JP7360042B2 - Bath function device and server - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a bath function device that performs a predetermined bath function and a server that remotely controls the bath function device.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, bath function devices have been known in which hot water supplied by a hot water supply device is stored in a bathtub. In addition, a bath function device is also known in which water stored in the bathtub is circulated through a combustor to warm the water in the bathtub. In these bath function devices, bath-related functions such as reheating and adding additional bath water are executed by a remote controller installed in the bathroom or kitchen, for example.

These bath function devices detect when a person enters or leaves the bathroom using a sensor that detects human movement, such as a pyroelectric infrared sensor. For example, a bathroom person detection device that detects a person entering a bathroom using a pyroelectric infrared sensor is described in Patent Document 1 below.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-136283

In a configuration that uses a sensor that detects human movement to detect when a person enters or leaves a bathroom, for example, if the sensor does not detect movement for a predetermined period of time, it is determined that a person has left the bathroom. It will be judged.

However, when a person enters a bathroom and is immersed in hot water in the bathtub, the person is often in a relaxed state in the bathtub and hardly makes any movements. Therefore, if the above predetermined time is short, it may be erroneously determined that the person has left the bathroom even though the person is soaking in the hot water in the bathtub. On the other hand, in order to avoid this misjudgment, if the above predetermined time is set long, it will be misjudged that the person has not left the bathroom yet until the predetermined time has elapsed, even though the person has already left the bathroom. I end up. As described above, in the configuration using the above-mentioned sensor, it is difficult to accurately determine whether a person enters or leaves the bathroom.

In view of such problems, the present invention provides a bath function device and a bathroom function device that can more accurately determine whether a person enters or leaves a bathroom using a sensor that detects human movement. The purpose is to provide a server.

A first aspect of the present invention relates to a bath function device that performs predetermined bath-related functions. The bath function device according to this aspect includes a bathing sensor that can detect when a person enters or leaves a bathtub, and a control unit that determines whether a person leaves or leaves the bathroom on the condition that no movement of the person is detected in the bathroom for a predetermined period of time. and. The control unit sets the predetermined time to a first time during a period when bathing is detected by the detection result of the bathing sensor, and sets the predetermined time to the first time during a period when bathing is not detected by the detection result of the bathing sensor. The time is set to a second time shorter than the first time.

According to the bath function device according to this aspect, since the longer first time is set to the predetermined time during bathing when the movement of the person is less likely to occur, it is possible to erroneously determine that the person has left the room during bathing. suppressed. Furthermore, since the shorter second time is set to the predetermined time while the person is leaving the bathroom, the period during which it is erroneously determined that the person has not left the bathroom is suppressed. Therefore, according to the bathroom function device according to this aspect, when it is determined whether a person enters or leaves the bathroom using a sensor that detects the movement of a person, it is possible to determine whether a person enters or leaves the bathroom with higher accuracy.

A second aspect of the present invention relates to a bath function device that performs predetermined bath-related functions. The bath function device according to this aspect includes a human sensor that detects the movement of a person in a bathroom, a bathing sensor that can detect when a person enters or leaves a bathtub, and a bath sensor that detects when a person enters the bathroom by the human sensor. and a control unit that determines whether a person leaves the bathroom on the condition that no movement of the person is detected by the human sensor for a predetermined period of time after the person has left the bathroom. The control unit sets the predetermined time to a first time based on the presence of a person entering the bathroom by the human sensor, and determines that the person enters and leaves the bath according to the detection result of the bathing sensor. is detected, the predetermined time is switched to a second time shorter than the first time.

Also in the bath function device according to this aspect, as in the first aspect, the first time is set to a longer predetermined time during bathing when the movement of the person is less likely to occur. This will prevent it from being determined as such. In addition, in the period after the person has finished bathing, that is, in the period when there is a high possibility of transitioning to leaving the room, the shorter second time is set to the predetermined time, so even if the person has left the bathroom, The period during which it is incorrectly determined that the user has not left the room is suppressed. Therefore, according to the bathroom function device according to this aspect, when it is determined whether a person enters or leaves the bathroom using a sensor that detects the movement of a person, it is possible to determine whether a person enters or leaves the bathroom with higher accuracy.

A third aspect of the present invention relates to a bath function device that performs predetermined bath-related functions. The bath function device according to this aspect includes a human sensor that detects the movement of a person in a bathroom, a bathing sensor that can detect when a person enters or leaves a bathtub, and a bath sensor that detects when a person enters the bathroom by the human sensor. and a control unit that determines whether a person leaves the bathroom on the condition that no movement of the person is detected by the human sensor for a predetermined period of time after the person has left the bathroom. The control unit sets the predetermined time to a first time based on the presence of a person entering the bathroom detected by the human sensor, and determines the event of taking a bath and leaving the bath based on the detection result of the bathing sensor. is detected a predetermined number of times, the predetermined time is switched to a second time shorter than the first time.

Also in the bath function device according to this aspect, as in the first aspect, the first time is set to a longer predetermined time during bathing when the movement of the person is less likely to occur. This will prevent it from being determined as such. In addition, in the period after a person has finished bathing a predetermined number of times, that is, in a period when there is a high possibility that the person will leave the bathroom, the shorter second time is set to the predetermined time, so even if the person leaves the bathroom, Regardless, the period during which it is erroneously determined that the user has not left the room is suppressed. Therefore, according to the bathroom function device according to this aspect, when it is determined whether a person enters or leaves the bathroom using a sensor that detects the movement of a person, it is possible to determine whether a person enters or leaves the bathroom with higher accuracy.

In the bath function device according to the third aspect, the control unit may be configured to set the predetermined number of times based on history information of bathing and leaving.

According to this configuration, the predetermined number of times is set according to the tendency of the number of baths of the user of the bath function device, so if the event of taking a bath and leaving the bath occurs a predetermined number of times, then The possibility of transitioning to leaving the room increases. Therefore, leaving the bathroom can be determined with higher accuracy.

The bath function device according to the third aspect may include an input section for inputting information by operation. In this case, the control section may be configured to set the predetermined number of times according to an input to the input section.

According to this configuration, the user can arbitrarily set the predetermined number of times to a number suitable for the user's own number of bathing times. Therefore, if the user enters and exits the bath a predetermined number of times, there is a high possibility that the user will leave the bathroom after that. Therefore, leaving the bathroom can be determined with higher accuracy.

The bath function device according to the third aspect includes a person information acquisition unit that can acquire information for identifying people in the bathroom, and a storage unit that stores the number of times each person takes a bath and leaves the bath. obtain. In this case, the control unit determines the person who entered the bathroom based on the information acquired by the person information acquisition unit, and the control unit determines the person who has entered the bathroom, and the entry associated with the determined person in the storage unit. The number of times of bathing may be set to the predetermined number of times.

According to this configuration, the predetermined number of times is set according to the tendency of the number of times each person enters and exits the bath, so if the person enters and exits the bath a predetermined number of times, the person is allowed to leave the bathroom after that. The possibility of transitioning increases. Therefore, leaving the bathroom can be determined with higher accuracy.

In the bath function device of each aspect described above, a pyroelectric infrared sensor may be used as the human sensor, for example.

A fourth aspect of the present invention relates to a server connected via an external communication network to a bath function device that executes predetermined bath-related functions. Here, the bath function device includes a bathing sensor that can detect when a person enters or leaves the bathtub, and transmits a detection result of the bathing sensor to the server. According to this aspect, the server includes a control unit that determines whether a person leaves the bathroom on the condition that no movement of the person is detected within the bathroom for a predetermined period of time. The control unit sets the predetermined time to a first time during a period when bathing is detected by the detection result of the bathing sensor, and sets the predetermined time to the first time during a period when bathing is not detected by the detection result of the bathing sensor. The time is set to a second time shorter than the first time.

According to the server according to this aspect, the control of the control section according to the first aspect is performed in the control section of the server. Therefore, similarly to the first aspect, when determining whether a person enters or leaves the bathroom using a sensor that detects human movement, it is possible to determine whether a person enters or leaves the bathroom with higher accuracy.

