Air conditioning system and outdoor unit

Abstract

An air conditioning system (1) comprises a plurality of devices (3, 4a, 4b, 5a-5d, 6a-6c, 7a-7c, 8a, 8b) at least including one or more outdoor units (4a, 4b), one or more indoor units (5a-5d), one or more sensor devices (6a-6c), and one or more auxiliary devices (7a-7c). When the system starts, an IP address is assigned to each of the plurality of devices by at least one of the plurality of devices.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an air conditioning system and an outdoor unit.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an air conditioning system that enables IP (Internet Protocol) communication between air conditioning devices. This air conditioning system includes a plurality of air conditioning devices connected to a plurality of networks and having unique IDs, a router that separates the plurality of networks and assigns an IP address to each air conditioning device, and a management device that receives device information associating the assigned IP address and ID from each air conditioning device, creates an information table that summarizes the received device information, and transmits the information table to each air conditioning device. Each air conditioning device can store the information table, and air conditioning devices connected to different networks communicate with each other by transmitting information to an air conditioning device connected to the other party's network via the router using the information table.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In an air conditioning system that air conditions an office building, a store, etc., it is not uncommon to include devices other than air conditioning devices (outdoor units, indoor units), such as sensor devices such as temperature sensors, humidity sensors, and human presence sensors, and devices that assist in air conditioning by air conditioning devices such as dehumidifiers and humidifiers (hereinafter referred to as "auxiliary devices") in the system configuration.

[0005] However, in the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 which merely performs IP communication between air-conditioning devices, in order to add the above-described sensor devices, auxiliary devices, etc. to the system configuration, a protocol conversion device for enabling communication with these devices is separately required. Furthermore, in the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to separately provide a dedicated device for assigning an IP address to each air-conditioning device. For this reason, there is an actual situation where a new technology for enabling IP communication throughout the system is desired without the need to provide a dedicated device.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above actual situation, and an object thereof is to provide an air-conditioning system and an outdoor unit that enable IP communication throughout the system without the need to provide a dedicated device for assigning an IP address.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] To achieve the above object, the air-conditioning system according to the present disclosure A centralized controller, and includes a plurality of devices including one or more outdoor units and one or more indoor units and and, when the system is started, the centralized controller assigns an IP address to each of all the devices connected to the centralized transmission line among the plurality of devices, each of the one or more outdoor units assigns an IP address to each of all the devices connected to itself via the internal and external transmission line

Effects of the Invention

[0008] According to the present disclosure, IP communication is possible throughout the system without the need to provide a dedicated device for assigning an IP address.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0011] (Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of the air conditioning system 1 in Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. The air conditioning system 1 is an example of the air conditioning system according to the present disclosure. The air conditioning system 1 is a system for air conditioning a building such as a building or a store, and includes a server 2, a centralized controller 3, outdoor units 4a and 4b, indoor units 5a to 5d, sensor devices 6a to 6c, auxiliary devices 7a to 7c, and remote controls 8a and 8b.

[0012] <Server 2> The server 2 is a server computer installed and operated by the manufacturer, sales company, etc. of the air conditioning equipment (outdoor units 4a and 4b and indoor units 5a to 5d), and is connected to the network N. Note that the server 2 may be a server that provides a public cloud. The server 2 transmits an update program to the air conditioning equipment that requires program update.

[0013] In addition, the server 2 collects data of each device (outdoor units 4a and 4b, indoor units 5a to 5d, sensor devices 6a to 6c, and auxiliary devices 7a to 7c), and provides a service for controlling the air conditioning of the building based on the collected data, or provides a service for presenting information based on the collected data to the relevant persons of the air conditioning system 1 (owner of the building, system administrator, maintenance staff, etc.).

[0014] <Centralized controller 3> The centralized controller 3 is an example of the centralized controller according to the present disclosure. The centralized controller 3 is a device for centrally controlling each device such as the coordinated control of each device (outdoor units 4a and 4b, indoor units 5a to 5d, sensor devices 6a to 6c, and auxiliary devices 7a to 7c) in the air conditioning system 1, and is installed in a place such as a control room in the building where unauthorized persons cannot enter. As shown in FIG. 2, the centralized controller 3 includes, as a hardware configuration, a first communication interface 30, a second communication interface 31, an operation reception unit 32, a display 33, a control circuit 34, and an auxiliary storage device 35.

[0015] The first communication interface 30 is an interface for connecting to the network N and communicating with the server 2. The second communication interface 31 is an interface for performing IP (Internet Protocol) communication with each device (outdoor units 4a, 4b, sensor device 6a, auxiliary device 7a) connected to the transmission line 9 which is a centralized transmission line, in the first communication method. The first communication method is, for example, Ethernet (registered trademark).

[0016] The operation reception unit 32 is configured to include one or more input devices such as, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a keypad, a push button, a touch panel, a touch pad, etc., receives an input operation from the user, and outputs a signal related to the received input operation to the control circuit 34. The display 33 is configured to include a display device such as a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, etc. The display 33 displays a screen for monitoring the operations of the devices constituting the air conditioning system 1, a screen for controlling the respective devices, etc. under the control of the control circuit 34.

[0017] The control circuit 34 is configured to include a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc., and comprehensively controls the centralized controller 3. Details of the functions of the centralized controller 3 realized by the control circuit 34 will be described later.

