JP2021021534A - Water heater - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a water heater capable of smoothly executing remote control of operation switching from outside of a house while suppressing inconvenience imparted to a user in the house as much as possible.SOLUTION: A kitchen remote controller 13 of a water heater 10 includes: a wireless communication section 136 connectable to an external communication network 40; and a control section 133. When receiving a command notification on the basis of remote control for changing an operating state of the water heater 10 from the on state to the off state via the wireless communication section 136, if the water heater 10 is in the water flowing state, the control section 133 executes hot water delivery temperature lowering processing for gradually lowering a hot water delivery temperature of the water heater 10 from a set temperature to a predetermined low-level temperature and then changes the operating state of the water heater 10 to the off state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a hot water supply device that can be remotely controlled by a mobile terminal device.

Conventionally, in a hot water supply device, various settings have been made by a remote controller installed in a bathroom, a living room, or a kitchen. On the other hand, recently, a system for remotely controlling a hot water supply device using a mobile terminal device such as a mobile phone has been studied. When the hot water supply device is remotely controlled in this way, if the operating state of the hot water supply device is switched by remote control while water is flowing through the water heater, there is a risk of causing inconvenience to the user in the house. For example, when a user in the house is using the shower in the bathroom and the operation of the water heater is stopped by remote control from outside the house, the water from the shower suddenly switches from hot water to water.

In order to avoid such a problem, for example, in the following Patent Document 1, when a remote control for switching an operation state is performed, if the water heater is in a water flow state, a control is performed so as not to accept the remote control. ..

JP-A-2018-115787

However, if the remote control to switch the operating state is not accepted when the water heater is in the water flow state as described above, the inconvenience for the user in the house can be thoroughly avoided, but the user outside the house Will result in excessive restrictions on remote control.

In view of such a problem, an object of the present invention is to provide a hot water supply device capable of smoothly executing remote control of operation switching from outside the house while suppressing inconvenience to the user in the house as much as possible. ..

The first aspect of the present invention relates to a hot water supply device that can be remotely controlled by a mobile terminal device via an external communication network. When the hot water supply device according to this aspect receives a communication unit that can be connected to the external communication network and a command notification based on a remote operation that changes the operating state of the hot water supply device from on to off via the communication unit. When the hot water supply device is in a water flow state, the operating state of the hot water supply device is turned off after executing a hot water discharge temperature drop process that gradually lowers the hot water discharge temperature of the hot water supply device from a set temperature to a predetermined low level temperature. It includes a control unit to be changed.

According to the hot water supply device according to this aspect, when a remote control is performed to change the operating state to off, the remote control is accepted even if the hot water supply device is in a water flow state, and the operating state of the hot water supply device is turned off. Can be switched to. Therefore, the user of the mobile terminal device can appropriately switch the operating state of the hot water supply device from on to off by remote control. Further, in this case, since the hot water temperature is gradually lowered from the set temperature to the low level temperature, the hot water does not suddenly switch to water. Therefore, the user in the house can take appropriate measures by gradually lowering the hot water temperature even while using the hot water. As a result, it is possible to avoid causing a great inconvenience to the user in the house. Therefore, it is possible to smoothly execute the remote control of the operation off from outside the house while suppressing the inconvenience given to the user in the house as much as possible.

The hot water supply device according to this embodiment may include an output unit for outputting information about the hot water supply device. In this case, the control unit may be configured to notify the fact via the output unit when the hot water temperature drop process is executed.

According to this configuration, the user in the house can more accurately grasp that the hot water temperature gradually decreases due to the remote control of the operation off by the notification from the output unit. Therefore, the user in the house can more smoothly respond to the fact that the operating state of the hot water supply device is switched off after the hot water temperature is gradually lowered by remote control from outside the house.

A second aspect of the present invention relates to a hot water supply device that can be remotely controlled by a mobile terminal device via an external communication network. When the hot water supply device according to this aspect receives a communication unit that can be connected to the external communication network and a command notification based on a remote operation that changes the operating state of the hot water supply device from off to on via the communication unit. When the hot water supply device is in a water flow state, the hot water discharge temperature is changed from the low level temperature after setting the hot water discharge temperature of the hot water supply device to a predetermined low level temperature and changing the operating state of the hot water supply device to ON. It is provided with a control unit that executes a hot water temperature rise process that gradually raises the temperature to a set temperature.

According to the hot water supply device according to this aspect, when a remote control is performed to change the operating state to ON, the remote control is accepted even if the hot water supply device is in a water flow state, and the operating state of the hot water supply device is turned on. Can be switched to. Therefore, the user of the mobile terminal device can appropriately switch the operating state of the hot water supply device from off to on by remote control. Further, in this case, since the hot water outlet temperature is gradually raised from the low level temperature to the set temperature, the water does not suddenly switch to the hot water of the set temperature. Therefore, even if the user in the house is using water through the water heater when switching the operating state, he / she can take an appropriate measure by gradually increasing the hot water temperature. As a result, it is possible to avoid causing a great inconvenience to the user in the house. Therefore, it is possible to smoothly execute the remote control of driving on from outside the house while suppressing the inconvenience given to the user in the house as much as possible.

