WO2020026576A1 - Equipment management device, equipment management system, equipment management method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

In this equipment management device, a device-side communication unit (101) transmits control information indicating control content for equipment to the equipment and receives state information indicating the state of the equipment from the equipment. When an external unit for adding a function to the equipment management device (100) is mounted to the equipment management device (100), a unit-side communication unit (102) communicates with the external unit, establishes a connection for communication between the equipment management device (100) and the external unit, and downloads software from the external unit for adding a function to the equipment management device (100) by means of the external unit. A data management unit (105) stores the downloaded software. A control unit (104) executes the software and uses a connection for wireless communication to execute at least one of processing for acquiring information relating to the control information from the external unit and processing for transmitting information relating to the state information to the external unit.

Description

Equipment management device, equipment management system, equipment management method, and program

The present invention relates to an equipment management device, an equipment management system, an equipment management method, and a program.

At present, an equipment management apparatus that controls equipment and monitors the state of the equipment is known. In general, the functions required for the equipment management device differ depending on the management purpose, budget, and the like. For example, a display function for displaying the state of the equipment may be required of the equipment management apparatus, or such a display function may not be required of the equipment management apparatus. For this reason, it is desirable to provide the equipment management apparatus with a minimum function and add the function to the equipment management apparatus according to the user's request.

Here, Patent Literature 1 discloses a technique of dividing a panel computer into a display module and a main module to improve maintainability. In the technique described in Patent Literature 1, the display module and the main module are electrically connected by a connector that is inserted and removed in conjunction with the attachment / detachment operation between the display module and the main module.

JP 2000-71146 A

However, the technology described in Patent Literature 1 is only a technology for improving maintainability, and is not a technology for easily adding a function. Therefore, it is difficult to connect different types of display modules to the main module with the technique described in Patent Document 1. Further, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, it is difficult to add another module having another function instead of the display module having the display function. For this reason, a technique for easily adding a function to the equipment management apparatus is desired.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to provide an equipment management apparatus, an equipment management system, an equipment management method, and a program that easily add functions to the equipment management apparatus. And

In order to achieve the above object, the equipment management device according to the present invention,
An equipment management device for managing equipment,
Device-side communication means for transmitting control information indicating the control content of the equipment to the equipment, and receiving state information indicating the state of the equipment from the equipment,
When an external unit for adding a function to the equipment management apparatus is mounted on the equipment management apparatus, the external unit communicates with the external unit, and establishes a communication connection between the equipment management apparatus and the external unit. Established, unit side communication means for downloading from the external unit software for adding the function to the equipment management device by the external unit,
Storage means for storing the software downloaded by the unit-side communication means,
Executing the software, using the communication connection, a process of obtaining information on the control information from the external unit, and a process of transmitting information on the state information to the external unit, at least one of Processing execution means for executing processing.

In the present invention, when the external unit is mounted on the equipment management apparatus, a communication connection between the equipment management apparatus and the external unit is established, software is downloaded from the external unit to the equipment management apparatus, and control information is transmitted. At least one of a process of acquiring information on the status information from the external unit and a process of transmitting information on the status information to the external unit is executed. Therefore, according to the present invention, a function can be easily added to the equipment management apparatus.

Configuration diagram of the equipment management system according to the first embodiment of the present invention Configuration diagram of the equipment management device according to the first embodiment of the present invention Configuration diagram of an external unit according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention Functional configuration diagram of the equipment management device according to the first embodiment of the present invention Functional configuration diagram of an external unit according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention Diagram showing how external units are mounted on equipment management device Sequence diagram showing a procedure of a basic process according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram showing a procedure of processing for each unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Functional configuration diagram of an equipment management apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention Functional configuration diagram of an external unit according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention FIG. 9 is a sequence diagram showing a procedure of processing for each unit according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Functional configuration diagram of the equipment management device according to the third embodiment of the present invention Functional configuration diagram of an external unit according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention

(Embodiment 1)
First, the configuration of the equipment management system 1000 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The equipment management system 1000 is a system that manages at least one equipment 300. Managing the equipment 300 is a concept that includes, for example, monitoring the state of the equipment 300 and controlling the equipment 300. The state of the equipment 300 is an operation state of the equipment 300. The equipment management system 1000 includes an equipment management apparatus 100, an external unit 200, a monitoring terminal 400, a remote server 500, and a remote server 510. Here, the equipment management apparatus 100 and the external unit 200 are essential components, and the monitoring terminal 400, the remote server 500, and the remote server 510 are not essential components.

In the present embodiment, an extended function is provided to the equipment management apparatus 100 by attaching the external unit 200 to the equipment management apparatus 100 having the basic function. The basic function is a basic function to be held at a minimum among functions related to management of the equipment 300. The basic function is a function that can be realized by the equipment management apparatus 100 alone, and is, for example, a control function or a collection function. The control function is a function of controlling the state of the equipment 300 by transmitting control information to the equipment 300. The control information is information indicating the control content for the equipment 300. The collection function is a function of collecting state information from the equipment 300. The status information is information indicating the status of the equipment 300, and is information used for monitoring the equipment 300.

The extended function is an additional function to be held as necessary among functions related to the management of the equipment 300. The extension function is a function that can be realized by the cooperation between the equipment management apparatus 100 and the external unit 200. For example, a display function, an operation function, a remote management function, an operation history recording function, or a device interlocking function is used. is there. The display function is a function for displaying a screen indicating the state of the equipment 300. The operation function is a function of receiving an operation on the equipment 300 and controlling the equipment 300. The remote management function is a function of controlling and managing the equipment 300 remotely. The operation history recording function is a function of recording the operation history of the equipment 300. The device linking function is a function for linking the facility device 300 with another device (not shown). In the present embodiment, the extended functions are a display function and an operation function.

In the present embodiment, when the external unit 200 is mounted on the equipment management apparatus 100, the equipment management apparatus 100 can use the extended function corresponding to the external unit 200. The external unit 200 is fixedly attached to the equipment management apparatus 100 by, for example, a magnet, a fitting member, or a fastening member. When the external unit 200 is mounted on the equipment management apparatus 100, the external unit 200 can receive power supply from the equipment management apparatus 100 in a non-contact manner, and can perform wireless communication with the equipment management apparatus 100. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the attachment of the external unit 200 to the equipment management apparatus 100 means that the equipment management apparatus 100 and the external unit 200 perform non-contact power supply from the equipment management apparatus 100 to the external unit 200. This means that the wireless communication between the equipment management apparatus 100 and the external unit 200 is fixed in a possible positional relationship.

In the present embodiment, when the external unit 200 is mounted on the equipment management apparatus 100, the equipment management apparatus 100 downloads the plug-in software held by the external unit 200 and executes the downloaded plug-in software. I do. Therefore, the equipment management apparatus 100 does not need to hold the plug-in software in advance. Therefore, for example, when a new external unit 200 is developed, there is no need to change the equipment management apparatus 100. Therefore, a reduction in the cost of adding a function to the equipment management apparatus 100 can be expected. The plug-in software is software that is installed in the equipment management apparatus 100 in order to use the extended function corresponding to the external unit 200.

In the present embodiment, when the external unit 200 is mounted on the equipment management apparatus 100, non-contact power supply, connection of wireless communication, download of plug-in software, and execution of the plug-in software are automatically executed. . Therefore, addition of functions, change of functions, and deletion of functions can be easily and quickly realized, and the labor and time required for construction can be reduced.

戻 る Return to the description of FIG. The equipment management apparatus 100 is connected to at least one equipment 300 via a communication network 610. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the number of the equipment devices 300 is three. The equipment management apparatus 100 is connected to the external unit 200 via the communication networks 620 and 630. The equipment management apparatus 100 is connected to the monitoring terminal 400 via the communication network 640. The external unit 200 is connected to the remote server 500 and the remote server 510 via the communication network 650.

The communication network 610 is a communication network for interconnecting the equipment management apparatus 100 and at least one equipment 300, and is, for example, a wired communication network including a dedicated communication line. In the present embodiment, the communication network 610 transmits not only information but also power. That is, the equipment management apparatus 100 receives power supply from at least one equipment 300 via the communication network 610.

