Hot water supply system, hot water supply device, and server

Abstract

To provide a hot water supply system that can provide information enabling a user to hang laundry outside in more preferable conditions.SOLUTION: A hot water supply system 1 includes a server 20 capable of acquiring a laundry index and predicted arrival information of substances such as pollen that may adhere to laundry hung outside, and a hot water supply device 10 configured to be able to communicate with the server 20. The hot water supply system 1 further includes a display input unit 131 which is a notification unit provided in the hot water supply device 10, a determination processing unit 133a that determines a recommendation level for hanging laundry outside based on the laundry index and the predicted arrival information, and a notification processing unit 133b that causes the display input unit 131 to give a notification on the recommendation level for hanging laundry outside determined by the determination processing unit 133a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a hot water supply system including a hot water supply apparatus and a server capable of communicating with the hot water supply apparatus. The present invention also relates to a hot water supply apparatus. The present invention further relates to a server capable of communicating with the hot water supply apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a water heater is provided with a remote controller (hereinafter, abbreviated as "remote control") for remotely controlling the water heater from a bathroom or a kitchen. The display unit of the remote control displays various images (screens) for displaying various information and setting various conditions.

[0003] The laundry index published by the Japan Weather Association (registered trademark) can be displayed on the display of the remote control as information useful to the user. In this case, a server connected to the water heater so as to be able to communicate with the water heater acquires the laundry index distributed by the Japan Weather Association and transmits it to the water heater. The laundry index consists of a five-level rating, for example, "very easy to dry," "easy to dry," "dry well," "slightly easy to dry," and "indoor drying recommended," and an image corresponding to each rating is displayed on the display of the remote control.

[0004] In addition, the following Patent Document 1 describes a technology that calculates a laundry index by calculating the equilibrium moisture content of the day from the outdoor temperature, humidity, amount of sunlight, and wind volume, and converting it into an index, and then notifies the user by an alarm unit installed in the air conditioner. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2002-350558 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] If a user hangs their laundry outside based solely on the laundry index, pollen will easily adhere to the laundry if there is a lot of pollen in the air that day. This raises concerns that users with hay fever may be more susceptible to symptoms.

[0007] In addition to pollen, substances that may adhere to laundry hung outside include yellow sand and PM2.5, which may also fly in. The adhesion of yellow sand and PM2.5 to laundry may also be harmful to the user.

[0008] In view of the above problem, an object of the present invention is to provide a hot water supply system, a hot water supply device, and a server that can provide information that enables a user to hang out laundry outside in more preferable conditions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A first aspect of the present invention relates to a hot water supply system including a server capable of acquiring a laundry index and predicted information on the arrival of substances that may adhere to laundry hung outside, and a hot water supply device configured to be able to communicate with the server. The hot water supply system according to this aspect includes a notification unit provided in the hot water supply device, a decision processing unit that determines a recommendation level for hanging laundry outside based on the laundry index and the predicted information on the arrival of substances, and a notification processing unit that causes the notification unit to notify the recommendation level for hanging laundry outside determined by the decision processing unit.

[0010] For example, substances that may adhere to laundry include pollen, yellow sand, or PM2.5.

[0011] According to the hot water supply system of this embodiment, the recommendation level for drying laundry outside, which is determined by taking into account information on predicted arrival of substances such as pollen, yellow sand, and PM2.5, is notified by the notification unit of the hot water supply device. This makes it possible to notify the user of the recommendation level for drying laundry outside to be lowered when the laundry has a high washing index and is prone to adhesion of substances due to a large amount of flying substances. This allows the user to dry laundry outside in a more favorable condition where flying substances are less likely to adhere to the laundry.

[0012] In the hot water supply system according to the present aspect, a selection receiving unit may be configured to receive a selection of a level of severity of hay fever when the substance that may adhere to the laundry is pollen. In this case, the determination processing unit may be configured to determine the recommendation level for drying outside based on the level of severity of hay fever.

[0013] According to the above configuration, the user can be notified of the degree of recommendation for drying outside according to the severity of his / her hay fever, so that the user can dry laundry outside in even more preferable conditions.

[0014] A second aspect of the present invention relates to a water heating device configured to be able to communicate with a server capable of acquiring a laundry index and predicted arrival information of a substance that may adhere to laundry hung outside. The water heating device according to this aspect includes a notification unit, a decision processing unit that determines a recommendation level for hanging laundry outside based on the laundry index and the predicted arrival information transmitted from the server, and a notification processing unit that notifies the notification unit of the recommendation level for hanging laundry outside determined by the decision processing unit.

[0015] The hot water supply device according to this aspect can achieve the same effects as the first aspect.

[0016] A third aspect of the present invention relates to a server capable of acquiring a laundry index and predicted arrival information of a substance that may adhere to laundry hung outside and configured to be capable of communicating with a water heating apparatus. The server according to this aspect includes a determination processing unit that determines a recommendation level for hanging laundry outside based on the laundry index and the predicted arrival information, and a transmission processing unit that transmits the recommendation level for hanging laundry outside determined by the determination processing unit to the water heating apparatus so that a notification unit of the water heating apparatus can notify the recommendation level.

[0017] The server according to this aspect can provide the same effects as the first aspect. Effect of the Invention

[0018] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a hot water supply system, a hot water supply device, and a server that are capable of providing information that enables a user to hang out laundry outside in more preferable conditions.

[0019] The effects and significance of the present invention will become clearer from the following description of the embodiment. However, the embodiment described below is merely an example of how the present invention can be put into practice, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described below. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a hot water supply system according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing circuit blocks of each device constituting the hot water supply system according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] 3(a) and (b) are diagrams showing an example of a laundry index database and a pollen forecast database, respectively, according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 4(a) to (c) are diagrams showing examples of a laundry index conversion table, a pollen forecast conversion table, and a region specification table, respectively, according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of an outside drying recommendation level determination table according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of each outdoor drying recommendation degree image corresponding to each level of the outdoor drying recommendation degree according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] 7(a) and (b) are flowcharts showing a control process executed by the control unit of the server for the function of notifying the degree of recommendation for drying outside according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a control process executed by the control unit of the kitchen remote control for the function of notifying the degree of recommendation for drying outside according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9]Fig. 9(a) is a diagram showing an example of a top screen displaying an image of the recommendation level for drying outdoors according to embodiment 1. Fig. 9(b) is a diagram showing the display of the sub-display unit of the image of the recommendation level for drying outdoors when the recommendation level for drying outdoors is for today according to embodiment 1, and Fig. 9(c) is a diagram showing the display of the sub-display unit of the image of the recommendation level for drying outdoors when the recommendation level for drying outdoors is for tomorrow according to embodiment 1. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing circuit blocks of devices constituting a hot water supply system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a control process executed by the control unit of the server for the function of notifying the degree of recommendation for drying outside according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a control process executed by the control unit of the kitchen remote control for the function of notifying the degree of recommendation for drying outside according to the second embodiment. [Figure 13] 13(a) to (c) are diagrams illustrating a hot water supply system according to the first modified example. [Figure 14] 14(a) to (c) are diagrams illustrating a hot water supply system according to the first modified example. [Figure 15] 15(a) to (c) are diagrams showing an example of a yellow sand forecast database, a yellow sand forecast conversion table, and an outside drying recommendation level determination table according to Modification Example 2, respectively. [Figure 16] 16(a) to (c) are diagrams showing an example of a PM2.5 forecast database, a PM2.5 forecast conversion table, and an outside drying recommendation determination table according to the third modified example, respectively. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0022] <Embodiment 1> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a hot water supply system 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0023] The hot water supply system 1 includes a hot water supply device 10 and a server 20.

