DATA INTEGRATION DEVICE, COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, AND METHOD AND PROGRAM FOR GENERATING INTEGRATION DATA

Abstract

To make it easy to manage data transmitted from a facility apparatus via different communication paths.SOLUTION: In a data integration device 30, an apparatus communication section 33a receives first apparatus data related to an indoor unit 12a via a first communication path, and receives second apparatus data related to the indoor unit 12a via a second communication path different from the first communication path. A data integration section 312 generates integrated data S including items included commonly in the first apparatus data and the second apparatus data. When a name or data format of an item included in the first apparatus data differs from a name or data format of the item included in the second apparatus data, the data integration section 312 sets a name or data format of the item in the integrated data S to a unified name or data format.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a data integration device, a communication system, and a method and program for generating integrated data. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a technique for transmitting data related to facility equipment to an external device in order to remotely manage the facility equipment. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an air conditioning system in which data is transmitted and received between an air conditioning unit and a server, which is an external computer, via a public line. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-139669 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As described above, in a system that transmits data related to facility devices to an external device, depending on the system configuration, data may be transmitted from the facility devices to the external device via multiple different communication paths. In such a case, with conventional technology, it is difficult to treat data transmitted from the same facility device as data transmitted from the same facility device. Therefore, even if data is transmitted from the same facility device, it has to be treated as data transmitted from different facility devices, which causes a problem that management of data transmitted from the facility devices becomes complicated.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the problems described above, and aims to provide a data integration device, etc. that can make it easier to manage data transmitted from facility equipment via different communication paths. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, a data integration device according to the present disclosure includes: a device communication means for receiving first device data related to a facility device via a first communication path and receiving second device data related to the facility device via a second communication path different from the first communication path; a data integration means for generating integrated data including items commonly included in the first device data and the second device data, When the name or data format of the item included in the first device data differs from the name or data format of the item included in the second device data, the data integration means sets the name or data format of the item in the integrated data to a unified name or data format. Effect of the Invention

[0007] A data integration device according to the present disclosure receives first device data related to facility equipment via a first communication path, receives second device data related to facility equipment via a second communication path, and generates integrated data including items commonly included in the first device data and the second device data. At this time, the data integration device according to the present disclosure sets the names or data formats in the integrated data of the items commonly included in the first device data and the second device data to unified names or data formats. Therefore, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to easily manage data transmitted from facility equipment via different communication paths. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a communication system according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration of a data integrating device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration of a terminal according to a first embodiment; [Figure 4]FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a functional configuration of a data integrating device according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of first device data stored in a data integrating device according to a first embodiment; [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of second device data stored in the data integrating device according to the first embodiment; [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of third device data stored in the data integrating device according to the first embodiment; [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of integrated data according to the first embodiment; [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing integration rules for physical property names and data types according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an integration rule for an operating state according to the first embodiment; [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an air volume integration rule according to the first embodiment; [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an integration rule for operation modes according to the first embodiment; [Figure 13] 1 is a flowchart showing the flow of data integration processing executed by the data integration device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 14] 1 is a flowchart showing the flow of data output processing executed by the data integrating device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 15] 11 is a flowchart showing the flow of data output processing executed by a data integrating device according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, in which the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0010] (Embodiment 1) 1 shows the configuration of a communication system 1 according to embodiment 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the communication system 1 includes an air conditioner 10, a data integrating device 30, and a user terminal 50.

[0011] The air conditioner 10 conditions a target indoor space. As an example, the air conditioner 10 is a heat pump type air conditioning facility that uses CO2 (carbon dioxide), HFC (hydrofluorocarbon), or the like as a refrigerant. The air conditioner 10 includes an outdoor unit 11 installed outdoors, a plurality of indoor units 12a, 12b, ... installed indoors, and a system controller 13 that controls the operation of the air conditioner 10. The air conditioner 10 is a so-called multi-air conditioner, and can air-condition a plurality of indoor spaces using the plurality of indoor units 12a, 12b, ....

[0012] A heat pump through which a refrigerant flows is provided between the outdoor unit 11 and the multiple indoor units 12a, 12b, .... The outdoor unit 11 includes a compressor that compresses the refrigerant and circulates it through the heat pump, a four-way valve that switches the refrigerant circulation direction, an outdoor heat exchanger that exchanges heat between outdoor air and the refrigerant, an expansion valve that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant and expands it, and an outdoor fan that sends outdoor air to the outdoor heat exchanger. Each of the multiple indoor units 12a, 12b, ... includes an indoor heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the air in the indoor space and the refrigerant, and an indoor fan that sends the air after heat exchange to the indoor space.

[0013] The system controller 13 is a centralized controller that controls the operations of the outdoor unit 11 and the multiple indoor units 12a, 12b, .... The system controller 13 is equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a communication interface, and a readable / writable non-volatile semiconductor memory, and controls the operation of the entire air conditioner 10. Specifically, the system controller 13 controls the drive frequency of the compressor provided in the outdoor unit 11, the switching of the four-way valve, the rotation speed of the outdoor fan, and the opening degree of the expansion valve, and controls the rotation speed of the indoor fan provided in each of the multiple indoor units 12a, 12b, ....

[0014] The system controller 13 communicates with the outdoor unit 11 and the multiple indoor units 12a, 12b, ... via the field network N2. The field network N2 is a communication network established between the outdoor unit 11, the multiple indoor units 12a, 12b, ... and the system controller 13. In the field network N2, communication is performed according to a predetermined communication protocol. An address is assigned to each unit connected to the field network N2. The source unit transmits a command to the address of the destination unit or by broadcast.

[0015] The system controller 13 is connected to a wide area network N1 via a gateway 14. The wide area network N1 is a communication network for communication between geographically separated wide areas, specifically, the Internet communication network. The system controller 13 communicates with the data integrating device 30 via the wide area network N1, and transmits information on the air conditioners 10 aggregated by the system controller 13 to the data integrating device 30.

[0016] The gateway 14 is a device that relays data transmitted between networks having different communication protocols, and specifically, relays data transmitted between the system controller 13 and the data integrating device 30 .

[0017] The adapter 15 is an interface for connecting the indoor unit 12a to Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) and the wide area network N1. The adapter 15 is attached to the indoor unit 12a so as to be able to communicate with the indoor unit 12a. More specifically, the adapter 15 is electrically connected to the indoor unit 12a via a wired cable so as to be able to exchange information with the indoor unit 12a. The adapter 15 transmits information acquired from the indoor unit 12a to the wide area network N1 and transmits information received from the wide area network N1 to the indoor unit 12a.

