JP7206947B2 - air conditioning system - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to air conditioning systems.

2. Description of the Related Art There is known an air conditioner that displays an error on a display of a remote controller when an error occurs in communication between the air conditioner body and the remote controller (Patent Document 1).

JP 2012-149852 A

BACKGROUND ART Air conditioners are known that perform air-conditioning operation using a learning model generated by AI-learning a driving history and can be operated with a communication terminal such as a smartphone. Such an air conditioner is provided with an adapter for communicating with a server device for AI learning or a communication terminal. If the communication method for communication between the adapter and the server device is different from the communication method for communication between the adapter and the communication terminal, the adapter, while communicating with one of the server device and the communication terminal, Communication with the other party may not be possible. When the communication between the communication terminal and the adapter cannot be performed, the user cannot understand why the communication terminal cannot be used to operate the air conditioner, which impairs the usability of the user.

The disclosed technique has been made in view of the above points, and aims to provide an air conditioning system that prevents deterioration of user's usability.

An air conditioning system in one aspect of an embodiment includes an air conditioner, an adapter that controls the air conditioner, a server device that communicates with the adapter by a first communication method, and a second communication method that is different from the first communication method. An air conditioning system comprising a communication terminal that communicates with the adapter according to a communication method, wherein the adapter does not communicate with the communication terminal while the adapter is communicating with the server device, wherein the communication terminal includes a display unit and a display unit. and a display control unit for displaying a message to the effect that communication is not possible on the display unit when the adapter is communicating via the first communication method. The adapter includes a completion signal transmission unit that transmits a completion signal of communication according to the first communication method to the communication terminal when communication according to the first communication method is completed; When the terminal receives the completion signal, it deletes the message.

The disclosed air-conditioning system can prevent deterioration of user's usability.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an air conditioning system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the adapter. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a server device; FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a communication terminal; FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the air conditioning system related to adapter registration. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing an example of an air conditioner list screen displayed on the display unit of the communication terminal. FIG. 7 is a plan view showing an example of another air conditioner list screen displayed on the display unit of the communication terminal. FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of the air conditioning system related to remote control of the air conditioner. FIG. 9 is a plan view showing an example of a message box displayed on the display of the communication terminal.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the air conditioning system disclosed in the present application will be described in detail based on the drawings. Note that the disclosed technology is not limited by the present embodiment. Further, each embodiment shown below may be modified as appropriate within a range that does not cause contradiction.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an air conditioning system 1 of this embodiment. An air conditioning system 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes an indoor unit 2, an adapter 3, a router 4, a server device 5, a relay device 6, a communication terminal 7, and a communication network 8.

The indoor unit 2 is, for example, a part of an air conditioner that is placed indoors and heats or cools the air in the room. A user of the indoor unit 2 can remotely operate the indoor unit 2 by operating the remote controller 9 . The indoor unit 2 has a main body 2A and a control section 2B that controls the main body 2A. The main body 2A is provided with an indoor fan and an indoor heat exchanger, and the indoor air that has undergone heat exchange with the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger is blown out from the main body 2A to heat, cool, dehumidify, etc. the room. will be An outdoor unit (not shown) is provided with an outdoor fan, a compressor, and the like. The communication terminal 7 is a terminal device such as a user's smart phone.

The adapter 3 has a communication function that connects the indoor unit 2 and the router 4 by wireless communication, and a control function that AI-controls the indoor unit 2 . The adapter 3 is arranged for each indoor unit 2 . The router 4 is, for example, an access point device that connects the adapter 3 and the communication network 8 by wireless communication using WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) or the like. The communication network 8 is, for example, a communication network such as the Internet. The server device 5 has a function of generating a learning model for the AI that controls the indoor unit 2, a database that stores driving history data, and the like. The server device 5 is arranged in, for example, a data center. The relay device 6 has a function of communicating with the communication network 8 and communicating with the server device 5 . The relay device 6 transmits driving history data and the like used for generating or updating a learning model applied to the indoor unit 2 from the adapter 3 to the server device 5 via the communication network 8 . Also, the relay device 6 transmits the learning model generated or updated by the server device 5 to the adapter 3 via the communication network 8 . Incidentally, the relay device 6 is arranged, for example, in a data center or the like.

