JP6954038B2 - Remote control for water heater and hot water supply system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a remote controller for a water heater and a hot water supply system.

The bath remote controller device disclosed in Patent Document 1 below is configured as follows. Display the teletext program on the display screen. The bathtub water level detection signal by the water level sensor detects the bathing and bathing of each person in the family based on the water level change information, and the data for each person associated with the last character broadcast program that the person watched in the bathtub is stored in memory. Remember in. Bathing is automatically detected, and the person's favorite teletext program is automatically displayed on the display screen.

In the remote control device disclosed in Patent Document 2 below, an image showing the state of the indoor unit judged to be frequently operated is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit for a certain period of time, and the image judged to be low is displayed. Is deleted.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-121813 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-102446

In the remote controller for the water heater, each time the operation switch is operated, the display means may process a layered menu display mode in which a plurality of menu items are displayed in order. In the layered menu display mode, there is a problem that the usability is not always good because the operation switch may have to be operated many times before the menu item to be used is displayed.

An object of the present invention is to provide a remote controller for a water heater and a hot water supply system capable of improving usability when selecting a menu item.

The remote controller for a water heater according to the present invention is a remote controller for a water heater for operating a water heater, and includes a display means, an operation switch, and a control means for controlling the display of the display means. A hierarchical menu display mode in which the display means displays the first number of menu items in order each time it is operated, and a second less than the first number selected from the first number of menu items. It is possible to switch between the limited menu display mode that displays a number of menu items, and the control means is the most frequently used control means that has been used in the past by the user of the remote controller for the water heater among the first number of menu items. It sets things as the second number of menu items.
Further, the hot water supply system according to the present invention is a hot water supply system including the above-mentioned remote controller for a water heater and a water heater, and includes a plurality of remote controllers for the water heater, depending on the frequency of use of each of the plurality of remote controllers for the water heater. The second number of menu items is set for each of the plurality of remote controllers for water heaters.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a remote controller for a water heater and a hot water supply system capable of improving usability when selecting a menu item.

It is a front view which shows the appearance of the remote controller for a water heater according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the display example of the display part in the layered menu display mode. It is a flowchart which shows the example of the process concerning the switching between the layered menu display mode and the limited menu display mode in the remote controller for a water heater of Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of the display screen of the display part in the limited menu display mode. It is a figure which shows the hot water supply system by Embodiment 2. FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Common or corresponding elements in the drawings are designated by the same reference numerals to simplify or omit duplicate description. The present disclosure may include any combination of configurable configurations among the configurations described in each of the following embodiments.

Embodiment 1.
FIG. 1 is a front view showing the appearance of the remote controller 1 for a water heater according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the remote controller 1 for a water heater of the present embodiment has a display unit 2, an automatic bath switch 3, a temperature change switch 4, a layered menu switch 5, a decision switch 6, a selection switch 7, and a housing 8. , And a control unit 9. Although not shown, the water heater remote controller 1 may further include, for example, a speaker, a microphone, and the like.

The water heater remote controller 1 corresponds to a user interface for remotely controlling a water heater (not shown). The control unit of the water heater and the remote controller 1 for the water heater are connected so as to be able to communicate in both directions by wired communication or wireless communication. The remote controller 1 for the water heater may be installed on a wall such as a kitchen, a living room, or a bathroom. A plurality of remote controllers 1 for water heaters may be connected to one water heater. In that case, the user may be able to make a call between the two remote controllers 1 for the water heater.

The display unit 2 corresponds to a display means composed of a display such as a liquid crystal display device or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display device, for example. The screen of the display unit 2 is arranged on the surface of the housing 8. The display unit 2 can display characters, numbers, figures, marks, etc. that represent information about the water heater and the like.

The bath automatic switch 3, the temperature change switch 4, the layered menu switch 5, the determination switch 6, and the selection switch 7 correspond to operation switches operated by the user, and are arranged on the surface of the housing 8. The water heater remote controller 1 may include a lid (not shown) that can be opened and closed so as to cover or not cover at least a part of these operation switches.

