Fault diagnosis device, fault diagnosis system, home appliance, sensor unit, and fault diagnosis method

Abstract

The fault diagnosis device includes: a communication unit that acquires first physical quantity data for fault diagnosis of home appliances acquired by a sensor unit, second physical quantity data of a different type from the first physical quantity data, and first control information related to the second physical quantity data acquired by the home appliance; a data comparison unit that compares the second physical quantity data with the first control information; and a pass / fail determination unit that determines whether the first physical quantity data is pass / fail as data for fault diagnosis based on the comparison result of the data comparison unit. Thus, a fault diagnosis device that can improve the accuracy of fault diagnosis of home appliances can be provided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to fault diagnosis devices, fault diagnosis systems, household appliances, sensor units, and fault diagnosis methods. Background Technology

[0002] In the past, users, such as repair professionals, would install sensor units on home appliances and use the information from these sensor units to diagnose faults in the appliances. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0004] However, whether the sensor unit is properly installed on the appliance being troubleshooted can largely depend on how the user installs it. If the sensor unit is not properly installed, incorrect results may be diagnosed because the measurement data used for troubleshooting cannot be measured correctly.

[0005] Therefore, the purpose of this disclosure is to provide a fault diagnosis device, fault diagnosis system, household appliance, sensor unit, and fault diagnosis method that can determine whether a sensor unit is properly installed in a household appliance and improve the accuracy of fault diagnosis. Furthermore, as mentioned above, the determination of whether a sensor unit is properly installed is conventionally performed by the user, and therefore no prior art information should be included.

[0006] Methods used to solve problems

[0007] A fault diagnosis device according to a technical solution of this disclosure includes: a communication unit that acquires first physical quantity data acquired by a sensor unit for fault diagnosis of a home appliance, a second physical quantity data of a different type from the first physical quantity data, and first control information acquired by the home appliance related to the second physical quantity data; a data comparison unit that compares the second physical quantity data with the first control information; and a qualification determination unit that determines whether the first physical quantity data is qualified as data for fault diagnosis based on the comparison result of the data comparison unit.

[0008] A fault diagnosis system according to the present disclosure includes: a home appliance; a sensor unit for measuring multiple types of data related to the home appliance; and a fault diagnosis device for performing fault diagnosis on the home appliance. In the above fault diagnosis system, the fault diagnosis device includes: a communication unit for acquiring first physical quantity data acquired by the sensor unit for fault diagnosis of the home appliance, second physical quantity data of a different type from the first physical quantity data, and first control information acquired by the home appliance related to the second physical quantity data; a data comparison unit for comparing the second physical quantity data with the first control information; and a qualification determination unit for determining whether the first physical quantity data is qualified as data for fault diagnosis based on the comparison result of the data comparison unit.

[0009] A home appliance according to a technical solution of this disclosure uses multiple types of measurement data measured by a sensor unit for fault diagnosis. The home appliance includes: a communication unit that acquires first physical quantity data acquired by the sensor unit for fault diagnosis of the home appliance, second physical quantity data of a different type from the first physical quantity data, and first control information acquired by the home appliance related to the second physical quantity data; a data comparison unit that compares the second physical quantity data with the first control information; and a pass / fail determination unit that determines whether the first physical quantity data is pass / fail as data for fault diagnosis based on the comparison result of the data comparison unit.

[0010] A sensor unit according to the present disclosure measures multiple types of data related to home appliances and performs fault diagnosis on the home appliances. The sensor unit includes: a communication unit that acquires first physical quantity data acquired by the sensor unit for fault diagnosis of the home appliances, second physical quantity data of a different type from the first physical quantity data, and first control information acquired by the home appliances related to the second physical quantity data; a data comparison unit that compares the second physical quantity data with the first control information; and a pass / fail determination unit that determines whether the first physical quantity data is pass / fail as data for fault diagnosis based on the comparison result of the data comparison unit.

[0011] A fault diagnosis method according to the present disclosure includes: a data acquisition step, acquiring first physical quantity data for fault diagnosis of home appliances acquired by a sensor unit and second physical quantity data of a different type from the first physical quantity data, and first control information related to the second physical quantity data acquired by the home appliance; a data comparison step, comparing the second physical quantity data with the first control information; and a qualification determination step, determining whether the first physical quantity data is qualified as data for fault diagnosis based on the comparison result obtained in the data comparison step.

[0012] Invention Effects

[0013] According to the fault diagnosis device, fault diagnosis system, household appliance, sensor unit and fault diagnosis method disclosed herein, the accuracy of fault diagnosis of household appliances can be improved. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating the general structure of the fault diagnosis system of this disclosure.