A fifth aspect of the present invention relates to a server connected via an external communication network to a bath function device that executes predetermined bath-related functions. Here, the bath function device includes a human sensor that detects movement of a person in the bathroom, and a bathing sensor that can detect when a person enters and leaves the bathtub, and detects the human sensor and the bathing sensor. Send the results to the server. The server includes a control unit that determines whether a person leaves the bathroom on the condition that no movement of the person is detected by the human sensor for a predetermined period of time after the human sensor detects that the person enters the bathroom. Equipped with The control unit sets the predetermined time to a first time based on the presence of a person entering the bathroom by the human sensor, and determines that the person enters and leaves the bath according to the detection result of the bathing sensor. is detected, the predetermined time is switched to a second time shorter than the first time.

According to the server according to this aspect, the control of the control section according to the second aspect is performed in the control section of the server. Therefore, similarly to the second aspect, when determining whether a person enters or leaves the bathroom using a sensor that detects human movement, it is possible to determine whether a person enters or leaves the bathroom with higher accuracy.

A sixth aspect of the present invention relates to a server connected via an external communication network to a bath function device that executes predetermined bath-related functions. Here, the bath function device includes a human sensor that detects movement of a person in the bathroom, and a bathing sensor that can detect when a person enters and leaves the bathtub, and detects the human sensor and the bathing sensor. Send the results to the server. The server includes a control unit that determines whether a person leaves the bathroom on the condition that no movement of the person is detected by the human sensor for a predetermined period of time after the human sensor detects that the person enters the bathroom. Equipped with The control unit sets the predetermined time to a first time based on the presence of a person entering the bathroom detected by the human sensor, and determines the event of taking a bath and leaving the bath based on the detection result of the bathing sensor. is detected a predetermined number of times, the predetermined time is switched to a second time shorter than the first time.

According to the server according to this aspect, the control of the control section according to the third aspect is performed in the control section of the server. Therefore, similarly to the third aspect, when determining whether a person enters or leaves the bathroom using a sensor that detects human movement, it is possible to determine whether a person enters or leaves the bathroom with higher accuracy.

Also in the server according to the sixth aspect, similarly to the third aspect, the control unit may be configured to set the predetermined number of times based on history information of entering and leaving the bath.

Alternatively, similar to the third aspect above, when the bath function device includes an input section for inputting information by operation, the control section receives input from the bath function device in response to input to the input section. The predetermined number of times may be configured to be set based on information.

According to these configurations, similarly to the third aspect described above, leaving the bathroom can be determined with higher accuracy.

In the server according to the sixth aspect, the bath function device includes a person information acquisition unit capable of acquiring information for identifying a person in the bathroom, and the person information acquisition unit is configured to identify a person based on the information acquired by the person information acquisition unit. It may be configured to send identification information to the server. In this case, the server includes a storage unit that stores the number of times each person enters and exits the bath, and the control unit determines the person who entered the bathroom based on the person identification information, and On the other hand, it may be configured to set the number of times of entering and exiting the bath associated in the storage unit to the predetermined number of times.

According to this configuration, the predetermined number of times is set according to the tendency of the number of times each person enters and exits the bath, so if the person enters and exits the bath a predetermined number of times, the person is allowed to leave the bathroom after that. The possibility of transitioning increases. Therefore, leaving the bathroom can be determined with higher accuracy.

As described above, according to the present invention, when determining whether a person enters or leaves a bathroom using a sensor that detects human movement, the bath function device can more accurately determine whether a person enters or leaves the bathroom. and servers.

The effects and significance of the present invention will become clearer from the following description of the embodiments. However, the embodiment shown below is merely one example of implementing the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to what is described in the embodiment below.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a hot water supply system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing circuit blocks of each device constituting the hot water supply system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing a connection form between a water heater and a bathtub according to the first embodiment. FIGS. 4A and 4B are diagrams showing the configuration of a home screen displayed on the mobile terminal device when the application program of the hot water supply system is started, respectively, according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a flowchart when the control unit of the bathroom remote control determines whether a person enters or leaves the bathroom according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a flowchart when the control unit of the server determines whether a person enters or exits the bathroom according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a flowchart when the control unit of the bathroom remote control determines whether a person enters or leaves the bathroom, according to the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is a flowchart when the control unit of the server determines whether a person enters or leaves the bathroom according to the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a flowchart when the control unit of the bathroom remote control determines whether a person enters or leaves the bathroom, according to the third embodiment. FIG. 10 is a flowchart when the control unit of the server determines whether a person enters or exits the bathroom according to the third embodiment. FIG. 11A is a flowchart when the control unit of the bathroom remote control determines whether a person enters or leaves the bathroom, according to a modification of the third embodiment. FIG. 11(b) is a flowchart when the control unit of the server determines whether a person enters or leaves the bathroom, according to a modification of the third embodiment.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In the following embodiments, the water heater 10 corresponds to a "bath function device" described in the claims, the water level sensor 114 corresponds to a "bath sensor" described in the claims, and audio input/output The section 127 or the input section 122 corresponds to a "person information acquisition section" described in the claims. The hot water supply device 10 performs not only bath-related functions but also hot water supply functions for kitchen faucets, bathroom taps, and the like.

However, the above description is intended solely for the purpose of correlating the structure of the claims with the structure of the embodiments, and the above correspondence allows the invention described in the claims to correspond to the structure of the embodiments. It is not limited in any way.

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

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

The water heater 10 includes a water heater 11 and remote controllers 12 and 13. The water heater 11 is a gas water heater that supplies hot water using gas as fuel. Hot water generated by the water heater 11 is supplied to kitchen faucets, bathtubs, washers, etc. via pipes connected to the hot water supply ports 11a, respectively. When the water heater 11 has a floor heating function, a bathroom heating function, and a heating function using a panel heater, hot water is supplied from the water heater 11 to devices that implement these functions.

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

The remote controllers 12 and 13 are provided with audio windows 12a and 13a for inputting and outputting audio. In addition, in this embodiment, the bathroom remote control 12 is provided with a detection section 12b, and a human sensor 126 (see FIG. 2) for detecting human movement is arranged on the back side of this detection section 12b. 1, a pyroelectric infrared sensor is arranged as the human sensor 126.

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

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

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

The router 20 is a wireless router for connecting each device present in a building (here, the home H10) to the server 50 via the external communication network 40. The router 20 is a communication repeater for connecting devices in the home H10 to the external communication network 40.

The kitchen remote control 13 is connected to the router 20 by wireless communication. Furthermore, when the mobile terminal device 30 is present in the home H10, the mobile terminal device 30 is connected to the router 20 by wireless communication and can communicate with the server 50. The mobile terminal device 30 is, for example, a mobile phone. In addition, the mobile terminal device 30 may be another portable terminal device such as a portable tablet terminal. External communication network 40 is, for example, the Internet.

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

An application program for the hot water supply system 1 is downloaded from the server 50 and installed on the kitchen remote control 13 and the mobile terminal device 30. This application program includes address information (for example, an IP address) for accessing the server 50. The kitchen remote control 13 and the mobile terminal device 30 access the server 50 and communicate based on this address information.

The address information of the kitchen remote control 13 is transmitted to the server 50 and held at the time of initial setting. At the same time, ID information (identification information) of the kitchen remote controller 13 is transmitted from the kitchen remote controller 13 to the server 50. As the address information of the kitchen remote controller 13, for example, a MAC (Media Access Control) address held in the wireless communication section 137 (see FIG. 2) of the kitchen remote controller 13 is used. As the address information of the kitchen remote controller 13, the global IP address of the wireless communication section 137 of the kitchen remote controller 13 may be used. As the ID information of the kitchen remote controller 13, for example, THING of the wireless communication section 137 of the kitchen remote controller 13 is used. As the ID information of the kitchen remote controller 13, the MAC address of the wireless communication section 137 of the kitchen remote controller 13 may be used.

In the configuration of FIG. 1, the operator can remotely control the water heater 10 using the mobile terminal device 30 both inside the home H10 and outside the home.

