JP7170899B2 - Air conditioners and air conditioning systems - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an air conditioner and an air conditioning system having an outdoor unit and an indoor unit connected to the outdoor unit via a transmission line.

In a system in which a plurality of devices are connected by transmission lines, signals are transmitted using multicast communication in order to efficiently use the communication band (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Note that multicast communication is one-to-many data communication by designating two or more specific addresses as a multicast group.

In the system described in Patent Literature 1, in order to use multicast communication, it is necessary to register a multicast group in advance on the device side of the transmission source.

JP 2004-266546 A

As described above, the conventional system described in Patent Document 1 requires the network administrator to manually register multicast groups in advance.

Therefore, in a case where the network administrator is not involved in the initial setting of the device, such as an air conditioning system, registration of the multicast group becomes an issue. That is, in such a case, an inexperienced user had to manually register the multicast group, which was a burden on the user.

Furthermore, in air conditioning systems, control signals are not always transmitted to the same multicast group. That is, each time a control signal is transmitted, it is necessary to change the destination group according to the control state of each of the outdoor unit and the indoor unit and the devices owned by each. Therefore, it is necessary to register a multicast group for each content of the control signal, further increasing the burden on the user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and provides an air conditioner and an air conditioning system capable of performing multicast communication without prior registration of a multicast group. purpose.

An air conditioner according to the present invention includes an outdoor unit, an indoor unit connected to the outdoor unit via the first transmission line, and a peripheral device connected to the outdoor unit via the first transmission line. The outdoor unit comprises: a first header portion including address information indicating respective addresses of the indoor unit and the peripheral device connected to the first transmission line; a signal generator for generating a first control signal having a second header containing information about a response condition for transmitting a response signal to the indoor unit and the a transmitting unit that transmits to a peripheral device; and a receiving unit that receives response signals from each of the indoor unit and the peripheral device that satisfy the response condition via the first transmission line, and the response condition is satisfied. After receiving the first control signal from the outdoor unit, each of the indoor unit and the peripheral device transmits the response signal to the outdoor unit, and the indoor unit that does not satisfy the response condition and each of the peripheral devices, after receiving the first control signal from the outdoor unit, discards the first control signal and does not transmit the response signal to the outdoor unit.

According to the air conditioning apparatus of the present invention, multicast communication can be performed without prior registration of a multicast group.

1 is a configuration diagram showing an example of the configuration of an air conditioning system according to Embodiment 1; FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing the data structure of signals transmitted and received in the air conditioning system according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of a centralized control device for an air conditioning system according to Embodiment 1; FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of a remote controller in the air conditioning system according to Embodiment 1; FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of an outdoor unit in the air conditioning system according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of an indoor unit in the air conditioning system according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of a ventilation unit 50 in the air conditioning system according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 4 is a timing chart showing an example of a communication sequence when the outdoor unit in the air conditioning system according to Embodiment 1 uses multicast communication; 4 is a configuration diagram showing a data structure of signals that constitute a first control signal in the air conditioning system according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 9 is a timing chart showing an example of a communication sequence of steps S2 to S4 in FIG. 8; FIG. 4 is a timing chart showing an example of a communication sequence in a case where devices before update of control firmware and devices after update of control firmware coexist in the air-conditioning system according to Embodiment 1. FIG.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of an air conditioner and an air conditioning system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. Further, the present invention includes all possible combinations of the configurations shown in the following embodiments. Also, in each figure, the same reference numerals denote the same or corresponding parts, which are common throughout the specification. Further, in the following embodiments, a plurality of constituent elements are distinguished from each other by adding a hyphen and an English letter to the end of the code of the constituent element. However, when a plurality of constituent elements are collectively described, or when one of the constituent elements is described as a representative, the hyphens and alphabetic characters are omitted.

Embodiment 1.
An air conditioning system 1 and an air conditioning apparatus 2 according to Embodiment 1 will be described below.

[Configuration of air conditioning system]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an example of the configuration of an air conditioning system 1 according to Embodiment 1. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioning system 1 includes a plurality of air conditioners 2-A and 2-B and a central control device 10. In the air conditioning system 1, a central control device 10 manages and controls a plurality of air conditioners 2-A and 2-B.

The central control device 10 and each of the air conditioners 2-A and 2-B are connected by a transmission line 60-M. The central control device 10 transmits a control signal to each of the air conditioners 2-A and 2-B via the transmission line 60-M. Each of the air conditioners 2 -A and 2 -B operates based on the control signal from the central control device 10 . In addition, each of the air conditioners 2-A and 2-B transmits various data and controls necessary for the centralized control device 10 to control the centralized control device 10 via the transmission line 60-M. Send a signal. The central control device 10 manages the air conditioners 2-A and 2-B based on the various data and control signals.

In this way, the central control device 10 transmits and receives control signals and various data to and from each of the air conditioners 2-A and 2-B via the transmission line 60-M. Manages and controls A and 2-B. In addition, the central control device 10 can remotely control the air conditioners 2-A and 2-B via the transmission line 60-M. Although the example of FIG. 1 shows a case where two air conditioners 2-A and 2-B are provided in the air conditioning system 1, the present invention is not limited to this, and three or more air conditioners 2 may be provided.

The air conditioner 2-A includes a remote controller 20-A, an outdoor unit 30-A, indoor units 40-A and 40-B, and a ventilation unit 50-A. In the example of FIG. 1, the air conditioner 2-A includes one remote controller 20-A, one outdoor unit 30-A, two indoor units 40-A and 40-B, and one of the ventilation unit 50-A. However, the number of these devices may be arbitrary, as will be described later. The outdoor unit 30-A and the indoor units 40-A and 40-B are connected by refrigerant pipes 70-A, thereby forming a refrigerant circuit. A refrigerant such as R32 or R410A circulates in the refrigerant circuit.

Remote controller 20-A transmits control signals for controlling outdoor unit 30-A, indoor units 40-A and 40-B, and ventilation unit 50-A via transmission line 60-A. In addition, the remote controller 20-A, via the transmission line 60-A, the control signal or Receive various data. The remote controller 20-A is placed in the room to be air-conditioned and operated by the user.

The air conditioner 2-B includes a remote controller 20-B, an outdoor unit 30-B, indoor units 40-C and 40-D, and a ventilation unit 50-B. In the example of FIG. 1, the air conditioner 2-B includes one remote controller 20-B, one outdoor unit 30-B, two indoor units 40-C and 40-D, and one , and the ventilation unit 50-B. However, the number of these devices may be arbitrary, as will be described later. The outdoor unit 30-B and the indoor units 40-C and 40-D are connected by refrigerant pipes 70-B, thereby forming a refrigerant circuit. A refrigerant such as R32 or R410A circulates in the refrigerant circuit.

