 16 via the mobile phone 25 via the public line 18. The failure diagnosis result is displayed on the operation display unit 23 by the processing unit 24. The service engineer repairs the air conditioner 11 based on the result of the failure diagnosis of the service engineer and the result of the failure diagnosis by the failure diagnosis system.
[0048]
The operation display unit 23 receives an input of a device state of the air conditioner 11 that is found in the repair of the air conditioner 11 by the service engineer. The device state newly input this time is transmitted by the processing unit 24 to the data server 17 via the communication unit 22. The database construction unit 36 of the server processing unit 32 reconstructs a database based on the new sound information and the newly input device state. Thereby, when the failure diagnosis by the failure diagnosis means 37 is correct, the database is further strengthened, and when the failure diagnosis is different from the device state, data of the database is added. As a result, it is possible to construct a database in which future failure diagnosis becomes more appropriate, and improve the accuracy of failure diagnosis.
[0049]
<Features>
In the failure diagnosis system according to the first embodiment, a database based on the sound information collected by the sound detection device 16 is constructed, and the device state of the air conditioner 11 is externally obtained from the database and the sound information. Becomes possible. Therefore, the service engineer performing the repair can obtain the failure diagnosis result from the failure diagnosis system in addition to the self-diagnosis based on the sensor value of the air conditioner 11. As a result, the air conditioner 11 can be repaired more appropriately than when there is no failure diagnosis result by the failure diagnosis system.
[0050]
The failure diagnosis means 37 of the data server 17 compares the sound information (past sound information) of the database constructed by the database construction means 36 of the data server 17 and the sound information (new sound information) detected by the sound detection device 16. The device state is diagnosed by comparison, and failure diagnosis is performed. That is, when there is a piece of new sound information that substantially matches the past sound information in the database, the failure diagnosis unit 37 determines that the device state of the air conditioner 11 corresponding to the past sound information in the database is the current air conditioner 11. It is determined that the device is in the state. Further, when the past sound information in the normal operation state and the new sound information are compared, for example, when it is determined that the volume of the new sound information is larger than the past sound information in the normal operation, the failure diagnosing means 37 performs the air conditioning. It is diagnosed that some trouble has occurred in the device 11.
[0051]
With these, for example, even when a new service engineer or a service engineer who does not repair the target air conditioner much does repair, like a veteran service engineer who can perform failure diagnosis based on sound information, The cause of the failure can be specified based on the sound.
Further, since the failure diagnosis unit 37 is built in the data server 17, it is easier to obtain the database from the server storage unit 35 than when the failure diagnosis unit is provided outside the data server.
[0052]
Further, the sound detection device 16 can display the result of the failure diagnosis by the failure diagnosis means 37 on the operation display unit 23. Thereby, the service engineer who repairs the air conditioner 11 can know the failure diagnosis result at the repair site.
In addition, the operation display unit 23 of the sound detection device 16 can receive an input of a device state of the air conditioner 11 that has been found during repair of the air conditioner 11. Based on the input device state and the new sound information collected by the sound collection unit 21, the database is modified or strengthened, thereby enriching the data in the database and improving the accuracy of failure diagnosis. be able to.
[0053]
<Modification of First Embodiment>
(A)
In the failure diagnosis system according to the first embodiment, the sound generated from the air conditioner 11 is collected as sound information by the sound collection unit 21 of the sound detection device 16, and the air conditioner 11 is collected based on the collected sound information. Diagnosis of failure is performed. Here, the failure diagnosis of the air conditioner 11 may be performed based on vibration, odor, or change in appearance generated from the air conditioner 11 instead of the sound.
[0054]
For example, instead of the sound collecting unit 21, vibration information of the air conditioner 11 is acquired by a vibration detecting device having a vibrometer or an accelerometer capable of detecting vibration, and the database construction unit 36 of the data server 17 uses the vibration information and the device status. By constructing the database by the above, the failure diagnosis unit 37 can perform the failure diagnosis of the air conditioner 11 based on the vibration information. Examples of the vibration information include vibration of the motor rotation of the fan and shaft vibration of the motor rotation of the compressor.
[0055]
Similarly, the odor information of the air conditioner 11 is obtained by an odor detection device having an odor sensor capable of detecting an odor instead of the sound collection unit 21, and the database construction means 36 of the data server 17 transmits the odor information and the device state. By constructing a database according to the above, it becomes possible for the failure diagnosis means 37 to perform a failure diagnosis of the air conditioner 11 based on the odor information. Examples of the odor information include an odor caused by burn-in of the motor of the compressor.
[0056]
Further, instead of the sound collecting unit 21, an image acquisition device having a video camera capable of acquiring an image acquires the appearance and / or introspection image information of the air conditioner 11, and the database construction means 36 of the data server 17 acquires the image information and the image information. By constructing a database based on the device status, the failure diagnosis unit 37 can perform a failure diagnosis of the air conditioner 11 based on the video information. Examples of the appearance video information include an image of a dirt on a filter of the air conditioner 11 and a dirt on a fin element.
[0057]
(B)
In the failure diagnosis system according to the first embodiment, sound information in database construction and failure diagnosis is collected by the sound collection unit 21 of the sound detection device 16, and the device state is received by the operation display unit 23 of the sound detection device 16. I have. However, the failure diagnosis may be performed by a sound inspection device that does not have a function of inputting the device state. In this case, when constructing the database, a device capable of inputting sound information and device status such as the sound detection device 16 is used, or the database is constructed in advance for the same model of the air conditioner 11 or the like. Thus, the failure diagnosis can be performed by the failure diagnosis unit 37 of the data server 17.
[0058]
As an example of such a sound detection device, sound information is collected by a sound detection device in which the operation display unit 23 is replaced with a display unit having no input function at the time of failure diagnosis. The use of such a sound detection device makes the device configuration simpler and can be provided at low cost.
(C)
In the failure diagnosis system according to the first embodiment, the sound detection device 16 and the data server 17 communicate via the public line 18. However, communication may be performed not via the public line 18 but via another communication network, for example, the Internet. If the Internet is used as a communication network, the sound detection device 16 may be connected to a LAN (including a wireless LAN) instead of the mobile phone 25 to connect to the Internet.
[0059]
(D)
In the failure diagnosis system according to the first embodiment, the failure diagnosis result is reported to the service engineer or the like by displaying the failure diagnosis result on the operation display unit 23. However, the means for reporting the failure diagnosis result to the service engineer is not limited to this, and the sound detection device 16 may include, for example, a printer that prints the failure diagnosis result or a speaker that utters the details of the failure diagnosis result.
[0060]
[Second embodiment]
2 and 3 show a second embodiment of the failure diagnosis system according to the present invention. As in the first embodiment described above, the failure diagnosis system collects sound generated from the air conditioner 11 to diagnose the device state of the air conditioner 11 from outside the device, and furthermore, diagnoses the failure of the air conditioner 11. The diagnosis is performed.
[0061]
<Overall configuration>
The failure diagnosis system collects a sound generated from the air conditioner 11 as sound information, performs a failure diagnosis of the air conditioner 11 based on data in a database, and displays a result thereof; And a data server 42 for constructing a database based on the sound information.