The communication network 620 and the communication network 630 are communication networks for mutually connecting the equipment management apparatus 100 and the external unit 200. The communication network 620 and the communication network 630 are, for example, a short-range wireless communication network compatible with NFC (Near Field Communication), a wireless communication network compatible with Bluetooth (registered trademark), and a BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy). It is a compatible wireless communication network, or a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) compatible with Wi-Fi (registered trademark). In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the communication network 620 is a short-range wireless communication network compatible with NFC, and the communication network 630 is a wireless communication network compatible with Bluetooth (registered trademark).

The communication network 640 is a communication network for mutually connecting the equipment management apparatus 100 and the monitoring terminal 400. The communication network 640 is, for example, a wireless communication network compatible with Bluetooth (registered trademark) or BLE, or a wireless LAN compatible with Wi-Fi (registered trademark). In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the communication network 640 is a wireless LAN compatible with Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

The communication network 650 is a communication network for mutually connecting the external unit 200, the remote server 500, and the remote server 510. The communication network 650 is, for example, a communication network including a WAN (Wide Area Network) represented by the Internet and a wireless LAN, or a communication network including a WAN and a telephone communication network. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the communication network 650 is a communication network including a WAN and a telephone communication network.

The equipment management apparatus 100 is an apparatus that manages at least one equipment 300. The equipment management apparatus 100 has, as basic functions, a control function for controlling the state of the equipment 300 and a collection function for collecting state information from the equipment 300. When the external unit 200 is installed, the equipment management apparatus 100 receives, as an extended function, a display function for displaying a screen indicating the state of the equipment 300 and an operation for receiving the operation on the equipment 300 and controlling the equipment 300. And a function.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the equipment management apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the equipment management apparatus 100 includes a processor 11, a flash memory 12, a button 13, a first communication interface 14, a second communication interface 15, a third communication interface 16, A communication interface 17. The processor 11 controls the entire operation of the equipment management apparatus 100. The processor 11 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) incorporating a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), an RTC (Real Time Clock), and the like. The CPU operates according to a basic program stored in a ROM, for example, and uses a RAM as a work area.

The flash memory 12 is a nonvolatile memory for storing various information. The flash memory 12 stores, for example, a program executed by the processor 11. The button 13 detects an operation performed by the user, and supplies a signal indicating a result of the detection to the processor 11.

The first communication interface 14 is a communication interface for connecting the equipment management apparatus 100 to the communication network 610. For example, the first communication interface 14 is a communication interface for connecting to a dedicated communication line for transmitting information and power. The second communication interface 15 is a communication interface for connecting the equipment management apparatus 100 to the communication network 620. For example, the second communication interface 15 is a communication interface compatible with NFC.

The third communication interface 16 is a communication interface for connecting the equipment management apparatus 100 to the communication network 630. For example, the third communication interface 16 is a communication interface compatible with Bluetooth (registered trademark). The fourth communication interface 17 is a communication interface for connecting the equipment management apparatus 100 to the communication network 640. For example, the fourth communication interface 17 is a communication interface compatible with Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

The external unit 200 is a device for adding an extended function to the equipment management device 100. In the present embodiment, the external unit 200 is a device for adding a display function and an operation function to the equipment management apparatus 100. That is, the external unit 200 is a device that displays a state of the equipment 300 and displays a monitoring operation screen for accepting an operation on the equipment 300.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the external unit 200 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the external unit 200 includes a processor 21, a flash memory 22, a touch screen 23, a first communication interface 24, a second communication interface 25, and a third communication interface 26. The processor 21 controls the entire operation of the external unit 200. The processor 21 is, for example, a CPU including a ROM, a RAM, an RTC, and the like. The CPU operates according to a basic program stored in a ROM, for example, and uses a RAM as a work area.

The flash memory 22 is a non-volatile memory that stores various information. The flash memory 22 stores, for example, a program executed by the processor 21. The touch screen 23 detects an operation performed by the user, and supplies a signal indicating a result of the detection to the processor 21. The touch screen 23 displays information according to the control of the processor 21.

The first communication interface 24 is a communication interface for connecting the external unit 200 to the communication network 620. For example, the first communication interface 24 is a communication interface compatible with NFC. The second communication interface 25 is a communication interface for connecting the external unit 200 to the communication network 630. For example, the second communication interface 25 is a communication interface compatible with Bluetooth (registered trademark). The third communication interface 26 is a communication interface for connecting the external unit 200 to the communication network 650. For example, the third communication interface 26 is a communication interface compatible with Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

The equipment 300 is equipment managed by the equipment management apparatus 100. The equipment management apparatus 100 and the three equipments 300 are interconnected via a communication network 610. The equipment 300 transmits state information indicating the state of the equipment 300 to the equipment management apparatus 100 via the communication network 610. The equipment 300 changes the operation state according to the control information received from the equipment management apparatus 100 via the communication network 610. The equipment 300 is, for example, an air conditioner or a lighting device installed in a building. In the present embodiment, one facility device 300 is an outdoor unit, and two facility devices 300 are indoor units.

The monitoring terminal 400 is a terminal device serving as a user interface of the equipment management apparatus 100. The monitoring terminal 400 is connected to the equipment management apparatus 100 via the communication network 640. The monitoring terminal 400 displays a monitoring operation screen indicating the state of the equipment 300 indicated by the state information acquired from the equipment management apparatus 100. In addition, the monitoring terminal 400 transmits operation information indicating an operation received on the monitoring operation screen to the equipment management apparatus 100.

The role of the monitoring terminal 400 is similar to that of the external unit 200 in the present embodiment in that a display function and an operation function are added to the equipment management apparatus 100. However, the external unit 200 is used when the display function and the operation function are used at all times, and the monitoring terminal 400 is used when the display function and the operation function are used temporarily. The role and the role of the monitoring terminal 400 are different. The monitoring terminal 400 is different from the external unit 200 in that the monitoring terminal 400 has a built-in web browser and generates screen information. The monitoring terminal 400 is, for example, a smartphone, a notebook computer, or a tablet terminal.

The remote server 500 and the remote server 510 are servers that remotely manage the equipment 300. When the external unit 200 supports the remote management function, the remote server 500 or the remote server 510 is connected to the external unit 200 via the communication network 650. Which of the remote server 500 and the remote server 510 is connected to the external unit 200 depends on the type of the external unit 200. The remote server 500 and the remote server 510 are, for example, servers that manage the equipment information 1051, analyze energy saving, failure prediction, maintenance time prediction, and the like based on the equipment information 1051, and execute various controls. .

Next, the function of the equipment management apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the equipment management device 100 functionally includes a device communication unit 101, a unit communication unit 102, a terminal communication unit 103, a control unit 104, and a data management unit 105. , A power supply unit 106. The device-side communication unit 101 is an example of a device-side communication unit according to the present invention. The unit-side communication unit 102 is an example of the unit-side communication unit in the present invention. The control unit 104 is an example of a processing execution unit included in the equipment management apparatus according to the present invention. The data management unit 105 is an example of a storage unit according to the present invention. The power supply unit 106 is an example of a power supply unit according to the present invention. First, each function of the equipment management apparatus 100 will be briefly described.

(4) The device-side communication unit 101 transmits control information indicating the control content of the device 300 to the device 300. Further, the device-side communication unit 101 receives status information indicating the status of the facility device 300 from the facility device 300. The function of the device-side communication unit 101 is realized by, for example, cooperation between the processor 11 and the first communication interface 14.

The unit-side communication unit 102 wirelessly communicates with the external unit 200 when the external unit 200 for adding a function to the equipment management apparatus 100 is mounted on the equipment management apparatus 100. Then, the unit-side communication unit 102 establishes a wireless communication connection between the equipment management apparatus 100 and the external unit 200. The function of the unit-side communication unit 102 is realized, for example, by the cooperation of the processor 11, the second communication interface 15, and the third communication interface 16.

