JPH05223326A - Controller for air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make the operation control ineffective, when switches are handled needlessly by many and unspecified persons, by providing a plurality of switches for controlling the operation of an air conditioner and a control-governing part which makes the operation control effective only after switches have been handled according to a specific procedure. CONSTITUTION:The control of the operation of a plurality of air conditioners is centralized at a controller which has a plurality of switches for controlling the operation of the respective air conditioners. A control-governing part is provided as a means which, after said switches have been handled according to a specific procedure, makes the set operation control of air conditioners effective. For example, under a display 121 in a main control 28a a plurality of switches 122-125 for the functioning, each corresponding to texts shown, are provided. There are also provided a set of ten keys 126, a set of cursor- controlling keys 127, indication keys 128-130, etc. This device is designed to make the operation control ineffective when the switches 122-125 are handled needlessly by many and unspecified persons.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a control device for centrally controlling the operation of a plurality of air conditioners.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional centralized control device, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-62
There was a thing as described in -14,2753 gazette. What is described in this publication is a signal outputted from the central control device by connecting a plurality of terminal control devices and the central control device with a communication cable, and corresponds to this terminal control device via each terminal control device. It controlled the operation of the air conditioner.

[0003]

Generally, a centralized control device installed in a building is originally provided in a machine room or a room where only a person in charge of operation is allowed to enter and exit, so that a general person cannot operate it easily. Was becoming.

However, in a small or medium-sized building, a special room for installing the centralized control device may not be prepared, and the centralized control device may be provided on the wall of the passageway or the like for the structure of the building or for convenience. However, there is a problem that an unspecified number of people can inadvertently perform unnecessary operations.

The present invention provides a control device which does not perform an unnecessary operation even if the centralized control device is installed in a place where an unspecified number of people can easily operate to solve such problems. It is a thing.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is a control device for centrally controlling the operation of a plurality of air conditioners, wherein the control device includes a plurality of switches for controlling the operation of each air conditioner. , And a restriction unit that enables operation control of the air conditioner by these switches after operating these switches in a predetermined procedure.

In addition, the regulation unit has a function of making the operation control of the air conditioner by the switch impossible unless the switch is operated for a certain period of time after the operation control of the air conditioner by the switch becomes possible. I have.

[0008]

The controller of the air conditioner configured as described above enables the operation control of the air conditioner by the switch only after operating the switch in a predetermined procedure.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a system using the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 1 is a main control unit, which is connected to the sub control units 2 and 3 via a signal line 4 of two lines so that data can be transmitted and received between them. The data transfer between the main control unit 1 and the sub control units 2 and 3 has a baud rate of about 9600 bp.
s standard. Note that the number of sub-control units connected to the signal line 4 is not limited to two as shown in the figure, and the range in which the main control unit 1 can identify (main control unit 1
A plurality of sub-control units can be connected to each other within a range where address allocation is possible.

Reference numerals 5, 6, and 7 are main terminal devices (air conditioners), which are connected to the sub-control unit 2 via two signal lines 8 so as to be able to send and receive data to and from each other. Data transmission / reception between the sub-control unit 2 and the main terminal devices 5, 6, 7 is performed according to the standard of a baud rate of about 600 bps.
Note that the number of main terminal devices connected to the signal line 8 is not limited to three as shown in the figure, but is in a range that can be identified by the sub-control unit 2 (the sub-control unit 2 is different from the main terminal device). It is possible to connect multiple devices within the range where address allocation is possible. Also, a plurality of main terminal devices are connected to the sub control unit 3 as in the sub control unit 2.

Reference numerals 9, 10, and 11 denote child terminal devices (air conditioners), which are connected to the main terminal device 5 via two signal lines 12 so as to be able to send and receive data to and from each other. The number of child terminal devices connected to the signal line 12 is not limited to three as shown in the figure, but the number of child terminal devices 5
It is possible to connect a plurality of devices within a range in which the identification can be performed by the above (a range in which the main terminal device 5 can assign addresses to the child terminal devices). Reference numerals 13, 14, 15, 16 are outdoor units used in pairs with the main terminal device 5 and the slave terminal devices 9, 10, 11. Further, reference numerals 17 and 18 denote a main remote controller and a sub remote controller connected to the signal line 12, which are the main terminal device 5 and the child terminal devices 9, 10, and 11.
Control data is output to the signal line 12 to control these main terminal equipment and child terminal equipment.