[0024] Water heating device 10 includes water heater 11 and remote controllers 12 and 13. Water heater 11 is a gas water heater that uses gas as fuel to supply hot water. Hot water generated by water heater 11 is supplied to a kitchen faucet, a bathtub, a faucet, etc. through pipes connected to hot water outlet 11a. When water heater 11 has a floor heating function, a bathroom heating function, and a heating function using a panel heater, hot water is supplied from water heater 11 to devices that realize these functions.

[0025] Remote controllers 12 and 13 are connected to water heater 11 and are used to make various settings for each function of water heating apparatus 10. Remote controller 12 has a display unit 121 and an input unit 122, and remote controller 13 has a display / input unit 131 consisting of a touch panel and an operation button 132. The operator can make any settings for filling the water tank, adjusting the hot water temperature, etc. by operating input unit 122, which is an operating unit, in accordance with the screen displayed on display unit 121. The operator can also make settings for filling the water tank, etc. by operating display / input unit 131. Remote controller 12 is installed in the bathroom, and remote controller 13 is installed in the kitchen, etc.

[0026] Hereinafter, the remote controller 12 installed in the bathroom will be referred to as the "bathroom remote control 12," and the remote controller 13 installed in the kitchen or the like will be referred to as the "kitchen remote control 13."

[0027] An operation button 122a is included in the input section 122 of the bathroom remote control 12. The operation buttons 122a and 132 are buttons for switching the water heater 11 between an operation on state and an operation off state.

[0028] When bathroom remote control 12 and kitchen remote control 13 are in the operation off state (a state in which water heater 11 will not perform hot water supply operation even if a hot water tap such as a faucet is opened and water flows at a rate greater than the reference flow rate), display unit 121 and display input unit 131 are turned off, and operation of operation buttons other than operation buttons 122a, 132, i.e., operation of operation buttons other than operation button 122a of input unit 122 and operation buttons displayed on display input unit 131, are not accepted. When operation buttons 122a, 132 are operated to switch to the operation on state (a state in which water heater 11 can perform hot water supply operation when a hot water tap such as a faucet is opened and water flows at a rate greater than the reference flow rate), display unit 121 and display input unit 131 light up to display the setting contents, and operation of operation buttons other than operation buttons 122a, 132 can be accepted.

[0029] Furthermore, input unit 122 and display input unit 131 include a button for changing the hot water supply temperature. The operator can change the set hot water supply temperature by operating this button. In addition, input unit 122 and display input unit 131 include buttons for controlling the operation of water heater 11, such as buttons for executing functions such as reheating, adding hot water, adding cold water, and automatic bath. The automatic bath function includes a bath filling function for filling the bathtub with hot water and a reheating function for keeping the hot water in the bathtub warm.

[0030] Water heating apparatus 10 is capable of communicating with server 20 via router 30 and external communication network 40. Router 30 is a wireless router, and external communication network 40 is, for example, the Internet.

[0031] The server 20 can communicate with a distribution server 50 of the Japan Weather Association, which distributes weather information, via an external communication network 40. The server 20 cooperates with the distribution server 50, and periodically obtains the laundry index and the pollen forecast rank published by the Japan Weather Association from the distribution server 50. The server 20 may be physically configured as a single server, or may be configured as multiple servers that can communicate with each other.

[0032] In water heating apparatus 10, kitchen remote control 13 has a function of communicating with router 30, that is, server 20.

[0033] An application program for hot water supply system 1 is downloaded from server 20 and installed in kitchen remote control 13. This application program includes address information (e.g., an IP address) for accessing server 20. Kitchen remote control 13 accesses server 20 and communicates with it based on this address information.

[0034] The address information of kitchen remote control 13 is transmitted to server 20 during initial configuration and registered in server 20. Furthermore, the ID information (identification information) of kitchen remote control 13, i.e., water heating apparatus 10, is transmitted from kitchen remote control 13 to server 20 and registered in server 20.

[0035] Water heating apparatus 10 may be remotely controllable from inside and outside the home by a mobile terminal device such as a smartphone or tablet terminal. In this case, server 20 has a function of managing remote control, and control information input to the mobile terminal device is transmitted from the mobile terminal device to server 20, and then transmitted from server 20 to kitchen remote control 13. In this way, the control information is set in kitchen remote control 13, and control according to the control information is executed.

[0036] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing circuit blocks of each device constituting the hot water supply system 1. As shown in FIG.

[0037] Water heater 11 includes control unit 111, memory unit 112, drive unit 113, detection unit 114, and communication unit 115.

[0038] Control unit 111 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and controls each unit in water heater 11 according to a control program stored in storage unit 112. Storage unit 112 includes a memory and stores a predetermined control program.

[0039] Driving unit 113 includes various driving means necessary for hot water supply operation such as a gas solenoid valve. Detection unit 114 includes various sensors arranged in water heater 11. For example, detection unit 114 includes a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of hot water, a flow rate sensor for detecting the supply of hot water, and a water level sensor for detecting the level of hot water in the bathtub.

[0040] Communication unit 115 communicates with bathroom remote control 12 and kitchen remote control 13 according to control from control unit 111. Communication unit 115 is connected to communication unit 125 of bathroom remote control 12 and communication unit 135 of kitchen remote control 13 via two-core communication lines L1 and L2. In addition, two-core communication lines L1 and L2 are connected to each other inside communication unit 115. Therefore, communication unit 125 of bathroom remote control 12 and communication unit 135 of kitchen remote control 13 are connected to each other by two-core communication lines L1 and L2. Therefore, a signal transmitted from any of communication units 115, 125, 135 is simultaneously transmitted to the other communication unit.