(4) The terminal side communication unit 103 communicates with the monitoring terminal 400. For example, the terminal-side communication unit 103 transmits the status information received by the device-side communication unit 101 from the facility device 300 to the monitoring terminal 400. Further, the terminal-side communication unit 103 receives control information from the monitoring terminal 400. The function of the terminal-side communication unit 103 is realized by, for example, cooperation between the processor 11 and the fourth communication interface 17.

The data management unit 105 stores software for adding the above functions to the equipment management apparatus 100 by the external unit 200. This software is basically plug-in software. The function of the data management unit 105 is realized by, for example, cooperation between the processor 11 and the flash memory 12.

(4) The control unit 104 executes software. The control unit 104 executes at least one of an information acquisition process and an information transmission process using a wireless communication connection. The information acquisition process is a process of acquiring information related to control information from the external unit 200. The information transmission process is a process of transmitting information related to state information to the external unit 200. The function of the control unit 104 is realized, for example, by the processor 11 executing a program stored in the flash memory 12.

Here, the unit-side communication unit 102 downloads software from the external unit 200. Then, the data management unit 105 stores the software downloaded by the unit-side communication unit 102.

When the first plug-in software is stored in the data management unit 105 and the second plug-in software is held in the external unit 200, the unit-side communication unit 102 changes the version of the second plug-in software to the first plug-in software. If it is newer than the software version, the second plug-in software is downloaded from the external unit 200. Both the first plug-in software and the second plug-in software are plug-in software. When the second plug-in software is downloaded by the unit-side communication unit 102, the data management unit 105 stores the second plug-in software instead of the first plug-in software.

The unit-side communication unit 102 includes a first communication unit 1021 and a second communication unit 1022. When the external unit 200 is mounted on the equipment management apparatus 100, the first communication unit 1021 establishes the connection of the wireless communication by the first wireless communication having the first communication speed. When the connection of the wireless communication is established, the second communication unit 1022 wirelessly communicates with the external unit 200 by the second wireless communication having the second communication speed higher than the first communication speed. The first communication unit 1021 is an example of a first communication unit included in the equipment management device according to the present invention. The second communication unit 1022 is an example of a second communication unit included in the equipment management device according to the present invention. The function of the first communication unit 1021 is realized by, for example, cooperation between the processor 11 and the second communication interface 15. The function of the second communication unit 1022 is realized by, for example, cooperation between the processor 11 and the third communication interface 16.

(4) When the external unit 200 is mounted on the equipment management apparatus 100, the power supply unit 106 supplies power to the external unit 200 in a non-contact manner. The function of the power supply unit 106 is realized, for example, by cooperation of an AC power supply (not shown) and a coil (not shown). That is, when the coil included in power supply unit 106 and the coil included in power reception unit 206 are combined to form a transformer, power is supplied from power supply unit 106 to power reception unit 206 in a non-contact manner.

The external unit 200 is a screen display unit that displays a state of the equipment 300 and displays a monitoring operation screen for receiving designation of control content for the equipment 300. Therefore, the control unit 104 generates a monitoring operation screen based on the status information received by the device-side communication unit 101. On the other hand, the unit-side communication unit 102 transmits screen information indicating the monitoring operation screen generated by the control unit 104 to the external unit 200.

(4) The unit-side communication unit 102 receives from the external unit 200 operation information indicating an operation received when the external unit 200 is displaying the monitoring operation screen based on the screen information. Then, the control unit 104 transmits control information based on the operation information received by the unit-side communication unit 102 to the facility device 300 via the device-side communication unit 101.

Here, when the external unit 200 is the first screen display unit, the control unit 104 generates a first monitoring operation screen associated with the first screen display unit. On the other hand, when the external unit 200 is a second screen display unit different from the first screen display unit, a second monitoring operation screen different from the first monitoring operation screen associated with the second screen display unit is generated. . The first screen display unit and the second screen display unit are screen display units having different screen sizes, screen shapes, light emitting element types, or display update speeds, for example. For example, when the screen display unit has a large screen, the control unit 104 generates a screen with many display items, and when the screen display unit has a small screen, generates a screen with few display items.

Next, each function of the equipment management apparatus 100 will be described in detail. The control unit 104 controls the operation of the entire equipment management apparatus 100. The control unit 104 includes an equipment management unit 1041, a wireless connection management unit 1042, an external unit identification unit 1043, an external unit access unit 1044, and a web browser execution unit 1045.

The equipment management unit 1041 manages the operation state of the equipment 300 connected to the equipment management apparatus 100. The wireless connection management unit 1042 automatically establishes a wireless communication connection between the unit-side communication unit 102 and the management device-side communication unit 203 when the external unit 200 is mounted on the equipment management device 100. The external unit identification unit 1043 identifies the type of the external unit 200. This type is, for example, a type for distinguishing whether the external unit 200 is a screen display unit or a server connection unit. The external unit access unit 1044 transmits necessary data to the external unit 200 and receives necessary data from the external unit 200. The web browser execution unit 1045 executes a web browser and generates screen information indicating a monitoring operation screen.

The data management unit 105 manages data necessary for managing the equipment 300 and data required for communication with the external unit 200. The data management unit 105 stores and manages equipment device information 1051, web content 1052, external unit information 1053, external unit software 1054, and external unit specific information 1055. The equipment information 1051 and the web content 1052 are basically information stored in the equipment management apparatus 100 before the external unit 200 is mounted on the equipment management apparatus 100. On the other hand, the external unit information 1053, the external unit software 1054, and the external unit specific information 1055 are appropriately copied from the external unit 200 to the equipment management apparatus 100 when the external unit 200 is mounted on the equipment management apparatus 100. Information.

The equipment information 1051 is information on the equipment 300 connected to the equipment management apparatus 100. The equipment information 1051 is, for example, information indicating an operation state and model data. The operating state is the current operating state of the equipment 300, for example, an operating state indicating one of operating and stopped, an operating mode indicating one of cooling, heating, dehumidifying, and blowing, a set temperature, Alternatively, the room temperature is included. The operating state is updated to the latest state at any time by communication between the equipment management apparatus 100 and the external unit 200. The model data is data on the model of the equipment 300. For example, the model data includes the model of the facility device 300, the serial number of the facility device 300, the model name of the facility device 300, or a data list held by the facility device 300.

The web content 1052 is data for displaying a monitoring operation screen on the external unit 200 or the monitoring terminal 400. The web contents 1052 include, for example, HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) contents and a screen program. HTML content includes a screen layout configuration file and an image file. The screen layout configuration file is, for example, an HTML file that describes a frame configuration. The image file is, for example, a file described in a GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) format, a JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) format file, or a file described in a BMP (Bitmap) format.

The screen program is a program that can be executed on a web browser. The screen program is, for example, a program described in JavaScript (registered trademark) operable on a web browser. The screen program is a program that can dynamically generate a screen. The screen program can display the equipment 300 by, for example, an icon or a list, and can display the equipment 300 while changing the operation state or the abnormal state of the equipment 300.

The external unit information 1053 is information relating to the external unit 200 attached to the equipment management apparatus 100, and is information for correctly operating the external unit 200. The external unit information 1053 includes a unit type and a plug-in software version. The unit type is information for identifying the type of the external unit 200. The unit type is, for example, a type for distinguishing whether the external unit 200 is a screen display unit or a server connection unit. The plug-in software version is, for example, a number indicating the version of the plug-in software held by the data management unit 105.

The external unit software 1054 is a program that enables communication between the equipment management apparatus 100 and the external unit 200 and control of the external unit 200. The external unit software 1054 includes plug-in software. The plug-in software is an auxiliary application that is additionally installed in the equipment management apparatus 100 in order to extend the functions of the application provided in the equipment management apparatus 100. That is, the plug-in software is a program downloaded from the external unit 200 to the equipment management apparatus 100 and executed by the equipment management apparatus 100. The plug-in software is a program that defines processing for realizing an extended function corresponding to the external unit 200. The plug-in software is, for example, a program that collects information required by the external unit 200 from the equipment 300, converts the collected information into a format suitable for the external unit 200, and transmits the converted information to the external unit 200. is there. The converted information is, for example, image information or maintenance information.

