JP7149142B2 - air conditioning system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an air conditioning system including an air conditioner, a server, and a communication terminal device.

In recent years, there is a technique of downloading a dedicated application to a communication terminal device such as a smart phone and operating an air conditioner from the communication terminal device (for example, Patent Document 1).

In addition, regarding air conditioners, there is a technique for improving awareness of energy saving by enabling confirmation of the electricity cost (electricity charge) required for the operation of the air conditioner from a communication terminal device.

As such a technique, for example, in Patent Document 2, a means for setting the unit price of electricity is provided in the remote controller of the air conditioner, and when there is a display request of the electricity bill from the communication terminal device, the air conditioner calculates the electricity bill, and the calculation result is displayed on the communication terminal device.

In addition, in Patent Document 3, the center server calculates the electricity bill of the air conditioner, and when the calculated electricity bill exceeds the electricity bill that triggers the notification set from the communication terminal device, the communication terminal device A technique for sending an e-mail notifying of is described.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-345051 JP 2014-31953 A Patent No. 4274095

In Patent Literatures 2 and 3, although the electricity bill of the air conditioner can be confirmed from the communication terminal device, sufficient consideration has not been made on how to notify it. Therefore, in the configurations of Patent Documents 2 and 3, it cannot be said that the technology that enables confirmation of the electricity bill of the air conditioner from the communication terminal device is effectively used for energy saving, and there is a problem that the opportunity to save energy is missed. be.

For example, in the configuration of Patent Literature 2, the electricity bill is displayed only when a dedicated application is opened on the communication terminal device and the electricity bill is requested to be displayed. Therefore, if the dedicated application is not activated for a long period of time, the user may not know the electricity bill of the air conditioner and may not notice that the air conditioner is being used excessively.

Also, the configuration of Patent Document 3 is the same, and the user cannot know the information on the electricity bill unless the user opens the mail notifying of the overage received from the center server.

An object of one aspect of the present invention is to realize an air conditioning system that can more effectively save energy by using a technology that enables confirmation of information about the electricity bill of an air conditioner from a communication terminal device.

To solve the above problems, an air conditioning system according to an aspect of the present invention includes an air conditioner, a server connected to the air conditioner via a communication network, and a server connected to the server via a communication network. a communication terminal device capable of operating the air conditioner via a server and actively reporting information using a reporting unit;
The air conditioner or the server is provided with: 1) an electricity cost calculation unit that calculates the electricity cost required to operate the air conditioner; and 2) based on the electricity cost calculated by the electricity cost calculation unit, an electricity bill notification unit that notifies the communication terminal device of the electricity bill information so as to be actively notified when it is determined that the electricity bill information regarding the electricity bill should be notified;
3) a reference setting unit provided in the air conditioner or the communication terminal device for arbitrarily setting a criterion for determining that the electricity charge notification unit should notify the electricity charge information;
4) a notification control unit provided in the communication terminal device for controlling the notification unit to actively notify the electricity bill information when the electricity bill information is received from the electricity bill notification unit;
characterized by comprising

According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to more effectively save energy by using a technology that enables confirmation of information regarding the electricity bill of an air conditioner from a communication terminal device.

It is a figure showing a schematic structure of an air-conditioning system concerning a 1st embodiment. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the air conditioning system in FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 3 shows part of the information stored in the storage unit of the server included in the air conditioning system of FIG. b) is a holiday unit price table used on holidays, FIG. 3(c) is a reference electricity charge, and FIG. 3(d) is a notification unit electricity charge. 1. It is a figure which shows the image which notifies electricity bill information in the air conditioning system of FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the notification screen which was displayed on the display part of the communication terminal device contained in the air conditioning system of FIG. 1, and notifies a user of electricity bill information. It is an example of the notification condition setting screen which sets the conditions of the notification of electricity bill information displayed on the display part of the communication terminal device contained in the air conditioning system which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure showing a schematic structure of an air-conditioning system concerning a 4th embodiment. FIG. 11 is an example of an electricity bill notification air conditioner selection screen for selecting an air conditioner for which notification of electricity bill information is desired, displayed on the display unit of the communication terminal device included in the air conditioning system according to the fourth embodiment; FIG. It is a figure showing a schematic structure of an air-conditioning system concerning a 5th embodiment.

[First embodiment]
An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an air conditioning system 30 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1 , the air conditioning system 30 includes an air conditioner 1 installed in a user's home 31 , a server 40 , and a communication terminal device 50 of the user of the air conditioner 1 . It is connected. Note that FIG. 1 shows a portion of the air conditioning system 30 related to a certain user's home 31 , and in reality, multiple air conditioners in multiple user's homes are connected to the server 40 .

