WO2024084586A1 - Air-conditioning device and air-conditioning system - Google Patents

Abstract

An air-conditioning device comprising an indoor unit equipped with a first panel provided on a front surface in which an air discharge port is formed, a second panel provided on a front surface of the indoor unit and having an air intake port formed therein, and a third panel provided on a side surface of the indoor unit and, together with the first panel and the second panel, surrounding an interior space, said indoor unit also comprising a transmitted light amount changing device for switching between a first state and a second state which differ in the amount of light that passes through at least one of the first panel, the second panel, and the third panel from an internal space to an external space separate from the internal space. The amount of light passing through at least one panel among the first panel, the second panel, and the third panel in the first state is greater than the amount of light passing through at least one panel among the first panel, the second panel, and the third panel in the second state.

Description

Air conditioning device and air conditioning system

This disclosure relates to air conditioning devices and air conditioning systems.

Patent document 1 describes a configuration in which the panel of an air conditioner is made transparent so that the amount of dust inside the device can be easily checked from the outside without removing the panel.

Utility model registration application published No. 58-123222

In recent years, there has been a trend towards increased awareness of hygiene in society for various reasons, including the need to take measures against infectious diseases. However, in the conventional air conditioning systems described above, the panels are transparent, so the hygiene state, including the dust level inside the indoor unit, can be easily checked without removing the indoor unit panel. However, even when dust is noticeable, such as just before cleaning time, it can be easily seen from the outside space, causing discomfort to people in the room where the indoor unit is installed, which is an outside space.

The present disclosure aims to solve the above problem by providing an air conditioning device and air conditioning system that makes it possible to easily check the sanitary state of the indoor unit while preventing discomfort to people in the room in which the indoor unit is installed.

The air conditioner of the present disclosure relates to an air conditioner including an indoor unit. The air conditioner includes a first panel provided on the front where an air outlet is formed, a second panel provided on the front of the indoor unit where an air inlet is formed, and a third panel provided on a side of the indoor unit and surrounding an internal space together with the first and second panels. The air conditioner includes an indoor unit, and includes a light transmission amount change device that switches between a first state and a second state in which the amount of light transmitted through at least one of the first panel, the second panel, and the third panel is different from the amount of light transmitted through at least one of the first panel, the second panel, and the third panel in the first state, and the amount of light transmitted through at least one of the first panel, the second panel, and the third panel in the second state.

The air conditioning system disclosed herein includes a transmitted light amount change device that changes the amount of light transmitted through at least one of the first panel, the second panel, and the third panel, and is equipped with an indoor unit that can switch between a first state and a second state depending on the change in the amount of transmitted light, and a judgment unit that inputs information related to maintenance of the indoor unit and judges whether maintenance of the indoor unit is necessary based on the input information, and the transmitted light amount change device switches between the first state and the second state based on the judgment of the judgment unit.

The air conditioning device and air conditioning system disclosed herein have the effect of making it easy to check the sanitary condition of the indoor unit and reducing discomfort to people in the room in which the indoor unit is installed.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an air conditioning apparatus 100 according to a first embodiment. 1 is a diagram showing the internal configuration of an indoor unit 1 of an air-conditioning apparatus 100 according to a first embodiment, as viewed from below. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the internal configuration of the indoor unit 1 as viewed from the side. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the characteristics of a half mirror material. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the characteristics of a half mirror material. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the indoor unit 1 in a state where it is easily visible from the outside space. 1 is a front view of an operation panel device 10 connected to an air conditioning apparatus 100 according to a first embodiment. 11A to 11C are diagrams illustrating the configuration of a liquid crystal light control film according to a second embodiment. A front view of an operation panel device 10 provided in an air conditioning system 500 of embodiment 5. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioning system 500 according to a fifth embodiment. FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing the configurations of a mobile terminal 13 and a server 14 according to a fifth embodiment. 1 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing within the system when checking whether or not maintenance of an indoor unit 1 is required in an air conditioning system 500. 10 is a block diagram showing a configuration used in the server 14 to determine whether or not maintenance of the indoor unit 1 is required. FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a learning device 101. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a neural network. 1 is a flowchart showing a learning procedure of the learning device 101. FIG. 2 shows the configuration of an inference device 201. 11 is a flowchart showing an inference procedure of the inference device 201 and a maintenance planning procedure of the maintenance planning device 600.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Several embodiments will be described below, but it is planned from the beginning of the application that the configurations described in each embodiment will be appropriately combined. Note that the same or equivalent parts in the drawings will be given the same reference numerals and their description will not be repeated.

Embodiment 1.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an air-conditioning apparatus 100 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the internal configuration of the indoor unit 1 of the air-conditioning apparatus 100 according to embodiment 1 when viewed from below. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the internal configuration of the indoor unit 1 when viewed from the side.

First, an outline of the configuration of the air conditioning device 100 will be described. In the air conditioning device 100 of this embodiment, an indoor unit 1 and an outdoor unit are connected by piping through which a refrigerant flows to form a refrigerant circuit. The outdoor unit, which is installed outdoors, which is outside the space to be air-conditioned, has, for example, a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, etc., and transfers heat to the indoor unit by the refrigerant through the piping through which the refrigerant flows. The indoor unit 1 has an indoor heat exchanger, etc., and supplies heat transferred by the refrigerant to the air in the room, which is the space to be air-conditioned, by heat exchange, thereby heating or cooling the room. In FIG. 1, of the devices that make up the air conditioning device 100, the indoor unit 1, which is characteristic of embodiment 1, is shown, and descriptions of the other devices are omitted.

Referring to FIG. 1, the indoor unit 1 is attached, for example, to the ceiling of a room as the space to be air-conditioned. The indoor unit 1 is provided with, as its main exterior components, a decorative panel 2 which is a first panel, a filter panel 7 which is a second panel, and a side panel 5 which is a third panel. The indoor unit 1 is provided with a corner panel 6 as another exterior component.

Referring to FIG. 1, the side panel 5 is a box-shaped panel member that surrounds the side of the indoor unit 1. The decorative panel 2 is a flat panel member provided around the lower opening of the side panel 5. An air intake 3 is formed in the center of the decorative panel 2. Four air outlets 4 are formed in the decorative panel 2. The outlets 4 are provided with vanes that adjust the air blowing direction. In the indoor unit 1, the side on which the decorative panel 2 is provided is the front side, and the side on which the side panel 5 is provided is the side side.

