Air conditioning system and outdoor unit

Abstract

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

Description

Air conditioning systems and outdoor units

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

[0002] Patent Literature 1 discloses an air conditioning system that enables Internet Protocol (IP) communication between air conditioning devices. This air conditioning system includes multiple air conditioning devices connected to multiple networks and each with a unique ID, a router that separates the multiple networks and assigns an IP address to each air conditioning device, and a management device that receives device information from each air conditioning device that associates the assigned IP address with the ID, creates an information table that compiles the received device information, and sends the information to each air conditioning device. Each air conditioning device can store the information table, and air conditioning devices connected to different networks communicate with each other by using the information table to send information via the router to air conditioning devices connected to the other network.

[0003] Patent No. 4380738

[0004] In air conditioning systems that provide air conditioning for office buildings, stores, etc., it is not uncommon for the system configuration to include devices other than air conditioning equipment (outdoor units, indoor units), such as sensor devices such as temperature sensors, humidity sensors, and human presence sensors, and devices that assist the air conditioning provided by the air conditioning equipment, such as dehumidifiers and humidifiers (hereinafter referred to as ``auxiliary equipment'').

[0005] However, with the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, which simply enables IP communication between air conditioning devices, adding the above-mentioned sensor devices, auxiliary devices, etc. to the system configuration requires a separate protocol conversion device to enable communication with these devices. Furthermore, with the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, a separate dedicated device must be provided to assign an IP address to each air conditioning device. For this reason, there is a need to propose a new technology that enables IP communication throughout the entire system without the need for dedicated devices.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned situation, and aims to provide an air conditioning system and outdoor unit that enable IP communication throughout the entire system without the need for dedicated equipment for assigning IP addresses.

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the air conditioning system according to the present disclosure comprises a plurality of devices including at least one or more outdoor units, one or more indoor units, one or more sensor devices, and one or more auxiliary air conditioning devices, and when the system is started up, an IP address is assigned to each of the plurality of devices by at least one of the plurality of devices.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, IP communication is possible throughout the entire system without the need for dedicated equipment for assigning IP addresses.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an air conditioning system in embodiment 1. Block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a centralized controller in embodiment 1. Block diagram showing the hardware configuration of an outdoor unit in embodiment 1. Block diagram showing the hardware configuration of an indoor unit in embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of a centralized controller in embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an IP address assigned by the centralized controller in embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of an outdoor unit in embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an IP address assigned by an outdoor unit in embodiment 1. Flowchart showing the procedure for IP address assignment processing performed by the centralized controller in embodiment 1. Flowchart showing the procedure for IP address assignment processing performed by an outdoor unit in embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an air conditioning system in a modified example of embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an air conditioning system in a modified example of embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a domain name management table in a modified example of embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an air conditioning system in embodiment 2. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of a centralized controller in embodiment 2. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of an outdoor unit in embodiment 2. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an air conditioning system in a modified example of embodiment 2.

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

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

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

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

[0014] <Centralized Controller 3> The centralized controller 3 is an example of a centralized controller according to the present disclosure. The centralized controller 3 is a device for centrally controlling each device (outdoor units 4a, 4b, indoor units 5a-5d, sensor devices 6a-6c, and auxiliary devices 7a-7c) in the air conditioning system 1, such as controlling the coordination of the devices, and is installed in a location that is off-limits to unauthorized personnel, such as a control room within the building. As shown in FIG. 2 , the centralized controller 3 includes, as its hardware configuration, a first communication interface 30, a second communication interface 31, an operation reception unit 32, a display 33, a control circuit 34, and an auxiliary storage device 35.

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

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

[0017] The control circuit 34 includes a central processing unit (CPU), a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), etc., and performs overall control of the centralized controller 3. The functions of the centralized controller 3 realized by the control circuit 34 will be described in detail later.

[0018] The auxiliary storage device 35 is configured with a readable / writable nonvolatile semiconductor memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), etc. Examples of the readable / writable nonvolatile semiconductor memory include an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a flash memory, etc. The auxiliary storage device 35 stores a centralized control program that realizes a function equivalent to a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server function and is used to centrally control the devices that make up the air conditioning system 1, as well as data used when the centralized control program is executed.

