Wireless communication device, program, and method for controlling wireless communication device

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a wireless communication device capable of increasing the possibility that a radio wave intensity can be set to an intensity at which supply of electric power from an air conditioning device is not interrupted.　A wireless communication device according to the present disclosure is capable of communicating with an air conditioning device and performs wireless communication with a device other than the air conditioning device by operating upon receiving supply of electric power from the air conditioning device. The wireless communication device comprises a control unit that executes an adjustment process for adjusting the radio wave intensity of radio waves emitted by the wireless communication device. In the adjustment process, the control unit assesses whether the wireless communication device and the air conditioning device can communicate with each other. When it is assessed that the wireless communication device and the air conditioning device cannot communicate with each other, the control unit changes the radio wave intensity to a radio wave intensity having a lower intensity than a set radio wave intensity.

Description

Wireless communication device, program, and method for controlling wireless communication device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a wireless communication device, a program, and a method for controlling a wireless communication device.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for connecting a communication adapter to an indoor unit and remotely controlling an air conditioner via the communication adapter.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-085599

[0004] The present disclosure provides a wireless communication device, a program, and a method for controlling a wireless communication device that can increase the likelihood that radio wave intensity can be set to an intensity that will not interrupt the power supply from an air conditioner.

[0005] The wireless communication device of the present disclosure is a wireless communication device that is capable of communicating with an air conditioning device and operates by receiving power from the air conditioning device to communicate wirelessly with equipment other than the air conditioning device, and is equipped with a control unit that executes an adjustment process to adjust the radio wave intensity of the radio waves emitted by the wireless communication device, and in the adjustment process, the control unit determines whether the wireless communication device and the air conditioning device are able to communicate, and if it determines that the wireless communication device and the air conditioning device are unable to communicate, changes the radio wave intensity to a radio wave intensity that is lower than the set radio wave intensity.

[0006] In addition, the program disclosed herein causes a processor of a wireless communication device that is capable of communicating with an air conditioning device and that receives power from the air conditioning device to operate and communicate wirelessly with equipment other than the air conditioning device to execute an adjustment process to adjust the radio wave intensity of the radio waves emitted by the wireless communication device, and in the adjustment process, determines whether the wireless communication device and the air conditioning device are able to communicate, and if it determines that the wireless communication device and the air conditioning device are unable to communicate, changes the radio wave intensity to a radio wave intensity that is lower than the set radio wave intensity.

[0007] In addition, the control method for a wireless communication device in the present disclosure is a control method for a wireless communication device that is capable of communicating with an air conditioning device and that operates by receiving power from the air conditioning device to communicate wirelessly with equipment other than the air conditioning device, and in an adjustment process for adjusting the radio wave intensity of radio waves emitted by the wireless communication device, it is determined whether the wireless communication device and the air conditioning device are able to communicate, and if it is determined that the wireless communication device and the air conditioning device are unable to communicate, the radio wave intensity is changed to a radio wave intensity that is lower than the set radio wave intensity.

[0008] The wireless communication device, program, and method for controlling a wireless communication device disclosed herein set the radio wave strength lower than the set radio wave strength when communication with the air conditioner becomes impossible due to a power supply interruption from the air conditioner caused by the set radio wave strength, thereby increasing the possibility of setting the radio wave strength to an intensity that will not interrupt the power supply from the air conditioner.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a communication system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a wireless communication device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the wireless communication device according to the first embodiment.

[0010] (Knowledge, etc., that Forms the Basis of the Present Disclosure) At the time the inventors conceived the present disclosure, technology existed for connecting a wireless communication device to an air conditioning apparatus, as described in Patent Document 1. This type of wireless communication device operates by receiving power from the air conditioning apparatus and performs wireless communication. Generally, increasing the radio wave intensity of the radio waves emitted by the wireless communication device extends the communication distance, but increasing the radio wave intensity also increases the power consumption of the wireless communication device. Therefore, the inventors discovered a problem in that, depending on the radio wave intensity set, the power consumption of the wireless communication device may exceed the power supplied from the air conditioning apparatus, causing the power supply from the air conditioning apparatus to be interrupted and preventing the wireless communication device from performing wireless communication. To solve this problem, the present disclosure has constituted the subject matter of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure provides a wireless communication device, a program, and a method for controlling a wireless communication device that can increase the likelihood of setting the radio wave intensity to an intensity that will not interrupt the power supply from the air conditioning apparatus.

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, more detailed description than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed description of already well-known matters or redundant description of substantially the same configuration may be omitted. Note that the accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

[0012] (Embodiment 1) [1-1. Configuration] [1-1-1. Configuration of communication system] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a communication system 1000. The communication system 1000 is a system in which an air conditioning system 1 and a server device 2 communicate with each other via a network NW. The network NW includes the Internet, a telephone network, and other communication networks.

