JP3633261B2 - Network computer type water heater system and network computer type water heater - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a network computer type water heater system and a network computer type water heater. In particular, a network computer type water heater system capable of updating a hot water heater control program from a remote location using a communication network, and further diagnosing and repairing a hot water heater based on information obtained through the communication network And a network computer type water heater.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Current hot water heaters operate independently with the exception of remote control operation, and mask microcomputers (CPUs) that incorporate their own control programs for each type of water heater Is installed. Therefore, if you try to upgrade a program to add a new function, change specifications due to user complaints, or to correct a bug or bug in a simple program, a new control program that has been corrected, changed, or added a function will be stored in the microcomputer It was necessary to write in the mask and mask it, and to incorporate a control board (control board) equipped with the mask microcomputer into the water heater.
[0003]
Therefore, even if you plan to upgrade the control program to add new functions, change specifications due to claims, correct simple program defects or bugs, etc., new controls will not be available until the product is brought to market. A period of 2 to 3 months is required to mask the microcomputer containing the computer program, and it is impossible to respond quickly, to respond quickly to user requests, and to delay product launches against other companies in the same industry Sometimes I took.
[0004]
In addition, since the control program once written in the mask microcomputer cannot be rewritten, if there is a serious bug, visit each user's home when a control board equipped with a new mask microcomputer in which the bug is corrected is created. Therefore, it is necessary to replace the control board incorporated in the water heater with a new one, which takes a lot of trouble.
[0005]
In addition, if the mask microcomputer can be shared for hot water heaters of different product types, the number of microcomputers can be reduced. However, in hot water heaters with various combustion numbers and exhaust variations, if you try to share the mask microcomputer, There is a problem that it is necessary to write a control program for each hot water heater of each product type in the microcomputer, which increases the ROM capacity and increases the cost. On the other hand, in order to avoid an increase in ROM capacity, when a mask microcomputer and a control board are separately formed for each combustion number and exhaust variation, the mask microcomputer and the control board must be created separately for each type. There was a problem that the management process increased.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention has been made in view of the drawbacks of the conventional example described above, and the object of the present invention is to be able to respond immediately to version upgrades of control programs, data, etc., and for a water heater, a control board. It is an object of the present invention to provide a network computer type water heater system and a network computer type hot water heater that can update a control program and the like without replacing them.
[0007]
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The network computer type water heater system according to claim 1 includes a water heater and a management computer, and the water heater includes a communication means for communicating with the management computer through a communication line, and a program for controlling the water heater. Writable storage means for storing, and control means for controlling the water heater in accordance with the program stored in the storage means, the management computer for hot water heater operation check program and water heater failure repair If there is a program and the operation check of the hot water heater is executed by the operation check program through a communication line, and a fault that can be repaired is found as a result, the fault of the hot water heater is repaired by the fault repair program It is characterized by that. Note that a public line such as a telephone line or an Internet network can be used as the communication line.
[0008]
Therefore, if there is a problem with the water heater installed in each house, the trouble of each water heater will be dealt with through the communication line without dispatching a service person to the place where the water heater is installed each time. Can do.
[0009]
For example, when a malfunction occurs in a water heater, the operation check program or failure repair program installed in the management computer is run through a communication line to check the operation of each water heater and repair it. be able to. Therefore, a failure due to a program runaway or the like can be immediately repaired through the communication line, and convenience for the user is improved.
[0010]
Further, like the network computer type water heater according to claim 4, a communication means for communicating with the management computer through a communication line, a writable storage means for storing a hot water heater control program, and a communication line A program acquisition unit for acquiring the program from the management computer through the storage unit, storing the acquired program in the storage unit, a control unit for controlling the water heater in accordance with the program stored in the storage unit, and the management unit through a communication line If an operation check by the computer operation check program and a means for requesting the repair of the failure by the repair program are provided, the hot water heater control program can be downloaded from the management computer. As the storage means, any one such as an EEPROM, a RAM (Random Access Memory), a hard disk, an MO, and a CD-R which are nonvolatile rewritable storage elements can be used. Also, for example, when a malfunction occurs in a water heater, the operation check program or failure repair program installed in the management computer is run through the communication line to check the operation and repair of each water heater. Can be made. Therefore, a failure due to a program runaway or the like can be immediately repaired through the communication line, and convenience for the user is improved.