[0015] Figure 2 This is a block diagram representing the general structure of the household appliances related to this disclosure.

[0016] Figure 3 This is a block diagram illustrating the general structure of the sensor unit of this disclosure.

[0017] Figure 4 This is a block diagram illustrating the general structure of the fault diagnosis device of this disclosure.

[0018] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the fault diagnosis process of the fault diagnosis system of this disclosure.

[0019] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the data comparison and conformity determination steps related to this disclosure.

[0020] Figure 7 This is a diagram illustrating an example of first physical quantity data, second physical quantity data, and first control information over a certain period of time related to this disclosure.

[0021] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram showing the display content of the display unit of the fault diagnosis device in the fault diagnosis of this disclosure.

[0022] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram showing the display content of the display unit of the fault diagnosis device in the fault diagnosis of this disclosure.

[0023] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram showing the display content of the display unit of the fault diagnosis device in the fault diagnosis of this disclosure.

[0024] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram showing the display content of the display unit of the fault diagnosis device in the fault diagnosis of this disclosure.

[0025] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram showing the display content of the display unit of the fault diagnosis device in the fault diagnosis of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0026] According to the first technical solution of this disclosure, a fault diagnosis device is provided, comprising: a communication unit that acquires first physical quantity data for fault diagnosis of home appliances acquired by a sensor unit, second physical quantity data of a different type from the first physical quantity data, and first control information related to the second physical quantity data acquired by the home appliance; a data comparison unit that compares the second physical quantity data with the first control information; and a qualification determination unit that determines whether the first physical quantity data is qualified as data for fault diagnosis based on the comparison result of the data comparison unit.

[0027] According to the second technical solution of this disclosure, a fault diagnosis device as described in the first technical solution is provided, wherein the data comparison unit converts the first control information into a physical quantity that is the same as the second physical quantity data, and compares the second physical quantity data with the first control information.

[0028] According to the third technical solution of this disclosure, a fault diagnosis device as described in the first or second technical solution is provided. The communication unit also obtains third physical quantity data obtained by the sensor unit and second control information related to the third physical quantity data obtained by the home appliance. The third physical quantity data is a different type of physical quantity data from the first and second physical quantity data. Then, the data comparison unit compares the third physical quantity data with the second control information.

[0029] According to the fourth technical solution of this disclosure, a fault diagnosis system is provided, comprising: a home appliance; a sensor unit for measuring multiple types of data related to the home appliance; and a fault diagnosis device for performing fault diagnosis of the home appliance. In the above-mentioned fault diagnosis system, the fault diagnosis device comprises: a communication unit for acquiring first physical quantity data for fault diagnosis of the home appliance acquired by the sensor unit, second physical quantity data of a different type from the first physical quantity data, and first control information related to the second physical quantity data acquired by the home appliance; a data comparison unit for comparing the second physical quantity data with the first control information; and a pass / fail determination unit for determining whether the first physical quantity data is pass / fail as data for fault diagnosis based on the comparison result of the data comparison unit.

[0030] According to the fifth technical solution of this disclosure, a home appliance is provided that uses multiple types of measurement data measured by a sensor unit to perform fault diagnosis. The home appliance includes: a communication unit that acquires first physical quantity data acquired by the sensor unit for fault diagnosis of the home appliance, second physical quantity data of a different type from the first physical quantity data, and first control information acquired by the home appliance related to the second physical quantity data; a data comparison unit that compares the second physical quantity data with the first control information; and a pass / fail determination unit that determines whether the first physical quantity data is pass / fail as data for fault diagnosis based on the comparison result of the data comparison unit.

[0031] According to the sixth technical solution of this disclosure, a sensor unit is provided that measures multiple types of data about home appliances and performs fault diagnosis of the home appliances. The sensor unit includes: a communication unit that acquires first physical quantity data acquired by the sensor unit for fault diagnosis of the home appliances, second physical quantity data of a different type from the first physical quantity data, and first control information acquired by the home appliances related to the second physical quantity data; a data comparison unit that compares the second physical quantity data with the first control information; and a pass / fail determination unit that determines whether the first physical quantity data is pass / fail as data for fault diagnosis based on the comparison result of the data comparison unit.