[0018] The remote control 16 is a device for operating the indoor unit 12a. The remote control 16 is installed, for example, on a wall, a pillar, or the like of the indoor space that is air-conditioned by the indoor unit 12a. The remote control 16 accepts operations by a user in the indoor space and transmits the operations to the indoor unit 12a. For example, the user operates the remote control 16 to input an operation command to the indoor unit 12a. The operation command is, for example, switching between operation and stop, setting an operation mode, a set temperature, a set humidity, and air volume or direction. The indoor unit 12a operates according to the operation command input to the remote control 16.

[0019] The operation terminal 17 is an information terminal such as a personal computer, a smartphone, or a tablet. Although not shown, the operation terminal 17 is equipped with a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, an operation unit, a display unit, a communication interface, and a readable / writable non-volatile semiconductor memory, and is mainly operated by a worker who inspects and maintains the air conditioner 10. The operation terminal 17 communicates with the remote control 16 via a communication medium such as BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy: registered trademark). The operation terminal 17 accepts operations by the worker and transmits them to the indoor unit 12a via the remote control 16.

[0020] In this way, the indoor unit 12a can communicate with the outside via the system controller 13, the adapter 15, and the remote control 16. Therefore, the indoor unit 12a is controlled not only by the system controller 13, but also by the adapter 15 and the remote control 16. On the other hand, the indoor unit 12b is not connected to the adapter 15 or the remote control 16, and is therefore controlled only by the system controller 13.

[0021] The data integrating device 30 is communicatively connected to the air conditioner 10 via the wide area network N1, and remotely manages the air conditioner 10. As an example, the data integrating device 30 is a server that provides cloud computing resources. As shown in FIG. 2, the data integrating device 30 includes a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, and a communication unit 33.

[0022] The control unit 31 includes a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The CPU is also called a central processing unit, a central arithmetic unit, a processor, a microprocessor, a microcomputer, etc., and functions as a processing unit that executes processes and calculations related to the control of the data integrating device 30. In the control unit 31, the CPU reads out programs and data stored in the ROM, and uses the RAM as a work area to perform overall control of the data integrating device 30.

[0023] The storage unit 32 includes a non-volatile semiconductor memory such as a flash memory, an EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), or an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM), and serves as a so-called secondary storage device or auxiliary storage device. The storage unit 32 stores programs and data used by the control unit 31 to perform various processes. The storage unit 32 also stores data generated or acquired by the control unit 31 performing various processes.

[0024] The communication unit 33 includes a communication interface for communicating with an external device of the data integrating apparatus 30. Specifically, the communication unit 33 includes a device communication unit 33a and a terminal communication unit 33b.

[0025] The device communication unit 33a communicates with the air conditioner 10 via the wide area network N1. As a result, the device communication unit 33a acquires information such as the current operating state and address of the air conditioner 10. More specifically, the device communication unit 33a communicates with the outdoor unit 11 and the multiple indoor units 12a, 12b, ... included in the air conditioner 10 via a communication path 21 passing through the field network N2, the system controller 13, and the gateway 14. In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, the adapter 15 and the remote control 16 are connected to the indoor unit 12a. Therefore, the device communication unit 33a can communicate with the indoor unit 12a also via the communication path 22 passing through the adapter 15, and can also communicate with the indoor unit 12a also via the communication path 23 passing through the remote control 16 and the operation terminal 17. In this way, the device communication unit 33a can communicate with the indoor unit 12a via three communication paths 21 to 23 passing through different system nodes, namely the system controller 13, the adapter 15, and the remote control 16.

[0026] The device communication unit 33a receives device data related to the indoor unit 12a, which is a facility device, via different communication paths 21 to 23. First, the device communication unit 33a receives first device data from the indoor unit 12a via the first communication path. Second, the device communication unit 33a receives second device data from the indoor unit 12a via the second communication path. Third, the device communication unit 33a receives third device data from the indoor unit 12a via the third communication path.

[0027] Hereinafter, the communication path 21 passing through the field network N2, the system controller 13, and the gateway 14 will be referred to as the first communication path, the communication path 22 passing through the adapter 15 will be referred to as the second communication path, and the communication path 23 passing through the remote control 16 and the operation terminal 17 will be referred to as the third communication path. Also, the device data received via the first, second, and third communication paths will be referred to as the first, second, and third device data, respectively. Note that the names of the first, second, and third communication paths are merely examples, and any of these three communication paths 21 to 23 may be referred to as the first communication path, the second communication path, or the third communication path.

[0028] Different communication protocols are used for communication in the communication paths 21 to 23. As an example, the communication path 21 uses a communication protocol mainly adopted in the field network N2 in the multi-air conditioner, the communication path 22 uses a communication protocol mainly adopted in slim air conditioners or room air conditioners, and the communication path 23 uses a communication protocol unique to the application software installed in the operation terminal 17.

[0029] The gateway 14, the adapter 15, and the remote control 16 may be collectively referred to as an "adapter." The device communication unit 33a has an interface for communicating with each adapter, and absorbs the protocol for each adapter. The device communication unit 33a is an example of a device communication means.

[0030] The terminal communication unit 33b communicates with the user terminal 50 via the wide area network N1. Specifically, the terminal communication unit 33b includes an API (Application Programming Interface) that is an interface for communicating with an application program running on the user terminal 50. For example, the terminal communication unit 33b communicates with the user terminal 50 using protocols such as MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport) and HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure).

[0031] Returning to Fig. 1, the user terminal 50 is an information terminal such as a personal computer, a smartphone, or a tablet operated by a user. The user who operates the user terminal 50 is a general user who mainly uses the air conditioner 10. As shown in Fig. 3, the user terminal 50 includes a control unit 51, a storage unit 52, a communication unit 53, an operation unit 54, and a display unit 55.

[0032] The control unit 51 includes a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The CPU is also called a central processing unit, a processor, a microprocessor, a microcomputer, etc., and functions as a central processing unit that executes processing and calculations related to the control of the user terminal 50. In the control unit 51, the CPU reads out programs and data stored in the ROM, and uses the RAM as a work area to perform overall control of the user terminal 50.

[0033] The storage unit 52 includes a non-volatile semiconductor memory such as a flash memory, an EPROM, or an EEPROM, and serves as a so-called secondary storage device or auxiliary storage device. The storage unit 52 stores programs and data used by the control unit 51 to perform various processes. The storage unit 52 also stores data generated or acquired by the control unit 51 performing various processes.

[0034] The communication unit 53 includes a communication interface for the user terminal 50 to communicate with an external device. For example, the communication unit 53 communicates with an external device including the data integrating device 30 via the wide area network N1 or another network.