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

[0020] <Air Conditioning Equipment (Outdoor Units 4a, 4b, Indoor Units 5a to 5d)> The outdoor unit 4a is connected to a transmission line 9 and also to a transmission line 10a, which is an indoor / outdoor transmission line. The outdoor unit 4a is connected to the indoor units 5a and 5b via the transmission line 10a and also via a first refrigerant pipe (not shown) for circulating the refrigerant. In other words, the outdoor unit 4a and the indoor units 5a and 5b constitute a single refrigerant system.

[0021] The outdoor unit 4b is connected to the transmission line 9 and to the transmission line 10b, which is an indoor / outdoor transmission line. The outdoor unit 4b is connected to the indoor units 5c and 5d via the transmission line 10b and also via a second refrigerant pipe (not shown) that is different from the first refrigerant pipe. In other words, the outdoor unit 4b and the indoor units 5c and 5d constitute a single refrigerant system.

[0022] Hereinafter, in the description common to the outdoor units 4a and 4b, it will be referred to as the outdoor unit 4 without specifying the individual units, in the description common to the indoor units 5a to 5d it will be referred to as the indoor unit 5 without specifying the individual units, and in the description common to the transmission lines 10a and 10b it will be referred to as the transmission line 10 without specifying the individual units.

[0023] <Sensor Devices 6a to 6c> The sensor devices 6a to 6c are examples of sensor devices according to the present disclosure. The sensor devices 6a to 6c measure, for example, air temperature, humidity, CO ２ These include sensors that measure air conditions such as concentration, and human presence sensors that detect the presence or absence of people in the air-conditioned space. In this embodiment, sensor device 6a is connected to transmission line 9, sensor device 6b is connected to transmission line 10a, and sensor device 6c is connected to transmission line 10b. In the following, when describing sensor devices 6a to 6c in common, they will be referred to as sensor device 6 without specifying each one individually.

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

[0025] <Remote Controls 8a, 8b> The remote controls 8a, 8b are user interfaces for receiving air conditioning-related operations from the user. In this embodiment, the remote control 8a is connected to the transmission line 10a, and the remote control 8b is connected to the transmission line 10b. In the following, when describing what is common to the remote controls 8a and 8b, they will be referred to as the remote control 8 without specifying the individual remote controls.

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

[0027] The main unit 42 is a component for realizing the essential functions of a general outdoor unit, and includes, for example, actuators such as a compressor, an outdoor fan, an electronic expansion valve, and an outdoor solenoid valve, as well as sensors such as a pipe temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the refrigerant pipes and an outdoor air temperature sensor for measuring the outdoor air temperature. The control circuit 43 is a microcontroller that performs overall control of the outdoor unit 4. The functions of the outdoor unit 4 realized by the control circuit 43 will be described in detail below.

[0028] The auxiliary storage device 44 is configured with, for example, a readable / writable nonvolatile semiconductor memory such as an EEPROM, a flash memory, etc. The auxiliary storage device 44 stores an outdoor unit program, which is a program for realizing a function equivalent to a DHCP server function and for controlling air conditioning, and data used when the outdoor unit program is executed.

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

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

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

[0032] The auxiliary storage device 53 is configured with, for example, a readable / writable nonvolatile semiconductor memory such as an EEPROM or a flash memory. The auxiliary storage device 53 stores an indoor unit program, which is a program for controlling air conditioning, and data used when the indoor unit program is executed.

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

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

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

[0036] In detail, when the air conditioning system 1 is started, each device connected to the transmission line 9 broadcasts a notification requesting an IP address (hereinafter referred to as an "address request notification") via the transmission line 9. The address request notification stores the MAC (Media Access Control) address of the device. Upon receiving the address request notification, the IP address assignment unit 300 determines an IP address to assign to the device that sent the address request notification based on the above-mentioned predefined IP address range. The IP address assignment unit 300 then transmits a response notification (hereinafter referred to as an "address response notification") storing the assigned IP address to the device. Upon receiving the address response notification from the centralized controller 3, the device sets the IP address assigned to the device, which is stored in the address response notification, as its own IP address.

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

[0038] The device data collection unit 301 periodically collects device data from each device (i.e., each outdoor unit 4, each indoor unit 5, each sensor device 6, and each auxiliary device 7). The device data includes information indicating the type of the device, information indicating the operating status, sensor measurement results, etc. The information indicating the operating status is information that is stored only when the device is the outdoor unit 4, indoor unit 5, or auxiliary device 7, and includes, for example, the operation mode, set temperature, air volume, etc. Furthermore, when the device is the outdoor unit 4, indoor unit 5, or auxiliary device 7, the sensor measurement results indicate the results measured by the sensor built into the device.

