Program and water heater system

Abstract

To provide a program and a water heater system that eliminate the necessity of each mode selection after starting the program.SOLUTION: A portable terminal that communicates with a water heater system including a communication device is caused to execute: a selection step of causing a display section of the portable terminal to display a selection screen for selecting a mode of the portable terminal during the communication with the water heater system; a registration step of registering the selected mode of the portable terminal; an operation start step of causing the display section of the portable terminal to display a standard screen of the registered mode of the portable terminal; and a start step of causing the portable terminal to execute the operation start step in the mode of the portable terminal that has been already registered while omitting the selection step and the registration step, when there is the mode of the portable terminal that has been already registered.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a program and a water heater system. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 is known as a technology for controlling and managing a water heater system using a mobile terminal.

[0003] In Patent Document 1, paragraph 0033 states that "the operator can remotely control (remotely operate and remotely monitor) the water heating apparatus 10 using the mobile terminal device 30, whether inside the home H10 or outside the home."

[0004] Paragraph 0056 and Figure 4(b) state that "After the operator starts an application program for the hot water supply system 1 on his / her mobile terminal device 30, when he / she performs a predetermined operation, selection screen 510 of Figure 4(b) is displayed. This selection screen 510 includes message 511, a group of selection keys 512, and a confirmation button 513. Message 511 is a sentence that prompts the operator to select an object for remote control," and paragraph 0058 and Figure 4(c) state that "After selecting the object in this way, the operator touches confirmation button 513. This causes selection screen 520 shown in Figure 4(c) to be displayed. The operator uses this selection screen 520 to perform an operation to select the type of remote control." [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-36242 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the technology of Patent Document 1 has a problem in that the target of remote control must be selected every time the program is started, and the operations on the mobile terminal until remote control of the water heater is started are cumbersome.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a program and a water heater system that eliminates the need to select a mode each time after the program is started. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problem, the program of the present invention executes, for example, a selection step of causing a mobile terminal that communicates with a water heater system having a communication device to display on the display unit of the mobile terminal a selection screen that allows the user to select a mode for the mobile terminal when communicating with the water heater system; a registration step of registering the selected mode of the mobile terminal; an operation start step of displaying a standard screen for the registered mode of the mobile terminal on the display unit of the mobile terminal; and a startup step of omitting the selection step and the registration step and causing the mobile terminal to execute the operation start step in the mode of the mobile terminal that has already been registered at the time of startup, if there is a mode of the mobile terminal that has already been registered.

[0009] Furthermore, the water heater system of the present invention is, for example, a water heater system including a water heater and a remote control that controls the water heater, and the remote control communicates with a mobile terminal that executes the program. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a program and a water heater system that eliminate the need to select a mode each time after the program is started. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a mobile terminal and a water heater system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display of a remote control. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a selection screen. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a standard screen in a monitoring mode. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a setting screen for a notification function. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a menu on a standard screen. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a connection setting screen. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a standard screen in a controller mode. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a standard screen in a controller mode. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below. These embodiments are merely illustrative, and the present invention can be embodied in various forms with various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. Furthermore, in the drawings used in the following description, the same reference numerals are used to designate common devices and equipment, and descriptions of devices, equipment, and operations that have already been described may be omitted.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a mobile terminal and a water heater system.

[0014] The water heater system 20 includes a hot water storage unit 21, a heat pump unit 22, a kitchen remote control 23, a bathroom remote control 24, a communication device 25, and a control unit 26. The hot water storage unit 21 and the heat pump unit 22 function as a water heater.

[0015] Kitchen remote control 23 and bathroom remote control 24 accept settings for the operation of the water heater from the operator. The settings for the operation of the water heater input to kitchen remote control 23 or bathroom remote control 24 are transmitted to control unit 26.

[0016] Control unit 26 controls the water heater based on the settings for the water heater's operation input to kitchen remote control 23 or bathroom remote control 24. Note that control unit 26 may be configured such that one control unit controls both hot water storage unit 21 and heat pump unit 22 as shown in FIG. 1, or may be configured such that control unit 26 is divided into a first control unit and a second control unit, with the first control unit controlling hot water storage unit 21 and the second control unit controlling heat pump unit 22.

[0017] Hot water storage unit 21 has a tank (not shown) that stores water from the water supply pipe and hot water from heat pump unit 22. Based on instructions from control unit 26, hot water storage unit 21 uses the hot water stored in the tank and water from the water supply pipe (not shown) to produce hot water at the temperature set by kitchen remote control 23 or bathroom remote control 24, and supplies the hot water to a shower, a faucet, or a bath circulation adapter (circulation port) of the bathtub.

