Air conditioning communication system, gateway device, and program

Abstract

An air conditioning communication system (1) comprises a gateway device (30) and a server device (40). In the gateway device (30), a short-range wireless communication means performs communication via a short-range wireless communication network (N1). A mobile communication means performs communication via a mobile communication network (N2). A communication control means acquires operation information indicating an operation state of an air conditioner (10) by using the short-range wireless communication means and transmits the acquired operation information to the server device (40) by using the mobile communication means. In the server device (40), a server-side communication means communicates with the gateway device (30) and an information terminal (50). A server-side communication control means acquires the operation information transmitted from the gateway device (30) by using the server-side communication means and presents the acquired operation information to the information terminal (50) by using the server-side communication means.

Description

Air conditioning communication system, gateway device and program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an air conditioning communication system, a gateway device, and a program.

[0002] Technologies that enable remote monitoring of air conditioners are known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an air conditioner communication system that can be retrofitted to existing air conditioners to enable remote monitoring and operation via the Internet. Specifically, in the air conditioner communication system disclosed in Patent Document 1, an antenna unit capable of wireless communication with a base station is attached to the housing of the outdoor unit so that an Internet server can collect information about the air conditioner via the base station.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-8261

[0004] In the air conditioner communication system disclosed in Patent Document 1, in order to enable the air conditioner to wirelessly communicate with a base station, work must be performed on the rooftop, roof, wall, or other location where the outdoor unit is installed. This poses a challenge in ensuring safety. In light of these circumstances, there is a need for a system that allows the work of remotely monitoring air conditioners to be performed safely.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an air conditioning communication system etc. that enables the safe performance of tasks that allow air conditioners to be monitored remotely.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the air conditioning communication system according to the present disclosure is an air conditioning communication system comprising a gateway device and a server device, wherein the gateway device comprises: short-range wireless communication means for communicating via a short-range wireless communication network; mobile communication means for communicating via a mobile communication network; and communication control means for acquiring operating information indicating the operating state of an air conditioner via the short-range wireless communication means and transmitting the acquired operating information to the server device via the mobile communication means, and the server device comprises server-side communication means for communicating with the gateway device and an information terminal, and server-side communication control means for acquiring the operating information from the gateway device via the server-side communication means and presenting the acquired operating information to the information terminal via the server-side communication means.

[0007] In the air conditioning communication system according to the present disclosure, the gateway device acquires operating information indicating the operating status of the air conditioner via short-range wireless communication means and transmits the acquired operating information to the server device via mobile communication means, and the server device acquires the operating information from the gateway device and presents the acquired operating information on an information terminal. Therefore, according to the present disclosure, the air conditioner can be safely monitored remotely.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an air conditioning communication system according to embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioner remote control according to embodiment 1. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of a gateway device according to embodiment 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of a server device according to embodiment 1. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of an information terminal according to embodiment 1. FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of connection processing according to embodiment 1. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of connection information according to embodiment 1. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a connection destination selection screen displayed on an information terminal according to embodiment 1. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of connection setting information according to embodiment 1. FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of collection processing according to embodiment 1. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of an air conditioner selection screen displayed on an information terminal according to embodiment 1. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a status display screen displayed on an information terminal according to embodiment 1. FIG. 13 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of operation processing according to embodiment 1. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of an operation screen displayed on an information terminal according to embodiment 1. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an air conditioning communication system according to embodiment 2.

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, in which the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0010] 1, an air conditioning communication system 1 according to embodiment 1 includes a plurality of air conditioners 10, a plurality of air conditioner remote controls 20, a gateway device 30, a server device 40, and an information terminal 50. The air conditioning communication system 1 is a system that is capable of remotely communicating with the air conditioners 10, and in particular is a system that allows existing air conditioners 10 to be retrofitted and remotely monitored and operated.

[0011] Each of the multiple air conditioners 10 is equipment that conditions a space to be air-conditioned. Here, air conditioning refers to adjusting the temperature, humidity, cleanliness, airflow, etc. of the air in the space to be air-conditioned, and specifically includes heating, cooling, dehumidification, humidification, air purification, etc. Each air conditioner 10 is installed in a building H, and conditions an indoor space in the building H that is to be air-conditioned.

[0012] The building H is a building that requires air conditioning, such as an office building, facility, factory, or residence. Various devices such as personal computers and printers are installed in the building H. These devices are communicatively connected via a local communication network N3 constructed within the building H. Specifically, the local communication network N3 is a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) or a wired LAN.

[0013] Each air conditioner 10 is a heat pump type air conditioning system that uses, for example, carbon dioxide, HFC (hydrofluorocarbon), or the like as a refrigerant. Each air conditioner 10 includes an outdoor unit 11 installed outdoors and an indoor unit 12 installed indoors. The outdoor unit 11 includes an outdoor heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the outdoor air and the refrigerant. The indoor unit 12 includes an indoor heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the air in the indoor space and the refrigerant. The outdoor unit 11 and the indoor unit 12 are connected by refrigerant piping to form a refrigeration cycle.

[0014] Each air conditioner 10 may have only one indoor unit 12 for one outdoor unit 11, or may be a so-called multi-air conditioner having multiple indoor units 12 for one outdoor unit 11 that condition different spaces.

[0015] Each of the multiple air conditioning remote controls 20 is a remote controller for a corresponding air conditioner 10 among the multiple air conditioners 10, and functions as a user interface for the air conditioner 10. A user can operate the air conditioning remote control 20 to input operation instructions for the corresponding air conditioner 10. Specifically, operation instructions include instructions to switch between operation and stop, instructions to switch operation modes, and instructions to change the set temperature, set humidity, air volume, or air direction.

[0016] Each air conditioning remote control 20 is installed in a location that is easy for the user to operate, such as on a wall, pillar, or desk within the building H. Each air conditioning remote control 20 is communicably connected to the corresponding air conditioner 10 via a dedicated line N0. As shown in FIG. 2 , each air conditioning remote control 20 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, an operation unit 23, a display unit 24, and a communication unit 25.

[0017] The control unit 21 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The CPU functions as a central processing unit that executes processing and calculations related to the control of the air conditioning remote control 20. The CPU is also called a central processing unit, central processing unit, processor, microprocessor, microcomputer, etc. In the control unit 21, the CPU reads programs and data stored in the ROM and uses the RAM as a work area to perform overall control of the air conditioning remote control 20.

[0018] The storage unit 22 includes a nonvolatile semiconductor memory such as a flash memory, an EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), or an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM), and serves as a so-called secondary storage device or auxiliary storage device. The storage unit 22 stores programs and data used by the control unit 21 to perform various processes. The storage unit 22 also stores data generated or acquired by the control unit 21 as a result of performing various processes.

[0019] The operation unit 23 includes input devices such as a touch panel and physical buttons, and receives operations from a user. The display unit 24 includes a display device such as a liquid crystal display and an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, and displays various images.

[0020] The communication unit 25 includes a communication interface that enables the air conditioning remote control 20 to communicate with external devices. Specifically, the communication unit 25 includes an air conditioning communication unit 251, which is an example of air conditioning communication means, and a short-range wireless communication unit 252, which is an example of remote control-side short-range wireless communication means.

[0021] The air conditioning communication unit 251 communicates with the air conditioner 10 corresponding to the air conditioning remote control 20 among the multiple air conditioners 10 via the dedicated line N0 under the control of the control unit 21. The dedicated line N0 is a wired or wireless line that connects the air conditioning remote control 20 and the air conditioner 10 corresponding to that air conditioning remote control 20 so that they can communicate with each other.

[0022] The short-range wireless communication unit 252 communicates with the gateway device 30 via a short-range wireless communication network N1, which is an example of a first wireless communication network, under the control of the control unit 21. Here, the short-range wireless communication network N1 is a wireless communication network in which the communicable distance is limited to a short distance, and is a communication network in which communication is possible within a range approximately equal to the distance within the building H. The short-range wireless communication unit 252 is an example of a remote-controller-side short-range wireless communication means.

[0023] More specifically, the short-range wireless communication network N1 is a wireless communication network independent of the local communication network N3 established in the building H, and is, for example, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), etc. Hereinafter, communication via the short-range wireless communication network N1 will be referred to as "short-range wireless communication."

[0024] The control unit 21 functionally includes a communication control unit 210, which is an example of a remote control-side communication control means. The communication control unit 210 is realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. The software and firmware are written as programs and stored in the ROM or storage unit 22. In the control unit 21, the CPU executes the programs stored in the ROM or storage unit 22, thereby realizing the functions of the communication control unit 210.