[0062]
The sound detection device 41 is brought to a repair site by a service engineer who repairs the air conditioner 11, and acquires the sound generated from the air conditioner 11. The sound detection device 41 includes a sound collection unit 51 that collects sound generated from the air-conditioning apparatus 11, a communication unit 52 for performing communication with the data server 42, a touch-panel operation display unit 53 capable of performing display and input, And a processing unit 54 for performing control processing of each unit and failure diagnosis of the air conditioner 11. The sound collection unit 51 has directivity, and collects sound generated by directing the sound toward the indoor unit 12 or the outdoor unit 13 of the air conditioner 11. The communication unit 52 is connected to the data server 42 and performs communication. The operation display unit 53 can display a display based on the sound information collected by the sound collection unit 21 and can input a device state of the air conditioner 11, a model name of the air conditioner 11, and the like. Examples of the display based on the sound information include raw data (spectrum) display of collected sound, volume display (dB display), display after spectrum analysis, and the like. The device state input to the operation display unit 23 indicates the state of the air conditioner 11, and indicates, for example, whether the air conditioner 11 is operating normally or has failed, and where the cause of the failure is. ing. Further, the operation display unit 23 displays the result of the failure diagnosis of the air conditioner 11 performed by the processing unit 54. The processing unit 54 includes a failure diagnosis unit 55 that performs a failure diagnosis of the air conditioner 11, and a storage unit 56 that can store a device state input by the operation display unit 53, a failure diagnosis result diagnosed by the failure diagnosis unit 55, and the like. And The failure diagnosing means 55 includes sound information of a database constructed by the data server (sound information stored in the past; hereinafter, referred to as past sound information) and sound information obtained from the server communication unit 31 (hereinafter, new sound information). Then, the state of the equipment of the air conditioner 11 is diagnosed, and a failure diagnosis is performed.
[0063]
The data server 42 includes a server communication unit 61 for performing communication with the sound detection device 41 and a server processing unit 62 for performing various processes. The server communication unit 61 is connected to the communication unit 22 and performs communication. The server processing unit 62 includes a server storage unit 65 and a database construction unit 66. The server storage unit 65 stores a database. The database construction unit 66 constructs a database based on the sound information and the device status sent from the sound detection device 41 to the server communication unit 61. This database associates the device state of the air conditioner 11 with the sound information generated from the air conditioner 11 in the device state.
[0064]
<Operation>
In the failure diagnosis system, the database construction unit 66 of the data server 42 constructs a database based on the sound information and the device state, and the failure diagnosis unit 55 of the processing unit 54 of the sound detection device 41 performs failure diagnosis using the database. I do. First, a procedure for constructing a database and a procedure for supplying data of the database to the sound detection device 41 will be described, and then a procedure for failure diagnosis will be described.
[0065]
(A) Database construction and data supply
The sound generated by the air conditioner 11 is collected as sound information by the sound collection unit 51 of the sound detection device 41 brought by the service engineer (see FIG. 3). Further, the operation display unit 53 receives the device state of the air conditioner 11 confirmed by the service engineer as the device state at the time of sound collection. The sound information (new sound information) and the device state are temporarily stored in the storage unit 56.
[0066]
When the service engineer brings the sound detection device 41 back to the service center and the sound detection device 41 and the data server 42 can be connected (see FIG. 2), the sound information and the device status are sent to the data server 42. As a procedure, first, the communication unit 52 and the server communication unit 61 are connected. After the connection, the processing unit 54 sends the sound information and the device status to the data server 42 via the communication unit 52. The database construction means 66 of the server processing unit 62 constructs a database based on the sound information and the device status. That is, the sound generated in a specific device state of the air conditioner 11 is stored as a database. The constructed database is stored in the server storage means 65.
[0067]
The data of the database stored in the server storage unit 65 is supplied to the storage unit 56. That is, when the connection between the sound detection device 41 and the data server 42 becomes possible, the data is sent to the storage unit 56 via the server communication unit 61 and the communication unit 52 and stored. Thus, even when the sound detection device 41 is separated from the data server 42, the failure diagnosis of the air conditioner 11 can be performed by the failure diagnosis unit 55 of the sound detection device 41 based on the data.
[0068]
(B) Failure diagnosis
The service engineer having received the failure notification performs a failure diagnosis of the air conditioner 11 based on the sensor values of the temperature sensor and the pressure sensor of the air conditioner 11.
Further, the sound collection unit 51 of the sound detection device 41 brought by the service engineer collects sound generated from the air conditioner 11 as sound information (see FIG. 3). When the “diagnosis” display displayed on the operation display unit 53 during sound collection is pressed, the processing unit 54 determines that a failure diagnosis instruction has been received from the service engineer. Thereby, the failure diagnosis unit 55 of the processing unit 54 compares the sound information (past sound information) of the database stored in the storage unit 56 with the sound information (new sound information) collected by the sound collecting unit 51. Then, a diagnosis of the device state of the air conditioner 11, that is, a failure diagnosis is performed.
[0069]
For example, when the new sound information is compared with the past sound information in the database and it is found that the sound generated from the fan is larger than that in the normal operation, the failure diagnosis means 55 determines that the state of the fan motor is in an inefficient state. If so, a failure diagnosis is performed.
Further, for example, if the new sound information substantially matches the past sound information in the database and the corresponding equipment state of the air conditioner 11 is a compressor failure state, the failure diagnosis unit 55 determines that a failure has occurred in the compressor. If it is, perform a fault diagnosis.
[0070]
The failure diagnosis result diagnosed by the failure diagnosis unit 55 is displayed on the operation display unit 53 by the processing unit 54. The service engineer repairs the air conditioner 11 based on the result of the failure diagnosis of the service engineer and the result of the failure diagnosis by the failure diagnosis system.
The operation display unit 53 receives an input of a device state of the air conditioner 11 that has been found during repair of the air conditioner 11 by a service engineer. The device state newly input this time is stored in the storage unit 56 of the processing unit 54 together with the new sound information collected by the sound collection unit 51.
[0071]
When the service engineer brings the sound detection device 41 back to the service center and the sound detection device 41 and the data server 42 can be connected (see FIG. 2), the device state and new sound information input in the repair of the air conditioner 11 To the data server 42. First, the communication unit 52 and the server communication unit 61 are connected. After the connection, the processing unit 54 sends the new sound information and the device status to the data server 42 via the communication unit 52. The database construction unit 66 of the server processing unit 62 reconstructs the database based on the new sound information and the model status. Thereby, if the failure diagnosis by the failure diagnosis means 55 is correct, the database is further strengthened, and if the failure diagnosis is incorrect, the database is corrected. As a result, it is possible to construct a database in which future failure diagnosis becomes more appropriate, and improve the accuracy of failure diagnosis.
[0072]
<Features>
In the failure diagnosis system according to the second embodiment, similarly to the failure diagnosis system according to the first embodiment, a database based on the sound information collected by the sound detection device 41 is constructed, and the database, the sound information, Thereby, the device state of the air conditioner 11 can be obtained from the outside. Therefore, the service engineer performing the repair can obtain the failure diagnosis result from the failure diagnosis system in addition to the self-diagnosis based on the sensor value of the air conditioner 11. As a result, the air conditioner 11 can be repaired more appropriately than when there is no failure diagnosis result by the failure diagnosis system.
[0073]
The failure diagnosing means 55 of the sound detection device 41 includes sound information (past sound information) of the database constructed by the database construction means 66 of the data server 42 and sound information collected by the sound collection unit 51 of the sound detection device 41. (New sound information), and diagnoses the device state to perform a failure diagnosis. That is, when there is a sound detector 41 in which the new sound information substantially matches the past sound information in the database, the failure diagnosing means 55 determines that the device state of the air conditioner 11 corresponding to the past sound information in the database is the current state. It is determined that the air conditioner 11 is in the device state. Further, comparing the past sound information in the normal operation state with the new sound information collected by the sound collection unit 51, for example, when it is determined that the volume of the new sound information is larger than that in the normal operation, the failure diagnosis is performed. The means 55 diagnoses that some trouble has occurred in the air conditioner 11.
