Control device, control method, and control program

Abstract

To provide a control device, a control method, and a control program for suppressing an overheat in an appliance.SOLUTION: A control device controls an appliance based on a control program. The control device comprises an acquisition unit, a sensor fault determination unit, a specifying unit, an appliance state determination unit and a command unit. The acquisition unit acquires temperature information indicating a temperature of an appliance from each of a plurality of temperature sensors that measure the temperature of the appliance. The sensor fault determination unit determines whether or not there is a malfunctioning sensor in the plurality of temperature sensors based on a difference in the temperatures measured by the plurality of temperature sensors. The specifying unit specifies a malfunctioning sensor if there are malfunctioning sensors in the plurality of temperature sensors. The appliance state determination unit determines whether the appliance is abnormal or not based on a temperature measured by at least one of the normal temperature sensors which are not malfunctioning among the plurality of temperature sensors. The command unit performs a process to stop the appliance if it is abnormal.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control device, a control method, and a control program for controlling various devices. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, devices such as HGWs (Home Gateways) are provided with a temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the device to prevent the temperature of the device from becoming abnormally high, and a control device that controls the device based on the measured temperature (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Specifically, when the temperature measured by the temperature sensor is higher than a reference temperature by a threshold value or more, the control device controls the device to restrict functions that are the main cause of the temperature rise. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-161176 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the device described in Patent Document 1 is provided with only one temperature sensor, and if the temperature sensor breaks down, the temperature rise of the device will not be suppressed, and there is a risk that the device will overheat.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a control device, a control method, and a control program that suppress overheating in equipment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The control device according to the present disclosure is a control device for controlling an equipment, and includes an acquisition unit that acquires temperature information indicating the temperature of the equipment from each of a plurality of temperature sensors that measure the temperature of the equipment, a sensor failure determination unit that determines whether or not there is a faulty sensor among the plurality of temperature sensors based on the difference between the temperatures measured by the plurality of temperature sensors, an identification unit that identifies which sensor is faulty if there is a faulty sensor among the plurality of temperature sensors, an equipment status determination unit that determines whether or not the equipment is abnormal based on the temperature measured by at least one normal sensor that is a non-faulty temperature sensor among the plurality of temperature sensors, and a command unit that performs processing to stop the equipment if the equipment is abnormal.

[0007] The control method according to the present disclosure is a control method by a control device that controls an equipment, and includes the steps of acquiring temperature information indicating the temperature of the equipment from each of a plurality of temperature sensors that measure the temperature of the equipment, determining whether or not there is a faulty sensor among the plurality of temperature sensors based on the difference in the temperatures measured by the plurality of temperature sensors, and if there is a faulty sensor among the plurality of temperature sensors, identifying which is the faulty sensor, determining whether or not the equipment is abnormal based on the temperature measured by at least one normal sensor among the plurality of temperature sensors that is a non-faulty temperature sensor, and if the equipment is abnormal, performing processing to stop the equipment.

[0008] The control program of the present disclosure is a control program executed by a computer that controls an equipment, and causes the computer to realize the following functions: acquiring temperature information indicating the temperature of the equipment from each of a plurality of temperature sensors that measure the temperature of the equipment; determining whether or not there is a faulty sensor among the plurality of temperature sensors based on the difference in the temperatures measured by the plurality of temperature sensors; and, if there is a faulty sensor among the plurality of temperature sensors, identifying which is the faulty sensor; determining whether or not the equipment is abnormal based on the temperature measured by at least one normal sensor among the plurality of temperature sensors that is a non-faulty temperature sensor; and, if the equipment is abnormal, performing processing to stop the equipment. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the control device, control method, and control program of the present disclosure, the presence or absence of a faulty sensor is determined based on the difference between temperatures measured by a plurality of temperature sensors that measure the temperature of the equipment, and if a faulty sensor is present, the faulty sensor is identified. Then, the presence or absence of an abnormality in the equipment is determined based on the temperature measured by at least one normal sensor, and if an abnormality is detected in the equipment, a process for stopping the equipment is performed. Thus, overheating of the equipment is suppressed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a control device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a control device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of control by a control device according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] 11 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of a process of identifying a faulty sensor by an identifying unit in the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Embodiment FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a control device 1 according to an embodiment. The control device 1 is provided in a device 100 such as a HGW (Home Gateway) and issues a command to a device control unit 20 included in the device 100. The command will be described later. The control device 1 may be provided inside or outside the device 100. The device 100 includes a device control unit 20 including a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), one or more device communication units 21, one or more load devices 22, and a power supply circuit 23. The device communication unit 21 may be a device such as a communication interface card that enables communication with an external communication device via Ethernet, telephone, or WiFi (registered trademark). The load device 22 is a device that bears the load of the device 100 and is determined depending on the type of the device 100. The device 100 may not include one or more load devices 22. The power supply circuit 23 receives power from a commercial power source or a storage battery, and supplies the power to the appliance control unit 20 and one or more appliance communication units 21, etc. The appliance control unit 20 controls the one or more appliance communication units 21 and the power supply circuit 23, etc. Below, each of the appliance communication unit 21, the load device 22, and the power supply circuit 23 may also be referred to as an auxiliary device.

