KR101408121B1 - Water providing apparatus having external interface and diagnosis system for the water providing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cold / hot water supply device and a cold / hot water supply diagnostic system having an external interface for interlocking with a portable terminal so that a real time internal operating state of a cold / hot water supply device can be known in response to an external input.
By using the cold / hot water supply device and the cold / hot water supply diagnostic system having the external interface of the present invention, the AS cost can be drastically reduced and the AS management can be systematically performed.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a cold / hot water supply device and a cold / hot water supply diagnostic system,

The present invention relates to a cold / hot water supply device and a cold / hot water supply diagnostic system having an external interface, and more particularly to a cold / hot water supply device having an external interface for interfacing with a portable terminal, The present invention relates to a cold / hot water supply diagnostic system.

As income is increasing and various electronic devices are being supplied at low prices, it is now possible to have a variety of electronic devices or wellness-related devices in each home or office that enable them to live a good life or to maintain their health. .

As an example of such a device, there is a cold / hot water supply device for supplying clean water or purified water, such as a cold / hot water purifier capable of providing cold water or hot water through a water purification process from a cold / hot water supply device capable of providing cold water or hot water It was widely popularized.

Such a cold / hot water supply device enables to provide various additional functions electronically according to the development of electronic technology starting from the function of simply providing cold water or hot water (purified), and electronically providing each of cold / hot water supply processes of the hot / So that it can be controlled internally.

While advances in these technologies provide convenience for single-sided users, the internal structure of the hot and cold water supply system has become increasingly complex due to the convergence and combination of technologies. This can lead to various problems ranging from minor problems to complex problems, which can lead to AS services.

According to the request of the AS service from the user, the service man of the manufacturer or service company can visit the home or the office and can listen to the problem about the malfunction from the user. These problems are explained from the user's point of view (eg "no hot water", "LED display does not work", etc.) Multiple components can be candidates.

From this description, the service man estimates a specific defective part through operation of the cold / hot water supply machine, etc., and determines whether the estimated defective part is repaired or replaced and the problem is solved again. The problem is solved through a process of estimating and repairing and replacing other defective parts.

On the other hand, some of the cold / hot water supply units of the cold / hot water supply unit can store the current internal state in the storage unit inside the cold / hot water supply unit. This state can be stored in the state of the current hot water or cold water or the error information in case of an error, and can be transmitted to the server on-line.

This state information is still only a fact that it is still in error (that is, it is in an undesired state) and it is still not enough to know which part or where it caused the problem.

There are some problems in the service repair method for the conventional cold / hot water supply. There is a problem that the repair cost is increased by replacing or repairing a large number of parts because the AS man can not find the defective part correctly because the AS man must rely on the experience of the AS man based on the description of the user to find the part causing the defect. There is a problem that the repair time increases.

This problem, of course, will place a heavy burden on the manufacturer or service company or the user who manages the AS man.

Meanwhile, with the development of electronic technology, a portable terminal such as a smart phone is equipped with a plurality of application programs and an interface capable of interworking with various devices.

Accordingly, a cold / hot water supply device and a cold / hot water supply diagnostic system having an external interface capable of providing diagnostic data for estimating a defective part including a faulty state of the hot / cold water supply device using an interface of a portable terminal such as a smart phone If you provide it, you will be able to solve various problems including the problems mentioned above.

The present invention provides a cold / hot water supply device and a cold / hot water supply diagnostic system having an external interface for providing diagnosis data of a cold / hot water supply device to a portable terminal in cooperation with a portable terminal It has its purpose.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a cold / hot water supply device and a cold / hot water supply diagnostic system having an external interface, which enables accurate estimation of a defective part of a cold / hot water supply device using diagnostic data provided to a portable terminal.

Further, the present invention provides a cold / hot water supply device and a cold / hot water supply diagnostic system having an external interface, which can provide a result of an operation or a changed state operated by a control command received through an input unit of the hot / It has its purpose.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a cold / hot water supply device and a cold / hot water supply diagnostic system having an external interface for controlling a cold / hot water supply device or setting control data using a portable terminal.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a cold / hot water supply device and a cold / hot water supply diagnostic system having an external interface for providing diagnostic data of a cold / hot water supply device to a management server connected to a portable terminal.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are not restrictive of the invention, unless further departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. It will be possible.

In order to achieve the above object, a cold / hot water supply device having an external interface includes an external interface unit for transmitting diagnostic data to the external device so that the status of the cold / hot water supply device can be known, And a controller capable of transmitting the diagnostic data generated based on the command to the external interface unit.

Further, the cold / hot water supply device may further include a plurality of sensing devices for outputting sensed values to the control unit, and a plurality of driving devices respectively operating according to control signals received from the control unit, And the diagnostic data includes a received control command and a modified control signal.

In order to achieve the above object, a cold / hot water supply diagnostic system according to the present invention includes an external interface unit capable of transmitting diagnostic data to an external device so as to know the state of a cold / hot water supply device, And a controller capable of transmitting diagnosis data generated based on the diagnosis data to the external interface unit, wherein the portable terminal is connected through an external interface unit of the cold / hot water supply unit and the cold / hot water supply unit, And displays the image.