The air conditioner 1 connects to the communication network 32 and communicates with the server 40 . A wireless LAN (Wireless Local Area Network) or the like forming part of a communication network 32 is installed in the user's home 31 . A wireless LAN relay station is connected to a communication network 32 including the Internet. The relay station is, for example, a communication device such as a WiFi (registered trademark) router or a WiFi (registered trademark) access point. Although a configuration including the Internet is exemplified here as the communication network 32, a telephone line network, a mobile communication network, a CATV (CAble TeleVision) communication network, a satellite communication network, or the like can also be used. The communication terminal device 50 and the Internet in the communication network 32 are connected using 4G (4th Generation), LTE (Long Term Evolution), an indoor or public WiFi (registered trademark) access point, or the like.

Server 40 registers combinations of air conditioner 1 and communication terminal device 50 . The server 40 enables operation (remote operation) of the air conditioner 1 by the communication terminal device 50 in which the combination is registered. The server 40 receives from the air conditioner 1 information such as operation data indicating the details of the operation of the air conditioner 1, power consumption, room temperature, outside temperature, and the like. In addition, the server 40 is also connected to an external server (not shown) via the communication network 32, and acquires information such as the electricity rate plan contracted by the user from the server of the electric company with which the user is contracted. can also

The communication terminal device 50 is a communication terminal device such as a smart phone or a tablet of the user of the air conditioner 1 . A dedicated application for operating the air conditioner 1 is downloaded to the communication terminal device 50 . Communication terminal device 50 and air conditioner 1 may be configured to be connected via Bluetooth (registered trademark) or the like without going through server 40 when they are within a short distance such as inside user's home 31 .

The air conditioner 1 is a device that performs air conditioning operation (air conditioning operation), and upon receiving an instruction from the communication terminal device 50 via the server 40, based on the instruction, cools, heats, blows, dehumidifies, air Air conditioning operation such as cleaning is executed. The air conditioner 1 transmits operation data, power consumption, room temperature, outside temperature, etc. to the server 40 as described above. Operation data includes set temperature, operation type (cooling, heating, ventilation, dehumidification, air cleaning, etc.), operation mode (automatic mode, wind power setting mode, energy saving operation mode, etc.), power on (start of operation), power off ( stop) and other information.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the air conditioning system 30. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the air conditioner 1 includes an air conditioner control unit 10, a communication unit 21, a storage unit 22, an air conditioning operation unit 23, an outdoor temperature sensor 24, an indoor temperature sensor 25, and a remote controller (hereinafter simply referred to as a remote control). ) 26, a power measuring unit 27, and the like.

The communication unit 21 enables communication between the air conditioner 1 and an external device. The storage unit 22 stores various information and programs necessary for the operation of the air conditioner 1 . The air conditioning operation unit 23 has functions such as cooling, heating, air blowing, dehumidification, deodorization, and ventilation, and performs these operations as appropriate under the control of the air conditioning operation control unit 11 of the air conditioner control unit 10 .

The outdoor temperature sensor 24 detects the outside air temperature, which is the temperature of the outside air, and the indoor temperature sensor 25 detects the room temperature, which is the temperature of the room that is the air-conditioned space. Although not shown, the air conditioner 1 includes an indoor unit that is installed indoors and blows out conditioned air, and an outdoor unit that is installed outdoors and performs heat exchange with the outside air. Normally, the indoor temperature sensor 25 is mounted on the indoor unit, and the outdoor temperature sensor 24 is mounted on the outdoor unit.

The power measurement unit 27 measures power consumption of the air conditioner 1 . Power consumption information indicating the measured power consumption is sequentially transmitted from the communication unit 21 to the server 40 .

The remote controller 26 controls the operation start (operation ON), operation stop (operation OFF), operation type (cooling, heating, dehumidification, ventilation, air cleaning, etc.), operation mode (automatic mode, wind power setting mode, etc.) for the air conditioner 1. , and accepts user instructions such as changing the set temperature. The accepted user instruction is transmitted from remote control 26 to air conditioner 1 .

The air conditioner control section 10 controls the operation of each section of the air conditioner 1 . The air conditioner control unit 10 is, for example, a computer device configured by an arithmetic processing unit such as a CPU and a dedicated processor, and controls the operation of each unit of the air conditioner 1 according to the information and programs stored in the storage unit 22. do.

