JP2008294637A - Centralized controller and facility equipment control system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a centralized controller capable of controlling operations of various kinds of facility equipment and comprehending the operation states of the facility equipment. <P>SOLUTION: A main body terminal 10 includes a communication part 12 for communicating with a slave terminal 20. The slave terminal 20 includes: a slave set storage means 24 for storing a conversion table 24a which converts a signal transmitted from the communication part 12 into a signal to be used by the facility equipment 40 to be controlled; and a sensor 26 for detecting the external operation of the facility equipment 40 to be controlled. When a control instruction signal transmitted by the communication part 12 is received, the control instruction signal is converted into the signal to be used by the facility equipment 40 to be controlled with referring to the conversion table 24a. An operation instruction signal corresponding to the facility equipment 40 is output, and the operation state of the facility equipment 40 is announced to the communication part 12, based on a result when the sensor 26 detects the external operation of the facility equipment 40 on the basis of the operation instruction signal. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a centralized controller for controlling the operation of one or a plurality of facility devices, and an facility device control system using the centralized controller.

  Conventionally, regarding remote control of electronic devices, “Reliable remote control system that eliminates the situation where the infrared signal is blocked by an obstruction and the electronic device itself cannot be remotely controlled, and ensures reliable remote control. Realize. As a technology for the purpose of ”, the optical output signal from the infrared transmitter of the remote control device is once converted into a radio wave signal and then transmitted to the electronic device main body, or the optical signal between the remote control device and the electronic device main body is transmitted. It is configured to transmit and receive using both a signal (infrared signal) and a radio signal. Is proposed (Patent Document 1).

  In addition, in a system including a device main body and a remote control device attached to the device main body, a remote control system that enables simultaneous use of a plurality of device main bodies or a plurality of remote control devices and enables bidirectional communication between the remote control device and the device main body. I will provide a. As a technology for the purpose of "in a remote control system including a device main body and a remote control device capable of remote control thereof, the remote control device side converts an infrared signal into a weak radio signal with an identification code, and the device main body Remote control system comprising a bidirectional communication means for transmitting to the remote control device side, converting the weak radio signal into an infrared signal on the device main body side, and returning a confirmation signal indicating that it has been received to the remote control device side It was. Is proposed (Patent Document 2).

JP-A-6-78366 (summary) JP 2004-48467 A (summary)

In the techniques described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, the infrared signal output from the remote control device is once converted into a radio signal, and the radio signal is transmitted to the control target device. It is possible to control the operation of devices existing in the network.
However, there is a problem in that the operation of devices that are not to be controlled cannot be controlled because the signal systems are different. In addition, even when a response signal output from a device that is not a control target is received, the response signal cannot be interpreted, and thus there is a problem that the operating state of the device cannot be grasped.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to obtain a centralized controller capable of controlling the operation of various equipment and grasping the operating state of the equipment. To do.

  The centralized controller according to the present invention is a centralized controller that controls the operation of one or a plurality of equipment devices, and a main body terminal of the centralized controller, a slave terminal that outputs an operation command signal to the equipment equipment to be controlled, The main body terminal includes a communication unit that communicates with the child device terminal, and the child device terminal converts the signal transmitted by the communication unit into a signal that is used by the equipment equipment to be controlled. And a sensor for detecting an external operation of the equipment to be controlled. When receiving the control command signal transmitted by the communication unit, the control command signal is referred to the conversion table. Is converted into a signal to be used by the equipment to be controlled, thereby outputting an operation command signal corresponding to the equipment and the external operation of the equipment based on the operation command signal is output. Based on the results detected by the sensor, and notifies the operation state of the equipment to the communication unit.

  According to the centralized controller according to the present invention, since the conversion table for converting the signal transmitted by the communication unit of the centralized controller into the signal used by the equipment to be controlled is provided, the signal is referred to the conversion table. The format can be converted and the operation of various equipment can be controlled.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
1 is a configuration diagram of an equipment control system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Here, the air conditioner 40 will be described as an example of equipment.
The centralized controller 10 can communicate with the child device terminal 20 via the network 50 and remotely controls the air conditioner 40 via the child device terminal 20.
The handset terminal 20 is attached to a predetermined position of the air conditioner 40. Details will be described later.
The remote controller 30 is attached to the air conditioner 40 and transmits an operation command signal to the air conditioner 40 by infrared communication or the like.
The network 50 is a wired / wireless network. The centralized controller 10 and the child device terminal 20 include a communication unit that conforms to the network 50 method. Details will be described later.