[0018] The auxiliary storage device 35 is composed of a readable and writable non-volatile semiconductor memory, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), etc. The readable and writable non-volatile semiconductor memory is, for example, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), a flash memory, etc. The auxiliary storage device 35 stores a centralized control program that realizes a function corresponding to the DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server function and centrally controls each device constituting the air conditioning system 1, and data used when the centralized control program is executed.

[0019] The centralized controller 3 can acquire the centralized control program from the server 2 or another server through communication via the network N and store it in the auxiliary storage device 35. Also, the centralized control program can be stored and distributed on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), a magneto-optical disk, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, an HDD, an SSD (Solid State Drive), a memory card, etc. When such a recording medium is directly or indirectly attached to the centralized controller 3, the centralized controller 3 can also read the centralized control program from the recording medium and store it in the auxiliary storage device 35.

[0020] <Air conditioning equipment (outdoor units 4a, 4b, indoor units 5a to 5d)> The outdoor unit 4a is connected to the transmission line 9 and is also connected to the transmission line 10a which is an internal and external transmission line. The outdoor unit 4a, the indoor unit 5a, and the indoor unit 5b are connected via the transmission line 10a and are also connected via a first refrigerant pipe (not shown) for circulating the refrigerant. That is, the outdoor unit 4a, the indoor unit 5a, and the indoor unit 5b constitute one refrigerant system.

[0021] The outdoor unit 4b is connected to the transmission line 9 and is also connected to the transmission line 10b which is an internal and external transmission line. The outdoor unit 4b, the indoor units 5c and 5d are connected via the transmission line 10b and are also connected via a second refrigerant pipe (not shown) different from the above-mentioned first refrigerant pipe. That is, the outdoor unit 4b, the indoor units 5c and 5d constitute one refrigerant system.

[0022] Hereinafter, for the descriptions common to the outdoor units 4a and 4b, the outdoor unit 4 will be referred to without particularly specifying each one. For the descriptions common to the indoor units 5a to 5d, the indoor unit 5 will be referred to without particularly specifying each one. For the descriptions common to the transmission lines 10a and 10b, the transmission line 10 will be referred to without particularly specifying each one.

[0023] <Sensor devices 6a to 6c> The sensor devices 6a to 6c are an example of the sensor devices according to the present disclosure. The sensor devices 6a to 6c are, for example, sensors for measuring air conditions such as air temperature, humidity, and CO2 concentration in the air-conditioned space, and human presence sensors for detecting the presence or absence of people in the air-conditioned space. In the present embodiment, the sensor device 6a is connected to the transmission line 9, the sensor device 6b is connected to the transmission line 10a, and the sensor device 6c is connected to the transmission line 10b. Hereinafter, for the descriptions common to the sensor devices 6a to 6c, the sensor device 6 will be referred to without particularly specifying each one.

[0024] <Auxiliary devices 7a to 7c> The auxiliary devices 7a to 7c are an example of the air-conditioning auxiliary devices according to the present disclosure. The auxiliary devices 7a to 7c are devices that play a role in assisting the air conditioning by the air-conditioning devices (outdoor unit 4, indoor unit 5), and are, for example, dehumidifiers, humidifiers, ventilation devices, air purifiers, etc. In the present embodiment, the auxiliary device 7a is connected to the transmission line 9, the auxiliary device 7b is connected to the transmission line 10a, and the auxiliary device 7c is connected to the transmission line 10b. Hereinafter, for the descriptions common to the auxiliary devices 7a to 7c, the auxiliary device 7 will be referred to without particularly specifying each one.

[0025] <Remote controls 8a, 8b> The remote controllers 8a and 8b are user interfaces for receiving operations related to the air conditioner from the user. In the present embodiment, the remote controller 8a is connected to the transmission line 10a, and the remote controller 8b is connected to the transmission line 10b. Hereinafter, for the descriptions common to the remote controllers 8a and 8b, they are referred to as the remote controller 8 without particularly specifying each one.

[0026] <Outdoor unit 4> The outdoor unit 4 is an example of the outdoor unit according to the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3, the outdoor unit 4 includes, as a hardware configuration, a first communication interface 40, a second communication interface 41, a main unit 42, a control circuit 43, and an auxiliary storage device 44. The first communication interface 40 is an interface for performing IP communication with the centralized controller 3, other outdoor units 4, the sensor device 6a, and the auxiliary device 7a via the transmission line 9 in a first communication method. The second communication interface 41 is an interface for performing IP communication with each indoor unit 5, the sensor device 6, the auxiliary device 7, and the remote controller 8 connected to the own unit via the transmission line 10 in a first communication method.

[0027] The main unit 42 is a component for realizing the original functions of a general outdoor unit, and includes, for example, actuators such as a compressor, an outdoor fan, an electronic expansion valve, and an outdoor solenoid valve, and sensors such as a pipe temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the refrigerant pipe and an outside air temperature sensor for measuring the outside air temperature. The control circuit 43 is a microcontroller that comprehensively controls the outdoor unit 4. Details of the functions of the outdoor unit 4 realized by the control circuit 43 will be described later.

[0028] The auxiliary storage device 44 is composed of, for example, a readable and writable non-volatile semiconductor memory such as an EEPROM or a flash memory. The auxiliary storage device 44 stores a program for realizing a function corresponding to the DHCP server function and performing air conditioner control, which is an outdoor unit program, and data used when the outdoor unit program is executed.