The relay device 6 has a first relay section 6A, a second relay section 6B, and a third relay section 6C. The first relay unit 6A transmits various data related to AI control between the adapter 3 and the server device 5. FIG. The first relay unit 6A transmits the driving history data and the like used for generating or updating the learning model received from the adapter 3 to the server device 5 via the communication network 8, and transmits the learning model generated or updated by the server device 5. is transmitted to the adapter 3 via the communication network 8. The second relay unit 6B acquires the operating conditions of the indoor unit 2 (operating mode such as cooling/heating, set temperature, etc.) set by the user using the communication terminal 7 from outside, and transmits this to the indoor unit 2. Send to The third relay unit 6</b>C acquires external data such as a weather forecast from a communication network 8 such as the Internet, and transmits the acquired external data to the server device 5 . Also, the third relay unit 6C transmits external data to the adapter 3 via the communication network 8. FIG.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the adapter 3. As shown in FIG. The adapter 3 shown in FIG. 2 has a first communication section 11, a second communication section 12, a storage section 13, and a CPU (Central Processing Unit) . The first communication unit 11 is a communication IF (Interface) such as a UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter) that communicates with the control unit 2B in the indoor unit 2 . The second communication unit 12 is, for example, a communication IF such as WLAN, which communicates with the router 4 . Information is transmitted and received between the adapter 3 and the server device 5 periodically (for example, every 30 minutes) using the first communication method. REST (Representational State Transfer) is exemplified as the first communication method. Information is transmitted and received between the communication terminal 7 and the adapter 3 by the second communication method. The second communication method is a communication method that allows constant communication, unlike the first communication method. WebSocket is exemplified as the second communication method. Also, the second communication unit 12 does not execute communication according to the second communication method while communication according to the first communication method is being executed. That is, communication with the communication terminal 7 is not performed while communicating with the server device 5 . The CPU 14 is capable of controlling the second communication unit 12 so that communication is performed according to the second communication method when communication is performed according to the first communication method, and processing capacity is greater than that of other CPUs. is low and cheap.

The storage unit 13 has, for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory), and stores various information such as data and programs. The CPU 14 controls the adapter 3 as a whole.

The CPU 14 has a learning control section 21 , a response transmission section 22 , a command execution section 23 and a completion signal transmission section 24 . The learning control unit 21 acquires driving history data from the control unit 2B of the indoor unit 2 via the first communication unit 11 and stores the acquired driving history data in the storage unit 13 . The learning control unit 21 transmits the driving history data and the like stored in the storage unit 13 to the server device 5 via the communication network 8 . The learning control unit 21 receives the learning model from the server device 5 via the communication network 8 and stores the received learning model in the storage unit 13 .

The learning control section 21 controls the control section 2B inside the indoor unit 2 based on the learning model stored in the storage section 13 . For convenience of explanation, the learning control unit 21 controls the control unit 2B in the indoor unit 2 based on the learning model. 2A may be controlled directly. Also, the learning control unit 21 transmits a control mode based on the learning model to the control unit 2B. That is, the learning control section 21 may indirectly control the main body 2A via the control section 2B, and can be changed as appropriate.

When the command signal transmitted from the communication terminal 7 is received by the adapter 3 , the response transmission unit 22 transmits to the communication terminal 7 a response signal indicating that the command signal has been received by the adapter 3 . When the command signal transmitted from the communication terminal 7 is received by the adapter 3, the command executing section 23 executes the operation indicated by the command signal. Its operation is to start "heating", "cooling" or "dehumidifying" operation by controlling the air conditioner, to stop "heating", "cooling" or "dehumidifying" operation, to set the temperature , changing air volume, and acquiring information such as room temperature and electricity rate. Completion signal transmission unit 24 transmits a completion signal to communication terminal 7 when communication between adapter 3 and server device 5 by learning control unit 21 is completed.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the server device 5. As shown in FIG. The server device 5 has a communication section 31 , a storage section 32 and a CPU 33 . The communication unit 31 is a communication IF that communicates with the relay device 6 . The storage unit 32 has, for example, ROM, RAM, etc., and stores various information such as data and programs. The CPU 33 has an adapter registration section 41 , a reception section 42 , a learning section 43 and a transmission section 44 . Based on the registration request signal transmitted from the adapter 3, the adapter registration unit 41 registers information about the adapter 3 and the air conditioner connected to the adapter 3, such as the MAC address of the adapter 3 and the model name of the air conditioner. Stored in the storage unit 32 . As a result, the adapter 3 and the air conditioner are registered in the server device 5 .

