Equipment management device, equipment management system, and data processing method for equipment management system

Abstract

An equipment management device according to the present disclosure comprises: a collection unit that collects operation data related to the operation of an air conditioner, which exchanges heat between a refrigerant and air by circulating the refrigerant, from a communication device installed in the air conditioner; a diagnostic unit that diagnoses whether or not the refrigerant is leaking on the basis of the operation data; an accumulation unit that accumulates the operation data and the diagnostic results; and a notification unit that notifies a terminal related to the administrator of the air conditioner when it is diagnosed that the refrigerant is leaking.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a device management device, a device management system, and a data processing method for a device management system. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a technique for detecting leakage of refrigerant circulated in an air conditioner. This type of technique is described, for example, in Patent Document 1. The refrigerant amount determination device described in Patent Document 1 acquires operation data of the air conditioner, infers a refrigerant amount index value from the operation data, and compares the inferred refrigerant amount estimated value with a refrigerant index value under normal conditions to determine whether or not there is a refrigerant leakage, and if there is a refrigerant leakage, issues a refrigerant leakage alert to the manager of the air conditioner. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-42949 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, measures have been taken to reduce the emission of fluorocarbons. For example, the Fluorocarbons Emission Reduction Act requires managers of properties where multiple commercial air conditioners are installed, such as stores and buildings, to carry out simple inspections of the air conditioners at least once every three months. This requires the equipment manager to confirm that there is no refrigerant leakage by a simple inspection once every three months. The simple inspection includes the equipment manager checking, for example, whether there is any abnormal noise or vibration in the air conditioner, whether it is not cooling even though it is cooling, whether it is not heating even though it is heating, whether frost is visible on the heat exchanger, and other tasks to determine signs of leakage.

[0005] On the other hand, the 2022 amendment to the Act on Rational Use and Proper Management of Fluorocarbons will allow remote management systems to replace simplified inspections. These remote management systems will be required to detect refrigerant leaks from air conditioners in accordance with the guidelines (GL-17).

[0006] The present disclosure has been made to solve the problems described above, and aims to provide an equipment management device, an equipment management system, and a data processing method for an equipment management system that can eliminate the need for simple inspections of air conditioners by remotely detecting refrigerant leaks in air conditioners. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An equipment management device according to a first aspect includes a collection unit that collects operation data relating to operation of an air conditioner from a communication device mounted on an air conditioner that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and air by circulating the refrigerant, a diagnosis unit that diagnoses whether or not the refrigerant is leaking based on the operation data collected by the collection unit, a storage unit that accumulates the operation data collected by the collection unit and the diagnosis results by the diagnosis unit, and a notification unit that notifies a terminal related to a manager of the air conditioner when the diagnosis unit diagnoses that the refrigerant is leaking. and setting a timing for starting operation of the air conditioner to a time period during which the unit price of electricity required for operation of the air conditioner is lower than a standard or during which renewable energy can be used to operate the air conditioner. .

[0008] An equipment management system according to a second aspect includes an air conditioner that exchanges heat between a refrigerant and air by circulating the refrigerant, a communication device capable of communicating with the air conditioner, and an equipment management device capable of communicating with the communication device, wherein the equipment management device accumulates operation data related to the operation of the air conditioner and a diagnosis result obtained by diagnosing whether or not the refrigerant is leaking based on the operation data, and notifies a terminal related to a manager of the air conditioner when it is diagnosed that the refrigerant is leaking. death , The timing for starting operation of the air conditioner is set to a time period during which the unit price of electricity required for operation of the air conditioner is lower than a standard price, or during which renewable energy can be used to operate the air conditioner. .

[0009] A data processing method for an equipment management system according to a third aspect includes operating an air conditioner that circulates a refrigerant to exchange heat between the refrigerant and air. death , The device management device Collecting operation data related to the operation of the air conditioner from a communication device capable of communicating with the air conditioner; The device management device, Diagnosing whether or not the refrigerant is leaking based on the collected operating data; The device management device, Storing the collected operating data and diagnostic results; The device management device, When it is diagnosed that the refrigerant is leaking, a notification is sent to a terminal related to the manager of the air conditioner. death , The equipment management device sets a timing for starting operation of the air conditioner to a time period during which the unit price of electricity required for operation of the air conditioner is lower than a standard, or during which renewable energy can be used to operate the air conditioner. . Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present disclosure, refrigerant leakage detection in an air conditioner can be performed remotely, making it possible to omit simple inspections of the air conditioner. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a device management system according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a database registered in the device management device according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of an air conditioner according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an air conditioner and a device management device according to an embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 5] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for detecting a refrigerant leak by the device management device according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] 5 is a diagram showing an example of data recorded in a device management device according to an embodiment. FIG. [Figure 7] 4 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a signal flow in the device management system according to the embodiment. [Figure 8]10 is a flowchart showing another example of the process of detecting a refrigerant leak by the device management device according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] 4 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a signal flow in the device management system according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiment, and can be changed as desired within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure. In addition, in the following drawings, the scale and number of each structure may be different from the scale and number of the actual structure in order to make each configuration easier to understand.