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

[0040] The device data display unit 303 displays the collected device data in a predetermined format on the display 33. For example, the device data display unit 303 displays a monitoring screen on the display 33 in which an icon representing each device is placed on a floor plan of the building, and the contents of the device data corresponding to the device are displayed on each icon.

[0041] The equipment control unit 304 controls the operation of each outdoor unit 4, each indoor unit 5, and each auxiliary device 7 in accordance with operating conditions preset by the building owner, system administrator, etc., a pre-registered operating schedule, instructions from the server 2, etc.

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

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

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

[0045] In detail, when the air conditioning system 1 starts up, each device connected to the transmission line 10 broadcasts an address request notification via the transmission line 10. The address request notification stores the MAC address of the device. Upon receiving the address request notification, the IP address assignment unit 401 assigns an IP address to the device that sent the address request notification, and transmits an address response notification storing the assigned IP address to the device via the second communication interface 41 (i.e., via the transmission line 10). The device that receives the address response notification from the outdoor unit 4 sets the IP address assigned to it, which is stored in the address response notification, as its own IP address.

[0046] Fig. 8 shows an example of IP addresses assigned to each device by the IP address assignment unit 401. The example shown in Fig. 8 shows that the outdoor unit 4a has assigned "192.168.1.20" to the indoor unit 5a, "192.168.1.21" to the indoor unit 5b, "192.168.1.22" to the sensor device 6b, "192.168.1.23" to the auxiliary device 7b, and "192.168.1.24" to the remote control 8a. It also shows that the outdoor unit 4b has assigned "192.168.1.40" to the indoor unit 5c, "192.168.1.41" to the indoor unit 5d, "192.168.1.42" to the sensor device 6c, "192.168.1.43" to the auxiliary device 7c, and "192.168.1.44" to the remote control 8b.

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

[0048] The air conditioning control unit 403 controls the air conditioning operation of the outdoor unit 4. In detail, the air conditioning control unit 403 controls the operation of actuators (compressor, outdoor fan, electronic expansion valve, outdoor solenoid valve, etc.) provided in the outdoor unit 4 in accordance with user operations received by a remote control 8 connected to the outdoor unit 4 via a transmission line 10, or commands from the server 2 or the central controller 3.

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

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

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

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

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

[0054] (Step S104) The centralized controller 3 determines whether a certain time has elapsed since the start of the IP address allocation process. If the certain time has elapsed (Step S104; YES), the centralized controller 3 ends the IP address allocation process. On the other hand, if the certain time has not elapsed (Step S104; NO), the process of the centralized controller 3 returns to Step S101.

[0055] <IP Address Assignment Process by Outdoor Unit 4> FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the IP address assignment process executed by the outdoor unit 4 when the air conditioning system 1 is started up.

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

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

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

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

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

[0061] (Step S205) The outdoor unit 4 transmits an address response notification in which the IP address assigned to the device is stored to the device via the transmission line 10. Thereafter, the process of the outdoor unit 4 proceeds to step S206.

[0062] (Step S206) The outdoor unit 4 determines whether a certain time has elapsed since it acquired the IP address assigned to itself, i.e., since it received the address response notification from the centralized controller 3. If the certain time has elapsed (step S206; YES), the outdoor unit 4 ends the IP address assignment process. On the other hand, if the certain time has not elapsed (step S206; NO), the process of the outdoor unit 4 returns to step S203.

[0063] As described above, in the air conditioning system 1 of this embodiment, the centralized controller 3 and each outdoor unit 4 are each equipped with a DHCP server function, and when the system is started up, the centralized controller 3 assigns an IP address to each device connected to the transmission line 9, which is a centralized transmission line, and each outdoor unit 4 assigns an IP address to each device connected to it via the transmission line 10, which is an internal / external transmission line.

[0064] This enables IP communication throughout the entire system without the need for dedicated equipment for assigning IP addresses.

[0065] Furthermore, since there is no need to individually address devices via address setting reception units such as DIP switches or rotary switches, the workload is significantly reduced. Also, since there is no need to provide such address setting reception units in the devices, costs can be reduced.

[0066] Furthermore, various IP communication devices can be easily added to the system configuration, which significantly improves the expandability of the system.

