Air conditioner

Abstract

To solve the problems with an air conditioner that when there is a bed-ridden person or a pet in a home, it is predicted that an air conditioner sometimes remains in a stopped state even when electricity is supplied at the recovery from power outage; if an air conditioner should stop, there is a risk of heat stroke in summer, and a risk of death from the cold in winter; even when the situation is not that bad, a person may sometimes complain of feeling unwell since he or she is unable to follow a change in the body temperature; and at the peak of power, in the meanwhile, there is planned power outage, and in some cases, there is unplanned power outage.SOLUTION: An air conditioner is restored to a state before recovery without making any modification to an air conditioner body, or can be changed to a designated mode without intervention of a person at the recovery from power outage in the air conditioner.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an air conditioner that, even if the power supplied to the air conditioner is lost due to a power outage, can automatically return the main switch to the on state and restore the state before the power outage when the power is restored and the air conditioner begins to function normally. [Background technology]

[0002] For various home appliances, including air conditioners, the main switch returns to the off state even after the power is restored after experiencing a power outage.

[0003] This is a technology that prevents home appliances from being left in a state where they cannot be controlled by humans, with the main switch being turned on, and ensures that home appliances are always operated in a state where humans can control them.

[0004] However, with things like air conditioners, even if the main switch was on before the power outage, if the main switch starts off after the power is restored, the temperature control will be lost when no one is at home, and people who are bedridden or have pets in their homes will not be able to control the room temperature and may end up getting sick.

[0005] For this reason, air conditioners require technology that will automatically turn on the main switch and enable temperature control after power is restored, regardless of whether anyone is in the home or not. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 7-225045 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] To provide an air conditioner and a wireless transmission type remote controller (hereinafter referred to as a remote controller) for the air conditioner, which aims to provide a safe environment as much as possible for bedridden people and pets and enable them to live better lives, without forcing them to endure a great deal of hardship once a power outage occurs, by refraining from going out out of the house out of fear of power outages accompanying the peak power seasons in summer and winter out of consideration for the bedridden people and pets, even if a power outage occurs while people are out.

[0008] Unlike JP 7-225045 A, the remote control compares the set temperature with the current room temperature and sends the comparison result to the air conditioner, so that in cooling mode, the temperature difference between the set temperature and the current temperature is automatically compared in each of the following modes: strong cooling mode, weak cooling mode, dry mode, fan mode, or stopped mode, or in heating mode, strong heating mode, weak heating mode, fan mode, or stopped mode, and the result is continuously sent to the air conditioner as an operation instruction: strong cooling mode, weak cooling mode, dry mode, fan mode, or stopped mode in cooling mode, or strong heating mode, weak heating mode, fan mode, or stopped mode in heating mode.

[0009] Here, the weak cooling mode and the strong cooling mode may be the same cooling mode, the weak cooling mode may be a normal cooling mode, and the strong cooling mode may be the normal cooling mode with the room temperature set a few degrees Celsius lower, or the weak cooling mode may have the minimum airflow and the strong cooling mode may have the maximum airflow, and similarly the weak heating mode and the strong heating mode may be the same.

[0010] When a power outage occurs in an ordinary home where the room temperature is controlled by an air conditioner, if the time between the power outage and restoration is short, or if the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the home is small, there will not be much difference in the room temperature when the power outage occurs and when the power is restored.

[0011] On the other hand, if the time between a power outage and recovery is long, or if there is a large temperature difference between the inside and outside of the room, the room temperature during the power outage will be significantly different from the room temperature when the power is restored.

[0012] For this reason, it is preferable that the time between a power outage and power recovery is short. However, in many cases, this time between a power outage and power recovery is an unexpected accident and cannot be controlled.

[0013] However, regardless of the time between the power outage and power restoration, it is also true that air conditioners will not be able to function during the power outage.

[0014] Therefore, after a power outage is restored, operations should be resumed as soon as possible, especially in homes with bedridden people or pets.

[0015] There are several different formats for the data sent from the remote control to the air conditioner. Each defines a Frame, which indicates the start and end of the format, and Data, which specifies the data to be sent. Some formats also define a Repeat, which indicates repetition.