In FIG. 1, only one air conditioner 40 is shown for convenience of description, but a plurality of air conditioners may be connected to the network 50.
Individual air conditioners can be controlled by using the attached remote controller 30, but when these are controlled collectively, a control command signal is issued from the centralized controller 10, and the handset terminal attached to each air conditioner This is received, and the operation of each air conditioner is controlled based on the control command signal.
As a result, the operator of the centralized controller 10 can perform ON / OFF control of all the air conditioners collectively, for example.

The outline of the general functions of the centralized controller 10 and the slave terminal 20 has been described above.
Next, detailed configurations of the centralized controller 10 and the slave terminal 20 will be described.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the centralized controller 10.
The centralized controller 10 includes an MPU (multiprocessor unit) 11, a slave unit communication unit 12, a power supply unit 13, and a storage unit 14.
The MPU 11 is an arithmetic device that controls the overall operation of the centralized controller 10.
The subunit | mobile_unit communication part 12 communicates with the subunit | mobile_unit terminal 20 via the network 50. FIG. As the communication system, a communication system that conforms to the communication specifications of the network 50 and the slave terminal 20 is used. Either wired communication or wireless communication may be used.
The power supply unit 13 supplies power for operating the centralized controller 10.
The storage means 14 stores the operating state data of the air conditioner 40 and the control command signal table 14a described below with reference to FIG.

  The storage unit 14 can be configured by a nonvolatile storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a flash memory.

FIG. 3 shows a configuration and data example of the control command signal table 14a.
The control command signal table 14a has a “control command” column and a “signal pattern” column.
The “control command” column stores a control command issued to the air conditioner 40. The control command is, for example, a “power ON” command or a “power OFF” command.
The “signal pattern” column stores a signal pattern corresponding to the “control command” column. The storage format may be a bit string or waveform data. As an example of data, for example, a bit string “0010” is stored in response to a “power ON” command.

Note that the control command signal table 14a may be configured as a data file in a table format, or may be configured as a table realized as software on a program.
Further, it is not always necessary to use two-dimensional tabular data, and any data representation format can be used as long as the same correspondence can be obtained.

  Here, it is assumed that the centralized controller 10 issues a “power ON” command to the air conditioner 40, and the operation procedure will be described.

(1) The MPU 11 searches the control command signal table 14a for a row in which the value of the “control command” column is “power ON”.
(2) The MPU 11 reads the value of the “signal pattern” column of the corresponding row.
(3) The MPU 11 instructs the slave unit communication unit 12 to transmit a control command signal corresponding to the value in the “signal pattern” column.
(4) The slave unit communication unit 12 transmits a control command signal to the effect that “power is to be turned on” to the slave unit terminal 20.
(5) The handset terminal 20 receives the control command signal and turns on the power of the air conditioner 40.

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram showing the internal configuration of the slave terminal 20. The external configuration will be described later with reference to FIG.
The subunit | mobile_unit terminal 20 is provided with the control part 21, the main | base station communication part 22, the battery 23, the memory | storage means 24, and the infrared communication part 25. FIG.
The control unit 21 is composed of an arithmetic device that controls the overall operation of the slave terminal 20.
The base unit communication unit 22 communicates with the centralized controller 10 via the network 50. As the communication system, a communication system that conforms to the communication specifications of the network 50 and the centralized controller 10 is used. Either wired communication or wireless communication may be used.
The battery 23 supplies power for operating the slave terminal 20.
The storage unit 24 stores a signal conversion table 24a described below with reference to FIG.
The infrared communication unit 25 receives an infrared signal transmitted from the remote controller 30 attached to the air conditioner 40, and transmits an infrared signal to an infrared receiving unit 41 included in the air conditioner 40. Details will be described later.

  The storage unit 24 can be configured by a nonvolatile storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a flash memory.

FIG. 5 shows a configuration and data example of the signal conversion table 24a.
The signal conversion table 24a has a “pre-conversion signal pattern” column and a “post-conversion signal pattern” column.
In the “pre-conversion signal pattern” column, a signal pattern corresponding to a control command signal transmitted by the centralized controller 10 is stored. The storage format may be a bit string or waveform data.
In the “converted signal pattern” column, a signal pattern corresponding to the operation command of the air conditioner 40 is stored. This corresponds to a signal pattern transmitted by the remote controller 30. The storage format is convenient for processing if it matches the “pre-conversion signal pattern” column.