Also, the cold / hot water supply diagnostic system may further include a management server connected to the portable terminal by wireless communication, and the cold / hot water supplier transmits diagnostic data to the portable terminal every time a control command is received through the input unit or periodically, And transmits the received diagnosis data together with the cold / hot water supplier identifier or the model identifier to the management server.

The cold and hot water supply device and the cold / hot water supply diagnostic system having the external interface according to the present invention can provide diagnosis data of the hot / cold water supply device to the portable terminal in cooperation with the portable terminal, So that it can be judged.

Also, the cold / hot water supply device and the cold / hot water supply diagnostic system having the external interface according to the present invention can accurately estimate the defective parts of the cold / hot water supply device using the diagnostic data provided in the portable terminal.

 In addition, the cold / hot water supply device and the cold / hot water supply diagnostic system having the external interface according to the present invention may be configured to provide the diagnostic data with the result of the operation or the changed status, which is operated according to the control command received through the input unit of the hot / Thus, there is an effect that the presence or absence of normal operation of each component can be known in real time.

Also, the cold / hot water supply unit and the cold / hot water supply diagnostic system having the external interface according to the present invention can control the cold / hot water supply unit or set the control data using the portable terminal, and can easily set changed parts or changed initial data There is an effect to be able to.

Also, the cold / hot water supply device and the cold / hot water supply diagnostic system having the external interface according to the present invention can provide diagnosis data of the hot / cold water supplying device to the management server connected to the portable terminal, and systematically manage the history of the hot / There is an effect to be able to.

Also, the cold / hot water supply device and the cold / hot water supply diagnostic system having the external interface according to the present invention can remarkably reduce the AS consumption time and the AS cost by accurately estimating the defective parts.

The effects obtained by the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description will be.

FIG. 1 is a system block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a cold / hot water supply diagnostic system in which the diagnosis of the cold / hot water supply device of the present invention can be performed in real time.
2 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a cold / hot water supply device.
3 is a view showing an embodiment of a control block diagram included in the cold / hot water supply device for controlling each constituent block in FIG.
FIG. 4 is a view showing an embodiment of a control flow chart performed by a control unit that allows a diagnosis result of a cold / hot water supplier to be known in real time.
5 is a diagram showing one embodiment of a diagnostic result displayed on a portable terminal connected to a cold / hot water supply device.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: It can be easily carried out. In the following description, well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail since they would obscure the invention in unnecessary detail. Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a system block diagram showing an embodiment of a cold / hot water supply diagnostic system in which the diagnosis of the cold / hot water supply device 100 of the present invention can be performed in real time.

The cold / hot water supply diagnostic system includes a cold / hot water supply unit 100, a portable terminal 200 connected to the cold / hot water supply unit 100 through a local area network 400, and a portable terminal 200 connected to the portable / And a management server 300 that can be connected.

In this embodiment, some system blocks may be omitted as needed, and a system block not shown may be further included in this embodiment.

The hot and cold water supply unit 100 is a device that can provide stored or purified (filtered) cold water or hot water to the user. The cold / hot water supplier 100 can supply cold water or hot water from a water tank supplied from a maker or a distributor to a user through a cold / hot water machine or a supplied water tank or tap water, It can be a water purifier.

The cold / hot water supply device 100 is provided with a control command (for example, "hot water extraction", "cold water extraction", "cold water temperature setting", "hot water temperature setting", "power on / off" And may include an input unit 710 of a button type that can receive data and an output unit 720 that can notify the result of execution of a control command through the input unit 710 or a current state.

The cold / hot water supplier 100 may provide cold or hot water to the user when the control command is a command for extracting cold water or hot water according to a control command through the input unit 710.

The cold / hot water supplier 100 transmits diagnostic data such as an internal state and a set state of the cold / hot water supplier 100, a state performed in response to a control command received through the input unit 710 of the cold / hot water supplier 100, And an external interface unit 760 for receiving a specific control command or data from the terminal 200. [

The external interface unit 760 may be a wired interface or an air interface and may be a wired interface such as a universal serial bus (USB) or an air interface such as Bluetooth and may be used within a certain area And is connected to the local area network 400.

A more detailed description of the cold / hot water supply 100 will be further described below with reference to FIGS.

The portable terminal 200 includes a general purpose processor such as a mobile phone such as a smart phone, a tablet PC, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a PMP (Personal Multimedia Player), and a notebook, It is a device that mounts an application program and can execute the application program at will.

The portable terminal 200 can be connected to a mobile phone network such as CDMA or GSM or a wireless LAN or a wired LAN to perform voice communication or data communication and can download and execute an application program from a remote server The terminal may preferably be a smart phone.

The portable terminal 200 may include a non-volatile memory such as a NAND flash, a wired or wireless communication interface, and a display, together with a general-purpose processor. The non-volatile memory is used to diagnose problems or problems of the hot / You can save a diagnostic program for use in order to do so.