The receiving unit 42 receives operation history data from each adapter 3 of the plurality of indoor units 2 via the router 4 , communication network 8 and relay device 6 . The learning unit 43 learns using the driving history data received by the receiving unit 42, and generates or updates the learning model of each indoor unit 2 based on the learning result. The learning unit 43 stores the generated or updated learning model in the storage unit 32 . The transmission unit 44 transmits the learning model generated or updated by the learning unit 43 to each adapter 3 via the relay device 6 , the communication network 8 and the router 4 .

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the communication terminal 7. As shown in FIG. The communication terminal 7 is a smartphone, for example, and has a CPU 51 , a storage section 52 and a display section 53 . The storage unit 52 stores application software installed in the communication terminal 7 and stores information used by the CPU 51 . The display unit 53 displays a screen generated by the CPU 51 . The CPU 51 controls the entire communication terminal 7 by executing application software stored in the storage unit 52 .

The application software installed in the communication terminal 7 is composed of a plurality of computer programs for making the communication terminal 7 realize a plurality of functions. The CPU 51 has a command transmission section 54 and a display control section 55 as its functional sections. The command transmission unit 54 transmits a command signal input by operating the communication terminal 7 to the adapter 3 . The display control unit 55 creates various screens for displaying the operation history and information related to the indoor unit 2 obtained from the adapter 3, and controls the display unit 53 so that the created screens are displayed.

[Operation of air conditioning system 1]
The operation of the air conditioning system 1 will be described. The air conditioning system 1 can perform operations related to registration of the adapter 3, operations related to AI control of the air conditioner, and operations related to remote control of the air conditioner.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the air conditioning system 1 related to registration of the adapter 3. As shown in FIG. The user needs to register the adapter 3 and the air conditioner in the server device 5 before remotely controlling the air conditioner using the communication terminal 7 . The communication terminal 7 transmits a registration command signal to the adapter 3 by the second communication method when "Register air conditioner" is selected by being operated by the user (step S1). After the registration command signal is transmitted to the adapter 3, the communication terminal 7 displays the air conditioner list screen 61 shown in FIG. A message is displayed (step S2).

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing an example of an air conditioner list screen 61 displayed on the display unit 53 of the communication terminal 7. As shown in FIG. The air conditioner list screen 61 has a plurality of air conditioner selection buttons 62-1 to 62-5. A plurality of air conditioner selection buttons 62-1 to 62-5 are arranged vertically and displayed on the air conditioner list screen 61. FIG. A plurality of air conditioner selection buttons 62 - 1 to 62 - 5 correspond to a plurality of air conditioners remotely controlled using the communication terminal 7 . The name assigned to the air conditioner and the state of the air conditioner are displayed on the right side of the selection button corresponding to a certain air conditioner among the plurality of air conditioner selection buttons 62-1 to 62-5. message is displayed.

For example, the message displays "heating", "cooling" or "dehumidifying" when the air conditioner is in "heating", "cooling" or "dehumidifying" operation, respectively. The message displays "Stop" when the air conditioner is stopped. The message displays "Registering (please wait)" while the air conditioner is being registered, indicating that the communication terminal 7 cannot communicate with the adapter 3 . That is, in step S2, the communication terminal 7 displays the air conditioner list screen so that a message indicating that the communication terminal 7 cannot communicate with the adapter 3 is described in the air conditioner selection button 62-2 corresponding to the air conditioner being registered. 61 is created and displayed on the display unit 53 .

