JP6537352B2 - Life Extension Device, Diagnostic Method, and Program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a device for prolonging life, a diagnostic method, and a program.

  A power supply circuit including a capacitor is used to supply power to a load. The power supply circuit may fail due to aging of the capacitor. Therefore, in order to avoid the occurrence of a failure, replace the capacitor in a timely manner. At the time of maintenance inspection, diagnose the degree of deterioration of the capacitor and establish a time to replace the capacitor.

  As disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is known a method of diagnosing the degree of deterioration of a capacitor by the amplitude value of the ripple appearing in the output voltage waveform of the power supply circuit.

JP, 2011-21995, A

  The waveform obtained as a result of measuring the output voltage of the power supply circuit includes noise generated in the circuit on the load side. It is difficult to separate the noise from the obtained waveform and measure only the ripple. If noise is superimposed on the amplitude of the ripple, the degree of deterioration of the capacitor can not be diagnosed accurately.

  If the capacitor replacement time is misjudged, an unexpected failure occurs in the power supply circuit and hence the circuit on the load side. When an unexpected failure occurs, the failed circuit must be repaired urgently.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of accurately diagnosing the degree of deterioration of a capacitor included in a power supply circuit.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a technology capable of reducing the probability of occurrence of an emergency repair of a power supply circuit including a capacitor and a circuit on the load side connected thereto.

In order to achieve the above object, the life extending device according to the present invention causes a working part as a circuit on the load side to execute a power consumption promotion event for temporarily promoting consumption of the power supplied from the power supply circuit. Based on the measurement results of the control means, the drop voltage measuring means for measuring the drop amount of the output voltage of the power supply circuit at the timing when the execution of the power consumption promotion event is started in the working part, and If it is determined that life extension measures are necessary, and it is determined that life extension measures are necessary, the operation parts are operated so that power consumption in the operation parts is reduced after the execution of the power consumption promotion event by the operation parts ends. And second control means for controlling The operating unit includes a plurality of power consumers each consuming power. The first control means causes the plurality of power consumption units constituting the operating unit to simultaneously consume the power supplied from the power supply circuit as the power consumption promotion event.

  By using the drop amount of the output voltage of the power supply circuit, it is possible to accurately determine whether it is necessary to extend the life of the capacitor. If necessary, life extension measures are taken to reduce the power consumption in the working part, so that the probability of occurrence of a situation where the power supply circuit and hence the target device must be urgently repaired can be reduced.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a display device with a life extension function according to a first embodiment. The circuit diagram which shows a part of power supply circuit. The timing chart which shows the waveform of a power supply voltage, and an operation start pulse signal. 6 is a flowchart of life extension processing according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a display device with a life extension function according to a second embodiment. The graph which plotted the measurement result of the voltage drop value. 10 is a flowchart of life extension processing according to the second embodiment.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, taking the case where a target of life extension is a display device as an example. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

First Embodiment
As shown in FIG. 1, the display device 100 with a life extension function according to the first embodiment includes a display device 10 as a target device and a life extension device 20 for extending the life of the display device 10.

  The display device 10 includes a display 11 as an operating unit, a power supply circuit 12 supplying power necessary to operate the display 11, a display control circuit 13 controlling the display 11, and a cooling device 14 cooling the power supply circuit 12 and the like. And

  The display 11 is configured by arranging LED (Light Emitting Diode) units 111 as light emitting devices on a printed wiring board in a matrix. Each LED unit 111 is a package in which a red LED, a green LED, and a blue LED are mounted in a package, and constitutes a pixel of a display screen of the display 11. The display 11 displays a color moving image.

  There are three display modes of a color moving image by the display 11: a high brightness display mode, a power saving display mode, and a power saving display mode.

  The high luminance display mode is a display mode in which the display 11 displays an image under the condition where the ease of viewing the image displayed on the display 11 is prioritized.

  The power saving display mode is a display mode in which power saving is achieved and the display 11 displays an image as compared to the high brightness display mode. Power saving is achieved by reducing the light emission luminance of each LED unit 111.

  The power saving display mode is a display mode in which power saving is further achieved than in the power saving display mode, and the display 11 displays an image. The light emission luminance of each LED unit 111 is lower than that in the power saving display mode.

  The power supply circuit 12 includes an electrolytic capacitor 121 that smoothes the output voltage of the power supply circuit 12. The details will be described below.

  FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram showing a part of the power supply circuit 12. One electrode of the electrolytic capacitor 121 is connected to the cathode terminal of the diode 122, and the other electrode of the electrolytic capacitor 121 is connected to the ground wiring. The electrolytic capacitor 121 and the diode 122 constitute a smoothing circuit. The potential difference between the potential of the cathode terminal of the diode 122 and the potential of the ground wiring is the output voltage V of the power supply circuit 12. The output voltage V is supplied to the display 11 as a load. The electrolytic capacitor 121 is connected in parallel to the load, and thus plays a role of smoothing the output voltage V.

