Air conditioning control device and air conditioning control system

The air conditioning management device allows for easy comparison and management of air environments across rooms by integrating display and acquisition units, enhancing maintenance and operation efficiency.

JP7799460B2Active Publication Date: 2026-01-15SHARP KK
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2021196249
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2021-12-02
Publication Date
2026-01-15
Estimated Expiration
2041-12-02

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing air conditioner control devices do not facilitate easy comparison of air environments across different rooms in a building.

Method used

An air conditioning management device that includes a display unit, first and second acquisition units, and a display control unit to acquire and display environmental and status information of each room, allowing easy comparison and management of air environments.

Benefits of technology

Enables easy comparison and management of air environments across rooms, facilitating improved maintenance and operation of air conditioners and purifiers.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

To provide an air conditioner management device capable of simply comparing an air environment of each room in a building to be managed.SOLUTION: An air conditioner management device 40 has a server 41 and a management terminal 42. The server 41 has a first acquisition unit 61, a second acquisition unit 62 and a display control unit 63. The management terminal 42 has an operation display unit 80. The first acquisition unit 61 acquires device information indicating in which room in a building to be managed each of a plurality of air conditioners is installed. The second acquisition unit 62 acquires sensor information detected by sensors provided in each of the plurality of air conditioners. The display control unit 63 controls the operation display unit 80 to display a list of environment information indicating the air environment of each room based on the device information and the sensor information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2
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Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an air conditioner control device. and air conditioning management system Regarding. [Background technology]

[0002] The air conditioner management device described in Patent Document 1 displays a list of multiple device icons corresponding to the air conditioners to be managed in the management target display area of ​​the management screen. The operating status area of ​​the management screen displays the operating status of a single air conditioner corresponding to a selected device icon. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2015 / 111288 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The air conditioner control device of Patent Document 1 does not allow the manager to easily compare the air environment of each room in the building under management.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioning control device that can easily compare the air environment of each room in a building to be managed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The air conditioning management device of the present invention includes a display unit, a first acquisition unit, a second acquisition unit, and a display control unit. The first acquisition unit acquires device information indicating which room in a building to be managed each of a plurality of air conditioners is installed in. The second acquisition unit acquires sensor information detected by a sensor provided in each of the plurality of air conditioners. The display control unit controls the display unit to display a list of environmental information indicating the air environment in each room based on the device information and the sensor information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, an air conditioning control device is provided that can easily compare the air environment of each room in a building to be managed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a management system including an air conditioner management device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a server. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a management terminal. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of a device information management table. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a sensor information management table. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a management screen. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals and will not be described repeatedly.

[0010] First, the configuration of a management system 100 including an air conditioner management device 40 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the management system 100.

[0011] 1, the management system 100 has m (m is a positive integer) air conditioners 11-1m and n (n is a positive integer) air purifiers 21-2n in a building to be managed. The m air conditioners 11-1m and n air purifiers 21-2n correspond to an example of "plurality of air conditioners."

[0012] The management system 100 further includes an air conditioner management device 40. The m air conditioners 11 to 1m and n air purifiers 21 to 2n are connected to the air conditioner management device 40 via a network 30. The air conditioner management device 40 includes a server 41 and a management terminal 42. The server 41 and the management terminal 42 are connected so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0013] Next, the configuration of the server 41 will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the server 41.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 2, the server 41 includes a communication unit 50, a control unit 60, and a storage unit .

[0015] The communication unit 50 communicates with each of the m air conditioners 11 to 1m and the n air purifiers 21 to 2n via the network 30. The communication unit 50 also communicates with the management terminal .

[0016] The storage unit 70 includes a storage device and stores data and computer programs. The storage unit 70 includes a main storage device such as a semiconductor memory and an auxiliary storage device such as a hard disk drive. The data stored in the storage unit 70 includes a device information management table 71 and a sensor information management table 72.

[0017] The control unit 60 includes a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processor of the control unit 60 controls each component of the server 41 by executing a computer program stored in the storage unit .

[0018] Next, the configuration of the management terminal 42 will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the management terminal 42.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 3, the management terminal 42 includes an operation display unit 80, a communication unit 85, a control unit 90, and a storage unit 95.