[0074]
With these, for example, even when a new service engineer or a service engineer who does not repair the target air conditioner much does repair, like a veteran service engineer who can perform failure diagnosis based on sound information, The cause of the failure can be specified based on the sound.
Further, a failure diagnosis unit 55 is incorporated in the processing unit 54 of the sound detection device 41. Therefore, for example, compared to a case where the failure diagnosis unit is provided in an external device capable of communicating with the sound detection device 41, it is possible to reduce the time and effort of communication, thereby reducing communication costs and time. It becomes possible.
[0075]
Further, the sound detection device 41 can display the result of the failure diagnosis by the failure diagnosis unit 55 on the operation display unit 53. Thereby, the service engineer who repairs the air conditioner 11 can know the failure diagnosis result at the repair site.
In addition, the operation display unit 53 of the sound detection device 41 can receive an input of a device state of the air conditioner 11 that has been found during repair of the air conditioner 11. Based on the input device state and the new sound information collected by the sound collection unit 51, the database is modified or strengthened, thereby further improving the database and improving the accuracy of failure diagnosis. Can be done.
[0076]
<Modification of Second Embodiment>
(A)
In the failure diagnosis system according to the second embodiment, the sound generated by the air conditioner 11 is collected as sound information by the sound collection unit 51 of the sound detection device 41, and the failure diagnosis of the air conditioner 11 is performed based on the sound information. I have. Here, the failure diagnosis of the air conditioner 11 may be performed based on vibration, odor, or change in appearance generated from the air conditioner 11 instead of the sound.
[0077]
For example, instead of the sound collecting unit 51, vibration information of the air conditioner 11 is acquired by a vibration detecting device (equivalent to the sound detecting device 41) having a vibrometer or an accelerometer capable of detecting vibration, and a database of the data server 42 is constructed. Since the means 66 constructs a database based on the vibration information and the device state, the failure diagnosis means 55 can perform a failure diagnosis of the air conditioner 11 based on the vibration information. Examples of the vibration information include vibration of the motor rotation of the fan and shaft vibration of the motor rotation of the compressor.
[0078]
Similarly, the odor information of the air conditioner 11 is acquired by an odor detection device (corresponding to the sound detection device 41) having an odor sensor capable of detecting an odor instead of the sound collection unit 51, and the database construction means of the data server 42 is obtained. 66 constructs a database based on the odor information and the device state, so that the failure diagnosis unit 55 can perform a failure diagnosis of the air-conditioning apparatus 11 based on the odor information. Examples of the odor information include an odor caused by burn-in of the motor of the compressor.
[0079]
Further, instead of the sound collecting unit 51, the external appearance image information of the air conditioner 11 is acquired by an image acquisition device (corresponding to the sound detection device 41) having a digital camera capable of acquiring an image, and the database construction means 66 of the data server 42. By constructing a database based on the appearance image information and the device status, the failure diagnosis unit 55 can perform a failure diagnosis of the air conditioner 11 based on the appearance image information. Examples of the appearance image information include an image of a stain on a filter of the air conditioner 11 and a stain on a fin element.
[0080]
(B)
In the failure diagnosis system according to the second embodiment, sound information in database construction and failure diagnosis is collected by the sound collection unit 51 of the sound detection device 41, and the device state is received by the operation display unit 53 of the sound detection device 41. I have. However, the failure diagnosis may be performed by a sound inspection device that does not have a function of inputting the device state. In this case, when constructing the database, a device capable of inputting sound information and device status such as the sound detection device 41 is used, or the database is constructed in advance for the same model of the air conditioner 11 or the like. Thus, the failure diagnosis can be performed by the failure diagnosis unit 55.
[0081]
As an example of such a sound detection device, at the time of failure diagnosis, sound information is collected by a sound detection device in which the operation display unit 53 is replaced with a display unit having no input function. The use of such a sound detection device makes the device configuration simpler and can be provided at low cost.
(C)
In the failure diagnosis system according to the second embodiment, the sound detection device 41 is brought back to the service center and connected to the data server 42, so that the database constructed by the database construction means 66 of the data server 42 is transmitted to the sound detection device 41. The data is supplied to the storage unit 56 of the processing unit 54 and stored. However, the method of supplying the database is not limited to this. For example, the communication unit 52 can be connected to a mobile phone, an Internet terminal, or the like, and is connected to the data server 42 via a communication network such as the Internet or a public line. At times, a database of a necessary range may be supplied to the sound detection device 41. Further, the communication unit 52 may be directly connectable to a communication network.
[0082]
(D)
In the failure diagnosis system according to the second embodiment, the failure diagnosis result is reported to the service engineer or the like by displaying the failure diagnosis result on the operation display unit 53. However, the means for reporting the failure diagnosis result to the service engineer is not limited to this. For example, the sound detection device 41 may include a printer that prints the failure diagnosis result or a speaker that utters the contents of the failure diagnosis result.
[0083]
[Third embodiment]
A schematic diagram of a third embodiment of the failure diagnosis system according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 4, and a block diagram is shown in FIG. The failure diagnosis system diagnoses the device state of the air conditioner 101 from the outside based on the sound generated from the air conditioner 101, the appearance of the air conditioner 101, and the like, and further performs the failure diagnosis of the air conditioner 101. In addition, in the failure diagnosis system, in order to appropriately deal with a customer property where the air conditioner 101 is installed, a process to the customer property, output of replacement parts, inventory management of replacement parts, and the like are also performed.
[0084]
<Overall configuration>
The failure diagnosis system includes a mobile phone 111, a service car 112, a data server 113, a parts management server 114, and a communication network 115. The air conditioner 101 to be subjected to the failure diagnosis includes an indoor unit 102 and an outdoor unit 103.
[0085]
The mobile phone 111 is a portable telephone and has a function of detecting detection information of the air-conditioning apparatus 101. The service engineer brings the mobile phone 111 to a repair site of the air conditioner 101. Note that the mobile phone 111 has a GPS function (not shown). The mobile phone 111 has a microphone unit 121, a camera unit 122, a communication unit 123, a display unit 124, and a key unit 125.
[0086]
The microphone section 121 is a transmission microphone used during a telephone call, and can acquire sound information from the air-conditioning apparatus 101. The sound information includes a sound generated by a fan of the air conditioner 101 and a sound generated by a compressor.
The camera unit 122 can capture a digital image, and can acquire video information such as the appearance of the air-conditioning apparatus 101 and an inside view when the device is disassembled. Examples of the appearance video information include an image of a stain on the filter of the air conditioner 101 and a stain on the fin element.
[0087]
The communication unit 123 is connected to the communication network 115, is used for communication and information transmission, and can transmit information about the air conditioner 101 such as detection information acquired by the microphone unit 121 and the camera unit 122. Further, the communication unit 123 can receive a failure diagnosis result from an on-vehicle communication unit 131 of the service car 112 described later.
The display unit 124 can perform various displays related to the telephone, and can display a map or the like using the GPS function of the mobile phone 111. The display unit 124 can display an image captured by the camera unit 122. Further, the display unit 124 can display a failure diagnosis result of the air conditioner 101.
[0088]
The key unit 125 receives an input to the mobile phone 111. The key unit 125 can accept input of information on the air-conditioning apparatus 101. The information on the air conditioner 101 includes information specifying the air conditioner 101, such as a model name and a model number, and the current device status. Further, the key section 125 allows input of a part number of a replacement part required for repairing the air-conditioning apparatus 101.
[0089]
Note that a bar code reader 126 can be connected to the mobile phone 111. The barcode reader 126 receives an input related to the air conditioner 101 instead of the key unit 125 when the barcode is traced.