  In FIG. 1, when the display 11 is powered on, that is, when the application of the output voltage V of the power supply circuit 12 to the display 11 is started, the display control circuit 13 first performs all the display 11 Control is performed to set a standby mode in which the unit 111 is turned off. In the standby mode, since all the LED units 111 are turned off, no current flows from the power supply circuit 12 to each of the LED units 111.

  When the display control circuit 13 receives the standby end pulse signal Sig1 from the outside in a state where the display 11 is set to the standby mode, first, all the LED units 111 constituting the display 11 are supplied from the power supply circuit 12 Execute a power consumption promotion event that temporarily flows current. In the power consumption promotion event, an initial screen is temporarily displayed on the display 11 by temporarily turning on all the LED units 111 constituting the display 11.

  The display control circuit 13 causes the display 11 to display a color moving image following the initial screen. The display of a color moving image is realized by control of lighting / extinguishing of each LED unit 111, control of changing an emission color of the LED unit 111 in lighting, and the like. The emission color of the LED unit 111 can be controlled by the balance of the emission brightness of each of the red LED, the green LED, and the blue LED included in the LED unit 111.

  As described above, the display mode of the color moving image by the display 11 includes the three modes of the high brightness display mode, the power saving display mode, and the power saving display mode. The display control circuit 13 sets the display 11 to any of the above three display modes in accordance with the display mode selection signal Sig2 supplied from the outside. As described later, when the electrolytic capacitor 121 is deteriorated, the power saving display mode or the extreme power saving display mode is selected to extend the life of the electrolytic capacitor 121. When the electrolytic capacitor 121 is not deteriorated, the high brightness display mode is selected.

  The cooling device 14 is configured by an air conditioning facility that cools the display 11, the power supply circuit 12, and the display control circuit 13 by power supplied from a power supply (not shown) different from the power supply circuit 12. The degree of cooling by the cooling device 14 can be controlled by an externally applied cooling control signal Sig3.

  Next, the life extension device 20 will be described. The life extension device 20 measures a drop in voltage of the output voltage (hereinafter referred to as a power supply voltage) of the power supply circuit 12; a drop voltage measurement circuit 21; the above-described standby end pulse signal Sig1, the display mode selection signal Sig2, and a cooling control signal And a general control device 22 for outputting Sig3.

  The drop voltage measuring circuit 21 measures the drop amount of the power supply voltage (hereinafter referred to as a drop voltage value) at the timing when the display 11 executes the power consumption promotion event.

  The timing for measuring the dropped voltage value will be specifically described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3A shows a waveform of the power supply voltage, and FIG. 3B shows a waveform of the standby end pulse signal Sig1. The horizontal axis represents a time axis common to both waveforms. The power supply voltage V0 is substantially constant when the display 11 is set to the standby mode. Since the power consumption promotion event in which current is supplied to all the LED units 111 of the display 11 is executed at the timing when the standby end pulse signal Sig1 rises, the power supply voltage temporarily drops. Assuming that the power supply voltage value at the time when the standby end pulse signal Sig1 rises is V1, the drop voltage measuring circuit 21 measures a drop voltage value Vd represented by V0-V1.

  The degree of deterioration of the electrolytic capacitor 121 can be diagnosed by the voltage drop value Vd. The reason is as follows. When the electrolytic capacitor 121 is degraded, its capacitance decreases. Then, the function of smoothing the power supply voltage of the electrolytic capacitor 121 is degraded. For this reason, the drop voltage value Vd becomes large. Therefore, the deterioration of the electrolytic capacitor 121 can be diagnosed by the voltage drop value Vd. Deterioration of the electrolytic capacitor 121 is advanced as the voltage drop value Vd is larger.

  In FIG. 1, the integrated control device 22 compares the voltage drop value Vd measured by the voltage drop measuring circuit 21 with the first and second threshold values 221b and 221c to determine whether or not the electrolytic capacitor 121 is deteriorated. Determine the degree of Hereinafter, the general control device 22 will be described in detail.

  In the central control unit 22, a storage unit 221, a random access memory (RAM) 222, an input / output I / F (interface) 223, a standby end instructing unit 224, and a central processing unit (CPU) 225 are connected by a bus 226. It has composition.

  The storage unit 221 is configured to include a non-volatile storage medium such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a flash memory. The storage unit 221 stores the life extension program 221a, the first threshold 221b, and the second threshold 221c.