[0013] (Device Management System Configuration) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of an equipment management system according to an embodiment. The equipment management system includes, for example, one or more air conditioners 100, an equipment management device 200, an owner's terminal device 300, and a maintenance contractor's terminal device 400. The equipment management device 200, the owner's terminal device 300, and the maintenance contractor's terminal device 400 each have a communication interface (not shown) such as a NIC (Network Interface Card) or a wireless communication module for connecting to a network NW such as the Internet. The air conditioner 100 includes a communication unit 30 (external communication unit 150) as described below. In the following description, the user of the air conditioner 100 is referred to as a "user", the manager of the air conditioner 100 is referred to as an "owner", and a person who provides services such as maintenance of the air conditioner 100 as a business is referred to as a "maintenance contractor". The maintenance contractor is an example of a service provider that uses the air conditioner 100. The owner's terminal device 300 is an example of a terminal related to the manager of the air conditioner 100.

[0014] The air conditioner 100 includes, for example, an outdoor unit 10 and an indoor unit 20. The outdoor unit 10 is disposed outdoors. The indoor unit 20 is disposed indoors. The outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20 are connected to each other by a circulation path portion through which a refrigerant circulates. The air conditioner 100 circulates the refrigerant in the circulation path portion to perform heat exchange between the refrigerant and the air in the room in which the indoor unit 20 is disposed. In this way, the air conditioner 100 adjusts the temperature of the air in the room. In the embodiment, the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20 are one each, but this is not limited thereto, and the air conditioner 100 may be a multi-type air conditioner in which one outdoor unit 10 is installed for multiple indoor units 20. When the air conditioner 100 is provided as a multi-type air conditioner, the diagnosis of refrigerant leakage described below may be performed for each indoor unit 20.

[0015] The air conditioner 100 communicates with, for example, an operation unit 110 and an information processing terminal 120. The operation unit 110 is, for example, a controller embedded in a wall inside a room. The operation unit 110 is connected to the indoor unit 20 by wire. The operation unit 110 is provided with operation buttons and a display unit operated by a user. The operation unit 110 accepts a user's operation and outputs an operation signal to the indoor unit 20. The operation unit 110 displays various information such as the status of the air conditioner 100 on the display unit. The information processing terminal 120 is, for example, a smartphone operated by a user. The information processing terminal 120 is provided with operation buttons and a display unit operated by a user. The information processing terminal 120 accepts a user's operation and outputs an operation signal to the indoor unit 20. The information processing terminal 120 displays various information such as the status of the air conditioner 100 on the display unit.

[0016] The equipment management device 200 is an information processing device such as a server device that accumulates operation data of the air conditioner 100 and performs various processes using the operation data. The equipment management device 200 issues various notifications to the owner's terminal device 300 and the maintenance company's terminal device 400. The equipment management device 200 provides information related to the operation data based on requests from the owner's terminal device 300 and the maintenance company's terminal device 400.

[0017] The equipment management device 200 manages owner information, user information, property information related to the property in which the air conditioner 100 is installed, equipment information about the air conditioner 100, and operation data for the air conditioner 100. For example, based on a request received from the information processing terminal 120, the owner terminal device 300, or the maintenance contractor terminal device 400, the equipment management device 200 registers, refers to, changes, and deletes owner information, user information, property information, equipment information, operation data, and the like.

[0018] The information processing terminal 120 acquires user information, property information, and equipment information, for example, by accepting a user operation. The information processing terminal 120 acquires the equipment information of the air conditioner 100 by reading a code affixed to the outdoor unit 10 or the indoor unit 20. The information processing terminal 120 may acquire the equipment information of the air conditioner 100 from the operation unit 110. The information processing terminal 120 can also acquire the equipment information of the air conditioner 100 by reading a code written on a nameplate affixed to the air conditioner 100. The user information, property information, and equipment information are transmitted from the information processing terminal 120 to the equipment management device 200 via the air conditioner 100.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a database registered in the equipment management device 200 in the embodiment. The equipment management device 200 constructs, for example, an owner table, a property table, an equipment table, and a maintenance company table. The owner table, the property table, the equipment table, and the maintenance company table are associated with each other. For example, the owner, the equipment, and the maintenance company may be associated with each other using the property as key information. The equipment management device 200 performs processing including registration, change, deletion, etc. of information on the owner table, the property table, the equipment table, and the maintenance company table. For example, an owner ID and owner information are registered in the owner table. The owner information is information including the name and contact information of the owner. The property table is registered with a property ID and property information. The property information is information including the name of the property such as the building name and the location of the property. The equipment table is registered with equipment information including the equipment ID, model name, serial number, etc., operation data, abnormality history information, and inspection support information. The maintenance company table is registered with maintenance company information including the maintenance company ID, company name, contact information, etc. The owner table, property table, and equipment table are linked by property IDs, and the equipment table and maintenance company table are linked by equipment IDs.

[0020] The operating data is, for example, data used to diagnose a refrigerant leak in the air conditioner 100. The abnormality history information is, for example, information including the time the abnormality was detected, the type or code of the abnormality, the time of abnormal stop, and the type or code of abnormal stop. The abnormality history information may include, for example, the results of a diagnosis of a refrigerant leak in the air conditioner 100, the results of a refrigerant leak confirmation by a maintenance company, and the results of repairs by the maintenance company. The inspection support information includes information including the date of a simple inspection of the air conditioner 100, the history of the simple inspection, an inspection record sheet, and the like. The date of a simple inspection of the air conditioner 100, the history of the simple inspection, and the inspection record sheet may be information included in a database managed by the equipment management device 200.

[0021] 3 is a schematic diagram showing a general configuration of an air conditioner 100 according to an embodiment. The air conditioner 100 includes, for example, an outdoor unit 10, an indoor unit 20, and a circulation path section 18. Examples of the refrigerant 19 flowing through the circulation path section 18 include fluorine-based refrigerants or hydrocarbon-based refrigerants with low global warming potential (GWP).