[0032] According to the seventh technical solution of this disclosure, a fault diagnosis method is provided, comprising: a data acquisition step, acquiring first physical quantity data for fault diagnosis of home appliances acquired by a sensor unit and second physical quantity data of a different type from the first physical quantity data, and first control information related to the second physical quantity data acquired by the home appliance; a data comparison step, comparing the second physical quantity data with the first control information; and a qualification determination step, determining whether the first physical quantity data is qualified as data for fault diagnosis based on the comparison result of the data comparison step.

[0033] The following is a reference to the appendix. Figure 1 The following describes exemplary embodiments of the fault diagnosis system of this disclosure. This disclosure is not limited to the specific structure of the following embodiments, and structures based on the same technical concept are also included in this disclosure.

[0034] (Implementation Method)

[0035] use Figure 1 The general structure of the fault diagnosis system 1 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 1 This is a block diagram representing the general structure of fault diagnosis system 1.

[0036] like Figure 1 As shown, the fault diagnosis system 1 includes a home appliance 10, a sensor unit 30 installed on the home appliance 10, and a fault diagnosis device 50. The fault diagnosis system 1 is a system that uses the fault diagnosis device 50 to diagnose faults in the home appliance 10. In the fault diagnosis system 1 of this embodiment, the fault diagnosis device 50 uses control information from the home appliance 10 and measurement data from the sensor unit 30 to diagnose faults in the home appliance 10. A detailed description of the fault diagnosis process will be provided later.

[0037] Next, use Figure 2 The general structure of the household appliance 10 is described. Figure 2 This is a block diagram representing the general structure of the household appliance 10.

[0038] like Figure 2 As shown, the home appliance 10 includes a control unit 12 and a sensor 18. For example, the home appliance 10 may be an air conditioner, washing machine, refrigerator, IH cooking heater, water heater, etc. In the following description, we will use the case where the home appliance 10 is an air conditioner as an example.

[0039] The control unit 12 controls the various components constituting the home appliance 10 (e.g., blinds, heat exchanger, fan, etc.). For example, the control unit 12 can be implemented by a processing circuit including a general-purpose processor such as a CPU or MPU that executes a program stored in a memory or other storage unit to perform a specified function. For example, the control unit 12 is composed of a microcontroller.

[0040] The control unit 12, for example, performs drive control on the venetian blinds to adjust their angle. Thus, the venetian blinds are controlled to multiple angle levels (high, medium, low, etc.). At this time, the control unit 12 adjusts the angle of the venetian blinds by controlling, for example, the amount of current applied to the motor.

[0041] The control unit 12 includes a data acquisition unit 14 and a communication unit 16. Data from each component controlled by the control unit 12 is acquired by the data acquisition unit 14, for example, via multiple sensors 18. The communication unit 16 receives control information from the control unit 12 and information from the data acquisition unit 14, and transmits data for fault diagnosis to the fault diagnosis device 50. In this embodiment, the communication unit 16 transmits the timing information of the data to be transmitted to the fault diagnosis device 50. Alternatively, the communication unit 16 may only transmit control information from the control unit 12 to the fault diagnosis device 50.

[0042] Next, use Figure 3 The general structure of the sensor unit 30 is described below. Figure 3 This is a block diagram showing the general structure of the sensor unit 30.

[0043] like Figure 3 As shown, the sensor unit 30 includes a sensor 32, a data acquisition unit 34, and a data transmission unit 36. The sensor unit 30 is installed in the home appliance 10 and is a complex sensor that measures multiple types of data related to the home appliance 10. For example, the sensor unit 30 is a unit capable of measuring multiple types of data and transmitting each measured data via a common data transmission unit 36.

[0044] The sensor unit 30 is detachably installed relative to the appliance 10, for example, during fault diagnosis of the appliance 10. The sensor unit 30 is, for example, installed on the louvers of an air conditioner.

[0045] The sensor 32 in this embodiment includes a first sensor 32a for measuring a first physical quantity data, a second sensor 32b for measuring a second physical quantity data, and a third sensor 32c and a fourth sensor 32d for measuring other data. The third sensor 32c and the fourth sensor 32d may also be omitted from the sensor unit 30.

[0046] The first physical quantity data is used for fault diagnosis. Specifically, the first physical quantity data is used to diagnose whether the operation control of the home appliance 10 (e.g., temperature control, humidity control, fan speed control, light control, etc.) is normal. For example, the first sensor 32a is a temperature sensor that measures the air outlet temperature of the air conditioner, and the first physical quantity data is the air outlet temperature data of the air conditioner.