[0018] The heat pump unit 22 heats the water stored in the tank of the hot water storage unit 21 and returns the water to the hot water storage unit 21 based on instructions from the control unit 26.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a remote control screen display. The bathroom remote control 24 may have a timer function. For example, a bather in the bathroom operates the bathroom remote control 24 to set a desired time as the set time, and the bathing time from the set time is displayed on the bathroom remote control 24. When the set time has elapsed, the bathroom remote control 24 notifies the bather that the set time has elapsed. By providing such a timer function, bathers can be prevented from taking long baths. The bathroom remote control 24 may also be capable of storing the set times set by each bather. By storing the set times for each bather in the bathroom remote control 24, bathers can simply select from the stored times when setting the timer, simplifying the task of setting the timer.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 1, kitchen remote control 23 is connected to communication device 25. For example, a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) connection adapter can be used as communication device 25. This allows water heater system 20 to connect to a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) router 30. Note that while Fig. 1 shows an example in which communication device 25 is externally attached to kitchen remote control 23, communication device 25 may also be built into kitchen remote control 23.

[0021] When the mobile terminal 10 is within the communication range of the wireless LAN router 30 and is directly connected to the wireless LAN router 30 as shown in connection C1 in Fig. 1, it can connect to the water heating system 20 via the wireless LAN router 30. The mobile terminal 10 can also connect to the Internet 31 as shown in connection C2 in Fig. 1. Therefore, by connecting the wireless LAN router 30 to the Internet 31, even a mobile terminal 10 that is not directly connected to the wireless LAN router 30 can connect to the water heating system 20 via the Internet 31 and the wireless LAN router 30.

[0022] In order for the water heater system 20 and the mobile terminal 10 to connect and communicate with each other, pairing needs to be performed between the water heater system 20 and the mobile terminal 10. In the following description, it is assumed that pairing is performed between the water heater system 20 and the mobile terminal 10.

[0023] For example, after connecting the mobile terminal 10 to the wireless LAN router 30 to which the water heating system 20 is connected, pairing is initiated by operating the mobile terminal 10. Next, the kitchen remote control 23 is operated to put the water heating system 20 into pairing mode. After that, the pairing is completed by moving to the Wi-Fi setting screen on the mobile terminal 10 and selecting the SSID (Service Set Identifier) ​​of the water heating system 20. In this manner, pairing is performed between the water heating system 20 and the mobile terminal 10. This is merely an example, and the pairing method is not limited to this.

[0024] The mobile terminal 10 includes a storage unit, a processing unit, and a display unit. An example of the mobile terminal 10 is a smartphone. A program is stored in the storage unit of the mobile terminal 10, and the processing unit of the mobile terminal 10 executes this program to perform a selection step, an operation start step, a registration step, and a startup step, which will be described later. The processing unit is realized using an electronic circuit (e.g., a CPU) or the like. The storage unit is realized using a semiconductor memory or the like, and is capable of reading and writing data via electronic means. The display unit is a touch panel, and can receive input from the user.

[0025] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a selection screen. The selection screen is a screen that allows the user to select a mode of the mobile terminal 10 when communicating with the water heater system 20. Specifically, this screen allows the user to select, as the mode of the mobile terminal 10, a monitoring mode for checking the usage status of the water heater, or a controller mode for operating the water heater. In the selection step, the processing unit of the mobile terminal 10 displays the selection screen on the display unit of the mobile terminal 10. This selection step is executed when the water heater system 20 and the mobile terminal 10 are paired. In addition, the selection step is also executed when switching modes of the mobile terminal 10, which will be described later. FIG. 3 shows an example in which the monitoring mode is selected. The user of the mobile terminal 10 selects "Use as controller mode" or "Use as monitoring mode" from the selection screen and touches "Register" to proceed to the registration step.

[0026] In the registration step, the processing unit of the mobile terminal 10 stores the mode of the mobile terminal 10 selected in the selection step in the storage unit (registration). In addition, the processing unit of the mobile terminal 10 stores in the storage unit that the registered mode of the mobile terminal 10 is already paired.

[0027] In the operation start step, after the registration step, the standard screen of the registered mode of the mobile terminal 10 is displayed on the display unit of the mobile terminal 10. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the standard screen of the monitoring mode. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen for the notification function. The standard screen in the monitoring mode displays, as the usage status of the water heater, for example, the amount of hot water used each day in the past week and the total amount of hot water used in the past week.