The diagnostic program stored in the portable terminal 200 can be downloaded from a remote management server 300 or the like or from an open market and the diagnostic program can be downloaded to a user of the portable terminal 200 Hot water supply unit 100 through the local area network 400 or by the portable terminal 200 recognizing that the hot water supply unit 100 is connected to the hot /

Such a diagnostic program can receive various diagnostic data from the cold / hot water supplier 100 and display such diagnostic data through the display. The diagnostic program is configured to send the diagnostic data received by the management server 300 together with an identifier (for example, a serial number) of the cold / hot water supply device 100 and a model name (for example, Lt; / RTI >

Also, the diagnostic program can be configured to react differently according to the model name of the cold / hot water supply device 100 (or the model identifier capable of identifying the model) according to its configuration. For example, since the internal structure of each cold / hot water supply unit 100, the connection of parts and the kinds of parts are different for each model, the results may be displayed using different information for each model.

The matters related to the portable terminal 200, particularly, the diagnostic program will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 4 and FIG.

The management server 300 is a server having a general-purpose processor and having a large-capacity storage medium and connected to the broadband communication network 500 to transmit and receive data to or from the portable terminal 200.

The management server 300 stores authentication data for authenticating a server connection of a user (for example, AS man) using the portable terminal 200, and authenticates the user of the portable terminal 200 through authentication such as a login process To be connected to the management server 300.

The management server 300 can download the diagnostic program to be used in the portable terminal 200 automatically or by a user's request to the portable terminal 200.

The management server 300 can also receive the identifier or model name of the cold / hot water supply device 100 that has been repaired or diagnosed with the one or more diagnostic data received by the portable terminal 200 from the portable terminal 200. [ Such diagnostic data may be composed of a series of diagnostic data, and each diagnostic data may be data that allows the status of a particular point of time to be known.

Thus, a series of diagnostic data can be used to extract or determine status information that varies with each input or setting or with time.

Further, the management server 300 can further receive information on the replaced parts and repair information from the portable terminal 200, and this information can be stored in the form of a database together with the identifier (or model name) of the hot / Can be stored.

The local area network 400 is a communication network that can be used within a predetermined area (for example, within 10 m) for connecting the cold / hot water supply unit 100 and the portable terminal 200. Such a communication network may be a wired communication network or a wireless communication network.

For example, the local area network 400 may be a communication network using RS232, RS485, USB, IEEE1394, wired LAN, power line communication, or a dedicated wired interface (in a predetermined format) as a wired communication network.

Or the local area network 400 may be a wireless communication network including a wireless interface such as a wireless LAN (WiFi), ZigBee, Bluetooth, and binary CDMA.

The broadband communication network 500 is a communication network that can transmit and receive data by connecting the remote management server 300 and the portable terminal 200. The broadband communication network 500 may include a local area network 400, for example, a wireless LAN or a wired LAN, and may further include a wireless mobile communication network.

Such a broadband communication network 500 may be, for example, an Internet network.

The cold / hot water supply diagnostic system capable of diagnosing the cold / hot water supply device 100 of the present invention in real time can extract the current state of the cold / hot water supply device 100 using the portable terminal 200 or extract the diagnostic data, So that you can know.

2 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the cold / hot water supply device 100. As shown in FIG. The block diagram of the cold / hot water supply device 100 is generally known and will be briefly described within the scope of understanding the idea of the present invention.

The cold / hot water supplier 100 includes a storage tank 610 for temporarily storing water and a cold water tank 620 for supplying cold water or hot water to the hot water tank 620 through the pipe of the storage tank 610, 630).

The hot water tank 630 includes a heater 633 for heating water stored in the hot water tank 630 and a hot water drain valve 632 for discharging hot water for cleaning and the like, And a hot water temperature sensor 634 for detecting the temperature.

The cold water tank 620 is connected to a cold water drain valve 622 for discharging cold water for cleaning the evaporator 623 and the cold water tank 620 for cooling water stored in the cold water tank 620, And a cold water temperature sensor 624 for detecting the temperature of the cold water.

The hot water tank 630 and the cold water tank 620 are connected to the hot water extraction valve 631 and the cold water extraction valve 621 through pipes (hose pipes) So that cold water or hot water can be supplied.

The storage tank 610 for temporarily storing water for supplying water to the cold water tank 620 or the hot water tank 630 includes various devices for suppressing the bacterial growth and sterilizing the stored water, (UV lamp 611) which can be used in a sterilization manner for the storage tank 610 and also includes a water level sensor 612 for detecting the water level in the storage tank 610 and an overflow And a lamp detection sensor 613 that can detect light emitted from the detection sensor 690 or the ultraviolet lamp.

Also, the cold / hot water supplier 100 includes a water filter 650 that can purify water from a maker or a distributor, or tap water or water from a bucket. The water filter 650 may include a pretreatment filter, a line carbon filter, an reverse osmosis filter, or a post-carbon filter.

