Control method of terminal device in air conditioning control system with selectable operating mode according to time and charges, and non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9810446-B2
Application number	US-201514682329-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 9, 2015
Priority date	Apr 29, 2014
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

Time information indicating a necessary amount of time for a room temperature to reach a set temperature, and charges information indicating electricity charges corresponding to an amount of electric power consumed that is necessary for the room temperature to reach the set temperature, are displayed correlated with each of a plurality of running buttons corresponding to each of a plurality of operating modes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling a terminal device in an air conditioning control system that controls an air conditioner, the air conditioner having a plurality of operating modes to cause a room temperature of a room in which the air conditioner is installed to reach a set temperature of the air conditioner,
the method causing a computer of the terminal device to:
acquire, for each of the plurality of operating modes in a case where the air conditioner is in a stopped state, i) time information indicating a time from when the air conditioner switches from the stopped state to a running state, till the room temperature of the room reaches the set temperature, and ii) first charges information indicating electricity charges corresponding to an amount of electric power consumed by the air conditioner from when the air conditioner switches from the stopped state to the running state, till the room temperature of the room reaches the set temperature;
display a plurality of running buttons corresponding to the plurality of operating modes, in association with the time information and the first charges information corresponding to each of the plurality of running buttons; and
upon detecting selection of one running button corresponding to one operating mode out of the plurality of operating modes, transmit a control command to the air conditioner, to control the air conditioner to run in the one operating mode,

wherein the plurality of operating modes includes
a normal mode, and
an eco mode which consumes less electric power than the normal mode for the room temperature to reach the set temperature, and

wherein in a case where a monetary amount indicated by the first charges information corresponding to the eco mode is smaller than a monetary amount indicated by the first charges information corresponding to the normal mode by a predetermined monetary amount or more, a running button corresponding to the eco mode is displayed.

2. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein, when causing the computer of the terminal device to display the plurality of the running buttons corresponding to the plurality of operating modes, the time information and the first charges information corresponding to each of the plurality of operating modes are displayed within each of the plurality of the running buttons corresponding to the plurality of operating modes.

3. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein, in a case where the air conditioner is running in the one operating mode, the one running button corresponding to the one operating mode is hidden from display,
wherein the time information and the first charges information corresponding to the one operating mode are displayed in a region where the one running button corresponding to the one operating mode had been displayed;
and wherein the time information and the first charges information corresponding to other operating modes other than the one operating mode are displayed within respective other running buttons corresponding to the other operating modes.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further causing the computer of the terminal device to:
display a set temperature changing button that changes the set temperature of the air conditioner;
newly acquire, in a case where selection of the set temperature changing button is detected in the stopped state of the air conditioner before selection of the one running button, the time information and the first charges information corresponding to the changed set temperature of the air conditioner; and
update the time information and the first charges information, corresponding to each of the plurality of operating modes, to the newly acquired time information and the newly acquired first charges information.

5. The method according to claim 4 ,
wherein, in the case where the selection of the set temperature changing button is detected, a control command for controlling to change the set temperature of the air conditioner is transmitted to the air conditioner.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further causing the computer of the terminal device to:
display a set temperature changing button that changes the set temperature of the air conditioner;
newly acquire, in a case where selection of the set temperature changing button is detected in the running state of the air conditioner after selection of the one running button, the time information and the first charges information corresponding to the changed set temperature of the air conditioner; and
update the time information and the first charges information, corresponding to each of the plurality of operating modes, to the newly acquired time information and the newly acquired first charges information.

7. The method according to claim 6 ,
wherein, in the case where the selection of the set temperature changing button is detected, a control command for controlling to change the set temperature of the air conditioner is transmitted to the air conditioner.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further causing the computer of the terminal device to:
acquire, at a predetermined timing, temperature information indicating the room temperature of the room in which the air conditioner is installed,
newly acquire, in a case where the acquired temperature information changes from previous temperature information indicating the room temperature acquired at a previous time, the time information and the first charges information corresponding to the changed temperature information; and
update the time information and the first charges information, corresponding to each of the plurality of operating modes, to the newly acquired time information and the newly acquired first charges information.

9. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of operating modes further includes
a powerful mode which takes less time than the normal mode for the current room temperature to reach the set temperature,

and wherein, in the case where the monetary amount indicated by the first charges information corresponding to the eco mode is not smaller than the monetary amount indicated by the first charges information corresponding to the normal mode by the predetermined monetary amount or more, and also a duration indicated by the time information corresponding to the powerful mode is not shorter than a duration indicated by the time information corresponding to the normal mode by a predetermined amount of time or more, only a running button corresponding to the normal mode is displayed.

10. The method according to claim 1 , further causing the computer of the terminal device to:
acquire, at a predetermined timing, temperature information indicating the room temperature of the room in which the air conditioner is installed;
acquire, in a case where the acquired temperature information reaches the set temperature of the air conditioner, second charges information indicating electricity charges corresponding to an amount of electric power consumed by the air conditioner, that is necessary for the air conditioner to maintain the set temperature; and
switch display of the time information and the first charges information corresponding to at least the one operating mode, to the second charges information corresponding to at least the one operating mode.

11. The method according to claim 1 , further causing the computer of the terminal device to:
acquire, at a predetermined timing, temperature information indicating the room temperature of the room in which the air conditioner is installed;
acquire, in a case where the acquired temperature information reaches the set temperature of the air conditioner, second charges information indicating

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Corp America

Inventors

• Harada Naoyuki
• Sasaki Takamitsu

Classifications

• F24F11/64

  using pre-stored data · CPC title

• F24F11/58

  using Internet communication · CPC title

• F24F11/57

  using telephone networks · CPC title

• F24F11/523

  for displaying temperature data · CPC title

• F24F11/47 Primary

  Responding to energy costs · CPC title