WO2020031433A1

WO2020031433A1 - Refrigeration device communication system

Info

Publication number: WO2020031433A1
Application number: PCT/JP2019/016498
Authority: WO
Inventors: 祐樹小木曽; 圭太西村; 和洋秋田; 渉福嶋
Original assignee: ダイキン工業株式会社
Priority date: 2018-08-09
Filing date: 2019-04-17
Publication date: 2020-02-13
Also published as: JP6949899B2; JP2020027605A

Abstract

This refrigeration device communication system S comprises: a refrigeration device 1; a wireless LAN adapter 2 provided as an accessory to the refrigeration device 1 and having a function as a network communication unit of the refrigeration device 1; a router 3 constituting a local area network with the wireless LAN adapter 2; and a server 5 capable of communicating with the router 3 via an electric communication line 6, wherein the operation of the refrigeration device 1 can be remotely controlled from a terminal device 4 via the electric communication line 6. When the refrigeration device 1 is remotely controlled from the server 5, the operation of the refrigeration device 1 is continued even after communication between the wireless LAN adapter 2 and the server 5 becomes impossible.

Description

Refrigeration system communication system

The present disclosure relates to a refrigeration system communication system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a refrigeration apparatus communication system capable of remotely controlling a refrigeration apparatus from a user terminal device via an electric communication line such as the Internet.

BACKGROUND ART Various refrigeration system communication systems capable of remotely controlling an air conditioner (air conditioner) as a refrigeration unit in a building such as a house from the outside of the building have been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1).
In the refrigeration system communication system described in Patent Literature 1, a mail server and a wireless LAN adapter are arranged between a user's multifunctional mobile phone and a refrigeration system (refrigeration cycle device), and the wireless LAN adapter is used periodically. A transmission request is transmitted to the mail server, and when a command from the mail server is issued, the operation of the refrigeration apparatus, which is the control target machine, is controlled based on the command.

On the other hand, when the wireless LAN adapter does not receive a reply from the mail server in response to the transmission request for a predetermined time, the wireless LAN adapter determines that communication with the server has been interrupted, transmits a stop command to the refrigerator, and transmits the stop command to the refrigerator. Stop the operation of.

JP 2014-212495 A

However, depending on the purpose and use of the room or area to be air-conditioned, it may not be desirable to stop the operation of the refrigeration system.

The present disclosure has an object to provide a refrigeration apparatus communication system that can continue operation of a refrigeration apparatus even when communication with a server via an electric communication line is interrupted.

The refrigeration apparatus communication system of the present disclosure includes:
(1) a refrigeration apparatus, a wireless LAN adapter provided to be attached to the refrigeration apparatus, and having a function as a network communication unit of the refrigeration apparatus, a router constituting a local area network with the wireless LAN adapter, and A server capable of communicating with the router via a line, and a refrigeration apparatus communication system capable of remotely controlling the operation of the refrigeration apparatus via the electric communication line from a terminal device,
When the refrigeration apparatus is remotely controlled from the server, the operation of the refrigeration apparatus is continued even after the communication between the wireless LAN adapter and the server becomes impossible.

In the refrigeration apparatus communication system of the present disclosure, when the refrigeration apparatus is remotely controlled from the server, the communication line between the server and the server is interrupted for some reason, and communication between the server and the wireless LAN adapter cannot be performed. However, the refrigeration system can continue to operate.

(2) In the refrigeration system communication system according to (1), the wireless LAN adapter has a restart unit that restarts the wireless LAN adapter.
The wireless LAN adapter may be restarted by the restart unit when communication with the server cannot be performed for a predetermined time. In this case, the restart unit of the wireless LAN adapter restarts the wireless LAN adapter when communication between the wireless LAN adapter and the server cannot be performed for a predetermined time. This restart is performed every time the predetermined time elapses. Thus, even when the communication line is cut off, the operation of the refrigeration apparatus can be continued by not instructing the refrigeration apparatus to stop operation or the like.

(3) In the refrigeration system communication system of (2), the wireless LAN adapter includes:
A transmitting unit that periodically transmits a transmission request to the server,
A receiving unit that receives a command from the server,
A timer unit that counts the time from when the receiving unit does not receive the reply from the server for the transmission request transmitted from the transmitting unit for the first time,
The restart unit may restart the wireless LAN adapter when the timer unit counts the predetermined time. In this case, when a predetermined time is counted by the timer unit, the restart unit restarts the wireless LAN adapter. Even when the communication line is interrupted, the refrigeration apparatus can continue operating by not instructing the refrigeration apparatus to stop operation or the like.

