JP2020036242A - Hot-water supply system, hot-water supply device, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a hot-water supply system, a hot-water supply device, and a program for allowing an operator of a portable terminal device to easily recognize a change of a state of a person in a house where a hot-water supply device is installed.SOLUTION: A hot-water supply system 1 remotely monitors a hot-water supply device 10 with the use of a portable terminal device 30. The hot-water supply system 1 includes: a display section 301 arranged in the portable terminal device 30; and a control section 303 for allowing a display section 301 to perform notification when the hot-water supply device 10 does not perform a predetermined operation in a predetermined period. A predetermined operation may include at least one behavior between a hot-water supply behavior and a behavior related to a use of a bath.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a hot water supply system that remotely controls a hot water supply device that can be connected to an external communication network using a portable terminal device, a hot water supply device that can configure the hot water supply system, and a mobile terminal device that can communicate with the hot water supply system. Related to a program to execute.

  In recent years, hot water supply systems that can remotely monitor a hot water supply device having a bath function, a floor heating function, and the like using a portable terminal device such as a mobile phone have been studied. According to this hot water supply system, for example, the setting state of the hot water supply device (hot water supply temperature, bath temperature, etc.) and usage status (use of hot water, use of bath, etc.) are monitored, and information relating to these is transmitted to the portable terminal device. You. The operator of the mobile terminal device activates an application program of the hot water supply system installed in the mobile terminal device, and causes the display unit to display the transmitted information. As a result, the operator of the portable terminal device living away from the house of family, relatives, etc., monitors the use of the hot water supply device placed in the house to check whether the state of the family, relatives, etc. has changed. You can watch.

  Here, as a technology related to remote monitoring, a technology in which a gas usage amount measured by a gas meter is transmitted to a server and a notification is issued from the server to a user's portable terminal to suppress gas usage is described in Patent Document 1 below. Has been described.

Japanese Patent No. 6134458

  In the above-described hot water supply system, the operator of the portable terminal device must check the usage status of the hot water supply device by performing an operation on the portable terminal device such as activating an application program each time. For this reason, the operator tends to be troubled and forget to monitor. In this case, the operator may not be able to notice a change in the state of the person in the house where the hot water supply device is placed, such as a family member or a relative.

  In view of such a problem, an object of the present invention is to provide a hot water supply system, a hot water supply device, and a program that can easily make the operator of a portable terminal device aware of a change in the state of a person in a house where the hot water supply device is placed. I do.

  A first aspect of the present invention relates to a hot water supply system for remotely monitoring a hot water supply device with a portable terminal device. The hot water supply system according to this aspect includes a notification unit provided in the portable terminal device, and a control unit that causes the notification unit to perform notification when the hot water supply device does not perform a predetermined operation during a predetermined period. Prepare.

  The predetermined operation may include at least one of a hot water supply operation and an operation related to use of a bath. Here, the “operation relating to the use of the bath” may include, for example, an operation of pouring hot water in the bathtub, an operation of reheating the hot water in the bathtub, an operation of adding hot water in the bathtub, and the like.

  According to the above configuration, when the hot water supply device does not perform the predetermined operation during the predetermined time period, the notification is performed to the mobile terminal device, so that the operator of the mobile terminal device can operate the home in which the hot water supply device is placed. It is possible to notice changes in the state of a person (family, relatives), and to take appropriate measures such as contacting the person.

  In the hot water supply system according to this aspect, a configuration may be adopted in which an input unit provided in the portable terminal device is further provided. In this case, the control unit receives an input for setting at least one of the predetermined period and the predetermined operation performed by the input unit.

  According to the above configuration, the operator can determine the predetermined period and the predetermined operation according to the situation (life habits, etc.) of the person in the house that he / she wants to watch.

  A second aspect of the present invention relates to a hot water supply device. The hot water supply apparatus according to this aspect includes a communication unit, and the control unit of the hot water supply system according to the first aspect is configured to determine whether the hot water supply apparatus has performed the predetermined operation during the predetermined period. The information is output from the communication unit.

  According to the above configuration, similarly to the first aspect, the operator of the portable terminal device can notice a change in the state of the person (family, relative) in the house where the hot water supply device is placed, and contact the person. It becomes possible to take appropriate measures such as taking

  A third aspect of the present invention relates to a program. The program according to this aspect is configured to notify the computer of the portable terminal device including the notifying unit, when the hot water supply device remotely monitored by the portable terminal device does not perform a predetermined operation during a predetermined period, to the notifying unit. Function to be executed.

  According to the above configuration, similarly to the first aspect, the operator of the portable terminal device can notice a change in the state of the person (family, relative) in the house where the hot water supply device is placed, and contact the person It becomes possible to take appropriate measures such as taking

  In the program according to the present aspect, a configuration is employed that further includes a function of receiving an input for setting at least one of the predetermined period and the predetermined operation performed by the input unit of the mobile terminal device. .

  According to the above configuration, similarly to the first aspect, the operator can determine the predetermined period and the predetermined operation in accordance with the situation (life habits and the like) of the person in the house to watch.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a hot water supply system, a hot water supply device, and a program that can easily make the operator of the portable terminal device aware of a change in the state of a person in the house where the hot water supply device is placed.

