Maintenance support method

Abstract

To provide a maintenance support method and a maintenance support program capable of facilitating recognition of an abnormality in an electronic appliance and identification of a method for coping with the abnormality.SOLUTION: The maintenance support method executed by a communication terminal 400 includes: a model information acquisition step of acquiring model information of an electronic appliance; a maintenance coping step of displaying, on an operation monitor screen, a maintenance coping receiving unit for receiving a link to a maintenance support screen corresponding to a model of the electronic appliance recognized from the model information; and a maintenance support screen display step of displaying, on a display unit, the maintenance support screen in response to a reception requesting operation to the maintenance coping receiving unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a maintenance support method and a maintenance support program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a method has been proposed for monitoring the operating status of an electrical appliance using a communication terminal that communicates with the electrical appliance (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 describes a configuration in which the communication terminal receives temperature detection information of the storage compartments inside the refrigerator transmitted from the refrigerator and displays a monitor screen on a display unit showing the temperature of each storage compartment, and a configuration in which an error code indicating the type of abnormality that has occurred in the refrigerator is displayed on the monitor screen. Furthermore, in the configuration described in Patent Document 1, an "Error Code Quick Reference" button is displayed on the monitor screen, and when the "Error Code Quick Reference" button is selected, an error code and its corresponding explanation are displayed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-36740 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the invention described in Patent Document 1, a maintenance worker who performs maintenance on a refrigerator can visually check the general operating status of the refrigerator from the detected temperatures of each compartment of the refrigerator displayed on a communication terminal. When an error code is displayed, the maintenance worker can select an "Error Code Quick Reference" button to check the error code and its explanation displayed on the monitor screen. However, since the types of abnormalities covered by error codes are limited, there are cases where an error code is not displayed when a maintenance worker recognizes an abnormality in the refrigerator from the temperature status displayed on the monitor screen. Also, even if an error code is displayed, it may be difficult to understand the maintenance method for the abnormality from the information obtained from the explanation in the "Error Code Quick Reference Chart" alone. In such cases, the maintenance worker has to refer to documents such as the refrigerator's maintenance manual to find out how to deal with the abnormality, which is inconvenient. The present invention has been made in consideration of the above background, and aims to provide a maintenance support method and a maintenance support program that can easily recognize abnormalities in electrical appliances and identify how to deal with the abnormalities. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, the maintenance support method of the present invention comprises: The device includes a movable part including a drive part, and a detection part that detects a first physical quantity that changes depending on the state of the movable part. A maintenance support method for supporting maintenance of a refrigerator by a communication terminal having a display unit, the communication terminal displaying a status of past opening and closing of a door of a storage compartment provided in the refrigerator. a state of the movable part, and the first physical quantity detected by the detection unit; an operation status information acquiring step of acquiring operation status information of the refrigerator including the above; and a second operation monitor screen display step of causing the communication terminal to display, on the display unit, a layout image showing a configuration of the refrigerator and a second operation monitor screen displaying, in association with the image portion of the door in the layout image, a second operation monitor screen. a first operation monitor screen display step of the communications terminal switching from the second operation monitor screen to a first operation monitor screen displaying, on the display unit, a first operation monitor screen that displays, based on the operation status information, a state of the drive unit and a transition of the first physical quantity as an operation status of the refrigerator using a graph; a step of the communications terminal displaying, on the first operation monitor screen, a real time data acquisition button for instructing display of the operation status from the present time; and a step of the communications terminal, in response to a selection operation of the real time data acquisition button, displaying, on the first operation monitor screen, a first physical quantity transition graph that indicates the transition of the first physical quantity from the time when the selection operation is performed to an end of a measurement period and an operation status graph that indicates the operation status of the drive unit from the time when the selection operation is performed to an end of the measurement period, on the same time axis. It includes:

[0007] This allows a user of the communication terminal (such as a maintenance worker for the electrical appliance) who visits the location of the electrical appliance to easily check for abnormalities in the electrical appliance by visually checking the operation monitor screen displayed on the display unit of the communication terminal. When the user recognizes an abnormality in the electrical appliance, the user can quickly display a maintenance support screen and obtain information on how to deal with the abnormality by selecting and operating the maintenance response reception section shown on the operation monitor screen. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the maintenance support method and maintenance support program of the present invention, a maintenance worker for an electrical appliance can recognize the operating status of the electrical appliance from an operation monitor screen displayed on a display unit of a communication terminal. When the maintenance worker recognizes an abnormality in the electrical appliance, the maintenance worker can display the maintenance support screen by selecting a maintenance response reception section shown on the operation monitor screen. By checking maintenance information specific to the electrical appliance model on the maintenance support screen, the maintenance worker can quickly recognize measures to address the abnormality without referring to documents such as a maintenance manual. This makes it easier for the maintenance worker to recognize an abnormality in the electrical appliance and identify how to address the abnormality. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] Illustration of a situation where maintenance of electrical appliances installed in a house is carried out [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator, which is an electrical appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] Cross-sectional side view of a refrigerator [Figure 4] Diagram of airflow inside a refrigerator caused by a fan [Figure 5] Refrigerator control block diagram [Figure 6] Control block diagram of communication terminal [Figure 7]Flowchart of the main routine of the operation monitor program [Figure 8] Real-time display process flowchart [Figure 9] Operation monitor screen illustration [Figure 10] Layout display screen [Figure 11] Remote setting change process flowchart [Figure 12] Remote setting change screen illustration [Figure 13] Maintenance support process flowchart [Figure 14] Maintenance support screen illustration [Figure 15] Explanation of the screen corresponding to the disassembly procedure [Figure 16] Diagram of the corresponding screen for disassembly instructions inside the refrigerator compartment [Figure 17] Illustration of the execution procedure screen for sub-process 1 [Figure 18] Illustration of the execution procedure screen for sub-process 2 [Figure 19] Illustration of the troubleshooting procedure screen corresponding to the error code [Figure 20] An explanatory diagram of the execution procedure screen for sub-process 1 of the processing procedure corresponding to the error code DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] A first invention is a maintenance support method that supports maintenance of an electrical appliance that has a drive unit and a detection unit that detects a first physical quantity that changes in accordance with the operation of the drive unit, using a communication terminal that has a display unit, and includes: an operation status information acquisition step in which the communication terminal acquires operation status information that indicates the operating status of the drive unit and the first physical quantity detected by the detection unit; an operation monitor screen display step in which the communication terminal displays an operation monitor screen that indicates the operation status of the electrical appliance based on the operation status information; a model information acquisition step in which the communication terminal acquires model information of the electrical appliance; a maintenance response step in which the communication terminal displays a maintenance response reception unit on the operation monitor screen that accepts a link to a maintenance support screen that corresponds to the model of the electrical appliance recognized from the model information; and a maintenance support screen display step in which the communication terminal displays the maintenance support screen on the display unit in accordance with a reception request operation to the maintenance response reception unit. According to the first aspect of the present invention, in the operation status information acquisition step, the communication terminal acquires operation status information indicating the operating status of the drive unit of the electrical appliance and the first physical quantity detected by the detection unit. Then, in the operation monitor screen display step, the communication terminal displays an operation monitor screen indicating the operation status of the electrical appliance on the display unit based on the operation status information. Furthermore, the communication terminal acquires model information of the electrical appliance in the model information acquisition step, and displays a maintenance response reception unit on the operation monitor screen in the maintenance response step. Then, in the maintenance support screen display step, when an operation to request reception of the maintenance response reception unit is performed on the operation monitor screen, the communication terminal displays the maintenance support screen on the display unit. This allows a maintenance worker of the electrical appliance to check the operation status of the electrical appliance on the operation monitor screen and recognize an abnormality in the electrical appliance. Then, when an abnormality in the electrical appliance is recognized, the maintenance worker can display the maintenance support screen and easily check how to deal with the abnormality.

