Mobile Terminal Grouping for Flexible Air Conditioning Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air-conditioning systems with centralized controllers face difficulties in flexibly changing operation targets, especially when device locations frequently change, requiring extensive initial setup and inflexible operation target changes.
Innovation Solution
An air-conditioning system with wireless communication units in indoor unit parts and a mobile terminal unit that allows for easy grouping and operation of selected indoor unit parts, using radio wave intensities to determine proximity and facilitate collective setting operations, with an administrator ID for managing and displaying unit lists and selection options.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If device locations are frequently changed, then adaptability is improved, but initial setup work increases and operation becomes inflexible
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically detects indoor unit parts using wireless communication and radio wave intensity measurements, eliminating the need for manual initial setup. The mobile terminal unit autonomously identifies and groups indoor units based on their proximity to the user, allowing the system to adapt to changing locations without requiring user intervention for reconfiguration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses radio wave intensity as a dynamic parameter to automatically determine and group indoor unit parts. By changing from static manual configuration to dynamic automatic grouping based on radio wave intensity measurements, the system adapts to location changes while minimizing setup time and maintaining operational flexibility.
2Loss of information
If centralized controller is used to display floor plan with indoor unit images, then user can locate units, but visual checking of concealed packages becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces a mobile terminal unit as an intermediary that uses wireless communication to detect and identify indoor unit parts. Instead of relying on visual display of floor plans, the mobile terminal acts as a mediator that automatically queries and groups indoor units based on their wireless responses and radio wave intensities, making concealed packages detectable and operable without visual confirmation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces the mechanical/visual approach of displaying floor plans with images of indoor units with an electronic/wireless approach. The mobile terminal unit uses wireless communication and radio wave intensity measurements to automatically identify and group indoor units, substituting the need for visual display and manual location checking with automated electronic detection.
3Ease of operation
If radio wave intensity association is used for initial setting, then device operation becomes easier, but flexibility to change operation targets is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system transforms the static initial setup process into a dynamic ongoing process. Instead of performing radio wave intensity association only during initial setting, the system continuously or periodically re-evaluates radio wave intensities and automatically updates groupings when indoor unit locations change, maintaining both ease of operation and flexibility to adapt to new configurations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables flexible and efficient grouping and operation of indoor unit parts, reducing the need for extensive initial setup and allowing for easy adaptation to changing device locations, improving user interaction and system management.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of indoor unit parts 2 having wireless communication units 3 configured to transmit wireless radio waves
Implementation Method 2
a mobile terminal unit 6 configured to perform a wireless communication with each of the wireless communication units 3
Data Source
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AI summary
An air-conditioning system includes a plurality of indoor unit parts having wireless communication units transmitting wireless radio waves, and a mobile terminal unit performing a wireless communication with each of the wireless communication units. The mobile terminal unit includes an air-conditioning apparatus operation input unit accepting input from a user, an air-conditioning apparatus information display unit displaying information to the user, and an air-conditioning apparatus operation management unit controlling the indoor unit parts. The air-conditioning apparatus operation management unit causes the air-conditioning apparatus information display unit to display a list of the indoor unit parts and causes the air-conditioning apparatus information display unit also to perform display for urging selection of ones of the indoor unit parts as targets of a collective setting operation. When ones of the indoor unit parts are selected from the air-conditioning apparatus operation input unit, the air-conditioning apparatus operation management unit sets the selected ones of the indoor unit parts as a group.