JP2001141289A - Air-conditioning monitoring control system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air-conditioning monitoring control system to set and vary an air-conditioner as a user performs other work in a living room and to improve a function and flexibly cope with variation of a layout. SOLUTION: Since a control command to a corresponding to air conditioner 4 is issued based on an address table 7 indicating correspondence of a control terminal device 3, incorporated in a building air-conditioning monitoring control device and an air conditioner 4 to be controlled by a building air-conditioning control device 1 and a control terminal device 3 to realize the operation panel of the air-conditioner by utilizing WWW browser on a general purpose computer, operation of the desired air conditioner 4 is executed by a plurality of personal computers connected to a network. Maintenance of operation display is simply effected and flexible correspondence to variation of a layout is practicable.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air conditioning monitoring and control system for centrally managing and controlling air conditioners in a building.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an air-conditioning monitoring and control system for controlling and monitoring air-conditioning equipment in a building, the equipment control / monitoring includes:
It is performed centrally in the central monitoring room via the network.
In general, a resident of a building (hereinafter referred to as a “user”) changes scheduling such as extending the operating time of air conditioning in the building,
When a request for changing or confirming the set temperature, or requesting start / stop, etc., it is necessary to contact the central monitoring room by telephone or the like. The operator of the central monitoring room operates the air-conditioning monitoring and control system based on those communications, and performs the requested processing.

[0003] Also, when the user wants to confirm the currently set temperature, operation schedule, and the like, it is necessary to similarly inquire of the central monitoring room. The operator in the central monitoring room must perform a setting change operation or a confirmation operation and contact the user every time there is an inquiry from the user, which is a burden on the operator. In addition, the user also has to make a fine change in the settings to obtain the comfort of the living environment, which is troublesome and requires a compromise.

As a solution to these problems, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.
There is a method disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 241544. JP 6
Japanese Patent Publication No. 241544 discloses a building central monitoring panel that controls and monitors each air conditioner, a control command issued from the building central monitoring panel, and information indicating the operating state of each air conditioner. An air-conditioning management system including a central control device that performs control information for each air conditioner in a building central monitoring panel and a central control device, and displays operating state information from each air conditioner. Display means for determining the latest command input from either the central monitoring panel of the building or the input means of the central control device, and the latest command to each air conditioner. An air-conditioning management system that is provided with transmission means for transmitting data.It is an easy-to-use air-conditioning management system that can control and monitor many air conditioners installed in a building from multiple locations in the building. It is that to provide.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the method disclosed in JP-A-241544, in order to realize control from a plurality of locations and improve usability, it is necessary to newly install many centralized control devices at a plurality of locations in a building, and at the same time, to change functions. In such a case, replacement of the centralized control device or the like requires cost, and it is necessary to change the installation location every time when changing the layout, which is troublesome.

[0006] Further, since the operating condition can be known only from the centralized control device or the building central monitoring panel, it is troublesome for the user to grasp the operating condition, and it is not possible to respond quickly when a problem occurs.

Further, in order to change the setting, it is necessary to go to a place where the central control device or the building central monitoring panel is installed, and particularly when the setting is frequently changed, the setting changing operation is troublesome.

According to the present invention, in order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, a user can change the setting of an air conditioner while performing other work in a living room, and can flexibly cope with improvement of functions and layout change. It is an object of the present invention to provide an air-conditioning monitoring and control system that can perform the control.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve this object, the present invention provides a building air conditioner monitoring and control device for centrally managing air conditioners in a building and individually controlling each air conditioner.
WWW (World Wide) on a general-purpose computer
Web) a control terminal device that realizes an operation panel of an air conditioner using a browser, a communication interface unit that connects the control terminal device to a building air conditioning monitoring and control device by using a general-purpose communication protocol, and an inside of the building air conditioning monitoring and control device. An address table indicating the correspondence between the control terminal device incorporated in the air conditioner and the air conditioner to be controlled, and an address adding unit for converting a control command from the control terminal into a control command to the corresponding air conditioner based on the address table. It is characterized by.