The remote controller 20-B transmits control signals for controlling the outdoor unit 30-B, the indoor units 40-C and 40-D, and the ventilation unit 50-B via the transmission line 60-B. In addition, the remote controller 20-B, via the transmission line 60-B, the control signal or Receive various data. The remote controller 20-B is placed in the room to be air-conditioned and operated by the user.

Thus, the outdoor unit 30-A and the outdoor unit 30-B are connected to the indoor units 40-A, 40-B, 40-C and 40-D, and peripheral devices such as remote controllers 20-A and 20-B and ventilation units 50-A and 50-B. Also, the outdoor units 30-A and 30-B are electrically connected to the central control device 10 via a transmission line 60-M, which is a second transmission line.

The numbers of the remote controllers 20, the outdoor units 30, the indoor units 40, and the ventilation units 50 are not limited to the example shown in FIG. 1, and may be any number. Also, in the example of FIG. 1, the air conditioner 2-A and the air conditioner 2-B have the same configuration, but the present invention is not limited to this example. That is, each of the air conditioners 2-A and 2-B may have a different configuration. For example, air conditioners 2-A and 2-B may have different numbers of remote controllers 20, outdoor units 30, indoor units 40, and ventilation units 50 from each other. However, in order to simplify the explanation below, the case where the air conditioner 2-A and the air conditioner 2-B have the same configuration will be described as an example.

[Signal data structure]
Next, the data structure of the signal 600 transmitted and received by each device using the transmission line 60 will be described. Here, each device indicates the central control device 10, the remote controller 20, the outdoor unit 30, the indoor unit 40, and the ventilation unit 50 connected to the transmission line 60. FIG. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing the data structure of a signal 600 transmitted and received in the air conditioning system 1 according to Embodiment 1. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the signal 600 consists of a first header portion 601, a communication command portion 602, and a frame check portion 603. FIG. Control signals and various data transmitted and received by each device using the transmission line 60 have either the data structure shown in FIG. 2 or the data structure shown in FIG. 9, which will be described later. In the following description, the control signal having the data structure of signal 600 shown in FIG. 9 is called first control signal 600A, and the control signal having the data structure of signal 600 shown in FIG. 2 is called second control signal 600B. do. The difference between the first control signal 600A and the second control signal 600B is that the second header section 604 is added to the first control signal 600A. Since the other configurations are the same, they are indicated by the same reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions are omitted. The second control signal 600B will be explained here, and the first control signal 600A will be explained later.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first header portion 601 of the second control signal 600B contains address information for identifying the transmitting/receiving device such as the source address and destination address. Further, the first header portion 601 contains information indicating the message length of the communication command. As the destination address, only a specific device may be specified, or all devices connected to the transmission line 60 may be specified.

The communication command part 602 of the second control signal 600B stores the content of the communication command and is called payload. The communication command field 602 stores information such as a command for monitoring the status of the device or a command for controlling the operation of the device.

A frame check portion 603 of the second control signal 600B contains a code such as an error correction code for detecting a transmission error when transmitting/receiving a signal.

[Configuration of central control device]
Next, the configuration of the central control device 10 will be described. FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of the central control device 10 of the air conditioning system 1 according to Embodiment 1. As shown in FIG. The central control device 10 has a display section 101 , a storage section 102 , a control section 103 and a communication section 104 .

The display unit 101 of the centralized control device 10 is composed of, for example, a touch panel. The display unit 101 displays information about the entire air conditioning system 1 collected by the central control device 10 . Also, the display unit 101 receives an operation from the user. The user uses the editing area, input window, etc. displayed on the screen of the display unit 101 to input operations to the air conditioners 2-A and 2-B. The user can also input operations to the central control device 10 using the editing area and input window displayed on the screen of the display unit 101 . Here, the display unit 101 is composed of a touch panel, but the display unit 101 may be composed of a display device such as a liquid crystal screen and an input device such as an operation button.

The storage unit 102 of the centralized control device 10 is composed of memories such as ROM and RAM, for example. Storage unit 102 stores operation details input by the user using display unit 101 , data included in control signals transmitted and received via communication unit 104 , and calculation results of control unit 103 .

The control unit 103 of the centralized control device 10 controls the display unit 101 , the storage unit 102 and the communication unit 104 . The control unit 103, for example, processes data included in the control signal received by the communication unit 104, and controls the operation of each device within the air conditioning system 1 to be controlled based on the processing result. Each function of the control unit 103 is implemented by a processing circuit. The processing circuitry may be dedicated hardware or a processor executing a program stored in memory.

The communication unit 104 of the central control device 10 transmits and receives control signals and various data via the transmission line 60-M. Communication unit 104 performs both transmission and reception, and thus functions as a transmission unit and a reception unit. Therefore, the communication unit 104 is composed of a transmitting device and a receiving device, or is composed of a transmitting and receiving device. Also, the transmission line 60-M may be wireless or wired, and the communication protocol is not particularly limited.

Next, configurations of the remote controller 20, the outdoor unit 30, the indoor unit 40, and the ventilation unit 50, which constitute the air conditioners 2-A and 2-B, will be described.

[Remote controller configuration]
Configurations of the remote controllers 20-A and 20-B of the air conditioners 2-A and 2-B will be described. Since the remote controllers 20-A and 20-B may have the same configuration, the remote controller 20 will be described below. However, the control target of the remote controller 20-A is the air conditioner 2-A, and the control target of the remote controller 20-B is the air conditioner 2-B.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of the remote controller 20 in the air conditioning system according to Embodiment 1. As shown in FIG. The remote controller 20 has a display section 201 , a storage section 202 , a control section 203 and a communication section 204 .

A display unit 201 of the remote controller 20 is configured by, for example, a touch panel. The display unit 201 displays information about the air conditioning system 1 collected by the remote controller 20 . Specifically, since the remote controller 20-A mainly collects information about the air conditioner 2-A and the central control device 10, the display unit 201 of the remote controller 20-A displays the collected information. display. In addition, since the remote controller 20-B mainly collects information about the air conditioner 2-B and the central control device 10, the display unit 201 of the remote controller 20-B displays the collected information. . Also, the display unit 201 receives an operation from the user. The user uses the editing area, the input window, etc. displayed on the screen of the display unit 201 to input an operation to the air conditioner 2-A or 2-B. However, an operation for the air conditioner 2-A can be input from the display unit 201 of the remote controller 20-A, and an operation for the air conditioner 2-B can be input from the display unit 201 of the remote controller 20-B. Here, the display unit 201 is composed of a touch panel, but the display unit 201 may be composed of a display device such as a liquid crystal screen and an input device such as an operation button.

