JP2015049032A - Air conditioning system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air conditioning system providing an environment in which a user can operates an air conditioner through a communication network at ease.SOLUTION: In an air conditioning system, an air conditioner is set to an automatic OFF mode once a communication terminal device is operated to start an air conditioning operation of the air conditioner. On acquiring information representing that the air conditioner is set to the automatic OFF mode, the communication terminal device displays the information (101) at a display part (36).

Description

  The present invention relates to an air conditioning system that can be remotely operated via a communication network.

  In recent years, an air conditioning system has been developed that can remotely control an air conditioner (air conditioner) in a house via an external communication network even from outside the house (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In such a system, there is a system in which the air conditioner automatically stops air conditioning operations such as cooling and heating after a predetermined time.

JP 2002-345051 A (published on November 29, 2002) JP 2013-76493 A (published April 25, 2013)

  However, when the air conditioner is remotely operated from outside the house via an external communication network, the user has no way of knowing whether or not the air conditioner is in a state of automatically stopping as described above. Therefore, for example, if a communication error occurs, the air conditioner automatically stops, or until communication is restored, or someone goes to the house and does not go through an external communication network (for example, infrared or wireless) However, the user remains uneasy about whether the operation continues until the air-conditioning operation such as cooling or heating is stopped. That is, with the conventional system, the user's anxiety that remotely operates the air conditioner from outside the house cannot be resolved.

  Then, this invention is made in view of the said subject, and is providing the air-conditioning system which can provide the environment where a user can operate the air conditioner via a communication network in comfort.

  In order to solve the above problems, an air conditioning system according to an aspect of the present invention includes an air conditioner capable of indoor air conditioning operation, and a terminal device that operates the air conditioner via a communication network. In the air conditioning system provided, when an operation for starting the air conditioning operation of the air conditioner is performed from the terminal device, the air conditioner is operated after a predetermined time from when a predetermined condition is satisfied. A mode setting unit that sets the automatic OFF mode that stops, a state acquisition unit that acquires information indicating the state of the air conditioner, a display control unit that controls display on the display unit of the terminal device, When the state acquisition unit acquires information indicating that the air conditioner is in an automatic OFF mode, the display control unit automatically turns off the air conditioner. Information indicating that the state they were set to over de is characterized by displaying on the display unit.

  In the above configuration of the air conditioning system according to one aspect of the present invention, information indicating that the air conditioner is in the automatic OFF mode is displayed on the display unit of the terminal device. Therefore, the user can easily confirm this information from the display unit of the terminal device. Therefore, the air conditioning system can provide the user with an environment where the operation of the air conditioner via the communication network can be performed with peace of mind.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the air conditioning system which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of the communication terminal device contained in the said air conditioning system. It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of the household appliance adapter and air conditioner which are contained in the said air conditioning system. It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of the cloud server contained in the said air conditioning system. It is a figure which shows the image which remotely controls the air conditioner 10 using the communication terminal device in the said air conditioning system. It is a figure which shows an example of the information about the said air conditioner displayed on the display part of the said communication terminal device. (A)-(f) is a figure which shows the example of the information displayed on the display part of the said communication terminal device, when remote-controlling with respect to the said air conditioner from the said communication terminal device. It is a figure which shows the flow of a process at the time of performing remote operation with respect to the said air conditioner from the said communication terminal device. It is a figure which shows the flow of the process at the time of acquiring the state information of the said air conditioner. (A), (b) is a figure which shows an example of the information displayed on a display part at the time of communication error generation | occurrence | production. It is a figure which shows the flow about the display process at the time of communication error generation. It is a figure which shows the example of the mark matched with the value of the temperature and humidity which the environment detection part with which the said air conditioner is equipped detected.

Embodiment 1
Hereinafter, it will be as follows if one Embodiment of this invention is described based on FIGS.

(Configuration of air conditioning system)
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an air conditioning system 100 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, an air conditioning system 100 includes an air conditioner 10 to which a home appliance adapter 5 installed in a user's home (indoor) 50 is connected, and a cloud server (server device) 20 of the air conditioner 10. And communication terminal devices (terminal devices) 30-1, 30-2, 30-3. Although FIG. 1 illustrates the communication terminal devices 30-1, 30-2, and 30-3 and the three communication terminal devices, the number is not limited to this. When it is not necessary to explain them individually, they are collectively referred to as the communication terminal device 30.

  In the present embodiment, the combination of the communication terminal device 30 and the home appliance adapter 5 is registered in the cloud server 20 so that the air conditioner 10 to which the home appliance adapter 5 is connected can be remotely operated from the communication terminal device 30. To do.

  In the air conditioning system 100 shown in FIG. 1, three communication terminal devices 30 (30-1, 30-2, 30-3) and one home appliance adapter 5 are simply connected via the cloud server 20. The plurality of communication terminal devices 30 and the plurality of home appliance adapters 5 are connected via the cloud server 20. One communication terminal device 30 can remotely control a plurality of home appliance adapters 5 individually. That is, it is possible to remotely operate a plurality of devices each connected to a home appliance adapter from one communication terminal device 30. Moreover, the apparatus connected to one household appliance adapter 5 can be remotely operated now from several communication terminal device 30 ....

  The home 50 is provided with a wireless LAN, which is a narrow-area communication network, and the relay station 40 of the wireless LAN is connected to a wide-area communication network (communication network) 62 including the Internet. The relay station is a communication device such as a WiFi (registered trademark) router or a WiFi access point. In the present embodiment, IEEE802.11a, IEEE802.11b, IEEE802.11g, or IEEE802.11n, which is one of the wireless LAN standards, is used for wireless communication. Of course, it may be based on a wireless LAN standard other than IEEE 802.11.

  The cloud server 20 can communicate with the home appliance adapter 5 installed in the home 50 via the wide area communication network 62 and the wireless LAN relay station 40. The communication terminal device 30 is connected to the cloud server 20 via the wide area communication network 62. The communication terminal device 30 and the Internet in the wide area communication network 62 are connected using 3G (3rd Generation), LTE (Long Term Evolution), a home or public WiFi access point, and the like. The communication terminal device 30 can remotely operate the air conditioner 10 in which the combination with the home appliance adapter 5 is registered in the cloud server 20 via the cloud server 20.