[0029] The outdoor unit 4 can acquire the outdoor unit program from the server 2 via the centralized controller 3 and store it in the auxiliary storage device 44. Also, the outdoor unit program can be stored and distributed on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, DVD, magneto-optical disk, USB memory, HDD, SSD, memory card, etc. When such a recording medium is directly or indirectly attached to the outdoor unit 4, the outdoor unit 4 can also read the outdoor unit program from the recording medium and store it in the auxiliary storage device 44.

[0030] <Indoor unit 5> The indoor unit 5 is an example of the indoor unit according to the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4, the indoor unit 5 includes, as a hardware configuration, a communication interface 50, a main unit 51, a control circuit 52, and an auxiliary storage device 53. The communication interface 50 is an interface for performing IP communication with the outdoor unit 4, other indoor units 5, sensor devices 6, auxiliary devices 7, and remote control 8 in a first communication method via the transmission line 10.

[0031] The main unit 51 is a component for realizing the original functions of a general indoor unit, and includes, for example, actuators such as an indoor fan and an indoor solenoid valve, and sensors such as a pipe temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the refrigerant pipe and an indoor temperature sensor for measuring the indoor temperature.

[0032] The auxiliary storage device 53 is composed of, for example, a rewritable non-volatile semiconductor memory such as an EEPROM or a flash memory. The auxiliary storage device 53 stores an indoor unit program, which is a program for performing air conditioning control, and data used when the indoor unit program is executed.

[0033] The indoor unit 5 can obtain the indoor unit program from the server 2 via the centralized controller 3 and store it in the auxiliary storage device 53. Also, the indoor unit program can be stored and distributed on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, DVD, magneto-optical disk, USB memory, HDD, SSD, memory card, etc. When such a recording medium is directly or indirectly attached to the indoor unit 5, the indoor unit 5 can also read the indoor unit program from the recording medium and store it in the auxiliary storage device 53.

[0034] <Functional configuration of the centralized controller 3> FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the centralized controller 3. As shown in FIG. 5, the centralized controller 3 includes an IP address assignment unit 300, a device data collection unit 301, a device data notification unit 302, a device data display unit 303, and a device control unit 304. These functional units are realized by the CPU of the control circuit 34 included in the centralized controller 3 executing the above-described centralized control program stored in the auxiliary storage device 35.

[0035] The IP address assignment unit 300 is a functional unit corresponding to the DHCP server function. At the startup of the air conditioning system 1, the IP address assignment unit 300 automatically determines the IP address to be assigned to itself (i.e., the centralized controller 3) based on the range of IP addresses defined in advance by the system administrator, and assigns IP addresses to each device connected to the transmission line 9 (i.e., the outdoor units 4a, 4b, the sensor device 6a, and the auxiliary device 7a). In the present embodiment, the IP address assignment unit 300 assigns IP addresses based on IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4) to the above-described respective devices.

[0036] Specifically, when the air conditioning system 1 is activated, each device connected to the transmission line 9 broadcasts a notification requesting an IP address (hereinafter referred to as an "address request notification") via the transmission line 9. The address request notification stores the MAC (Media Access Control) address of the device. When receiving such an address request notification, the IP address allocation unit 300 determines an IP address to be allocated to the device that is the source of the address request notification based on the above-defined range of IP addresses. Then, the IP address allocation unit 300 transmits a response notification (hereinafter referred to as an "address response notification") storing the allocated IP address to the device. A device that receives the address response notification from the centralized controller 3 sets the IP address allocated to itself stored in the address response notification as its own IP address.

[0037] FIG. 6 shows an example of IP addresses allocated to the centralized controller 3 and each device by the IP address allocation unit 300. In the example shown in FIG. 6, "192.168.1.1" is allocated to the centralized controller 3 (i.e., itself), "192.168.1.2" is allocated to the outdoor unit 4a, "192.168.1.3" is allocated to the sensor device 6a, "192.168.1.4" is allocated to the outdoor unit 4b, and "192.168.1.5" is allocated to the auxiliary device 7a.

[0038] The device data collection unit 301 periodically collects device data from each device (i.e., each outdoor unit 4, each indoor unit 5, each sensor device 6, and each auxiliary device 7). The device data includes information indicating the type of the device, information indicating the operating state, measurement results of sensors, etc. The information indicating the operating state is information stored limited to the case where the device is an outdoor unit 4, an indoor unit 5, or an auxiliary device 7, and includes, for example, information such as the operation mode, set temperature, and air volume. Also, the measurement results of the sensors indicate the results measured by the sensors built in the device in the case where the device is an outdoor unit 4, an indoor unit 5, or an auxiliary device 7.

[0039] The device data notification unit 302 periodically transmits the collected device data to the server 2. Also, when the device data notification unit 302 receives a request for device data specifying a device from the server 2, it transmits the device data of the specified device to the server 2.

[0040] The device data display unit 303 displays the collected device data on the display 33 in a predetermined manner. For example, the device data display unit 303 arranges icons indicating each device on the floor plan of the building and displays a monitoring screen on the display 33 that shows the content of the device data corresponding to each device on each icon.

[0041] The device control unit 304 controls the operations of each outdoor unit 4, each indoor unit 5, and each auxiliary device 7 according to the operation conditions preset by the building owner, system administrator, etc., the pre-registered operation schedule, commands from the server 2, and the like.