[0011]
Thus, according to such a network computer type water heater or the system, when the control program is updated, a new control program is quickly distributed to each water heater through the communication line, and the storage device Can be rewritten. Therefore, as in the prior art, each time the program is updated, the time and cost for updating the program can be greatly reduced by eliminating the trouble of making a mask microcomputer and replacing each control board. For this reason, bug countermeasures and complaints can be quickly dealt with, and it is easy to upgrade the program many times in a short period of time.
[0012]
The connection between the water heater and the management computer may be requested from the water heater side, but it is desirable that the connection can also be requested from the management computer side. If the connection request can be made from the management computer, the operation can be periodically checked from the management computer. In addition, if there is an update of the control program, connect the hot water heater from the management computer and download the new control program to each hot water heater, so that the hot water heater control program for each door can be downloaded in a batch. It can be updated and management becomes easy.
[0013]
Further, in a writable storage device, there is a possibility that the program written in the storage device may be damaged. However, as described in claims 2 and 5, an abnormality in the program stored in the storage means is detected. If the abnormality detecting means detects a program abnormality, the control program can be prevented from running out of control by storing the program in the storage means again through a communication line. , Improve reliability.
[0014]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a network computer type hot water supply system of the present invention. The water heater 1 installed in each user and the server machine 2 installed in a water heater supplier (a water heater manufacturer, a water heater distributor, etc .; hereinafter referred to as the manufacturer) are directly connected to the telephone line or via the Internet. Connected via a communication line. The server machine 2 on the manufacturer side has a hot water heater control program 3 for each product, an operation check program 4 for failure diagnosis, and a database 5 for storing hot water heater data of each user obtained by the operation check. And connected to the communication line by the communication control unit 6. In addition, a plurality of client machines (PCs) 7 are connected to the server machine 2 on the manufacturer side via a LAN or an intranet, and update processing of the hot water supply control program 3 for various products stored in the server machine 2 Is updated by inputting a new version of the program from the client machine 7, and the client machine 7 can also execute a totaling process of various data stored in the database 5. When there is an operation check (failure diagnosis) call from the user side, the server machine 2 activates the operation check program 4 and executes an operation check of the hot water heater 1 that has been called.
[0015]
As with the connection to AC100V (commercial power), the user-side water heater 1 is connected to a telephone line and secures a means of mutual communication with the manufacturer's server machine 2 through a communication line such as a direct telephone line or via the Internet. Recommended or required to do so. A control board 11 having a configuration as shown in FIG. 2 is built in the water heater 1. On the control board 11, a modem 12 for communicating with the server machine 2 on the manufacturer side and a telephone modular socket 13 for connecting the modem 12 to a telephone line are provided.
[0016]
In addition, a mask microcomputer 14, a RAM 15, an EEPROM 16, and the like are mounted on the control board 11. The mask microcomputer 14 is standardized for all products, and stores a program for modem control and a program for controlling read / write of the RAM 15 in a masked manner. A control program (including data for control and a program for communication with the remote controller 8) for causing the water heater 1 to perform a predetermined operation according to each model is stored in a RAM 15 that is a readable / writable memory. . The EEPROM 16 stores data that does not need to be rewritten after being incorporated in the water heater 1, such as data unique to each model, such as product type, gas type, telephone number or Internet address (URL) of the server machine 2. ) Etc. are written at the time of shipment. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a mask microcomputer processing unit 17 and a RAM processing unit 18 are realized in software on the control board 11. The mask microcomputer processing unit 17 operates the mask microcomputer 14 and communicates with the server machine 2 through the modem 12, thereby downloading the hot water heater control program 3 stored in the server machine 2 to the RAM 15, or the server machine 2 Call an operation check for. The RAM processing unit 18 controls the operation of the water heater 1 by reading and executing a control program from the RAM 15.