An air conditioning operation control unit 11 and a power consumption measurement unit are constructed in the air conditioner control unit 10 . The air-conditioning operation control unit 11 controls the air-conditioning operation unit 23 to perform air-conditioning operations such as cooling, heating, ventilation, dehumidification, and air cleaning. The air-conditioning operation control unit 11 controls the air-conditioning operation unit 23 so that the room temperature reaches the set temperature during cooling operation and heating operation. In automatic mode and wind setting mode, the set temperature is kept constant.

The server 40 includes a server control section 41 that controls the operation of each section of the server 40, a communication section 42, a storage section 43, and the like. The communication unit 42 enables communication between the server 40 and external devices. The storage unit 43 stores various information and programs necessary for the operation of the server 40 .

The server control unit 41 is a computer device including an arithmetic processing unit such as a CPU and a dedicated processor, and controls the operation of each unit of the server 40 according to information and programs stored in the storage unit 43 . An electricity bill calculator 45 and an electricity bill notifier 46 are constructed in the server controller 41 .

The electricity bill calculator 45 calculates the electricity bill for the operation of the air conditioner 1 . As described above, the power consumption information of the air conditioner 1 is sequentially transmitted from the air conditioner 1 to the server 40 . Therefore, the electricity bill calculator 45 can calculate the electricity bill for the operation of the air conditioner 1 based on the power consumption information transmitted from the air conditioner 1 . The electricity bill calculation unit 45 integrates the electricity bill for each hour, calculates the accumulated electricity bill for the current month up to the present time, and the storage unit 43 stores it.

When calculating the electricity bill from the amount of power consumption, the electricity bill unit price (Ex. 27 yen/1 kWh), which is the electricity bill per hour, may be set uniformly. Depending on the electricity bill plan, etc., the electricity bill unit price may vary from hour to hour.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which the unit price of electricity can be input and set from the communication terminal device 50 for each hour. As shown in FIG. 3, the storage unit 43 is provided with unit price tables T1 and T2 indicating the unit price of electricity for each hour, and the values are set from the communication terminal device 50 .

FIG. 3 shows part of the information stored in the storage unit 43 of the server 40. FIG. 3(a) is the weekday unit price table T1 used on weekdays, and FIG. ) is a holiday unit price table T2 used on holidays, FIG. 3(c) is a reference electricity charge to be described later, and FIG. 3(d) is a notification unit electricity charge to be described later.

The electricity bill calculator 45 calculates the electricity bill using the power consumption information sequentially transmitted from the air conditioner 1 and the electricity bill unit price tables T1 and T2, and accumulates and holds the calculated electricity bill for the current month. . When the hourly electricity bill unit price is set (when the value is set in the unit price table), the electricity bill calculation unit 45 calculates the electricity bill using the hourly electricity bill unit price, and calculates the hourly electricity bill. If the electricity bill unit price is not set, the electricity bill unit price will be calculated.

Based on the electricity bill calculated by the electricity bill calculation unit 45, the electricity bill notification unit 46 actively notifies the user when it determines that information about the electricity bill (hereinafter referred to as electricity bill information) should be notified. Then, the communication terminal device 50 is notified of the electricity bill information.

In the present embodiment, the electricity bill notification unit 46 uses the reference electricity bill "○○○○ yen" set by the user from the communication terminal device 50 as a judgment criterion. The standard electricity bill "○○○○ yen" is an amount for which the agreement has been made that "If the electricity bill for the current month exceeds ○○○○ yen, the electricity bill information will be notified", and can be set arbitrarily by the user. is.

When the accumulated electricity bill for the current month (current month) exceeds the reference electricity bill, the electricity bill notification unit 46 determines that the electricity bill information should be notified. When the accumulated electricity bill for the current month exceeds the reference electricity bill, notification of the electricity bill information is triggered.

As shown in (c) of FIG. 3 , the reference electricity bill set by the communication terminal device 50 is stored in the storage unit 43 . In the example of (c) of FIG. 3, when the electricity bill for the current month exceeds "3000 yen", the communication terminal device 50 is notified of the electricity bill information.

The accumulated electricity bill for the current month stored in the storage unit 43 is cleared every month (for example, at the end of the month or the beginning of the month). Of course, the accumulated monthly electricity bills may be accumulated separately and held as annual electricity bill information, or may be held as accumulated electricity bill information from the time of purchase of the air conditioner 1 .

The communication terminal device 50 includes a terminal control section 60 that controls the operation of each section of the communication terminal device 50, a communication section 51, a storage section 52, a display section 53, an input section 54, an audio output section 55, an oscillation section 56, and the like. there is The communication unit 51 enables communication between the communication terminal device 50 and an external device. The storage unit 52 stores various information and programs necessary for the operation of the communication terminal device 50 .