[0042] <Functional Configuration of Outdoor Unit 4> FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the outdoor unit 4. As shown in FIG. 7, the outdoor unit 4 includes an IP address acquisition unit 400, an IP address assignment unit 401, a device data notification unit 402, and an air conditioning control unit 403. These functional units are realized by the CPU of the control circuit 43 provided in the outdoor unit 4 executing the above-described outdoor unit program stored in the auxiliary storage device 44.

[0043] The IP address acquisition unit 400 is an example of the IP address acquisition means according to the present disclosure. The IP address acquisition unit 400 acquires the IP address assigned to the outdoor unit 4 from the centralized controller 3. Specifically, when the air conditioning system 1 is activated, the IP address acquisition unit 400 broadcasts the above-described address request notification via the first communication interface 40 (that is, via the transmission line 9). Then, in response to such an address request notification, the IP address acquisition unit 400 receives the address response notification sent from the centralized controller 3, and extracts and acquires the IP address assigned to the outdoor unit 4 stored in the address response notification. The IP address acquisition unit 400 sets the acquired IP address as the IP address of the outdoor unit 4.

[0044] The IP address assignment unit 401 is an example of the IP address assignment means according to the present disclosure. The IP address assignment unit 401 is a functional unit corresponding to the DHCP server function. When the air conditioning system 1 is activated, the IP address assignment unit 401 automatically assigns IP addresses to each device (that is, each indoor unit 5, sensor device 6, auxiliary device 7, and remote control 8) connected to the outdoor unit 4 via the transmission line 10 based on the IP address of the outdoor unit 4 acquired by the IP address acquisition unit 400 and the range of IP addresses defined in advance by the system administrator. In the present embodiment, the IP address assignment unit 401 assigns IP addresses based on IPv4 to the above-described respective devices.

[0045] Specifically, when the air conditioning system 1 is activated, each device connected to the transmission line 10 broadcasts an address request notification via the transmission line 10. The address request notification stores the MAC address of the device. When receiving such an address request notification, the IP address allocation unit 401 allocates an IP address to the device that is the source of the address request notification, and transmits an address response notification storing the allocated IP address to the device via the second communication interface 41 (i.e., via the transmission line 10). A device that has received the address response notification from the outdoor unit 4 sets the IP address allocated to itself stored in the address response notification as its own IP address.

[0046] FIG. 8 shows an example of the IP addresses allocated to each device by the IP address allocation unit 401. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the outdoor unit 4a allocates "192.168.1.20" to the indoor unit 5a, "192.168.1.21" to the indoor unit 5b, "192.168.1.22" to the sensor device 6b, "192.168.1.23" to the auxiliary device 7b, and "192.168.1.24" to the remote controller 8a. Also shown is that the outdoor unit 4b allocates "192.168.1.40" to the indoor unit 5c, "192.168.1.41" to the indoor unit 5d, "192.168.1.42" to the sensor device 6c, "192.168.1.43" to the auxiliary device 7c, and "192.168.1.44" to the remote controller 8b.

[0047] In response to a request from the centralized controller 3, the device data notification unit 402 generates device data storing its own type, i.e., information indicating that it is an outdoor unit, information indicating the operating state of the outdoor unit 4, measurement results of sensors provided in the outdoor unit 4, etc., and transmits the generated device data to the centralized controller 3 via the first communication interface 40.

[0048] The air-conditioning control unit 403 controls the operations related to the air-conditioning of the outdoor unit 4. Specifically, the air-conditioning control unit 403 controls the operations of the actuators (compressor, outdoor fan, electronic expansion valve, outdoor solenoid valve, etc.) provided in the outdoor unit 4 according to the user operations received by the remote controller 8 connected to the outdoor unit 4 via the transmission line 10, or according to the commands from the server 2 or the centralized controller 3.

[0049] <IP Address Assignment Process by the Centralized Controller 3> FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the IP address assignment process executed by the centralized controller 3 when the air-conditioning system 1 is started up.

[0050] (Step S100) The centralized controller 3 determines the IP address to be assigned to itself based on the range of IP addresses defined in advance by the system administrator. Thereafter, the process of the centralized controller 3 transitions to step S101.

[0051] (Step S101) The centralized controller 3 determines whether it has received an address request notification from any of the devices connected to the transmission line 9. If it has received an address request notification (Step S101; YES), the process of the centralized controller 3 transitions to step S102. On the other hand, if it has not received an address request notification (Step S101; NO), the process of the centralized controller 3 transitions to step S104.

[0052] (Step S102) The centralized controller 3 determines the IP address to be assigned to the device that sent the address request notification based on the range of IP addresses defined in advance by the system administrator. Thereafter, the process of the centralized controller 3 transitions to step S103.

[0053] (Step S103) The centralized controller 3 transmits an address response notification storing the IP address assigned to the device to the device via the transmission line 9. Thereafter, the process of the centralized controller 3 transitions to step S104.

[0054] (Step S104) After starting the IP address assignment process, the centralized controller 3 determines whether or not a certain period of time has elapsed. If a certain period of time has elapsed (step S104; YES), the centralized controller 3 ends the IP address assignment process. On the other hand, if a certain period of time has not elapsed (step S104; NO), the process of the centralized controller 3 returns to step S101.

[0055] (IP address assignment process by the outdoor unit 4) FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the IP address assignment process executed by the outdoor unit 4 when the air conditioning system 1 is started.

[0056] (Step S200) The outdoor unit 4 broadcasts an address request notification via the transmission line 9. Thereafter, the process of the outdoor unit 4 transitions to step S201.

