Control device

• US 8,121,735 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2007
• Issued: 02/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Daikin Industries Ltd
• Original Assignee: Daikin Industries Ltd
• Inventors: Saruwatari, Hirotaka, Matsuura, Hiroyuki, Hayashi, Mario
• Primary Examiner(s): Bahta, Kidest
• Application Number:
  US12/306,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20090281666A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,695 Days
• Field of Search: 700276-278, 700/299, 236/91, 236/94, 702/105, 702/188
• 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 11/38 Failure diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/54 using one central controller connected to several sub-controllers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/12 of the outside air

Abstract

A control device is configured to control an air conditioner that includes an air conditioner outdoor unit and an air conditioner indoor unit. The control device includes a microcomputer and a storage element. The microcomputer causes a signal to be transmitted and received between an outdoor communication unit of the air conditioner outdoor unit and an indoor communication unit of the air conditioner indoor unit. The storage element stores specific information in response to command from the microcomputer. The microcomputer causes the storage element to store operation information including a state of transmission and reception of the signal of the air conditioner at a constant time interval.

Claims

1. A control device configured to control an air conditioner that includes an air conditioner outdoor unit and an air conditioner indoor unit, the control device comprising:

a microcomputer configured to cause a signal to be transmitted and received between an outdoor communication unit of the air conditioner outdoor unit and an indoor communication unit of the air conditioner indoor unit; and

a storage element configured to store predetermined information in response to a command from the microcomputer,

the microcomputer being configured to cause the storage element to store operation information including a state of transmission and reception of the signal of the air conditioner at a constant time interval within a 24 hour period, and

the operation information including a reception error occurrence rate calculated by dividing a number of times that the outdoor communication unit failed to normally receive a signal from the indoor communication unit at the constant time interval by a total number of times that the outdoor communication unit received a signal from the indoor communication unit at the constant time interval.

2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein

the storage element includes a predetermined number of areas configured to store the operation information, and

the microcomputer is configured to write new operation information in the area storing oldest operation information in an overwriting manner if all the areas are being used to store operation information when the microcomputer causes the storage element to store new operation information.

3. The control device according to claim 1, wherein

the operation information includes ambient temperature where the microcomputer and the storage element are disposed.

4. The control device according to claim 1, wherein

the storage element includes nonvolatile memory.

5. The control device according to claim 1, wherein

the microcomputer is configured to transmit the operation information to a terminal device located remote from the air conditioner.