The hot water supply device according to this embodiment may include an output unit for outputting information about the hot water supply device. In this case, the control unit may be configured to notify the fact via the output unit when executing the hot water temperature raising process.

According to this configuration, the user in the house can more accurately grasp that the hot water temperature gradually rises by the remote control of the operation on by the notification from the output unit. Therefore, the user in the house can more smoothly respond to the rise in the hot water temperature when the operating state of the hot water supply device is switched on by remote control from outside the house.

In the first and second aspects, the low level temperature is preferably the lowest temperature in the temperature range that can be set in the water heater.

As a result, the temperature difference between hot water and water that occurs when switching the operating state can be minimized. Therefore, it is possible to minimize the surprise and inconvenience given to the user in the house when switching the driving state.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a hot water supply device capable of smoothly executing remote control of operation switching from outside the house while suppressing inconvenience to the user in the house as much as possible.

The effects or significance of the present invention will be further clarified by the description of the embodiments shown below. However, the embodiments shown below are merely examples when the present invention is put into practice, and the present invention is not limited to those described in the following embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a hot water supply system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing circuit blocks of each device constituting the hot water supply system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3A is a flowchart showing the process performed in the control unit of the kitchen remote controller when the user performs remote control of operation off via the mobile terminal device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3B is a flowchart showing the contents of the hot water temperature drop process of FIG. 3A. FIG. 4A is a flowchart showing a notification process performed by the control unit of the kitchen remote controller when the hot water temperature drop process according to the first embodiment is executed. FIG. 4B is a diagram showing an example of a notification screen displayed on the display unit of the kitchen remote controller by the process of FIG. 4A. FIG. 5A is a flowchart showing the process performed in the control unit of the kitchen remote controller when the user performs a remote control of operation on via the mobile terminal device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 5B is a flowchart showing the contents of the hot water temperature raising process of FIG. 5A. FIG. 6A is a flowchart showing a notification process performed by the control unit of the kitchen remote controller when the hot water temperature rise process according to the second embodiment is executed. FIG. 6B is a diagram showing an example of a notification screen displayed on the display unit of the kitchen remote controller by the process of FIG. 6A.

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

<Embodiment 1>
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a hot water supply system 1 according to the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, the hot water supply system 1 includes a hot water supply device 10 and a server 50. The hot water supply device 10 can be remotely controlled by the mobile terminal device 30 via the router 20 and the external communication network 40.

The hot water supply device 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 the faucet of the kitchen, the bathtub, the curan, etc. via the 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 by a panel heater, hot water is supplied from the water heater 11 to a device that realizes these functions.

The remote controllers 12 and 13 are connected to the water heater 11 and are 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 according to the screens displayed on the display units 121 and 131, the user can make arbitrary settings for hot water filling, hot water supply temperature control, and the like. The remote controller 12 is installed in the bathroom, and the remote controller 13 is installed in the kitchen or the like.

Hereinafter, the remote controller 12 installed in the bathroom will be referred to as a "bathroom remote controller 12", and the remote controller 13 installed in the kitchen or the like will be referred to as a "kitchen remote controller 13".

The input units 122 and 132 of the bathroom remote controller 12 and the kitchen remote controller 13 include operation buttons 122a and 132a. The operation buttons 122a and 132a are buttons for switching the water heater 11 between the operation on state and the operation off state.

When the bathroom remote controller 12 and the kitchen remote controller 13 are in the operation off state (the state in which the water heater 11 does not perform the hot water supply operation even if the water heater such as the curan is opened and the water flow rate exceeds the reference flow rate), the display unit 121 , 131 are in the off state, and operations of operation buttons other than the operation buttons 122a and 132a are not accepted. When the operation buttons 122a and 132a are operated and the operation is turned on (a state in which the water heater 11 can perform hot water supply operation when a hot water tap such as a curan is opened and water flow exceeds a reference flow rate), the display unit 121, The 131 lights up to display the setting contents, and the operations of the operation buttons other than the operation buttons 122a and 132a can be accepted.

Further, the input units 122 and 132 include buttons for changing the hot water supply temperature. The user can change the set temperature of the hot water supply by operating this button. In addition, the input units 122 and 132 include buttons for controlling the operation of the water heater 11, such as a button for executing a reheating function and an automatic bath function.

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. The router 20 is a communication repeater for connecting the device of the home H10 to the external communication network 40.

