Air conditioning system and control method

Abstract

An air conditioning system that connects one outdoor unit and multiple indoor units via a communication line includes: a communication unit for communicating between any one of the multiple indoor units and an external device; and a communication control unit for establishing an association between first identification information inherently set for the outdoor unit and the multiple indoor units and second identification information inherently set for the communication unit, as information for separately identifying the outdoor unit and the multiple indoor units, and transmitting the information from one indoor unit to the external device via the communication unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to air conditioning systems and control methods. Background Technology

[0002] In an air conditioning system (hereinafter referred to as "air conditioning") in which an outdoor unit is connected to multiple indoor units, there is a technology that provides a communication unit (e.g., a network adapter) for each device in order to use an external server or an external operating terminal to provide operation instructions related to the operation of the indoor and outdoor units and to monitor the operating status of the indoor and outdoor units, so that each device can communicate with the external server, external terminal, etc. via the communication unit (e.g., see Patent Document 1).

[0003] In addition, in an air conditioning system in which multiple indoor units are connected to multiple outdoor units, there is a technology that does not set up a communication unit for each indoor unit, but instead connects multiple predetermined indoor units to each outdoor unit and communicates with external servers, external terminals, etc. through a communication unit, and manages the information of each device together (for example, see Patent Document 2).

[0004] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-124901

[0005] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-020033

[0006] However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 requires a communication unit for each device, which complicates communication processing and increases costs. Furthermore, while the technology described in Patent Document 2 does not require a communication unit for each indoor unit, it transmits information from multiple outdoor units and each of the multiple indoor units via a single communication unit. Therefore, to manage the information of each device, the user needs to register each device using an external terminal or similar means. Moreover, even after registering each device, the user cannot easily determine which indoor unit is connected to which outdoor unit. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This disclosure is made in view of the above circumstances, and one of its objectives is to provide an air conditioning system in which multiple indoor units are connected to an outdoor unit, which allows for easy and simple management of all the units in a single air conditioning system.

[0008] This disclosure was made to solve the aforementioned problems. One aspect of this disclosure relates to an air conditioning system that connects one outdoor unit and multiple indoor units via a communication line. The system includes: a communication unit for communicating between any one of the multiple indoor units and an external device; and a communication control unit for establishing an association between first identification information inherently set for each of the outdoor unit and the multiple indoor units and second identification information inherently set for the communication unit, as information for separately identifying the outdoor unit and the multiple indoor units, and transmitting the information from the indoor unit to the external device via the communication unit.

[0009] Another aspect of this disclosure relates to a control method for controlling any one of multiple indoor units in an air conditioning system connected to an outdoor unit via a communication line. This method includes: a step of communicating with an external device via a communication unit; and a step of establishing an association between first identification information inherently set for the outdoor unit and the multiple indoor units and second identification information inherently set for the communication unit, as information for respectively identifying the outdoor unit and the multiple indoor units, and transmitting this association from the indoor unit to the external device via the communication unit.

[0010] According to the above-described configuration of this disclosure, an air conditioning system in which an outdoor unit is connected to multiple indoor units can be easily managed by all the devices in a simple structure. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Figure 1 This is a system diagram illustrating an example of an air conditioning system according to the first embodiment.

[0012] Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the structure of the outdoor unit, indoor unit, and antenna unit according to the first embodiment.

[0013] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating an example of information sent by the indoor unit according to the first embodiment to an external operating terminal.

[0014] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation instruction information involved in the first embodiment.

[0015] Figure 5 This is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of the initialization process involved in the first embodiment.

[0016] Figure 6 This is a sequence diagram illustrating the operation status monitoring and processing flow involved in the first embodiment.

[0017] Figure 7This is a sequence diagram illustrating the operation instruction processing flow involved in the first embodiment.

[0018] Figure 8 This is a system diagram illustrating an example of an air conditioning system according to the second embodiment.

[0019] Figure 9 This is an example of a monitoring screen showing the operating status according to the second embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0021] <First Implementation>

[0022] First, the first embodiment of this disclosure will be described.

[0023] (System Architecture)

[0024] Figure 1 This is a system diagram illustrating an example of an air conditioning system according to this embodiment. Air conditioning system 1 is a multi-split type air conditioning system (air conditioner) where a single outdoor unit 10 is connected to multiple indoor units 20. For example, the illustrated air conditioning system 1 includes: a single outdoor unit 10 located outside a building, three indoor units 20 (20a, 20b, 20c) located inside the building, an antenna unit 30, and remote controllers 40 (40a, 40b, 40c) corresponding to each of the three indoor units 20. As an example, in a multi-story building, each floor has one outdoor unit 10, and each room on each floor has one indoor unit 20, with multiple (here, three) indoor units 20 connected to a single outdoor unit 10 located on the same floor.

[0025] Furthermore, in the following description, unless otherwise specified, each indoor unit 20a, 20b, and 20c will be referred to as indoor unit 20. Similarly, unless otherwise specified, each remote control 40a, 40b, and 40c will be referred to as remote control 40. In addition, the number of indoor units 20 connected to one outdoor unit 10 is not limited to three, and can be any number.

[0026] Outdoor unit 10 functions as the outdoor unit for indoor units 20a, 20b, and 20c. Indoor units 20a, 20b, and 20c are each connected to outdoor unit 10 via communication lines 101. Communication lines 101 are wired communication lines. For example, communication lines 101 for connecting outdoor unit 10 to indoor unit 20a are routed along the piping paths of outdoor unit 10 and indoor unit 20a. Communication lines 101 for connecting outdoor unit 10 to indoor unit 20b are routed along the piping paths of outdoor unit 10 and indoor unit 20b. Communication lines 101 for connecting outdoor unit 10 to indoor unit 20c are routed along the piping paths of outdoor unit 10 and indoor unit 20c.

[0027] Remote controller 40 is a remote controller that communicates with indoor unit 20 via infrared. For example, remote controller 40 outputs an operation instruction signal via infrared, which includes the operation content instructed to be performed on indoor unit 20. The operation content instructed to indoor unit 20 includes, for example, starting and stopping operation, switching between cooling, heating, and fan operation, setting a set temperature, and setting the fan speed. Indoor unit 20 receives the operation instruction signal output from remote controller 40 and controls its actions based on the operation content contained in the received signal. In the illustrated example, remote controllers 40a, 40b, and 40c are used to operate indoor units 20a, 20b, and 20c, respectively. Furthermore, remote controller 40 and indoor unit 20 can also communicate via a communication cable.

[0028] Antenna unit 30 is connected to indoor unit 20a. Antenna unit 30 is an example of a communication unit used for communication between indoor unit 20a and external operating terminal 60 via repeater 50. For example, antenna unit 30 is a communication device including an antenna for wireless communication with a LAN (Local Area Network) located within a building. Repeater 50 is, for example, a wireless LAN router that connects a public line such as the Internet or mobile phone communication network to the LAN within the building. Indoor unit 20a and external operating terminal 60 are connected to the wireless LAN via repeater 50, thereby enabling them to communicate with each other.

[0029] The external operating terminal 60 is, for example, a smartphone, tablet, or other terminal for user operation. The external operating terminal 60 acquires and manages information from both the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20. This information includes, for example, information related to the operating status of each device. This operating status information includes: information indicating whether the device is running or stopped; information indicating the operating mode (cooling, heating, or ventilation); set information such as set temperature or airflow; and detection information such as room temperature, outside air temperature, or internal temperature. The external operating terminal 60 acquires this operating status information from each device periodically and displays the operating status of each device.

[0030] Specifically, the external operating terminal 60 obtains information related to the operating status of each device from the indoor unit 20a connected to the antenna unit 30 via the repeater 50. Here, identification information is inherently set for the outdoor unit 10, the indoor unit 20, and the antenna unit 30. Figure 1 In the example shown, the identification information of outdoor unit 10 is set to "ID11", the identification information of indoor unit 20a is set to "ID21", the identification information of indoor unit 20b is set to "ID22", the identification information of indoor unit 20c is set to "ID23", and the identification information of antenna unit 30 is set to "ID31".