The service car 112 is used when a service engineer goes to a repair site. The service car 112 includes an in-vehicle communication unit 131 and an in-vehicle computer 132. The service car 112 has a GPS function (not shown). The in-vehicle communication unit 131 is mounted on the service car 112 and communicates with the communication network 115 by wireless communication such as a mobile phone, a PHS, and a wireless LAN. The in-vehicle communication unit 131 can transmit the result of the failure diagnosis to the communication unit 123 of the mobile phone 111, for example. The in-vehicle computer 132 is loaded on the service car 112 and is connected to the in-vehicle communication unit 131. The vehicle-mounted computer 132 includes a failure diagnosis unit 133, a vehicle-mounted storage unit 134, and a vehicle-mounted display unit 135. The failure diagnosis unit 133 performs a failure diagnosis of the air conditioner 101. More specifically, the failure diagnosis unit 133 performs a failure diagnosis of the air-conditioning apparatus 101 based on the detection information transmitted from the mobile phone 111 and a database transmitted from the data server 113 and stored in the on-vehicle storage unit 134. I do. The result of the failure diagnosis includes whether the air-conditioning apparatus 101 is operating normally or has failed, and where the failure has occurred. Note that the in-vehicle computer 132 may be a portable computer such as a notebook personal computer or a PDA. The in-vehicle display unit 135 is a display unit of the in-vehicle computer 132, and is capable of performing a navigation display based on a GPS (not shown). The navigation display can display the current position, the position of a customer property, the position of a parts store where replacement parts of the air conditioner 101 are stocked, and the like by GIS (Geographic Information System: Geographic Information System). And the route display to the parts warehouse can be displayed.
[0090]
The data server 113 constructs a database based on the past detection information and the device status of the air conditioner 101. The data server 113 includes a data server communication unit 141 and a data server processing unit 142. The data server communication unit 141 is connected to the communication network 115 and can communicate with the mobile phone 111, the service car 112, and the parts management server 114. The data server processing unit 142 performs various processes of the database. The data server processing unit 142 has a data server storage unit 143 and a database construction unit 144. The data server storage unit 143 stores a database. The database construction unit 144 constructs a database based on the detection information and the device information received by the data server communication unit 141. This database associates the device state of the air conditioner 101 with the detection information on the air conditioner 101 in the device state.
[0091]
The parts management server 114 centrally manages the inventory of replacement parts of the air conditioner 101 stored in a plurality of parts stores. The component management server 114 includes a component management server communication unit 151 and a component management server processing unit 152. The component management server communication unit 151 is connected to the communication network 115 and can communicate with the mobile phone 111, the service car 112, and the data server 113. The component management server processing unit 152 performs various processes related to component management. In particular, the component management server processing unit 152 constructs a component management database. The component management server processing unit 152 has a component management server storage unit 153. The parts management server storage unit 153 stores the parts management database constructed by the parts management server processing unit 152.
[0092]
<Operation>
In the failure diagnosis system, the data server 113 constructs a database based on the device information of the air conditioner 101 and detection information including sound information and video information, and the failure diagnosis unit 133 of the service car 112 stores the database in the data server 113. Diagnosis is performed using Hereinafter, a database construction procedure, a database supply procedure, and a failure diagnosis procedure will be described.
[0093]
(A) Database construction and data supply
The mobile phone 111 brought by the service engineer acquires detection information of the air conditioner 101. More specifically, the microphone unit 121 and the camera unit 122 of the mobile phone 111 collect sound generated from the air conditioner 101 as sound information and acquire video information of the air conditioner 101. The key unit 125 and the barcode reader 126 accept the device state of the air conditioner 101 confirmed by the service engineer as the device state at the time of detection information acquisition. The detection information and the device status are sent from the communication unit 123 to the data server communication unit 141 of the data server 113 via the communication network 115. The database construction unit 143 of the data server processing unit 142 constructs a database based on the detection information and the device status. That is, sound information and video information generated in a specific device state of the air conditioner 101 are stored as a database. The constructed database is stored in the data server storage unit 143.
[0094]
The data of the database stored in the data server storage unit 143 is supplied to the vehicle storage unit 134 of the service car 112 via the communication network 115. Thereby, the failure diagnosis unit 133 of the on-board computer 132 of the service car 112 can perform the failure diagnosis of the air conditioner 101 based on the data in the database.
[0095]
(B) Failure diagnosis
When a repair request is received from the customer, the service car 112 near the customer property goes to the customer property. At this time, the optimal route to the customer property is displayed on the in-vehicle display unit 135 by GIS. The service engineer who drives the service car 112 can shorten the time to reach the customer property by traveling according to the optimal route display.
[0096]
At the customer property, the service engineer diagnoses the failure of the air conditioner 101 based on the sensor values of the temperature sensor and the pressure sensor of the air conditioner 101.
In addition, the sound generated from the air conditioner 101 is collected as new sound information in the microphone unit 121 of the mobile phone 111 brought by the service engineer, and the appearance image of the air conditioner 101 is displayed in the camera unit 122 of the mobile phone 111 as a new image. Record as information. The parts that perform sound collection and photography are manualized for service engineers. The service engineer causes the new detection information to be transmitted from the communication unit 123 to the in-vehicle communication unit 131 of the service car 112 via the communication network 115. The in-vehicle communication unit 131 sends the new detection information to the in-vehicle computer 132. The failure diagnosis unit 133 of the in-vehicle computer 132 detects the detection information (detection information accumulated in the past; hereinafter, referred to as past detection information) of the database stored in the in-vehicle storage unit 134 and the detection received from the in-vehicle communication unit 131. By comparing the information with the information (new detection information), the device state of the air conditioner 101 is diagnosed, that is, failure diagnosis is performed.
[0097]
For example, when abnormal noise is generated from the fan, the new sound information is compared with the corresponding past sound information in the database, and the abnormal noise generated from the fan is analyzed by spectrum and compared with the normal operation. The failure diagnosis unit 133 performs a failure diagnosis for identifying an abnormal part of the fan.
Further, for example, if the new sound information substantially matches the past sound information in the database in terms of the characteristics of the sound spectrum and the corresponding device state of the air-conditioning apparatus 101 is the compressor failure state, the failure diagnosis unit 133 If a failure has occurred in the compressor, a failure diagnosis is performed.
[0098]
Further, for example, when the filter is found to be dirty by comparing new image information, which is an image obtained by shooting the filter, with past image information in the database, the failure diagnosis unit 133 causes the filter to become defective. If it is, perform a fault diagnosis.
Along with these failure diagnoses, the failure diagnosis unit 133 outputs replacement parts necessary for repair of the air conditioner 101 and searches the parts management database stored in the parts management server storage unit 153 of the parts management server 114. Then, the output of the parts storage for stocking the replacement parts is performed.
[0099]
The failure diagnosis result diagnosed by the failure diagnosis unit 133 is sent from the vehicle-mounted communication unit 131 to the communication unit 123 via the communication network 115. The failure diagnosis result is displayed on the display unit 124. The service engineer repairs the air conditioner 101 based on the result of the failure diagnosis of the service engineer and the failure diagnosis result by the failure diagnosis system.
If the result of the failure diagnosis by the failure diagnosis unit 133 is correct, the service engineer performs repair based on the result of the failure diagnosis. If the result of the failure diagnosis by the failure diagnosis unit 133 is incorrect, the service engineer performs repair based on the failure judgment of the service engineer himself. In the latter case, the necessary replacement parts are checked for stock. The replacement part information accepted by the key unit 125 or the barcode reader 126 is transmitted from the mobile phone 111 to the in-vehicle computer 132 of the service car 112. The failure diagnosis unit 133 of the in-vehicle computer 132 searches the parts management database stored in the parts management server storage unit 153 of the parts management server 114 based on the replacement parts information, and re-outputs a parts warehouse that stocks replacement parts. I do.