[0025] The communication control unit 210 controls communication by the air conditioning communication unit 251 and the short-range wireless communication unit 252. Specifically, the communication control unit 210 communicates with the air conditioner 10 corresponding to the air conditioning remote control 20 out of the multiple air conditioners 10 installed in the building H via the air conditioning communication unit 251, and acquires operating information indicating the operating state of the air conditioner 10 from the air conditioner 10. When the communication control unit 210 acquires the operating information from the air conditioner 10 via the air conditioning communication unit 251, it converts the acquired operating information into a short-range wireless communication signal and transmits it to the gateway device 30 via the short-range wireless communication unit 252.

[0026] Here, the operating state of the air conditioner 10 refers to various states of the air conditioner 10 when the air conditioner 10 is performing air conditioning operation. The operating information of the air conditioner 10 includes setting information such as the operating mode, set temperature, set humidity, etc. when the air conditioner 10 is operating, as well as determination information for determining whether an abnormality has occurred in the air conditioner 10, such as the refrigerant temperature in the refrigeration cycle, the refrigerant flow rate, the fan air volume, etc.

[0027] Furthermore, when a control instruction to control the air conditioner 10 is transmitted from the gateway device 30 via the short-range wireless communication unit 252, the communication control unit 210 transmits a control signal based on the control instruction to the air conditioner 10 via the air conditioning communication unit 251. Specifically, the communication control unit 210 transmits a control signal based on the control instruction for the air conditioner 10 transmitted from the gateway device 30 to the corresponding air conditioner 10 among the multiple air conditioners 10 via the air conditioning communication unit 251. The air conditioner 10 operates in accordance with the control signal transmitted from the air conditioning remote control 20.

[0028] The control instruction can also be input by the user operating the air conditioning remote control 20. The communication control unit 210 transmits a control signal based on the operation instruction input by the user to the corresponding air conditioner 10 via the air conditioning communication unit 251.

[0029] 1 , the gateway device 30 is a device that relays communication between devices inside the building H and devices outside the building H. Specifically, the gateway device 30 relays communication between each of the multiple air conditioning remote controls 20 installed in the building H and a server device 40 installed outside the building H.

[0030] The gateway device 30 is installed in a location where short-range wireless communication with multiple air conditioning remote controls 20 is possible, such as on a wall, a pillar, or a desk within the building H, and is communicably connected to the multiple air conditioning remote controls 20 via a short-range wireless communication network N1. As shown in FIG. 3 , the gateway device 30 includes a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, an operation unit 33, and a communication unit 35.

[0031] The control unit 31 includes a CPU, ROM, and RAM. The CPU functions as a central processing unit that executes processes and calculations related to the control of the gateway device 30. In the control unit 31, the CPU reads out programs and data stored in the ROM and uses the RAM as a work area to perform overall control of the gateway device 30. The memory unit 32 includes non-volatile semiconductor memory such as flash memory, EPROM, and EEPROM. Details of the control unit 31 and the memory unit 32 are similar to those of the control unit 21 and the memory unit 22 in the air conditioning remote control 20 described above.

[0032] The operation unit 33 includes input devices such as a touch panel and physical buttons, and receives operations from the user.

[0033] The communication unit 35 includes a communication interface for the gateway device 30 to communicate with external devices. Specifically, the communication unit 35 includes a short-range wireless communication unit 351, which is an example of a short-range wireless communication means, and a mobile communication unit 352, which is an example of a mobile communication means. The short-range wireless communication unit 351 and the mobile communication unit 352 are also referred to as a first wireless communication unit and a second wireless communication unit, respectively.

[0034] The short-range wireless communication unit 351 communicates with the air conditioning remote control 20 via the short-range wireless communication network N1 under the control of the control unit 31. As described above, the short-range wireless communication network N1 is a wireless communication network in which the communication distance is limited to a short distance, such as BLE, ZigBee, etc. In the following, an example will be described in which the short-range wireless communication unit 351 uses a communication network based on BLE as the short-range wireless communication network N1.

[0035] Under the control of the control unit 31, the mobile communication unit 352 communicates with the server device 40 via a mobile communication network N2, which is an example of a second wireless communication network. Here, the mobile communication network N2 is a communication network intended for devices used while moving, such as smartphones, mobile phones, etc. Specifically, the mobile communication network N2 is a communication network that can connect to a wide area communication network via the base station 60 closest to the current location of the device, among multiple base stations 60 installed in various locations. Hereinafter, communication via the mobile communication network N2 will be referred to as "mobile communication."

[0036] Examples of communication standards that provide the mobile communication network N2 include LTE (Long Term Evolution) (registered trademark), 4G, 5G, LTE-M (LTE for Machine-type-communication), NB-IoT (Narrow Band Internet of Things), Sigfox (registered trademark), LoRaWAN (registered trademark), and WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) (registered trademark).

[0037] Among the above communication standards, LTE-M, NB-IoT, etc. are classified as LPWA (Low Power Wide Area) standards, and are communication standards characterized by low power consumption and long-distance communication. By using the LPWA standard, the mobile communication unit 352 can connect to a wide area communication network with low power consumption. The following describes an example in which a communication network based on the LPWA standard, more specifically, a communication network based on LTE-M, is used as the mobile communication network N2. LTE-M is one of the LPWA standards that utilizes existing LTE lines, and is a communication standard that ensures moderate communication speeds while saving power and improving communication stability.

[0038] By connecting via the mobile communication network N2 to a wireless WAN (Wide Area Network), which is a wide area communication network, without using the local communication network N3 established within the building H, the mobile communication unit 352 can communicate with devices located outside the building H. Specifically, the mobile communication unit 352 wirelessly communicates with a base station 60 accessible from the gateway device 30 among a plurality of base stations 60 installed in various locations, and communicates with the server device 40 from the accessed base station 60 via a public line network.

[0039] The control unit 31 functionally includes a communication control unit 310, which is an example of a communication control means. The communication control unit 310 is realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. The software and firmware are written as programs and stored in the ROM or storage unit 32. In the control unit 31, the CPU executes the programs stored in the ROM or storage unit 32, thereby realizing the functions of the communication control unit 310.

[0040] The communication control unit 310 controls communication via the short-range wireless communication unit 351 and the mobile communication unit 352. Specifically, the communication control unit 310 communicates with each air conditioning remote control 20 via the short-range wireless communication unit 351 and acquires operating information indicating the operating state of each air conditioner 10 from each air conditioning remote control 20. When the communication control unit 310 acquires the operating information, it transmits the acquired operating information to the server device 40 via the mobile communication unit 352.

[0041] The communication control unit 310 also communicates with the server device 40 via the mobile communication unit 352, and acquires from the server device 40 operation information for the air conditioner 10 that has been input by the administrator U via the information terminal 50. When the communication control unit 310 acquires the operation information from the server device 40, it transmits a control instruction for controlling the air conditioner 10 to be operated based on the acquired operation information to the air conditioner remote control 20 corresponding to that air conditioner 10 via the short-range wireless communication unit 351. As a result, the communication control unit 310 controls the air conditioner 10 to be operated based on the acquired operation information.

[0042] Returning to FIG. 1 , the server device 40 is a device that manages the air conditioning communication system 1. As an example, the server device 40 is a server that provides resources in cloud computing. The server device 40 is installed outside the building H and under the management of the operator that manages the air conditioning communication system 1. The server device 40 is communicably connected to the gateway device 30 and the information terminal 50 via the mobile communication network N2. As shown in FIG. 4 , the server device 40 includes a control unit 41, a storage unit 42, and a communication unit 45.

[0043] The control unit 41 includes a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The CPU functions as a central processing unit that executes processes and calculations related to the control of the server device 40. In the control unit 41, the CPU reads out programs and data stored in the ROM and uses the RAM as a work area to perform overall control of the server device 40. The memory unit 42 includes non-volatile semiconductor memory such as a flash memory, an EPROM, or an EEPROM. Details of the control unit 41 and the memory unit 42 are the same as those of the control units 21, 31 and the memory units 22, 32 described above.

[0044] The communication unit 45 includes a communication interface for the server device 40 to communicate with external devices. Specifically, the communication unit 45 communicates with the gateway device 30 and the information terminal 50 via the mobile communication network N2 under the control of the control unit 51. The communication unit 45 is an example of a server-side communication means.

[0045] The control unit 41 functionally includes a communication control unit 410, which is an example of a server-side communication control means. The communication control unit 410 is realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. The software and firmware are written as programs and stored in the ROM or storage unit 42. In the control unit 41, the CPU executes the programs stored in the ROM or storage unit 42, thereby realizing the functions of the communication control unit 410.

[0046] The communication control unit 410 controls communication by the communication unit 45. Specifically, the communication control unit 410 communicates with the gateway device 30 via the communication unit 45 and acquires operation information of the air conditioner 10 transmitted from the gateway device 30. The communication control unit 410 then communicates with the information terminal 50 via the communication unit 45 and transmits the acquired operation information to the information terminal 50, thereby presenting the information terminal 50 with the information.