[0020] The operation display unit 80 is an input and display device for operations by the administrator. The operation display unit 80 includes a touch panel 81. The operation display unit 80 may further include operation buttons. The operation display unit 80 corresponds to an example of a "display unit."

[0021] The communication unit 85 communicates with the server 41 .

[0022] The storage unit 95 includes a storage device and stores data and computer programs. The storage unit 95 includes a main storage device such as a semiconductor memory.

[0023] The control unit 90 includes a processor such as a CPU. The processor of the control unit 90 controls each component of the management terminal 42 by executing a computer program stored in the storage unit 95. The control unit 60 of the server 41 controls the operation of the operation display unit 80 via the control unit 90 of the management terminal 42.

[0024] Next, the device information management table 71 will be described with reference to Fig. 2 and Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the device information management table 71.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 4, each data entry in the device information management table 71 includes information on the device ID, device type, floor, room, settings, device abnormality, and maintenance. The floor and room information is an example of "device information" that indicates in which room in the building being managed each of the multiple air conditioners is installed, and is written by the administrator. The settings, device abnormality, and maintenance information are an example of "status information" that indicates the device status of each of the multiple air conditioners.

[0026] Next, the sensor information management table 72 will be described with reference to Fig. 2 and Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the sensor information management table 72.

[0027] 5, each data entry in the sensor information management table 72 includes information on a device ID, room temperature, humidity, and air cleanliness. The information on room temperature, humidity, and air cleanliness corresponds to an example of "sensor information" detected by a sensor provided in each of the multiple air conditioners.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 2, the processor of the control unit 60 functions as a first acquisition unit 61, a second acquisition unit 62, a display control unit 63, an environment determination unit 64, a reception unit 65, a third acquisition unit 66, a maintenance determination unit 67, and a report generation unit 68.

[0029] The first acquisition unit 61 acquires the “device information” from the device information management table 71.

[0030] The second acquisition unit 62 acquires “sensor information” from m air conditioners 11 to 1 m and n air purifiers 21 to 2 n. The “sensor information” acquired by the second acquisition unit 62 is written to the sensor information management table 72.

[0031] The display control unit 63 controls the operation display unit 80 to display a list of "environment information" indicating the air environment of each room based on the "device information" and the "sensor information."

[0032] For example, if an air conditioner and an air purifier are installed in a room and each device acquires the room temperature, a representative value is used as the room temperature displayed as environmental information. The representative value may be calculated, for example, by averaging the sensor information from multiple devices. Using sensor information from multiple devices can make it easier to detect device malfunctions. Different devices may also be used depending on the type of sensor information. For example, sensor information from a device that detects a temperature close to the floor surface may be used preferentially as environmental information for the room temperature. This makes it possible to more faithfully display the environment that the user in the space actually experiences.

[0033] The environment determination unit 64 determines whether or not the air environment in the room needs to be improved based on the "environmental information." The display control unit 63 controls the operation display unit 80 to display the determination result of the environment determination unit 64. In particular, the display control unit 63 controls the operation display unit 80 to display a room icon corresponding to the room, and controls the operation display unit 80 to display the determination result of the environment determination unit 64 in the color of the room icon.

[0034] The reception unit 65 receives collective operations for the air conditioners installed in the rooms corresponding to the room icons displayed on the operation display unit 80.

[0035] The third acquisition unit 66 acquires "status information" from m air conditioners 11 to 1 m and n air purifiers 21 to 2 n. The "status information" acquired by the third acquisition unit 66 is written to the device information management table 71. The display control unit 63 controls the operation display unit 80 to display the "status information."

[0036] The maintenance determination unit 67 determines whether or not maintenance work is required for the air conditioner based on the “status information.” The display control unit 63 controls the operation display unit 80 to display the determination result of the maintenance determination unit 67.

[0037] The report generation unit 68 generates a report showing the history of changes in the air environment of a specified room in a building to be managed.

[0038] Next, a management screen 200 displayed on the operation display unit 80 will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the management screen 200.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 6, the management screen 200 includes a display format switching area 210, a display range switching area 220, a management target display area 230, a warning area 240, and a collective operation area 250.

