JP4390573B2 - Air conditioning system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an air conditioning system that includes a plurality of central control devices and performs an air conditioning operation by control from these central control devices.

  In facilities and the like that have conventionally been equipped with multi-system air conditioners, in order to perform centralized management of these air conditioners, each air conditioner is provided with a central control device that is connected by link wiring. By performing transmission / reception with the apparatus, the operation control of the all-air conditioner and the monitoring of the operation state can be performed intensively from one place. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

  In addition, an air conditioning system equipped with such a centralized control device would like to centrally manage the air conditioning system in the air conditioning control room during the daytime on weekdays and centralized management of the air conditioning system in the security room etc. at night and on holidays. Therefore, a plurality of central control devices can be connected as appropriate.

Since these centralized control devices are provided on the same link wiring, one centralized control device among these centralized control devices is set as a master unit and communicates with each air conditioner. The other centralized control device intercepts transmission / reception data performed by the centralized control device that has become the master unit as a slave unit, and collects data of each air conditioner required by each centralized control device It has become. As a result, even if a plurality of centralized control devices are provided on the same link wiring, smooth communication can be performed without congesting the transmitted / received data.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-141738

  However, in order to set the master unit / slave unit of the centralized control device so far, there has been a problem that an operation switch provided in the central control device has to be operated, and the operation is troublesome.

  Further, in order to enable the centralized control device to cope with various usage situations, in addition to the operation switch for setting the master unit / slave unit, the control items and the monitor items are set to correspond. There is also a possibility that these operation switches are accidentally operated.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve such problems, and provides an air-conditioning system in which the complexity of setting is omitted and there is one centralized control device serving as a master unit in any case. It is.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a plurality of air conditioners are connected to the same communication wiring, and a plurality of centralized control devices that perform operation control of these air conditioners and operation status monitoring are connected to the communication wiring. In the air conditioning system configured to perform transmission / reception of transmission / reception signals, the presence / absence of the transmission / reception signals between other centralized control devices that are transmitted / received on the communication wiring and each of the air conditioning devices is confirmed. It includes automatic setting means for setting the control device as a master / slave device, and the automatic setting means is provided in each central control device, and each central control device that transmits and receives on the communication wiring and each air The transmission / reception signal with the harmony device is constantly monitored, it is detected that the transmission / reception signal does not exist for a predetermined time or longer, and the setting of the centralized control device having the automatic setting means as the master unit is performed. Detecting that the transmission / reception signal between the other central control device and each air conditioner is within the predetermined time, and setting the slave control device as a slave unit; and the automatic setting means The transmission / reception signal that is constantly monitored at is a transmission / reception signal of periodic communication that is periodically transmitted / received between the other centralized control device and each air conditioner, and is data that describes the content of the control type. It is a feature.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the predetermined time is longer than an interval time of periodic communication periodically transmitted and received between the central control device and each air conditioner. It is characterized by being.

The transmission / reception signal that is constantly monitored by the automatic setting means is a periodic communication transmission / reception signal that is periodically transmitted / received between the other central control device and each air conditioner, and is data that describes the content of the control type. Therefore, since the control type can be recognized, it is possible to collect information on the operating status of each device without performing transmission / reception again from the centralized control device.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing an embodiment of an air conditioning system according to the present invention.

  The air conditioning system 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a plurality of (for example, four) outdoor units 10, 11a, 11b, and 11c, a plurality of indoor units 20, 21, and 22, and these outdoor units 10, 11a to 11c. 11c and a plurality of central control devices 30A and 30B that centrally control the indoor units 20 to 22 are connected to the communication wiring 2.

  The central control device 30A is, for example, a central control device that is installed in an air-conditioning management room or the like and is operated and monitored during a time when the facility where the air conditioning system 1 is installed is in operation. The central control device 30B is, for example, a central control device that is installed in a security room or the like and is operated and monitored by a security guard or the like during a holiday or nighttime when the facility is closed.

  In the air conditioning system 1, for example, the central control device 30A is set as a master unit, and the central control device 30B is set as a slave unit. From any of the central control devices 30A and 30B, any indoor unit is set. When the operation stop is instructed to 20 to 22, the central control device that has performed the operation stop instruction is appropriately transmitted to the indoor unit instructed to stop the operation, and the reply from the indoor unit is The device is transmitted to the central control device, and equipment is periodically (for example, every 4 seconds) from the central control device 30A set in the master unit to the outdoor units 10, 11a to 11c and the indoor units 20 to 22, respectively. For each of the outdoor units 1 is transmitted to the centralized control device 30A from the respective devices. , 11 a to 11 c and information operating state of each of the indoor units 20 to 22 are collected to the central control unit 30A.