[0012] The device 100 is provided with a plurality of temperature sensors 3 for measuring the temperature of the device 100. In the embodiment, the plurality of temperature sensors 3 are arranged on a board on which circuit devices for implementing the device control unit 20, one or more device communication units 21, and power supply circuit 23 in the device 100 are mounted. Each of the plurality of temperature sensors 3 may be built into a circuit module constituting each of the device control unit 20, one or more device communication units 21, and power supply circuit 23. The plurality of temperature sensors 3 may be provided in the device 100 at a position away from the board, or may be provided outside the device 100 in contact with a housing constituting the outer shell of the device 100. Examples of the temperature sensors 3 include a thermistor and a thermocouple.

[0013] The control device 1 acquires the temperatures measured by the multiple temperature sensors 3. Then, the control device 1 determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the device 100 based on the temperatures acquired from all or some of the multiple temperature sensors 3, and instructs the device control unit 20 to stop the device if there is an abnormality.

[0014] The control device 1 includes an acquisition unit 10, a sensor failure determination unit 11, an identification unit 12, a sensor processing unit 13, an equipment state determination unit 14, and a command unit 15. The acquisition unit 10 periodically acquires, from each of the multiple temperature sensors 3, temperature information that is information indicating the temperature measured by each of the multiple temperature sensors 3.

[0015] The sensor failure determination unit 11 determines whether or not there is a faulty temperature sensor 3 among the multiple temperature sensors 3 based on the difference between the temperatures measured by the multiple temperature sensors 3. Here, differences in temperatures measured by each temperature sensor 3 may occur depending on the position of each temperature sensor 3 in the device 100. However, when any temperature sensor 3 is faulty, the absolute value of the difference between the temperature obtained by the faulty temperature sensor 3 and the temperature obtained by the non-faulty temperature sensor 3 is greater than the absolute value of the difference between the temperatures obtained by the two non-faulty temperature sensors 3. The sensor failure determination unit 11 determines whether or not there is a faulty temperature sensor 3 based on the difference between the temperatures measured by the multiple temperature sensors 3.

[0016] Here, the sensor failure determination unit 11 sets the first threshold based on the difference in temperature by the plurality of temperature sensors 3 in a state in which all of the plurality of temperature sensors 3 are not broken and the device 100 is operated according to one or more specific operating conditions that are determined in advance or under one or more specific environmental conditions that are determined in advance. More specifically, when two temperature sensors 3 are provided in the device 100, the first threshold is set as the absolute value of the difference in temperature by the two temperature sensors 3, which is a boundary for distinguishing between a case in which none of the two temperature sensors 3 is broken and a case in which at least one of the temperature sensors 3 is broken. Also, when three or more temperature sensors 3 are provided in the device 100, the first threshold is set for each combination of two temperature sensors 3 out of the three or more temperature sensors 3. That is, for each combination of two temperature sensors 3, the first threshold is set as the absolute value of the difference in temperature by the two temperature sensors 3, which is a boundary for distinguishing between a case in which none of the two temperature sensors 3 is broken and a case in which at least one of the two temperature sensors 3 is broken. The sensor failure determination unit 11 determines whether or not there is a failed temperature sensor 3 based on the difference between the temperatures measured by the plurality of temperature sensors 3 and the above-mentioned first threshold value. This will be explained in more detail below.

[0017] First, the sensor failure determination unit 11 calculates the difference between the temperatures obtained by the multiple temperature sensors 3. When two temperature sensors 3 are provided in the device 100, the sensor failure determination unit 11 calculates the difference between the temperature measured by one of the two temperature sensors 3 and the temperature measured by the other. When three or more temperature sensors 3 are provided in the device 100, the sensor failure determination unit 11 calculates the difference between the temperatures measured by each of the two temperature sensors 3 for each combination of two temperature sensors 3 out of the three or more temperature sensors 3.

[0018] The sensor failure determination unit 11 determines whether the absolute value of the temperature difference obtained by the plurality of temperature sensors 3 is equal to or greater than a first threshold value. If the absolute value is equal to or greater than the first threshold value, it determines that there is a faulty temperature sensor 3. Specifically, when two temperature sensors 3 are provided in the device 100, the sensor failure determination unit 11 determines whether the absolute value of the temperature difference obtained by the two temperature sensors 3 is equal to or greater than a first threshold value that has been set. If the absolute value is equal to or greater than the first threshold value, it determines that at least one of the two temperature sensors 3 is faulty. When three or more temperature sensors 3 are provided in the device 100, the sensor failure determination unit 11 determines whether the absolute value of the temperature difference obtained by the two temperature sensors 3 is equal to or greater than a first threshold value that has been set for each combination of two temperature sensors 3 among the three or more temperature sensors 3. If the absolute value of the temperature difference obtained by the two temperature sensors 3 in a certain combination is equal to or greater than the first threshold value, it determines that at least one of the two temperature sensors 3 is faulty.

