WO2022102633A1 - Status reporting device, program, and status reporting method - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided are a status reporting device, a program, and a status reporting method that make it possible to report the status of a refrigerator to a user. A status reporting device that comprises an information acquisition unit that acquires environment information that includes at least one of the temperature and the humidity of the surroundings of a refrigerator and power information that corresponds to the power consumption of the refrigerator, a status determination unit that determines the status of the refrigerator on the basis of the environment information and the power information, and a reporting unit that outputs determination results for the status of the refrigerator from the status determination unit.

Description

Status notification device, program, and status notification method

The present invention relates to a status notification device, a program, and a status notification method. This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-190068 filed in Japan on November 16, 2020, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Conventionally, a refrigerator control system including a refrigerator and a sensor for acquiring state information regarding the state of food in the refrigerator is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In Patent Document 1, the sensor acquires information such as the temperature, weight, recommended storage period, best-by date, and gas generation amount of food as state information. The refrigerator control system supplies the user with information about the shelf life of the food based on the state information acquired by the sensor.

JP-A-2017-133825

However, the system described in Patent Document 1 could not provide the user with information on the state of the refrigerator. For example, it was not possible to provide the user with information on a malfunction such as a refrigerator failure or deterioration over time. Therefore, the user could not recognize that the refrigerator had a problem.

One of the purposes of the present disclosure is to provide a status notification device, a program, and a status notification method capable of notifying the user of the status of the refrigerator.

The state notification device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes an information acquisition unit for acquiring environmental information including at least one of the temperature and humidity around the refrigerator, electric power information according to the power consumption of the refrigerator, and the environment. It includes a state determination unit that determines the state of the refrigerator based on the information and the electric power information, and a notification unit that outputs the determination result of the state of the refrigerator by the state determination unit.

The program according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a program for causing a computer to notify the determination result of the state of the refrigerator, and causes the computer to acquire environmental information including at least one of the temperature and humidity around the refrigerator. The electric power information according to the power consumption of the refrigerator is acquired, the state of the refrigerator is determined based on the environmental information and the electric power information, and the determination result of the state of the refrigerator is output.

The state notification method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a state notification method for notifying the determination result of the state of the refrigerator, in which environmental information including at least one of the temperature and humidity around the refrigerator is acquired and the refrigerator is used. The power information according to the power consumption is acquired, the state of the refrigerator is determined based on the environment information and the power information, and the determination result of the state of the refrigerator is output.

It is a block diagram which shows an example of the state notification system provided with the state notification device which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the environment information and power information stored in the storage part of a power strip. It is a graph which shows an example of the change of the power consumption and the power factor of a refrigerator. It is a figure which shows an example of the driving state of a heater schematically. It is a figure which shows an example of the environment information, the drive state, and the state information stored in the storage part of the state notification device. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the state notification processing by a state notification device. It is a graph which shows an example of the relationship between the refrigerator and the ambient temperature which concerns on modification 1. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the state notification system provided with the state notification device which concerns on modification 2. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the state notification system provided with the state notification device which concerns on modification 3. FIG.

The embodiments and modifications described below are merely examples of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments and modifications. Even if it is not the embodiment and the modification, various changes can be made according to the design and the like as long as it does not deviate from the technical idea of the present disclosure.

(Overview of status notification system)
Hereinafter, an embodiment of a status notification device, a status notification program, and a status notification method will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. The status notification system 10 shown in FIG. 1 includes a power strip 20 and a server device 30. The status notification system 10 outputs a notification regarding the status of the refrigerator 50. The power tap 20 detects environmental information regarding the environment around the refrigerator 50 (including at least one of temperature and humidity) and electric power information regarding the power consumption of the refrigerator 50, and associates these environmental information and electric power information with each other. It is transmitted to the server device 30. The server device 30 includes a status notification device 32. The status notification device 32 determines the status of the refrigerator 50 based on the environmental information and the electric power information, and outputs a notification according to the determination result. The power tap 20 acquires the notification output by the status notification device 32 and outputs it in a user-recognizable format.

(Construction of refrigerator)
The refrigerator 50 includes a cooling device 51, a defrosting device 52, and a storage for storing articles (not shown). The refrigerator 50 is driven by AC power supplied from the power source 40 via the power strip 20 to cool the articles stored in the storage. The power supply 40 is, for example, a single-phase three-wire commercial power supply, and outputs AC power having a frequency of 50 Hz or 60 Hz.

The cooling device 51 includes, for example, a compressor (compressor), a condenser (mechanical condenser), a capillary tube, an evaporator (evaporator), and the like, and cools the inside of the refrigerator. In the cooling device 51, the high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant compressed by the compressor is converted into a low-temperature and low-pressure liquid refrigerant by a capacitor, a capillary tube, and the like, and sent to the evaporator. The evaporator cools the surrounding air by the endothermic heat of the liquid refrigerant. In the evaporator, the gaseous refrigerant vaporized by endothermic heat is sent to the compressor.