  Moreover, since the said response signal from each apparatus is intercepted also in the centralized control apparatus 30B, it can collect the information of each operation state of each outdoor unit 10, 11a-11c, and each indoor unit 20-22. It has become a thing.

  Transmission / reception performed between the central control devices 30A and 30B of the air conditioning system 1 and the outdoor units 10, 11a to 11c and the indoor units 20 to 22 will be described.

  First, transmission / reception data to be transmitted / received will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the transmission / reception data is composed of transmission data TD and reception data RD, and the transmission data TD includes a transmission source address SA1 and a reception destination. The address RA1, the control type code CC1, and the content data CD1 are included. The reception data RD is configured by a transmission source address SA2, a destination address SA2, a control type code CC2, and content data CD2.

  The transmission source address SA1 of the transmission data TD indicates the address of the transmission source device of the transmission data TD, and the reception destination address RA1 indicates the address of the device that receives the transmission data TD. In addition, the control type code CC indicates whether the transmission data requests information such as an operation status from the receiving device (request data), or instructs the receiving device to stop operation, or Whether rewriting information stored in the receiving device is transmitted (setting data), whether the operating state of the transmission source is changed (status change data), or received This indicates whether a reply is made to the transmission data (response data), and the content data CD is data describing the content of the control type code.

  On the other hand, since the transmission source address SA2 of the reception data RD is a reply from the device that has received the transmission data TD, the transmission destination address RA2 is the same address as the reception destination address RA1. This is the address of the device that transmitted the data TD (that is, the transmission source address SA1).

  Further, if the control type code CC2 is a reply of the transmission data TD as described above, it is indicated that it is response data, and the content data CD2 is reply data corresponding to the control type code CC1 and the content data CD1. Is shown.

  And in order for the centralized control apparatus 30A set to the said main | base station to collect the information of the driving | running state of each outdoor unit 10, 11a-11c and each indoor unit 20-22, for example, as shown in FIG. “5F” indicating that the transmission source is the centralized control device 30A is a transmission source address SA1, “FF” having all outdoor units and indoor units as reception destinations is a reception destination address RA1, and a control type code CC1 Is set to “03” indicating the request data, and the content data CD1 is set to “0F” indicating operation / stop, set temperature, wind speed, wind direction, and the like. 11c and each indoor unit 20-22.

  And each outdoor unit 10, 11a-11c and each indoor unit 20-22 which received this transmission data TD are convinced of the presence or absence of the other transmission-and-reception signal on the communication wiring 2, Each operation / stop and setting temperature The received data RD is sequentially returned to the central control device 30A with information on the operation status such as wind speed and direction, for example, as a response signal of the transmission data TD from the indoor unit 20 to the central control device 30A. When returning the reception data RD, “32” indicating that the transmission source is the indoor unit 20 is set as the transmission source address SA2, the address “5F” of the centralized control device 30A is set as the reception destination address RA2, The control type code CC2 is set to “05” indicating response data of the transmission data TD, and the content data CD2 is operated / Stop and set temperature data for operating conditions of the wind speed and direction, etc. (e.g., in Figure "44") is transmitted to the central control device 30A as a.

  Thereby, in the centralized control device 30A, it is possible to collect information on the operation status of each indoor unit 20. Further, since the central control device 30B intercepts transmission / reception signals transmitted / received on the communication wiring 2 as described above, the reception destination address RA2 of the reception data RD transmitted from the indoor unit 20 is centralized control. Since it can be recognized that the device is the device 30A and the control type code CC2 is a response signal of the request data “03”, each of the outdoor units 10, 11a to 11c and each of the indoor units 20 is newly started from the central control device 30B. Without performing transmission / reception with ˜22, it is possible to collect information on the operation status of each device in the same manner as the central control device 30A.

  Further, as described above, the transmission data TD is transmitted as regular communication periodically, for example, every 4 seconds from the central control device 30A set as the parent device.