The kitchen remote controller 13 is connected to the router 20 by wireless communication. Further, when the mobile terminal device 30 exists 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 mobile 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 control and remote monitoring) of the hot water supply device 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 home, the mobile terminal device 30 is connected to the external communication network 40 via a router 60 or a 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 mobile 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 this address information.

The address information of the kitchen remote controller 13 is transmitted to and held by the server 50 at the time of initial setting. At the same time, the ID information (identification information) of the kitchen remote controller 13 is transmitted from the kitchen remote controller 13 to the server 50. As the address information of the kitchen remote controller 13, for example, the MAC (Media Access Control) address held in the wireless communication unit 136 (see FIG. 2) of the kitchen remote controller 13 is used. As the address information of the kitchen remote controller 13, the global IP address of the wireless communication unit 136 of the kitchen remote controller 13 may be used. As the ID information of the kitchen remote controller 13, for example, THING of the wireless communication unit 136 of the kitchen remote controller 13 is used. As the ID information of the kitchen remote controller 13, the MAC address of the wireless communication unit 136 of the kitchen remote controller 13 may be used.

In the configuration of FIG. 1, the user can remotely control the hot water supply device 10 by using the mobile terminal device 30 both inside the house H10 and outside the house.

That is, regardless of whether the mobile terminal device 30 is located inside the home H10 or outside the home, the setting request input from the user to the mobile terminal device 30 is once transmitted to the server 50 via the external communication network 40. .. In response to this, the server 50 transmits the received setting request to the hot water supply device 10 previously associated with the mobile terminal device 30 that has received the setting request. As a result, the setting request is transmitted to the kitchen remote controller 13 of the corresponding hot water supply device 10 via the external communication network 40 and the router 20. In this way, the setting of the content requested by the user is applied to the hot water supply device 10 by remote control.

Further, 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 at any time in a predetermined cycle. The state information is information indicating the current setting state and operating state of the hot water supply device 10. The state information is shared by the water heater 11, the bathroom remote controller 12, and the kitchen remote controller 13 not only when the hot water supply device 10 is in the operation on state but also when the operation is off, and is transmitted to the server 50 at any time. The server 50 manages the received status information for each hot water supply device 10.

The remote monitoring viewing request input from the user to the mobile terminal device 30 is once transmitted to the server 50 via the external communication network 40. In response to this, the server 50 transmits the state information of the hot water supply device 10 associated with the mobile terminal device 30 that has received the browsing request to the mobile terminal device 30. As a result, the state of the hot water supply device 10 is output to the mobile terminal device 30. In this way, the user can confirm the state of the hot water supply device 10 both inside the house H10 and outside the house.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing circuit blocks of each device constituting the hot water supply system 1. Note that FIG. 2 shows a state in which the wireless communication unit 305 of the mobile terminal device 30 is connected to the external communication network 40 via the router 20 of the home H10 for convenience. As described above, the mobile terminal is shown. The wireless communication unit 305 of the device 30 can be connected to the external communication network 40 via the router 60 or the base station 70 even outside the home.

The water heater 11 includes a control unit 111, a storage unit 112, a communication unit 113, a flow rate sensor 114, and a hot water temperature sensor 115. The control unit 111 includes a microcomputer 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 according to the control from the control unit 111.

The flow rate sensor 114 is installed in a pipe near the water inlet of the water heater 11 and detects the amount of water flowing through the water heater 11. The control unit 111 operates the water heater 11 when the flow rate detected by the flow rate sensor 114 becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined minimum flow rate (reference flow rate) during the hot water supply operation. Therefore, when the flow rate detected by the flow rate sensor 114 is equal to or higher than the minimum flow rate, it can be determined that the water heater 11 is in use. The control unit 111 transmits the detection result of the flow rate sensor 114 to the bathroom remote controller 12 and the kitchen remote controller 13 as state information at any time.

The hot water temperature sensor 115 detects the temperature of hot water discharged from the water heater 11 (hot water supply port 11a in FIG. 1). The hot water temperature sensor 115 is installed in a pipe connecting the hot water supply port 11a of FIG. 1 and the combustor of the water heater 11. The control unit 111 transmits the detection result of the hot water temperature sensor 115 to the bathroom remote controller 12 and the kitchen remote controller 13 as status information at any time.

The bathroom remote controller 12 includes a control unit 123, a storage unit 124, and a communication unit 125, in addition to the display unit 121 and the input unit 122 described above. The display unit 121 is composed of, 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 microcomputer 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 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 microcomputer 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. The communication unit 135 communicates with the water heater 11 according to the control from the 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 wireless communication with the router 20. An IP address for identifying a device on a LAN (Local Area Network) set in the home H10 is assigned to the wireless communication unit 136 (wireless communication module). In addition, the wireless communication unit 136 holds its own MAC address. In addition, the kitchen remote controller 13 is provided with 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 composed of, for example, a liquid crystal panel. The input unit 132 includes various operation buttons and a touch panel laminated on the display unit 301.