The defrosting device 52 includes a heater, a temperature sensor, and the like, and removes frost generated on the evaporator, for example. The heater is, for example, a quartz tube heater in which a heating wire (resistance) is arranged in a quartz tube. The heater is arranged along the evaporator and defrosts by melting the frost generated on the evaporator. The temperature sensor has, for example, a thermistor whose resistance value changes according to the temperature, and detects the temperature around the evaporator. Based on the temperature around the evaporator detected by the temperature sensor, it is possible to determine whether or not the defrosting is completed. The defrosting device 52 energizes the heater at regular intervals, and stops energization when defrosting is completed or when a preset maximum continuous driving time has elapsed. The larger the amount of frost attached to the evaporator, the longer the time required for defrosting, that is, the driving time of the defrosting device 52.

The power consumption of the refrigerator 50 changes according to the surrounding environment (for example, temperature and humidity). For example, the higher the ambient temperature and humidity, such as in the summer, the more likely the humidity inside the refrigerator 50 will rise when the refrigerator 50 is opened and closed, and the more likely it is that frost will occur. As the amount of frost increases, the driving time of the defrosting device 52 becomes longer, and as a result, the power consumption increases. Further, when the ambient temperature is high, the driving time of the cooling device 51 becomes long, and the power consumption of the refrigerator 50 increases.

(Power strip configuration)
The power strip 20 electrically connects the power supply 40 and the refrigerator 50. The power strip 20 includes a current detection unit 201, a voltage detection unit 202, a temperature sensor 203, a humidity sensor 204, a storage unit 205, an output unit 206, a communication unit 207, and a control unit 208.

The current detection unit 201 detects the current between the power supply 40 and the refrigerator 50 (hereinafter, also simply referred to as the current of the refrigerator 50). That is, the current detection unit 201 detects the current, which is one of the power information. The current detection unit 201, for example, converts a current transformer that outputs a value (current value) according to the magnitude of the current flowing through the electric wire, an amplifier that amplifies the current value, and an analog signal according to the amplified current value into a digital signal. It includes various circuits such as ADC (Analog-to-digital converter) to convert.

The voltage detection unit 202 detects the voltage applied to the refrigerator 50. That is, the voltage detection unit 202 detects the voltage, which is one of the power information. The voltage detection unit 202 includes various circuits such as a voltage drop resistor and an ADC that converts an analog signal corresponding to the voltage across the resistor into a digital signal.

The temperature sensor 203 detects the ambient temperature. The temperature sensor 203 has, for example, a thermistor whose resistance value changes according to the temperature. The power strip 20 is located near the refrigerator 50. Therefore, the temperature sensor 203 detects the ambient temperature of the refrigerator 50 as one of the environmental information around the refrigerator 50. The temperature sensor 203 detects the temperature at a predetermined timing. For example, the temperature sensor 203 detects the temperature at predetermined intervals such as every few hours. Further, the temperature sensor 203 may detect the temperature at a predetermined time if the time information can be acquired.

Humidity sensor 204 detects ambient humidity. The humidity sensor 204 has, for example, an electrostatic element whose capacitance changes according to humidity. The humidity sensor 204 detects the humidity around the refrigerator as one of the environmental information around the refrigerator 50. Like the temperature sensor 203, the humidity sensor 204 detects the humidity at a predetermined timing. For example, the humidity sensor 204 detects the humidity at the same timing as the temperature sensor 203.

The storage unit 205 stores power information and environmental information. The storage unit 205 is, for example, a readable / writable memory such as a RAM (RandomAccessMemory). FIG. 2 shows an example of environmental information and electric power information stored in the storage unit 205. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the environmental information and the electric power information are stored in association with the detected date and time. As environmental information, the temperature and humidity detected at the same timing are associated with each other. As the power information, the current and the voltage detected at the same timing are associated with each other. Further, the electric power information and the environmental information are stored in association with each other. For example, the power information is associated with the latest environmental information among the detected environmental information. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the currents A1 ... A2 and the voltages V1 ... V2 are associated with the temperature T1 and the humidity H1 (environmental information) as power information. The environmental information and the electric power information may always be detected at the same timing, and in this case, the environmental information and the electric power information detected at the same timing are stored in association with each other.

The output unit 206 outputs a notification regarding the state of the refrigerator (hereinafter, also referred to as a state notification) in a format recognizable by the user. The output unit 206 is, for example, a speaker, a lamp, a display, or the like, and is configured to be capable of outputting a status notification in at least one format such as sound, light, and an image.