[0100]
When replacement parts are loaded on the service car 112, the service engineer performs repair using the replacement parts. On the other hand, when the replacement parts are not loaded, the service engineer goes to the parts storage where the replacement parts are stocked by the service car 112, or the other service car 112 located near the customer property or the parts storage. Requesting that the user bring replacement parts via the mobile phone 111.
[0101]
As described above, the replacement part is replaced, and the repair of the air conditioner 101 is completed.
After the repair of the air-conditioning apparatus 101 is completed, the service engineer inputs the device state of the air-conditioning apparatus 101 found through the repair from the air-conditioning apparatus 101 via the key unit 125 and the barcode reader 126. This time, the newly input device status is transmitted to the data server 113 together with the new detection information. The database construction unit 144 of the data server processing unit 142 reconstructs the database based on the new detection information and the newly input device state. Thereby, when the failure diagnosis by the failure diagnosis unit 133 is correct, the database is further strengthened, and when the failure diagnosis is different from the device state, data of the database is added. As a result, it is possible to construct a database in which future failure diagnosis becomes more appropriate, and improve the accuracy of failure diagnosis. The updated database is supplied to and stored in the in-vehicle storage unit 134 of the service car 112 via the communication network 115.
[0102]
<Features>
(1)
In the failure diagnosis system according to the third embodiment, a database based on the detection information is constructed, and the device state of the air conditioner 101 can be obtained from the outside by using the database and the new detection information. Therefore, the service engineer performing the repair can obtain a failure diagnosis result from the failure diagnosis system in addition to the failure diagnosis of the air conditioner 101 itself. As a result, the air conditioner 101 can be repaired more appropriately than when there is no failure diagnosis result by the failure diagnosis system.
[0103]
The failure diagnosis unit 133 of the service car 112 includes detection information (past detection information) of the database constructed by the database construction unit 144 of the data server 113 and detection information detected by the microphone unit 111 and the camera unit 122 of the mobile phone 111. (New detection information) to diagnose the device state, and perform failure diagnosis. That is, when there is a piece of new detection information that substantially matches the past detection information in the database, the failure diagnosis unit 133 determines that the device state of the air-conditioning apparatus 101 corresponding to the past detection information in the database is the current air-conditioning apparatus 101. It is determined that the device is in the state. Further, by comparing the past detection information in the normal operation state and the new detection information, for example, by comparing the sound spectrum of the new sound information with the past sound information in the normal operation, the failure diagnosis unit 133 can perform air conditioning. It is diagnosed that some trouble has occurred in the device 101.
[0104]
With these, for example, even when a new service engineer or a service engineer who does not repair the target air conditioner much does repair, like a veteran service engineer who can perform failure diagnosis based on sound information, The cause of the failure can be specified based on the sound.
(2)
In the failure diagnosis system according to the third embodiment, the mobile phone 111 detects detection information. Since at least the communication unit 123 can communicate with the mobile phone 111, communication with the failure diagnosis unit 133 is possible without requiring other communication means. In addition, the mobile phone 111 can detect the detection information by using a microphone unit 121 for a call and a camera unit 122 for photographing. For this reason, the acquired detection information can be transmitted to the failure diagnosis unit 133 or the like by the communication unit 123. Further, since the mobile phone 111 is a multifunctional and inexpensive information detection device, it is possible to suppress the initial cost of the failure diagnosis system.
[0105]
(3)
In the failure diagnosis system according to the third embodiment, a failure diagnosis unit 133 is provided in an in-vehicle computer 132 mounted on the service car 112. For this reason, since the failure diagnosis unit 133 can be transported, it is not necessary to set up a fixed base for performing failure diagnosis. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the construction cost of the failure diagnosis system.
[0106]
Further, for example, if it is possible to use the failure diagnosis units 133 provided in the plurality of service cars 112, each of the failure diagnosis units 133 can function as a backup system for each other. In this case, the robustness of the failure diagnosis system can be further improved.
(4)
In the failure diagnosis system according to the third embodiment, the failure diagnosis result of the failure diagnosis unit 133 can be displayed on the display unit 124 of the mobile phone 111. Thereby, the service engineer who repairs the air-conditioning apparatus 101 can know the result of the failure diagnosis at the repair site.
[0107]
Further, the failure diagnosis unit 133 outputs components necessary for replacing the air conditioner 101. By replacing parts according to the output result, even a newcomer can perform repair in the same manner as a veteran.
Further, the failure diagnosis unit 133 can output the location of the parts storage provided with the output replacement parts based on the parts management database stored in the parts management server storage unit 153 of the parts management server 114. This allows a service engineer who repairs the air conditioner 101 to obtain a replacement part for the air conditioner 101 in the component store designated for output. Further, the output component storage is a component storage close to the customer property where the air conditioner 101 is located. Therefore, the time required for the service engineer to obtain the replacement part can be minimized.
[0108]
In addition, the device state of the air-conditioning apparatus 101 found during the repair of the air-conditioning apparatus 101 can be received by the key unit 125 or the barcode reader 126. The database construction unit 144 corrects or strengthens the database based on the new detection information and the input device state, thereby enriching the data in the database and improving the accuracy of failure diagnosis.
[0109]
<Other embodiments>
(A)
In the failure diagnosis system according to the third embodiment, the mobile phone 111 has the camera unit 122, but may not have the camera unit 122. In this case, the failure diagnosis unit 133 performs a failure diagnosis based only on the sound information from the air conditioner 101 collected from the microphone unit 121.
[0110]
(B)
In the failure diagnosis system according to the third embodiment, the camera unit 122 of the mobile phone 111 can capture a digital image, and the display unit 124 can display an image captured by the camera unit 122. Here, the camera unit 122 may be capable of shooting a moving image, or the display unit 124 may be capable of displaying a moving image.
[0111]
For example, if the camera unit 122 can shoot a moving image, it is possible to shoot an LED image that blinks when the air-conditioning apparatus 101 has a failure or to operate a fan inside the air-conditioning apparatus 101, and to obtain more information than a still image. It becomes possible to acquire.
When the display unit 124 can display a moving image, the in-vehicle computer 132 transmits a repair guide based on the moving image of the air conditioner 101 from the in-vehicle communication unit 131 to the mobile phone 111 in addition to the result of the failure diagnosis. At 124, a video repair guide can be displayed. When the service engineer repairs the air conditioner 101 with reference to the repair guide, it is possible to more appropriately perform repair.
[0112]
(C)
In the failure diagnosis system according to the third embodiment, the failure diagnosis unit 133 is included in the on-vehicle computer 132 and is connected to the communication network 115 via the on-vehicle communication unit 131. However, when the in-vehicle computer 132 is portable, it may be connected to communication means other than the in-vehicle communication unit 131 to perform communication. In this case, the service engineer can carry the in-vehicle computer 132 to provide a failure diagnosis system without using the service car 112. Further, the in-vehicle computer 132 may be directly connected to the mobile phone 111 via a wired connection. In this case, it is possible to directly obtain the detection information from the mobile phone 111 and perform communication using the mobile phone 111. Further, the in-vehicle computer 132 is not limited to a general-purpose machine such as a personal computer, and may be a computer dedicated to failure diagnosis.
[0113]
(D)
In the failure diagnosis system according to the third embodiment, the parts management server 114 has a parts management database for centrally managing the inventory of a plurality of parts warehouses. Here, a plurality of component management servers 114 such as respective component warehouses may be provided. In the latter case, the failure diagnosis unit 133 performs a search based on the parts management databases of the plurality of parts management servers 114, and outputs the location of the parts storage having replacement parts.