As with the main terminal device 5, the slave terminal device 19 is connected to the main terminal device 6 via a signal line 20. The main terminal device 6 is, for example, an indoor unit that is a main part of an air conditioner, and a pair of devices 21 (outdoor units) are connected to the main terminal device 6 (indoor unit), and a second device is also provided. The indoor unit 22 of is connected. The child terminal device 19 is also an indoor unit of the air conditioner like the main terminal device 6, and is connected with the outdoor unit 23, the second outdoor unit 24, and the third outdoor unit 25.
A main remote controller 26 is connected to the signal line 20.

An outdoor unit 27 is also connected to the main terminal device 7 as described above.

In the system configured as described above, the main terminal device and the child terminal device can be controlled by the main controller and the remote controller. FIG. 2 is a plan view of each floor showing a state in which an air conditioner (indoor unit) is arranged in each room of a three-story building.
In addition, FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a connection state of signal lines between each indoor unit and the controller 28. 1A, 1B,
1C and 1D are the rooms on the first floor, and the main indoor unit 2
9 are arranged. The controller 28 is provided on the first floor facing the corridor, and has a main control unit 28a and a sub control unit 28.
b, 28c, 28d, which are connected by a signal line 43 so that data can be transmitted and received between them. Room 1
A main indoor unit 30 is arranged in B, a main indoor unit 31 is arranged in the room 1C, and a main indoor unit 33 and a child indoor unit 32 are arranged in the room 1D. These main indoor units 29, 30, 31, 33 are provided with a signal line 44 so that they can send and receive data to and from the sub controller 28b of the controller 28.
Connected by. Reference numerals 45, 46, and 47 are remote controllers, respectively, for controlling the operation of outdoor units (not shown) which are respectively connected to the main indoor units 29, 30, and 31 so as to perform air conditioning in the respective rooms. It has become. A remote controller 48 also controls the main indoor unit 23 and the child indoor unit 32. 2A is a room on the second floor, in which one main indoor unit 34 and three child indoor units 35, 36, 37 are arranged. These indoor units 34 to 37 are connected to the sub-control unit 28c of the controller 28 by a signal line 49 so that data can be transmitted and received. Reference numerals 50 and 51 denote remote controllers that control the operation of the indoor units 34 and 35, and one of them is the main controller and the other is the slave controller. The secondary remote controller lacks some functions as compared to the primary remote controller. For example, timer operation (control to start or stop operation of the air conditioner after a predetermined time or at a predetermined time),
It does not have functions such as switching between cooling and heating. Three
A, 3B, and 3C are rooms on the third floor, which are the main indoor units 38, 39, 40, and the child indoor unit 4 as on the first and second floors.
1, 42 are arranged. Similarly, 52 is the sub control unit 28.
Signal lines 53 to 56 connected to d are remote controllers.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the main controller 28a. In this figure, 121 is a 256 × 128 dot LCD
Display unit using a panel (liquid crystal display plate), 122 to 125
Is a function switch arranged so as to correspond to a text display displayed on the lower side of the display unit 121.
26 is "0" to "9" and shift key, ALL key, S
A numeric keypad section including an ET key, 127 is a cursor control key for moving the cursor of the display section 121 in the displayed direction, and 128, 129, and 130 are the display section 12 respectively.
1 is a key for inserting / deleting data, and a key for displaying an operation explanation of the main control unit.