[0047] The communication unit 45 also communicates with the information terminal 50 via the communication unit 45, and acquires operation information for the air conditioner 10 that is input by the administrator U at the information terminal 50. The communication unit 45 then communicates with the gateway device 30 via the communication unit 45, and transmits the acquired operation information to the gateway device 30.

[0048] 1, the server device 40 manages the air conditioners 10 in various buildings H. Therefore, the server device 40 communicates not only with one gateway device 30 and one information terminal 50, but also with multiple gateway devices 30 installed in different buildings H and the corresponding multiple information terminals 50 via the mobile communication network N2.

[0049] The correspondence between the multiple gateway devices 30 and the multiple information terminals 50 is stored in advance in the storage unit 42. Here, the gateway devices 30 and the information terminals 50 are not limited to a one-to-one correspondence. As in the case where one administrator U manages the air conditioners 10 in multiple buildings H, one information terminal 50 may be linked to multiple gateway devices 30.

[0050] Returning to FIG. 1 , the information terminal 50 is a smartphone, tablet terminal, or the like operated by an administrator U. Here, the administrator U may be a business operator that manages the air conditioning communication system 1, or may be a general user that uses the air conditioners 10 installed in the building H. The information terminal 50 is communicably connected to the server device 40 via a mobile communication network N2. As shown in FIG. 5 , the information terminal 50 includes a control unit 51, a storage unit 52, an operation unit 53, a display unit 54, and a communication unit 55.

[0051] The control unit 51 includes a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The CPU functions as a central processing unit that executes processes and calculations related to the control of the information terminal 50. In the control unit 51, the CPU reads out programs and data stored in the ROM and uses the RAM as a work area to perform overall control of the information terminal 50. The memory unit 52 includes non-volatile semiconductor memory such as a flash memory, an EPROM, or an EEPROM. Details of the control unit 51 and the memory unit 52 are the same as those of the control units 21, 31, and 41 and the memory units 22, 32, and 42 described above.

[0052] The operation unit 53 includes an input device such as a touch panel or physical buttons, and receives operations from the administrator U. The display unit 54 includes a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display, and displays various images.

[0053] The communication unit 55 includes a communication interface for communication between the information terminal 50 and an external device. Specifically, the communication unit 55 communicates with the server device 40 via the mobile communication network N2 under the control of the control unit 51. The communication unit 55 is an example of a terminal-side communication means.

[0054] The control unit 51 functionally includes a communication control unit 510, which is an example of terminal-side communication control means. The communication control unit 510 is realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. The software and firmware are written as programs and stored in the ROM or storage unit 52. In the control unit 51, the CPU executes the programs stored in the ROM or storage unit 52, thereby realizing the functions of the communication control unit 510.

[0055] The communication control unit 510 controls communication by the communication unit 55. Specifically, when operation information of the air conditioner 10 is transmitted from the server device 40, the communication control unit 510 acquires the transmitted operation information by the communication unit 55. Then, the communication control unit 510 presents the acquired operation information to the administrator U by displaying it on the display unit 54. Furthermore, when operation information for the air conditioner 10 is input by the administrator U, the communication unit 55 transmits the input operation information to the server device 40 by the communication unit 55.

[0056] In the multiple air conditioning remote controls 20, gateway device 30, server device 40, and information terminal 50 configured as described above, the communication control units 210, 310, 410, and 510 perform (1) connection processing, (2) collection processing, and (3) operation processing. Each processing will be described below.

[0057] <(1) Connection Processing> The communication control unit 310 performs connection processing between the air conditioning remote control 20 and the gateway device 30. The connection processing is processing for establishing a communication path in the air conditioning communication system 1 so that the air conditioner 10 can be remotely monitored and operated from the information terminal 50. When a new gateway device 30 is installed in the building H, the communication control unit 310 performs connection processing for short-range wireless communication between the air conditioning remote control 20 installed in the building H and the newly installed gateway device 30.

[0058] The connection process will be described in detail below with reference to Fig. 6. The connection process shown in Fig. 6 starts when the gateway device 30 newly installed in the building H is powered on.

[0059] When the connection process starts, the communication control unit 210 in each of the multiple air conditioning remote controls 20 transmits an advertising signal based on BLE to the surrounding area using the short-range wireless communication unit 252 (step S101). The advertising signal is a signal transmitted in short-range wireless communication to convey information about the device itself to the surrounding area so that a peripheral mode device can accept a connection from a central mode device. In the connection process shown in FIG. 6, the gateway device 30 operates in BLE central mode, and each air conditioning remote control 20 operates in BLE peripheral mode. The communication control unit 210 repeatedly transmits the advertising signal at a predetermined interval.

[0060] The advertising signal includes identification information of the air conditioning remote control 20 that is the sender. Here, the identification information of the air conditioning remote control 20 is information for uniquely identifying the air conditioning remote control 20 among the multiple air conditioning remote controls 20 installed in the building H. Note that the identification information of the air conditioning remote control 20 can also be used as identification information of the air conditioner 10 to which the air conditioning remote control 20 is connected via the dedicated line N0. Therefore, in the following description, it is assumed that the identification information of the air conditioning remote control 20 and the identification information of the air conditioner 10 are the same.

[0061] In the gateway device 30, the communication control unit 310 receives the advertising signals transmitted from each of the multiple air conditioning remote controls 20 via the short-range wireless communication unit 351. Upon receiving the advertising signals, the communication control unit 310 transmits connection information indicating the multiple air conditioning remote controls 20 that transmitted the advertising signals to the server device 40 via the mobile communication unit 352 (step S102).

[0062] As shown in FIG. 7 , the connection information is information that links the identification information of the gateway device 30 with the identification information of multiple air conditioning remote controls 20. When the communication control unit 310 receives an advertising signal, it reads the identification information of the multiple air conditioning remote controls 20 included in the received advertising signal and generates connection information by linking the read identification information of the multiple air conditioning remote controls 20 with the identification information of the gateway device 30. The communication control unit 310 then transmits the generated connection information to the server device 40 via LTE-M. This allows the server device 40 to view information on the multiple air conditioning remote controls 20 that can be connected to the gateway device 30.

[0063] 6 , in the server device 40, the communication control unit 410 receives the connection information transmitted from the gateway device 30. Upon receiving the connection information, the communication control unit 410 transmits the received connection information to the information terminal 50 via LTE-M (step S103). As a result, the communication control unit 410 presents the multiple air conditioning remote controls 20 indicated in the received connection information to the information terminal 50 as connection destination candidates.

[0064] When the administrator U operates the information terminal 50 to launch the application software for operating the air conditioner, the communication control unit 510 receives the connection information transmitted from the server device 40. Upon receiving the connection information, the communication control unit 510 displays a list of the identification information of the multiple air conditioning remote controls 20 indicated in the received connection information on the display unit 54. The communication control unit 510 then receives from the administrator U a selection of at least one air conditioning remote control 20 to be connected to from among the multiple air conditioning remote controls 20 whose identification information is displayed (step S104).

[0065] Specifically, the communication control unit 510 displays the remote control selection screen shown in Fig. 8 on the display unit 54. The manager U can operate the operation unit 53 to select at least one air conditioning remote control 20 from among the multiple air conditioning remote controls 20 whose identification information is displayed on the remote control selection screen. This allows the manager U to select at least one air conditioner 10 to be monitored from among the multiple air conditioners 10 installed in the building H.

[0066] When the administrator U selects at least one air conditioning remote control 20 as a connection destination, the communication control unit 510 transmits connection setting information indicating the selected at least one air conditioning remote control 20 to the server device 40 via LTE-M (step S105). As shown in FIG. 9 , the connection setting information is information that associates identification information of the selected at least one air conditioning remote control 20 with identification information of the gateway device 30.

[0067] 6 , in server device 40, communication control unit 410 receives the connection setting information transmitted from information terminal 50. Upon receiving the connection setting information, communication control unit 410 transmits the received connection setting information to gateway device 30 (step S106).

[0068] In the gateway device 30, the communication control unit 310 receives the connection setting information transmitted from the server device 40 via LTE-M. Upon receiving the connection setting information, the communication control unit 310 performs connection processing with at least one air conditioning remote control 20 indicated in the received connection setting information (step S107). Specifically, the communication control unit 310 enables communication via BLE with at least one air conditioning remote control 20 selected as the connection destination.

[0069] When the connection process is completed without any problems, the communication control unit 210 in each of the at least one air conditioning remote control 20 transmits a notification of connection completion to the gateway device 30. When the communication control unit 310 in the gateway device 30 receives a notification of connection completion from each of the at least one air conditioning remote control 20, it transmits the received notification to the server device 40 via LTE-M (step S108).

[0070] In the server device 40, when the communication control unit 410 receives a notification of connection completion from the gateway device 30, it transmits the received notification to the information terminal 50 via LTE-M (step S109). In the information terminal 50, when the communication control unit 510 receives a notification of connection completion from the server device 40, it displays the received notification on the display unit 54 (step S110). This allows the administrator U to confirm that the connection process has been successful and that a communication path has been established. This completes the connection process shown in FIG. 6.