  The life extension program 221 a defines the operation of the CPU 225 for extending the life of the display device 10. The life extension program 221a causes the CPU 225 to function as first to third control means described later in particular. The first threshold 221 b and the second threshold 221 c are used for comparison with the voltage drop value Vd measured by the voltage drop measuring circuit 21. The first threshold 221 b is smaller than the second threshold 221 c. The first threshold 221 b is used to determine whether the electrolytic capacitor 121 is deteriorated. The second threshold 221 c is used to determine the degree of deterioration of the electrolytic capacitor 121.

  The RAM 222 functions as a main memory of the CPU 225, and temporarily stores data necessary for the CPU 225 to execute the above-described life extension program 221a, the voltage drop value Vd acquired from the voltage drop measurement circuit 21, and the like.

  The input / output I / F 223 acquires the drop voltage value Vd from the drop voltage measurement circuit 21. Further, the input / output I / F 223 outputs the standby end pulse signal Sig1 to the drop voltage measuring circuit 21 and the display control circuit 13, outputs the display mode selection signal Sig2 to the display control circuit 13, and outputs the cooling control signal to the cooling device 14. Output Sig3.

  The standby end instruction unit 224 is configured to include an input unit that instructs the user to end the standby mode of the display 11 and a timer that detects the arrival of a predetermined standby end time. The standby end instruction unit 224 notifies the CPU 225 that the standby mode of the display 11 should be ended, triggered by the instruction from the user or the detection of the standby end time by the timer.

  The CPU 225 executes the life extension program 221 a stored in the storage unit 221 to realize the life extension process described later. In the life extension process, the CPU 225 functions as a first control unit that causes the display 11 to execute a power consumption promotion event that temporarily promotes consumption of the power supplied from the power supply circuit 12. Further, in the life extension process, the CPU 225 determines whether or not the life extension measures for the electrolytic capacitor 121 are necessary based on the measurement result of the voltage drop measurement circuit 21 and determines that the life extension measures are necessary. It functions as a second control unit that controls the display 11 so that the power consumption in the display 11 is reduced after the execution of the power consumption promotion event by the display 11 is completed. Further, in the life extension process, the CPU 225 functions as a third control means for setting the display 11 to a standby mode in which the supply of current from the power supply circuit 12 to all the LED units 111 is stopped.

  The life extension process performed by the CPU 225 will be specifically described with reference to FIG.

  In advance, the CPU 225 causes the display control circuit 13 to set the display 11 in the standby mode as a third control unit. In the standby mode, the current from the power supply circuit 12 does not flow to all the LED units 111 constituting the display 11.

  When notified by the standby end instruction unit 224 that the standby mode should be ended, the CPU 225 causes the input / output I / F 223 to output the standby end pulse signal Sig1. The output standby end pulse signal Sig1 is input to the display control circuit 13 and the voltage drop measurement circuit 21.

  As a result, the display control circuit 13 causes the display 11 to execute a power consumption promotion event in which current is temporarily supplied to all the LED units 111. With the execution of the power consumption promotion event, the power supply voltage temporarily drops. The drop voltage measurement circuit 21 measures the drop voltage value Vd of the power supply circuit 12 at the timing when the standby end pulse signal Sig1 is given, and outputs the measurement result to the general control device 22 through the input / output I / F 223.

  Thus, the CPU 225 causes the display 11 to execute the power consumption promotion event as the first control means. Further, the CPU 225 obtains the voltage drop value Vd from the voltage drop measurement circuit 21 (step S11).

  Next, the CPU 225 compares the drop voltage value Vd measured by the drop voltage measurement circuit 21 with the first threshold 221 b stored in the storage unit 221 (step S12).

  If the drop voltage value Vd is less than the first threshold value 221b, the CPU 225 indicates that the electrolytic capacitor 121 has not deteriorated yet, and thus displays the display mode selection signal Sig2 indicating that the display 11 is operated in the high brightness display mode. , Output to the input / output I / F 223 (step S13). The display control circuit 13 sets the display 11 to the high brightness display mode in accordance with the display mode selection signal Sig2.

  On the other hand, if the drop voltage value Vd is equal to or greater than the first threshold value 221b, the CPU 225 indicates that the electrolytic capacitor 121 is deteriorated. Therefore, to further determine the degree of deterioration, the CPU 225 determines the voltage drop value Vd The second threshold 221c, which is larger than the one threshold 221b, is compared (step S14).

  The CPU 225 operates the display 11 as the second control means in the power saving display mode since it indicates that the degree of deterioration of the electrolytic capacitor 121 is small if the drop voltage value Vd is less than the second threshold value 221c. The display mode selection signal Sig2 is output to the input / output I / F 223 (step S15). The display control circuit 13 sets the display 11 to the power saving display mode in accordance with the display mode selection signal Sig2. For example, in the power saving display mode, the average power supplied to each of the LED units 111 is reduced by 20% as compared to the high brightness display mode.

