AIR CONDITIONER CONTROL DEVICE, AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM, FACILITY/EQUIPMENT SYSTEM, AIR CONDITIONER CONTROL METHOD, AND RECORDING MEDIUM STORING AIR CONDITIONER CONTROL PROGRAM

• US 20120179299A1
• Filed: 04/09/2010
• Published: 07/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Gyota, Tomoaki, Nakata, Masanori, Kuroiwa, Takeru
• Granted Patent: US 9,074,786 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 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/00 Control of temperature

Abstract

A system communicator receives from a network signals indicating the state of an air conditioner, and updates the content of an air-conditioning information memory. An automatic control rule memory stores automatic control rules which are used when an air conditioner control content is determined. An air conditioner automatic controller determines the air conditioner control content based on the content of the air-conditioning information memory and the automatic control rules recorded in the automatic control rule memory, and changes the content of the air-conditioning information memory. A rule adjustment screen generator stores, in a rule adjustment screen memory, screen creation information generated based on the content of the automatic control rule memory. A rule adjustment operator displays the content of the rule adjustment screen memory as a screen, and receives an operation to adjust the content of the automatic control rule memory.

Claims

1. An air conditioner control device for controlling at least one air conditioner connected to a network, comprising:

an air-conditioning information memory storing the state of the air conditioner as air-conditioning information;

an automatic control rule memory storing automatic control rules serving as criteria for determining a control content of the air conditioner;

an air conditioner operator that receives an operation that changes the air-conditioning information;

an air conditioner automatic controller that determines the control content of the air conditioner based on the air-conditioning information and automatic control rules, and changes the content in a corresponding part of the air-conditioning information stored in the air-conditioning information memory to the determined control content;

a system communicator that receives a signal indicating the state of the air conditioner from the network, updates the content of the air-conditioning information memory, and sends to the network the update of the air-conditioning information and the control content of the air conditioner determined in accordance with the change as control signals;

a rule adjustment screen memory storing adjustment screen information that is information for creating a rule adjustment screen used for changing the content of the automatic control rule memory;

a rule adjustment screen generator that generates the adjustment screen information based on the content of the automatic control rule memory and stores the adjustment screen information in the rule adjustment screen memory; and

a rule adjustment operator that creates the rule adjustment screen based on the adjustment screen information, displays the rule adjustment screen on a display device, and receives an operation to adjust the content of the automatic control rule memory on the displayed rule adjustment screen.

2. The air conditioner control device according to claim 1, wherein:

the state of the air conditioner refers to environmental information of the air conditioner, which is input information entered into the air conditioner control device from the network, and the control content of the air conditioner refers to information indicating operation of said air conditioners, which is output information output to the network from the air conditioner control device;

the automatic control rule memory stores an input determination formula, an output-setting formula, and an input/output connection formula;

the input determination formula includes an input evaluation value and an operator defining the relationship of the input information with the input evaluation value and is a formula for determining whether or not the input information satisfies the input determination formula;

the output-setting formula includes an output-setting value, and is a formula for setting the output information based on the output-setting value;

the input/output connection formula defines a relationship between at least one of the input determination formula and at least one of the output-setting formula as connected when the relationship between the input determination formula and the output-setting formula exists; and

the air conditioner automatic controller updates the air-conditioning information based on the output-setting formula connected by the input/output connection formula when the input information satisfies the input determination formula.

3. The air conditioner control device according to claim 2, wherein

the rule adjustment screen generator has attribute definition information defining the attributes of the input information and the output information in the air-conditioning information, and icon definition information defining an icon for each of the attributes or for each combination of the attributes and operators, and

determines an icon corresponding to the input determination formula and an icon corresponding to the output-setting formula based on the attribute definition information and icon definition information, generates adjustment screen information in order to create the rule adjustment screen for adjusting the input evaluation value and the output-setting value using the icons, and stores the adjustment screen information in the rule adjustment screen memory.

4. The air conditioner control device according to claim 3, wherein

the rule adjustment screen generator has control value adjustment permission information indicating that adjustment of the input evaluation values and output-setting values is permitted or prohibited;

the adjustment screen information includes the control value adjustment permission information; and

the rule adjustment screen is a screen on which the icons for the input evaluation value and the output-setting value of which adjustment is permitted are operable, and icons for the input evaluation value and the output-setting value of which adjustment is inhibited are inoperable based on the control value adjustment permission information.

5. The air conditioner control device according to claim 3, wherein

the automatic control rule memory stores input/output execution information indicating each of the input determination formula and output-setting formula connected by the input/output connection formula is valid or invalid;

the air conditioner automatic controller updates the air-conditioning information based on the input/output execution information;

the adjustment screen information includes the input/output execution information; and

the rule adjustment screen is a screen including an execution adjustment icon for adjusting the input/output execution information.