[0047] The second physical quantity data is data of a different type than the first physical quantity data. Here, different types of data are, for example, independent physical quantities. As data used for fault diagnosis, it is used to determine whether the first physical quantity data is acceptable. For example, the second sensor 32b is a gyroscope sensor that measures the tilt angle of the blinds (the airflow angle of the air conditioner), and the second physical quantity data is the tilt angle data of the blinds. The first physical quantity data is determined to be acceptable by comparing it with the first control information of the home appliance 10 related to the second physical quantity data. A detailed explanation of the acceptance determination of the first physical quantity data will be provided later. Here, the first control information related to the second physical quantity data may be, for example, control information of the same physical quantity as the second physical quantity data in the control information of the home appliance 10, or control information of a physical quantity that can be converted into the second physical quantity data. The first control information may include multiple control information of the home appliance 10, or physical quantities from which the second physical quantity data can be converted.

[0048] The data acquisition unit 34 acquires measurement data from the sensor 32. The data transmission unit 36 ​​receives the measurement data acquired by the data acquisition unit 34 and transmits the data to the fault diagnosis device 50. In this embodiment, the data transmission unit 36 ​​transmits the time information of the data to be transmitted to the fault diagnosis device 50.

[0049] Next, use Figure 4 The general structure of the fault diagnosis device 50 is described. Figure 4 This is a block diagram showing the general structure of the fault diagnosis device 50.

[0050] like Figure 4As shown, the fault diagnosis device 50 of this embodiment includes a communication unit 51, a data storage unit 53, a control information conversion unit 55, a data comparison unit 56, a pass / fail determination unit 57, a fault determination unit 58, and a display unit 59. The fault diagnosis device 50 can be, for example, a smartphone or a tablet computer terminal. The fault diagnosis device 50 can also be, for example, a server. The fault diagnosis device 50 is communicatively connected to the home appliance 10 and the sensor unit 30 via the communication unit 51. The connection between the home appliance 10 and the sensor unit 30 and the fault diagnosis device 50 can be wireless or wired. The fault diagnosis device 50 of this embodiment includes a memory and processing circuitry corresponding to a processor such as a CPU. The control information conversion unit 55, the data comparison unit 56, the pass / fail determination unit 57, and the fault determination unit 58 can, for example, be activated by a processor executing a program that enables these elements stored in the memory to function. Alternatively, the control information conversion unit 55, the data comparison unit 56, the pass / fail determination unit 57, and the fault determination unit 58 can also be constructed using integrated circuits that enable these elements to function.

[0051] The communication unit 51 receives control information from the home appliance 10 (communication unit 16) and information from the data acquisition unit 14, and receives measurement data from the sensor unit 30 (data transmission unit 36), and sends the received data to the data storage unit 53. The data storage unit 53 stores the data sent by the communication unit 51. In this embodiment, the data storage unit 53 establishes an association between the data sent by the communication unit 51 and time information and stores it.

[0052] If the physical quantity of the first control information of the home appliance 10 differs from the second physical quantity data of the sensor unit 30, the control information conversion unit 55 converts the physical quantity of the first control information into converted data that is the same as the second physical quantity data. The data comparison unit 56 compares the second physical quantity data with the first control information related to the second physical quantity data.

[0053] For example, if the first control information for an air conditioner's louvers is current, and the second control information is tilt angle, the physical quantity of the first control information needs to be converted to reflect the tilt angle due to the difference in physical quantities. This can be achieved by establishing a table linking the physical quantity of the first control information to the converted physical quantity, and then using a program to perform the conversion.

[0054] The pass / fail determination unit 57 determines whether the first physical quantity data of the sensor unit 30 is qualified as data for fault diagnosis based on the second physical quantity data and the first control information. The pass / fail determination unit 57 confirms whether the second physical quantity data meets the criteria specified regarding the first control information and determines the pass / fail status of the first physical quantity data. Specifically, if the second physical quantity data compared by the data comparison unit 56 is within a specified numerical range including the first control information, the pass / fail determination unit 57 determines that the first physical quantity data is qualified. On the other hand, if the second physical quantity data is not within the specified numerical range, the pass / fail determination unit 57 determines that the first physical quantity data is unqualified. Thus, for example, it is possible to determine whether the sensor unit 30 is properly installed on the blinds.

[0055] When the pass / fail determination unit 57 determines that the first physical quantity data is qualified, the fault determination unit 58 determines the fault of the home appliance 10 based on the first physical quantity data. For example, when the first physical quantity data is within a specified value range, the fault determination unit 58 determines that the home appliance 10 is normal and has no fault. On the other hand, when the first physical quantity data is outside the specified value range, the fault determination unit 58 determines that the home appliance 10 has malfunctioned.