  Deterioration of the electrolytic capacitor 121 proceeds by repeatedly charging and discharging the electrolytic capacitor 121 with a large voltage. When power saving of the display 11 is achieved, the discharge voltage and the charge voltage of the electrolytic capacitor 121 during the operation of the display 11 also decrease. Therefore, the end of the life of the electrolytic capacitor 121 can be delayed.

  On the other hand, since the CPU 225 indicates that the degree of deterioration of the electrolytic capacitor 121 is large if the dropped voltage value Vd is equal to or higher than the second threshold 221c, the second control is performed to further delay the life of the electrolytic capacitor 121. As a means, a display mode selection signal Sig2 for operating the display 11 in the extreme power saving display mode is output to the input / output I / F 223 (step S16). The display control circuit 13 sets the display 11 to the power saving display mode in accordance with the display mode selection signal Sig2. For example, in the power saving display mode, the average power supplied to each LED unit 111 is reduced by 30% as compared to the high brightness display mode.

  In the extreme power saving display mode, the CPU 225 changes the color (hue) or the vividness (saturation) of the color moving image to be displayed on the display 11 in combination with reducing the average power supplied to the LED unit 111. It is preferable to

  The reason is explained. Of the three elements of color, lightness, hue and saturation, the most important factor in visualizing an image is lightness. Among the red LED, the green LED, and the blue LED constituting the LED unit 111, the green LED has the highest luminous efficiency. That is, when the same power is supplied, the green LED emits light with the highest luminance among these three LEDs. Therefore, even when displaying a color moving image with the same content, the hue ratio of the green light component in the color balance of red, green, and blue in the light emission color of the LED unit 111 is higher than in the high luminance display mode. Or change the saturation. As a result, even if power saving is achieved, it is possible to make it difficult for the light emission luminance of each LED unit 111 to decrease.

  The CPU 225 also causes the input / output I / F 223 to output a cooling control signal Sig3 for promoting cooling of the display 11, the power supply circuit 12, and the display control circuit 13 by the cooling device 14 (step S17). Cooling device 14 promotes cooling of display 11, power supply circuit 12, and display control circuit 13 in accordance with cooling control signal Sig3.

  As the temperature of the atmosphere in which the display 11, the power supply circuit 12 and the display control circuit 13 are arranged is higher, the internal resistances of the display 11, the power supply circuit 12 and the display control circuit 13 are increased, and the power supplied by the power supply circuit 12 is increased. Consumption also increases. Therefore, by promoting the cooling of the display 11, the power supply circuit 12, and the display control circuit 13, the load on the power supply circuit 12 is reduced. As a result, increases in the discharge voltage and the charge voltage of the electrolytic capacitor 121 are suppressed. Therefore, the end of life of the electrolytic capacitor 121 can be delayed.

  Further, the lifetime of the electrolytic capacitor 121 has temperature dependency. For example, it is known that the life is doubled every time the operating temperature is lowered by 10 ° C. Therefore, promoting the cooling of the electrolytic capacitor 121 by the cooling device 14 directly contributes to delaying the end of the life of the electrolytic capacitor 121.

  As described above, the CPU 225 causes the display 11 to display an image in the high brightness display mode, the power saving display mode, or the extreme power saving display mode. When the display of the image by the display 11 ends (step S18; YES), the CPU 225 causes the display control circuit 13 to set the display 11 in the standby mode as a third control means (step S19), and ends the life extension process.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the CPU 225 of the general control device 22 temporarily promotes consumption of the power supplied from the power supply circuit 12 to the display 11 through the display control circuit 13. Run an event. The voltage drop measurement circuit 21 measures the voltage drop value Vd of the power supply voltage at the timing when the power consumption promotion event is executed on the display 11. The voltage drop value Vd depends on the capacitance of the electrolytic capacitor 121. The capacitance changes depending on the degree of deterioration of the electrolytic capacitor 121. Therefore, the CPU 225 of the general control device 22 can diagnose the degree of deterioration of the electrolytic capacitor 121 based on the voltage drop value Vd.

  Since the voltage drop value Vd is a value at the moment when the display 11 ends the standby mode and executes the power consumption promotion event from the standby mode in which the supply of current to all the LED units 111 is stopped, the display 11 It is hard to be affected by the noise generated during the actual operation of displaying color moving picture images. For this reason, according to the voltage drop value Vd, the CPU 225 of the general control device 22 can accurately diagnose whether or not the life extension measure for the electrolytic capacitor 121 is necessary.