  The signal conversion table 24a may be configured as a table format data file, or may be configured as a table realized as software on a program.

  Here, assuming that the centralized controller 10 issues a “power ON” command to the air conditioner 40, the operation of the slave terminal 20 will be described next. The following steps (5.1) to (5.6) will explain the details of step (5) described above.

(5.1) The base unit communication unit 22 receives the control command signal corresponding to “Power ON” transmitted from the centralized controller 10. The received control command signal is output to the control unit 21.
(5.2) The control unit 21 searches the signal conversion table 24a for a row in which the value of the “pre-conversion signal pattern” column matches the received control command signal.
(5.3) The control unit 21 reads the value of the “post-conversion signal pattern” column of the corresponding row.
(5.4) The control unit 21 instructs the infrared communication unit 25 to transmit an infrared signal corresponding to the value in the “post-conversion signal pattern” column.
(5.5) The infrared communication unit 25 transmits an infrared signal corresponding to the value in the “post-conversion signal pattern” column to the infrared reception unit 41 of the air conditioner 40 described later with reference to FIG.
(5.6) The infrared receiving unit 41 of the air conditioner 40 receives the infrared signal transmitted by the infrared communication unit 25.

The control command signal indicating that “the power is to be turned on” transmitted from the centralized controller 10 by the operations as described above (5.1) to (5.6) is a signal format that can be received by the infrared receiver of the air conditioner 40. Is converted to
The air conditioner 40 performs a “power ON” operation based on the received infrared signal.

FIG. 6 illustrates attachment of the handset terminal 20.
As shown in FIG. 6A, the air conditioner 40 includes an operation display LED 42 that is turned on when the power is turned on. Further, it is assumed that an infrared receiver 41 that receives infrared signals transmitted from the remote controller 30 and the air conditioner 40 is provided.
As shown in FIG. 6B, when the handset terminal 20 is attached to the air conditioner 40, the infrared receiver 41 and the operation display LED 42 are covered.
FIG. 6C shows the external configuration of the back surface of the handset terminal 20. An adhesive portion 27 made of double-sided tape or the like is disposed on the back surface of the child device terminal 20 so that the child device terminal 20 can be fixed to the casing of the air conditioner 40.
Further, an illuminance sensor 26 is provided on the back surface of the handset terminal 20, and when the operation display LED 42 is lit, the light is detected and output to the control unit 21.

  Next, an operation after the infrared receiving unit 41 receives the infrared signal indicating that the slave terminal 20 should be “powered on” (corresponding to the previous step 5.6) will be described.

(6) The power supply of the air conditioner 40 is turned on, and the operation display LED 42 is lit.
(7) The illuminance sensor 26 detects the lighting of the operation display LED 42 and outputs the fact to the control unit 21.
(8) The control unit 21 instructs the base unit communication unit 22 to transmit a signal indicating that the operation display LED 42 is lit to the centralized controller 10.
(9) The base unit communication unit 22 transmits a signal indicating that the operation display LED 42 is lit to the centralized controller 10.
(10) The slave unit communication unit 12 of the centralized controller 10 receives the signal transmitted by the master unit communication unit 22 and outputs the signal to the MPU 12.
(11) The MPU 12 determines that the power supply of the air conditioner 40 has been turned on, and records that fact in the operation state data in the storage unit 14.

  In the above description, the illumination sensor 26 detects the lighting of the operation display LED 42 to detect the power ON / OFF state of the air conditioner 40. Instead of this, for example, the following (a) to (f) ) Can also be used.

(A) The operating state of the air conditioner 40 is detected by detecting the vibration of the air conditioner 40 using an acceleration sensor or a vibration sensor.
(B) A reed switch for detecting the opening / closing of the fan movable portion of the air conditioner 40 is provided, and the operation state of the air conditioner 40 is detected by the operation of the fan.
(C) A wind pressure sensor is provided in the air passage of the air conditioner 40, and the operating state of the air conditioner 40 is detected by the wind pressure.