[0019] When the sensor failure determination unit 11 determines that there is a faulty temperature sensor 3 among the plurality of temperature sensors 3, the determination unit 12 identifies the faulty temperature sensor 3. In detail, when the temperature measured by one or more specific temperature sensors 3 among the plurality of temperature sensors 3 is outside a predetermined first temperature range, the determination unit 12 identifies the one or more specific temperature sensors 3 as the faulty temperature sensor 3. Here, the first temperature range is a temperature range that can be measured as the temperature of the device 100 based on the installation environment of the device 100, and a temperature outside the first temperature range refers to a temperature that should not be measured, such as "-100°C", when the device 100 is installed indoors. In addition, an example of a value outside the first temperature range is a numerical value such as "0xFF" that is acquired when the temperature sensor 3 fails or communication fails. The first temperature range may be set for each temperature sensor 3.

[0020] The identifying unit 12 in the embodiment further identifies a faulty temperature sensor 3 as follows. First, when each part such as the device control unit 20 or one or more device communication units 21 operates, the temperature measured by each temperature sensor 3 measuring the temperature of the part rises, but if the temperature of the temperature sensor 3 measuring the temperature of the operating part remains constant or drops during a predetermined first time, the temperature sensor 3 may be faulty. Alternatively, if the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 3 measuring the temperature of the operating part of the device 100 continues to rise during the first time and exceeds an upper limit, the temperature sensor 3 may be faulty.

[0021] Furthermore, when two or more temperature sensors 3 are located near each other, the temperatures measured by the two or more temperature sensors 3 are often correlated with each other. However, if the trend of temperature change over time measured by any one of the two or more temperature sensors 3 is incompatible with the trend of temperature change over time measured by the other temperature sensors 3, i.e., if the temperature measured by the other temperature sensor 3 rises at the first hour while the temperature measured by any one of the temperature sensors 3 falls at the first hour or does not change, then one of the two or more temperature sensors 3 or the other temperature sensor 3 may be faulty.

[0022] In order to identify a faulty temperature sensor 3, the identifying unit 12 in the embodiment stores both or one of the following individual temperature transition information and correlated temperature transition information. The individual temperature transition information is information indicating the time transition of temperature from each temperature sensor 3 in a non-faulty state, and is a history of temperature information from each non-faulty temperature sensor 3. The individual temperature transition information is obtained based on temperature information periodically obtained from each non-faulty temperature sensor 3 while the device 100 is operating according to one or more specific operating conditions described above or under one or more specific environmental conditions described above.

[0023] The correlated temperature transition information is information indicating the correlation of the temporal transition of temperature by two or more temperature sensors 3 that are not broken and are located within a predetermined first distance, i.e., in the vicinity of each other. The correlated temperature transition information is obtained from the correlation between two or more pieces of individual temperature transition information based on the measurement results of the two or more temperature sensors 3 that are not broken. Alternatively, the correlated temperature transition information is obtained based on the difference between the temperatures measured at each time point by the two or more temperature sensors 3 that are not broken, in accordance with the one or more specific operating conditions or in a state in which the device 100 is operated under the one or more specific environmental conditions. The correlated temperature transition information may be information indicating the above-mentioned first threshold value set between the two or more temperature sensors 3 that are in the vicinity. In the following, both or one of the individual temperature transition information and the correlated temperature transition information may be described as first temperature transition information.

[0024] The identification unit 12 identifies the faulty temperature sensor 3 based on the first temperature transition information. In detail, the identification unit 12 derives information indicating the time transition of the temperature measured by each temperature sensor 3 based on the temperature information periodically obtained from each temperature sensor 3. Then, when the information indicating the time transition of the temperature measured by a certain temperature sensor 3 deviates from the first temperature transition information, the identification unit 12 identifies the temperature sensor 3 as the faulty temperature sensor 3. Note that, when the correlated temperature transition information is information indicating a first threshold value and the identification unit 12 uses the correlated temperature transition information to identify the faulty temperature sensor 3, the information indicating the time transition of the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 3 deviates from the first temperature transition information in the following cases. That is, it refers to a case where the time transition of the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 3 deviates from the individual temperature transition information, and the absolute value of the difference between the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 3 and the temperature measured by a temperature sensor 3 in the vicinity of the temperature sensor 3 is equal to or greater than the first threshold value.