[0040] The display format switching area 210 includes a floor map icon, a room list icon, and an equipment list icon. The floor map icon is an icon for displaying a list of room icons in floor map format in the managed object display area 230. The room list icon is an icon for displaying a list of room icons in a matrix format in the managed object display area 230. The equipment list icon is an icon for displaying a list of equipment icons corresponding to air conditioners in a matrix format in the managed object display area 230. In the illustrated example, the room list icon is selected by a touch operation and is displayed highlighted.

[0041] The display range switching area 220 includes an all icon, a 1st floor west icon, a 1st floor east icon, a 2nd floor icon, and a 3rd floor icon. The administrator can specify a specific floor or area using the icons displayed in the display range switching area 220. The display control unit 63 controls the operation display unit 80 to display a list of "environment information" for only the rooms included in the specified floor or specified area in the building under management. In the illustrated example, the 1st floor east icon is selected by touch operation and is displayed highlighted.

[0042] The managed object display area 230 includes room icons or device icons, depending on the selection made in the display format switching area 210. In the illustrated example, the managed object display area 230 includes a first room icon 231, a second room icon 232, a third room icon 233, a fourth room icon 234, a fifth room icon 235, and a sixth room icon 236. The first room icon 231 to the sixth room icon 236 indicate "environment information" and "device operation information," respectively. For example, the first room icon 231 indicates that the temperature of Room 1, located in the east area on the first floor, is 20°C, the humidity is 75%, the air cleanliness level (air quality) is 4, and the air conditioner and air purifier are operating.

[0043] As described above, the environment determination unit 64 determines whether or not the air environment of the room needs to be improved based on the "environmental information." The display control unit 63 controls the operation display unit 80 to display the determination result of the environment determination unit 64 in the color of the room icon. In the illustrated example, since the room temperature exceeds the first threshold, it is determined that the air environment needs to be improved, and the third room icon 233 and the fourth room icon 234 are displayed in red. Furthermore, since the room temperature is below the second threshold, it is determined that the air environment needs to be improved, and the sixth room icon 236 is displayed in blue. Since the first room icon 231 and the second room icon 232 are determined that the air environment does not need to be improved, they are displayed in green. The fifth room icon 235 is displayed in gray because the air conditioner is not operating.

[0044] When the administrator touches any of the first room icon 231 to the sixth room icon 236, the management screen 200 switches to a device operation screen (not shown). On the device operation screen, the administrator can remotely operate the air conditioner installed in the selected room.

[0045] The warning area 240 includes a temperature monitoring icon 241 , an air quality monitoring icon 242 , an error occurrence icon 243 , and a maintenance / consumable replacement icon 244 .

[0046] The display control unit 63 controls the operation display unit 80 to display an environmental information icon corresponding to "environmental information." Furthermore, when the environment determination unit 64 determines that the air environment in any room needs to be improved, the display control unit 63 controls the operation display unit 80 to highlight the specific environmental information icon corresponding to the specific environmental information determined to need improvement. The temperature monitoring icon 241 and the air quality monitoring icon 242 each correspond to an example of an "environmental information icon."

[0047] The temperature monitoring icon 241 is an environmental information icon corresponding to the room temperature. When the environment determination unit 64 determines that the temperature of any room needs to be improved, the display control unit 63 controls the operation display unit 80 to highlight the temperature monitoring icon 241 in red.

[0048] The air quality monitoring icon 242 is an environmental information icon corresponding to the air cleanliness of the room. When the environment determination unit 64 determines that the air cleanliness of any room needs to be improved, the display control unit 63 controls the operation display unit 80 to highlight the air quality monitoring icon 242 in red.

[0049] When a specific environmental information icon is selected, the display control unit 63 controls so that only room icons corresponding to specific rooms determined to require improvement in the air environment are displayed in the managed object display area 230. At this time, even if the display format of the room icons in the managed object display area 250 is a floor map format, the display control unit 63 automatically switches this to a matrix format.