[0028] 1 communicates with the mobile terminal 10 and the water heater system 20 via the Internet 31. The server 11 provides information requested by the mobile terminal 10, for example, by storing the past usage status of the water heater and transmitting the past usage status of the water heater to the mobile terminal 10 in response to a request from the mobile terminal 10. Therefore, the amount of hot water used each day in the past week and the total amount of hot water used in the past week, as shown in FIG. 4, are provided from the server 11 to the mobile terminal 10.

[0029] In the monitoring mode, the mobile terminal 10 has a notification function that causes the display unit of the mobile terminal 10 to display the use or non-use of the water heater notified by the water heater system 20 at each predetermined time. Specifically, the server 11 receives a notification request from the water heater system 20, and based on this notification request, the server 11 notifies the mobile terminal 10 of the use or non-use of the water heater. The mobile terminal 10 then displays the notified use or non-use of the water heater on the display unit. For example, if the predetermined times are 9:00, 14:00, 19:00, and 23:00, the water heater system 20 notifies the mobile terminal 10 of the use or non-use of the water heater from 9:00 to 14:00 at 14:00, the use or non-use of the water heater from 14:00 to 19:00 at 19:00, the use or non-use of the water heater from 19:00 to 23:00 at 23:00, the use or non-use of the water heater from 23:00 to 9:00 the next day at 9:00 the next day. The water heater system 20 notifies the use or non-use of the water heater, for example, as the amount of hot water used. If the mobile terminal 10 determines that the water heater is in use based on the amount of hot water usage, it notifies the user by displaying, for example, a message on the display unit of the mobile terminal 10 stating, "Hot water has been used since the last notification. Hot water usage this time is XXX L." If it determines that the water heater is not in use, it notifies the user by displaying, for example, a message on the display unit of the mobile terminal 10 stating, "No hot water has been used since the last notification." Note that the notification method is not limited to displaying on the display unit of the mobile terminal 10, and the user may be notified by, for example, outputting the notification content as audio from a speaker or the like of the mobile terminal 10.

[0030] Here, an example has been described in which a notification request is sent from water heater system 20 to server 11, but server 11 may manage a predetermined time, and when the predetermined time arrives, server 11 may inquire about the usage status of the water heater to water heater system 20, confirm the latest status, and then notify mobile terminal 10 whether the water heater is being used. Mobile terminal 10 in monitoring mode may communicate directly with water heater system 20 without going through server 11.

[0031] Furthermore, the standard screen in the monitoring mode displays an input unit 101 for switching to a notification function setting screen, as shown in Fig. 4. When the input unit 101 shown in Fig. 4 is pressed, the notification function setting screen shown in Fig. 5 is displayed. This notification function setting screen allows the notification function to be switched on and off at predetermined times. Fig. 5 shows an example in which the notification function is turned off at 9 o'clock and turned on at other times.

[0032] A menu button 102 is displayed on the standard screen in the monitoring mode, and a menu is displayed when the menu button 102 is pressed. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the menu on the standard screen. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the connection setting screen. Figs. 6 and 7 show examples of the menu and connection setting screen in the monitoring mode, but the menu and connection setting screen in the controller mode, which will be described later, are similar.

[0033] When mode switching is selected from the menu of the standard screen shown in FIG. 6, the selection screen shown in FIG. 3 is displayed. Then, by selecting the mode of the mobile terminal 10 on this selection screen, it is possible to switch between the monitoring mode and the controller mode. However, in order to switch between the monitoring mode and the controller mode, pairing must already be performed in both the monitoring mode and the controller mode. Therefore, if one of the monitoring mode and the controller mode is already paired and the other is not paired, pairing must also be performed in the other mode. By requiring pairing for each mode in this way, it is possible to prevent the mobile terminal 10, which is paired in only one of the monitoring mode or the controller mode and operates only in that mode, from accidentally using the other mode or arbitrarily using it. Furthermore, in the controller mode, it is possible to check information necessary for operating the water heater (e.g., hot water filling reservation status) and information that cannot be checked in the monitoring mode (e.g., the amount of hot water used per hour), so more information about the water heater that can be checked from the mobile terminal 10 is available in the controller mode than in the monitoring mode. Therefore, by configuring the mobile terminal 10 that is paired only in the monitoring mode so that it cannot be switched from the monitoring mode to the controller mode, it is possible to prevent the user who uses the mobile terminal 10 only in the monitoring mode from learning more information about the water heater than necessary, thereby protecting privacy. Therefore, if the purpose is only to protect privacy, it may be configured so that switching from the monitoring mode to the controller mode requires that pairing has already been performed in the controller mode, and switching from the controller mode to the monitoring mode does not require pairing in the monitoring mode.