  Then, the CPU 225 of the general control device 22 controls the display 11 through the display control circuit 13 so as to reduce the power consumption of the display 11 as a life extension measure. Therefore, the electrolytic capacitor 121 and hence the display device 10 can be extended. For this reason, the probability of occurrence of a situation in which the display device 10 has to be repaired urgently can be reduced.

Second Embodiment
Next, with reference to FIG. 5 to FIG. 7, the display device 200 with the life extension function according to the second embodiment will be described. In the figure, the same or corresponding parts as in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the display device 200 with the life extension function includes the display device 10 and the life extension device 30. The life extension device 30 includes a drop voltage measurement circuit 21 and a general control device 31.

  In the general control device 31, a storage unit 311, a random access memory (RAM) 312, an input / output I / F (interface) 313, a standby end instruction unit 314, and a central processing unit (CPU) 315 are connected by a bus 316. It has composition.

  The storage unit 311 stores the life extension program 311a, the voltage drop measurement result data 311b, the next maintenance time point 311c, and the threshold value 311d.

  The life extension program 311 a defines the operation of the CPU 315 for extending the life of the display device 10. The voltage drop measurement result data 311 b is formed by the voltage drop measurement circuit 21 in a time series of the voltage drop values Vd measured this time and before the previous time. The next maintenance time point 311 c indicates the time when maintenance of the power supply circuit 12 will be performed next by the maintenance personnel. The threshold 311 d represents a voltage drop value when the life of the electrolytic capacitor 121 has come.

  The CPU 315 realizes the life extension process by executing the life extension program 311a. In particular, the CPU 315 predicts the time of arrival of the life of the electrolytic capacitor 121 using the voltage drop measurement result data 311 b in the life extension process. The prediction method will be specifically described below.

  FIG. 6 is a graph in which the measurement result of the drop voltage measurement circuit 21 is plotted. The vertical axis represents the voltage drop value, and the horizontal axis represents time. Point A0 shows the measurement result of this time, point A1 shows the measurement result of the last time, and point A2 shows the measurement result of the second time before. The time series A0 to A2 of such measurement results are stored in the storage unit 311 as the drop voltage measurement result data 311b.

  First, the CPU 315 obtains a function representing an interpolation curve C that interpolates the points A0 to A2 using a known interpolation method. For a function representing the interpolation curve C, for example, an exponential function is used.

  Next, the CPU 315 uses a function representing the interpolation curve C to determine a time Tx at which the interpolation curve C intersects with the value L represented by the threshold 311 d. As described above, the threshold 311 d represents a voltage drop value when the life of the electrolytic capacitor 121 has come. Therefore, the time Tx represents a predicted value at the end of the life of the electrolytic capacitor 121.

  Although FIG. 6 shows the latest three measurement results A0 to A2 including the present measurement result for easy understanding, the function of the interpolation curve C is the latest one including the present measurement result. It may be determined using the measurement results of four or more points of the above, or may be determined using the measurement results of only the two most recent points including the measurement result of this time.

  The CPU 315 also determines whether or not the life arrival time point Tx is a time point later than the time point Ty indicated by the next maintenance time point 311 c. Further, the CPU 315 also determines whether or not the life arrival time point Tx is a time point after the time when the loose period Tc is added to the next maintenance time point Ty. Then, the CPU 315 controls the display control circuit 13 and the cooling device 14 in accordance with the determination results.

  The life extension process performed by the CPU 315 will be specifically described with reference to FIG. 7.

  In advance, the display 11 is set in a standby mode in which the current from the power supply circuit 12 does not flow to each of the LED units 111.

  When notified by the standby end instruction unit 314 that the standby mode should be ended, the CPU 315 causes the input / output I / F 313 to output the standby end pulse signal Sig 1. The output standby end pulse signal Sig1 is input to the display control circuit 13 and the voltage drop measurement circuit 21.

  Thereby, the display control circuit 13 causes the display 11 to execute a power consumption promotion event in which current is temporarily supplied to all the LED units 111. With the execution of the power consumption promotion event, the power supply voltage temporarily drops. The drop voltage measurement circuit 21 measures the drop voltage value Vd of the power supply circuit 12 and outputs the measurement result to the general control device 31.

  Thus, the CPU 315 causes the display 11 to execute the power consumption promotion event and acquires the dropped voltage value Vd from the dropped voltage measurement circuit 21 (step S21). The CPU 315 updates the voltage drop measurement result data 311 b by storing the measurement result in the storage unit 311 each time the measurement result of the voltage drop Vd is acquired.

  Next, the CPU 315 calculates the life arrival time point Tx of the electrolytic capacitor 121 using the voltage drop measurement result data 311b in the manner described with reference to FIG. 6 (step S22).