[0031] Indoor unit 20a includes a control unit 230, which associates the identification information inherently set for outdoor unit 10 and indoor unit 20 with the identification information inherently set for antenna unit 30, and transmits this information to external operating terminal 60 via antenna unit 30 and repeater 50. For example, control unit 230 associates information related to the operating status of indoor unit 20a with "ID21" and "ID31" and transmits it to external operating terminal 60. Additionally, control unit 230 associates information related to the operating status of indoor unit 20b with "ID22" and obtains this information via communication line 101 and outdoor unit 10, and associates the obtained operating status-related information with "ID22" and "ID31" and transmits it to external operating terminal 60.

[0032] Furthermore, the control unit 230 associates information related to the operating status of the indoor unit 20c with "ID23" and obtains it via communication line 101 and the outdoor unit 10. It then associates the obtained operating status information with "ID23" and "ID31" and sends it to the external operating terminal 60. Similarly, the control unit 230 associates information related to the operating status of the outdoor unit 10 with "ID11" and obtains it via communication line 101. It then associates the obtained operating status information with "ID11" and "ID31" and sends it to the external operating terminal 60. Thus, by communicating only with the indoor unit 20a, the external operating terminal 60 can monitor information related to the operating status of the outdoor unit 10 and each of the multiple indoor units 20 in a way that allows for individual device identification.

[0033] The identification information for each device can be set either by hardware, such as through a sliding switch on each device, or by software, such as by using a remote control 40 to store the settings in the memory (storage unit) of each device. Furthermore, the identification information can be changed arbitrarily through either hardware or software settings.

[0034] Furthermore, by using the identification information inherently set for the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20, and the identification information inherently set for the antenna unit 30, the external operating terminal 60 can simultaneously issue operation instructions related to operation for each device. In this way, the external operating terminal 60 can manage the outdoor unit 10 and each of the multiple indoor units 20 by communicating only with the indoor unit 20a.

[0035] Furthermore, the external operating terminal 60 can also communicate with the indoor unit 20a from outside the building. In this case, the repeater 50 includes not only a wireless LAN router but also a communication base station on the public line. That is, the external operating terminal 60 is not limited to the range of communication with the LAN inside the building; it can manage the outdoor unit 10 and each of the multiple indoor units 20 from outside the building.

[0036] Alternatively, or in conjunction with the external operating terminal 60, the external management server 70 can also communicate with the indoor unit 20a via the repeater 50. For example, the external management server 70 can also be a cloud server. By communicating only with the indoor unit 20a, the external management server 70 can monitor information related to the operating status of the outdoor unit 10 and the individual indoor units 20 in a way that allows for individual device differentiation.

[0037] Furthermore, the external management server 70 can also use the identification information inherently set for the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20, and the identification information inherently set for the antenna unit 30, to provide operation instructions and control automatic operation for each device. Additionally, the external management server 70 can also manage electrical equipment other than the air conditioning system 1.

[0038] Next, the structure of each piece of equipment in the air conditioning system 1 will be described in detail.

[0039] Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the structure of the outdoor unit 10, indoor unit 20, and antenna unit 30 involved in this embodiment.

[0040] (Structure of outdoor unit 10)

[0041] Figure 2 The outdoor unit 10 shown includes a wired communication unit 110, a storage unit 120, an outdoor unit control unit 130, a compressor 141, a heat exchanger 142, an outdoor unit fan 143, an internal temperature sensor 144, and an external air temperature sensor 145.

[0042] The wired communication unit 110 is configured to include a communication device for communicating with each indoor unit 20. The wired communication unit 110 is connected to each indoor unit 20 via a communication line 101. The storage unit 120 stores control programs and other information for controlling the operation of the outdoor unit 10. Additionally, the storage unit 120 stores identification information (e.g., "ID11") of the outdoor unit 10, information related to its operating status, and information obtained from each indoor unit 20. The information obtained from each indoor unit 20 includes identification information of each indoor unit 20 and information related to its operating status.

[0043] The outdoor unit control unit 130 controls the various components of the outdoor unit 10. For example, the outdoor unit control unit 130 is configured to include a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory. As a functional structure implemented by executing a control program stored in the storage unit 120, the outdoor unit control unit 130 includes a communication control unit 131, an operation control unit 132, and a status detection unit 133.

[0044] The communication control unit 131 controls communication with each indoor unit 20a, 20b, and 20c via the wired communication unit 110 and the communication line 101. For example, the communication control unit 131 obtains information related to the operating status of each indoor unit 20a, 20b, and 20c from each indoor unit 20a, 20b, and 20c. For example, the communication control unit 131 obtains information obtained by associating the information related to the operating status of each indoor unit 20a, 20b, and 20c with identification information, and stores it in the storage unit 120. Specifically, the communication control unit 131 obtains information obtained by associating the information related to the operating status with identification information at regular intervals and stores it in the storage unit 120.

[0045] Additionally, the communication control unit 131 sends information to the indoor unit 20a obtained by associating information related to the operating status of each indoor unit 20 with identification information stored in the storage unit 120. Furthermore, the communication control unit 131 sends information to the indoor unit 20a obtained by associating information related to the operating status of the outdoor unit 10 with identification information.

[0046] Furthermore, the communication control unit 131 can also obtain at least the information obtained by associating information related to the operating status of indoor units 20b and 20c with identification information, and store it in the storage unit 120. Moreover, the communication control unit 131 can also send the information stored in the storage unit 120, obtained by associating information related to the operating status of indoor units 20b and 20c with identification information, to indoor unit 20a. This is because indoor unit 20a originally stores information obtained by associating information related to its operating status with identification information.

[0047] The motion control unit 132 controls the operation of the outdoor unit 10. For example, the motion control unit 132 controls the operation of the outdoor unit 10 based on information obtained from each indoor unit 20a, 20b, 20c related to the operating status of each indoor unit 20a, 20b, 20c. Specifically, the motion control unit 132 controls the operation of the compressor 141 and the outdoor unit fan 143, etc.

[0048] The status detection unit 133 detects the status of various parts of the outdoor unit 10. For example, the status detection unit 133 detects the operating status (running, stopped, etc.) of the outdoor unit 10 controlled by the operation control unit 132 at regular intervals. Furthermore, the status detection unit 133 detects the internal temperature and the external air temperature at regular intervals based on the sensor outputs of the internal temperature sensor 144 and the external air temperature sensor 145. The internal temperature sensor 144 is a temperature sensor installed inside the outdoor unit 10 to detect the internal temperature of the outdoor unit 10. For example, the internal temperature sensor 144 detects the temperature of the heat exchanger 142, etc. The external air temperature sensor 145 is a temperature sensor installed in the outdoor unit 10 to detect the external air temperature. The status detection unit 133 stores the detected operating status, internal temperature, and external air temperature, etc., as operating status-related information in the storage unit 120.

[0049] (Structure of indoor unit 20)

[0050] Next, the structure of the indoor unit 20 will be described. The basic structures of the indoor units 20a, 20b, and 20c are the same, the difference being that only indoor unit 20a is connected to the antenna unit 30. Figure 2 The diagram shows the structure of indoor unit 20a as an example, while the diagrams of indoor units 20b and 20c are omitted. Indoor unit 20 (20a) includes a wired communication unit 210, a storage unit 220, an indoor unit control unit 230, an indoor unit fan 241, a heat exchanger 242, a baffle 243, an internal temperature sensor 244, and a room temperature sensor 245.

[0051] The wired communication unit 210 is configured to include a communication device for communicating with the outdoor unit 10. The wired communication unit 210 is connected to the outdoor unit 10 via a communication line 101. The wired communication unit 210 of the indoor unit 20a is also connected to the antenna unit 30 via a communication line 102, and communicates with the antenna unit 30.

[0052] The storage unit 220 stores control programs and other information used to control the operation of the indoor unit 20. Additionally, the storage unit 220 stores identification information of the indoor unit 20 and information related to its operating status.

[0053] For example, the storage unit 220 of the indoor unit 20a stores the identification information (“ID21”) of the indoor unit 20a and information related to its operating status. In addition, the storage unit 220 of the indoor unit 20a also stores: the identification information (“ID11”) of the outdoor unit 10 obtained from the outdoor unit 10 and information related to its operating status, and the identification information (“ID22”, “ID23”) of other indoor units 20b and 20c obtained via the outdoor unit 10 and information related to their operating status.