[0017]
Next, a process for downloading a control program by the mask microcomputer processing unit 17 and the RAM processing unit 18 configured on the control board 11 will be described. 4A mainly shows processing of the mask microcomputer processing unit 17 and the mask microcomputer 14, and FIG. 4B shows processing of the RAM processing unit 18 and the RAM 15 (main routine). The mask microcomputer processing unit 17 is automatically reset when the water heater 1 is installed in the user's house and the power switch is turned on or when the power failure is restored. Alternatively, it is reset manually by the user. When the mask microcomputer processing unit 17 is reset (S1), the mask microcomputer processing unit 17 initializes the mask microcomputer 14 (S2) and initializes the modem 12 (S3). The initialized mask microcomputer 14 reads the user side data such as product type and gas type and the manufacturer's telephone number from the EEPROM 16 (S4), and calls the manufacturer's server 2 through the modem 12 and the communication line (S5). ). When connected to the server device 2 on the manufacturer side, the mask microcomputer 14 requests the server device 2 to download the hot water heater control program 3 and transmits the user side data read from the EEPROM 16 to the server device 2 (S6).
[0018]
Upon receiving the user-side data, the server machine 2 checks whether the water heater 1 that is requesting access is from a legitimate user, and if it is determined to be a legitimate user, the server machine 2 accesses the control program for the product type. to approve.
[0019]
When the access is permitted, the mask microcomputer 14 reads the hot water heater control program 3 from the server machine 2 and sequentially stores it in the RAM 15 (S7, S8), and ends the process when the control program is stored in the RAM 15 ( S9), returning to the main routine (S10).
[0020]
When the main routine is executed (S11), the RAM processing unit 18 reads and executes the updated control program from the RAM 15, and controls the water heater 1 according to the control program (S12).
[0021]
Next, FIG. 5 shows a method for checking the operation of the water heater from the server machine 2. The flowchart of FIG. 5A shows the process on the user side, and FIG. 5B shows the process on the manufacturer side. The mask microcomputer processing unit 17 starts the operation check process in response to a request from the user or periodically (S21). When the mask microcomputer processing unit 17 starts the operation check, the mask microcomputer 14 reads the user side data such as the product type and gas type from the EEPROM 16 together with the telephone number of the manufacturer side (S22). The server machine 2 is called (S23). When connected to the server machine 2 on the manufacturer side, the mask microcomputer 14 requests the server machine 2 to check the operation, and transmits the user side data read from the EEPROM 16 to the server machine 2 (S24).
[0022]
When the server machine 2 is requested to perform an operation check, it stores user-side data in the database 5 and starts up an operation check program (S25). When the server machine 2 runs the operation check program 4 (S29), the server machine 2 executes an operation check of the water heater 1 according to the operation check program (failure diagnosis program) 4 (S30). As a result of the operation check, when it is determined that the server machine 2 is abnormal (S31), the server machine 2 further determines whether or not there is a repairable failure (S32), and communication is performed such as a problem on the program. If it is determined that the failure can be repaired through the line, the repair program is run to repair the failure of the water heater 1 (S33). As a result, when the failure of the water heater 1 is repaired (S34), necessary data is written and stored in the database 5 (S36), and the operation check process is terminated (S37).
[0023]
On the other hand, if no abnormality is found in step S31, the operation check data and the like are written in the database 5 (S36), and the operation check process is immediately terminated (S37). If it is determined in step S32 that the communication line cannot be repaired (S32) or if the repair program cannot be repaired (S34), a signal indicating that the repair cannot be performed is transmitted to the user side. The process on the manufacturer side is terminated (S37).
[0024]
As a result of performing an operation check from the server machine 2 on the manufacturer side in this way, when an operation abnormality of the water heater 1 is not found, or even if an operation abnormality is found, it is repaired by the server machine 2 (S26), The water heater 1 returns to the main routine (S28), and the RAM processing unit 18 reads and executes the control program in the RAM 15. On the other hand, if an abnormality is found as a result of the operation check and is not repaired by the repair program (S26), an error message is output to the user for individual inspection (S27).
[0025]
According to the network computer type water heater system of the present invention, since the latest control program can be downloaded from the server 2 on the manufacturer side, the latest control program is loaded regardless of the purchase time of the water heater 1. Can be used. Furthermore, since the operation check can be automatically performed by connecting to the server machine 2 on the manufacturer side, the best usability and safety can always be ensured.