The communication unit 207 is a communication interface and is connected to the network via a router, a gateway, or the like. The communication unit 207 transmits / receives data to / from another device (for example, the server device 30) that is communicably connected via the network.

The control unit 208 includes a processor and a memory, and controls each configuration 201 to 207 of the power strip 20. For example, the control unit 208 stores the detected power information and the environment information in the storage unit 205 in association with each other as described above. Further, the control unit 208 controls the communication unit 207 and transmits the power information and the environment information to the server device 30 at a predetermined timing. The predetermined timing is, for example, a case where the current becomes a predetermined value or more according to the drive of the defrosting device 52, a predetermined time has elapsed since the previous transmission, a predetermined time, and the like. Further, when the control unit 208 acquires the status notification from the server device 30, the control unit 208 controls the output unit 206 and outputs the status notification.

Note that the control unit 208 may calculate the product of the detected current (instantaneous current) and voltage (instantaneous voltage), that is, the instantaneous power of the refrigerator 50 as power information. Further, the control unit 208 may calculate the power factor of the refrigerator 50 as power information based on the detected current and voltage.

(Configuration of server device 30)
The server device 30 includes a communication unit 31 and a status notification device 32.

The communication unit 31 is a communication interface and is connected to the network via a router, a gateway, or the like. The communication unit 31 transmits / receives data to / from another device (for example, a power strip 20) that is communicably connected via a network.

The status notification device 32 has, for example, a microcomputer including a processor and a memory. Then, when the processor executes the program stored in the memory, the microcomputer functions as an information acquisition unit 321, a state determination unit 322, a storage unit 323, and a notification unit 324. The program executed by the processor is recorded in advance in the memory of the microcomputer here, but may be recorded in a non-temporary recording medium such as a memory card and provided, or provided through a telecommunication line such as the Internet. May be done. Further, the status notification device 32 may be configured such that a plurality of functions are distributed to a plurality of microcomputers.

The information acquisition unit 321 acquires environmental information including at least one of the ambient temperature and humidity of the refrigerator 50 and power information according to the power consumption of the refrigerator 50. In the present embodiment, the information acquisition unit 321 acquires the environment information and the power information (see FIG. 2) transmitted from the power strip 20 via the communication unit 31. When the power factor is not included in the power information, the information acquisition unit 321 calculates the power factor of the refrigerator 50 based on the acquired measured values of the voltage and the current.

The state determination unit 322 determines the state of the refrigerator 50 based on the environmental information and the electric power information. In the present embodiment, the state determination unit 322 determines the state of the refrigerator 50 by comparing the drive state of the refrigerator 50 according to the electric power information with the reference drive state which is the drive state for comparison according to the environmental information. do. The state determination unit 322 estimates the driving state of the refrigerator 50 based on the electric power information. The driving state of the refrigerator 50 includes, for example, the driving state of the heater included in the defrosting device 52. Further, the reference drive state includes a drive state according to the power information acquired in the past. That is, the state determination unit 322 determines the state of the refrigerator 50 by comparing the past drive state (first drive state) with the drive state estimated based on the power information (second drive state). The processing by the state determination unit 322 will be described later.

The storage unit 323 stores the environmental information and the power information acquired by the information acquisition unit 321. The storage unit 323 stores the drive state of the refrigerator 50 estimated by the state determination unit 322 and the determination result (state information) regarding the state of the refrigerator 50. The storage unit 323 may be provided outside the status notification device 32. For example, the storage unit 323 may be provided inside the server device 30 so as to be communicable with the status notification device 32, or may be provided in another device communicably connected to the server device 30.

The notification unit 324 outputs a notification based on the determination result of the state of the refrigerator 50 by the state determination unit 322.

(Estimation of driving state by state determination unit 322)
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of changes in power consumption and power factor of the refrigerator 50. The power consumption of the refrigerator 50 changes depending on the driving state of the cooling device 51 and the defrosting device 52. Specifically, the drive state of the refrigerator 50 is a state in which the cooling device 51 is driven and the defrosting device 52 is not driven (M1 in FIG. 3), and a state in which the cooling device 51 is not driven and the defrosting device 52 is driven (M1 in FIG. 3). M2) in FIG. 3 and, when both are non-driven, are roughly classified into three. The state determination unit 322 estimates the driving state of the cooling device 51 and the defrosting device 52 based on the power information of the refrigerator 50.

