Communication adapter and connection test run method therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10797978-B2
Application number	US-201816165489-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2018
Priority date	Oct 26, 2017
Publication date	Oct 6, 2020
Grant date	Oct 6, 2020

Abstract

Each hot water supply apparatus of a hot water supply system exchanges information with a management center via a communication adapter, thereby being remotely monitored. In a connection test run for the communication adapter in a remote monitoring system, when a part of transmission information about the hot water supply apparatus is transmitted to the communication adapter via a communication line, establishment of a communication connection to the hot water supply system is indicated, and a heartbeat notification is transmitted from the communication adapter to the management center. When the communication adapter receives a response to the heartbeat notification from the management center, establishment of a communication connection to the management center is indicated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A communication adapter used in a remote monitoring system for a hot water using facility, the communication adapter comprising:
a first communication circuit to exchange information with the hot water using facility by a first communication connection via a communication line;
a second communication circuit to exchange information with a management apparatus of the remote monitoring system by a second communication connection via a communication network;
a first indicating device to indicate whether the first communication connection is established;
a second indicating device to indicate whether the second communication connection is established; and
a controller to control the first and second communication circuits and the first and second indicating devices, wherein
when the controller obtains a part of transmission information through the first communication circuit during a connection test run for the communication adapter, the controller causing the first indicating device to indicate that the first communication connection has been established, and transmitting a first heartbeat notification to the management apparatus through the second communication circuit for establishing a second communication connection, in response to the establishment of the first communication connection, the transmission information being information about the hot water using facility transmitted to the management apparatus through the connection test run,
when a response to the first heartbeat notification is received from the management apparatus, the controller causing the second indicating device to indicate that the second communication connection has been established,
the controller separately generates a first output request to the hot water using facility for the part of the transmission information, and a second output request to the hot water using facility for a remainder of the transmission information,
the second output request is generated after the controller obtains the part of the transmission information in response to the first output request, and
the controller transmits the obtained remainder of the transmission information to the management apparatus in response to the second output request, after the second communication connection is established.

2. The communication adapter according to claim 1 , wherein
after the second communication connection is established, the second communication circuit periodically transmits a second heartbeat notification to the management apparatus, and
the first heartbeat notification requests the response from the management apparatus, whereas the second heartbeat notification does not request the response from the management apparatus.

3. The communication adapter according to claim 1 , wherein
the first communication circuit is connected, by the communication line, to a system controller for centralized control of a plurality of the hot water using facilities, and
through the connection test run, the transmission information about the plurality of hot water using facilities is output from the system controller to the communication line.

4. The communication adapter according to claim 2 , wherein
the first communication circuit is connected, by the communication line, to a system controller for centralized control of a plurality of the hot water using facilities, and
through the connection test run, the transmission information about the plurality of hot water using facilities is output from the system controller to the communication line.

5. A connection test run method for a communication adapter used in a remote monitoring system for a hot water using facility, the connection test run method comprising:
making, after startup of a connection test run, a first request for a part of transmission information from the communication adapter to the hot water using facility by a first communication connection via a communication line, the transmission information being information about the hot water using facility transmitted to a management apparatus of the remote monitoring system;
indicating, when the part of the transmission information is transmitted from the hot water using facility to the communication adapter in response to the making the request, that the first communication connection has been established;
transmitting, when the part of the transmission information is transmitted from the hot water using facility to the communication adapter in response to the making the request, a first heartbeat notification from the communication adapter to the management apparatus for establishing a second communication connection via a communication network, in response to the establishment of the first communication connection;
indicating, when the communication adapter receives a response to the first heartbeat notification from the management apparatus, that the second communication connection has been established;
making a second request for a remainder of the transmission information from the communication adapter to the hot water using facility transmitted by the first communication connection, after the part of the transmission information is obtained; and
transmitting, after the second communication connection is established, the obtained remainder of the transmission information from the communication adapter to the management apparatus by the second communication connection.

6. The connection test run method for the communication adapter according to claim 5 , further comprising
periodically transmitting, after the second communication connection is established, a second heartbeat notification from the communication adapter to the management apparatus, wherein
the first heartbeat notification requests the response from the management apparatus, whereas the second heartbeat notification does not request the response from the management apparatus.

Assignees

• Noritz Corp

Inventors

• Sugioka Masayuki
• Maekawa Yoshihiko
• Hirota Daisuke

Classifications

• H04L67/141

  Setup of application sessions (admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70) · CPC title

• H04L43/0811 Primary

  by checking connectivity · CPC title

• H04L67/025

  for remote control or remote monitoring of applications · CPC title

• H04L43/50

  Testing arrangements · CPC title

• H04L67/10

  in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46) · CPC title