That is, regardless of whether the mobile terminal device 30 is located in the home H10 or outside the home, a setting request input by the operator to the mobile terminal device 30 is once transmitted to the server 50 via the external communication network 40. . In response to this, the server 50 transmits the received setting request to the water heater 10 that is associated in advance with the mobile terminal device 30 that has received the setting request. Thereby, the setting request is transmitted to the kitchen remote control 13 of the corresponding water heater 10 via the external communication network 40 and router 20. In this way, the settings requested by the operator are applied to the water heater 10 by remote control.

Further, the status information of the water heater 10 is transmitted from the kitchen remote control 13 to the server 50 via the router 20 at any given time at a predetermined period. The status information is information indicating the current setting status and operating status of the water heater 10. The status information includes the detection results of the human sensor 126 shown in FIG. Further, when the control unit of the water heater 11, bathroom remote controller 12, or kitchen remote controller 13 detects that there is a person in the bathtub based on the detection result of the water level sensor 114, this detection result is sent to the server 50 at any time. be done. Instead of this detection result, the detection result of the water level sensor 114 may be sent as is to the server 50. Further, these pieces of information may be included in the status information and transmitted to the server 50.

The server 50 manages information (status information, bathing detection results, etc.) received from the kitchen remote controller 13 for each water heater 10. Specifically, the server 50 stores the received information in the storage unit 502 (see FIG. 2) at any time in association with the ID information of the water heater 10 (kitchen remote control 13) that is the transmission source. The information on each water heater 10 stored in the storage unit 502 is updated every time information is received from the water heater 10.

A viewing request for remote monitoring input by the operator into the mobile terminal device 30 is once transmitted to the server 50 via the external communication network 40 . A predetermined viewing request may be transmitted to the server 50 in response to the application program of the hot water supply system 1 being activated on the mobile terminal device 30. In response, the server 50 transmits information about the water heater 10 specified by the viewing request to the mobile terminal device 30 from among the water heating devices 10 previously associated with the mobile terminal device 30 that received the viewing request. Send. As a result, the status of the water heater 10 is output on the mobile terminal device 30. In this way, the operator can check the status of the water heater 10 both inside the house H10 and outside the house.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing circuit blocks of each device configuring the hot water supply system 1. As shown in FIG.

Water heater 11 includes a control section 111, a storage section 112, a communication section 113, and a water level sensor 114. The control section 111 includes a microcomputer and controls each section within the water heater 11 according to a program stored in the storage section 112. The storage unit 112 includes a memory and stores a predetermined control program. The communication unit 113 communicates with the bathroom remote controller 12 and the kitchen remote controller 13 under control from the controller 111 .

As will be described later, the water level sensor 114 is disposed in a conduit within the water heater 11 and detects the water level in the bathtub based on the water pressure in the conduit. The control unit 111 detects the water level in the bathroom based on the detection result of the water level sensor 114. Further, the control unit 111 can detect whether a person enters or leaves the bathtub (bathing/leaving) based on the fluctuation of the water level detection result. In this case, the detection result is transmitted to the control section 123 of the bathroom remote control 12 and the control section 133 of the kitchen remote control 13 at any time, and is shared by these control sections. Moreover, this detection result is transmitted to the server 50 at any time.

A person entering or leaving the bathtub may be detected by the control section 123 of the bathroom remote control 12 or the control section 133 of the kitchen remote control 13 based on the detection result of the water level sensor 114. In this case, the detection result of the water level sensor 114 is transmitted to the control section 123 of the bathroom remote control 12 or the control section 133 of the kitchen remote control 13 at any time. In this case as well, the detection results of whether a person enters or leaves the bathtub are shared by each control unit. Furthermore, this detection result is transmitted to the server 50 at any time.

FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing a connection form between the water heater 11 and the bathtub 2.

As shown in FIG. 3, the water heater 11 includes a hot water supply section 210, a reheating section 220, and a bypass section 230 in addition to the configuration shown in FIG.

Hot water supply section 210 includes a water supply pipe 211 , a hot water supply heat exchanger 212 , a hot water supply pipe 213 , a hot water supply combustor 214 , and an air supply fan 215 . The water supply pipe 211 is connected to the water supply pipe and the hot water supply heat exchanger 212, and the hot water supply pipe 213 is connected to the hot water supply heat exchanger 212, the bathroom faucet 3, and the external faucet 4. Gas (fuel gas) is supplied to the hot water supply combustor 214 through a hot water supply gas pipe line 217 that is opened and closed by a gas solenoid valve 216 . The hot water combustor 214 burns gas as fuel. The air supply fan 215 supplies combustion air to the hot water combustor 214 .

The reheating section 220 includes a return pipe 221, a bath heat exchanger 222, an outgoing pipe 223, a bath combustor 224, and a circulation pump 225 in addition to the water level sensor 114 shown in FIG. The return pipe line 221 is connected to the circulation adapter 2a of the bathtub 2 and the bath heat exchanger 222, and the outgoing pipe line 223 is connected to the bath heat exchanger 222 and the circulation adapter 2a.

Gas (fuel gas) is supplied to the bath combustor 224 through a bath gas pipe 227 that is opened and closed by a gas solenoid valve 226 . The bath combustor 224 burns gas as fuel. An air supply fan 215 is shared between the hot water supply section 210 and the reheating section 220, and combustion air is supplied from the air supply fan 215 to the bath combustor 224. A circulation pump 225 and a water level sensor 114 are arranged in the return pipe 221 . Water level sensor 114 detects the water level in bathtub 2 based on the water pressure in return pipe 221 .

Bypass section 230 includes a bypass pipe line 231 and a hot water supply solenoid valve 232. Bypass line 231 connects to hot water supply line 213 and return line 221 . The hot water supply solenoid valve 232 opens and closes the bypass pipe line 231.

The control section 111 includes a hot water supply combustor 214, an air supply fan 215, and a gas solenoid valve 216 of the hot water supply section 210, a bath combustor 224 of the reheating section 220, a circulation pump 225, a water level sensor 114, a gas solenoid valve 226, and a bypass section 230. The hot water supply solenoid valve 232 and the like are controlled.

When the bathroom faucet 3 or the external faucet 4 is opened, the hot water supply function is executed. Water from the water pipe is introduced into the hot water heat exchanger 212 through the water supply pipe line 211, and the hot water combustor 214 is combusted to heat the hot water heat exchanger 212. The water introduced into the hot water supply heat exchanger 212 is heated to become hot water, and the hot water is supplied to the bathroom faucet 3 or the external faucet 4 through the hot water supply pipe 213. When the bathroom faucet 3 or the external faucet 4 is closed, water supply from the water pipe to the water supply pipe line 211 is stopped, and combustion in the hot water supply combustor 214 is also stopped.

Further, upon receiving a command to fill the bathtub 2 from the bathroom remote controller 12 or the kitchen remote controller 13, the control unit 111 executes a hot water filling function (automatic bath function). In this case, the hot water supply electromagnetic valve 232 is opened, and water from the water pipe is introduced into the hot water supply heat exchanger 212 through the water supply pipe line 211 and heated by the hot water supply heat exchanger 212 . Then, hot water from the hot water heat exchanger 212 is introduced into the return pipe 221 through the hot water supply pipe 213 and the bypass pipe 231.

A portion of the hot water introduced into the return pipe 221 flows through the return pipe 221 toward the circulation adapter 2a, and is poured into the bathtub 2 from the circulation adapter 2a. The remainder of the hot water introduced into the return pipe line 221 flows through the return pipe line 221 to the bath heat exchanger 222 side, further flows through the bath heat exchanger 222 and the outgoing pipe line 223, and enters the bathtub 2 from the circulation adapter 2a. It is poured.

When hot water is supplied and hot water is stored in the bathtub 2, the return pipe 221, bath heat exchanger 222, and outgoing pipe 223 are filled with water. This allows the water level sensor 114 to detect the water level in the bathtub 2. When the water level sensor 114 detects that the water level in the bathtub 2 has reached a preset water level, the hot water supply solenoid valve 232 is closed, water supply from the water pipe to the water supply pipe 211 is stopped, and the hot water supply combustor is closed. Combustion of 214 stops.