The external unit unique information 1055 is information unique to the type of the external unit 200. The external unit unique information 1055 includes a screen acquisition URL. The screen acquisition URL is a URL for specifying a top page of a browser screen to be displayed on the external unit 200 which is a screen display unit. The browser screen is a monitoring operation screen or a setting screen. By setting the screen acquisition URL to the URL of the web content 1052 for generating a screen suitable for the screen size of the external unit 200, a browser screen suitable for the screen size of the external unit 200 can be generated.

For example, assume that the URL of the web content 1052 for generating a large screen is a first URL, and the URL of the web content 1052 for generating a small screen is a second URL. In this case, the first URL is the screen acquisition URL included in the external unit unique information 2053 held by the external unit 200 having the large screen, and the screen acquisition URL included in the external unit unique information 2053 held by the external unit 200 having the small screen is the first URL. 2 URL. Then, an appropriate screen according to the size of the screen of the external unit 200 is generated and displayed. As described above, it is preferable that the screen acquisition URL is a URL corresponding to, for example, the size of the screen, the shape of the screen, the type of the light emitting element, or the display update speed.

Next, the function of the external unit 200 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the external unit 200 functionally includes a display unit 201, an operation receiving unit 202, a management device communication unit 203, a control unit 204, a data management unit 205, and a power receiving unit 206. And. The management device side communication unit 203 is an example of a management device side communication unit in the present invention. The control unit 204 is an example of a processing execution unit included in the external unit according to the present invention. The power receiving unit 206 is an example of a power receiving unit according to the present invention. First, each function of the external unit 200 will be briefly described.

(4) The display unit 201 displays a browser screen under the control of the control unit 204. The browser screen is a monitoring control screen or a setting screen. The monitoring control screen is a screen for monitoring and controlling the equipment 300. The browser screen is a screen based on the image information received by the management apparatus communication unit 203 from the equipment management apparatus 100. The function of the display unit 201 is realized by, for example, cooperation between the processor 21 and the touch screen 23.

(4) The operation receiving unit 202 receives an operation performed by a user. The operation by the user is, for example, an operation for instructing control of the facility device 300 or an operation for instructing switching of the browser screen. The operation receiving unit 202 supplies operation information indicating the content of the operation to the control unit 204. The operation information is, for example, information indicating coordinates on the browser screen specified by the user. The function of the operation receiving unit 202 is realized by, for example, cooperation between the processor 21 and the touch screen 23.

When the external unit 200 is mounted on the equipment management device 100, the management device communication unit 203 performs wireless communication with the equipment management device 100. Then, the management device-side communication unit 203 establishes a wireless communication connection between the equipment management device 100 and the external unit 200. The function of the management device-side communication unit 203 is realized by, for example, cooperation between the processor 21, the first communication interface 24, and the second communication interface 25.

The control unit 204 performs at least one of an information transmission process and an information acquisition process using a wireless communication connection. The information transmission process is a process of transmitting information related to control information to the equipment management apparatus 100. The information acquisition process is a process of acquiring information related to state information from the equipment management apparatus 100. The function of the control unit 204 is realized, for example, by the processor 21 executing a program stored in the flash memory 22.

The management device-side communication unit 203 includes a first communication unit 2031 and a second communication unit 2032. When the external unit 200 is mounted on the equipment management apparatus 100, the first communication unit 2031 establishes a wireless communication connection by the first wireless communication. When the connection of the wireless communication is established, the second communication unit 2032 wirelessly communicates with the equipment management apparatus 100 by the second wireless communication. The first communication unit 2031 is an example of a first communication unit included in the external unit according to the present invention. The second communication unit 2032 is an example of a second communication unit included in the external unit according to the present invention. The function of the first communication unit 2031 is realized by, for example, cooperation between the processor 21 and the first communication interface 24. The function of the second communication unit 2032 is realized by, for example, cooperation between the processor 21 and the second communication interface 25.

(4) The data management unit 205 stores plug-in software for adding the above functions to the equipment management apparatus 100 by the external unit 200. The function of the data management unit 205 is realized by, for example, cooperation between the processor 21 and the flash memory 22.

(4) When the external unit 200 is mounted on the equipment management apparatus 100, the power receiving unit 206 receives power from the equipment management apparatus 100 in a non-contact manner. The external unit 200 operates with the power received by the power receiving unit 206. The function of the power receiving unit 206 is realized, for example, by cooperation of a storage battery (not shown) and a coil (not shown).

Next, each function of the external unit 200 will be described in detail. The control unit 204 controls the operation of the entire external unit 200. The control unit 204 includes a wireless connection management unit 2041, a display control unit 2042, a model information notification unit 2043, and an input content transmission unit 2044.

The wireless connection management unit 2041 automatically establishes a wireless communication connection between the equipment management apparatus 100 and the external unit 200 when the external unit 200 is mounted on the equipment management apparatus 100. The display control unit 2042 causes the display unit 201 to display a browser screen based on the image information received by the management device-side communication unit 203 from the equipment management device 100. The model information notification unit 2043 notifies the device management apparatus 100 of the model information of the external unit 200 via the management apparatus communication unit 203. The model information is, for example, external unit information 2051 held by the data management unit 205. The input content transmitting unit 2044 transmits operation information indicating the content of the operation received by the operation receiving unit 202 to the equipment management apparatus 100 via the management apparatus communication unit 203.

The data management unit 205 manages data for operating the external unit 200 normally. The data management unit 205 stores and manages external unit information 2051, external unit software 2052, and external unit specific information 2053. The external unit information 2051, the external unit software 2052, and the external unit specific information 2053 are information that is appropriately copied from the external unit 200 to the equipment management apparatus 100 when the external unit 200 is mounted on the equipment management apparatus 100. It is.

The external unit information 2051 is information on the external unit 200 and is information for correctly operating the external unit 200. The external unit information 2051 includes a unit type and a plug-in software version. The external unit information 2051 is basically the same information as the external unit information 1053.

The external unit software 2052 is a program that enables communication between the equipment management apparatus 100 and the external unit 200 and control of the external unit 200. The external unit software 2052 includes plug-in software. The external unit software 2052 is basically the same information as the external unit software 1054.

The external unit unique information 2053 is information unique to the type of the external unit 200. The external unit unique information 2053 includes a screen acquisition URL. The external unit unique information 2053 is basically the same information as the external unit unique information 1055.

Next, the manner in which the external unit 200 as the screen display unit is attached to the equipment management apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIG. However, various types of external units 200 can be attached to the equipment management apparatus 100. The external unit 200 is mounted on the external unit 200 so as to cover, for example, the equipment management apparatus 100. FIG. 6 shows that the external unit 200 can be properly mounted on the equipment management device 100 even if the size of the external unit 200 is larger than the size shown in FIG. 6 or smaller than the size shown in FIG. Is shown.

FIG. 6 shows an example in which the external unit 200 is attached to the equipment management device 100 by two attachment members 18 provided for the equipment management device 100 and two attachment members 27 provided for the external unit 200. ing. Here, it is desirable that the equipment management apparatus 100 and the external unit 200 be easily removable. Therefore, the attachment member 18 and the attachment member 27 are, for example, magnets, fitting members, and the like, and it is desirable that the equipment management apparatus 100 and the external unit 200 be detachable with one touch. For example, when the mounting member 18 is a magnet and the mounting member 27 is a ferromagnetic material such as iron, nickel, or cobalt, the magnet and the ferromagnetic material attract each other, so that the equipment management apparatus 100 and the external unit 200 are connected to each other. Fixed. Alternatively, for example, when the attaching member 18 is a fitting member having a convex portion and the attaching member 27 is a fitting member having a concave portion, the fitting member having the convex portion is fitted into the fitting member having the concave portion. Thus, the equipment management device 100 and the external unit 200 are fixed.

