Air-conditioning control system, and method for connecting control device and operating terminal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air-conditioning control systems require users to perform cumbersome operations, such as inputting complex server connection IDs and passwords, which increases the likelihood of errors due to small input areas on devices like smartphones, and poses security risks if these credentials are compromised.
Innovation Solution
An air-conditioning control system that displays setting information, including URLs and common keys, on a display unit, allowing an operating terminal to capture and use this information via an imaging device to connect to the air-conditioning controller via a server, eliminating the need for direct user input and enhancing security by ensuring only devices with a matching common key can operate the system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If users directly input server connection ID and password into the air-conditioning controller, then security is maintained, but operation complexity increases and error likelihood increases due to small touch panel size
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses an imaging device (camera) to capture an image containing the server connection ID and password, then optically recognizes and extracts the information from the image. This replaces manual typing with automated optical recognition, eliminating input errors while maintaining security. The image serves as a copy of the credential information that can be accurately transferred without human error.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical input method (manual typing on touch panel) with an optical system (imaging device capturing image, optical recognition extracting information). This substitution eliminates the limitations of small touch panel size and manual input errors while maintaining secure credential transmission.
2Reliability
If complex ID and password are used for security, then security is improved, but operation difficulty increases due to numerous characters and digits to input
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of requiring users to manually input complex credentials, the system captures an image containing the credentials and uses optical recognition to automatically extract them. This copying approach preserves the security of complex passwords while eliminating the complexity of manual input operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary optical recognition process between the credential display and the controller. This intermediary automatically extracts and transfers the complex credentials, serving as a mediator that handles the complexity while presenting a simple capture operation to the user.
3Reliability
If manual input of connection credentials is required, then security verification is maintained, but time consumption increases due to cumbersome input operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces time-consuming manual input operations with rapid optical image capture and automated recognition. The imaging device instantly captures the credential image, and the optical recognition system quickly extracts the information, dramatically reducing the time required for initial connection setup while maintaining verification security.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs automatic credential extraction and transfer without requiring user intervention in the input process. The optical recognition system independently handles the complex task of extracting credentials from the image, making the system self-service the credential input task while maintaining security verification.
Data Source
AI summary
The air-conditioning control system includes an air-conditioning controller and a server. The air-conditioning controller is connected to an air-conditioning unit and controls the air-conditioning unit. The server is connected to the air-conditioning controller by a communication network. The air-conditioning controller includes a display unit and a control unit. The display unit displays an image that includes setting information required to connect an operating terminal and the air-conditioning controller via the server. The control unit causes the operating terminal to acquire the image displayed in the display unit by capturing the image using a camera provided in the operating terminal and to connect to the air-conditioning controller via the server, based on the setting information included in the acquired image.