(D) A temperature sensor is provided in the air passage of the air conditioner 40, the inside of the main body, etc., and the operation state of the air conditioner 40 is detected by a temperature change. Further, it is possible to distinguish between heating operation and cooling operation based on the temperature difference. Furthermore, if a humidity sensor is used, it is possible to identify the dehumidifying operation.
(E) When the color of the operation display LED 42 changes for each operation mode of the air conditioner 40, or when the operation display LED is provided for each operation mode, a sensor capable of identifying the light of the LED for each operation mode is provided ( For example, a color is identified, a sensor is provided for each LED, and the operation mode of the air conditioner 40 is identified based on the detection result.
(F) The external operation of the air conditioner 40 can be monitored by the image sensor, and the operation state can be detected.

  The above (a) to (f) are examples of methods for detecting the operating state of the air conditioner 40, and the application target of the present invention is not limited to these methods. Which detection method is used may be in accordance with the specification of the detection target device.

  In addition, the operation to be detected is not limited to “power ON”, “power OFF”, or change of the operation mode. By appropriately providing a sensor or the like corresponding to the external operation of the control target device, any operation or state can be detected. Can be detected.

The “communication unit” in the first embodiment corresponds to the slave unit communication unit 12 and the MPU 11.
The “conversion table” corresponds to the signal conversion table 24a.
The “slave unit storage unit” corresponds to the storage unit 24.
The “sensor” corresponds to the illuminance sensor 26.
The “main body terminal” corresponds to the centralized controller 10.

As described above, according to the first embodiment, the centralized controller 10 and the slave terminal 20 operate the air conditioner 40 according to the operation procedure described in the above steps (1) to (5.6). Can be remotely controlled.
Further, the central controller 10 can manage the power ON / OFF state of the air conditioner 40 by detecting the lighting of the operation display LED 42 provided in the air conditioner 40 by the illuminance sensor 26 and notifying the central controller 10 of the detection result. it can.
Through these series of operations, the centralized controller 10 can issue a remote control command to the air conditioner 40 and further manage the execution result.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
In the first embodiment, using the signal conversion table 24a, the control command signal transmitted from the centralized controller 10 is converted into a signal format that can be received by the infrared receiver 41 of the air conditioner 40, thereby realizing remote control. Explained.
In the second embodiment of the present invention, a configuration will be described in which, when the air conditioner 40 uses a signal pattern that is not supported by the slave terminal 20, the signal pattern can be automatically learned and supported.

FIG. 7 illustrates the operation when the handset terminal 20 receives an unknown signal from the remote controller 30. Hereinafter, each step will be described.
Note that the case where an unknown signal is received corresponds to the case where the air conditioner 40 (and the remote controller 30) is not the control target device assumed by the slave terminal 20, for example.

(1) The remote controller 30 transmits a command signal to the handset terminal 20 by infrared communication. Here, it is assumed that an instruction to “power on” is transmitted.
(2) The infrared communication unit 25 of the slave terminal 20 receives the command signal transmitted from the remote controller 30 by infrared communication, and copies and transfers it to the infrared reception unit 41 provided in the air conditioner 40. The illuminance sensor 26 detects lighting of the operation display LED 42 and outputs the result to the control unit 21.

(3) The control unit 21 searches the signal conversion table 24a for the signal pattern received by the infrared communication unit 25. Here, since it is assumed that the signal is an unknown signal, the corresponding signal pattern is not found.
(4) The control unit 21 stores the signal pattern received by the infrared communication unit 25 in the “converted signal pattern” column of the new entry of the signal conversion table 24a. In the “pre-conversion signal pattern” column, an arbitrary signal pattern that can be output by the centralized controller 10 is appropriately set while paying attention to the duplication of values in the “pre-conversion signal pattern” column.

(5) The control unit 21 transmits the value of the “pre-conversion signal pattern” column stored in the signal conversion table 24 a in step (4) and the fact that the operation display LED 42 is lit to the centralized controller 10. Instructs the base unit communication unit 22. The base unit communication unit 22 transmits these signals to the centralized controller 10.
(6) The slave unit communication unit 12 receives the signal transmitted by the master unit communication unit 22 and outputs the signal to the MPU 12. The MPU 12 analyzes the content of the received signal. Here, since it is notified that the operation display LED 42 is lit, it can be seen that the received signal pattern corresponds to “power ON” of the air conditioner 40.
Next, the MPU 12 stores the received signal pattern in the “pre-conversion signal pattern” column and the “power ON” control command as a new entry in the control command signal table 14a.