[0022] The outdoor unit 10 includes, for example, a housing 11, a compressor 12, a heat exchanger 13, a flow rate control valve 14, a blower 15, a four-way valve 16, and a control unit 17. The housing 11 accommodates the compressor 12, the heat exchanger 13, the flow rate control valve 14, the blower 15, the four-way valve 16, and the control unit 17.

[0023] The compressor 12, the heat exchanger 13, the flow rate control valve 14, and the four-way valve 16 are provided in a portion of the circulation path 18 that is located inside the housing 11. The compressor 12, the heat exchanger 13, the flow rate control valve 14, and the four-way valve 16 are connected by a portion of the circulation path 18 that is located inside the housing 11.

[0024] The four-way valve 16 is provided in a portion of the circulation path section 18 that is connected to the refrigerant discharge side of the compressor 12. The four-way valve 16 switches the path of the refrigerant 19 flowing through the circulation path section 18 between the path shown by the solid line and the path shown by the dashed line. The path shown by the solid line is a path that returns the refrigerant 19 discharged from the compressor 12 to the compressor 12 via the heat exchanger 13, the flow control valve 14, and the indoor unit 20. The path shown by the dashed line is a path that returns the refrigerant 19 discharged from the compressor 12 to the compressor 12 via the indoor unit 20, the flow control valve 14, and the heat exchanger 13.

[0025] The indoor unit 20 includes a housing 21, a heat exchanger 22, a blower 23, and a control unit 24. The housing 21 houses the heat exchanger 22, the blower 23, and the control unit 24 inside. The indoor unit 20 is capable of a cooling operation for cooling the air in the room in which the indoor unit 20 is placed, and a heating operation for warming the air in the room in which the indoor unit 20 is placed. The communication unit 30 may be a communication device separate from the indoor unit 20, and may be connected to a signal input / output unit of a control board on which the control unit 24 and the like are mounted. The communication unit 30 may be a communication device that wirelessly communicates with a wireless LAN adapter connected to the control board and receives a signal from the control board via the wireless LAN adapter.

[0026] When the air conditioner 100 performs cooling operation, the refrigerant 19 circulates, as indicated by the solid arrows, through the compressor 12, the heat exchanger 13 in the outdoor unit 10, the flow control valve 14, and the heat exchanger 22 in the indoor unit 20 in that order, before returning to the compressor 12. During cooling operation, the heat exchanger 13 in the outdoor unit 10 functions as a condenser, and the heat exchanger 22 in the indoor unit 20 functions as an evaporator.

[0027] When the air conditioner 100 performs heating operation, the refrigerant 19 circulates, as indicated by the dashed arrows, through the compressor 12, the heat exchanger 22 in the indoor unit 20, the flow control valve 14, and the heat exchanger 13 in the outdoor unit 10, in that order, before returning to the compressor 12. During heating operation, the heat exchanger 13 in the outdoor unit 10 functions as an evaporator, and the heat exchanger 22 in the indoor unit 20 functions as a condenser.

[0028] The control unit 24 is mounted on a circuit board in the indoor unit 20 together with a storage unit (not shown). The control unit 24 controls each part of the indoor unit 20. The control unit 17 is mounted on a circuit board in the outdoor unit 10 together with a storage unit (not shown). The control unit 17 controls each part of the outdoor unit 10. The control unit 24 and the control unit 17 are realized by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program stored in a program memory. Software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware is written as a program, and the program is stored in the program memory. In addition, some or all of the functional units may be realized by hardware such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or may be realized by software and hardware working together. The storage unit is realized by non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), flash memory, EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), or EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable ROM).

[0029] Specifically, the control unit 24 receives signals from various sensors (not shown) mounted on the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20. The control unit 24 controls the motor in the blower 23. The control unit 24 supplies a control signal for operating the outdoor unit 10 to the control unit 17. The control unit 17 controls the motor in the compressor 12, the motor in the blower 15, the actuator in the four-way valve 16, and the actuator in the flow rate control valve 14.

[0030] The sensors may include, for example, temperature sensors that detect various temperatures such as the outside air temperature, the room temperature, the refrigerant piping temperature, and the shell temperature of the compressor 12; sensors that detect various driving amounts such as the driving amount of the blower 15, the driving amount of the blower 23, and the driving amount of the compressor 12; and sensors that detect various operations such as the operation of the flow control valve 14 and the operation of the four-way valve 16.

[0031] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the air conditioner 100 and the equipment management device 200 in the embodiment. The air conditioner 100 includes, for example, a control unit 24, an acquisition unit 140, a processing unit 142, a storage unit 144, an external communication unit 150, and an in-home communication unit 152. The communication unit 30 described above corresponds to the external communication unit 150, but is not limited thereto, and may communicate with the operation unit 110 or the information processing terminal 120 like the in-home communication unit 152. The acquisition unit 140 and the processing unit 142 are realized by, for example, a processor such as a CPU executing a program stored in a program memory. The control unit 24, the acquisition unit 140, the processing unit 142, the storage unit 144, the external communication unit 150, and the in-home communication unit 152 may be mounted on either the outdoor unit 10 or the indoor unit 20, or may be distributed and mounted on the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20.