[0013] The communication system 1000 includes an air conditioning system 1. The air conditioning system 1 is a system that conditions the air conditioning space within the facility H. In this embodiment, the communication system 1000 includes one air conditioning system 1, but the communication system 1000 may include multiple air conditioning systems 1.

[0014] The air conditioning system 1 includes an air conditioning apparatus 3. The air conditioning apparatus 3 includes an indoor unit 4 and an outdoor unit 5. The indoor unit 4 and the outdoor unit 5 are connected by refrigerant piping and control wiring, thereby forming a refrigeration cycle in the air conditioning apparatus 3. Note that, although FIG. 1 illustrates a configuration in which the air conditioning apparatus 3 includes one indoor unit 4 and one outdoor unit 5, the number of indoor units 4 and the number of outdoor units 5 included in the air conditioning apparatus 3 are not limited to one each. There may be one outdoor unit 5 and multiple indoor units 4, or there may be multiple outdoor units 5 and multiple indoor units 4. Furthermore, although the indoor unit 4 in this embodiment is illustrated as a four-way ceiling cassette type indoor unit, the indoor unit 4 may be of other types, such as a two-way ceiling cassette type, a ceiling-suspended type, or a wall-mounted type.

[0015] The air conditioning system 1 includes a remote controller (hereinafter referred to as "remote control") 6. The remote control 6 is installed on a wall or the like of the space to be air-conditioned by the indoor units 4. The remote control 6 has multiple operation buttons for starting and stopping operation, menu operations, cursor key operations, and the like. The remote control 6 also has a display configured with an LCD or LED (Light Emitting Diode), an LED light for displaying the operating status of the indoor unit 4, and the like. The remote control 6 is connected to the indoor unit 4 via a remote control wiring RL, and receives power from and communicates with the indoor unit 4 via the remote control wiring RL. In this embodiment, the air conditioning system 1 includes one indoor unit 4, and therefore the air conditioning system 1 includes one remote control 6. However, if the air conditioning system 1 includes multiple indoor units 4, the number of remote controls 6 is not limited to the number corresponding to the number of indoor units 4. In other words, the number of remote controls 6 provided in an air conditioning system 1 having a plurality of indoor units 4 may be one or more.

[0016] The air conditioning system 1 includes a wireless communication device 7. The wireless communication device 7 is a device that establishes a wireless local area network (Wireless Local Area Network) within the facility H and communicates wirelessly with devices that are connected to the wireless local area network. The wireless communication device 7 is connected to the indoor unit 4 via a remote control wiring RL and operates by receiving power from the indoor unit 4 via the remote control wiring RL. The wireless communication device 7 also communicates with the indoor unit 4 via the remote control wiring RL. The wireless communication device 7 is not a device that is connected to or built into the indoor unit 4 when the indoor unit 4 is shipped, but rather a device that is retrofitted to the indoor unit 4 after the indoor unit 4 has been installed in the facility H.

[0017] When the wireless router 8 is connected to the wireless local network, the wireless communication device 7 communicates with the server device 2 via the wireless router 8. The wireless router 8 is an interface device that connects the wireless communication device 7 to the network NW, and is installed in the facility H. The wireless communication device 7 collects information requested by the server device 2 from each part of the air conditioning system 1 as the upload target. The wireless communication device 7 then transmits the collected information to the server device 2. This reduces the processing load on the wireless communication device 7 related to transmitting information to the server device 2, thereby reducing power consumption. The wireless router 8 is an example of a "device other than an air conditioning device."

[0018] In the present embodiment, if the communication connection between the wireless communication device 7 and the wireless router 8 is interrupted after the communication connection between the wireless communication device 7 and the wireless router 8 is established, the remote control 6 displays a message prompting the execution of an adjustment process, which will be described later, or an error code indicating that the communication connection has been interrupted. More specifically, if the communication connection between the wireless communication device 7 and the wireless router 8 is interrupted, the wireless communication device 7 transmits information indicating that the communication connection has been interrupted to the indoor unit 4 via the remote control wiring RL. When the indoor unit 4 receives information indicating that the communication connection has been interrupted from the wireless communication device 7, it transmits the information to the remote control 6. Then, when the remote control 6 receives information indicating that the communication connection has been interrupted from the indoor unit 4, it displays the above-mentioned message.

[0019] Returning to the explanation of the communication system 1000, the communication system 1000 includes a server device 2. The server device 2 is a device that processes information using the wireless communication device 7 as a client. The server device 2 is connected to a network NW and communicates with the wireless communication device 7. Note that in each drawing, the server device 2 is represented by a single block, but this does not necessarily mean that the server device 2 is composed of a single device.

[0020] [1-1-2. Wireless Communication Device] Next, a description will be given of the configuration of the wireless communication device 7. FIG.

[0021] The wireless communication device 7 includes a control unit 70 , a first interface 71 , and a second interface 72 .