FIG. 7B illustrates a configuration in which the infrared signal is copied and transferred to the infrared receiver 41 in step (2).
As an example, a signal that has passed through the spectroscopic lens of the slave terminal can be copied (divided) into two by a beam splitter or the like and transferred to the infrared receiving unit 41.

With the above operation, the slave terminal 20 can newly learn an unknown signal pattern transmitted by the remote controller 30.
Further, the centralized controller 10 can newly learn the control command signal corresponding to the unknown signal pattern learned by the slave terminal 20.

If a control command signal pattern corresponding to “Power ON” is already stored in the control command signal table 14 a stored in the centralized controller 10, a new “ It is not necessary to record a signal pattern corresponding to “Power ON”.
That is, in step (4) of FIG. 7, if the control command signal pattern corresponding to “power ON” already used by the centralized controller 10 is stored in the value of the “pre-conversion signal pattern” column, the air conditioner 40 It is enough to control.

  FIG. 8 illustrates a procedure for remotely controlling the air conditioner 40 using the signal pattern learned by the procedure described in FIG. Here, it is assumed that a “power ON” command is issued to the air conditioner 40. Hereinafter, each step will be described.

(1) The MPU 12 of the centralized controller 10 searches the control command signal table 14a for a signal pattern corresponding to a command issued to the air conditioner 40. Here, a signal pattern whose value in the “control command” column is a “power ON” command is searched. Here, it is assumed that the signal pattern learned by the procedure of FIG. 7 is obtained.
(2) Based on the signal pattern obtained as a result of the search, the slave unit communication unit 12 transmits a control command signal to the effect that “power is to be turned on” to the slave unit terminal 20.

(3) The base unit communication unit 22 of the handset terminal 20 receives the control command signal and outputs it to the control unit 21. The control unit 21 searches the signal conversion table 24a for the corresponding signal pattern. Here, the signal pattern used by the remote controller 30 learned in the procedure of FIG. 7 is obtained.
(4) The control unit 21 instructs the infrared communication unit 25 to output a signal pattern obtained as a result of the search. The infrared communication unit 25 outputs the signal to the infrared receiving unit 41 of the air conditioner 40.

In other words, since the slave terminal 20 can output the learned signal pattern, the slave terminal 20 is subject to direct control regardless of the communication method used by the air conditioner 40 (and the remote controller 30). It can be.
Further, the remote control by the centralized controller 10 is made possible by storing the control command signal corresponding to the newly learned signal pattern in the signal conversion table 24a.

The learning method described above is an example, and other appropriate learning methods may be used.
Note that the “master storage unit” in the second embodiment corresponds to the storage unit 14.

As described above, according to the second embodiment, even if the signal format used by the remote controller 30 is unknown, the operation of the air conditioner 40 based on the signal (with the illuminance sensor 26 in the second embodiment). ) By detecting, the handset terminal 20 can automatically learn the signal pattern and the corresponding operation.
Thereby, there exists an effect that it can respond to the arbitrary communication systems which air conditioner 40 (and remote control 30) uses.

Embodiment 3 FIG.
In the second embodiment, the example in which the signal transmitted from the remote controller 30 is received by the infrared communication unit 25 of the slave terminal 20 and the signal is copied and transferred to the infrared reception unit 41 of the air conditioner 40 has been described.
In the third embodiment of the present invention, a configuration will be described in which the infrared communication unit 25 of the slave terminal 20 and the infrared reception unit 41 of the air conditioner 40 can simultaneously receive a signal transmitted from the remote controller 30.

FIG. 9 illustrates the attachment position of the handset terminal 20.
When attaching the child device terminal 20 to the air conditioner 40, the attachment position is adjusted so that the infrared communication unit 25 provided in the child device terminal 20 covers a part (for example, about half) of the infrared receiving unit 41 provided in the air conditioner 40. Keep it.
By adjusting the mounting position in this way, the signal transmitted by the remote controller 30 enters the infrared communication unit 25 and the infrared reception unit 41 simultaneously.

  With this configuration, the signal transmitted from the remote controller 30 can be easily synchronized between the slave terminal 20 and the air conditioner 40, which is convenient from the viewpoint of simple processing.

Embodiment 4 FIG.
In the fourth embodiment of the present invention, a configuration in which the flexibility of attachment is improved by separating the infrared communication unit 25 included in the child device terminal 20 from the child device terminal 20 and increasing the mobility will be described.