[0032] The control unit 24 outputs a control signal to each part of the air conditioner 100. The acquisition unit 140 acquires operation data from each part of the air conditioner 100. The operation data includes sensor information and operation information related to the operation of each part of the air conditioner 100. The operation data may include, for example, an operation mode, a set temperature, an opening degree of an indoor linear expansion valve (LEV (Linear Expansion Valve)) in the indoor unit 20, a room temperature, an outside temperature, a temperature of the circulation path part 18, a refrigerant temperature of each part in the air conditioner 100, an operating frequency of the compressor 12, an opening degree of the flow control valve 14 and the four-way valve 16, and the like. The refrigerant temperature of each part in the air conditioner 100 includes, for example, the temperature of the refrigerant 19 in the heat exchanger 13, and the temperature of the refrigerant 19 discharged from the compressor 12. The operation information related to the operation of each part of the air conditioner 100 may include a control signal output from the control unit 24, and a signal indicating an operation amount of each part of the air conditioner 100. The storage unit 144 stores the operating data acquired by the acquisition unit 140. The processing unit 142 performs various processes in the air conditioner 100. The external communication unit 150 is a communication unit that transmits the operating data to the equipment management device 200. The home communication unit 152 performs wired communication with the operation unit 110. The home communication unit 152 communicates with the information processing terminal 120 using a short-range communication method. The short-range communication method is, for example, Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0033] The equipment management device 200 includes, for example, a communication unit 210, a collection unit 220, a processing unit 230, and a storage unit 240. The communication unit 210 communicates with an external communication unit 150 provided in the air conditioner 100. The collection unit 220 collects operation data from the air conditioner 100 and stores the collected operation data in the storage unit 240. The processing unit 230 functions as a diagnosis unit that diagnoses whether or not the refrigerant 19 is leaking based on the operation data collected by the collection unit 220. The diagnosis result is accumulated in the storage unit 240. As a result, the storage unit 240 functions as a storage unit that accumulates the operation data collected by the collection unit 220 and the diagnosis result by the processing unit 230. The processing unit 230 functions as a notification unit that notifies the owner's terminal device 300 related to the manager of the air conditioner 100 when it is diagnosed that the refrigerant 19 is leaking. In addition, the equipment management device 200 provides information such as the diagnosis result to the maintenance company's terminal device 400.

[0034] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for detecting a refrigerant leak by the equipment management device 200 in the embodiment. First, the equipment management device 200 determines whether or not the timing for collecting operation data has arrived (step S100). The timing for collecting operation data may be set periodically, such as at a set time in a day. If the timing for collecting has not arrived, the equipment management device 200 repeats the process of step S100.

[0035] The equipment management device 200 may collect load information from the air conditioner 100 when the collection timing arrives, and change the operation mode of the air conditioner 100 based on the load information. The load information may be information based on at least one of the blown air temperature relative to the set temperature of the air conditioner 100, the airflow rate, the drive rate of the compressor 12, the drive rate of the blower 15 or the blower 23, etc. The operation modes are, for example, heating mode, cooling mode, powerful mode, quiet mode, etc. Furthermore, the equipment management device 200 may temporarily postpone collection of operation data when the load of the air conditioner 100 is higher than the set value, and collect operation data when the load of the air conditioner 100 falls below the set value.

[0036] When the collection timing arrives, the equipment management device 200 collects operating data and stores the collected operating data (step S102). For example, when the collection timing arrives, the equipment management device 200 may transmit a request to the air conditioner 100 to transmit one day's worth of uncollected operating data to the equipment management device 200. Furthermore, the equipment management device 200 may transmit the collection timing to the air conditioner 100 in advance, and start receiving the operating data automatically transmitted from the air conditioner 100 when the collection timing arrives.

[0037] The equipment management device 200 may set the collection timing and operation mode based on a user operation or a request from the owner's terminal device 300. In this way, the equipment management device 200 can set the collection timing for an air conditioner 100 installed in a store that is open at night, for example, to operate in a diagnosis mode during the daytime based on a request.

[0038] The equipment management device 200 diagnoses whether or not leakage of the refrigerant 19 has occurred in the air conditioner 100 using the collected operation data (step S104). The equipment management device 200 executes an algorithm for diagnosing the presence or absence of leakage of the refrigerant 19 by analyzing data such as the operation mode, set temperature, room temperature, outside temperature, and temperature of the circulation path section 18 of the air conditioner 100. The equipment management device 200 may execute an existing algorithm that can estimate the amount of refrigerant. For example, the equipment management device 200 may determine the amount of refrigerant in the air conditioner 100 by calculating the degree of supercooling of the refrigerant 19 and comparing the degree of supercooling with a determination threshold value. The equipment management device 200 may calculate a predicted value of the refrigerant amount equivalent value from the operation data under normal conditions, and diagnose whether or not the refrigerant 19 has leaked by comparing the predicted value with the value calculated from the operation data acquired from the air conditioner 100.

[0039] When the equipment management device 200 determines that a refrigerant leak has occurred as a result of the refrigerant leak diagnosis, it notifies the owner terminal device 300 and the maintenance contractor terminal device 400 of the leak of the refrigerant 19 (step S108). The equipment management device 200 also records the refrigerant leak diagnosis result (step S110). When the equipment management device 200 determines that a refrigerant leak has not occurred as a result of the refrigerant leak diagnosis, it records the refrigerant leak diagnosis result (step S110). FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of data recorded in the equipment management device 200 in the embodiment. The equipment management device 200 records, for example, the ID of the air conditioner 100, the date of collection of the operation data, and the stored operation data in the storage unit 240 in association with each other. The equipment management device 200 may further record the diagnosis result in association with the date of collection of the operation data and the operation data. This allows the equipment management device 200 to utilize the data recorded in the storage unit 240 as substitute data for a simplified inspection of the air conditioner 100.