[0022] Before describing the control unit 70, the first interface 71 and the second interface 72 will be described. The first interface 71 includes an interface circuit that communicates and receives power via the remote control wiring RL, and a power supply circuit that supplies power supplied from the indoor unit 4 to each part of the wireless communication device 7. The first interface 71 communicates with the indoor unit 4 under the control of the control unit 70, and also supplies power to each part of the wireless communication device 7. The second interface 72 includes hardware that complies with a predetermined wireless communication standard, such as an antenna and a wireless communication circuit, and communicates wirelessly under the control of the control unit 70.

[0023] The control unit 70 includes a processor 700 such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processor Unit), a memory 710, and an interface circuit for connecting other devices and sensors, and controls each part of the wireless communication device 7. The memory 710 is an example of a "storage unit."

[0024] The memory 710 is a memory that stores programs and data. The memory 710 stores a control program 711, setting data 712, a flag 713, and data to be processed by the processor 700. The memory 710 has a non-volatile storage area. The memory 710 may also have a volatile storage area and constitute a work area for the processor 700. The memory 710 is configured, for example, by a read-only memory (ROM) or a random access memory (RAM). The flag 713 is an example of "information indicating whether or not an adjustment process is being performed."

[0025] The control program 711 is a program that causes the processor 700 to function as a functional unit, which will be described later.

[0026] The setting data 712 is data indicating the settings of the wireless communication device 7, and a combination of a setting item and a setting value is recorded for each setting item. In this embodiment, the setting data 712 records a combination of a radio wave intensity setting item and a setting value. The radio wave intensity setting item is a setting item for radio wave intensity, which is the intensity of radio waves emitted by the wireless communication device 7. The setting value set for the radio wave intensity setting item indicates radio wave intensity. In this embodiment, the radio wave intensity of the wireless communication device 7 can be set to any of radio wave intensity "1," radio wave intensity "2," radio wave intensity "3," radio wave intensity "4," and radio wave intensity "5." Therefore, in this embodiment, a setting value indicating any of radio wave intensity "1," radio wave intensity "2," radio wave intensity "3," radio wave intensity "4," and radio wave intensity "5" is set for the radio wave intensity setting item of the setting data 712. Note that radio wave intensity "1" is the lowest radio wave intensity that can be set for the wireless communication device 7. Radio wave intensity "2" is the second lowest radio wave intensity that can be set for the wireless communication device 7. The radio wave strength "3" is the third lowest among the radio wave strengths that can be set by the wireless communication device 7. The radio wave strength "4" is the second highest among the radio wave strengths that can be set by the wireless communication device 7. The radio wave strength "5" is the highest among the radio wave strengths that can be set by the wireless communication device 7.

[0027] The flag 713 is information indicating whether or not an adjustment process for adjusting radio wave intensity is currently being performed. When the flag 713 indicates a value of "0", the flag 713 indicates that an adjustment process is not currently being performed. When the flag 713 indicates a value of "1", the flag 713 indicates that an adjustment process is currently being performed.

[0028] The processor 700 reads and executes a control program 711 from the memory 710 to function as a first communication control unit 701, a second communication control unit 702, a determination unit 703, and a radio wave intensity adjustment unit 704.

[0029] The first communication control unit 701 communicates with the indoor unit 4 via the first interface 71 .

[0030] The second communication control unit 702 communicates with a device connected to the wireless local network, i.e., the wireless router 8, via the second interface 72. The second communication control unit 702 sets the radio wave intensity of the radio waves emitted by the second interface 72 to the radio wave intensity indicated by the setting value set in the radio wave intensity setting item of the setting data 712, and constructs a wireless local network with a communication distance corresponding to the set radio wave intensity.

[0031] As described above, the wireless communication device 7 of this embodiment operates by receiving power from the air conditioning device 3. Generally, when the radio wave intensity of the wireless communication device 7 is high, the power consumption of the wireless communication device 7 increases. Incidentally, the air conditioning device 3 has a protection circuit that prevents a current above a certain level from flowing through the remote control wiring RL. Therefore, when the current flowing through the remote control wiring RL increases as the radio wave intensity increases, the protection circuit eventually activates, and the power supply from the air conditioning device 3 is cut off. Therefore, depending on the set radio wave intensity, the wireless communication device 7 of this embodiment may lose power supply from the air conditioning device 3, causing it to restart and becoming unable to communicate with the air conditioning device 3. Therefore, the determination unit 703 determines whether the air conditioning device 3 and the wireless communication device 7 can communicate with each other at the set radio wave intensity. More specifically, if a restart occurs within a predetermined period (e.g., 10 seconds) after radio waves are emitted at the currently set radio wave strength and the flag 713 after the restart indicates that adjustment processing is being performed, the determination unit 703 determines that communication between the air conditioning device 3 and the wireless communication device 7 is not possible at the currently set radio wave strength. On the other hand, if a restart does not occur within the predetermined period after radio waves are emitted at the currently set radio wave strength, the determination unit 703 determines that communication between the air conditioning device 3 and the wireless communication device 7 is possible at the currently set radio wave strength. Furthermore, if a restart occurs within the predetermined period after radio waves are emitted at the currently set radio wave strength but the flag 713 after the restart does not indicate that adjustment processing is being performed, the determination unit 703 determines that a restart simply occurred, not due to radio wave strength, and determines that communication between the air conditioning device 3 and the wireless communication device 7 is possible at the currently set radio wave strength.