[0071] Through this connection process, the administrator U can select at least one air conditioning remote control 20 to be the connection destination from among the multiple air conditioning remote controls 20, and perform connection processing using BLE between the selected at least one air conditioning remote control 20 and the gateway device 30. This allows the administrator U to establish a communication path in the air conditioning communication system 1 from a remote location in the building H.

[0072] <(2) Collection Process> Returning to Fig. 3, the communication control unit 310 performs a collection process to collect operation information indicating the operating status of the air conditioner 10. As described above, the operation information of the air conditioner 10 includes setting information such as the operation mode, set temperature, set humidity, etc. when the air conditioner 10 is operating, as well as determination information for determining whether an abnormality has occurred in the air conditioner 10, such as the refrigerant temperature in the refrigeration cycle, the refrigerant flow rate, the fan air volume, etc. Collecting the operation information of the air conditioner 10 makes it possible to detect abnormalities that may occur in the air conditioner 10, such as refrigerant leakage, temperature abnormalities, component failure, etc.

[0073] The collection process will be described in detail below with reference to Fig. 10. The collection process shown in Fig. 10 is executed periodically, for example, every 1 minute, 5 minutes, etc., after a communication path in the air conditioning communication system 1 is established by the connection process described above.

[0074] When the collection process starts, the communication control unit 310 in the gateway device 30 sends a collection request to each of the multiple air conditioning remote controls 20 via the short-range wireless communication unit 351 (step S201). Here, the acquisition request is a request to collect operating information from the air conditioners 10 to the air conditioning remote controls 20. When the communication control unit 210 in each air conditioning remote control 20 receives the collection request sent from the gateway device 30, it sends a response to the received collection request to the gateway device 30 via the short-range wireless communication unit 252 (step S202).

[0075] More specifically, when transmitting a collection request to multiple air conditioning remote controls 20, the communication control unit 310 receives a response from a first air conditioning remote control 20 among the multiple air conditioning remote controls 20, and then transmits the collection request to a second air conditioning remote control 20 among the multiple air conditioning remote controls 20. In other words, after transmitting a collection request to one air conditioning remote control 20, the communication control unit 310 does not transmit a collection request to the next air conditioning remote control 20 until it receives a response to the collection request from that air conditioning remote control 20, and then transmits a collection request to the next air conditioning remote control 20 after receiving the response. In this way, the communication control unit 310 transmits collection requests to each of the multiple air conditioning remote controls 20 while connecting to each one in rotation.

[0076] In each air conditioning remote control 20, the communication control unit 210 collects operation information from the corresponding air conditioner 10 in response to the collection request sent from the gateway device 30 (step S203). Specifically, the communication control unit 210 communicates with the outdoor unit 11 and the indoor unit 12 via the air conditioning communication unit 251 to collect operation information such as the operation mode, set temperature, set humidity, refrigerant temperature, refrigerant flow rate, and fan air volume of the air conditioner 10. The communication control unit 210 continues the process of repeatedly collecting operation information from the air conditioner 10 at predetermined intervals from the time when it sends a response to the gateway device 30 to the time when it receives an output request from the gateway device 30, and stores the collected operation information in the storage unit 22.

[0077] In the gateway device 30, the communication control unit 310 transmits an output request to each of the multiple air conditioning remote controls 20 via the short-range wireless communication unit 351 (step S204). Here, the output request is a request to output the operation information collected from the air conditioners 10 to the gateway device 30. The communication control unit 310 transmits the output request to each of the multiple air conditioning remote controls 20 at a timing when a predetermined time has elapsed since transmitting the collection request.

[0078] In each air conditioning remote controller 20, the communication control unit 210 transmits the collected operation information to the gateway device 30 in response to the output request transmitted from the gateway device 30 (step S205). Specifically, upon receiving the output request, the communication control unit 210 stops the process of collecting operation information from the air conditioners 10. Then, in response to the received output request, the communication control unit 210 transmits the operation information stored in the storage unit 22 to the gateway device 30 via the short-range wireless communication unit 252.

[0079] In the gateway device 30, the communication control unit 310 acquires the operating information transmitted from each air conditioning remote control 20 via the short-range wireless communication unit 351. As when transmitting a collection request, the communication control unit 310 transmits an output request to each of the multiple air conditioning remote controls 20 while connecting to each one in rotation, and acquires the operating information in response. The communication control unit 310 stores the operating information acquired from each air conditioning remote control 20 in the memory unit 32.

[0080] Thereafter, the communication control unit 510 of the information terminal 50 receives a selection of the air conditioner 10 to be monitored from the administrator U (step S206). Specifically, the communication control unit 510 displays the air conditioner selection screen shown in Fig. 11 on the display unit 54 in response to an operation by the administrator U. The administrator U can operate the operation unit 53 to select at least one air conditioner 10 from the multiple air conditioners 10 displayed on the air conditioner selection screen.

[0081] 10, upon receiving the selection of the air conditioner 10, the communication control unit 510 transmits selection information indicating the selected air conditioner 10 to the server device 40 via LTE-M (step S207). In the server device 40, upon receiving the selection information transmitted from the information terminal 50, the communication control unit 410 transmits the received selection information to the gateway device 30 via LTE-M (step S208).

[0082] In the gateway device 30, when the communication control unit 310 receives the selection information transmitted from the server device 40, it reads out the operation information of the air conditioner 10 indicated in the received selection information from the operation information of the multiple air conditioners 10 stored in the storage unit 32. Then, the communication control unit 310 transmits the read operation information to the server device 40 via the mobile communication unit 352 (step S209).

[0083] In the server device 40, when the communication control unit 410 receives the operation information transmitted from the gateway device 30, it transmits the received operation information to the information terminal 50 (step S210). As a result, the communication control unit 410 presents the operation information of the air conditioner 10 to the information terminal 50. In the information terminal 50, when the communication control unit 510 receives the operation information transmitted from the server device 40, it displays the received operation information on the display unit 54 (step S211).

[0084] Specifically, the communication control unit 510 displays the status display screen shown in Fig. 12 on the display unit 54. On the status display screen, the communication control unit 510 displays setting information such as the current operating mode and set temperature as the operating status of the air conditioner 10 selected in step S206, and determination information for determining whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the air conditioner 10, such as the refrigerant temperature and refrigerant flow rate. By viewing this status display screen, the administrator U can check the status of the selected air conditioner 10. In particular, he can check whether or not any abnormality has occurred in the air conditioner 10.

[0085] In this way, in the collection process, the gateway device 30 separately sends a collection request and an output request to each air conditioning remote control 20, and each air conditioning remote control 20 collects operating information from the air conditioners 10 in response to the collection request and outputs the operating information to the gateway device 30 in response to the output request. As a result, each air conditioning remote control 20 starts collecting operating information in response to the collection request and ends collecting operating information in response to the output request, so there is no need to collect operating information constantly. This reduces the processing load.

[0086] Furthermore, each air conditioning remote control 20 can separately execute the process of collecting operation information and the process of outputting operation information, allowing for appropriate management of the waiting time for each process. For example, if the gateway device 30 simultaneously sends a collection request and an output request to each air conditioning remote control 20, each air conditioning remote control 20 executes the process of collecting operation information and the process of outputting operation information in parallel. This reduces the time required for each process. In this case, the time required for each process increases, making it particularly difficult to concisely execute the process of outputting operation information to the gateway device 30.

[0087] <(3) Operation Processing> Returning to Fig. 3 , the communication control unit 310 performs operation processing to operate one of the multiple air conditioners 10. The operation processing is processing in which the manager U remotely operates the air conditioner 10 installed in the building H using the information terminal 50.

[0088] The operation process will be described in detail below with reference to Fig. 13. The operation process shown in Fig. 13 starts when the administrator U operates the information terminal 50 to start up the application software for operating the air conditioning.

[0089] When the operation process starts, the communication control unit 510 of the information terminal 50 receives from the administrator U a selection of the air conditioner 10 to be operated and an operation for the selected air conditioner 10 (step S301). Specifically, the communication control unit 510 displays the operation screen shown in Fig. 14 on the display unit 54 in response to the operation by the administrator U.

[0090] On the operation screen, the manager U can operate the operation unit 53 to select an air conditioner 10 to be operated from among the multiple air conditioners 10 present in the building H, and input operations for the selected air conditioner 10. Operations for the air conditioner 10 include, for example, switching operation ON / OFF, changing the operation mode, setting the timer, etc.

[0091] When the selection and operation of the air conditioner 10 is accepted, the communication control unit 510 transmits operation information indicating the accepted selection and operation to the server device 40 via LTE-M (step S302). When the communication control unit 410 of the server device 40 receives the operation information from the information terminal 50, it transmits the received operation information to the gateway device 30 via LTE-M (step S303).