[0057] (Step S201) The outdoor unit 4 determines whether or not it has received an address response notification from the centralized controller 3. If it has received an address response notification (step S201; YES), the process of the outdoor unit 4 transitions to step S202. On the other hand, if it has not received an address response notification (step S201; NO), the outdoor unit 4 continues to perform the process of step S201.

[0058] (Step S202) The outdoor unit 4 extracts and acquires the IP address assigned to itself stored in the received address response notification. The outdoor unit 4 sets the acquired IP address as its own IP address. Thereafter, the process of the outdoor unit 4 transitions to step S203.

[0059] (Step S203) The outdoor unit 4 determines whether it has received an address request notification from any device connected to itself via the transmission line 10. If the outdoor unit 4 has received an address request notification (Step S203; YES), the process of the outdoor unit 4 transitions to Step S204. On the other hand, if the outdoor unit 4 has not received an address request notification (Step S203; NO), the process of the outdoor unit 4 transitions to Step S206.

[0060] (Step S204) Based on its own IP address and the range of IP addresses defined in advance by the system administrator, the outdoor unit 4 determines the IP address to be assigned to the device that sent the address request notification. After that, the process of the outdoor unit 4 transitions to Step S205.

[0061] (Step S205) The outdoor unit 4 transmits an address response notification storing the IP address assigned to the device to the device via the transmission line 10. After that, the process of the outdoor unit 4 transitions to Step S206.

[0062] (Step S206) After the outdoor unit 4 has obtained the IP address assigned to itself, that is, after receiving an address response notification from the centralized controller 3, the outdoor unit 4 determines whether a certain period of time has elapsed. If a certain period of time has elapsed (Step S206; YES), the outdoor unit 4 ends the IP address assignment process. On the other hand, if a certain period of time has not elapsed (Step S206; NO), the process of the outdoor unit 4 returns to Step S203.

[0063] As described above, in the air conditioning system 1 according to the present embodiment, each of the centralized controller 3 and each outdoor unit 4 is equipped with a DHCP server function. When the system is started up, the centralized controller 3 assigns IP addresses to the devices connected to the transmission line 9 which is a centralized transmission line, and each outdoor unit 4 assigns IP addresses to the devices connected to itself via the transmission line 10 which is an internal and external transmission line.

[0064] As a result, it becomes possible to perform IP communication throughout the system without the need to provide dedicated equipment for assigning IP addresses.

[0065] In addition, since there is no need to individually address devices via an address setting reception unit such as a DIP switch or a rotary switch, the workload is significantly reduced. Also, since the device does not need to be provided with the address setting reception unit, cost reduction can be achieved.

[0066] In addition, since various IP communication devices can be easily added to the system configuration, the expandability of the system is remarkably improved.

[0067] (Modification Example 1) In the above-described embodiment, the centralized controller 3 has assigned IP addresses only to the devices connected to the transmission line 9 which is a centralized transmission line (that is, the outdoor units 4a and 4b, the sensor devices 6a, and the auxiliary device 7a). However, IP addresses may also be assigned to the devices connected only to the transmission line 10 which is an internal and external transmission line (that is, the indoor units 5a to 5d, the sensor devices 6b and 6c, the auxiliary devices 7b and 7c, and the remote controls 8a and 8b). In this case, the outdoor unit 4 does not need to have a DHCP server function. Note that in the case where the outdoor unit 4 has a configuration with a DHCP server function, the function shall be disabled at the time of shipment.

[0068] Each device connected to the transmission line 10 (excluding the outdoor unit 4) broadcasts an address request notification via the transmission line 10 in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment when the air conditioning system 1 is started. When the outdoor unit 4 receives an address request notification from any device via the transmission line 10 to which it is connected, the outdoor unit 4 transfers the address request notification onto the transmission line 9. When the centralized controller 3 receives the address request notification, the centralized controller 3 assigns an IP address to the device and transmits an address response notification storing the assigned IP address to the device.

[0069] (Modification Example 2) When the outdoor unit 4 is not connected to the transmission line 9 which is a centralized transmission line, at the time of starting the air conditioning system 1, it may determine by itself the IP address to be assigned to itself based on the range of IP addresses defined in advance by the system administrator.

[0070] (Modification Example 3) As shown in FIG. 11, in an air conditioning system in which the centralized controller 3 is not included in the system configuration, any one of the plurality of outdoor units 4 may be selected as a representative device, and the representative device may assign IP addresses to all the devices in the air conditioning system. In this case, at the time of shipment, the DHCP server function of each outdoor unit 4 is disabled, and it is assumed that the DHCP server function of the outdoor unit 4 selected as the representative device is switched from disabled to enabled by the system administrator.

[0071] For example, by operating a dip switch, a rotary switch, etc. provided in the outdoor unit 4, the enabling / disabling of the DHCP server function may be switched. Alternatively, a terminal device such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a notebook PC (Personal Computer) may be communicatively connected to the outdoor unit 4, and the enabling / disabling of the DHCP server function may be switched by operating the terminal device. Or, a recording medium such as a USB memory or a memory card in which information indicating enabling / disabling is recorded may be attached to the outdoor unit 4, and the enabling / disabling of the DHCP server function may be switched by having the information read.