[0056] Display unit 59 displays the results of pass / fail determination and fault determination. For example, display unit 59 is a monitor. Display unit 59 may also display only the result of pass / fail determination or fault determination.

[0057] Next, use Figure 5 An example of the fault diagnosis process of fault diagnosis system 1 is illustrated. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing the fault diagnosis process of fault diagnosis system 1.

[0058] like Figure 5 As shown, data collection and processing are performed by the home appliance 10 and the sensor unit 30. Specifically, the home appliance 10 performs the data acquisition step ST10 and the data transmission step ST12, and the sensor unit 30 performs the data acquisition step ST30 and the data transmission step ST32.

[0059] In the data acquisition step ST10, control information from the control unit 12 and information from the data acquisition unit 14 are acquired. In the data transmission step ST12, the data acquired in the data acquisition step ST10 is transmitted to the fault diagnosis device 50 via the communication unit 16.

[0060] In the data acquisition step ST30, the data acquisition unit 34 acquires the measurement data from the sensor unit 30. Specifically, the data acquisition unit 34 acquires the first physical quantity data measured by the first sensor 32a and the second physical quantity data measured by the second sensor 32b. In the data transmission step ST32, the data acquired by the data acquisition unit 34 (the first physical quantity data and the second physical quantity data) is transmitted to the fault diagnosis device 50 via the data transmission unit 36.

[0061] Based on the data sent by data transmission steps ST12 and ST32, fault diagnosis is performed by fault diagnosis device 50. Fault diagnosis device 50 includes data acquisition step ST50, data comparison step ST53, pass / fail determination step ST55, fault determination step ST57, and display step ST58.

[0062] In the data acquisition step ST50, data transmitted by the data transmission steps ST12 and ST32 is acquired via the communication unit 51. In the data comparison step ST53, the second physical quantity data acquired from the sensor unit 30 is compared with the first control information of the home appliance 10. In the pass / fail determination step ST55, the pass / fail status of the first physical quantity data is determined based on the comparison result of the data comparison unit 56. Specifically, in the pass / fail determination step ST55, if the second physical quantity data compared by the data comparison unit 56 is within a predetermined numerical range including the first control information, the first physical quantity data is determined to be passable. On the other hand, if the second physical quantity data is not within the predetermined numerical range including the first control information, the first physical quantity data is determined to be failable.

[0063] In the fault determination step ST57, the fault determination of the home appliance 10 is performed based on the first physical quantity data that was determined to be qualified in the qualification determination step ST55. In the display step ST58, the qualification determination result of the qualification determination step ST55 and the fault determination result of the fault determination step ST57 are displayed. In the display step ST58, the determination result is displayed on the display unit 59 of the fault diagnosis device 50.

[0064] Next, use Figure 6 This section details the data comparison step ST53 and the pass / fail determination step ST55. Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the flow of the data comparison step ST53 and the conformity determination step ST55.

[0065] like Figure 6As shown, in this embodiment, a physical quantity comparison step ST51 is performed before the data comparison step ST53 and the pass / fail determination step ST55. In the physical quantity comparison step ST51, it is compared whether the second physical quantity data obtained from the sensor unit 30 and the first control information of the home appliance 10 are the same physical quantity.

[0066] In the physical quantity comparison step ST51, if the second physical quantity data of the sensor unit 30 and the first control information of the home appliance 10 are the same physical quantity, a data comparison step ST53 is performed after the physical quantity comparison step ST51. On the other hand, if the second physical quantity data and the first control information are different physical quantities in the physical quantity comparison step ST51, a conversion step ST52 is performed after the physical quantity comparison step ST51. In the conversion step ST52, the first control information is converted to become the same physical quantity as the second physical quantity data.

[0067] If the second physical quantity data and the first control information are the same physical quantity, a numerical comparison is performed between the second physical quantity data and the first control information in data comparison step ST53. If the second physical quantity data and the first control information are different physical quantities, a numerical comparison is performed between the second physical quantity data and the converted first control information in data comparison step ST53.

[0068] In this embodiment, in the data comparison step ST53, data stored in the data storage unit 53 for a certain period of time is compared. In the data comparison step ST53, for example, data is compared... Figure 7 Data from the household appliance 10 and sensor unit 30 over a certain period of time. Figure 7 This is a diagram representing an example of the first physical quantity data, the second physical quantity data, and the first control information over a certain period of time.

