JP7519808B2 - Air conditioner management system, management device, air conditioner, air conditioner management method and program - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to an air conditioner management system, a management device, an air conditioner, an air conditioner management method, and a program.

In general, the operating efficiency of an air conditioner decreases when its components, such as filters, fans, and heat exchangers, become dirty. When operating efficiency decreases, power consumption increases accordingly, resulting in higher electricity bills. For this reason, air conditioner manufacturers and sales companies recommend that users regularly perform maintenance on their air conditioners, such as cleaning the filters.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an air conditioner that, when it detects a decrease in cooling capacity, turns on a warning lamp to warn the user to inspect or clean the unit.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 07-110170

As mentioned above, dirt on filters, fans, and heat exchangers has a significant impact on the operating efficiency of air conditioners. Although it is common for users to clean filters themselves, many users find cleaning to be a hassle. In addition, since inspecting and cleaning fans and heat exchangers is difficult for users without specialized knowledge, users end up having to ask a professional to do the work, which can be even more troublesome for the user.

For these reasons, there is a concern that simply turning on a warning light to prompt the user to inspect or clean the unit will not clearly convey the benefits to the user and the user will end up neglecting the system. For this reason, there is a demand for the proposal of new technology to make users aware of the need for maintenance such as cleaning of air conditioners.

This disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide an air conditioner management system etc. that can make users aware of the need for air conditioner maintenance.

In order to achieve the above object, the air conditioner management system according to the present disclosure includes:
an operating efficiency calculation means for calculating a current operating efficiency of the air conditioner based on a history of operating information relating to the operation of the air conditioner and an aging deterioration coefficient according to an operating period of the air conditioner;
a loss calculation means for calculating an amount of loss in an electricity charge caused by dirt on components constituting the air conditioner based on the current operating efficiency ;
and a notification means for notifying a user of notification information including the amount of loss.

According to the present disclosure, notification information including the amount of electricity bill loss caused by dirt on components that make up the air conditioner is notified to the user, making it possible to make the user aware of the need for maintenance of the air conditioner.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an air conditioner management system according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a cloud server according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of an indoor unit according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of an outdoor unit according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a user terminal according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a cloud server and a user terminal according to an embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a display example of notification information in the embodiment. 1 is a flowchart showing a procedure for air conditioner management processing in an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a modified example of an embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a display example of notification information in a modified example of the embodiment.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an air conditioner management system 1 in an embodiment of the present disclosure. The air conditioner management system 1 is a system for managing an air conditioner 3 installed in a house H, and includes a cloud server 2, an air conditioner 3, and a user terminal 4.

<Cloud Server 2>
The cloud server 2 is an example of a management device. The cloud server 2 is a server computer installed and operated by a manufacturer, a sales company, or the like of the air conditioner 3, and is connected to the Internet. As shown in Fig. 2, the cloud server 2 includes a communication interface 20, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 21, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 22, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 23, and a secondary storage device 24. These components are connected to each other via a bus 25.

The communication interface 20 is an interface for communicating with other devices via the Internet. The CPU 21 provides overall control over the cloud server 2. The functions of the cloud server 2 realized by the CPU 21 will be described in detail below. The ROM 22 stores multiple pieces of firmware and data used when these firmware are executed. The RAM 23 is used as a working area for the CPU 21.

The secondary storage device 24 is a storage device including an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), a readable/writable non-volatile semiconductor memory such as a flash memory, or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). The secondary storage device 24 stores various programs, including a management program for managing the air conditioner 3, and data used when these programs are executed.

<Air conditioner 3>
The air conditioner 3 is a home air conditioner that conditions the air inside the house H. The air conditioner 3 includes an indoor unit 30 installed inside the house and an outdoor unit 31 installed outside the house. The indoor unit 30 and the outdoor unit 31 are connected via a communication line 32 and a refrigerant pipe 33 for circulating the refrigerant.