(4) In the refrigeration system communication system of (1) to (3), the wireless LAN adapter has a function of transmitting operation information of the refrigeration system to the server,
After the communication with the server is restored, the operation information that cannot be transmitted while the communication is interrupted may be transmitted to the server. In this case, the operation information of the refrigerating apparatus that has not been stored in the server due to the interruption of the communication line can be stored in the server by transmitting the operation information to the server by the wireless LAN adapter after the communication is restored.

(5) In the refrigeration system communication system of (1) to (4), the air conditioner maintains the operation setting immediately before the communication between the wireless LAN adapter and the server is interrupted, and continues the operation. It can be. In this case, even after the communication is cut off, the wireless LAN adapter does not give an instruction to stop the operation of the refrigeration apparatus in the communication cutoff state, so that the operation of the refrigeration apparatus should be continued under the setting conditions before the communication was cut off. Can be.

(6) In the refrigeration system communication system of (1) to (5), information that communication with a server is interrupted can be transmitted to the terminal device. In this case, the user can know that the communication between the wireless LAN adapter and the server has been interrupted, and can take measures to restore the communication, for example.

(7) In the refrigeration system communication system of (1) to (6), when the air conditioning load of an area air-conditioned by the refrigeration system is smaller than a predetermined value, it is desirable to stop the operation of the refrigeration system. In this case, it is possible to save energy by operating the refrigeration apparatus only when necessary.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an embodiment of a refrigeration system communication system according to the present disclosure. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a restart unit of the wireless LAN adapter.

Hereinafter, the refrigeration system communication system of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these exemplifications, but is indicated by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the claims.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a refrigeration system communication system S according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigeration apparatus communication system S includes an air conditioner (indoor unit) 1 as a refrigeration apparatus, a wireless LAN adapter 2, a router 3, and a terminal device 4 as devices on the user 10 side. Have. The refrigeration apparatus communication system S includes a server 5 that can remotely control the air conditioner 1 and remotely monitor the air conditioner 1 outside the user 10. The server 5 is in a state where it can communicate with the router 3 of the user 10 via the Internet 6 which is an electric communication line.

The air conditioner 1 according to the present embodiment is a type of an air conditioner embedded in a ceiling 7 of an air conditioning room as shown in FIG. The remote controller 8 is connected to the air conditioner 1 via a wire, and has various operation operation functions and setting functions in addition to a display 8a for displaying various operation information and the like. Note that the remote controller 8 can also be wirelessly connected to the air conditioner 1. The air conditioner 1 according to the present embodiment can be remotely controlled via the server 5, and the user can use the terminal device 4 to determine the operation start time, the set temperature, and the like of the air conditioner 1 from outside the building where the air conditioner 1 is provided. Can be ordered. Further, the user can reset the set temperature with the remote control device 8 after returning to the building. As described above, in the various operation settings of the air conditioner 1 in the present embodiment, the later (last) push priority is given to the later time setting.

The wireless LAN adapter 2 is installed near the air conditioner 1 and is connected to a circuit board (not shown) in the air conditioner 1 via a harness 2a. Since the air conditioner 1 in the present embodiment is a ceiling embedded type, the wireless LAN adapter 2 is installed behind the ceiling. The wireless LAN adapter 2 connected to the air conditioner 1 has a function as a network communication unit of the air conditioner 1.

(4) The wireless LAN adapter 2 includes a CPU as a control unit, memories (ROM, RAM), and the like, and realizes necessary functions by executing a program (software) stored in the memory. For example, the wireless LAN adapter 2 has a function as a wireless LAN access point in addition to a communication function via the air conditioner 1 and the harness 2a, and can perform network communication in the LAN.

The wireless LAN adapter 2 includes a restart unit 20 for restarting the wireless LAN adapter 2, a transmitting unit 21, a receiving unit 22, and a timer unit 23. The transmission unit 21 has a function of transmitting a control data request to the server 5 periodically (for example, every eight minutes). The receiving unit 22 has a function of receiving a command from the server 5. Detailed operations of the restart unit 20 and the like will be described later.

The router 3 configures a LAN (local area network) with various network devices (not shown) in the user 10 in addition to the wireless LAN adapter 2. The wireless LAN adapter 2 accesses the router 3 using the wireless LAN function.