[0025] When the identification unit 12 identifies one or more temperature sensors 3 as faulty temperature sensors 3, the sensor processing unit 13 generates a sensor stop signal which is a signal instructing the one or more temperature sensors 3 to stop. Then, the sensor processing unit 13 transmits the sensor stop signal to the temperature sensor 3 identified by the identification unit 12. Note that the sensor processing unit 13 may transmit the sensor stop signal to the faulty temperature sensor 3 via the device control unit 20. The temperature sensor 3 that receives the sensor stop signal stops based on the sensor stop signal. Hereinafter, a faulty temperature sensor 3 may also be referred to as a faulty sensor. Also, a normal temperature sensor 3, i.e., a temperature sensor 3 that is not faulty, may also be referred to as a normal sensor.

[0026] The device state determination unit 14 determines whether the device 100 is abnormal based on the temperature measured by one or more normal sensors excluding one or more faulty sensors from the multiple temperature sensors 3. In detail, the device state determination unit 14 determines whether the temperature measured by one or more normal sensors is equal to or higher than the boundary temperature. Here, the boundary temperature is a temperature that is a boundary that distinguishes whether the device 100 is abnormal or not, and is determined for each temperature sensor 3. More specifically, the boundary temperature is determined based on the characteristics or arrangement state of each temperature sensor 3. When there is only one normal sensor, the device state determination unit 14 determines whether the temperature measured by the one normal sensor is equal to or higher than the boundary temperature. Then, when the temperature measured by the one normal sensor is lower than the boundary temperature, the device state determination unit 14 determines that the device 100 is normal, and when the temperature measured by the one normal sensor is equal to or higher than the boundary temperature, the device state determination unit 14 determines that the device 100 is abnormal.

[0027] In the embodiment, when there are two or more normal sensors, the device state determination unit 14 determines whether or not the temperature measured by one of the normal sensors is equal to or higher than the boundary temperature. When the temperature measured by the one normal sensor is lower than the boundary temperature, the device state determination unit 14 determines that the device 100 is normal, and when the temperature measured by the one normal sensor is equal to or higher than the boundary temperature, the device state determination unit 14 determines that the device 100 is abnormal. The one normal sensor used to determine the state of the device 100 may be determined arbitrarily or as follows. That is, the control device 1 may store data indicating the durability, location, or cumulative operation time of each temperature sensor 3, and the one normal sensor may be determined based on the data.

[0028] When there are two or more normal sensors, the device state determination unit 14 may determine whether the temperature measured by each normal sensor is equal to or higher than the boundary temperature, and determine that the device 100 is abnormal when the temperature measured by at least one normal sensor is equal to or higher than the boundary temperature. Alternatively, when there are two or more normal sensors, the device state determination unit 14 may determine whether the temperature measured by each normal sensor is equal to or higher than the boundary temperature, and determine that the part of the device 100 corresponding to the location where the normal sensor is placed is abnormal when the temperature measured by a certain normal sensor is equal to or higher than the boundary temperature. In this case, the device state determination unit 14 stores the identification information of each temperature sensor 3 and information indicating the part of the device 100 corresponding to the location where each temperature sensor 3 is placed, in association with each other. Note that the part of the device 100 corresponding to the location where the temperature sensor 3 is placed refers to any part of the device control unit 20 and one or more auxiliary devices where the temperature sensor 3 is placed.

[0029] When the device state determination unit 14 determines that the device 100 is abnormal, the command unit 15 commands the device control unit 20 to stop. Specifically, the command unit 15 generates a first stop signal that commands the device control unit 20 to stop, and transmits the generated first stop signal to the device control unit 20. When the device control unit 20 receives the first stop signal, it stops processing based on the first stop signal. Note that, when the device control unit 20 is in an abnormal state in which it cannot be stopped according to the first stop signal, the command unit 15 transmits a second stop signal to at least one of the one or more attached devices. When the destination of the second stop signal is the device communication unit 21, the signal commands the device communication unit 21 to stop processing, when the destination of the second stop signal is the load device 22, the signal commands the load device 22 to stop processing, and when the destination of the second stop signal is the power supply circuit 23, the signal commands the device control unit 20 and at least one of the one or more device communication units 21 to cut off or reduce power. By transmitting the second stop signal to one or more device communication units 21 or one or more load devices 22, the function of the device 100 is suppressed, and as a result, a temperature rise in the device 100 is suppressed. By transmitting the second stop signal to the power supply circuit 23, power to at least one of the device control unit 20 and one or more device communication units 21, etc. is cut off or reduced, the processing of the device 100 is stopped or the function of the device 100 is restricted, and a temperature rise in the device 100 is suppressed.

[0030] In addition, when the equipment status determination unit 14 determines that there is an abnormality in some of the functions of the equipment 100, the command unit 15 may send a first stop signal to the equipment control unit 20 to stop the equipment 100, or may send a second stop signal to an accessory device associated with the abnormal function to stop only that function.