Further, the water filter 651 may further include a raw water pump 651 for pressing the raw water to supply water to the filter and a water purification valve 652 for controlling the water supply or shutoff from the raw water, .

The filtered water produced from the water filter 650 is stored in the storage tank 610 through a pipe.

The cold / hot water supply device 100 further includes a TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) sensor in a pipe for connecting each filter in the water filter 650 or a pipe for connecting the water filter 650 and the storage tank 610 And a water leakage sensor 670 (not shown) for detecting whether cold / hot water stored in the cold / hot water supplier 100 or water in the storage tank 610 leaks to the outside of the case of the cold / hot water supplier 100 have.

The configuration block diagram of this exemplary cold / hot water supplier (100) can be made more complex as control technology and electronic technology evolve, and thus precisely knowing what block or component has failed is clearly a problem It will be an essential technology to solve AS and reduce AS cost.

The constituent block diagram of the cold / hot water supply device 100 may vary depending on the embodiment, and may be omitted from the description of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a view showing an embodiment of a control block diagram included in the cold / hot water supply device 100 for controlling each constituent block in FIG. 3, the cold / hot water supplier 100 includes an input unit 710, an output unit 720, a storage unit 730, a sensed sensor value receiver 740, a control signal output unit 750, an external interface unit 760, And a control unit 770. Such a control block diagram may be implemented in the form of a board including a plurality of ICs or in the form of a single IC (e.g., a microcomputer or the like) having a plurality of functions.

Some of these blocks may be omitted as necessary, and blocks not shown in Fig. 3 may be further included. The input unit 710 receives a control command from a user or an AS man who uses the hot / cold water supply device 100. [

The input unit 710 may be a touch screen capable of providing a plurality of touch points or a plurality of discrete buttons capable of providing a plurality of input keys. When a touch screen is used, a signal (analog data or digital data) that determines the point at which the user presses the button is used. If the button is used, Pattern or the like) to the control unit 770.

The input unit 710 may provide a plurality of control commands using a plurality of input keys or a plurality of input points. The control commands corresponding to different input keys may each be different control commands.

The control command may be a control command in a general operation mode such as a user extracting cold water or hot water and setting the temperature of the hot water, for example, "hot water extraction" for allowing hot water to be extracted from hot water tank 630, "Cold water extraction" for setting the temperature of the cold water, "hot water temperature setting" for setting the temperature of the hot water, "hot water temperature setting" for setting the temperature of the hot water, Or "Power On / Off" to stop or start the operation.

The control command may be a control command different from the control command in the general operation mode. For example, after the external interface unit 760 is connected to the portable terminal 200, a communication channel is set to the portable terminal 200 Quot; connection setting "command for setting the data to be transmitted or received, or for testing a specific part or a specific control flow on a diagnostic operation mode different from the control command on the general operation mode assigned on the diagnostic operation mode after being connected to the portable terminal 200 Lt; / RTI >

Such a control command may be assigned to each key in the control unit 770 and may be interpreted as a different control command for the same input key depending on the current state of the control unit 770. [

The output unit 720 is a block for outputting a current state of the cold / hot water supply device 100 or a response to a control command through the input unit 710. The output unit 720 may include a Dot-Matrix type LCD or an LED display and a display driver for causing a desired image or text to be spilled on the dart-matrix type display.

The output unit 720 further includes a buzzer for outputting a predetermined audio signal or a speaker for audibly listening to the audio signal, and further includes an audio signal driver for allowing the buzzer or the speaker to output the audio signal can do.

The storage unit 730 stores control data used for controlling functions of the cold / hot water supply device 100 to be used by various control programs such as a diagnostic program and the like that can be driven by the control unit 770 and a control program. The storage unit 730 may include a nonvolatile memory of a NAND flash type or a Nor Flash type and may further include a volatile memory of a DRAM type.

The storage unit 730 stores setting control data that can be set through the input unit 710 or the like by a user or an AS man and other control data stored in the storage unit 730, And error state data that allows the error state to be known.

The setting control data is data that can control the function of the cold / hot water supply device 100, which is set by the user or an administrator of the hot / The setting control data includes data indicating a target hot water temperature, a target cold water temperature, a cold water supply setting / interruption, a hot water supply setting / interruption set by a user and the like.

The error state data is data for identifying the error when an error occurs in the cold / hot water supply device 100. Such error state data can be stored in real time under the control of the control unit 770 upon error detection.

For example, the error state data includes an error state (open or short) for the hot water temperature sensor 634 or the cold water temperature sensor 624, a leak state such as cold / hot water, There may be a state in which the lamp 633 is heated for more than the threshold time during heating of the heater 633, a state in which the evaporator 623 is operated for more than the threshold time at the time of heating,

Such error state data can be updated periodically or non-periodically under the control of the control unit 770 and can be used to identify the cause of the failure of the cold / hot water supply device 100. [

In addition, the control data stored in the storage unit 730 includes information such as usable period or usable capacity of each filter, installation period of each component, usable period of each component, maximum temperature or minimum temperature of hot water or cold water, It may further include information related to the use time setting or the power management mode setting (transition to the power save mode when there is no use of the constant time) during 24 hours a day.