  The effects and significance of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of the embodiments. However, the embodiment described below is merely an example when embodying the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to what is described in the following embodiment.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a hot water supply system according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a circuit block of each device constituting the hot water supply system according to the embodiment. FIGS. 3A and 3B are flowcharts respectively showing processing in the kitchen remote controller and the portable terminal device for pairing the hot water supply device and the portable terminal device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4A is a diagram illustrating a configuration of pairing information between a water heater and a mobile terminal device managed in the mobile terminal device according to the embodiment. FIGS. 4B and 4C are diagrams illustrating screens displayed on the mobile terminal device when performing remote control using the mobile terminal device according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a first remote monitoring screen according to the embodiment. FIG. 6A is a diagram illustrating a second remote monitoring screen according to the embodiment, and FIG. 6B is a diagram illustrating a remote operation screen according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a setting process according to the embodiment. FIG. 8A is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a target setting screen according to the embodiment, and FIGS. 8B and 8C are diagrams illustrating a configuration of a period setting screen according to the embodiment. FIG. 9A is a flowchart illustrating a monitoring / notification process performed when the use of hot water is selected according to the embodiment, and FIG. 9B is a flowchart illustrating the use of a bath according to the embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the monitoring and alerting | reporting process performed when is selected. FIG. 10A is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a notification window according to the embodiment when no hot water is used, and FIG. 10A is a diagram according to the embodiment when the bath is not used. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a window.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a hot water supply system 1 according to the embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the hot water supply system 1 includes a hot water supply device 10, a router 20, a portable terminal device 30, an external communication network 40, and a server 50.

  The water heater 10 includes a water heater 11 and remote controllers 12 and 13. The water heater 11 is a gas water heater that supplies hot water using gas as fuel. The hot water generated by the water heater 11 is supplied to a kitchen faucet, a bathtub, a currant, and the like via pipes connected to the hot water supply port 11a. When the water heater 11 has a floor heating function, a bathroom heating function, and a heating function using a panel heater, hot water is supplied from the water heater 11 to devices that realize these functions.

  The hot water supply device 10 has a hot water supply function of supplying hot water to a curan or the like, a hot water filling function of supplying hot water to a bathtub, a heat retaining function of keeping the hot water after the hot water is filled in the bathtub, and a pursuit of hot water in the bathtub. It has a reheating function for heating and a function for adding hot water in the bathtub. The hot water filling function and the subsequent heat retention function are combined to make the bath automatic function. In the warming function and the reheating function, hot water circulates between the bathtub and the water heater 11 and the hot water in circulation is heated, so that the hot water becomes hot. No new hot water is used for the heat retention and reheating functions.

  The remote controllers 12 and 13 are connected to the water heater 11 and used to make various settings for each function of the water heater 10. The remote controllers 12 and 13 include display units 121 and 131 and input units 122 and 132, respectively. By operating the input units 122 and 132 in accordance with the screens displayed on the display units 121 and 131, the operator can perform arbitrary settings for hot water filling, hot water supply temperature adjustment, and the like. The remote controller 12 is installed in a bathroom, and the remote controller 13 is installed in a kitchen or the like.

  Hereinafter, the remote controller 12 installed in the bathroom is referred to as a “bathroom remote controller 12”, and the remote controller 13 installed in a kitchen or the like is referred to as a “kitchen remote controller 13”.

  The router 20 is a wireless router for connecting each device existing in the building (here, the home H10) to the server 50 via the external communication network 40. A unique BSSID (Basic Service Set Identifier) is assigned to the router 20 as an identifier individually assigned to each router.

  Kitchen remote controller 13 is connected to router 20 by wireless communication. When the mobile terminal device 30 is located in the home H10, the mobile terminal device 30 is connected to the router 20 by wireless communication and can communicate with the server 50. The mobile terminal device 30 is, for example, a mobile phone. In addition, the portable terminal device 30 may be another portable terminal device such as a portable tablet terminal. The external communication network 40 is, for example, the Internet.

  A server 50 for managing remote control (remote operation and remote monitoring) of the water heater 10 is connected to the external communication network 40. The kitchen remote controller 13 communicates with the server 50 via the router 20 and the external communication network 40. When the mobile terminal device 30 exists in the home H10, the mobile terminal device 30 communicates with the server 50 via the router 20 and the external communication network 40. When the mobile terminal device 30 is outside the house, the mobile terminal device 30 is connected to the external communication network 40 via the router 60 or the base station 70 installed outside and communicates with the server 50.

  The application program of the hot water supply system 1 is downloaded from the server 50 and installed in the kitchen remote controller 13 and the portable terminal device 30. This application program includes address information (IP address) for accessing the server 50. The kitchen remote controller 13 and the mobile terminal device 30 access the server 50 and perform communication based on the address information. The address information of the kitchen remote controller 13 is transmitted to the server 50 and held at the time of initial setting. Further, the address information of the portable terminal device 30 is passed from the portable terminal device 30 to the kitchen remote controller 13 at the time of a pairing process described later, transmitted from the kitchen remote controller 13 to the server 50, and held.

  In this embodiment, MAC (Media) held in a wireless communication unit 136 of the kitchen remote controller 13 and a wireless communication unit 305 (see FIG. 2) of the kitchen remote controller 13 described later as address information of the kitchen remote controller 13 and the mobile terminal device 30. Access Control) address is used. Global IP addresses of the wireless communication unit 136 of the kitchen remote controller 13 and the wireless communication unit 305 of the mobile terminal device 30 may be used as the address information of the kitchen remote controller 13 and the mobile terminal device 30.