Note that when a person enters the bathtub 2 filled with hot water, the water level in the bathtub 2 rises. Further, when a person leaves the bathtub 2, the water level decreases. Fluctuations in the water level based on people entering and exiting the bathtub 2 can be detected by the water level sensor 114. Thereby, as described above, entry and exit of a person into and out of the bathtub 2 is detected.

Furthermore, when performing the reheating function, the circulation pump 225 operates and the bath combustor 224 burns. Hot water in the bathtub 2 circulates between the bathtub 2 and a circulation path consisting of a return pipe 221, a bath heat exchanger 222, and an outgoing pipe 223, and is heated by the bath heat exchanger 222 during this period. As a result, the temperature of the water in the bathtub 2 increases. When the temperature of the water in the bathtub 2 becomes higher than a preset upper limit temperature, the circulation pump 225 stops and combustion in the bath combustor 224 stops.

In the addition bath function, a predetermined amount of hot water is poured into the bathtub 2 under the same control as the hot water filling function (automatic bath function).

Furthermore, when executing the water addition function, the same control as the hot water filling function (automatic bath function) is executed with the hot water supply combustor 214 and the bath combustor 224 stopped, and a predetermined amount of hot water is injected into the bathtub 2. be done.

Returning to FIG. 2, the bathroom remote control 12 includes, in addition to the display section 121 and input section 122 described above, a control section 123, a storage section 124, a communication section 125, a human sensor 126, and an audio input/output section 127. Be prepared. The display section 121 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal panel. The input unit 122 includes various operation buttons such as a temperature setting button. The display section 121 may be a touch panel.

The control unit 123 includes a microcomputer and performs predetermined control according to a program stored in the storage unit 124. The storage unit 124 includes a memory and stores a predetermined control program. The communication unit 125 communicates with the water heater 11 under control from the control unit 123.

The human sensor 126 detects human movement within the bathroom. The human sensor 126 is, for example, a pyroelectric sensor that uses infrared rays. The detection range of the human sensor 126 is set to cover the washing area and bathtub in the bathroom.

The control unit 123 detects whether a person enters or leaves the bathroom based on the output of the human sensor 126. The control unit 123 transmits the detection results of people entering and leaving the water heater 11 and the kitchen remote control 13 at any time. Detection of a person entering or leaving the bathroom may be performed by the control unit 111 of the water heater 11 or the control unit 133 of the kitchen remote control 13. In this case, the detection results of the human sensor 126 are transmitted to the control unit 111 of the water heater 11 or the control unit 133 of the kitchen remote control 13 at any time and shared. The detection results of people entering and exiting are transmitted from the kitchen remote control 13 to the server 50 and shared at any time.

The audio input/output unit 127 includes means for inputting and outputting audio, such as a speaker and a microphone. The audio input/output unit 127 inputs and outputs audio via the audio window 12a in FIG. 1 under control from the control unit 123.

The kitchen remote control 13 includes a control section 133, a storage section 134, a communication section 135, and an audio input/output section 136 in addition to the display section 131 and input section 132 described above. The display section 131 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal panel. The input unit 132 includes various operation buttons. The display section 131 may be a touch panel. The control unit 133 includes a microcomputer and performs predetermined control according to a program stored in the storage unit 134. The storage unit 134 includes a memory and stores a predetermined control program. The communication unit 135 communicates with the water heater 11 under control from the control unit 133.

The audio input/output unit 136 includes means for inputting and outputting audio, such as a speaker and a microphone. The audio input/output unit 136 inputs and outputs audio via the audio window 13a in FIG. 1 under control from the control unit 133.

Further, the kitchen remote control 13 includes a wireless communication section 137. Here, the wireless communication unit 137 is a wireless communication module capable of wireless communication with the router 20. The wireless communication unit 137 (wireless communication module) is assigned an IP address for identifying a device on a LAN (Local Area Network) set in the home H10. Furthermore, the wireless communication unit 137 holds the above-mentioned MAC address.

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

The control unit 303 includes an arithmetic processing circuit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and performs predetermined control according to a program stored in the storage unit 304. The storage unit 304 includes a memory and stores a predetermined control program. When the mobile terminal device 30 is used at home, the wireless communication unit 305 communicates with the router 20 under control from the control unit 303. When the mobile terminal device 30 is used outside the home, the wireless communication unit 305 communicates with the router 60 and base station 70 outside the home. The wireless communication unit 305 is a wireless communication module capable of wireless communication with the routers 20 and 60 and the base station 70. An IP address is also assigned to the wireless communication unit 305. Furthermore, the wireless communication unit 305 holds the above-mentioned MAC address. In addition, the mobile terminal device 30 includes an audio input/output unit 306 for outputting audio.

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

In the above configuration, the mobile terminal device 30 that can remotely control the water heater 10 is registered in advance in the server 50 in association with the water heater 10. That is, the water heater 10 and the mobile terminal device 30 are paired in advance, and information indicating the pairing (pairing information) is managed in the server 50. Specifically, the ID information of the water heater 10 and the ID information and address information of the mobile terminal device 30 are associated with each other to configure pairing information. Such pairing is performed, for example, via the kitchen remote control 13 installed in the house H10 where the water heater 10 is installed. This reduces the possibility that the mobile terminal device 30 and the water heater 10 will be illegally paired by a malicious third party.

When the application program of the hot water supply system 1 is started on the mobile terminal device 30, the control unit 303 of the mobile terminal device 30 acquires information indicating the state of the water heater 10 from the server 50. This information includes information on settings of the water heater 10 (hot water temperature, bath temperature, bath water amount, etc.), information on people entering and leaving the bathroom detected by the bathroom remote control 12, and information detected by the water heater 11. Information regarding people entering and exiting the bathtub 2 is included.

The control unit 303 of the mobile terminal device 30 causes the display unit 301 to display a home screen 600 shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) based on the information received from the server 50.

As shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b), the home screen 600 is divided into areas 610, 620, and 630. The area 610 includes a name display section 611, a hot water supply temperature display section 612, a bath temperature display section 613, a bath water amount display section 614, a bathtub image 615, and a bathing time display section 616.

The name display section 611 displays the name of the water heater 10 to which remote monitoring is applied. The name display section 611 uses the name of the water heater 10 set at the time of pairing. The hot water supply temperature display section 612, the bath temperature display section 613, and the bath water amount display section 614 display the current hot water supply temperature, bath temperature, and bath water amount, respectively, based on information received by the mobile terminal device 30 from the server 50 at any time. The setting status is shown.

In the bathtub image 615, the current setting state of the amount of bath water is displayed as an image of water stored in the bathtub. When it is detected from the output from the water level sensor 114 that a person is bathing in the bathtub, information indicating this is transmitted from the server 50 to the mobile terminal device 30 at any time. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4A, an image M1 showing that a person is bathing in the bathtub is added to the bathtub image 615. The bathing time display section 616 displays the current bathing time for the bathtub.

Note that if the human sensor 126 detects that there is a person in the bathroom, and the water level sensor 114 does not detect that a person is taking a bath, the image M1 may be replaced by a screen that indicates that there is a person outside the bathtub. The image shown is included in area 610. Further, when it is detected that a person has left the bathroom based on the detection result of the human sensor 126, the image showing the person is erased from the area 610, as shown in FIG. 4(b).

Area 620 displays buttons 621 to 624 for performing predetermined settings and the like. Buttons 621 to 624 are buttons for setting the reheating function, the automatic bath function, the bath cleaning function, and the bath timer, respectively. Area 630 displays four buttons for switching functions to be remotely controlled.

The user of the mobile terminal device 30 can check the status of the water heater 10 by referring to the home screen 600. That is, the user can check various aspects of how the bath is used by people at home. As a result, the user can accurately grasp the usage status of the bath whether he or she is outside the home or inside the home.

By the way, in the configuration that detects when a person enters or leaves a bathroom using the human sensor 126 that detects human movement as described above, for example, if no movement is detected by the human sensor 126 for a predetermined period of time or more, , it may be determined that a person has left the bathroom.