[0067] (Variation 1) In the above embodiment, the centralized controller 3 assigned IP addresses only to devices connected to the transmission line 9, which is a centralized transmission line (i.e., the outdoor units 4a, 4b, the sensor device 6a, and the auxiliary device 7a). However, it may also be configured to assign IP addresses to devices connected only to the transmission line 10, which is an internal / external transmission line (i.e., the indoor units 5a to 5d, the sensor devices 6b, 6c, the auxiliary devices 7b, 7c, and the remote controls 8a, 8b). In this case, the outdoor unit 4 does not need to have a DHCP server function. Note that if the outdoor unit 4 is configured to have a DHCP server function, this function is disabled at the time of shipment.

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

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

[0070] 11 , in an air conditioning system in which a centralized controller 3 is not included in the system configuration, one of the outdoor units 4 may be selected as a representative device, and the representative device may assign IP addresses to all devices in the air conditioning system. In this case, the DHCP server function of each outdoor unit 4 is disabled at the time of shipment, and the system administrator switches the DHCP server function of the outdoor unit 4 selected as the representative device from disabled to enabled.

[0071] For example, the DHCP server function may be enabled / disabled by operating a dip switch, rotary switch, or the like provided on the outdoor unit 4. Alternatively, the DHCP server function may be enabled / disabled by connecting a terminal device such as a smartphone, tablet terminal, or laptop PC (Personal Computer) to the outdoor unit 4 for communication and operating the terminal device, or the DHCP server function may be enabled / disabled by attaching a recording medium such as a USB memory or memory card on which information indicating whether the DHCP server function is enabled / disabled to the outdoor unit 4 and reading the information.

[0072] When the air conditioning system starts up, the outdoor unit 4, which has the DHCP server function enabled as the representative device, determines the IP address to be assigned to itself based on the IP address range defined in advance by the system administrator. Hereinafter, the representative device will be described as the outdoor unit 4a in Figure 11. Each device other than the outdoor unit 4a connected to the transmission line 9 (i.e., the sensor device 6a, outdoor unit 4b, and auxiliary device 7a) broadcasts an address request notification via the transmission line 9 when the air conditioning system starts up, just as in the above embodiment.

[0073] The outdoor unit 4a, which has received the address request notification, determines an IP address to be assigned to the device that sent the address request notification based on the above-mentioned predefined IP address range.The outdoor unit 4a then transmits an address response notification containing the assigned IP address to the device (sensor device 6a, outdoor unit 4b, or auxiliary device 7a).

[0074] Furthermore, each device connected only to the transmission line 10 (i.e., the indoor units 5a to 5d, the sensor devices 6b and 6c, the auxiliary devices 7b and 7c, and the remote controls 8a and 8b) broadcasts an address request notification over the transmission line 10 when the air conditioning system is started, similar to the above embodiment. When the outdoor unit 4a receives an address request notification from each device connected to it via the transmission line 10a (i.e., the indoor units 5a and 5b, the sensor device 6b, the auxiliary device 7b, and the remote control 8a), similar to the above embodiment, it automatically assigns an IP address to each device and transmits an address response notification in which the assigned IP address is stored to each device.

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

[0076] (Variation 4) A wired communication method using Wavelet OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) (hereinafter referred to as the "second communication method") may be adopted for communication between devices via the transmission line 10, which is an internal / external transmission line. Furthermore, the second communication method may also be adopted for communication between devices via the transmission line 9, which is a centralized transmission line. In this way, high-frequency communication performance for the wiring can be sacrificed, thereby reducing wiring costs and enabling flexible wiring. Furthermore, high-speed communication is possible, and long-distance communication is also possible due to the multi-hop function.

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

[0078] By adopting the configuration shown in FIG. 12 , a large outdoor unit 4 (in this example, outdoor unit 4a) equipped with communication interfaces corresponding to both the first communication method and the second communication method, and a small outdoor unit 4 (in this example, outdoor unit 4b) equipped with only a communication interface corresponding to the second communication method, can coexist in the air conditioning system, and the centralized controller 3 can perform coordinated control of both outdoor units 4 and the devices connected to each outdoor unit 4.

[0079] (Variation 5) In the air conditioning system 1 of Embodiment 1, the centralized controller 3 may be configured to have a DNS (Domain Name System) server function. Specifically, the centralized controller 3 collects attribute information (e.g., type (outdoor unit or indoor unit), model name, serial number, etc.) of each air conditioning device (each outdoor unit 4, each indoor unit 5) from the air conditioning device, and generates a domain name corresponding to the IP address of each air conditioning device based on the collected attribute information and predefined domain generation rules. The centralized controller 3 then manages the IP address and domain name in association with each other for each air conditioning device in a domain name management table stored in the auxiliary storage device 35. An example of the domain name management table is shown in FIG. 13 .