[0069] like Figure 7 As shown, the first physical quantity data, the second physical quantity data, and the first control information are measured, for example, at predetermined time intervals. For example, the first physical quantity data, the second physical quantity data, and the first control information are saved to the data storage unit 53 at different time intervals. In the comparison between the second physical quantity data and the first control information, for example, data such as the average value (moving average, weighted average, etc.) or the median value over a predetermined time period are used.

[0070] Next, use Figures 8-12 This describes an example of the fault diagnosis process using the fault diagnosis device 50. Figures 8-12 This is a schematic diagram showing the display content of the display unit 59 of the fault diagnosis device 50 in fault diagnosis. Figures 8-12 In the example shown, a fault diagnosis is performed to determine whether the air conditioner's blowout temperature is abnormal.

[0071] First, connect the home appliance 10 to the fault diagnosis device 50. For example... Figure 8 As shown, the display unit 59 of the fault diagnosis device 50 displays a message urging the device (home appliance 10) to connect to the device being diagnosed. The fault diagnosis device 50 works with the home appliance 10 via wireless communication, such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Alternatively, the connection between the home appliance 10 and the fault diagnosis device 50 can also be established via other communication methods, such as wired connection.

[0072] If the connection between the home appliance 10 and the fault diagnosis device 50 is completed, then as follows Figure 9 As shown, the target device column on the display unit 59 displays, for example, the model number, manufacturing number, and illustration of the home appliance 10. Then, the "Start Fault Diagnosis" button is displayed in an selectable state. For example, a user such as a repair technician can view the target device column, confirm whether the target device is the home appliance 10 for which fault diagnosis is desired, and then select the "Start Fault Diagnosis" button to begin fault diagnosis.

[0073] By connecting the home appliance 10 to the fault diagnosis device 50, information from the home appliance 10 is sent to the fault diagnosis device 50. For example, control information (current data) of the air conditioner's blinds is saved to the data storage unit 53 of the fault diagnosis device 50. The fault diagnosis device 50 (control information conversion unit) converts the current data into the tilt angle data of the blinds, and saves it as the first control information (conversion data) to the data storage unit 53.

[0074] After selecting the "Start Troubleshooting" button, on display 59, as shown... Figure 10 The "Blowout Temperature Acquisition" button is displayed in a selectable state as shown. Furthermore, the display unit 59 displays, for example, a prompt to properly install the sensor unit 30.

[0075] Before selecting the "Blowout Temperature Acquisition" button, install the sensor unit 30 onto the appliance 10 and connect the sensor unit 30 to the fault diagnosis device 50. The connection between the sensor unit 30 and the fault diagnosis device 50, and the connection between the appliance 10 and the fault diagnosis device 50, are both wireless. Alternatively, the connection between the sensor unit 30 and the fault diagnosis device 50 can also be wired, for example.

[0076] After installing the sensor unit 30 into the home appliance 10, select the "Blowout Temperature Acquisition" button to perform fault diagnosis on the home appliance 10. If the "Blowout Temperature Acquisition" button is selected, the measurement data of the sensor unit 30 is sent to the fault diagnosis device 50 connected to the sensor unit 30. For example, the measurement data of the air conditioner's blowout temperature (first physical quantity data) and the measurement data of the louver's tilt angle (second physical quantity data) are saved to the data storage unit 53 of the fault diagnosis device 50.

[0077] Based on the second physical quantity data and the first control information stored in the data storage unit 53, the conformity determination unit 57 determines the conformity of the first physical quantity data. If the first physical quantity data is determined to be conforming, then... Figure 11 As shown, the diagnostic results column on display unit 59 indicates that the sensor unit 30 is set to normal. When the sensor unit 30 is set to normal, the fault determination unit 58 determines the air conditioner's fault.

[0078] If the fault determination unit 58 determines that a fault exists, the fault is displayed in the diagnostic result column of the display unit 59. Furthermore, the display unit 59 may display, for example, user confirmation information. At this time, the display unit 59 may display the predicted fault location and repair method, or it may display whether repair is required.

[0079] If the sensor unit 30 is not set correctly, such as Figure 12 As shown, on display unit 59, the diagnostic results column displays a message indicating that the sensor unit 30's setting status is NG, urging the display to properly set the sensor unit 30 to the home appliance 10. At this time, display unit 59 can either display the specific location where the sensor unit 30 should be installed, or it can display a message indicating that the sensor unit 30's setting position is inappropriate.