[0011] In a second invention, in the first invention, in the maintenance support screen display step, the communication terminal displays the maintenance support screen on the display unit, which displays fault information related to the model of the electrical appliance recognized from the model information. According to the second invention, by displaying fault information related to the model of the electrical appliance on the maintenance support screen, maintenance workers can recognize fault information specific to the model, making it easier to identify measures to take in response to abnormalities in the electrical appliance.

[0012] A third invention is the first or second invention, wherein in the maintenance support screen display step, the communication terminal displays the maintenance support screen on the display unit, which accepts a command to start or stop operation of the drive unit, and when the communication terminal accepts a command to start or stop operation of the drive unit in accordance with the display of the maintenance support screen, the communication terminal includes a drive unit operation response step of instructing the electrical appliance to start operation if a command to start operation has been accepted, or instructing the electrical appliance to stop operation if a command to stop operation has been accepted. According to the third aspect of the present invention, a maintenance worker for an electrical appliance can operate and stop the drive unit using a communication terminal to check whether the drive unit is operating normally. In addition, the maintenance worker can switch between operating and stopping the drive unit depending on the content of the maintenance work.

[0013] A fourth invention is any of the first to third inventions, wherein the model information includes fault handling data that associates multiple faults that may occur in the electrical appliance with response actions for resolving each fault, and work procedure data that associates multiple response processes included in the fault handling data with work procedures for carrying out each response process, and in the maintenance support screen display step, the communication terminal displays the maintenance support screen on the display unit, displaying a fault information reception section that accepts input of fault information for the electrical appliance, and when the fault information is input by operating a reception request to the fault information reception section, the communication terminal refers to the fault handling data to extract response actions corresponding to the input fault information, and extracts the work procedure for the extracted response action by referring to the work procedure data, and displays it on the maintenance support screen. According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, a maintenance worker for an electrical appliance can check the procedure for dealing with the defect by inputting defect information into the defect information receiving section of the maintenance support screen.

[0014] In a fifth aspect of the present invention, the work procedure data includes video data showing the work procedure, and in the maintenance support screen display step, the communication terminal displays the work procedure on the maintenance support screen as a video produced by playing back the video data. According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, a maintenance worker can easily confirm the work procedure for dealing with a malfunction by viewing the video showing the work procedure.

[0015] A sixth invention is any of the first to fifth inventions, wherein the model information includes disassembly procedure data indicating the disassembly procedure for the electrical appliance, and in the maintenance support screen display step, the communications terminal displays a product structure diagram showing a plurality of components that make up the electrical appliance, and displays an exploded structure diagram on the maintenance support screen in which the selected component is disassembled in stages in accordance with a first selection operation on the product structure diagram, and for a part selected by a second selection operation on the exploded structure diagram, extracts a corresponding disassembly procedure by referring to the disassembly procedure data, and displays the extracted disassembly procedure on the maintenance support screen. According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, a maintenance worker for an electrical appliance can check the disassembly procedure by selecting a part for which maintenance by disassembly is desired from the product configuration diagram.

[0016] A seventh invention is the sixth invention, wherein the disassembly procedure data includes video data showing the disassembly procedure, and in the maintenance support screen display step, the communication terminal displays the disassembly procedure on the maintenance support screen as a video generated by playing back the video data. According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the maintenance worker can easily confirm the disassembly procedure for the selected part by viewing the video showing the disassembly procedure.

[0017] An eighth invention includes a second physical quantity information acquisition step in which the communication terminal acquires second physical quantity information indicating the second physical quantity detected by a wireless detector, the second physical quantity information indicating the second physical quantity detected by the wireless detector, the second physical quantity information indicating the second physical quantity detected by the wireless detector being transmitted wirelessly; and in the operation monitor screen display step, the communication terminal displays on the display unit the operation monitor screen indicating the second physical quantity recognized from the second physical quantity information, together with the operating status of the drive unit and the first physical quantity recognized from the operation status information. According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, a maintenance worker can place a wireless detector at a location where the maintenance worker wants to check the second physical quantity, and have the detected value of the second physical quantity at that location displayed on an operation monitor screen, thereby determining whether there is an abnormality in the electrical appliance.

[0018] In a ninth invention, the electrical appliance is a refrigerator having a plurality of storage compartments, the drive unit is a compressor and a fan that sends cool air into the storage compartments from a duct connected to the storage compartments, the detection unit is a temperature sensor that is provided individually in the plurality of storage compartments and detects temperature as the first physical quantity, and the wireless detector detects temperature as the second physical quantity. According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, a refrigerator maintenance worker can determine whether there is an abnormality in the refrigerator by checking the operating statuses of the compressor and the fan, the detected temperatures of each storage compartment, and the detected temperature of the wireless detector, which are displayed on an operation monitor screen.

[0019] A tenth aspect of the invention includes a normal operation determination step in which the communication terminal, when a predetermined normal operation determination start condition is satisfied, repeatedly receives the detection information transmitted from the wireless detector placed near an outlet through which cool air is discharged from the duct to the storage room by the fan, and determines whether the refrigerator is operating normally based on a change in detected temperature recognized from the detection information. According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to recognize that the compressor is operating and that cold air is being sent out to the storage room based on a change in the detected temperature of a wireless detector placed near the cold air outlet, and therefore it is possible to quickly determine that the refrigerator is operating normally.

[0020] An eleventh invention is a program executed by a communication terminal having a display unit to support maintenance of an electrical appliance having a drive unit and a detection unit that detects a first physical quantity that changes in accordance with the operation of the drive unit, the program causing the communication terminal to function as an operation status information acquisition unit that acquires operation status information including the operating status of the drive unit and the first physical quantity detected by the detection unit, an operation monitor screen display unit that displays an operation monitor screen showing the operation status of the electrical appliance based on the operation status information, a model information acquisition unit that acquires model information of the electrical appliance, a maintenance response unit that displays a maintenance response reception unit on the operation monitor screen that accepts a link to a maintenance support screen corresponding to the model of the electrical appliance recognized from the model information, and a maintenance support screen display unit that displays the maintenance support screen on the display unit in accordance with a reception request operation to the maintenance response reception unit. According to the eleventh invention, by executing the program of the tenth invention on a communication terminal and causing the communication terminal to function as an operation status information acquisition unit, an operation monitor screen display unit, a maintenance response reception unit, and a maintenance support screen display unit, it is possible to obtain the same effects as the first invention.