[0072] The outdoor unit 4 in which the DHCP server function is enabled as the representative device determines by itself the IP address to be assigned to itself based on the range of IP addresses defined in advance by the system administrator at the time of starting the air conditioning system. Hereinafter, the representative device will be described as the outdoor unit 4a in FIG. 11. Each device other than the outdoor unit 4a connected to the transmission line 9 (that is, the sensor device 6a, the outdoor unit 4b, and the auxiliary device 7a) broadcasts an address request notification via the transmission line 9 in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment at the time of starting the air conditioning system.

[0073] Upon receiving such an address request notification, the outdoor unit 4a determines an IP address to be assigned to the device that is the source of the address request notification based on the above-mentioned predefined range of IP addresses. Then, the outdoor unit 4a transmits an address response notification storing the assigned IP address to the device (sensor device 6a, outdoor unit 4b, or auxiliary device 7a).

[0074] Also, each device connected only to the transmission line 10 (i.e., indoor units 5a to 5d, sensor devices 6b, 6c, auxiliary devices 7b, 7c, and remote controllers 8a, 8b) broadcasts an address request notification via the transmission line 10 at the startup of the air conditioning system in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment. When the outdoor unit 4a receives an address request notification from each device (i.e., indoor units 5a, 5b, sensor device 6b, auxiliary device 7b, and remote controller 8a) connected to itself via the transmission line 10a, it automatically assigns an IP address to each of the devices and transmits an address response notification storing the assigned IP address to each of the devices.

[0075] Also, when the outdoor unit 4a receives an address request notification from each device (i.e., indoor units 5c, 5d, sensor device 6c, auxiliary device 7c, and remote controller 8b) connected to the outdoor unit 4b via the transmission line 10b, it automatically assigns an IP address to each of the devices and transmits an address response notification storing the assigned IP address to each of the devices.

[0076] (Modification Example 4) For communication between devices via the transmission line 10 which is an internal and external transmission line, a wired communication method using Wavelet OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) (hereinafter referred to as the "second communication method") may be adopted. Further, the second communication method may also be adopted for communication between devices via the transmission line 9 which is a centralized transmission line. By doing so, since the high-frequency communication performance for wiring can be sacrificed, the wiring cost can be reduced, and flexible wiring becomes possible. Further, high-speed communication becomes possible, and long-distance communication becomes possible due to the multi-hop function.

[0077] Also, the second communication method may be adopted for communication between devices via the internal and external transmission lines, and for the centralized transmission line, both the first communication method (that is, Ethernet (registered trademark)) and the second communication method may be adopted. In this case, the centralized controller 3 is equipped with communication interfaces corresponding to each of the first communication method and the second communication method. For example, in the air conditioning system shown in FIG. 12, the second communication method is adopted for communication between devices via the transmission lines 10a and 10b which are internal and external transmission lines, the first communication method is adopted for communication between devices via the transmission line 9a which is a centralized transmission line, and the second communication method is adopted for communication between devices via the transmission line 9b which is a centralized transmission line.

[0078] When adopting the configuration shown in FIG. 12, an outdoor unit 4 (in this example, outdoor unit 4a) with a large scale equipped with communication interfaces corresponding to each of the first communication method and the second communication method, and a small-scale outdoor unit 4 (in this example, outdoor unit 4b) equipped only with a communication interface corresponding to the second communication method can coexist in the air conditioning system, and cooperative control by the centralized controller 3 over both outdoor units 4 and each device connected to each outdoor unit 4 becomes possible.

[0079] (Modification Example 5) In the air conditioning system 1 according to Embodiment 1, the centralized controller 3 may be provided with a DNS (Domain Name System) server function. Specifically, the centralized controller 3 collects attribute information (for example, type (outdoor unit or indoor unit), model name, serial number, etc.) of each air conditioning device (each outdoor unit 4 and each indoor unit 5) from the air conditioning devices, and based on the collected attribute information and a predefined domain generation rule, generates a domain name corresponding to the IP address of each air conditioning device. Then, the centralized controller 3 manages by associating the IP address and the domain name for each air conditioning device in a domain name management table stored in the auxiliary storage device 35. An example of the domain name management table is shown in FIG. 13.

[0080] Also, in the air conditioning system (see FIG. 11) in the above Modification 3, each outdoor unit 4 may be provided with a DNS server function. In this case, the outdoor unit 4 selected as the representative device, that is, the outdoor unit 4 that assigns an IP address to each device, collects attribute information from each air conditioning device, and based on the collected attribute information and a predefined domain generation rule, generates a domain name corresponding to the IP address of each air conditioning device. Then, the representative device manages by associating the IP address and the domain name for each air conditioning device in a domain name management table (see FIG. 13) stored in the auxiliary storage device 44. In this modification, each outdoor unit 4 has the DHCP server function and the DNS server function disabled at the time of shipment, and it is assumed that the DHCP server function and the DNS server function of the outdoor unit 4 selected as the representative device can be switched from disabled to enabled by the system administrator using the method described in the above Modification 3.

[0081] (Modification 6) All or part of the functional units of the centralized controller 3 (see FIG. 5) may be implemented by dedicated hardware. Also, all or part of the functional units of the outdoor unit 4 (see FIG. 7) may be implemented by dedicated hardware. 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 thereof.

[0082] The technical ideas according to the above-described respective modification examples may be implemented independently or may be implemented in appropriate combination.

