EQUIPMENT ITEM MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, CONTROL METHOD THEREOF, AND EQUIPMENT ITEM MANAGEMENT APPARATUS

• US 20090099698A1
• Filed: 06/01/2006
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Hayakawa, Hidesuke, Masui, Hirotaka
• Granted Patent: US 8,600,557 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/276
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/54 using one central controller connected to several sub-controllers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control

Abstract

A method A communication section 200 in an optical communication interface 100 communicates with outdoor units 300a and 300b and indoor units 310a and 310b using a communication method A. A central management controller 600 communicates with the optical communication interface 100 using the same communication method A and manages the outdoor units 300a and 300b and the indoor units 310a and 310b according to the communication method A. A method B communication section 205b in a communication method B indoor unit 311 of a different manufacturer communicates with a method B communication section 205c in a communication method B outdoor unit 301 using a communication method B different from the communication method A. The optical communication interface 100 of the communication method A and the indoor unit 311 of the communication method B exchange information by optical communication with each other using an optical communication section 202a and an optical communication section 202b. The central management remote controller 600 centrally controls a plurality of equipment items, for example, performing an energy-saving control by changing set temperatures of an air conditioner using the optical communication interface 100.

Claims

1. An equipment item management system comprising:

one or more first air conditioners that operate according to a first communication method;

one or more second air conditioners that operate according to a second communication method different from the first communication method and include light reception means for receiving information according to an optical communication method and means for converting the information according to the optical communication method received by the light reception means into information according to the second communication method;

management means that operates according to the first communication method to manage the first air conditioner;

an interface mounted in the second air conditioners;

the interface having

a first communication means that receives information from the management means; and

control means for converting the information received from the management means by the first communication means from the first communication method into the optical communication method;

the interface that has light transmission means for transmitting the information converted by the control means to the second air conditioner,

wherein, the management means manages the second air conditioner that operates according to the different communication method via the interface.

2. The equipment item management system according to claim 1, wherein the management means transmits a temperature setting command to the second air conditioner via the interface.

3. The equipment item management system according to claim 2, wherein the management means transmits the temperature setting command to the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner in a case where an energy-saving control is performed.

4. The equipment item management system according to claim 1, wherein the interface includes light reception means for receiving an optical signal from a wireless remote controller, converting the received optical signal into an electric signal, and transmitting the signal to the management means.

5. The equipment item management system according to claim 1, wherein the second air conditioner includes an output terminal for outputting an operation or stop state signal, and the interface includes an input terminal that is electrically connected to the output terminal.

6. The equipment item management system according to claim 2, wherein the second air conditioner is a ceiling-mounted type air conditioner, the light transmission means is electrically connected to the control means and installed on an under surface of the air conditioner to face the optical communication means, and the control means is installed on a backside of the ceiling.

13. The equipment item management system according to claim 2, wherein the interface includes light reception means for receiving an optical signal from a wireless remote controller, converting the received optical signal into an electric signal, and transmitting the signal to the management means.

14. The equipment item management system according to claim 3, wherein the interface includes light reception means for receiving an optical signal from a wireless remote controller, converting the received optical signal into an electric signal, and transmitting the signal to the management means.

15. The equipment item management system according to claim 2, wherein the second air conditioner includes an output terminal for outputting an operation or stop state signal, and the interface includes an input terminal that is electrically connected to the output terminal.

16. The equipment item management system according claim 3, wherein the second air conditioner includes an output terminal for outputting an operation or stop state signal, and the interface includes an input terminal that is electrically connected to the output terminal.

17. The equipment item management system according to claim 4, wherein the second air conditioner includes an output terminal for outputting an operation or stop state signal, and the interface includes an input terminal that is electrically connected to the output terminal.

18. The equipment item management system according to claim 3, wherein the second air conditioner is a ceiling-mounted type air conditioner, the light transmission means is electrically connected to the control means and installed on an under surface of the air conditioner to face the optical communication means, and the control means is installed on a backside of the ceiling.

19. The equipment item management system according to claim 4, wherein the second air conditioner is a ceiling-mounted type air conditioner, the light transmission means is electrically connected to the control means and installed on an under surface of the air conditioner to face the optical communication means, and the control means is installed on a backside of the ceiling.