[0021] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0022] [1. Usage of communication terminals] 1 shows a usage mode of a communication terminal that executes the operation monitoring method and operation monitoring program of the present invention and the maintenance support method and maintenance support program of the present invention. The communication terminal 400 of this embodiment is a tablet-type communication terminal equipped with a touch panel 460. A maintenance worker PS who is the user of the communication terminal 400 uses the communication terminal 400 when visiting a house H and performing maintenance (inspection, adjustment, repair, etc.) of a refrigerator 1 (corresponding to an electrical appliance of the present invention).

[0023] The refrigerator 1 is equipped with a controller 100 that controls the operation of the refrigerator 1, and an operation panel 15 that sets the operating conditions (operating parameters) of the refrigerator 1 and displays error codes. The controller 100 periodically (for example, every few minutes to every tens of minutes) monitors the operating status of the drive units (compressor, fan, damper, etc.) equipped in the refrigerator 1, and the detection signals of sensors (temperature sensor, door open / close sensor, etc.).

[0024] Then, the controller 100 transmits current first information indicating the operating status of the drive unit and the temperature detected by the sensor at the current time (corresponding to a predetermined time in the present invention) recognized by monitoring, and the time when the monitoring was performed, to the management server 520 via a gateway 500 (such as a wireless LAN router) installed in the house H and the communication network 510. The management server 520 receives the current first information and records it by adding it to operation history data 521. The management server 520 also stores model-specific data 522 in which information about various electrical appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines, televisions, and air conditioners is recorded by model. The model-specific data 522 includes malfunction troubleshooting data, work procedure data, disassembly procedure data, and video data of the present invention.

[0025] The communication terminal 400 also communicates with the management server 520 via the gateway 500 and the communication network 510, and acquires operation history information of the refrigerator 1 recorded in the operation history data 521. The communication terminal 400 also acquires model-specific data for the model of the refrigerator 1 from the management server 520. The communication terminal 400 also wirelessly communicates with the wireless temperature sensor 300, which transmits detection data wirelessly, and acquires information on the temperature detected by the wireless temperature sensor 300.

[0026] [2. Refrigerator configuration] The configuration of refrigerator 1 will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 4. Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the front appearance of refrigerator 1. As shown in Figure 2, refrigerator 1 has a main box body 2 that is open at the front, and main box body 2 contains a refrigerator compartment 10, an ice-making compartment 30, a fresh-freezing compartment 40, a freezer compartment 50, and a vegetable compartment 60. Furthermore, a partial / chilled selectable compartment 20 is arranged in refrigerator compartment 10. The refrigerator compartment 10, partial / chilled selectable compartment 20, ice-making compartment 30, fresh-freezing compartment 40, freezer compartment 50, and vegetable compartment 60 correspond to storage compartments in the present invention.

[0027] Rotating left and right doors 11a and 11b are provided at the opening on the front of refrigerator compartment 10. An operation panel 15 for changing the operating conditions of refrigerator 1, displaying errors, etc. is provided on the left inner wall of refrigerator compartment 10. Ice-making compartment 30, fresh freezing compartment 40, freezer compartment 50, and vegetable compartment 60 are provided with drawers 31, 41, 51, and 61, respectively, for storing food.

[0028] Next, Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the interior configuration of refrigerator 1 in cross section as seen from the right side. Refrigerating compartment 10 is provided with left door sensor 12a that detects the open / closed state of left door 11a and right door sensor 12b that detects the open / closed state of right door 11b. Left door sensor 12a outputs a closed detection signal when left door 11a is closed, and outputs an open detection signal when left door 11a is open. Similarly, right door sensor 12b outputs a closed detection signal when right door 11b is closed, and outputs an open detection signal when right door 11b is open.

[0029] Ice making compartment 30 is provided with ice making compartment open / close sensor 32, which detects whether the opening of ice making compartment 30 is open or closed. Ice making compartment open / close sensor 32 outputs a closed detection signal when drawer 31 is stored in ice making compartment 30, and outputs an open detection signal when drawer 31 is pulled out of ice making compartment 30. Similarly, fresh freezing compartment 40 is provided with fresh freezing compartment open / close sensor 42, which detects whether the opening of fresh freezing compartment 40 is open or closed. Freezer compartment 50 is provided with freezer compartment open / close sensor 52, which detects whether the opening of freezer compartment 50 is open or closed, and vegetable compartment 60 is provided with vegetable compartment open / close sensor 62, which detects whether the opening of vegetable compartment 60 is open or closed. Fresh freezing compartment open / close sensor 42, freezer compartment open / close sensor 52, and vegetable compartment open / close sensor 62, like ice making compartment open / close sensor 32, output closed and open detection signals.

[0030] Refrigerator compartment 10 is provided with refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 13 that detects the temperature inside refrigerator compartment 10, and partial / chilled selectable compartment 20 is provided with selectable compartment temperature sensor 23 that detects the temperature inside partial / chilled selectable compartment 20. Ice making compartment 30 is provided with ice making compartment temperature sensor 33 that detects the temperature inside ice making compartment 30, and fresh freezing compartment 40 is provided with fresh freezing compartment temperature sensor 43 that detects the temperature inside fresh freezing compartment 40. Freezer compartment 50 is provided with freezer compartment temperature sensor 53 that detects the temperature inside freezer compartment 50, and vegetable compartment 60 is provided with vegetable compartment temperature sensor 63 that detects the temperature inside vegetable compartment 60.

[0031] A compressor 71, a condenser 72, and a machine room fan 73 are disposed in the upper machine room 70. An evaporator 74 disposed in a duct 75 is connected to the compressor 71 and the condenser 72 via a refrigerant path (not shown) to form a refrigeration cycle. The duct 75 is provided with a cooling fan 76 that sends the air cooled by the evaporator 74 (cold air) from a plurality of cold air outlets 79 disposed in the duct 75 to the refrigerator compartment 10, partial / chilled selectable compartment 20, ice making compartment 30, fresh freezing compartment 40, freezer compartment 50, and vegetable compartment 60.

[0032] Furthermore, duct 75 is provided with a fresh freezing compartment fan 77 that sends cold air to fresh freezing compartment 40, and a defrost temperature sensor 78 that detects the temperature of evaporator 74. Lower machine compartment 80 is provided with an evaporation pan 81 and an evaporation pan fan 82. Figure 3 shows an example in which wireless temperature sensor 300 is placed near cold air outlet 79 of refrigerator compartment 10. In this way, by placing wireless temperature sensor 300 at any location where the temperature is desired to be checked, the temperature at any location can be checked with communication terminal 400, as will be described later.