The terminal device 4 is a portable terminal device such as a tablet computer and a smartphone, and can communicate with the server 5 via the Internet 6. The user can remotely control the air conditioner 1 using the terminal device 4 outside a building such as a house or an office building where the air conditioner 1 is provided. For example, at the time of returning home from work, the operation start time, operation mode (cooling operation, heating operation, dehumidification operation mode, etc.), set temperature and the like of the air conditioner at home are set by the terminal device 4, and the set information is stored in the server. 5 and the wireless LAN adapter 2 to the air conditioner 1.

In the terminal device 4, application software of a remote control system for remotely controlling the air conditioner 1 is installed, and functions such as input operation, command editing / transmission, and mail reception corresponding to the remote control system are provided. Is added to The air conditioner 1 can be remotely controlled using a web browser instead of the application software.

In the initial setting, the server 5 stores a wireless LAN adapter 2 attached to the air conditioner 1 to be remotely controlled, a user identification code (ID) such as a mail address of a terminal device 4 to which remote control is permitted, and a password (PW). be registered. When performing remote control, the user starts application software of the installed remote control system and inputs the ID and PW for starting remote control. Next, the air conditioner 1 to be controlled is selected from the pre-registered remote control target devices, and then the contents of the control (such as the cooling or heating start time and the set temperature) are selected. Send to

The server 5 transmits the received command from the terminal device 4 to the wireless LAN adapter 2 as a reply to the control data request periodically transmitted from the transmission unit 21 of the wireless LAN adapter 2. The wireless LAN adapter 2 receives a command from the terminal device 4 transmitted from the server 5 and performs remote control of the air conditioner 1. Specifically, the wireless LAN adapter 2 transmits a command from the terminal device 4 to the control board of the air conditioner 1 via the harness 2a.

The server 5 in the present embodiment can perform not only remote control of the air conditioner 1 but also remote monitoring of the air conditioner 1. As the contents of the remote monitoring, for example, the operation data (set temperature, room temperature, outside temperature, etc.) of the target air conditioner 1 in the past for a predetermined time (for example, 24 hours or 48 hours) is displayed in a graph or integrated. Displaying operating time information of the air conditioner, such as operating time, and notifying the user of the occurrence of an abnormality in the air conditioner by mail can be cited.

In the air conditioner communication system of the present embodiment, when the air conditioner 1 is remotely controlled from the server 5, even after the communication between the wireless LAN adapter 2 and the server 5 is disabled, the operation of the air conditioner 1 is stopped. Let it continue. The interruption of communication between the wireless LAN adapter 2 and the server 5 occurs due to a failure of a device such as the wireless LAN adapter 2 or the router 3, a connection failure due to interference with another wireless device, a failure of the server, or the like. . In addition, the location where the communication is interrupted may be between the wireless LAN adapter 2 and the router 3, between the router 3 and the server 5, and the like. In the present embodiment, even if the communication line between the wireless LAN adapter 2 and the server 5 is interrupted for some reason, the air conditioner 1 continues to operate by operating the restart unit 20 of the wireless LAN adapter 2. be able to. The wireless LAN adapter 2 in the present embodiment does not perform control such as stopping the operation of the air conditioner 1 when the communication is interrupted. Therefore, at the time of restart described later, the air conditioner 1 can continue operating under the set conditions before the communication is cut off.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the restart unit 20 of the wireless LAN adapter 2. When the server 5 receives a command for remote control of the air conditioner 1 from the user's terminal device 4 (step S1), the command is from the terminal device 4 to which remote control of the air conditioner 1 is permitted. Is confirmed by the ID or PW, control data for transmitting the contents of the command to the wireless LAN adapter 2 is generated and stored (step S2).

The control data request is periodically transmitted to the server 5 from the transmission unit 21 of the wireless LAN adapter 2 as described above (step S10). In step S3, the server 5 determines whether or not a control data request from the wireless LAN adapter 2 has been received. If it determines that the control data request has been received, the server 5 proceeds to step S4. It is determined whether there is control data for the wireless LAN adapter 2. When the server 5 determines in step S4 that the control data is present, the server 5 returns the control data and the date and time to the wireless LAN adapter 2 (steps S5 and S6). On the other hand, if there is no control data for the wireless LAN adapter 2 in step S4, the process proceeds to step S6, and the server 5 returns only the date and time to the wireless LAN adapter 2. If there is no control data to the wireless LAN adapter 2, it may be returned with the date and time that there is no control data.