[0032] The radio wave intensity adjustment unit 704 adjusts the radio wave intensity in the adjustment process. Details of the radio wave intensity adjustment unit 704 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0033] [1-2. Operation] Next, a description will be given of the operation of each unit of the communication system 1000. Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the wireless communication device 7.

[0034] 3 starts, a communication connection between the wireless communication device 7 and the wireless router 8 has been established by a service technician providing services related to the wireless communication device 7 (e.g., installation services or communication connection services) or by an installer of the air conditioning device 3. Based on this assumption, when a predetermined trigger occurs, the wireless communication device 7 starts an adjustment process. The adjustment process is necessary even when a communication connection between the wireless communication device 7 and the wireless router 8 has been established. This is because the wireless communication device 7 and the wireless router 8 may become unable to communicate due to a change in the installation location of the wireless router 8, which increases the distance between the wireless communication device 7 and the wireless router 8, or an increase in the number of devices emitting radio waves (e.g., personal computers (PCs) and smartphones) in the environment where the wireless communication device 7 and the wireless router 8 communicate.

[0035] The radio wave intensity adjustment unit 704 determines whether or not to start adjustment processing (step S1).

[0036] Step S1 will now be described in detail. For example, when the remote control 6 receives an instruction to execute the adjustment process, the radio wave intensity adjustment unit 704 determines to start the adjustment process. More specifically, when the remote control 6 receives the instruction to execute the adjustment process, the remote control 6 transmits information indicating that the instruction to execute the adjustment process has been received to the indoor unit 4 via the remote control wiring RL. When the indoor unit 4 receives information indicating that the instruction to execute the adjustment process has been received from the remote control 6, the indoor unit 4 transmits the received information via the remote control wiring RL. Then, when the first communication control unit 701 receives information indicating that the instruction to execute the adjustment process has been received, the radio wave intensity adjustment unit 704 makes a positive determination in step S1. Note that the trigger for starting the adjustment process is not limited to the instruction to the remote control 6 illustrated as an example, and may also be a start instruction by pressing an adjustment process start button provided on the wireless communication device 7 or an application installed on a smartphone capable of wireless communication with the wireless communication device 7.

[0037] If the radio wave intensity adjustment unit 704 determines not to start the adjustment process (step S1: NO), it performs the determination in step S1 again.

[0038] On the other hand, when it is determined that the adjustment process should be started (step S1: YES), the radio wave intensity adjustment unit 704 changes the value indicated by the flag 713 stored in the memory 710 from "0" to "1" (step S2). Note that the radio wave intensity adjustment unit 704 stores in the memory 710 the radio wave intensity set at the start of the adjustment process.

[0039] Next, the radio wave intensity adjustment unit 704 sets the radio wave intensity of the wireless communication device 7 to the strongest radio wave intensity (step S3). That is, in step S3, the radio wave intensity adjustment unit 704 changes the setting value set in the radio wave intensity setting item of the setting data 712 to a setting value indicating a radio wave intensity of "5."

[0040] Next, the second communication control unit 702 causes the second interface 72 to generate radio waves with the radio wave intensity set in step S3 (step S4).

[0041] Next, the determination unit 703 determines whether or not the air conditioning device 3 and the wireless communication device 7 are capable of communicating with each other (step S5).

[0042] Step S5 will now be described in detail. If the determination in step S5 is the first determination since the start of the flowchart in Fig. 3, the determination unit 703 determines whether the air conditioning device 3 and the wireless communication device 7 can communicate with each other based on the radio wave strength set in step S3. Furthermore, if the determination in step S5 is the second or subsequent determination since the start of the flowchart in Fig. 3, the determination unit 703 determines whether the air conditioning device 3 and the wireless communication device 7 can communicate with each other based on the radio wave strength set in step S8, which will be described later.

[0043] If the determination unit 703 determines that the air conditioning device 3 and the wireless communication device 7 are able to communicate with each other (step S5: YES), the radio wave intensity adjustment unit 704 determines to perform wireless communication with the wireless router 8 at the currently set radio wave intensity, and changes the value of the flag 713 stored in the memory 710 from "1" to "0" (step S6). After the processing of step S6, the processor 700 ends the adjustment processing.

[0044] Returning to the explanation of step S5, if the judgment unit 703 determines that communication between the air conditioning device 3 and the wireless communication device 7 is not possible (step S5: NO), the radio wave intensity adjustment unit 704 changes the radio wave intensity to one level lower than the currently set radio wave intensity (step S7).