[0033] 4 is an explanatory diagram of the air flow inside the refrigerator 1 caused by the fan. Air cooled by the evaporator 74 in the cooling compartment 95 is sent by the cooling fan 76 through the duct 75 to the refrigerator compartment 10, the partial / chilled selectable compartment 20, the ice making compartment 30, the fresh freezing compartment 40, the freezer compartment 50, and the vegetable compartment 60. In addition, fresh freezing compartment 40 also has cool air sent out from the duct 75 by the fresh freezing compartment fan 77.

[0034] Duct 75 is provided with dampers for adjusting the amount of cold air supplied by opening and closing them, including a refrigerator compartment damper 90 that adjusts the amount of cold air supplied to refrigerator compartment 10, a partial / chilled switchable compartment damper 91 that adjusts the amount of cold air supplied to partial / chilled switchable compartment 20, a vegetable compartment damper 92 that adjusts the amount of cold air supplied to vegetable compartment 60, and a freezer compartment damper 93 that adjusts the amount of cold air supplied to freezer compartment 50.

[0035] The cold air supplied from the cooling compartment 95 to the refrigerator compartment 10, partial / chilled switching compartment 20, ice making compartment 30, fresh freezing compartment 40, freezer compartment 50, and vegetable compartment 60 via duct 75 returns to the cooling compartment through a return duct not shown.

[0036] In the upper machine room 70, the machine room fan 73 draws in outside air through the left vent to cool the condenser 72 and compressor 71, and discharges the exhaust heat through the right vent. In the lower machine room 80, the evaporator pan fan 82 draws in outside air through the left vent to promote evaporation of defrost water and cool the evaporator pan pipe (not shown), and discharges the exhaust heat through the right vent.

[0037] [3. Refrigerator control block] 5 is a control block diagram of the refrigerator 1. The controller 100 is an electronic circuit unit configured with a CPU 110, a memory 130, a communication unit 140, a date and time recognition unit 141, etc. The controller 100 is connected to an operation panel 15, and operation signals from the operation panel 15 are input to the controller 100, and the display on the operation panel is controlled by control signals output from the controller 100.

[0038] The controller 100 receives temperature detection signals from the temperature sensors 13, 23, 33, 43, 53, 63, and 17, and open / close detection signals from the open / close sensors 12a, 12b, 32, 42, 52, and 62. In addition, the controller 100 outputs control signals to control the operation of the compressor 71, fans 73, 76, 77, and 82, and dampers 90, 91, 92, and 93.

[0039] The communication unit 140 communicates wirelessly with the management server 520 via the communication network 510. The communication unit 140 also communicates wirelessly with the communication terminal 400 via the communication network 510 or directly. Wireless communication via the communication network 510 is performed using Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or the like. Direct wireless communication with the communication terminal 400 is performed using Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth (registered trademark) or the like. The date and time recognition unit 141 counts the current date and time and outputs date and time information indicating the current date and time to the CPU 110.

[0040] CPU 110 executes refrigerator control program 131 stored in memory 130, thereby functioning as main control unit 111, maintenance response unit 112, and operation history storage unit 113. Main control unit 111 recognizes the temperatures of refrigerator compartment 10, partial / chilled selectable compartment 20, ice making compartment 30, fresh freezing compartment 40, freezer compartment 50, and vegetable compartment 60 from temperature detection signals output from temperature sensors 13, 23, 33, 43, 53, and 63 of refrigerator 1.

[0041] Then, based on the recognized temperatures, the main control unit 111 controls the operation of the compressor 71, fans 73, 76, 77, 82, and dampers 90, 91, 92, 93, thereby controlling the temperatures of the refrigerator compartment 10, partial / chilled switching compartment 20, ice making compartment 30, fresh freezing compartment 40, freezer compartment 50, and vegetable compartment 60.

[0042] Maintenance response unit 112 performs processing in test mode and service mode in response to operation of operation panel 15. In test mode, maintenance response unit 112 executes confirmation tests of ice making, the rotation speed of compressor 71, and other controls. In service mode, maintenance response unit 112 displays the temperatures detected by temperature sensors 13, 23, 33, 43, 53, and 63, the operating frequency of compressor 71, the accumulated operating time of compressor 71, and the like on the display unit of operation panel 15.

[0043] Furthermore, when maintenance handling unit 112 receives real-time monitor start information transmitted from communication terminal 400, it transmits current first information indicating the current operating status of refrigerator 1 to communication terminal 400. The current first information includes information such as the current date and time (measurement time), the temperature detected by the temperature sensor at the current time, the open / closed status of each compartment detected by open / close sensors 12a, 12b, 32, 42, 52, 62, the operating status of compressor 71, the operating status of fans 73, 76, 77, 82, and the open / closed status of dampers 90, 91, 92, 93. The current first information corresponds to operating status information of the present invention.

[0044] The operation history storage unit 113 recognizes, at a predetermined monitoring period (for example, every few minutes to every tens of minutes), the temperatures detected by the temperature sensors 13, 23, 33, 43, 53, and 63, the open / close status of each room detected by the open / close sensors 12a, 12b, 32, 42, 52, and 62, the operating status of the compressor 71, and the operating status of the fans 73, 76, 77, and 82 at the current time.The operation history storage unit 113 then transmits the recognized information and operation monitor information indicating the time of measurement to the management server 520 via the communication unit 140. Note that the operation history for the past few days may also be stored in the memory 130.

[0045] [4. Configuration of communication terminal] The configuration of the communication terminal 400 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. The communication terminal 400 includes a control unit 410, a communication section 450, a speaker 451, a touch panel 460, and a storage section 470.

[0046] The control unit 410 is an electronic circuit unit configured with a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 420, a memory 430, an interface circuit (not shown), etc. The CPU 420 functions as an operation monitor control unit 421 by executing an operation monitor program 431 stored in the memory 430. The CPU 420 also functions as a maintenance support control unit 422 by executing a maintenance support program 432 stored in the memory 430. The maintenance support program 432 may be integrated into the operation monitor program 431, or conversely, the maintenance support program 432 may be integrated into the operation monitor program 431.

[0047] The control unit 410 is connected to a communication unit 450, a speaker 451, a touch panel 460, and a storage unit 470. The communication unit 450 wirelessly communicates with the management server 520 via the communication network 510, and directly communicates with the refrigerator 1 and the wireless temperature sensor 300. The touch panel 460 includes a flat-panel display 461 formed of a liquid crystal panel or the like, and a touch switch 462 arranged to cover the surface of the display 461. The display 461 displays various screens in response to image control signals output from the control unit 410. The touch switch 462 inputs an operation signal to the control unit 410 in response to a touch operation by a maintenance worker PS or the like.

[0048] In response to operation of touch switch 462 by maintenance worker PS, maintenance support control unit 422 communicates with management server 520 to acquire model-specific data 480a for the model of refrigerator 1 and stores the data in storage unit 470. Similarly, maintenance handling unit 112 acquires model-specific data 480b, 480c, ... for other electrical appliances from management server 520 in response to operation by maintenance worker PS. The process by maintenance handling unit 112 to acquire model-specific data 480a, 480b, 480c, ... corresponds to the model-specific information acquisition step in the maintenance support method of the present invention, and the configuration for acquiring model-specific information corresponds to the model-specific information acquisition unit of the present invention.