[0054] Similarly, the following information is stored in the storage unit 220 of indoor unit 20b: identification information (“ID22”) of indoor unit 20b and information related to its operating status; identification information (“ID11”) of outdoor unit 10 and information related to its operating status; and identification information (“ID21”, “ID23”) and information related to the operating status of other indoor units 20a and 20c. The following information is stored in the storage unit 220 of indoor unit 20c: identification information (“ID23”) of indoor unit 20c and information related to its operating status; identification information (“ID11”) of outdoor unit 10 and information related to its operating status; and identification information (“ID21”, “ID22”) and information related to the operating status of other indoor units 20a and 20b. In other words, the identification information and operating status-related information of outdoor unit 10, and the identification information and operating status-related information of each indoor unit 20, are stored in the storage unit 120 of outdoor unit 10 and in the storage units 220 of each indoor unit 20 and are shared.

[0055] Indoor unit control section 230 and Figure 1 The control unit 230 shown corresponds to this. The indoor unit control unit 230 controls various parts of the indoor unit 20. For example, the indoor unit control unit 230 is configured to include a CPU and a memory. The indoor unit control unit 230 is a functional structure that is implemented by executing a control program stored in the storage unit 220, and includes a communication control unit 231, an action control unit 232, and a status detection unit 233.

[0056] The communication control unit 231 controls communication with the outdoor unit 10 via the wired communication unit 210 and the communication line 101. For example, the communication control unit 231 of the indoor unit 20a associates information related to the operating status of the indoor unit 20a with identification information (“ID21”) and sends it to the outdoor unit 10. The communication control unit 231 of the indoor unit 20b associates information related to the operating status of the indoor unit 20b with identification information (“ID22”) and sends it to the outdoor unit 10. The communication control unit 231 of the indoor unit 20c associates information related to the operating status of the indoor unit 20c with identification information (“ID23”) and sends it to the outdoor unit 10.

[0057] Furthermore, the communication control unit 231 of the indoor unit 20a obtains information from the outdoor unit 10 that is associated with identification information related to the operating status of the other indoor units 20b and 20c. Additionally, the communication control unit 231 obtains information from the outdoor unit 10 that is associated with identification information related to the operating status of the outdoor unit 10. The communication control unit 231 stores all the information obtained from the outdoor unit 10 in the storage unit 220.

[0058] In addition, the communication control unit 231 of the indoor unit 20a controls the communication with the antenna unit 30 via the wired communication unit 210 and the communication line 102. The communication control unit 231 of the indoor unit 20a obtains the identification information (“ID31”) of the antenna unit 30 from the antenna unit 30 and stores the obtained identification information in the storage unit 220.

[0059] In addition, the communication control unit 231 of the indoor unit 20a establishes an association between the information of the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor units 20a, 20b, and 20c, the identification information of each device, and the identification information of the antenna unit 30, and sends it to the external operation terminal 60 via the antenna unit 30.

[0060] Figure 3 This diagram illustrates an example of information sent by the indoor unit 20a to the external operating terminal 60 according to this embodiment. The example of information sent to the external operating terminal 60 shown in this diagram is information used by the external operating terminal 60 to monitor the operating status of the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20, and is information obtained by associating the identification information of each device with information related to its operating status. Hereinafter, the information obtained by associating the identification information of each device with information related to its operating status will be referred to as "operating status information".

[0061] For example, the communication control unit 231 of the indoor unit 20a associates the identification information of the antenna unit 30 (“ID31”), the identification information of the outdoor unit 10 (“ID11”), and information related to the operating status of the outdoor unit 10 (operating, internal temperature, external air temperature, etc.) to form the operating status information of the outdoor unit 10, and sends it to the external operating terminal 60 via the antenna unit 30. Additionally, the communication control unit 231 of the indoor unit 20a associates the identification information of the antenna unit 30 (“ID31”), the identification information of the indoor unit 20a (“ID21”), and information related to the operating status of the indoor unit 20a (operating, cooling, set temperature, internal temperature, room temperature, etc.) to form the operating status information of the indoor unit 20a, and sends it to the external operating terminal 60 via the antenna unit 30. Furthermore, the communication control unit 231 of indoor unit 20a associates the identification information of antenna unit 30 (“ID31”), the identification information of indoor unit 20b (“ID22”), and information related to the operating status of indoor unit 20b (operating, cooling, set temperature, internal temperature, room temperature, etc.) to form the operating status information of indoor unit 20b, and sends it to the external operating terminal 60 via antenna unit 30. Additionally, the communication control unit 231 of indoor unit 20a associates the identification information of antenna unit 30 (“ID31”), the identification information of indoor unit 20c (“ID23”), and information related to the operating status of indoor unit 20c (operating, cooling, set temperature, internal temperature, room temperature, etc.) to form the operating status information of indoor unit 20c, and sends it to the external operating terminal 60 via antenna unit 30.

[0062] Additionally, the communication control unit 231 obtains operation instruction information from the external operation terminal 60 via the antenna unit 30, indicating operation instructions for each indoor unit 20a, 20b, and 20c. In the operation instruction information, identification information of the indoor unit 20 to be operated, identification information of the antenna unit 30, and information indicating the operation content are linked together. The operation content refers to operations performed on the indoor unit 20, such as starting operation, stopping operation, switching between cooling operation, heating operation, and fan operation, setting the set temperature, and setting the airflow.

[0063] Figure 4This diagram illustrates an example of the operation instruction information involved in this embodiment. For example, when the communication control unit 231 of the indoor unit 20a issues an operation instruction for the indoor unit 20a in the external operation terminal 60, it obtains operation instruction information from the external operation terminal 60 via the antenna unit 30, which associates the identification information of the antenna unit 30 (“ID31”), the identification information of the indoor unit 20a (“ID21”), and the operation content of the indoor unit 20a. Similarly, when the communication control unit 231 of the indoor unit 20a issues an operation instruction for the indoor unit 20b in the external operation terminal 60, it obtains operation instruction information from the external operation terminal 60 via the antenna unit 30, which associates the identification information of the antenna unit 30 (“ID31”), the identification information of the indoor unit 20b (“ID22”), and the operation content of the indoor unit 20b. Furthermore, when an operation instruction for indoor unit 20c is given to indoor unit 20c via external operating terminal 60, the communication control unit 231 of indoor unit 20a obtains operation instruction information from external operating terminal 60 via antenna unit 30. This information is obtained by associating the identification information of antenna unit 30 (“ID31”), the identification information of indoor unit 20c (“ID23”), and the operation content of indoor unit 20c. The communication control unit 231 of indoor unit 20a then transmits the obtained operation identification information to each indoor unit 20b and 20c via outdoor unit 10.

[0064] Return to Figure 2 The motion control unit 232 controls the operation of the indoor unit 20. Specifically, the motion control unit 132 of each indoor unit 20 controls the indoor unit fan 241 and baffle 243, etc., of each indoor unit 20. For example, when the motion control unit 232 of indoor unit 20a receives an operation instruction signal output from remote control 40a, it controls the operation of indoor unit 20a based on the operation content contained in the received operation instruction signal. When the motion control unit 232 of indoor unit 20b receives an operation instruction signal output from remote control 40b, it controls the operation of indoor unit 20b based on the operation content contained in the received operation instruction signal. When the motion control unit 232 of indoor unit 20c receives an operation instruction signal output from remote control 40c, it controls the operation of indoor unit 20c based on the operation content contained in the received operation instruction signal.

[0065] Furthermore, when the communication control unit 231 of the indoor unit 20a obtains operation instruction information obtained by associating the identification information ("ID31") of the antenna unit 30 and the identification information ("ID21") of the indoor unit 20a, the operation control unit 232 of the indoor unit 20a controls the operation of the indoor unit 20a based on the operation content contained in the operation instruction information. When the communication control unit 231 of the indoor unit 20b obtains operation instruction information obtained by associating the identification information ("ID31") of the antenna unit 30 and the identification information ("ID22") of the indoor unit 20b, the operation control unit 232 of the indoor unit 20b controls the operation of the indoor unit 20b based on the operation content contained in the operation instruction information. When the communication control unit 231 of the indoor unit 20c obtains the operation instruction information obtained by associating the identification information ("ID31") of the antenna unit 30 and the identification information ("ID23") of the indoor unit 20c, the operation control unit 232 of the indoor unit 20c controls the operation of the indoor unit 20c based on the operation content contained in the operation instruction information. That is, each indoor unit 20 controls its operation based on the identification information of the indoor unit 20 contained in the operation instruction information obtained by the communication control unit 231, when the indoor unit is the object of operation.