When the adapter 3 receives the registration command signal transmitted from the communication terminal 7 (step S3), it disconnects the communication with the communication terminal 7 and disconnects the communication by the second communication method (step S4). After the communication by the second communication method is disconnected, the adapter 3 transmits a registration request signal to the server device 5 by the first communication method (step S5). When the server device 5 receives the registration request signal transmitted from the adapter 3 (step S6), the server device 5 stores information about the adapter 3 and the air conditioner connected to the adapter 3 in the storage unit 32, Register the machine (step S7). After the adapter 3 and the air conditioner are registered, the server device 5 transmits a registration completion signal including the fact that the registration is completed by the first communication method to the adapter 3 (step S8).

The adapter 3 receives the registration completion signal by the first communication method (step S9), and stores in the storage section 13 that the registration has been completed. After receiving the registration completion signal transmitted from the server device 5, the adapter 3 disconnects the communication by the first communication method and restores the communication by the second communication method (step S10). After the communication by the second communication method is restored, the adapter 3 transmits a completion signal including the completion of the communication by the first communication method to the communication terminal 7 by the second communication method (step S11). After receiving the completion signal transmitted from the adapter 3 (step S12), the communication terminal 7 controls the display unit 53 so that the communication between the communication terminal 7 and the adapter 3 displayed in step S2 cannot be performed. The message to that effect is erased from the display unit 53 (step S13).

After the operation related to the registration of the adapter 3 is executed by communication by the first communication method, the communication terminal 7 becomes capable of communicating with the adapter 3 by the second communication method, and remotely controls the air conditioner via the adapter 3. be able to operate.

When the adapter 3 receives the registration command signal transmitted from the communication terminal 7, it needs to communicate with the server device 5, so it needs to disconnect the communication by the second communication method. After transmitting the registration command signal to the adapter 3, the communication terminal 7 indicates that the adapter 3 is performing communication according to the first communication method (in this embodiment, "registration in progress (please wait)" shown in FIG. 6). It is displayed on the display unit 53 . As a result, it is possible to prevent the user's usability from deteriorating due to the inability to remotely control the air conditioner using the communication terminal 7 .

In the operation related to the AI control of the air conditioner, the adapter 3 acquires operation history data from the indoor unit 2 at acquisition timings of 5-minute cycles, and stores the acquired operation history data in the storage unit 13 . The adapter 3 transmits the driving history data for 48 hours out of the driving history data stored in the storage unit 13 to the server device 5 by the first communication method every 48 hours. The server device 5 receives the driving history data transmitted from the adapter 3 and stores the driving history data in the storage unit 32 . The server device 5 generates a learning model based on the driving history data stored in the storage unit 32 and stores the generated learning model in the storage unit 32 . Server device 5 transmits the learning model stored in storage unit 32 to adapter 3 via relay device 6 . The adapter 3 receives the learning model transmitted from the server device 5 using the first communication method, and stores the received learning model in the storage unit 13 . The adapter 3 controls the controller 2B of the indoor unit 2 based on the learning model stored in the storage unit 13, and indirectly controls the main body 2A of the indoor unit 2 via the controller 2B.

The learning model includes, for example, a sensible temperature setting that predicts the sensible temperature for indoor users after 5 minutes according to the operating status of the air conditioner in each home, and controls the air conditioner according to the predicted sensible temperature. You have a predictive model. Conventionally, an air conditioner adjusts the room temperature so that the room temperature reaches a target temperature, and the user may feel uncomfortable with the temperature change. On the other hand, the sensible temperature setting prediction model, for example, is used when adjusting the air conditioner so that the user feels comfortable according to the time-series operation history data such as indoor temperature, indoor humidity, and outdoor temperature. is the program to run. For example, an air conditioner is controlled based on a sensible temperature setting prediction model, so that the set temperature of the air conditioner is changed to a temperature different from the temperature set by the user so that the user feels comfortable. be. According to such operation, the air conditioning system 1 appropriately operates the air conditioner so that the user of the air conditioner is comfortable by controlling the air conditioner based on the learning model. be able to.