[0049] The model-specific data 480a includes malfunction handling data 481a indicating measures to be taken to resolve malfunctions that may occur in the model of refrigerator 1, work procedure data 482a indicating the procedure for the measures, and work video data 483a explaining the steps of the measures using video. The same applies to the model-specific data 480b, 480c, ....

[0050] [5. Processing by communication terminal] When maintenance worker PS starts the operation monitor app, control unit 410 of communication terminal 400 causes CPU 420 to execute operation monitor program 431 and maintenance support program 432. Then, when a model of refrigerator 1 is selected, operation monitor control unit 421 and maintenance support control unit 422 execute the processing according to the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0051] In step S1 of Fig. 7, the operation monitor control unit 421 establishes wireless communication with the refrigerator 1. Then, the operation monitor control unit 421 repeatedly executes a loop of the following steps S2 to S5. In step S2, the operation monitor control unit 421 displays the operation monitor screen WM0 shown in Fig. 9 on the display 461 of the touch panel 460. The process by which the operation monitor control unit 421 displays the operation monitor screen WM0 and operation monitor screens WM1 and WM2, which will be described later, on the display 461 corresponds to the operation monitor screen display step of the present invention.

[0052] 9, operation monitor screen WM0 displays model display section 700 indicating the model and serial number of refrigerator 1, maintenance button 701 (corresponding to the maintenance response receiving section of the present invention) for instructing switching to a maintenance support screen described later, graph / illustration switch button 702 for instructing switching to an illustration monitor screen described later, real-time data acquisition button 703 for instructing display of an operating status from the current time, remote setting change button 704 for instructing switching to a remote setting change screen described later, and display target selection button 705 for selecting a display target. The process of displaying maintenance button 701 corresponds to a maintenance response step in the maintenance support method of the present invention, and the configuration for displaying maintenance button 701 corresponds to a maintenance response section of the present invention.

[0053] In the next step S3, when the maintenance worker PS touches the real-time data acquisition button 703 to select "real-time data acquisition," the operation monitor control unit 421 advances the process to step S100 and executes "real-time display processing." Also, in step S4, when the maintenance worker PS touches the remote setting change button 704 to select "remote setting change," the operation monitor control unit 421 advances the process to step S200 and executes "remote setting change processing." Also, in step S5, when the maintenance worker PS touches the maintenance button 701 to select "maintenance support," the operation monitor control unit 421 advances the process to step S300 and executes "maintenance support processing."

[0054] [6. Real-time display processing] The execution procedure of the "real-time display process" will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in Fig. 8. In step S101 of Fig. 8, the operation monitor control unit 421 acquires, from the refrigerator 1, current first information indicating the current operating status and detection status of the drive units. The drive units include the compressor 71, the machine compartment fan 73, the cooling fan 76, the fresh / freezing compartment fan 77, the evaporation tray fan 82, the refrigerator compartment damper 90, the partial / chilled switching compartment damper 91, the vegetable compartment damper 92, and the freezer compartment damper 93. The process of step S101 corresponds to the operation status information acquisition step in the maintenance support method of the present invention, and the configuration that performs the process of step S101 corresponds to the operation status information acquisition unit.

[0055] The detection status includes temperatures detected by refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 13, switchable compartment temperature sensor 23, ice making compartment temperature sensor 33, fresh freezing compartment temperature sensor 43, freezer compartment temperature sensor 53, and vegetable compartment temperature sensor 63. Furthermore, the detection status includes open / close states detected by left door open / close sensor 12a, right door open / close sensor 12b, ice making compartment open / close sensor 32, fresh freezing compartment open / close sensor 42, freezer compartment open / close sensor 52, and vegetable compartment open / close sensor 62.

[0056] In the next step S102, the operation monitor control unit 421 determines whether wireless communication has been established with the wireless temperature sensor 300. Note that communication between the communication terminal 400 and the wireless temperature sensor 300 may be established automatically when the wireless temperature sensor 300 is turned on, or may be established by a connection operation performed by the maintenance worker PS.

[0057] If communication between the communication terminal 400 and the wireless temperature sensor 300 is established, the operation monitor control unit 421 proceeds to step S110. On the other hand, if communication between the communication terminal 400 and the wireless temperature sensor 300 is not established, the operation monitor control unit 421 proceeds to step S103. In step S110, the operation monitor control unit 421 receives, from the wireless temperature sensor 300, current second information indicating the temperature detected by the wireless temperature sensor 300 at the current time, and proceeds to step S103. The current second information corresponds to second physical quantity information of the present invention.

[0058] In step S103, the operation monitor control unit 421 displays real-time data acquisition information 710 as shown in Fig. 9. The real-time data acquisition information 710 displays a temperature transition graph 711 that shows the transition of the temperature detected by the temperature sensor from the time the "real-time display process" started, and an operating status graph 712 that shows the operating status of the drive unit.

[0059] 9 shows an example in which the temperature transition graph 711 displays the outside air temperature (the temperature detected by the outside air temperature sensor 17), the defrost sensor temperature, the freezer compartment temperature (the temperature detected by the freezer compartment temperature sensor 53, shown as the FC temperature in FIG. 9), the vegetable compartment temperature (the temperature detected by the vegetable compartment temperature sensor 63, shown as the VC temperature in FIG. 9), and the refrigerator compartment temperature (the temperature detected by the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 13, shown as the PC temperature in FIG. 9). The temperatures shown in the temperature transition graph 711 are the display object (one of all compartment information, the refrigerator compartment, the ice making compartment, the freezer compartment, and the vegetable compartment) selected by the display object selection button 705. Furthermore, if the operation monitor control unit 421 acquires the current second information in step S110, the operation monitor control unit 421 also displays the temperature detected by the wireless temperature sensor 300 along with the temperature transition graph 711.

[0060] The operation status graph 712 shows an example in which the operation status of the compressor 71, the cooling fan 76 (shown as FC fan in FIG. 9), and the freezer compartment damper 93 (shown as FC damper in FIG. 9) is displayed. Note that the operation monitor control unit 421 also displays the operation status of the machine compartment fan 73, the fresh freezing compartment fan 77, the evaporation tray fan 82, the refrigerator compartment damper 90, the partial / chilled switching compartment damper 91, and the vegetable compartment damper 92 in the same way in response to a scroll operation of the operation status graph 712.

[0061] When the maintenance worker PS performs an operation to end the measurement in step S104, or when the measurement period ends in step S105, the operation monitor control unit 421 proceeds to step S106 and ends the "real-time display process."

[0062] When the maintenance worker PS operates the graph / illustration switch button 702, the operation monitor control unit 421 switches the operation monitor screen WM0 to the operation monitor screen WM1 shown in Fig. 10. The operation monitor screen WM1 displays a front layout 720a of the refrigerator 1 and a right side layout 720b of the refrigerator 1.

