Monitoring center and service system of air conditioner

• US 6,874,692 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2004
• Issued: 04/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Air Conditioning Systems Co., Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Air Conditioning Systems Co., Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ueda, Hiroyuki, Mochizuki, Masamichi, Sugiyama, Tatsuya, Satou, Keiji
• Primary Examiner(s): NORMAN, MARC E
• Application Number:
  US10/765,912
• Publication Number:
  US 20040183722A1
• Time in Patent Office: 432 Days
• Field of Search: 236/51, 342/357.06, 342/357.09, 342/357.1, 701/213, 717/168, 717/169, 717/170, 717/171, 717/172, 717/173, 717/174, 717/175, 717/176, 717/177, 717/178
• US Class Current: 236/51
• 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 11/49 ensuring correct operation, e.g. by trial operation or configuration checks
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0018 Transmission from mobile station to base station

Abstract

In a service system of an air conditioner connected through a network to a monitoring center, the air conditioner receives radio wave transmitted from a GPS satellite to transmit information of the received radio wave and a manufacturer'"'"'s serial number on the air conditioner to the monitoring center and the monitoring center performs service of the air conditioner on the basis of the received information and the serial number. The service system of the air conditioner can perform service, update or renewal, maintenance and the like of an air conditioner more correctly and exactly and attain speedup thereof.

Claims

1. A concentrated controlling apparatus for connection to a communication line of an air conditioner in which an outside unit and an inside unit are connected Via said communication line for sending/receiving a message to control an operation of said air conditioner, comprising:

a memory which stores at least one of a control program of said outside unit and a control program of said inside unit;

a communication unit for communication between said outside unit and inside unit; and

another communication unit connected to the Internet,

wherein, in response to rewriting instructions sent via the Internet, it is determined whether said air conditioner is in a stop state and, when in a stop state, at least one of a control program installed in said outside unit and a control program installed in said inside unit is rewritten by said stored control program(s).

2. A service system for an air conditioner, comprising:

a concentrated controlling apparatus connected to a communication line of said air conditioner in which an outside unit and an inside unit are connected via said communication line for sending/receiving a message to control an operation of said air conditioner, said concentrated controlling apparatus having;

a memory which stores at least one of a control program of said outside unit and a control program of said inside unit;

a communication unit for communication between said outside unit and inside unit; and

another communication unit connected with the Internet,

wherein, in response to rewriting instructions sent via the Internet, it is determined whether said air conditioner is in a stop state and, when in a stop state, at least one of a control program installed in said outside unit and a control program installed in said inside unit is rewritten by said stored control program(s), and

wherein said instructions for rewriting the control program is given from a home page on the Internet, said home page includes versions of said control programs installed in said outside unit and inside unit.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein a manufacturer'"'"'s serial number is also indicated along with said installed control programs.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein said rewriting instructions are inputted from a portable terminal connected to the Internet.

5. The system according to claim 2, wherein information concerning whether or not it is necessary to rewrite at least one of said control programs installed in said outside unit and inside unit is shown on said home page.