[0035] The operation unit 54 includes input devices such as a keyboard, a mouse, a switch, a touch pad, and a touch panel, and receives operations from a user. The user can input various instructions to the user terminal 50 by operating the operation unit 54. When the operation unit 54 receives an operation instruction input by the user, it transmits the received operation instruction to the control unit 51.

[0036] The display unit 55 includes a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) panel, an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) panel, etc. The display unit 55 is driven by a display drive circuit (not shown), and displays various images under the control of the control unit 51.

[0037] Next, functional configurations of the data integrating device 30 and the user terminal 50 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. As shown in Fig. 4, the data integrating device 30 functionally comprises a data storage unit 311, a data integrating unit 312, and a data output unit 313. The user terminal 50 functionally comprises a data acquisition unit 511.

[0038] Each of these functions is realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. The software and firmware are written as programs and stored in the ROM or storage unit 32, 52. The CPU then executes the programs stored in the ROM or storage unit 32, 52 to realize each of these functions.

[0039] The data saving unit 311 saves the equipment data received by the equipment communication unit 33a from the indoor unit 12a via the communication paths 21 to 23 in the memory unit 32. Here, the equipment data is data related to the indoor unit 12a which is the facility equipment to be managed, and specifically, data indicating the current operating state, address, etc. of the indoor unit 12a.

[0040] Since the communication protocols differ for each of the communication paths 21 to 23, the data storage unit 311 stores the device data received from the indoor unit 12a in a separate table for each of the communication paths 21 to 23. Specifically, the data storage unit 311 stores the device data received via the communication path 21 in the storage unit 32 as device data A. The data storage unit 311 stores the device data received via the communication path 22 in the storage unit 32 as device data B. The data storage unit 311 stores the device data received via the communication path 23 in the storage unit 32 as device data C. The data storage unit 311 is realized by the control unit 31 cooperating with the storage unit 32. The data storage unit 311 is an example of a data storage means.

[0041] 5 to 7 show examples of device data A to C, respectively. The device data A and B include dynamic data and static data. The dynamic data is data that changes, such as the operating state and operating mode of the indoor unit 12a, and is data that is periodically transmitted from the indoor unit 12a. Specifically, the dynamic data includes information such as the operating state, operating mode, set temperature, air volume, air direction, humidity, and outside temperature of the indoor unit 12a.

[0042] In contrast, static data is data that does not change basically. Static data, such as setting information, installation information, meta information, etc. of the indoor unit 12a, is input by a maintenance worker at the timing of initial setting or setting update. Specifically, the static data includes information such as the address of the indoor unit 12a, remote control group, installation location, installation date, equipment inspection date, equipment inspection reporter, equipment inspection result, and next inspection date.

[0043] The dynamic data and the static data are updated at different times, and therefore are transmitted from the indoor unit 12a to the data integrating device 30 at different times and are stored in different tables in the data integrating device 30.

[0044] 5, device data A has information on property names, physical property names, and values ​​for each of the items of operation state, operation mode, set temperature, air volume, and air direction as dynamic data, and information on property names, physical property names, and values ​​for each of the items of address and group as static data.

[0045] 6, device data B includes, as dynamic data, information on property names, physical property names, and values ​​for each of the items of operation state, operation mode, set temperature, humidity, and air volume, and, as static data, information on property names, physical property names, and values ​​for each of the items of software version and MAC (Media Access Control) address.

[0046] 7, the equipment data C has information on the property name, physical property name and value for each item of the inspection date, the inspection result and the next inspection date as static data. On the other hand, the equipment data C does not have dynamic data.

[0047] Furthermore, each of the device data A to C has update time information for both the dynamic data and the static data. Here, the update time is the time when each data is acquired. The timing at which the update time is assigned is determined according to the design of each communication path. For example, the update time may be assigned by the indoor unit 12a, the gateway 14, the adapter 15 or the remote control 16, or the data integrating device 30.

[0048] Information such as property names, physical property names, values, and update times included in the device data A to C can be collectively referred to as "properties" or "data properties." Items are also called property items, and correspond to information on a row-by-row basis in the tables of the device data A to C. In other words, the device data A to C have information on one item per row in each table of dynamic data and static data.

[0049] Here, the "property name" is also called a logical property name or logical name, and is a name indicating the meaning of each item included in the equipment data A to C. The "physical property name" is also called a physical name, and is a variable name that uniquely defines each item when processing with the database and software on the communication system 1. In other words, both the "property name" and the "physical property name" are names for identifying each item, but the "property name" is a name by which the user identifies each item, and the "physical property name" is a name by which each item is identified on a computer. For example, "operating state", "set temperature", etc. are "property names", and "setTemp", "targetTemperature", etc. are "physical property names".

[0050] The "values" included in the device data A to C are also called property values, and are data values ​​of the properties. The "values" are not limited to being numerical values, and may be expressed in a string format such as "ON" or "COOL."

[0051] Returning to Fig. 4, the data integrating unit 312 integrates the device data A to C received by the device communication unit 33a from the indoor unit 12a via different communication paths 21 to 23. In this way, the data integrating unit 312 generates integrated data S in which the device data A to C are integrated. The data integrating unit 312 is realized by the control unit 31 working in cooperation with the storage unit 32. The data integrating unit 312 is an example of a data integrating means.

[0052] 8 shows an example of integrated data S generated by the data integration unit 312. The integrated data S has separate tables of dynamic data and static data, similar to the device data A to C. The integrated data S includes items that are included in common in two or more of the device data A to C.

[0053] Specifically, the integrated data S includes, as dynamic data, the items of operation state, operation mode, set temperature, and air volume that are included in common in the dynamic data of the device data A and the dynamic data of the device data B. Furthermore, the integrated data S includes, as dynamic data, the item of wind direction that is included only in the dynamic data of the device data A, and the item of humidity that is included only in the dynamic data of the device data B.

[0054] In addition, the integrated data S includes, as static data, the address and group items contained in the static data of the equipment data A, the software version and MAC address items contained in the static data of the equipment data B, and the inspection date, inspection result, and next inspection date items contained in the static data of the equipment data C.

[0055] In this way, the integrated data S has data of items integrated by OR, that is, logical sum, of the device data A to C. In other words, the integrated data S has data of items included in at least one of the device data A to C.

[0056] The data integration device 30 has in advance, in the storage unit 32, a definition file that defines the items to be included in the integrated data S. Items other than those defined in the definition file may be included in the device data A to C, but do not have to be included in the integrated data S. By not including unnecessary items in the integrated data S, it is possible to prevent the integrated data S from becoming bloated in size and reduce the integration process.