[0092] In the gateway device 30, the communication control unit 310 acquires the operation information transmitted from the server device 40. Upon acquiring the operation information, the communication control unit 310 controls the air conditioner 10 to be operated via the short-range wireless communication unit 351 based on the acquired operation information (step S304). Specifically, the communication control unit 310 transmits a control instruction to the air conditioner remote control 20 corresponding to the air conditioner 10 indicated in the acquired operation information, among the multiple air conditioners 10, in order to cause the air conditioner 10 to perform the operation indicated in the acquired operation information.

[0093] In the air conditioner remote controller 20, when the communication control unit 210 receives a control instruction from the gateway device 30, it communicates with the air conditioner 10 via the air conditioning communication unit 251 and controls the air conditioner 10 in accordance with the received control instruction (step S305). Specifically, the communication control unit 210 controls the air conditioner 10 by switching operation ON / OFF, changing the operation mode, setting the timer, etc. in accordance with the received control instruction.

[0094] After controlling the air conditioner 10, the communication control unit 210 transmits the control result to the gateway device 30 (step S306). In the gateway device 30, the communication control unit 310 receives the control result from the air conditioner remote control 20 and transmits the received control result to the server device 40 via LTE-M (step S307). In the server device 40, the communication control unit 410 receives the control result from the gateway device 30 and transmits the received control result to the information terminal 50 via LTE-M (step S308).

[0095] In the information terminal 50, when the communication control unit 510 receives the control result from the server device 40, it displays the received control result on the display unit 54 (step S309). This allows the manager U to confirm that the operation of the air conditioner 10 has been performed normally. With this operation process, even if the manager U is outside the building H, he or she can select the air conditioner 10 to be operated from among the multiple air conditioners 10 and operate the selected air conditioner 10.

[0096] As described above, in the air conditioning communication system 1 according to the first embodiment, the gateway device 30 includes a short-range wireless communication unit 351 that communicates via the short-range wireless communication network N1 and a mobile communication unit 352 that communicates via the mobile communication network N2, and acquires operating information indicating the operating state of the air conditioner 10 via the short-range wireless communication unit 351 and transmits the acquired operating information to the server device 40 via the mobile communication unit 352. The server device 40 then acquires the operating information from the gateway device 30 and presents the acquired operating information on the information terminal 50.

[0097] In this way, because the gateway device 30 obtains the operation information of the air conditioner 10 by communication via the short-range wireless communication network N1, there is no need to attach an antenna unit to the housing of the outdoor unit 11 or to pull out a cable from inside the housing of the outdoor unit 11. In other words, there is no need to perform work on the rooftop, roof, wall, or other location where the outdoor unit 11 is installed in order to enable the air conditioner 10 to communicate wirelessly with the base station 60. Therefore, in the air conditioning communication system 1 according to embodiment 1, work to enable the air conditioner 10 to be monitored remotely can be performed while ensuring safety.

[0098] In particular, in recent years, there has been an increasing demand for constant monitoring of various air conditioners 10, including commercial air conditioners, to detect signs of cycle abnormalities, including refrigerant leakage. In response to this demand, the air conditioning communication system 1 according to the first embodiment can safely and easily install a function that enables remote monitoring and operation, even in an existing air conditioner 10, as a retrofit.

[0099] Furthermore, in the air conditioning communication system 1 according to the first embodiment, the gateway device 30 transmits operation information of the air conditioners 10 to the server device 40 by communication via the mobile communication network N2. In other words, the gateway device 30 can connect directly to the wide area communication network, independent of the local communication network N3 established in the building H. This makes it easy to perform the work of enabling the air conditioners 10 to be monitored remotely.

[0100] In particular, if the air conditioner 10 is a commercial air conditioner installed in an office building, facility, factory, or the like, the local communication network N3 established in the building H may have security measures in place that limit connected devices to pre-registered commercial computers in order to handle confidential information. Even in such a case, in the air conditioning communication system 1 according to embodiment 1, the gateway device 30 communicates directly with the server device 40, so it can be separated from the local communication network N3 established in the building H. Therefore, the air conditioning communication system 1 according to embodiment 1 can be introduced without being restricted by the security measures of the local communication network N3.

[0101] (Embodiment 2) Next, a description will be given of embodiment 2. Description of the same configurations and functions as embodiment 1 will be omitted as appropriate.

[0102] In the first embodiment, the communication control unit 310 in the gateway device 30 transmits connection information to the information terminal 50 via the server device 40, and performs connection processing on at least one air conditioning remote control 20 selected by the administrator U on the information terminal 50. However, when the connection processing is performed, it is often immediately after the gateway device 30 has been newly installed in the building H, so it is assumed that a communication path has not yet been established between the gateway device 30 and the server device 40. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the communication control unit 310 transmits the connection information to the connection terminal 50a without going through the server device 40, and performs connection processing on at least one air conditioning remote control 20 selected on the connection terminal 50a.

[0103] 15, the air conditioning communication system 1a according to the second embodiment includes a plurality of air conditioners 10, a plurality of air conditioning remote controls 20, a gateway device 30, a server device 40, an information terminal 50, and a connection terminal 50a. The configuration other than the connection terminal 50a is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0104] The connection terminal 50a is a smartphone, tablet terminal, or the like operated by the administrator U, and is a terminal for performing connection processing. Like the information terminal 50, the connection terminal 50a includes a control unit 51, a storage unit 52, an operation unit 53, a display unit 54, and a communication unit 55, and includes a communication control unit 510 as a function of the control unit 51. However, the communication unit 55 in the connection terminal 50a has a function of communicating with the gateway device 30 via the short-range wireless communication network N1. When the administrator U newly installs the gateway device 30 in the building H, the connection terminal 50a is used within a distance that allows short-range wireless communication with the gateway device 30.

[0105] The connection process according to the second embodiment will be described below with reference to Fig. 16 and Fig. 17 . The connection process shown in Fig. 16 is performed in a state where a communication path is not connected between the gateway device 30 and the server device 40. In this state, the connection process is started when the gateway device 30 newly installed in the building H is powered on and the administrator U presses the changeover switch 39 provided on the gateway device 30. The changeover switch 39 is a switch for switching between the connection process via the server device 40 in the first embodiment and the connection process not via the server device 40 in the second embodiment.

[0106] When the connection process is started, in each of the multiple air conditioning remote controls 20, the communication control unit 210 transmits an advertising signal based on BLE to the surrounding area using the short-range wireless communication unit 252 (step S401). In the gateway device 30, the communication control unit 310 operates in the BLE central mode and receives the advertising signals transmitted from each of the multiple air conditioning remote controls 20. Upon receiving the advertising signal, the communication control unit 310 operates in the BLE peripheral mode and transmits an advertising signal based on short-range wireless communication to the surrounding area (step S402).

[0107] In the connection terminal 50a, the communication control unit 510 operates in the BLE central mode and receives an advertising signal transmitted from the gateway device 30. The advertising signal includes identification information of the gateway device 30. Upon receiving the advertising signal, the communication control unit 510 displays the identification information of the gateway device 30 included in the received advertising signal on the display unit 54 and accepts selection of the gateway device 30 from the administrator U. Then, the communication control unit 510 performs connection processing with the gateway device 30 using BLE (step S403).

[0108] In the gateway device 30, the communication control unit 310 transmits connection information indicating the multiple air conditioning remote controls 20 that are the senders of the advertising signal to the connection terminal 50a via BLE (step S404). As shown in FIG. 7 , the connection information is information in which the identification information of the gateway device 30 and the identification information of the multiple air conditioning remote controls 20 are linked.

[0109] In the connection terminal 50a, when the communication control unit 510 receives the connection information transmitted from the gateway device 30, it displays a list of the identification information of the multiple air conditioning remote controls 20 indicated in the received connection information on the display unit 54. Then, the communication control unit 510 accepts from the administrator U a selection of at least one air conditioning remote control 20 to be the connection destination from among the multiple air conditioning remote controls 20 whose identification information is displayed (step S405).

[0110] Specifically, the communication control unit 510 displays the remote control selection screen shown in Fig. 8 on the display unit 54. The administrator U can operate the operation unit 53 to select at least one air conditioning remote control 20 from among the multiple air conditioning remote controls 20 whose identification information is displayed on the remote control selection screen.

[0111] When the administrator U selects at least one air conditioning remote control 20 as a connection destination, the communication control unit 510 transmits connection setting information indicating the selected at least one air conditioning remote control 20 to the gateway device 30 via BLE (step S406). As shown in FIG. 9 , the connection setting information is information that associates identification information of the at least one air conditioning remote control 20 selected as a connection destination with identification information of the gateway device 30.