The bath automatic switch 3 is a switch for operating, for example, when performing hot water in a bathtub. When the bath automatic switch 3 is pressed, the hot water in the bathtub can be started. The temperature change switch 4 is a switch for operating, for example, when changing the set temperature of the bathtub hot water beam or the set temperature of the hot water supply. The temperature change switch 4 has an up key 4a and a down key 4b. By pressing the up arrow key 4a or the down arrow key 4b, the set temperature can be raised or lowered. The layered menu switch 5 is a switch for operating, for example, when displaying a layered menu. The layered menu will be described later. The determination switch 6 is a switch for operating when the content displayed on the display unit 2 is confirmed. The selection switch 7 is a switch for operating when selecting the display content of the display unit 2. The selection switch 7 has an up arrow key 7a and a down arrow key 7b.

A control unit 9 corresponding to a control means of the remote controller 1 for a water heater is built in the housing 8. The control unit 9 controls the display content of the display unit 2 based on the signal of the operation switch described above and the information received from the control unit of the water heater.

The water heater remote controller 1 has a layered menu display mode. In the layered menu display mode, a plurality of menu items can be displayed as a layered menu. In the layered menu display mode, each time the operation switch is operated, the display unit 2 displays a plurality of menu items included in the layered menu in order.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a display example of the display unit 2 in the layered menu display mode. The “top screen” in FIG. 2 shows a display example of the display unit 2 when the operation switch is not operated. In this top screen example, information about today's date "12/30 (Friday)" and information about the current time "7:00" are displayed. Information other than these, for example, information on the set temperature may be included in the top screen.

When the layered menu switch 5 is pressed once from the top screen, the display of the display unit 2 is switched to the “layered menu screen 1” in FIG. In this layered menu screen 1, "bath automatic time" is displayed as an example of the menu item. The water heater has a function of performing automatic bath operation such as automatic reheating and automatic hot water after the bathtub automatic switch 3 is pressed to perform hot water filling in the bathtub. The menu item "bath automatic time" represents the setting of the time for continuing the bath automatic operation. The illustrated example shows that the time for continuing the automatic bath operation is set to 2 hours.

When the downward key 7b of the selection switch 7 is pressed twice from the layered menu screen 1, the display of the display unit 2 is switched to the “layered menu screen 2” in FIG. In this layered menu screen 2, "reheating" is displayed as an example of the menu item. The menu item "Reheating" represents the setting of the reheating function of the water heater. In the example of the layered menu screen 2, "OFF" is displayed, indicating that the reheating function is stopped.

When the up arrow key 4a or the down arrow key 4b of the temperature change switch 4 is pressed once from the layered menu screen 2, the display of the display unit 2 is switched to the "layered menu screen 3" in FIG. In this layered menu screen 3, "ON" is displayed for the menu item "reheating", which indicates that the reheating function is used.

When the decision switch 6 is pressed once from the layered menu screen 3, the display of the display unit 2 returns to the top screen, and the operation of the reheating function by the water heater is started.

As described above, the example of FIG. 2 is for the user to select a menu item "reheating" from a plurality of menu items of the layered menu and start the operation of the reheating function of the water heater. This is an example when an operation is performed.

The plurality of menu items included in the layered menu correspond to the menu items corresponding to each function of the water heater and each function of the remote controller 1 for the water heater, in addition to the above-mentioned "automatic bath time" and "reheating". It may further include at least one of the menu items. Menu items corresponding to each function of the water heater include, for example, a hot water function for adding hot water to the bathtub, a function for setting the amount of hot water, a function for selecting a boiling mode, a function for setting power saving operation, and a bathtub. Menu items corresponding to each function such as a cleaning function to clean the circulation pipe, an antifreeze operation function to prevent freezing of the external pipe, and a bath heat recovery operation function to store the heat of the hot water remaining in the bathtub in the hot water storage tank of the bathtub are listed. Be done. Examples of the menu items corresponding to each function of the water heater remote controller 1 include menu items corresponding to each function such as a call function, a voice guidance function, and a speaker volume setting function of the water heater remote controller 1. In the following description, the number of a plurality of menu items included in the layered menu is referred to as a "first number".