[0016] It is possible to send the same data as before with either type, and in this case, it is no different from simply overwriting the previous data, so measures such as sending the second or subsequent data again, or replacing the second or subsequent data with Repeat, or deleting the second or subsequent data, are required.

[0017] For example, if the room temperature is changed twice from a room temperature other than 25°C to 25°C while the air conditioner is operating and this is controlled by a remote control, the set cooling or heating mode is converted into a code, the temperature selector is set to 25°C and converted into parameters, and these are sent to the air conditioner via a wireless communication device and executed by the air conditioner. After that, the second code or parameters are set in the same way as the first code or parameters and executed by the air conditioner. However, if the same code or parameters are sent consecutively, it may be necessary to resend the same code or parameters due to communication noise or obstacles, or the first code or parameters may be ignored as they were successfully received, or the first code or parameters may be cancelled by the air conditioner as they are a duplication.

[0018] The same can be said not only about temperature but also about startup and shutdown. When startup is executed twice consecutively, when startup is set with the remote control, it is converted into a code related to startup and a code identifying cooling or heating mode, which is then converted into the corresponding temperature parameters by the temperature selector and sent to the air conditioner by the wireless communication device, which executes the air conditioner, and then the code related to the second startup and the code and parameters identifying cooling or heating mode are set in the same way as the code related to the first startup and the code and parameters identifying cooling or heating mode, and executed by the air conditioner. However, when the same code related to startup and the code and parameters identifying cooling or heating mode are subsequently sent, it is necessary to resend the same code related to startup and the code and parameters identifying cooling or heating mode due to communication noise or obstacles, etc., or to ignore the code related to the first startup and the code and parameters identifying cooling or heating mode because they were successful, or to cancel it on the air conditioner because there is a duplication of the code related to the first startup and the code and parameters identifying cooling or heating mode.

[0019] When stopping twice consecutively, if stop is set with the remote control, in the case of stop, there is no part that corresponds to the temperature parameters, so it is converted into an end code in cooling mode or heating mode and sent to the air conditioner via the wireless communication device to stop the air conditioner, and then the second end code is set to the same as the first end code and executed by the air conditioner. However, if the same end code is issued consecutively, it may be necessary to resend the same end code due to communication noise or obstacles, or the first end code may be cancelled by the air conditioner as it is a duplication, or the second end code may be invalid because the main switch of the air conditioner is off. Effect of the Invention

[0020] By simply adding a simple mechanism, a temperature-controlled environment can be restored as quickly as possible after a power outage is restored, and temperature control can be quickly provided to vulnerable people such as bedridden people and pets, providing an environment as if there was no power outage. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a block diagram. [Diagram 2] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a flowchart. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a part of an example of another flowchart. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 shows the remainder of another example of a flowchart. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of another block diagram. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS EXAMPLES

[0022] The present invention will be explained with reference to a representative diagram.

[0023] Remote control 1 has The apparatus includes a central processing unit 2, The computer includes a memory 3 for storing a program to be executed by the central processing unit 2, A thermocouple 4 is provided for measuring room temperature. The mode selector 7 is provided for switching between the cooling mode and the heating mode. The temperature selector 8 is provided for indicating the room temperature to be set. The remote controller 1 is provided with a wireless communication device 5 for transmitting the code converted by the mode selector 7 and the temperature selector 8 to the air conditioner 21, which transmits the parameters for the room temperature to be set. A display unit 9 is provided for displaying the settings and temperatures acquired by the mode selector 7, the temperature selector 8, and the thermocouple 4, The device includes a battery 10 which supplies power to the central processing unit 2, the memory 3, the thermocouple 4, the wireless communication device 5, the mode selector 7, the temperature selector 8, and the display unit 9, is.

[0024] When the user instructs the remote control 1 using the mode selector 7 which switches between cooling mode and heating mode and the temperature selector 8 which sets the desired room temperature, the central processing unit 2 in the remote control 1 converts the data from the mode selector 7 which switches between cooling mode and heating mode and the temperature selector 8 into a variable code or parameter for the air conditioner 21, which is then sent to the air conditioner 21 via the wireless communication device 5 and executed by the air conditioner 21.

[0025] The variable code is a code related to startup and a code that identifies the cooling mode or heating mode. In the cooling mode, it is either strong cooling mode, weak cooling mode, dry mode, fan mode or stopped mode, and in the heating mode, it is either strong heating mode, weak heating mode, fan mode or stopped mode. The mode selected is determined by the difference between the target temperature and the current temperature. The variable code and parameters form a code that starts the air conditioner from the start, but the end code is not a variable code as there is no code related to startup.

[0026] The air conditioner 21 interprets the variable code or parameters received via the wireless communication device 5 as being variable codes or parameters required for various operations and settings, executes them, and as its original function, sounds a warning or buzzer to inform the user that the received variable code or parameters are valid.

[0027] At the same time, the remote control 1 displays on the display 9 the value of the mode selector 7 that switches between cooling mode and heating mode, or the temperature value of the temperature selector 8 that sets the desired room temperature, and further displays on the display 9 information such as the current temperature obtained by the thermocouple 4.

[0028] The main switch of the air conditioner 21 remains on, and switches between cooling mode and heating mode when a certain time has passed since the previous time. From the information obtained from the mode selector 7 and the temperature selector 8, which sets the desired room temperature, a variable code or parameter for the air conditioner 21 is created inside the remote control 1, and sent to the air conditioner 21 via the wireless communication device 5 and executed by the air conditioner 21. This process is repeated after a certain time has passed.

[0029] The remote control 1 may create a variable code or parameter in the same state as the previous state, but the variable code or parameter is not replaced or deleted in the remote control 1 or the air conditioner 21, but is sent as a new variable code or parameter from the remote control 1 to the air conditioner 21 via the wireless communication device 5.

[0030] When a user changes only the room temperature without changing the operating mode, the remote control 1 generates a changed variable code or parameter including temperature information and sends it to the air conditioner 21 via the wireless communication device 5, and the series of processes for this new room temperature is automatically repeated at regular intervals.

[0031] When the user changes the room temperature setting, it is possible to either start a cycle of variable codes or parameters over a fixed period of time based on the user's change in temperature setting, or to continue using the original cycle of variable codes or parameters as is.

[0032] When stopping, an exit code for the air conditioner 21 is created on the remote control 1, and sent from the remote control 1 to the air conditioner 21 via the wireless communication device 5, and executed by the air conditioner 21; in this case, no parameters exist, and no repetition occurs even if a certain period of time has passed.

[0033] In the sequence of the wireless communication device 5 of the remote control 1 and the air conditioner 21 when the temperature selector 8 is changed only once, the wireless communication device 5 is in one direction, Variable code + parameters Start Variable code + parameters Start after a certain period of time … Variable code + parameter Temperature selector 8 change Variable code + parameters Start after a certain period of time … Exit Code Exit Between start-up and shutdown, in addition to the variable code or parameter that changes the temperature selector 8 described above, if there is no difference between the set temperature and the current room temperature or if there is a difference between the set temperature and the current room temperature, a variable code or parameter is generated after a certain period of time has passed and is sent to the air conditioner 21 via the wireless communication device 5 described above.

[0034] Also, looking at the sequence, all of the commands except for the end code are the same, and looking at it from another perspective, this is the same as resetting the air conditioner 21 described above after a certain period of time has elapsed and starting it up with new settings.

[0035] If there is no difference between the variable code or parameters previously received by the air conditioner 21 and the newly received variable code or parameters, it is equivalent to overwriting the same variable code or parameters, and no processing is performed to sound a warning or buzzer, and the new variable code or parameters are sent to the air conditioner 21 via the wireless communication device 5. However, if there is a difference between the variable code or parameters previously received and the newly received variable code or parameters, the new variable code or parameters are sent to the air conditioner 21 via the wireless communication device 5 and processing is performed to sound a warning or buzzer, etc.

[0036] If the power to the air conditioner 21 is cut off for some reason, the variable code or parameters sent to the air conditioner 21 after the power is cut off will be invalid variable codes or parameters because there is no power to the air conditioner 21 and there is no power to the wireless communication device 5 on the air conditioner 21 side.

[0037] When the power supply to the air conditioner 21 is restored from a power outage, the variable code or parameters are established as the variable code or parameters after the power is turned on, and are sent from the remote control 1 to the air conditioner 21 via the wireless communication device 5 after a maximum certain period of time has elapsed. If the room temperature has not changed between the power outage and the power outage, the variable code or parameters are the same as the variable code or parameters before the power outage, but if the room temperature has changed between the power outage and the power outage, the new variable code or parameters will be different from the original variable code or parameters.

[0038] In the sequence between the wireless communication device 5 of the remote control 1 and the air conditioner 21, the wireless communication device 5 communicates in one direction. Variable code + parameters Start Variable code + parameters Start after a certain period of time … Variable code + parameters Start after a certain period of time (Power outage) (Power restored) Variable code + parameter start (start after a certain time has elapsed) Variable code + parameters Start after a certain period of time … Exit Code Exit The first variable code or parameter after recovery from a power outage overlaps with the start-up and the start-up after a certain period of time has elapsed, but thereafter the start-up after a certain period of time is the normal start-up.

[0039] Assuming that the aforementioned mode selector 7, which switches between cooling mode and heating mode, is set to cooling and the desired room temperature is between 26.0°C and less than 27.0°C, which is dry mode, there are five types of modes: stop mode, fan mode, dry mode, weak cooling mode, and strong cooling mode, and the values ​​of each mode are in increments of 1.0°C, then the stop mode is less than 25.0°C, the fan mode is from 25.0°C to less than 26.0°C, the dry mode is from 26.0°C to less than 27.0°C, the weak cooling mode is from 27.0°C to less than 28.0°C, and the strong cooling mode is 28.0°C or higher.

[0040] If the room temperature is 31.7°C in cooling mode, the room temperature is high immediately after turning on the main switch (Yes in S01 of Figure 2), so the strong cooling mode is selected, and a variable code or parameter for the air conditioner 21 is created inside the remote control 1 and sent to the air conditioner 21 via the wireless communication device 5, causing the air conditioner 21 to start operating.

[0041] The air conditioner 21 mentioned above continues to operate, and when the room temperature falls below 28.0°C (Yes in S02 in Figure 2), the mode is changed from strong cooling mode to weak cooling mode, and when the room temperature falls further below 27.0°C (Yes in S03 in Figure 2), the mode is changed from weak cooling mode to dry mode, and the operating mode is switched in conjunction with the room temperature.

[0042] When the outside temperature drops, for example to 24.5°C, the room temperature will also drop. If the room temperature falls below 26.0°C (Yes in S04 in Figure 2), the mode will change from dry to fan mode. If the room temperature falls below 25.0°C (No in S04 in Figure 2), the mode will change from fan mode to stop mode and operation will be canceled. This not only prevents the temperature from dropping any further, but also saves energy.

[0043] When the outside temperature rises, for example when the outside temperature rises from 24.5°C to 27.8°C, the room temperature also rises in proportion to the outside temperature, so when the room temperature exceeds 25.0°C (Yes in S04 in Figure 2), the mode changes from stop mode to fan mode, when the room temperature exceeds 26.0°C (Yes in S03 in Figure 2), the mode changes from fan mode to dry mode, and when the room temperature exceeds 27.0°C (Yes in S02 in Figure 2), the mode changes from fan mode to dry mode.

[0044] The same applies to the heating mode. If the target room temperature is between 18.0°C and 19.0°C and the fan mode is selected, the strong heating mode is below 17.0°C, the weak heating mode is between 17.0°C and 18.0°C, the fan mode is between 18.0°C and 19.0°C, and the stop mode is above 19.0°C.

[0045] Assuming that the room temperature is 15.5°C for heating, just like for cooling, the room temperature is lower than 17.0°C immediately after turning on the main switch (Yes in S11 of Figure 2), so the strong heating mode is selected, and a variable code or parameter for the air conditioner 21 is created inside the remote control 1 and sent to the air conditioner 21 via the wireless communication device 5.

[0046] If the air conditioner 21 continues to operate and the room temperature exceeds 17.0° C. (Yes in S12 of FIG. 2), the mode is changed from high heating mode to low heating mode, and if the room temperature exceeds 18.0° C. (Yes in S13 of FIG. 2), the mode is changed from low heating mode to fan mode, and the mode is switched in conjunction with the room temperature.