[0057] The integrated data S has information on the property name, physical property name, value, and update time for each of the items obtained by ORing the device data A to C. Here, the physical property names, values, and update times are not standardized among the device data A to C, as shown in Figs. 5 to 7. In other words, even if an item is commonly included in multiple device data, the physical property name, value, and update time of the item are not the same among the multiple device data. For example, the physical property name of "operating status" is "Drive" in device data A, but is "operationStatus" in device data B. Also, the value of "operating mode" is "COOL" in device data A, but is "cooling" in device data B.

[0058] The reason why the properties of the device data A to C are different in this way is because the device data A to C are transmitted via different communication paths 21 to 23. Since different communication protocols are used in the communication paths 21 to 23, the properties included in the transmitted data differ depending on the communication paths 21 to 23. In the conventional technology, if the properties differ depending on the communication paths 21 to 23, it is difficult to treat the data as having been transmitted from the same facility device, even if the data has been transmitted from the same facility device. Therefore, there is no choice but to treat the data as having been transmitted from different facility devices, which causes a problem that management of the data transmitted from the facility devices becomes complicated.

[0059] Therefore, the data integration unit 312 generates integrated data S by integrating the properties included in each of the device data A to C from the device data A to C transmitted via the different communication paths 21 to 23. As shown in Fig. 8, the integrated data S does not have all the information included in each of the device data A to C as the information on the physical property name, value, and update time, but has one unified information per item.

[0060] In order to generate such integrated data S, the data integration unit 312 refers to a predetermined integration rule R. Here, the integration rule R is data that defines a rule for generating the integrated data S from the device data A to C. The integration rule R is determined in advance and stored in the storage unit 32. Hereinafter, a specific example of the integration rule R will be described with reference to Figs. 9 to 12.

[0061] (1) Integration of names When the name of an item included in a first device data among the device data A to C differs from the name of the item included in a second device data among the device data A to C, the data integration unit 312 sets the name of the item in the integrated data S to a single unified name. In other words, when the name of an item commonly included in two or more device data differs between the two or more device data, the data integration unit 312 unifies the name of the item in the integrated data S to a single name.

[0062] Here, the name of an item is information for identifying items included in the device data A to C on the communication system 1, and specifically, is a physical property name. As shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, both the device data A and the device data B have common items, such as an operating state, an operating mode, a set temperature, and an air volume, but the physical property names of these items are different between the device data A and the device data B. Therefore, the integration rule R defines unified physical property names as the physical property names of these items in the integrated data S.

[0063] Fig. 9 shows an example of the correspondence between physical property names and data types in integration rule R for each item of operation state, operation mode, set temperature, and air volume that are commonly included in both device data A and device data B. Integration rule R shown in Fig. 9 specifies that the same physical property names as those of device data B should be used as the physical property names of these items in integrated data S.

[0064] The reason for this is that, as an example, it is assumed that the physical property names of device data A are unique to the manufacturer, and the physical property names of device data B comply with the international standard ECHONET Lite (registered trademark). By unifying the physical property names of integrated data S to the physical property names of device data B, which comply with the international standard, there is an advantage in that the data format can be made public even when data is linked with external application software.

[0065] 9, and the integrated data S, the integration rule R also determines the correspondence between the device data C and the integrated data S (not shown). The data integration unit 312 converts the physical property names and data types in the device data A to C into physical property names and data types in the integrated data S according to the integration rule R.

[0066] (2) Data format integration When the data format of an item included in a first device data among the device data A to C differs from the data format of the item included in a second device data among the device data A to C, the data integrating unit 312 sets the data format of the item in the integrated data S to a unified data format. In other words, when the data formats of an item commonly included in two or more device data differ between the two or more device data, the data integrating unit 312 unifies the data formats of the item in the integrated data S into one format.

[0067] Here, the data format includes the data type, value holding, value step width, value step number, value expression format, etc. of the device data A to C and the integrated data S. The data type is the value format of the device data A to C and the integrated data S, such as String type, Boolean type, Number type, etc. The value holding is, for example, whether the air volume value is 1-3 or HIGH / MID / LOW.

[0068] 9, the String type is used as the data type for all items in the device data A. In contrast, the integration rule R stipulates that the Boolean type is used as the data type for the operating status, the String type is used as the data type for the operating mode, and the Number type is used as the data type for the set temperature and airflow rate in the integrated data S.

[0069] 10 to 12 show examples of the integration rule R related to the data format of the operation state, the air volume, and the operation mode. In the examples of Fig. 10 to 12, the integration rule R prescribes that the data format in the integrated data S should be unified with the data format in the device data B, similar to Fig. 9.

[0070] More specifically, as shown in Fig. 10, the operating state value in the device data A is expressed in three states: {ON, OFF, TESTRUN}. In contrast, the operating state value in the device data B and the integrated data S is expressed in only two states: {True, False}. Note that "TESTRUN" indicates that the operating state is a test run.

[0071] Since the number of states differs between the device data A and the integrated data S, the states are matched between the data A and the integrated data S as shown in Fig. 10. Specifically, the integrated rule R for the operating state stipulates that ON and OFF in the data A correspond to True and False, respectively, in the integrated data S. Furthermore, the integrated rule R for the operating state stipulates that TESTRUN in the data A corresponds to the operating state in the integrated data S as True, and the operating mode corresponds to the TestRun state.

[0072] As shown in Fig. 11, the air volume value in device data A is expressed in four steps, {LOW, MID1, MID2, HIGH}. In contrast, the air volume values ​​in device data B and device data S are expressed in ten steps, from 1 to 10. Since the number of steps differs between device data A and integrated data S, integration rule R stipulates that the steps be matched between device data A and integrated data S, as shown in Fig. 11.

[0073] In addition to being determined by a designer, the integration rule R for data with different information granularity can also be determined automatically by calculation from the difference in the number of steps between the data, as in the following processes (a) to (d). (a) Prepare two sorted level lists as follows: Device data A [String]: LOW, MID1, MID2, HIGH Device Data B [Number]: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 (b) Determine the range width by dividing the number of sequences in the larger list by the number of sequences in the smaller list. (c) Assign indices to the list and calculate the index of the smaller list x the range width. (d) Decide the index width of the larger list to match the smaller list by rounding off the decimal point. In the example, the range width is 2.5, so [3,5,8,10] is the range for each mode of device data A. In other words, LOW is adjusted to 1-3, MID1 to 4-5, MID2 to 6-8, and HIGH to 9-10.