[0045] Step S7 will now be described in detail. If the change in step S7 is the first change since starting the flowchart of FIG. 3 , the radio wave intensity adjustment unit 704 changes the radio wave intensity from radio wave intensity "5" to radio wave intensity "4". If the change in step S7 is the second change since starting the flowchart of FIG. 3 , the radio wave intensity adjustment unit 704 changes the radio wave intensity from radio wave intensity "4" to radio wave intensity "3". If the change in step S7 is the third change since starting the flowchart of FIG. 3 , the radio wave intensity adjustment unit 704 changes the radio wave intensity from radio wave intensity "3" to radio wave intensity "2". If the change in step S7 is the fourth change since starting the flowchart of FIG. 3 , the radio wave intensity adjustment unit 704 changes the radio wave intensity from radio wave intensity "2" to radio wave intensity "1".

[0046] Next, the radio wave intensity adjustment unit 704 determines whether the radio wave intensity stored in the memory 710 at the start of the adjustment process is the same as the radio wave intensity changed in step S7 (step S8).

[0047] If the radio wave intensity adjustment unit 704 determines that the radio wave intensity stored in the memory 710 at the start of the adjustment process is the same as the radio wave intensity changed in step S7 (step S8: YES), it terminates the adjustment process.

[0048] On the other hand, if the radio wave intensity adjustment unit 704 determines that the radio wave intensity stored in memory 710 at the start of the adjustment process is not the same as the radio wave intensity changed in step S7 (step S8: NO), since the radio communication device 7 has not emitted radio waves since it was restarted, the second communication control unit 702 generates radio waves with the radio wave intensity changed in step S8 via the second interface 72 (step S9).

[0049] Then, the processor 700 returns the process to step S4 and performs the processes from step S4 onwards again.

[0050] Next, the operation of each part of the communication system 1000 after the adjustment process is performed will be described. If the communication connection between the wireless communication device 7 and the wireless router 8 does not resume even after the wireless communication device 7 performs the adjustment process, the remote control 6 displays a message or an error code prompting the user to review the settings of the wireless router 8 or contact a service technician or installer. More specifically, if the communication connection with the wireless router 8 does not resume after the adjustment process is performed, the wireless communication device 7 transmits information indicating that the communication connection will not resume to the indoor unit 4 via the remote control wiring RL. When the indoor unit 4 receives information indicating that the communication connection will not resume from the wireless communication device 7, it transmits the information to the remote control 6. Then, when the remote control 6 receives information indicating that the communication connection will not resume from the indoor unit 4, it displays the above message.

[0051] [1-3. Effects, etc.] As described above, the wireless communication device 7 is capable of communicating with the air conditioning device 3, and is a device that performs wireless communication with the wireless router 8 by operating while receiving power from the air conditioning device 3. The wireless communication device 7 is equipped with a control unit 70 that executes an adjustment process to adjust the radio wave intensity of the radio waves emitted by the wireless communication device 7. In the adjustment process, the control unit 70 determines whether the wireless communication device 7 and the air conditioning device 3 are capable of communicating, and if it determines that the wireless communication device 7 and the air conditioning device 3 are not capable of communicating, it changes the radio wave intensity to a radio wave intensity that is lower than the set radio wave intensity.

[0052] According to this, if the set radio wave strength causes the power supply from the air conditioner 3 to be cut off, making it impossible to communicate with the air conditioner 3, the radio wave strength is set to a strength lower than the set radio wave strength. This increases the possibility that the radio wave strength can be set to a strength that will not cause the power supply from the air conditioner 3 to be cut off.

[0053] The control unit 70 changes the radio wave intensity to one level lower than the set radio wave intensity.

[0054] According to this, the radio wave strength is changed to one level lower, which increases the possibility of setting the radio wave strength as high as possible.

[0055] When the control unit 70 changes the radio wave intensity in the adjustment process, it again determines whether or not communication between the wireless communication device 7 and the air conditioning device 3 is possible.

[0056] According to this, if communication between the wireless communication device 7 and the air conditioning device 3 is not possible, the radio wave strength is repeatedly changed to a lower level, thereby increasing the possibility that the radio wave strength can be set to a strength that will not interrupt the power supply from the air conditioning device 3.

[0057] When the control unit 70 starts the adjustment process, it sets the set radio wave strength to the strongest radio wave strength, and after setting the strongest radio wave strength, it determines whether the wireless communication device 7 and the air conditioning device 3 can communicate.

[0058] According to this, the radio wave intensity is changed from the highest to the lowest, which increases the possibility of setting the radio wave intensity as high as possible.