  In the configuration of FIG. 1, the operator can perform remote control (remote operation and remote monitoring) on hot water supply device 10 using portable terminal device 30 both inside the house H10 and outside the house. As described below, in the present embodiment, the water heater 10 to be remotely controlled is associated in advance with each portable terminal device 30. In addition, the type of remote control, that is, both or one of remote control and remote monitoring is preset for hot water supply device 10 to be remotely controlled. In the present embodiment, these associations and types of remote control are managed by the server 50 for each portable terminal device 30.

  Regardless of whether the mobile terminal device 30 is inside the home H10 or outside the home, the setting request input to the mobile terminal device 30 by the operator is once transmitted to the server 50 via the external communication network 40. In response, server 50 transmits the received setting request to hot water supply device 10 associated in advance with portable terminal device 30 that has received the setting request. Thereby, the setting request is transmitted to kitchen remote controller 13 of corresponding hot water supply device 10 via external communication network 40 and router 20. Thus, the setting of the content requested by the operator is applied to the water heater 10.

  In addition, the state information of the hot water supply device 10 is transmitted from the kitchen remote controller 13 to the server 50 via the router 20 as needed at predetermined intervals. Server 50 manages the received state information for each water heater 10. The browsing request for remote monitoring input from the operator to the mobile terminal device 30 is transmitted to the server 50 via the external communication network 40 once. In response to this, the server 50 transmits the status information of the hot water supply device 10 specified by the browse request to the portable terminal device 30 among the water heaters 10 that are associated in advance with the mobile terminal device 30 that has received the browse request. Send to Thereby, the state of hot water supply device 10 is output in portable terminal device 30. Thus, the operator can check the state of hot water supply device 10 both inside the house and outside the house.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a circuit block of each device constituting the hot water supply system 1.

  Water heater 11 includes a control unit 111, a storage unit 112, a communication unit 113, a water level sensor 114, and a flow rate sensor 115. The control unit 111 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and controls each unit in the water heater 11 according to a program stored in the storage unit 112. The storage unit 112 includes a memory and stores a predetermined control program. The communication unit 113 communicates with the bathroom remote controller 12 and the kitchen remote controller 13 under the control of the control unit 111.

  Water level sensor 114 detects the water level of the bathtub to which hot water supply device 10 is connected. The water level sensor 114 detects the water level in the bathtub based on, for example, the water pressure in a pipe connected to the bathtub. The control unit 111 detects that a person takes a bath or leaves the bathtub based on a change in the water level detected by the water level sensor 114. The flow rate sensor 115 detects a flow rate of hot water flowing through a pipe connected to the hot water supply port 11a. The control unit 111 can determine the amount of hot water used based on the time during which the hot water is supplied to the bathtub, the curan, and the like, and the flow rate detected by the flow rate sensor 115.

  The bathroom remote controller 12 includes a control unit 123, a storage unit 124, a communication unit 125, and an entry sensor 126 in addition to the display unit 121 and the input unit 122 described above. The display unit 121 is configured by, for example, a liquid crystal panel. The input unit 122 includes various operation buttons such as a temperature setting button. The display unit 121 may be a touch panel. The control unit 123 includes a CPU, and performs predetermined control according to a program stored in the storage unit 124. The storage unit 124 includes a memory and stores a predetermined control program. The communication unit 125 communicates with the water heater 11 according to the control from the control unit 123. The entry sensor 126 detects a person entering or exiting the bathroom. The entry sensor 126 is, for example, a human sensor using infrared rays. Control unit 123 detects that a person has entered the bathroom based on the output of entry sensor 126.

  The kitchen remote controller 13 includes a control unit 133, a storage unit 134, and a communication unit 135, in addition to the display unit 131 and the input unit 132 described above. The display unit 131 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal panel. The input unit 132 includes various operation buttons. The display unit 131 may be a touch panel. The control unit 133 includes a CPU, and performs predetermined control according to a program stored in the storage unit 134. The storage unit 134 includes a memory and stores a predetermined control program. Communication unit 135 communicates with water heater 11 in accordance with the control from control unit 133.

  Further, the kitchen remote controller 13 includes a wireless communication unit 136. Here, the wireless communication unit 136 is a wireless communication module capable of performing wireless communication with the router 20. An IP address for specifying a device on a LAN (Local Area Network) set in the home H10 is allocated to the wireless communication unit 136 (wireless communication module). In addition, the kitchen remote controller 13 includes a speaker for outputting sound.

  The mobile terminal device 30 includes a display unit 301, an input unit 302, a control unit 303, a storage unit 304, and a wireless communication unit 305. The display unit 301 is configured by, for example, a liquid crystal panel. The input unit 132 includes various operation buttons and a touch panel stacked on the display unit 301.

  The control unit 303 includes a CPU, and performs a predetermined control according to a program stored in the storage unit 304. The storage unit 304 includes a memory and stores a predetermined control program. The wireless communication unit 305 communicates with the router 20 under the control of the control unit 303. The wireless communication unit 305 is a wireless communication module capable of performing wireless communication with the router 20. The wireless communication unit 305 is also assigned an IP address. In addition, the portable terminal device 30 includes a speaker for outputting sound.