[0074] As shown in FIG. 12, the value of the operation mode in device data A is expressed as "COOL". In contrast, the value of the operation mode in device data B and integrated data S is expressed as "cooling". As such, the data types are both String types, but the value representation formats are different. Therefore, integration rule R prescribes that the String value conversion is performed for the operation mode value between device data A and integrated data S.

[0075] (3) Integration of update times When the update time of an item included in a first device data among the device data A to C differs from the update time of the item included in a second device data among the device data A to C, the data integration unit 312 sets the update time of the item in the integrated data S to a unified update time. In other words, when the update times of an item commonly included in two or more device data differ between the two or more device data, the data integration unit 312 unifies the update times of the item in the integrated data S to a single time.

[0076] As shown in Fig. 5 to Fig. 7, each of the device data A to C has update time information. The data integration unit 312 sets the update time of an item included in only one of the device data A to C in the integrated data S to the update time of that device data. On the other hand, since the update times differ depending on the device data A to C, the data integration unit 312 sets the update time of an item included in common to two or more of the device data A to C in the integrated data S to a single unified update time.

[0077] More specifically, when an item in the integrated data S is included in two or more of the device data A to C, the data integration unit 312 sets the update time of that item in the integrated data S to the latest update time among the update times of that item in the two or more device data. For example, the update time of the dynamic data of the device data A is newer than the update time of the dynamic data of the device data B. Therefore, the data integration unit 312 sets the update times of each of the items of the operating state, operating mode, set temperature, and air volume included in common in the device data A and B in the integrated data S to the update time of the device data A. By unifying the update times in this way, data management becomes easier.

[0078] The pre-integration device data A to C are not deleted even after the integrated data S is generated, but are stored as history data in the data integrating device 30 separately from the integrated data S. This makes it possible to deal with cases where the user terminal 50 has a function for acquiring data from the device data A to C but does not have a function for acquiring data from the integrated data S, such as when the version of the application software used in the user terminal 50 is old, and therefore does not impair user convenience.

[0079] Returning to Fig. 4, in the user terminal 50, the data acquisition unit 511 communicates with the data integrating device 30 via the communication unit 53, and acquires the integrated data S or the device data A to C stored in the data integrating device 30. The data acquisition unit 511 is realized by the control unit 51 cooperating with the communication unit 53. The data acquisition unit 511 is an example of a data acquisition means.

[0080] Application software for acquiring data from the data integrating device 30 is installed in the user terminal 50. The user starts the application software and operates the operation unit 54 to select the data that the user wishes to acquire from the integrated data S and the device data A to C. The data acquiring unit 511 transmits a request for the data selected by the user to the data integrating device 30. Then, the data acquiring unit 511 acquires the integrated data S or the device data A to C in response to the request.

[0081] In the data integrating device 30, when the data output unit 313 receives a request from the data acquisition unit 511 of the user terminal 50, the data output unit 313 outputs at least one item of data included in the integrated data S in response to the received request. Specifically, when the data output unit 313 receives a request for the integrated data S from the user terminal 50, it generates output data indicating information included in the integrated data S, such as the operating state, the operating mode, and the set temperature.

[0082] At this time, for example, if there are 100 items in the list of facility devices connected to the data integration device 30, the data output unit 313 pages the data into two pages of 50 items each, generating output data spanning two pages. In this way, the data output unit 313 converts the data stored in the integrated data S into a format that is easy for the user to confirm, and generates the output data.

[0083] When the output data is generated, the data output unit 313 communicates with the user terminal 50 via the terminal communication unit 33b, and outputs the generated output data to the user terminal 50. The data output unit 313 is realized by the control unit 31 cooperating with the terminal communication unit 33b. The data output unit 313 is an example of a data output means. In the user terminal 50, when the data acquisition unit 511 receives the output data output from the data output unit 313, it displays the received output data on the display unit 55.

[0084] Furthermore, when the data output unit 313 receives a request for individual device data, i.e., any one of the device data A to C, from the user terminal 50, it outputs at least one item of data included in the requested device data among the device data A to C. In other words, when data stored in the integrated data S is requested, the data output unit 313 generates output data from the integrated data S as described above and outputs it to the user terminal 50. On the other hand, when data stored in individual device data is requested, the data output unit 313 generates output data from the device data, not from the integrated data S, and outputs it to the user terminal 50.

[0085] For example, if the user is a general user who uses the air conditioner 10, the user only needs to be able to confirm information related to operation, such as turning the air conditioner on / off and changing the set temperature, and does not need to confirm information related to maintenance management, such as inspection dates and inspection results. Therefore, the user's needs can be met if the data stored in the individual device data can be referenced. In contrast, if the user is a maintenance worker for the air conditioner 10, the user needs to confirm not only information related to operation, but also information related to maintenance management. Therefore, the user needs to refer to the information in the integrated data S.

[0086] In this way, the information required differs depending on the user of the air conditioner 10. Therefore, the data output unit 313 outputs data stored in either the integrated data S or the device data A to C to the user terminal 50 in response to a request from the user terminal 50. This makes it unnecessary to take the trouble of generating the integrated data S when it is sufficient to refer to the device data A to C individually.

[0087] Next, the flow of the data integration process executed by the data integrating device 30 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in Fig. 13. The data integration process shown in Fig. 13 is repeatedly executed at appropriate timing when the data integrating device 30 is in a state in which it can operate normally.

[0088] When the data integration process is started, if the device data is transmitted from the indoor unit 12 via any one of the communication paths 21 to 23, the control unit 31 receives the transmitted device data via the device communication unit 33a (step S11).

[0089] Upon receiving the device data, the control unit 31 functions as a data storage unit 311 and stores the received device data in the storage unit 32 (step S12). Specifically, the control unit 31 stores the device data received via the communication path 21 as device data A, stores the device data received via the communication path 22 as device data B, and stores the device data received via the communication path 23 as device data C.

[0090] After storing the device data, when it is time to generate integrated data S, the control unit 31 functions as a data integration unit 312 and integrates the device data A to C to generate integrated data S (step S13). Specifically, the control unit 31 standardizes the physical property names, data formats, and update times according to integration rules R, and generates integrated data S by combining the device data A to C with a logical sum.

[0091] Here, the timing for generating the integrated data S can be set to any appropriate timing, such as a periodic timing, a timing when a certain amount of equipment data A to C has been accumulated in the data integration device 30, or a timing when the integrated data S is requested by the user terminal 50.

[0092] When the integrated data S is generated, the control unit 31 determines whether or not a data request has been received from the user terminal 50 via the terminal communication unit 33b (step S14). If a data request has not been received from the user terminal 50 (step S14; NO), the control unit 31 skips the data output process of step S15 and ends the data integration process shown in FIG.