[0041] Bathroom remote control 12 includes, in addition to display unit 121 and input unit 122 described above, control unit 123, memory unit 124, communication unit 125, and speaker 126. Display unit 121 is, for example, configured with a liquid crystal panel. Input unit 122 includes various operation buttons such as a temperature setting button. Display unit 121 may be a touch panel.

[0042] The control unit 123 includes a CPU and performs predetermined control in accordance with a control program stored in the storage unit 124. The storage unit 124 includes a memory and stores the predetermined control program.

[0043] Communication unit 125 communicates with water heater 11 and kitchen remote control 13 under the control of control unit 123. Speaker 126 outputs sound based on the audio signal generated by control unit 123. The sound output from speaker 126 is output from audio window 12a in FIG.

[0044] In addition to the above-mentioned display input unit 131 and operation button 132, kitchen remote control 13 includes a control unit 133, a memory unit 124, a communication unit 135, a speaker 136, and a wireless communication unit 137.

[0045] The control unit 133 includes a CPU and performs predetermined control in accordance with a control program stored in the storage unit 134. The storage unit 134 includes a memory and stores the predetermined control program.

[0046] Communication unit 135 communicates with water heater 11 and bathroom remote control 12 under the control of control unit 133. Speaker 136 outputs audio based on an audio signal generated by control unit 133. The audio output from speaker 136 is output from audio window 13a in Fig. 1. Wireless communication unit 137 is a wireless communication module capable of wireless communication with router 30.

[0047] The server 20 includes a control unit 201, a storage unit 202, and a communication unit 203. The control unit 201 includes a CPU and performs predetermined control according to a control program stored in the storage unit 202. The storage unit 202 includes a memory and a hard disk, and stores a predetermined control program and a database. The communication unit 203 performs predetermined control according to the control from the control unit 201.

[0048] The hot water supply system 1 of this embodiment has a function of determining a recommendation level for drying laundry outside based on a laundry index and a pollen forecast rank acquired by the server 20 from a distribution server 50 of the Japan Weather Association, and reporting the determined recommendation level for drying outside via the kitchen remote control 13 of the hot water supply apparatus 10. The function of reporting the recommendation level for drying outside will be described in detail below.

[0049] 3(a) and (b) are diagrams showing examples of a laundry index database 310 and a pollen forecast database 320. Figs. 4(a) to (c) are diagrams showing examples of a laundry index conversion table 330, a pollen forecast conversion table 340, and a region identification table 350, respectively.

[0050] The storage unit 202 of the server 20 has a laundry index database 310 and a pollen forecast database 320 in which the laundry index and the pollen forecast rank acquired from the distribution server 50 are respectively stored. The distribution server 50 distributes the laundry index and the pollen forecast rank for a predetermined number of days including the current day (for example, for 8 days) for each prefectural region at one distribution timing. Therefore, as shown in Figs. 3(a) and (b), the laundry index database 310 and the pollen forecast database 320 store the laundry index and the pollen forecast rank for a predetermined number of days for each prefectural region, respectively. The laundry index database 310 and the pollen forecast database 320 are updated every time a new laundry index and pollen forecast rank are acquired.

[0051] As described later, only the laundry index and pollen forecast rank for the current day (today) and the next day (tomorrow) are used to determine the outdoor drying recommendation level. Therefore, the server 20 may be configured to obtain only the laundry index and pollen forecast rank for the current day and the next day from the distribution server 50. In this case, only the laundry index and pollen forecast rank for the current day and the next day are stored in the laundry index database 310 and the pollen forecast database 320.

[0052] The laundry index indicates how easily the laundry will dry, based on the weather and temperature. The laundry index delivered from the delivery server 50 is, for example, in 11 stages from "0" to "100" in increments of 10, and the higher the value, the greater the degree of ease of drying.

[0053] The pollen forecast rank is pollen arrival prediction information, and indicates the amount of predicted pollen arrival (dispersal amount). The pollen forecast rank distributed from the distribution server 50 is, for example, one of eight levels, such as "05: risk of heavy scattering", "04: very heavy", "03: heavy", "02: somewhat heavy", "01: light", "99: missing", "98: season almost over", and "00: pollen scattering has not yet started".

[0054] The storage unit 202 also stores a laundry index conversion table 330 and a pollen forecast conversion table 340. As shown in Fig. 4(a), the laundry index conversion table 330 is used to convert the 11-level laundry index into five levels of laundry index, namely, "5: Very dry", "4: Dry well", "3: Dry", "2: Slightly dry", and "1: Dry indoors recommended". As shown in Fig. 4(b), the pollen forecast conversion table 340 is used to convert the 8-level pollen forecast rank into four levels of pollen forecast rank, namely, "4: High", "3: Slightly high", "2: Low", and "1: None".

[0055] Furthermore, storage unit 202 stores area identification table 350 for identifying the installation area of ​​each water heating apparatus 10 connected to server 20. As shown in Fig. 4(c), area identification table 350 registers the area in which each water heating apparatus 10 is installed, linked to the ID information of each water heating apparatus 10.

[0056] In water heating apparatus 10, storage unit 134 of kitchen remote control 13 stores outdoor drying recommendation level determination table 360 ​​for determining the outdoor drying recommendation level based on the laundry index and the pollen forecast rank.

[0057] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the outdoor drying recommendation level determination table 360.

[0058] 5, in outdoor drying recommendation level determination table 360, each level (each stage) of the outdoor drying recommendation level is registered in association with each level (each stage) of the laundry index and each level (each stage) of the pollen forecast rank. The outdoor drying recommendation level is set to five levels from "5" to "1." The higher the number, the higher the outdoor drying recommendation level, with "5" being the level of "very easy to dry," "4" being the level of "easy to dry indoors," "3" being the level of "drying indoors recommended." Furthermore, when the outdoor drying recommendation level is between "1" and "2", even if the value is the same, it is differentiated between "1 (weather)" and "1 (pollen)" and "2 (weather)" and "2 (pollen)", depending on whether the cause is weather or pollen. Even if the weather is good, the temperature is high, and the laundry index is high, the outdoor drying recommendation level will be at a lower level (number) if there is a lot of pollen in the air and the pollen forecast rank is high.

[0059] In this embodiment, the number of stages of the laundry index and the pollen forecast rank is reduced from the original number of stages by conversion using the laundry index conversion table 330 and the pollen forecast conversion table 340. This simplifies (simples) the configuration of the outdoor drying recommendation level determination table 360.