  The server 50 includes a control unit 501, a storage unit 502, and a communication unit 503. The control unit 501 includes a CPU and performs predetermined control according to a program stored in the storage unit 502. The storage unit 502 includes a memory and a hard disk, and stores a predetermined control program and a database. The communication unit 503 performs predetermined control according to the control from the control unit 501.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the portable terminal device 30 that can remotely control and remotely monitor the hot water supply device 10 is registered in the server 50 in advance in association with the hot water supply device 10. That is, hot water supply device 10 and mobile terminal device 30 are paired in advance, and information indicating the pairing is managed in server 50.

  In the present embodiment, this pairing is performed via the router 20 in the building where the water heater 10 is installed. That is, the holder of the mobile terminal device 30 cannot, in principle, pair the own mobile terminal device 30 with the water heater 10 unless the user owns the mobile terminal device 30 and enters the building where the water heater 10 is installed. . Thereby, it is possible to prevent the portable terminal device 30 and the water heater 10 from being unduly paired by a malicious third party. Therefore, the risk of improper remote control and remote monitoring can be eliminated.

  FIGS. 3A and 3B are flowcharts showing processes in the kitchen remote controller 13 and the portable terminal device 30 for pairing the hot water supply device 10 and the portable terminal device 30, respectively.

  The operator starts the application program of the hot water supply system 1 installed in the mobile terminal device 30 in the home H10, and sets the mobile terminal device 30 to the pairing mode. After that, the operator performs an operation for pairing on the input unit 132 of the kitchen remote controller 13.

  When the pairing operation is performed on the kitchen remote controller 13 (S11: YES), the control unit 133 of the kitchen remote controller 13 broadcasts an announcement for pairing by broadcast (S12). When the mobile terminal device 30 is located in the home H10, the announcement is received by the mobile terminal device 30.

  Upon receiving this announcement (S21: YES), control unit 303 of portable terminal device 30 causes display unit 301 to display a reception screen for receiving an operation requesting pairing (S22). The operator performs a request operation on this reception screen. Thereby, control section 303 transmits a pairing request to kitchen remote controller 13 (S23). The pairing request includes the ID information and the address information (MAC address) of the mobile terminal device 30. UUID (Universally Unique Identifier), GUID (Globally Unique Identifier) and the like are used as ID information.

  When receiving a pairing request from portable terminal device 30 within a predetermined time from the transmission of the announcement (S13: YES), control unit 133 of kitchen remote controller 13 transmits a pairing response to portable terminal device 30 (S14). Then, the pairing result is transmitted to the server 50 (S15), and the process ends. The pairing result includes the ID information (UUID, GUID, etc.) of the water heater 10 (here, the kitchen remote controller 13) together with the ID information and address information of the portable terminal device 30 included in the pairing request. On the other hand, when the pairing request is not received within the predetermined time (S13: NO), the control unit 133 ends the process without transmitting the pairing result. The control unit 303 of the portable terminal device 30 receives the pairing response from the kitchen remote controller 13 (S24: YES), and ends the process.

  Next, the flow of remote control performed between hot water supply device 10 and the mobile terminal device 30 that have been paired will be described.

  FIG. 4A is a diagram illustrating a configuration of pairing information between the hot water supply device 10 and the mobile terminal device 30 managed in the mobile terminal device 30.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, the portable terminal device 30 manages ID information of the paired hot water supply device 10 (here, ID information of the kitchen remote controller 13). Each hot water supply device 10 is associated with a name set by an operator. The name is set, for example, after a pairing request operation is performed on the reception screen, and then a name setting screen is displayed. The operator can give each hot water supply device 10 a name that is easy for the operator to understand. The registration of the pairing information in the mobile terminal device 30 is performed after receiving the pairing response from the kitchen remote controller 13. The pairing information is stored in the storage unit 304 of the mobile terminal device 30.

  FIGS. 4B and 4C are diagrams showing screens displayed on the mobile terminal device 30 when remote control is performed using the mobile terminal device 30. FIG.

  When the operator performs a predetermined operation after activating the application program for hot water supply system 1 on his or her mobile terminal device 30, selection screen 510 in FIG. 4B is displayed. The selection screen 510 includes a message 511, a selection key group 512, and a confirmation button 513. The message 511 is a sentence that prompts the user to select a target for remote control.

  The selection key group 512 includes selection keys 512a indicating selection candidates arranged vertically. The selection candidate is defined by the name of the pair link information shown in FIG. Each selection key 512a is given the name of the pair link information shown in FIG. The selection key 512a can be scrolled by touching the position of the selection key group 512 with a finger and sliding the finger up and down. The operator touches the selection key 512a of the name given to the hot water supply device 10 to be remotely controlled, and selects the target of the remote control. The selected selection key 512a is highlighted. When the selection target is incorrect, the operator touches the selection key 512a again. This cancels the selection.

  After selecting the target in this way, the operator touches the confirmation button 513. As a result, a selection screen 520 shown in FIG. 4C is displayed. Using this selection screen 520, the operator performs an operation for selecting the type of remote control.

