JP6828506B2 - Water heater display device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a display device used in a water heater.

For example, in Patent Document 1 below, a portable information code display device capable of displaying an information code, which is not related to a water heater, reads the information code displayed on the information code display device (for example, a smartphone). For example, when reading by a code reader), if the display of the smartphone faces vertically downward or diagonally downward with respect to the reading surface of the code reader, the information code is displayed on the display and the backlight is turned on. It is disclosed to do so. Then, in order to realize this, it is disclosed that the smartphone is provided with a direction detecting unit capable of detecting the direction in which the display unit faces (see the claims and abstract of the same document).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-10634

Normally, a remote controller for operating the operation of the water heater and displaying the status of the operation is connected to the water heater, and the remote controller is installed with the display unit facing forward with respect to the wall surface of the kitchen or bathroom. ing. On the other hand, in recent years, with the increase or evolution of the functions of such water heaters, the contents of the instruction manuals are also increasing. Therefore, by displaying a specific information code using the display unit of the remote controller and having the displayed information code read by the user's mobile terminal or the like, the electronic data related to the instruction manual can be downloaded via the network. Is being considered.

However, even if the user displays the information code on the remote controller, power saving control is usually performed as the display control of the remote controller, which may cause inconvenience in the operation of reading the information code. That is, in the power saving control of the remote controller, normally, when a certain period of time elapses without performing an operation after displaying the display once, the brightness of the backlight in the lit state is switched from strong to weak, for example, and when a certain time elapses. The backlight will be turned off along with the display itself. For this reason, if the brightness of the backlight is changed or the display itself is switched off (off) while the user is reading the displayed information code with an external reading device such as a mobile terminal, reading failure occurs. Or there is a possibility that the inconvenience of becoming impossible may occur.

Therefore, the present invention provides a display device for a water heater that can improve the usability of a user by making the information code readable when the information code is displayed, in addition to the normal display control. The purpose is to do.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention relates to a display unit for displaying a predetermined display content, a storage unit in which the display content is stored, a backlight that illuminates the display unit, and the display unit. A display control unit for controlling the display and the operation of the backlight is provided, and the display control unit backs up the display when the backlight is turned on for a predetermined time with respect to the display on the display unit. The following technical measures were taken for the display device of the water heater equipped with the power saving control mode that changes the brightness of the light weakly. That is, the present invention has a configuration in which the display control unit stops the execution of the power saving control mode when the information code that can be read by an external reading device is displayed on the display unit. (Claim 1).

In the case of the display device of the water heater of the present invention, when the information code is displayed, the execution of the power saving mode is stopped, so that it is prevented from being changed to dark even after a predetermined time has elapsed, and the backlight is always turned on. It is possible to maintain the lighting state, and when the displayed information code is read by an external reading device, the information code can be reliably read.

An illuminance sensor for detecting the illuminance in the vicinity of the installation location of the display device can be further provided. In this case, the display control unit determines the brightness of the lighting backlight according to the detected illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor. It can be configured to be changed. The brightness of the backlight can be finely adjusted according to the illuminance, which can save power consumption as much as possible and make the information code display screen of brightness suitable for reading the information code. ..

Further, as the power saving control mode, when the power of the water heater is on and the state in which the water heater is in operation for a predetermined first set time has elapsed, the display on the display unit is continued and the light is lit. While changing the brightness of the backlight weakly, when the power of the water heater is on and the non-operating operation of the water heater has passed the predetermined second set time, the display on the display unit is continued. It is possible to weakly change the brightness of the backlight in the lit state, and further, the control configuration can be such that the display on the display unit is turned off and the backlight is turned off when the third set time elapses while the brightness is changed. As a result, in cases other than the case where the information code is displayed on the display unit, it is possible to save power while ensuring the necessary backlight irradiation for display.

As described above, according to the display device of the water heater of the present invention, when the information code is displayed, the execution of the power saving mode is stopped, so that it is avoided that the information code is darkened even after a predetermined time has elapsed. Therefore, the backlight can be kept lit at all times, and when the displayed information code is read by an external reading device, the information code can be reliably read in the display state. As a result, it is possible to provide a display device for a water heater that can improve the usability of the user.