[0040] 7 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a signal flow in the equipment management system in the embodiment. The air conditioner 100 transmits operating data to the equipment management device 200 at the collection timing or at any timing. The any timing may be, for example, a timing when the air conditioner 100 is operating. The air conditioner 100 may start up based on determining that the timing to collect operating data has arrived, or may start up in accordance with a request output from the communication unit 30 based on the arrival of the timing to collect operating data.

[0041] The equipment management device 200 collects operation data transmitted from the air conditioner 100 and stores the operation data. When the equipment management device 200 detects a leak of the refrigerant 19 using the stored operation data, it notifies the owner's terminal device 300 and the maintenance contractor's terminal device 400. The maintenance contractor's terminal device 400 requests operation data and the like from the equipment management device 200, and the equipment management device 200 transmits operation data of the air conditioner 100 to the maintenance contractor's terminal device 400. This enables the maintenance contractor's terminal device 400 to create a report including the analysis results of the operation data and proposal information including information indicating repair details and the like, and transmit the report and proposal information to the owner's terminal device 300.

[0042] The information notified from the equipment management device 200 to the owner terminal device 300 and the maintenance contractor terminal device 400 may include, for example, the ID of the air conditioner 100, property information in which the air conditioner 100 is installed, and owner information. Furthermore, the equipment management device 200 may transmit contact information of the maintenance contractor for the air conditioner 100 to the owner terminal device 300, and cause the owner terminal device 300 to display the contact information of the maintenance contractor. The contact information of the maintenance contractor includes, for example, information such as the contractor's name, contact email address, and contractor's telephone number. This allows the owner to contact the maintenance contractor in response to receiving the notification. Furthermore, the equipment management device 200 can also notify the maintenance contractor terminal device 400, thereby sharing with the owner the operation data of the air conditioner 100 in which a leak of the refrigerant 19 has been detected, before the maintenance contractor repairs the air conditioner 100. This has the advantages of making consultations regarding repairs etc. between the owner and the maintenance company smoother, making it easier to identify the cause of a refrigerant leak by analyzing operating data in advance before going to the site, and reducing repair inquiries and work time for quicker responses.

[0043] 8 is a flowchart showing another example of the process of detecting a refrigerant leak by the equipment management device in the embodiment. First, the equipment management device 200 determines whether or not the timing for collecting operation data has arrived (step S200). If the timing for collection has not arrived, the equipment management device 200 repeats the process of step S200. If the timing for collection has arrived, the equipment management device 200 determines whether or not the air conditioner 100 is stopped (step S202).

[0044] The equipment management device 200 may, for example, acquire operation data from the air conditioner 100 and determine whether the air conditioner 100 is stopped based on the operation data, or may determine whether the air conditioner 100 is stopped based on schedule information set in the air conditioner 100 or the usage history of the air conditioner 100. Furthermore, the equipment management device 200 may collect detection information of people on a floor or room where air is conditioned by the air conditioner 100, and may not determine that the air conditioner is stopped if there is a person present, and may determine that the air conditioner is stopped if there is no person present. The detection information of people may be the output of a person detection sensor, or the locking state of a space such as a floor or room, the business hours of a store, etc. The equipment management device 200 may collect detection information of people from an information providing device that acquires information from, for example, a building management system, etc.

[0045] The equipment management device 200 may obtain environmental information such as a weather forecast (temperature, weather, humidity) around the air conditioner 100 from an external information providing device, and determine a date and time suitable for diagnosing a leak of the refrigerant 19. When a date and time suitable for diagnosing a leak of the refrigerant 19 arrives, the equipment management device 200 starts up the air conditioner 100 in a diagnosis mode.

[0046] Furthermore, the equipment management device 200 may operate the air conditioner 100 in the diagnosis mode during a time period when the unit price of electricity required to operate the air conditioner 100 is lower than a standard, or during a time period when renewable energy is available to operate the air conditioner 100. The standard unit price may be, for example, a preset unit price or an average unit price for a day. In this case, the equipment management device 200 may notify the owner terminal device 300 of the cost of electricity consumed for operation in the diagnosis mode.

[0047] The equipment management device 200 may set the collection timing and operation mode during stoppage based on a user operation or a request from the owner's terminal device 300. In this way, the equipment management device 200 can set the collection timing for an air conditioner 100 installed in a store that is open at night, for example, to operate in a diagnosis mode during the daytime based on a request.

[0048] If the air conditioner 100 is not stopped, the equipment management device 200 collects operation data from the air conditioner 100 and stores the collected operation data (step S204). If the air conditioner 100 is stopped, the equipment management device 200 transmits to the air conditioner 100 a request to start the air conditioner 100 in a diagnosis mode (step S208). The diagnosis mode is an operation mode in which the air conditioner 100 is operated to obtain operation data required for diagnosing leakage of the refrigerant 19. The diagnosis mode is an operation mode in which one or both of a cooling operation and a heating operation are performed for, for example, 10 minutes. The equipment management device 200 collects operation data from the air conditioner 100 and stores the collected operation data (step S208).

[0049] Next, the equipment management device 200 uses the operating data to diagnose leakage of the refrigerant 19 (step S210). The equipment management device 200 determines whether or not the refrigerant 19 is leaking as a result of the diagnosis (step S212). If the equipment management device 200 determines that the refrigerant 19 is not leaking, it records the result of the diagnosis of refrigerant leakage (step S216) and returns the process to step S200. If the equipment management device 200 determines that the refrigerant 19 is leaking, it notifies the owner terminal device 300 and the maintenance company terminal device 400 (step S214). The equipment management device 200 also records the result of the diagnosis of refrigerant leakage (step S216).