However, when a person enters the bathroom and is immersed in the hot water in the bathtub 2, the person is often in a relaxed state in the bathtub and hardly makes any movements. For this reason, if the predetermined time for determining whether a person has left the bathroom is short, it may be erroneously determined that the person has left the bathroom even though the person is submerged in hot water in the bathtub 2. On the other hand, in order to avoid this misjudgment, if the above predetermined time is set long, it will be misjudged that the person has not left the bathroom yet until the predetermined time has elapsed, even though the person has already left the bathroom. I end up.

As described above, in the configuration using the human sensor 126, it is difficult to accurately determine whether a person enters or leaves the bathroom. For this reason, the home screen 600 shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) may not be able to accurately reflect the status of people entering and exiting. In this case, the user of the mobile terminal device 30 will not be able to properly monitor the bathing status of the person inside the home from outside the home.

Therefore, in the first embodiment, control is performed using the human sensor 126 to more accurately determine whether a person leaves the bathroom. This control will be explained below.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart when the control unit 123 of the bathroom remote controller 12 determines whether a person enters or leaves the bathroom.

When the control unit 123 of the bathroom remote control 12 detects that a person enters the bathroom based on the detection result of the human sensor 126 (S101: YES), the control unit 123 further detects the entry of the person into the bathroom based on the detection result of the water level sensor 114 of the water heater 11. It is determined whether a person is taking a bath in the bathtub 2 (S102). Here, if the user is taking a bath (S102: YES), the control unit 123 sets the first time TM1 to the built-in down-counting timer and starts the timer (S103). The first time TM1 is set to, for example, about 5 minutes.

Thereafter, the control unit 123 causes the count value of the timer to become zero and the first time TM1 to elapse while the human sensor 126 does not detect the person, that is, the movement of the person is not detected (S105: NO). Then (S104: YES), the determination that the person has left the bathroom is confirmed (S106). In response, the control unit 123 transmits a notification indicating that the person has left the bathroom to the server 50 via the kitchen remote control 13.

On the other hand, if a person is detected by the human sensor 126 (S105: YES) before the count value of the timer reaches zero and the first time TM1 has elapsed (S104: NO), the control unit 123 starts the timer. It is reset (S107), and it is determined again whether a person in the bathroom is taking a bath based on the detection result of the water level sensor 114 (S102). If the person in the bathroom is still taking a bath (S102: YES), the control unit 123 executes the same control as described above.

After that, when the person in the bathroom leaves the bathtub 2 (S102: NO), the control unit 123 sets a second time TM2 to the built-in down-counting timer and starts the timer (S108). The second time TM2 is set shorter than the first time TM1. For example, the second time TM2 is set to about 1 minute.

Thereafter, the control unit 123 causes the count value of the timer to become zero and the second time TM2 to elapse while the human sensor 126 does not detect the person, that is, the movement of the person is not detected (S110: NO). Then (S109: YES), the determination that the person has left the bathroom is confirmed (S106). In response, the control unit 123 transmits a notification indicating that the person has left the bathroom to the server 50 via the kitchen remote control 13.

On the other hand, if a person is detected by the human sensor 126 (S110: YES) before the count value of the timer becomes zero and the second time TM2 elapses (S109: NO), the control unit 123 starts the timer. It is reset (S111), and it is determined again whether a person in the bathroom is taking a bath based on the detection result of the water level sensor 114 (S102). If the person in the bathroom is still taking a bath (S102: NO), the control unit 123 executes the same control as described above.

As described above, in the flowchart of FIG. 5, when a person in the bathroom is taking a bath, the predetermined time for monitoring the person's exit is set to the first time TM1 (for example, 5 minutes), and When the person is not taking a bath (when the person is leaving the bath), the predetermined time for monitoring the person's exit is set to the second time TM2 (for example, 1 minute). In this way, the longer first time TM1 (for example, 5 minutes) is set as the predetermined time for monitoring leaving the room during bathing, when people are less likely to move. This prevents the person from being erroneously determined to have left the room.

Furthermore, while a person is leaving the bathroom, a shorter second time TM2 (for example, 1 minute) is set as the predetermined time for monitoring leaving the bathroom, so even if the person has left the bathroom, it may not be possible to confirm that the person has left the room yet. The period of misjudgment is suppressed. Therefore, according to the water heater 10 according to the first embodiment, it is possible to more accurately determine whether a person enters or leaves the bathroom while using the human sensor 126 that detects the movement of a person.

In the flowchart of FIG. 5, the determination of whether a person enters or leaves the bathroom is performed by the bathroom remote controller 12 on the water heater 10 side, but this determination may be performed by the server 50. In this case, the control unit 501 of the server 50 determines whether a person enters or leaves the bathroom based on the detection result of the human sensor 126 and the detection result about the person entering or leaving the bathtub 2, which is received from the kitchen remote controller 13 at any time. Make a judgment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart when the control unit 501 of the server 50 determines whether a person enters or leaves the bathroom.

In the flowchart of FIG. 6, the processing in steps S201 to S211 is the same as the processing in steps S101 to S111 in the flowchart of FIG. 5, respectively. The control unit 501 of the server 50 performs the following steps in the same manner as steps S101 to S111 in the flowchart of FIG. The processes of steps S201 to S211 are executed. Then, when the first time TM1 or the second time TM2 elapses without the detection of a person (S204: YES or S209: YES), the control unit 501 finalizes the determination that the person has left the bathroom. (S206), and the process ends.

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

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, during bathing where people hardly move (S102: YES/S202: YES), the longer first time TM1 (for example, 5 minutes) is the predetermined time for determining when to leave the room. (S103/S203), it is possible to suppress an erroneous determination that a person has left the room while taking a bath. Furthermore, while leaving the bath (S102: NO/S202: NO), the shorter second time TM2 (for example, 1 minute) is set as the predetermined time for determining leaving the room (S108/S208). The period during which it is incorrectly determined that the user has not left the room even though the user has left the room is suppressed. Therefore, according to the hot water supply device 10 (bathroom function device) according to the first embodiment, when it is determined whether a person enters or leaves the bathroom using the human sensor 126 (sensor that detects the movement of a person), the accuracy can be improved. It can easily determine when people enter or leave.

<Embodiment 2>
In the first embodiment, the predetermined time for determining whether to leave the bathtub 2 is switched between the first time TM1 and the second time TM2, depending on whether the bathtub 2 is bathed or not. In contrast, in the second embodiment, when a person enters the bathroom, the predetermined time for determining leaving the room is set to the first time TM1, and after that, when the person takes a bath and leaves the bathroom, the predetermined time for determining leaving the bathroom is set. is switched to the second time TM2. After switching to the second time TM2, the predetermined time for determining leaving the room is maintained at the second time TM2, and the determination of leaving the room is made.

The control according to the second embodiment is effective when it is assumed that the user usually takes a bath only once after entering the bathroom.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart when the control unit 123 of the bathroom remote controller 12 determines whether a person enters or leaves the bathroom according to the second embodiment.

The flowchart in FIG. 7 is different from the flowchart in FIG. 5 in that step S102 is replaced with step S121, and the process after executing step S111 is shifted to step S108. The processing of other steps in the flowchart of FIG. 7 is similar to the processing of the corresponding steps of FIG.

When the control unit 123 of the bathroom remote control 12 detects that a person enters the bathroom based on the detection result of the human sensor 126 (S101: YES), the control unit 123 waits until the person enters the bathtub 2 and leaves the bath (S121: NO), the first time TM1 (for example, 5 minutes) is set on the timer (S103), and it is determined whether the person leaves the bathroom (S104, S105, S106), and the person enters bathtub 2 and leaves the bath. After that (S121: YES), a second time TM2 (for example, 1 minute) is set on the timer (S108), and it is determined whether the person leaves the bathroom (S109, S110, S106). Then, after the timer is switched to the second time TM2 (S108), the control unit 123 maintains the predetermined time for leaving the room determination at the second time TM2, and determines whether a person leaves the bathtub 2. (S108-S111).