[0060] In order to display each level (each stage) of the outdoor drying recommendation level as an image, the storage unit 134 stores image data of outdoor drying recommendation level images 410 corresponding to each level.

[0061] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of each outdoor drying recommendation degree image 410 corresponding to each level of outdoor drying recommendation degree.

[0062] Each outdoor drying recommendation level image 410 is composed of a main display section 411 in which each level of outdoor drying recommendation level is displayed by the number of shirts and text, and a sub-display section 412 in which the current outdoor drying recommendation level is shown as being for today or tomorrow, and the date and time when the current outdoor drying recommendation level was determined.

[0063] When the outdoor drying recommendation level is "1 (weather)" and "2 (weather)", the main display unit 411 displays an illustration that indicates that the cause is weather, and when the recommendation level is "1 (pollen)" and "2 (pollen)", the main display unit 411 displays an illustration that indicates that the cause is pollen.

[0064] The outdoor drying recommendation level is for today until a specified time (for example, 17:00), and becomes for tomorrow after the specified time. Therefore, "today" is displayed on sub-display unit 412 until the specified time, and "tomorrow" is displayed on sub-display unit 412 after the specified time. In addition, the outdoor drying recommendation level is updated every specified time (for example, every hour), and when it is updated, the date and time on sub-display unit 412 changes.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 2, in order to execute the function of notifying the degree of recommendation for drying outdoors, in kitchen remote control 13 of water heating apparatus 10, the functions of decision processing unit 133a and notification processing unit 133b are given to control unit 133 by a control program stored in memory unit 134.

[0066] The determination processing unit 133a determines the recommendation level for drying laundry outside based on the laundry index and the pollen forecast rank, more specifically, the laundry index and the pollen forecast rank after conversion by the server 20. The notification processing unit 133b causes the display input unit 131, which is a notification unit, to notify the recommendation level for drying laundry outside determined by the determination processing unit 133a.

[0067] Figures 7(a) and (b) are flowcharts showing control processes executed by control unit 201 of server 20 for the function of notifying the degree of recommendation for drying outside. Figure 7(a) shows the control process for acquiring the laundry index and pollen forecast rank from distribution server 50, and Figure 7(b) shows the control process for converting the acquired laundry index and pollen forecast rank and transmitting them to each water heating apparatus 10 connected to server 20. The control processes of Figures 7(a) and (b) are repeatedly executed in parallel by control unit 201.

[0068] 7(a), the control unit 201 determines whether or not the time to obtain the laundry index and the pollen forecast rank has arrived (S101). For example, the laundry index and the pollen forecast rank can be set to be obtained every 20 minutes from midnight.

[0069] When the acquisition time arrives (S101: YES), the control unit 201 accesses the distribution server 50 and acquires the laundry index and the pollen forecast rank distributed from the distribution server 50 (S102). As described above, the laundry index and the pollen forecast rank for a predetermined number of days for each prefecture are distributed from the distribution server 50.

[0070] The control unit 201 stores the acquired laundry index and pollen forecast rank in the storage unit 202 (laundry index database 310 and pollen forecast database 320) (S103).

[0071] 7(b), the control unit 201 determines whether or not the time to transmit the laundry index and the pollen forecast rank has arrived (S201). For example, the laundry index and the pollen forecast rank can be set to be transmitted every hour starting at midnight.

[0072] When the transmission time arrives (S201: YES), the control unit 201 determines whether or not a predetermined time has passed (S202). The predetermined time is a time when the recommendation level for drying outside is unlikely to be used, and may be a time in the evening, for example, 17:00.

[0073] If it is before the specified time (S202: NO), control unit 201 reads out from storage unit 202 the laundry index and pollen forecast rank for the day (today) in the area where each water heating apparatus 10 connected to server 20 is installed, and converts them using laundry index conversion table 330 and pollen forecast conversion table 340, respectively (S203). Control unit 201 then transmits the converted laundry index and pollen forecast rank for the day corresponding to each water heating apparatus 10 to each water heating apparatus 10 (S204). The date of the day is added to the transmitted laundry index and pollen forecast rank so that water heating apparatus 10 can recognize that they are for the day.

[0074] On the other hand, if the predetermined time has passed (S202: YES), control unit 201 reads from storage unit 202 the laundry index and pollen forecast rank for the next day (tomorrow) for the area in which each water heating apparatus 10 is installed for each water heating apparatus 10 connected to server 20, and converts them using laundry index conversion table 330 and pollen forecast conversion table 340, respectively (S205). Control unit 201 then transmits to each water heating apparatus 10 the converted laundry index and pollen forecast rank for the next day that correspond to each water heating apparatus 10 (S206). The date of the next day is added to the transmitted laundry index and pollen forecast rank so that water heating apparatus 10 can recognize that they are for the next day.

[0075] Fig. 8 is a flow chart showing the control process executed by the control unit 133 of the kitchen remote control 13 for the function of notifying the outdoor drying recommendation level. Fig. 9(a) is a diagram showing an example of the top screen 400 on which an outdoor drying recommendation level image 410 is displayed. Fig. 9(b) is a diagram showing the display of the sub-display unit 412 of the outdoor drying recommendation level image 410 when the outdoor drying recommendation level is today's, and Fig. 9(c) is a diagram showing the display of the sub-display unit 412 of the outdoor drying recommendation level image 410 when the outdoor drying recommendation level is tomorrow's. The control process of Fig. 8 is repeatedly executed by the control unit 133.

[0076] Referring to FIG. 8, when control unit 133 receives a laundry index and a pollen forecast rank from server 20 (S301: YES), it determines whether the laundry index and the pollen forecast rank are for the current day (today) or the next day (tomorrow) (S302).

[0077] If the laundry index and the pollen forecast rank are for the day (S302: YES), the control unit 133 (determination processing unit 133a) uses the outdoor drying recommendation level determination table 360 ​​to determine the outdoor drying recommendation level for the day based on the laundry index and the pollen forecast rank (S303). Then, the control unit 133 (notification processing unit 133b) causes the display input unit 131 to notify the outdoor drying recommendation level for the day (today) by displaying the outdoor drying recommendation level image 410 (S304). For example, as shown in FIG. 9(a), the display input unit 131 displays the outdoor drying recommendation level image 410 on the top screen 400. At this time, as shown in FIG. 9(b), the sub-display unit 412 of the outdoor drying recommendation level image 410 displays "today". This allows the user who checks the outdoor drying recommendation level image 410 to understand that the outdoor drying recommendation level is for today.