[0080] Furthermore, in the air conditioning system of the third variation (see FIG. 11 ), each outdoor unit 4 may be equipped with a DNS server function. In this case, the outdoor unit 4 selected as the representative device, i.e., the outdoor unit 4 that assigns IP addresses to each device, collects attribute information from each air conditioning device and generates domain names corresponding to the IP addresses of each air conditioning device based on the collected attribute information and predefined domain generation rules. The representative device then manages the IP addresses and domain names associated with each air conditioning device in a domain name management table (see FIG. 13 ) stored in the auxiliary storage device 44. In this variation, the DHCP server function and DNS server function of each outdoor unit 4 are disabled at the time of shipment, and the system administrator can switch the DHCP server function and DNS server function of the outdoor unit 4 selected as the representative device from disabled to enabled using the method described in the third variation (see FIG. 11 ).

[0081] (Variation 6) All or part of the functional units (see FIG. 5) of the centralized controller 3 may be implemented by dedicated hardware. Also, all or part of the functional units (see FIG. 7) of the outdoor unit 4 may be implemented by dedicated hardware. Examples of dedicated hardware include a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a combination thereof.

[0082] The technical ideas according to the above-described modifications may be realized independently or in appropriate combination.

[0083] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. In the following description, components and the like common to the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

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

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

[0086] <Centralized controller 3'> The centralized controller 3' is a device for centrally controlling each device in the air conditioning system 1' (outdoor units 4'a, 4'b, indoor units 5a to 5d, sensor devices 6a to 6c, and auxiliary devices 7a to 7c), such as by controlling the coordination of the devices, and is installed in a location that is off-limits to unauthorized persons, such as a control room within the building. The hardware configuration of the centralized controller 3' is the same as that of the centralized controller 3 in embodiment 1 (see FIG. 2). Details of the functions of the centralized controller 3' will be described later.

[0087] <Outdoor units 4'a, 4'b> The outdoor unit 4'a is connected to the transmission line 9 and to a transmission line 10a, which is an indoor / outdoor transmission line. The outdoor unit 4'a is connected to the indoor units 5a and 5b via the transmission line 10a and also via a first refrigerant pipe (not shown) for circulating the refrigerant. In other words, the outdoor unit 4'a and the indoor units 5a and 5b constitute a single refrigerant system.

[0088] The outdoor unit 4'b is connected to the transmission line 9 and to a transmission line 10b, which is an indoor / outdoor transmission line. The outdoor unit 4'b is connected to the indoor units 5c and 5d via the transmission line 10b and also via a second refrigerant pipe (not shown) that is different from the first refrigerant pipe. In other words, the outdoor unit 4'b and the indoor units 5c and 5d constitute a single refrigerant system.

[0089] Hereinafter, in descriptions common to the outdoor units 4'a and 4'b, they will be referred to as the outdoor unit 4' without any particular designation. The hardware configuration of the outdoor unit 4' is the same as that of the outdoor unit 4 in the first embodiment (see FIG. 3). The functions of the outdoor unit 4' will be described in detail later.

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

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

[0092] As described above, in the air conditioning system 1' according to this embodiment, a global IP address based on IPv6 is preset for each device at the time of shipment. This enables IP communication throughout the entire system without the need for dedicated devices for assigning IP addresses.

[0093] Furthermore, since there is no need to individually address devices via address setting reception units such as DIP switches or rotary switches, the workload is significantly reduced. Also, since there is no need to provide such address setting reception units in the devices, costs can be reduced.

[0094] Furthermore, various IP communication devices can be easily added to the system configuration, which significantly improves the expandability of the system.

[0095] Furthermore, since the central controller 3' and each outdoor unit 4' are each equipped with a firewall function, it is possible to prevent unauthorized operation of the air conditioning equipment from outside.

[0096] (Variation 1) A wired communication method using Wavelet OFDM (hereinafter referred to as the "second communication method") may be adopted for communication between devices via the transmission line 10, which is an internal / external transmission line. Furthermore, the second communication method may also be adopted for communication between devices via the transmission line 9, which is a centralized transmission line. In this way, high-frequency communication performance for the wiring can be sacrificed, thereby reducing wiring costs and enabling flexible wiring. Furthermore, high-speed communication becomes possible, and long-distance communication is also possible due to the multi-hop function.