The state determination unit 322 estimates, for example, the driving state of the heater included in the defrosting device 52 based on the electric power information as the driving state of the refrigerator 50. As shown in FIG. 3, the power consumption of the defrosting device 52 is substantially constant, and since the cooling device 51 is not driven while the defrosting device 52 is being driven, it is easy to estimate the driving state of the defrosting device 52. Is. Therefore, the state determination unit 322 estimates the drive state of the defrosting device 52 (M2 in FIG. 3) based on the power information, as compared with the case of estimating the drive state of the cooling device 51, for example, the refrigerator 50. It is possible to improve the estimation accuracy of the driving state of.

It is preferable that the state determination unit 322 estimates the driving state of the heater included in the defrosting device 52 based on the power factor of the refrigerator 50. The power consumption of the defrosting device 52 is substantially the power consumption of the above-mentioned heater (resistance wire). Since the reactance component of the heater is very small with respect to the resistance component, the power factor value of the heater is higher than that of the compressor of the cooling device 51, for example. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the power factor of the defrosting device 52 is about 99%. On the other hand, the power factor of the cooling device 51 is 70 to 80%, which is lower than that of the defrosting device 52. Therefore, by estimating the drive state based on the power factor, it is possible to more appropriately distinguish between the state M1 and the state M2 as compared with the case based on the power consumption. That is, by estimating the driving state of the heater based on the power factor, it is possible to improve the estimation accuracy of the driving state of the refrigerator 50 by the state determination unit 322.

The state determination unit 322 estimates the defrosting time as the driving state of the heater. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the driving state of the heater. As shown in FIG. 4, the defrosting times ta1 and ta2 are the driving times of the heater from when the heater is turned on to when the heater is turned off.

Further, the state determination unit 322 may estimate the defrosting interval as the driving state of the heater. As shown in FIG. 4, the defrosting intervals tb1 and tb2 are the elapsed time from when the heater is turned off to when the heater is turned on next time. When the state determination unit 322 estimates the drive state, if the heater is not detected to be turned on after the heater was finally turned off, the state determination unit 322 temporarily defrosts the elapsed time from the last time the heater was turned off. It may be an interval.

As shown in FIG. 5, the state determination unit 322 stores the estimated drive state in the storage unit 323 in association with the environment information. For example, when a plurality of environmental information is associated with the power information used for estimating the driving state, the state determination unit 322 uses representative values such as the average value, the maximum value, and the minimum value of the environmental information as the environment. Corresponds to the drive state as information.

In the example shown in FIG. 5, the defrosting time ta1 and the defrosting interval tb1 (first drive state) are associated with the temperature Ta1 and the humidity Ha1 (first environmental information). The defrosting time ta2 and the defrosting interval tb2 (second drive state) are associated with temperature Ta2 and humidity Ha2 (second environmental information). In the example shown in FIG. 5, the defrosting time ta2 and the defrosting interval tb2 (second drive state) are estimated based on the power information shown in FIG. The temperature Ta2 is, for example, an average value of the temperatures T1 to T3 shown in FIG. Humidity Ha2 is, for example, an average value of humidity H1 to H3 shown in FIG. Further, the first environmental information is acquired at the same time as the previous year with respect to the acquisition time of the second environmental information. The absolute value of the difference between the temperature Ta1 and the temperature Ta2 is less than the predetermined value. Similarly, the absolute value of the difference between the humidity Ha1 and the humidity Ha2 is less than a predetermined value.

(Determination of the state of the refrigerator 50 by the state determination unit 322)
The state determination unit 322 determines the state of the refrigerator by comparing the drive state of the refrigerator according to the electric power information with the reference drive state which is the drive state for comparison according to the environmental information. The reference drive state includes the drive state corresponding to the power information acquired in the past rather than the power information corresponding to the drive state to be compared. The state determination unit 322 compares the past drive state of the refrigerator 50 with the current drive state of the refrigerator 50, and determines the current state of the refrigerator 50. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the determination system for the state of the refrigerator 50 due to the influence of the usage state and characteristics of the refrigerator 50.

The reference drive state may be data related to the drive state of the refrigerator 50 obtained by simulation, experiment, or the like. Further, the reference drive state may be a past drive state of another refrigerator of the same type as the refrigerator 50. For example, the state of the refrigerator 50 can be determined even when sufficient past environmental information and electric power information are not accumulated for appropriately determining the state of the refrigerator 50.

The state determination unit 322 compares these drive states when the two drive states are drive states based on power information acquired in a similar surrounding environment. The case where the surrounding environment is similar is, for example, the case where the absolute value of the difference between the two environmental information is less than a predetermined value. The state determination unit 322 selects, as the reference drive state, the drive state in which the determination result is determined to be "good" from the past drive states acquired in the surrounding environment similar to the drive state to be compared. Since the state determination unit 322 can determine the state of the refrigerator 50 based on the driving state in the same surrounding environment in the past, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the state determination system of the refrigerator 50 due to the change in power consumption according to the surrounding environment. ..