[0059] The wireless communication device 7 is a device that restarts when the power consumption of the wireless communication device 7 exceeds the power supplied from the air conditioning device 3. The wireless communication device 7 includes a memory 710 that stores a flag 713 that indicates whether or not adjustment processing is being performed. When the control unit 70 starts adjustment processing, it changes the flag 713 to a flag 713 that indicates that adjustment processing is being performed. After restarting the wireless communication device 7, if the flag 713 indicates that adjustment processing is being performed, the control unit 70 determines that communication between the wireless communication device 7 and the air conditioning device 3 is not possible.

[0060] This makes it possible to distinguish whether the wireless communication device 7 has restarted during the adjustment process or when the adjustment process is not being performed, thereby preventing the occurrence of a situation in which the radio wave intensity is changed due to a restart that occurs when the adjustment process is not being performed.

[0061] The control unit 70 starts the adjustment process when an instruction to execute the adjustment process is received from the user of the air conditioning device 3.

[0062] This allows the adjustment process to be performed at the timing intended by the user of the air conditioning device 3.

[0063] The control program 711 causes the processor 700 of the wireless communication device 7 to execute an adjustment process, which determines whether the wireless communication device 7 and the air conditioning device 3 can communicate with each other, and if it determines that the wireless communication device 7 and the air conditioning device 3 cannot communicate with each other, changes the radio wave strength to a radio wave strength that is lower than the set radio wave strength.

[0064] This provides the same effects as the wireless communication device 7 described above.

[0065] The control method for the wireless communication device 7 determines whether the wireless communication device 7 and the air conditioning device 3 can communicate with each other in the adjustment process, and if it is determined that the wireless communication device 7 and the air conditioning device 3 cannot communicate with each other, changes the radio wave strength to a radio wave strength lower than the set radio wave strength.

[0066] This provides the same effects as the wireless communication device 7 described above.

[0067] (Other Embodiments) As described above, the first embodiment has been described as an example disclosed in the present application. However, the technology in the present disclosure is not limited to this, and can be applied to embodiments in which modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. are made. It is also possible to combine the components described in the first embodiment to create new embodiments. Therefore, other embodiments will be described below as examples.

[0068] In the above-described embodiment, the adjustment process is terminated when the changed radio wave strength reaches the radio wave strength stored at the start of the adjustment process. In other embodiments, the adjustment process may be terminated when the changed radio wave strength reaches the lowest radio wave strength. In this configuration, rather than simply terminating the adjustment process, the wireless communication device 7 notifies an error (some kind of abnormality has occurred in the remote control wiring RL or a malfunction of the wireless communication device 7).

[0069] In the embodiment described above, the adjustment process is started when the remote control 6 receives an instruction to execute the adjustment process. In another embodiment, the adjustment process may be started automatically when the communication connection between the wireless communication device 7 and the wireless router 8 is interrupted. According to this other embodiment, the adjustment process starts automatically, which reduces the hassle for the user of the air conditioner 3 when changing the radio wave intensity to one that does not interrupt the power supply from the air conditioner 3.

[0070] In the above-described embodiment, the radio wave strength can be set to one of five levels. In other embodiments, the number of settable radio wave strengths is not limited to five, and may be two or more and less than five, or six or more, as long as the strengths are different from one another.

[0071] In the above-described embodiment, the radio wave strength is reduced by one step in the adjustment process. In other embodiments, the radio wave strength may be reduced by N steps (N is an integer equal to or greater than 2) in the adjustment process. Furthermore, in other embodiments, the radio wave strength may be reduced by L steps (L is an integer equal to or greater than 2) if communication between the air conditioning device 3 and the wireless communication device 7 is still not possible after the adjustment process has been performed by reducing the radio wave strength by one step M (M is an integer equal to or greater than 2) times, and if communication between the air conditioning device 3 and the wireless communication device 7 is still not possible, the radio wave strength may be reduced by one step again. In this way, the manner in which the radio wave strength is reduced is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and any manner may be used.

[0072] In other embodiments, the radio wave strength that is initially set in the adjustment process does not have to be the strongest radio wave strength. For example, in this other embodiment, the radio wave strength that is initially set in the adjustment process may be the second strongest radio wave strength.

[0073] In other embodiments, the device other than the air conditioning device 3 that communicates wirelessly with the wireless communication device 7 does not have to be the wireless router 8. For example, the device other than the air conditioning device 3 that communicates wirelessly with the wireless communication device 7 may be a management device that manages the air conditioning device 3.

[0074] In other embodiments, the information indicating whether or not adjustment processing is being performed does not have to be the flag 713 that holds information in one bit.

[0075] In other embodiments, the outdoor unit 3 may be the device that supplies power to the wireless communication device 7 .

[0076] In another embodiment, the wireless communication device 7 may change the frequency of searching for devices connected to the wireless local network depending on the power supplied by the air conditioning device 3 or the power required for communication with the air conditioning device 3. This makes it possible to reduce the power consumption of the wireless communication device 7.