20. The equipment item management system according to claim 5, wherein the second air conditioner is a ceiling-mounted type air conditioner, the light transmission means is electrically connected to the control means and installed on an under surface of the air conditioner to face the optical communication means, and the control means is installed on a backside of the ceiling.

7. An equipment item management apparatus comprising:

a central controller having control means for controlling temperature of a plurality of air conditioning devices, and communication means for outputting an electric signal to a network to which the air conditioning devices are connected based on a temperature set by the control means; and

an interface having reception means that is connected to the network and receives the electric signal transmitted to the network, and light output means that protocol-converts the electric signal received by the reception means and outputs the converted signal in a form of a wireless optical signal as a temperature setting command.

8. A control method for an equipment item management system having a first air conditioner that operates according to a first communication method and management means for communicating with the first air conditioner according to the first communication method and managing the first air conditioner,

wherein, to the equipment item management system, a second air conditioner further including communication means for communicating according to a second communication method and light reception means for receiving information according to an optical communication method is connected, the second air conditioner is connected to the management means via the interface, and wherein

the management means transmits a temperature setting command for specifying a set temperature of the second air conditioner using the first communication method using an electric signal;

the interface converts the temperature setting command from the first communication method into the optical communication method and transmits the converted command to the second air conditioner; and

the second air conditioner receives the temperature setting command according to the optical communication method and controls a compressor based on the received temperature setting command.

9. The control method for the equipment item management system according to claim 8, wherein the interface converts a temperature setting command according to the optical communication method received from a wireless remote controller for the second air conditioner from the optical communication method into the first communication method, and transmits the converted temperature setting command to the management means;

and

the management means stores a changed set temperature of the second air conditioner based on the received temperature setting command according to the first communication method.

10. The control method for the equipment item management system according to claim 9, wherein the management means includes storage means that stores a table in which priority information indicating whether to prioritize a set temperature set by the management means or prioritize the temperature setting command received from the wireless remote controller is made to correspond, determines whether to validate a received temperature setting command based on the table at the time when the management means receives the temperature setting command from the interface, and transmits the temperature setting command to the interface in a case where the management means determines to validate the temperature setting command from the interface, and

when the interface receives the temperature setting command from the management means, the interface converts the received temperature setting command according to the first communication method into the optical communication method, and transmits the converted command to the second air conditioner.

11. The control method for the equipment item management system according to claim 10, wherein the interface includes a buzzer that emits an alarm sound,

the management means transmits a message indicating that information of the wireless remote controller is invalidated to the interface in a case where the management means determines to invalidate the information, and

the interface instructs the buzzer to output a sound indicating that the information from the wireless remote controller is invalidated.

12. The control method for the equipment item management system according to claim 8, wherein the management means sequentially transmits commands according to a plurality of optical communication methods corresponding to a plurality of types of air conditioners to the second air conditioner, receives a signal indicating an operation state of the second air conditioner from the second air conditioner, and specifies a command according to an optical communication method for controlling the second air conditioner based on the signal.

21. The control method for the equipment item management system according to claim 9, wherein the management means sequentially transmits commands according to a plurality of optical communication methods corresponding to a plurality of types of air conditioners to the second air conditioner, receives a signal indicating an operation state of the second air conditioner from the second air conditioner, and specifies a command according to an optical communication method for controlling the second air conditioner based on the signal.

22. The control method for the equipment item management system according to claim 10, wherein the management means sequentially transmits commands according to a plurality of optical communication methods corresponding to a plurality of types of air conditioners to the second air conditioner, receives a signal indicating an operation state of the second air conditioner from the second air conditioner, and specifies a command according to an optical communication method for controlling the second air conditioner based on the signal.

23. The control method for the equipment item management system according to claim 11, wherein the management means sequentially transmits commands according to a plurality of optical communication methods corresponding to a plurality of types of air conditioners to the second air conditioner, receives a signal indicating an operation state of the second air conditioner from the second air conditioner, and specifies a command according to an optical communication method for controlling the second air conditioner based on the signal.