As shown in FIG. 1, the filter panel 7 is a panel member that supports the filter 9 from below. The filter panel 7 is attached to the center of the decorative panel 2 so that the filter 9 covers the air intake 3.

The indoor unit 1 is fixed to the ceiling with the upper end of the side panel 5 attached to the ceiling. The indoor unit 1 may also be attached to a so-called skeleton ceiling, which is a ceiling without a partition in the ceiling portion to hide electrical wiring, air conditioning piping, etc. In this case, the side panel 5 is exposed to the outside space, and not only the front side but also the side side can be observed. Also, the side panel 5 may be attached to the ceiling with a part of it fitted into a recess formed in the ceiling.

As shown in FIG. 2, a fan 23 for drawing air in from the intake port 3 is provided inside the indoor unit 1. A drain pan 22 for storing drainage such as water generated by heat exchange in the indoor heat exchanger is provided around the fan 23 inside the indoor unit 1. Inside the indoor unit 1, the piping 21 through which the refrigerant flows as described above is arranged partially exposed. Note that the piping 21 through which the refrigerant flows may be concealed.

As shown in FIG. 3, in the indoor unit 1, the piping 21, the drain pan 22, and the fan 23 are arranged in the space surrounded by the side panel 5, the decorative panel 2, and the filter panel 7.

Among the components constituting the indoor unit 1 described above, the decorative panel 2, filter panel 7, and side panel 5 are made of half-mirror material. Half-mirror material is made by applying metal vapor deposition to the surface of a translucent material, adding reflectivity in addition to translucency. It may also be made by attaching a film with metal vapor deposition to a translucent material. Furthermore, it does not have to be metal vapor deposition, and it may be a material or film that is both translucent and reflective.

As shown in FIG. 2, a light source 25 and a control unit 26 are provided inside the indoor unit 1. The light source 25 illuminates the internal components of the indoor unit 1, such as the piping 21, the drain pan 22, and the fan 23. The light source 25 is connected to the control unit 26, and the amount of light emitted by the light source 25 can be changed by the control unit 26. The light source 25 in FIG. 2 is an example of implementation, and the number of light sources 25 is not limited to one. A plurality of light sources 25 may be installed, and the plurality of light sources 25 may be arranged, for example, in a linear, rectangular, or annular shape, or a combination thereof.

The panel member made of the half-mirror material, the light source 25 provided inside the indoor unit 1, and the control unit 26 that changes the amount of light from the light source 25 are collectively referred to as the transmitted light amount change device 27.

Here, the characteristics of the half mirror material will be described. As described above, the half mirror material has translucency and reflectivity, and transmits and reflects light incident on the half mirror material. Depending on the amount of transmitted and reflected light incident on the half mirror material from both sides of the half mirror material, it is possible to make one side of the half mirror material easier or harder to see from the other side.
The characteristics of the half-mirror material will be described with reference to the schematic diagrams of Figures 4 and 5. One space facing the half-mirror wall 70 formed of the plate-shaped half-mirror material shown in Figures 4 and 5 is defined as space 71, and the other space facing the half-mirror wall 70 is defined as space 72.
A case will be described where the amount of light in space 71 is greater than the amount of light in space 72, that is, where space 71 is brighter than space 72. In the half-mirror wall 70, the amount of light 73 reflected by the surface of the half-mirror material due to the light in space 71 is greater than the amount of light 75 transmitted from space 72 to space 71. In this case, when viewed from space 71, the light reflected from space 71 is visible, so the surface of the half-mirror wall 70 becomes mirror-like, and space 72 becomes difficult to see.
5, a case will be described in which the amount of light in space 71 is smaller than the amount of light in space 72, that is, the space 71 is darker than the space 72. On the surface of the half-mirror wall 70, the amount of light 75 transmitted from the space 72 to the space 71 is greater than the amount of light 73 reflected by the space 71 due to the light in the space 71. In this case, when viewed from the space 71, the light of the space 72 transmitted through the half-mirror wall 70 is visible, making it easier to view the space 72.

By utilizing the characteristics of the half mirror material described above and changing the amount of light from the light source 25 inside the indoor unit 1 by the control unit 26, it is possible to switch between a state in which the inside of the indoor unit 1 is easy to see from the external space and a state in which it is difficult to see. The external space is a space different from the internal space of the indoor unit 1 surrounded by the decorative panel 2 which is the first panel of the indoor unit 1, the filter panel 7 which is the second panel, and the side panel 5 which is the third panel.
A specific description will be given below. The light amount of the light source 25 inside the indoor unit 1 is increased by the control unit 26 to make the inside of the indoor unit 1 brighter than the external space. The brightness of a typical external space is defined based on an indoor illuminance standard set by a public institution, for example, the Japanese Industrial Standard JIS Z9110 General Provisions for Illumination Standards, or the average illuminance of the external space in which the indoor unit 1 is installed. Then, the light amount of the light source 25 inside the indoor unit 1 that makes it easy to see the internal space of the indoor unit 1 from the defined general external space is set in advance. If the external space in which the indoor unit 1 is installed is brighter than the brightness of the general external space and the interior of the indoor unit 1 is difficult to see from the external space with the preset light amount, the light amount can be manually increased.
This makes it easier for the internal parts of the indoor unit 1 illuminated by the light source 25 as shown in FIG. 6 to be visible from the exterior space through the panel made of a half mirror material.
Conversely, for example, the control unit 26 turns off the light source 25 inside the indoor unit 1, eliminating the amount of light irradiating the internal components of the indoor unit 1, making it darker than the external space. This makes it difficult to see the inside of the indoor unit 1 from the external space.
Here, a state in which the inside of the indoor unit 1 is easily visible from the outside space is defined as a first state, and a state in which it is difficult to see is defined as a second state.
Note that there may be, for example, a third state between the first and second states, and the first and second states may change continuously and steplessly.