[0031] Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the control device 1 according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, the control device 1 can be configured by a first processor 41, a first memory 42, a first communication interface circuit 43, a first input / output interface circuit 44, and a second input / output interface circuit 45, which are connected by a first bus 40. The first processor 41 is a CPU or an MPU, etc. The first memory 42 includes both or one of a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory).

[0032] The function of the acquisition unit 10 can be realized by the first communication interface circuit 43. The functions of the sensor failure determination unit 11, the identification unit 12, the sensor processing unit 13, and the device state determination unit 14 can be realized by the first processor 41 reading and executing a control program stored in the first memory 42. The function of the command unit 15 generating the first stop signal and the second stop signal can be realized by the first processor 41 executing the control program. The function of the command unit 15 transmitting the first stop signal to the device control unit 20 can be realized by the first input / output interface circuit 44. The function of the command unit 15 transmitting the second stop signal to one or more accessory devices can be realized by the second input / output interface circuit 45. Note that the first processor 41 may be connected to the processor of the device control unit 20 by the first bus 40, and in this case, the control device 1 may not include the first input / output interface circuit 44. The control device 1 may be configured in whole or in part by dedicated hardware.

[0033] Hereinafter, the control by the control device 1 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of control by the control device 1 according to the embodiment. In Fig. 3, it is assumed that N temperature sensors 3 are provided in the device 100, and that n of the N temperature sensors 3 are in operation. Here, N is a natural number of 2 or more, and n is a natural number that is 1 or more and N or less.

[0034] In step S1, the acquisition unit 10 acquires temperature information from n operating temperature sensors 3. In step S2, the sensor failure determination unit 11 determines whether n is equal to 1, that is, whether the number of operating temperature sensors 3 is 1. If n is equal to 1 (step S2: YES), the control device 1 proceeds to step S7.

[0035] If n is not equal to 1, that is, if n is 2 or more (step S2: NO), in step S3, the sensor failure determination unit 11 calculates the difference between the temperatures measured by the n temperature sensors 3. That is, if n is 2, the sensor failure determination unit 11 calculates the difference between the temperatures measured by two temperature sensors 3, and if n is 3 or more, the sensor failure determination unit 11 calculates the difference between the temperatures measured by the two temperature sensors 3 for each combination of two temperature sensors 3 out of the three or more temperature sensors 3.

[0036] In step S4, the sensor failure determination unit 11 compares the difference obtained in step S3 with a first threshold value to determine whether or not there is a faulty sensor. That is, when n is 2, the sensor failure determination unit 11 determines whether or not the absolute value of the difference is equal to or greater than the first threshold value, and if the absolute value of the difference is equal to or greater than the first threshold value, determines that at least one of the two temperature sensors 3 in operation is faulty. When n is 3 or greater, the sensor failure determination unit 11 determines whether or not there is an absolute value of the difference for each combination of two temperature sensors 3 that is equal to or greater than the first threshold value, and if there is an absolute value of the difference that is equal to or greater than the first threshold value, determines that at least one of the three or more temperature sensors 3 in operation is faulty.

[0037] If there is no faulty sensor among the n temperature sensors 3 (step S4: NO), the control device 1 proceeds to step S7.

[0038] If the n temperature sensors 3 include a faulty sensor (step S4: YES), the identifying unit 12 identifies the faulty sensor in step S5. Details of the process in step S5 will be described later. In step S6, the sensor processing unit 13 stops the faulty sensor identified in step S5.

[0039] In step S7, the device state determination unit 14 determines whether the device 100 is abnormal based on the temperature measured by one or more normal sensors that are in operation. If only one normal sensor is in operation in step S7, the control device 1 may notify the user by displaying or outputting information indicating that the N-1 temperature sensors 3 are faulty using a display or speaker, etc., provided in the device 100 or the control device 1. Alternatively, the control device 1 may transmit information indicating that the N-1 temperature sensors 3 are faulty to a server or an external communication terminal, etc., by a communication device (not shown) provided in the control device 1 or at least one of the one or more device communication units 21. This allows the user or administrator, etc. to recognize that the N-1 temperature sensors 3 need to be repaired.

[0040] If the device 100 is not abnormal, that is, if the device 100 is normal (step S7: NO), the control device 1 returns the process to step S1. If the device 100 is abnormal (step S7: YES), the command unit 15 transmits a first stop signal to the device control unit 20 in step S8. Note that in step S8, the control device 1 may notify the user of information indicating that the device 100 is abnormal by displaying or outputting the information by voice on a display or speaker provided in the device 100 or the control device 1. Alternatively, the control device 1 may transmit information indicating that the device 100 is abnormal to a server or an external communication terminal by a communication device (not shown) provided in the control device 1. This allows the user or the administrator to recognize the need for inspection or repair of the device 100.