The storage unit 202 of the remote controller 20 is composed of memories such as ROM and RAM, for example. The storage unit 202 stores operation details input by the user using the display unit 201 , data included in control signals transmitted and received via the communication unit 204 , and calculation results of the control unit 203 .

A control unit 203 of the remote controller 20 controls the display unit 201 , storage unit 202 and communication unit 204 . For example, the control unit 203 processes data included in the control signal received via the communication unit 204 and the operation content input by the user, and based on the processing result, the air conditioner 2-A to be controlled. Or control the operation of 2-B. Each function of the control unit 203 is implemented by a processing circuit. The processing circuitry may be dedicated hardware or a processor executing a program stored in memory.

The communication unit 204 of the remote controller 20 transmits and receives signals via the transmission line 60-A or 60-B. Communication unit 204 performs both transmission and reception, and thus functions as a transmission unit and a reception unit. Therefore, the communication unit 204 is composed of a transmitting device and a receiving device, or is composed of a transmitting and receiving device. Also, the transmission lines 60-A and 60-B are basically wireless, but only a portion of them may be wired. Also, the communication protocol for communication performed via transmission lines 60-A and 60-B is not particularly limited.

[Configuration of outdoor unit]
Next, the configuration of the outdoor unit 30 will be described. Here, the outdoor unit 30-A and the outdoor unit 30-B are assumed to have the same configuration, and the outdoor unit 30 will be described below. FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of the outdoor unit 30 in the air conditioning system 1 according to Embodiment 1. As shown in FIG. The outdoor unit 30 is provided outside the indoor space to be air-conditioned. The outdoor unit 30 has a compressor 301 , a heat source side heat exchanger 302 , an outdoor unit fan 303 , an outdoor unit expansion valve 304 and a channel switching device 305 . The outdoor unit 30 further has a communication section a 306 , a communication section b 307 , a control section 308 and a storage section 309 . The compressor 301 of the outdoor unit 30, the heat source side heat exchanger 302, the outdoor unit expansion valve 304, and the flow path switching device 305 are connected by a refrigerant pipe 70-A or 70-B. More specifically, the compressor 301 of the outdoor unit 30-A, the heat source side heat exchanger 302, the outdoor unit expansion valve 304, and the flow path switching device 305 are connected by a refrigerant pipe 70-A. The compressor 301 of the outdoor unit 30-B, the heat source side heat exchanger 302, the outdoor unit expansion valve 304, and the flow path switching device 305 are connected by a refrigerant pipe 70-B.

Compressor 301 compresses the sucked refrigerant into high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant and discharges it. The compressor 301 is, for example, an inverter compressor controlled by an inverter (not shown). When the compressor 301 is an inverter compressor, the compressor 301 can arbitrarily change the operating frequency to change the capacity. Here, the capacity is the amount of refrigerant delivered per unit time.

The heat source side heat exchanger 302 performs heat exchange between, for example, refrigerant passing through the heat source side heat exchanger 302 and air.

The outdoor unit fan 303 is installed so as to face the heat source side heat exchanger 302 . The outdoor unit fan 303 blows air to the heat source side heat exchanger 302 . By operating the outdoor unit fan 303 , air for heat exchange with the refrigerant is sent to the heat source side heat exchanger 302 .

The outdoor unit expansion valve 304 reduces the pressure of the refrigerant. The outdoor unit expansion valve 304 is, for example, an electronic expansion valve whose opening can be adjusted.

The channel switching device 305 is composed of, for example, a four-way valve or the like. The channel switching device 305 switches the channel of the refrigerant circuit. For example, during cooling operation in which the indoor unit 40 performs cooling, the flow path switching device 305 is switched to the state indicated by the solid line in FIG. acts as an evaporator. Further, for example, during heating operation in which the indoor unit 40 performs heating, the flow path switching device 305 is switched to the state indicated by the broken line in FIG. A vessel 401 functions as a condenser.

The communication unit a306 transmits and receives control signals and various data to and from the central control device 10 via the transmission line 60-M. The communication unit a306 also serves as a bridge that relays control signals and various data from the central control device 10 to the communication unit b307 as necessary. The controller 308 of the outdoor unit 30 determines whether or not relaying is necessary. Since the communication unit a306 performs both transmission and reception, it functions as a transmission unit and a reception unit. Therefore, the communication unit a306 is composed of a transmitting device and a receiving device, or is composed of a transmitting and receiving device.

The communication unit b307 transmits/receives control signals and various data to/from the remote controller 20, the indoor unit 40, and the ventilation unit 50 via the transmission line 60-A or 60-B. The communication unit b307 also functions as a bridge that relays control signals and various data from the remote controller 20, the indoor unit 40, and the ventilation unit 50 to the communication unit a306 as necessary. The controller 308 of the outdoor unit 30 determines whether or not relaying is necessary. The communication unit b307 performs both transmission and reception, and thus functions as a transmission unit and a reception unit. Therefore, the communication unit b307 is composed of a transmitting device and a receiving device, or is composed of a transmitting and receiving device.

The control section 308 controls each section of the outdoor unit 30 such as the frequency of the compressor 301 and the fan rotation speed of the outdoor unit fan 303 . Each function of the control unit 308 is implemented by a processing circuit. The processing circuitry may be dedicated hardware or a processor executing a program stored in memory.

The storage unit 309 is composed of memories such as ROM and RAM, for example. The storage unit 309 stores the data included in the control signal received via the communication unit a 306 and the communication unit b 307 and the calculation result of the control unit 308 .

Further, as shown in FIG. 5 , the controller 308 of the outdoor unit 30 has a signal generator 3081 and a multicast group generator 3082 .

The signal generation section 3081 generates the first control signal 600A to which the first header section 601 and the second header section 604 shown in FIG. 9 are added. FIG. 9 is a configuration diagram showing the data structure of signal 600 forming first control signal 600A in air-conditioning system 1 according to Embodiment 1. As shown in FIG. The first header portion 601 includes address information indicating the addresses of the indoor units 40 and peripheral devices connected to the transmission line 60-A or 60-B. Also, the second header portion 604 includes information about response conditions indicating whether or not a response to the outdoor unit 30 is required. Here, the peripheral device indicates at least one of the ventilation unit 50 and the remote controller 20, and in the following description, it is simply referred to as "peripheral device" without any reference numerals.

