Air conditioner control device, equipment system, and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9535430-B2
Application number	US-201113878817-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2011
Priority date	Oct 18, 2010
Publication date	Jan 3, 2017
Grant date	Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

By efficiently holding only information necessary for a desired control from among information that can be obtained from equipment such as air conditioners, lighting devices and other devices, the control of the air conditioners and other devices according to the situation is obtained with small-capacity memory resources. This facilitates uploading to an air conditioner control device having a relatively small memory capacity and makes it possible to efficiently customize the installed control program.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An air conditioner control device for controlling multiple air conditioners connected by a general-purpose network, this air conditioner control device comprising:
an air conditioner communicator that accomplishes communication with the air conditioners;
an interface that receives information used in customizing a control program for controlling the air conditioners;
an air conditioner basic controller provided with an air conditioning basic control program and an air conditioning basic control information memory that is configured to store information used by the air conditioning basic control program, in the air conditioning basic control information memory, basic control contents for the air conditioners not dependent on individual systems are defined in advance;
a basic controller provided with a basic control information memory for storing information used by a basic control program in which basic control contents of equipment of the equipment system not dependent on individual systems are defined in advance, for controlling equipment in the equipment system based on the basic control program;
a custom controller configured to execute the control program;
a custom control program whose control contents are defined by the custom controller;
a custom input/output map that indicates information associated with inputs/outputs of the custom control program among information transmitted and received by the air conditioner communicator; and
an input/output map separator for referencing stored contents of the air conditioning basic control information memory and the basic control information memory, assigning stored information to a basic input/output map and assigning information not stored to the custom input/output map
a custom control information memory configured to store information comprising the custom input/output map and the basic input/output map;
wherein the air conditioner communicator is configured to store, in the custom control information memory, information extracted from received signals for information specified by the custom input/output map, and generate signals to be sent based on the information stored in the custom control information memory; and
the custom controller is configured to
determine whether the custom control information memory stores information for an air conditioner;
when the custom control information memory is determined to store information for the air conditioner:
acquire input from the custom control information memory in accordance with the information associated with the input/outputs of the custom input/output map from among the information transmitted and received by the air conditioner communicator,
accomplish, using the input acquired from the custom control Information memory, calculations based on the custom control program, and
output calculations results to the custom control information memory;

when the custom control information memory is not determined to store information for the air conditioner, use the air conditioner basic controller for the air conditioner.

2. The air conditioner control device according to claim 1 , further comprising a system communicator for sending and receiving signals in order to control equipment of an equipment system via a local network;
wherein the custom input/output map associates a portion of the information transmittable and receivable by the system communicator with inputs/outputs of the custom control program; and
the system communicator stores in the custom control information memory information extracted from received signals, for information specified by the custom input/output map, and generates signals to be sent based on information stored in the custom control information memory.

3. The air conditioner control device according to claim 2 , wherein:
the air conditioner communicator is provided with an air conditioning control information list containing information for bit lengths necessary in storing various information;
the system communicator is provided with a system control information list containing information for the bit lengths necessary in storing various information; and
the custom controller stores information defined by the custom input/output map based on the air conditioning control information list and the system control information list in the custom control information memory, organized by bit length.

4. The air conditioner control device according to claim 3 , further comprising an input/output map converter for arranging the custom input/output map input from the interface in an order matching the storage order in the custom control information memory, based on the air conditioning control information list;
wherein the air conditioner communicator and the system communicator read values of the custom control information memory or write values to the custom control information memory from a lead address in which each bit-length of information is arranged in the custom control information memory and the arrangement order of the custom input/output map.

5. The air conditioner control device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the air conditioner communicator stores information extracted from the received signals in the air conditioning basic control information memory and generates a signal to be transmitted based on information stored in the air conditioning control information memory, for information used by the air conditioning basic control program;
the air conditioner basic controller reads contents of the air conditioning basic control information memory, and outputs to the air conditioning basic control information memory calculation results based on the predefined air conditioning basic control program; and
the custom controller possesses the basic input/output map in which information stored in the air conditioning basic control information memory and inputs/outputs of a custom control program are associated together, out of information transmittable and receivable by the air conditioner communicator, acquires inputs from the air conditioning basic control information memory in accordance with associations to the basic input/output memory, accomplishes calculations based on the custom control program and outputs calculation results to the air conditioning basic control information memory.

6. The air conditioner control device according to claim 5 ,
wherein the system communicator stores information extracted from the received signals in the basic control information memory and generates the signal to be transmitted based on information stored in the basic control information memory, for information used by the basic control program;
the basic controller reads contents of the basic control information memory, and outputs to the basic control information memory calculation results based on the predefined basic control program;
the basic input/output map associates information stored in the basic control information memory and inputs/outputs of the custom control program, out of the information transmittable and receivable by the system communicator; and
the custom controller acquires inputs from the basic control information memory in accordance with associations to the basic input/output memory, accomplishes calculations based on the custom control program and outputs calculation results to the basic control information memory.

7. The air conditioner control device according to claim 6 , wherein:
the interface receives input/output maps associating information transmittable and receivable by the air conditioner communicator and the system communicator, with the custom control program and inputs/outputs of the custom control program.

8. The air conditioner control device accor

Assignees

• Gyota Tomoaki
• Nakata Masanori
• Komiya Noriyuki
• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Gyota Tomoaki
• Nakata Masanori
• Komiya Noriyuki

Classifications

• F24F11/64

  using pre-stored data · CPC title

• G05B2219/2642

  Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house · CPC title

• F24F11/54

  using one central controller connected to several sub-controllers · CPC title

• F24F11/58

  using Internet communication · CPC title

• G05D23/19 Primary

  characterised by the use of electric means {(G05D23/1393 takes precedence)} · CPC title