FIG. 5 is a front view showing the external appearance of the sub control unit 28b. In this figure, 98 is a front panel, 101-
Reference numeral 103 denotes a switch, and the number of switches is 16 in this embodiment. 104 to 108 are switches 99 to
It is a name plate arranged corresponding to 103, and is filled in to indicate rooms 1A, 1B, 1C and 1D on the first floor, respectively.
Reference numerals 109 to 113 are indicator lights arranged corresponding to the name plates 104 to 108, and indicate the operating / stopping states of the air conditioners installed in the respective rooms. 114 and 115 are switches for putting all connected air conditioners into an operating state,
And a switch that brings them all into a stopped state. In this system, the sub-control unit 28b has four parent room units 29, 3
Since 0, 31, and 33 are connected, the name plate not connected to the parent indoor unit is not displayed. Therefore, operating the switches 99 to 102 switches the operation / stop of the air conditioner in the room displayed on the name plate.

The switches 99 to 10 of the sub-control unit as described above.
When 2 is operated, a run / stop signal is output to the air conditioner in the room corresponding to this switch. At the same time, this information is also transmitted to the main controller 28a. When the switch 114 is operated, operation signals are sequentially output to the indoor units of the air conditioner to start all the operations of the air conditioner connected to the signal line 44 of the sub control unit 28b. Similarly, switch 11
When 5 is operated, all the air conditioners are stopped.

The operation of the sub-control unit is to receive the operation by the switch when the main control unit permits the operation.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing the main operation of the main controller. In this flowchart, when the main control unit is in operation, it is first determined in step S1 whether a correct personal identification number has been input. The personal identification number is input, for example, when today's date is input in a predetermined procedure with the keys 0 to 9 or when another key is operated in a predetermined procedure (when the personal identification number is input using the key 126 from 0 to 9). Such)
And so on.

If this personal identification number is incorrect, step S
The process proceeds to step 2, and the LCD panel 121 displays "The password is wrong", and again in step S1, the restriction unit waits for the password input.

Further, when the correct personal identification number is input in step S1, the control section proceeds to step S3 and displays "Please input operation" on the LCD panel by the respective switches in the main control section and the sub control section. Enables operation control of the air conditioner. That is, next, in step S4, the operation control of the air conditioner is performed by operating each switch.

Next, in step S5, it is determined whether or not any switch operation has been performed during a certain period of time. If there is a switch operation, step S4 is repeated. If there is no switch operation, the process proceeds to step S6 to input an operation by the switch. After the prohibition state is set, the process returns to step S1 to wait for the input of the personal identification number.

In the air conditioner control device configured as described above, only the person who operates the switch in a predetermined procedure can control the operation of the air conditioner.

[0024]

According to the present invention, in a control device for centrally controlling the operation of a plurality of air conditioners, the control device includes a plurality of switches for controlling the operation of each air conditioner and these switches. Since the control section that enables the operation control of the air conditioner by these switches after the operation in the predetermined procedure is provided, only the person who operates the switch in the predetermined procedure can perform the operation control of the air conditioner. It is possible.

In other words, even if an unspecified number of people operate the switch unnecessarily, the operation control of the air conditioner will not be performed. Even if installed, the operation control of the air conditioner will not be unnecessarily performed.

Therefore, there is no restriction on the installation of the control device, and the control device can be installed at an arbitrary position based on the floor plan and operability of the building.

Further, since the predetermined procedure by the switch is operated by sharing the switch already provided in the control device, it is possible to easily configure the control device without adding a special switch.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of each floor showing a state in which an air conditioner is used in a building with three floors.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a connection state of signal lines between each indoor unit shown in FIG. 2 and a control device.

FIG. 4 is a front view of a main control unit.

FIG. 5 is a front view of a sub control unit.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the main operation of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 28a Main controller 28b-28d Sub controller 29-32 Indoor unit 34-37 Indoor unit 38-42 Indoor unit 43,44,49,52 Signal line

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A control device for centrally controlling the operation of a plurality of air conditioners, wherein the control device has a plurality of switches for controlling the operation of each of the air conditioners and a predetermined procedure for these switches. A control device for an air conditioner, comprising: a regulating unit that enables the operation control of the air conditioner by these switches after being operated. 2. The control unit has a function of disabling the operation control of the air conditioner by the switch unless the switch is operated for a certain period of time after the operation control of the air conditioner by the switch becomes possible. It has, The control apparatus of the air conditioner of Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned.