Water supply device

Abstract

To provide a water supply device equipped with a plurality of control boards that can perform wireless communication with an external device without causing inconvenience to a user both in a normal state and a backed-up state of the control boards.SOLUTION: In a water supply device, a first control board controls an operation of a pump when the first control board is normal, and a communication part is brought into a first communication operation state for transmitting information stored in the first control board to an external device as information on the water supply device. When the first control board is abnormal, a second control board backs up the first control board and controls the operation of the pump, and the communication part is brought into a second communication operation state for transmitting information stored in the second control board to the external device as information on the water supply device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a water supply device. [Background technology]

[0002] Water supply devices are generally installed in machine rooms of buildings or outdoors adjacent to buildings, and are widely used to supply tap water to water supply targets such as buildings. In recent years, water supply devices have been proposed that can be operated and information about the water supply device checked using an external terminal (external device) such as a mobile device. For example, the device described in Patent Document 1 is equipped with infrared communication means, allowing commands to be sent to the water supply device from an external management device using an infrared remote control. This allows the water supply device of Patent Document 1 to check its operation settings and operating information without opening the pump cover. Patent Document 2 also discloses a water supply device in which a wireless communication board capable of wireless communication with an external device is housed within a cabinet.

[0003] Furthermore, a water supply device that controls multiple pumps using multiple inverters is known (see, for example, Patent Document 3). The water supply device in Patent Document 3 is equipped with multiple control boards, each capable of independently controlling multiple inverters. If an abnormality occurs in the main control board, the other control boards can back up and control the inverters, allowing the water supply device to continue operating. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-201051 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-150403 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-351267 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When multiple control boards are provided, as in the water supply device described in Patent Document 3, problems may occur when an external device operates the water supply device and checks its information. For example, by installing a wireless communication board on each of the multiple control boards, the information stored on each control board can be checked by the external device. However, having multiple wireless communication boards in the water supply device can complicate communication connections with the external device and may result in communication connection to the wrong control board. While it is possible to transmit all of the information stored on each control board from a single communication unit to the external device, this requires the user to determine which information is necessary from the multiple pieces of information, and checking the information stored on each control board can be cumbersome, especially on small screens such as smartphones. Furthermore, when only the main control board is configured to communicate wirelessly with the external device, if an abnormality occurs in the main control board, wireless communication between the external device and the water supply device will be impossible even if the water supply device continues to operate.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and one of its objects is to provide a water supply device equipped with multiple control boards that can communicate wirelessly with external devices without causing any inconvenience to the user, whether the control board is in normal state or in backup state. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a water supply device for supplying water to a building by a pump, The water supply device comprises a first control board and a second control board, each capable of independently controlling the operation of the pump, and a communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate information between an external device and the water supply device, the first control board and the second control board being connected to each other so as to monitor each other's communications, and when the first control board is normal, the first control board controls the operation of the pump and the communication unit is in a first communication operation state for transmitting information stored in the first control board to the external device as information about the water supply device, and when the first control board is abnormal, the second control board backs up the first control board and controls the operation of the pump, and the communication unit is in a second communication operation state for transmitting information stored in the second control board to the external device as information about the water supply device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a water supply device according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of the configuration of a control unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 3] 4 is a flowchart showing one example (first example) of a wireless communication connection method used by the water supply apparatus in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of the configuration of a control unit in a second embodiment. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing one example (second example) of a wireless communication connection method used by the water supply apparatus in the second embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing another example (third example) of a wireless communication connection method by the water supply apparatus in the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding components are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0010] First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a water supply apparatus according to one embodiment. The water supply apparatus is used as an apparatus for supplying water to buildings such as detached houses, condominiums, office buildings, commercial facilities, factories, or schools using a pump 44. In FIG. 1, the water supply apparatus 10 is used in a direct water supply system, and the suction port 102 of the water supply apparatus 10 is connected to a water pipe (main water pipe) 104 via an introduction pipe 105. However, the water supply apparatus 10 may also be used in a water tank system in which water from the water pipe 104 is supplied via a water tank (not shown) upstream of the water supply apparatus 10. A water supply pipe 107 is connected to the discharge port 103 of the water supply apparatus 10, and this water supply pipe 107 communicates with a water tap (e.g., a faucet) in each building. The water supply apparatus 10 boosts or pressurizes water from the water pipe 104 (or water tank) and supplies water to each water tap in the building.

[0011] As shown in Figure 1, the water supply device 10 of this embodiment includes two motor pumps 40 that increase or pressurize water from a water pipe 104 (or a water tank), an inverter device 50 which is an example of a variable speed controller for the motor pumps 40, and a control unit 60 which controls the motor pumps 40. The motor pumps 40 include a pump 44 having an impeller (not shown), and a motor 42 which is an example of an electric motor that supplies power to the pump 44. Note that although two motor pumps 40 are provided in this embodiment, one or three or more motor pumps may be provided.

[0012] A backflow prevention device 25 is provided on the upstream side (suction side) of the pump 44. In this embodiment, the backflow prevention device 25 is provided in the suction pipe 101 that defines the suction port of the water supply device 10, and prevents water from flowing back from the water supply device 10 to the water pipe 104. A pressure sensor 21 is provided on the upstream side of the backflow prevention device 25. The pressure sensor 21 is a pressure measuring instrument for measuring the suction pressure of the pump 44.

[0013] On the downstream side (discharge side) of the pump 44, there are provided a check valve 23, a flow switch 24, a pressure sensor 26, and a pressure tank 28. In the example shown in Fig. 1, two sets of pumps 44, check valves 23, and flow switches 24 are provided, and these are arranged in parallel. By providing multiple pumps 44, if one of the pumps 44 becomes inoperable, water supply can be continued using the other pumps 44 that are operable, thereby avoiding water outages as much as possible.

[0014] The check valve 23 is provided in the discharge pipe 32 connected to the discharge port of the pump 44, and prevents backflow of water when the pump 44 stops. A flow switch 24 is provided downstream (secondary side) of the check valve 23. The flow switch 24 It is a flow detector that detects when the flow rate of water flowing through pipe 32 drops to a predetermined value, i.e., when the water flow rate is insufficient (small water volume). However, only one flow switch 24 may be provided in suction pipe 101 or in the confluence pipe 33 of discharge pipe 32, or none at all. In addition, a pressure sensor 26 and a pressure tank 28 are provided in the confluence pipe 33, one end of which defines the discharge port 103. The pressure sensor 26 is a pressure measuring device for measuring the discharge pressure of pump 44. The pressure tank 28 is a pressure retainer for maintaining the discharge pressure while pump 44 is stopped.

[0015] The inverter device 50 performs variable speed control of the motor 42 based on a control command from the control unit 60. As an example, the inverter device 50 calculates a command frequency (e.g., PID control) based on a target rotation speed of the pump 44, and generates a PWM signal to minimize the difference between this command frequency and the actual frequency of the motor 42.

[0016] The control unit 60 of the water supply device 10 is provided to control the water supply device 10. Figure 2 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration of the control unit 60 in the first embodiment. As shown in the figure, the control unit 60 includes two control boards 60a, 60b that input and output signals and control the water supply device 10, two operation panels 70a, 70b that are provided on the control boards 60a, 60b and that perform various settings, and external communication units 73a, 73b that are connected to the operation panels 70a, 70b.

[0017] Each of the control boards 60a, 60b is configured to be able to independently control the operation of the water supply apparatus 10. Furthermore, the control boards 60a, 60b are connected to each other via serial communication or the like, and mutual communication is monitored. Therefore, even if an abnormality (such as a CPU error, communication abnormality, or system abnormality) occurs in one of the control boards 60a or 60b, the other control board 60b or 60a can back it up and continue operating the water supply apparatus 10. In this embodiment, the control board 60a is the "main control board," and when the control board 60a is normal, the operation of the water supply apparatus 10 is controlled by the control board 60a. Furthermore, the control board 60b is the "backup control board," and when an abnormality occurs in the control board 60a, the operation of the water supply apparatus 10 is controlled by the control board 60b. However, in this embodiment, the control boards 60a, 60b have the same configuration, and the configuration of the control board 60a will be described as a representative. The control board 60a includes a storage unit (control memory) 66, a calculation unit 67, and an I / O unit 68.

[0018] Non-volatile memory such as ROM, HDD, EEPROM, FeRAM, and flash memory, and volatile memory such as RAM are used as the memory unit 66 of the control unit 60. The memory unit 66 stores various information related to the water supply device 10, such as a control program for controlling the water supply device 10, device information, setting value information, history information, operating information, and abnormality information.

[0019] The device information includes the number of pumps 44, the diameter of the pumps 44, the water supply amount, the total head, the shut-off head, the motor output capacity of the motor 42, the water supply method (e.g., direct water supply method, water tank method, etc.), the number of inverter devices 50, and model identification information indicating the model of the water supply device 10 (e.g., model name, model number, etc.). , a unique serial number assigned at the time of manufacture, etc.

[0020] The set value information is information whose values change mainly depending on the usage environment, device configuration, water supply method, etc. of the water supply device 10, and is information that can be changed by an operator through external input. In this embodiment, the set value information can be set by input through the setting unit 71, external communication units 73a, 73b, or I / O unit 68 (external input terminal not shown). The device information may also be changeable through external input.

[0021] The abnormality information is information relating to abnormalities in the water supply device 10. The abnormality information includes various alarms (inverter trip, abnormal drop in discharge pressure, various sensor abnormalities, etc.) including currently detected abnormalities, and information relating to abnormalities (drop in inflow pressure, full / drought / lower water in the water receiving tank, abnormality in the control board 60b, etc.). The abnormality information may also include information to prompt replacement or maintenance of the control board 60b and the inverter device 50.

[0022] The history information is information relating to various histories of the water supply apparatus, and may include the cumulative operating time and cumulative number of operations of the motor pump 40, alarm history in the water supply apparatus 10, various communication histories, various operation histories, etc.

[0023] The operating information is information that indicates the current state of the water supply device 10, and is updated at regular intervals (every tens of milliseconds to a few seconds). The operating information includes the current operating or stopped state of each motor pump 40, the rotational speed of the motor pump 40, the current value flowing through the motor that drives the motor pump 40, the input voltage of the water supply device 10, the suction pressure of the motor pump 40, the discharge pressure of the motor pump 40, and the target pressure SV. It may also include values and output signals of various sensors input to the I / O unit 68.

[0024] A CPU, for example, is used as the calculation unit 67 of the control board 60a. The calculation unit 67 performs calculations to control the various devices that make up the water supply apparatus 10, based on the control program and various data stored in the memory unit 66, and signals input from the I / O unit 68. The calculation unit 67 also controls communication in the external communication units 73a, 73b and the I / O unit 68, and controls the display and operation of the operation panels 70a, 70b. The calculation results in the calculation unit 67 are stored in the memory unit 66 and are output to the I / O unit 68 and the external communication units 73a, 73b.

[0025] A port or the like is used as the I / O unit 68. The I / O unit 68 receives detection signals and the like from various sensors (not shown) and sends them to the calculation unit 67. The I / O unit 68 is also connected to each inverter device 50 by wired or wireless communication such as serial communication such as RS422, RS232C, or RS485, or packet communication such as Ethernet. The inverter devices 50 are configured to be able to communicate with the control unit 60 using a communication protocol common to each manufacturer, such as Modbus, TCP / IP, or a manufacturer-specific communication protocol.

[0026] Each of the operation panels 70a, 70b is a GUI (Graphical User Interface) that can display and change various data stored in the memory unit 66 via the calculation unit 67. Specifically, the operation panels 70a, 70b display and change settings of device information and setting value information, display and reset abnormality information, and display operation information. In this embodiment, the operation panel 70a is connected to the control board 60a, and the operation panel 70b is connected to the control board 60b. As an example, the operation panels 70a, 70b may be connected to the control boards 60a, 60b via wired means such as serial communication or signal lines, or wirelessly. Furthermore, the operation panels 70a, 70b are each equipped with a CPU that controls display operations and communication between the control boards 60a, 60b and the external device 80. The operation panels 70a, 70b may be configured as part of the control boards 60a, 60b. The operation panels 70a, 70b of this embodiment include a setting unit 71 and a display unit 72. The operation panels 70a, 70b may also include a buzzer (not shown) for emitting warning sounds and operation sounds. In this embodiment, the operation panels 70a, 70b have the same configuration, and the configuration of the operation panel 70a will be described as a representative example.

[0027] The setting unit 71 of the operation panel 70a is an information input unit of the control unit 60, and is used by the user to perform various input operations such as starting / stopping the automatic water supply in the water supply device 10, resetting alarms, and changing the settings of various data through external operation. The setting unit 71 may be equipped with operation buttons or a touch panel (not shown). Information input by external operation through the setting unit 71 is stored in the memory unit 66.

[0028] The display unit 72 of the operation panel 70a functions as a user interface and is configured to display various data stored in the memory unit 66. In case the water supply device 10 is installed in an electrically noisy environment such as a machine room or pump room, the display unit 72 may be configured with a 7-segment LED or indicator light, which are more resistant to electrical noise than LCD displays and touch panels, as well as a display consisting of a mechanical push button, etc. This allows the water supply device 10 to be installed in an electrically noisy environment. However, the display unit 72 is not limited to displays that are resistant to electrical noise, and a dot-matrix LCD display, etc. may also be used.

[0029] In addition, the control unit 60 may not be provided with operation panels 70a, 70b or display unit 72, and the functions of operation panels 70a, 70b or display unit 72 may be performed by an external device 80 via external communication units 73a, 73b. Since there is no need to provide a display unit itself in the water supply device 10, the overall cost of the water supply device 10 can be reduced.

[0030] Each of the external communication units 73a and 73b is configured to be able to communicate with an external device 80 via wired or wireless communication. In this embodiment, the external communication unit 73a is connected to the operation panel 70a, and the external communication unit 73b is connected to the operation panel 70b. That is, the external communication unit 73a is provided on the control board 60a, and the external communication unit 73b is provided on the control board 60b. The control boards 60a and 60b can communicate with the external communication unit 73b via the operation panels 70a and 70b. As an example, the external communication units 73a and 73b may be connected to the operation panels 70a and 70b via wired communication such as serial communication or signal lines, or wirelessly. For example, near field communication (NFC) technology may be used for wireless communication between the external communication units 73a and 73b. Any type of wireless communication may also be used, such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) and Wi-Fi. For wired communication between the external communication units 73a and 73b, the control unit 60 may be provided with an external connection terminal such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) to which the external device 80 is connected, or serial communication such as RS422, RS232C, or RS485 may be used. The external communication units 73a and 73b may be provided with a CPU that controls communication with the external device 80. The external communication units 73a and 73b may be directly connected to the control boards 60a and 60b instead of or in addition to being connected to the operation panels 70a and 70b. The external device 80 may be a general-purpose device such as a smartphone, mobile phone, personal computer, or tablet PC, or a dedicated terminal such as a remote monitoring device.

[0031] In the water supply device 10, the control unit 60 performs the following automatic water supply (automatic operation control of the pumps 44). When the discharge pressure of the pumps 44 in the control unit 60 reaches a predetermined starting pressure or less while the pumps 44 are stopped, the control unit 60 determines that the starting conditions for the pumps 44 are met, and starts at least one of the pumps 44 at a predetermined starting rotation speed. The start condition in 4 may be various predetermined conditions instead of or in addition to the discharge pressure reaching or exceeding the start pressure Pstart. During operation of the pump 44, the control unit 60 controls the rotation speed of the pump 44 using a known method such as estimated constant end pressure control or target constant pressure control based on a set pressure (set pressure). Specifically, in the case of estimated constant end pressure control, the control unit 60 sets the target pressure (SV) using the rotation speed of the pump 44 and a target pressure control curve. In the case of constant target pressure control, the control unit 60 sets the target pressure (SV) to the set pressure. The control unit 60 also sets the discharge pressure to the current pressure (PV). Based on the difference between the SV and the PV, the control unit 60 performs a PI calculation using a proportional gain Gp and an integral gain Gi, or a PID calculation using a proportional gain Gp, an integral gain Gi, and a differential gain Gd to calculate the rotation speed of the pump 44. In addition, when there are multiple pumps 44 as in this embodiment, the control unit 60 also controls the number of pumps that can be started simultaneously (the number of pumps operating in parallel) according to the water volume.

[0032] If water usage in the building decreases while the pump 44 is supplying water, the flow switch 24 detects an insufficient water volume and sends a detection signal to the control unit 60 (low water volume state). The control unit 60 receives this detection signal, increases the rotation speed of the pump 44 until the discharge pressure reaches a predetermined stop pressure, accumulates pressure in the pressure tank 28, and then stops the pump 44 (low water volume stop). If water is used again in the building after the pump 44 has stopped at a low water volume, the discharge pressure drops below the start pressure and the pump 44 starts (low water volume restart). Note that, when there are multiple pumps 44, as in this embodiment, it is preferable to rotate the pumps 44 that are started to prevent water from accumulating in the pumps 44. Alternatively, other means may be used to detect a low water volume, such as a low load based on the current value of the motor 42 or a shutoff pressure, instead of using the flow switch 24.

[0033] Next, wireless communication between the water supply apparatus 10 and the external device 80 will be described. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing one example (first example) of a wireless communication connection method by the water supply apparatus 10 in this embodiment. The wireless communication connection method shown in Figure 3 is executed by the control unit 60 of the water supply apparatus 10. In this example, as described above, the control unit 60 of the water supply apparatus 10 has two control boards 60a, 60b, and external communication units 73a, 73b provided for each of the control boards 60a, 60b.

[0034] The control unit 60 of the water supply device 10 first determines whether the control board (main control board) 60a is normal (step S102). This determination may be made by the control board 60a, or by the control board 60b or the operation panels 70a and 70b connected to the control board 60a. In this embodiment, the control board 60a is determined to be abnormal when a CPU error, a connection abnormality with the inverter device 50, the operation panel 70a, or the external communication unit 73a, a connection abnormality with the I / O unit 68, or a system abnormality occurs in the control board 60a.

[0035] When the control board (main control board) 60a is normal and has no abnormalities (S102: Yes), the control unit 60 of the water supply apparatus 10 controls the operation of the water supply apparatus 10 (pump 44) using the control board 60a (S112). At this time, the control board (backup control board) 60b may be in a standby state and monitor the communication with the control board 60a.

[0036] When the main control board 60a is normal, the control unit 60 wirelessly communicates information about the water supply apparatus 10 via an external communication unit (hereinafter also referred to as the "main communication unit") 73a mounted on the control board 60a, and stops wireless communication of information about the water supply apparatus 10 via an external communication unit (hereinafter also referred to as the "backup communication unit") 73b mounted on the control board 60b (step S114). The processing of step S114 is an example of setting the communication units (external communication units 73a, 73b) in the control unit 60 to a "first communication operating state" for transmitting information stored in the main control board 60a to the external device 80 as information about the water supply apparatus 10. The processing of step S114 may be performed by sending a command from the control boards 60a, 60b (or the operation panels 70a, 70b) to the external communication units 73a, 73b, or may be performed by the CPU of the external communication units 73a, 73b based on the state of the control boards 60a, 60b.

[0037] In the processing of step S114, the main communication unit 73a is assumed to perform normal wireless communication with the external device 80, and the backup communication unit 73b may stop wireless communication with the external device 80. At this time, the backup communication unit 73b may stop transmitting the advertising signal. Also, the backup control board 60b or the operation panel 70b may stop the supply of power to the board on which the backup communication unit 73b is mounted. In this way, when the main control board 60a is normal, the main communication unit 73a wirelessly communicates information about the water supply device 10, and wireless communication is not performed between the external device 80 and the backup communication unit 73b. As a result, the user of the external device 80 can wirelessly communicate with the main control board 60a, which controls the operation of the water supply device 10, to check information about the water supply device 10 and send operation commands to the water supply device 10 without any malfunction.

[0038] Furthermore, in the processing of step S114, the backup communication unit 73b of the backup control board 60b may add information to the advertising signal indicating that the main control board 60a is normal. In other words, the backup communication unit 73b may add information to the advertising signal indicating that the backup control board 60b is not performing backup operation of the water supply apparatus 10. Although not limited thereto, the information added to the advertising signal by the backup communication unit 73b may be information indicating that the backup communication unit 73b is in a state where it cannot establish a communication connection. The external device 80 may be configured not to establish wireless communication with the backup communication unit 73b when it receives an advertising signal to which information indicating that the main control board 60a is normal has been added. As an example, the external device 80 may be configured to exclude the backup communication unit 73b from a target list for wireless communication. In this way, when main control board 60a is normal, the information is added to the advertising signal of backup communication unit 73b, thereby preventing wireless communication between external device 80 and backup communication unit 73b. This allows the user of external device 80 to communicate wirelessly with main control board 60a, which controls the operation of water supply apparatus 10, without any malfunction.

[0039] Furthermore, in the processing of step S114, the backup communication unit 73b of the backup control board 60b may add information indicating that the main control board 60a is normal to the wireless communication information. As an example, the backup communication unit 73b may send flag information indicating this information, or may send null information or a predetermined fixed value as information about the water supply apparatus 10. Null information and the like will be described in more detail below. Then, when the external device 80 receives wireless communication information to which information indicating that the main control board 60a is normal has been added, it is preferable that the external device 80 set a display on the external device 80 so that the state can be recognized. This allows the user of the external device 80 to communicate wirelessly with the main control board 60a, which is controlling the operation of the water supply apparatus 10, without any malfunctions.

[0040] On the other hand, when an abnormality occurs in the main control board 60a (S102: No), the control unit 60 of the water supply apparatus 10 performs backup control of the operation of the water supply apparatus 10 (pump 44) using the backup control board 60b (S122). At this time, the control unit 60 may notify the user that an abnormality has occurred in the main control board 60a using the operation panels 70a, 70b or a buzzer (not shown).

[0041] When the main control board 60a is abnormal, the control unit 60 stops wireless communication of information about the water supply apparatus 10 by the main communication unit 73a, and the information about the water supply apparatus 10 is wirelessly communicated by the backup communication unit 73b (step S124). The processing of step S124 is an example of putting the communication unit (external communication units 73a, 73b) in the control unit 60 into a "second communication operation state" for transmitting information stored in the backup control board 60b to the external device 80 as information about the water supply apparatus 10. The processing of step S124 may be performed by sending a command from the control boards 60a, 60b (or operation panels 70a, 70b) to the external communication units 73a, 73b, or may be performed by the CPU of the external communication units 73a, 73b based on the status of the control boards 60a, 60b.

[0042] In the processing of step S124, the main communication unit 73a may stop wireless communication with the external device 80, and the backup communication unit 73b may perform wireless communication with the external device 80. At this time, the main communication unit 73a may stop transmitting the advertising signal. Also, the main control board 60a or the operation panel 70a may stop the power supply to the board on which the main communication unit 73a is mounted. In this way, when the main control board 60a is abnormal, wireless communication by the main communication unit 73a is stopped and information about the water supply apparatus 10 is wirelessly transmitted by the backup communication unit 73b, so that wireless communication is not performed between the abnormal main communication unit 73a and the external device 80. As a result, the user of the external device 80 can wirelessly communicate with the backup control board 60b, which is controlling the operation of the water supply apparatus 10, without any malfunction.

[0043] Furthermore, in the processing of step S124, the main communication unit 73a of the main control board 60a may add information to the advertising signal indicating that the main control board 60a is abnormal. In other words, the main communication unit 73a may add information to the advertising signal indicating that backup operation of the water supply apparatus 10 is being performed by the backup control board 60b. Although not limited thereto, the information added to the advertising signal by the main communication unit 73a may be information indicating that the main communication unit 73a is in a state where it cannot establish a communication connection. The external device 80 may be configured not to establish wireless communication with the main communication unit 73a when it receives an advertising signal to which information indicating that the main control board 60a is abnormal has been added. As an example, the external device 80 may be configured to exclude the main communication unit 73a from a target list for wireless communication. In this way, when there is an abnormality in the main control board 60a, the information is added to the advertising signal of the main communication unit 73a, so that wireless communication between the external device 80 and the main communication unit 73a is not established. This allows the user of the external device 80 to communicate wirelessly with the backup control board 60b that controls the operation of the water supply apparatus 10 without any malfunction.

[0044] Furthermore, in the processing of step S124, the main communication unit 73a of the main control board 60a may add information indicating that the main control board 60a is abnormal to the wireless communication information. As an example, the main communication unit 73a may send flag information indicating this information, or may send null information or a predetermined fixed value as information about the water supply apparatus 10. Then, when the external device 80 receives wireless communication information to which information indicating that the main control board 60a is abnormal has been added, it is preferable that the external device 80 set a display on the external device 80 so that the state can be recognized. This allows the user of the external device 80 to communicate wirelessly with the backup control board 60b, which is controlling the operation of the water supply apparatus 10, without any malfunction.

[0045] Second Embodiment 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of the configuration of the control unit 60 in the second embodiment. The control unit 60 in the second embodiment is the same as the control unit 60 in the first embodiment except for the external communication unit 73. In other words, in the control unit 60 of the first embodiment described above, external communication units 73a and 73b are provided separately for the control boards 60a and 60b via the operation panels 70a and 70b, respectively. In contrast, as shown in Fig. 4, the control unit 60 of the second embodiment has a single external communication unit 73 configured by a communication board communicatively connected to the operation panels 70a and 70b.

[0046] The external communication unit 73 preferably includes a CPU that controls communication with the control boards 60a, 60b (operation panels 70a, 70b) and the external device 80. The external communication unit 73 also includes a storage unit (memory) that has a first storage area 74a for storing information stored in the main control board 60a and a second storage area 74b for storing information stored in the backup control board 60b. The external communication unit 73 may include a storage unit having the first storage area 74a and a storage unit having the second storage area 74b, or the first storage area 74a and the second storage area 74b may be configured as virtual logical volumes.

[0047] The wireless communication between the water supply apparatus 10 and the external device 80 in the second embodiment will be described. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing one example (second example) of a wireless communication connection method by the water supply apparatus 10 in this embodiment. The wireless communication connection method shown in Figure 5 is executed by the control unit 60 of the water supply apparatus 10.

[0048] The control unit 60 of the water supply apparatus 10 determines whether the main control board 60a is normal (step S102), as in the wireless communication connection method shown in FIG. 3. If the main control board 60a is normal (S102: Yes), the control unit 60 controls the operation of the water supply apparatus 10 using the main control board 60a (step S112). If the main control board 60a is normal, the external communication unit 73 stores the information stored in the main control board 60a in the first memory area 74a and stores null information in the second memory area 74b (step S114A). The processing of step S114A is an example of setting the external communication unit 73 to a "first communication operating state" for transmitting the information stored in the main control board 60a to the external device 80 as information about the water supply apparatus 10. Here, null information means information indicating that no data is included. The external communication unit 73 then transmits the information stored in the first memory area 74a and the second memory area 74b to the external device 80. As a result, Null information is transmitted to the external device 80 as the information stored in the second memory area 74b, allowing the user to easily understand that the water supply apparatus 10 is not being operated by the backup control board 60b. Furthermore, when Null information is stored in the second memory area 74b, the external device 80 may not display information related to the backup control board 60b. Furthermore, when Null information is stored in the second memory area 74b, the external communication unit 73 may not transmit the information stored in the second memory area 74b, but may transmit only the information stored in the first memory area 74a to the external device 80 as information about the water supply apparatus 10. As a result, the user of the external device 80 can wirelessly communicate with the water supply apparatus 10 without any problems.

[0049] On the other hand, when the main control board 60a is abnormal (S102: No), the control unit 60 controls the operation of the water supply apparatus 10 using the backup control board 60b (step S122). Then, when the main control board 60a is abnormal, the external communication unit 73 stores null information in the first storage area 74a and stores the information stored in the backup control board 60b in the second storage area 74b (step S124A). The processing of this step S124A is an example of putting the external communication unit 73 into a "second communication operating state" for transmitting the information stored in the backup control board 60b to the external device 80 as information about the water supply apparatus 10. Then, the external communication unit 73 transmits the information stored in the first storage area 74a and the second storage area 74b to the external device 80. As a result, the external device 80 receives the information stored in the first storage area 74a. Since Null information is transmitted as the information stored in the first storage area 74a, the user can easily understand that the water supply apparatus 10 is not being operated by the main control board 60a, but is being operated by the backup control board 60b. Furthermore, when Null information is stored in the first storage area 74a, the external device 80 may not display information related to the main control board 60a. Furthermore, when Null information is stored in the first storage area 74a, the external communication unit 73 may not transmit the information stored in the first storage area 74a, but may transmit only the information stored in the second storage area 74b to the external device 80 as information about the water supply apparatus 10. This allows the user of the external device 80 to communicate wirelessly with the water supply apparatus 10 without any problems.

[0050] 5, when the main control board 60a is normal, null information is stored in the second storage area 74b. However, when the main control board 60a is normal, information indicating that information may be stored in the second storage area 74b, and for example, the value 0 or an arbitrary fixed value may be stored in the second storage area 74b. Similarly, when the main control board 60a is abnormal, information indicating that information may be stored in the first storage area 74a, and for example, the value 0 or an arbitrary fixed value may be stored in the first storage area 74a.

[0051] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing another example (third example) of a wireless communication connection method by the water supply apparatus 10 in the second embodiment. The wireless communication connection method shown in Figure 6 is executed by the control unit 60 of the water supply apparatus 10. In this example, the external communication unit 73 may have a first memory area 74a for storing information stored in the main control board 60a and a second memory area 74b for storing information stored in the backup control board 60b, or may have a memory area for storing information stored in the control boards 60a, 60b that are currently operating the water supply apparatus 10.

[0052] The control unit 60 of the water supply apparatus 10 determines whether the main control board 60a is normal (step S102), as in the wireless communication connection method shown in FIG. 3. If the main control board 60a is normal (S102: Yes), the control unit 60 controls the operation of the water supply apparatus 10 using the main control board 60a (step S112). Then, if the main control board 60a is normal, the external communication unit 73 communicates with the main control board 60a but does not communicate with the backup control board 60b (step S114B). The processing of step S114B is an example of setting the external communication unit 73 to a "first communication operating state" for transmitting information stored in the main control board 60a to the external device 80 as information about the water supply apparatus 10. Then, the external communication unit 73 transmits the information stored in the main control board 60a to the external device 80 as information about the water supply apparatus 10. This allows the user of the external device 80 to communicate wirelessly with the water supply device 10 without any problems, to check information about the water supply device 10, and to send operating commands to the water supply device 10.

[0053] On the other hand, when the main control board 60a is abnormal (S102: No), the control unit 60 controls the operation of the water supply apparatus 10 using the backup control board 60b (step S112). Then, when the main control board 60a is abnormal, the external communication unit 73 communicates with the backup control board 60b without communicating with the main control board 60a (step S124B). The processing of this step S124B is an example of putting the external communication unit 73 into a "second communication operation state" for transmitting information stored in the backup control board 60b to the external device 80 as information about the water supply apparatus 10. Then, the external communication unit 73 transmits the information stored in the backup control board 60b to the external device 80 as information about the water supply apparatus 10. This allows the user of the external device 80 to wirelessly communicate with the water supply apparatus 10, check information about the water supply apparatus 10, and send operation commands to the water supply apparatus 10, without any problems.

[0054] As explained above, in the water supply device 10 of the first and second embodiments, when the main control board 60a is normal, the main control board 60a controls the water supply device 10 (pump 44), and the external communication unit 73 is in a first operating state for transmitting information stored in the main control board 60a to the external device 80 as information about the water supply device 10. Furthermore, when the main control board 60a is abnormal, the backup control board 60b controls the water supply device 10, and the external communication unit 73 is in a second operating state for transmitting information stored in the backup control board 60b to the external device 80 as information about the water supply device 10. As a result, in a water supply device 10 equipped with multiple control boards 60a, 60b, wireless communication with the external device 80 is possible without causing any inconvenience to the user, whether the control board is in a normal state or in a backup state.

[0055] In the first and second embodiments described above, when maintenance processing is being performed on the main control board 60a, the water supply apparatus 10 may determine that the main control board 60a is abnormal and set the external communication unit 73 to the second communication operation state. Furthermore, the water supply apparatus 10 may be configured to switch the main control board so that the water supply apparatus 10 is controlled by the control board 60b when the control board 60a is normal. In this case, the processing may be performed as described above, with the control board 60b being the main control board and the control board 60a being the backup control board.

[0056] In the above-described embodiment, the operation panels 70a, 70b are communicatively connected to the control boards 60a, 60b. However, this is not limited to this example, and the operation panels 70a, 70b may be configured as part of the control boards 60a, 60b. Furthermore, instead of having two operation panels 70a, 70b, the water supply device 10 may be provided with a single operation panel configured with a board communicatively connected to each of the control boards 60a, 60b. In this case, in the first embodiment, the external communication unit 73a may be configured as part of the control board 60a, or may be communicatively connected to the control board 60a. Similarly, the external communication unit 73b may be configured as part of the control board 60b, or may be communicatively connected to the control board 60b. In the second embodiment, the external communication unit 73a may be communicatively connected to the control boards 60a, 60b, or may be communicatively connected to a single operation panel connected to the control boards 60a, 60b.

[0057] The present invention can also be described in the following aspects. [Form 1] According to Form 1, a water supply device for supplying water to a building using a pump is proposed, comprising a first control board and a second control board each capable of independently controlling the operation of the pump, and a communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate information between an external device and the water supply device, wherein the first control board and the second control board are connected to each other so as to monitor each other's communication, and when the first control board is normal, the first control board controls the operation of the pump and the communication unit is in a first communication operation state for transmitting information stored in the first control board to the external device as information about the water supply device, and when the first control board is abnormal, the second control board backs up the first control board and controls the operation of the pump, and the communication unit is in a second communication operation state for transmitting information stored in the second control board to the external device as information about the water supply device. According to the first aspect, in a water supply device equipped with a plurality of control boards, wireless communication with an external device can be performed without causing inconvenience to the user whether the control board is in a normal state or in a backup state.

[0058] [Mode 2] According to Mode 2, in Mode 1, the communication unit includes a first communication unit mounted on the first control board and a second communication unit mounted on the second control board, and in the first communication operating state, information about the water supply device is wirelessly communicated by the first communication unit. In the second communication operating state, wireless communication of information about the water supply device by the second communication unit is stopped, and in the second communication operating state, wireless communication of information about the water supply device by the first communication unit is stopped, and wireless communication of information about the water supply device is done by the second communication unit. According to form 2, when the first control board is normal, wireless communication of information about the water supply device by the second communication unit is stopped, and when the first control board is abnormal, wireless communication of information about the water supply device by the first communication unit is stopped.

[0059] [Form 3] According to form 3, in form 2, in the first communication operation state, wireless communication by the second communication unit is stopped, and in the second communication operation state, wireless communication by the first communication unit is stopped. According to form 3, when the first control board is normal, wireless communication between the external device and the second communication unit is stopped, and when the first control board is abnormal, wireless communication between the external device and the first communication unit is stopped.

[0060] [Form 4] According to Form 4, in Form 2, in the first communication operation state, the second communication unit adds information to the wireless communication information to indicate that the first control board is normal, and in the second communication operation state, the first communication unit adds information to the wireless communication information to indicate that the first control board is abnormal. According to form 4, when the first control board is normal, the communication unit can recognize, based on the wireless communication information from the second communication unit, that the first control board is normal and is controlling the operation of the water supply apparatus. Also, when the first control board is abnormal, the communication unit can recognize, based on the wireless communication information from the first communication unit, that the first control board is abnormal and that the second control board is controlling the operation of the water supply apparatus.

[0061] [Form 5] According to Form 5, in Form 2, in the first communication operation state, the second communication unit adds information to the advertising signal to indicate that the first control board is normal, and in the second communication operation state, the first communication unit adds information to the advertising signal to indicate that the first control board is abnormal. According to form 5, when the first control board is normal, the communication unit can recognize, based on the advertising signal from the second communication unit, that the first control board is normal and is controlling the operation of the water supply apparatus. Also, when the first control board is abnormal, the communication unit can recognize, based on the advertising signal from the first communication unit, that the first control board is abnormal and that the second control board is controlling the operation of the water supply apparatus.

[0062] [Form 6] According to Form 6, in Form 1, the communication unit is composed of a communication board communicatively connected to the first control board and the second control board, and in the first communication operation state, it communicates with the first control board and stops communication with the second control board, and in the second communication operation state, it stops communication with the first control board and communicates with the second control board. According to form 6, the communication unit communicates with the first control board when the first control board is normal, and communicates with the second control board when the first control board is abnormal. As a result, information about the control board controlling the operation of the water supply apparatus is stored in the communication unit, and wireless communication can be performed without causing any inconvenience to users whether the control board is normal or in a backup state.

[0063] [Mode 7] According to Mode 7, in Mode 1, the communication unit is configured by a communication board communicatively connected to the first control board and the second control board, and has a first storage area for storing information stored in the first control board and a second storage area for storing information stored in the second control board, and in the first communication operating state, stores information indicating that the first control board is normal in the second storage area, and in the second communication operating state, stores information indicating that the first control board is normal in the second storage area. Information indicating that the substrate is abnormal is stored in the first storage area. According to aspect 7, when the first control board is normal, information indicating that the first control board is normal is stored in the second storage area for storing information stored in the second control board. Also, when the first control board is abnormal, information indicating that the first control board is abnormal is stored in the first storage area for storing information stored in the first control board. This allows wireless communication without causing inconvenience to the user, whether the control board is normal or in the backup state.

[0064] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above-described embodiments are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit thereof, and the present invention naturally includes equivalents thereof. Furthermore, any combination or omission of the components described in the claims and specification is possible within the scope of solving at least part of the above-described problems or achieving at least part of the effects. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 10...Water supply device 40...Motor pump 42...Motor 44...Pump 50...Inverter device 60...Control unit 60a, 60b...Control board 66...Storage section 67...Arithmetic section 68...I / O section 70, 70a, 70b...Operation panel 71...Settings section 72…Display section 73,73a,73b…External communication department 74a...1st storage area 74b…Second storage area 80...External terminal

Claims

1. A water supply device for supplying water to a building by a pump, a first control board and a second control board each capable of independently controlling the operation of the pump; a communication unit configured to be able to wirelessly communicate information between an external device and the water supply device; Equipped with the first control board and the second control board are connected to each other so as to monitor communication with each other, When the first control board is normal, the first control board controls the operation of the pump, and the communication unit is in a first communication operation state for transmitting information stored in the first control board to the external device as information about the water supply device, and when the first control board is abnormal, the second control board backs up the first control board and controls the operation of the pump, and the communication unit is in a second communication operation state for transmitting information stored in the second control board to the external device as information about the water supply device. Water supply device.

2. the communication unit includes a first communication unit mounted on the first control board and a second communication unit mounted on the second control board; In the first communication operation state, the first communication unit wirelessly communicates information about the water supply device, and the second communication unit stops wireless communication of the information about the water supply device, In the second communication operation state, wireless communication of information about the water supply device by the first communication unit is stopped, and wireless communication of information about the water supply device is performed by the second communication unit. The water supply device according to claim 1.

3. In the first communication operation state, wireless communication by the second communication unit is stopped, In the second communication operation state, wireless communication by the first communication unit is stopped. The water supply device according to claim 2.

4. In the first communication operation state, the second communication unit adds information indicating that the first control board is normal to the wireless communication information, In the second communication operation state, the first communication unit adds information indicating that the first control board is abnormal to the wireless communication information. The water supply device according to claim 2.

5. In the first communication operation state, the second communication unit adds information indicating that the first control board is normal to an advertising signal, In the second communication operation state, the first communication unit adds information indicating that the first control board is abnormal to an advertising signal. The water supply device according to claim 2.

6. The water supply device described in claim 1, wherein the communication unit is composed of a communication board communicatively connected to the first control board and the second control board, and in the first communication operation state, it communicates with the first control board and stops communication with the second control board, and in the second communication operation state, it stops communication with the first control board and communicates with the second control board.

7. The communication unit is configured by a communication board communicatively connected to the first control board and the second control board, and has a first storage area for storing information stored in the first control board and a second storage area for storing information stored in the second control board, and in the first communication operating state, stores information indicating that the first control board is normal in the second storage area, and in the second communication operating state, stores information indicating that the first control board is abnormal in the first storage area. The water supply device according to claim 1, wherein the information is stored in a memory area.

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