[0066] The status detection unit 233 detects the status of various parts of the indoor unit 20. The status detection unit 233 periodically detects the operating status (running, stopped, set temperature, etc.) of the indoor unit 20 controlled by the operation control unit 232. Furthermore, based on the sensor outputs of the internal temperature sensor 244 and the room temperature sensor 245, the status detection unit 233 periodically detects the internal temperature and room temperature. The internal temperature sensor 244 is a temperature sensor installed inside the indoor unit 20 to detect the internal temperature of the indoor unit 20. For example, the internal temperature sensor 244 detects the temperature of the heat exchanger 242, etc. The room temperature sensor 245 is a temperature sensor installed in the indoor unit 20 to detect the room temperature. The status detection unit 233 stores the detected operating status, internal temperature, and room temperature, etc., as information related to the operating status in the storage unit 220.

[0067] (Structure of antenna element 30)

[0068] Next, the structure of antenna element 30 will be described. Figure 2 The antenna unit 30 shown includes a wired communication unit 310, a wireless communication unit 320, a storage unit 330, and a communication control unit 340.

[0069] The wired communication unit 310 is configured to include a communication device for communicating with either the outdoor unit 10 or the indoor unit 20. In the illustrated example, the wired communication unit 310 is connected to the indoor unit 20a via a communication line 102 and communicates with the indoor unit 20a.

[0070] The wireless communication unit 320 is configured to include communication devices that communicate wirelessly with the repeater 50. For example, the repeater 50 is a wireless LAN router. The wireless communication unit 320 is configured to include communication devices such as an antenna for connecting to the repeater 50 via a wireless LAN.

[0071] The storage unit 330 stores identification information (“ID31”) of the antenna unit 30 and control programs for controlling the operation of the antenna unit 30.

[0072] The communication control unit 340 is configured to include a CPU and a memory. The communication control unit 340 controls each part of the antenna unit 30 by executing a control program stored in the memory unit 330. Specifically, the communication control unit 340 controls communication with the indoor unit 20a via the wired communication unit 310. Additionally, the communication control unit 340 controls communication with the repeater 50 via the wireless communication unit 320.

[0073] When the antenna unit 30 is connected to the indoor unit 20a, the communication control unit 340 negotiates the communication speed and method, transmits information about the antenna unit 30 to the indoor unit 20a via the wired communication unit 310, and receives information from the indoor unit 20a via the wired communication unit 310. For example, the communication control unit 340 transmits the identification information (“ID31”) of the antenna unit 30 to the indoor unit 20a. Additionally, the communication control unit 340 receives the identification information (“ID21”) of the indoor unit 20a from the indoor unit 20a.

[0074] After establishing communication through negotiation, the communication control unit 340 obtains various information transmitted from the indoor unit 20a via the wired communication unit 310, and transmits the obtained information to the repeater 50 via the wireless communication unit 320. Additionally, the communication control unit 340 obtains various information transmitted from the repeater 50 via the wireless communication unit 320, and transmits the obtained information to the indoor unit 20a via the wired communication unit 310.

[0075] Next, the processing flow of air conditioning system 1 will be explained.

[0076] (Initialization process)

[0077] First, the initialization process of grouping the identification information of the devices connected to the air conditioning system 1 and setting them to a state that can be recognized by the external operation terminal 60 will be explained. Figure 5 This is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of the initialization process involved in this embodiment.

[0078] (Step S101) When the antenna unit 30 is connected to the indoor unit 20a, the antenna unit 30 and the indoor unit 20a perform a communication negotiation process. During the negotiation process, the antenna unit 30 sends its identification information (“ID31”) to the indoor unit 20a. The indoor unit 20a acquires and retains the identification information (“ID31”) sent by the antenna unit 30.

[0079] (Step S103) Indoor unit 20a sends its identification information (“ID21”) to outdoor unit 10. Outdoor unit 10 obtains the identification information (“ID21”) sent from indoor unit 20a and saves it in storage unit 220.

[0080] (Step S105) Indoor unit 20b sends its identification information (“ID22”) to outdoor unit 10. Outdoor unit 10 obtains the identification information (“ID22”) sent from indoor unit 20b and saves it in storage unit 220.

[0081] (Step S107) Indoor unit 20c sends its identification information (“ID23”) to outdoor unit 10. Outdoor unit 10 obtains the identification information (“ID23”) sent from indoor unit 20c and saves it in storage unit 220.

[0082] (Step S109) The outdoor unit 10 associates its identification information (“ID11”) with the identification information (“ID21”) of the indoor unit 20a, the indoor unit 20b (“ID22”) and the indoor unit 20c (“ID23”), and groups them as identification information groups for the devices included in the air conditioning system 1. Then, the outdoor unit 10 sends the grouped identification information groups to the indoor unit 20a. The indoor unit 20a receives the identification information groups sent from the outdoor unit 10 and stores them in its storage unit 220.

[0083] (Step S111) Indoor unit 20a associates the identification information (“ID31”) of antenna unit 30 with the identification information group (“ID11”, “ID21”, “ID22”, “ID23”) obtained from outdoor unit 10 and sends it to external operating terminal 60. By associating the identification information (“ID31”) of antenna unit 30, it is possible to distinguish the identification information group of the equipment in air conditioning system 1 from the identification information group of equipment in other air conditioning systems. The identification information group data sent from indoor unit 20a to external operating terminal 60 is first sent from indoor unit 20a to antenna unit 30 (step S111A), then from antenna unit 30 to repeater 50 (step S111B), and then from repeater 50 to external operating terminal 60 (step S111C). Thus, external operating terminal 60 can use the identification information of each device to determine the equipment in air conditioning system 1.

[0084] (Operational status monitoring and processing)

[0085] Next, the process of using the external operating terminal 60 to monitor the operating status of each device in the air conditioning system 1 will be explained.

[0086] Figure 6 This is a sequence diagram illustrating the operation status monitoring and processing flow involved in this embodiment.

[0087] (Step S201) The indoor unit 20a detects information related to the operating status of the indoor unit 20a, associates the detected information related to the operating status with the identification information ("ID21") of the indoor unit 20a, and stores it in the storage unit 220 of the indoor unit 20a.

[0088] (Step S203) The indoor unit 20a sends information to the outdoor unit 10, which establishes an association between information related to the operating status and identification information (“ID21”). The outdoor unit 10 obtains the information sent from the indoor unit 20a, which establishes an association between information related to the operating status and identification information (“ID21”), and saves it in the storage unit 120.

[0089] (Step S205) The indoor unit 20b detects information related to the operating status of the indoor unit 20b, associates the detected information related to the operating status with the identification information ("ID22") of the indoor unit 20b, and saves it in the storage unit 220 of the indoor unit 20b.

[0090] (Step S207) The indoor unit 20b sends information to the outdoor unit 10 that establishes a connection between the operating status information and the identification information (“ID22”). The outdoor unit 10 receives the information sent from the indoor unit 20b that establishes a connection between the operating status information and the identification information (“ID22”) and saves it in the storage unit 120.

[0091] (Step S209) The outdoor unit 10 sends the information obtained from the indoor unit 20b, which is associated with the information related to the operating status and the identification information "ID22"), to the indoor unit 20a. The indoor unit 20a stores the information obtained from the outdoor unit 10, which is associated with the information related to the operating status of the indoor unit 20b and the identification information "ID22"), in the storage unit 220 of the indoor unit 20a.

[0092] (Step S211) The indoor unit 20c detects information related to the operating status of the indoor unit 20c, associates the detected information related to the operating status with the identification information ("ID23") of the indoor unit 20c, and saves it in the storage unit 220 of the indoor unit 20c.