[0063] Front layout 720a shows an operation panel status display 721 indicating the setting status of the operating conditions via operation panel 15 and a display status 726 of the display. Also, in the area of ​​refrigerator compartment 10 on front layout 720a, an open / closed status 730 of left door 11a and right door 11b is shown, in the area of ​​ice making compartment 30, an open / closed status 731 of ice making compartment 30 is shown, and in the area of ​​fresh freezing compartment 40, an open / closed status 732 of fresh freezing compartment 40 is shown. Also, in the area of ​​freezer compartment 50 on front layout 720a, an open / closed status 733 of freezer compartment 50 is shown, and in the area of ​​vegetable compartment 60, an open / closed status 734 of vegetable compartment 60 is shown.

[0064] Furthermore, operation monitor control unit 421 acquires operation history data of refrigerator 1 from operation history data 521 of management server 520, and displays on front layout 720a the number of times 740 refrigerator compartment 10 has been opened and closed, the number of times and time 741 ice making has been done in ice making compartment 30, the number of times and time 742 fresh freezing compartment 40 has been opened and closed, the number of times and time 743 freezing compartment 50 has been opened and closed, and the current outside air temperature 744.

[0065] In the right side layout 720b, the operating status 760 of the machine room fan 73 is displayed at the position of the machine room fan 73, the operating status 761 of the compressor 71 is displayed at the position of the compressor 71, the operating status 762 of the fresh freezing room fan 77 is displayed at the position of the fresh freezing room fan 77, the operating status 763 of the cooling fan 76 is displayed at the position of the cooling fan 76, and the operating status of the evaporation pan fan 82 is displayed at the position of the evaporation pan fan 82.

[0066] Furthermore, right side layout 720b shows detected temperature 750 of refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 13 at the position of refrigerator compartment 10, detected temperature 751 of switchable compartment temperature sensor 23 at the position of partial / chilled switchable compartment 20, and detected temperature 752 of fresh freezing compartment temperature sensor 43 at the position of fresh freezing compartment 40. Right side layout 720b also shows detected temperature 753 of freezer compartment temperature sensor 53 at the position of freezer compartment 50, detected temperature 754 of vegetable compartment temperature sensor 63 at the position of vegetable compartment 60, and detected temperature 755 of defrost temperature sensor 78 at the position of defrost temperature sensor 78.

[0067] Furthermore, the right side layout 720b shows a detected temperature 756 of the outside air temperature sensor 17 at the location of the outside air temperature sensor 17, and a detected temperature 757 of the wireless temperature sensor 300 is shown between the front layout 720a and the right side layout 720b.

[0068] In this way, on the operation monitor screen WM1, the current opening / closing status 730, 731, 732, 733, 734 detected by the left door opening / closing sensor 12a, the right door opening / closing sensor 12b, the ice making compartment opening / closing sensor 32, the fresh freezing compartment opening / closing sensor 42, the freezer compartment opening / closing sensor 52, and the vegetable compartment opening / closing sensor 62 are displayed in the front layout 720a at the detection target position of each opening / closing sensor.

[0069] The right-side layout 720b also displays current temperatures 750, 751, 752, 753, 754, 755, and 756 detected by the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 13, the selectable compartment temperature sensor 23, the fresh-freezing compartment temperature sensor 43, the freezer compartment temperature sensor 53, the vegetable compartment temperature sensor 63, the outside air temperature sensor 17, and the defrost temperature sensor 78 at the detection target positions of each temperature sensor. The right-side layout 720b also displays current operating states (on / off) 760, 761, 762, 763, and 764 of the machine compartment fan 73, the compressor 71, the cooling fan 76, the fresh-freezing compartment fan 77, and the evaporator tray fan 82 at the locations of each drive unit. The operation monitor screen WM1 also displays the current temperature 757 detected by the wireless temperature sensor 300.

[0070] Therefore, the maintenance worker PS can easily visually check the current temperature of each part of the refrigerator 1, the open / closed status of each compartment, the operating status of the drive unit, and the temperature at the location where the wireless temperature sensor 300 is placed, on the operation monitor screen WM1, and can confirm the overall operating status of the refrigerator 1. This helps the maintenance worker PS determine whether there is an abnormality in the refrigerator 1. Furthermore, for example, if the user PU feels that the refrigerator 1 is not cooling properly, the maintenance worker PS can show the user PU of the refrigerator 1 the operation monitor screen WM1 and explain the actual operating status of the refrigerator 1. This allows the maintenance worker PS to explain to the user PU that the cause of the poor cooling is not an abnormality in the refrigerator 1, but rather the arrangement of the products inside the refrigerator or the frequent opening and closing of the door.

[0071] Furthermore, when communication with wireless temperature sensor 300 is established, operation monitor control unit 421 may determine whether refrigerator 1 is operating normally based on the degree of decrease in the temperature detected by wireless temperature sensor 300 since refrigerator 1 operation started, and display the determination result on display 461. With this configuration, maintenance worker PS can quickly confirm whether refrigerator 1 is operating normally by placing wireless temperature sensor 300 near cool air outlet 79 of duct 75. This normal operation determination process corresponds to the normal operation determination step of the present invention.

[0072] [7. Remote setting change processing] The execution procedure for the "remote setting change process" will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in Fig. 11. In step S201 of Fig. 11, operation monitor control unit 421 displays operation monitor screen WM2 on display unit 461, as shown in Fig. 12, which shows operator setting menu 770 for changing the operating conditions of refrigerator 1 and test mode menu 771 for changing the conditions in test mode of refrigerator 1.

[0073] The operator setting menu 770 displays buttons for changing each parameter (operating condition) of the maximum rotation speed switching (low noise) mode, the minimum rotation speed switching (low vibration) mode, refrigerator room temperature adjustment, pipe heater power rate change, partial chilled room room temperature adjustment, refrigerator compartment blue LED off, electronic sound volume setting, ECONAVI stop, humidity sensor power rate correction disable, evaporator pan fan voltage fix, partial LED white lighting, and vegetable compartment humidity sensor correction disable. The test mode menu 771 displays buttons for setting each parameter in test mode of the refrigerator compartment temperature, partial / chilled compartment temperature, freezer compartment / fresh freezing compartment / ice maker compartment temperature, and ice maker stop setting.

[0074] In the next step S202, when the operation monitor control unit 421 recognizes that either a button on the operator setting menu 770 or the test mode menu 771 has been touched, the operation monitor control unit 421 proceeds to step S210. In step S210, the operation monitor control unit 421 displays a pop-up screen for changing the parameter selected by the touch operation. FIG. 12 shows an example of the pop-up screen 772 when "maximum rotation speed switching (low noise) mode" is selected. The maintenance worker PS can switch the maximum rotation speed switching (low noise) mode between ON (enabled) and OFF (disabled) by touching the pop-up screen 772.

[0075] In the next step S211, operation monitor control unit 421 sends parameter change information instructing a change to the parameter setting to refrigerator 1 in response to a transfer operation by maintenance worker PS on pop-up screen 772, and the process proceeds to step S203. In refrigerator 1, maintenance handling unit 112 of controller 100 that received the parameter change information changes the parameter setting in accordance with the parameter change information.