[0047] Even if the room temperature is too high or too low for the set value, after a certain period of time has elapsed, the operating mode determined from the current room temperature obtained by the thermocouple 4 and the target room temperature are sent as variable codes or parameters from the wireless communication device 5 to the air conditioner 21, and are executed by the air conditioner 21, thereby reaching the target temperature.

[0048] By setting the mode to cooling when the room temperature is hot and to heating when the room temperature is cold, the temperature of the air conditioner 21 can be automatically controlled regardless of whether there is a power outage, and energy can also be saved.

[0049] If the air conditioner 21 described above is unable to receive the variable code or parameters due to a power outage, no guarantee is made, and the second, third, . . . , n-1th variable codes or parameters after the power outage are also discarded.

[0050] When the power is restored after a power outage between the n-1th and nth variable codes or parameters, the nth variable code or parameter can be received, and temperature control can be performed from there.

[0051] In this case, the resolution of this processing system is at most the time when the first code or parameter is received after power failure is restored, so it is desirable to reduce the cycle step in order to reduce the resolution.

[0052] In order to reduce the resolution, it is sufficient to reduce the time difference between the previous code or parameter and the succeeding code or parameter. However, reducing the time difference results in a large amount of power consumption during communication, and so there is a problem with reducing the time difference.

[0053] For example, if the room temperature is 27.0°C in cooling mode, the mode will switch to fan mode at 26.9°C and to dry mode at 27.0°C, and even a slight change in temperature will cause the boundary between dry mode and fan mode to be crossed, resulting in oscillation between dry mode and fan mode. To prevent this, it is a good idea to use delay control, or to control the unit to maintain fan mode for a while once it has switched to this mode. EXAMPLES

[0054] In another embodiment, a flowchart is shown for the case where a conventional remote control and the remote control of the present invention coexist. FIG. 3 shows one option added to FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 shows a part of the conventional remote control. EXAMPLES

[0055] In another embodiment, a changeover switch can be provided to switch between the conventional remote control function and the remote control function of the present invention. A rotary switch may be provided for each cooling mode or heating mode; the first switch is off, the second switch is the conventional remote control function in cooling mode or heating mode, the third switch is the remote control function of the present invention in cooling mode or heating mode, and the fourth switch is the same as the first switch. Display unit 9 may display whether the remote control function is the conventional remote control function or the remote control function of the present invention.

[0056] Alternatively, a dedicated switch may be provided to switch between the conventional remote control function and the remote control function of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0057] Until now, when a power outage occurred and the power was restored, all settings on air conditioners would be reset and they would have to be set up again. However, with this new system, air conditioners can continue to operate without being reset after the power is restored, meaning that bedridden people and pets can live in an environment that has been automatically restored even when no one is at home.

[0058] Although the present invention has been described by way of example, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications are possible without substantially departing from the novel features and effects of the present invention. Therefore, such modifications are included within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 1 Remote Control 2. Central Processing Unit 3. Memory 4 Thermocouples 5. Wireless communication device 6 Action Selector 7 Mode Selector 8 Temperature Selector 9 Display 10. Battery 21 Air conditioner wireless communication device 22 Indoor unit of air conditioner

Claims

1. A central processing unit is provided. A memory for storing a program to be executed by the central processing unit is provided, A thermocouple is provided for measuring the temperature. A wireless communication device is provided for transmitting a code or a parameter to the air conditioner, An operation selector is provided for switching between a normal mode and a recovery mode, A mode selector is provided for switching between a cooling mode and a heating mode. A temperature selector is provided to indicate a temperature to be set to room temperature; A display unit is provided. a battery for powering said central processing unit, said memory, said thermocouple, said wireless communication device, said operation selector, said mode selector, said temperature selector, and said display; An air conditioner equipped with a built-in wireless remote controller that can change the operating mode of the air conditioner depending on the room temperature.

2. The air conditioner of claim 1, further comprising a wireless remote controller for converting the value of said operation selector or the value of said mode selector into a code or the value of said temperature selector into a parameter at regular intervals and transmitting the parameter to said air conditioner via said wireless communication device.

3. 3. An air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a wireless remote controller capable of arbitrarily switching between a conventional function and a function according to the present invention.

4. 4. An air conditioner according to claim 1, further comprising a wireless remote controller having an operation selector for switching between a conventional function and a function of the present invention.

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