[0093] (Step S213) The indoor unit 20c sends information to the outdoor unit 10, which establishes an association between information related to the operating status and identification information (“ID23”). The outdoor unit 10 obtains the information sent from the indoor unit 20c, which establishes an association between information related to the operating status and identification information (“ID23”), and saves it in the storage unit 120.

[0094] (Step S215) The outdoor unit 10 sends the information obtained from the indoor unit 20c, which is associated with the information related to the operating status and the identification information "ID23"), to the indoor unit 20a. The indoor unit 20a stores the information obtained from the outdoor unit 10, which is associated with the information related to the operating status of the indoor unit 20c and the identification information "ID23"), in the storage unit 220 of the indoor unit 20a.

[0095] (Step S217) The outdoor unit 10 detects information related to the operating status of the outdoor unit 10, associates the detected information related to the operating status with the identification information ("ID11") of the outdoor unit 10, and saves it in the storage unit 120.

[0096] (Step S219) The outdoor unit 10 sends information to the indoor unit 20a that establishes a connection between the information related to the operating status and the identification information (“ID11”) of the outdoor unit 10. The indoor unit 20a stores the information sent from the outdoor unit 10 that establishes a connection between the information related to the operating status of the outdoor unit 10 and the identification information (“ID11”) in the storage unit 220 of the indoor unit 20a.

[0097] (Step S221) The indoor unit 20a generates outdoor unit 10 operating status information by associating the identification information (“ID31”) of the antenna unit 30 with information related to the operating status of the outdoor unit 10 and the identification information (“ID11”). (Refer to...) Figure 3 The indoor unit 20a generates operating status information of the indoor unit 20a by associating the identification information of the antenna unit 30 (“ID31”) with information related to the operating status of the indoor unit 20a and the identification information “ID21”). (Refer to...) Figure 3 The indoor unit 20a generates operating status information of the indoor unit 20b by associating the identification information of the antenna unit 30 (“ID31”) with information related to the operating status of the indoor unit 20b and the identification information “ID22”). (Refer to...) Figure 3 The indoor unit 20a generates operating status information of the indoor unit 20c by associating the identification information of the antenna unit 30 (“ID31”) with information related to the operating status of the indoor unit 20c and the identification information “ID23”). (Refer to...) Figure 3 ).

[0098] (Step S223) Indoor unit 20a sends the operating status information of outdoor unit 10, indoor unit 20a, indoor unit 20b, and indoor unit 20c to external operating terminal 60. The operating status information sent from indoor unit 20a to external operating terminal 60 is first sent from indoor unit 20a to antenna unit 30 (step S223A), then from antenna unit 30 to repeater 50 (step S223B), and finally from repeater 50 to external operating terminal 60 (step S223C). Thus, external operating terminal 60 can monitor the operating status of each device in air conditioning system 1.

[0099] Furthermore, the processes from step S201 to step S223 are repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle. Additionally, the order in which the outdoor unit 10 and each indoor unit 20 detect their operating status and send the results can be interchanged. Furthermore, the processes of the outdoor unit 10 and each indoor unit 20 detecting their operating status and sending the results can also be synchronized with a specific cycle.

[0100] (Operation Instruction Processing)

[0101] Next, the operation instruction processing flow when issuing operation instructions to the air conditioning system 1 from the external operation terminal 60 will be explained. Users can use the external operation terminal 60 to issue operation instructions to each device in the air conditioning system 1 simultaneously.

[0102] Figure 7 This is a sequence diagram illustrating the operation instruction processing flow involved in this embodiment.

[0103] (Step S301) The external operation terminal 60 accepts user operations on the indoor unit 20, the object of operation of the air conditioning system 1. For example, the external operation terminal 60 displays operation screens for accepting various operation operations of indoor units 20a, 20b, and 20c, and accepts user operations on these operation screens. In these operation screens, for indoor units 20a, 20b, and 20c, operations such as starting and stopping operation, switching between cooling, heating, and fan operation, setting the set temperature, and setting the airflow are accepted.

[0104] (Step S303) The external operation terminal 60 generates operation instruction information based on the user's operation received in step S301. The operation instruction information includes identification information for the antenna unit 30 of the air conditioning system 1 (the target of the operation), identification information for the indoor unit 20 (the target of the operation), and the operation content, which are associated (see reference). Figure 4 In addition, the external operation terminal 60 can also generate operation instruction information according to the pre-set operation plan, which specifies the operation object, operation content, and time.

[0105] (Step S305) The external operating terminal 60 sends operation instruction information to the air conditioning system 1. The timing of the transmission corresponds to the user's operation in step S301, or according to a pre-set operation plan. The operation instruction information sent from the external operating terminal 60 to the air conditioning system 1 is first sent from the external operating terminal 60 to the repeater 50 (step S305A), then from the repeater 50 to the antenna unit 30 (step S305B), and then from the antenna unit 30 to the indoor unit 20a (step S305C).

[0106] (Step S307) When the indoor unit 20a receives an operation instruction message sent from the external operation terminal 60, if the operation instruction message includes the identification information (“ID31”) of the antenna unit 30, it sends the operation instruction message to the outdoor unit 10. In this case, the indoor unit 20a proceeds to the processing in step S313.

[0107] (Steps S309, S311) When the outdoor unit 10 receives the operation instruction information sent from the indoor unit 20a, it sends the operation instruction information to the indoor units 20b and 20c. The order in which the information is sent to the indoor units 20b and 20c can be either sent to one first or sent simultaneously.

[0108] (Step S313) Indoor unit 20a determines whether it is an operation target based on the identification information of indoor unit 20 contained in the operation instruction information sent from external operation terminal 60. If the identification information of indoor unit 20 contained in the operation instruction information is the identification information of indoor unit 20a (“ID21”), indoor unit 20a determines that it is an operation target and proceeds to step S315. On the other hand, if the identification information of indoor unit 20 contained in the operation instruction information is not the identification information of indoor unit 20a (“ID21”), indoor unit 20a determines that it is not an operation target and does not proceed to step S315.

[0109] (Step S315) When the indoor unit 20a is the object to be operated, and the operation instruction information is sent from the external operation terminal 60, it controls the action based on the operation instruction information. Specifically, the indoor unit 20a performs control corresponding to the operation content contained in the operation instruction information.

[0110] (Step S317) Indoor unit 20b determines whether it is an operation target based on the identification information of indoor unit 20 contained in the operation instruction information sent from external operation terminal 60. If the identification information of indoor unit 20 contained in the operation instruction information is the identification information of indoor unit 20b (“ID22”), indoor unit 20b determines that it is an operation target and proceeds to step S319. On the other hand, if the identification information of indoor unit 20 contained in the operation instruction information is not the identification information of indoor unit 20b (“ID22”), indoor unit 20b determines that it is not an operation target and does not proceed to step S319.

[0111] (Step S319) When the indoor unit 20b is the object to be operated, and the operation instruction information is sent from the external operation terminal 60, it controls the action based on the operation instruction information. Specifically, the indoor unit 20b performs control corresponding to the operation content contained in the operation instruction information.

[0112] (Step S321) Indoor unit 20c determines whether it is an operation target based on the identification information of indoor unit 20 contained in the operation instruction information sent from external operation terminal 60. If the identification information of indoor unit 20 contained in the operation instruction information is the identification information of indoor unit 20c (“ID23”), indoor unit 20c determines that it is an operation target and proceeds to step S323. On the other hand, if the identification information of indoor unit 20 contained in the operation instruction information is not the identification information of indoor unit 20c (“ID23”), indoor unit 20c determines that it is not an operation target and does not proceed to step S323.

[0113] (Step S323) When the indoor unit 20c is the object to be operated, and the operation instruction information is sent from the external operation terminal 60, it controls the action based on the operation instruction information. Specifically, the indoor unit 20c performs control corresponding to the operation content contained in the operation instruction information.

[0114] As described above, the air conditioning system 1 according to this embodiment connects one outdoor unit 10 and multiple indoor units 20 via a communication line 101. The air conditioning system 1 is configured to include an antenna unit 30 (an example of a communication unit) and a communication control unit 231. The antenna unit 30 enables communication between the outdoor unit 10 and any one of the multiple indoor units 20 and an external operating terminal 60 (an example of an external device). The communication control unit 231 establishes an association between identification information (first identification information) inherently set for the outdoor unit 10 and the multiple indoor units 20 and identification information (second identification information) inherently set for the antenna unit 30, and transmits this association to the external operating terminal 60 (an example of an external device) via the antenna unit 30.