  The selection screen 520 includes a message 521, selection buttons 522, 523, 524, a confirm button 525, and a return button 526. The message 521 is a text that prompts the user to select the type of remote control. The selection buttons 522, 523, and 524 are operation units for selecting remote operation and two types of remote monitoring as types of remote control. The confirm button 525 is an operation unit for confirming the selection process. The confirm button 525 can be operated when any one of the selection buttons 522, 523, and 524 is selected. The return button 526 is an operation unit for returning the screen to the selection screen 510.

  The operator touches one of the selection buttons 522, 523, and 524 corresponding to the type of remote control that the operator intends to perform, and selects the type of remote control. The selected selection button is highlighted. If the selection is incorrect, the operator touches the selection button again. This cancels the selection. When returning the screen, the operator touches the return button 526.

  When the operator touches the enter button 525 after selecting one of the selection buttons 522, 523, and 524, a screen for remote control according to the selection of the selection buttons 522, 523, and 524 is displayed on the mobile terminal device 30. Is displayed on the display unit 301. That is, when the selection button 522 is selected, a remote operation screen 800 for remote operation is displayed. When the selection buttons 523 and 524 are selected, the first remote monitoring screen 600 for remote monitoring or the second remote monitoring screen 600 is displayed. The monitoring screen 700 is displayed.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the first remote monitoring screen 600. FIG. 6A is a diagram illustrating a second remote monitoring screen 700, and FIG. 6B is a diagram illustrating a remote operation screen 800.

  The first remote monitoring screen 600 is a screen on which the use history (use amount) of hot water and the use history of a bath can be monitored. Referring to FIG. 5, first remote monitoring screen 600 is divided into two areas 610 and 620. The area 610 includes a name display section 611. The name display section 611 displays the name of the water heater 10 to which the remote monitoring is applied. The name included in the pairing information in FIG. 4A is used for the display of the name display unit 611.

  Area 620 includes a date display section 621 and a hot water / bath use history display section 622. In the date display unit 621, a date display 621a is displayed at the center, and a date return display 621b and a date forward display 621c are displayed on both left and right sides. When the date return display 621b is touched, the date is returned to the previous day, and when the date advance display 621c is touched, the date is transmitted to the next day.

  Hot water / bath use history display section 622 includes a display 622a of the total amount of hot water used on the day indicated by date display 621a, and a graph 622b showing the amount of hot water used every hour. . Further, the hot water / bath use history display section 622 includes a chart 622c indicating a time period during which the bath is used on the day indicated by the date display 621a. Here, the time from when the bathtub is filled with hot water to when the heat retention is stopped is the time when the bath is used. In addition, the time when the additional heating or the hot water is performed is also regarded as the time when the bath is used.

  The state information transmitted from the hot water supply device 10 to the server 50 includes the amount of hot water used every hour, the time when the hot water is started, the time when the heat is stopped after the transition from the hot water to the hot water, the time for the reheating. The start time and the end time, and the start time and the end time of the hot water are included. The server 50 periodically transmits these pieces of information to the portable terminal device 30 paired with the water heater 10 that has transmitted these pieces of information. Thus, the portable terminal device 30 can display information on the first remote monitoring screen 600.

  The second remote monitoring screen 700 is a screen that can monitor various setting states of the hot water supply device 10 and whether or not bathing is performed. Referring to FIG. 6A, the second remote monitoring screen 700 is divided into three areas 710, 720, and 730. The area 710 includes a name display section 711, a hot water supply temperature display section 712, a bath temperature display section 713, a bath water quantity display section 714, a bathtub image 715, and a bathing time display section 716.

  Similar to name display section 611, name display section 711 displays the name of hot water supply apparatus 10 to which remote monitoring is applied. The hot water supply temperature display unit 712, bath temperature display unit 713, and bath water amount display unit 714 each include a current hot water supply temperature, a bath temperature, and a bath water amount based on state information received from the server 50 by the mobile terminal device 30 as needed. Is set.

  When the confirm button 525 is touched after the selection button 524 for selecting the second remote monitoring screen 700 is selected, a remote control request is transmitted from the portable terminal device 30 to the server 50. This remote control request includes the ID information of the portable terminal device 30 and the ID information of the water heater 10 to be remotely controlled selected by the operator. When the remote control request is sent, server 50 starts transmitting state information such as hot water supply temperature, bath temperature, and amount of bath water to mobile terminal device 30 of the transmission source. This enables information display on the setting status on the second remote monitoring screen 700.

  The bathtub image 715 displays the current setting of the amount of bath water as an image of water stored in the bathtub. When the state information includes that a person is taking a bath in the bathtub, an image M1 indicating that a person is taking a bath in the bathtub is added to the bathtub image 715. The bathing time display section 716 displays the current bathing time of the bathtub based on the state information.

  In the area 720, buttons 721 to 724 for performing predetermined settings and the like when the screen is the remote control screen 800 are displayed. Buttons 721 to 724 are buttons for setting a reheating function, setting a bath automatic function, setting a bath cleaning function, and setting a bath timer function, respectively. Here, since the screen is the second remote monitoring screen 700, these buttons are disabled. In the area 730, four buttons for switching a function to be remotely monitored are displayed.

  By referring to the first remote monitoring screen 600 and the second remote monitoring screen 700, the operator can check the status of the water heater 10 displayed on the name display sections 611, 711. In the example of FIG. 5, the operator can check the usage history of hot water and the usage history of bath in hot water supply device 10 displayed on name display section 611. In addition, in the example of FIG. 6A, the operator can check various states of the bath in hot water supply device 10 displayed on name display portion 611. Thereby, even if the operator is away from the location of the hot water supply device 10 displayed on the name display sections 611 and 711, the operator can accurately grasp the status of the hot water supply device 10.

