Air-conditioning control device generating air-conditioning control-data, air-conditioning control method, and computer program product

• US 9,927,137 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2012
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Hiraoka, Yukio, Tsuzaki, Takanobu, Kondoh, Syuuji, Kondo, Shinya, Fujii, Akihiro, Okamoto, Hirotaka, Asazuma, Tomohiro, Asakura, Hiraku
• Primary Examiner(s): Rashid, Wissam
• Application Number:
  US14/358,873
• Publication Number:
  US 20150051740A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,111 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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;

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 a database of a 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.

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, wherein:

the database unit 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 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.

6. 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.

7. The air-conditioning control device of claim 6, 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.

8. 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.

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

a gatewaying 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;

wherein

the gatewaying includes;

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

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

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

a second data writing 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.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program for controlling an air-conditioning control device connected to an external air-conditioning facility via a data transmission path by a computer, the control program causes the computer to function as:

a conversion definition information storing unit 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 unit that performs the air-conditioning control computation based on the computational data, and output 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;

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 a database of a 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.