[0093] On the other hand, when a data request is received from the user terminal 50 (step S14; YES), the control unit 31 functions as the data output unit 313 and executes data output processing (step S15). Details of the data output processing in step S15 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0094] When the data output process is started, the control unit 31 determines whether the data request accepted from the user terminal 50 is a request for the integrated data S or a request for individual device data (step S101).

[0095] When a request for the integrated data S is received from the user terminal 50 (step S101; YES), the control unit 31 generates output data indicating information such as the operating state, the operating mode, and the set temperature included in the integrated data S (step S102).

[0096] On the other hand, when a request for individual device data is received from the user terminal 50 (step S101; NO), the control unit 31 generates output data indicating information such as the operating state, operating mode, set temperature, etc. contained in the requested device data among the device data A to C (step S103).

[0097] When the output data is generated in step S102 or S103, the control unit 31 communicates with the user terminal 50 via the terminal communication unit 33b, and outputs the generated output data to the user terminal 50 that is the data request source (step S104). This completes the data output process shown in Fig. 14 and the data integration process shown in Fig. 13.

[0098] As described above, the data integrating device 30 according to the first embodiment receives the device data A to C related to the indoor unit 12a via different communication paths 21 to 23, and integrates the received device data A to C according to a predetermined integration rule R to generate integrated data S. Then, when the name or data format of an item included in the first device data is different from the name or data format of the item included in the second device data, the data integrating device 30 sets the name or data format of the item in the integrated data S to a unified name or data format. In this way, by setting the name and data format of the item in the integrated data S to a unified name and data format, it is possible to prevent data transmitted from the same facility device from being treated as data transmitted from another facility device. This makes it easier to manage the device data A to C transmitted from the indoor unit 12a via different communication paths 21 to 23. As a result, it leads to improving the efficiency of remotely managing the indoor unit 12a.

[0099] (Embodiment 2) Next, a description will be given of a second embodiment of the present disclosure. Descriptions of configurations and functions similar to those of the first embodiment will be omitted where appropriate.

[0100] In the above-mentioned first embodiment, the data output unit 313 outputs data of at least one item included in the integrated data S in response to a request received from the user terminal 50. In contrast, in the second embodiment, when the data output unit 313 receives a request for the integrated data S from the user terminal 50, it calculates a time difference Δt between the update times of the multiple items included in the integrated data S.

[0101] Here, the time difference Δt between the update times of multiple items included in the integrated data S is the difference between the latest update time and the oldest update time among the update times assigned to all items included in the dynamic data of the integrated data S. Specifically, in the example of the integrated data S shown in FIG. 8, the oldest update time is "12 / 23 0:00" assigned to humidity, and the latest update time is "12 / 23 0:13" assigned to each item other than humidity. In this case, the time difference Δt between the update times is 13 minutes. The reason why the time difference Δt occurs in the update times is that the transmission cycles for transmitting the device data are different on the communication paths 21-23 due to differences in the design concepts of the communication paths 21-23 over which the device data is transmitted.

[0102] When the data output unit 313 receives a request for the integrated data S from the user terminal 50, it calculates the time difference Δt between the update times of multiple items included in the integrated data S. Then, the data output unit 313 determines whether the calculated time difference Δt is smaller than a predetermined time T. The predetermined time T is set to an appropriate time, such as 10 minutes, 20 minutes, or the like.

[0103] If the determination result indicates that the time difference Δt between the update times is greater than a predetermined time T, the data output unit 313 requests the device communication unit 33a to acquire new device data. Specifically, the data output unit 313 requests the device communication unit 33a to newly receive, from the indoor unit 12a, device data corresponding to the item with the oldest update time among the multiple items included in the integrated data S. Here, the device data corresponding to the item with the oldest update time is the device data from which the data for that item was acquired among the device data A to C.

[0104] In response to the request from the data output unit 313, the device communication unit 33a requests the indoor unit 12a to transmit the device data corresponding to the item with the oldest update time. The indoor unit 12a that receives the request transmits new device data to the data integrating device 30. The device communication unit 33a receives the new device data transmitted from the indoor unit 12a.

[0105] The data integrating unit 312 updates the integrated data S based on the device data newly received by the device communication unit 33a. Specifically, the data integrating unit 312 generates new integrated data S by integrating the device data A to C including the newly received device data in accordance with the integration rule R. This generates integrated data S with a smaller time difference Δt between update times.

[0106] If there are multiple update times among the update times of multiple items included in the integrated data S, the time difference Δt from the most recent update time is greater than a predetermined time T, the device communication unit 33a may newly receive from the indoor unit 12a all device data corresponding to the items with the multiple update times. This allows the integrated data S to be updated efficiently.

[0107] Hereinafter, the flow of the data output process executed by the data integrating device 30 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 15. In step S15 of the data integrating process shown in Fig. 13, the data integrating device 30 according to the second embodiment executes the data output process shown in Fig. 15 instead of the data output process described in the first embodiment with reference to Fig. 14.

[0108] When the data output process is started, the control unit 31 determines whether the data request accepted from the user terminal 50 is a request for the integrated data S or a request for individual device data (step S201).

[0109] When a request for integrated data S is received from the user terminal 50 (step S201; YES), the control unit 31 calculates the time difference Δt between the update times assigned to each item of the integrated data S (step S202). Then, the control unit 31 determines whether the calculated time difference Δt is smaller than a predetermined time T (step S203).

[0110] If the time difference Δt is greater than the predetermined time T (step S203; NO), the control unit 31 receives new equipment data from the indoor unit 12a (step S204). Specifically, the control unit 31 requests the indoor unit 12a to transmit equipment data corresponding to the item with the oldest update time among the multiple items included in the integrated data S, and receives the equipment data from the indoor unit 12a.

[0111] When the device data is acquired, the control unit 31 updates the integrated data S based on the newly received device data (step S205). Specifically, the control unit 31 generates new integrated data S by integrating the device data A to C including the newly received device data in accordance with the integration rule R.

[0112] When the integrated data S is newly generated, the control unit 31 returns the process to step S202 and calculates the time difference Δt of the update times again. Then, the control unit 31 determines whether or not the time difference Δt is smaller than the predetermined time T. In this manner, the control unit 31 repeats the processes of steps S202 to S205 until the time difference Δt becomes smaller than the predetermined time T.

[0113] On the other hand, if the time difference Δt is smaller than the predetermined time T in step S203 (step S203; YES), the control unit 31 generates output data indicating information such as the operating state, operating mode, and set temperature included in the integrated data S (step S206).