Alternatively, in the air conditioning monitoring control system,
An operation information recording unit incorporated in the building air-conditioning monitoring and control device that periodically records the operation information of the air-conditioners centrally managed by the building air-conditioning monitoring and control device, and an air conditioner displayed on the control terminal by a WWW browser And operation status display means for periodically receiving and displaying the data recorded in the operation information recording section together with the operation panel.

Alternatively, in the air conditioning monitoring control system,
The command history recording unit that records the history of control commands from the control terminal incorporated in the building air-conditioning monitoring control device and the environmental conditions consisting of the outside air temperature, the room temperature, and the time at that time, and the same as the environmental conditions of the past instruction history recording unit And an automatic control means for automatically changing the control setting of the air conditioner without issuing a control command when the environmental condition is satisfied.

Alternatively, in the air conditioning monitoring control system,
A command timer that counts the reception interval of control commands built into the building air conditioning monitoring and control device, and a set temperature value that holds a set temperature change command issued from the control terminal within the building air conditioning monitoring and control device for a predetermined time It is characterized by including a temporary storage unit and a set temperature optimizing unit that calculates an optimum temperature set value when a temperature setting change command is received from a plurality of control terminals during a predetermined time.

Thus, there is provided an air-conditioning monitoring and control system in which a user can change the setting of an air conditioner while working in a living room, and can flexibly cope with a functional improvement and a layout change without increasing costs. be able to.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The invention according to claim 1 of the present invention provides a building air-conditioning monitoring and control device for centrally managing air conditioners in a building and individually controlling each air conditioner, and a general-purpose computer. WWW (World Wide Web)
A control terminal device that realizes the operation panel of the air conditioner using a browser, a communication interface that connects the control terminal device to the building air conditioning monitoring and control device using a general-purpose communication protocol, and a built-in built-in air conditioning monitoring and control device An address table indicating the correspondence between the control terminal device and the air conditioner to be controlled, and an address addition unit that converts a control command from the control terminal into a control command to the corresponding air conditioner based on the address table, A desired air conditioner can be operated from a plurality of personal computers connected to the network, so that maintenance of operation display can be easily performed and layout change can be flexibly handled.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an operation information recording device incorporated in a building air-conditioning monitoring and control device which periodically records operation information of air conditioners centrally managed by the building air-conditioning monitoring and control device. And operation status display means for periodically receiving and displaying the data recorded in the operation information recording unit together with the operation panel of the air conditioner displayed on the control terminal by the WWW browser. The operation status of the air conditioners to be sequentially targeted can be grasped at hand, and there is an effect that unnecessary setting changes are eliminated and quick response can be made in the event of a failure.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a command history for recording a control command history from a control terminal incorporated in a building air-conditioning monitoring and control device and an environmental condition comprising the outside air temperature, room temperature and time at that time. The recording unit has automatic control means for automatically changing the control setting of the air conditioner without issuing a control command when environmental conditions similar to those of the past instruction history recording unit are obtained. This has the effect of reducing the number of change operations and reducing the setting work time.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a command timer for counting a reception interval of a control command incorporated in a building air conditioning monitoring and control device, and a command issued from a control terminal in the building air conditioning monitoring and control device. A setting temperature value temporary storage unit for holding a setting temperature change command for a predetermined time, and a setting for calculating an optimum temperature setting value when receiving a temperature setting change command from a plurality of control terminals during a predetermined time. Since the temperature optimizing unit is provided, the air conditioner is controlled at the optimum set temperature even if the temperature setting is changed by a plurality of users in a short time, so that there is an effect that the user does not feel uncomfortable.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an air conditioning monitoring control system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Reference numeral 1 denotes a building air-conditioning monitoring and control device, which includes a network server and the like. The building air-conditioning monitoring and control device includes a communication interface unit (not shown), and a LAN (Local Area Network) 2 configured by Ethernet or the like.
Is a general-purpose PC (Personal Computer)
er) are connected via a communication interface unit (not shown) of the control terminal device 3.