[0112] In the gateway device 30, the communication control unit 310 receives the connection setting information transmitted from the connection terminal 50a. Upon receiving the connection setting information, the communication control unit 310 operates in BLE central mode and performs connection processing with at least one air conditioning remote control 20 indicated in the received connection setting information (step S407). Specifically, the communication control unit 310 enables communication via BLE with at least one air conditioning remote control 20 selected as the connection destination.

[0113] When the connection process is completed without any problems, the communication control unit 210 in each of the at least one air conditioning remote control 20 notifies the gateway device 30 of the connection completion. When the communication control unit 310 in the gateway device 30 receives the connection completion notification from each of the at least one air conditioning remote control 20, it operates in the BLE peripheral mode and transmits the received notification to the connection terminal 50a via BLE (step S408).

[0114] In the connection terminal 50a, when the communication control unit 510 receives a notification of connection completion from the gateway device 30, the communication control unit 510 displays the received notification on the display unit 54 (step S409). This allows the administrator U to confirm that the connection process was successful and that a communication path has been established between at least one air conditioning remote control 20 and the gateway device 30.

[0115] The connection process shown in Fig. 17 is performed after the connection process shown in Fig. 16 when the connection terminal 50a and the information terminal 50 are able to communicate with the server device 40. When the connection process shown in Fig. 17 starts, the communication control unit 510 in the connection terminal 50a transmits connection setting information, which links the identification information of at least one air conditioning remote control 20 selected as the connection destination with the identification information of the gateway device 30, to the server device 40 via LTE-M (step S410).

[0116] In the server device 40, when the communication control unit 410 receives the connection setting information, the communication control unit 410 stores the received connection setting information in the storage unit 42 (step S411). This allows the server device 40 to identify the correspondence between the gateway device 30 and at least one air conditioning remote control 20 that is its connection destination.

[0117] In the information terminal 50, when the communication control unit 510 accepts an initial operation from the administrator U, it transmits a request for connection setting information to the server device 40 via LTE-M (step S412). In the server device 40, when the communication control unit 410 receives the request for connection setting information from the information terminal 50, it transmits the connection setting information to the information terminal 50 (step S413). In the information terminal 50, when the communication control unit 510 receives the connection setting information from the server device 40, it stores the received connection setting information in the storage unit 52 (step S414). This allows the information terminal 50 to identify the correspondence between the gateway device 30 and at least one air conditioning remote control 20 that is its connection destination.

[0118] As a result, when mobile communication becomes possible between the gateway device 30 and the server device 40, a communication path is established between the air conditioning remote controller 20, the gateway device 30, the server device 40, and the information terminal 50, similar to the first embodiment. As a result, similar to the first embodiment, collection processing and operation processing can be performed remotely using the information terminal 50.

[0119] As described above, in the second embodiment, even in a situation where the gateway device 30 cannot connect to the server device 40, the connection setting can be completed on the connection terminal 50a of the administrator U. This makes it easier to introduce the air conditioning communication system 1a into the building H.

[0120] In the second embodiment, the connection terminal 50a is a terminal different from the information terminal 50. However, the connection terminal 50a may be the same terminal as the information terminal 50, and may be a terminal in which the connection processing function in the second embodiment is installed.

[0121] In the second embodiment, after the connection process is performed between the gateway device 30 and at least one air conditioning remote control 20, the connection terminal 50a transmits the connection setting information to the server device 40. However, instead of the connection terminal 50a transmitting the connection setting information to the server device 40, the gateway device 30 may transmit the connection setting information to the server device 40 via LTE-M after the gateway device 30 becomes able to communicate with the server device 40.

[0122] Third Embodiment Next, a third embodiment will be described. Descriptions of the same configurations and functions as those of the first and second embodiments will be omitted where appropriate.

[0123] In the above-described first embodiment, the communication control unit 310 transmitted collection requests and output requests to each of the multiple air conditioning remote controls 20 while connecting to each of them in rotation. In contrast, in the third embodiment, the communication control unit 310 transmits collection requests and output requests to each of the multiple air conditioning remote controls 20 while simultaneously connecting via BLE. Hereinafter, the collection process according to the third embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 18 .

[0124] When the collection process starts, the communication control unit 310 in the gateway device 30 transmits a collection request to each of the multiple air conditioning remote controls 20 via the short-range wireless communication unit 351 (step S501). When the communication control unit 210 in each air conditioning remote control 20 receives the collection request transmitted from the gateway device 30, it transmits a response to the received collection request to the gateway device 30 via the short-range wireless communication unit 252 (step S502).

[0125] More specifically, when transmitting a collection request to multiple air conditioning remote controls 20, the communication control unit 310 transmits the collection request to a second air conditioning remote control 20 among the multiple air conditioning remote controls 20 before receiving a response from a first air conditioning remote control 20 among the multiple air conditioning remote controls 20. In other words, after transmitting a collection request to one air conditioning remote control 20, the communication control unit 310 transmits the collection request to the next air conditioning remote control 20 without waiting for a response to the collection request to be received from the first air conditioning remote control 20. In this way, the communication control unit 310 transmits collection requests to each of the multiple air conditioning remote controls 20 while simultaneously connected via BLE.

[0126] In each air conditioning remote controller 20, the communication control unit 210 collects operating information from the corresponding air conditioner 10 in response to the collection request sent from the gateway device 30 (step S503). The communication control unit 210 continues the process of repeatedly collecting operating information from the air conditioner 10 at predetermined intervals from the time when the response is sent to the gateway device 30 to the time when an output request is received from the gateway device 30, and stores the collected operating information in the storage unit 22.

[0127] In the gateway device 30, the communication control unit 310 transmits an output request to each of the plurality of air conditioning remote controls 20 via the short-range wireless communication unit 351 (step S504). The communication control unit 310 transmits the output request to each of the plurality of air conditioning remote controls 20 at a timing when a predetermined time has elapsed since transmitting the collection request.

[0128] In each air conditioning remote controller 20, the communication control unit 210 transmits the collected operation information to the gateway device 30 in response to the output request transmitted from the gateway device 30 (step S505). Specifically, upon receiving the output request, the communication control unit 210 stops the process of collecting operation information from the air conditioners 10. Then, in response to the received output request, the communication control unit 210 transmits the operation information stored in the storage unit 22 to the gateway device 30 via the short-range wireless communication unit 252.

[0129] In the gateway device 30, the communication control unit 310 acquires the operating information transmitted from each air conditioning remote control 20 via the short-range wireless communication unit 351. As when transmitting a collection request, the communication control unit 310 transmits an output request to each of the multiple air conditioning remote controls 20 while simultaneously connected via short-range wireless communication, and acquires the operating information in response. The communication control unit 310 stores the operating information acquired from each air conditioning remote control 20 in the memory unit 32.

[0130] When the information terminal 50 receives the selection of the air conditioner 10 to be monitored, the communication control unit 310 transmits, in steps S506 to S511, the operation information of the selected air conditioner 10 to the information terminal 50 via the server device 40. The processing of steps S506 to S511 is the same as steps S206 to S211 described in the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0131] As described above, in the third embodiment, the communication control unit 310 transmits a collection request and an output request to each of the multiple air conditioning remote controls 20 while simultaneously connected via BLE. This eliminates the need to wait for a response to be transmitted from the air conditioning remote control 20, and therefore, compared to the first embodiment, the total waiting time required for the gateway device 30 to acquire operation information from the multiple air conditioning remote controls 20 can be reduced. As a result, the interval at which operation information is transmitted to the server device 40 can be shortened, and the accuracy of monitoring the air conditioners 10 can be improved.

[0132] (Fourth Embodiment) Next, a fourth embodiment will be described. Descriptions of the same configurations and functions as those of the first to third embodiments will be omitted where appropriate.

[0133] 19, the gateway device 30a according to the fourth embodiment includes, in addition to the configuration of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 3, a notifying unit 34 which is an example of a notifying means, and a communication quality measuring unit 311 which is an example of a communication quality measuring means as a function of the control unit 31. The notifying unit 34 includes an LED (Light Emitting Diode) and lights up the LED in a manner according to the state of the gateway device 30a.

[0134] The communication quality measurement unit 311 measures the communication quality in the short-range wireless communication unit 351 and the communication quality in the mobile communication unit 352. Here, the communication quality is the degree to which stable, high-speed communication is possible without packet loss, delay, communication interruption, etc. The communication quality changes in various ways depending on, for example, when the position of the gateway device 30 is changed or when a metal object is placed around the gateway device 30.

[0135] The communication quality measurement unit 311 measures whether packet loss, delay, communication interruption, etc. occurs in BLE with each of the multiple air conditioning remote controls 20 as the communication quality in the short-range wireless communication unit 351. Furthermore, the communication quality measurement unit 311 measures whether packet loss, delay, communication interruption, etc. occurs in LTE-M with the server device 40 as the communication quality in the mobile communication unit 352. The communication quality of LTE-M may be measured using, for example, RSRP (Reference Signal Received Power).