[0114] On the other hand, in step S201, when a request for individual device data is received from the user terminal 50 (step S201; NO), the update times of the individual device data are aligned, so steps S202 to S205 are not required. Therefore, in this case, the control unit 31 does not execute the processes of steps S202 to S205, and generates output data indicating information such as the operating state, operating mode, and set temperature included in the requested device data of the device data A to C (step S207).

[0115] When the output data is generated in step S206 or S207, the control unit 31 communicates with the user terminal 50 via the terminal communication unit 33b, and outputs the generated output data to the user terminal 50 that is the source of the data request (step S208). This ends the data output process shown in FIG.

[0116] As described above, when the time difference Δt between the update times in the integrated data S is greater than a predetermined time T, the data integrating device 30 according to the second embodiment receives new device data corresponding to the item with the oldest update time from the indoor unit 12a, and updates the integrated data S based on the newly received device data. In this way, by reducing the time difference Δt between the update times in the integrated data S, the discrepancy between the time of the data displayed to the user and the actual time is reduced, making it less likely that a status mismatch will occur.

[0117] (Embodiment 3) Next, a third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Descriptions of configurations and functions similar to those of the first and second embodiments will be omitted as appropriate.

[0118] In the first embodiment, when one item in the integrated data S is included in two or more device data, the data integration unit 312 sets the update time of that item in the integrated data S to the latest update time among the update times of that item in the two or more device data. In contrast, in the third embodiment, in order to adjust the update time set in the integrated data S, the data integration unit 312 assigns a likelihood time, which serves as a likelihood, to the update times of the individual device data A to C that are the reference for the update time set in the integrated data S.

[0119] For example, if the update time of an item commonly included in device data A and B is later in device data B than in device data A, then according to integration rule R of the first embodiment, the update time of device data B is set as the update time of that item in integrated data S. In contrast, if the time obtained by adding the likelihood time to the update time of device data A is later than the update time of device data B, the data integration unit 312 sets the time obtained by adding the likelihood time to the update time of device data A as the update time of integrated data S. The likelihood time is set to a time span, for example, +30 minutes.

[0120] In this way, by adjusting the update time set in the integrated data S using the likelihood time, it is possible to align the update times of multiple items included in the integrated data S. If the update times of multiple items are different, when outputting the integrated data S, it becomes necessary to output the time for each item, which results in complex output data. In the third embodiment, by aligning the update times of the integrated data S using the likelihood time, it is possible to present a unified time to the user. This makes it possible to provide data that is easy for the user to check.

[0121] (Embodiment 4) Next, a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Descriptions of configurations and functions similar to those of the first to third embodiments will be omitted where appropriate.

[0122] In the fourth embodiment, when the integrated data S includes logically contradictory data, the data integration unit 312 corrects the data to logically consistent data. Here, logically contradictory data means data indicating that properties have changed in an order, combination, etc. that would not normally occur. Examples include data indicating that the set temperature, operation mode, etc. have been set even though the operation state is off, data indicating that the air volume has been set during a test run, etc.

[0123] Specifically, such logically contradictory data arises due to data swapping that occurs due to communication delays when update times are assigned by the data integrating device 30. As an example, when device data A is transmitted from the indoor unit 12a at 0:00 and device data B is transmitted from the indoor unit 12a at 0:01, the device data B arrives at the data integrating device 30 at 0:01, but the device data A arrives at the data integrating device 30 at 0:02 due to a communication delay.

[0124] The data integration unit 312 periodically determines whether the data included in the integrated data S is logically consistent. Specifically, the data integration unit 312 determines whether the order of update times given to multiple items included in the integrated data S is logically inconsistent.

[0125] If the data integration unit 312 determines that the update times are in a contradictory order, the data integration unit 312 corrects the update times of related items to mutually consistent update times. For example, the data integration unit 312 changes the update time of the newly received device data to a time earlier than the update time of the device data received immediately before it.

[0126] If the integrated data S contains logically contradictory data, there is a risk that the anomaly will be erroneously detected when the integrated data S is analyzed to detect anomalies. In the fourth embodiment, the data integration unit 312 corrects the logically contradictory data contained in the integrated data S into logically consistent data, thereby making it possible to prevent erroneous detection of anomalies.

[0127] (Modification) Although the embodiments have been described above, it is possible to combine the embodiments, or to modify or omit the embodiments as appropriate.

[0128] For example, in the above embodiment, the data integration unit 312 integrates the device data A to C according to the integration rule R to generate the integrated data S. However, the above is just an example, and the data integration unit 312 may generate the integrated data S according to a rule other than the integration rule R described above.

[0129] For example, the data integrating unit 312 may convert the physical property name in the integrated data S to a physical property name different from any of the device data A to C. Furthermore, when the physical quantity units used in the data of an item commonly included in two or more of the device data A to C are different, the data integrating unit 312 may set the physical quantity unit used in the data of that item in the integrated data S to a single unified physical quantity unit.

[0130] In the above embodiment, when an item in the integrated data S is included in two or more pieces of equipment data A to C, the data integrator 312 sets the update time of the item in the integrated data S to the latest update time among the update times of the item in the two or more pieces of equipment data. However, when an item in the integrated data S is included in two or more pieces of equipment data A to C, the data integrator 312 may set the update time of the item in the integrated data S to the update time of the equipment data transmitted from the indoor unit 12a to the data integrating device 30 at the shortest transmission interval among the two or more pieces of equipment data. The reason for this is that even if the update time of the equipment data with the longest transmission interval is the latest, the acquisition time of the equipment data may be late depending on the communication path, application software, etc. In addition, equipment data with a short transmission interval is transmitted from the indoor unit 12a to the data integrating device 30 with high frequency, and therefore often handles properties that are easily changed. Therefore, by giving priority to the update time of the equipment data with a short transmission interval and setting it in the integrated data S, it is possible to make it difficult for deviation from the actual state to occur.

[0131] Alternatively, when one item in the integrated data S is commonly included in two or more of the device data A to C, the data integration unit 312 may set the update time of that item in the integrated data S to the update time of the device data among the two or more device data in which the physical property name of that item is adopted in the integrated data S. In other words, since the device data in which the physical property name is adopted is highly likely to be important, a policy may be adopted in which the update time of that device data is also adopted preferentially.

[0132] A link indicating the data source among the device data A to C may be added to the property of the integrated data S. In this way, when data is requested in the format of the device data A to C, the property can be acquired by tracing the data source from the integrated data S. Also, the device data A to C may each have information that can identify the communication paths 21 to 23 through which the data was transmitted, such as the IDs, model numbers, addresses, etc. of the system controller 13, the adapter 15, and the remote control 16.