(E)
In the failure diagnosis system according to the third embodiment, the device state of the air conditioner 101 input for constructing the database is input from the mobile phone 111 by the service engineer. Here, the device status of the air-conditioning apparatus 101 may be received by the in-vehicle computer 132. For example, when the in-vehicle computer 132 has a keyboard, a pen input unit, and the like, the efficiency can be further improved as compared with the input from the mobile phone 111.
[0114]
(F)
In the failure diagnosis system according to the third embodiment, when inventory of replacement parts is checked, replacement part information is sent from the mobile phone 111 to the vehicle-mounted computer 132, and the parts management database of the parts management server 114 is searched. Here, when the parts management server 114 can search the parts management database, the replacement parts information input to the mobile phone 111 is directly transmitted to the parts management server 114, and the parts management server 114 performs the search. The result may be similarly transmitted to the mobile phone 111.
[0115]
[Fourth embodiment]
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a fourth embodiment of the failure diagnosis system according to the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a block diagram thereof. The failure diagnosis system diagnoses a device state of the air conditioner 201 from outside of the device based on a sound or the like generated from the air conditioner 201, and further performs a failure diagnosis of the air conditioner 201. Further, in the failure diagnosis system, in order to appropriately deal with a customer property where the air conditioner 201 is installed, a process to the customer property, output of replacement parts, inventory management of replacement parts, and the like are also performed.
[0116]
<Overall configuration>
The failure diagnosis system includes a service car 211, a data server 212, a parts management server 213, and a communication network 214.
The air conditioner 201 to be subjected to failure diagnosis is installed in a customer property and includes an indoor unit 202 and an outdoor unit 203. The air conditioner 201 may be for home use or for business use. In the air conditioner 201, the indoor unit 202 includes an indoor unit detection unit 205, and the outdoor unit 203 includes an outdoor unit detection unit 206. Each of the detection units 205 and 206 detects detection information of the air conditioner 201, particularly, sound information. In addition, the air conditioner 201 transmits a detection information detected by the indoor unit detection unit 205 and the outdoor unit detection unit 206 and can receive a failure diagnosis result. Is further provided.
[0117]
The service car 211 is used when a service engineer goes to a repair site. The service car 211 includes an in-vehicle communication unit 221 and an in-vehicle computer 222. The service car 211 has a GPS function (not shown). The in-vehicle communication unit 221 is mounted on the service car 211 and communicates with the communication network 214 by wireless communication such as a mobile phone, a PHS, and a wireless LAN. The in-vehicle communication unit 221 can transmit, for example, a result of the failure diagnosis to the communication unit 207 or the like. The in-vehicle computer 222 is loaded on the service car 211 and is connected to the in-vehicle communication unit 221. The in-vehicle computer 222 includes a failure diagnosis unit 223, a vehicle storage unit 224, and a vehicle display unit 225. The failure diagnosis unit 223 performs a failure diagnosis of the air conditioner 201. More specifically, the failure diagnosis unit 223 performs a failure diagnosis of the air-conditioning apparatus 201 based on each of the detection units 205 and 206 and a database transmitted from the data server 212 and stored in the in-vehicle storage unit 224. The result of the failure diagnosis includes whether the air-conditioning apparatus 201 is operating normally or has failed, and where the failure has occurred. Note that the in-vehicle computer 222 may be a portable computer such as a notebook personal computer or a PDA. The in-vehicle display unit 225 is a display unit of the in-vehicle computer 222, and is capable of performing a navigation display based on a GPS (not shown). The navigation display can display the current position, the position of the customer property, the position of the parts store where the replacement parts of the air conditioner 101 are stocked, and the like, and the route to the customer property and the parts store by GIS. It has become.
[0118]
The data server 212 builds a database based on the past detection information and the device status of the air conditioner 201. The data server 212 includes a data server communication unit 231 and a data server processing unit 232. The data server communication unit 231 is connected to the communication network 214 and can communicate with the communication unit 207, the service car 211, and the parts management server 214. The data server processing unit 232 performs various processes of the database. The data server processing unit 232 includes a data server storage unit 233 and a database construction unit 234. The data server storage unit 233 stores a database. The database construction unit 234 constructs a database based on the detection information and the device information received by the data server communication unit 231. This database associates the device state of the air conditioner 201 with the detection information on the air conditioner 201 in the device state.
[0119]
The parts management server 213 is installed in a plurality of parts warehouses, and manages inventory of replacement parts of the air conditioner 201 stored in each parts warehouse. The component management server 213 includes a component management server communication unit 241 and a component management server processing unit 242. The component management server communication unit 241 is connected to the communication network 214 and can communicate with the communication unit 207, the service car 211, and the data server 212. The component management server processing unit 242 performs various processes related to component management. In particular, the component management server processing unit 242 constructs a component management database. The component management server process 242 has a component management server storage unit 243. The component management server storage unit 243 stores the component management database constructed by the component management server processing unit 242.
[0120]
<Operation>
In the failure diagnosis system, the data server 212 constructs a database based on the device information of the air conditioner 201 and the detection information including the sound information, and the failure diagnosis unit 223 of the service car 211 uses this database to perform a failure. Make a diagnosis. Hereinafter, a database construction procedure, a database supply procedure, and a failure diagnosis procedure will be described.
[0121]
(A) Database construction and data supply
The indoor unit detection unit 205 and the outdoor unit detection unit 206 provided in the air conditioner 201 acquire detection information of the air conditioner 201. Further, the in-vehicle computer 222 receives the device state of the air conditioner 101 confirmed by the service engineer as the device state at the time of detection information acquisition. The detection information and the device status are sent from the communication unit 207 and the in-vehicle communication unit 221 to the data server communication unit 231 of the data server 212 via the communication network 214, respectively. The database construction unit 233 of the data server processing unit 232 constructs a database based on the detection information and the device status. That is, sound information or the like generated in a specific device state of the air conditioner 201 is stored as a database. The constructed database is stored in the data server storage unit 233.
[0122]
The data of the database stored in the data server storage unit 233 is supplied to the vehicle-mounted storage unit 224 of the service car 211 via the communication network 214. Thereby, the failure diagnosis unit 223 of the in-vehicle computer 222 of the service car 211 can diagnose the failure of the air conditioner 201 based on the data of the database.
[0123]
(B) Failure diagnosis
When a repair request is received from the customer, the service car 112 near the customer property goes to the customer property. At the same time, the detection units 205 and 206 of the air conditioner 201 transmit the detection information from the communication unit 207 to the in-vehicle communication unit 221 of the service car 211 via the communication network 214. The in-vehicle communication unit 221 sends the new detection information to the in-vehicle computer 222. The failure diagnosis unit 223 of the on-vehicle computer 222 detects the detection information of the database (detection information accumulated in the past; hereinafter, referred to as past detection information) stored in the on-vehicle storage unit 224 and the detection received from the on-vehicle communication unit 221. By comparing the information with the information (new detection information), the device state of the air conditioner 201 is diagnosed, that is, failure diagnosis is performed.
[0124]
For example, when abnormal noise is generated from the fan, the new sound information is compared with the corresponding past sound information in the database, and the abnormal noise generated from the fan is analyzed by spectrum and compared with the normal operation. The failure diagnosis unit 223 performs a failure diagnosis for identifying an abnormal part of the fan.
Further, for example, assuming that the new sound information substantially matches the past sound information in the database with the characteristics of the sound spectrum and the like, and the corresponding equipment state of the air conditioner 201 is the compressor failure state, the failure diagnosis unit 223 If a failure has occurred in the compressor, a failure diagnosis is performed.