  The home appliance adapter 5 and the communication terminal device 30 are both wireless communication devices, and can communicate with each other via the relay station 40 without using the wide area communication network 62.

  In addition, although the configuration including the Internet as the wide area communication network 62 is illustrated as a communication network connecting the cloud server 20 and the relay station 40, and the communication terminal device 30 and the cloud server 20, a telephone line network, a mobile communication network, CATV communication A network, a satellite communication network, etc. can also be used.

  The communication terminal device 30 can mention a smart phone and a tablet terminal as an example.

  The home appliance adapter 5 is an electronic device that transmits a command given from the communication terminal device 30 to the air conditioner 10 via the cloud server 20. The home appliance adapter 5 is a device other than the air conditioner 10, such as a refrigerator, a washing machine, a cooking utensil, a lighting device, a hot water supply device, a photographing device, various AV devices, various robots (for example, a cleaning robot, a housework support robot, Can be connected to an animal-type robot or the like, and can be remotely operated from the communication terminal device 30.

  The air conditioner 10 is an apparatus that performs an air conditioning operation, and examples thereof include an air conditioner, an air purifier, a humidifier, and a dehumidifier. The air conditioner 10 is configured to be remotely operable from the communication terminal device 30 by receiving a command from the communication terminal device 30 via the cloud server 20 and the home appliance adapter 5. The home appliance adapter 5 and the air conditioner 10 may be integrated.

  In the present embodiment, a smartphone is illustrated as the communication terminal device 30, and an air conditioner is illustrated as the air conditioner 10. That is, the configuration of remotely operating the air conditioner using a smartphone is illustrated.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an image of remotely operating the air conditioner 10 using the communication terminal device 30 in the air conditioning system 100. The communication terminal device 30 and the cloud server 20 are connected via a wide area communication network 62, and the cloud server 20 and the home appliance adapter 5 of the air conditioner 10 in the home 50 are connected to the wide area communication network 62 and a wireless LAN relay station. 40. The relay station 40 and the home appliance adapter 5 are connected by wireless communication.

(Communication terminal device)
As illustrated in FIG. 2, the communication terminal device 30 includes a control unit 31, a storage unit 35, a display unit 36, a communication unit 37, and an operation unit 38.

  The control unit 31 is a block that controls the operation of each unit of the communication terminal device 30. For example, the control unit 31 includes a computer device including an arithmetic processing unit such as a CPU or a dedicated processor, and performs various information and various controls stored in the storage unit 35 including a RAM, a ROM, an HDD, and the like. The operation of each part of the communication terminal device 30 is comprehensively controlled by reading out and executing the program for this purpose. The control unit 31 includes a display control unit 32 that controls the display unit 36 and a communication control unit 33 that controls the communication unit 37. Furthermore, the communication control unit 33 includes a state acquisition unit 34 that acquires (state acquisition) information (state information) indicating the state of the air conditioner 10.

  The communication unit 37 is a block that performs communication via the wide area communication network 62 and mutual communication between devices via the relay station 40 of the narrow area communication network.

  The display unit 36 is a block that displays various types of information to be presented to the user in response to an instruction from the display control unit 32 of the control unit 31. In this Embodiment, the state information of the air conditioner 10 which the state acquisition part 34 acquired is displayed so that it may illustrate in FIG.6 and FIG.7 (f). In particular, as will be described later, information indicating that the air conditioner is in a state set to the automatic OFF mode is displayed.

  The operation unit 38 is a block that receives an input from the user and transmits the input to the control unit 31. The storage unit 35 is a block that stores various types of information used in the communication terminal device 30.

(Home appliance adapter and air conditioner)
The home appliance adapter 5 is an electronic device that transmits a command for the air conditioner 10 received from the communication terminal device 30 via the cloud server 20 to the air conditioner 10. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the home appliance adapter 5 includes a control unit 6, a storage unit 7, a communication unit 8, and a connection unit 9. In the present embodiment, the air conditioner 10 is an air conditioner, but the illustration and description of the outdoor unit of the air conditioner are omitted.

  The control unit 6 is a block that comprehensively controls the operation of each unit of the home appliance adapter 5. The storage unit 7 is a block that stores various types of information used in the home appliance adapter 5. The communication unit 8 is a block that performs the same communication as the communication unit 37 of the communication terminal device 30. The communication unit 8 includes an error detection unit 8 a that detects a communication error with the cloud server 20. The connection unit 9 is a block that communicates with the connection unit 16 of the air conditioner 10. The connection unit 9 includes an error detection unit 9 a that detects a communication error with the air conditioner 10.

The air conditioner 10 is a device that performs an air conditioning operation, and includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 13, an operation operation unit 14, a power supply unit 15, a connection unit 16, and an environment detection unit 17, as shown in FIG.
The control unit 11 is a block that controls the operation of each unit of the air conditioner 10. For example, the control unit 11 includes a computer device including an arithmetic processing unit such as a CPU or a dedicated processor, and implements various information and various controls stored in the storage unit 13 including a RAM, a ROM, an HDD, and the like. The operation of each part of the air conditioner 10 is comprehensively controlled by reading out and executing the program for this purpose. In addition, the control unit 11 includes a mode setting unit 12 that sets various modes of the air conditioner 10. The storage unit 13 stores various information used in the air conditioner 10.

  The operation operation unit 14 is a block that executes various operation operations of the air conditioner 10 under the control of the control unit 11. An example of the driving operation is an air-conditioning operation. The air conditioning operation when the air conditioner 10 is an air conditioner as in the present embodiment includes a cooling operation, a heating operation, a dehumidifying operation, and an air blowing operation. If it is a model provided with an ion generator, there are a cooling operation, a heating operation, a dehumidifying operation, an ion generating operation used in combination with an air blowing operation, and a model having an air cleaning function, such as an air cleaning operation.