The display unit 53, the audio output unit 55, and the oscillation unit 56 are notification units that notify the user of information. The display unit 53 notifies the contents of information or the presence of information by displaying characters, images, etc., the voice output unit 55 by sound or voice, and the oscillation unit 56 by vibrating the communication terminal device 50 .

The input unit 54 receives an instruction input from the user, such as an input using a key or button, an input using a touch operation using the display unit 53, an audio input using a microphone, or the like.

The terminal control unit 60 is, for example, a computer device configured by an arithmetic processing unit such as a CPU and a dedicated processor, and controls the operation of each unit of the communication terminal device 50 according to information and programs stored in the storage unit 52 . In the terminal control unit 60, an air conditioner operation unit 61, a notification control unit 62, and a notification condition setting unit (standard setting unit) 63 are constructed.

The air conditioner operation unit 61 receives an operation of the air conditioner 1 . The air conditioner operation unit 61 is constructed by a dedicated application or the like downloaded to the communication terminal device 50 . The air conditioner operation unit 61 displays an operation screen for operating the air conditioner 1 on the display unit 53, and receives an instruction input using the operation screen. The contents of the instruction received by the air conditioner operation unit 61 are transmitted to the air conditioner 1 via the server 40, and the air conditioner 1 executes the instructed operation. Note that when the communication terminal device 50 is connected to the air conditioner 1 without going through the server 40 , it is also possible to transmit to the air conditioner 1 without going through the server 40 . Further, the operation screen may include a request button or the like for requesting display of the electricity bill up to the present time of the current month or the accumulated electricity bill up to the present time.

The notification control unit 62 controls the above-described notification units (the display unit 53, the audio output unit 55, and the oscillation unit 56) to actively notify the electricity bill information from the server 40. is received, the user is actively notified of the electricity bill information. Here, active notification means displaying on the screen of the display unit 53 using the notification function of the communication terminal device 50, for example. To display using the notification function means to notify as a notification.

As a result, a state in which a dedicated application for operating the air conditioner 1 is not started (a state in which the operation screen is not opened), a state in which the screen is locked, or an image of another application is displayed on the screen. Even when it is displayed, the electricity bill information received from the server 40 can be notified to the user.

In this case, it is more preferable to use the voice output unit 55 and/or the oscillation unit 56 to display the electricity bill information on the display unit 53 along with the ringtone and/or vibration. If the notification unit is equipped with a light-emitting unit such as an LED, the light-emitting unit may also be used.

In addition, even when the electricity bill information is notified while the operation screen of the air conditioner 1 is displayed, the notification control unit 62 displays the electricity bill information in a pop-up manner on the operation screen so as to be conspicuous. .

The notification condition setting unit 63 sets a reference electricity bill, an hourly electricity bill unit price, and the like, which are conditions for notification of electricity bill information. The notification condition setting unit 63 is constructed by a dedicated application or the like downloaded to the communication terminal device 50 in the same manner as the air conditioner operation unit 61 . The setting screen for setting the reference electricity bill and the unit price of electricity bill for each hour can be obtained, for example, by operating the button displayed on the operation screen of the air conditioner 1 displayed on the display unit 53 of the air conditioner operation unit 61. is displayed.

The notification condition setting unit 63 receives settings input using the input unit 54 while the setting screen is displayed, and the received setting contents are transmitted to the server 40 via the communication unit 51 . The reference electricity bill can be set at any timing, and can be changed in the middle of the month.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an image of notifying the electricity bill information in the air conditioning system 30. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4 , power consumption information is transmitted from the air conditioner 1 to the server 40 . The server 40 calculates and integrates the electricity cost for each hour from the received power consumption information. Also, a reference electricity bill is set in the server 40 from the communication terminal device 50 .

When the accumulated electricity bill for the current month exceeds the set reference electricity bill, the server 40 notifies the communication terminal device 50 that the electricity bill has exceeded the reference electricity bill. To actively notify that a standard electricity bill has been exceeded.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a notification screen displayed on the display unit 53 of the communication terminal device 50 for notifying the user of electricity bill information. In the example of FIG. 5, a message such as "This month's air conditioner electricity bill has exceeded 3000 yen" is displayed to notify that the electricity bill has exceeded the standard electricity bill (3000 yen).

As described above, active notification means notification as notification. By notifying in this way, regardless of whether or not a dedicated application for operating the air conditioner 1 is driven or not, and even if the screen is locked, the image of the other application is displayed. Even if the server 40 instructs to notify the user of the electricity bill information, the user can be notified of the electricity bill information.