It is a schematic diagram of the water heater which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, and the remote control as the display device. It is a flowchart which shows the basic content of the display control of the remote controller of FIG. An example of a display screen of the display unit is shown, FIG. 3A is a front explanatory view showing an example of a display screen other than the information code, and FIG. 3B is a front explanatory view showing an example of the information code display screen. .. It is a flowchart which shows the example of the control content of the display control 1 of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the example of the control content of the display control 2 of FIG.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a water heater and a display device thereof according to an embodiment of the present invention. The water heater 1 is provided with at least a hot water supply function, and as is well known, the water heater 1 may be provided with a bath water filling function, a bath reheating function, and the like. Such a water heater 1 includes one or a plurality of remote controllers 3 and 4 as a controller for performing an operation operation of each function, and in the present embodiment, the display device is configured by these remote controllers 3 and 4. Then, each of the remote controllers 3 and 4 is communicably connected to the control unit 2 of the water heater 1, and an operation signal or the like from each remote controller 3 or 4 and conversely a display signal or an operation signal or the like from the control unit 2 are transmitted. It is possible. As a result, information related to the operating status such as the hot water supply function can be displayed on the display unit described later of the remote controllers 3 and 4. The remote controller 3 is installed in the kitchen, for example, and the remote controller 4 is installed in the bathroom, for example.

The control unit 2 of the water heater 1 is mainly composed of a microcomputer, and the above-mentioned hot water supply function and the like are realized based on a control program stored in advance. Further, the control unit 2 is connected to the remote controllers 3 and 4 via, for example, a two-core communication line, so that the remote controllers 3 and 4 can transmit while receiving power supply from the water heater 1 side. Hereinafter, the remote controller 3 will be mainly described, but the remote controller 4 can also have the same configuration as the remote controller 3.

The remote controller 3 includes a control unit 31, a communication unit 32, a storage unit 33, a display unit 34, a backlight 35, and an illuminance sensor 36. Although not shown, the remote controller 3 is provided with a power supply circuit and the like in addition to these, and can be provided with a speaker and an audio circuit.

The control unit 31 is mainly composed of a microcomputer, and includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, a signal input / output circuit, and the like. The control unit 31 can communicate with the control unit 2 of the water heater 1 via the communication unit 32. Then, by executing the control program for the remote controller held in the ROM by the CPU, it also functions as a display control unit in addition to the operation reception process.

The storage unit 33 can be configured by, for example, an EEPROM, and the storage unit 33 displays display contents for display on the display unit 35, for example, a menu screen, a display screen for performing various setting operations, and an operation operation status. Display data such as a display screen of the above and a display screen for displaying a predetermined information code are stored in advance. As the information code, for example, a bar code, a two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark), or the like can be used, and in the present embodiment, a web that provides downloadable electronic data related to the instruction manual of the water heater 1. An information code is generated and stored in advance to represent the URL (address information) of the site.

The display unit 34 is mainly composed of a dot matrix LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) and a touch panel, and is combined with a backlight 35. The touch panel can be configured by, for example, a capacitance type, and detects the presence / absence of a touch input and the coordinate information of the touch position by determining the change in the capacitance and the electric field of the electrode, and causes the control unit 31 to detect it. Can be output. Based on this coordinate information and the displayed display screen, the control unit 31 detects a switch operation such as a driving operation, a display switching operation, or a setting operation by the user. As a result, the touch panel functions as a switch unit. Further, as for the switch related to the driving operation or the like, a physical switch can be mounted in addition to the switch unit by the touch panel or instead of the touch panel.

The backlight 35 includes, for example, an LED light source, and is configured so that the brightness can be changed by display control by the control unit 31. That is, as described later, the brightness can be switched between the standard brightness of two predetermined levels of strong and weak, and the standard brightness can be changed steplessly or at a predetermined ratio by controlling the duty ratio of the applied voltage. As a result, as will be described later, the brightness can be adjusted according to the illuminance in the installation space of the remote controller 3 or in the vicinity of the installation location.