[0078] On the other hand, if the laundry index and the pollen forecast rank are for the next day (S302: NO), the control unit 133 (determination processing unit 133a) uses the outdoor drying recommendation level determination table 360 ​​to determine the outdoor drying recommendation level for the next day based on the laundry index and the pollen forecast rank (S305). Then, the control unit 133 (notification processing unit 133b) causes the display input unit 131 to notify the outdoor drying recommendation level for the next day (tomorrow) by displaying the outdoor drying recommendation level image 410 (S306). As shown in FIG. 9(c), the sub-display unit 412 of the outdoor drying recommendation level image 410 displays "tomorrow". This allows the user who checks the outdoor drying recommendation level image 410 to understand that the outdoor drying recommendation level is for tomorrow.

[0079] <Effects of the First Embodiment> According to the first embodiment, the following effects can be achieved.

[0080] The degree of recommendation for drying laundry outside, determined by taking into consideration not only the laundry index but also the pollen forecast rank (information predicting the arrival of pollen), is notified by display input unit 131 (notification unit) of water heating apparatus 10. This makes it possible to notify the user of a lower degree of recommendation for drying laundry outside when the laundry index is high and the laundry dries easily but there is a lot of pollen flying (scattering) and pollen is likely to adhere to the laundry. This makes it possible to dry laundry outside in more favorable conditions where pollen is less likely to adhere, and in the case of a user with hay fever, the onset of symptoms caused by pollen adhering to the laundry can be suppressed.

[0081] <Embodiment 2> In the above-described first embodiment, the determination of the degree of recommendation for drying outside is performed in water heating apparatus 10. In contrast, in the present second embodiment, the determination of the degree of recommendation for drying outside is performed in server 20.

[0082] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing circuit blocks of each device constituting a hot water supply system 1 according to the second embodiment.

[0083] In hot water supply system 1 of the present embodiment, unlike embodiment 1, the function of decision processing unit 133a is not provided to control unit 133 of kitchen remote control 13 of hot water supply apparatus 10. On the other hand, in server 20, the control program stored in storage unit 202 provides control unit 201 with the functions of decision processing unit 201a and transmission processing unit 201b.

[0084] Determination processing unit 201a determines the recommendation level for drying laundry outside based on the laundry index and the pollen forecast rank, more specifically, the laundry index and the pollen forecast rank after conversion by server 20. Transmission processing unit 201b transmits the recommendation level for drying laundry outside determined by determination processing unit 201a to water heating apparatus 10 so that display input unit 131, which is a notification unit of water heating apparatus 10, can notify the recommendation level.

[0085] Furthermore, in the hot water supply system 1 of the present embodiment, an outdoor drying recommendation level determination table 360 ​​is stored in the storage unit 202 of the server 20.

[0086] As in the first embodiment, storage unit 202 of server 20 stores laundry index database 310, pollen forecast database 320, laundry index conversion table 330, pollen forecast conversion table 340, and area identification table 350. Furthermore, storage unit 134 of kitchen remote control 13 of water heating apparatus 10 stores outdoor drying recommendation level images 410 corresponding to each level (each stage) of the outdoor drying recommendation level.

[0087] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a control process executed by the control unit 201 of the server 20 for the function of notifying the degree of recommendation for drying outside.

[0088] The control unit 201 of the server 20 executes the control process of Fig. 7(a) to obtain the laundry index and the pollen forecast rank from the distribution server 50 and store them in the storage unit 202 (laundry index database 310 and pollen forecast database 320). Furthermore, the control unit 201 executes the control process of Fig. 11 in parallel with the control process of Fig. 7(a).

[0089] 11, when the transmission time arrives (S401: YES), control unit 201 determines whether a predetermined time has passed (S402).

[0090] If it is before the predetermined time (S402: NO), control unit 201 reads out from storage unit 202 the laundry index and pollen forecast rank for the day (today) of the area where each water heating apparatus 10 connected to server 20 is installed, and converts them using laundry index conversion table 330 and pollen forecast conversion table 340, respectively (S403). Then, control unit 201 (determination processing unit 201a) determines the outdoor drying recommendation level for the day (today) based on the converted laundry index and pollen forecast rank using outdoor drying recommendation level determination table 360 ​​(S404). Furthermore, control unit 201 (transmission processing unit 201b) transmits the outdoor drying recommendation level for the day corresponding to each water heating apparatus 10 to each water heating apparatus 10 (S405). The date of the day is added to the outdoor drying recommendation level for the day transmitted so that water heating apparatus 10 can recognize it as being for the day.

[0091] On the other hand, if the predetermined time has passed (S402: YES), control unit 201 reads out from storage unit 202 the laundry index and pollen forecast rank for the next day (tomorrow) for the area in which each water heating apparatus 10 connected to server 20 is installed, and converts them using laundry index conversion table 330 and pollen forecast conversion table 340, respectively (S406). Then, control unit 201 (determination processing unit 201a) determines the outdoor drying recommendation level for the next day (tomorrow) based on the converted laundry index and pollen forecast rank using outdoor drying recommendation level determination table 360 ​​(S407). Furthermore, control unit 201 (transmission processing unit 201b) transmits the outdoor drying recommendation level for the next day corresponding to each water heating apparatus 10 to each water heating apparatus 10 (S408). The date of the next day is added to the outdoor drying recommendation level for the next day transmitted so that water heating apparatus 10 can recognize that it is for the next day.

[0092] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a control process executed by the control unit 133 of the kitchen remote control 13 for the function of notifying the degree of recommendation for outdoor drying.

[0093] 12, when the control unit 133 receives the outdoor drying recommendation degree from the server 20 (S501: YES), it determines whether the outdoor drying recommendation degree is for the current day (today) or the next day (tomorrow) (S502).

[0094] If the outdoor drying recommendation level is for the current day (S502: YES), the control unit 133 (notification processing unit 133b) causes the display input unit 131, which is the notification unit, to notify the outdoor drying recommendation level for that day (today) by displaying the outdoor drying recommendation level image 410 (S503).

[0095] On the other hand, if the outdoor drying recommendation level is for the next day (S502: NO), the control unit 133 (notification processing unit 133b) causes the display input unit 131 to notify the outdoor drying recommendation level for the next day (tomorrow) by displaying the outdoor drying recommendation level image 410 (S504).

[0096] <Effects of the second embodiment> According to the second embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be achieved.

[0097] Although the first and second embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and application examples of the present invention can be modified in various ways in addition to the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0098] <Change Example 1> In hot water supply system 1 of modified example 1, a selection of the severity of hay fever by a user is accepted, and the degree of recommendation for drying outside is determined taking into account the severity of hay fever.