Note that in the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the control unit 501 of the server 50 executes the same process as the control unit 123 of the bathroom remote controller 12 to determine whether a person enters or leaves the bathroom. Good too.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart when the control unit 501 of the server 50 determines whether a person enters or exits the bathroom according to the second embodiment.

In the flowchart of FIG. 8, the processes of steps S201, S203 to S211, and S221 are the same as the processes of steps S101, S103 to S111, and S121 of the flowchart of FIG. 7, respectively.

The control unit 501 of the server 50 performs steps S101, S103 to S111, and S121 in the flowchart of FIG. Similarly, the processes of steps S201, S203 to S211, and S221 are executed. Then, when the first time TM1 or the second time TM2 elapses without the detection of a person (S204: YES or S209: YES), the control unit 501 finalizes the determination that the person has left the bathroom. (S206), and the process ends.

<Effects of Embodiment 2>
In Embodiment 2, as in Embodiment 1, the longer first time TM1 (for example, 5 minutes) is set as the predetermined time for determining when to leave the room during bathing where people are less likely to move (S103 /S203), it is suppressed that it is determined that a person has left the bathing room when there is little movement of the person. In addition, during a period when bathing is finished and there is a high possibility of transitioning to leaving the room (S121: NO/S221: NO), a shorter second time TM2 (for example, 1 minute) is set as the predetermined time for determining leaving the room. (S108/S208), the period during which it is erroneously determined that the person has not left the bathroom is suppressed even though the person has left the bathroom. Therefore, according to the hot water supply device 10 (bathroom function device) according to the second embodiment, when it is determined whether a person enters or leaves the bathroom using the human sensor 126 (a sensor that detects the movement of a person), it is possible to achieve higher accuracy. It can easily determine when people enter or leave.

<Embodiment 3>
In the second embodiment, the time measured by the timer (predetermined time for determining leaving the room) is switched from the first time TM1 to the second time TM2 in response to one occurrence of taking a bath and leaving the bath. . On the other hand, in the third embodiment, the measurement time of the timer (the predetermined time for determining leaving the room) is set in response to the event of taking a bath and leaving the bath occurring a predetermined number of times Ns stored in advance in the storage unit 124. The first time TM1 is switched to the second time TM2.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart when the control unit 123 of the bathroom remote controller 12 determines whether a person enters or leaves the bathroom according to the third embodiment.

In the flowchart of FIG. 9, step S121 is replaced with step S131 compared to the flowchart of FIG. The processing of other steps in the flowchart of FIG. 9 is similar to the processing of the corresponding steps of FIG.

When the control unit 123 of the bathroom remote control 12 detects that a person enters the bathroom based on the detection result of the human sensor 126 (S101: YES), the control unit 123 calculates the number of times the person entered and left the bathtub (hereinafter referred to as Until the number of bathing/leaving (referred to as "number of bathing/exiting times") reaches a predetermined number of times Ns stored in the storage unit 124 (S131: NO), a first time TM1 (for example, 5 minutes) is set in the timer (S103). , it is determined whether a person leaves the bathroom (S104, S105, S106), and after the number of bathing and leaving reaches a predetermined number Ns (S131: YES), a second time TM2 (for example, 1 minute) is set in the timer. (S108), and determines whether a person leaves the bathroom (S109, S110, S106). Then, after the timer is switched to the second time TM2 (S108), the control unit 123 maintains the predetermined time for leaving the room determination at the second time TM2, and determines whether a person leaves the bathtub 2. (S108-S111).

Here, the control unit 123 sets the predetermined number of times Ns based on, for example, history information of entering and leaving a bath in the water heater 10. That is, the control unit 123 stores the number of times of entering and leaving the bath, which is detected based on the detection result of the water level sensor 114, in the storage unit 124 as history information for each entry and exit from the bathroom (one use of the bathroom). let Then, the control unit 123 learns from this history information the tendency of the number of times a user of the water heater 10 enters and leaves the bath during one use of the bathroom, and based on the learning result, the user uses the water heater 10 for a predetermined number of times Ns. Set.

For example, the control unit 123 calculates the frequency distribution of the number of bathing/exiting times during one bathroom use from the history information, sets the highest frequency of bathing/exiting times to a predetermined number Ns, and stores the frequency distribution in the storage unit 124. let Alternatively, if the bathroom has been used for a predetermined number of times (multiple times) with the same number of bathing/exiting times in the recent past, the control unit 123 sets and stores the number of bathing/exiting times in the bathroom usage as a predetermined number of times Ns. The information is stored in the section 124.

However, the method of setting the predetermined number of times Ns based on the history information is not limited to this, and as long as it reflects the current tendency of the number of times the user of the water heater 10 enters and leaves the bath, other setting methods may be used to set the predetermined number of times Ns may be set.

Further, the predetermined number of times Ns does not necessarily have to be set based on history information, and may be set, for example, according to a user's input to the input unit 122. In this case, the user, for example, understands the number of times the user (for example, a family member) who uses the hot water supply device 10 takes a bath and then manually sets the appropriate number of times the user takes a bath and leaves the bath, and the control unit 123 , the manually inputted number of times of entering and exiting the bath is stored in the storage unit 124 as a predetermined number of times Ns.

Note that in an initial state where the predetermined number of times Ns has not yet been set by learning or manually, a default predetermined number of times Ns (for example, once) is stored in the storage unit 124. When the control unit 123 obtains the predetermined number of times Ns through the above-described learning process or manual input, the control unit 123 stores the obtained predetermined number of times Ns in the storage unit 124 and performs the control shown in FIG. 9 .

In the third embodiment, as in the second embodiment, the control unit 501 of the server 50 executes the same process as the control unit 123 of the bathroom remote controller 12 to determine whether a person enters or leaves the bathroom. Good too.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart when the control unit 501 of the server 50 determines whether a person enters or leaves the bathroom according to the third embodiment.

In the flowchart of FIG. 10, the processes of steps S201, S203 to S211, and S231 are the same as the processes of steps S101, S103 to S111, and S131 of the flowchart of FIG. 9, respectively.

The control unit 501 of the server 50 performs steps S101, S103 to S111, and S131 in the flowchart of FIG. Similarly, the processes of steps S201, S203 to S211, and S231 are executed. Then, when the first time TM1 or the second time TM2 elapses without the detection of a person (S204: YES or S209: YES), the control unit 501 finalizes the determination that the person has left the bathroom. (S206), and the process ends.

<Effects of Embodiment 3>
In Embodiment 3, as in Embodiments 1 and 2, the longer first time TM1 (for example, 5 minutes) is set as the predetermined time for determining when to leave the room during bathing when people are less likely to move. (S103/S203), it is suppressed that it is determined that a person has left the room while taking a bath. In addition, during a period when bathing is finished and there is a high possibility of transitioning to leaving the room (S131: NO/S231: NO), a shorter second time TM2 (for example, 1 minute) is set as the predetermined time for determining leaving the room. (S108/S208), the period during which it is erroneously determined that the person has not left the bathroom is suppressed even though the person has left the bathroom. Therefore, according to the hot water supply device 10 (bathroom function device) according to the third embodiment, when it is determined whether a person enters or leaves the bathroom using the human sensor 126 (sensor that detects the movement of a person), the accuracy can be improved. It can easily determine when people enter or leave.

Further, as described above, the control unit 123 sets the predetermined number of times Ns based on, for example, history information of bathing and leaving. As a result, the predetermined number of times Ns is set according to the tendency of the number of times the user of the water heater 10 enters and exits the bath, so after entering and exiting the bath a predetermined number of times Ns, the transition to leaving the bathroom occurs. The possibility increases. Therefore, leaving the bathroom can be determined with higher accuracy.

Alternatively, the control unit 123 sets the predetermined number of times Ns according to the input to the input unit 122, as described above. Thereby, the user can arbitrarily set the predetermined number of times Ns to a number suitable for the user's own number of bathing and exiting times. Therefore, the user is more likely to leave the bathroom after entering and exiting the bath a predetermined number of times Ns. Therefore, leaving the bathroom can be determined with higher accuracy.

<Example of modification of Embodiment 3>
In the third embodiment, one predetermined number of times Ns is stored in the storage unit 124, but the predetermined number of times Ns may be set for each user of the water heater 10 and stored in the storage unit 124.