Device information and control state information are used as the information about the response condition. In the example of FIG. 9, both the device information and the control state information consist of an identification ID and parameters. The identification ID is identification information including model name, operation, operation mode, fan, display, refrigerant piping connection, and the like. A parameter is a value that each identification ID can take. The identification ID may be device information that identifies a physical device such as a fan or a sensor that the device owns or is connected to, or may be information indicating whether the device is ON/OFF stored in each storage unit. It may be control state information specifying a control state such as an OFF state or an operation mode.

For example, a case where the outdoor unit 30-A receives a control command from the central control device 10 to circulate the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipe 70-A at the maximum flow rate will be described. In this case, the outdoor unit 30-A sets the identification ID to “6”, ie, “refrigerant pipe connection”, and sets the parameter to “1”, ie, “present”, as the response condition in the second header section 604 . As a result, the devices that satisfy the response condition are the devices connected to the refrigerant pipe 70-A, and these devices correspond to the transmission destinations of the first control signal 600A. On the other hand, other devices that are not connected to the refrigerant pipe 70-A do not satisfy the response condition and do not correspond to the transmission destination of the first control signal 600A. Further details will be described below. In the following description, in order to simplify the description, instead of describing ““6”, ie, “refrigerant pipe connection”, “6: Refrigerant pipe connection” is described, and “1”, ie, “Yes ” is not described, and “1: present” is described. The same shall apply to others.

The device information used as the information about the response condition is information specifying a device owned by the indoor unit 40 and the peripheral device or a device to which the indoor unit 40 and the peripheral device are connected. The device information also includes information identifying the indoor unit 40 and the peripheral device. In the example of FIG. 9, identification IDs "4" and "5" are information specifying that the device types are "fan" and "display", and parameter "1" or "2" is This is information that specifies whether the device is owned “yes” or “no”. In addition, the identification ID "6" is information specifying that the device type is "refrigerant piping connection", and the parameter "1" or "2" indicates that the device is connected "yes" or "no". is information that identifies "1" of the identification ID is information specifying the model name of each of the indoor unit 40 and the peripheral device, and the ASCII code of the parameter is the number corresponding to the model name.

Therefore, for example, it is assumed that the second header portion 604 of the first control signal 600A has a response condition of "4: fan" and "1: present" by the identification ID and parameters. In this case, among the indoor unit 40 and the peripheral device, it is determined that the device having the "fan" satisfies the response condition, and a response signal is sent to the first control signal 600A received from the outdoor unit 30. Send. On the other hand, among the indoor unit 40 and the peripheral device, the device that does not have a "fan" determines that the response condition is not satisfied, discards the first control signal 600A received from the outdoor unit 30, and responds. Send no signal.

Assume also that the second header portion 604 of the first control signal 600A has a response condition of "1: Yes" for "6: Refrigerant pipe connection" by the identification ID and parameters. In this case, among the indoor unit 40 and peripheral devices, it is determined that the device connected to the refrigerant pipe 70 satisfies the response condition, and a response signal is sent to the first control signal 600A received from the outdoor unit 30. Send. On the other hand, among the indoor unit 40 and the peripheral devices, devices that are not connected to the refrigerant pipe 70 determine that the response condition is not satisfied, discard the first control signal 600A received from the outdoor unit 30, and respond. Send no signal.

The control state information used as the information regarding the response condition is information specifying the control state such as the operation mode of the indoor unit 40 and the peripheral device and the operation state of operation or stop. In the example of FIG. 9, the identification ID "2: operation" is information specifying the type of control state, and the parameter "1: ON" or "2: OFF" is the operation state of each device being operated or stopped. It is information that identifies the Specifically, "ON" indicates "operating", and "OFF" indicates "stopping". In addition, the identification ID "3: operation mode" is information that specifies the type of control state, and the parameter "1: heating", "2: cooling" or "3: automatic" specifies the operation mode of each device. It is information to do.

Therefore, it is assumed that the second header portion 604 of the first control signal 600A has the response condition "3: operation mode" set to "1: heating" by the identification ID and parameters. In this case, among the indoor unit 40 and the peripheral devices, it is determined that the device whose “operation mode” is “heating” satisfies the response condition, and the first control signal 600A received from the outdoor unit 30 is Send a response signal. On the other hand, among the indoor unit 40 and the peripheral devices, the device whose "operation mode" is not "heating" determines that the response condition is not satisfied, discards the first control signal 600A received from the outdoor unit 30, Do not send a response signal.

Thus, in Embodiment 1, signal generation section 3081 sets the response condition in second header section 604 of first control signal 600A and transmits first control signal 600A. Then, each of the indoor unit 40 and the peripheral device that has received the first control signal 600A refers to the response condition of the second header portion 604 and determines whether it satisfies the response condition. Each of the indoor unit 40 and the peripheral device reflects the content of the first control signal 600A only when it satisfies the response condition. On the other hand, if it does not satisfy the response condition, it discards first control signal 600A and does not reflect the contents of first control signal 600A. Accordingly, each device that receives the first control signal 600A can automatically determine whether or not it is the target device to receive the first control signal 600A based on the response condition. Therefore, substantially multicast communication can be performed without registering a multicast group in advance. Moreover, since the device information is registered in advance when the air conditioner 2 is shipped, the information may be used. In addition, since the control state information is transmitted from the indoor unit 40 and the peripheral device to the outdoor units 30-A and 30-B via the transmission line 60-A or 60-B, the information may be used. . Therefore, the user does not need to enter device information and control state information.

Further, the communication section b307 transmits the first control signal 600A generated by the signal generation section 3081 to each of the indoor unit 40 and the peripheral device via the transmission line 60-A or 60-B. Further, the communication section b307 receives response signals from the indoor units 40 and peripheral devices that satisfy the response conditions included in the second header section 604 via the transmission line 60-A or 60-B. The storage section 309 of the outdoor unit 30 stores the respective addresses of the indoor unit 40 and the peripheral device for which the communication section b307 has received the response signal.

Each of the indoor unit 40 and the peripheral device that satisfy the response condition transmits a response signal to the outdoor unit 30 after receiving the first control signal 600A from the outdoor unit 30 . On the other hand, after receiving the first control signal 600A from the outdoor unit 30, each of the indoor unit 40 and the peripheral device that do not satisfy the response condition discards the first control signal 600A and responds to the outdoor unit 30. Send no signal. Thus, in Embodiment 1, the response condition is set in the second header portion 604 and the first control signal 600A is transmitted. As a result, even if the multicast group is not registered in advance, the receiving side can determine whether or not the first control signal 600A is a necessary control signal for itself based on the response condition. Also, since the response conditions are automatically set based on the device information or control state information of each device, there is no need for the user to input them. That is, the device information of each device is registered in advance in the storage section 309 of the outdoor unit 30 when the air conditioner 2 is shipped. Further, the control state information is stored in the storage unit 309 after the communication unit a306 and the communication unit b307 of the outdoor unit 30 receive the information on the control state of each device.