[0034] Here, the procedure for pairing in the other mode will be described. First, select "Connection Settings" from the menu shown in FIG. 6. Selecting "Connection Settings" displays the connection settings screen shown in FIG. 7, where you select "Add Pairing." Then, operate the kitchen remote control 23 to place the water heater system 20 in pairing mode, and pairing is completed. Once pairing is complete, the selection screen shown in FIG. 3 is displayed. Selecting the other mode that has not been paired will complete pairing in the other mode. In this case, the processing unit of the mobile terminal 10 stores (registers) the selected other mode in the memory unit, and also stores in the memory unit that the other mode has been paired. In this way, pairing is performed in both the monitoring mode and the controller mode, making it possible to switch between the monitoring mode and the controller mode. The mobile terminal 10 in the controller mode communicates with the water heater system 20 directly or via the server 11.

[0035] Figures 8 and 9 are diagrams showing an example of the standard screen in the controller mode. On the standard screen in the controller mode, the screen is switched by touching screen switching buttons 201L and 201R shown in Figures 8 and 9. For example, pressing 201R on the standard screen shown in Figure 8 switches to the standard screen shown in Figure 9.

[0036] The standard screen of the controller mode shown in Fig. 8 displays the temperature of the hot water coming out of the bathtub, the temperature of the hot water coming out of the shower, and the amount of hot water stored in the bathtub. The standard screen of the controller mode shown in Fig. 9 displays the temperature of the hot water coming out of the bathtub, the temperature of the hot water coming out of the shower, and the amount of hot water in the tank of the hot water storage unit 21. The standard screen of the controller mode may also display the amount of hot water used each day over the past week and the total amount of hot water used over the past week, as in the standard screen of the monitoring mode shown in Fig. 4. Note that the standard screen of the controller mode, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, displays a button for operating the automatic bath start, and the bath begins filling when the user touches this button.

[0037] In the start-up step, if there is an already registered mode of the mobile terminal 10 when the program is started, the processing unit of the mobile terminal 10 omits the selection step and the registration step and executes the operation start step in the already registered mode of the mobile terminal 10.

[0038] This makes it possible to provide a program and a water heater system that eliminates the need to select a mode each time after the program is started. [Explanation of symbols]

[0039] 10: Mobile devices 11: Server 20: Water heater system 21: Hot water storage unit 22: Heat pump unit 23: Kitchen remote control 24: Bathroom remote control 25:Communication equipment 26: Control unit 30: Wireless LAN router 31: Internet 101: Input section 102: Menu button 201L, 201R: Screen switching button

Claims

1. A mobile terminal that communicates with a water heater system having a communication device, a selection step of displaying a selection screen on a display unit of the mobile terminal to select a mode of the mobile terminal when communicating with the hot water supply system; a registration step of registering the selected mode of the mobile terminal; an operation start step of displaying a standard screen of the registered mode of the mobile terminal on a display unit of the mobile terminal; a startup step of, if a mode of the portable terminal that has already been registered exists at the time of startup, omitting the selection step and the registration step and causing the portable terminal to execute the operation start step in the mode of the portable terminal that has already been registered; A program for executing the selection screen is a screen for allowing the user to select a monitoring mode for checking the usage status of the water heater and a controller mode for operating the water heater as a mode of the mobile terminal; The monitoring mode has a notification function of displaying on a display unit of the mobile device whether or not the water heater is in use, which is notified from the water heater system at each predetermined time, displaying an input section for switching to a setting screen for the notification function on the standard screen in the monitoring mode; The notification function is switched on and off at the predetermined time intervals on the setting screen of the notification function. A program characterized by:

2. 2. The program according to claim 1, The selection step is executed when the mobile terminal is paired with the water heater system. A program characterized by:

3. 2. The program according to claim 1, When the mobile terminal is already paired with the hot water heater system in one of the monitoring mode and the controller mode and is not paired in the other mode, if the mode of the mobile terminal is to be switched, the pairing is performed in the other mode, and after the pairing in the other mode, the selection step and the registration step are performed again by the mobile terminal. A program characterized by:

4. 2. The program according to claim 1, When the mobile terminal has already been paired with the water heater system in both the monitoring mode and the controller mode, and a mode reselection instruction is input to the mobile terminal after the operation start step, the selection step and the registration step are executed again by the mobile terminal. A program characterized by:

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