[0076] In step S203, the operation monitor control unit 421 determines whether an end instruction has been given by touching the back switch 722. If an end instruction has been given, the process proceeds to step S204, where the "remote setting change process" ends, and the process returns to the main routine of FIG. 7. The process of setting each parameter in the test mode by the "remote setting change process" corresponds to the test mode response step of the present invention. Furthermore, the process of changing the operating parameters of the refrigerator 1 by the "remote setting change process" corresponds to the operating parameter change step of the present invention.

[0077] [8. Maintenance Support Processing] The execution procedure of the "maintenance support process" will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in Fig. 13. In step S301 of Fig. 13, the maintenance support control unit 422 displays the maintenance support screen MS0 shown in Fig. 14 on the display unit 461. The process by which the maintenance support control unit 422 displays the maintenance support screen MS0 and maintenance support screens MS1 to MSMS6, which will be described later, on the display unit 461 corresponds to the maintenance support screen display step of the present invention. Furthermore, the configuration that executes the process of step S301 corresponds to the maintenance support screen display unit of the present invention.

[0078] 14, the maintenance support screen MS0 displays a maintenance menu 800. The maintenance menu 800 includes buttons for each of the following items: repair work precautions 801, error code list 802, disassembly and assembly instructions 803, service mode 804, overview 805, installation method 806, circuit diagram 807, related news by model 808, fault diagnosis by symptom 809, parts exploded view and price list 810, test mode 811, technical explanation 812, handling and operation instructions 813, external dimension drawing 814, and QS practice text 815.

[0079] In the following step S302, the maintenance support control unit 422 determines whether any of the item buttons 801 to 815 of the maintenance menu 800 has been selected by a touch operation. If any of the item buttons has been selected, the maintenance support control unit 422 proceeds to step S310, and if no item button has been operated, the maintenance support control unit 422 proceeds to step S303.

[0080] In step S310, the maintenance support control unit 422 displays a maintenance support screen corresponding to the selected item button on the display 461. For example, when the item button for disassembly / assembly instructions 803 is selected, the maintenance support control unit 422 displays the maintenance support screen MS1 ​​shown in FIG.

[0081] The maintenance support screen MS1 ​​corresponding to the disassembly / assembly instructions 803 displays a product configuration diagram including a door layout diagram 820 showing the layout of the doors of the refrigerator 1, an interior layout diagram 821 showing the layout of the interior of the refrigerator 1, a top view diagram 822 showing the top surface of the refrigerator 1, and a machine room layout diagram 823 showing the layout of the machine room of the refrigerator 1.

[0082] Regarding the door layout diagram 820, the maintenance worker PS can select, by touch operation, any of the refrigerator left door PCL, refrigerator right door PCR, ice maker door IC, fresh freezing compartment door SC, freezer door FC, and vegetable compartment door VC. Also, regarding the interior layout diagram 821, the maintenance worker PS can select, by touch operation, any of the locations inside the refrigerator, ice maker / fresh freezing / freezer, and vegetable compartment.

[0083] Furthermore, the maintenance worker PS can select the top surface by touching the top view 822. Furthermore, the maintenance worker PS can select either the upper machine room or the lower machine room by touching the machine room layout view 823.

[0084] When the maintenance worker PS operates any of the door layout diagram 820, the warehouse layout diagram 821, the top view 822, and the machine room layout diagram 823 to select any location, the maintenance support control unit 422 displays on the display 461 a maintenance support screen MS2 showing a parts tree 830 (corresponding to the exploded configuration diagram of the present invention) in which the parts arranged at the selected location are displayed in a tree format according to the disassembly process, as shown in FIG. 16.

[0085] Figure 16 shows an example in which the maintenance worker PS has selected the interior of the refrigerator compartment on the interior layout diagram 821, and each component is displayed in a tree format according to the stage of the disassembly process, starting with "1. Partial chilled door," followed by "2. Partial plate top," "3. Plate duct AS," and so on.

[0086] The maintenance worker PS can use a touch operation to select the part to be maintained from among the parts displayed in the part tree 830. Fig. 16 shows a state in which "6. Inject Tube AS" has been selected, and in response to this selection, the maintenance support control unit 422 extracts "1. Partial Chilled Door," "2. Partial Plate Top," "3. Plate Tank Side AS," "4. Plate Duct AS," "5. Cover Plate Tank," and "6. Inject Tube AS" as sub-processes included in the replacement work of the inject tube AS, based on the configuration state of the parts shown in the part tree 830 shown in Fig. 16.

[0087] 17, the maintenance support control unit 422 displays a maintenance support screen MS3 showing a sub-process list 840 that lists the extracted sub-processes on the display device 461. Display areas 841 to 846 for sub-processes 1 to 6 are displayed in the sub-process list 840. The maintenance worker PS can select the sub-process for which the work procedure is to be displayed by touching any of the display areas 841 to 846 for sub-processes 1 to 6.

[0088] 17 illustrates a state in which sub-process 1 is selected, and the maintenance support control unit 422 references model-specific data 480a for the model of refrigerator 1 stored in storage unit 470 to acquire disassembly procedure data (explanatory text for the disassembly procedure and video data for the disassembly procedure) associated with sub-process 1. Then, the maintenance support control unit 422 expands display area 831 for sub-process 1 to display explanation 841a for the work procedure of sub-process 1 (partial chilled door) and video area 841b. The maintenance support control unit 422 plays the work video for sub-process 1 in response to a touch operation on video area 841b by maintenance worker PS.

[0089] 18 also illustrates an example of the maintenance support screen MS4 with sub-process 6 (inject tube AS) selected. In Fig. 18, the maintenance support control unit 422 enlarges the display area 846 for sub-process 6 to display an explanation 846a of the disassembly procedure for sub-process 6 and a video area 846b. The maintenance support control unit 422 plays a video of the disassembly procedure for sub-process 6 in response to a touch operation on the video area 846b by the maintenance worker PS.

[0090] In this way, when a corrective action is divided into several sub-steps, the maintenance worker PS can select the sub-step for which he / she wants to know the work procedures and view the explanatory portion and explanatory video. Therefore, compared to when all the work procedures for the corrective action are output together as explanatory text and explanatory video, the maintenance worker PS can efficiently view only the work procedures for the sub-step for which he / she wants to know, and can perform the maintenance work quickly.

[0091] Next, when the maintenance worker PS selects the error code list 802 and selects the error code "H21" in the maintenance menu 800 of the maintenance support screen MS0 shown in FIG. 14, the maintenance support control unit 422 displays the maintenance support screen MS5 shown in FIG. 19 on the display 461. The error code corresponds to the defect information of the present invention.

[0092] The maintenance support screen MS5 displays a symptom 850 (here, "Ice making mechanism abnormality") corresponding to the error code "H21," an error detection condition 851 (here, "Ice making motor rotation abnormality"), three corrective actions 852 to 854, and a selection button 860 for selecting the corrective action. When the maintenance worker PS selects one of the selection buttons 860, details of the selected corrective action are displayed.