The remote controller 1 for a water heater of the present embodiment can switch between a layered menu display mode and a limited menu display mode. The limited menu display mode is a mode in which only the second number of menu items, which is less than the first number, selected from the first number of menu items included in the layered menu is displayed on the display unit 2. Among the first number of menu items, the control unit 9 sets the frequently used menu items used in the past as the second number of menu items in the limited menu display mode.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of processing related to switching between the layered menu display mode and the limited menu display mode in the water heater remote controller 1 of the first embodiment. As step S1 of FIG. 3, the control unit 9 determines whether or not each menu item has been used. The control unit 9 stores the past number of times of use for each menu item. For example, the control unit 9 may store the number of times each menu item is used in the past predetermined period (for example, any of 2 weeks, 1 month, and 6 months). When the menu item is used in step S1, the control unit 9 adds 1 to the value stored as the number of times the menu item is used in step S2.

The control unit 9 determines that the menu item has been used when the function of the water heater or the remote controller 1 for the water heater corresponding to the menu item is operated, or when the setting content corresponding to the menu item is changed by the user. Then, it is counted as the number of times the menu item is used. On the other hand, when the menu item is merely displayed on the display unit 2, the control unit 9 does not count the number of times the menu item is used. For example, in the example of FIG. 2, since the reheating function of the water heater corresponding to the menu item "reheating" is operating, the control unit 9 determines that the menu item "reheating" has been used. It is counted as the number of times the menu item "reheating" is used. On the other hand, in the example of FIG. 2, the menu item "bath automatic time" is merely displayed on the display unit 2, and the value "2 hours" which is the setting content of "bath automatic time" is changed. Not done. In this case, the control unit 9 determines that the menu item "bath automatic time" is not used, and does not count it as the number of times of use.

In step S3, the control unit 9 extracts menu items in descending order of the number of times of use within the past predetermined period, that is, in order of frequency of use in the past. This number of extracts (ie, the second number) should be less than the number of layered menus (ie, the first number).

As step S4, the control unit 9 displays the menu item extracted in step S3 on the display unit 2 as a limited menu display. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of the display unit 2 in the limited menu display mode. In the example shown in FIG. 4, two menu items, "reheating" and "sashiyu", extracted in step S3 are displayed on the display unit 2. That is, the "second number" in this example is "2". Needless to say, the "second number" is not limited to "2". The "second number" may be "3" or 3 or more.

When the limited menu display mode is set, the extracted menu items may be displayed on the top screen as shown in FIG. From the top screen shown in FIG. 4, the user can select a menu item by pressing, for example, the selection switch 7, and use the menu item by pressing the enter switch 6. In the example of FIG. 4, for example, when the downward key 7b is pressed once, "reheating" is selected and highlighted, and when the downward key 7b is pressed again, "sashiyu" is selected and highlighted. You may do so.

In the layered menu display mode, the user may have to operate the operation switch many times before selecting the menu item to be used. On the other hand, in the limited menu display mode, the number of displayed menu items is smaller than that in the hierarchical menu display mode, so the number of operation of the operation switch required for the user to select the menu item to be used can be reduced. Can be reduced. In addition, since the menu items displayed in the limited menu display mode are extracted from those that are frequently used, there is a possibility that the menu items that the user intends to use are included in the display in the limited menu display mode. high. From the above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to improve the usability of the remote controller 1 for the water heater.

In the example shown in FIG. 4, two menu items, "reheating" and "sashiyu", are displayed on the display unit 2 at the same time. In this way, by displaying the second number of menu items on the display unit 2 at the same time in the limited menu display mode, the user can more easily select the menu items to be used. However, when the second number is a relatively large number and it is difficult to display the menu items of the second number on the display unit 2 at the same time, the menu of the second number is displayed in the limited menu display mode. Items may be hierarchized and displayed on the display unit 2. For example, in the limited menu display mode, each time the selection switch 7 is operated, a second number of menu items may be sequentially displayed on the display unit 2.

In the flowchart of FIG. 3, following step S4, the control unit 9 determines in step S5 whether or not the limited menu display mode is canceled. When the limited menu display mode is canceled, the control unit 9 sets the layered menu display mode as step S6. If the limited menu display mode is not canceled, the control unit 9 sets the limited menu display mode as step S7.