[0026]
In addition, for manufacturers, even when bug correction, defect correction, specification change, etc. are made, it becomes possible to deal with all users at once without dealing individually, greatly reducing manual labor. The service cost can be greatly reduced. In addition, every time a bug is fixed, you are freed from the absurdity of discarding a large number of mask microcomputers. Moreover, the control program for the hot water heater 1 of the same model can be collectively managed regardless of the sales period, and it is possible to immediately cope with the malfunction of the control program.
[0027]
In addition, since the control program is stored in the RAM 15, the mask microcomputer 14 in the water heater 1 can have a significantly smaller capacity than the conventional one. Moreover, the mask microcomputer 14 can be shared for different types of products by writing different control programs in the RAM 15 and recording the product type, gas type, etc. in the EEPROM 16. Therefore, it is not necessary to create different mask microcomputers 14 for each product type, and the development cost can be reduced by unifying the control board 11.
[0028]
In addition, by creating a database of the results of operation checks for each user, data management of each water heater 1 and tracking of failure history can be easily performed, and the problems of the water heater 1 can be analyzed statistically. Also useful.
[0029]
(Second Embodiment)
In the network computer type water heater system of the above embodiment, the manufacturer can download the latest control program to the water heater 1 or execute an operation check unless there is an access request from the user side. Can not. For this reason, even if the manufacturer has created the latest version of the control program for bug removal, complaint handling, defect correction, function upgrade, etc. and uploaded it to the server machine 2, it can be downloaded to each water heater 1. There will be large variations in timing. If there is such a variation, the water heater 1 loaded with the latest version of the control program and the water heater 1 loaded with the old version of the control program are mixed, and management becomes complicated on the manufacturer side as well. .
[0030]
Therefore, in this embodiment, by calling the user-side water heater 1 from the server machine 2 on the manufacturer side and executing the interrupt process, the control program for each of the water heaters 1 can be rewritten to the latest one at a time. I did it.
[0031]
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing processing when the server machine 2 on the manufacturer side makes an interrupt request. The server machine 2 records the telephone number or Internet address (URL) of the modem 12 installed in the water heater 1 of each user in the database 5, and when the latest control program is uploaded, Each water heater 1 registered through the signal line is called to make an interrupt request (S41). When the server machine 2 calls the water heater 1 and requests an interrupt, the server machine 2 first checks the operation mode of the water heater 1, and waits until the water heater 1 stops operating if the water heater 1 is operating (S42). When the water heater 1 stops operating, the server machine 2 interrupts the control program of the water heater 1 and causes the mask microcomputer processing unit 17 to load the control program.
[0032]
That is, when there is an interrupt request from the server machine 2, the mask microcomputer 14 confirms again whether there is a control program update request from the server machine 2 (S43), and when there is no update request from the server machine 2 The RAM processing unit 18 returns to the normal main routine and executes the control program in the RAM 15 to control the water heater 1 (S44).
[0033]
On the other hand, when it is confirmed that there is an update request from the server machine 2, the mask microcomputer 14 receives the interrupt request, sequentially reads the control program from the server machine 2 (S45), and overwrites the RAM 15 sequentially (S46). When the downloading of the control program is completed (S47), the interrupt process is canceled and the process returns to the main routine (S48, S49), and the control program stored in the RAM 15 is executed to control the water heater 1 (S50). ).
[0034]
Therefore, according to this embodiment, the control program for the water heater 1 registered on the manufacturer side can be updated to the latest program at the same time. Further, not only the control program but also a periodic interruption request from the server machine 2 may be executed to run the operation check program so that the operation check of each hot water heater 1 is automatically performed.
[0035]
(Third embodiment)
In the network computer type water heater system of the present invention, since the control program for operating the water heater 1 is stored in the RAM 15, if the control program is destroyed by disturbance such as static electricity, electromagnetic waves, and ultraviolet rays, There is a risk that the operation of the machine 1 cannot be guaranteed. Therefore, in this embodiment, in order to prevent the control program from running out of control, a RAM check function for checking whether there is any abnormality in the RAM is provided in advance. If the RAM 15 is destroyed, the server machine is immediately The control program is loaded from 2.