[0125]
Along with these failure diagnoses, the failure diagnosis unit 223 outputs replacement parts necessary for repairing the air conditioner 201 and searches the parts management database stored in the parts management server storage unit 243 of the parts management server 213. Then, the output of the parts storage for stocking the replacement parts is performed.
As a result, as a result of the failure diagnosis by the failure diagnosis unit 223, a replacement part required for repair is output to the on-vehicle display unit 225 of the service car 211 heading for the customer property. That is, the in-vehicle display unit 225 displays the optimal route to the customer property by GIS, and also displays the expected cause of the failure of the air conditioner 201 and the like. Further, the display unit 208 of the air conditioner 201 can also display the failure diagnosis result in the failure diagnosis unit 223.
[0126]
Further, when replacement parts are loaded on the service car 211, the service engineer who drives the service car 211 can shorten the time to reach the customer property by traveling according to the optimum route display. Repairs can be performed immediately using replacement parts. On the other hand, when the replacement part is not loaded, the service engineer inputs the fact to the in-vehicle computer 222. On the other hand, the in-vehicle computer 222 displays the optimal route to the customer property via the parts storage for stocking replacement parts on the in-vehicle display unit 225 based on the search result in advance. As a result, the service engineer can shorten the time required to reach the customer's property by traveling according to the optimal route display via the parts warehouse, and also immediately perform repairs using replacement parts. Can be. Thus, the time required for repairing the air conditioner 201 can be reduced as much as possible.
[0127]
In the customer property, the service engineer diagnoses the failure of the air conditioner 201 based on the sensor values of the temperature sensor and the pressure sensor of the air conditioner 201. The service engineer repairs the air-conditioning apparatus 201 based on the result of its own failure diagnosis and the failure diagnosis result by the failure diagnosis system.
If the result of the failure diagnosis by the failure diagnosis unit 223 is correct, the service engineer performs repair based on the result of the failure diagnosis. If the result of the failure diagnosis by the failure diagnosis unit 223 is incorrect, the service engineer performs repair based on the failure determination of the service engineer. In the latter case, the service engineer checks inventory of necessary replacement parts via the on-board computer 222. The failure diagnosis unit 223 of the in-vehicle computer 222 searches the parts management database stored in the parts management server storage unit 243 of the parts management server 213 based on the required replacement parts, and searches for a parts storage that stores the replacement parts. Re-output. Based on this result, the service engineer can pick up the replacement part by the service car 211 from the parts store where the replacement parts are stocked, or another service car located near the customer property or the parts store via the communication network 214. Ask 211 to bring replacement parts.
[0128]
As described above, the replacement part is replaced, and the repair of the air conditioner 201 is completed.
After the repair of the air conditioner 201 is completed, the service engineer inputs the device state of the air conditioner 201 found in the repair from the air conditioner 201 to the in-vehicle computer 222. This time, the newly input device status is transmitted to the data server 212 together with the new detection information. The database construction unit 234 of the data server processing unit 232 reconstructs the database based on the new detection information and the newly input device state. Thereby, when the failure diagnosis by the failure diagnosis unit 223 is correct, the database is further strengthened, and when the failure diagnosis is different from the device state, data of the database is added. As a result, it is possible to construct a database in which future failure diagnosis becomes more appropriate, and improve the accuracy of failure diagnosis. The updated database is supplied to the in-vehicle storage unit 224 of the service car 211 via the communication network 214 and stored therein.
[0129]
<Features>
(1)
In the failure diagnosis system according to the fourth embodiment, a database based on the detection information is constructed, and the device state of the air conditioner 201 can be obtained from the outside using the database and the new detection information. Therefore, the service engineer performing the repair can obtain a failure diagnosis result from the failure diagnosis system in addition to the failure diagnosis of the air conditioner 201 itself. As a result, the air conditioner 201 can be repaired more appropriately than when there is no failure diagnosis result by the failure diagnosis system.
[0130]
The failure diagnosis unit 223 of the service car 211 includes detection information (past detection information) of the database constructed by the database construction unit 234 of the data server 212, and detection information detected by the indoor unit detection unit 205 and the outdoor unit detection unit 206. (New detection information) to diagnose the device state, and perform failure diagnosis. That is, when there is a piece of new detection information that substantially matches the past detection information in the database, the failure diagnosis unit 223 determines that the device state of the air conditioning apparatus 201 corresponding to the past detection information in the database is the current air conditioning apparatus 201. It is determined that the device is in the state. Further, by comparing the past detection information in the normal operation state and the new detection information, for example, by comparing the sound spectrum of the new sound information with the past sound information in the normal operation, the failure diagnosis unit 223 provides the air conditioning. It is diagnosed that some trouble has occurred in the device 201.
[0131]
With these, for example, even when a new service engineer or a service engineer who does not repair the target air conditioner much does repair, like a veteran service engineer who can perform failure diagnosis based on sound information, The cause of the failure can be specified based on the sound.
(2)
In the failure diagnosis system according to the fourth embodiment, a failure diagnosis unit 223 is provided in a vehicle-mounted computer 222 mounted on a service car 211. For this reason, since the failure diagnosis unit 223 can be transported, it is not necessary to set up a fixed base for performing failure diagnosis. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the construction cost of the failure diagnosis system.
[0132]
Further, for example, if it is possible to use the failure diagnosis units 223 provided in the plurality of service cars 211, each of the failure diagnosis units 223 can work as a backup system. In this case, the robustness of the failure diagnosis system can be further improved.
(3)
In the failure diagnosis system according to the fourth embodiment, an indoor unit detection unit 205 and an outdoor unit detection unit 206 that perform information detection are provided in the air conditioning apparatus 201 in advance. Therefore, the replacement part is output by the failure diagnosis unit 223 before the service engineer goes to the repair site of the air conditioner 201. Further, based on the component management database stored in the component management server storage unit 243 of the component management server 213, it is possible to output the location of the component storage provided with the output replacement component. This allows the service engineer to replace parts according to the output result, so that even a newcomer can perform repairs in the same manner as a veteran. It is also possible to obtain a replacement part via a parts store on the way to a customer property as a repair site, and then go to the repair site. By performing such a procedure, the time required for the service engineer to obtain the replacement part can be minimized, and the air conditioner can be quickly repaired. Further, the output component store is a component store close to the customer property where the air-conditioning apparatus 201 is located, and thus also serves as an aid for prompt response.
[0133]
Further, the result of the failure diagnosis by the failure diagnosis unit 223 can be displayed on the in-vehicle display unit 225 of the service car 211. Thereby, the service engineer who repairs the air-conditioning apparatus 201 can know the result of the failure diagnosis before heading to the customer's property, and can work on the repair in a perfect posture.
Further, the in-vehicle computer 222 can receive an input of the device state of the air conditioner 101 found during the repair of the air conditioner 201. The database construction unit 234 corrects or strengthens the database based on the new detection information and the input device state, thereby enriching the data in the database and improving the accuracy of failure diagnosis.
[0134]
<Other embodiments>
(A)
In the failure diagnosis system according to the fourth embodiment, the failure diagnosis unit 223 is included in the on-vehicle computer 222 and is connected to the communication network 214 via the on-vehicle communication unit 221. However, when the in-vehicle computer 222 is portable, it may be connected to communication means other than the in-vehicle communication unit 221 to perform communication. In this case, the service engineer can carry the in-vehicle computer 222 to provide a failure diagnosis system without using the service car 211. Further, the in-vehicle computer 222 is not limited to a general-purpose machine such as a personal computer, and may be a computer dedicated to failure diagnosis.