The indoor unit 1 includes a communication unit, and receives a signal including information related to an operation transmitted from an operation unit 17 of an operation panel device 10, which will be described later.
7 is a front view of the operation panel device 10 connected to the indoor unit 1. The operation panel device 10 includes an operation section 17 including operation buttons and the like, and a display section 11 including a liquid crystal display device and the like.
The operation unit 17 transmits a signal including information regarding an operation to change control settings such as the set temperature, air volume, and air direction of the indoor unit 1 to the indoor unit. The communication unit of the indoor unit 1 receives the transmitted information. The control settings such as the set temperature, air volume, and air direction of the indoor unit are changed based on the received information. The display unit 11 displays the set values of the set temperature, air volume, and air direction.
Similarly, switching between the first state and the second state is performed using the operation panel device 10. It is possible to switch between the first state and the second state using the operation unit 17 of the operation panel device 11. Also, the display unit 11 of the operation panel device 10 may display whether the indoor unit 1 is in the first state or the second state.

In the first state, due to the above-mentioned configuration, the inside of the indoor unit 1 is visible through these exterior members. This allows people in the room in which the indoor unit 1 is installed to easily visually check the sanitary condition of the interior of the indoor unit 1, such as dirt, from the outside of the indoor unit 1, such as the front and side sides of the indoor unit 1.

For example, from the front side of the indoor unit 1, the state of the internal structures such as the filter 9, piping 21, drain pan 22, and fan 23 arranged as shown in Figures 1 and 2 can be easily visually confirmed through the decorative panel 2 and filter panel 7 made of half-mirror material. Also, from the side side of the indoor unit 1, the state of the internal structures such as the piping 21, drain pan 22, and fan 23 arranged as shown by the dashed lines in Figure 3 can be easily visually confirmed through the side panel 5 made of half-mirror material.

Furthermore, if a facility manager or other person managing the air conditioning device determines that there is a risk of causing discomfort to people in the external space, the operation panel device 10 can be operated to switch to the second state. This makes it difficult to see inside the indoor unit 1, thereby preventing discomfort. Examples of situations where there is a risk of causing discomfort include when dirt has accumulated inside the indoor unit 1, such as immediately before cleaning time, or when an internal part of the indoor unit 1 has broken down due to damage or the like.
When it is determined that cleaning the inside of the indoor unit 1 or repairing any malfunctions will not cause discomfort to people in the outdoor space, the effect of the first state described above can be continued by operating the operation panel 10 to switch back to the first state.

The filter 9, pipe 21, drain pan 22, and fan 23 shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3 may be made of a light-transmitting material. Examples of light-transmitting materials include transparent resin materials and glass materials. Examples of resin materials include acrylic and polycarbonate materials.

In the first state, due to the configuration described above, the inside of the indoor unit 1 can be seen, including the inside of the piping 21, the storage section of the drain pan 22, and the inside and back surfaces of the fan 23. This allows people in the room in which the indoor unit 1 is installed to easily visually check the sanitary condition of the piping 21, the drain pan 22, and the inside of the fan 23, such as dirt.

It is sufficient that at least one of the decorative panel 2, the filter panel 7, and the side panel 5 is made of a half-mirror material. It is also sufficient that at least one of the piping 21, the drain pan 22, and the fan 23 is made of a translucent material. To easily visually check the hygienic condition, such as dirt, inside the indoor unit 1, it is preferable to use translucent materials for as many components as possible.

If the drain pan 22 is not made of a material having translucency, a mirror may be provided at a position facing the storage section of the drain pan 22. The mirror image of the storage section of the drain pan 22 reflected by the mirror can be easily visually confirmed through the exterior material formed of a half-mirror material on the front or side of the indoor unit 1. The mirror may reflect the entire storage section of the drain pan 22, or it may reflect only a portion of it.

A device for detecting brightness, such as an illuminance sensor, may be provided in a portion exposed to the external space in which the indoor unit 1 is installed. This allows the light intensity of the light source 25 inside the indoor unit 1 to be automatically increased if the detected brightness of the external space is brighter than a typical external space.

In the first state, the following effect can also be obtained. By making the inside of the indoor unit 1 easily visible, users and visitors of the space in which the indoor unit 1 is installed can easily check the sanitary condition inside the indoor unit 1, making it possible to estimate the level of sanitary management of the owner of the space in which the indoor unit 1 is installed. In this way, if it becomes possible for users and visitors of the space in which the indoor unit 1 is installed to estimate the level of sanitary management, installing the indoor unit 1, even at a certain cost, becomes a new value that can be provided to owners of spaces who wish to demonstrate a high level of sanitary management.

In addition, the indoor unit 1 allows the state of the internal structure to be easily confirmed visually, so the internal state of the indoor unit 1, such as the driving parts such as the fan 23, the mechanical parts such as the pipes 21 through which the refrigerant passes, and the refrigerant itself, which could not be seen by the general public in conventional indoor units, can be offered as objects of appreciation. As a result, the indoor unit 1 allows people to enjoy looking at the indoor unit, a device that previously required care to ensure it did not get in the way of the design.

In addition, because the condition of the internal structure of the indoor unit 1 can be easily checked visually, clogging of the filter 9 can be avoided, and power consumption can be reduced by reducing the power consumption of the fan 23 by reducing the increase in air resistance and by preventing a decrease in heat exchange efficiency. Because the condition of the internal structure of the indoor unit 1 can be easily checked visually, problems inside the indoor unit 1, such as drain leaks in the drain pan 22, can be easily discovered.

Embodiment 2.
A description will now be given of embodiment 2. Embodiment 2 differs from the indoor unit 1 of embodiment 1 in that the constituent materials of the decorative panel 2, filter panel 7, and side panel 5 are not half-mirror materials, and in that the indoor unit 1 of embodiment 2 does not have a light source 25. Note that the indoor unit 1 of embodiment 2 has the same configuration as the indoor unit 1 of embodiment 1, except for the above-mentioned differences.
The decorative panel 2, the filter panel 7, and the side panel 5 of the second embodiment are made of a transparent material to which a liquid crystal light control film 80 is attached. The end of a transparent electrode of the liquid crystal light control film, which will be described later, is connected to the control unit 26. The control unit 26 controls the application of a voltage to the transparent electrode.
The panel member formed by attaching the liquid crystal light control film 80 to the above-mentioned light-transmitting member and the control unit 26 provided inside the indoor unit 1 constitutes a transmitted light amount changing device 27 .