[0136] The communication quality measurement unit 311 notifies the measured communication quality for each of the short-range wireless communication and the mobile communication by the notification unit 34. Specifically, the communication quality measurement unit 311 lights up the LED of the notification unit 34 in a manner according to the measured communication quality.

[0137] For example, the notification unit 34 includes an LED for short-range wireless communication and an LED for mobile communication. The communication quality measurement unit 311 measures the communication quality of each of the short-range wireless communication and the mobile communication at multiple levels and lights up the corresponding LED with a color, brightness, blinking state, etc. that corresponds to the measured level. This notification allows people around the gateway device 30 to easily check the current communication quality of the gateway device 30.

[0138] In gateway device 30, communication control unit 310 notifies server device 40 of the communication quality measured by communication quality measurement unit 311 via mobile communication unit 352. In server device 40, upon receiving the notification of the communication quality from gateway device 30, communication control unit 410 accumulates log data of the communication quality of gateway device 30 in storage unit 42.

[0139] The communication control unit 410 determines whether the communication quality of at least one of the short-range wireless communication and the mobile communication satisfies a predetermined degradation condition based on the log data accumulated in the storage unit 42. Here, the degradation condition is a condition that is satisfied when the communication quality has deteriorated to the extent that normal communication is not possible.

[0140] For example, the degradation condition is satisfied when the measured communication quality is lower than a predetermined threshold. Alternatively, the degradation condition may be satisfied not only by a single degradation of communication quality, but also when the number of times the communication quality has declined below the threshold reaches a predetermined frequency. Furthermore, the degradation condition may be satisfied when the degree of change in communication quality reaches a threshold. The change in communication quality may be, for example, a change from the previous day to the current day, or a change over a period shorter than one day.

[0141] If the determination result indicates that the communication quality of at least one of the short-range wireless communication and the mobile communication satisfies the degradation condition, the communication control unit 410 transmits a notification indicating degradation of the communication quality to the information terminal 50 via the communication unit 45. As a result, the communication control unit 410 notifies the information terminal 50 that the communication quality of the gateway device 30 has been degraded. In the information terminal 50, when the communication control unit 510 receives the notification from the server device 40, it displays a warning based on the received notification on the display unit 54.

[0142] 20 , the communication control unit 510 displays a message on the display unit 54 instructing the improvement of communication quality because the communication quality of the gateway device 30 has deteriorated. By checking such a message, the administrator U can improve the communication quality by changing the position of the gateway device 30 in the building H or removing obstacles around the gateway device 30.

[0143] As described above, the gateway device 30a according to the fourth embodiment measures the communication quality of short-range wireless communication and the communication quality of mobile communication, and reports the measured communication quality. Furthermore, the gateway device 30a according to the fourth embodiment notifies the server device 40 of the communication quality, and if the communication quality has deteriorated, the server device 40 notifies the information terminal 50 of the deterioration of the communication quality. As a result, if the communication quality of the gateway device 30a has deteriorated, the administrator U can address the problem of the communication quality by adjusting the position of the gateway device 30a within the building H. As a result, remote monitoring of the air conditioners 10 installed in the building H can be continued stably.

[0144] In the above-described fourth embodiment, communication quality measurement unit 311 measures both the communication quality of short-distance wireless communication by short-distance wireless communication unit 351 and the communication quality of mobile communication by mobile communication unit 352. However, communication quality measurement unit 311 is not limited to this, and may measure the communication quality of only one of short-distance wireless communication by short-distance wireless communication unit 351 and mobile communication by mobile communication unit 352.

[0145] The method of presenting the communication quality from the server device 40 to the information terminal 50 is not limited to the above, and may be a push notification or an email notification to a registered email address. The content of the message displayed on the information terminal 50 may change depending on the degree of deterioration in communication quality, how the communication quality changes, etc.

[0146] (Embodiment 5) Next, a description will be given of embodiment 5. Descriptions of the same configurations and functions as those of embodiments 1 to 4 will be omitted where appropriate.

[0147] 21, the gateway device 30b according to the fifth embodiment includes, in addition to the configuration of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 3, an annunciation unit 34 which is an example of an annunciation unit, a backup power supply unit 36 ​​which is an example of a backup power supply unit, and a power supply control unit 312 which is an example of a power supply control unit as a function of the control unit 31. The annunciation unit 34 includes an LED, as in the fourth embodiment, and lights up the LED in a manner according to the state of the gateway device 30b.

[0148] The standby power supply unit 36 ​​is, for example, a primary battery, a secondary battery, a supercapacitor, or the like, and supplies power to the gateway device 30b when the supply of external power to the gateway device 30b is interrupted. Here, when the supply of external power to the gateway device 30b is interrupted, for example, the gateway device 30b is unplugged or a power outage occurs. By including the standby power supply unit 36, the gateway device 30b can operate even if the power to the gateway device 30b is unintentionally shut down.

[0149] The power supply control unit 312 determines whether the external power supply to the gateway device 30b has been cut off. If it is determined that the power supply has been cut off, the power supply control unit 312 switches the power supply to the gateway device 30b to the power supply from the backup power supply unit 36. As a result, the power supply control unit 312 allows the gateway device 30b to continue operating using the backup power supply unit 36 ​​even if the power supply has been cut off.

[0150] Furthermore, when the power supply control unit 312 determines that the external power supply to the gateway device 30b has been cut off, it notifies the occurrence of an error via the notification unit 34. Specifically, the power supply control unit 312 lights up the LED of the notification unit 34 in a manner corresponding to the cutoff of the power supply. This notification allows people around the gateway device 30 to easily confirm that the gateway device 30b is not receiving external power.

[0151] Furthermore, when the power supply control unit 312 determines that the external power supply to gateway device 30b has been cut off, the communication control unit 310 transmits a notification indicating that the power supply has been cut off to server device 40 via the mobile communication unit 352. In server device 40, when the communication control unit 410 receives the notification from gateway device 30, it transmits the received notification to information terminal 50 via the communication unit 45. As a result, the communication control unit 410 notifies the information terminal 50 that the external power supply to gateway device 30b has been cut off.

[0152] In the information terminal 50, when the communication control unit 510 receives a notification from the server device 40, the communication control unit 510 displays a warning based on the received notification on the display unit 54. For example, as shown in Fig. 22, the communication control unit 510 displays a message prompting the administrator U to check the power supply of the gateway device 30b on the display unit 54. By checking such a message, the administrator U can restore the power supply of the gateway device 30b.

[0153] As described above, when the supply of power to the gateway device 30b from outside is cut off, the gateway device 30b according to the fifth embodiment notifies the information terminal 50 via the server device 40 that the power supply has been cut off. This allows the administrator U to handle an unintentional power outage of the gateway device 30 by the user. As a result, remote monitoring of the air conditioners 10 installed in the building H can be continued stably.

[0154] (Modifications) Although the embodiments have been described above, it is possible to combine the embodiments, or to modify or omit the embodiments as appropriate.

[0155] For example, in the above embodiment, the short-range wireless communication network N1 and the mobile communication network N2 are described as being based on BLE and LTE-M, respectively, but the short-range wireless communication network N1 and the mobile communication network N2 may be communication networks based on other communication standards. Also, in the above embodiment, the air conditioning communication system 1 includes multiple air conditioners 10 and multiple air conditioning remote controls 20, but there may be only one air conditioner 10 and one air conditioning remote control 20.

[0156] In the above embodiment, the communication control unit 310 of the gateway device 30 performs short-range wireless communication with multiple air conditioning remote controls 20 and acquires operation information of the air conditioner 10 from each air conditioning remote control 20. However, the communication control unit 310 may also acquire operation information of the air conditioner 10 from a source other than the air conditioning remote control 20. For example, if the indoor unit 12 has a function for performing short-range wireless communication, the communication control unit 310 may perform short-range wireless communication with the indoor unit 12 and acquire operation information of the air conditioner 10 from the indoor unit 12. In this case, the communication control unit 310 performs connection processing via short-range wireless communication with the indoor unit 12 as the connection destination, acquires operation information of the air conditioning remote control 20 from the indoor unit 12, and transmits operation information for the air conditioner 10 to the indoor unit 12. In this way, the above embodiment can be similarly described by replacing the processing performed on the air conditioning remote control 20 with processing performed on the indoor unit 12.

[0157] In the above embodiment, the information terminal 50 is a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or the like, and the server device 40 communicates with the information terminal 50 via the mobile communication network N2. However, communication between the server device 40 and the information terminal 50 is not limited to the mobile communication network N2, and any method may be used. For example, the information terminal 50 is not limited to a terminal used while moving, and may be a stationary computer. In this case, the server device 40 may communicate with the information terminal 50 via, for example, a wireless LAN.