In the example shown in FIG. 5, the state determination unit 322 determines the state of the refrigerator 50 based on the second drive state (defrost time ta2, defrost interval tb2), and when the state determination unit 322 determines the state of the refrigerator 50, the first environmental information (temperature Ta1, humidity). Based on Ha1) and the second environmental information (temperature Ta2, humidity Ha2), it is determined whether or not to use the first driving state (defrosting time ta1, defrosting interval tb1) as the reference driving state. As described above, since the absolute value of the difference between the first environment information and the second environment information is less than a predetermined value, the state determination unit 322 uses the first drive state (defrosting time ta1, defrosting) as the reference driving state. Use the interval tb1).

The state determination unit 322 determines, for example, the state of the refrigerator 50 as a driving state based on the defrosting time. For example, when the defrosting time ta2 (second drive state) is longer than the permissible value as compared with the defrost time ta1 (first drive state and reference drive state), the state determination unit 322 deteriorates the state of the refrigerator 50. Judged as (long defrosting time). For example, if the refrigerator 50 has a poor sealing, the amount of frost adhering to the evaporator tends to increase, and as a result, the driving time (defrosting time) of the defrosting device 52 may become long. Therefore, if the defrosting time ta2 is longer than the permissible value compared to the defrosting time ta1 (reference drive state) under similar environment in the past, it can be seen that there is a possibility of poor sealing. The permissible value may be changed based on the environmental information.

Further, the state determination unit 322 may determine the state of the refrigerator 50 as a driving state based on the defrosting interval. For example, when the difference between the defrosting interval tb1 (first drive state and reference drive state) and the defrost interval tb2 (second drive state) exceeds the permissible value, the state determination unit 322 determines the refrigerator with respect to the defrost interval. The state of 50 is determined to be defective. For example, if the defrosting device 52 is out of order, the defrosting device 52 may not operate at a preset timing, such as the defrosting device 52 not turning on even if the defrosting interval exceeds the permissible value. .. Therefore, if the defrosting interval tb2 is significantly shorter than the defrosting interval tb1 (reference drive state) in a similar environment in the past, it can be seen that the defrosting device 52 may have failed.

(Status notification processing by the status notification system 10)
Hereinafter, the status notification process by the status notification system 10 will be described. As described above, the power strip 20 detects environmental information and power information and stores them in the storage unit 205. The power tap 20 transmits environmental information and power information to the server device 30 at a predetermined timing (for example, when the heater of the defrosting device 52 is on, a predetermined time, or the like). The server device 30 receives the environmental information and the electric power information, and determines the state of the refrigerator 50 based on the environmental information and the electric power information.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, the information acquisition unit 321 receives the power information and the environmental information (see FIG. 2) transmitted from the power strip 20 (step S1). The information acquisition unit 321 stores the environmental information and the electric power information in the storage unit 323 in association with each other.

The state determination unit 322 estimates the driving state of the refrigerator 50 based on the power information acquired by the information acquisition unit 321 (step S2). The state determination unit 322 estimates, for example, the driving state of the heater of the defrosting device 52 (defrosting time ta2 and defrosting interval tb2 shown in FIG. 4) based on the power information (see FIG. 2). The state determination unit 322 stores the estimated drive state and the environmental information in the storage unit 323 in association with each other (see FIG. 5).

The state determination unit 322 acquires the reference drive state according to the environmental information (step S3). The reference drive state includes a drive state corresponding to the power information acquired in the past rather than the power information corresponding to the drive state to be compared (acquired in step S2). The state determination unit 322 refers to the environmental information stored in the storage unit 323, and is associated with the first environmental information (temperature Ta1, humidity Ha1) similar to the second environmental information (temperature Ta2, humidity Ha2). The first drive state (defrost time ta1, defrost interval tb1) is acquired as a reference drive state for the second drive state (defrost time ta2, defrost interval tb2). At this time, it is preferable to exclude the drive state in which the state information (see FIG. 5) is defective from the reference drive state. Further, when there are a plurality of environmental information similar to the second environmental information, the state determination unit 322 may acquire, for example, the drive state associated with the environmental information closest to the second environmental information, or is the newest. The drive state may be acquired.

The state determination unit 322 determines the state of the refrigerator 50 by comparing the drive state of the determination target with the reference drive state (step S4). The state determination unit 322, for example, when determining the state of the refrigerator 50 according to the second drive state (defrost time ta2, defrost interval tb2), the first drive state (defrost time ta1, defrost interval tb1). ) And the second drive state. The state determination unit 322 determines each of the defrosting time and the defrosting interval, and stores the determination result in the storage unit 323 in association with the second drive state.