As shown in FIG. 3, the indoor unit 30 includes a first communication interface 300, a second communication interface 301, a third communication interface 302, a main unit 303, a number of sensors 304, and a control circuit 305.

The first communication interface 300 is hardware for communicating with the outdoor unit 31 via a communication line 32. The second communication interface 301 is hardware for communicating wired or wirelessly with an air conditioning remote control 5 installed indoors. The third communication interface 302 is hardware for wirelessly connecting to a router 6, which is a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) router such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and communicating with other devices via the router 6.

The main unit 303 is a component that realizes the original functions of a typical indoor unit, and includes, for example, a filter, a fan, louvers, a heat exchanger, etc.

Each sensor 304 is, for example, a temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the air taken in by the fan, a humidity sensor that measures the humidity of the air taken in by the fan, a current sensor that measures the operating current of the fan's motor (not shown), etc. Each sensor 304 periodically (for example, every minute) outputs a signal indicating the measurement result to the control circuit 305.

The control circuit 305 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, readable/writable non-volatile semiconductor memory, etc. (none shown), and provides overall control of the indoor unit 30.

As shown in FIG. 4, the outdoor unit 31 includes a communication interface 310, a main unit 311, a number of sensors 312, and a control circuit 313. The communication interface 310 is hardware for communicating with the indoor unit 30 via the communication line 32.

The main unit 311 is a component that realizes the original functions of a typical outdoor unit, and is equipped with a refrigerant circuit consisting of a compressor, heat exchanger, expansion valve, four-way valve, etc., a fan, etc.

Each sensor 312 is, for example, a current sensor that measures the operating current of the compressor, a temperature sensor that measures the outside air temperature, etc.

The control circuit 313 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, readable/writable non-volatile semiconductor memory, etc. (none shown), and provides overall control of the outdoor unit 31.

By operating the air conditioner remote control 5, the user can instruct the air conditioner 3 configured as described above to start or stop cooling operation, heating operation, fan operation, or dehumidification operation, for example, and can also instruct changes to the set temperature (i.e., the target temperature for air conditioning), wind speed, wind direction, etc.

The indoor unit 30 also periodically transmits operation information related to the operation of the air conditioner 3 to the cloud server 2 via the router 6. For example, the indoor unit 30 transmits operation information to the cloud server 2 at one-minute intervals. The operation information includes the measurement results of each sensor 304 of the indoor unit 30, the measurement results of each sensor 312 of the outdoor unit 31, and data related to the operating state such as the operating mode, set temperature, and wind speed.

<User Terminal 4>
The user terminal 4 is an example of a terminal device, and is a portable electronic device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal. As shown in Fig. 5, the user terminal 4 includes a display 40, an operation reception unit 41, a first communication interface 42, a second communication interface 43, a CPU 44, a ROM 45, a RAM 46, and a secondary storage device 47. These components are connected to each other via a bus 48.

The display 40 includes a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. Under the control of the CPU 44, the display 40 displays various screens in response to user operations.

The operation reception unit 41 includes one or more input devices such as a push button, a touch panel, a touch pad, etc., receives operation input from the user, and sends a signal related to the received operation to the CPU 44.

The first communication interface 42 is hardware for communicating using a predetermined short-range wireless method. For example, when the user terminal 4 is owned by a user at home in the house H, the first communication interface 42 connects to the router 6 and communicates with the cloud server 2 via the Internet. When the user terminal 4 is owned by a user who is away from home, the first communication interface 42 connects to an AP (access point) (not shown) and communicates with the cloud server 2 via the Internet.

The second communication interface 43 is hardware for communicating using a predetermined wide-area wireless method. When the user terminal 4 is carried by a user who is out and about and is unable to connect to an AP, the second communication interface 43 connects to a base station (not shown) and communicates with the cloud server 2 via the Internet.

The CPU 44 provides overall control of the user terminal 4. The functions of the user terminal 4 realized by the CPU 44 will be described in detail below. The ROM 45 stores multiple pieces of firmware and data used when these firmware are executed. The RAM 46 is used as a working area for the CPU 44.