When the external unit 200 is attached to the equipment management apparatus 100, the power supply unit 106 performs non-contact power supply to the power receiving unit 206, and the first wireless communication between the first communication unit 1021 and the first communication unit 2031 is performed. It becomes possible. Then, when the connection of the wireless communication is established by the first wireless communication, the second wireless communication between the second communication unit 1022 and the second communication unit 2032 becomes possible.

Next, the basic processing will be described with reference to FIG. 7, and the processing for each unit will be described with reference to FIG. The basic process is a basic process executed regardless of the type of the external unit 200. The unit-based processing is processing for each unit according to the type of the external unit 200.

First, when the external unit 200 is attached to the equipment management apparatus 100, power is supplied from the equipment management apparatus 100 to the external unit 200, and the equipment management apparatus 100 and the external unit 200 can communicate with each other by the first wireless communication. The first wireless communication is basically a wireless communication by NFC. Specifically, the equipment management apparatus 100 requests pairing information from the external unit 200 (step S101). That is, the first communication unit 1021 transmits request information requesting pairing information to the first communication unit 2031.

On the other hand, the external unit 200 transmits the pairing information to the equipment management apparatus 100 (Step S102). That is, the first communication unit 2031 transmits the pairing information to the first communication unit 1021. The pairing information is information necessary for pairing of the second wireless communication, and is, for example, address information indicating an address of the external unit 200. The second wireless communication is basically a wireless communication using Bluetooth (registered trademark).

(4) Upon receiving the pairing information, the equipment management apparatus 100 automatically performs the pairing (step S103). When this pairing is performed, wireless communication by the second wireless communication between the equipment management apparatus 100 and the external unit 200 becomes possible. As described above, in the present embodiment, first, the connection of the wireless communication is attempted by the first wireless communication in which the power consumption is small, the communication speed is low, and the connection of the wireless communication is easily established. Then, when the connection of the wireless communication is established by the first wireless communication, thereafter, the wireless communication by the second wireless communication which consumes a large amount of power, has a high communication speed, and cannot easily establish the connection of the wireless communication is executed.

There is a possibility that an external unit 200 other than the external unit 200 mounted on the equipment management apparatus 100 may be arranged at a position where communication with the equipment management apparatus 100 by the first wireless communication is possible. Even in this case, the other external units 200 cannot receive power from the equipment management apparatus 100 because they are not attached to the equipment management apparatus 100. For this reason, it is considered that the wireless communication connection between the equipment management apparatus 100 and the other external unit 200 is not established.

Next, the equipment management apparatus 100 requests unit type information from the external unit 200 (step S104). That is, the second communication unit 1022 transmits request information requesting unit type information to the second communication unit 2032. On the other hand, the external unit 200 transmits unit type information to the equipment management apparatus 100 (step S105). That is, the second communication unit 2032 reads the unit type included in the external unit information 2051 stored by the data management unit 205 as unit type information, and transmits the unit type information to the second communication unit 1022. The equipment management apparatus 100 stores the received unit type information (step S106). Specifically, the control unit 104 causes the data management unit 105 to store the external unit information 1053 including the unit type information received by the second communication unit 1022.

Next, the equipment management apparatus 100 requests version information from the external unit 200 (step S107). That is, the second communication unit 1022 transmits request information for requesting the version information to the second communication unit 2032. On the other hand, the external unit 200 transmits the version information to the equipment management apparatus 100 (Step S108). That is, the second communication unit 2032 reads the plug-in software version included in the external unit information 2051 stored in the data management unit 205 as version information, and transmits the plug-in software version to the second communication unit 1022. The equipment management apparatus 100 stores the received version information (step S109). Specifically, control unit 104 temporarily stores the version information received by second communication unit 1022.

(4) The equipment management apparatus 100 determines whether or not the version of the plug-in software held is the latest version (step S110). Specifically, the equipment management apparatus 100 determines whether the version indicated by the acquired version information is newer than the version indicated by the external unit information 1053. When determining that the version of the held plug-in software is not the latest version (step S110: NO), the equipment management apparatus 100 requests the external unit 200 for the plug-in software (step S111). That is, the second communication unit 1022 transmits request information for requesting plug-in software to the second communication unit 2032.

On the other hand, the external unit 200 reads the plug-in software (Step S112), and transmits the plug-in software to the equipment management apparatus 100 (Step S113). That is, the second communication unit 2032 reads plug-in software included in the external unit software 2052 stored in the data management unit 205 and transmits the plug-in software to the second communication unit 1022. The equipment management apparatus 100 writes the received plug-in software (step S114). Specifically, the control unit 104 causes the data management unit 105 to store the external unit software 1054 including the plug-in software received by the second communication unit 1022. The plug-in software is appropriately incorporated into the basic software included in the equipment management apparatus 100, and is installed in the equipment management apparatus 100.

When determining that the version of the plug-in software held is the latest version (step S110: YES), or when the processing of step S114 is completed, the equipment management apparatus 100 Request unique information (step S115). That is, the second communication unit 1022 transmits request information for requesting the unique information to the second communication unit 2032.

On the other hand, the external unit 200 reads the unique information (Step S116), and transmits the unique information to the equipment management apparatus 100 (Step S117). That is, the second communication unit 2032 reads the external unit unique information 2053 stored by the data management unit 205 and transmits the information to the second communication unit 1022. The equipment management apparatus 100 writes the received unique information (step S118). Specifically, the control unit 104 causes the data management unit 105 to store the external unit unique information 1055 including the unique information received by the second communication unit 1022.

Next, the process for each unit will be described with reference to FIG. Here, an example will be described in which the external unit 200, which is a screen display unit, displays a monitoring operation screen based on image information received from the equipment management apparatus 100.

First, the equipment management apparatus 100 starts executing the plug-in software (step S201). Specifically, the control unit 104 executes plug-in software included in the external unit software 1054 stored in the data management unit 105. Next, the equipment management apparatus 100 starts a web browser (step S202), and acquires a screen of the designated URL (step S203). Specifically, the control unit 104 acquires, from the data management unit 105, the web content 1052 indicated by the screen acquisition URL included in the external unit unique information 1055 stored in the data management unit 105.

Next, the equipment management apparatus 100 requests status information from the equipment 300 (step S204). That is, the device-side communication unit 101 transmits request information for requesting status information to the facility device 300. On the other hand, the equipment 300 transmits the state information to the equipment management apparatus 100 (step S205). The equipment management apparatus 100 generates screen information based on the received state information and the acquired screen (step S206).

Next, the equipment management apparatus 100 transmits the screen information to the external unit 200 (step S207). On the other hand, the external unit 200 displays a screen based on the screen information (Step S208). Then, the external unit 200 receives a screen operation from the user (Step S209). The external unit 200 transmits coordinate information indicating the operation position on the screen to the equipment management apparatus 100 (step S210).

The equipment management apparatus 100 generates control information based on the coordinate information (step S211). The equipment management apparatus 100 transmits the control information to the equipment 300 (Step S212). On the other hand, the equipment 300 transmits the state information to the equipment management apparatus 100 (Step S213).

The equipment management apparatus 100 updates the screen information based on the state information (step S214). The equipment management apparatus 100 transmits the screen information to the external unit 200 (Step S215). On the other hand, the equipment 300 displays the updated screen as in step S208.

As described above, in the present embodiment, when the external unit 200 is mounted on the equipment management apparatus 100, a connection for wireless communication between the equipment management apparatus 100 and the external unit 200 is established, and the external unit 200 is connected. Software is downloaded to the equipment management apparatus 100 from the external device 200, and at least one of a process of acquiring information on control information from the external unit 200 and a process of transmitting information on status information to the external unit 200 is executed. You. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to easily add a function to the equipment management apparatus 100.

(Embodiment 2)
In the first embodiment, an example has been described in which the external unit 200 is a screen display unit. In the present embodiment, an example in which the external unit 200 is a server connection unit will be described. The server connection unit is an external unit 200 that connects the remote server 500 or the remote server 510 to the equipment management apparatus 100 and enables the remote server 500 or the remote server 510 to monitor and control the equipment 300. Hereinafter, basically, portions different from the first embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIG. 9, the equipment management device 100 functionally includes a device communication unit 101, a unit communication unit 102, a terminal communication unit 103, a control unit 104, and a data management unit 105. , A power supply unit 106. In the present embodiment, the control unit 104 does not include the web browser execution unit 1045. In this embodiment, the external unit unique information 1055 does not include the screen acquisition URL, but includes the collection data type, the collection cycle, and the connection destination remote server.