  For this reason, in the automatic setting means of the present invention, the transmission / reception signal between the central control device and each air conditioner transmitted / received on the communication wiring is a predetermined time T1 (longer than the above-mentioned 4 seconds, which is the interval time of the regular communication) For example, it is determined that there is no more than 10 seconds), and one of the central control devices 30A and 30B is set as a parent device / child device.

  Here, as described above, if the predetermined time T1 is set as a periodical communication as described above, for example, it is possible to determine the presence / absence of the transmission / reception signal, it is possible to determine whether there is an external signal such as noise. Considering that it becomes difficult to intercept the transmission / reception signal due to a failure, the time for regular communication for two times, that is, a time of 8 seconds or more is set.

  Further, the configuration of the central control devices 30A and 30B will be described. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the central control apparatus 30A.

  The central control device 30A includes an operation unit 31 that performs operations such as operation / stop of the outdoor units 10, 11a to 11c and the indoor units 20 to 22, and the collected outdoor units 10, 11a to 11c. And a display unit 32 for displaying the information of each of the indoor units 20 to 22 is provided on the front surface of a housing (not shown). Inside, the control of the central control device 30A and the master / A ROM 33 that stores a program of automatic setting means A that performs automatic setting of the slave unit, a RAM 34 that stores the collected information, and the outdoor units 10, 11 a to 11 c and the indoor units 20 via the communication wiring 2. At intervals such as regular communication between the transmission / reception circuit 35 that performs transmission / reception with ˜22 and the outdoor units 10, 11a-11c and the indoor units 20-22. It is provided with a timer 36 for counting the like.

  This automatic setting means A is the presence or absence of transmission / reception signals performed between other centralized control devices, for example, the centralized control device 30B and the outdoor units 10, 11a to 11c and the indoor units 20 to 22, as shown in FIG. This procedure is described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  First, the automatic setting means A constantly monitors the presence or absence of regular communication performed between the centralized control device 30B and each of the outdoor units 10, 11a to 11c and each of the indoor units 20 to 22 (step S1). If is not detected, the timer 36 is counted (step S2), and it is determined whether or not the timer 36 has passed the predetermined time T1 (step S3). At this time, if the timer 36 has not passed the predetermined time T1, the process returns to step S1 as it is, and if the predetermined time T1 has passed, the other centralized control device set in the master unit Is set as the master unit (step S4), the count time of the timer 36 is reset (step S5), the process returns to step S1, and this control is repeated. If the regular communication is detected in step S1, the central control device 30A is set as a slave device, assuming that there is another central control device set as the master unit (step S6), and the process returns to step S1. This control is repeated.

  The central control device 30B is also provided with an automatic setting means B, similar to the central control device 30A. The automatic setting means B is also provided with other central control devices, For example, if it shows in FIG. 1, the presence or absence of the transmission / reception signal performed between 30 A of centralized control apparatuses, each outdoor unit 10, 11a-11c, and each indoor unit 20-22 will always be monitored, and if this transmission / reception signal is detected, If the transmission / reception signal is not detected by setting the central control device 30B as a slave unit, the timer 36 of the central control device 30B is counted, and the transmission / reception signal is detected even if the timer 36 has exceeded a predetermined time T1. Otherwise, the central control device 30B is set as the master unit.

  Thereby, as described above, in FIG. 1, since the central control device 30A is set as the master unit, the outdoor units 10, 11a to 11c and the indoor units 20 to 22 are regularly communicated with each other. The central control device 30B can collect information on the driving situation, and the automatic communication means 30B detects the periodic communication transmitted and received by the central control device 30A, and is set as a parent device on the communication wiring 2. Recognizing that the central control device 30A exists, it is possible to automatically set the slave device.

  Further, when the central control device 30A previously set as the master unit is turned off due to a failure or the like, or removed from the communication wiring 2 in FIG. Since the periodic communication transmitted and received by the control device 30A does not exist, this is detected by the automatic setting means B and the timer 36 of the central control device 30B, and the central control device 30B automatically sets the master device. The regular communication is started in place of the centralized control device 30A. Thereby, it can prevent that the information of the driving | running state of each said apparatus collected with the centralized control apparatus 30B is cut off.