FIG. 10 illustrates the attachment state of the handset terminal 20.
In FIG. 10, the handset terminal 20 is attached so as to cover an operation display LED 42 (not shown) provided in the air conditioner 40, and the operation of the air conditioner 40 is detected by detecting the lighting of the operation display LED 42 by the illuminance sensor 26 on the back surface. Detect state.
However, the infrared receiver 41 of the air conditioner 40 is disposed at a position away from the operation display LED 42. In the configuration of the slave terminal 20 described in the first to third embodiments, the infrared communication unit 25 and the infrared receiver 41 cannot communicate.

Therefore, in the handset terminal 20 according to the fourth embodiment, the infrared communication unit 25 is separated from the main body of the handset terminal 20 and connected by wiring so that the arrangement of the infrared communication unit 25 can be adjusted independently.
With this configuration, the arrangement position of the infrared communication unit 25 can be freely adjusted within the range of the length of the wiring, and even if the infrared reception unit 41 and the operation display LED 42 are arranged at a remote position, it is possible to respond flexibly. Can do.
Further, due to the flexibility of the wiring portion, even if the shape of the mounting position is not flat, it can be handled with a certain degree of flexibility.

  In addition, the same effect can be exhibited by configuring the infrared communication unit 25 so that the angle of the infrared communication unit 25 can be freely changed, for example, by providing a joint portion in addition to the infrared communication unit 25 having a separated configuration.

Moreover, since the subunit | mobile_unit terminal 20 is attached so that operation | movement display LED42 may be covered, the user cannot visually recognize the lighting state of operation | movement display LED42.
Therefore, the user visually recognizes the lighting state of the operation display LED 42 by disposing the display unit 28 composed of LEDs and the like that are turned on in the same manner as the detection result of the illuminance sensor 26 on the back surface on the surface of the slave terminal 20. This can contribute to the convenience of the user.

Embodiment 5. FIG.
In the fifth embodiment of the present invention, a configuration provided with an environment sensor that detects a physical state (for example, room temperature and humidity) of an installation place of the child device terminal 20 will be described.

  In the fifth embodiment, handset terminal 20 includes an environment sensor that acquires indoor environment / human body information in addition to the sensor that detects the operating state of air conditioner 40, and transmits these information to centralized controller 10. It can be used as information for comprehensively controlling the operation of the air conditioner.

For example, when it is found that the human body terminal 20 is provided with a human body detection sensor and there is no human being in the room, it is possible to perform an energy saving operation such as automatically switching the operation mode of the air conditioner to only air blowing.
It is also possible to grasp the operating state of the air conditioner 40 based on the temperature distribution in the room, and to control the room to be heated at a low charge by using late-night power (cheap) at dawn. Accordingly, it is possible to automatically configure an environment that can be comfortably spent at the time of getting up, instead of driving at full power with normal power (expensive) after getting up, and turning off the power supply when it gets warm.

Embodiment 6 FIG.
In the sixth embodiment of the present invention, when the centralized controller 10 and the slave terminal 20 communicate with each other by wireless communication, it is possible to simplify the initialization setting of parameters related to the wireless communication of the slave terminal 20. Will be described.

The parameters related to wireless communication are, for example, encryption key setting, terminal identification number setting, and the like. Since these parameters usually have to be set manually for each individual handset terminal, if the number of handset terminals is large, the setting takes time.
Therefore, a configuration is considered in which the parameter setting of the centralized controller 10 can be automatically taken over.

FIG. 11 is an external configuration diagram of handset terminal 20 according to the sixth embodiment.
In FIG. 11, a wireless setting button 29a and a slave unit number setting unit 29b are provided.
When setting the wireless communication parameters of the slave terminal 20, the wireless setting button 29a is kept pressed and a parameter setting switch or the like provided in the centralized controller 10 is pressed.
At this time, the common parameter held by the centralized controller 10 is configured to be transferred to the slave terminal 20.
The set value can be either given randomly at the time of factory shipment or can be automatically set by calculating the parameter value from the serial number of the centralized controller 10.
The radio band used when setting the parameters may be selected automatically by searching for radio waves used in the vicinity.

  Further, when it is necessary to designate the number of the slave terminal 20, it may be appropriately set by the slave number setting unit 29b provided on the surface of the slave terminal 20 or the like.