The collected data type is the type of data collected by the remote server 500 or 510. The collection cycle is a cycle at which the remote server 500 or 510 collects data. The connection destination remote server is the remote server 500 or the remote server 510 to which the external unit 200 is connected. In FIG. 9, information provided in the external unit information 1053 and the external unit software 1054 is omitted.

In the present embodiment, the server connection unit connects the remote server 500 or the remote server 510 that remotely monitors the state of the equipment 300 and controls the equipment 300 from the equipment to the equipment management apparatus 100.

The control unit 104 transmits information on the status information based on the status information received by the device-side communication unit 101 to the external unit 200 via the unit-side communication unit 102. Further, the control unit 104 transmits control information based on the information on the control information received by the unit-side communication unit 102 to the equipment 300 via the device-side communication unit 101.

Here, when the external unit 200 is the first server connection unit, the control unit 104 transmits, via the first server connection unit, the information on the status information to the first remote server associated with the first server connection unit. To obtain information on the control information from the first remote server via the first server connection unit. The first remote server is, for example, the remote server 500.

On the other hand, when the external unit 200 is a second server connection unit different from the first server connection unit, the control unit 104 transmits the information on the status information to the second server connection unit via the second server connection unit. The information is transmitted to the attached second remote server, and the information on the control information is obtained from the second remote server via the second server connection unit. The second remote server is, for example, the remote server 510.

As described above, in this embodiment, when different server connection units are mounted on the equipment management apparatus 100, the collected data type, the collection cycle, and the connection destination remote server can be different.

Next, the function of the external unit 200 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, the external unit 200 functionally includes a management device-side communication unit 203, a control unit 204, a data management unit 205, a power reception unit 206, a communication card storage unit 207, and a server-side communication unit. A communication unit 208. In the present embodiment, the external unit 200 does not include the display unit 201 and the operation receiving unit 202, but includes the communication card storage unit 207 and the server-side communication unit 208. In the present embodiment, the control unit 204 does not include the display control unit 2042 and the input content transmission unit 2044, but includes the wide area communication control unit 2045. In this embodiment, the external unit unique information 2053 does not include the screen acquisition URL, but includes the collection data type, the collection cycle, and the connection destination remote server.

The communication card storage unit 207 stores a communication card (not shown) used for connection to the communication network 650 by the server-side communication unit 208. This communication card is, for example, a SIM (Subscriber Identify Module) card when the communication network 650 includes a mobile phone communication network.

The server-side communication unit 208 connects the external unit 200 to the communication network 650. That is, the server-side communication unit 208 communicates with the remote server 500 or the remote server 510 via the communication network 650. The function of the server-side communication unit 208 is realized by, for example, cooperation between the processor 21 and the third communication interface 26.

The wide area communication control unit 2045 controls the wide area communication by the server communication unit 208.

Next, the process for each unit will be described with reference to FIG. Here, an example will be described in which the external unit 200, which is a server connection unit, is connected to the remote server 500 so that the remote server 500 can monitor and control the equipment 300.

First, the equipment management apparatus 100 starts executing the plug-in software (step S301). Then, the equipment management apparatus 100 reads the communication settings (step S302). This communication setting is a collection data type and a collection cycle included in the external unit unique information 1055 stored by the data management unit 105.

(4) The equipment management apparatus 100 starts periodic collection (step S303). Specifically, the equipment management apparatus 100 starts periodic collection with the collected data type and the collection cycle. Then, the equipment management apparatus 100 requests status information from the equipment 300 (step S304). On the other hand, the equipment 300 transmits the state information to the equipment management apparatus 100 (step S305).

(4) The equipment management apparatus 100 transmits the status information received from the equipment 300 to the external unit 200 (Step S306). On the other hand, the external unit 200 transmits the state information received from the equipment management apparatus 100 to the remote server 500 (Step S307).

(4) The remote server 500 generates a screen based on the status information received from the external unit 200, and displays the generated screen (Step S308). The remote server 500 may display the generated screen on a terminal device (not shown) connected to the remote server 500. The remote server 500 receives a screen operation from the user on the displayed screen (step S309). The remote server 500 may receive, from the terminal device, information indicating a screen operation received by a terminal device (not shown) connected to the remote server 500.

(4) The remote server 500 transmits control information indicating control corresponding to the received screen operation to the external unit 200 (Step S310). The external unit 200 transmits the control information received from the remote server 500 to the equipment management device 100 (Step S311). The equipment management apparatus 100 transmits the control information received from the external unit 200 to the equipment 300 (Step S312).

On the other hand, the equipment 300 transmits the state information to the equipment management apparatus 100 (Step S313). The equipment management apparatus 100 transmits the status information received from the equipment 300 to the external unit 200 (Step S314). The external unit 200 transmits the status information received from the equipment management apparatus 100 to the remote server 500 (Step S315).

According to the present embodiment, a function of connecting the remote server 500 or the remote server 510 to the equipment management apparatus 100 can be easily added.

(Embodiment 3)
In the first embodiment, an example has been described in which the equipment management apparatus 100 and the external unit 200 are connected by a wireless communication method, and power is supplied from the equipment management apparatus 100 to the external unit 200 in a non-contact manner. The communication method and the power supply method are not limited to this example. In the present embodiment, an example will be described in which the equipment management apparatus 110 and the external unit 210 are connected by a wired communication method, and power is supplied from the equipment management apparatus 110 to the external unit 210 by wire. Hereinafter, basically, portions different from the first embodiment will be described.

FIG. 12 shows a functional configuration diagram of the equipment management apparatus 110 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 13 shows a functional configuration diagram of the external unit 210 according to the present embodiment. Functionally, the equipment management apparatus 110 is different in that the unit-side communication unit 102 includes a wired communication unit 1023 instead of the first communication unit 1021 and the second communication unit 1022, and the control unit 104 includes a wireless connection management unit. The equipment management apparatus 100 differs from the equipment management apparatus 100 in that a wired connection management unit 1046 is provided in place of 1042 and that the power supply unit 106 supplies power via a power cable 670.

The external unit 210 is functionally different in that the management device-side communication unit 203 includes a wired communication unit 2033 instead of the first communication unit 2031 and the second communication unit 2032, and the control unit 204 includes a wireless connection management unit 2041. The external unit 200 is different from the external unit 200 in that a wired connection management unit 2046 is provided instead of the power supply unit 206 and that the power receiving unit 206 receives power supply via the power cable 670. In the present embodiment, for example, when the external unit 210 is attached to the equipment management device 110 by the attachment member 18 and the attachment member 27, the communication between the communication cable 660 and the power supply They are interconnected by a cable 670.

The wired communication unit 1023 communicates with the wired communication unit 2033 included in the external unit 210 via the communication cable 660. The wired communication unit 1023 is, for example, a communication module having a USB (Universal Serial Bus) terminal and capable of USB communication. The communication cable 660 is, for example, a USB cable. Note that the wired communication unit 1023 may be a communication module that performs wired communication using a communication method other than USB communication.

The wired connection management unit 1046 automatically establishes a wired communication connection between the equipment management apparatus 110 and the external unit 210 when the equipment management apparatus 110 and the external unit 210 are mutually connected by the communication cable 660. I do. The power supply unit 106 supplies power to the power reception unit 206 included in the external unit 210 via a power cable 670 including a power supply line.

The wired communication unit 2033 communicates with the wired communication unit 1023 included in the management device-side communication unit 203 via the communication cable 660. The wired communication unit 2033 is, for example, a communication module including a USB terminal and capable of performing USB communication. The communication cable 660 is, for example, a USB cable. Note that the wired communication unit 2033 may be a communication module that performs wired communication using a communication method other than the USB communication.