[0050] FIG. 9 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of signals in the equipment management system in the embodiment. When the air conditioner 100 is stopped, the equipment management device 200 transmits a start request to the air conditioner 100. When the air conditioner 100 is started, it notifies the user that the air conditioner 100 will be operated in the diagnostic mode. At this time, the air conditioner 100 may be controlled so that the notification is made by voice or display from the operation unit 110, or may be controlled so that the notification is made by voice or display from the information processing terminal 120. After notifying the user, the air conditioner 100 starts in the diagnostic mode, transmits operating data to the equipment management device 200, and stops after the diagnostic mode ends. The equipment management device 200 collects the operating data transmitted from the air conditioner 100 and accumulates the operating data.

[0051] In the equipment management system of the embodiment, a start request is sent from the equipment management device 200 to the air conditioner 100, but this is not limiting. The air conditioner 100 may be started at a preset time, start operation in a diagnostic mode, and store operation data. Furthermore, a communication device capable of communicating with the air conditioner 100 and the equipment management device 200 may start the air conditioner 100 by sending a start request to the air conditioner 100, and may transmit the operation data stored by the air conditioner 100 to the equipment management device 200. This communication device may be, for example, a communication device that communicates with the air conditioner 100 that does not have a function of communicating with the equipment management device 200, and may be a communication device separate from the air conditioner 100. That is, steps S100 and S110 in FIG. 5 may be executed by the air conditioner 100 or a communication device separate from the air conditioner 100, and the collected operation data may be transmitted to the equipment management device 200. As a result, for example, when the equipment management device 200 is unable to communicate with other devices, the equipment management system can perform a refrigerant leakage diagnosis by the air conditioner 100 or a communication device separate from the air conditioner 100. When the situation in which the equipment management device 200 is unable to communicate with other devices is resolved, the equipment management system can collect the results of the refrigerant leakage diagnosis performed by the air conditioner 100 or a communication device separate from the air conditioner 100, and operating data.

[0052] In the equipment management system of the embodiment, the refrigerant leakage diagnosis process is performed by the equipment management device 200, but is not limited to this. The refrigerant leakage diagnosis may be performed by the air conditioner 100 that has acquired the operating data. The air conditioner 100 can accumulate the operating data and the refrigerant leakage diagnosis result in the equipment management device 200 by transmitting the refrigerant leakage diagnosis result to the equipment management device 200. Furthermore, the refrigerant leakage diagnosis may be performed by a communication device that is separate from the air conditioner 100 and communicates with the air conditioner 100. The communication device acquires the operating data from the air conditioner 100, diagnoses the refrigerant leakage using the acquired operating data, and transmits the refrigerant leakage diagnosis result to the equipment management device 200.

[0053] In the embodiment, the operation time of the diagnosis mode is a time during which operation data capable of diagnosing a refrigerant leak in the air conditioner 100 can be acquired, for example, 10 minutes to 1 hour. The operation time of the diagnosis mode may be set by the equipment management device 200. The equipment management device 200 may set the operation time of the diagnosis mode based on the type of the air conditioner 100. For example, the equipment management device 200 may set the operation time for a type of air conditioner 100 that may break down if the operation time is short, relatively longer than that for other air conditioners 100. For example, the equipment management device 200 may diagnose a refrigerant leak using the operation data acquired by operating the air conditioner 100 for a short period of time, such as 5 minutes, and when it is diagnosed that a refrigerant leak exists, the equipment management device 200 may operate the air conditioner 100 for a long period of time longer than 5 minutes to reacquire operation data, and rediagnose a refrigerant leak using the reacquired operation data.

[0054] The diagnosis of refrigerant leakage may be performed by a single device or a plurality of devices. For example, the communication unit 30 or the air conditioner 100 diagnoses refrigerant leakage, and if it is determined that there is a refrigerant leakage, it transmits the diagnosis result of refrigerant leakage and the operation data to the equipment management device 200. When the equipment management device 200 receives the diagnosis result of refrigerant leakage and the operation data, it performs a re-diagnosis of refrigerant leakage. When it is determined that there is a refrigerant leakage as a result of the re-diagnosis of refrigerant leakage, the equipment management device 200 can notify the owner terminal device 300 and the maintenance contractor terminal device 400. In addition, when the equipment management device 200 diagnoses refrigerant leakage and determines that there is a refrigerant leakage, the equipment management device 200 may notify the communication unit 30 of the refrigerant leakage, and the communication unit 30 or the air conditioner 100 may diagnose the refrigerant leakage in real time in parallel with the acquisition of the operation data.

[0055] As described above, according to the embodiment of the equipment management device 200, the operation data related to the operation of the air conditioner 100 is collected from the communication unit 30 mounted on the air conditioner 100 that exchanges heat between the refrigerant 19 and the air by circulating the refrigerant 19, and the collected operation data and the diagnosis result by the processing unit 230 are stored. When the equipment management device 200 diagnoses that the refrigerant 19 is leaking, it notifies the owner's terminal device 300. According to this equipment management device 200, it is possible to omit a simple inspection of the air conditioner by remotely detecting the refrigerant leakage of the air conditioner. As a result, according to the equipment management device 200, it is possible to reduce the burden on the equipment manager (owner) for the simple inspection. Furthermore, according to the equipment management device 200, the owner can confirm the diagnosis result of the equipment management device 200 by the owner's terminal device 300, and can grasp the operating state of the air conditioner 100. Furthermore, according to the equipment management device 200, the diagnosis of a refrigerant leak is performed by the equipment management device 200, not by the air conditioner 100 or the communication unit 30, so that the algorithm can be updated to the latest one and the refrigerant leak diagnosis can be performed.