In addition, the signal generation section 3081 of the outdoor unit 30 generates the second control signal 600B when the communication section b307 does not receive a response signal from at least one of the indoor unit 40 and the peripheral device that satisfy the response condition. . At this time, address information indicating the respective addresses of the indoor units 40 and peripheral devices that have not received the response signal is set in the first header portion 601 of the second control signal 600B. The communication unit b307 of the outdoor unit transmits the second control signal 600B to each of the indoor unit 40 and the peripheral devices that have not received the response signal via the transmission line 60-A or 60-B, which is the first transmission line. Send.

Multicast group generation unit 3082 generates a list of multicast groups using addresses stored in storage unit 309 . The communication unit a306 transmits the multicast group list generated by the multicast group generation unit 3082 to the central control device 10, the indoor unit 40, the ventilation unit 50, the and transmit to the remote controller 20 . This allows the central control device 10, the outdoor unit 30, the indoor unit 40, the ventilation unit 50, and the remote controller 20 to share the multicast group list.

[Indoor unit configuration]
Next, the configuration of the indoor unit 40 will be described. It should be noted that the indoor units 40-A, 40-B, 40-C, and 40-D have the same configuration, and will be described as the indoor unit 40 here. FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of the indoor unit 40 in the air conditioning system 1 according to Embodiment 1. As shown in FIG. The indoor unit 40 has a user side heat exchanger 401 , an indoor unit fan 402 and an indoor unit expansion valve 403 . The indoor unit 40 further has a communication section 404 , a control section 405 and a storage section 406 . Note that, as shown in FIG. 1, the user-side heat exchangers 401 and the indoor unit expansion valves 403 of the indoor units 40-A and 40-B are connected to the outdoor unit 30-A via refrigerant pipes 70-A. It is connected to the. The user-side heat exchangers 401 and the indoor unit expansion valves 403 of the indoor units 40-C and 40-D are connected to the outdoor unit 30-B via refrigerant pipes 70-B.

The usage-side heat exchanger 401 performs heat exchange between, for example, refrigerant passing through the usage-side heat exchanger 401 and air.

The indoor unit fan 402 is installed so as to face the utilization side heat exchanger 401 . The indoor unit fan 402 blows air to the user side heat exchanger 401 . By operating the indoor unit fan 402 , air for heat exchange with the refrigerant is sent to the utilization side heat exchanger 401 . As a result, the conditioned air heat-exchanged in the user-side heat exchanger 401 is supplied indoors.

The indoor unit expansion valve 403 reduces the pressure of the refrigerant. The indoor unit expansion valve 403 is, for example, an electronic expansion valve whose opening can be adjusted.

Communication unit 404 transmits and receives control signals to and from each device of air conditioner 2-A or 2-B via transmission line 60-A or 60-B. Communication unit 404 performs both transmission and reception, and thus functions as a transmission unit and a reception unit. Therefore, the communication unit 404 is composed of a transmitting device and a receiving device, or is composed of a transmitting and receiving device.

The controller 405 controls each part of the indoor unit 40 such as the fan rotation speed of the indoor unit fan 402 and the opening degree of the indoor unit expansion valve 403 . Each function of the control unit 405 is implemented by a processing circuit. The processing circuitry may be dedicated hardware or a processor executing a program stored in memory.

The storage unit 406 is composed of memories such as ROM and RAM, for example. Storage unit 406 stores the data included in the control signal received via communication unit 404 and the calculation result of control unit 405 . In addition, when the indoor unit 40 is provided with a temperature sensor for detecting the indoor temperature, a refrigerant sensor for detecting refrigerant leakage, and the like, the detection results detected by these sensors are also stored in the storage unit 406. be done.

[Configuration of ventilation unit]
Next, the configuration of the ventilation unit 50 will be described. Note that the ventilation units 50-A and 50-B are assumed to have the same configuration, and will be described as the ventilation unit 50 below. FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of the ventilation unit 50 in the air conditioning system 1 according to Embodiment 1. As shown in FIG. The ventilation unit 50 is provided in a room to be air-conditioned. The ventilation unit 50 has a heat exchanger 501 , an indoor ventilation unit fan 502 and an outdoor ventilation unit fan 503 . The ventilation unit 50 further has an outdoor intake pipe 504 , an indoor intake pipe 505 , an indoor exhaust pipe 506 and an outdoor exhaust pipe 507 . The ventilation unit 50 further has a communication section 508 , a control section 509 and a storage section 510 .

The heat exchanger 501 exchanges heat between indoor air passing through the heat exchanger 501 and outdoor air passing through the heat exchanger 501, for example. The air heat-exchanged by the heat exchanger 501 is taken into the room by the operation of the indoor ventilation unit fan 502, and is exhausted to the outside by the operation of the outdoor ventilation unit fan 503.

The outdoor air intake pipe 504 is a pipe for taking in outdoor air into the room, and the taken air passes through the heat exchanger 501 and the indoor air intake pipe 505 and is sent into the room.

The indoor exhaust pipe 506 is a pipe for exhausting indoor air to the outside, and the taken air passes through the heat exchanger 501 and the outdoor exhaust pipe 507 and is exhausted to the outside.

Communication unit 508 transmits and receives control signals to and from each device of air conditioner 2-A or 2-B via transmission line 60-A or 60-B. Communication unit 508 performs both transmission and reception, and thus functions as a transmitter and a receiver. Therefore, the communication unit 508 is composed of a transmitting device and a receiving device, or is composed of a transmitting and receiving device.

The controller 509 controls the fan rotation speeds of the indoor ventilation unit fan 502 and the outdoor ventilation unit fan 503 and each part of the ventilation unit 50 . Each function of the control unit 509 is implemented by a processing circuit. The processing circuitry may be dedicated hardware or a processor executing a program stored in memory.

The storage unit 510 is composed of memories such as ROM and RAM, for example. Storage unit 510 stores the data included in the control signal received via communication unit 508 and the calculation result of control unit 509 .

Next, a series of processes in which the central control device 10 operates the air conditioner 2-A will be described. A user who is an operator of the centralized control device 10 operates the display unit 101 of the centralized control device 10 to input operation contents such as operation ON/OFF and operation modes such as heating/cooling, etc. For example, the air conditioner 2-A is selected.