The wired connection management unit 2046 automatically establishes a wired communication connection between the equipment management apparatus 110 and the external unit 210 when the equipment management apparatus 110 and the external unit 210 are mutually connected by the communication cable 660. I do. The power receiving unit 206 receives power supply from the power supply unit 106 included in the equipment management apparatus 110 via the power cable 670.

In the present embodiment, when the external unit 210 is mounted on the equipment management device 110, a wired communication connection between the equipment management device 110 and the external unit 210 is established, and the external unit 210 transmits the information to the equipment management device 110. The software is downloaded to the external unit 210, and at least one of a process of acquiring information on control information from the external unit 210 and a process of transmitting information on status information to the external unit 210 is executed. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, a function can be easily added to the equipment management apparatus 110.

(Modification)
The embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, in implementing the present invention, various modifications and applications are possible.

In the present invention, which part of the configuration, function, and operation described in the above embodiment is adopted is arbitrary. Further, in the present invention, in addition to the above-described configurations, functions, and operations, further configurations, functions, and operations may be employed. Further, the configurations, functions, and operations described in the above embodiment can be freely combined.

For example, in the first embodiment, an example in which a display function and an operation function are added to the equipment management apparatus 100 by the external unit 200 has been described. The external unit 200 may add only one of the display function and the operation function to the equipment management apparatus 100. For example, when only operation functions are added to the equipment management apparatus 100, the control unit 104 included in the equipment management apparatus 100 transmits control information from the external unit 200, which is an operation reception apparatus that receives an operation on the equipment 300 from a user. Execute the process of acquiring information about Further, for example, when only the display function is added to the equipment management apparatus 100, the control unit 104 included in the equipment management apparatus 100 transmits the status information to the external unit 200, which is a display device that displays information related to the status information. Execute the process of transmitting information. In the second embodiment, an example has been described in which the external unit 200 adds a remote management function including a remote collection function and a remote operation function to the equipment management apparatus 100. The external unit 200 may add a remote management function including only one of the remote collection function and the remote operation function to the equipment management apparatus 100. Further, a display function, an operation function, and a remote management function may be added to the equipment management apparatus 100 by the external unit 200.

機能 The functions added by the external unit 200 can be adjusted as appropriate. This function is preferably a function that uses information on at least one of the state information received by the device-side communication unit 101 and the control information transmitted by the device-side communication unit 101.

For example, a history storage function of storing history information indicating the history of the operation status of the equipment 300 may be added by the external unit 200. In this case, for example, the equipment management apparatus 100 may determine the equipment 300 based on at least one of the status information received by the equipment communication unit 101 and the control information transmitted by the equipment communication unit 101. Identify the operating status of Then, the equipment management apparatus 100 transmits the operation status information indicating the specified operation status to the external unit 200 via the unit-side communication unit 102. On the other hand, the external unit 200 accumulates the operation status information received from the facility equipment 300 and stores it as history information. In this case, the history information is information from which a billing amount corresponding to the operation status of the equipment 300 can be calculated. Therefore, it can be said that the external unit 200 is a charging unit.

Alternatively, a device (not shown) or a sensor (not shown) may be connected to the external unit 200, and the device or sensor connected to the external unit 200 and the facility device 300 may be linked or linked. In this case, information on at least one of the state information received by the device-side communication unit 101 and the control information transmitted by the device-side communication unit 101 is used for cooperation or cooperation.

In the first embodiment, an example has been described in which electric power is supplied from the equipment management apparatus 100 to the external unit 200 in a non-contact manner. In the first embodiment, similarly to the third embodiment, the equipment management apparatus 100 and the external unit 200 are connected by a power cable 670 including a power supply line, and the equipment management apparatus 100 is connected to the external unit 200 via the power supply line. Power may be supplied.

In the first embodiment, the example in which the external unit 200 includes the touch screen 23 has been described. The external unit 200 may include a button for receiving a user operation and a liquid crystal display for displaying a screen.

In the first embodiment, the example in which the unit-side communication unit 102 includes the first communication unit 1021 and the second communication unit 1022 has been described. The unit-side communication unit 102 may include only one of the first communication unit 1021 and the second communication unit 1022. Similarly, the management device-side communication unit 203 may include only one of the first communication unit 2031 and the second communication unit 2032.

By applying an operation program that defines the operation of the equipment management apparatus or the external unit according to the present invention to an existing personal computer or information terminal, the personal computer or the information terminal can be used as the equipment management apparatus according to the present invention or It is also possible to function as an external unit. The distribution method of such a program is arbitrary. For example, the program is stored and distributed on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read-Only Memory), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), and a memory card. It may be distributed via a communication network such as the Internet or an intranet.

The present invention allows various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present invention. Further, the above-described embodiment is for describing the present invention, and does not limit the scope of the present invention. That is, the scope of the present invention is shown not by the embodiment but by the claims. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and equivalents thereof are considered to be within the scope of the present invention.

This application is based on International Application No. PCT / JP2018 / 029307 filed on Aug. 3, 2018. The specification, claims and drawings of International Application No. PCT / JP2018 / 029307 are incorporated herein by reference.

The present invention is applicable to an equipment management system for managing equipment.

11, 21 processor, 12, 22 flash memory, 13 button, 14, 24 first communication interface, 15, 25 second communication interface, 16, 26 third communication interface, 17 fourth communication interface, 18, 27 mounting member, 23 {touch screen, 100, 110} facility equipment management device, 101 {device-side communication unit, 102} unit-side communication unit, 103 {terminal-side communication unit, 104, 204} control unit, 105, 205 {data management unit, 106} power supply unit, 200, 210 External unit, 201 display unit, 202 operation reception unit, 203 management device communication unit, 206 power reception unit, 207 communication card storage unit, 208 server communication unit, 300 equipment, 400 monitoring terminal, 500, 510 remote server, 610 , 6 0,630,640,650 communication network, 660 communication cable, 670 power cable, 1000 equipment management system, 1021, 2031 first communication section, 1022, 2032 second communication section, 1023, 2033 wired communication section, 1041 equipment equipment Management unit, 1042, 2041 Wireless connection management unit, 1043 External unit identification unit, 1044 External unit access unit, 1045 Web browser execution unit, 1046, 2046 Wired connection management unit, 1051 Equipment information, 1052 Web content, 1053, 2051 External Unit information, 1054, 2052 {external unit software, 1055, 2053} external unit specific information, 2042 {display control unit, 2043 {model information notification unit, 2044} input content transmission unit, 2045} Band communication control unit

Claims (14)