[0158] In the above-described embodiments, the control units 21, 31, 41, and 51 function as the communication control units 210, 310, 410, and 510 or the communication quality measurement unit 320 by the CPU executing a program stored in the ROM or the storage units 22, 32, 42, and 52. However, the control units 21, 31, 41, and 51 may be dedicated hardware. Dedicated hardware may be, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a combination thereof. When the control units 21, 31, 41, and 51 are dedicated hardware, the functions of each unit may be realized by individual hardware, or the functions of each unit may be realized together by a single piece of hardware.

[0159] In addition, some of the functions of each unit may be realized by dedicated hardware, and other functions may be realized by software or firmware. In this way, the control units 21, 31, 41, and 51 can realize the above-mentioned functions by hardware, software, firmware, or a combination of these.

[0160] By applying a program that defines the operation of the control units 21, 31, 41, 51 to an existing computer such as a personal computer or an information terminal device, the computer can be made to function as an air conditioning control device.

[0161] Furthermore, the method of distribution of such a program is arbitrary, and for example, it may be stored on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disk ROM), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), an MO (Magneto Optical Disk), or a memory card and distributed, or it may be distributed via a communication network such as the Internet.

[0162] The present disclosure allows various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are intended to illustrate the present disclosure and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. That is, the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims, not the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the meaning of equivalent disclosures are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0163] The present disclosure is applicable to air conditioning systems.

[0164] 1, 1a Air conditioning communication system, 10 Air conditioner, 11 Outdoor unit, 12 Indoor unit, 20 Air conditioning remote control, 21, 31, 41, 51 Control unit, 22, 32, 42, 52 Memory unit, 23, 33, 53 Operation unit, 24, 54 Display unit, 25, 35, 45, 55 Communication unit, 30, 30a, 30b Gateway device, 34 Notification unit, 36 Standby power supply unit, 39 Changeover switch, 40 Server device, 50 Information terminal, 50a Connection terminal, 60 Base station, 210, 310, 410, 510 Communication control unit, 251 Air conditioning communication unit, 252, 351 Short-range wireless communication unit, 311 Communication quality measurement unit, 312 Power supply control unit, 352 Mobile communication unit, N0 Dedicated line, N1 Short-range wireless communication network, N2 Mobile communication network, N3 local communication network

Claims

1. An air conditioning communication system comprising a gateway device and a server device, wherein the gateway device comprises: short-range wireless communication means for communicating via a short-range wireless communication network; mobile communication means for communicating via a mobile communication network; and communication control means for acquiring operating information indicating the operating state of an air conditioner via the short-range wireless communication means and transmitting the acquired operating information to the server device via the mobile communication means, and the server device comprises: server-side communication means for communicating with the gateway device and an information terminal, and server-side communication control means for acquiring the operating information from the gateway device via the server-side communication means and presenting the acquired operating information to the information terminal via the server-side communication means.

2. The air conditioning communication system of claim 1, wherein in the gateway device, the communication control means acquires operation information indicating the operating status of each of a plurality of air conditioners via the short-range wireless communication means, and transmits the operation information of the air conditioner selected on the information terminal from the acquired operation information of the plurality of air conditioners to the server device via the mobile communication means.

3. The air conditioning communication system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the air conditioning remote control is a remote control for the air conditioner, and the air conditioning remote control comprises: air conditioning communication means for communicating with the air conditioner via a dedicated line; remote control-side short-range wireless communication means for communicating with the gateway device via the short-range wireless communication network; and remote control-side communication control means for acquiring the operating information from the air conditioner via the air conditioning communication means and transmitting the acquired operating information to the gateway device via the short-range wireless communication means; and wherein in the gateway device, the communication control means acquires the operating information from the air conditioning remote control via the short-range wireless communication means.

4. The air conditioning communication system described in claim 3, wherein in the gateway device, the communication control means transmits to the air conditioning remote control a collection request to collect the operating information from the air conditioner and an output request to output the collected operating information to the gateway device via the short-range wireless communication means; and in the air conditioning remote control, the remote control side communication control means collects the operating information from the air conditioner via the air conditioning communication means in response to the collection request transmitted from the gateway device, and outputs the collected operating information to the gateway device via the remote control side short-range wireless communication means in response to the output request transmitted from the gateway device.

5. The air conditioning communication system according to claim 4, wherein the air conditioning communication system comprises a plurality of air conditioning remote controls, each of which is a remote control for a different air conditioner, and in each of the plurality of air conditioning remote controls, the remote control-side communication control means transmits a response to the collection request transmitted from the gateway device to the gateway device via the remote control-side short-range wireless communication means, and in the gateway device, the communication control means, after receiving the response from a first air conditioning remote control of the plurality of air conditioning remote controls, transmits the collection request to a second air conditioning remote control of the plurality of air conditioning remote controls via the short-range wireless communication means.

6. The air conditioning communication system according to claim 4, wherein the air conditioning communication system comprises a plurality of air conditioning remote controls, each of which is a remote control for a different air conditioner, and in each of the plurality of air conditioning remote controls, the remote control-side communication control means transmits a response to the collection request transmitted from the gateway device to the gateway device via the remote control-side short-range wireless communication means, and in the gateway device, the communication control means transmits the collection request to a second air conditioning remote control of the plurality of air conditioning remote controls via the short-range wireless communication means before receiving the response from a first air conditioning remote control of the plurality of air conditioning remote controls.

7. The air conditioning communication system according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the air conditioning communication system comprises a plurality of air conditioning remote controls, each of which is a remote control for a different air conditioner, and in the gateway device, the communication control means performs connection processing using the short-range wireless communication means with at least one air conditioning remote control selected as the connection destination from among the plurality of air conditioning remote controls.

8. The air conditioning communication system of claim 7, wherein in the gateway device, the communication control means transmits connection information indicating the multiple air conditioning remote controls to the server device via the short-range wireless communication means; in the server device, the server-side communication control means presents the multiple air conditioning remote controls indicated in the connection information transmitted from the gateway device to the information terminal as connection destination candidates via the server-side communication means; and transmits connection setting information indicating at least one air conditioning remote control selected as the connection destination from among the multiple air conditioning remote controls on the information terminal to the gateway device via the server-side communication means; and in the gateway device, the communication control means acquires the connection setting information transmitted from the server device via the mobile communication means, and performs the connection processing via the short-range wireless communication means between the gateway device and the at least one air conditioning remote control indicated in the acquired connection setting information.

9. An air conditioning communication system as described in claim 7 or 8, wherein in the gateway device, the communication control means presents the plurality of air conditioning remote controls to a connection terminal via the short-range wireless communication means, acquires connection setting information indicating at least one air conditioning remote control selected as the connection destination from among the plurality of air conditioning remote controls on the connection terminal via the short-range wireless communication means, and performs the connection processing via the short-range wireless communication means between the gateway device and the at least one air conditioning remote control indicated in the acquired connection setting information.

10. An air conditioning communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein in the server device, the server-side communication control means acquires operation information for the air conditioner from the information terminal via the server-side communication means and transmits the acquired operation information to the gateway device via the server-side communication means; and in the gateway device, the communication control means acquires the operation information transmitted from the server device via the mobile communication means and transmits control instructions for controlling the air conditioner based on the acquired operation information via the short-range wireless communication means.

11. An air conditioning communication system as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the gateway device further comprises: a communication quality measurement means for measuring the communication quality of at least one of the short-range wireless communication means and the mobile communication means; and a notification means for notifying the communication quality measured by the communication quality measurement means.

12. The air conditioning communication system described in claim 11, wherein in the gateway device, the communication control means notifies the server device of the communication quality measured by the communication quality measurement means via the mobile communication means, and in the server device, the server-side communication control means, when the communication quality notified from the gateway device satisfies a predetermined degradation condition, notifies the information terminal via the server-side communication means that the communication quality has deteriorated.

13. An air conditioning communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the gateway device further comprises a backup power supply means for supplying power to the gateway device when the supply of power from outside to the gateway device is cut off, and the communication control means, when the supply of power is cut off, sends a notification indicating that the supply of power has been cut off to the server device via the mobile communication means, and in the server device, the server-side communication control means presents the notification sent from the gateway device to the information terminal via the server-side communication means.

14. The air conditioning communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the mobile communication network is a communication network conforming to the LPWA (Low Power Wide Area) standard.

15. A gateway device comprising: short-range wireless communication means for communicating via a short-range wireless communication network; mobile communication means for communicating via a mobile communication network; and communication control means for acquiring operating information indicating the operating status of an air conditioner via the short-range wireless communication means, and transmitting the acquired operating information via the mobile communication means to a server device that presents the operating information on an information terminal.

16. A program that causes a computer equipped with short-range wireless communication means for communicating via a short-range wireless communication network and mobile communication means for communicating via a mobile communication network to function as a communication control means that acquires operating information indicating the operating status of an air conditioner via the short-range wireless communication means and transmits the acquired operating information via the mobile communication means to a server device that presents the operating information on an information terminal.

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