In operations related to remote control of the air conditioner, when the user remotely controls the air conditioner using the communication terminal 7, the air conditioner list screen 71 shown in FIG. Operate the communication terminal 7 as shown in . FIG. 7 shows an example of an air conditioner list screen 71 displayed on the display unit 53 of the communication terminal 7. As shown in FIG. As with the air conditioner list screen 61, the air conditioner list screen 71 has a plurality of air conditioner selection buttons 72-1 to 72-2 corresponding to a plurality of air conditioners remotely controlled using the communication terminal 7. FIG. The message "offline or in process" is displayed on the air conditioner selection button 72-2 corresponding to the air conditioner connected to the adapter 3 that cannot communicate with the communication terminal 7. FIG. As a result, it is possible to prevent the user's feeling of use from deteriorating due to the inability to perform remote control of the air conditioner corresponding to the air conditioner selection button 72-2 by the communication terminal 7. FIG.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the air conditioning system 1 related to remote control of the air conditioner. The user selects an air conditioner to be remotely controlled by operating the communication terminal 7 while the air conditioner list screen 71 is displayed on the display unit 53 of the communication terminal 7 . After the user selects an air conditioner, the user inputs to communication terminal 7 a command signal indicating an operation to be executed by the selected air conditioner. When an air conditioner is selected and a command signal is input, the communication terminal 7 transmits the input command signal to the adapter 3 of the selected air conditioner using the second communication method (step S21). ). At this time, as shown in step S22, if the adapter 3 communicates with the server device 5 according to the first communication method prior to receiving the command signal from the communication terminal 7, the command transmitted from the communication terminal 7 is received. Unable to receive signal.

When the communication terminal 7 does not receive a response signal from the adapter 3 within a predetermined time (for example, 30 seconds) after the command signal is transmitted to the adapter 3, the message box 81 shown in FIG. is displayed on the display unit 53 (step S23). FIG. 9 shows an example of a message box 81 displayed on the display section 53 of the communication terminal 7. As shown in FIG. A message 82 is displayed in the message box 81 . The message 82 displays "The adapter failed to receive the setting content or is performing another process. Please try again after waiting for a while."

After the message box 81 is displayed, the communication terminal 7 retransmits the same command signal as the command signal transmitted in step S21 (step S24). At this time, as shown in step S25, the adapter 3 receives the command signal transmitted from the communication terminal 7 if the communication with the server device 5 by the first communication method is completed (step S26). When the command signal retransmitted from the communication terminal 7 is properly received, the adapter 3 transmits a response signal to the communication terminal 7 using the second communication method (step S27), and performs an operation according to the received command signal. is executed (step S28).

The communication terminal 7 receives the response signal transmitted from the adapter 3 (step S29). After the message box 81 is displayed, the communication terminal 7 erases the message box 81 when the response signal transmitted from the adapter 3 is appropriately received (step S30). If the response signal transmitted from the adapter 3 is not received after the message box 81 is displayed, the communication terminal 7 may repeatedly transmit the same command signal as the command signal transmitted in step S21. good.

The communication terminal 7 displays a message 82 shown in FIG. 9 on the display unit 53 when the response signal is not received. As a result, it is possible to prevent the user's usability from deteriorating due to the inability to remotely control the air conditioner using the communication terminal 7 .

The communication terminal 7 can determine whether or not the communication terminal 7 can communicate with the adapter 3 by determining whether or not the response information has been received. When the communication terminal 7 receives the response signal after the message indicating that the communication terminal 7 cannot communicate with the adapter 3 is displayed, the communication terminal 7 erases the message in FIG. The user can be notified that the With such notification, the communication terminal 7 can prevent the user's feeling of use from deteriorating.