The notification unit 324 performs a notification process for outputting a notification according to the determination result in step S4 (step S5). The notification unit 324 outputs, for example, a notification (status notification) indicating a state defect when a determination result indicating a defect is obtained in step S4. The output status notification is transmitted to the power strip 20 via the communication unit 31. The power tap 20 outputs a notification indicating that a state defect has been detected from the output unit 206 based on the received status notification.

For example, when a state defect due to a long defrosting time is detected, the notification unit 324 outputs a notification indicating that a sealing defect may have occurred. Further, when a state defect due to a short or long defrosting interval is detected, the notification unit 324 outputs a notification indicating that the defrosting device 52 (heater) may be out of order. If the defrosting time is long, the defrosting device 52 is not turned on, and the elapsed time since it was turned off exceeds the permissible value of the defrosting interval, that is, even if the permissible value of the defrosting interval is exceeded. This includes the case where the defrosting device 52 does not operate.

The notification unit 324 may output a status notification notifying that the status defect has been detected when the same status defect is detected a plurality of times in succession. Further, the notification unit 324 may notify a warning according to the state defect when the same state defect is detected after outputting the state notification.

In the above embodiment, the case where the defrosting interval of the refrigerator 50 is set to be constant has been described, but the refrigerator 50 is configured to shorten the defrosting interval in a situation where frost is likely to adhere to the evaporator. There may be. For example, if the sealing failure or the performance deterioration of the cooling device 51 occurs due to aged deterioration or the like, the driving time (continuous driving time or driving rate) of the cooling device 51 may increase. The longer the driving time of the cooling device 51, the easier it is for frost to form on the evaporator, so that the defrosting interval may be set shorter. For example, when the defrosting interval tb2 is significantly shorter than the defrosting interval tb1 (reference drive state) under a similar environment in the past, the state determination unit 322 deteriorates the state of the refrigerator 50 with respect to the defrosting interval (aged). Possibility of deterioration).

The status notification device 32 exemplifies a case where the defrosting time and the defrosting interval are estimated as the driving state of the refrigerator 50, but only one of them may be used. For example, the status notification device 32 may estimate only the defrosting time as the driving state. As described above, the defrosting time changes according to the amount of frost adhering to the evaporator. Therefore, even when estimating only the defrosting time, the state determination unit 322 determines the state of the refrigerator 50. Can be done.

The status notification device 32 estimates the driving state of the defrosting device 52 as the driving state of the refrigerator 50, but the driving state of the cooling device 51 (compressor) may be estimated. For example, if the refrigerator 50 is poorly sealed due to aging, the cooling efficiency may be lowered, and as a result, the driving time of the cooling device 51 may be lengthened. Therefore, the state of the refrigerator 50 can be determined based on the driving time of the cooling device 51 and the amount of power consumed by the cooling device 51.

The status notification device 32 has acquired the current, voltage, and power factor as power information, but when estimating the driving state of the refrigerator 50 based on the power factor, it acquires only the power factor as power information. May be good. In this case, the power strip 20 may transmit only the power factor as power information.

(Modification 1)
In the above embodiment, the status notification device 32 estimates the driving state (defrosting time and defrosting interval) of the defrosting device 52 and the driving time of the cooling device 51 based on the power factor of the refrigerator 50, thereby estimating the driving time of the refrigerator. It is exemplified to estimate the driving state of 50. In addition to estimating the driving state of the refrigerator 50 based on the power factor, the state notification device 32 may estimate the driving state based on, for example, power consumption. That is, the state determination unit 322 estimates the driving state of the refrigerator 50 based on the power consumption of the refrigerator 50 and the environmental information. In the above-described embodiment, the status notification device 32 has acquired the power factor of the refrigerator 50, but if the drive state is not estimated based on the power factor, the power factor may not be acquired as power information. good. For example, the status notification device 32 may acquire only the current and the voltage as the power information from the power tap 20, or may acquire only the power consumption.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the power consumption during defrosting in the refrigerator 50 and the ambient temperature. As shown in FIG. 7, the power consumption during defrosting increases as the ambient temperature increases. The state determination unit 322 may use the power consumption during defrosting as power information. As a result, the state determination unit 322 can suppress fluctuations in the amount of power consumption according to the number of times of defrosting during the determination target period of the driving state, and can suppress a decrease in the state determination accuracy. For example, when the defrosting device 52 is set to be driven once every two days, if the interval of the state determination of the refrigerator 50 is once a day, it is determined that the number of defrosting times is 0 and 1 time. A target period occurs. As described above, if the number of times of defrosting is different, the amount of power consumption differs depending on the number of times of defrosting, so that the accuracy of state determination may decrease. On the other hand, the amount of power consumed during defrosting, for example, the amount of power consumed from the end of defrosting to the start of the next defrosting (that is, the amount of power consumed by the cooling device 51), or the amount of power consumed from the start of defrosting to the start of the next defrosting. By using the electric energy up to (that is, the electric energy including one defrosting), it is possible to suppress a decrease in the state determination accuracy according to the number of times of defrosting.