Such control data may be stored or changed under the control of the control unit 770 and some control data of the control data may be received and updated through the external interface unit 760 from the portable terminal 200. [

Further, the storage unit 730 may further store an identifier (e.g., a serial number) and a model name that can identify the hot / cold water supply device 100, and the identifier and the model name may be transmitted to an external device.

The sensing sensor value receiver 740 receives sensing values from a plurality of sensing sensors provided in the cold / hot water supplier 100. The plurality of detection sensors may be different depending on the structure or form of the cold / hot water supply device 100, and may include, for example, a water level sensor 612, cold water (hot water) temperature sensors 624 and 634, (Wire or the like) sensor signal receiver 740 receives signals from the plurality of sensor sensors 640, 660, a water leakage sensor 670, one or more overflow sensors 690, can do.

The type of signal received from each sensor can vary depending on the type of each sensor and the specific sensor is in the form of an analog signal (between 0V and 1V) and the other specific sensor is in digital signal form ('1' or '0 ), And accordingly, the sensed sensor value receiver 740 converts (e.g., ADCs) the received signal so that it can be used as a signal in the controller 770 according to the type of each signal.

The control signal output unit 750 outputs a plurality of control signals for controlling various components (in particular, the driving apparatus). These various components are scattered in the case of the cold / hot water supply device 100, and a plurality of control signals are connected to a plurality of drive devices, for example, and are output.

The plurality of driving devices may be different depending on the model or the product specification of the cold / hot water supplying device 100, but the UV lamp driving device included in the UV lamp 611, the cold water extracting valve 621, A heater drive unit for driving the heater 633, a raw water pump 651, and a water pump 652. The valve unit 651 is connected to the evaporator 621, And a pump drive device for driving the pump.

Such a drive device may be different depending on the type of each component, and may include, for example, a switch or a motor or the like.

Accordingly, the control signal output unit 750 outputs control signals for the respective drive units under the control of the control unit 770 according to the type of each drive unit, thereby controlling each component.

The external interface unit 760 is a block that connects the cold / hot water supply unit 100 to an external device, for example, a portable terminal 200 such as a smart phone, and transmits / receives various data.

The external interface unit 760 may send diagnostic data to the external device so that the internal state, the set state, the input state, etc. of the current hot / And stores the control data in the storage unit 730. The control unit 730 may be configured to receive control data to be set or used.

The external interface unit 760 may be a wired interface or a wireless interface and may be a wired interface such as USB, RS232, RS485, IEEE1394, power line communication, or a wireless interface such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Lt; / RTI > The external interface unit 760 transmits and receives standard radio signals and wire signals required for each interface type, extracts data from the received wired and wireless signals, and transmits the extracted data to the controller 770.

Meanwhile, the external interface unit 760 can detect the connection or connection request of the external device, and can transmit the sensed connection or connection request to the control unit 770. For example, the cold / hot water supply device 100 operating as a USB slave detects a power source (5V or the like) as a smartphone is connected through a USB connection jack installed in the cold / hot water supply device 100, Signal to the control unit 770. Similarly, a specific control packet from Bluetooth may be received and transmitted as a connection or connection request signal.

The control unit 770 controls various components and respective blocks of the cold / hot water supply unit 100 using control data or programs stored in the storage unit 730. The control unit 770 includes a processing unit such as a microcomputer, a central processing unit (CPU), a processor, and the like, and the processing unit can be configured to drive a program stored in the storage unit 730.

In an ordinary operation mode in which an external device is not connected to the external interface unit 760 for diagnosis of the cold / hot water supply device 100, the control unit 770 controls the input unit (710), and controls various components according to the received control command. For example, when the "hot water extraction" control command is received, the hot water extraction valve 631 is opened to control the hot water extraction valve 631 so that hot water is extracted. Also, the control unit 770 receives a control command for setting the cold / hot water through the input unit 710, changes the setting control data of the storage unit 730 according to the received control command, (For example, the temperature of the hot water or the cold water set by using the heater 633 or the evaporator 623).

The controller 770 may periodically or non-periodically monitor the error status of various components, and may store the error status as the error status data in the storage unit 730 when an error occurs.

Also, the controller 770 may provide diagnostic data to the external device so that the status of the inside of the cold / hot water supply unit 100 can be known through the external interface unit 760. To this end, the control unit 770 receives a connection setting command to connect to an external device through the input unit 710 or receives an external device connection or connection request (for example, using an interrupt pin) through the external interface unit 760 Or by using a polling technique of the signal), it transitions from the normal operation mode to the diagnostic operation mode.

This transition to the diagnostic operation mode can be accomplished by loading the diagnostic program into the processing unit of the control unit 770, which can be configured as part of the control program in the normal operation mode or as a separate program module.