6. The air conditioner control device according to claim 5, wherein

the rule adjustment screen generator has execution adjustment permission information indicating that the adjustment of the input/output execution information is permitted or prohibited;

the adjustment screen information includes the execution adjustment permission information; and

the rule adjustment screen is a screen on which the execution adjustment icon of which adjustment is permitted is operable and the execution adjustment icon of which adjustment is inhibited is inoperable based on the execution adjustment permission information.

7. The air conditioner control device according to claim 4, further comprising an adjustment permission information input interface entering either one or both of the execution adjustment permission information and/or the control value adjustment permission information into the rule adjustment screen generator.

8. The air conditioner control device according to claim 3, wherein:

the network is a network to which an external device of the air conditioner is further connected;

the air-conditioning information memory further stores the state of the external device;

the system communicator further comprises an external device communicator that receives a control signal from the external device, updates the content of the air-conditioning information memory, and sends the control signal for the air conditioner to the network based on the update of the air-conditioning information memory.

9. The air conditioner control device according to claim 8, wherein

the input determination formula, output-setting formula, and input/output connection formula are also applied to the input information and the output information intended for the external device, and

the air conditioner control device further comprises:

an attribute adder that adds to the attribute definition information, external device attribute definition information defining the attributes for information extracted from a control signal from the external device stored in the air-conditioning information memory and a control signal for the external device; and

an icon adder that adds to the icon definition information external device icon definition information defining an icon for each of the attributes defined in the external device attribute definition information or for the combination of attribute defined in the external device attribute definition information and the operator contained in the input determination formula corresponding to input information of the external device.

10. The air conditioner control device according to claim 8, wherein

the control signal from the external device includes a control signal from an equipment which is an external device having a function of supporting the air conditioner;

and

the external device communicator sends a control signal for the equipment to the network based on an update of the air-conditioning information memory.

12. An air-conditioning system, comprising:

an air conditioner; and

conditioner control device according to claim 1.

13. A facility/equipment system, comprising:

an air conditioner;

an equipment, which is an external device having a function of supporting the air conditioner; and

the air conditioner control device according to claim 10.

11. An air conditioner control device for controlling at least one air conditioner connected to a network, comprising:

a system communicator that receives a control signal indicating the state of the air conditioner from the network;

an automatic control rule memory that stores automatic control rules for automatically controlling the air conditioner;

an air conditioner automatic controller that controls the operation of the air conditioner based on the control signal indicating the state of the air conditioner and the automatic control rules;

a rule adjustment screen generator that generates a adjustment screen information for adjusting the content of the automatic control rule memory based on predetermined adjustment permission information; and

a rule adjustment operator creates a rule adjustment screen based on the adjustment screen information and displays the rule adjustment screen and receives operation in order to adjust the automatic control rules via the displayed screen.

14. An air conditioner control method for controlling at least one air conditioner connected to a network, comprising:

an air-conditioning information receiving step receiving a control signal indicating the state of the air conditioner and storing the control signal in an air-conditioning information memory;

a control content determining step determining a control content of the air conditioner based on the content of the air-conditioning information memory and the content of an automatic control rule memory storing automatic control rules, and storing the determined control content in a corresponding part of the air-conditioning information memory as output information;

a control signal transmitting step transmitting the output information in the air-conditioning information memory to the network as a control signal for the air conditioner after the control content determining step;

an adjustment screen generating step generating and storing adjustment screen information in order to create a rule adjustment screen to be displayed on a display device for subsequent adjustments of the automatic control rules after each adjustment of the automatic control rule;

an adjustment screen displaying step creating the rule adjustment screen based on the adjustment screen information and displaying the rule adjustment screen on the display device upon adjusting the automatic control rule;

a rule adjustment operating step entering the rule adjustment content via an operation on the displayed rule adjustment screen; and

an adjusted rule updating step updating the content of the automatic control rule memory according to the rule adjustment content entered in the rule adjustment operating step.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing an air conditioner control program for controlling at least one air conditioner connected to a network, the program being configured to cause a computer to execute:

an air-conditioning information receiving step receiving a control signal indicating the state of the air conditioner and storing the control signal in an air-conditioning information memory;

a control content determining step determining a control content of the air conditioner based on the content of the air-conditioning information memory and the content of an automatic control rule memory storing automatic control rules, and storing the determined control content in a corresponding part of the air-conditioning information memory as output information;

a control signal transmitting step transmitting the output information in the air-conditioning information memory to the network as a control signal for the air conditioner after the control content determining step;

an adjustment screen generating step generating and storing adjustment screen information in order to create a rule adjustment screen to be displayed on a display device for subsequent adjustments of the automatic control rules after each adjustment of the automatic control rule;

an adjustment screen displaying step creating the rule adjustment screen based on the adjustment screen information and displaying the rule adjustment screen on the display device upon adjusting the automatic control rule;

a rule adjustment operating step entering rule adjustment content via an operation on the displayed rule adjustment screen; and

an adjusted rule updating step updating the content of the automatic control rule memory according to the rule adjustment content entered in the rule adjustment operating step.