[0115] Therefore, the air conditioning system 1 can use the identification information of the antenna unit 30 and the identification information of each device of the outdoor unit 10 and multiple indoor units 20 to identify the air conditioning system 1 and each device. Thus, it is possible to easily manage each device from an external device (e.g., an external operating terminal 60) with a simple structure.

[0116] For example, the communication control unit 231 associates the information of the outdoor unit 10 and the multiple indoor units 20, the identification information (first identification information) of the outdoor unit 10 and the multiple indoor units 20, and the identification information (second identification information) of the antenna unit 30, and sends them to the external operation terminal 60 via the antenna unit 30.

[0117] Therefore, the air conditioning system 1 can use the identification information of the antenna unit 30 and the identification information of each device of the outdoor unit 10 and multiple indoor units 20 to determine the information of the air conditioning system 1 and each device. Thus, the information of each device can be easily managed from an external device (e.g., an external operating terminal 60) with a simple structure.

[0118] Here, the information possessed by the outdoor unit 10 and the multiple indoor units 20 includes information related to the status of each of the outdoor unit 10 and the multiple indoor units 20.

[0119] Therefore, the air conditioning system 1 can easily monitor the status of each device from an external device with a simple structure. The status of each device refers to information related to the operating status of the outdoor unit 10 and the multiple indoor units 20. As described above, the information related to the operating status includes information such as: information indicating operating status (e.g., in operation, stopped), information indicating operating mode (e.g., cooling, heating, or air supply), set information such as set temperature or airflow, and detection information such as room temperature, outside air temperature, or inside temperature. Thus, the air conditioning system 1 can easily monitor the operating status of each device from an external device (e.g., an external operating terminal 60) with a simple structure.

[0120] The communication control unit 231 is equipped with a device (e.g., indoor unit 20a) in the outdoor unit 10 and multiple indoor units 20 that communicates with an external operating terminal 60 via an antenna unit 30. The device (e.g., indoor unit 20a) communicating with the external operating terminal 60 obtains information from other devices in the outdoor unit 10 and multiple indoor units 20. Furthermore, the device (e.g., indoor unit 20a) associates and stores the information obtained from the other devices with their respective identification information (first identification information).

[0121] Thus, in the air conditioning system 1, only the outdoor unit 10 and one of the multiple indoor units 20 (e.g., indoor unit 20a) communicate with the external operating terminal 60 via the antenna unit 30, thereby enabling the operation status of the outdoor unit 10 and each of the multiple indoor units 20 to be monitored from an external device (e.g., external operating terminal 60).

[0122] The communication control unit 231 obtains operation instruction information from the external operation terminal 60 via the antenna unit 30. This information associates the identification information (first identification information) of the indoor unit 20 that is the target of operation among the multiple indoor units 20 with the operation content and the identification information (second identification information) of the antenna unit 30. Each of the multiple indoor units 20 has an action control unit 232. The action control unit 232 controls the operation based on the identification information (first identification information) included in the operation instruction information obtained by the communication control unit 231, and if it is the target of operation, it controls the operation based on the operation content included in the operation instruction information.

[0123] Therefore, the air conditioning system 1 can individually issue operation instructions to each indoor unit 20 of the air conditioning system 1 from an external device (e.g., an external operation terminal 60). In addition, the air conditioning system 1 can also simultaneously issue operation instructions with the same content to each indoor unit 20 of the air conditioning system 1.

[0124] Additionally, the antenna unit 30 communicates with the external operating terminal 60 via the repeater 50 (an example of a communication intermediary device). Thus, the air conditioning system 1 is able to send and receive information with an external device (e.g., the external operating terminal 60) connected via the repeater 50.

[0125] For example, if repeater 50 is a wireless LAN router and antenna unit 30 is connected to the wireless LAN, in air conditioning system 1, one device (e.g., indoor unit 20a) communicates with an external device (e.g., external operating terminal 60) via the wireless LAN. Therefore, it is not necessary to connect multiple indoor units 20 and external devices (e.g., external operating terminal 60) via communication cables, resulting in a simplified structure. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to connect multiple indoor units 20 and external devices (e.g., external operating terminal 60) via communication cables, the risk of communication failure due to disconnection or other reasons is low.

[0126] In the above scenario, within the wireless LAN-based communication range, the air conditioning system 1 can communicate with external devices (e.g., external operating terminal 60). Alternatively, the repeater 50 may replace the wireless LAN router, or, based on the wireless LAN router, may also include a base station for public lines such as mobile phone communication networks. In this case, the air conditioning system 1 can also communicate with external devices (e.g., external operating terminal 60) outside the wireless LAN-based communication range (outdoors, etc.).

[0127] Furthermore, the communication method described above is just one example, and any communication method can be applied. For example, when communicating between the air conditioning system 1 and an external device (e.g., external operating terminal 60) indoors, communication can be conducted using Bluetooth (registered trademark) instead of the repeater 50. Additionally, the communication unit described using antenna unit 30 as an example can also be a LAN adapter connected to a wired LAN. That is, it can also be configured such that a device within the air conditioning system 1 (e.g., indoor unit 20a) is connected to an external device (e.g., external operating terminal 60) via a communication line (wired).

[0128] Furthermore, in the air conditioning system 1, the number of antenna units 30 is less than the combined number of outdoor units 10 and multiple indoor units 20. Therefore, the air conditioning system 1 can communicate with external devices (e.g., external operating terminal 60) with a simplified structure.

[0129] Furthermore, in the air conditioning system 1, the indoor unit 20, which is connected to the outdoor unit 10, can be added or removed later. When the indoor unit 20 is added or removed, the air conditioning system 1 can be adjusted by... Figure 5 The initialization process shown can update the information of the indoor unit 20 connected to the outdoor unit 10.

[0130] Alternatively, each indoor unit 20 can be configured to be connected not only to the outdoor unit 10 via a communication line, but also to each other via communication lines. This allows each indoor unit 20 to directly obtain information from other indoor units 20 without going through the outdoor unit 10.

[0131] Furthermore, in this embodiment, an example is shown where the antenna unit 30 is externally connected to the indoor unit 20a, but it can also be built into the indoor unit 20a. Also, in this embodiment, an example is shown where the antenna unit 30 is connected to the indoor unit 20a, but the device connected to the antenna unit 30 can be any of the indoor units 20 or the outdoor unit 10. The device connected to the antenna unit 30 can also replace the aforementioned indoor unit 20a to perform the aforementioned communication with the external operating terminal 60 or the external management server 70. In addition to the outdoor unit 10 and the devices connected to the antenna unit 30 in the multiple indoor units 20, there can also be devices connected to a spare antenna unit 30. For example, if the indoor unit 20a is connected to the antenna unit 30 and the indoor unit 20b is connected to a spare antenna unit 30, if communication via the antenna unit 30 by the indoor unit 20a is disrupted, the indoor unit 20b can also use the spare antenna unit 30 to communicate. Alternatively, it can be configured such that all outdoor units 10 and indoor units 20 are connected to antenna units 30, and only one of the antenna units 30 functions.

[0132] Furthermore, in this embodiment, an example is described where the identification information and operating status-related information of the outdoor unit 10 and the identification information and operating status-related information of each indoor unit 20 are stored in the storage unit 120 of the outdoor unit 10 and the storage units 220 of each indoor unit 20 and are shared, but this is not a limitation. It is also possible that the identification information and operating status-related information of the outdoor unit 10 and the identification information and operating status-related information of each indoor unit 20 are stored only in the device connected to the antenna unit 30 (e.g., indoor unit 20a).

[0133] <Second Implementation>

[0134] Next, a second embodiment of this disclosure will be described. In the first embodiment, an example of an external operating terminal 60 managing one air conditioning system 1 was described, but in this embodiment, an example of managing multiple air conditioning systems will be described.