[0077] In another embodiment, the wireless communication device 7 may be equipped with a battery, and the power supplied from the air conditioning device 3 may be stored in the battery. In this other embodiment, if the power consumption of the wireless communication device 7 increases in communication with the wireless router 8, the power stored in the battery is used. This makes it possible to eliminate power shortages in the wireless communication device 7 even if wireless communication of the wireless communication device 7 is concentrated in a short period of time.

[0078] The processor 700 may be configured with a single processor or multiple processors. The processor 700 may be hardware programmed to implement corresponding functional units. That is, the processor 700 may be configured with, for example, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0079] The configuration of the wireless communication device 7 shown in Figure 2 is an example, and the specific implementation form is not particularly limited. In other words, it is not necessarily necessary to implement hardware corresponding to each unit individually, and it is also possible to configure the device so that a single processor executes a program to realize the functions of each unit. Furthermore, some of the functions realized by software in the above-mentioned embodiment may be implemented by hardware, or some of the functions realized by hardware may be implemented by software.

[0080] The step units of the operation shown in Figure 3 are divided according to the main processing content to make the operation easier to understand, and the operation is not limited by the way the processing units are divided or the names of the processing units. The operation may be divided into more step units depending on the processing content. Furthermore, one step unit may be divided so that it includes more processing. Furthermore, the order of the steps may be changed as appropriate within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0081] In the above-described embodiment, the current value of the remote control wiring RL is limited by the protection circuit, but the present disclosure can be applied regardless of whether or not a protection circuit is present, or regardless of the current value being limited by the protection circuit.

[0082] It should be noted that the above-described embodiments are intended to illustrate the technology of the present disclosure, and various modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. may be made within the scope of the claims or their equivalents.

[0083] (Additional Notes) The above description of the embodiments discloses the following techniques.

[0084] (Technology 1) A wireless communication device capable of communicating with an air conditioning device and operating by receiving power from the air conditioning device to wirelessly communicate with devices other than the air conditioning device, the wireless communication device including a control unit that executes an adjustment process to adjust the radio wave intensity of radio waves emitted by the wireless communication device, wherein the control unit determines in the adjustment process whether the wireless communication device and the air conditioning device can communicate, and if it determines that the wireless communication device and the air conditioning device cannot communicate, changes the radio wave intensity to a radio wave intensity lower than the set radio wave intensity. According to this, if communication with the air conditioning device becomes impossible due to a power supply interruption from the set radio wave intensity, the radio wave intensity is set to a lower intensity than the set radio wave intensity. This increases the likelihood that the radio wave intensity can be set to an intensity that will not interrupt the power supply from the air conditioning device.

[0085] (Technology 2) The wireless communication device according to Technology 1, wherein the control unit changes the radio wave intensity to one level lower than the set radio wave intensity. By changing the radio wave intensity to one level lower, it is possible to increase the possibility of setting the radio wave intensity as high as possible.

[0086] (Technology 3) The wireless communication device according to Technology 1 or Technology 2, wherein, when the control unit changes the radio wave intensity in the adjustment process, it again determines whether the wireless communication device and the air conditioning device can communicate with each other. According to this, if the wireless communication device and the air conditioning device cannot communicate with each other, the radio wave intensity is repeatedly changed to be lowered, which further increases the possibility that the radio wave intensity can be set to an intensity that will not interrupt the power supply from the air conditioning device.

[0087] (Technology 4) The wireless communication device according to any one of Techniques 1 to 3, wherein the control unit, upon starting the adjustment process, sets the set radio wave strength to the strongest radio wave strength, and after setting the radio wave strength to the strongest radio wave strength, determines whether or not communication between the wireless communication device and the air conditioning device is possible. According to this, the radio wave strength is changed from the strongest to a lower value, thereby increasing the possibility of setting the radio wave strength to the strongest possible value.

[0088] (Technology 5) The wireless communication device according to any one of Technology 1 to Technology 4, wherein the wireless communication device is a device that restarts when the power consumption of the wireless communication device exceeds the power supplied from the air conditioning device, and includes a storage unit that stores information indicating whether the adjustment process is being performed, and the control unit changes the information to information indicating that the adjustment process is being performed when the adjustment process starts, and determines that communication between the wireless communication device and the air conditioning device is impossible if the information indicates that the adjustment process is being performed after the wireless communication device is restarted. This makes it possible to distinguish whether the wireless communication device restarted during the adjustment process or when the wireless communication device was not in the adjustment process. This prevents a situation in which radio wave intensity is changed due to a restart that occurred when the adjustment process was not being performed.

[0089] (Technology 6) The wireless communication device according to any one of Technologies 1 to 7, wherein the control unit starts the adjustment process when an instruction to execute the adjustment process is received from a user of the air conditioning device. This allows the adjustment process to be executed at a timing intended by the user of the air conditioning device.