  Remote operation screen 800 is a screen for remotely operating hot water supply device 10 from portable terminal device 30. The remote operation screen 800 will be described with reference to FIG. The layout of the remote operation screen 800 is the same as the layout of the second remote monitoring screen 700 shown in FIG. The remote operation screen 800 is divided into three areas 810, 820, and 830, as in the second remote monitoring screen 700.

  Area 810 includes a name display section 811, a hot water supply temperature setting section 812, a bath temperature setting section 813, a bath water amount setting section 814, and a bathtub image 815. The name display unit 811 displays the name given to the hot water supply device 10, similarly to the name display units 611 and 711.

  Hot water supply temperature setting section 812, bath temperature setting section 813, and bath water amount setting section 814 indicate current hot water supply temperature, bath temperature, and bath hot water setting state, respectively. Further, the operator can change the hot water supply temperature, the bath temperature and the amount of hot water by operating the hot water temperature setting unit 812, the bath temperature setting unit 813, and the hot water amount setting unit 814. The bathtub image 815 displays the current setting of the amount of bath water as an image of water stored in the bathtub.

  Each of the buttons 821 to 824 included in the area 820 is operably enabled. Buttons 821 to 824 correspond to buttons 721 to 724 in FIG. By operating these buttons 821 to 824, the operator can make settings corresponding to the buttons 821 to 824 on the hot water supply device 10 displayed on the name display section 811. On the remote operation screen 800, information corresponding to the setting operation from the operator is transmitted to the server 50 as needed, and further transmitted from the server 50 to the kitchen remote controller 13. As a result, predetermined settings are made in the water heater 10 to be remotely controlled.

  As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the background colors of the areas 710 and 810 are different between the second remote monitoring screen 700 and the remote operation screen 800. For example, the background color of region 710 is set to yellow, and the background color of region 810 is set to green. Thus, even if the layouts of the second remote monitoring screen 700 and the remote operation screen 800 are the same as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the operator can use the background color to perform the remote operation and the remote monitoring. Can be clearly grasped. Therefore, various types of remote control can be smoothly performed.

  The operator of the portable terminal device 30 monitors the hot water usage history and the bath usage history on the first remote monitoring screen 600, and places the hot water supply device 10 that is the object of the first remote monitoring screen 600 on the first remote monitoring screen 600. You can watch if there is any change in the appearance of the people (family, relatives, etc.) in the house. For example, if the use of hot water or baths is significantly reduced or lost for a long period of time, the operator suspects that the person in the house had an accident or got sick. And take action, such as contacting the person.

  In the hot water supply system 1 of the present embodiment, the operator must check the first remote monitoring screen 600 by performing an operation on the portable terminal device 30 such as activating an application program each time. For this reason, the operator tends to be troubled and forget to monitor. In this case, the operator may not be able to notice a change in the state of the person in the house where the water heater 10 is placed.

  Therefore, in the hot water supply system 1 of the present embodiment, a predetermined operation of the hot water supply device 10, specifically, an operation relating to the use of hot water, that is, an operation relating to the hot water supply operation and an operation relating to the use of the bath are monitored, and the hot water supply device 10 The portable terminal device 30 paired with the hot water supply device 10 is notified when a change in the state of the person in the house is suspected. Hereinafter, this function will be described.

  In the present embodiment, the operation of the water heater 10 to be monitored is first set on the setting screen displayed on the display unit 301 of the mobile terminal device 30. The setting process using the setting screen is executed by the control unit 303 of the mobile terminal device 30. The storage unit 304 stores a program for causing the control unit 303 to execute the setting process.

  The setting process may be automatically started when the pairing is completed. In this way, the operator can perform the setting process without forgetting. In addition, even in a configuration in which the setting process is included in the pairing process, the operator can perform the setting process without forgetting.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the setting process.

  Referring to FIG. 7, control unit 303 has a target setting screen for selecting which of a hot water use, that is, a hot water supply operation, and a bath use, that is, an operation related to the use of the bath, is set as a monitoring target. Is displayed on the display unit 301 as a setting screen, and the setting of the monitoring target is received (S31). The operator performs input for selecting a desired operation on the target setting screen.

  FIG. 8A is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the target setting screen 910.

  The target setting screen 910 includes a message 911, select buttons 912 and 913, and a confirm button 914. The message 911 is a text prompting the selection of the monitoring target. The selection buttons 912 and 913 are operation units for selecting use of hot water and use of bath as monitoring targets, respectively. The confirm button 914 is an operation unit for confirming the selection of the monitoring target. The confirm button 914 can be operated when at least one of the selection buttons 912 and 913 is selected. It is also possible to select both of the selection buttons 912 and 913.

  The operator touches one of the selection buttons 912 and 913 corresponding to the monitoring target to be set by the operator. Thereby, for example, the touched selection button is given a predetermined color and is highlighted. If the selection is incorrect, the operator touches the selection button again. This cancels the selection. After selecting the monitoring target in this way, the operator touches the confirmation button 914. Thus, the selection of the monitoring target is determined.