Upon transition to the diagnostic operation mode, the control unit 770 can send out the identifier and the model name of the cold / hot water supply device 100 to the external device, and additionally, . Such diagnostic data may include error state data or setting state data currently stored in the storage unit 730. [

In the diagnostic operation mode, the control unit 770 receives control commands received through the input unit 710, control signals output through the control signal output unit 750 according to the control commands, Or the setting status data stored in the storage unit 730 to the external device through the external interface unit 760 periodically or non-periodically (for example, through the input unit 730, (For example, receiving a specific control command through the controller 710 or changing the value of a specific data).

The control unit 770 receives a specific event and a control signal to be output to a specific component for responding to the specific event whenever a specific event occurs in the cold / hot water supplier 100, So that the sensing value according to the control flow of the cold / hot water supply device 100 and the control and control of each component can be specifically known, and this information is used to determine exactly where the problem occurs .

For example, when the control unit 770 receives the "hot water extraction" control command through the input unit 710, the control unit 770 changes the control signal of the corresponding drive unit so that the hot water extraction valve 631 is opened in response to the "hot water extraction" And outputs the changed control signal (or value) together with the identifier for identifying the "hot water extraction" control command and the hot water extraction valve 631 as diagnostic data.

Similarly, when the control unit 770 receives the "hot water temperature setting" control command through the input unit 710, the control unit 770 senses the temperature value from the hot water temperature sensor 634 in accordance with the command and controls the hot water temperature sensor 634 ), And output diagnostic data including this command and the received temperature value and the changed control signal.

Such diagnostic data may be provided as one overall state including further sensing values or other unchanged output control signals.

It may not be possible to diagnose or test all of the internal components with the control command (used in the normal operation mode) through the preset input unit 710. In this case, the control unit 770 can receive the control command used in the diagnostic operation mode for testing the operation of the other components from the external device through the input unit 710, and accordingly outputs the diagnosis result to the external interface unit 760 ). ≪ / RTI >

The control command received through the input unit 710 may be configured to include a control command not assigned to the user in the normal operation mode.

The control unit 770 may receive and store control data for changing a part of the control data stored in the storage unit 730 from an external device.

In this way, the control unit 770 can provide the internal state that changes according to the specific event in the diagnostic operation mode through the external interface unit 760, so that it is possible to know exactly what kind of control flow has caused the problem .

The control flow performed by the control unit 770 will be described in further detail with reference to FIG.

The cold / hot water supply unit 100 may further include a power supply unit (not shown). The power supply unit supplies power to various blocks including the control unit 770. Such a power supply includes a converter for converting from an AC power source to one or more DC power sources.

For example, one DC power source converted from the power supply unit can be used as a power source for driving the heater 633, and the driving unit for driving the heater 633 can control the power source to be supplied using a relay or the like The control unit 770 can be controlled via the control signal output unit 750 so that the control unit 770 can stop or stop the control.

3, a control block diagram for controlling the constituent blocks of the cold / hot water supplier 100 has been described. By using the cold / hot water supply device 100 including such a control block diagram, it is possible to accurately and accurately detect a problem in any part or any part on the control flow or the surrounding parts thereof in the cold / hot water supply device 100 having a complicated structure and a large number of parts So that the user can know.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of a control flowchart performed by the control unit 770 that allows a diagnosis result of the cold / hot water supplier 100 to be known in real time. Hereinafter, the functions of the controller 770 will be briefly described.

First, in step S101, the control unit 770 detects whether an external device (portable terminal 200) is connected periodically or non-periodically via an external interface unit 760 using an interrupt or the like using the polling technique Or the connection setting command is received through the input unit 710. In this step S101, the two conditions are exemplified by a logical OR, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be constituted by only one condition or a plurality of conditions.

If connection of the external device is not detected and the connection setting command is not received, the process proceeds to step S103 so as to perform the original function provided by the cold / hot water supplier 100, thereby performing the operation of the normal cold / hot water supplier 100.

In step S103, the control unit 770 monitors the error status and stores it in the storage unit 730, stores the control data in the storage unit 730 according to the control command from the user, Cold water or hot water.

If the connection of the external device is detected or the connection setting command is received, the control unit 770 transfers to the diagnostic operation mode using the diagnostic program in step S105.

In order to transition to the diagnostic operation mode, the control unit 770 sets a wired or wireless communication channel with the external device, loads the diagnostic program stored in the storage unit 730, And various data can be transmitted and received.

After the transition to the diagnostic operation mode, in step S107, an identifier or model name capable of identifying the cold / hot water supplier 100 is transmitted to the external device.

The identifier and the model name may be stored in an external device such as the portable terminal 200 or a management device connected to the portable terminal 200 in order to manage the history of the cold / hot water supply device 100 or to identify various components installed in the hot / And can be used by the server 300.

In step S107, the control unit 770 receives the sensing values received through the sensing sensor value receiver 740 and the control signal output unit 750 so that the control data stored in the storage unit and the current state, together with the identifier and the model name, To the external device.

In step S109, the control unit 770 determines whether a control command has been received from the input unit 710 (or a control command promised from an external device). The control command may be the same as the control command used in the normal operation mode, or may be a control command to which the function (or operation) is arbitrarily assigned to each input button in the diagnostic operation mode.