[0090] (Technology 7) The wireless communication device according to any one of Technologies 1 to 7, wherein the control unit starts the adjustment process when a communication connection between the wireless communication device and the device is interrupted. With this, since the adjustment process starts automatically, it is possible to reduce the hassle for a user of the air conditioning device when changing the radio wave strength to an strength that will not interrupt the power supply from the air conditioning device.

[0091] (Technology 8) A program that causes a processor of a wireless communication device that is capable of communicating with an air conditioning device and that receives a power supply from the air conditioning device to operate and wirelessly communicate with devices other than the air conditioning device to execute an adjustment process to adjust the radio wave intensity of radio waves emitted by the wireless communication device, determines whether the wireless communication device and the air conditioning device can communicate with each other in the adjustment process, and if it determines that the wireless communication device and the air conditioning device cannot communicate with each other, changes the radio wave intensity to a radio wave intensity that is lower than the set radio wave intensity. This achieves the same effects as the wireless communication device described in Technology 1.

[0092] (Technology 9) A control method for a wireless communication device that can communicate with an air conditioning device and that operates by receiving power from the air conditioning device to wirelessly communicate with devices other than the air conditioning device, wherein in an adjustment process for adjusting the radio wave intensity of radio waves emitted by the wireless communication device, the method determines whether the wireless communication device and the air conditioning device can communicate, and if it determines that the wireless communication device and the air conditioning device cannot communicate, changes the radio wave intensity to a radio wave intensity that is lower than the set radio wave intensity. This achieves the same effects as the wireless communication device described in Technology 1.

[0093] As described above, the wireless communication device, the program, and the method for controlling the wireless communication device according to the present invention can be used to change the radio wave intensity of the wireless communication device.

[0094] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Air conditioning system 2 Server device 3 Air conditioning device 4 Indoor unit 5 Outdoor unit 6 Remote control 7 Wireless communication device 8 Wireless router (device other than air conditioning device) 70 Control unit 71 First interface 72 Second interface 700 Processor 701 First communication control unit 702 Second communication control unit 703 Determination unit 704 Radio wave intensity adjustment unit 710 Memory (storage unit) 711 Control program (program) 712 Setting data 713 Flag (information indicating whether adjustment processing is being performed) 1000 Communication system H Facility NW Network RL Remote control wiring

Claims

1. A wireless communication device that is capable of communicating with an air conditioning device and that operates by receiving power from the air conditioning device to communicate wirelessly with devices other than the air conditioning device, the wireless communication device comprising a control unit that executes an adjustment process to adjust the radio wave intensity of radio waves emitted by the wireless communication device, wherein the control unit determines in the adjustment process whether the wireless communication device and the air conditioning device can communicate, and if it determines that the wireless communication device and the air conditioning device cannot communicate, changes the radio wave intensity to a radio wave intensity that is lower than the set radio wave intensity.

2. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit changes the radio wave intensity to one level lower than the set radio wave intensity.

3. The wireless communication device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, in the adjustment process, when the radio wave intensity is changed, the control unit again determines whether communication between the wireless communication device and the air conditioning device is possible.

4. The wireless communication device described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit, when starting the adjustment process, sets the set radio wave strength to the strongest radio wave strength, and after setting the radio wave strength to the strongest radio wave strength, determines whether the wireless communication device and the air conditioning device can communicate.

5. The wireless communication device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the wireless communication device is a device that restarts when the power consumption of the wireless communication device exceeds the power supplied from the air conditioning device, and is provided with a memory unit that stores information indicating whether the adjustment process is being processed, and the control unit, when starting the adjustment process, changes the information to information indicating that the adjustment process is being processed, and after restarting the wireless communication device, if the information indicates that the adjustment process is being processed, determines that communication between the wireless communication device and the air conditioning device is not possible.

6. The wireless communication device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit starts the adjustment process when an instruction to execute the adjustment process is received from a user of the air conditioning device.

7. The wireless communication device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit starts the adjustment process when a communication connection between the wireless communication device and the device is interrupted.

8. A program that causes a processor of a wireless communication device that is capable of communicating with an air conditioning device and that receives power from the air conditioning device to operate and communicate wirelessly with devices other than the air conditioning device to execute an adjustment process to adjust the radio wave intensity of the radio waves emitted by the wireless communication device, and in the adjustment process, determines whether the wireless communication device and the air conditioning device can communicate, and if it determines that the wireless communication device and the air conditioning device cannot communicate, changes the radio wave intensity to a radio wave intensity that is lower than the set radio wave intensity.

9. A control method for a wireless communication device that is capable of communicating with an air conditioning device and that operates by receiving power from the air conditioning device to communicate wirelessly with devices other than the air conditioning device, wherein in an adjustment process for adjusting the radio wave intensity of radio waves emitted by the wireless communication device, the method determines whether the wireless communication device and the air conditioning device can communicate, and if it determines that the wireless communication device and the air conditioning device cannot communicate, changes the radio wave intensity to a radio wave intensity that is lower than the set radio wave intensity.

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