  Returning to FIG. 7, when the operator operates the confirmation button 914 to perform the confirmation operation (S32: YES), the control unit 303 registers the selected monitoring target in the storage unit 304 (S33). Then, the control unit 303 performs a period in which the hot water that leads to the notification is not used, that is, a period in which the hot water supply operation is not performed, and a period in which the bath that leads to the notification is not used, that is, the operation related to the use of the bath. The display unit 301 displays a period setting screen for setting a period during which is not performed (S34). The operator inputs a desired period on this period setting screen.

  FIGS. 8B and 8C are diagrams showing the configuration of the period setting screen 920.

  The period setting screen 920 includes a message 921, period input fields 922 and 923, a confirm button 924, and a return button 925. The message 921 is a text that prompts the user to input a period. The period input fields 922 and 923 are input fields for inputting a period in which hot water that leads to the notification is not used and a period in which the bath that leads to the notification is not used, respectively. The input period is, for example, a date. When the selection button 912 corresponding to the use of hot water is selected on the target setting screen 910 in the period input field 922, a period can be input. In the period input field 923, use of the bath on the target setting screen 910 is enabled. When the selection button 913 corresponding to is selected, the period can be input. The period input fields 922 and 923 may be grayed out when input is not possible.

  The operator touches an inputtable period input column among the period input columns 922 and 923. Then, on the period setting screen 920, as shown in FIG. 8C, a window 926 in which numbers are arranged so as to be adjacent to the touched period input box appears. The operator can scroll the numbers on the window 926 by tracing the window 926 up and down. The operator touches the desired number that appears on the window 926. As a result, the touched number is displayed in the period input box. When returning the screen, the operator touches the return button 925.

  After the period (date) is input to the period input fields 922 and 923, when the operator operates the confirm button 924 to perform the confirming operation (S35: YES), the controller 303 enters the inputted period. Is registered in the storage unit 304 (S36). Thus, the setting process ends.

  When the setting process is completed, the control unit 303 of the mobile terminal device 30 starts execution of the monitoring / notification process. The storage unit 304 stores a program for causing the control unit 303 to execute a monitoring / notifying process.

  FIG. 9A is a flowchart showing a monitoring / notifying process executed when the use of hot water is selected, and FIG. 9B is a flowchart executed when the use of the bath is selected. It is a flowchart which shows a notification process. FIG. 10A is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the notification window 930 when hot water is not used, and FIG. 10A is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the notification window 930 when no bath is used. .

  When the monitoring / notification process of FIG. 9A is started, the control unit 303 sends the hourly hot water sent from the server 50 for the hot water supply device 10 paired with its own portable terminal device 30. Based on the used amount, it is determined whether the hot water supply apparatus 10 uses hot water, that is, whether or not there is a hot water supply operation during the period set in the setting process (S41). When the control unit 303 determines that hot water is not used during the set period (S41: YES), the control unit 303 launches a notification window 930 shown in FIG. 10A on the display unit 301 (S42). When the display unit 301 is off, the notification window 930 is displayed so as to overlap the black background. When any screen is displayed on the display unit 301, the notification window 930 is displayed so as to overlap the screen. The notification window 930 includes a message 931a notifying that no hot water is used during the set period, and a confirmation button 932.

  When confirming the message 931 a in the notification window 930, the operator touches the confirmation button 932. When the confirmation button 932 is operated and the confirmation operation is performed (S43: YES), the control unit 303 closes the notification window 930 (S44). Thus, the monitoring / notifying process of FIG. 9A ends.

  When the monitoring / notifying process of FIG. 9B is started, the control unit 303 takes a bath for the hot water supply device 10 paired with its own portable terminal device 30 for a period set in the setting process. , That is, whether there is no operation related to the use of the bath (S51). That is, for the paired hot-water supply device 10, the control unit 303 determines the time at which the hot water supply is started, the time at which the heat retention is stopped after the transition from the hot water supply to the heat retention, the start time and the end time of the reheating, and Based on the start time and the end time of the hot water, it is determined whether or not any of hot water, warming, reheating, and hot water has been performed during the set period. Is determined not to have been used.

  When the control unit 303 determines that the bath is not used during the set period (S51: YES), the control unit 303 launches the notification window 930 shown in FIG. 10B on the display unit 301 (S52). The notification window 930 includes a message 931b notifying that no bath is used during the set period, and a confirmation button 932.

  When the confirmation button 932 is operated and the confirmation operation is performed (S53: YES), the control unit 303 closes the notification window 930 (S54). Thus, the monitoring / notifying process of FIG. 9B ends.

  Note that when the notification window 930 is displayed on the display unit 301 in S42 and S52, an alarm sound may be output from the speaker. Further, instead of or in addition to the notification window 930, a voice may be output from the speaker to notify that there is no use of hot water or bath during the set period.

  Even if the operator has neglected to monitor the usage history of hot water and the usage history of bath on the first remote monitoring screen 600, the notification by the notification window 930 is performed, so that the person in the house where the water heater 10 is placed is provided. (Family, relatives) can be noticed. This makes it possible to take appropriate measures such as contacting the person.

<Effects of Embodiment>
According to the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

  When the hot water supply apparatus 10 does not perform at least one of the predetermined operation during the predetermined period, specifically, at least one of the hot water supply operation and the operation relating to the use of the bath, a notification is given to the display unit 301 of the mobile terminal device 30. Will be Therefore, the operator can notice a change in the state of the person (family, relative) in the house where the water heater 10 is placed, and can take appropriate measures such as contacting the person.