  In addition, as the air conditioning operation when the air conditioner 10 is an air purifier, in a model having an air cleaning operation and a humidifying function, in a model equipped with a humidifying combined air cleaning operation and an ion generator, There are cleaning operation, ion generation operation combined with humidification and air cleaning operation, and the like. In addition, as the air conditioning operation when the air conditioner 10 is a humidifier, there are a humidification operation, an ion generation operation used in combination with the humidification operation in a model equipped with an ion generator, and the like. In addition, as the air conditioning operation when the air conditioner 10 is a dehumidifier, there are a dehumidifying operation, an ion generating operation used in combination with the dehumidifying operation in a model equipped with an ion generator, and the like. In addition, these are illustrations and are not limited to these.

  The power supply unit 15 is a block that turns the power supply on and off based on instructions from the control unit 11. The connection unit 16 is a block that performs mutual communication with the connection unit 9 of the home appliance adapter 5. The connection between the connection unit 16 of the air conditioner 10 and the connection unit 9 of the home appliance adapter 5 may be, for example, a connection using a USB connector. The connection unit 16 includes an error detection unit 16 a that detects a communication error with the home appliance adapter 5.

  The environment detection unit 17 is a block that measures (detects) the temperature in the house 50 (room temperature) and the humidity in the house 50. The environment detection unit 17 includes a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor. Furthermore, you may be comprised so that the temperature (outside temperature) outside a house may be measured. The environment detection unit 17 may be configured to detect one of temperature and humidity. Moreover, the environment detection part 17 may be equipped with the structure which can detect about environmental conditions of the house 50 other than temperature and humidity.

  As mentioned above, in this Embodiment, it is the structure by which the household appliance adapter 5 which enables the remote control of the air conditioner 10 was attached externally. The cost of the air conditioner 10 can be reduced by making the communication function part that enables remote operation optional as an external configuration. Of course, the structure by which the communication function part is previously integrated in the air conditioner 10 (structure integrated with the air conditioner 10 and the household appliance adapter 5) may be sufficient.

  Furthermore, the air conditioner 10 can be operated not only remotely from the communication terminal device 30 but also by short-range communication using infrared rays using an IR remote controller. In this case, a communication unit (not shown) of the air conditioner 10 receives a command (control signal) from the IR remote controller, and various driving operations are executed under the control of the control unit 11. In this embodiment, the communication is performed using infrared rays. However, the communication may be performed using wireless or wired communication that can perform other short-range communication.

(Cloud server)
As illustrated in FIG. 4, the cloud server 20 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a communication unit 23. The control unit 21 is a block that controls the operation of each unit of the cloud server 20. The communication unit 23 is a block that performs mutual communication with the communication terminal device 30 and the home appliance adapter 5 via the wide area communication network 62. The storage unit 22 stores various information used in the cloud server 20. The storage unit 22 stores a database (DB) 22 a in which various information of the air conditioner 10 connected to the home appliance adapter 5 is stored. Moreover, the identification information of each household appliance adapter 5 and the identification information of each communication terminal device 30 are stored in association with each other. The communication unit 23 includes an error detection unit 23 a that detects a communication error with the home appliance adapter 5.

(Processing flow in remote operation)
Processing of each device when the air conditioner 10 is remotely operated from the communication terminal device 30 will be described.

  First, information (screen) displayed on the display unit 36 of the communication terminal device 30 when the communication terminal device 30 operates the air conditioner 10 will be described with reference to an example illustrated in FIG. (A) of FIG. 7 is an example of the apparatus selection screen which shows the information which selects the air conditioner 10 of remote operation object. In the present embodiment, since there is only one air conditioner 10 to be remotely operated from the communication terminal device 30, only one air conditioner is displayed in FIG. When there are a plurality (that is, a certain communication terminal device 30 and a plurality of devices are associated), all the associated devices are displayed on the device selection screen.

  When the air conditioner 10 is selected by pressing (tapping) the icon corresponding to the remote operation target device displayed on the device selection screen, the selected item is selected as shown in FIG. The operation screen of the air conditioner 10 is displayed. The operation screen is a screen for the user to set and transmit operation conditions for the air conditioner 10. An operation area 36b for setting operation conditions for the air conditioner 10 is set on the operation screen.

  When an operation condition is set on the operation screen by the user and the “send with this content” button 104 is pressed on the operation screen, a confirmation for obtaining the user confirmation as shown in the upper diagram of FIG. Display the screen. Further, when the “stop” button 105 for instructing the stop of the air conditioner 10 is pressed on the operation screen as shown in FIG. 7B, as shown in the lower diagram of FIG. Displays a confirmation screen for user confirmation.

  Then, when the “OK” button 106 in the confirmation screen as shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 7C is pressed, or “OK” in the confirmation screen as shown in the lower diagram of FIG. 7C. When the “” button 107 is pressed, the communication terminal device 30 transmits operation instruction information for the air conditioner 10 (hereinafter, abbreviated as an operation instruction) to the cloud server 20. During transmission of the operation instruction, the communication terminal device 30 displays information indicating that transmission is being performed on the display unit 36 as illustrated in FIG. 7D and does not accept the operation.

  Next, processing of each device after transmission of an operation instruction will be described with reference to FIG. First, the communication terminal device 30 receives an operation instruction from the user to the air conditioner 10 and transmits it to the cloud server 20 (step 1; hereinafter, omitted as S1). At this time, an identification number is also transmitted to identify which home appliance adapter 5 (or which air conditioner 10) is the operation instruction.

  When the cloud server 20 receives the operation instruction from the communication terminal device 30 (S2), the cloud server 20 transmits a reply to the communication terminal device 30 that is the transmission source (S3), and the home appliance adapter 5 (or air conditioner) to which the operation instruction is to be transmitted. Machine 10) is determined (S4), and an operation instruction is transmitted to the determined home appliance adapter 5 (S5).

  When the home appliance adapter 5 receives an operation instruction from the cloud server 20 (S6), it transmits a reply to the cloud server 20 of the transmission source (S7), and sends an operation instruction to the air conditioner 10 connected at the connection unit 9. Transmit (S8).