Control unit 103 analyzes the operation content input by the user using display unit 101 and generates second control signal 600B. The generated second control signal 600B has the data structure of the signal 600 shown in FIG. The control section 103 sets the address of the outdoor unit 30-A as the destination address of the first header section 601 of the second control signal 600B. A MAC address or a logical address uniquely assigned to each device is used as the destination address. The communication unit 104 outputs a control signal to the transmission line 60-M.

At this time, the second control signal 600B transmitted to the transmission line 60-M by the communication unit 104 of the central control device 10 is transmitted to all the outdoor units 30-A and 30-B connected to the transmission line 60-M. will receive. Each of the outdoor units 30-A and 30-B refers to the first header portion 601 of the second control signal 600B, and reflects the content of the second control signal 600B only when it matches its own address. That is, here, since the address of the outdoor unit 30-A is set as the transmission destination address of the first header section 601 of the second control signal 600B, the outdoor unit 30-A reflects the contents of the control signal. The outdoor unit 30-B does not reflect the content of the control signal.

Thus, the second control signal 600B received by the communication section a306 of the outdoor unit 30-A is input to the control section 308. FIG. The control unit 308 analyzes the command content of the central control device 10 based on the content of the communication command portion 602 of the second control signal 600B. The control unit 308 relays the second control signal 600B to the communication unit b307 according to the analysis result.

When relaying the second control signal 600B to the communication section b307, the control section 308 changes the destination address of the first header section 601 according to the content of the second control signal 600B. When transmitting the second control signal 600B to all the devices, the control unit 308 sets the addresses of all the devices connected to the transmission line 60-A or 60-B as the transmission destination address and performs broadcast communication. I do. On the other hand, when transmitting to one specific device, unicast communication is performed by setting the address of the specific device as the destination address. It should be noted that it is ideal to use multicast when transmitting to a specific group. However, the destination group differs depending on the contents of the communication command field 602, and it is necessary to set the multicast group in advance. Therefore, unicast communication is used here instead of multicast communication. That is, the control unit 308 sequentially sets the addresses of the devices included in the specific group one by one in the transmission destination address of the first header portion 601, and performs unicast communication with these devices. A second control signal 600B is transmitted. Therefore, unicast communication is repeated by the number of devices included in a specific group.

Next, a series of processes in which the outdoor unit 30 automatically performs multicast communication without registering a multicast group in advance and automatically generates a list of multicast groups will be described.

FIG. 8 is a timing chart showing an example of a communication sequence when the outdoor unit 30-A in the air conditioning system 1 according to Embodiment 1 uses multicast communication. The communication sequence of FIG. 8 allows the use of multicast communication without manual pre-registration of multicast groups. The operation of the outdoor unit 30-A will be described below. Since the operation of the outdoor unit 30-B is the same as that of the outdoor unit 30-A, the explanation is omitted.

In step S1, when transmitting the first control signal 600A, the outdoor unit 30-A adds a first header section 601 and a second header section 604 to the first control signal 600A as shown in FIG.

In step S2, the outdoor unit 30-A transmits the first control signal 600A via the transmission line 60-A to each device connected to the transmission line 60-A. At this time, the outdoor unit 30-A does not transmit the first control signal 600A to the transmission line 60-M.

In step S3, the outdoor unit 30-A receives a response signal to the first control signal 600A from each device via the transmission line 60-A. However, at this time, the device that transmits the response signal to the first control signal 600A is the device that satisfies the response condition set in the second header section 604 of the first control signal 600A.

In step S4, the outdoor unit 30-A stores in the storage section 309 the address of the device that received the response signal.

Here, steps S2 to S4 in FIG. 8 will be explained in more detail using FIG. FIG. 10 is a timing chart showing an example of the communication sequence of steps S2-S4 in FIG. The communication sequence of steps S2 to S4 will be described below with reference to FIG.

In step S10, the first control signal 600A transmitted by the outdoor unit 30-A is received by all devices connected to the transmission line 60-A. That is, as shown in FIG. 10, remote controller 20-A, indoor units 40-A and 40-B, and ventilation unit 50-A receive first control signal 600A transmitted by outdoor unit 30-A. Each of these devices that has received the first control signal 600A analyzes the response condition of the second header section 604 and determines whether it satisfies the response condition. Each device reflects the content of the first control signal 600A when it satisfies the response condition. On the other hand, each device discards the first control signal 600A if it does not satisfy the response condition.

A specific description will be given. For example, in the second header section 604, it is assumed that the identification ID is set to "6: Refrigerant pipe connection" and the parameter is set to "1: Yes". In this example, the indoor units 40-A and 40-B connected to the outdoor unit 30-A through refrigerant pipes 70-A satisfy the response condition. Therefore, indoor units 40-A and 40-B reflect the contents of first control signal 600A. On the other hand, the remote controller 20-A and the ventilation unit 50-A that are not connected to the outdoor unit 30-A via the refrigerant pipe 70-A do not satisfy the response condition. Therefore, remote controller 20-A and ventilation unit 50-A discard first control signal 600A.

In step S11, the indoor unit 40-A transmits a response signal to the first control signal 600A to the outdoor unit 30-A. The outdoor unit 30-A stores the address of the indoor unit 40-A in the storage section 309. FIG.

In step S12, the indoor unit 40-B transmits a response signal to the first control signal 600A to the outdoor unit 30-A. The outdoor unit 30-A stores the address of the indoor unit 40-B in the storage section 309. FIG.

Note that the transmission timing of the response signal of the indoor unit 40-A in step S11 and the transmission timing of the response signal of the indoor unit 40-B in step S12 are not the same, and one is shifted with respect to the other. That is, the transmission timing of step S12 is delayed by the standby time d from the transmission timing of step S11. I will explain why. If the indoor unit 40-A and the indoor unit 40-B simultaneously transmit response signals, the network will be congested. Therefore, for example, indoor unit 40-A transmits a response signal immediately after receiving first control signal 600A. In that case, the indoor unit 40-B waits for the waiting time d after receiving the first control signal 600A, and then transmits the response signal. Although the indoor unit 40-B has been described here, when the indoor unit 40-A, the remote controller 20-A, and the ventilation unit 50-C also transmit response signals, the response signals are transmitted after the standby time has elapsed. That is, each of these devices also transmits a response signal after the waiting time set for each device has elapsed from the timing of receiving the first control signal 600A. In this way, each device preferably transmits a response signal after a waiting time set for each device has passed. The standby time set for each device may be a preset length of time, or may be a random length of time. If the standby time is set to a random length of time, for example, the length of time generated by the indoor units 40-A, 40-B, remote controller 20-A, and ventilation unit 50-C based on their own addresses. good.