  In addition, a dedicated communication method for parameter setting, such as infrared IrDA, is provided in both the centralized controller 10 and the slave terminal 20, and the wireless parameters of the slave terminal 20 are automatically set by the communication. You can also.

  As described above, according to the sixth embodiment, the wireless communication parameters held by the centralized controller 10 can be transferred to the child device terminal 20 simply by pressing the wireless setting button 29a. The efficiency of the radio parameter setting work of the terminal 20 is greatly improved.

Embodiment 7 FIG.
FIG. 12 is a functional block diagram of the centralized controller 10 according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 12, the centralized controller 10 includes a network connection unit 15.
The network connection unit 15 is a communication function unit that is provided separately from the child device communication unit 12 connected to the child device terminal 20, and is used to connect to a network other than the network 50, such as a local area LAN or the Internet. Is.

The subunit | mobile_unit terminal 20 acquires information, such as the operation state of the air-conditioner 40, the temperature and humidity of an installation place, failure information, etc. with a sensor etc., and transmits to the centralized controller 10.
The centralized controller 10 stores the information received from the handset terminal 20 in the storage unit 14 so that the information can be browsed from the outside via the network connection unit 15.

  That is, by providing the network connection unit 15 in the centralized controller 10, the operator can remotely operate the centralized controller 10, view monitoring results such as temperature and humidity, operation information, energy saving information, and failure information via the LAN or the Internet. Analysis is possible.

In the above description of the first to seventh embodiments, it has been described that the communication method between the centralized controller 10 and the slave terminal 20 may be either wired communication or wireless communication.
Specific examples of wireless communication include ZigBee, wireless LAN, Bluetooth (registered trademark), and the like.
Specific examples of wired communication include Ethernet (registered trademark), UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter), PLC (Power Line Communication), and the like.
The same applies to the communication method between the slave terminal 20 and the air conditioner 40.

  If a communication method capable of relaying such as ZigBee is used, the slave terminal can operate as a node, so that information from other slave terminals can be transferred, and the central controller 10 and the slave terminal 20 The communication distance between them can be extended.

  In FIG. 4, it has been described that the slave terminal 20 is battery-driven. However, when a large amount of power is consumed using a wireless LAN or the like, an AC adapter or the like is provided to receive power supply from another location. It can be constituted as follows.

  Moreover, in the above description of the first to seventh embodiments, the example in which the air conditioner 40 is remotely controlled has been described, but the control target is not limited to the air conditioner. If the signal transmission / reception unit of the slave terminal 20 is adapted to the equipment to be controlled, any equipment can be remotely controlled.

  For example, home appliances such as a water heater, a refrigerator, a washing / drying machine, a pot, and a rice cooker can also be controlled. Furthermore, it is possible to control only the specified handset terminal 20, for example, to set a humidifier and an air conditioner as a set, or to make all the handset terminals 20 perform the same operation collectively. It is.

Also, if it is a simple device such as a kotatsu or hot carpet, the handset terminal 20 is provided with an outlet and a plug unit, connected in series to the outlet of the kotatsu and carpet, and using a communication method such as ZigBee or PLC, The power supply can be shut off by remote control of the centralized controller 10.
Such a series connection is advantageous from the viewpoint of manufacturing cost and the like because a communication unit between the slave terminal and the control target device is not necessary.

In the first to seventh embodiments, the control command signal table 14a stored in the centralized controller 10 and the signal conversion table 24a stored in the slave terminal 20 are updated by updating the data. The content can be updated.
Thereby, since a new control target device can be arbitrarily added, the width of the control target device is widened.

The data update may be executed by connecting a maintenance device directly to the centralized controller 10 or the slave terminal 20, or may be remotely updated via a network.
Alternatively, all the update data may be temporarily stored in the centralized controller 10 and the update data may be distributed from the centralized controller 10 to each slave terminal 20.

  In the first to seventh embodiments, the signal format conversion using the signal conversion table 24a has been described. However, the conversion may be performed by other conversion methods. For example, the signal format may be converted using a predetermined calculation rule.

