Facility operating method and apparatus, facility operating system, managing method and apparatus, and facility

• US 7,784,706 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2001
• Issued: 08/31/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Daikin Industries Ltd
• Original Assignee: Daikin Industries Ltd
• Inventors: Nakagawa, Yoshihiro, Yamamoto, Mitsuhiko, Nagashima, Kenji, Ishida, Koichi, Takenaka, Naofumi, Nakane, Hidetaka, Murai, Akira, Imada, Nobuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Norman; Marc E
• Application Number:
  US10/240,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20040035125A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,437 Days
• Field of Search: 236/51, 236/94, 621/75, 622/01, 62/59, 621/26, 621/29, 165/208, 165/209, 165/236, 374/32, 374/39, 374/40, 374/41, 705/7, 705/8
• 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 11/56 Remote control
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/52 of the outside air
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2130/00 Control inputs relating to environmental factors not covered by group F24F2110/00
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2130/10 Weather information or forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1905 associated with tele control
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

A facility working apparatus includes objects (1), a management apparatus (2), and an exterior information source (3) such as a weather company, a power company or the like. Each object (1) and the management apparatus (2), the exterior information source (3) and the management apparatus (2) are connected via a network. Each object (1) includes a facility (1a) such as a heat storage air conditioner, power storage air conditioner or the like, and a controlling apparatus (1b) for working and controlling the facility (1a) and for extracting facility information of the facility (1a) and user determination information. The management apparatus (2) includes a database (2a) and a data processing section (2b). The data processing section (2b) in the management apparatus (2) carries out processing based upon facility information, user determination data, and exterior information, and generates working and controlling information. The information is transferred to corresponding controlling apparatus (1b). Performance required for the control apparatus for controlling each facility can be suppressed to be low performance, and sufficient working accuracy of each facility can be maintained.

Claims

1. A working method for a facility at a system having a control apparatus for said facility and a management center connected to said control apparatus via a network, comprising the steps of:

extracting facility information of said facility and transmitting the facility information of said facility to said management center by said control apparatus;

transmitting available service information obtained on the basis of said facility information to said control apparatus by said management center;

displaying said service information for selection by a customer by said control apparatus;

transmitting a selected service to said management center by said control apparatus;

transmitting a display for setting detailed information necessary for utilizing said selected service to said control apparatus by said management center;

displaying said display by said control apparatus, and transmitting set detailed information to said management center;

making management control software based upon said selected service and said set detailed information, and transmitting the management control software to said control apparatus by said management center; and

working said facility in correspondence to said selected service and said set detailed information by executing said management control software by said control apparatus.

2. A working method for said facility as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

calculating charges for said selected services based upon said selected service and said set detailed information and transmitting the charges to said control apparatus by said management center; and

displaying said charges together with an OK button for confirming by said control apparatus.

3. A working method for a plurality of facilities at a system having a control apparatus of said plurality of facilities and a management center connected to said control apparatus via a network, comprising the steps of:

extracting facility information of each of said plurality of facilities and transmitting the facility information of said facility to said management center by said control apparatus;

transmitting available service information obtained on the basis of said facility information to said control apparatus by said management center;

displaying said service information for selection by a customer by said control apparatus;

transmitting a selected service to said management center by said control apparatus;

transmitting a display for setting detailed information necessary for utilizing said selected service to said control apparatus by said management center;

displaying said display by said control apparatus, and transmitting set detailed information to said management center;

making management control software based upon said selected service and said set detailed information, and transmitting the management control software to said control apparatus by said management center; and

working said plurality of facilities in correspondence to said selected service and said set detailed information by executing said management control software by said control apparatus.