  When the air conditioner 10 receives the operation instruction from the home appliance adapter 5 (S9), the air conditioner 10 sets the own apparatus to execute the operation in response to the received operation instruction, and the operation (for example, operation start, operation stop, set temperature change, The operation mode is changed (S10). And it is determined whether it is the operation instruction received during driving (S11). If it is determined that the operation instruction is not received during operation in S11, this means that an operation instruction for starting the air-conditioning operation has been made from the communication terminal device 30.

  If the result of determination in S11 is an operation instruction received during driving (YES in S11), the process ends as it is, and if it is not an operation instruction received during driving (NO in S11), the state of the own machine is automatically set. Transition (change) to the OFF mode (S12), and the process ends. Here, the automatic OFF mode is predetermined when the error detection unit 16a detects a communication error with the home appliance adapter 5 or when the error detection unit 8a of the home appliance adapter detects a communication error with the cloud server 20. In this mode, the air-conditioning operation is stopped after a time (for example, after 24 hours).

  In addition, regarding the communication error between the communication terminal device 30 and the cloud server 20, it does not become a trigger of the measurement start of the predetermined time which stops an air conditioner. This is because the communication terminal device 30 often loses communication in a tunnel or a valley of a building, but it recovers quickly and the air conditioner 10 is controlled by the cloud server 20, so there is no problem in control. It is. Here, the stop of the air conditioning operation may be a state in which the power supply unit 15 of the air conditioner 10 is turned off, or a state in which the air conditioning operation is stopped while the power supply unit 15 is turned on. Also good.

  When receiving the reply transmitted from the cloud server 20 in S3 (S21), the communication terminal device 30 determines whether or not a communication error has occurred (S22). When it is determined that a communication error has occurred (YES in S22), information indicating a communication error with the cloud server 20 is displayed on the display unit 36 (S23). If no communication error has occurred (NO in S22), a timer is started (S24), and the process proceeds to the next process shown in FIG.

  When the cloud server 20 receives the reply transmitted from the home appliance adapter 5 in S6 (S31), the cloud server 20 determines whether or not a communication error has occurred (S32). If it is determined that a communication error has occurred (YES in S33), the process ends. If a communication error has not occurred (NO in S32), a timer is started (S33), it is determined whether a predetermined time has elapsed (S34), and when the predetermined time has elapsed (YES in S34), FIG. Proceed to the next process described in 9.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 9, the cloud server 20 transmits a state query, which is instruction information for acquiring state information indicating the state of the air conditioner 10, to the home appliance adapter 5 (S61).

  When the home appliance adapter 5 receives the state inquiry from the cloud server 20 (S62), the home appliance adapter 5 transmits the state inquiry to the air conditioner 10 connected by the connection unit 9 (S63).

  When the air conditioner 10 receives the state inquiry from the home appliance adapter 5 (S64), the air conditioner 10 acquires the state information indicating the internal state of the own device (S65), and the home appliance adapter 5 connecting it with the connection unit 16 (S66). The state information acquired in S65 includes at least information on whether or not the own device is in the automatic OFF mode.

  When the home appliance adapter 5 receives the state information from the air conditioner 10 (S67), it transmits it to the cloud server 20 (S68).

  When the cloud server 20 receives the state information from the home appliance adapter 5 (S69), it writes it in the DB 22a and updates it (S70).

  On the other hand, after starting the timer in S24, the communication terminal device 30 determines whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed (S41), and when the predetermined time has elapsed (YES in S41), instructs to transmit the status information. The counter that counts the number of transmitted state transmission requests is set to 0 (S42). Then, 1 is added to the counter (S43), and a status transmission request is transmitted to the cloud server 20 (S44). Here, the communication terminal device 30 displays information indicating that information is being acquired on the display unit 36 during transmission and reception of status information, and does not accept other operations.

  When the cloud server 20 receives the status transmission request from the communication terminal device 30 (S45), the cloud server 20 checks the DB 22a to see if it has been updated since the operation instruction transmission in S5 (S46), and transmits the result to the communication terminal device 30. (S47). This result is information indicating whether or not the state information has been updated. When the status information has not been updated, information indicating that the status information has not been updated is transmitted to the communication terminal device 30. If updated, the updated state information is transmitted to the communication terminal device 30.

  When receiving the result (S48), the communication terminal device 30 determines whether the status information is updated (S49). If it is determined that the status information is updated (YES in S49), the communication terminal The device 30 acquires the terminal time that is the current time in the device itself (S50), and displays a screen indicating that the setting is completed on the display unit 36, for example, as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7 (f), the status information and the terminal time are displayed on the display unit 36 (S51). Since the terminal time is the time when the display unit 36 is updated, it is displayed on the display unit 36 as the update time.

  (F) of FIG. 7 shows an example of the state display screen on which the state information of the air conditioner 10 is displayed. In this state display screen, a state display area 36a for displaying state information of the air conditioner 10 of the display unit 3 and an operation area 36b for setting operation conditions for the air conditioner 10 are set.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, the display control unit 32 displays information indicating that the air conditioner is in the automatic OFF mode in the state display area 36a of the display unit 3. In FIG. 7F, this information is indicated by “*” mark 101 as an example. The “*” mark 101 is displayed when the state information includes information indicating that the air conditioner 10 is in a state set to the automatic OFF mode. If it is not included, or if information indicating that the air conditioner 10 is not set to the automatic OFF mode is included, the “*” mark 101 is not displayed. Thus, by displaying the “*” mark 101, the user can easily understand that the air conditioner is in the state of being set to the automatic OFF mode. For example, even when a communication error occurs and the operation from the communication terminal device 30 can no longer be performed, if the air conditioner 10 is in the automatic OFF mode, the air conditioning operation stops after a predetermined time. By confirming the presence / absence of the “*” mark 101, the operation from the communication terminal apparatus 30 can be performed with confidence.

  Furthermore, the display control unit 32 includes information included in the received state information in the state display area 36a, such as an operation mode (for example, cooling, heating, air cleaning operation), temperature and humidity detected by the environment detection unit 17, and the like. Is displayed.

  When the “update” button 103 displayed in the operation area 36b shown on the status display screen is pressed, an update process for acquiring and displaying the status information of the air conditioner 10 is executed. Thus, the update process based on the instruction from the user such that the “update” button 103 is pressed, or the automatic update process described in the fifth embodiment is realized as follows. First, an information update request is transmitted from the communication terminal device 30 to the cloud server 20 without a user operation, and the cloud server 20 that has received the information update request acquires the state information of the air conditioner 10 and updates the DB 22a. The process (S61-S70) to perform is performed. On the other hand, after transmitting the information update request, the communication terminal device 30 performs processing from S41 after a predetermined time has elapsed, and acquires (receives) the latest state information of the air conditioner 10.

  If communication terminal device 30 determines in S49 that the state information has not been updated (NO in S49), communication terminal device 30 determines whether the counter has exceeded 10 (S52). If it exceeds 10 (YES in S52), it can be determined that a communication error has occurred, and the processing in this case will be described in Embodiments 2 and 3. If the counter does not exceed 10 (10 or less) (NO in S52), the process waits for a predetermined time (S53) and repeats from S43.

  In the present embodiment, the air conditioner 10 is set to the automatic OFF mode only when an operation for starting the air conditioner operation of the air conditioner 10 is performed from the communication terminal device 30. Therefore, the “*” mark 101 is displayed on the display unit 36 of the communication terminal device 30 only when an operation for starting the air conditioning operation of the air conditioner 10 from the communication terminal device 30 is performed. Therefore, when the air conditioning operation is started by the IR remote controller and the set temperature or the mode is changed by the communication terminal device 30, the “*” mark 101 is not displayed. Further, after the operation of starting the air conditioning operation from the communication terminal device 30, when the set temperature or the mode is changed with the IR remote controller, the setting of the automatic OFF mode is canceled and the “*” mark 101 disappears. It is. Thus, the operation from the IR remote controller at a short distance of the air conditioner 10 is prioritized over the operation from the communication terminal device 30.

  Moreover, the structure (for example, "*" mark) that the air conditioner 10 is in the state of the automatic OFF mode may be displayed on the display unit of the IR remote controller.

  In the above description, the automatic OFF mode has been described as a mode in which the air conditioning operation of the air conditioner 10 is turned off a predetermined time after the error detection unit 16a or the error detection unit 9a detects a communication error. However, a mode in which the air-conditioning operation is turned off after a predetermined time after satisfying a predetermined condition other than detection of a communication error may be used. The predetermined condition may be a condition that is satisfied in any configuration of the air conditioning system 100.

[Embodiment 2]
In the present embodiment, in the configuration of the air conditioning system 100 of the first embodiment, when a communication error occurs between the home appliance adapter 5 and the cloud server 20 or between the home appliance adapter 5 and the air conditioner 10 In addition, the display control unit 32 displays information indicating that a communication error has occurred on the display unit 36. Other than this, the configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment, and thus the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  In the present embodiment, the following processing is executed in addition to the processing in the first embodiment.

  When the counter exceeds 10 in the determination of S52 described above, a communication error has occurred between the home appliance adapter 5 and the cloud server 20, or between the home appliance adapter 5 and the air conditioner 10. In this case, the display control unit 32 causes the display unit 36 to display information indicating that a communication error has occurred. FIG. 10A shows an example of information indicating that a communication error to be displayed on the display unit 36 has occurred. (A) of FIG. 10 is an error display screen indicating that an error has occurred by characters.

  As described above, information indicating that a communication error has occurred between the home appliance adapter 5 and the cloud server 20 or between the home appliance adapter 5 and the air conditioner 10 is displayed on the display unit of the communication terminal device 30. 36, the user can easily confirm on the communication terminal device 30 that this communication error has occurred.

  When a communication error between the communication terminal device 30 and the cloud server 20 occurs, information indicating that a communication error has occurred is displayed on the display unit 36 of the communication terminal device 30 (FIG. 10). (See (a) of FIG. 7), the device selection screen (see (a) of FIG. 7) is displayed.

[Embodiment 3]
In the present embodiment, in the configuration of the air conditioning system 100 according to the first embodiment, a communication error occurs between the home appliance adapter 5 and the cloud server 20 or between the home appliance adapter 5 and the air conditioner 10. In this case, the latest status information remaining in the DB 22a is displayed. At the time of a communication error, the DB 22a of the cloud server 20 is not updated, but the state acquisition unit 34 acquires the latest state information indicating the state of the air conditioner 10 stored in the DB 22a, and the display control unit 32 Is displayed on the display unit 36. Other than this, the configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment, and thus the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  In the present embodiment, the following processing is executed in addition to the processing in the first embodiment.

  When the counter exceeds 10 in the determination of S52 described above, a communication error has occurred between the home appliance adapter 5 and the cloud server 20, or between the home appliance adapter 5 and the air conditioner 10. In this case, as shown in FIG. 11, the communication terminal apparatus 30 determines whether or not the automatic update process does not accept an instruction from the user (S71). If it is an automatic update process (YES in S71), it is determined that the screen is not updated (S73), and the display screen on the display unit 3 is not updated and the process is terminated. The automatic update process will be described in the fifth embodiment.

  If it is not the automatic update process (NO in S71), the communication terminal device 30 is instruction information for inquiring of the cloud server 20 whether or not the air conditioner 10 is in the automatic OFF mode. An "automatic OFF mode" status query is transmitted (S72). This is mainly performed by the state acquisition unit 34.

  When the cloud server 20 receives the “automatic OFF mode” status query from the communication terminal device 30 (S74), the cloud server 20 reads the latest information on whether or not the air conditioner 10 is set to the automatic OFF mode from the DB 22a. It acquires (S75) and transmits to the communication terminal device 30 (S76).

  And the communication terminal device 30 will acquire the terminal time which is the present time in an own apparatus, if the newest information whether the air conditioner 10 is set to the automatic OFF mode is received from the cloud server 20 (S77). Then, as shown in FIG. 10B, the status information and the terminal time are displayed on the display unit 36 (S79). Since the terminal time is the time when the display unit 36 is updated, it is displayed on the display unit 36 as the update time. Further, the display of the status display area 36a is displayed as "---" (S80). An example of the display unit 36 on which these displays are performed is shown in FIG.

  When the information indicating that the automatic OFF mode is set is acquired in S77, the “*” mark 101 is displayed in the status display area 36a as shown in FIG. When the information that the automatic OFF mode is not set is received, the “*” mark 101 is not displayed. Further, in (b) of FIG. 10, since the state of the air conditioner 10 is unknown (cannot be acquired), information (“*”) indicating that the automatic OFF mode is set in the state display area 36a. "---" is displayed except for the mark. At this time, when the “update button” 103 on the screen of FIG. 10B is pressed, the state information of the air conditioner 10 is acquired from the DB 22a of the cloud server 20 and the processing from S41 of FIG. 9 is executed. . On the other hand, the DB 22a of the cloud server 20 transmits in advance an information update request (with or without user operation) from the communication terminal device 30 to the cloud server 20, and receives the information update request. However, it is updated by performing the process (S61-S70) which updates DB22a. Note that an information update request may be transmitted from the communication terminal device 30 to the cloud server 20 by pressing the “update button” 103.

  When the “OK” button 108 shown on the screen of FIG. 10A described above is pressed, the state acquisition unit 34 determines whether the air conditioner 10 is set to the automatic OFF mode from the cloud server 20. Such information and the update time may be acquired, and the screen may be changed to the screen shown in FIG.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, even if a communication error occurs between the air conditioner 10 and the cloud server 20 or between the home appliance adapter 5 and the air conditioner 10, the cloud before the communication error occurs. The latest status information of the air conditioner 10 acquired and stored by the server 20 can be displayed on the display unit. Therefore, the user can confirm the latest state information of the air conditioner on the communication terminal device 30.

[Embodiment 4]
In the present embodiment, in the air conditioning system 100 configuration of the first embodiment, the home appliance adapter 5 is further connected to the cloud server 20 every predetermined time without eliminating a communication error that occurs with the cloud server 20. When the connection is repeated a predetermined number of times, the predetermined time is changed so as to become longer, and then reconnection is executed. Other than this, the configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment, and thus the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  In the present embodiment, the following processing is executed in addition to the processing in the first embodiment.

  In the home appliance adapter 5, the error detection unit 8 a of the communication unit 8 detects a communication error with the cloud server 20. If the connection from the communication unit 8 to the cloud server 20 is repeated a predetermined number of times without eliminating this communication error, the control unit 6 changes the predetermined time to be longer, and based on this, the communication unit 8 performs reconnection. For example, if communication every 15 minutes results in three errors, the next communication is performed every 60 minutes.

  In addition, when the air conditioner 10 repeats the connection for every predetermined time to the home appliance adapter 5 without eliminating the communication error that occurs between the home appliance adapter 5, the predetermined time is changed to be longer. Then, a configuration in which reconnection is executed may be used.

  Thus, when a communication error occurs, wasteful communication can be suppressed by increasing the interval until the next communication and reconnecting.

[Embodiment 5]
In the present embodiment, in the configuration of the air conditioning system 100 of the first embodiment, when there is no user operation on the communication terminal device 30 for a predetermined time, the state acquisition unit 34 acquires information indicating the state of the air conditioner 10. It is the structure to do. Other than this, the configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment, and thus the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  While the user is operating the air conditioner 10 from the communication terminal device 30, the state acquisition unit 34 automatically acquires the state or the display control unit 32 displays the updated information. If is set to the standby state, the user's operation may be postponed or canceled, and the operability is not good. In particular, since the operation to the air conditioner 10 is a remote operation, the time required for state acquisition is long, and the operability is further reduced.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, while the user is performing any operation on the communication terminal device 30, the acquisition of the state of the air conditioner 10 and the display of updated information are stopped. When the user does not operate the communication terminal device 30 for a predetermined time, the state acquisition unit 34 acquires information indicating the state of the air conditioner 10, the display control unit 32 controls the display unit 36, and the display unit 36 The various information about the air conditioner 10 displayed on is updated based on the information acquired by the state acquisition unit 34 (automatic update process). The automatic update process is realized as follows. First, the information update request is transmitted from the communication terminal device 30 to the cloud server 20, and the cloud server 20 that receives the information update request acquires the state information of the air conditioner 10 and updates the DB 22a (S61 to S61). S70) is performed. On the other hand, after transmitting the information update request, the communication terminal device 30 performs processing from S41 after a predetermined time has elapsed, and acquires (receives) the latest state information of the air conditioner 10.

  Thus, the state acquisition part 34 does not acquire the information which shows the state of the air conditioner 10, when there exists operation from the user to the communication terminal device 30. FIG. Therefore, during operation of the communication terminal device 30 by the user, it is possible to prevent the information on the display unit 36 from being updated without being intended by the user or becoming inoperable. Therefore, the operability of the communication terminal device 30 can be improved.

[Embodiment 6]
In the present embodiment, in the configuration of the air conditioning system 100 according to the first embodiment, the display control unit 32 displays information on whether or not the environment detection unit 17 is set in an environment monitoring mode in which it operates independently of the air-conditioning operation. The display unit 36 is configured to display. Other than this, the configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment, and thus the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  The environment monitoring mode is a mode in which the environment detection unit 17 detects temperature and humidity regardless of whether the air conditioner 10 is performing an air conditioning operation or stopped. When the environmental monitoring mode is set, the display control unit 32 displays information indicating that the environmental monitoring mode is set on the display unit 36, for example, the “Mihari” mark 101 as shown in FIG. 6. , Is displayed. Based on the presence or absence of such display, the user can confirm information on whether or not the environment monitoring mode is set in the communication terminal device 30.

  Further, the display control unit 32 may be configured to display information according to the detection result by the environment detection unit 17 on the display unit 36. The information corresponding to the detection result by the environment detection unit 17 may be information indicating the detected temperature and humidity values themselves, for example. Alternatively, the mark may be associated with the detected temperature and humidity values. Such a mark is illustrated in FIG.

  “Mihari” is a mark that is set in the environment monitoring mode, and the detection result by the environment detection unit 17 is associated with the room temperature being a predetermined temperature (for example, 26 ° C.) or less. “Mihari_automatic” is set to the environment monitoring mode, and the detection result by the environment detection unit 17 is the same as “Mihari”, but when the room temperature exceeds the predetermined temperature, the air conditioner Reference numeral 10 denotes a mark indicating that the air conditioning operation is automatically started. Note that the background of the marks “Mihari” and “Mihari_Auto” may be green, for example.

  “High-temperature attention” with a thin background is a mark associated with a case where the detection result by the environment detection unit 17 is a predetermined temperature (for example, 26 to 29 ° C.) set in the environment monitoring mode. is there. “High-temperature caution_automatic” with a thin background is set to the environment monitoring mode, and the detection result by the environment detection unit 17 is the same as “High-temperature caution” with a thin background, and the air conditioner 10 automatically performs air conditioning. This mark indicates that the vehicle is driving. Note that the background of the thin “under high temperature attention” and “high temperature attention_automatic” marks may be orange, for example.

  “High-temperature attention” with dark background is set in the environment monitoring mode, and the detection result by the environment detection unit 17 is a mark associated with the room temperature being a predetermined temperature (for example, 29 to 33 ° C.). is there. “High temperature attention_automatic” with dark background is set in the environment monitoring mode, and the detection result by the environment detection unit 17 is the same as “High temperature attention” with dark background, and the air conditioner 10 automatically adjusts the air conditioning. This mark indicates that the vehicle is driving. Note that the background of the dark “high temperature attention” and “high temperature attention_automatic” marks may be red, for example.

  The predetermined temperature may be changed according to environmental conditions such as humidity.

  “Dry attention” is a mark associated with a detection result by the environment detection unit 17 that is equal to or lower than a predetermined humidity (for example, 55%). The predetermined humidity may be changed according to environmental conditions such as room temperature. “Drying caution_automatic” is the same as the “drying caution” detected by the environment detection unit 17, and the air conditioner 10 is a humidified air purifier in the same room having a function capable of interlocking with the air conditioner 10. On the other hand, it is a mark indicating a mode for instructing a humidifying operation by infrared communication. Note that the background of the “Drying Caution” and “Drying Caution_Auto” marks may be red, for example.

  Note that the above-described classification based on the predetermined temperature and humidity and the above-described temperature and humidity values are merely examples.

  When the mark as described above is displayed on the communication terminal device 30, the user can pay attention to the home environment. The predetermined temperature and the predetermined humidity are set in advance, but may be changed by the user.

[Summary]
An air conditioning system according to aspect 1 of the present invention includes an air conditioner (10) capable of indoor air conditioning operation, and a terminal device (communication terminal device 30) that operates the air conditioner via a communication network. In the air conditioning system (100) provided, when an operation for starting the air conditioning operation of the air conditioner is performed from the terminal device, the air conditioner is operated after a predetermined time from when a predetermined condition is satisfied. A mode setting unit (11) for setting the automatic OFF mode in which the air conditioning operation is stopped, a state acquisition unit (34) for acquiring information indicating the state of the air conditioner, and a display unit (36) included in the terminal device And a display control unit (32) for controlling the display at (5), and when the state acquisition unit acquires information indicating that the air conditioner is in the automatic OFF mode, The display control unit, and displaying the information indicating that the state in which the air conditioner is set to the auto OFF mode on the display unit.

  According to the above configuration, information that the air conditioner is in the automatic OFF mode is displayed on the display unit of the terminal device. Therefore, the user can easily confirm this displayed information. For example, even when a communication error occurs and the operation from the terminal device cannot be performed, if the air conditioner is in the automatic OFF mode, the air conditioning operation stops after a predetermined time. By obtaining information, operations from the terminal device can be performed with peace of mind. Here, the information indicating that the air conditioner is in the state set to the automatic OFF mode may be, for example, a mark.

  As can be seen from the above, the air conditioning system can provide the user with an environment where the user can operate the air conditioner through the communication network with peace of mind.

  Moreover, the air conditioning system which concerns on aspect 2 of this invention is the air conditioning system which concerns on the said aspect 1, The said mode setting part is provided in the said air conditioner, The said air conditioner is set to the said automatic OFF mode. In the case where the predetermined condition is satisfied, the air conditioning operation of the own machine may be stopped after a predetermined time.

  According to the above configuration, since the air conditioner is provided with the mode setting unit, the air conditioner itself sets the automatic OFF mode, not the user setting. Therefore, the user can perform remote operation from the terminal device with more peace of mind.

  The air conditioning system according to aspect 3 of the present invention is the air conditioning system according to aspect 1 or 2, wherein the air conditioner and the terminal device include a server device (cloud server 20) connected to the communication network. When the communication error occurs between the air conditioner and the server device, the display control unit displays information indicating that the communication error has occurred in the display unit. May be displayed.

  According to the above configuration, since information indicating that a communication error has occurred between the air conditioner and the server device is displayed on the display unit of the terminal device, the user can connect between the air conditioner and the server device. It can be easily confirmed that a communication error has occurred.

  Moreover, the air conditioning system which concerns on aspect 4 of this invention is an air conditioning system which concerns on the said aspect 3, The error detection part which detects the communication error between the said air conditioner and the said server apparatus is provided, The said automatic OFF mode is A mode in which the air-conditioning operation is stopped after a predetermined time from the time when the error detection unit detects a communication error may be employed.

  According to the above configuration, when a communication error between the air conditioner and the server device is detected, the power is turned off after a predetermined time from the error detection. Even if a communication error occurs, the power of the air conditioner is turned off, so that the user can use the system with peace of mind.