[0135] Figure 8 This is a system diagram illustrating an example of an air conditioning system according to this embodiment. Figure 8In the example shown, seven air conditioning systems, 1A, 1B, ..., 1G, are connected to an external operating terminal 60 via repeater 50. Three of the seven air conditioning systems are illustrated; the other four are omitted. Furthermore, in... Figure 8 In the middle, to and Figure 1 The structural labels corresponding to the structures shown are the same as those in the attached drawings. Figure 8 Although the illustrations are omitted, similar to the first embodiment, the external management server 70 can replace the external operating terminal 60 or, based on the external operating terminal 60, communicate with the seven air conditioning systems via the repeater 50.

[0136] The air conditioning system 1A includes one outdoor unit 10 (10A), three indoor units 20 (20Aa, 20Ab, 20Ac), an antenna unit 30 (30A), and remote controls 40 (40Aa, 40Ab, 40Ac) corresponding to the three indoor units 20. The basic structure of the air conditioning system 1A is similar to... Figure 1 The structure of the air conditioning system 1 shown is the same. Indoor unit 20Aa and... Figure 1 The indoor unit 20a shown is similarly connected to the antenna unit 30A.

[0137] The air conditioning system 1B includes one outdoor unit 10 (10B), two indoor units 20 (20Ba, 20Bb), an antenna unit 30 (30B), and remote controls 40 (40Ba, 40Bb) corresponding to the two indoor units 20 respectively. The basic structure of the air conditioning system 1B is similar to that of the other systems, except for the number of indoor units 20. Figure 1 The structure of the air conditioning system 1 shown is the same. The indoor unit 20Ba is... Figure 1 The indoor unit 20a shown is similarly connected to the antenna unit 30B.

[0138] The air conditioning system 1G consists of one outdoor unit 10 (10G), three indoor units 20 (20Ga, 20Gb, 20Gc), an antenna unit 30 (30G), and remote controls 40 (40Ga, 40Gb, 40Gc) corresponding to the three indoor units 20. The basic structure of the air conditioning system 1G is similar to that of the air conditioning system, except that the antenna unit 30G is connected to the outdoor unit instead of the indoor unit. Figure 1 The structure of the air conditioning system 1 shown is the same. The outdoor unit 10G is replaced... Figure 1 The indoor unit 20a shown is communicatively connected to the external operating terminal 60 via repeater 50. As described above, information related to the operating status of both the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20 is shared by both. Therefore, the antenna unit 30 can also be connected to either the outdoor unit 10 or the indoor unit 20.

[0139] In addition, in air conditioning system 1A, the identification information of outdoor unit 10A is set to "ID11", the identification information of each indoor unit 20Aa, 20Ab, and 20Ac is set to "ID21", "ID22", and "ID23", and the identification information of antenna unit 30A is set to "ID31". In air conditioning system 1B, the identification information of outdoor unit 10B is set to "ID12", the identification information of each indoor unit 20Ba and 20Bb is set to "ID24" and "ID25", and the identification information of antenna unit 30B is set to "ID32". In air conditioning system 1G, the identification information of outdoor unit 10G is set to "ID11", the identification information of each indoor unit 20Ga, 20Gb, and 20Gc is set to "ID21", "ID22", and "ID23", and the identification information of antenna unit 30G is set to "ID33".

[0140] The external operation terminal 60 can distinguish and process each air conditioning system 1A, 1B, ..., 1G based on the different identification information of the antenna units 30 of each air conditioning system 1A, 1B, ..., 1G. On the other hand, the identification information of the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20 is different in air conditioning system 1A and air conditioning system 1B, but the same identification information is used in air conditioning system 1A and air conditioning system 1G. Because the identification information of the antenna units 30 of each air conditioning system is different, the external operation terminal 60 can distinguish and process each of the outdoor unit 10 and multiple indoor units 20 of air conditioning system 1A and multiple indoor units 20 of air conditioning system 1G, even if the same identification information is used in the outdoor unit 10 and indoor units 20 of air conditioning system 1A and air conditioning system 1G.

[0141] Therefore, in this embodiment, the operation instructions for distinguishing the outdoor units 10 and indoor units 20 of multiple air conditioning systems 1A, 1B, ..., 1G, monitoring their operating status, and performing operation operations can all be performed on the external operation terminal 60.

[0142] also, Figure 8 The number of indoor units 20 in air conditioning systems 1A, 1B, and 1G shown is an example, and the number can be set to any number. Furthermore, indoor units 20 can be added or deleted later.

[0143] Figure 9 This is an example of a monitoring screen showing the operating status involved in this embodiment. Figure 9 The monitoring screen showing the operating status is obtained from the external operating terminal 60. Figure 8This is an example of displaying information related to the operating status of the outdoor unit 10 and multiple indoor units 20 of each air conditioning system 1A, 1B, ..., 1G. Information related to the operating status of the outdoor unit 10 and multiple indoor units 20 of each air conditioning system 1A, 1B, ..., 1G can be displayed separately for each air conditioning system. The display area indicated by reference numeral 601 displays information related to the operating status of the outdoor unit 10 and three indoor units 20 of air conditioning system 1A. The display area indicated by reference numeral 602 displays information related to the operating status of the outdoor unit 10 and two indoor units 20 of air conditioning system 1B. The display area indicated by reference numeral 603 displays information related to the operating status of the outdoor unit 10 and three indoor units 20 of air conditioning system 1G. Information related to the operating status includes, for example, any one of: running, stopped, set temperature, set airflow, internal temperature, external air temperature, room temperature, etc.

[0144] In addition, Figure 8 In the example of the monitoring screen shown, information related to the operating status of three air conditioning systems, 1A, 1B, and 1G, is presented as a representative example. However, in actual monitoring of information related to the operating status of seven air conditioning systems, information related to the operating status of all seven air conditioning systems will be displayed. If the information of all air conditioning systems cannot be displayed on one screen, the external operating terminal 60 can also scroll through the displays. Alternatively, after displaying the selection options for the air conditioning systems on the screen, the external operating terminal 60 can switch to displaying only information related to the operating status of the selected air conditioning system.

[0145] As explained above, the operating status of each outdoor unit 10 and indoor unit 20 included in each of the multiple air conditioning systems 1A, 1B, ..., 1G can be monitored from an external device (e.g., external operating terminal 60). Furthermore, operation instructions can be given to each indoor unit 20 included in each of the multiple air conditioning systems 1A, 1B, ..., 1G from an external device (e.g., external operating terminal 60). Therefore, each device of the outdoor unit 10 and indoor unit 20 of each of the multiple air conditioning systems 1A, 1B, ..., 1G can be easily managed simultaneously from an external device (e.g., external operating terminal 60) with a simple structure.

[0146] Alternatively, the programs used to implement the functions of the outdoor unit control unit 130, the indoor unit control unit 230, and the communication control unit 340 can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the computer system can read and execute the program recorded on the recording medium to perform processing for each control unit. Furthermore, the term "computer system" as used here refers to hardware including the operating system, peripheral devices, etc.

[0147] Furthermore, "computer-readable recording medium" refers to removable media such as floppy disks, optical disks, ROMs, and CD-ROMs, as well as storage devices such as hard disks built into computer systems. Moreover, "computer-readable recording medium" refers to a recording medium that dynamically maintains a program for a short period of time, such as a communication line used when transmitting a program via a network such as the Internet or a telephone line, or a recording medium that maintains a program for a certain period of time, such as volatile memory inside a computer system that acts as a server or client in such cases. Additionally, the aforementioned program can be a program used to implement the above-mentioned functions, or it can be a program that implements the above-mentioned functions by combining them with programs already recorded in the computer system. Alternatively, the aforementioned program can be pre-stored on a designated server and distributed (downloaded, etc.) via communication lines according to requests from other devices.

[0148] Alternatively, some or all of the functions of the outdoor unit control unit 130, indoor unit control unit 230, and communication control unit 340 can be implemented as integrated circuits such as LSI (Large Scale Integration). Each function can be processed separately, or some or all of them can be integrated and processed. Furthermore, the method of integrated circuit implementation is not limited to LSI; it can also be implemented using dedicated circuits or general-purpose processors. In addition, when advancements in semiconductor technology have led to the emergence of integrated circuit technologies that replace LSI, integrated circuits based on such technologies can also be used.

[0149] The above description of the disclosed embodiments has been provided with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the specific structure is not limited to this embodiment and may include designs that do not depart from the scope of the disclosure.