By being notified of the electricity bill information in this way, the user can display that the electricity bill of the air conditioner 1 for the current month (this month) has exceeded the set reference electricity bill without performing any operation. It can be known just by looking at the part 53 . As a result, the user who notices that the electricity bill has exceeded the reference electricity bill will refrain from using the air conditioner 1 after receiving the notification, or raise the set temperature to minimize the excess from the reference electricity bill. Such correspondence becomes possible, and energy conservation awareness can be raised.

Here, "actively notify, notify to actively notify" should be mentioned. In actively notifying the electricity bill information, the server 40 sends display data for displaying, for example, "This month's air conditioner electricity bill has exceeded 3000 yen." Send it with a command to force it to display in When the notification control unit 62 receives such display data and command, it displays "This month's air conditioner electricity bill has exceeded 3000 yen" even on the lock screen.

However, if the display data is stored on the side of the communication terminal device 50 so that it can be retrieved without activating the dedicated application, the server 40 will forcibly transfer the display data to the communication terminal device 50 at the timing of receiving the notification. You may send only the command to instruct to display.

Considering that there are users who do not want such active notification of electricity bill information, it is preferable to provide a function to turn off the active notification of electricity bill information. For example, a setting screen for setting the reference electricity bill is provided with an option of “not set”, and the notification condition setting unit 63 is used to set the notification to OFF. In this case, the electricity bill information itself is not notified from the server 40 . Further, the notification control unit 62 of the communication terminal device 50 may be set to "do not notify" even if the active notification is instructed by the server 40. FIG. In this case, the electricity bill information is notified from the server 40, but the notification control unit 62 does not perform the notification.

As described above, according to the above configuration, when the electricity cost of the air conditioner 1 exceeds the reference electricity cost, the communication terminal device 50 of the user is actively notified of the electricity cost information indicating that the transmission has occurred. Therefore, the user can review the usage of the air conditioner 1, such as preventing unconscious overuse, by viewing this notification without performing any operation. As a result, it is possible to more effectively save energy by using a technology that allows the communication terminal device to check the information regarding the electricity bill of the air conditioner.

In the present embodiment, a configuration in which the server control unit 41 includes the electricity bill calculation unit 45 and the electricity bill notification unit 46 is exemplified. , may be provided in the air conditioner controller 10 of the air conditioner 1 . When the air conditioner control unit 10 is provided with the electricity charge notification unit 46, when it is determined that the electricity charge information needs to be notified, the communication terminal device 50 actively notifies the electricity charge information via the server 40. to the communication terminal device 50 . However, from the viewpoint of cost, it is desirable to store the information in the server 40 to which the plurality of air conditioners 1 in the plurality of user's homes 31 are connected.

In addition, the reference electricity bill and the unit price of electricity per hour, which are used as judgment criteria, are input to the air conditioner 1 from the remote controller 26, and sent to the server 40 via the air conditioner 1. may be sent to

In addition, in the present embodiment, the unit price of electricity can be input and set for each hour from the communication terminal device 50. Information may be input, and the server 40 may be configured to acquire the electricity bill unit price from an external server for each hour based on the input information.

[Second embodiment]
A second embodiment of the present invention will be described below. For convenience of description, members having the same functions as those of the members described in the above embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will not be repeated.

In the first embodiment, the electricity bill notification unit 46 uses the standard electricity bill "○○○○ yen" set by the user from the communication terminal device 50 as a judgment criterion. When the bill exceeds ``○○○○ yen'', the communication terminal device 50 displays a message ``This month's air conditioner electricity bill has exceeded 3000 yen.'' in a notification format. In this case, the electricity bill information is notified only once when the electricity bill exceeds the reference electricity bill.

In the present embodiment, instead of the standard electricity charge of "○○○○ yen", the notification unit electricity charge of "△△△△ yen" can be set as the determination criterion. The notification unit electricity bill "△△△△ yen" is an amount for which an agreement has been made that "every time the electricity bill of the current month exceeds △△△△ yen, notification will be made". In this case, the electricity bill information is notified each time the notification unit electricity bill is exceeded.

As shown in (d) of FIG. 3 , the notification unit electricity bill set from the communication terminal device 50 is stored in the storage unit 43 . In the example of (d) in FIG. 3, the communication terminal device 50 is notified of the electricity bill information every time the electricity bill for the current month exceeds "1000 yen". For example, "the electricity bill for the air conditioner has exceeded 1000 yen this month", "the electricity bill for the air conditioner has exceeded 2000 yen this month", and so on are notified.