Here, the liquid crystal light control film 80 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. The liquid crystal light control film 80 has a liquid crystal layer 81 made of liquid crystal and polymer sandwiched between transparent electrodes 82, and the surface of the transparent electrodes 82 is covered with a transparent resin film 83 for protection.
When no voltage is applied to the transparent electrode 82, the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer 81 is non-uniform, and the light passing through the liquid crystal light control film 80 is scattered by the liquid crystal. As a result, when viewed from one side, the liquid crystal light control film 80 appears cloudy and opaque, making it impossible to see from the other side.
When a voltage is applied to the transparent electrode 82, the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer 81 becomes uniform and aligns perpendicularly to the transparent electrode 83, so that light passing through the liquid crystal light control film 80 is transmitted to the opposite surface without being scattered. As a result, the liquid crystal light control film 80 appears transparent when viewed from one side, making it possible to see the other side.

By utilizing the above-mentioned characteristics of the liquid crystal light control film 80 and controlling the voltage applied to the liquid crystal light control film 80 by the control unit 26, it is possible to switch between a first state in which the inside of the indoor unit 1 is easily visible from the external space, and a second state in which it is difficult to see.
A specific description is given below. When a voltage is applied to the transparent electrode 82 of the liquid crystal light control film 80, a first state is obtained in which the inside of the indoor unit 1 is easily visible from the external space. Conversely, when no voltage is applied to the transparent electrode 82 of the liquid crystal light control film, a second state is obtained in which the inside of the indoor unit 1 is difficult to see from the external space.

In the second embodiment, the first and second states are obtained by controlling the voltage applied to the transparent electrode 82 of the liquid crystal light control film 80, and the same effect as that described in the first embodiment is achieved.

As described above, the air conditioning device 100 including the indoor unit 1 according to the first and second embodiments includes a device 27 for changing the amount of transmitted light between a first state and a second state, in which the amount of light transmitted through at least one of the decorative panel 2, the filter panel 7, and the side panel 5 is different, from the internal space surrounded by the decorative panel 2, the filter panel 7, and the side panel 5 to the external space, which is a space different from the internal space, and the amount of light transmitted through at least one of the decorative panel 2, the filter panel 7, and the side panel 5 in the first state is greater than the amount of light transmitted through at least one of the decorative panel 2, the filter panel 7, and the side panel 5 in the second state. This configuration makes it easy to check the sanitary condition of the indoor unit 1 in the first state, and has the effect of suppressing discomfort to people in the room in which the indoor unit 1 is installed by switching to the second state when dirt accumulation, parts failure, or other reasons cause discomfort to people in the room in which the indoor unit 1 is installed.

Furthermore, as an additional configuration, in the configuration of the air conditioning device 100 including the indoor unit 1 according to the above-mentioned embodiments 1 and 2, at least one of the drain pan 22, the piping 21, and the fan 23 may be formed from a light-transmitting material. This configuration has the effect of making it even easier to check the sanitary condition in the first state.

Embodiment 3.
A description will now be given of embodiment 3. In embodiment 3, the initial state of an air conditioning apparatus including the indoor unit 1 shown in embodiments 1 and 2 is set to the second state.
If a facility manager or other person managing the air conditioning system does not want people in the outdoor space to see the inside of the indoor unit 1, as with a typical indoor unit, the indoor unit can always be kept in the second state.
When it is desired to check the inside of the indoor unit 1, the state can be switched to the first state. Circumstances when it is desired to check the inside of the indoor unit 1 include, for example, when it is desired to check the accumulation of dirt inside and determine whether it is time for cleaning, or when it is desired to check the status of the internal parts and determine the faulty part when the air conditioning device breaks down. This makes it possible to check the time for cleaning, the faulty part, and the like without removing exterior objects such as various panels, thereby improving maintenance efficiency and reducing maintenance costs.

Embodiment 4.
A description will now be given of embodiment 4. In embodiment 4, in an air conditioning apparatus including the indoor unit 1 shown in embodiments 1 and 2, the first state and the second state, or switching between them, is used to notify the operating status.
For example, by setting the indoor unit in the first state when it is operating and in the second state when it is stopped, or vice versa, the operating state can be notified to people in the outdoor space at a glance. This makes it possible to prevent the comfort of people in the outdoor space from being impaired due to forgetting to operate the indoor unit 1. Conversely, it is also possible to prevent wasteful consumption of power due to forgetting to stop the operation of the indoor unit 1.
Furthermore, if a malfunction such as an error or breakdown occurs in the indoor unit 1, the indoor unit 1 can be switched between the first state and the second state for a set fixed period of time to flash the entire unit, thereby alerting people in the outdoor space to the malfunction. This allows for a quick response to the malfunction, such as by taking emergency measures or contacting a service company.

Embodiment 5.
A description will be given of embodiment 5. In embodiment 5, in an air conditioning apparatus including the indoor unit 1 shown in embodiments 1 and 2, a configuration is provided for determining whether or not maintenance of the indoor unit 1 is required. Also, in accordance with the determination of whether or not maintenance is required, the indoor unit 1 is switched to a first state or a second state.

[Configuration of air conditioning system 500]
Fig. 9 is a front view of an operation panel device 10 provided in an air conditioning system 500 according to the fifth embodiment. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of the air conditioning system 500 according to the fifth embodiment.
Operation panel device 10 differs from operation panel device 10 described in embodiment 1 in that it displays the number of the indoor unit to be operated ("indoor unit 002" in the figure) and a two-dimensional code 12. Note that operation panel device 10 of embodiment 5 has the same configuration as operation panel device 10 of embodiment 1 except for the above-mentioned differences. Two-dimensional code 12 indicates identification information that specifies the type of indoor unit 1, such as the model of indoor unit 1.

The indoor unit 1 to be operated can be selected by operating the operation section 17 on the operation panel device 10. If multiple indoor units 1 are provided in the room, the indoor unit 1 to be operated can be changed by operating the operation section 17 on the operation panel device 10, and the number of the selected indoor unit and a two-dimensional code 12 corresponding to the selected indoor unit are displayed on the display section 11. The two-dimensional code 12 is a code indicating information for connecting to a website provided by a server 14 having a judgment section that determines whether or not maintenance of the indoor unit 1 is required. The two-dimensional code 12 corresponding to the indoor unit 1 may be displayed on the surface of the indoor unit 1, or may be printed and displayed on paper media and affixed to the indoor unit 1 or its vicinity.