Reference numeral 4 denotes an air conditioner, and a dedicated communication line 5 forms an air conditioner network. A signal line 5 is connected to the building air-conditioning monitoring and control device 1, and centralized management, individual management and control are performed by exchanging communication packet data such as control signals with the air conditioner 4.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the building air-conditioning monitoring and control device 1 according to the present embodiment. Reference numeral 6 denotes a communication interface unit for controlling communication via the LAN 2. Reference numeral 7 denotes an address table associated with the arrangement of the air conditioner 4 and the control terminal 3. The control command data transmitted from the control terminal 3 to the communication interface unit 6 is determined by the address determination unit 8 from which control terminal 3 the control command data was transmitted. The adding unit 9 adds target air conditioner address data.

The control command data to which the air conditioner address data has been added is converted into a network protocol of the air conditioner by the protocol converter 10 and distributed to the corresponding air conditioner 4 through a dedicated signal line 5. The address data table 7 describes the addresses of the air conditioners connected to the network of the air conditioners and the network addresses of the control terminals in a one-to-one correspondence.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show an example of a display screen on the control terminal 3. FIG. The operation controller 11 realizes a graphical user interface by using a general-purpose WWW browser 12.

The function of the WWW browser 12 is HTML
(Hyper Text Markup Langua
ge) The data described in a predetermined format such as a format is decoded and displayed on a screen, and an operation button 13 is displayed on the screen, and an input by operating a pointing device such as a keyboard or a mouse is input to the operation button 13. It can be reflected.

The association between the design of the operation controller 11 and the functions of the operation buttons 13 can be realized by changing the data in the HTML format, and no special parts are required. Also, by sending JAVA applet data using the JAVA language from the building air-conditioning monitoring and control device 1 to the control terminal 3, it is also possible to improve the functions and change the design of the operation controller 11.

As an operation example of the present embodiment, an example in which an operation start command is issued to an air conditioner whose operation is stopped will be described with reference to FIGS. First, the user operating the air conditioner starts the WWW browser 12 from the PC serving as the control terminal 3,
A file displaying the operation controller of the air conditioner is loaded from the building air conditioning monitoring and control device.

At this time, the operation setting information of the air conditioner to be controlled is read and displayed at the same time (FIG. 3). In this case, since the air conditioner setting is in the operation stop state, the set temperature and the like are not displayed.

When the operation / stop button 14 is clicked on the pointing device in FIG. 3, an operation start command is sent to the building air-conditioning monitoring and control device 1, and the target air conditioner is controlled by referring to the address data table 7. The command data of the operation start is converted into a protocol to the network of the air conditioner by adding the address of the air conditioner, and the command is sent to the corresponding air conditioner through the dedicated line 5.

At this time, the building air-conditioning monitoring and control device 1 sends HTML format data representing the operating state to the control terminal 3,
As shown in FIG. 4, the control terminal 3 displays at a glance that the driving has started, and the setting display window 1
5 displays the operation mode and the set temperature display.

As described above, the control command operation of the desired air conditioner can be performed from a plurality of personal computers connected to the network using the same interface as a normal remote controller, and the setting from the PC connected to the LAN can be performed. Since the change can be easily performed, it is possible to flexibly cope with a layout change or the like. Further, since the WWW browser 12 is used, maintenance of operation display and functional improvement can be easily performed.

(Embodiment 2) FIGS. 5 and 6 show examples of display screens on a control terminal 3 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.
The same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

FIG. 5 shows a normal operation controller 11 display. Reference numeral 16 denotes an operation status display button for instructing display of the operation status of the target air conditioner on the control terminal. By pressing the operation status display button 16, WWW
The operation status of the air conditioner as shown in FIG. 6 is displayed instead of the operation button 13 of the operation controller 11 displayed on the browser 12.