The illuminance sensor 36 is installed at an appropriate position of the remote controller 3, detects the illuminance of the location where the remote controller 3 is installed (for example, a region near the installed wall surface), and outputs the illuminance to the control unit 31. As will be described later, the control unit 31 changes and adjusts the brightness of the backlight 35 based on the detected illuminance of the illuminance sensor 36.

Hereinafter, the basic display control of the control unit 31 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. First, the control is started on the condition that the water heater 1 is in the power-on state, and the information code is displayed on the display unit 34. It is determined whether or not the display operation has been performed (step S1). Such a display operation can be determined by performing a selection operation for displaying an information code by the user from a predetermined menu screen and receiving the output of the operation signal. Alternatively, for example, when an operation signal related to such a selection operation is output, a dedicated flag may be set and a determination may be made based on the flag content (whether the flag content is, for example, "0" or "1").

Then, if the display operation for displaying the information code is not performed (NO in step S1), the display control 1 is executed (step S2), and when the display operation for displaying the information code is performed, the display operation is performed. (YES in step S1), the dedicated display control 2 for displaying the information code is executed (step S3).

Operations other than the display operation for displaying the information code, that is, the display operation for displaying the display screen for the operation operation, the display screen for the setting operation, etc., and the operation using those display screens. When an operation or setting operation is performed, display control 1 is executed as a power saving control mode intended for power saving. As an example of such a display screen, a display screen for a setting operation (volume setting operation) as shown in FIG. 3A can be mentioned.

Further, as an example of the display screen for displaying the information code, an information code display screen as shown in FIG. 3B can be mentioned. The example of FIG. 3B is a download display screen of an instruction manual. A QR code (registered trademark) representing the URL of a web page for download is displayed on the right side, and the explanation is displayed by text information on the left side. Will be done.

As shown in FIG. 4, the display control 1 first determines whether or not the hot water supply operation is in progress (step S11), and if the hot water supply operation is in progress (YES in step S11), the first from the start of the hot water supply operation. It is determined whether or not the set time has elapsed (step S12). If it has not passed (NO in step S12), a predetermined display screen (initial setting screen such as a menu screen or a display screen that has been switched) is displayed on the display unit 34 (display ON), and the backlight 35 is also displayed. The brightness is set to a strong state and the lighting state is set (step S13).

Then, when the first set time elapses (YES in step S12), the brightness of the backlight 35 is switched to the weak state while maintaining the display state (display ON) (step S14). As a result, the display screen displayed on the display unit 34 is switched from the bright state to a predetermined dark state although it is not in the extinguished state. As long as the hot water supply operation continues (YES in step S11), this state is continued (steps S12 and S14).

On the other hand, if the water heater 1 is not in the hot water supply operation (NO in step S11), it is determined whether or not the second set time has elapsed from the end of the hot water supply operation (step S15). If it has not passed (NO in step S15), the same display screen as described above is displayed on the display unit 34 (display ON), and the backlight 35 is continued in the lit state (for example, the lit state in which the brightness is strong). (Step S16). Then, when the second set time elapses (YES in step S15), the brightness of the backlight 35 is switched to a weak state while maintaining the display state (display ON) (step S17), and further, from the brightness change. It is determined whether or not the third set time has elapsed (step S18), and the lighting state in which the brightness is weak is maintained until the third set time elapses (NO in step S18, step S17), and the third When the set time has elapsed (YES in step S18), the display is turned off and the backlight 35 is turned off (step S19). After that, the lights are kept off until the hot water supply operation is resumed.

Although not shown, if any operation (for example, operation operation, display switching operation, etc.) is performed on the remote controller 3 during this period, the display unit 34 and the backlight 35 are displayed even when the hot water supply operation is stopped. It is designed to resume control. For example, after the processing of step S16, step S17 can be executed after the lapse of the second set time from the time when the operation is performed, and steps S18 and S19 can be executed.