[0083] (Embodiment 2) Next, Embodiment 2 of the present disclosure will be described. In the following description, components common to Embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0084] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of the air conditioning system 1' in Embodiment 2 of the present disclosure. The air conditioning system 1' is an example of the air conditioning system according to the present disclosure. The air conditioning system 1' is, for example, a system that performs air conditioning of a building such as a building or a store, and includes a server 2, a centralized controller 3', outdoor units 4'a and 4'b, indoor units 5a to 5d, sensor devices 6a to 6c, auxiliary devices 7a to 7c, and remote controllers 8a and 8b.

[0085] In the air conditioning system 1' in this embodiment, unlike the air conditioning system 1 in the first embodiment, for each device (the centralized controller 3', outdoor units 4'a, 4'b, indoor units 5a to 5d, sensor devices 6a to 6c, auxiliary devices 7a to 7c, and remote controls 8a, 8b), a global IP address based on IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6) is preset at the time of shipment. Therefore, when the air conditioning system 1' is started up, the outdoor units 4'a, 4'b, indoor units 5a to 5d, sensor devices 6a to 6c, auxiliary devices 7a to 7c, and remote controls 8a, 8b do not send an address request notification for requesting an IP address.

[0086] <centralized controller 3'> The centralized controller 3' is a device for centrally controlling each device (outdoor units 4'a, 4'b, indoor units 5a to 5d, sensor devices 6a to 6c, and auxiliary devices 7a to 7c) in the air conditioning system 1', such as cooperative control of each device, and is installed in a place where unauthorized persons cannot enter, such as a control room in the building. The hardware configuration of the centralized controller 3' is the same as that of the centralized controller 3 in the first embodiment (see FIG. 2). Details of the functions of the centralized controller 3' will be described later.

[0087] <outdoor units 4'a, 4'b> The outdoor unit 4'a is connected to the transmission line 9 and is also connected to the transmission line 10a which is an internal and external transmission line. The outdoor unit 4'a, the indoor unit 5a, and the indoor unit 5b are connected via the transmission line 10a and are also connected via a first refrigerant pipe (not shown) for circulating refrigerant. That is, the outdoor unit 4'a, the indoor unit 5a, and the indoor unit 5b constitute one refrigerant system.

[0088] The outdoor unit 4'b is connected to the transmission line 9 and is also connected to the transmission line 10b which is an internal and external transmission line. The outdoor unit 4'b, the indoor unit 5c, and the indoor unit 5d are connected via the transmission line 10b and are also connected via a second refrigerant pipe (not shown) different from the above-mentioned first refrigerant pipe. That is, the outdoor unit 4'b, the indoor unit 5c, and the indoor unit 5d constitute one refrigerant system.

[0089] Hereinafter, for the common description of the outdoor units 4’a and 4’b, the outdoor unit will be referred to as the outdoor unit 4’ without particularly specifying each one. The hardware configuration of the outdoor unit 4’ is the same as that of the outdoor unit 4 in the first embodiment (see FIG. 3). Details of the functions of the outdoor unit 4’ will be described later.

[0090] <Functional Configuration of the Central Controller 3’> FIG. 15 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the central controller 3’. As shown in FIG. 15, the central controller 3’ includes a firewall unit 305, a device data collection unit 301, a device data notification unit 302, a device data display unit 303, and a device control unit 304. These functional units are realized by the CPU of the control circuit 34 included in the central controller 3’ executing a central control program stored in the auxiliary storage device 35. The functional configuration of the central controller 3’ is different from the functional configuration of the central controller 3 (see FIG. 5) in that it includes a firewall unit 305 instead of the IP address assignment unit 300. The firewall unit 305 restricts access from the outside based on predetermined rules.

[0091] <Functional Configuration of the Outdoor Unit 4’> FIG. 16 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the outdoor unit 4’. As shown in FIG. 16, the outdoor unit 4’ includes a firewall unit 404, a device data notification unit 402, and an air-conditioning control unit 403. These functional units are realized by the CPU of the control circuit 43 included in the outdoor unit 4’ executing an outdoor unit program stored in the auxiliary storage device 44. The functional configuration of the outdoor unit 4’ is different from the functional configuration of the outdoor unit 3 (see FIG. 7) in that it includes a firewall unit 404 instead of the IP address acquisition unit 400 and the IP address assignment unit 401. The firewall unit 404 restricts access from the outside based on predetermined rules.

[0092] As described above, in the air conditioning system 1' according to the present embodiment, each device is preset with a global IP address based on IPv6 at the time of shipment. As a result, it is not necessary to provide a dedicated device for allocating IP addresses, and IP communication is possible throughout the system.

[0093] In addition, since it is not necessary to individually address the devices via an address setting reception unit such as a DIP switch or a rotary switch, the work load is significantly reduced. Further, since it is not necessary to provide the address setting reception unit in the devices, cost reduction can be achieved.

[0094] In addition, since various IP communication devices can be easily added to the system configuration, the expandability of the system is significantly improved.

[0095] In addition, since each of the centralized controller 3' and each outdoor unit 4' is equipped with a firewall function, unauthorized external operations on the air conditioning equipment can be prevented.

[0096] (Modification Example 1) A wired communication method using Wavelet OFDM (hereinafter referred to as the "second communication method") may be adopted for communication between devices via the transmission line 10 which is an internal and external transmission line. Further, the second communication method may also be adopted for communication between devices via the transmission line 9 which is a centralized transmission line. By doing so, since the high-frequency communication performance with respect to the wiring can be sacrificed, the wiring cost can be reduced, and flexible wiring becomes possible. Further, high-speed communication becomes possible, and long-distance communication is also possible by the multi-hop function.