[0050] The display control unit 63 controls the operation display unit 80 to display a status information icon corresponding to the "status information." Furthermore, when the maintenance determination unit 67 determines that maintenance work is required for any of the air conditioners, the display control unit 63 controls the operation display unit 80 to highlight a specific status information icon corresponding to the specific status information for which it has been determined that maintenance work is required. The error occurrence icon 243 and the maintenance / consumable replacement icon 244 each correspond to an example of a "status information icon."

[0051] The error occurrence icon 243 is a status information icon corresponding to the presence or absence of an equipment abnormality. When the maintenance determination unit 67 determines that maintenance work related to an equipment abnormality is required for any of the air conditioners, the display control unit 63 controls the operation display unit 80 to highlight the error occurrence icon 243 in red.

[0052] The maintenance / consumable replacement icon 244 is a status information icon corresponding to whether maintenance is required. When the maintenance determination unit 67 determines that any of the air conditioners requires maintenance work, the display control unit 63 controls the operation display unit 80 to highlight the maintenance / consumable replacement icon 244 in red.

[0053] When a specific status information icon is selected, the display control unit 63 controls so that only the room icon corresponding to the specific room in which the specific air conditioner determined to require maintenance work is installed is displayed in the managed object display area 230. At this time, in consideration of the convenience of the maintenance work, the display control unit 63 automatically switches the display format of the room icons in the managed object display area 250 to a floor map format even if the display format is a matrix format.

[0054] The collective operation area 250 includes an air conditioner icon 251 and an air purifier icon 252 .

[0055] When the administrator touches the air conditioner icon 251 or the air purifier icon 252, a collective operation screen (not shown) pops up on the management screen 200. On the collective operation screen, the administrator can collectively operate the air conditioners installed in the rooms corresponding to the room icons displayed in the management subject display area 230. Specifically, when the administrator touches the air conditioner icon 251, the reception unit 65 accepts the collective operation for the air conditioners installed in the rooms corresponding to the room icons displayed in the management subject display area 230. When the administrator touches the air purifier icon 252, the reception unit 65 accepts the collective operation for the air purifiers installed in the rooms corresponding to the room icons displayed in the management subject display area 230.

[0056] The management screen 200 further includes a setting icon 260 and a report icon 270 .

[0057] When the administrator touches the setting icon 260, the management screen 200 switches to a setting screen (not shown). On the setting screen, the administrator can determine setting values ​​such as the first threshold and the second threshold to be referenced by the environment determination unit 64.

[0058] When the administrator touches the report icon 270, the management screen 200 switches to a report screen (not shown). As described above, the report generation unit 68 generates a report showing the history of changes in the air environment of a specified room in a building to be managed. The display control unit 63 controls the operation display unit 80 to display the report generated by the report generation unit 68 in a color corresponding to the color of the room icon.

[0059] According to the embodiment, an air conditioning control device 40 is provided that can easily compare the air environments of each room in a building to be managed.

[0060] When the display format or display range of the room icons in the managed object display area 230 is switched, the display control unit 63 may change the display mode of a specific room icon among the room icons to be displayed after the switch. For example, the display control unit 63 controls the room icon corresponding to a specific room determined to require improvement of the air environment so that it temporarily stands out. For example, the display control unit 63 controls the display mode of a specific room icon among the room icons to be displayed after the switch to be highlighted, with a short delay after the switch of the display format or display range of the room icons in the managed object display area 230. This allows the user to visually confirm the change. This makes it easier for the user to recognize the existence of a room that requires improvement. Furthermore, the display control unit 63 controls the room icon corresponding to a specific room in which a specific air conditioner determined to require maintenance work is installed so that it temporarily stands out.