[0080] Figures 8-12 The displays shown represent concepts used during fault diagnosis and may also include other displays besides those described above. For example, Figures 8-12 The displayed information can also include the current time, user information, help buttons, etc. Furthermore, Figures 8-12 The display shown can also be changed according to the type of home appliance 10.

[0081] Furthermore, this disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but can be implemented in various other forms. In the above embodiments, fault diagnosis is performed by the fault diagnosis device 50, but it is not limited to this. For example, fault diagnosis may be performed by a household appliance or sensor unit instead of using the fault diagnosis device 50. That is, the household appliance or sensor unit may also include components for fault diagnosis such as a data comparison unit 56, a pass / fail determination unit 57, and a fault determination unit 58, and the household appliance or sensor unit may have the function of the fault diagnosis device 50.

[0082] Furthermore, the control information conversion unit 55 is provided in the fault diagnosis device 50, but it is not limited thereto. For example, the control information conversion unit 55 may also be provided in the home appliance 10. When converting the first control information of the home appliance 10 into the physical quantity of the second physical quantity data, the control information may be converted in the home appliance 10 and then the converted data may be sent to the fault diagnosis device 50 by the communication unit 16.

[0083] Furthermore, the data storage unit 53 is configured to associate the data sent by the communication unit 51 with the time information and store it, but it is not limited to this. For example, the pass / fail determination unit 57 can also use the information from the home appliance 10 and the sensor unit 30 in real time to determine the pass / fail status of the first physical quantity data.

[0084] Furthermore, the data acquisition unit 34 can also acquire third physical quantity data, which is different from the first and second physical quantity data, from the third sensor 32c. Alternatively, the data comparison unit 56 can compare the second physical quantity data with the first control information, and also compare the third physical quantity data with the second control information, where the second control information is the control information of the home appliance 10 related to the third physical quantity data. Alternatively, the pass / fail determination unit 57 can determine the pass / fail status of the first physical quantity data based on the comparison of the second physical quantity data with the first control information and the comparison of the third physical quantity data with the second control information.

[0085] For example, in the case of home appliance 10 being an air conditioner, the third sensor is a sensor that measures the airflow volume of the air conditioner. The conformity determination unit 57 also uses the airflow volume of the air conditioner measured by the third sensor and the airflow volume in the first control information of the air conditioner to determine the conformity of the airflow temperature (first physical quantity data) of the air conditioner. By considering not only the tilt angle of the louvers but also the airflow volume in the conformity determination, the accuracy of the conformity determination can be further improved.

[0086] Furthermore, while the example described is of an air conditioner, the appliance 10 could also be a washing machine, for example. The sensor unit 30 is detachably installed into the heat pump chamber during fault diagnosis of the appliance 10. The first sensor 32a of the sensor unit 30 is, for example, a sensor that measures the airflow circulating inside the washing machine. The second sensor 32b of the sensor unit 30 is, for example, a sensor that measures the suction temperature inside the washing machine.

[0087] The pass / fail determination unit 57 uses the intake temperature measured by the second sensor 32b and the intake temperature in the first control information of the washing machine to determine the pass / failability of the airflow data measured by the first sensor 32a. This allows it to determine whether the sensor unit 30 is properly installed in the heat pump chamber, improving the accuracy of fault diagnosis for the washing machine's airflow control.

[0088] Furthermore, the appliance 10 can also be a refrigerator, for example. The sensor unit 30 is detachably installed inside the refrigerator during fault diagnosis of the appliance 10. The first sensor 32a of the sensor unit 30 is, for example, a sensor that measures humidity inside the refrigerator. The second sensor 32b of the sensor unit 30 is, for example, a sensor that measures light levels inside the refrigerator. Additionally, the first sensor 32a can also be a sensor that measures temperature inside the refrigerator.

[0089] The pass / fail determination unit 57 uses the light intensity measured by the second sensor 32b and the light intensity in the first control information of the refrigerator (the light intensity calculated based on the on / off state of the lights inside the refrigerator) to determine the pass / failability of the humidity data measured by the first sensor 32a. This allows it to determine whether the sensor unit 30 is installed inside the refrigerator with the refrigerator door closed, thus improving the accuracy of fault diagnosis for the refrigerator's humidity control.

[0090] Furthermore, the communication unit 51 receives control information from the communication unit 16 and information from the data acquisition unit 14, and receives measurement data from the data transmission unit 36, but is not limited to this. For example, the communication unit 51 may also receive the information via the cloud or the like.