[0041] In step S9, the command unit 15 determines whether the device control unit 20 has stopped processing. Note that, when the command unit 15 receives a response to the first stop signal from the device control unit 20, it can determine that the device control unit 20 has stopped processing. If the device control unit 20 has stopped processing (step S9: YES), the control device 1 ends the processing. If it is determined that the device control unit 20 does not stop processing (step S9: NO), in step S10, the control device 1 transmits a second stop signal to at least one of the one or more attached devices. This stops the device 100 or suppresses the functions of the device 100. After the processing of step S10, the control device 1 ends the processing.

[0042] FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating the flow of the process of identifying a faulty sensor by the identification unit 12 in the embodiment. In step S21, the identification unit 12 judges whether or not all of the temperatures measured by the n temperature sensors 3 in operation are within the first temperature range. If all of the temperatures measured by the n temperature sensors 3 are within the first temperature range (step S21: YES), the identification unit 12 transfers the process to step S23. If the temperature measured by at least one of the n temperature sensors 3 is not within the first temperature range (step S21: NO), in step S22, the identification unit 12 identifies the at least one temperature sensor 3 as a faulty sensor. After the process of step S22, the control device 1 transfers the process to step S6. Note that, after the process of step S22, the identification unit 12 may transfer the process to step S23.

[0043] In step S23, the identification unit 12 derives information indicating the time transition of the temperature measured by each of the n temperature sensors 3. Hereinafter, the information indicating the time transition of the temperature measured by the temperature sensors 3 derived in step S23 may be referred to as current temperature transition information. In step S24, the identification unit 12 identifies a faulty sensor based on the current temperature transition information and the first temperature transition information. After processing in step S24, the control device 1 proceeds to step S6.

[0044] When the process of step S23 is executed after the process of step S22, in step S23 the identifying unit 12 may derive current temperature transition information indicating a time transition of the temperature measured by one or more temperature sensors 3 that are not identified as a faulty sensor in step S22, among the n temperature sensors 3. Then, in step S24, the identifying unit 12 may identify a faulty sensor, if any, among the one or more temperature sensors 3, based on the current temperature transition information and the first temperature transition over time.

[0045] In FIG. 4, in step S21, it is determined whether the temperature of each temperature sensor 3 is within the first temperature range, thereby performing the process of identifying the faulty sensor, and in step S24, the process of identifying the faulty sensor is performed based on the current temperature transition information and the first temperature transition information. That is, in FIG. 4, the identification unit 12 identifies the faulty sensor based on the absolute value of the temperature measured by each temperature sensor 3 in step S22, and identifies the faulty sensor based on the current temperature transition information and the first temperature transition information by each temperature sensor 3 in step S24, so that the process of identifying the faulty sensor is performed twice. However, the process of identifying the faulty sensor in step S5 may include only either the process of step S22 or step S24. If the process of step S24 is not included in step S5, the processes in steps S21 to S22 are as follows. In step S21, the identification unit 12 determines whether the temperature measured by each of the n temperature sensors 3 is within the first temperature range. Then, in step S22, the identification unit 12 identifies the temperature sensor 3 whose measured temperature is not within the first temperature range as a faulty sensor. After the process of step S22, the control device 1 moves the process to step S6. That is, in this case, the processes of steps S23 to S24 are omitted. If the process of step S21 is not included in step S5, the process of step S5 becomes the processes of steps S23 to S24.

[0046] In the above embodiment, the sensor processing unit 13 stops the faulty sensor in step S6, but the process of step S7 may be executed without stopping the faulty sensor. In this case, the control device 1 may not include the sensor processing unit 13. In this case, in step S7, the device state determination unit 14 determines whether the device 100 is abnormal or not based on the temperature measured by one or more normal sensors excluding the faulty sensor from the N temperature sensors 3. At this time, if there is only one normal sensor, the control device 1 may notify the user by displaying or outputting information indicating that the N-1 temperature sensors 3 are faulty on a display or speaker provided in the device 100 or the control device 1. Alternatively, the control device 1 may transmit information indicating that the N-1 temperature sensors 3 are faulty to a server or an external communication terminal, etc., via a communication device (not shown) provided in the control device 1 or at least one of the one or more device communication units 21. If it is determined in step S7 that the device 100 is not abnormal, the control device 1 returns the process to step S1, where the acquisition unit 10 acquires temperature information from the N temperature sensors 3. Then, in step S2, the sensor failure determination unit 11 determines whether the number of normal sensors is two or more. If the number of normal sensors is one, the process of step S7 is executed. If it is determined that the number of normal sensors is two or more, the processes from step S3 onwards are executed with the above-mentioned n temperature sensors 3 replaced with two or more temperature sensors 3 that have been determined to be normal sensors.