[0150] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0151] 1...Air conditioning system; 10...Outdoor unit; 20...Indoor unit; 30...Antenna unit; 40...Remote controller; 50...Repeater; 60...External operating terminal; 70...External management server; 110...Wired communication unit; 120...Storage unit; 130...Outdoor unit control unit; 131...Communication control unit; 132...Action control unit; 133...Status detection unit; 141...Compressor; 142...Heat exchanger; 143...Outdoor unit fan; 144...Internal temperature... Sensors; 145...External air temperature sensor; 210...Wired communication unit; 220...Storage unit; 230...Indoor unit control unit; 231...Communication control unit; 232...Action control unit; 233...Status detection unit; 241...Indoor unit fan; 242...Heat exchanger; 243...Baffle; 244...Internal temperature sensor; 245...Room temperature sensor; 310...Wired communication unit; 320...Wireless communication unit; 330...Storage unit; 340...Communication control unit.

Claims

1. An air conditioning system comprising multiple air conditioning units, wherein the air conditioning units are connected via communication lines to one outdoor unit and multiple indoor units. in, The air conditioning system includes: The first communication unit, within the first air conditioner, enables communication between one of the first outdoor units and any one of the multiple first indoor units and an external device. In the first air conditioner, the first communication control unit establishes an association between first identification information inherently set for the first outdoor unit and the multiple first indoor units and second identification information inherently set for the first communication unit, as information for respectively identifying the first outdoor unit and the multiple first indoor units, and sends the information from one of the first outdoor units or the first indoor units communicating with the first communication unit to the external device via the first communication unit. The second communication unit, within the second air conditioning unit, enables communication between one of the second outdoor units and any one of the multiple second indoor units and external devices. and In the second air conditioner, the second communication control unit, as information for separately identifying the second outdoor unit and multiple second indoor units, establishes an association between first identification information inherently set for each of the second outdoor unit and multiple second indoor units and second identification information inherently set for the second communication unit, and sends the information from one of the second outdoor units or the second indoor units communicating with the second communication unit to the external device via the second communication unit. The first identification information in the first air conditioner and the first identification information in the second air conditioner contain the same first identification information, but the second identification information in the first air conditioner and the second identification information in the second air conditioner are different.

2. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein, The first communication control unit associates the information possessed by the first outdoor unit and multiple first indoor units with their respective first identification information and second identification information, and sends the information from one of the first outdoor units or the first indoor units communicating with the first communication unit to the external device via the first communication unit. The second communication control unit associates the information of the second outdoor unit and the multiple second indoor units with their respective first identification information and second identification information, and sends the information from one of the second outdoor units or the second indoor units communicating with the second communication unit to the external device via the second communication unit.

3. The air conditioning system according to claim 2, wherein, The information possessed by the outdoor unit and the multiple indoor units includes information related to the status of each of the outdoor unit and the multiple indoor units.

4. The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, In the first air conditioner, the first communication control unit is equipped in the first outdoor unit and in multiple first indoor units as a device that communicates with the external devices via the first communication unit. The device in the first air conditioner that communicates with the external device obtains information from the other devices in the first outdoor unit and multiple first indoor units, and associates and saves the obtained information with their respective first identification information. In the second air conditioner, the second communication control unit is equipped in the second outdoor unit and in multiple second indoor units, providing a device for communication with external devices via the second communication unit. The device communicating with the external device in the second air conditioner obtains information from the other devices in the second outdoor unit and multiple second indoor units, and associates and saves the obtained information with their respective first identification information.

5. The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The first communication control unit obtains operation instruction information from the external device via the first communication unit, which associates the first identification information of the indoor unit that is the target of operation with the operation content and the second identification information of the multiple first indoor units. Each of the first indoor units is equipped with an action control unit. This action control unit, based on the first identification information contained in the operation instruction information obtained by the first communication control unit, controls the action according to the operation content contained in the operation instruction information when the first indoor unit is the object of operation. The second communication control unit obtains operation instruction information from the external device via the second communication unit, which associates the first identification information of the indoor unit that is the target of operation with the operation content and the second identification information of the multiple second indoor units. Each of the second indoor units has an action control unit. The action control unit controls the action based on the operation content contained in the operation instruction information obtained by the second communication control unit, when the second indoor unit is the object of operation.

6. The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The first communication unit and the second communication unit communicate with the external device via a communication intermediary device.

7. The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The number of the first communication units is less than the total number of the first outdoor unit and multiple first indoor units. The number of the second communication units is less than the total number of the second outdoor unit and multiple second indoor units.

8. A control method for an air conditioning system, the air conditioning system having multiple air conditioners, wherein the air conditioners are connected to one outdoor unit and multiple indoor units via communication lines. in, The control method for the air conditioning system includes: In the first communication step, communication between an outdoor unit and any one of a plurality of indoor units and an external device is conducted via a first communication unit in the first air conditioner. In the first communication control step, in the first air conditioner, as information for respectively identifying the first outdoor unit and multiple first indoor units, a first identification information inherently set for the first outdoor unit and multiple first indoor units and a second identification information inherently set for the first communication unit are associated, and the information is sent from one of the first outdoor units or the first indoor unit communicating with the first communication unit to the external device via the first communication unit. In the second communication step, communication between an outdoor unit and any one of the multiple indoor units and an external device is conducted via a second communication unit in the second air conditioner. and In the second communication control step, the second air conditioner establishes an association between first identification information inherently set for the second outdoor unit and the multiple second indoor units, and second identification information inherently set for the second communication unit, as information for respectively identifying the second outdoor unit and the multiple second indoor units. This association is then transmitted from one of the second outdoor units or the second indoor unit communicating with the second communication unit to the external device via the second communication unit. The first identification information in the first air conditioner and the first identification information in the second air conditioner contain the same first identification information, but the second identification information in the first air conditioner and the second identification information in the second air conditioner are different.

9. The control method according to claim 8, wherein, In the first communication control step, the information possessed by the first outdoor unit and multiple first indoor units, along with their respective first identification information and second identification information, are associated, and transmitted from one of the first outdoor units or the first indoor unit communicating with the first communication unit to the external device via the first communication unit. In the second communication control step, the information of the second outdoor unit and the multiple second indoor units, as well as their respective first identification information and second identification information, are associated, and the information is sent from one of the second outdoor units or the second indoor unit that communicates with the second communication unit to the external device via the second communication unit.

10. The control method according to claim 9, wherein, The information possessed by the outdoor unit and the multiple indoor units includes information related to the status of each of the outdoor unit and the multiple indoor units.

11. The control method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein, In the first air conditioner, the first communication control step is performed in the first outdoor unit and in the devices of the plurality of first indoor units that communicate with the external device via the first communication unit. The device in the first air conditioner that communicates with the external device obtains information from the other devices in the first outdoor unit and multiple first indoor units, and associates and saves the obtained information with their respective first identification information. In the second air conditioner, the second communication control step is performed in the second outdoor unit and in the devices of the multiple second indoor units that communicate with the external device via the second communication unit. The device communicating with the external device in the second air conditioner obtains information from the other devices in the second outdoor unit and multiple second indoor units, and associates and saves the obtained information with their respective first identification information.

12. The control method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein, In the first communication control step, the first communication unit obtains operation instruction information from the external device, which associates the first identification information of the indoor unit that is the target of operation with the operation content and the second identification information of the multiple first indoor units. Each of the first indoor units controls its actions based on the first identification information contained in the operation instruction information obtained in the first communication control step, when the first indoor unit is the object of operation, according to the operation content contained in the operation instruction information. In the second communication control step, the second communication unit obtains operation instruction information from the external device, which associates the first identification information of the indoor unit that is the target of operation with the operation content and the second identification information of the multiple second indoor units. Multiple second indoor units, respectively, control their actions based on the operation content contained in the operation instruction information obtained in the second communication control step, when the second indoor unit is the object of operation.

13. The control method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein, The first communication unit and the second communication unit communicate with the external device via a communication intermediary device.

14. The control method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein, The number of the first communication units is less than the total number of the first outdoor unit and multiple first indoor units. The number of the second communication units is less than the total number of the second outdoor unit and multiple second indoor units.

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