  Next, the CPU 315 determines whether or not the life arrival time point Tx is a time point after the next maintenance time point Ty (step S23).

  If the life arrival time point Tx is before the next maintenance time point Ty at step S23, the CPU 315 has a very high possibility that the electrolytic capacitor 121 will fail before the next maintenance time point Ty. In order to delay, the display mode selection signal Sig2 for operating the display 11 in the extreme power saving display mode is output to the input / output I / F 313 (step S24). Further, the CPU 315 causes the input / output I / F 313 to output a cooling control signal Sig3 for promoting cooling of the display 11, the power supply circuit 12, and the display control circuit 13 by the cooling device 14 (step S25).

  On the other hand, if the life arrival time point Tx is after the next maintenance time point Ty at step S23, the CPU 315 determines whether the life time arrival point Tx is after the time when the loose time period Tc is added to the next maintenance time point Ty. Is determined (step S26).

  If the life arrival time point Tx is before the next maintenance time point Ty is added with the loose period Tc in step S26, the CPU 315 has a high possibility that the electrolytic capacitor 121 may fail before the next maintenance time point Ty. Therefore, the display mode selection signal Sig2 for operating the display 11 in the power saving display mode is output to the input / output I / F 313 (step S27).

  On the other hand, if the CPU 315 determines in step S26 that the life arrival time point Tx is a time point after adding the relaxation period Tc to the next maintenance time point Ty, the possibility of the electrolytic capacitor 121 failing until the next maintenance time point Ty is extremely low. The display mode selection signal Sig2 for operating the display 11 in the high luminance display mode is output to the input / output I / F 313 (step S28).

  As described above, the CPU 315 causes the display 11 to display an image in the high brightness display mode, the power saving display mode, or the extreme power saving display mode. When the display of the video by the display 11 is completed (step S29: YES), the CPU 315 causes the display control circuit 13 to set the display 11 in the standby mode (step S30), and the life extension process is ended.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the CPU 315 predicts the life arrival time point of the electrolytic capacitor 121 using the time series of the voltage drop value, and compares the predicted life time arrival point with the next maintenance time point. , Determine whether life extension measures are necessary. Therefore, for example, even if the electrolytic capacitor 121 is hardly deteriorated, if the period until the next maintenance point is long, life extension measures can be taken. On the other hand, even if deterioration of the electrolytic capacitor 121 has progressed to some extent, if the period until the next maintenance point is short, life extension measures may not be taken. In this way, the presence or absence of a life prolongation measure can be determined rationally and flexibly according to the length of time until the next maintenance point.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to this. For example, the following modifications are possible.

  In the first embodiment, the deterioration degree of the electrolytic capacitor 121 is diagnosed by the voltage drop value of the power supply circuit 12. However, the magnitude of the difference between the previous measurement result of the voltage drop measurement circuit 21 and the current measurement result Alternatively, it may be determined whether it is necessary to prolong the life of the electrolytic capacitor 121. The larger the difference is, the faster the deterioration of the electrolytic capacitor 121 progresses.

  In the second embodiment, the time series of the measurement result of the voltage drop measurement circuit 21 is used to predict the life of the electrolytic capacitor 121, but it is not necessary to use this time series. For example, the relationship between the voltage drop value of the power supply circuit 12 and the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 121 is measured in advance, and a function representing the relationship between the two is obtained from the measurement result, or a table representing the correspondence relationship between the two is created. You may leave it. If the function or the table is stored in advance in the storage unit 311, the CPU 315 can predict the end of life of the electrolytic capacitor 121 from the voltage drop value of the power supply circuit 12 using the function or the table.

  In the first and second embodiments, as a measure to prolong the life of the electrolytic capacitor 121, the display setting of the display 11 is changed so as to lower the luminance without changing the video content to be displayed on the display 11. The video content may be changed without changing the display setting of the display 11. For example, the power saving display mode may be realized by displaying content which is darker than the video content to be displayed in the high luminance display mode. The power saving display mode may be realized by displaying a content including a video that is darker and has a higher display ratio of green among the three primary colors than the video content displayed in the power saving display mode. Further, both of the display setting of the display 11 and the video content to be displayed on the display 11 may be changed.

  In the first and second embodiments, the case where the operating unit of the target device to be the target of life extension is the display 11 has been described. The display 11 may be installed outdoors such as a wall of a building, a road or a square, or may be installed indoors such as a concert hall, or can be opened and closed such as a stadium It may be installed in the place where the roof was provided. According to the first and second embodiments, since the occurrence probability of the situation where the emergency repair of the display 11 is required can be reduced, the emergency that the display 11 is not on the schedule, such as a wall of a building or a road, for example It is particularly significant when it is installed in a place where it is difficult to repair. In addition, the target device to be the target of life extension is not limited to the display 11, and may be a road marking board that displays information for supporting a driver or a pedestrian, or may be various electric devices.