[0099] Hereinafter, a case where the configuration of this modified example 1 is applied to the above-mentioned embodiment 1 will be described.

[0100] In water heating apparatus 10, storage unit 134 of kitchen remote control 13 stores table 360a for mild hay fever, which is a table for determining the degree of recommendation for drying outdoors for mild hay fever shown in Fig. 13(a), and table 360b for severe hay fever, which is a table for determining the degree of recommendation for drying outdoors for severe hay fever shown in Fig. 13(b), instead of table 360 ​​for outdoor drying recommendation of embodiment 1. Table 360b for severe hay fever is configured such that, compared with table 360a for mild hay fever, the degree of recommendation for drying outdoors is lower and outdoor drying is not recommended even if there is less pollen flying and the pollen forecast rank is small.

[0101] Furthermore, in order to accommodate cases where the user does not suffer from hay fever (is not concerned about pollen), the memory unit 134 stores a pollen-free table 360c shown in Figure 13(c), which is a table for determining the degree of recommendation for drying outside for determining the degree of recommendation for drying outside based only on the laundry index.

[0102] As shown in Fig. 14(a), the control unit 133 of the kitchen remote control 13 is provided with the function of a selection receiving unit 133c that receives a selection of the severity of hay fever by the control program of the storage unit 134. As a result, the control unit 133 executes the control process shown in Fig. 14(b) by the function of the selection receiving unit 133c.

[0103] Referring to Fig. 14(b), the control unit 133 causes the display input unit 131 to display a symptom selection screen 500 as shown in Fig. 14(c) (S601). The symptom selection screen 500 includes a mild button 501 selected when the hay fever is mild, a severe button 502 selected when the hay fever is severe, an no symptoms button 503 selected when the user does not have hay fever, and a confirm button 504 for confirming the selection. The user presses any one of the mild button 501, the severe button 502, or the no symptoms button 503, and then presses the confirm button 504.

[0104] When mild hay fever is selected using the mild button 501 (S602: YES), the control unit 133 determines to use the mild hay fever table 360a (S603). When severe hay fever is selected using the severe button 502 (S602: NO → S604: YES), the control unit 133 determines to use the severe hay fever table 360b (S605). When no hay fever is selected using the no symptoms button 503 (S604: NO), the control unit 133 determines to use the no hay fever table 360c (S606). In this way, the setting of the outdoor drying recommendation level determination table based on the severity of hay fever is completed.

[0105] In the processes of steps S303 and S305 in the control process of FIG. 8, the control unit 133 (decision processing unit 133a) decides the recommendation level for drying outside based on not only the laundry index and the pollen forecast rank but also the severity of hay fever.

[0106] That is, when the mild hay fever table 360a is set as the outdoor drying recommendation determination table to be used, the control unit 133 uses the mild hay fever table 360a to determine the outdoor drying recommendation level based on the laundry index and the pollen forecast rank. When the severe hay fever table 360b is set, the control unit 133 uses the severe hay fever table 360b to determine the outdoor drying recommendation level based on the laundry index and the pollen forecast rank. When the no hay fever table 360c is set, the control unit 133 uses the no hay fever table 360c to determine the outdoor drying recommendation level based only on the laundry index.

[0107] When the configuration of Modified Example 1 is applied to the above-mentioned Embodiment 2, table 360a for mild hay fever, table 360b for severe hay fever, and table 360c for no hay fever are stored in storage unit 202 of server 20. Then, when kitchen remote control 13 completes setting the table for determining the degree of recommendation for drying outside based on the severity of hay fever, kitchen remote control 13 notifies server 20 of the setting result. Server 20 associates the setting result with each water heating apparatus 10 and stores it in storage unit 202. As a result, control unit 201 (decision processing unit 201a) of server 20 determines the degree of recommendation for drying outside for each water heating apparatus 10 based not only on the laundry index and pollen forecast rank but also on the severity of hay fever selected for each water heating apparatus 10 in the processing of steps S404 and S407 in the control processing of FIG. 11.

[0108] According to this modified example, the user can be notified of the degree of recommendation for drying outside according to the severity of his / her hay fever, so that the user can dry laundry outside in even more preferable conditions.

[0109] <Change Example 2> In the hot water supply system 1 of the first and second embodiments, the degree of recommendation for drying laundry outside is determined based on the laundry index and the pollen forecast rank.

[0110] In contrast to this, in the present modified example 2, in the hot water supply system 1, the degree of recommendation for hanging laundry outside to dry is determined based on the laundry index and the yellow sand forecast rank.

[0111] Hereinafter, a case where the configuration of this modified example 2 is applied to the above-mentioned embodiment 1 will be described.

[0112] 15(a) to (c) are diagrams showing an example of a yellow sand forecast database 320A, a yellow sand forecast conversion table 340A, and an outside drying recommendation level determination table 360A according to the second modification, respectively.

[0113] Memory unit 202 of server 20 stores yellow sand forecast database 320A and yellow sand forecast conversion table 340A in place of pollen forecast database 320 and pollen forecast conversion table 340. Furthermore, memory unit 134 of kitchen remote control 13 of water heating apparatus 10 stores outdoor drying recommendation level determination table 360A in place of outdoor drying recommendation level determination table 360.

[0114] The server 20 acquires the yellow sand forecast rank together with the laundry index from the distribution server 50. As shown in Fig. 15(a), the yellow sand forecast database 320A stores the yellow sand forecast rank for a predetermined number of days for each prefecture. The yellow sand forecast database 320A is updated every time a new yellow sand forecast rank is acquired.

[0115] The yellow sand forecast rank is information predicting the arrival of yellow sand and indicates the amount of yellow sand that is predicted to arrive. The yellow sand forecast ranks distributed from the distribution server 50 are, for example, five levels, such as "5: very heavy", "4: heavy", "3: somewhat heavy", "2: light", and "1: almost none".

[0116] As shown in FIG. 15(b), the yellow sand forecast conversion table 340A is used to convert the five-level yellow sand forecast rank into four-level yellow sand forecast ranks of “4: heavy”, “3: slightly heavy”, “2: light”, and “1: none”.

[0117] As shown in FIG. 15(c), in the outdoor drying recommendation determination table 360A, each level (each stage) of the outdoor drying recommendation level is registered in association with each level (each stage) of the laundry index and each level (each stage) of the yellow sand forecast rank. The outdoor drying recommendation level is set to five stages from "5" to "1". When the outdoor drying recommendation level is "1" and "2", even if the value is the same, it is distinguished as "1 (weather)" and "1 (yellow sand)" and "2 (weather) and "2 (yellow sand)", respectively, depending on whether the cause is weather or yellow sand. Even if the weather is good, the temperature is high, and the laundry index is high, if there is a lot of yellow sand flying and the yellow sand forecast rank is high, the outdoor drying recommendation level will be a low level (numerical value).