[0133] The data integration unit 312 may estimate the reception timing for receiving the device data from the indoor unit 12a from past reception timings, and match the timing for generating or updating the integrated data S to the estimated reception timing. In a typical public cloud, charges are incurred for the execution time of a program. Therefore, if the process for generating or updating the integrated data S is executed at a time interval shorter than the time interval for receiving the device data, overhead becomes large and charges become high. Therefore, costs can be reduced by optimizing the timing of the process for generating or updating the integrated data S to the timing for receiving the device data.

[0134] In the above embodiment, the data integrator 312 generates integrated data S in which the physical property name, data format, and update time are unified based on the device data A to C received via the communication paths 21 to 23. However, when generating the integrated data S, the data integrator 312 is not limited to unifying all of the name, data format, and update time, and may unify at least one or only two of them. By unifying only any one of the name, data format, and update time, it is possible to prevent data transmitted from the same facility device from being treated as data transmitted from a different facility device. Therefore, it is possible to easily manage the device data A to C transmitted from the indoor unit 12a via different communication paths 21 to 23.

[0135] In the above embodiment, the facility equipment that transmits equipment data to the data integrating device 30 is the indoor unit 12a. However, the facility equipment is not limited to the indoor unit 12a, and may be any equipment that transmits equipment data to the data integrating device 30 via two or more different communication paths. For example, the facility equipment may be a water heater, a lighting device, a refrigerator, a rice cooker, etc.

[0136] In the above embodiment, the device communication unit 33a receives device data from the indoor unit 12a, which is an example of a facility device, via the first communication path 21 passing through the system controller 13 and the gateway 14, the second communication path 22 passing through the adapter 15, and the third communication path 23 passing through the remote control 16 and the operation terminal 17. However, these three communication paths 21 to 23 are merely examples, and the device communication unit 33a may receive device data from the facility device via a communication path other than these three communication paths 21 to 23. In addition, the number of communication paths is not limited to three, and the communication path through which the device communication unit 33a receives device data may be two or more different communication paths.

[0137] In the above embodiment, the control unit 31, 51 functions as each unit shown in FIG. 4 by the CPU executing a program stored in the ROM or the storage unit 32, 52. However, the control unit 31, 51 may be dedicated hardware. The dedicated hardware is, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a combination of these. When the control unit 31, 51 is dedicated hardware, the functions of each unit may be realized by individual hardware, or the functions of each unit may be realized together by a single piece of hardware.

[0138] In addition, some of the functions of each unit may be realized by dedicated hardware, and other parts may be realized by software or firmware. In this way, the control units 31 and 51 can realize each of the above-mentioned functions by hardware, software, firmware, or a combination of these.

[0139] It is also possible to make an existing computer such as a personal computer or an information terminal device function as the data integrating device 30 by applying a program that defines the operation of the control units 31 and 51 to the existing computer.

[0140] Furthermore, such programs may be distributed in any manner, and may be distributed by storing them on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disk ROM), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), an MO (Magneto Optical Disk), or a memory card, or may be distributed via a communications network such as the Internet.

[0141] Various embodiments and modifications of the present disclosure are possible without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present disclosure. The above-described embodiments are for explaining the present disclosure and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. That is, the scope of the present disclosure is indicated by the claims, not the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the scope of the disclosure equivalent thereto are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0142] 1 communication system, 10 air conditioner, 11 outdoor unit, 12a, 12b indoor unit, 13 system controller, 14 gateway, 15 adapter, 16 remote control, 17 operation terminal, 21, 22, 23 communication path, 30 data integration device, 31 control unit, 32 memory unit, 33 communication unit, 33a device communication unit, 33b terminal communication unit, 50 user terminal, 51 control unit, 52 memory unit, 53 communication unit, 54 operation unit, 55 display unit, 311 data storage unit, 312 data integration unit, 313 data output unit, 511 data acquisition unit, A, B, C device data, N1 wide area network, N2 field network, R integration rule, S integration data

Claims

1. a device communication means for receiving first device data related to an equipment device via a first communication path and receiving second device data related to the equipment device via a second communication path different from the first communication path; a data integration unit that generates integrated data including items commonly included in the first device data and the second device data, When a name or a data format of the item included in the first device data is different from a name or a data format of the item included in the second device data, the data integration means sets the name or the data format of the item in the integrated data to a unified name or data format. Data integration device.

2. the data integration means, when a name of the item included in the first device data and a name of the item included in the second device data are different, sets the name of the item in the integrated data to a unified name; The data integration device according to claim 1 .

3. the data integration means, when a data format of the item included in the first device data and a data format of the item included in the second device data are different, sets the data format of the item in the integrated data to a unified data format. The data integration device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. when an update time of the item included in the first device data is different from an update time of the item included in the second device data, the data integration means sets the update time of the item in the integrated data to a unified update time. The data integration device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. the data integration means sets the update time of the item in the integrated data to the latest update time of the item in the first device data and the update time of the item in the second device data. The data integration device according to claim 4.

6. the data integration means sets the update time of the item in the integrated data to the update time of the item included in the equipment data that is transmitted from the facility equipment to the data integration device at the shortest transmission interval between the first equipment data and the second equipment data. The data integration device according to claim 4.

7. and a data output unit configured to output data of at least one item included in the integrated data in response to a request received from a user terminal. The data integration device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. the data output means, when receiving a request for the first device data or the second device data from the user terminal, outputs data of at least one item included in the first device data or the second device data. The data integration device according to claim 7.

9. when a request for the integrated data is received from the user terminal, and a time difference between a latest update time and an oldest update time among update times of a plurality of items included in the integrated data is greater than a predetermined time, the device communication means newly receives device data corresponding to the item with the oldest update time from the facility device; The data integration means updates the integrated data based on the device data newly received by the device communication means. The data integration device according to claim 7 or 8.

10. A data integration system comprising the data integration device according to any one of claims 1 to 9 and the facility equipment. Communication systems.

11. receiving first device data relating to the facility device via a first communication path; receiving second device data relating to the facility device via a second communication path different from the first communication path; generating integrated data including items commonly included in the first device data and the second device data; When generating the integrated data, if a name or a data format of the item included in the first device data is different from a name or a data format of the item included in the second device data, the name or the data format of the item in the integrated data is set to a unified name or data format. How integrated data is generated.

12. Computer, an equipment communication means for receiving first equipment data related to an equipment via a first communication path and receiving second equipment data related to the equipment via a second communication path different from the first communication path; a data integration unit that generates integrated data including items commonly included in the first device data and the second device data; When a name or a data format of the item included in the first device data is different from a name or a data format of the item included in the second device data, the data integration means sets the name or the data format of the item in the integrated data to a unified name or data format. program.

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