[0036]
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure in this embodiment. When reset by turning on the power switch or recovering after a power failure, the mask microcomputer processing unit 17 executes a normal start-up operation (see FIG. 4) to transfer the control program from the server machine 2 on the manufacturer side to the RAM 15. Download (S1-S9). Next, it is confirmed whether or not the control program has been normally received and stored in the RAM 15 (S51). If the control program has been normally received, the mask microcomputer processing unit 17 performs check data, for example, sum check of the RAM area ( sum check) is counted (S52), and the result is stored as SUM1 (S53).
[0037]
When the mask microcomputer processing unit 17 stores and saves the sum check of the RAM area as SUM1, the RAM processing unit 18 counts the sum check of the RAM area every specified time while executing the control program in the RAM 15 (S58). (S54, S55), this is temporarily stored in SUM2 (S56). Then, the temporarily stored sum check value SUM2 is compared with the sum check value SUM1 stored immediately after downloading the control program (S57). If the sum check values match (SUM1 = SUM2), the RAM 15 It is determined that it has not been destroyed, and the control of the water heater 1 is continued by the control program (S58).
[0038]
However, if the sum check values do not match (SUM1 ≠ SUM2), it is determined that the control program in the RAM 15 is destroyed, jumps to the start address of the reset process in the mask microcomputer processing unit 17, and the water heater 1 is After stopping the operation, the control program is downloaded again from the server machine 2 (S59).
[0039]
In this embodiment, when an abnormality of the RAM 15 is detected by counting the sum check of the RAM area, the control program is immediately re-downloaded from the server machine 2, so that it will not run out of control. Even if such RAM destruction occurs, the water heater 1 can be quickly returned to normal, and the reliability of the water heater operation can be improved.
[0040]
In this embodiment, if the check of the sum check does not match once, the control program is immediately re-downloaded, but the sum check does not match before the control program is downloaded again. May be confirmed multiple times.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a network computer type water heater system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a control board mounted in a water heater.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing functions of a control board.
4A is a flowchart showing processing by a mask microcomputer processing unit, and FIG. 4B is a flowchart showing processing (main routine) by a RAM processing unit.
FIGS. 5A and 5B are flowcharts for explaining an operation check method for a water heater.
FIG. 6 is another embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a flowchart showing processing when an interrupt request is issued by a server machine, and (b) is a flowchart showing processing (main routine) by a RAM processing section. It is.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing processing for executing a sum check of a RAM area after downloading a control program from a server machine according to still another embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Water heater 2 Server machine 11 Control board 14 Mask microcomputer 15 RAM
17 Mask microcomputer processor 18 RAM processor

Claims (5)

It has a water heater and a management computer,
The water heater controls the water heater according to a communication means for communicating with the management computer through a communication line, a writable storage means for storing a hot water heater control program, and a program stored in the storage means. Control means ,
The management computer has a hot water heater operation check program and a hot water heater failure repair program, performs an operation check of the hot water heater by the operation check program through a communication line, and, as a result, a repairable failure A network computer type water heater system that repairs a failure of a water heater by using the failure repair program when it is found . The water heater has means for checking whether there is an abnormality in the writable storage means for storing the hot water heater control program, and if there is an abnormality in the storage means, the management is performed through a communication line. 2. The network computer type hot water supply system according to claim 1, wherein the program is stored again in the storage means from a computer. 2. The network computer type water heater system according to claim 1, wherein the management computer requests connection of a communication line to the water heater. A communication means for communicating with the management computer through a communication line;
Writable storage means for storing a hot water heater control program;
A program acquisition means for acquiring a program from the management computer through a communication line, and storing the acquired program in the storage means;
Control means for controlling the water heater according to the program stored in the storage means;
Means for requesting an operation check by an operation check program of the management computer and a repair of a failure by a repair program through a communication line;
Network computer type water heater equipped with. A communication means for communicating through a communication line;
Writable storage means for storing a hot water heater control program;
A program acquisition means for acquiring a program through a communication line and storing the acquired program in the storage means;
Control means for controlling the water heater according to the program stored in the storage means;
And means for detecting an abnormality of the program stored in the storage means,
The abnormality when the detection means detects an abnormality in the program, features and be Rene Tsu network computer type water heater that the program again through the communication line and to be stored in the storage means.

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