[0047] The effects of the control device 1 according to the embodiment will be described below. The control device 1 according to the embodiment controls the device 100, and includes an acquisition unit 10, a sensor failure determination unit 11, a specification unit 12, a device state determination unit 14, and a command unit 15. The acquisition unit 10 acquires temperature information indicating the temperature of the device 100 from each of a plurality of temperature sensors 3 that measure the temperature of the device 100. The sensor failure determination unit 11 determines whether or not there is a faulty sensor that is a faulty temperature sensor 3 among the plurality of temperature sensors 3, based on the difference between the temperatures measured by the plurality of temperature sensors 3. If there is a faulty sensor among the plurality of temperature sensors 3, the specification unit 12 specifies which sensor is the faulty sensor. The device state determination unit 14 determines whether or not the device 100 is abnormal, based on the temperatures measured by one or more normal sensors among the plurality of temperature sensors 3. If the device 100 is abnormal, the command unit 15 performs processing to stop the device 100.

[0048] According to the above configuration, even if a faulty sensor is included among the multiple temperature sensors 3, the faulty sensor is identified by the identification unit 12, and the device state determination unit 14 can determine the presence or absence of an abnormality in the device 100 based on the temperatures of one or more normal sensors other than the faulty sensor. If it is determined that the device 100 is abnormal, the command unit 15 performs processing to stop the device 100, thereby preventing overheating of the device 100.

[0049] The control device 1 according to the embodiment includes a sensor processing unit 13. When there is a faulty sensor, the sensor processing unit 13 generates a sensor stop signal that instructs the faulty sensor identified by the identification unit 12 to stop, and controls the acquisition unit 10 to transmit the sensor stop signal to the faulty sensor. This avoids unnecessary communication between the control device 1 and the faulty sensor, thereby reducing the amount of communication. In addition, the control device 1 can perform control based on the temperature from only one or more normal sensors excluding the faulty sensor, thereby eliminating unnecessary processing in the control device 1.

[0050] The device 100 in the embodiment includes one or more device communication units 21 and a device control unit 20. The one or more device communication units 21 communicate with an external communication device. The device control unit 20 controls the one or more device communication units 21. When the device 100 is abnormal, the command unit 15 transmits a first stop signal to the device control unit 20 to instruct the device control unit 20 to stop. When the device control unit 20 does not stop even after transmitting the first stop signal to the device control unit 20, the command unit 15 transmits a second stop signal to all or a part of the one or more device communication units 21 to instruct the device control unit 20 to stop. As a result, all or a part of the one or more device communication units 21 stop processing, and the functions of the device 100 are partially restricted. Therefore, overheating of the device 100 is suppressed.

[0051] The device 100 in the embodiment includes one or more device communication units 21, a device control unit 20, and a power supply circuit 23. The one or more device communication units 21 communicate with an external communication device. The device control unit 20 controls the one or more device communication units 21. The power supply circuit 23 supplies power to the one or more device communication units 21 and the device control unit 20. If the device 100 is abnormal, the command unit 15 transmits a first stop signal to the device control unit 20 to instruct the device control unit 20 to stop. If the device control unit 20 does not stop even after transmitting the first stop signal to the device control unit 20, the command unit 15 transmits a second stop signal to the power supply circuit 23 to instruct the device control unit 20 to cut off or reduce the power. If the power supply circuit 23 cuts off the power based on the second stop signal, the device control unit 20 and the one or more device communication units 21 cannot continue processing, and the device 100 stops. When the power supply circuit 23 reduces the power, some of the functions of the device 100 are suppressed, and the amount of heat generated by the current flowing through the circuitry in the device 100 can be reduced. Thus, overheating of the device 100 is prevented.

[0052] The device state determination unit 14 in the embodiment determines whether or not the device 100 is abnormal based on a temperature measured by one predetermined normal sensor among the multiple temperature sensors 3. The temperature measured by each temperature sensor 3 may vary depending on the position in the device 100. Here, for each temperature sensor 3, a boundary temperature that is a boundary between whether or not the device 100 is abnormal is determined based on the position or the like, and the device state determination unit 14 determines whether or not the temperature measured by one normal sensor is equal to or higher than the boundary temperature determined for the one normal sensor, thereby easily, quickly, and highly accurately determining whether or not the device 100 is abnormal.

[0053] In the embodiment, when the temperature measured by any one of the plurality of temperature sensors 3 is outside a predetermined first temperature range, the identifying unit 12 identifies the any one of the temperature sensors 3 as a faulty sensor. This allows the faulty sensor to be identified quickly.

[0054] The identifying unit 12 in the embodiment identifies a faulty sensor based on the time transition and difference of temperatures measured by each of the plurality of temperature sensors 3. This allows the faulty sensor to be identified with high accuracy.

[0055] When an abnormality occurs in the device 100, the control device 1 according to the embodiment performs processing for displaying or outputting audio information indicating that the device 100 has an abnormality. This allows the user of the device 100 to recognize the need for inspection, repair, or the like of the device 100.