  In addition, since a predetermined period and a predetermined operation can be set on the setting screen (the target setting screen 910 and the period setting screen 920), the operator can set the predetermined period and the predetermined operation in accordance with the situation (life habits, etc.) of the house he wants to watch. Action can be decided.

<Example of change>
As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and application examples of the present invention can be variously modified in addition to the above-described embodiments. .

  For example, in the above embodiment, when the hot water supply operation and the operation related to the use of the bath are not performed for a predetermined period as the operation of the hot water supply device 10, the notification is performed in the portable terminal device 30. However, the operation of the water heater 10 to be monitored is not limited to the above operation. For example, when the hot water supply device 10 is a gas hot water supply device, the notification may be performed when an operation related to the use of gas, that is, when the gas supply operation is not performed for a predetermined period.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the setting process of FIG. 7 and the monitoring / notifying process of FIGS. 9A and 9B are executed by the control unit 303 of the mobile terminal device 30. However, when the control unit 303 of the mobile terminal device 30 and the control unit 501 of the server 50 or the control unit 133 of the kitchen remote controller 13 cooperate, the setting process of FIG. 7 and the monitoring of FIGS. 9A and 9B are performed. -Notification processing may be performed. In this case, in the setting process of FIG. 7, the processes of S31, S32, S34 and S35 are executed by the control unit 303 of the portable terminal device 30, and the processes of S33 and S36 are executed by the control unit 501 of the server 50 or the kitchen remote controller 13. This is executed by the control unit 133. The set monitoring target and period are stored in the storage unit 502 of the server 50 or the storage unit 134 of the kitchen remote controller 13. 9A, the determination in S41 is performed by the control unit 501 of the server 50 or the control unit 133 of the kitchen remote controller 13, and the subsequent processes of S42 to S44 are performed based on this determination. This is executed by the control unit 303 of the mobile terminal device 30. Similarly, in the monitoring / notifying process of FIG. 9B, the determination of S51 is executed by the control unit 501 of the server 50 or the control unit 133 of the kitchen remote controller 13, and based on this determination, the subsequent processes of S52 to S54 Is executed by the control unit 303 of the mobile terminal device 30. The storage unit 304 of the mobile terminal device 30 and the storage unit 502 of the server 50 or the storage unit 134 of the kitchen remote controller 13 store programs necessary for executing the setting process and the monitoring / notifying process. In such a configuration, the control unit 303 of the portable terminal device 30 and the control unit 501 of the server 50 or the control unit 133 of the kitchen remote controller 13 constitute a “control unit” described in the claims. It will be.

  Further, in the above embodiment, both the predetermined period and the predetermined operation can be set, but only one of the predetermined period and the predetermined operation may be set.

  In the above-described embodiment, the wireless communication unit 136 is provided in the kitchen remote controller 13 included in the water heater 10. However, the wireless communication unit may be provided in the water heater 11, and the water heater 11 may be connected to the router 20. In this case, the control by the kitchen remote controller 13 in the above embodiment is performed by the control unit 111 of the water heater 11. Alternatively, a control unit having a wireless communication unit in addition to water heater 11, bathroom remote controller 12, and kitchen remote controller 13 may be arranged in water heater 10, and this control unit may be connected to router 20. In this case, the control by the kitchen remote controller 13 in the above embodiment is performed by the control unit of the control unit.

  Furthermore, in the above embodiment, hot water supply system 1 can perform both remote control and remote monitoring of hot water supply device 10. However, the hot water supply system 1 only needs to be capable of at least remote monitoring.

  In addition, the embodiments of the present invention can be variously modified as appropriate within the scope described in the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Hot-water supply system 10 Hot-water supply device 11 Hot-water supply device 13 Kitchen remote control 30 Portable terminal device 50 Server 133 Control unit 136 Wireless communication unit (communication unit)
301 Display unit (notification unit)
302 input unit 303 control unit 501 control unit

Claims (6)

In a hot water supply system for remotely monitoring a hot water supply device by a portable terminal device,
A notification unit provided in the mobile terminal device,
When the water heater does not perform a predetermined operation during a predetermined period, a control unit that causes the notification unit to perform notification,
A hot water supply system comprising: The hot water supply system according to claim 1,
The predetermined operation includes at least one operation of a hot water supply operation and an operation related to use of a bath,
A hot water supply system characterized by the following. The hot water supply system according to claim 1 or 2,
An input unit provided on the mobile terminal device,
The control unit receives an input for setting at least one of the predetermined period and the predetermined operation performed by the input unit,
A hot water supply system characterized by the following. In the water heater,
Equipped with a communication unit,
The communication unit according to claim 1, wherein the control unit of the hot water supply system sends state information for determining whether the hot water supply device has performed the predetermined operation during the predetermined period. Output from
A hot water supply device characterized by the above-mentioned.   A program for causing a computer of a portable terminal device having a notifying unit to execute a function of causing the notifying unit to notify when a water heater remotely monitored by the portable terminal device does not perform a predetermined operation during a predetermined period. The program according to claim 5,
A function of receiving an input for setting at least one of the predetermined period and the predetermined operation performed by the input unit of the mobile terminal device,
A program characterized by that:

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