As for the operation status, the setting information 17 and the graph 19 of the current room temperature, the outside air temperature 18 and the time-series change of the room temperature are displayed. At this time, an operation display button 20 for instructing to switch to the normal operation controller 11 display again is displayed instead of the operation status display button 16.

FIG. 7 is an operation flowchart of this embodiment. When the operation status display button 16 is pressed in the operation control display 11 (step 1) (step
2) The operation information request data is transmitted from the control terminal 3 to the target air conditioner 4 through the building air conditioning monitoring and control device 1 (step 3).

The air conditioner 4 which has received the data transmits the operation state information data to the control terminal 3 via the building air conditioning monitoring and control device 1 and the status display information data (step 4). The control terminal 3 that has received the data displays the operation status based on the status display information data (step 5).

In the operation status display, if the operation display button 20 is pressed within a certain period of time (after five minutes in this embodiment) (step 7), the display switches to the operation display screen (step 8).

If the operation display button 19 has not been pressed within a predetermined time (step 6), the operation information request data is transmitted again (step 3), and the latest operation information data from the target air conditioner 4 is received. Update the status display.

As described above, since the operation status is displayed on the control terminal 3, the operation information of the air conditioner can be obtained at any time at hand, and the operation setting can be performed while confirming the operation state. This makes it possible to reduce the number of necessary setting changes, and even in the event of a failure, the failure can be detected at an early stage. In the present embodiment, the operation display and the status display are switched. However, it is needless to say that the effect is the same even when both displays are performed at the same time.

(Embodiment 3) FIG. 8 is a functional block diagram of a building air-conditioning monitoring and control apparatus 1 according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. Reference numeral 21 performs time management based on a timer built in the time acquisition means. Reference numerals 22 and 23 denote room temperature detection means and outside air temperature detection means for acquiring data obtained from temperature detection sensors such as thermistors attached to the indoor unit and the outdoor unit of the air conditioner 4.

Reference numeral 24 denotes a set temperature receiving means, which receives a command from the user at the control terminal 3 and transmits data for controlling the cooling / heating means 26 to the air conditioner 4 through the cooling / heating control means 25 of the air conditioner. An instruction history storage unit 27 stores the user's control command received by the set temperature receiving unit 24 and the room temperature and the outside air temperature at that time in association with each other.

Numeral 28 denotes automatic control means for detecting data of room temperature, outside air temperature and time at room temperature detecting means 22, outside air temperature detecting means 23,
Based on the input from the time acquisition unit 21, the comparison is performed with the history data in the instruction history storage unit 27 in which the user's past set temperature change instruction was performed, and when the situation becomes similar to the history data, the instruction from the user is input. Even if it is not received, the set temperature is automatically changed based on a previous instruction from the user.

FIGS. 9 and 10 are characteristic diagrams showing changes over time in room temperature and outside air temperature in this embodiment. The horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents temperature. The outside temperature is indicated by a wavy line, and the change in room temperature is indicated by a solid line.

In FIG. 9, when the outside air temperature is T1 ° C., time t
1 received a command from the user to lower the room temperature to T3 ° C,
At time t2, the user issued a change command to raise the set temperature to T4 because the temperature was too cold. At this time, the instruction history storage unit 27 stores these user's instructions in association with the changes over time between the outside air temperature and the room temperature.

FIG. 10 is a characteristic diagram showing the change over time between the outside air temperature and the room temperature when the automatic control means 28 changes the automatic setting from the past instruction history. When the same changes as in FIG. 9 appear for the room temperature and the outside air temperature, the automatic control unit 28 compares the change with the instruction history data in the instruction history storage unit 26 and finally sets the set temperature at time t1 with the past history. The operation for setting the temperature to T4 ° C. is performed.

As a result, the operation setting is changed without the user having to set the temperature change operation which has been performed in the past, so that the number of operations can be reduced and an optimal air conditioning environment can be obtained.