[Third Embodiment]
A third embodiment of the present invention will be described below. For convenience of description, members having the same functions as those of the members described in the above embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will not be repeated.

In the first embodiment, the reference electricity bill can be set as the judgment criterion, and in the second embodiment, the notification unit electricity bill can be set as the judgment criterion. In this embodiment, the reference electricity bill and the notification unit electricity bill can be selectively set as the judgment criteria.

FIG. 6 is an example of a notification condition setting screen displayed on the display unit 53 of the communication terminal device 50 for setting conditions for notification of electricity bill information. As shown in FIG. 6, it is possible to select one of three options: "Notify when exceeding XX yen per month", "Notify every time exceeding △△△△ yen per month", and "Do not notify". can be selected. Notification conditions can also be changed in the middle of the month. The selection of the criterion may also be input from the air conditioner 1 , specifically from the remote control 26 to the air conditioner 1 and transmitted to the server 40 via the air conditioner 1 .

[Fourth Embodiment]
A fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described below. For convenience of description, members having the same functions as those of the members described in the above embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will not be repeated.

In the first to third embodiments, the electricity bill information of one air conditioner 1 is notified to one communication terminal device 50 . In this embodiment, a case is shown in which a plurality of air conditioners 1 are linked to one communication terminal device 50 .

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an air conditioning system 30A according to this embodiment. 7, the air conditioning system 30A communicates with a plurality of air conditioners 1, 1A, 1B, . and terminal devices 50 , which are connected to each other via a communication network 32 .

The communication terminal device 50 is linked to the air conditioners 1, 1A, 1B, . The user's house 33 is the mother or father's house of the user's house 31, for example, the parents' house, and the air conditioner 1Z is the air conditioner installed in the parents' house. Air conditioners 1, 1A, 1B, . In other words, the server 40 registers combinations of the mother's communication terminal device 50 and the air conditioners 1, 1A, 1B, . . . , and the air conditioner 1Z.

In such an air conditioning system 30A, the mother's communication terminal device 50 can select an air conditioner for which the notification of electricity bill information is desired from the notification condition setting unit (target selection unit) 63 . FIG. 8 is an example of an electricity bill notification air conditioner selection screen displayed on the display unit 53 of the communication terminal device 50 for selecting an air conditioner for which notification of electricity bill information is desired. As shown in FIG. 8, all the air conditioners registered (linked) to the mother's communication terminal device 50 are displayed on the screen and can be selected. It is possible to select all of the plurality of air conditioners displayed, or to select any one or more of the plurality of air conditioners. As the selectable air conditioner, the air conditioner 1Z (corresponding to the grandparent air conditioner) of the mother's or father's parents' house in the user's house 31 can also be selected.

The electricity bill calculation unit 45 (see FIG. 2) of the server 40 accumulates hourly electricity bills and monthly electricity bills for each of the selected air conditioners 1 . When a plurality of air conditioners 1 are selected, the electricity bill notification unit 46 sets the total electricity bill (total electricity bill) of the selected air conditioners 1 as the reference electricity bill or the notification unit electricity bill. Electricity charge information is notified to the communication terminal device 50 each time the charge is exceeded.

With such a configuration, the user who manages a plurality of air conditioners 1 can improve convenience and more effectively save energy.

[Fifth Embodiment]
A fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described below. For convenience of description, members having the same functions as those of the members described in the above embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will not be repeated.

In the first to third embodiments, the electricity bill information of one air conditioner 1 is notified to one communication terminal device 50 . This embodiment shows a case where a plurality of communication terminal devices 50 and 50A are linked to one air conditioner 1 .

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an air conditioning system 30B according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, the air conditioning system 30B includes one air conditioner 1 installed in a user's home 31, a server 40, and a plurality of communication terminal devices 50 and 50A, each of which has a communication network 32. connected through

A plurality of communication terminal devices 50 and 50A are linked to the air conditioner 1. For example, the communication terminal device 50 is the communication terminal device of the mother of the user's house 31, and the communication terminal device 50A is the father of the user's house 31. is a communication terminal device. Air conditioner 1 is registered in both mother's communication terminal device 50 and father's communication terminal device 50A. In other words, server 40 registers the combination of mother's communication terminal device 50 and father's communication terminal device 50A and air conditioner 1Z.