[0056] The equipment management device 200 of the embodiment allows a maintenance company to receive payment for the service of diagnosing and inspecting a refrigerant leak from the owner by providing that company with the service. Also, the equipment management device 200 allows a manufacturer of the air conditioner 100 or the equipment management device 200 to receive payment for the application software from the maintenance company by providing the maintenance company with application software for performing the service of diagnosing and inspecting a refrigerant leak.

[0057] According to the embodiment of the device management device 200, it is possible to notify the maintenance company terminal device 400 in addition to the owner terminal device 300. As a result, the device management device 200 allows the maintenance company to promptly repair or replace the refrigerant leak.

[0058] According to the embodiment of the equipment management device 200, the owner terminal device 300 is notified of information including the contact information of the maintenance company, so that the owner can smoothly contact and consult with the maintenance company about the refrigerant leak.

[0059] According to the equipment management device 200 of the embodiment, an instruction to start the operation of the air conditioner 100 is transmitted to the air conditioner 100 during a period when the air conditioner 100 is stopped, and operation data can be collected from the air conditioner 100 that has started operation. As a result, the equipment management device 200 can diagnose refrigerant leakage for simple inspection periodically, for example, once a day, even if the air conditioner 100 is not operated. Furthermore, according to the equipment management device 200, by performing operation for diagnosing refrigerant leakage during a time period when there are no users, it is possible to avoid causing noise and discomfort to the user. Furthermore, according to the equipment management device 200, since it is not necessary to change the load of the air conditioner 100 based on the set temperature, etc., it is possible to stably acquire operation data for diagnosing refrigerant leakage under certain conditions.

[0060] Furthermore, the equipment management device 200 can collect detection information about people in a space where air is conditioned by the air conditioner 100, and based on the detection information about people, change the timing at which the air conditioner 100 starts operation or the operation mode of the air conditioner 100. In this way, the equipment management device 200 can avoid causing noise and discomfort to the user due to operation for diagnosing a refrigerant leak.

[0061] Furthermore, the equipment management device 200 can collect load information of the air conditioner 100 from the operation data, and change the timing at which the air conditioner 100 starts operation or the operation mode of the air conditioner 100 based on the load information. In this way, the equipment management device 200 can suppress noise and discomfort caused to the user by operation for diagnosing a refrigerant leak. For example, the equipment management device 200 can avoid operation for diagnosing a refrigerant leak when the load on the air conditioner 100 is high, and perform operation for diagnosing a refrigerant leak when the load on the air conditioner 100 is low.

[0062] Furthermore, the equipment management device 200 can change the timing at which the air conditioner 100 starts operation or the operation mode of the air conditioner 100 based on information about the environment around the air conditioner 100 provided by the information providing device. As a result, the equipment management device 200 can perform operation for diagnosing a refrigerant leak in an environment, such as room temperature or humidity, that is suitable for diagnosing a refrigerant leak.

[0063] Furthermore, the equipment management device 200 can set the timing for starting operation of the air conditioner 100 to a time period when the unit price of electricity required to operate the air conditioner 100 is lower than a standard, or a time period when renewable energy can be used to operate the air conditioner 100. In this way, the equipment management device 200 can reduce the electricity fee for diagnosing refrigerant leakage.

[0064] According to the equipment management system of the embodiment, an air conditioner 100 that exchanges heat between the refrigerant 19 and air by circulating the refrigerant 19, a communication unit 30 capable of communicating with the air conditioner 100, and an equipment management device 200 capable of communicating with the communication unit 30 are provided, and the equipment management device 200 accumulates operation data related to the operation of the air conditioner 100 and a diagnosis result of whether or not the refrigerant 19 is leaking based on the operation data, and can notify the owner's terminal device 300 of the air conditioner 100 when it is diagnosed that the refrigerant 19 is leaking. According to this equipment management system, it is possible to omit a simple inspection of the air conditioner by remotely detecting refrigerant leakage from the air conditioner. As a result, the equipment management system can reduce the burden on the equipment manager (owner).

[0065] According to the equipment management system in the embodiment, any one of the air conditioner 100, the communication unit 30, and the equipment management device 200 may diagnose whether or not the refrigerant 19 is leaking based on the operation data. In this equipment management system, when the air conditioner 100 diagnoses whether or not the refrigerant 19 is leaking, the diagnosis result is transmitted from the air conditioner 100 to the equipment management device 200 via the communication unit 30, and when the communication unit 30 diagnoses whether or not the refrigerant 19 is leaking, the diagnosis result is transmitted from the communication unit 30 to the equipment management device 200. As a result, according to the equipment management system, even if the equipment management device 200 cannot diagnose whether or not the refrigerant is leaking, for example, the air conditioner 100 or the communication unit 30 can diagnose whether or not the refrigerant is leaking.

[0066] According to the embodiment, a data processing method of an equipment management system can be realized in which an air conditioner 100 that exchanges heat between the refrigerant 19 and air by circulating the refrigerant 19 is operated, operation data related to the operation of the air conditioner 100 is collected from a communication unit 30 that can communicate with the air conditioner 100, whether or not the refrigerant 19 is leaking is diagnosed based on the collected operation data, the collected operation data and the diagnosis result are accumulated, and if it is diagnosed that the refrigerant 19 is leaking, a notification is sent to the owner's terminal device 300. According to the data processing method of the equipment management system, a simple inspection of the air conditioner can be omitted by remotely detecting refrigerant leakage from the air conditioner. As a result, according to the data processing method of the equipment management system, the burden on the equipment manager (owner) can be reduced.

