Network-based air-conditioning equipment remote monitoring and management system

• US 7,574,283 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2007
• Issued: 08/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chunghwa Telecom Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Chunghwa Telecom Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Lin, Shu-Fen, Wang, Yu-Huan, Huang, Chun-Hung, Chen, Chien-Yuan, Liao, Shiue-Juan
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Ramesh B
• Application Number:
  US11/868,385
• Publication Number:
  US 20090012650A1
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: 700/276, 700/277, 700/278, 236/1.B, 236/1.C, 165/201, 165/203
• 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 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication

Abstract

A network-based air-conditioning equipment remote monitoring and management system is proposed, which is designed for use with a network system to allow the user to carry out monitoring and management tasks on one or more remotely-located air-conditioning equipment systems in a real-time manner via the network system. The proposed system is characterized by the provision of a user-operated network-based real-time monitoring and management function for remotely-located air-conditioning equipment, the capability to provide efficient and cost-effective management in the utilization of air-conditioning equipment for saving energy and cost, and the capability to provide real-time warning of abnormal operating conditions of the air-conditioning equipment.

Claims

1. A network-based air-conditioning equipment remote monitoring and management system for use to integrate to a network system for providing a user-operated monitoring and management function on at least one set of remotely-located air-conditioning equipment system;

the network-based air-conditioning equipment remote monitoring and management system being based on a distributed architecture comprising a server-side unit and an equipment-side unit;

wherein

the server-side unit is integrated to a server linked to the network system and is capable of allowing a client workstation to be linked via the network system to the server for user-operated monitoring and management tasks on the air-conditioning equipment system, and which includes;

a remote network communication module, which is used to allow the server-side unit to communicate with the equipment-side unit via the network system;

a user interface module, which is capable of providing a user interface to the client workstation being linked to the server, and capable of providing an equipment operating-status displaying function and a human-operated control command issuing function;

wherein the equipment operating-status displaying function is capable of displaying a set of operating status data about the air-conditioning equipment system, while the human-operated control command issuing function is capable of providing a set of air-conditioning control commands for user selection and issuing each user-selected air-conditioning control command via the network system to the air-conditioning equipment system; and

an operation data storage module, which is used for storage of a set of operation data about the air-conditioning equipment system downloaded from the equipment-side unit and capable of displaying the operation data on the client workstation through the user interface module; and

wherein

the equipment-side unit is integrated to the air-conditioning equipment system and linked to the network system, and which includes;

a network linking module, which is capable of linking the equipment-side unit to the network system;

an equipment-side server module, which is linked to the network linking module and capable of providing a two-way data communication function between the air-conditioning equipment system and the server-side unit; and

an operating-status monitoring module, which includes an operation inspection mechanism and an operation control mechanism;

wherein the operation inspection mechanism is capable of inspecting the operating status of the air-conditioning equipment system during operation to acquire a set of operating characteristics data thereof, and further capable of sending the detected operating characteristics data to the equipment-side server module for transfer to the server-side unit via the network system;

while the operation control mechanism is capable of controlling the air-conditioning equipment system to operate in a user-specified manner based on each air-conditioning control command downloaded from the server-side unit via the network system.

2. The network-based air-conditioning equipment remote monitoring and management system of claim 1, wherein the network system is Internet, an intranet system, an extranet system, a wired-type LAN (Local Area Network) system, a wireless-type LAN system, or a VPN (Virtual Private Network) system.

3. The network-based air-conditioning equipment remote monitoring and management system of claim 1, wherein the equipment-side server module in the equipment-side unit further includes:

an abnormal operating condition warning module, which is capable of generating a warning message for transfer via the network system to the client workstation in the event that the operation inspection mechanism detects an abnormal operating condition in the air-conditioning equipment system.

4. The network-based air-conditioning equipment remote monitoring and management system of claim 1, wherein the server-side unit further includes:

a prescheduled operation data analyzing module, which is capable of automatically generating an electricity consumption analysis report in the form of an electronic document based on the operating characteristics data of each air-conditioning equipment system during a predefined period.

5. The network-based air-conditioning equipment remote monitoring and management system of claim 1, wherein the network linking module is an ADSL (Asynchronous Digital Subscriber Line) type of network linking device.

6. The network-based air-conditioning equipment remote monitoring and management system of claim 1, wherein the network linking module is an FTTB (Fiber To The Building) type of network linking device.

7. The network-based air-conditioning equipment remote monitoring and management system of claim 1, wherein the network linking module is a wireless type of network linking device.

8. The network-based air-conditioning equipment remote monitoring and management system of claim 1, wherein the operation data storage module is further used for storage of related product and management information about the air-conditioning equipment system.

9. The network-based air-conditioning equipment remote monitoring and management system of claim 1, wherein the operation inspection mechanism includes:

an ON/OFF inspection mechanism, which is capable of inspecting the ON/OFF state of the air-conditioning equipment system;

an electricity consumption inspection mechanism, which is capable of inspecting the electricity consumption conditions of the air-conditioning equipment system;

a temperature inspection mechanism, which is capable of inspecting the temperature level conditioned by the air-conditioning equipment system;

a humidity inspection mechanism, which is capable of detecting the humidity level conditioned by the air-conditioning equipment system; and

a carbon-dioxide concentration inspection mechanism, which is capable of detecting concentration of carbon dioxide within a room where the air-conditioning equipment system is installed.

10. The network-based air-conditioning equipment remote monitoring and management system of claim 1, wherein the user interface module further includes a human-operated equipment operation scheduling function for specifying a preassigned operation time period for the air-conditioning equipment system during which the air-conditioning equipment system is enabled for operation.