Furthermore, operation panel device 10 communicates data with server 14 by wireless communication via external communication unit 19. External communication unit 19 may be disposed within operation panel device 10, or may be disposed within another device connected to operation panel device 10 by wire.
Furthermore, the external communication unit 19 may communicate data with the server 14 via a network such as the Internet.

Referring to FIG. 10, the air conditioning system 500 includes the indoor unit 1 of the air conditioning apparatus 100 shown in the first and second embodiments, the operation panel device 10 shown in FIG. 9, a mobile terminal device 13, and a server 14. The mobile terminal device 13 has an imaging function for capturing images with a camera and a communication function for communicating data via wireless communication. A person such as the manager of the air conditioning system 500 can use the mobile terminal device 13 to capture an image of the indoor unit 1 and the two-dimensional code 12 displayed on the display unit 11 of the operation panel device 10, and transmit the captured data to the server 14.

Figure 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the mobile terminal 13 and server 14 of embodiment 2. With reference to Figure 11, the mobile terminal 13 includes a processor 131, a memory 132, a display unit 133, an imaging unit 134, and a communication unit 135.

Memory 132 includes ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory). Processor 131 deploys programs stored in ROM into RAM etc. and executes them. The programs stored in ROM are programs that describe the processing procedures for controlling mobile terminal device 13. Processor 131 executes various types of control in mobile terminal device 13 in accordance with such programs.

The portable terminal 13 is a terminal dedicated to the air conditioning system 500, and includes a processor 131, a memory 132, a display unit 133, an imaging unit 134, and a communication unit 135. The display unit 133 also serves as an operation unit using a touch panel. Note that the portable terminal 13 may be configured as a general-purpose portable terminal, in which case it is necessary to install the program to be executed on the dedicated terminal as an application program.

The server 14 includes a processor 141, a memory 142, a communication unit 143, an external storage unit 144, and a data input unit 145. The memory 142 includes a ROM and a RAM. The external storage unit 144 is composed of a hard disk device and a non-volatile external storage device such as a flash memory. The processor 141 loads a program stored in the ROM onto the RAM or the like and executes it. The processor 141 also loads a program stored in the external storage unit 144 onto the RAM or the like and executes it. The programs stored in the ROM and the external storage unit 144 are programs that describe the processing procedures of various information processes that can be executed by the server 14. The processor 141 executes various information processes according to these programs, and performs information communication by the communication unit 143, reads stored data from the external storage unit 144, and writes data to the external storage unit 144.

The data input unit 145 is configured with a device capable of inputting data, such as a keyboard. The data input from the data input unit 145 may be temporarily stored in the RAM of the memory 142 and used in a program executed by the processor 141, and may also be temporarily stored in the RAM of the memory 142 and then stored in the external storage unit 144.

The portable terminal 13 and the server 14 are capable of data communication via wireless communication between the communication unit 135 and the communication unit 143, and for example, data is transmitted from the portable terminal 13 to the server 14.
The portable terminal 13 and the server 14 may communicate data via a network such as the Internet.

[Flow of checking whether maintenance of indoor unit 1 is necessary in air conditioning system 500]
Next, a description will be given of the flow of processing within the system when confirming whether or not maintenance is required for the indoor unit 1 in the air conditioning system 500. Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing within the system when confirming whether or not maintenance is required for the indoor unit 1 in the air conditioning system 500.

When an administrator of the air conditioning system 500 wants to check whether or not an indoor unit 1 requires maintenance, in step S1, the administrator selects the indoor unit 1 for which maintenance is to be checked, for example by operating the operation section 17 of the operation panel device 10. In step S1, if there are multiple indoor units 1 that are to be operated by the operation panel device 10, one indoor unit 1 is selected from among the multiple indoor units 1, and if there is only one indoor unit 1 that is to be operated by the operation panel device 10, that one indoor unit 1 is selected.

In step S2, the operation panel device 10 displays the two-dimensional code 12 corresponding to the indoor unit 1 selected in step S1 on the display unit 11. In step S3, the administrator uses the mobile terminal device 13 to capture an image of the two-dimensional code 12 displayed on the display unit 11 of the operation panel device 10 with the imaging unit 134.

In step S4, the portable terminal 13 reads the information of the two-dimensional code 12 captured in step S3 based on the processing executed by the processor 131, and connects to the server 14 by wireless communication via the communication unit 135 by accessing the address of the website for determining whether or not maintenance is required, which is indicated by the two-dimensional code 12. Such a website for determining whether or not maintenance is required is provided by the processor 141 in the server 14 executing processing for providing the website for determining whether or not maintenance is required.

The two-dimensional code 12 displayed on the display unit 11 of the operation panel device 10 is information for accessing the website for determining whether or not maintenance is required as described above. The server 14 provides a website for determining whether or not maintenance is required with a different address for each model of indoor unit 1. As a result, the information in the two-dimensional code 12 displayed on the display unit 11 of the operation panel device 10 is different for each type of indoor unit for which the need for maintenance is to be confirmed. Note that a website for determining whether or not maintenance is required may be provided for each model, or may be provided for each model group consisting of multiple models with similar structures.

In step S5, the administrator operates the display unit 133, which also serves as the operation unit of the mobile terminal 13, to start a management program stored in the memory 132 for managing maintenance. Note that the processor 131 may execute a process to automatically start the management program when it accesses the address of a website for determining whether or not maintenance is required.

In step S6, it is determined whether or not the indoor unit 1 is in the first state.
If the indoor unit 1 is not in the first state, in step S7, the indoor unit 1 is switched to the first state. A signal to switch to the first state is issued from the communication unit 143 of the server 14. The signal to switch to the first state is received by the communication unit of the indoor unit 1 via the external communication unit 19 of the operation panel 10. The indoor unit 1 controls the transmitted light amount changing device 27 based on the received signal, and switches to the first state.

In step S8, the administrator uses the imaging section 134 of the mobile terminal 13 to capture an image of the indoor unit 1 selected in step S1.
As a result, image data of the indoor unit 1 is stored in the memory 132. As described above, the indoor unit 1 is in the first state, in which the inside is easily visible, and therefore the image captured by the mobile terminal device 13 shows the external and internal states of the indoor unit 1.

After imaging the indoor unit 1 in this manner, in step S9, the administrator operates the portable terminal 13 in accordance with the request displayed on the display unit 133 of the portable terminal 13 while the management program is running, thereby causing data required for checking whether maintenance is required, such as image data obtained by imaging, to be transmitted from the communication unit 135 to the server 14. In addition to the image data, the data transmitted in step S9 includes data indicating the owner of the indoor unit 1, data indicating the model name of the indoor unit 1, and data indicating the time when the image was captured. In addition to these data, the data transmitted in step S9 also includes data indicating location information, such as the address of the imaging location.
After the completion of the above-mentioned data transmission, and a set fixed time has elapsed, the indoor unit 1 is returned to the initially set state of the transmitted light amount changing device, that is, the first state or the second state.

In the server 14, the data transmitted from the mobile terminal device 13 is received by the communication unit 143. In step S10, the processor 141 in the server 14 inputs the image data received from the mobile terminal device 13 into a trained model for inferring whether or not maintenance of the indoor unit 1 is required from the image data of the indoor unit 1, and determines whether or not maintenance of the indoor unit 1 is required.

[Determination of Necessity of Maintenance on Server 14]
Next, a method for determining in the server 14 whether or not maintenance of the indoor unit 1 is required will be described.

Figure 13 is a block diagram showing the configuration used in the server 14 to determine whether maintenance of the indoor unit 1 is required. The server 14 includes a learning device 101, a trained model storage device 301, and an inference device 201 as configurations used to determine whether maintenance of the indoor unit 1 is required. The learning device 101, the inference device 201, and the trained model storage device 301 are configured by software stored in the memory 142 or the external storage unit 144 and executed by the processor 141.

The learning device 101 generates a trained model and stores it in the trained model storage device 301. The inference device 201 uses the trained model stored in the trained model storage device 301 to infer whether or not maintenance of the indoor unit 1 is required.

Figure 14 is a diagram showing the configuration of the learning device 101. The learning device 101 includes a data acquisition unit 102 and a model generation unit 103. The learning device 101 is configured by software that is stored in the memory 142 or the external storage unit 144 and executed by the processor 141.

The data acquisition unit 102 acquires learning data in which image data of the indoor unit 1 stored in the external storage unit 144 is associated with data indicating whether maintenance is required (correct answer). Predetermined learning data is stored in the external storage unit 144 as learning data. The learning data is image data of the indoor unit 1, and is data in which multiple types of image data with different sanitary conditions such as the degree of dirt are associated with data indicating whether maintenance is required (correct answer) for each image data.

The learning data may be predetermined data, or may be data that is added and updated by sequentially inputting the need for maintenance (correct answer) from the data input unit 145 for image data of the indoor unit 1 received from the mobile terminal device 13.

The model generation unit 103 generates a trained model that infers whether or not maintenance of the indoor unit 1 is required based on the learning data in which the image data of the indoor unit 1 acquired by the data acquisition unit 102 and the need for maintenance (correct answer) are associated with each other.

The learning algorithm used by the model generation unit 103 can be a known algorithm such as supervised learning, unsupervised learning, or reinforcement learning. As an example, a learning algorithm that applies a neural network is described below.

Figure 15 is a diagram showing the configuration of a neural network. The model generation unit 103 learns whether or not maintenance of the indoor unit 1 is required, for example, by so-called supervised learning according to a neural network model. Here, supervised learning refers to a method of providing pairs of learning data, consisting of inputs and results (labels), to the learning device 101, learning the characteristics of the learning data, and inferring the results from the inputs.

A neural network is composed of an input layer consisting of multiple neurons, an intermediate layer (hidden layer) consisting of multiple neurons, and an output layer consisting of multiple neurons. The intermediate layer may be one layer, or two or more layers.

For example, in a three-layer neural network, when multiple inputs are input to the input layer (X1-X3), the values are multiplied by weight W1 (w11-w16) and input to the intermediate layer (Y1-Y2), and the result is further multiplied by weight W2 (w21-w26) and output from the output layer (Z1-Z3). This output result changes depending on the values of weights W1 and W2.

The neural network uses supervised learning in accordance with the learning data acquired by the data acquisition unit 102 to generate a trained model that infers whether or not maintenance of the indoor unit 1 is required based on image data of the indoor unit 1 received from the mobile terminal device 13 of the air conditioning system 500.

In other words, the neural network learns by inputting image data of indoor unit 1 into the input layer and adjusting the weights W1 and W2 so that the result output from the output layer approaches the need for maintenance of indoor unit 1 (the correct answer).

The model generation unit 103 generates and outputs a trained model by performing the above-mentioned learning.

The trained model storage device 301 stores the trained model output from the model generation unit 103.
[Learning Procedure of the Learning Device 101]
FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing the learning procedure of the learning device 101.

In step b1, the data acquisition unit 102 acquires, for example, image data of the indoor unit 1 stored in the external storage unit 144 and data indicating whether or not maintenance of the indoor unit 1 is required (correct answer).

In step b2, the model generation unit 103 generates a trained model that infers whether or not maintenance of the indoor unit 1 is required from the image data of the indoor unit 1 based on the learning data in which the image data of the indoor unit 1 acquired by the data acquisition unit 102 and the need for maintenance (correct answer) are associated with each other.

In step b3, the trained model storage device 301 stores the trained model generated by the model generation unit 103.

[Configuration of inference device 201]
17 is a diagram showing the configuration of the inference device 201. The inference device 201 includes a data acquisition unit 202 and an inference unit 203. Information on the necessity of maintenance inferred by the inference device 201 is used to plan maintenance in a determination unit 600. The inference device 201 and the determination unit 600 are configured by software that is stored in the memory 142 or the external storage unit 144 and executed by the processor 141.

The data acquisition unit 202 acquires image data of the indoor unit 1 received from the mobile terminal device 13 of the air conditioning system 500.

The inference unit 203 uses the learned model stored in the learned model storage device 301 to infer whether or not maintenance of the indoor unit 1 is required from the image data of the indoor unit 1 received from the mobile terminal device 13 of the air conditioning system 500 acquired by the data acquisition unit 202. The inference unit 203 can input the image data of the indoor unit 1 acquired by the data acquisition unit 202 to the learned model, and output data indicating whether or not maintenance of the indoor unit 1 is required, which is inferred from the image data of the indoor unit 1, to the judgment unit 600.

[Inference Procedure of Inference Device 201]
FIG. 18 is a flow chart showing the inference procedure of the inference device 201 and the maintenance planning procedure of the determination unit 600.

In step c1, the data acquisition unit 202 acquires image data of the indoor unit 1 received from the mobile terminal device 13 of the air conditioning system 500.

In step c2, the inference unit 203 inputs the image data of the indoor unit 1 acquired in step c1 into the learned model stored in the learned model storage device 301. In step c3, the inference unit 203 uses the learned model to infer whether or not maintenance of the indoor unit 1 is required from the image data of the indoor unit 1 acquired in step c1.

As an example, in step c3, the need for maintenance is inferred by inferring the areas requiring maintenance and the maintenance work items, such as whether the filter 9 needs to be cleaned, whether the filter 9 needs to be replaced, whether the drain pan 22 needs to be cleaned, whether the inside of the panel (decorative panel 2, filter panel 7, side panel 5) needs to be cleaned, or whether the panel (decorative panel 2, filter panel 7, side panel 5) needs to be replaced. Then, depending on the state of dirt in the areas estimated as requiring maintenance, the timing of maintenance, such as whether maintenance is required immediately or at what time in the future maintenance will be required, is inferred.

In step c4, the judgment unit 600 judges whether or not immediate maintenance is required based on the inference result of the inference unit 203 in step c3 as to whether or not maintenance is required.

When it is determined in step c4 that immediate maintenance is required, in step c5 the determination unit 600 decides to dispatch a maintenance worker to the location of the air conditioning system 500 including the indoor unit 1 determined to require maintenance, and proceeds to step c7. When it is decided to dispatch a maintenance worker, the maintenance work items estimated in step c3 are further determined as the work items of the worker to be dispatched.
Furthermore, a signal to switch the indoor unit 1 determined to require maintenance to the second state is issued from the communication unit 143 of the server 14. The signal to switch to the second state is received by the communication unit of the indoor unit 1 via the external communication unit 19 of the operation panel 10. The indoor unit 1 controls the transmitted light amount changing device 27 based on the received signal to switch to the second state.

If it is determined in step c4 that immediate maintenance is not required, in step c6, the determination unit 600 determines the timing of future maintenance, and proceeds to step c7. For example, in step c6, the timing of future maintenance, estimated in step c3 as the timing of when maintenance will be required, is determined as the timing of future maintenance.

In step c7, the judgment unit 600 creates a maintenance schedule based on the decisions made in step c5 or the decisions made in step c6. In step c7, for example, if it is decided in step c5 to dispatch workers to perform maintenance, a maintenance schedule is created based on the determined maintenance work items, such as how many workers to dispatch and how much work time to expect. Also, in step c7, for example, if the timing of future maintenance is decided in step c6, a maintenance schedule is created according to the timing of future maintenance, such as reserving the timing of future maintenance or notifying the owner of the air conditioning system 500 of the timing of future maintenance.

Information relating to the maintenance schedule thus planned is transmitted to the maintenance company. The maintenance company may acquire information relating to the maintenance schedule thus planned by communicating with server 14. The maintenance company can confirm information relating to the maintenance schedule and perform the maintenance.

In the inference procedure of the inference device 201 and the maintenance planning procedure of the judgment unit 600 described above, the image data of the indoor unit 1 received from the mobile terminal device 13 is image data that allows the internal condition of the indoor unit 1 to be confirmed, and the inference unit 203 inputs the image data of the indoor unit 1 received from the mobile terminal device 13 into the learned model, and determines whether or not maintenance is required for the indoor unit 1 by inferring the need for maintenance of the indoor unit 1 from the image data of the indoor unit 1 using the learned model, so that the sanitary condition of the indoor unit 1 can be easily confirmed.

Furthermore, in the fifth embodiment, in addition to the effects described above, it is possible to optimize the determination of the need for maintenance based on image data. In the fifth embodiment, in addition to the effects described above, it is possible to optimize the frequency of maintenance and the adjustment of maintenance dispatch schedules. By optimizing the frequency of maintenance and the adjustment of maintenance dispatch schedules, it is possible to reduce unnecessary maintenance, reduce maintenance-related costs for the owner of the air conditioning system 500 and for the maintenance contractor, and strengthen the competitiveness of maintenance costs for the maintenance contractor.

Furthermore, other effects obtained by designing the indoor unit 1 so that the state of the internal structure can be easily visually confirmed in the first state include the following effects. For example, malfunctions and defects such as physical damage to the indoor unit 1 or displacement of the fixed positions of the structures in the indoor unit 1, which could previously only be identified by removing exterior objects such as various panels, can now be estimated in advance based on image data obtained by capturing an image of the indoor unit 1, and maintenance service items can include repair items such as "repairs completed in one visit."

Furthermore, by switching between a first state in which the inside of the indoor unit 1 is easy to see and a second state in which the inside of the indoor unit 1 is difficult to see depending on whether maintenance is required based on image data, it is possible to reduce discomfort to people in the outdoor space in which the indoor unit 1 is installed. For example, if it is determined that maintenance is required due to the accumulation of dirt inside the indoor unit 1 or a component failure, the indoor unit 1 is switched to the second state. This makes it difficult for people in the outdoor space in which the indoor unit 1 is installed to see the accumulation of dirt inside the indoor unit 1 or a component failure, thereby reducing discomfort.

Furthermore, to prevent a third party who is not intended to use the air conditioning system 500 from mistakenly using the air conditioning system 500, for example, a password may be requested to be entered before the operation to display the two-dimensional code 12 or when connecting to a website, and only if the correct password is entered through password authentication, various processes for determining whether or not maintenance of the indoor unit 1 in the air conditioning system 500 is required may be executed.

Variant examples.
(1) The learning device 101 and the inference device 201 may exist on a cloud server.

(2) In the above-mentioned embodiment 5, a case where supervised learning is applied to the learning algorithm used by the model generation unit 103 has been described, but this is not limited to this. As for the learning algorithm, in addition to supervised learning, reinforcement learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, etc. can also be applied.

(3) The model generation unit 103 may learn whether or not maintenance of the indoor unit 1 is required by using learning data created based on image data of the indoor units 1 of multiple air conditioning systems 500. The model generation unit 103 may learn whether or not maintenance of the indoor unit 1 is required by using learning data created based on image data of the indoor units 1 of multiple air conditioning systems 500 used in the same area. The model generation unit 103 may learn whether or not maintenance of the indoor unit 1 is required by using learning data created based on image data of the indoor units 1 of multiple air conditioning systems 500 operating independently in different areas.

(4) The model generation unit 103 can also add or remove air conditioning systems 500 from which learning data is acquired. Furthermore, the learning device 101 that has learned whether or not maintenance is required for a certain air conditioning system 500 can be applied to a learning device for a different air conditioning system, and the learning device 101 can re-learn and update whether or not maintenance is required for such a different air conditioning system.

(5) The learning algorithm used by the model generation unit 103 may be deep learning, which learns to extract the features themselves, or machine learning may be performed according to other known methods, such as genetic programming, functional logic programming, or support vector machines.

(6) In the above embodiment, the inference device 201 uses a trained model to infer whether or not maintenance is required from the image data acquired by the data acquisition unit 202, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the inference device may infer whether or not maintenance is required from the input data acquired by the data acquisition unit based on rule-based inference or case-based inference.

(7) In the indoor unit 1 of the above embodiment, the mounting structure for mounting a panel such as a decorative panel provided as an exterior member to the air conditioner body may be configured as a two-part structure consisting of a panel mounting screw and a panel mounting part having a screw locking hole that holds the panel mounting screw with the head facing down, and the panel mounting part may be configured to have a claw portion that fits into the claw locking hole of the panel to prevent the panel mounting part itself from falling off the panel. This can make panel mounting and removal operations more efficient.

100 Air conditioner, 1 Indoor unit, 4 Air outlet, 2 Decorative panel, 7 Filter panel,
5 Side panel, 22 Drain pan, 23 Fan, 21 Pipe, 27 Transmitted light amount change device,
10 Operation panel device, 11 Display unit, 13 Portable terminal device, 14 Server

Claims (16)

1. An air conditioning apparatus including an indoor unit,
   A first panel provided on a front surface of the indoor unit where an air outlet is formed;
   A second panel provided on a front surface of the indoor unit and having an air inlet formed therein;
   a third panel provided on a side surface of the indoor unit and surrounding an internal space together with the first panel and the second panel;
   a light transmission amount change device for switching between a first state and a second state in which the amount of light transmitted through at least one of the first panel, the second panel, and the third panel differs from that of the first state to an external space that is a space different from the internal space;
   an amount of light transmitted through at least one of the first panel, the second panel, and the third panel in the first state is greater than an amount of light transmitted through at least one of the first panel, the second panel, and the third panel in the second state;
   Air conditioning equipment.
2. The indoor unit includes:
   Equipped with a drain pan,
   The drain pan is formed of a light-transmitting material.
   The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1.
3. The indoor unit includes:
   Drain pan and
   A mirror is provided at a position facing the storage portion of the drain pan,
   The light reflected from the storage section by the mirror is transmitted to the transmitted light amount change device.
   The air conditioner according to claim 1
4. The indoor unit includes:
   Equipped with piping through which the refrigerant flows,
   The piping is formed of a light-transmitting material.
   The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1.
5. The indoor unit includes:
   Equipped with a fan,
   The fan is formed of a light-transmitting material.
   The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1.
6. The transmitted light amount changing device is
   A light source is provided in the internal space,
   At least one of the first panel, the second panel, and the third panel is formed of a half mirror material,
   the amount of light emitted from the light source in the first state is greater than the amount of light emitted from the light source in the second state;
   The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
7. The transmitted light amount changing device is
   At least one of the first panel, the second panel, and the third panel is configured by attaching a liquid crystal light control film to a light-transmitting member, the transmittance of which is greater when a voltage is applied to the light-transmitting member than when no voltage is applied to the light-transmitting member,
   In the first state, a voltage is applied to the liquid crystal light control film, and in the second state, no voltage is applied to the liquid crystal film.
   The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
8. The indoor unit includes:
   a communication unit that receives a signal including information about a user's operation transmitted from an operation unit that accepts a user's operation,
   When the signal received by the communication unit includes information that a user has performed an operation to switch the transmitted light amount changing device between a first state and a second state, the transmitted light amount changing device switches between the first state and the second state.
   The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
9. The air conditioner including the indoor unit having the features according to any one of claims 1 to 7;
   a determination unit to which information regarding maintenance of the indoor unit is input and which determines whether or not maintenance of the indoor unit is required based on the input information,
   the transmitted light amount changing device switches between a first state and a second state based on the determination of the determination unit;
   Air Conditioning System
10. The information regarding the maintenance of the indoor unit is image data obtained by capturing an image of the inside of the indoor unit.
    The air conditioning system according to claim 9 .
11. The determination unit inputs the image data received from the indoor unit into a learned model for inferring whether or not maintenance of the indoor unit is required from the image data, and determines whether or not maintenance of the indoor unit is required.
    The air conditioning system according to claim 10
12. a display device that displays identification information corresponding to the indoor unit;
    a terminal device that acquires the identification information, captures an image of the indoor unit from outside, and transmits the image data;
    When the terminal unit captures an image from outside the indoor unit, the transmitted light amount changing device is switched to a first state;
    The terminal transmits the image data obtained by imaging to the determination unit based on the acquired identification information.
    The air conditioning system according to claim 11 .
13. The determination unit estimates a location requiring maintenance in inferring maintenance of the indoor unit.
    The air conditioning system according to claim 11 or 12.
14. The determination unit, in inferring whether or not maintenance of the indoor unit is necessary, further estimates a time when maintenance will be necessary based on the estimated location of maintenance, and determines whether or not maintenance is necessary according to the estimated time of maintenance.
    14. The air conditioning system of claim 13.
15. When the determination unit determines that maintenance of the indoor unit is necessary,
    said light transmission amount changing device being switched to a second state;
    determining maintenance work items for the indoor unit according to the state of dirt in the indoor unit;
    15. The air conditioning system of claim 14.
16. The air conditioning system of claim 14, wherein the determination unit, when it determines that maintenance of the indoor unit is not required, determines the future timing of maintenance required for the indoor unit based on the estimated timing of the maintenance.

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