In step S11, the control unit (not shown) of the wireless LAN adapter 2 determines whether the receiving unit 22 has received a reply from the server 5 for the control data request from the wireless LAN adapter 2, and If the reply has been received from the server 5, in step S12, the reply date and time from the server 5 is updated, and the process proceeds to step S13.

If the control unit of the wireless LAN adapter 2 determines in step S13 that there is control data based on a command from a user related to remote control of the air conditioner 1, the process proceeds to step S14, where the control data is controlled in step S14. The data is transmitted to the air conditioner 1, which is the target device. When receiving the control data (step S20), the control unit mounted on the control board of the air conditioner 1 controls the operation of the air conditioner 1 according to the control data.

In step S11, when the control unit of the wireless LAN adapter 2 determines that a reply from the server 5 to the control data request from the wireless LAN adapter 2 has not been received, the control unit of the wireless LAN adapter 2 starts counting by the timer unit 23. In step S15, it is determined whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the timer unit 23 started counting, and if it is determined that the predetermined time has elapsed, in step S16, the wireless LAN adapter 2 The restart unit operates, and the wireless LAN adapter 2 is restarted (rebooted). At this time, the wireless LAN adapter 2 does not control or instruct to stop the operation of the air conditioner 1 in response to the interruption of the communication. Therefore, the air conditioner 1 can continue operating under the set conditions before the communication is cut off. The predetermined time is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 24 hours.

(4) Even after the restart in step S16, the wireless LAN adapter 2 periodically transmits the control data request in step S10 to the server 5. If there is no response from the server 5 to the control data request for a predetermined time, the wireless LAN adapter 2 is restarted in step S16. Thus, in the present embodiment, unlike the conventional air conditioner communication system, the operation of the air conditioner 1 can be continued without stopping the operation of the air conditioner 1 due to the interruption of communication with the server 5.

Depending on the purpose or use of the room or area to be air-conditioned, the operation of the air conditioner 1 is stopped even if the communication with the server is interrupted when the air conditioner 1 is remotely controlled by the server 5. May not be desired. For example, in a server room accommodating many servers, a storage room for foods and wines requiring temperature control, a hospital room, and the like, even if the communication line is interrupted, the air conditioner 1 is stopped after receiving the interruption. It is not desirable. However, in the refrigeration system communication system of the present embodiment, the operation of the air conditioner 1 can be continued without interrupting the communication with the server 5 and the operation of the air conditioner 1 can be continued. Can be prevented from breaking down or the server going down. Further, deterioration of wine and food can be suppressed. In the present specification, the air conditioner 1 targets not only “humans” but also other animals and plants, as well as devices such as servers and PCs, beverages such as wine and ham. , Meat and other foods.

The server 5 in the present embodiment performs not only remote control of the air conditioner 1 but also remote monitoring of the air conditioner 1. The contents of the remote monitoring include the display of the past operation data (set temperature, room temperature, outside temperature, etc.) of the target air conditioner 1 as a graph as described above, and the operation time information of the air conditioner such as the accumulated operation time. Is displayed. In order to perform such remote monitoring, the wireless LAN adapter 2 has a function of transmitting various operation information of the air conditioner 1 to the server 5. The transmission of the operation information can be performed by the transmission unit 21 of the wireless LAN adapter 2. However, if the communication with the server 5 is interrupted, the operation information cannot be transmitted to the server 5. In the present embodiment, the operation information that cannot be transmitted while the communication is interrupted is stored in the storage unit of the control board of the air conditioner 1, the storage unit of the wireless LAN adapter 2, or the outdoor unit corresponding to the air conditioner 1. (Not shown), and is transmitted from the wireless LAN adapter 2 to the server 5 after the communication with the server 5 is restored. Thereby, the operation information of the air conditioner 1 that has not been stored in the server 5 due to the interruption of the communication line can be stored in the server 5 after the communication is restored.

In the present embodiment, when a predetermined time is counted by the timer section 23, the restart section 20 restarts the wireless LAN adapter. The wireless LAN adapter 2 does not perform control such as stopping the operation of the air conditioner 1 when the communication is interrupted at the time of the restart. Therefore, the air conditioner 1 can continue the operation while maintaining the operation setting (including the operation mode and the set temperature) immediately before the communication between the wireless LAN adapter 2 and the server 5 is cut off. In other words, the air conditioner 1 maintains the final command for the air conditioner 1. Thus, even after the communication is interrupted, the operation of the air conditioner can be continued under the setting conditions before the communication was interrupted.