[0093] Figure 20 shows the maintenance support screen MS6 when "Action (2) Replace ice mechanism AS" is selected from the three corresponding actions, and the maintenance support control unit 422 enlarges the display area 852 of the selected action (2) from the display areas 852 to 854 of actions (1) to (3) to display the work procedure for action (2).

[0094] "Action (2) Replace ice machine AS" includes three sub-processes: "Sub-process 1 Ice making compartment / fresh freezing room door," "Sub-process 2 Ice maker (ice plate top)," and "Sub-process 3 Ice machine AS." Therefore, the maintenance support control unit 422 displays the three sub-processes in display areas 861 to 863.

[0095] The maintenance worker PS can select one of the three sub-process display areas 861 to 863, and the maintenance support control unit 422 will enlarge the selected display area and display the work procedure information in accordance with this selection. Fig. 20 shows the case where "Sub-process 1 Ice-making compartment door / fresh freezing room door" has been selected, and the maintenance support control unit 422 will enlarge the display area 861 of sub-process 1 to display an explanation 861a of the work procedure for sub-process 1 and a work video 861b.

[0096] When maintenance worker PS gives an instruction to play the work video (by touching video area 861b), maintenance support control unit 422 references work video data 483a for the model of refrigerator 1 stored in storage unit 470, acquires work video data for sub-process 1, and plays the work video. By visually checking explanation 861a and work video 861b, maintenance worker PS can easily understand the work procedure and quickly proceed with the maintenance work.

[0097] Furthermore, the maintenance worker PS can select and view the explanations and work videos for each sub-step of the work procedures for the corrective action, which allows the maintenance worker PS to obtain the information on the work procedures more efficiently and perform the maintenance work more quickly than if the explanations and work videos for all the work procedures for the corrective action were to be viewed all at once.

[0098] When maintenance worker PS selects model-specific related news item button 808 on maintenance support screen MS0 shown in FIG. 14, maintenance support control unit 422 obtains information about the model of refrigerator 1 stored in model information DB 131 from management server 520 and displays the information on display 641. This allows maintenance worker PS to easily obtain information about abnormalities specific to the model of refrigerator 1.

[0099] When the maintenance worker PS selects the service mode item button 804 on the maintenance support screen MS0 shown in FIG. 14, the maintenance support control unit 422 displays a menu screen for individually instructing the start or stop of operation of each drive unit of the refrigerator 1. Then, in response to an operation by the maintenance worker PS, the maintenance support control unit 422 transmits information to the refrigerator 1 instructing the start or stop of operation of the drive unit, and in response to receiving this information, the maintenance response unit 112 of the refrigerator 1 starts or stops the operation of the drive unit. This allows the maintenance worker PS to issue instructions such as opening a specific damper to make maintenance work easier. The process of instructing the start or stop of operation of the drive unit thus corresponds to the drive unit operation response step of the present invention.

[0100] [9. Other embodiments] In the above embodiment, the refrigerator 1 has been described as an example of the product of the present invention, but the present invention can also be applied to electrical appliances other than refrigerators, such as air conditioners, washing machines, and televisions. Although the compressor 71, cooling fan 76, and the like have been described as the driving units, other types of driving units may be used. Furthermore, although temperatures have been described as the first physical quantity and the second physical quantity, humidity, heat quantity, air volume, illuminance, and the like may also be used.

[0101] In the above embodiment, the tablet-type communication terminal 400 is shown as the terminal device of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a notebook computer, a smartphone, etc. can also be used as the terminal device of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0102] As described above, the maintenance support method and maintenance support program of the present invention can assist a maintenance worker who visits the installation location of an electrical appliance in determining the operating status of the electrical appliance using the operation monitor screen displayed on the communication terminal, and when an abnormality in the electrical appliance is determined, can assist in identifying countermeasures for the abnormality by switching from the operation monitor screen to a maintenance support screen. [Explanation of symbols]

[0103] 1 refrigerator 13 Refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 23 Switchable compartment temperature sensor 33 Ice maker temperature sensor 43 Fresh freezing chamber temperature sensor 53 Refrigeration temperature sensor 63 Vegetable compartment temperature sensor 71 Compressor 73 Machine room fan 76 Cooling fan 77 Fresh Freezing Room Fan 78 Defrost temperature sensor 100 Controllers 300 Wireless Temperature Sensor 400 Communication terminal 410 Control Unit 420 CPU 421 Operation monitor control unit 422 Maintenance support control unit 430 memory 431 Operation monitor program 432 Maintenance support program 450 Communications Department 460 Touch Panel 461 Display 462 Touch Switch 470 Storage section 480a Model-specific data PS Maintenance Worker PU user WM0~WM2 operation monitor screen MS0~MS6 Maintenance support screen

Claims

1. A maintenance support method for supporting maintenance of a refrigerator having a movable part including a drive part and a detection part that detects a first physical quantity that changes depending on the state of the movable part, by a communication terminal having a display part, comprising: an operation status information acquiring step of acquiring, by the communication terminal, operation status information of the refrigerator, including a past opening / closing status of a door of a storage compartment provided in the refrigerator, a status of the movable part, and the first physical quantity detected by the detection unit; a second operation monitor screen display step of causing the communication terminal to display on the display unit a layout image showing a configuration of the refrigerator and a second operation monitor screen displaying on the display unit the number of times or the duration of opening of the door in the most recent past few days recognized from the operation status information in association with an image portion of the door in the layout image; a first operation monitor screen display step of switching, by the communication terminal, a first operation monitor screen that displays the operation status of the refrigerator as a graph, a state of the drive unit, and a transition of the first physical quantity, based on the operation status information, from the second operation monitor screen and causing the first operation monitor screen to be displayed on the display unit; a step of the communication terminal displaying, on the first operation monitor screen, a real-time data acquisition button for instructing display of an operating status from the present time; a step in which the communication terminal, in response to a selection operation of the real-time data acquisition button, displays, on the first operation monitor screen, a first physical quantity transition graph showing a transition of the first physical quantity from the time the selection operation is performed until the end of a measurement period, and an operating status graph showing the operating status of the drive unit from the time the selection operation is performed until the end of the measurement period, on the same time axis; A maintenance support method including:

2. On the second operation monitor screen, the image portion of the door in the layout image is displayed in such a manner that the number of times or the time for which the door has been opened in the most recent past few days is superimposed on the image portion of the door, thereby associating the image portion of the door with the display of the number of times or the time for which the door has been opened in the most recent past few days. The maintenance support method according to claim 1 .

3. On the second operation monitor screen, the name of the accommodation room displayed superimposed on the image portion of the door in the layout image and the number of times or the time for which the door has been opened in the most recent past few days displayed near the image portion of the door are connected by a line, so that the image portion of the door and the display of the number of times or the time for which the door has been opened in the most recent past few days are associated with each other. The maintenance support method according to claim 1 .

Images