  The cooling device 14 can be realized by an air conditioning facility such as an air conditioner, or can be realized by a mere fan. As a measure to prolong the life of the electrolytic capacitor 121, control may be performed to increase the rotational speed of the fan provided in the blower, or control may be performed to lower the temperature threshold at which the fan starts to operate. Further, the cooling device 14 may be realized by water cooling equipment. As a measure for prolonging the life of the electrolytic capacitor 121, it is also possible to increase the circulation speed of water as a cooling medium, and to reduce the temperature of water as a cooling medium.

  The power supply circuit generally includes a large number of electrolytic capacitors. The electrolytic capacitor 121 shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 5 may be a specific one of the plurality of electrolytic capacitors or may represent a set of a plurality of electrolytic capacitors.

  Further, a program defining the operation of the life extension device 20 or 30 (except for the drop voltage measuring circuit 21) is installed in an existing personal computer, information terminal device, etc. to extend the life of the personal computer, information terminal device etc. It can also function as 20 or 30 (except for the drop voltage measuring circuit 21). A distribution method of such a program is arbitrary, and may be distributed via a communication network such as the Internet, or a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read-Only Memory), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), or an MO (MO) It may be stored and distributed in a computer readable recording medium such as Magneto Optical Disk), a memory card or the like.

  Reference Signs List 10 display device (target device), 11 display (operating unit), 111 LED unit (light emitting device, power consumption unit), 12 power supply circuit, 121 electrolytic capacitor (capacitor), 13 display control circuit, 14 cooling device, 20, 30 Life extension device, 21 drop voltage measurement circuit (drop voltage measurement means), 22, 31 general control unit, 221, 311 storage unit (measurement result storage means, next maintenance point storage means), 221a, 311a life extension program, 225, 315 CPU (First to third control means), 100, 200 Display device with life extension function.

Claims (10)