In FIG. 10, steps S13 to S16 are a sequence when a transmission abnormality occurs.

In step S13, the outdoor unit 30-A transmits the first control signal 600A as in step S10.

At step S14, the outdoor unit 30-A receives the response signal from the indoor unit 40-A. However, the outdoor unit 30-A has not received the response signal from the indoor unit 40-B. In this way, when the outdoor unit 30-A cannot confirm the reception of the response signal from the indoor unit 40-B, the process proceeds to step S15.

In step S15, the outdoor unit 30 sets the transmission destination address of the first header portion 601 of the control signal to the indoor unit 40-B, and transmits the second control signal 600B by unicast. The second control signal 600B has the data structure of the signal 600 shown in FIG. 2, and the second header section 604 is not added.

The response management in step S14 is realized by storing the address of the device responding to the multicast in the storage unit 309 by the outdoor unit 30-A, as described in steps S11 and S12 above. That is, the outdoor unit 30-A refers to the address stored in the storage unit 309, identifies the devices that should receive the response signal, and extracts the devices that do not receive the response signal from among those devices. .

At step S16, the indoor unit 40-B transmits a response to the second control signal 600B from the outdoor unit 30-A.

By performing a series of processes from step S10 to step S16 in FIG. 10, it is possible to realize reliable multicast communication. That is, the outdoor unit 30 performs retransmission processing of the control signal in unicast communication until the response signal is received from the device for which the reception of the response signal could not be confirmed. A control signal can be sent to the This ensures the reliability of communication.

Returning to the description of FIG. In step S5, the control section 308 of the outdoor unit 30-A lists the device addresses stored in the storage section 309 for each identification ID and parameter. Thereby, a multicast group for each ID and parameter is automatically generated and registered in the storage unit 309 . Therefore, multicast communication can be performed using the multicast group in the next multicast communication. In addition, in the next multicast communication, communication may be performed using the multicast group, but the response condition is set in the second header part 604 in the same manner as the above operation for each communication without being limited to that case. may be used to perform communication.

In step S6, the outdoor unit 30-A sets the multicast group information generated in step S5 in the communication command section 602 of the second control signal 600B. The outdoor unit 30-A transmits the second control signal 600B to all devices belonging to the air conditioning system 1 via transmission lines 60-A, 60-B and 60-M. Thereby, the information of the multicast group can be shared by all devices belonging to the air conditioning system 1 . That is, the information of the multicast group is sent to the central control device 10, the outdoor units 30-A and 30-B, the remote controllers 20-A and 20-B, the indoor units 40-A, 40-B, 40-C and 40-D. , can be shared by ventilation units 50-A and 50-B.

In this way, in a series of processes from step S5 to step S6, all devices belonging to the air conditioning system 1 can perform multicast group registration without manual setting by the user.

It should be noted that the identification ID and parameters of the second header portion 604 change due to addition of functions associated with firmware updates of devices belonging to the air conditioning system 1 or addition of new models.

When the identification ID and parameter are changed, they are recorded in the control units 103, 203, 308, 405, and 509 of the central control device 10, the remote controller 20, the outdoor unit 30, the indoor unit 40, and the ventilation unit 50. control firmware must be updated. In such a case, the air-conditioning system 1 includes a mixture of devices before updating the control firmware and devices after updating the control firmware.

FIG. 11 shows an example of a communication sequence for realizing multicasting even in the case where devices before and after updating the control firmware coexist. FIG. 11 is a timing chart showing an example of a communication sequence in the case where the control firmware of the air-conditioning system 1 according to Embodiment 1 includes pre-updated devices and post-updated devices. In FIG. 11, it is assumed that the indoor unit 40-A is the device after updating the control firmware, and the indoor unit 40-B is the device before the firmware updating.

In step S20, the outdoor unit 30-A transmits the first control signal 600A by multicast communication. At this time, in the second header portion 604 of the first control signal 600A, an identification ID that can be interpreted only by the device whose control firmware has been updated is set as information about the response condition.

In step S21, since the indoor unit 40-B cannot interpret the content of the second header portion 604, it discards the received first control signal 600A.

At step S22, the indoor unit 40-A interprets the contents of the second header section 604 and transmits a response signal to the outdoor unit 30-A.

In step S23, when the outdoor unit 30-A detects that no response to the multicast communication has been received, it recognizes that there is a device whose control firmware has not yet been updated. The outdoor unit 30 sets the transmission destination address of the first header portion 601 of the control signal to the indoor unit 40-B, and transmits the control signal by unicast. The control signal at this time is the second control signal 600B having the data configuration of the signal 600 shown in FIG. 2, and the second header portion 604 is not added.

At step S24, the indoor unit 40-B transmits a response signal to the second control signal 600B from the outdoor unit 30-A.

When the outdoor unit 30-A detects that no response to the multicast communication is received in step S23, in step S25, the outdoor unit 30-A sends a control signal to the central control device 10 notifying that there is a device whose control firmware has not yet been updated. Send. The control signal at this time is the second control signal 600B having the data configuration of the signal 600 shown in FIG. 2, and the second header portion 604 is not added. As for the non-receipt of the response, the outdoor unit 30-A performs unicast communication in steps S23 and S24, so that the device to which the response should be made can be grasped.

In step S26, the central control device 10 uses the second control signal 600B to instruct the indoor unit 40-B to update the control firmware. The instruction to update the control firmware may be sent not only from the central control device 10 but also from the outdoor unit 30, a cloud system of an external network, or the like. Thereby, the indoor unit 40-B updates the control firmware.

In step S27, the outdoor unit 30-A again transmits the first control signal 600A by multicast communication. At this time, as in step S20, an identification ID that can be interpreted only by the device whose control firmware has been updated is set in the second header portion 604 of the first control signal 600A.

At step S28, the indoor unit 40-A interprets the contents of the second header section 604 and transmits a response signal to the outdoor unit 30-A.

In step S29, the indoor unit 40-B interprets the content of the second header section 604 and transmits a response signal to the outdoor unit 30-A because the control firmware has been updated.

In a series of processes from step S20 to step S29, multicasting can be realized even if the control firmware of each device belonging to the air conditioning system 1 is mixed before and after updating.