[0056] When an abnormality occurs in the device 100, the control device 1 according to the embodiment performs a process for transmitting information indicating that the device 100 has an abnormality to a server or an external communication terminal. This enables a user or administrator of the device 100 to recognize the need for inspection, repair, or the like of the device 100.

[0057] Although the embodiments have been described above, the contents of the present disclosure are not limited to the embodiments and include possible equivalents. Furthermore, the configurations described in the embodiments and their modifications can be combined with each other as long as the functions and operations are not impaired. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 1 control device, 3 temperature sensor, 10 acquisition unit, 11 sensor failure determination unit, 12 identification unit, 13 sensor processing unit, 14 equipment state determination unit, 15 command unit, 20 equipment control unit, 21 equipment communication unit, 22 load device, 23 power supply circuit, 40 first bus, 41 first processor, 42 first memory, 43 first communication interface circuit, 44 first input / output interface circuit, 45 second input / output interface circuit, 100 equipment.

Claims

1. A control device for controlling a device, an acquisition unit that acquires temperature information indicating the temperature of the device from each of a plurality of temperature sensors that measure the temperature of the device; a sensor failure determination unit that determines whether or not there is a faulty sensor among the plurality of temperature sensors based on differences between the temperatures measured by the plurality of temperature sensors; an identification unit that identifies, when a faulty sensor is present among the plurality of temperature sensors, which sensor is the faulty sensor; an equipment state determination unit that determines whether or not the equipment is abnormal based on the temperature measured by at least one normal sensor that is a temperature sensor that is not broken among the plurality of temperature sensors; A command unit that performs a process to stop the device when the device is abnormal; A control device comprising:

2. The control device according to claim 1 , further comprising a sensor processing unit that, when a faulty sensor is present, generates a sensor stop signal to instruct the faulty sensor identified by the identification unit to stop, and controls the acquisition unit to transmit the sensor stop signal to the faulty sensor.

3. The device comprises: One or more device communication units for communicating with an external communication device; A device control unit that controls the one or more device communication units; Equipped with The command unit includes: If the device is abnormal, a first stop signal is transmitted to the device control unit to instruct the device to stop. A control device as described in claim 1 or claim 2, which, if the equipment control unit does not stop even when the first stop signal is sent to the equipment control unit, sends a second stop signal to all or a part of the one or more equipment communication units to instruct them to stop.

4. The device comprises: One or more device communication units for communicating with an external communication device; A device control unit that controls the one or more device communication units; a power supply circuit for supplying power to the one or more device communication units and the device control unit; Equipped with The command unit includes:

3. The control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, when the equipment is abnormal, a first stop signal is sent to the equipment control unit to instruct it to stop, and when the equipment control unit does not stop even after sending the first stop signal to the equipment control unit, a second stop signal is sent to the power supply circuit to instruct it to cut off or reduce the power.

5. The device state determination unit is 3. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising: a control unit configured to determine whether or not the device is abnormal based on the temperature measured by a predetermined normal sensor among the plurality of temperature sensors.

6. The identification unit is 3. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising: a control unit configured to, when the temperature measured by any one of the plurality of temperature sensors is outside a predetermined first temperature range, identify the any one of the temperature sensors as the faulty sensor.

7. The identification unit is 3. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the faulty sensor is identified based on a temporal change and a difference in the temperatures measured by each of the plurality of temperature sensors.

8. 3. The control device according to claim 1, wherein, when an abnormality occurs in the device, a process is performed for displaying or outputting a sound indicating that the device has an abnormality.

9. 3. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising a process for transmitting information indicating that the device has an abnormality to a server or an external communication terminal when the device has an abnormality.

10. A control method for controlling a device, comprising: acquiring temperature information indicating the temperature of the device from each of a plurality of temperature sensors that measure the temperature of the device; determining whether or not there is a faulty sensor among the plurality of temperature sensors based on differences in the temperatures measured by the plurality of temperature sensors; If there is a faulty sensor among the plurality of temperature sensors, identifying which sensor is the faulty sensor; determining whether or not the device is abnormal based on the temperature measured by at least one normal sensor that is a temperature sensor that is not broken among the plurality of temperature sensors; performing a process for stopping the device when the device is abnormal; A control method comprising:

11. A control program executed by a computer that controls a device, a function of acquiring temperature information indicating the temperature of the device from each of a plurality of temperature sensors that measure the temperature of the device; a function of determining whether or not there is a faulty sensor among the plurality of temperature sensors based on a difference between the temperatures measured by the plurality of temperature sensors; a function of identifying, when a faulty sensor is present among the plurality of temperature sensors, which sensor is faulty; a function of determining whether or not the device is abnormal based on the temperature measured by at least one normal sensor that is a temperature sensor that is not broken among the plurality of temperature sensors; A function of performing a process for stopping the device when the device is abnormal; A control program that causes the computer to realize the above.

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