As described above, the control setting of the air conditioner 4 is automatically performed by the automatic control setting means 28 without issuing a control command when the environmental condition similar to the annular condition is obtained in the past instruction history recording unit. Therefore, the number of setting change operations can be reduced, and the optimal operation setting of the air conditioner can be quickly performed.

(Embodiment 4) FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram of a building air-conditioning monitoring and control apparatus 1 according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. The same components as those in the third embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description is omitted.

Reference numeral 29 denotes a set temperature optimizing means. The set temperature optimizing unit 29 temporarily stores the set temperature change instruction received by the set temperature receiving unit 24 during the fixed time set by the timer 30 based on the set temperature value in the set temperature value temporary storage unit 31. Is calculated, and the set temperature of the target air conditioner 4 is changed through the set temperature changing means 32.

FIG. 12 is a timing chart showing the set temperature changing operation of the set temperature optimizing means 29. The vertical axis shows the set temperature, and the horizontal axis shows time. The upper part shows a set temperature change instruction from an actual user, and the lower part shows the set temperature value changed by the set temperature calculated by the set temperature optimizing means 29 being sent to the set temperature changing means 32.

When the user at time t0 issues an instruction to raise the set temperature by + 4 ° C. when the initial set temperature is T ° C., the timer 29 operates and the set temperature is changed by all users during the time t. Wait for instructions. During this time, if another user issues a set temperature change instruction of + 2 ° C., the timer operation end time t1 and the set temperature change instruction of + 4 ° C. and + 2 ° C.
Taking the average value of the set temperature change instruction of ° C, change the set temperature of + 3 ° C.

Similarly, when the set temperature is changed by -4 ° C. at time t2, the timer 29 is operated, and if another user issues an instruction to change the set temperature of −2 ° C. during the timer operation time t, t3 after the timer operation ends. Then, change the set temperature to -3 ° C.

In the above operation, the timer operation time t is
The time is set to one minute or less so that the user does not feel distrust due to a response delay of the set temperature changing operation in response to an instruction from the user.

As described above, since the apparatus is provided with the set temperature optimizing section for calculating the optimum temperature set value when receiving the temperature setting change commands from a plurality of control terminals during a predetermined time, a plurality of sets are provided. Even if the temperature setting is changed by the user, the air conditioner is controlled at the optimal set temperature, so that "too hot" and "too cold" can be prevented. Although the average value is used for the calculation of the optimum value in the present embodiment, the calculation may be performed by weighting each user and giving priority to a set temperature change instruction of a specific user.

[0054]

As described above, according to the present invention, a building air-conditioning monitoring and control device for centrally managing air-conditioners in a building and individually controlling each air-conditioner, and a WWW (World Wide) on a general-purpose computer. Web) a control terminal device that realizes an operation panel of an air conditioner using a browser, a communication interface unit that connects the control terminal device to a building air conditioning monitoring and control device by using a general-purpose communication protocol, and an inside of the building air conditioning monitoring and control device. An address table indicating the correspondence between the control terminal device incorporated in the air conditioner and the controlled air conditioner, and an address adding unit for converting a control command from the control terminal into a control command to the corresponding air conditioner based on the address table. Therefore, a desired operation of the air conditioner can be performed from a plurality of personal computers connected to the network. Flexibly layout changes with maintenance of the display can be performed easily cope.

An operation information recording unit incorporated in the building air-conditioning monitoring and control device that periodically records the operation information of the air conditioners centrally managed by the building air-conditioning monitoring and control device, and a WWW browser to the control terminal. Operation status display means for periodically receiving and displaying the data recorded in the operation information recording unit together with the displayed operation panel of the air conditioner, so that the user can sequentially determine the operation status of the target air conditioner. Since it can be grasped at hand, useless setting changes are eliminated, and when a failure occurs, the occurrence of the failure can be detected at an early stage, so that it is possible to respond quickly.