1 is a configuration diagram of an equipment control system according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a centralized controller 10. FIG. The structure and data example of the control command signal table 14a are shown. 3 is a functional block diagram illustrating an internal configuration of a slave terminal 20. FIG. The structure of the signal conversion table 24a and an example of data are shown. The attachment of the handset terminal 20 will be described. The operation when the slave terminal 20 receives an unknown signal from the remote controller 30 will be described. The procedure for remotely controlling the air conditioner 40 using the signal pattern learned by the procedure described in FIG. 7 will be described. The attachment position of the subunit | mobile_unit terminal 20 is demonstrated. The attachment state of the subunit | mobile_unit terminal 20 is demonstrated. It is an external block diagram of the subunit | mobile_unit terminal 20 which concerns on form 6. FIG. FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram of a centralized controller 10 according to a seventh embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

  10 centralized controller, 11 MPU, 12 slave unit communication unit, 13 power source unit, 14 storage means, 14a control command signal table, 15 network connection unit, 20 slave unit terminal, 21 control unit, 22 master unit communication unit, 23 battery, 24 storage means, 24a signal conversion table, 25 infrared communication unit, 26 illuminance sensor, 27 adhesive unit, 28 display unit, 29a wireless setting button, 29b slave unit number setting unit, 30 remote control, 40 air conditioner, 41 infrared reception unit, 42 Operation indicator LED, 50 network.

Claims (9)

A centralized controller for controlling the operation of one or more equipment,
A main body terminal of the centralized controller;
A handset terminal that outputs an operation command signal to the equipment to be controlled;
With
The main body terminal is
A communication unit that communicates with the handset terminal;
The slave terminal is
A slave unit storage means for storing a conversion table for converting the signal transmitted by the communication unit into a signal used by the equipment to be controlled;
A sensor for detecting the external operation of the equipment to be controlled;
With
When receiving the control command signal transmitted by the communication unit,
By referring to the conversion table and converting the control command signal into a signal used by the equipment to be controlled, an operation command signal corresponding to the equipment is output,
A centralized controller that notifies the communication unit of an operation state of the equipment device based on a result of the sensor detecting an external operation of the equipment device based on the operation command signal. The slave terminal is
When receiving a signal sent by a remote control of equipment that is not controlled,
The signal data is stored in the slave storage means,
The centralized controller according to claim 1, wherein the same signal can be output by referring to the data thereafter. The main body terminal is
A master unit storing means for storing a control command signal and a detection result of the sensor;
The slave terminal is
When receiving a signal sent by a remote control of equipment that is not controlled,
Obtain the detection result of the sensor and send it to the communication unit,
The communication unit is
A control command signal corresponding to the detection result is stored in the parent device storage means,
3. The centralized controller according to claim 2, wherein after that, the control command signal corresponding to the detection result can be output by referring to the control command signal. The slave terminal is
By forming at least a part of the main body movable or separable,
The centralized controller according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the movable part or the separation part can be fixed in an arbitrary direction. The slave terminal is
An environmental sensor that detects the physical state of the installation environment of the slave terminal is provided,
The centralized controller according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the detection result is transmitted to the communication unit. The communication unit and the handset terminal communicate by wireless communication,
When setting communication parameters for wireless communication,
The communication unit is
Send communication parameters held by the main body terminal to the handset terminal,
The slave terminal is
The centralized controller according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the communication parameter is set based on the communication parameter transmitted by the communication unit. The main body terminal is
It has a network connection part that connects to the network and performs information communication.
The slave terminal is
Obtain information on the operating state of the equipment to be controlled and send it to the communication unit,
The communication unit is
Storing the information received from the slave terminal in the master storage means;
When a request to output the information is received via the network connection unit,
The centralized controller according to claim 3, wherein the information is output from the network connection unit. A centralized controller according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
Equipment to be controlled,
An equipment control system comprising:
The equipment is
A first receiving unit for receiving a signal transmitted by a remote controller included in the equipment,
The slave terminal is
A second receiver for receiving a signal transmitted by the remote controller;
When attaching the handset terminal to the equipment,
The second receiver is attached so as to cover a part of the first receiver,
The equipment control system, wherein the first receiver and the second receiver can simultaneously receive a signal transmitted from the remote controller. A centralized controller according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
Equipment to be controlled,
An equipment control system comprising:
The equipment is
A first receiving unit for receiving a signal transmitted by a remote controller included in the equipment,
The slave terminal is
A second receiver for receiving a signal transmitted by the remote controller;
The second receiver is
When the signal transmitted from the remote controller is received, the signal is copied and transferred to the first receiving unit.

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