In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the communication with the server 5 is interrupted for some reason after a predetermined time has passed since there is no response from the server 5 for the control data request from the wireless LAN adapter 2 first. Upon determination, the wireless LAN adapter 2 is restarted. Information that the communication has been interrupted can be displayed on the display 8a of the terminal device 4 or the remote control device 8. Thus, the user can know that the communication between the wireless LAN adapter 2 and the server 5 has been interrupted, and can take measures for restoring the communication. The display of the information on the display 8a of the remote control device 8 can be performed mainly by the wireless LAN adapter 2, or can be performed mainly by the server 5.

The air conditioner 1 according to the present embodiment is configured to continue operation even when communication with the server 5 is interrupted, but when the air conditioning load of an area to be air-conditioned by the air conditioner 1 is smaller than a predetermined value. In addition, the air conditioner 1 has a thermo-off function for stopping the operation of the air conditioner 1. Thereby, it is possible to save energy by operating the air conditioner 1 only when necessary.

[Other modifications]
The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the ceiling-embedded indoor unit is exemplified as the air conditioner that can be remotely controlled by the server. However, the air conditioner in the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the ceiling installation type, Other types of indoor units such as a wall-mounted type and a floor-mounted type may be used. In this case, the wireless LAN adapter can be installed at an appropriate place such as a wall surface or inside the machine according to the type of the indoor unit.
Further, in the above-described embodiment, an air conditioner (indoor unit) is exemplified as the refrigeration apparatus. However, the refrigeration apparatus of the present disclosure is not limited to this. And refrigerated or frozen containers.

Furthermore, the temperature range of the conditioned air supplied by the refrigeration apparatus is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, 10 ° C. to 25 ° C. or −35 ° C. to 25 ° C. In other words, the refrigeration apparatus in the present disclosure is intended for air conditioning of not only buildings such as houses and office buildings, but also refrigerated warehouses and frozen warehouses.

1: Air conditioner (refrigeration equipment)
2: Wireless LAN adapter 2a: Harness 3: Router 4: Terminal device 5: Server 6: Internet (telecommunication line)
7: ceiling 8: remote control device 8a: display 10: user 20: restart unit 21: transmitting unit 22: receiving unit 23: timer unit S: refrigeration system communication system

Claims

A refrigeration apparatus (1), a wireless LAN adapter (2) provided to accompany the refrigeration apparatus (1) and having a function as a network communication unit of the refrigeration apparatus (1), and the wireless LAN adapter (2) And a router (3) that forms a local area network, and a server (5) that can communicate with the router (3) via a telecommunication line (6). A refrigeration apparatus communication system (S) capable of remotely controlling the operation of the refrigeration apparatus (1) via a line (6),
When the refrigeration apparatus (1) is remotely controlled from the server (5), the operation of the refrigeration apparatus (1) even after communication between the wireless LAN adapter (2) and the server (5) is disabled. Refrigeration system communication system (S).
The wireless LAN adapter (2) has a restart unit (20) for restarting the wireless LAN adapter (2),
The refrigeration apparatus communication system (S) according to claim 1, wherein the wireless LAN adapter (2) is restarted by the restart unit (20) when communication with the server (5) cannot be performed for a predetermined time.
The wireless LAN adapter (2) includes:
A transmitting unit (21) for periodically transmitting a transmission request to the server (5);
A receiving unit (22) for receiving a command from the server (5);
A timer unit (23) for counting the time from when the receiving unit (22) does not receive a reply from the server (5) for the transmission request transmitted from the transmitting unit (21) for the first time;
The refrigeration system (S) according to claim 2, wherein the restart unit (20) restarts the wireless LAN adapter (2) when the timer unit (23) counts the predetermined time.
The wireless LAN adapter (2) has a function of transmitting operation information of the refrigerating device (1) to the server (5),
The communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein after the communication with the server (5) is restored, the operation information that cannot be transmitted while the communication is interrupted is transmitted to the server (5). The refrigeration system communication system (S) according to the above item.
The refrigeration apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the refrigeration apparatus (1) maintains the operation setting immediately before the communication between the wireless LAN adapter (2) and the server (5) is interrupted and continues the operation. The refrigeration system communication system (S) according to claim 1 or 2.
The refrigeration apparatus communication system (S) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the information that communication with the server (5) is interrupted is transmitted to the terminal device (4).
The refrigeration apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the operation of the refrigeration apparatus (1) is stopped when an air conditioning load of an area air-conditioned by the refrigeration apparatus (1) is smaller than a predetermined value. Refrigeration system communication system (S).