[0061] The above-described embodiments are preferred embodiments of the present invention, and therefore may include various technically preferable limitations. However, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to these aspects unless otherwise specified. In other words, the components in the above-described embodiments can be appropriately replaced with existing components, and various variations, including combinations with other existing components, are possible. The description of the above-described embodiments does not limit the content of the invention described in the claims. [Industrial Applicability]

[0062] The present invention can be used in the field of air conditioner control devices. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 11~1m Air conditioner (air conditioner) 21~2n Air purifier (air conditioner) 40 Air conditioner management device 41 Server 42 Management terminal 60 Control Unit 61 First acquisition part 62 Second acquisition part 63 Display control unit 64 Environment Judgment Department 65 Reception 66 Third acquisition part 67 Maintenance judgment section 68 Report Generation Unit 70 Memory section 71 Device Information Management Table 72 Sensor information management table 80 Operation display section (display section) 200 Management screen 210 Display format switching area 220 Display range switching area 230 Managed Object Display Area 231~236 Room 1~6 icons (room icons) 240 Caution Area 241 Temperature monitoring icon (environmental information icon) 242 Air quality monitoring icon (environmental information icon) 243 Error icon (status information icon) 244 Maintenance / Consumables replacement icon (status information icon) 250 Bulk Operation Area 251 Air Conditioner Icon 252 Air Purifier Icon

Claims

1. A display unit; a first acquisition unit that acquires device information indicating in which room in a building to be managed each of the plurality of air conditioners is installed; a second acquisition unit that acquires sensor information detected by a sensor provided in each of the plurality of air conditioners; a display control unit that controls the display unit to display a list of a plurality of room icons corresponding to each room and including environmental information indicating the air environment of each of the rooms, based on the device information and the sensor information; and an environment determination unit that determines whether or not improvement of the air environment is necessary for each of the rooms based on the environmental information of each of the rooms; The reception department and Equipped with the display control unit controls the display unit to display only the room icons corresponding to the plurality of rooms when the environment determination unit determines that improvement of the specific air environment is necessary in the plurality of rooms; The reception unit is an air conditioner management device that receives a collective operation for the air conditioners installed in the plurality of rooms corresponding to the room icons displayed on the display unit.

2. The air conditioning management device according to claim 1 , wherein the display control unit controls the display unit to display a list of the environmental information of only rooms included in a specified floor or a specified area in the building.

3. An air conditioning management device as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the display control unit controls the display unit to display the judgment result of the environment judgment unit.

4. The air conditioning management device according to claim 3 , wherein the display control unit controls the display unit to display the determination result of the environment determination unit in the color of a room icon.

5. The air conditioning management device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the display control unit controls the display unit to highlight a specific environmental information icon corresponding to the specific air environment.

6. further comprising a third acquisition unit that acquires status information indicating the device status of each of the plurality of air conditioners; The air conditioner management device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the display control unit controls the display unit to display the status information.

7. a maintenance determination unit that determines whether maintenance work is required for the air conditioner based on the status information; The air conditioner management device according to claim 6 , wherein the display control unit controls the display unit to display the determination result of the maintenance determination unit.

8. The air conditioning management device of claim 7, wherein the display control unit controls the display unit to display a status information icon corresponding to the status information, and when the maintenance determination unit determines that maintenance work is required for any of the air conditioners, controls the display unit to highlight a specific status information icon corresponding to the specific status information for which maintenance work is determined to be required.

9. The air conditioning management device of claim 8, wherein the display control unit controls the display unit to display only a room icon corresponding to a specific room in which a specific air conditioner that has been determined to require maintenance work is installed when the specific status information icon is selected.

10. The air conditioning control device according to claim 4 , further comprising a report generation unit that generates a report indicating a history of changes in the air environment of a specified room in the building.

11. The air conditioner management device according to claim 10 , wherein the display control unit controls the display unit to display the report generated by the report generation unit in a color corresponding to the color of the room icon.

12. An acquisition unit that acquires environmental information indicating the air environment of each room in a building to be managed; a display control unit that displays a list of a plurality of room icons corresponding to the respective rooms and including the environmental information of each of the rooms on a display unit; an environment determination unit that determines whether or not improvement of the air environment is necessary for each of the rooms based on the environmental information of each of the rooms; The reception department and Equipped with when the environment determination unit determines that improvement of the specific air environment in a plurality of rooms is necessary, the display control unit displays only the room icons corresponding to the plurality of rooms on the display unit; The reception unit receives a collective operation for the air conditioners installed in the plurality of rooms corresponding to the room icons displayed on the display unit. Air conditioner management system.

Citation Information

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