(Modification 2)
FIG. 8 shows the state notification system 10A according to the second modification. The status notification system 10A differs from the above embodiment in that information regarding the usage status of the refrigerator 50A (hereinafter, also referred to as usage information) is acquired from the refrigerator 50A and the usage information is used for determining the status of the refrigerator 50A.

In the second modification, the refrigerator 50A further includes an in-fridge sensor 53 and a communication unit 54. The internal sensor 53 acquires usage information in the refrigerator 50A. The interior sensor 53 is, for example, various sensors such as a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature inside the refrigerator, a humidity sensor for measuring the humidity inside the refrigerator, and an illuminance sensor for detecting the opening of the door. The communication unit 54 is a communication interface and is connected to a network via a router, a gateway, or the like. The refrigerator 50A transmits the usage information acquired by the in-fridge sensor 53 to the server device 30. The refrigerator 50A may transmit usage information to the server device 30 via the power strip 20.

The status notification device 32 acquires usage information from the refrigerator 50A and uses it for determining the status of the refrigerator 50A. The state determination unit 322 changes the determination conditions for determining the state of the refrigerator 50A according to the usage information. As a result, the state notification device 32 can determine the state of the refrigerator 50A according to the usage state of the refrigerator 50A, and can improve the state determination accuracy.

For example, if the door opening time is longer than the preset reference value during the state determination target period, it is conceivable that the driving time of the cooling device 51 and the defrosting device 52 will be long. In addition, if the door opening time is long, the defrosting interval may be short. Therefore, the state determination unit 322 may, for example, set the permissible value of the defrosting time longer than the reference, set the permissible value of the defrosting interval shorter than the reference, or drive the cooling device 51 (cooling time). Set the permissible value of to be longer than the standard.

For example, if the temperature inside the refrigerator is higher than the preset reference value in the target period of the state determination, it is conceivable that the driving time of the cooling device 51 becomes long. Therefore, the state determination unit 322 sets, for example, an allowable value of the driving time (cooling time) of the cooling device 51 longer than the reference.

For example, if the humidity inside the refrigerator is higher than the preset reference value during the period for determining the state, it is conceivable that the drive time of the defrosting device 52 will be long. In addition, if the humidity inside the refrigerator is high, the defrosting interval may be shortened. Therefore, the state determination unit 322 may, for example, set the permissible value of the defrosting time longer than the reference, or set the permissible value of the defrosting interval shorter than the reference.

The status notification device 32 may output a notification to the output unit 206 of the power tap 20 when the opening of the door is detected by the illuminance sensor included in the internal sensor 53. Thereby, the notification can be output to the power strip 20 at the timing when the user is around the power strip 20.

(Modification 3)
FIG. 9 shows the state notification system 10B according to the modified example 3. The status notification system 10B includes a power tap 20, a server device 30, and an internal storage module. The status notification system 10B is different from the above embodiment in that the usage information of the refrigerator 50 is acquired from the storage module 60 in the refrigerator and the usage information is used for determining the status of the refrigerator 50.

The storage module 60 in the refrigerator is arranged in the refrigerator and acquires usage information of the refrigerator 50. The internal storage module 60 includes an internal sensor 61 and a communication unit 62. The internal sensor 61 is configured in the same manner as the internal sensor 53 in the second modification, and acquires usage information of the refrigerator 50. The communication unit 62 is a communication interface and is configured to be able to communicate with the communication unit 207 of the power strip 20. The internal storage module 60 transmits to the server device 30 via the power tap 20. In this case, since the communication unit 62 can be configured by a short-range wireless communication means using Bluetooth or the like, it is possible to reduce the power consumption of the storage module in the refrigerator. The communication unit 62 may be connected to the network via a router, a gateway, or the like, and may transmit the acquired usage information to the server device 30.

The status notification device 32 acquires usage information from the storage module 60 in the refrigerator and uses it for determining the status of the refrigerator 50. The state determination unit 322 changes the determination conditions for determining the state of the refrigerator 50 according to the usage information. As a result, the state notification device 32 can determine the state of the refrigerator 50 according to the usage state of the refrigerator 50, and can improve the state determination accuracy.

When the internal storage module 60 is driven by a battery, the internal storage module 60 may output a battery remaining amount notification notifying that the battery remaining amount has fallen below a predetermined level. When the power tap 20 acquires the battery remaining amount notification, the power tap 20 outputs a notification corresponding to the battery remaining amount notification from the output unit 206. Further, the power strip 20 may output a notification corresponding to the battery remaining amount notification when the opening of the door is detected by the illuminance sensor included in the internal sensor 61. As a result, the power strip 20 can output a notification at the timing when the user is around the power strip 20.