If the control command is received, the control unit 770 determines, in step S111, a control signal to be changed according to the control command, from a plurality of control signals output through the control signal output unit 750. [ Thus, each of the plurality of control commands can be adapted to change some of the control signals, so that the control signals controlled by each of the control commands can be different from each other.

In step S113, the control unit 770 outputs the control signal to be changed, which is determined through the control signal output unit 750.

In step S115, the control unit 770 generates diagnostic data. This diagnostic data includes control and status data that allows the internal state of the cold / hot water supplier 100 to be known. For example, the diagnostic data includes the currently received control command and the modified control signal, and additionally stores each of the sensing values received from the sensing sensor value receiver and the control data stored in the storage 730 and the unmodified control signal .

In this manner, by including the received control command and the changed control signal, it is possible to know whether the operation is correct for a specific input or whether the control (control flow) is normal.

The diagnostic data generated in step S117 is transmitted through the external interface unit 760 in a data packet format agreed with the external device, and the process proceeds to step S109.

If the control command is not received from the input unit 710, the control unit 770 determines in step S121 whether a control data change request has been received from the external device.

This control data change request command can be used in various forms. For example, in order to replace the components of the cold / hot water supply device 100 and set an initial state (for example, a deadline) of the component, or to initialize the control data stored in the storage unit 730, Can be set for testing.

If the control data change request is received, the control unit 770 changes the corresponding control data stored in the storage unit 730 to the control data included in the control data change request in step S123, and transits to step S109.

If the control unit 770 does not receive the control data change request in step S121, the control unit 770 transfers to step S131 and receives the connection termination command from the external apparatus or the input unit 710 or automatically terminates the connection If it is detected, the process proceeds to step S200 and terminates, or may proceed to step S101.

If it is determined in step S131 that the connection is not terminated or if a termination command is not received, the process proceeds to step S141. At this time, the controller 770 uses a timer to notify the internal state of the hot / If an event of a timer occurs, the process may proceed to step S115 to generate diagnostic data.

Even when there is no received external event such as a control command, the internal state is periodically provided using the timer so that the component can be normally operated according to the control data set in the hot / hot water supply unit 100.

The control unit 770 controls the control unit 770 so that it is possible to accurately predict which part is a problem in the cold / hot water supply unit 100, which has a complex structure and can not know which part is an exact problem, Thereby reducing costs.

5 is a diagram showing an example of the diagnostic result displayed on the portable terminal 200 connected to the cold / hot water supply device 100. As shown in FIG. The example of FIG. 5 shows an application program that is generated based on the diagnosis data received from the cold / hot water supplier 100 and can be displayed through the display of the portable terminal 200 (external apparatus) .

As can be seen from this exemplary display, a user of the portable terminal 200, such as an AS man, can know the model name or identifier (not shown) of the connected hot / cold water supply device 100, and the sensory sensor value receiver 740 (Or setting) control data stored in the storage unit 730 as input states and displays the value of each control signal for controlling each of the driving devices as an output state .

The display also displays an error condition (using stored error state data stored or stored in storage 730) and the amount of cold or hot water usage. Also, such a display may separately display the setting control data stored in the storage unit 730 of the cold / hot water supplier 100.

Such a display may be a diagnostic result from the diagnostic data generated in real time in response to the control command received from the input unit 710 of the cold / hot water supplier 100 or the portable terminal 200, or may be a diagnostic result periodically generated .

According to the diagnostic result displayed on the portable terminal 200, a user such as an AS man can know which part of the cold / hot water supply device 100 or a wire connected to which part is a problem.

In addition, the diagnosis result may be received as a series of diagnosis results according to the passage of time, and the diagnosis result may include the input state and the setting control data, You can expect by model.

Therefore, the output state is predicted using the input state and / or the setting control data as the input parameter among the series of diagnosis results, and the output state included in the predicted output state and the diagnosis result is determined using the general-purpose processor of the portable terminal 200 In comparison, it is also possible to output, in the form of a text or an image (that is, an image that shows the internal structure of the hot /

For example, the generation or change of the control command (which may be included in the input state) received via the input unit 710 may cause a change in the control signal of the control signal output unit 750, which may be included in the output state have. Therefore, the diagnostic program, which is an application program of the portable terminal 200, estimates the output state (for example, the value of each control signal of the control signal output unit 750) using the input state and the setting control data as input parameters It identifies the parts that differ from the received output status (which is included in the diagnostic results), from which to identify the parts that are not properly controlled or do not work, . ≪ / RTI >

Also, the setting control data can cause a change in the input state. For example, the sensing value (e.g., the temperature value of the hot water) from the sensing sensor value receiver 740 is compared with the value set in the setting control data, and the specific control signal The controller 770 of the cold / hot water supplier 100 is configured to output a control signal for driving the heater. Therefore, it is possible to receive a series of diagnosis results periodically or non-periodically for a certain period of time, monitor changes in the sensing values (included in the input state) affected by the setting control data, Can be identified by the application program of the portable terminal 200 and the neighboring parts which are likely to be a problem can be identified through the display.