It includes a power supply circuit including a capacitor, and a working portion that operates by electric power supplied from the power source circuit, survival device the operating unit, achieved each survival of the plurality of Target device comprising a power consuming unit that consumes power And
The operating unit is supplied with power from the power supply circuit to the plurality of power consumption units that constitute the operating unit as a power consumption promotion event that temporarily promotes consumption of power supplied from the power supply circuit. First control means for simultaneous consumption ;
Drop-down voltage measurement means for measuring the drop amount of the output voltage of the power supply circuit at the timing when execution of the power consumption promotion event is started in the operating unit;
Based on the measurement result of the voltage drop measuring means, it is determined whether or not the life extension measure is necessary for the capacitor, and when it is determined that the life extension measure is necessary, the power consumption promotion event by the operating unit is the life extension measure. Second control means for controlling the operating unit such that power consumption in the operating unit is reduced after execution of
Life-sustaining device with. Furthermore, a third control means is provided for setting the operating unit to a standby state in which the supply of current from the power supply circuit to all the power consuming units constituting the operating unit is stopped,
The life extension device according to claim 1 , wherein the first control means causes the operating unit set in the standby state to end the standby state and execute the power consumption promotion event. A power supply circuit including a capacitor, and a working portion that operates by electric power supplied from the power source circuit, the operation portion is in survival means achieves survival of Target device including a plurality of light emitting devices which respectively emit light There,
First control means for causing the operating unit to execute a power consumption promotion event for temporarily promoting consumption of the power supplied from the power supply circuit;
Drop-down voltage measurement means for measuring the drop amount of the output voltage of the power supply circuit at the timing when execution of the power consumption promotion event is started in the operating unit;
Based on the measurement result of the voltage drop measuring means, it is determined whether or not the life extension measure is necessary for the capacitor, and when it is determined that the life extension measure is necessary, the power consumption promotion event by the operating unit is the life extension measure. Second control means for controlling the operating unit such that power consumption in the operating unit is reduced after execution of
Equipped with
The second control means controls the operating unit so as to reduce the light emission luminance of each light emitting device as the life extension measure.
Extended life equipment. The operating unit comprises a display for displaying a color image,
The life extension device according to claim 3 , wherein the second control means controls the display so as to change the hue or saturation of the color image displayed by the display in conjunction with the life extension measure. A life extending device for extending the life of a target device comprising: a power supply circuit including a capacitor; and an operating unit operated by power supplied from the power supply circuit,
First control means for causing the operating unit to execute a power consumption promotion event for temporarily promoting consumption of the power supplied from the power supply circuit;
Drop-down voltage measurement means for measuring the drop amount of the output voltage of the power supply circuit at the timing when execution of the power consumption promotion event is started in the operating unit;
Based on the measurement result of the voltage drop measuring means, it is determined whether or not the life extension measure is necessary for the capacitor, and when it is determined that the life extension measure is necessary, the power consumption promotion event by the operating unit is the life extension measure. Second control means for controlling the operating unit such that power consumption in the operating unit is reduced after execution of
A cooling device for cooling the power supply circuit;
Equipped with
The second control means controls the cooling device such that cooling of the power supply circuit is started by the cooling device or the cooling of the power supply circuit by the cooling device is promoted as the life extension measure. Do also
Extended life equipment. A life extending device for extending the life of a target device comprising: a power supply circuit including a capacitor; and an operating unit operated by power supplied from the power supply circuit,
First control means for causing the operating unit to execute a power consumption promotion event for temporarily promoting consumption of the power supplied from the power supply circuit;
Drop-down voltage measurement means for measuring the drop amount of the output voltage of the power supply circuit at the timing when execution of the power consumption promotion event is started in the operating unit;
Based on the measurement result of the voltage drop measuring means, it is determined whether or not the life extension measure is necessary for the capacitor, and when it is determined that the life extension measure is necessary, the power consumption promotion event by the operating unit is the life extension measure. Second control means for controlling the operating unit such that power consumption in the operating unit is reduced after execution of
Equipped with
The second control means evaluates the necessity of life extension measures for the capacitor in a plurality of stages based on the measurement result of the voltage drop measurement means, and differs according to the degree of necessity of the life prolongation measures Take measures to prolong the life,
Extended life equipment. And a measurement result storage unit for storing the measurement result of the drop voltage measurement unit.
The second control means determines whether or not it is necessary to prolong the life of the capacitor, using the current measurement result of the voltage drop measurement means and the past measurement result stored in the measurement result storage means. The life extension device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 . A life extending device for extending the life of a target device comprising: a power supply circuit including a capacitor; and an operating unit operated by power supplied from the power supply circuit,
First control means for causing the operating unit to execute a power consumption promotion event for temporarily promoting consumption of the power supplied from the power supply circuit;
Drop-down voltage measurement means for measuring the drop amount of the output voltage of the power supply circuit at the timing when execution of the power consumption promotion event is started in the operating unit;
Based on the measurement result of the voltage drop measuring means, it is determined whether or not the life extension measure is necessary for the capacitor, and when it is determined that the life extension measure is necessary, the power consumption promotion event by the operating unit is the life extension measure. Second control means for controlling the operating unit such that power consumption in the operating unit is reduced after execution of
Measurement result storage means for storing the measurement result of the voltage drop measurement means;
Next maintenance time point storage means for storing the next maintenance time point when maintenance of the power supply circuit is performed next time;
Equipped with
The second control means predicts the end of life of the capacitor based on the time series of the drop amount of the output voltage stored in the measurement result storage, and the predicted end of life, and the next time By comparing with the next maintenance time point stored in the maintenance time point storage means, it is determined whether it is necessary to prolong the life of the capacitor.
Extended life equipment. A power supply circuit including a capacitor, comprising the steps of: a working portion that operates by electric power supplied from the power source circuit, the operation unit, to prepare a Target device comprising a plurality of power consuming unit for each consumes power,
The operating unit is supplied with power from the power supply circuit to the plurality of power consumption units that constitute the operating unit as a power consumption promotion event that temporarily promotes consumption of power supplied from the power supply circuit. is consumed simultaneously Rutotomoni, at a timing to execute the electric power consumption promotion event, and measuring the amount of drop in the output voltage of the power supply circuit,
Diagnosing the degree of deterioration of the capacitor based on the measured drop amount of the output voltage;
Diagnostic methods, including: A power supply circuit including a capacitor, and a working portion that operates by electric power supplied from the power source circuit, the operation unit, the survival of a plurality of Target device comprising a power unit for each consuming power, the power supply In order to use the voltage drop measuring means for measuring the drop amount of the output voltage of the circuit, the computer
The operating unit is supplied with power from the power supply circuit to the plurality of power consumption units that constitute the operating unit as a power consumption promotion event that temporarily promotes consumption of power supplied from the power supply circuit. is consumed simultaneously Rutotomoni, at a timing to execute the electric power consumption promotion event, from the voltage drop measurement unit, a function of acquiring a measurement result of the amount of drop in the output voltage,
Based on the acquired measurement result, it is determined whether or not it is necessary to prolong the life of the capacitor, and when it is determined that the life extension is necessary, the execution of the power consumption promotion event by the operating unit is ended as the life extension. A function of controlling the operating unit to reduce power consumption in the operating unit later;
A program that makes