[0097] Alternatively, the second communication method may be adopted for communication between devices via the internal and external transmission lines, and both the first communication method (i.e., Ethernet (registered trademark)) and the second communication method may be adopted for the centralized transmission line. In this case, the centralized controller 3′ is equipped with communication interfaces corresponding to both the first and second communication methods. Adopting such a configuration allows a large outdoor unit 4′ equipped with communication interfaces corresponding to both the first and second communication methods and a small outdoor unit 4′ equipped with only a communication interface corresponding to the second communication method to coexist in the air conditioning system, enabling the centralized controller 3′ to perform coordinated control of both outdoor units 4′ and the devices connected to each outdoor unit 4′.

[0098] (Variation 2) The centralized controller 3' may be equipped with a DNS server function. In detail, the centralized controller 3' collects attribute information (e.g., type (outdoor unit or indoor unit), model name, serial number, etc.) of each air conditioning device (each outdoor unit 4', each indoor unit 5) and generates a domain name corresponding to the IP address of each air conditioning device based on the collected attribute information and predefined domain generation rules. The centralized controller 3' then manages the IP addresses and domain names in association with each other for each air conditioning device in a domain name management table stored in the auxiliary storage device 35 (see FIG. 13 ).

[0099] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 17 , in an air conditioning system in which a centralized controller 3′ is not included in the system configuration, one of the outdoor units 4′ may be selected as a representative device, and the representative device may generate domain names for each air conditioning unit. That is, the representative device collects attribute information from each air conditioning unit and generates domain names corresponding to the IP addresses of each air conditioning unit based on the collected attribute information and predefined domain generation rules. The representative device then manages the IP addresses and domain names associated with each air conditioning unit in a domain name management table (see FIG. 13 ) stored in the auxiliary storage device 44. In this case, all outdoor units 4′ are equipped with a DNS server function, but the DNS server function is disabled at the time of shipment. The system administrator switches the DNS server function of the outdoor unit 4′ selected as the representative device from disabled to enabled.

[0100] For example, the DNS server function may be enabled / disabled by operating a dip switch, rotary switch, etc. provided on the outdoor unit 4'. Alternatively, a terminal device such as a smartphone, tablet terminal, or laptop PC may be communicatively connected to the outdoor unit 4', and the DNS server function may be enabled / disabled by operating the terminal device, or a recording medium such as a USB memory or memory card on which information indicating whether the DNS server function is enabled / disabled may be attached to the outdoor unit 4' and the information may be read to enable / disable the DNS server function.

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

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

[0103] The present disclosure allows various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are intended to explain the present disclosure and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. In other words, the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims, not the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and within the meaning of the disclosure equivalent thereto are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0104] The present disclosure can be suitably employed in an air conditioning system equipped with a plurality of air conditioning devices.

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

Claims

1. A system including a central controller, one or more outdoor units, and one or more indoor units, When starting up the system, the centralized controller assigns an IP address to each of all of the devices connected to the centralized transmission line among the plurality of devices; An air conditioning system, wherein each of the one or more outdoor units assigns an IP address to each of all devices connected to it via an indoor / outdoor transmission line.

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

3. A system including a plurality of devices including at least one or more outdoor units and one or more indoor units, An air conditioning system, wherein, upon system startup, a representative device among the one or more outdoor units assigns an IP address to each of the plurality of devices.

4. The air conditioning system of claim 3, wherein the representative device acquires attribute information from each of the one or more outdoor units and the one or more indoor units, generates a domain name corresponding to the IP address of each outdoor unit based on the acquired attribute information of each outdoor unit, and generates a domain name corresponding to the IP address of each indoor unit based on the acquired attribute information of each indoor unit.

5. The system includes a plurality of devices including at least one or more outdoor units and one or more indoor units, A global IP address is assigned to each of the plurality of devices, an air conditioning system in which a representative device of one of the one or more outdoor units acquires attribute information from each of the one or more outdoor units and the one or more indoor units, generates a domain name corresponding to the IP address of each outdoor unit based on the acquired attribute information of each outdoor unit, and generates a domain name corresponding to the IP address of each indoor unit based on the acquired attribute information of each indoor unit.

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

7. An IP address acquisition means for acquiring an IP address from the centralized controller; and an IP address assignment means for assigning an IP address to each of all devices connected to the outdoor unit via the indoor and outdoor transmission lines.