As described above, in Embodiment 1, when the outdoor unit 30 transmits the first control signal 600A, the second header section 604 is attached and transmitted. The second header portion 604 contains information about response conditions indicating whether or not a response to the outdoor unit 30 is required. As a result, each device that receives the first control signal 600A determines whether or not it satisfies the response condition, thereby determining whether or not it corresponds to the transmission destination of the first control signal 600A. be able to. The device corresponding to the transmission destination reflects the content of the first control signal 600A and transmits a response signal to the outdoor unit 30. FIG. On the other hand, devices that do not correspond to the transmission destination discard the first control signal 600A and do not transmit the response signal to the outdoor unit 30 . In this way, depending on the response condition, the device that corresponds to the destination and the device that does not correspond to the destination are automatically sorted. As a result, it is possible to automatically realize multicast communication without manually setting and registering a multicast group.

Further, in Embodiment 1, the outdoor unit 30 stores the address of the device that has confirmed reception of the response signal in the storage unit 309, and uses the address to generate a multicast group. As a result, the generated multicast group can be used in subsequent multicast communications. Thus, in the first embodiment, a multicast group can be automatically generated without manual setting registration of the multicast group.

Furthermore, in Embodiment 1, the outdoor unit 30 transmits the generated multicast group to all devices included in the air conditioning system 1 . Thereby, the multicast group generated by the outdoor unit 30 can be shared by all devices included in the air conditioning system 1 .

Also, the response condition is device information or control state information available to the outdoor unit 30 . Therefore, there is no need for the user to input response conditions.

1 air conditioning system, 2 air conditioning device, 2-A air conditioning device, 2-B air conditioning device, 10 central control device, 20 remote controller, 20-A remote controller, 20-B remote controller, 30 outdoor unit, 30 -A outdoor unit, 30-B outdoor unit, 40 indoor unit, 40-A indoor unit, 40-B indoor unit, 40-C indoor unit, 40-D indoor unit, 50 ventilation unit, 50-A ventilation unit, 50 -B ventilation unit, 50-C ventilation unit, 60 transmission line, 60-A transmission line, 60-B transmission line, 60-M transmission line, 70 refrigerant pipe, 70-A refrigerant pipe, 70-B refrigerant pipe, 101 Display unit 102 Storage unit 103 Control unit 104 Communication unit 201 Display unit 202 Storage unit 203 Control unit 204 Communication unit 301 Compressor 302 Heat source side heat exchanger 303 Outdoor unit fan 304 Outdoor unit Expansion valve 305 Channel switching device 306 Communication unit a 307 Communication unit b 308 Control unit 309 Storage unit 401 Use side heat exchanger 402 Indoor unit fan 403 Indoor unit expansion valve 404 Communication unit 405 Control unit 406 Storage unit 501 Heat exchanger 502 Indoor ventilation unit fan 503 Outdoor ventilation unit fan 504 Outdoor intake pipe 505 Indoor intake pipe 506 Indoor exhaust pipe 507 Outdoor exhaust pipe 508 Communication Section 509 Control Section 510 Storage Section 600 Signal 600A First Control Signal 600B Second Control Signal 601 First Header Section 602 Communication Command Section 603 Frame Check Section 604 Second Header Section 3081 Signal Generation section, 3082 multicast group generation section;

Claims (10)

an outdoor unit,
an indoor unit connected to the outdoor unit via a first transmission line;
a peripheral device connected to the outdoor unit via the first transmission line,
The outdoor unit is
A first header portion including address information indicating respective addresses of the indoor unit and the peripheral device connected to the first transmission line, and a response for transmitting a response signal from the indoor unit and the peripheral device to the outdoor unit. a signal generator for generating a first control signal having a second header portion containing information about a condition;
a transmission unit configured to transmit the first control signal generated by the signal generation unit to the indoor unit and the peripheral device;
a receiving unit that receives a response signal via the first transmission line from each of the indoor unit and the peripheral device that satisfy the response condition;
each of the indoor unit and the peripheral device that satisfy the response condition transmits the response signal to the outdoor unit after receiving the first control signal from the outdoor unit;
After receiving the first control signal from the outdoor unit, each of the indoor unit and the peripheral device that does not satisfy the response condition discards the first control signal and responds to the outdoor unit with the send no response signal,
Air conditioner. The outdoor unit is
a storage unit that stores respective addresses of the indoor unit and the peripheral device from which the reception unit has received the response signal;
a multicast group generator that generates a list of multicast groups using the addresses stored in the storage unit;
The air conditioner according to claim 1. The transmitter of the outdoor unit transmits the multicast group list generated by the multicast group generator to each of the indoor unit and the peripheral device via the first transmission path.
The air conditioner according to claim 2. The information about the response condition included in the second header part is device information specifying at least one of an owned device and a connected device,
When each of the indoor unit and the peripheral device owns the device specified by the device information or is connected to the device specified by the device information , determining that the response condition is satisfied and transmitting the response signal to the outdoor unit;
The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The information about the response condition included in the second header portion is control state information specifying a control state including at least one of an operating state of running or stopping and an operating mode,
Each of the indoor unit and the peripheral device determines that the response condition is satisfied when its own state matches the control state specified by the control state information, and responds to the outdoor unit. send a signal,
The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The signal generating section of the outdoor unit is configured to receive the response signal from at least one of the indoor unit and the peripheral device that satisfies the response condition. generating a second control signal having the first header section including address information indicating respective addresses of the unit and the peripheral device;
The transmitter of the outdoor unit transmits the second control signal via the first transmission line to each of the indoor unit and the peripheral device that do not receive the response signal.
The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 5. A plurality of the indoor units are provided,
Each of the indoor units has updatable control firmware,
The signal generation section of the outdoor unit sets information that can be interpreted only by the indoor unit after the control firmware is updated in the second header section as information on the response condition, and generates the first control signal. death,
the transmitter of the outdoor unit transmits the first control signal generated by the signal generator to each of the indoor units;
Among the plurality of indoor units,
the indoor unit after updating the control firmware interprets the information and transmits the response signal to the outdoor unit;
The indoor unit before updating the control firmware discards the first control signal and does not transmit the response signal to the outdoor unit.
The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 6. the peripheral device is at least one of a ventilation unit and a remote controller;
The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 7. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
An air conditioning system comprising: a centralized control device connected to the air conditioner via a second transmission line and managing and controlling the air conditioner. The outdoor unit is
generating a multicast group list using the respective addresses of the indoor unit and the peripheral device from which the receiving unit has received the response signal;
The generated multicast group list is transmitted to each of the indoor units and the peripheral devices via the first transmission line, and to the central control device via the second transmission line. ,
The air conditioning system according to claim 9.

Images