The control unit 303 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and performs 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 storage unit 304 stores the application program of the hot water supply system 1 as a control program.

The wireless communication unit 305 communicates with the router 20 according to the control from the control unit 303. The wireless communication unit 305 is a wireless communication module capable of wireless communication with the router 20. An IP address is also assigned to the wireless communication unit 305. In addition, the wireless communication unit 305 holds its own MAC address. In addition, the mobile terminal device 30 includes a speaker for outputting audio.

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 database. The communication unit 503 performs predetermined control according to the control from the control unit 501.

In the first embodiment, the mobile terminal device 30 capable of remotely controlling the hot water supply device 10 is registered in the server 50 in association with the hot water supply device 10. That is, the hot water supply device 10 and the mobile terminal device 30 are paired in advance, and information indicating pairing (pairing information) is managed by the server 50. Specifically, the ID information of the hot water supply device 10 and the ID information of the mobile terminal device 30 are associated with each other to form pairing information. Such pairing is performed, for example, in the home H10 in which the hot water supply device 10 is installed. This reduces the possibility that the mobile terminal device 30 and the hot water supply device 10 are unfairly paired by a malicious third party.

By the way, in the hot water supply system 1 of FIG. 1, while the user of the home H10 is using the hot water supply device 10, a remote operation for switching the operating state of the hot water supply device 10 is performed from outside the house using the mobile terminal device 30. It can happen. In this case, if the operating state of the hot water supply device 10 is switched by this remote control, there is a risk of causing inconvenience to the user in the house. For example, if the user in the house is using the shower in the bathroom and the operation of the hot water supply device 10 is stopped by remote control from outside the house, the water from the shower suddenly switches from hot water to water.

Therefore, in the first embodiment, the control for smoothly executing the remote control of the operation switching from the outside of the house is executed while suppressing the inconvenience given to the user of the H10 in the house as much as possible. Hereinafter, this control will be described.

FIG. 3A is a flowchart showing a process performed by the control unit 133 of the kitchen remote controller 13 when the user performs a remote control of operation off via the mobile terminal device 30.

Prior to the process of FIG. 3A, the user of the mobile terminal device 30 operates his / her own mobile terminal device 30 to launch the application program of the hot water supply system 1. As a result, the mobile terminal device 30 accesses the server 50 and acquires the state information of the hot water supply device 10 paired with the mobile terminal device 30 from the server 50.

The mobile terminal device 30 displays a reception screen based on the acquired state information. This reception screen includes information on the current state of the hot water supply device 10 (operation on / off, set temperature of hot water supply, etc.). The user of the mobile terminal device 30 refers to this information and inputs the remote control desired by himself / herself on the reception screen. As a result, the command notification corresponding to the remote control is transmitted from the mobile terminal device 30 to the server 50, and further transferred from the server 50 to the hot water supply device 10 (kitchen remote controller 13) paired with the mobile terminal device 30. Will be done.

When the control unit 133 of the kitchen remote controller 13 receives the command notification from the server 50 (S101), it determines whether or not the received command notification is a command notification regarding the operation off (S102). If the received command notification is not an operation-off command notification (S102: NO), the control unit 133 executes remote control in response to the command notification (S106). On the other hand, when the received command notification is an operation off command notification (S102: YES), the control unit 133 refers to the current state information stored in the storage unit 134, and the water heater 11 is passing water. Whether or not (whether or not the detection result of the flow rate sensor 114 is equal to or higher than the minimum flow rate required for the combustion operation) is determined (S103).

When the water heater 11 is not passing water (S103: NO), the control unit 133 executes remote control in response to the command notification (S106). As a result, the operating state of the hot water supply device 10 is switched from on to off.

On the other hand, when the water heater 11 is passing water (S103: YES), the control unit 133 gradually lowers the hot water discharge temperature (the temperature detected by the hot water temperature sensor 115) from the set temperature to a predetermined low level temperature. (Hot water temperature drop processing) is executed (S104). The control unit 133 executes a process of switching the operating state of the hot water supply device 10 from on to off after lowering the hot water temperature to a low level temperature by this hot water temperature lowering process (S105).

FIG. 3B is a flowchart showing the contents of the hot water temperature drop process (S104) of FIG. 3A.

The control unit 133 monitors whether or not a predetermined time (for example, several seconds) has elapsed (S112). During that time, the control unit 133 determines whether or not the water heater 11 is still in the water by referring to the status information that is sequentially updated (S111). If the water heater 11 is no longer in the water flow (S111: NO) before the predetermined time elapses (S112: NO), the control unit 133 ends the hot water temperature drop process. As a result, the process shifts to step S105 of FIG. 3A, and the operating state of the hot water supply device 10 is switched off.