In the example shown in FIG. 4, the release display 20 is displayed on the display unit 2 in the limited menu display mode. The release display 20 is an item for the user to select when the limited menu display mode is canceled. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the characters "display release" are displayed as the release display 20. The release display 20 is not limited to characters, and may be a figure, a mark, or the like. When the user intends to cancel the limited menu display mode, for example, the release display 20 is selected by operating the selection switch 7, and the enter switch 6 is pressed. As a result, the limited menu display mode can be canceled and the mode can be returned to the layered menu display mode. In this way, by displaying the release display 20 on the display unit 2 in the limited menu display mode, the user can easily return from the limited menu display mode to the layered menu display mode as needed. Further, as an operation for switching from the layered menu display mode to the limited menu display mode, for example, when a specific operation is performed on any of the operation switches, the layered menu display mode is configured to switch to the limited menu display mode. You may.

In the limited menu display mode, information other than the extracted menu items may be displayed on the display unit 2 at the same time. In the example shown in FIG. 4, as this "other information", information on today's date "12/30 (Friday)", information on the current time "7:00", and a water heater "Error H01" Information indicating the abnormality of is displayed. By doing so, important information can be reliably notified to the user even in the limited menu display mode.

If an abnormality occurs in the water heater in the limited menu display mode, the control unit 9 may automatically switch from the limited menu display mode to the layered menu display mode. By doing so, the user can quickly confirm detailed information regarding the abnormality of the water heater.

When an operation switch (hereinafter, referred to as "first operation switch") corresponding to some menu items among the first number of menu items of the layered menu is provided, the control unit 9 sets the control unit 9. A second number of menu items in the limited menu display mode may be set from those excluding the menu items corresponding to the first operation switch. For example, in the example of FIG. 4, when the operation switch corresponding to the "sashiyu" is installed in the housing 8, the control unit 9 replaces the "sashiyu" with the next frequency of use. Higher menu items may be displayed in the limited menu display mode. This is because it is less necessary to display the menu items corresponding to the operation switches installed in the housing 8 in the limited menu display mode.

In the limited menu display mode, the past number of times of use may be displayed together with the display unit 2 for each of the second number of menu items. As a result, the user can easily know the frequency of use of each menu item.

The control unit 9 may select a second number of menu items in the limited menu display mode for each time zone based on the frequency of use for each time zone in which 24 hours are divided into a plurality of time zones. For example, the control unit 9 counts the number of times each menu item is used for each time zone in step S2 of FIG. 3, and sets the menu item based on the data of the number of times of use for the time zone to which the current time belongs in step S3. It may be extracted and the extracted menu items may be displayed in the limited menu display mode. The frequency of use of menu items may change depending on the time of day. For example, during the time of bathing, the frequency of use of menu items related to bathing may increase. By doing so, it is possible to more appropriately select the menu items to be displayed in the limited menu display mode according to the daily life pattern of the user and the like.

The water heater remote controller 1 may include a selection means for the user to select whether to enable or disable the display function of the limited menu display mode. For example, it may be configured so that it can be set not to switch to the limited menu display mode by performing a specific operation on the operation switch. A user who does not need the limited menu display mode can disable the display function of the limited menu display mode in advance. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent switching from the layered menu display mode to the limited menu display mode against the will of the user.

Embodiment 2.
Next, the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 5, but the differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and the same or corresponding parts will be simplified or omitted. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a hot water supply system 10 according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the hot water supply system 10 of the present embodiment includes a water heater 11, a remote controller 1A for the water heater, and a remote controller 1B for the water heater. The water heater remote controller 1A and the water heater remote controller 1B are communicably connected to the control unit 12 of the water heater 11 by wired communication or wireless communication. Each of the water heater remote controller 1A and the water heater remote controller 1B has the same or similar configuration as the water heater remote controller 1 of the first embodiment. The water heater 11 is connected to the bathtub 50 via hot water supply pipes 51 and 52. The water heater 11 is provided with a hot water filling function, a reheating function, a hot water function, and the like for the bathtub 50. The water heater remote controller 1A and the water heater remote controller 1B are installed at different locations. For example, the water heater remote controller 1A may be installed in the bathroom, and the water heater remote controller 1B may be installed in the kitchen or the living room.