(Other variants)
Hereinafter, other modifications of the status notification system including the status notification device 32 will be listed. The modifications described below can be applied in combination with the above-described embodiments and the respective modifications as appropriate.

In the above example, the status notification device 32 determines the state of the refrigerator based on the drive state according to the power information and the past drive state selected according to the environmental information, but the present invention is not limited to this. When the state notification device 32 determines the state of the refrigerator 50 based on the drive state according to the electric power information, the determination condition according to the environmental information may be used. For example, the status notification device 32 may calculate the reference state according to the environmental information when comparing the drive state according to the power information and the reference state, or the drive state (excluding) according to the environment information. Frost time, defrost interval) may be corrected.

In the above example, the status notification device 32 has acquired temperature and humidity as environmental information, but may acquire only one of temperature and humidity. Further, although the status notification device 32 has acquired the current and the voltage as the power information, it may acquire only the power consumption or only the power factor.

In the above example, the notification unit 324 of the status notification device 32 notifies the power tap 20 of the status, but the user may notify other electronic devices such as a mobile terminal registered in advance. Further, when the user is registered in the remote maintenance service of the refrigerator 50, the notification unit 324 may notify the operator of the maintenance service (for example, a terminal managed by the operator). In such a case, even if the user using the refrigerator 50 is not accustomed to dealing with problems, the user who owns the mobile terminal or the operator of the maintenance service may grasp the state of the refrigerator 50. You can take measures such as prompting for inspection by telephone.

In the above example, the status notification device 32 is provided in the server device 30 connected to the power tap 20 via the network, but may be provided in the power tap 20. In this case, the power strip 20 does not have to include the communication unit 207.

In the above example, the power strip 20 is provided separately from the refrigerator 50, but each function in the power strip 20 may be included in the refrigerator 50. In this case, since the control unit 208 can receive the signal from the control device of the refrigerator 50, the state of the refrigerator can be determined more accurately.

In the above example, the state notification device 32 determines the state of the refrigerator and notifies the determination result, but the state of the electronic device other than the refrigerator may be determined. The status notification device 32 can determine the status of the electronic device, for example, even if the power consumption of the electronic device changes according to the surrounding environment.

Claims (8)

1. An information acquisition unit that acquires environmental information including at least one of the temperature and humidity around the refrigerator and electric power information according to the power consumption of the refrigerator.
   A state determination unit that determines the state of the refrigerator based on the environmental information and the electric power information, and
   A notification unit that outputs the determination result of the state of the refrigerator by the state determination unit, and
   A status notification device equipped with.
2. The state determination unit determines the state of the refrigerator by comparing the drive state of the refrigerator according to the electric power information with the reference drive state which is the drive state for comparison according to the environmental information.
   The status notification device according to claim 1.
3. The reference drive state includes the drive state corresponding to the power information acquired in the past from the power information corresponding to the drive state to be compared with the reference drive state.
   The status notification device according to claim 2.
4. The environmental information includes a first environmental information and a second environmental information acquired after the first environmental information.
   The drive state includes a first drive state associated with the first environment information and a second drive state associated with the second environment information.
   When the state determination unit determines the state of the refrigerator based on the second drive state, the state determination unit serves as the reference drive state with respect to the second drive state based on the first environmental information and the second environmental information. , Determining whether or not to use the first drive state,
   The status notification device according to claim 2 or 3.
5. The refrigerator is equipped with a heater for defrosting.
   The state determination unit estimates the drive state of the heater as the drive state of the refrigerator based on the power information.
   The status notification device according to any one of claims 2 to 4.
6. The power information includes the power factor of the refrigerator.
   The state determination unit estimates the driving state of the heater based on the power factor.
   The status notification device according to claim 5.
7. It is a program that notifies the computer of the judgment result of the state of the refrigerator.
   To the computer
   Environmental information including at least one of the temperature and humidity around the refrigerator is acquired.
   To acquire power information according to the power consumption of the refrigerator,
   The state of the refrigerator is determined based on the environmental information and the electric power information.
   Output the determination result of the state of the refrigerator.
   program.
8. It is a status notification method that notifies the judgment result of the refrigerator status.
   Obtaining environmental information including at least one of the temperature and humidity around the refrigerator,
   Obtain power information according to the power consumption of the refrigerator,
   The state of the refrigerator is determined based on the environmental information and the electric power information, and the state of the refrigerator is determined.
   Outputs the determination result of the state of the refrigerator.
   Status notification method.

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