[0118] As in the first embodiment, image data of each outdoor drying recommendation level image 410 corresponding to each outdoor drying recommendation level is stored in the storage unit 134 of the kitchen remote control 13. However, for the outdoor drying recommendation level images 410 corresponding to levels "1 (yellow sand)" and "2 (yellow sand)", the main display unit 411 displays an illustration that indicates that the cause is yellow sand.

[0119] In server 20, control unit 201 executes the control processes of Figures 7(a) and (b) in which the pollen forecast rank is replaced with the yellow sand forecast rank, and in kitchen remote control 13 of water heating apparatus 10, control unit 133 executes the control process of Figure 8 in which the pollen forecast rank is replaced with the yellow sand forecast rank. As a result, the outdoor drying recommendation level is determined based on the laundry index and the yellow sand forecast rank, and the determined outdoor drying recommendation level is notified to display input unit 131 of kitchen remote control 13 by outdoor drying recommendation level image 410.

[0120] When this modified example 2 is applied to the above-mentioned embodiment 2, an outdoor drying recommendation determination table 360A is stored in the storage unit 202 of the server 20. Then, in the server 20, the control unit 201 executes the control processes of Fig. 7(a) and Fig. 11 in which the pollen forecast rank is replaced with the yellow sand forecast rank.

[0121] According to this modified example 2, the recommendation level for drying laundry outside, which is determined by taking into account not only the washing index but also the yellow sand forecast rank (yellow sand arrival forecast information) is notified by display input unit 131 (notification unit) of water heating apparatus 10. As a result, when the washing index is high and laundry dries easily, but there is a lot of yellow sand flying around and yellow sand is likely to adhere to the laundry, it is possible to notify the user by lowering the recommendation level for drying laundry outside. This makes it possible to dry laundry outside in more favorable conditions where yellow sand is less likely to adhere, and the user is less likely to be harmed by yellow sand.

[0122] <Change Example 3> In the present modified example 3, in the hot water supply system 1, the degree of recommendation for hanging laundry outside to dry is determined based on the laundry index and the PM2.5 forecast rank.

[0123] Hereinafter, a case where the configuration of this modified example 3 is applied to the above-mentioned embodiment 1 will be described.

[0124] 16(a) to (c) are diagrams showing an example of a PM2.5 forecast database 320B, a PM2.5 forecast conversion table 340B, and an outside drying recommendation level determination table 360B according to the third modified example, respectively.

[0125] Memory unit 202 of server 20 stores PM2.5 forecast database 320B and PM2.5 forecast conversion table 340B in place of pollen forecast database 320 and pollen forecast conversion table 340. Furthermore, memory unit 134 of kitchen remote control 13 of water heating apparatus 10 stores outdoor drying recommendation level determination table 360B in place of outdoor drying recommendation level determination table 360.

[0126] The server 20 obtains the PM2.5 forecast rank together with the laundry index from the distribution server 50. As shown in Fig. 16(a), the PM2.5 forecast database 320B stores the PM2.5 forecast rank for a predetermined number of days for each prefecture. The PM2.5 forecast database 320B is updated every time a new PM2.5 forecast rank is obtained.

[0127] The PM2.5 forecast rank is PM2.5 arrival prediction information, and indicates the amount of PM2.5 that is predicted to arrive. The PM2.5 forecast rank distributed from the distribution server 50 is, for example, seven levels, such as "7: extremely high", "6: very high", "5: high", "4: slightly high", "3: slightly low", "2: low", and "1: almost none".

[0128] As shown in FIG. 16(b), the PM2.5 forecast conversion table 340B is used to convert the seven-level PM2.5 forecast rank into four-level PM2.5 forecast ranks of “4: high”, “3: slightly high”, “2: low”, and “1: none”.

[0129] As shown in FIG. 16(c), in the outdoor drying recommendation determination table 360B, each level (each stage) of the outdoor drying recommendation level is registered in association with each level (each stage) of the laundry index and each level (each stage) of the PM2.5 forecast rank. The outdoor drying recommendation level is set to five stages from "5" to "1". Even if the outdoor drying recommendation level is the same value for levels "1" and "2", it is distinguished as "1 (weather)" and "1 (PM2.5)", and "2 (weather) and "2 (PM2.5)", depending on whether the cause is weather or PM2.5. Even if the weather is good, the temperature is high, and the laundry index is high, if there is a lot of PM2.5 flying in and the PM2.5 forecast rank is high, the outdoor drying recommendation level will be at a low level (numerical value).

[0130] The storage unit 134 of the kitchen remote control 13 stores image data of each outdoor drying recommendation level image 410 corresponding to each level of the outdoor drying recommendation level, as in the above-mentioned embodiment 1. However, in the outdoor drying recommendation level images 410 corresponding to levels "1 (PM2.5)" and "2 (PM2.5)", the main display unit 411 displays an illustration that indicates that the cause is PM2.5.

[0131] In server 20, control unit 201 executes the control processes of Figures 7(a) and (b) in which the pollen forecast rank is replaced with the PM2.5 forecast rank, and in kitchen remote control 13 of water heating apparatus 10, control unit 133 executes the control process of Figure 8 in which the pollen forecast rank is replaced with the PM2.5 forecast rank. As a result, the outdoor drying recommendation level is determined based on the laundry index and the PM2.5 forecast rank, and the determined outdoor drying recommendation level is notified to display input unit 131 of kitchen remote control 13 by outdoor drying recommendation level image 410.

[0132] When the present modified example 3 is applied to the above-mentioned embodiment 2, an outdoor drying recommendation determination table 360B is stored in the storage unit 202 of the server 20. Then, in the server 20, the control unit 201 executes the control processes of Fig. 7(a) and Fig. 11 in which the pollen forecast rank is replaced with the PM2.5 forecast rank.

[0133] According to this modified example 3, the recommendation level for drying laundry outside, which is determined by taking into account not only the washing index but also the PM2.5 forecast rank (information predicting the arrival of PM2.5), is notified by display input unit 131 (notification unit) of water heating apparatus 10. This makes it possible to notify the user that the recommendation level for drying outside is lowered when the washing index is high and the laundry dries easily, but there is a lot of PM2.5 flying around and PM2.5 is likely to adhere to the laundry. This makes it possible to dry laundry outside in more favorable conditions where PM2.5 is less likely to adhere, and the user is less likely to be harmed by PM2.5.