A command history recording unit for recording a history of control commands from a control terminal incorporated in the building air-conditioning monitoring and control device and environmental conditions including the outside air temperature, room temperature and time at that time, and a past instruction history recording unit Since the automatic control means for automatically changing the control settings of the air conditioner without issuing a control command when the environmental conditions are the same as the above environmental conditions, the number of setting change operations can be reduced.

A command timer for counting a reception interval of a control command incorporated in the building air-conditioning monitoring and control device;
A set temperature value temporary storage unit for holding a set temperature change command instructed from a control terminal in a building air conditioning monitoring control device for a predetermined time, and a temperature setting change command from a plurality of control terminals during a predetermined time. Since it has a set temperature optimizing unit that calculates the optimum temperature set value when received, even if the temperature setting is changed by a plurality of users in a short time, the air conditioner is controlled at the optimum set temperature. Too hot, too cold
There is no such discomfort.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an air conditioning monitoring and control system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the building air-conditioning monitoring and control device of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a display screen on a control terminal according to the embodiment;

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a display screen on the control terminal according to the embodiment;

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a display screen on a control terminal according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a display screen on the control terminal of the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is an operation flowchart of the embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a functional block diagram of a building air-conditioning monitoring and control device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a characteristic diagram showing temporal changes in room temperature and outside air temperature according to the embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a characteristic diagram showing a temporal change of a room temperature and an outside air temperature when an automatic setting change of the embodiment is performed.

FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram of a building air-conditioning monitoring and control device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a timing chart showing a set temperature changing operation of the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Building air-conditioning monitoring control apparatus 3 Control terminal 4 Air conditioner 7 Address data table 11 Operation controller 12 WWW browser 16 Operation status display button 20 Operation display button 21 Time acquisition means 22 Room temperature detection means 23 Outside temperature detection means 24 Set temperature reception means 27 Instruction history storage means 29 Set temperature optimization means 31 Set temperature value temporary storage unit

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Tomonori Ouchiyama 4-5-2-5 Takaidahondori, Higashiosaka-shi, Osaka Matsushita Refrigerator Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 3L061 BA05 BA07 5B049 AA01 AA02 AA06 CC45 DD01 EE59 FF00 GG04

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A building air-conditioning monitoring and control device that centrally manages air-conditioners in a building and individually controls each air-conditioner, and a control that realizes an operation panel of the air-conditioner using a WWW browser on a general-purpose computer. A terminal device, a communication interface unit for network-connecting the control terminal device to the building air-conditioning monitoring and control device using a general-purpose communication protocol, and a correspondence between the control terminal device built in the building air-conditioning monitoring and control device and the controlled air conditioner An air-conditioning monitoring and control system comprising an address table indicating the following, and an address adding unit that converts a control command from a control terminal into a control command to a corresponding air conditioner based on the address table. 2. An operation information recording unit incorporated in a building air conditioner monitoring and control device for periodically recording operation information of an air conditioner centrally managed by the building air conditioner monitoring and control device, and a WWW browser to a control terminal. 2. An operation status display means for periodically receiving and displaying data recorded in an operation information recording unit together with the displayed operation panel of the air conditioner.
The air-conditioning monitoring and control system described in the above. 3. A command history recording unit for recording a history of a control command from a control terminal incorporated in the building air-conditioning monitoring control device and an environmental condition at that time including an outside air temperature, a room temperature, and a time.
The air-conditioning monitoring control according to claim 1, further comprising an automatic control means for automatically changing a control setting of the air conditioner without issuing a control command when an environmental condition similar to the environmental condition of the past instruction history recording unit is obtained. system. 4. A command timer for counting a reception interval of a control command incorporated in a building air conditioning monitoring and control device, and a set temperature change command issued from a control terminal in the building air conditioning monitoring and control device for a predetermined time. 2. A set temperature value temporary storage unit for holding, and a set temperature optimization unit for calculating an optimum temperature set value when receiving a temperature setting change command from a plurality of control terminals during a predetermined time. The air-conditioning monitoring and control system according to claim 1.