FIG. 11A is a flowchart when the control unit 123 of the bathroom remote controller 12 determines whether a person enters or leaves the bathroom, according to a modification example.

In FIG. 11A, only steps S101 and S131 at the beginning of the flowchart of FIG. 9 are illustrated, and illustration of other steps is omitted. In the flowchart of FIG. 11A, steps S141 and S142 are added between step S101 and step S131 of the flowchart of FIG. The other steps in the flowchart of FIG. 11(a) are the same as the corresponding steps of FIG.

When the control unit 123 of the bathroom remote control 12 detects that a person enters the bathroom based on the detection result of the human sensor 126 (S101: YES), it executes a process to identify the person (bathroom user) ( S141).

For example, in step S141, the control unit 123 causes the audio input/output unit 127 to output a message voice urging the bathroom user to input to the input unit 122 to identify himself/herself. When the bathroom user makes an input to the input unit 122 in response to this, the control unit 123 sets the user according to the input result as the bathroom user. For example, a plurality of buttons arranged in advance on the input section 122 are each associated with a user. The user operates the button corresponding to the user according to the above message.

Alternatively, the control unit 123 causes the audio input/output unit 127 to output a message urging the bathroom user to speak. When the bathroom user utters a voice in response to this, the control unit 123 acquires the voice resulting from this utterance via the audio input/output unit 127, analyzes the acquired voice, and identifies the bathroom user. In this case, the control unit 123 is equipped with a voice analysis function, and the storage unit 124 stores in advance the feature amount of the voice uttered for each user. That is, the user registers his or her own voice in the bathroom remote controller 12 while operating the input unit 122 in the voice registration mode. The control unit 123 compares the feature amount of the voice produced by the utterance made in response to the above message with the feature amount of each user's voice stored in the storage unit 124, and selects the user whose voice matches the most to use the bathroom. be identified as a person.

Next, the control unit 123 extracts the predetermined number of times Ns associated with the bathroom user identified in step S141 from the storage unit 124, and uses the extracted predetermined number of times Ns as the predetermined number of times Ns is used for determining whether to enter or leave the bathroom. It is set to Ns (S142).

Here, the storage unit 124 stores a predetermined number of times Ns in association with each user. The method for obtaining the predetermined number of times Ns is the same as in the third embodiment. That is, the control unit 123, for example, executes the learning process described in the third embodiment for each user identified in step S141, and obtains the predetermined number of times Ns. Then, the predetermined number of times Ns acquired for each user is stored in the storage unit 124 in association with the user.

Alternatively, after receiving the identification of the user through the input to the input unit 122, the control unit 123 further receives an input from the user via the input unit 122 of the number of times the user enters and exits the bath in one bathroom use. accept. When specifying a user by voice, in the above-described operation of registering voice for each user, the number of times the user enters and leaves the bath may be further received via the input unit 122. Then, the control unit 123 causes the storage unit 124 to store the number of times of bathing/exit received for each user in this way.

After setting the predetermined number of times Ns for the bathroom user who has entered the room (S142), the control unit 123 executes the processes from step S131 onwards. The processing after step S131 is similar to the processing in FIG.

According to this example of change, the predetermined number of times Ns is set according to the tendency of the number of times of bathing and leaving for each user, so after the user has entered and left the bath a predetermined number of times, The possibility of transitioning to leaving the room increases. Therefore, compared to the third embodiment described above, leaving the bathroom can be determined with higher accuracy.

In addition, in this modified example, similarly to the third embodiment, the control unit 501 of the server 50 executes the same process as the control unit 123 of the bathroom remote controller 12, and sets the predetermined number of times Ns for each user. You may go.

FIG. 11(b) is a flowchart showing the processing in this case.

Similar to FIG. 11(a), FIG. 11(b) only shows steps S201 and S231 at the beginning of the flowchart of FIG. 10, and omits illustration of other steps. In the flowchart of FIG. 11(b), steps S241 and S242 are added between step S201 and step S231 of the flowchart of FIG. The other steps in the flowchart of FIG. 11(b) are similar to the corresponding steps of FIG. 10.

When the control unit 501 of the server 50 detects that a person enters the bathroom based on the information received from the kitchen remote controller 13 from time to time (S201: YES), it executes a process to identify the person (bathroom user) ( S241). For example, the control unit 501 transmits to the bathroom remote controller 12 a command for causing the bathroom remote controller 12 to execute the same process as step S141 in FIG. 11(a). In response, the bathroom remote controller 12 executes the same process as step S141 to identify the bathroom user, and transmits person identification information indicating the identified bathroom user to the server 50. The control unit 501 of the server 50 identifies the bathroom user based on the received person identification information.

After that, the control unit 501 extracts the predetermined number of times Ns associated with the identified bathroom user from the storage unit 502, and sets the extracted predetermined number of times Ns as the predetermined number of times Ns used for processing (S242). The storage unit 502 stores a predetermined number of times Ns associated with each user. The method for obtaining the predetermined number of times Ns for each user is the same as the method described in the third embodiment. Then, the control unit 501 executes the processing from step S231 using the set predetermined number of times Ns. This configuration also provides the same effects as above.

Note that if the bathroom user cannot be identified in steps S141 and S241 of FIGS. 11A and 11B, a default predetermined number of times Ns (for example, once) may be set in steps S142 and S242.

Furthermore, in the above description, the bathroom user is identified by the bathroom remote controller 12 and the person identification information is transmitted to the server 50, but the bathroom user may be identified by the control unit 501 of the server 50. In this case, for example, the storage unit 502 of the server 50 registers the feature amount of the voice for each user in association with the water heater 10, and the control unit 123 of the bathroom remote controller 12 registers the voice characteristic amount of each user in association with the water heater 10. The feature amount is transmitted to the server 50. The control unit 501 of the server 50 compares the voice feature amount received from the bathroom remote controller 12 with the voice feature amount registered in the storage unit 502, and selects the user who is associated with the most matching feature amount. Identify as a bathroom user.

<Other change examples>
In the first to third embodiments described above, a down-counting timer is used as a timer for determining when a person leaves the bathroom, but an up-counting timer may also be used. In this case, for example, in steps S104 and S109 of FIG. 5, it is determined whether the time measured by the timer has reached the first time TM1 and the second time TM2, respectively.

Further, in the embodiment described above, 5 minutes was exemplified as the first time TM1 and 1 minute was exemplified as the second time TM2, but the first time TM1 and the second time TM2 are not limited to these times. In other words, the first time TM1 may be set to a time that can prevent a false determination that the bathroom user has left the room due to no movement of the bathroom user during bathing, for example, 6 to 8 minutes. etc., may be set to a time longer than 5 minutes. Further, the second time TM2 may be set to a time that can suppress the period in which it is erroneously determined that the bathroom user has not left the bathroom even though he or she has left the bathroom, for example, 30 to 50 seconds. etc., may be set to a time shorter than 1 minute.

Further, in one of the configuration examples of the first to third embodiments described above, control for determining whether a person enters or exits the bathroom is performed by the control unit 123 of the bathroom remote controller 12, but this control is performed by the control unit 133 of the kitchen remote controller 13. Alternatively, the control may be performed by the control unit 111 of the water heater 11, or if another control device is provided in the water heater 10, this control may be performed by this control device.

Similarly, in the other configuration examples of the first to third embodiments described above, control for determining whether a person enters or exits the bathroom is performed by the control unit 501 of the server 50, but a control device other than the server 50 is controlled by the external communication network 40. If it is possible to communicate with the hot water supply device 10 via the control device, this control device may perform this control.