The control unit 9 of the water heater remote controller 1A selects a second number of menu items in the limited menu display mode according to the frequency of use of the menu items in the water heater remote controller 1A, and selects the selected menu items for the water heater. It can be displayed on the display unit 2 of the remote controller 1A.

The control unit 9 of the water heater remote controller 1B selects a second number of menu items in the limited menu display mode according to the frequency of use of the menu items in the water heater remote controller 1B, and selects the selected menu items for the water heater. It can be displayed on the display unit 2 of the remote controller 1B.

The frequency of use of menu items may differ between the water heater remote controller 1A installed in the bathroom and the water heater remote controller 1B installed in the kitchen or living room. For example, in the remote controller 1A for a water heater installed in a bathroom, there is a possibility that menu items related to bathing will be used more frequently.

As in the present embodiment, the second number of menu items in the limited menu display mode are set for each of the plurality of water heater remote controllers 1A and 1B according to the frequency of use in each of the plurality of water heater remote controllers 1A and 1B. By setting the settings, it is possible to appropriately respond to the difference in the frequency of use of the menu items according to the difference in the installation location of the remote controllers 1A and 1B for the water heater. Needless to say, in the present embodiment, the hot water supply system 10 may include three or more remote controllers for water heaters.

1,1A, 1B Remote control for water heater, 2 Display, 3 Bath automatic switch, 4 Temperature change switch, 4a Up arrow key, 4b Down arrow key, 5 Hierarchical menu switch, 6 Enter switch, 7 Select switch, 7a Up Direction key, 7b Downward key, 8 Housing, 9 Control unit, 10 Hot water supply system, 11 Water supply machine, 12 Control unit, 20 Release display, 50 Bathtub, 51, 52 Hot water supply piping

Claims (12)

It is a remote controller for water heaters for operating water heaters.
Display means and
Operation switch and
A control means for controlling the display of the display means and
With
A hierarchical menu display mode in which the display means displays the first number of menu items in order each time the operation switch is operated.
It is possible to switch between a limited menu display mode that displays a second number of menu items that are less than the first number selected from the first number of menu items.
The control means sets, among the first number of menu items, the frequently used menu items used in the past by the user of the water heater remote controller as the second number of menu items. Remote control for. The remote controller for a water heater according to claim 1, wherein information other than the second number of menu items can be simultaneously displayed on the display means in the limited menu display mode. The remote controller for a water heater according to claim 2, wherein the other information includes information on at least one of a date and a time. The remote controller for a water heater according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the other information includes information indicating an abnormality of the water heater. Any of claims 1 to 4, wherein when an abnormality occurs in the water heater in the limited menu display mode, the control means automatically switches from the limited menu display mode to the layered menu display mode. The remote controller for the water heater described in item 1. The operation switch includes a first operation switch corresponding to a part of the menu items of the first number of menu items.
Claims 1 to claim that the control means sets the second number of menu items from the first number of menu items excluding the menu items corresponding to the first operation switch. The remote controller for a water heater according to any one of 5. The remote controller for a water heater according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a selection means for the user to select whether to enable or disable the display function of the limited menu display mode. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the number of past uses can be displayed together with the display means for each of the second number of menu items in the limited menu display mode. Remote control for water heaters. Claims 1 to 8 in which the control means selects the second number of menu items for each time zone based on the frequency of use for each time zone in which 24 hours are divided into a plurality of time zones. The remote controller for the water heater described in any one of the items. The remote controller for a water heater according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the second number of menu items can be simultaneously displayed on the display means in the limited menu display mode. The invention according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein in the limited menu display mode, the release display, which is an item selected when the user cancels the limited menu display mode, is displayed on the display means. Remote control for water heaters. A hot water supply system including the remote controller for a water heater according to any one of claims 1 to 11 and the water heater.
Equipped with multiple remote controls for the water heater
A hot water supply system in which the second number of menu items are set for each of the plurality of remote controllers for water heaters according to the frequency of use in each of the plurality of remote controllers for water heaters.

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