[0067] According to the device management system of the embodiment, even air conditioners 100 that do not have a function for communicating with the device management device 200 can provide a service for diagnosing and inspecting refrigerant leaks by connecting the communication unit 30. This allows communication device manufacturers to earn revenue by selling the communication unit 30 separately and providing a service for diagnosing and inspecting refrigerant leaks.

[0068] In the data processing method of the equipment management system, the air conditioner 100 may start up based on determining that the time to collect operating data has arrived, or may start up in accordance with a request output from the communication unit 30 based on the time to collect operating data having arrived.

[0069] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configurations are not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and designs within the scope of the present disclosure are also included. The configurations described in the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined in any combination. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 10...outdoor unit, 11...housing, 12...compressor, 13...heat exchanger, 14...flow rate control valve, 15...blower, 16...four-way valve, 17...control unit, 18...circulation path unit, 19...refrigerant, 20...indoor unit, 21...housing, 22...heat exchanger, 23...blower, 24...control unit, 30...communication unit, 100...air conditioner, 110...operation unit, 120...information processing terminal, 140...acquisition unit, 142...processing unit, 144...storage unit, 150...external communication unit, 152...in-home communication unit, 200...apparatus management device, 210...communication unit, 220...collection unit, 230...processing unit, 240...storage unit, 250...learning data storage unit, 252...learning processing unit, 254...prediction unit, 300...owner's terminal device, 400...maintenance contractor's terminal device

Claims

1. A collection unit that collects operation data related to the operation of the air conditioner from a communication device mounted in the air conditioner that circulates a refrigerant to exchange heat between the refrigerant and air; a diagnosis unit that diagnoses whether or not the refrigerant is leaking based on the operating data collected by the collection unit; a storage unit that stores the driving data collected by the collection unit and the diagnosis result by the diagnosis unit; a notification unit that notifies a terminal related to a manager of the air conditioner when the diagnosis unit diagnoses that the refrigerant is leaking, An equipment management device that sets the timing for causing the air conditioner to start operation to a time period when the unit price of electricity required to operate the air conditioner is lower than a standard, or when renewable energy can be used to operate the air conditioner.

2. The device management apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the notification unit notifies a terminal related to a company that provides a maintenance service using the air conditioner.

3. The device management apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the notification unit notifies a terminal related to a manager of the air conditioner of information including contact information of a company that provides the maintenance service.

4. The equipment management device according to claim 1 , wherein an instruction to the air conditioner to start operation during a period in which the air conditioner is stopped is transmitted to the air conditioner, and the operation data is collected from the air conditioner that has started operation.

5. The equipment management device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a device management unit configured to set a timing for causing the air conditioner to start operation based on receipt of an operation from a user of the air conditioner or an administrator of the air conditioner.

6. The equipment management device of claim 1, which collects detection information of people in a space where air is conditioned by the air conditioner, and changes the timing at which the air conditioner starts operation or the operating mode of the air conditioner based on the detection information of people.

7. The equipment management device according to claim 1 , further comprising: collecting load information of the air conditioner from the operation data; and changing a timing for causing the air conditioner to start operation or an operation mode of the air conditioner based on the load information.

8. The equipment management device according to claim 1 , further comprising: an information providing device that changes a timing for causing the air conditioner to start operation or an operation mode of the air conditioner based on information relating to an environment surrounding the air conditioner provided by an information providing device.

9. an air conditioner that circulates a refrigerant to exchange heat between the refrigerant and air; A communication device capable of communicating with the air conditioner; a device management device capable of communicating with the communication device; The equipment management device accumulates operating data related to the operation of the air conditioner and diagnostic results of diagnosing whether or not the refrigerant is leaking based on the operating data, and if it is diagnosed that the refrigerant is leaking, notifies a terminal related to the manager of the air conditioner, and sets the timing for the air conditioner to start operation to a time period when the unit price of electricity required to operate the air conditioner is lower than a standard or a time period when renewable energy can be used to operate the air conditioner.

10. any one of the air conditioner, the communication device, and the equipment management device diagnoses whether or not the refrigerant is leaking based on the operation data; When the air conditioner diagnoses whether or not the refrigerant is leaking, the diagnosis result is transmitted from the air conditioner to the equipment management device via the communication device, When the communication device diagnoses whether or not the refrigerant is leaking, the diagnosis result is transmitted from the communication device to the equipment management device. The device management system according to claim 9.

11. An air conditioner is operated to circulate a refrigerant to exchange heat between the refrigerant and air; An equipment management device collects operation data related to the operation of the air conditioner from a communication device capable of communicating with the air conditioner, The equipment management device diagnoses whether or not the refrigerant is leaking based on the collected operating data, The equipment management device accumulates the collected operating data and diagnostic results, When the equipment management device diagnoses that the refrigerant is leaking, the equipment management device notifies a terminal related to a manager of the air conditioner; The equipment management device sets a timing for causing the air conditioner to start operation during a time period when the unit price of electricity required for operation of the air conditioner is lower than a standard, or during a time period when renewable energy can be used to operate the air conditioner. Data processing method for equipment management system.

12. The data processing method of an equipment management system as described in claim 11, wherein the air conditioner starts up based on determining that the timing to collect the operating data has arrived, or starts up in accordance with a request output from the communication device based on the timing to collect the operating data having arrived.

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