[0091] Regarding this disclosure, please refer to the appendix. Figure 1 The preferred embodiments have been described extensively, but various modifications and alterations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such modifications and alterations are to be understood as included therein, provided they do not depart from the scope of this disclosure based on the claims. Furthermore, variations in the combination and order of elements in the embodiments can be achieved without departing from the scope and spirit of this disclosure.

[0092] The fault diagnosis apparatus, fault diagnosis system, household appliances, sensor units, and fault diagnosis methods disclosed herein are useful in the case of fault diagnosis of household appliances.

[0093] Label Explanation

[0094] 1 Fault diagnosis system; 10 Home appliances; 12 Control unit; 14 Data acquisition unit; 16 Communication unit; 18 Sensor; 30 Sensor unit; 32 Sensor; 34 Data acquisition unit; 36 Data transmission unit; 50 Fault diagnosis device; 51 Communication unit; 53 Data storage unit; 55 Control information conversion unit; 56 Data comparison unit; 57 Qualification judgment unit; 58 Fault judgment unit; 59 Display unit.

Claims

1. A fault diagnosis device, have: The communication unit acquires first physical quantity data acquired by the sensor unit for fault diagnosis of home appliances, second physical quantity data of a different type from the first physical quantity data, and first control information acquired by the home appliances related to the second physical quantity data. The data comparison unit compares the aforementioned second physical quantity data with the aforementioned first control information; and The conformity assessment unit determines, based on the comparison results of the data comparison unit, whether the first physical quantity data is qualified as data for fault diagnosis.

2. The fault diagnosis device as described in claim 1, The data comparison unit converts the first control information into a physical quantity that is the same as the second physical quantity data, and compares the second physical quantity data with the first control information.

3. The fault diagnosis device as described in claim 1 or 2, The aforementioned communication unit also acquires third physical quantity data and second control information related to the aforementioned third physical quantity data acquired by the aforementioned home appliance. The aforementioned third physical quantity data is a different type of physical quantity data acquired by the aforementioned sensor unit from the aforementioned first physical quantity data and the aforementioned second physical quantity data. Then, the data comparison unit compares the third physical quantity data with the second control information.

4. A fault diagnosis system comprising: a household appliance; a sensor unit for measuring multiple types of data related to the household appliance; and a fault diagnosis device for diagnosing faults in the household appliance. The above-mentioned fault diagnosis device has the following features: The communication unit acquires the first physical quantity data acquired by the aforementioned sensor unit for fault diagnosis of the aforementioned home appliance, and the second physical quantity data of a different type from the aforementioned first physical quantity data, as well as the first control information acquired by the aforementioned home appliance related to the aforementioned second physical quantity data. The data comparison unit compares the aforementioned second physical quantity data with the aforementioned first control information; and The conformity assessment unit determines, based on the comparison results of the data comparison unit, whether the first physical quantity data is qualified as data for fault diagnosis.

5. A household appliance that uses multiple types of measurement data measured by a sensor unit for fault diagnosis. The above-mentioned home appliances have the following features: The communication unit acquires first physical quantity data obtained by the aforementioned sensor unit for fault diagnosis of the aforementioned home appliance, second physical quantity data of a different type than the aforementioned first physical quantity data, and first control information obtained by the aforementioned home appliance related to the aforementioned second physical quantity data. The data comparison unit compares the aforementioned second physical quantity data with the aforementioned first control information; and The conformity assessment unit determines, based on the comparison results of the data comparison unit, whether the first physical quantity data is qualified as data for fault diagnosis.

6. A sensor unit that measures multiple types of data about household appliances and performs fault diagnosis on the aforementioned household appliances. The above sensor unit has: The communication unit acquires the first physical quantity data acquired by the aforementioned sensor unit for fault diagnosis of the aforementioned home appliance, and the second physical quantity data of a different type from the aforementioned first physical quantity data, as well as the first control information acquired by the aforementioned home appliance related to the aforementioned second physical quantity data. The data comparison unit compares the aforementioned second physical quantity data with the aforementioned first control information; and The conformity assessment unit determines, based on the comparison results of the data comparison unit, whether the first physical quantity data is qualified as data for fault diagnosis.

7. A fault diagnosis method, include: The data acquisition step involves acquiring first physical quantity data acquired by the sensor unit for fault diagnosis of home appliances, second physical quantity data of a different type from the first physical quantity data, and first control information acquired by the home appliances related to the second physical quantity data. The data comparison step compares the second physical quantity data with the first control information; and The conformity assessment step, based on the comparison results of the above data comparison step, determines whether the above-mentioned first physical quantity data is qualified as data for fault diagnosis.

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