[0135]
(B)
In the failure diagnosis system according to the fourth embodiment, the parts management server 213 has a parts management database for managing the inventory of the parts store. Here, a component management server 213 that centrally manages a plurality of component warehouses may be provided. In this case, the failure diagnosis unit 223 performs a search based on the parts management database of the parts management server 213, and outputs the location of a parts storage provided with replacement parts.
[0136]
【The invention's effect】
In the failure diagnosis system according to the first aspect, since the number of failure diagnosis units for the air conditioner can be increased, it is possible to improve the accuracy of failure diagnosis and reduce oversight.
In the failure diagnosis system according to the second aspect, the failure diagnosis means can easily perform the failure diagnosis.
[0137]
In the failure diagnosis system according to the third aspect, the trouble of communicating between the information detection device and the failure diagnosis unit can be omitted, so that the convenience of the failure diagnosis is further improved. In the failure diagnosis system according to the fourth aspect, it is possible to reduce the construction cost of the failure diagnosis system and to improve the robustness of the failure diagnosis system.
[0138]
In the failure diagnosis system according to the fifth aspect, the failure diagnosis can be performed at the installation location of the air conditioner to be subjected to the failure diagnosis.
In the failure diagnosis system according to the sixth aspect, the trouble of communicating between the data server and the failure diagnosis means can be omitted, so that the convenience of the failure diagnosis is further improved. In the failure diagnosis system according to the seventh aspect, by replacing parts according to the output of the failure diagnosis means, even a newcomer can perform repair in the same manner as a veteran.
[0139]
In the failure diagnosis system according to the eighth aspect, the time required for the service engineer to obtain the replacement part can be minimized, and the air conditioner can be quickly repaired. In the failure diagnosis system according to the ninth aspect, it is possible to transmit the detected detection information to the failure diagnosis unit by using a telephone communication unit. Further, the initial cost of the failure diagnosis system can be reduced.
[0140]
In the failure diagnosis system according to the tenth aspect, image information can be detected, and the detected image information can be transmitted to the failure diagnosis unit using a communication function of a telephone. In the medical examination device according to the eleventh aspect, a service engineer or the like repairing the air conditioner can know the result of the failure diagnosis at the medical examination and repair site.
In the examination device according to the twelfth aspect, since the diagnostic material of the failure diagnosis unit can be increased, the accuracy of the result of the failure diagnosis by the failure diagnosis unit can be improved.
[0141]
In the medical examination device according to the thirteenth aspect, it is possible to save the trouble of communication between the medical examination device and the malfunction diagnosis unit as compared with the case where the malfunction diagnosis unit is not built in, so that the convenience of malfunction diagnosis is further improved. improves.
According to the data server of the present invention, the data server constructs a database, so that a failure diagnosis of the air conditioner can be performed using the database.
[0142]
In the data server according to the fifteenth aspect, since the data server incorporates the failure diagnosis means, it is possible to eliminate the trouble of communicating between the data server and the failure diagnosis means when performing the failure diagnosis. The convenience of diagnosis is further improved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a failure diagnosis system for an air conditioner according to a first embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a failure diagnosis system for an air conditioner according to a second embodiment. The sound detection device and the data server are connected, and communicate information and databases.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a failure diagnosis system for an air conditioner according to a second embodiment. The sound detection device performs a failure diagnosis of the air conditioner 11.
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a failure diagnosis system for an air conditioner according to a third embodiment. The detection information is detected by a mobile phone having a camera.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a failure diagnosis system for an air conditioner according to a third embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a failure diagnosis system for an air conditioner according to a fourth embodiment. Detection information is detected by a detection unit included in the air conditioner.
FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a failure diagnosis system for an air conditioner according to a fourth embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
11, 101, 201 Air conditioner
16, 41 sound detection device
111 mobile phone
121 Microphone
122 Camera unit
205 Indoor unit detection unit
206 Outdoor unit detection unit
17, 42, 113, 212 Data server
21, 51 sound collecting part
23, 53 Operation display unit
24, 54 processing unit
55 Failure diagnosis means
133, 223 Failure diagnosis unit
56 storage means
32, 62 server processing unit
35, 65 server storage means
36, 66 Database construction means
37 Failure diagnosis means
114, 213 parts management server

Claims (15)

A failure diagnosis system for performing a failure diagnosis of the air conditioner (11, 101, 201),
An information detection device (16, 41, 111, 205, 206) for detecting at least one piece of detection information of sound, vibration, odor, and video of the air conditioner (11, 101, 201);
A data server (17, constructing a database based on past information that is the detection information detected in the past and the device state of the air conditioner (11, 101, 201) when the past information is detected) 42, 113, 212),
Failure diagnosis means (37, 55, 133, 223) for performing a failure diagnosis based on the data of the database and the new information as the detection information of the air conditioner (11, 101, 201) to be diagnosed;
Fault diagnosis system comprising: The failure diagnosis unit (37, 55, 133, 223) performs failure diagnosis by comparing the new information with the past information corresponding to the device state in the database in a normal operation state. 2. The failure diagnosis system according to 1. The failure diagnosis system according to claim 1, wherein the information detection device (41) includes the failure diagnosis unit (55), and further receives the data of the database from the data server (42). . The failure diagnosis means (133, 223) is transportable, and further receives the data of the database from the data server (113, 212),
The information detection device (111, 205, 206) is connectable to the failure diagnosis means (133, 223).
The failure diagnosis system according to claim 1. The failure diagnosis system according to claim 4, wherein the failure diagnosis means (133, 223) is mounted on a vehicle. 3. The failure diagnosis system according to claim 1, wherein the data server includes the failure diagnosis unit. 4. The failure according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the failure diagnosis unit (133, 223) outputs a replacement part of the air conditioner (101, 201), which is determined to require replacement by the failure diagnosis. Diagnostic system. A component management server (114, 213) for constructing a component management database for managing inventory information of components of the air conditioner (101, 201) in a component warehouse;
The failure diagnosis means (133, 223) searches the parts management database for the parts storage close to the location of the air conditioner (101, 201) among the parts storages provided with the replacement parts, and searches. Can output the result,
The fault diagnosis system according to claim 7. The fault diagnosis system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the information detection device (111) is a telephone (111) that can detect the detection information. The fault diagnosis system according to claim 9, wherein the telephone (111) has a digital camera unit (122). A diagnostic device (16, 41) for causing a failure diagnostic means to perform a failure diagnosis of the air conditioner (11),
An information detection unit (21, 51) for detecting at least one piece of detection information of sound, vibration, odor, and video of the air conditioner (11);
A transmission acquisition unit (22, 54) for transmitting the detection information and acquiring a result of the failure diagnosis;
An output unit (23, 53) for outputting a result of the failure diagnosis;
Examination device (16, 41) comprising: An input unit (23, 53) for receiving a device state of the air conditioner (11);
The transmission acquisition unit (22, 54) is capable of transmitting the device status.
The examination device (16, 41) according to claim 11. Incorporating the failure diagnosis means (55);
A communication unit (52) capable of receiving data of a database based on past information that is the detection information detected in the past and the device state of the air conditioner (11) when the past information is detected. )
The failure diagnosis unit (55) performs a failure diagnosis based on the data and new information that is the detection information of the air conditioner (11) to be diagnosed.
A medical examination device (41) according to claim 11 or 12. Communication means (31, 61) for receiving at least one piece of detection information of sound, vibration, odor, and video of the air conditioner (11);
Database construction means (36, 66) for constructing a database based on the past information that is the detection information detected in the past and the device state of the air conditioner (11) when the past information is detected;
(17, 42). The data server according to claim 14, further comprising a failure diagnosis unit (37) for performing a failure diagnosis based on the data of the database and the new information that is the detection information of the air conditioner (11) to be diagnosed. (17).

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