When the predetermined time elapses (S112: YES) while the state of water flow is continued (S111: YES), the control unit 133 determines whether or not the current hot water temperature Tp is larger than the low level temperature Tm (S111: YES). S113). The low level temperature Tm is set to, for example, the lowest temperature in the temperature range that can be set in the water heater 10 (for example, 32 ° C.). Alternatively, the low level temperature Tm may be set to a temperature slightly higher than the minimum temperature (for example, 35 ° C.).

When the current hot water temperature Tp is larger than the low level temperature Tm (S113: YES), the control unit 133 controls to lower the hot water temperature Tp by ΔT (S114). As a result, the hot water temperature Tp from the water heater 11 is lowered by ΔT, and the state information is transmitted from the control unit 111 of the water heater 11 to the bathroom remote controller 12 and the kitchen remote controller 13. ΔT is set to a few degrees Celsius (eg 1 ° C.).

After that, the control unit 133 returns the process to step S111 and switches back to the same process. As a result, as long as the water heater 11 is passing water (S111: YES), the hot water temperature Tp decreases by ΔT at predetermined time intervals (S112: YES) (S114). Then, when the hot water temperature Tp reaches the low level temperature Tm (S113: NO), the control unit 133 ends the hot water temperature drop process. As a result, the process shifts to step S105 of FIG. 3A, and the operating state of the hot water supply device 10 is switched off.

If the set temperature of the hot water supply device 10 is the low level temperature Tm or less (S113: YES) at the start of the hot water temperature lowering process, the process of lowering the hot water temperature Tp (S114) is not performed, and step S113 The judgment of is NO, and the hot water temperature drop process is completed.

Further, in the first embodiment, in parallel with the hot water temperature drop process of FIG. 3B, a notification process for notifying that the hot water temperature Tp is lowered is executed by the control unit 133 of the kitchen remote controller 13.

FIG. 4A is a flowchart showing a notification process performed by the control unit 133 of the kitchen remote controller 13 when the hot water temperature drop process is executed.

When the hot water temperature Tp is lowered in step S114 of FIG. 3B (S121: YES), the control unit 133 executes a process for notifying that fact (S122). After that, the control unit 133 continues the notification until the hot water temperature drop process is completed (S123: NO). When the hot water temperature drop process is completed (S123: YES), the control unit 133 cancels the notification (S124) and ends the process.

FIG. 4B is a diagram showing an example of a notification screen displayed on the display unit 131 of the kitchen remote controller 13 by the process of FIG. 4A.

Here, on the notification screen, a message M11 notifying that the remote control for stopping the operation of the hot water supply device 10 has been performed and that the hot water discharge temperature Tp has been lowered from the set temperature due to this remote control is displayed. include. The control unit 133 of the kitchen remote controller 13 may further control the display unit 121 of the bathroom remote controller 12 to display this message M11. In this case, the control unit 123 of the bathroom remote controller 12 has a function of displaying the message M11 in advance in response to a command from the control unit 133 of the kitchen remote controller 13.

Further, in step S122 of FIG. 4A, the control unit 133 controls to output the voice corresponding to the message M11 from the speaker of the kitchen remote controller 13 together with the output of the notification screen. Further, the control unit 133 of the kitchen remote controller 13 may cause the control unit 123 of the bathroom remote controller 12 to execute the same audio output. In this case, the control unit 123 of the bathroom remote controller 12 has a function of outputting the voice in advance in response to a command from the control unit 133 of the kitchen remote controller 13.

As a result, the user of the home H10 can more accurately grasp that the operating state of the hot water supply device 10 is switched off by remote control and that the hot water discharge temperature Tp gradually decreases due to this remote control. Can be done.

The notification in step S122 of FIG. 4A may be performed only by voice. As a result, the user of the home H10 can smoothly grasp the change in the operating state and the drop in the hot water temperature Tp by the voice notification even if the work associated with the hot water supply is performed. The output of the voice for notification may be repeated a plurality of times until the notification is canceled in step S124 of FIG. 4A. As a result, the user of the home H10 can more reliably grasp the change in the operating state and the drop in the hot water temperature Tp.

<Effect of Embodiment 1>
According to the first embodiment, the following effects can be achieved.

When a remote control is performed to turn off the operating state via the mobile terminal device 30, even if the hot water supply device 10 is in a water flow state, the remote control is accepted and the operating state of the hot water supply device 10 is turned off. Can be switched. Therefore, the user of the mobile terminal device 30 can appropriately switch the operating state of the hot water supply device 10 from on to off by remote control. Further, in this case, since the hot water temperature Tp is gradually lowered from the set temperature to the low level temperature Tm, the hot water does not suddenly switch to water. Therefore, the user in the house can take appropriate measures by gradually lowering the hot water temperature Tp even while using the hot water. As a result, it is possible to avoid causing a great inconvenience to the user in the house. Therefore, it is possible to smoothly execute the remote control of the operation off from outside the house while suppressing the inconvenience given to the user in the house as much as possible.