[Effect of the air conditioning system 1 of the embodiment]
The air conditioning system 1 of the embodiment includes an air conditioner, an adapter 3 that controls the air conditioner, a server device 5 that communicates with the adapter 3 by a first communication method, and a second communication method different from the first communication method. A communication terminal 7 that communicates with the adapter 3 is provided. The adapter 3 does not communicate with the communication terminal 7 while communicating with the server device 5 . The communication terminal 7 includes a display section 53 and a display control section 55 that displays a message to the effect that communication is not possible on the display section 53 when the adapter 3 is communicating by the first communication method. At this time, the air conditioning system 1 prevents the user's feeling of use from deteriorating due to the inability to remotely control the air conditioner with the communication terminal 7 when the communication between the communication terminal 7 and the adapter 3 cannot be performed. be able to.

Moreover, the adapter 3 of the air conditioning system 1 of the embodiment includes a completion signal transmission section 24 that transmits a completion signal to the communication terminal 7 when communication by the first communication method is completed. When the communication terminal 7 receives the completion signal, the display control unit 55 erases the message indicating that communication cannot be performed. At this time, the air conditioning system 1 can notify the user that the communication between the communication terminal 7 and the adapter 3 can be performed, thereby preventing deterioration of the user's usability. can.

The communication terminal 7 of the air conditioning system 1 of the embodiment further includes a command transmission section 54 that transmits command signals to the adapter 3 by the second communication method. When the command signal is not received by the adapter 3 and the communication terminal 7 receives the completion signal, the command transmission unit 54 retransmits the command signal to the adapter 3 . When the command signal is not received by the adapter 3, the air conditioning system 1 can be reliably remotely operated via the communication terminal 7 by automatically retransmitting the command signal to the adapter 3. It is possible to prevent deterioration of user's usability.

Further, the adapter 3 of the air conditioning system 1 of the embodiment further includes a response transmission unit 22 that, when receiving a command signal, transmits a response signal indicating that the command signal has been received by the adapter 3 to the communication terminal 7. ing. The display control unit 55 displays a message when the communication terminal 7 does not receive the response signal within a predetermined period of time from the transmission of the command signal. The air conditioning system 1 can appropriately determine whether the adapter 3 is communicating by the first communication method based on whether the communication terminal 7 has received the response signal transmitted from the adapter 3. can.

By the way, in the air conditioning system 1, the server device 5 causes the AI to learn based on the operation history data collected from the air conditioner to generate a learning model, and the operation of the air conditioner is controlled based on the learning model. However, such control using AI may be omitted. The server device 5 can prevent the user's feeling of use from deteriorating even when control using AI is omitted.

Although the embodiments have been described above, the embodiments are not limited by the contents described above. In addition, the components described above include those that can be easily assumed by those skilled in the art, those that are substantially the same, and those within the so-called equivalent range. Furthermore, the components described above can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, at least one of various omissions, replacements, and modifications of components can be made without departing from the gist of the embodiments.

1: Air conditioning system 3: Adapter 5: Server device 7: Communication terminal 22: Response transmission unit 23: Command execution unit 24: Completion signal transmission unit 53: Display unit 54: Command transmission unit 55: Display control unit

Claims (3)

an air conditioner;
an adapter that controls the air conditioner;
a server device that communicates with the adapter by a first communication method;
a communication terminal that communicates with the adapter by a second communication method different from the first communication method;
In an air conditioning system in which the adapter does not communicate with the communication terminal while the adapter is communicating with the server device,
The communication terminal is
a display unit;
a display control unit configured to display, on the display unit, a message indicating that communication is being performed according to the first communication method when the adapter is communicating according to the first communication method ;
the adapter includes a completion signal transmission unit that transmits a completion signal of communication according to the first communication method to the communication terminal when communication according to the first communication method is completed;
The air conditioning system , wherein the display control unit erases the message when the communication terminal receives the completion signal . The communication terminal further includes a command transmission unit that transmits a command signal to the adapter according to the second communication method,
2. The air system according to claim 1 , wherein said command transmission unit retransmits said command signal to said adapter when said command signal has not been received by said adapter and said communication terminal has received said completion signal. harmonious system. The adapter further comprises a response transmission unit configured to transmit a response signal indicating that the command signal has been received by the adapter to the communication terminal when the command signal is received,
The air conditioner according to claim 2 , wherein the display control unit displays the message when the communication terminal does not receive the response signal within a predetermined period of time after the command signal is transmitted. system.

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