[0134] <Other changes> In the above-mentioned first and second embodiments, the 11-level laundry index and the 8-level pollen forecast rank distributed from the distribution server 50 are converted into a 5-level laundry index and a 4-level pollen forecast rank using the laundry index conversion table 330 and the pollen forecast conversion table 340, and the outdoor drying recommendation level of the laundry is determined based on the converted laundry index and pollen forecast index. However, a configuration may be adopted in which the outdoor drying recommendation level is determined based on the laundry index and the pollen forecast rank of the number of levels distributed from the distribution server 50. In this case, the laundry index conversion table 330 and the pollen forecast conversion table 340 are eliminated, and the outdoor drying recommendation level determination table 360 ​​is changed to a configuration that can determine the outdoor drying recommendation level based on the 11-level laundry index and the 8-level pollen forecast rank.

[0135] Similarly, in the above-mentioned modified example 2, a configuration may be adopted in which the recommendation level for drying outside is determined based on the laundry index and the yellow sand forecast rank distributed from the distribution server 50. Furthermore, in the above-mentioned modified example 3, a configuration may be adopted in which the recommendation level for drying outside is determined based on the laundry index and the PM2.5 forecast rank distributed from the distribution server 50.

[0136] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned first and second embodiments, a configuration may be adopted in which the outdoor drying recommendation level is determined based on the laundry index, the pollen forecast rank (pollen arrival forecast information), the yellow sand forecast rank (yellow sand arrival forecast information), and the PM2.5 forecast rank (PM2.5 arrival forecast information). In this case, an outdoor drying recommendation level determination table is used in which the outdoor drying recommendation level is registered in correspondence with the laundry index, the pollen forecast rank, the yellow sand forecast rank, and the PM2.5 forecast rank. Even if the laundry index is high, if any one of the pollen forecast rank, the yellow sand forecast rank, and the PM2.5 forecast rank is high, the outdoor drying recommendation level will be at a low level (numerical value).

[0137] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned first and second embodiments, the outdoor drying recommendation level is notified by the outdoor drying recommendation level image 410 displayed on the display input unit 131 of the kitchen remote control 13. However, the outdoor drying recommendation level may be notified by a sound corresponding to each level from the speaker 136 of the kitchen remote control 13.

[0138] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned first and second embodiments, the outdoor drying recommendation level is notified by the display input unit 131 of the kitchen remote control 13. However, the outdoor drying recommendation level may be notified by the display unit 121 of the bathroom remote control 12 in addition to the display input unit 131. In this case, for example, image data of an outdoor drying recommendation level image similar to the outdoor drying recommendation level image 410 displayed on the display input unit 131 is stored in the memory unit 124 of the bathroom remote control 12. The control unit 133 of the kitchen remote control 13 notifies the control unit 123 of the bathroom remote control 12 of the determined outdoor drying recommendation level, and the control unit 123 causes the display unit 121 to display the outdoor drying recommendation level image corresponding to the notified outdoor drying recommendation level.

[0139] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned first and second embodiments, wireless communication unit 137 is provided in kitchen remote control 13. However, a wireless communication unit may be provided in water heater 11 or bathroom remote control 12. Also, a communication unit including a wireless communication unit may be provided in water heating apparatus 10.

[0140] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned first embodiment, the decision processing unit 133a is provided in the kitchen remote control 13, but it may be provided in the water heater 11. In this case, the water heater 11 notifies the kitchen remote control 13 of the determined outdoor drying recommendation level.

[0141] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment 1, the decision processing unit and the notification processing unit are realized by software functions based on a control program, but they may be realized by hardware using a logic circuit. The same applies to the decision processing unit, the notification processing unit, and the transmission processing unit in the above-mentioned embodiment 2, and the selection receiving unit in the above-mentioned modification example 1.

[0142] Furthermore, in the above embodiments 1 and 2, if there is an external device other than the Japan Weather Association's distribution server 50, such as a distribution server that distributes forecast information on the arrival of the washing finger index and substances such as pollen, the server 20 may obtain the forecast information on the arrival of the washing finger index and substances such as pollen from the external device.

[0143] Furthermore, water heating apparatus 10 is not limited to one that uses gas fuel, and may be a water heating apparatus that uses oil as fuel. Water heating apparatus 10 may be of a storage type that uses a storage tank, and may further include a power generation unit such as a fuel cell.

[0144] In addition, the embodiments of the present invention can be modified in various ways as appropriate within the scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0145] 1. Hot water system 10. Hot water supply equipment 20 Servers 131 Display input unit (notification unit) 133a Decision Processing Unit 133b Notification processing unit 133c Selection Reception Section 201a Decision processing unit 201b Transmission processing unit

Claims

1. A hot water supply system including a server capable of acquiring a laundry index and information on predicted arrival of a substance that may adhere to laundry hung outside, and a hot water supply device configured to be able to communicate with the server, A notification unit provided in the hot water supply device; A determination processing unit that determines a recommendation level for drying laundry outside based on the laundry index and the flying prediction information; a notification processing unit that notifies a notification unit of the outdoor drying recommendation degree determined by the determination processing unit; A hot water supply system comprising:

2. The hot water supply system according to claim 1, The substance that may adhere to the laundry is pollen, yellow sand or PM2.

5. A hot water supply system comprising:

3. In the hot water supply system according to claim 2, The substance that may adhere to the laundry is pollen, A selection receiving unit is further provided for receiving a selection of the severity of hay fever, The determination processing unit determines the outdoor drying recommendation level based on the severity of the hay fever. A hot water supply system comprising:

4. A hot water supply device configured to be able to communicate with a server capable of acquiring a laundry index and information on predicted arrival of substances that may adhere to laundry hung outside, A notification department; A determination processing unit that determines a recommendation level for drying laundry outside based on the laundry index and the flying prediction information transmitted from the server; a notification processing unit that notifies a notification unit of the outdoor drying recommendation degree determined by the determination processing unit; A hot water supply device comprising:

5. A server capable of acquiring a laundry index and information on predicted arrival of a substance that may adhere to laundry hung outside and capable of communicating with a hot water supply device, A determination processing unit that determines a recommendation level for drying laundry outside based on the laundry index and the flying prediction information; a transmission processing unit that transmits the outdoor drying recommendation degree determined by the determination processing unit to the water heating apparatus so that a notification unit of the water heating apparatus can notify the degree; A server comprising:

Images