Further, when the hot water temperature drop process of FIG. 3B is executed, the bathroom remote controller 12 and the kitchen remote controller 13 are notified by the process of FIG. 4A. As a result, the user of the home H10 can more accurately grasp that the hot water temperature Tp gradually decreases due to the remote control of the operation off. Therefore, the user of the in-house H10 can take a smoother response to the fact that the operating state of the hot water supply device 10 is switched off after the hot water temperature Tp gradually decreases by remote control from outside the house. it can.

Further, in the hot water discharge temperature drop process of FIG. 3B, the low level temperature Tm is set to the lowest temperature in the temperature range that can be set in the hot water supply device 10. As a result, the temperature difference between hot water and water that occurs when switching the operating state can be minimized. Therefore, it is possible to minimize the surprise and inconvenience given to the user in the house when switching the driving state.

<Embodiment 2>
In the first embodiment, the process when the operating state of the hot water supply device 10 is switched off by remote control is shown, but in the second embodiment, the operating state of the hot water supply device 10 is switched on by remote control. The process is shown.

FIG. 5A is a flowchart showing the process performed by the control unit 133 of the kitchen remote controller 13 when the user remotely controls the operation on via the mobile terminal device 30 according to the second embodiment.

When the control unit 133 of the kitchen remote controller 13 receives the command notification from the server 50 (S201), it determines whether or not the received command notification is a command notification related to operation on (S202). When the received command notification is not the operation-on command notification (S202: NO), the control unit 133 executes remote control in response to the command notification (S206). On the other hand, when the received command notification is an operation-on command notification (S202: YES), the control unit 133 refers to the current state information stored in the storage unit 134, and the water heater 11 is passing water. Whether or not it is determined (S203).

When the water heater 11 is not passing water (S203: NO), the control unit 133 executes remote control in response to the command notification (S206). As a result, the operating state of the hot water supply device 10 is switched from off to on.

On the other hand, when the water heater 11 is passing water (S203: YES), that is, while the water heater 11 is in the non-combustion state (the water heater 10 is in the operation off state), the operation of hot water supply to the hot water tap such as a curan is performed. When water is flowing through the water heater 11, the control unit 133 sets the hot water outlet temperature Tp to a predetermined low level temperature Tm lower than the set temperature, and turns off the operating state of the water heater 10. Switch on (S204). Similar to the first embodiment, the low level temperature Tm is set to, for example, the lowest temperature in the temperature range that can be set in the hot water supply device 10 (for example, 32 ° C.). Alternatively, the low level temperature Tm may be set to a temperature slightly higher than the minimum temperature (for example, 35 ° C.).

After that, the control unit 133 executes a process of gradually increasing the hot water temperature Tp to a set temperature (hot water temperature raising process) (S205). The control unit 133 raises the hot water temperature to a set temperature by this hot water temperature raising process, and then ends the process.

FIG. 4B is a flowchart showing the contents of the hot water temperature raising process (S204) of FIG. 4A.

The control unit 133 monitors whether or not a predetermined time (for example, several seconds) has elapsed (S212). During that time, the control unit 133 determines whether or not the water heater 11 is still in the water by referring to the status information that is sequentially updated (S211). If the water heater 11 is no longer in the water (S211: NO) before the predetermined time elapses (S212: NO), the control unit 133 ends the hot water discharge temperature raising process.

When the predetermined time elapses (S212: YES) while the state of water flow is continued (S211: YES), the control unit 133 determines whether or not the current hot water temperature Tp is smaller than the set temperature Ts (S213). ). The set temperature Ts is the latest hot water supply temperature set in the hot water supply device 10 by the user.

When the current hot water temperature Tp is smaller than the set temperature Ts (S213: YES), the control unit 133 controls to raise the hot water temperature Tp by ΔT (S214). As a result, the hot water temperature Tp from the water heater 11 is raised by ΔT, and the state information is transmitted from the control unit 111 of the water heater 11 to the bathroom remote controller 12 and the kitchen remote controller 13. ΔT is set to a few degrees Celsius (eg 1 ° C.).

After that, the control unit 133 returns the process to step S211 and switches back to the same process. As a result, as long as the water heater 11 is passing water (S211: YES), the hot water outlet temperature Tp increases by ΔT at predetermined time intervals (S212: YES) (S214). Then, when the hot water temperature Tp reaches the set temperature Ts (S213: NO), the control unit 133 ends the hot water temperature raising process.

When the hot water discharge temperature Tp (that is, the low level temperature Tm) set in step S204 of FIG. 5 (a) is equal to or higher than the set temperature of the hot water supply device 10 at the start of the hot water temperature rise process (S213: YES), Without performing the process of increasing the hot water temperature Tp (S214), the determination in step S213 becomes NO, and the hot water temperature increase process ends.