In such an air-conditioning system 30B, the conditions for notification of electricity bill information can be set by the notification condition setting unit 63 from both the mother's communication terminal device 50 and the father's communication terminal device 50A. For example, from the communication terminal device 50 of the mother, a reference electricity bill of "4000 yen per month" can be set, and from the communication terminal device 50A of the father, a reference electricity bill of "3000 yen per month" can be set. In addition, from the mother's communication terminal device 50, a reference electricity bill of "4,000 yen per month" can be set, and from the father's communication terminal device 50A, a notification unit electricity bill of "1,000 yen per month" can be set.

The electricity charge notification unit 46 (see FIG. 2) of the server 40 manages the notification trigger for each communication terminal device 50 for which the notification conditions are set, and the cumulative electricity charge for the current month of the air conditioner 1 is set. When the notification condition is satisfied, the electricity bill information is notified to the communication terminal device 50 that has set the satisfied condition.

With such a configuration, the communication terminal devices of the plurality of users using the air conditioner 1 are notified of the electricity bill information by the notification trigger set for each user, so that the plurality of users can save energy. can raise awareness.

[Example of realization by software]
The electricity bill calculation unit 45, the electricity bill notification unit 46, the air conditioner control unit 10, the notification control unit 62, and the like in the air conditioning systems 30 and 30A are implemented by a logic circuit (hardware) formed in an integrated circuit (IC chip) or the like. It may be implemented or implemented by software.

In the latter case, the air conditioners 1, 1A, 1B, . It has This computer includes, for example, at least one processor (control device) and at least one computer-readable recording medium storing the program. In the computer, the processor reads the program from the recording medium and executes it, thereby achieving the object of the present invention. As the processor, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) can be used. As the recording medium, a "non-temporary tangible medium" such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), a tape, a disk, a card, a semiconductor memory, a programmable logic circuit, or the like can be used. In addition, a RAM (Random Access Memory) for developing the above program may be further provided. Also, the program may be supplied to the computer via any transmission medium (communication network, broadcast wave, etc.) capable of transmitting the program. Note that one aspect of the present invention can also be implemented in the form of a data signal embedded in a carrier wave in which the program is embodied by electronic transmission.

〔summary〕
An air conditioning system 30 according to aspect 1 of the present invention includes an air conditioner 1, a server 40 connected to the air conditioner via a communication network, and a server connected to the server via a communication network 32 via the server. A communication terminal device 50 capable of operating an air conditioner and actively notifying information using a notification unit (display unit 53, audio output unit 55, oscillation unit 56), and provided in the air conditioner or the server , based on the electricity bill calculation unit 45 for calculating the electricity bill required for the operation of the air conditioner, and the electricity bill calculated by the electricity bill calculation unit, the electricity bill information regarding the electricity bill should be notified. Then, the electricity bill notification unit 46 notifying the electricity bill information to the communication terminal device so as to actively notify the electricity bill information, and the electricity bill notification unit provided in the air conditioner or the communication terminal device a criterion setting unit (notification condition setting unit 63) for arbitrarily setting a judgment criterion for determining that the state in which the charge information should be notified has been reached; and a notification control unit 62 that, upon receiving the information, controls the notification unit to actively notify the electricity bill information.

In the air-conditioning system 30 according to aspect 2 of the present invention, in aspect 1, the reference setting unit sets a reference electricity charge as the judgment criterion, and the electricity charge notification unit calculates the electricity charge calculated by the electricity charge calculation unit. It is also possible to determine that the electricity bill information should be notified when the calculated electricity bill exceeds the reference electricity bill.

In the air conditioning system 30 according to aspect 3 of the present invention, in the above aspect 1, the standard setting unit sets the notification unit electricity cost as the judgment standard, and the electricity cost notification unit calculates by the electricity cost calculation unit It is also possible to determine that the electricity bill information should be notified every time the received electricity bill exceeds the notification unit electricity bill.

In the air conditioning system 30 according to aspect 4 of the present invention, in aspect 1, the reference setting unit can selectively set a reference electricity charge and a notification unit electricity charge as the judgment criteria, and the electricity charge notification unit can set the When the reference electricity bill is selected, when the electricity bill calculated by the electricity bill calculation unit exceeds the reference electricity bill, it is determined that the electricity bill information should be notified, and the notification unit electricity bill is determined. is selected, each time the electricity bill calculated by the electricity bill calculation unit exceeds the notification unit electricity bill, it is determined that the electricity bill information should be notified. can.

In the air conditioning system 30A according to aspect 5 of the present invention, in the above aspect 1, there are a plurality of air conditioners, and the electricity cost calculation unit calculates a total electricity cost for operating the plurality of air conditioners, When the electricity bill notification unit determines that the electricity bill information regarding the electricity bill should be notified based on the total electricity bill calculated by the electricity bill calculation unit, the electricity bill information is sent to the communication terminal device. can also be configured to actively transmit so as to be notified.