As shown in FIG. 5, the display control 2 is a display operation other than the display operation for displaying the information code (YES in step S1 of FIG. 2) after the display operation for displaying the information code (YES in step S1 of FIG. 2). For example, if there is no switching operation to another display screen (NO in step S21), the information code display screen (see FIG. 3B) is displayed on the display unit 34, and the backlight 35 is kept lit (step). S22). In this case, the brightness of the backlight 35 may be the above-mentioned strong state, or may be the brightness of a standard intensity separately set as suitable for reading the information code. If there is a display operation other than the display operation for displaying the information code (YES in step S21), the process returns to step S1 in FIG. 2 and the display operation is not for displaying the information code (step). NO in S1), the display control 1 in step S2 is executed (step S2).

Then, if the detected illuminance from the illuminance sensor 36 is lower than the reference illuminance (below the reference illuminance), that is, if the amount of light in the region near the installation location of the remote controller 3 is small and dim (YES in step S23), the backlight 35 The brightness is reduced (dimmed) (step S24). On the contrary, if the detected illuminance is higher than the reference illuminance, that is, if the amount of light in the region near the installation location of the remote controller 3 is large and bright (NO in step S23), the brightness of the backlight 35 is increased (step S25). As described above, the brightness of the backlight 35 can be adjusted according to the illuminance, the power consumption can be saved as much as possible, and the information code display screen having a brightness suitable for reading the information code can be obtained. .. The brightness adjustment control according to the illuminance in steps S23 to S25 may be omitted in the display control 2.

In the above display control 2, when the information code display screen is displayed, the backlight 35 is always kept lit, and unless other display operations are subsequently performed by the user (step S1 in FIG. 2). Yes, NO in step S21), and the constantly lit state is continued. As a result, when the information code displayed on the information code display screen is read by an external reading device, the information code can be reliably read.

Here, as the external reading device, a communication terminal having a camera function and capable of communication via a network can be used, and for example, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a personal computer can be used. For example, in the case of a smartphone, the camera captures a display image of a QR code (registered trademark) as an information code, and when the captured image is determined to be a QR code (registered trademark), the QR code is inversely converted to address information. It is converted into (URL information), and the corresponding web page can be displayed via the network based on the URL information.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and the design can be changed as appropriate. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the remote controller 3 is shown as the display device of the water heater, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention can be applied to any display device capable of displaying the information code related to the water heater 1. For example, it may be a display device provided in the housing of the water heater 1, or it may be a display device composed only of a display function instead of a remote controller as a controller capable of operating and the like. The present invention can be applied to the above.

31 Control unit (display control unit)
33 Storage unit 34 Display unit 35 Backlight 36 Illuminance sensor

Claims (3)

A display unit for displaying a predetermined display content, a storage unit in which the display content is stored, a backlight that illuminates the display unit, a display on the display unit, and an operation of the backlight are controlled. A display control unit is provided, and the display control unit provides a power saving control mode in which the brightness of the backlight is weakly changed when a predetermined time elapses with respect to the display on the display unit. It is a display device of the water heater equipped
The display control unit is configured to stop execution of the power saving control mode when an information code readable by an external reading device is displayed on the display unit.
A water heater display device that is characterized by this. The display device for the water heater according to claim 1.
An illuminance sensor for detecting the illuminance in the vicinity of the installation location of the display device is further provided.
The display control unit is a display device for a water heater, which is configured to change the brightness of the lit backlight according to the detected illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor. The display device for the water heater according to claim 1 or 2.
In the power saving control mode, when the power of the water heater is on and the operating state of the water heater has elapsed for a predetermined first set time, the display on the display unit is continuously lit. While changing the brightness of the backlight weakly
When the power of the water heater is on and the non-operating operation of the water heater has elapsed for a predetermined second set time, the backlight of the backlight that is in the lit state while continuing the display on the display unit. A display device for a water heater, which is configured to weakly change the brightness and to turn off the display on the display unit and turn off the backlight when the third set time elapses while the brightness is changed.

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