Also in the second embodiment, the notification process for notifying that the hot water temperature Tp rises is executed in the control unit 133 of the kitchen remote controller 13 in parallel with the hot water temperature rising process of FIG. 4B.

FIG. 6A is a flowchart showing a notification process performed by the control unit 133 of the kitchen remote controller 13 when the hot water temperature rise process is executed.

When the hot water temperature Tp is raised in step S214 of FIG. 5B (S221: YES), the control unit 133 executes a process for notifying that fact (S222). After that, the control unit 133 continues the notification until the hot water temperature raising process is completed (S223: NO). When the hot water temperature drop process is completed (S223: YES), the control unit 133 cancels the notification (S224) and ends the process.

FIG. 6B is a diagram showing an example of a notification screen displayed on the display unit 131 of the kitchen remote controller 13 by the process of FIG. 6A.

Here, on the notification screen, a message M21 notifying that the operation of the hot water supply device 10 has been started by remote control and that the hot water discharge temperature Tp has been raised from the low level temperature to the set temperature after the start of the operation is displayed. include.

Similar to the first embodiment, the control unit 133 of the kitchen remote controller 13 may further control the display unit 121 of the bathroom remote controller 12 to display this message M21. In this case, the control unit 123 of the bathroom remote controller 12 has a function of displaying the message M21 in advance in response to a command from the control unit 133 of the kitchen remote controller 13.

Further, in step S222 of FIG. 6A, the control unit 133 controls to output the voice corresponding to the message M21 from the speaker of the kitchen remote controller 13 together with the output of the notification screen. Further, the control unit 133 of the kitchen remote controller 13 may cause the control unit 123 of the bathroom remote controller 12 to execute the same audio output. In this case, the control unit 123 of the bathroom remote controller 12 has a function of outputting the voice in advance in response to a command from the control unit 133 of the kitchen remote controller 13.

As a result, the user of the home H10 more accurately grasps that the operating state of the hot water supply device 10 is switched on by remote control and that the hot water temperature Tp gradually rises with this remote control. be able to.

The notification in step S222 in FIG. 6A may be performed only by voice. As a result, the user of the home H10 can smoothly grasp the change in the operating state and the rise in the hot water temperature Tp by the voice notification even if the work associated with the hot water supply is performed. The voice output for notification may be repeated a plurality of times until the notification is canceled in step S224 of FIG. 6A. As a result, the user of the home H10 can more reliably grasp the change in the operating state and the rise in the hot water temperature Tp.

<Effect of Embodiment 2>
According to the second embodiment, the following effects can be achieved.

When a remote control is performed to change the operating state to ON via the mobile terminal device 30, the remote control is accepted and the operating state of the hot water supply device 10 is turned on even if the hot water supply device 10 is in the water flow state. Can be switched. Therefore, the user of the mobile terminal device 30 can appropriately switch the operating state of the hot water supply device 10 from off to on by remote control. Further, in this case, since the hot water outlet temperature is gradually raised from the low level temperature Tm to the set temperature Ts, the water does not suddenly switch to the hot water having the set temperature Ts. Therefore, even if the user in the house is using water through the water heater when switching the operating state, he / she can take an appropriate measure by gradually increasing the hot water temperature. As a result, it is possible to avoid causing a great inconvenience to the user in the house. Therefore, it is possible to smoothly execute the remote control of driving on from outside the house while suppressing the inconvenience given to the user in the house as much as possible.

Further, when the hot water temperature raising process of FIG. 5B is executed, the bathroom remote controller 12 and the kitchen remote controller 13 output a notification to that effect by the process of FIG. 6A. As a result, the user in the house can more accurately grasp that the hot water temperature gradually rises due to the remote control of the operation on. Therefore, the user in the house can more smoothly respond to the rise in the hot water temperature due to the operating state of the hot water supply device 10 being switched on by remote control from outside the house.

Further, in the process of FIG. 5A, the low level temperature Tm is set to the lowest temperature in the temperature range that can be set in the hot water supply device 10. As a result, the temperature difference between hot water and water that occurs when switching the operating state can be minimized. Therefore, it is possible to minimize the surprise and inconvenience given to the user in the house when switching the driving state.

<Change example>
In the first embodiment, in step S114 of FIG. 3B, the hot water discharge temperature is lowered by ΔT, but the method of lowering the hot water discharge temperature is not limited to this. For example, when the temperature level that can be set as the hot water supply temperature is predetermined, in step S114, the hot water outlet temperature Tp may be lowered to a temperature level that is one level lower than the hot water outlet temperature Tp that is the determination control in step S113. .. Similarly, in step S214 of FIG. 5B, the hot water temperature Tp may be raised to a temperature level one level higher than the hot water temperature Tp determined and targeted in step S213. Further, in the hot water temperature lowering treatment, the hot water temperature Tp does not necessarily have to be lowered in a stepped manner, and may be continuously lowered to a low level temperature Tm over a predetermined time. Similarly, in the hot water temperature raising process, the hot water temperature Tp may be continuously raised to the set temperature Ts over a predetermined time.