1. An equipment management device for managing equipment,
   Device-side communication means for transmitting control information indicating the control content of the equipment to the equipment, and receiving state information indicating the state of the equipment from the equipment,
   When an external unit for adding a function to the equipment management apparatus is mounted on the equipment management apparatus, the external unit communicates with the external unit, and establishes a communication connection between the equipment management apparatus and the external unit. Established, unit side communication means for downloading from the external unit software for adding the function to the equipment management device by the external unit,
   Storage means for storing the software downloaded by the unit-side communication means,
   Executing the software, using the communication connection, a process of obtaining information on the control information from the external unit, and a process of transmitting information on the state information to the external unit, at least one of Processing execution means for executing processing.
   Equipment management system.
2. The software is plug-in software installed in the equipment management device for adding the function,
   The unit-side communication unit may be configured such that when the first plug-in software that is the plug-in software is stored in the storage unit and the second plug-in software that is the plug-in software is held in the external unit, If the version of the second plug-in software is newer than the version of the first plug-in software, download the second plug-in software from the external unit;
   The storage unit stores the second plug-in software in place of the first plug-in software when the second plug-in software is downloaded by the unit-side communication unit.
   The equipment management apparatus according to claim 1.
3. Communication that establishes a connection between the equipment management device and the external unit is wireless communication.
   The equipment management device according to claim 1.
4. The unit-side communication means, when the external unit is mounted on the equipment management device, a first communication means for establishing a connection of the wireless communication by a first wireless communication having a first communication speed, and the wireless communication And a second communication unit that wirelessly communicates with the external unit by a second wireless communication having a second communication speed higher than the first communication speed when the connection is established.
   The equipment management device according to claim 3.
5. When the external unit is mounted on the equipment management apparatus, the apparatus further includes a power supply unit that supplies power to the external unit in a non-contact manner.
   The equipment management apparatus according to claim 1.
6. An equipment management apparatus that manages equipment, does not have a function of displaying a state of the equipment, and a function of displaying a monitoring operation screen for receiving designation of control content for the equipment,
   Device-side communication means for transmitting control information indicating the control content of the equipment to the equipment, and receiving state information indicating the state of the equipment from the equipment,
   When an external unit for adding a function to the equipment management apparatus is mounted on the equipment management apparatus, the external unit communicates with the external unit, and establishes a communication connection between the equipment management apparatus and the external unit. A unit-side communication means to be established;
   Storage means for storing software for adding the function to the equipment management device by the external unit,
   Executing the software, using the communication connection, a process of obtaining information on the control information from the external unit, and a process of transmitting information on the state information to the external unit, at least one of Processing execution means for executing processing,
   The external unit is a screen display unit that displays the monitoring operation screen,
   The process execution unit generates the monitoring operation screen based on the state information received by the device-side communication unit,
   The unit-side communication unit transmits screen information indicating the monitoring operation screen generated by the process execution unit to the external unit,
   The unit-side communication means receives from the external unit operation information indicating an operation received when the external unit is displaying the monitoring operation screen based on the screen information,
   The process execution unit transmits the control information based on the operation information received by the unit-side communication unit to the equipment via the device-side communication unit,
   Equipment management system.
7. An equipment management device for managing equipment,
   Device-side communication means for transmitting control information indicating the control content of the equipment to the equipment, and receiving state information indicating the state of the equipment from the equipment,
   When an external unit for adding a function to the equipment management apparatus is mounted on the equipment management apparatus, the external unit communicates with the external unit, and establishes a communication connection between the equipment management apparatus and the external unit. A unit-side communication means to be established;
   Storage means for storing software for adding the function to the equipment management device by the external unit,
   Executing the software, using the communication connection, a process of obtaining information on the control information from the external unit, and a process of transmitting information on the state information to the external unit, at least one of Processing execution means for executing processing,
   The external unit is a screen display unit that displays a state of the equipment and displays a monitoring operation screen that receives designation of control content for the equipment.
   The process execution unit generates the monitoring operation screen based on the state information received by the device-side communication unit,
   The unit-side communication unit transmits screen information indicating the monitoring operation screen generated by the process execution unit to the external unit,
   The unit-side communication means receives from the external unit operation information indicating an operation received when the external unit is displaying the monitoring operation screen based on the screen information,
   The process execution unit transmits the control information based on the operation information received by the unit-side communication unit to the equipment via the device-side communication unit,
   When the external unit is a first screen display unit, the process execution unit generates a first monitoring operation screen associated with the first screen display unit, and the external unit is configured to be connected to the first screen display unit. Generating a second monitoring operation screen different from the first monitoring operation screen associated with the second screen display unit when the is a different second screen display unit;
   Equipment management system.
8. An equipment management device for managing equipment,
   Device-side communication means for transmitting control information indicating the control content of the equipment to the equipment, and receiving state information indicating the state of the equipment from the equipment,
   When an external unit for adding a function to the equipment management apparatus is mounted on the equipment management apparatus, the external unit communicates with the external unit, and establishes a communication connection between the equipment management apparatus and the external unit. A unit-side communication means to be established;
   Storage means for storing software for adding the function to the equipment management device by the external unit,
   Executing the software, using the communication connection, a process of obtaining information on the control information from the external unit, and a process of transmitting information on the state information to the external unit, at least one of Processing execution means for executing processing,
   The external unit is a server connection unit that connects a remote server that remotely monitors the state of the equipment and controls the equipment and the equipment to the equipment management device,
   The process execution unit transmits information on the state information based on the state information received by the device-side communication unit to the external unit via the unit-side communication unit, and is received by the unit-side communication unit. Transmitting the control information based on the information related to the control information to the equipment via the device-side communication means,
   When the external unit is a first server connection unit, the processing execution means transmits, via the first server connection unit, information on the state information to a first remote unit associated with the first server connection unit. Transmitting the information on the control information to the server from the first remote server via the first server connection unit, wherein the external unit is a second server connection unit different from the first server connection unit. In some cases, information about the state information is transmitted to a second remote server associated with the second server connection unit via the second server connection unit, and information about the control information is transmitted to the second server. Obtaining from said second remote server via a connection unit;
   Equipment management system.
9. An equipment management system including an equipment management device that manages equipment, and an external unit for adding a function to the equipment management device,
   The equipment management device,
   Device-side communication means for transmitting control information indicating the control content of the equipment to the equipment, and receiving state information indicating the state of the equipment from the equipment,
   When the external unit is mounted on the equipment management device, it communicates with the external unit, establishes a communication connection between the equipment management device and the external unit, and manages the equipment by the external unit. Unit-side communication means for downloading software for adding the function to the device from the external unit,
   Storage means for storing the software downloaded by the unit-side communication means,
   Executing the software, using the communication connection, a process of obtaining information on the control information from the external unit, and a process of transmitting information on the state information to the external unit, at least one of Processing execution means for executing processing,
   The external unit includes:
   When the external unit is mounted on the equipment management device, the management device communication means that communicates with the equipment management device, and establishes a communication connection between the equipment management device and the external unit,
   Using the communication connection, at least one of processing of transmitting information about the control information to the equipment management apparatus, and processing of acquiring information about the state information from the equipment management apparatus, And a processing execution means for executing.
   Equipment management system.
10. Communication that establishes a connection between the equipment management device and the external unit is wireless communication.
    An equipment management system according to claim 9.
11. The unit-side communication means, when the external unit is mounted on the equipment management device, a first communication means for establishing a connection of the wireless communication by a first wireless communication having a first communication speed, and the wireless communication And a second communication unit that wirelessly communicates with the external unit by a second wireless communication having a second communication speed higher than the first communication speed when the connection is established.
    When the external unit is mounted on the equipment management apparatus, the management device-side communication means establishes a connection with the wireless communication by the first wireless communication, and establishes a connection with the wireless communication. And a second communication unit that wirelessly communicates with the facility equipment management device by the second wireless communication.
    An equipment management system according to claim 10.
12. The equipment management device further includes a power supply unit that supplies power to the external unit in a non-contact manner when the external unit is mounted on the equipment management device,
    The external unit further includes, when the external unit is mounted on the equipment management apparatus, a power receiving unit that receives power from the equipment management apparatus in a non-contact manner,
    The external unit operates with the power received by the power receiving unit,
    An equipment management system according to any one of claims 9 to 11.
13. An equipment management method performed by an equipment management apparatus that manages equipment,
    Control information indicating the control content for the equipment is transmitted to the equipment, state information indicating the state of the equipment is received from the equipment,
    When an external unit for adding a function to the equipment management apparatus is mounted on the equipment management apparatus, the external unit communicates with the external unit, and establishes a communication connection between the equipment management apparatus and the external unit. Establishing and downloading software for adding the function to the equipment management device from the external unit by the external unit,
    Executing the downloaded software, using the communication connection, acquiring information on the control information from the external unit, and transmitting information on the state information to the external unit, Perform at least one process,
    Equipment management method.
14. Computer equipped with equipment management device that manages equipment,
    Device-side communication means for transmitting control information indicating the control content for the equipment to the equipment, and receiving state information indicating the state of the equipment from the equipment,
    When an external unit for adding a function to the equipment management apparatus is mounted on the equipment management apparatus, the external unit communicates with the external unit, and establishes a communication connection between the equipment management apparatus and the external unit. Established, unit-side communication means for downloading from the external unit software for adding the function to the equipment management device by the external unit,
    Executing the software downloaded by the unit-side communication means, and using the communication connection to obtain information on the control information from the external unit and transmitting information on the status information to the external unit A process executing means for executing at least one of the processes,
    program.

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