In the air conditioning system 30A according to aspect 6 of the present invention, in the above aspect 1, the electricity bill calculation unit provided in the communication terminal device selects the target air conditioner for calculating the total electricity bill as one of the plurality of air conditioners. It is also possible to adopt a configuration including a target selection unit for arbitrarily selecting from among them.

An air-conditioning system 30B according to aspect 7 of the present invention, in aspect 1 above, includes a plurality of communication terminal devices, each of the plurality of communication terminal devices is provided with the reference setting unit, and the electricity charge notification unit includes the It is determined whether or not the electricity bill information should be notified based on the determination criteria set by the criterion setting unit of each of the plurality of communication terminal devices. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the electricity bill information is notified to the target communication terminal device that has made the judgment among the plurality of communication terminal devices.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but can be modified in various ways within the scope of the claims, and can be obtained by appropriately combining technical means disclosed in different embodiments. is also included in the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, new technical features can be formed by combining the technical means disclosed in each embodiment.

1, 1, 1A, 1B, 1Z air conditioner 10 air conditioner control unit 11 air conditioning operation control units 21, 42, 51 communication units 22, 43, 52 storage unit 23 air conditioning operation unit 24 outdoor temperature sensor 25 indoor temperature sensor 26 remote controller 27 Power measurement units 30, 30, 30A, 30A, 30B Air conditioning systems 31, 33 User's home 32 Communication network 40 Server 41 Server control unit 45 Electricity bill calculation unit 46 Electricity bill notification unit 50, 50A Communication terminal device 53 Display unit (notification part)
54 Input unit 55 Audio output unit (notification unit)
56 Oscillator (notification unit)
60 terminal control unit 61 air conditioner operation unit 62 notification control unit 63 notification condition setting unit (standard setting unit, target selection unit)

Claims (5)

an air conditioner;
a server connected to the air conditioner via a communication network;
a communication terminal device connected to the server via a communication network, operating the air conditioner via the server, and capable of actively reporting information using a reporting unit;
provided in the air conditioner or the server,
an electricity bill calculation unit that calculates an electricity bill for operating the air conditioner;
Based on the electricity bill calculated by the electricity bill calculation unit, when it is determined that the electricity bill information regarding the electricity bill should be notified, the electricity bill information is sent to the communication terminal device so as to be actively notified. an electricity bill notification unit to notify;
Provided in the air conditioner or the communication terminal device,
a criterion setting unit for arbitrarily setting a criterion for determining that the electricity bill notification unit should notify the electricity bill information;
provided in the communication terminal device,
a notification control unit that, upon receiving the electricity bill information from the electricity bill notification unit, controls the notification unit to actively notify the electricity bill information ;
The standard setting unit sets a notification unit electricity bill, which is a unit for performing notification as the judgment standard,
The electricity bill notification unit is in a state in which the electricity bill information should be notified when the electricity bill calculated by the electricity bill calculation unit exceeds the notification unit electricity bill in a period after the last notification of the electricity bill information. and notifies the electricity bill information each time the calculated electricity bill increases by the notification unit electricity bill . The reference setting unit can selectively set the notification unit electricity bill and the reference electricity bill as the judgment criteria,
When the reference electricity bill is selected, the electricity bill notifying section enters a state in which the electricity bill information should be notified when the electricity bill calculated by the electricity bill calculating section exceeds the reference electricity bill. 2. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the air conditioning system determines that a plurality of said air conditioners,
The electricity bill calculation unit calculates a total electricity bill for operating the plurality of air conditioners,
When the electricity bill notification unit determines that the electricity bill information regarding the electricity bill should be notified based on the total electricity bill calculated by the electricity bill calculation unit, the electricity bill information is sent to the communication terminal device. 3. The air-conditioning system according to claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that it actively notifies of. provided in the communication terminal device,
4. The air conditioner according to claim 3 , further comprising a target selection unit for arbitrarily selecting an air conditioner for which the electricity cost calculation unit calculates the total electricity cost from among the plurality of air conditioners. system. a plurality of the communication terminal devices,
The reference setting unit is provided in each of the plurality of communication terminal devices,
The electricity bill notification unit determines whether or not the electricity bill information should be notified based on the determination criteria set by the criterion setting unit of each of the plurality of communication terminal devices, and determines whether or not the electricity bill information should be notified. 2. The air-conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein when it is determined that a state has been reached, said electricity charge information is notified to a communication terminal device that has made said determination among said plurality of communication terminal devices.

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