[0097] In addition, a second communication method may be adopted for communication between devices via the internal and external transmission lines, and for the centralized transmission line, both the first communication method (i.e., Ethernet (registered trademark)) and the second communication method may be adopted. In this case, the centralized controller 3’ is equipped with communication interfaces corresponding to the first communication method and the second communication method respectively. By adopting such a configuration, in the air conditioning system, a large-scale outdoor unit 4’ equipped with communication interfaces corresponding to the first communication method and the second communication method respectively and a small-scale outdoor unit 4’ equipped with only a communication interface corresponding to the second communication method can coexist, and the centralized controller 3’ can perform cooperative control on both outdoor units 4’ and each device connected to each outdoor unit 4’.

[0098] (Modification Example 2) The centralized controller 3’ may be configured to have a DNS server function. Specifically, the centralized controller 3’ collects the attribute information of each air conditioning device (each outdoor unit 4’, each indoor unit 5) (for example, type (outdoor unit or indoor unit), model name, manufacturing number, etc.) from each air conditioning device, and based on the collected attribute information and a predefined domain generation rule, generates a domain name corresponding to the IP address of each air conditioning device. Then, the centralized controller 3’ manages by associating the IP address and the domain name for each air conditioning device in the domain name management table stored in the auxiliary storage device 35 (see Fig. 13).

[0099] Also, as shown in FIG. 17, in an air conditioning system in which the centralized controller 3' is not included in the system configuration, any one of the plurality of outdoor units 4' may be selected as a representative device, and the representative device may generate the domain name of each air conditioning device. That is, the representative device collects attribute information from each air conditioning device, and generates a domain name corresponding to the IP address of each air conditioning device based on the collected attribute information and a predefined domain generation rule. Then, the representative device manages by associating the IP address and the domain name for each air conditioning device in a domain name management table (see FIG. 13) stored in the auxiliary storage device 44. In this case, all the outdoor units 4' are equipped with a DNS server function, but the DNS server function is disabled at the time of shipment, and it is assumed that the DNS server function of the outdoor unit 4' selected as the representative device is switched from disabled to enabled by the system administrator.

[0100] For example, by operating a dip switch, a rotary switch, etc. provided in the outdoor unit 4', the enable / disable of the DNS server function may be switched. Alternatively, a terminal device such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a notebook PC may be communicatively connected to the outdoor unit 4', and the enable / disable of the DNS server function may be switched by operating the terminal device. Or, a recording medium such as a USB memory or a memory card in which information indicating enable / disable is recorded may be attached to the outdoor unit 4', and the enable / disable of the DNS server function may be switched by reading the information.

[0101] (Modification Example 3) All or part of the functional part of the centralized controller 3' (see FIG. 15) may be realized by dedicated hardware. Also, all or part of the functional part of the outdoor unit 4' (see FIG. 16) may be realized by dedicated hardware. The dedicated hardware is, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, an ASIC, an FPGA, or a combination thereof.

[0102] The technical ideas according to the above-described modification examples may be realized independently or may be realized in appropriate combination.

[0103] The present disclosure can be implemented in various embodiments and variations without departing from the spirit and scope in a broad sense. Also, 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 rather than the embodiments. And various modifications made within the scope of the claims and within the scope of the meaning of the disclosure equivalent thereto are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

Industrial Applicability

[0104] The present disclosure can be suitably adopted in an air conditioning system including a plurality of air conditioning devices.

Explanation of Signs

[0105] 1, 1’ Air conditioning system, 2 Server, 3, 3’ Central controller, 4, 4’, 4a, 4’a, 4b, 4’b Outdoor unit, 5, 5a to 5d Indoor unit, 6, 6a to 6c Sensor device, 7, 7a to 7c Auxiliary device, 8, 8a, 8b Remote control, 9, 9a, 9b, 10, 10a, 10b Transmission line, 30, 40 First communication interface, 31, 41 Second communication interface, 32 Operation reception unit, 33 Display, 34, 43, 52 Control circuit, 35, 44, 53 Auxiliary storage device, 42, 51 Main unit, 50 Communication interface, 300, 401 IP address allocation unit, 301 Device data collection unit, 302, 402 Device data notification unit, 303 Device data display unit, 304 Device control unit, 305, 404 Firewall unit, 400 IP address acquisition unit, 403 Air conditioning control unit

Claims

1. A plurality of devices including at least a centralized controller, one or more outdoor units, and one or more indoor units. When the system is started up, the centralized controller assigns an IP address to each of all the devices connected to the centralized transmission line among the plurality of devices. An air conditioning system in which each of the one or more outdoor units assigns an IP address to each of all the devices connected to itself via the internal and external transmission lines.

2. The centralized controller acquires attribute information from each of the one or more outdoor units and the one or more indoor units, generates a domain name corresponding to the IP address of each outdoor unit based on the acquired attribute information of each outdoor unit, and generates a domain name corresponding to the IP address of each indoor unit based on the acquired attribute information of each indoor unit. The air conditioning system according to Claim 1.

3. The air conditioning system according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein communication between at least some of the plurality of devices is performed by a wired communication method using Wavelet OFDM.

4. IP address acquisition means for acquiring an IP address from a centralized controller, An outdoor unit comprising IP address assignment means for assigning an IP address to each of all the devices connected to itself via the internal and external transmission lines.

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