  Moreover, the air conditioning system which concerns on aspect 5 of this invention is the air conditioning system which concerns on the said aspect 3 or 4, The said server apparatus stores the information which shows the state of the said air conditioner, The said air conditioner and the said When a communication error occurs with the server device, the state acquisition unit acquires the latest information indicating the state of the air conditioner stored in the server device, and the display control unit The latest information may be displayed on the display unit.

  According to the above configuration, even when a communication error occurs between the air conditioner and the server device, the latest information indicating the state of the air conditioner acquired and stored by the server device before the communication error occurs is displayed. Can be displayed. Therefore, the user can confirm the latest information regarding the state of the air conditioner on the terminal device.

  Moreover, the air conditioning system which concerns on aspect 6 of this invention is the air conditioning system which concerns on any one of the said aspects 3-5, The communication error which generate | occur | produced between the said air conditioners and the said server apparatus is eliminated. Without repeating the connection to the server device every predetermined time a predetermined number of times, the predetermined time may be changed to be longer and then reconnection may be executed.

  According to the above configuration, if the connection to the server device is repeated a predetermined number of times without resolving the communication error, the predetermined time is changed so that the predetermined time becomes longer, and then the reconnection is executed. Can be suppressed.

  Moreover, the air conditioning system which concerns on aspect 7 of this invention is the air conditioning system which concerns on any one of the said aspect 1-6, The said state acquisition part is the said air, when there is no user operation to the said terminal device for predetermined time. You may acquire the information which shows the state of a harmony machine.

  According to the said structure, if there exists operation from the user to a terminal device, the information which shows the state of an air conditioner will not be acquired. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the information on the display unit from being updated unintentionally or becoming inoperable during the operation of the terminal device by the user. Therefore, operability can be improved.

  Moreover, the air conditioning system which concerns on aspect 8 of this invention is equipped with the environment detection part (17) which detects at least one of the said indoor temperature or humidity in the air conditioning system which concerns on any one of the said aspects 1-7, The display control unit includes information on whether or not the environment detection unit is set in an environment monitoring mode that operates independently of the air conditioning operation, or information according to a detection result by the environment detection unit, You may display on a display part.

  According to the above configuration, information on whether or not the environment detection unit is set to the environment monitoring mode that operates independently of the air conditioning operation, or information according to the detection result of at least one of temperature and humidity by the environment detection unit Is displayed. Therefore, the user can confirm the information displayed on the terminal device.

  In addition, the terminal device or the air conditioner according to each aspect of the present invention may be realized by a computer. In this case, the terminal device is operated by operating the computer as each hand unit included in the terminal device or the air conditioner. Alternatively, a terminal device or an air conditioner control program for realizing the air conditioner by a computer and a computer-readable recording medium on which the terminal device is recorded fall within the scope of the present invention.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made. The embodiments of the present invention can also be obtained by appropriately combining technical means disclosed in different embodiments. Included in the range. Furthermore, a new technical feature can be formed by combining the technical means disclosed in each embodiment.

  The present invention can be used, for example, in an air conditioning system that remotely operates an air conditioner from a terminal device of a smartphone or a tablet terminal.

5 Home appliance adapter 9 Connection unit 9a Error detection unit 10 Air conditioner 11 Control unit 12 Mode setting unit 14 Operation operation unit 16 Connection unit 17 Environment detection unit 20 Cloud server (server device)
22 storage unit 22a database 23 communication unit 23a error detection unit 30, 30-1, 30-2, 30-3 communication terminal device (terminal device)
32 Display control unit 34 Status acquisition unit 36 Display unit 37 Communication unit 38 Operation unit 40 Relay station 50 Home 62 Wide area communication network (communication network)
100 Air conditioning system

Claims (8)

In an air conditioning system including an air conditioner capable of indoor air conditioning operation and a terminal device that operates the air conditioner via a communication network,
When the terminal device is operated to start the air conditioning operation of the air conditioner, the air conditioner is automatically turned off so that the air conditioning operation is stopped after a predetermined time from when a predetermined condition is satisfied. A mode setting section for setting the mode;
A state acquisition unit for acquiring information indicating the state of the air conditioner;
A display control unit that controls display on the display unit of the terminal device,
When the state acquisition unit acquires information indicating that the air conditioner is set in the automatic OFF mode, the display control unit is in a state where the air conditioner is set in the automatic OFF mode. The air-conditioning system characterized by displaying the information which shows on the said display part. The mode setting unit is provided in the air conditioner,
2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein when the air conditioner is set to the automatic OFF mode, the air conditioner of the own machine is stopped after a predetermined time from the time when the predetermined condition is satisfied. Air conditioning system. The air conditioner and the terminal device communicate via a server device connected to the communication network,
When a communication error occurs between the air conditioner and the server device, the display control unit displays information indicating that the communication error has occurred on the display unit. The air conditioning system according to claim 1 or 2. An error detection unit for detecting a communication error between the air conditioner and the server device;
The air conditioning system according to claim 3, wherein the automatic OFF mode is a mode in which the air conditioning operation is stopped after a predetermined time from the time when the error detection unit detects a communication error. The server device stores information indicating the state of the air conditioner,
When a communication error occurs between the air conditioner and the server device, the state acquisition unit acquires the latest information indicating the state of the air conditioner stored in the server device, The air conditioning system according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the display control unit displays the latest information on the display unit.   The air conditioner changes the predetermined time to be longer when the connection to the server device is repeated a predetermined number of times without eliminating a communication error occurring with the server device. The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein reconnection is executed from the start.   The air conditioning according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the state acquisition unit acquires information indicating a state of the air conditioner when there is no user operation on the terminal device for a predetermined time. system. An environment detection unit that detects at least one of the indoor temperature and humidity,
The display control unit includes information on whether or not the environment detection unit is set in an environment monitoring mode that operates independently of the air conditioning operation, or information according to a detection result by the environment detection unit, It displays on a display part, The air conditioning system of any one of Claim 1 to 7 characterized by the above-mentioned.

Images