AIR-CONDITIONING CONTROL DEVICE, AIR-CONDITIONING CONTROL METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT

• US 20150051740A1
• Filed: 06/15/2012
• Published: 02/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Fujii, Akihiro, Hiraoka, Yukio, Tsuzaki, Takanobu, Kondoh, Syuuji, Kondo, Shinya, Okamoto, Hirotaka, Asazuma, Tomohiro, Asakura, Hiraku
• Granted Patent: US 9,927,137 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 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• 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

Abstract

An air-conditioning control device includes a conversion definition information storage unit, an air-conditioning control computation unit, and a gateway unit. The conversion definition information storage unit preliminarily stores conversion definition information for converting air-conditioning control original data acquired from an external air-conditioning facility into computational data for performing an air-conditioning control computation or conversion definition information for converting air-conditioning control computation resultant data acquired as a result of the air-conditioning control computation into air-conditioning control data used for air-conditioning control at the air-conditioning facility. The air-conditioning control computation unit performs the air-conditioning control computation based on the computational data, and outputs the air-conditioning control computation resultant data. The gateway unit refers to the conversion definition information to convert the air-conditioning control original data into the computational data or to convert the air-conditioning control computation resultant data into the air-conditioning control data.

Claims

1. An air-conditioning control device comprising:

a conversion definition information storage unit that preliminarily stores therein conversion definition information for converting air-conditioning control original data acquired from an external air-conditioning facility into computational data for performing an air-conditioning control computation or conversion definition information for converting air-conditioning control computation resultant data acquired as a result of the air-conditioning control computation into air-conditioning control data used for air-conditioning control at the air-conditioning facility;

an air-conditioning control computation unit that performs the air-conditioning control computation based on the computational data, and outputs the air-conditioning control computation resultant data; and

a gateway unit that refers to the conversion definition information to convert the air-conditioning control original data into the computational data for the air-conditioning control computation or to convert the air-conditioning control computation resultant data acquired as a result of the air-conditioning control computation into the air-conditioning control data to be used for the air-conditioning control at the air-conditioning facility.

2. The air-conditioning control device of claim 1, wherein, if a plurality of air-conditioning facilities are provided, the conversion definition information storage unit preliminarily stores therein the conversion definition information for each of the air-conditioning facilities.

3. The air-conditioning control device of claim 1, comprising:

a database unit that temporarily stores therein the computational data and the air-conditioning control computation resultant data, as a database, wherein

the air-conditioning control computation unit refers to the database to perform the air-conditioning control computation.

4. The air-conditioning control device of claim 1, wherein

the database unit has a computation request table storing therein the computational data of a computation request target, and

the air-conditioning control computation unit performs the air-conditioning control computation if, as a trigger, the computational data is stored in the computation request table.

5. The air-conditioning control device of claim 1, wherein

the gateway unit includes

a first data acquisition unit that acquires the air-conditioning control original data from the air-conditioning facility,

a first data write unit that refers to the conversion definition information to convert the air-conditioning control original data acquired by the first data acquisition unit to the computational data, and writes the computational data into the database of the database unit,

a second data acquisition unit that acquires the air-conditioning control computation resultant data from the air-conditioning control computation unit via the database unit, and

a second data write unit that refers to the conversion definition information to convert the air-conditioning control computation resultant data acquired by the second data acquisition unit to the air-conditioning control data, and outputs the air-conditioning control data to the air-conditioning facility.

6. The air-conditioning control device of claim 1, wherein the air-conditioning control original data includes at least one of temperature information of an air-conditioning target area, humidity information of the air-conditioning target area, and operation status information of the air-conditioning facility.

7. The air-conditioning control device of claim 1, wherein the air-conditioning control original data includes area information on an air-conditioning target area and building information on a condition of placement of a building where the area is positioned.

8. The air-conditioning control device of claim 7, wherein the air-conditioning control original data includes, as the area information, adjacent area specifying information for specifying an area adjacent to the air-conditioning target area.

9. The air-conditioning control device of claim 1, wherein, if the air-conditioning facility adopts a PMV control system, the air-conditioning control computation unit includes current PMV value data as the air-conditioning control computation resultant data.

10. An air-conditioning control method performed by an air-conditioning control device connected to an external air-conditioning facility via a data transmission path, the air-conditioning control method comprising:

a conversion definition information storing step that preliminarily stores conversion definition information for converting air-conditioning control original data acquired from the air-conditioning facility via the data transmission path or conversion definition information for converting air-conditioning control computation resultant data acquired as a result of the air-conditioning control computation into air-conditioning control data used for air-conditioning control at the air-conditioning facility;

an air-conditioning control computation step that performs the air-conditioning control computation based on the computational data, and output the air-conditioning control computation resultant data; and

a gateway step that refers to the conversion definition information to convert the air-conditioning control original data into the computational data for the air-conditioning control computation or to convert the air-conditioning control computation resultant data acquired as a result of the air-conditioning control computation into the air-conditioning control data to be used for the air-conditioning control at the air-conditioning facility.

11. A computer program product having a non-transitory computer readable medium including programmed instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform:

preliminarily storing conversion definition information for converting air-conditioning control original data acquired from the air-conditioning facility via the data transmission path or conversion definition information for converting air-conditioning control computation resultant data acquired as a result of the air-conditioning control computation into air-conditioning control data used for air-conditioning control at the air-conditioning facility;

performing the air-conditioning control computation based on the computational data, and output the air-conditioning control computation resultant data; and

referring to the conversion definition information to convert the air-conditioning control original data into the computational data for the air-conditioning control computation or to convert the air-conditioning control computation resultant data acquired as a result of the air-conditioning control computation into the air-conditioning control data to be used for the air-conditioning control at the air-conditioning facility.