  Further, in the case where the central control device 30C set as the parent device by an operation switch or the like is added to the air conditioning system 1 shown in FIG. 1, the automatic setting means A of the central control device 30A that has been set as the parent device so far. Detects periodic communication transmitted / received between the central control device 30C, the outdoor units 10, 11a to 11c, and the indoor units 20 to 22, and is provided with a central control device 30C set as a master unit. Is recognized and automatically set in the slave unit, and the periodic communication transmitted and received by the centralized control device 30C is intercepted.

  1 will be described. When the power is turned on, the central control devices 30A and 30B are both set as slave units.

  For this reason, the central control devices 30A and 30B both intercept transmission and reception performed by the central control device set as the other master unit. However, since the other central control device does not exist on the communication wiring 2, naturally, the periodic communication transmitted / received by the other central control device is not performed. For this reason, the automatic setting means A and B of the central control devices 30A and 30B respectively detect that the regular communication does not exist on the communication wiring 2, and count the respective timers 36 of the central control devices 30A and 30B. Let

  The respective timers 36 of the central control devices 30A and 30B similarly count the time to be equal to or longer than the predetermined time T1, and the addresses of the central control devices 30A and 30B are, for example, the central control device 30A. Is “5F”, and the central control device 30B has a different address such as “60”. For this reason, since the regular communication of either one of the centralized control devices 30A or 30B is started earlier than the other regular communication, one of them is set as a master unit, and the other is set as a slave unit. Will be performed.

  For example, if the central control device 30A has a younger address than the central control device 30B as described above, even if the timers 36 of the central control devices 30A and 30B reach the predetermined time T1 at the same time. Since priority is given to transmission / reception of the central control device 30A having a lower address, the central control device 30A performs setting as a parent device, and the central control device 30B performs setting as a child device. It becomes.

  Further, the automatic setting means of the present invention is also effective in the air conditioning system 3 provided with one centralized control device 30A as shown in FIG. 6, for example.

  In this air conditioning system 3, since there is no centralized control device that performs regular communication with the outdoor units 10, 11a to 11c and the indoor units 20 to 22 in addition to the centralized control device 30A, the automatic control of the centralized control device 30A The setting means A causes the timer 36 to count, and when the time counted by the timer 36 is equal to or longer than the predetermined time T1, the central control device 30A inevitably performs setting as a master unit.

  In addition, an Example is only one Example of this invention, Each setting value and structure shown in the said Example are not limited to it, It can change suitably in the range which does not deviate from the meaning of this invention. .

  This is effective for a system in which a plurality of devices having the same function are provided, in which the priority order of the plurality of devices is automatically determined.

It is a block diagram of the air conditioning system to which this invention is applied. It is the figure which showed the structure of the transmission / reception signal containing regular communication. It is the figure which showed one Example of regular communication. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a centralized control apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the automatic setting means of this invention. It is a block diagram of another air conditioning system to which this invention is applied.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Air conditioning system 2 Communication wiring 10 Outdoor unit 11a-11c Outdoor unit 20-22 Indoor unit 30A, 30B Centralized control apparatus 31 Operation part 32 Display part 33 ROM
34 RAM
35 Transmission / Reception Circuit 36 Timer A Automatic Setting Means (Centralized Control Device 30A)
B Automatic setting means (Centralized control device 30B)
T1 predetermined time

Claims (2)

A plurality of air conditioners are connected to the same communication wiring, and a plurality of centralized control devices for controlling the operation of these air conditioners and monitoring the operation status are connected to the communication wiring to transmit / receive transmission / reception signals. In the air conditioning system configured, the presence / absence of the transmission / reception signal between the other centralized control device that is transmitted and received on the communication wiring and each air conditioning device is confirmed, and one of the centralized control devices is used as a parent device / slave device Automatic setting means for setting, and the automatic setting means is provided in each centralized control device, and constantly transmits and receives the transmission / reception signals between the other centralized control device and each air conditioner transmitted and received on the communication wiring. Monitoring, detecting that this transmission / reception signal does not exist for a predetermined time or more, setting the central control device having the automatic setting means as a master unit, and the other central control device And the transmission / reception signal that is constantly monitored by the automatic setting means is detected by detecting that the transmission / reception signal between the air conditioner and the air-conditioning apparatus exists within the predetermined time, The air conditioning system is a transmission / reception signal of periodic communication periodically transmitted / received between the other centralized control device and each air conditioning device, and is data describing the content of the control type . 2. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined time is set to be longer than an interval time of regular communication that is periodically transmitted and received between the central control device and each air conditioning device.