Further, in the first and second embodiments, the processes of FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b) and FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b) are performed by the control unit 133 of the kitchen remote controller 13, but these processes are performed. , It may be performed by the control unit 111 of the water heater 11. In this case, when the control unit 133 of the kitchen remote controller 13 receives the command notification for switching the operation state from the server 50, the control unit 133 sends the command notification to the water heater together with specific information indicating that the command notification is a command notification based on remote control. It is transmitted to the control unit 111 of 11. Based on the received specific information, the control unit 111 of the water heater 11 determines that the command notification is a command notification based on remote control, and steps S102 to S106 in FIG. 3A and step S202 in FIG. 5A. The process of ~ S206 is executed. This can also produce the same effects as those in the first and second embodiments. Similarly, when a control device other than the water heater 11 is installed in the home H10, this control device executes the processes of FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b) and FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b). You may.

Further, in the first and second embodiments, the wireless communication unit 136 is provided in the kitchen remote controller 13 constituting the hot water supply device 10, but the wireless communication unit is provided in the water heater 11 and the water heater 11 is connected to the router 20. You may. In this case, the control of the kitchen remote controller 13 in the first and second embodiments may be performed by the control unit 111 of the water heater 11. Further, a wireless communication unit may be provided on the bathroom remote controller 12, and the bathroom remote controller 12 may be connected to the router 20. In this case, the control of the kitchen remote controller 13 in the first and second embodiments may be performed by the control unit 123 of the bathroom remote controller 12. Alternatively, a control unit having a wireless communication unit other than the water heater 11, the bathroom remote controller 12, and the kitchen remote controller 13 may be arranged in the hot water supply device 10, and the control unit may be connected to the router 20. In this case, the control by the kitchen remote controller 13 in the first and second embodiments may be performed by the control unit.

Further, in the above-described first and second embodiments, the notification processing of FIGS. 4 (a) and 6 (a) is performed by the control unit 133 of the kitchen remote controller 13, but in the case where the water heater 11 is installed in the house. If the water heater 11 has an output unit (display unit, speaker, etc.) for notification output, the notification in FIGS. 4 (a) and 6 (a) may be performed in the output unit of the water heater 11. ..

The terminal device for remotely controlling the hot water supply device 10 may include a stationary terminal device that is not portable and is installed at a predetermined place. Further, the hot water supply device 10 is not limited to the one using gas fuel, and may be a hot water supply device using oil as fuel. The hot water supply device 10 may be of a storage type using a storage tank, or may be configured to further include a power generation unit such as a fuel cell.

In addition, various modifications of the embodiment of the present invention can be made as appropriate within the scope of the claims.

1 Hot water supply system 10 Hot water supply device 11 Water heater 114 Flow sensor 13 Kitchen remote controller 30 Mobile terminal device 40 External communication network 50 Server 131 Display (output)
133 Control unit 136 Wireless communication unit (communication unit)
Tm low level temperature Tp hot water temperature Ts set temperature

Claims (5)

A hot water supply device that can be remotely controlled by a mobile terminal device via an external communication network.
A communication unit that can be connected to the external communication network
When a command notification based on a remote operation for changing the operating state of the hot water supply device from on to off is received via the communication unit, and the hot water supply device is in the water flow state, the hot water discharge temperature of the hot water supply device is set. A control unit for changing the operating state of the water heater to off after executing a hot water temperature lowering process for gradually lowering the temperature from a temperature to a predetermined low level temperature.
A hot water supply device characterized by this. In the hot water supply device according to claim 1,
It is provided with an output unit for outputting information about the hot water supply device.
When the control unit executes the hot water temperature drop process, the control unit notifies to that effect via the output unit.
A hot water supply device characterized by this. A hot water supply device that can be remotely controlled by a mobile terminal device via an external communication network.
A communication unit that can be connected to the external communication network
When a command notification based on a remote operation for changing the operating state of the hot water supply device from off to on is received via the communication unit, if the hot water supply device is in a water flow state, the hot water discharge temperature of the hot water supply device is determined. It is provided with a control unit that executes a hot water discharge temperature raising process that gradually raises the hot water discharge temperature from the low level temperature to the set temperature after setting the operating state of the hot water supply device to the low level temperature of ,
A hot water supply device characterized by this. In the hot water supply device according to claim 3,
It is provided with an output unit for outputting information about the hot water supply device.
When the control unit executes the hot water temperature increase process, the control unit notifies to that effect via the output unit.
A hot water supply device characterized by this. In the hot water supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
The low level temperature is the lowest temperature in the temperature range that can be set for the water heater.
A hot water supply device characterized by this.

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