Further, in the first to third embodiments described above, the presence or absence of bathing is detected based on the output of the water level sensor 114, but the method of detecting the presence or absence of bathing is not limited to this. For example, in the case where the input unit 122 of the bathroom remote control 12 is provided with a button that the bather operates when entering and exiting the bath, whether or not the bather is taking a bath may be detected based on the operation of this button. In this case, for example, the control unit 123 of the bathroom remote controller 12 determines that the person in the bathroom has entered the bathtub based on the fact that this button is operated, and determines that the person in the bathroom has entered the bathtub based on the fact that this button is operated again. It is determined that a person has left the bathtub. This determination result is transmitted from the bathroom remote controller 12 to the kitchen remote controller 13 at any time, and is shared by the server 50 and the mobile terminal device 30. If there are two detection methods, ie, bathing detection using this button and bathing detection using the water level sensor 114, priority may be given to, for example, detecting the presence or absence of bathing based on the operation of this button. Furthermore, if the bathroom remote control 12 has a voice recognition function, the presence or absence of bathing may be detected by detecting the voice emitted by the bather indicating entering and leaving the bath.

Further, in the first to third embodiments described above, the wireless communication section 137 was provided in the kitchen remote control 13 constituting the water heater 10, but the wireless communication section was provided in the water heater 11 and the water heater 11 was connected to the router 20. It's okay. Alternatively, in addition to the water heater 11 , the bathroom remote controller 12 , and the kitchen remote controller 13 , a control unit including a wireless communication section may be arranged in the water heater 10 , and this control unit may be connected to the router 20 .

Further, in the first to third embodiments described above, a pyroelectric infrared sensor is used as the human sensor 126 for detecting human movement in the bathroom, but other types of sensors capable of detecting human movement may also be used. , may be used as the human sensor 126.

Furthermore, the water heater 10 does not necessarily have to be able to communicate with the server 50 via the external communication network 40, and may be used as a standalone water heater 10.

Furthermore, the configuration of the water heater 11 is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 3, and may have other configurations. For example, in the configuration of FIG. 3, the hot water in the bathtub 2 is reheated by circulating the hot water in the bathtub 2 to the bath heat exchanger 222, but the water heater 11 supplies hot water to the bathtub. The configuration may be such that the reheating function is executed by adding the reheating function.

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

Further, in the first to third embodiments described above, the water heater 10 having a hot water supply function as well as a bath-related function was exemplified as a bath-function device that performs a predetermined bath function for a bathtub. It may also be a device that can only perform For example, the bath system may include a bath function device that only has the function of circulating water stored in the bathtub 2 through a heat exchanger to warm it. In this case, the bath function device only needs to have a configuration for boiling the bath, and if remote control is possible, it only needs to have a configuration for communicating with the server of the bath system.

In addition, the embodiments of the present invention can be modified in various ways within the scope of the claims.

10 Water heater (bathroom function device)
114 Water level sensor (bathing sensor)
123 Control unit 124 Storage unit 126 Human sensor 50 Server 501 Control unit 502 Storage unit TM1 First time TM2 Second time

Claims (13)

In a bath function device that performs a predetermined bath-related function,
a bathing sensor capable of detecting when a person enters or leaves the bathtub;
a control unit that determines whether a person leaves the bathroom on the condition that no movement of the person is detected in the bathroom for a predetermined period of time;
The control unit sets the predetermined time to a first time during a period when bathing is detected by the detection result of the bathing sensor, and sets the predetermined time to the first time during a period when bathing is not detected by the detection result of the bathing sensor. setting the time to a second time shorter than the first time;
A bath function device characterized by: In a bath function device that performs a predetermined bath-related function,
A human sensor that detects human movement in the bathroom;
a bathing sensor capable of detecting when a person enters or leaves the bathtub;
a control unit that determines whether a person leaves the bathroom on the condition that no movement of the person is detected for a predetermined period of time after the human sensor detects that the person enters the bathroom; ,
The control unit sets the predetermined time to a first time based on the presence of a person entering the bathroom by the human sensor, and determines that the person enters and leaves the bath according to the detection result of the bathing sensor. is detected, switching the predetermined time to a second time shorter than the first time;
A bath function device characterized by: In a bath function device that performs a predetermined bath-related function,
A human sensor that detects human movement in the bathroom;
a bathing sensor capable of detecting when a person enters or leaves the bathtub;
a control unit that determines whether a person leaves the bathroom on the condition that no movement of the person is detected for a predetermined period of time after the human sensor detects that the person enters the bathroom; ,
The control unit sets the predetermined time to a first time based on the presence of a person entering the bathroom detected by the human sensor, and determines the event of taking a bath and leaving the bath based on the detection result of the bathing sensor. is detected a predetermined number of times, switching the predetermined time to a second time shorter than the first time;
A bath function device characterized by: In the bath function device according to claim 3,
The control unit sets the predetermined number of times based on history information of bathing and leaving.
A bath function device characterized by: In the bath function device according to claim 3,
Equipped with an input section for inputting information by operation,
The control unit sets the predetermined number of times according to an input to the input unit.
A bath function device characterized by: The bath function device according to any one of claims 3 to 5,
a person information acquisition unit capable of acquiring information for identifying people in the bathroom;
A memory unit that stores the number of times each person takes a bath and leaves the bath,
The control unit determines the person who has entered the bathroom based on the information acquired by the person information acquisition unit, and the control unit determines the person who entered the bathroom, and controls the entry and exit time associated with the determined person in the storage unit. setting the number of times to the predetermined number of times;
A bath function device characterized by: The bath function device according to any one of claims 2 to 6,
The human sensor is a pyroelectric infrared sensor,
A bath function device characterized by: In a server connected via an external communication network to a bath function device that executes predetermined bath-related functions,
The bath function device is
Equipped with a bath sensor that can detect when people enter or leave the bathtub,
transmitting the detection results of the bathing sensor to the server;
The server includes a control unit that determines whether a person leaves the bathroom on the condition that no movement of the person is detected in the bathroom for a predetermined period of time,
The control unit sets the predetermined time to a first time during a period when bathing is detected by the detection result of the bathing sensor, and sets the predetermined time to the first time during a period when bathing is not detected by the detection result of the bathing sensor. setting the time to a second time shorter than the first time;
A server characterized by: In a server connected via an external communication network to a bath function device that executes predetermined bath-related functions,
The bath function device is
A human sensor that detects human movement in the bathroom;
Equipped with a bathing sensor that can detect when a person enters or leaves the bathtub,
transmitting the detection results of the human sensor and the bathing sensor to the server;
The server includes a control unit that determines whether a person leaves the bathroom on the condition that no movement of the person is detected by the human sensor for a predetermined period of time after the human sensor detects that the person enters the bathroom. Equipped with
The control unit sets the predetermined time to a first time based on the presence of a person entering the bathroom by the human sensor, and determines that the person enters and leaves the bath according to the detection result of the bathing sensor. is detected, switching the predetermined time to a second time shorter than the first time;
A server characterized by: In a server connected via an external communication network to a bath function device that executes predetermined bath-related functions,
The bath function device is
A human sensor that detects human movement in the bathroom;
Equipped with a bathing sensor that can detect when a person enters or leaves the bathtub,
transmitting the detection results of the human sensor and the bathing sensor to the server;
The server includes a control unit that determines whether a person leaves the bathroom on the condition that no movement of the person is detected by the human sensor for a predetermined period of time after the human sensor detects that the person enters the bathroom. Equipped with
The control unit sets the predetermined time to a first time based on the presence of a person entering the bathroom detected by the human sensor, and determines the event of taking a bath and leaving the bath based on the detection result of the bathing sensor. is detected a predetermined number of times, switching the predetermined time to a second time shorter than the first time;
A server characterized by: The server according to claim 10,
The control unit sets the predetermined number of times based on history information of bathing and leaving.
A server characterized by: The server according to claim 10,
The bath function device includes an input section for inputting information by operation,
The control unit sets the predetermined number of times based on input information received from the bath function device in response to an input to the input unit.
A server characterized by: The server according to any one of claims 10 to 12,
The bath function device includes a person information acquisition unit capable of acquiring information for identifying a person in the bathroom, and transmits person identification information based on the information acquired by the person information acquisition unit to the server,
The server includes a storage unit that stores the number of times each person enters and leaves the bath,
The control unit determines the person who has entered the bathroom based on the person identification information, and sets the number of bath entry and exits associated with the determined person in the storage unit to the predetermined number of times. do,
A server characterized by:

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