The diagnostic program, which is an application program used in the portable terminal 200, can also identify any part or any neighboring parts among the parts arranged for each model by using the identifier (extracting the model name from the identifier) of the cold / hot water supplier 100 You can decide if this will be a problem.

The portable terminal 200 can transmit the diagnosis result (diagnosis data) to the management server 300 together with the model name and the identifier of the cold / hot water supply device 100, and furthermore can transmit information on the repaired part.

The portable terminal 200 may further include a latest program for each model of the cold / hot water supplier 100 and download the latest program to the controller 770 of the cold / hot water supplier 100 through the external interface unit 760 .

The portable terminal 200 may be connected to the cold / hot water supply device 100 so that the portable terminal 200 can accurately determine the internal state of the portable / hot water supply device 100, So that the maintenance cost of the cold / hot water supply device 100 can be reduced.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. The present invention is not limited to the drawings.

100: Hot / cold water supply device 200: Portable terminal
300: Management server 400: Local area network
500: broadband network 610: storage tank
611: UV lamp 612: Water level sensor
613: lamp detection sensor 620: cold water tank
621: cold water extraction valve 622: cold water drain valve
623: Evaporator 624: Cold water temperature sensor
630: Hot Water Tank 631: Hot Water Extraction Valve
632: Hot water drain valve 633: Heater
634: Hot water temperature sensor 650: Water filter
651: Raw water pump 652: Water purification valve
660: TDS sensor 670: leak detection sensor
690: Overflow detection sensor
710: Input unit 720: Output unit
730: Storage unit 740: Sensing sensor value receiver
750: control signal output unit 760: external interface unit
770:

Claims (10)

A cold / hot water supply device having an external interface,
An external interface unit capable of transmitting diagnostic data to an external device so as to know the state of the cold / hot water supply device;
An input for receiving a user input, the input for receiving a first user input or a second user input; And
And a control unit responsive to a user input received through the input unit to transmit diagnostic data generated based on control of the cold / hot water supply device according to a control command corresponding to the user input to the external interface unit,
Wherein the diagnostic data from the first user input and the diagnostic data from the second user input, generated by the control unit,
Hot and cold water supply. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the control unit transitions to a diagnostic operation mode capable of dynamically detecting a connection to the external interface unit of the external device or sending diagnostic data in a general operation mode according to a connection setting command received through an input unit ,
Hot and cold water supply. 3. The method of claim 2,
And a storage unit for storing control data used to control the function of the cold / hot water supply unit,
Wherein the control unit further transmits diagnostic data including the control data to the external interface unit when transitioning to the diagnostic operation mode.
Hot and cold water supply. 3. The method of claim 2,
And a storage unit for storing control data used to control the function of the cold / hot water supply unit,
Wherein the control unit receives the control data to be updated from the external apparatus and updates the control data corresponding to the control data to be updated among the control data of the storage unit with the control data to be updated.
Hot and cold water supply. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the external interface unit includes a universal serial bus (USB) interface or a Bluetooth interface.
Hot and cold water supply. A cold / hot water supply device having an external interface,
An external interface unit capable of transmitting diagnostic data to an external device so as to know the state of the cold / hot water supply device;
A control unit responsive to the received control command to transmit diagnostic data generated based on the control command to the external interface unit; And
And a plurality of driving devices each operating in accordance with a control signal received from the control unit,
Wherein the control unit changes and outputs a control signal for at least one of the plurality of drive units in accordance with the received control command,
Wherein the diagnostic data includes a received control command and the modified control signal.
Hot and cold water supply. The method according to claim 6,
A plurality of sensing sensors for outputting sensing values to the control unit; And an input unit having a plurality of input keys for receiving a control command,
Wherein the control unit outputs the changed control signals to at least one of the plurality of driving units in accordance with different control commands received from the plurality of input keys,
Wherein the diagnostic data further comprises the sensing value of the plurality of sensing sensors.
Hot and cold water supply. As a cold / hot water supply diagnostic system,
A cold / hot water supply device according to claim 1; And
And a portable terminal connected through an external interface unit of the cold / hot water supplier,
Wherein the portable terminal displays diagnostic data received from the cold / hot water supply device.
Hot and cold water supply diagnostic system. 9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the portable terminal receives the identifier or model identifier of the cold / hot water supplier when connected to the cold / hot water supplier, and transmits to the hot / cold water supplier the control data to be updated corresponding to the received cold / hot water supplier identifier or model identifier.
Hot and cold water supply diagnostic system. 10. The method of claim 9,
And a management server capable of transmitting and receiving data to and from the portable terminal,
The cold / hot water supply unit transmits diagnostic data to the portable terminal every time a control command is received through the input unit or periodically,
Characterized in that the portable terminal transmits the received diagnosis data together with the cold / hot water supplier identifier or the model identifier to the management server.
Hot and cold water supply diagnostic system.

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