The secondary storage device 47 is configured to include readable and writable non-volatile semiconductor memory such as EEPROM and flash memory. The secondary storage device 47 stores various programs including an application program (hereinafter referred to as the air conditioner app) for receiving the management service of the air conditioner 3 provided by the cloud server 2, and data used when these programs are executed. The air conditioner app can be downloaded to the user terminal 4 from the cloud server 2, other program distribution servers, etc.

<Functional configuration of cloud server 2 and user terminal 4>
Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the cloud server 2 and the user terminal 4. As shown in Fig. 6, the cloud server 2 includes a registration information acquisition unit 200, an electricity rate information acquisition unit 201, an operation information acquisition unit 202, an operation efficiency calculation unit 203, a notification necessity determination unit 204, a loss amount calculation unit 205, a notification information generation unit 206, and a notification information transmission unit 207. These functional units of the cloud server 2 are realized by the CPU 21 executing the above-mentioned management program stored in the secondary storage device 24.

The user terminal 4 includes a registration reception unit 400, a registration information transmission unit 401, an electricity rate information input reception unit 402, an electricity rate information transmission unit 403, a notification information reception unit 404, and a notification information display unit 405. These functional units of the user terminal 4 are realized by the CPU 44 executing the above-mentioned air conditioner app stored in the secondary storage device 47.

In the user terminal 4, the registration reception unit 400 receives from the user the input of information required for user registration in the cloud server 2. In detail, the registration reception unit 400 displays a user registration screen (not shown), and the user inputs a user ID (identification), password, etc., via the user registration screen. In addition, when displaying the user registration screen, the registration reception unit 400 obtains product information of the air conditioner 3 from the control circuit 305 of the indoor unit 30 by communication via the router 6. The product information includes, for example, the serial number, model name, model number, etc.

The registration information transmission unit 401 transmits registration information including the user ID, password, etc. input by the user and the product information acquired from the air conditioner 3 to the cloud server 2.

The registration information acquisition unit 200 of the cloud server 2 receives and acquires the registration information transmitted from the user terminal 4. The registration information acquisition unit 200 stores the acquired registration information (user ID, password, product information, etc.) in the customer DB 240. The customer DB 240 is a database for managing information about users (i.e., customers) who are users of the air conditioners 3 and have performed user registration, and is stored in the secondary storage device 24.

The electricity rate information input reception unit 402 of the user terminal 4 receives from the user an input of electricity rate information relating to the electricity rate agreed upon with the electric utility that supplies power to the house H. In detail, the electricity rate information input reception unit 402 displays an electricity rate information input screen (not shown), and the user inputs electricity rate information via the electricity rate information input screen. The electricity rate information includes, for example, the electricity rate unit price for each time period.

The electricity rate information transmission unit 403 transmits the electricity rate information entered by the user to the cloud server 2.

The electricity rate information acquisition unit 201 of the cloud server 2 receives and acquires the electricity rate information sent from the user terminal 4. The electricity rate information acquisition unit 201 stores the acquired electricity rate information in the customer DB 240.

The operation information acquisition unit 202 of the cloud server 2 is an example of an operation information acquisition means. The operation information acquisition unit 202 periodically acquires operation information from the air conditioner 3. For example, the operation information acquisition unit 202 acquires operation information from the air conditioner 3 at one-minute intervals. In detail, when user registration is completed, the operation information acquisition unit 202 periodically requests operation information from the air conditioner 3 installed in the customer's house H. The operation information acquisition unit 202 receives and acquires the operation information sent from the air conditioner 3 in response to the request. The operation information acquisition unit 202 stores the acquired operation information in the customer DB 240.

The operating efficiency calculation unit 203 calculates the current operating efficiency of the air conditioner 3 based on the history of operating information stored in the customer DB 240. In this embodiment, the operating efficiency is the operating efficiency during cooling operation of the air conditioner 3 or the operating efficiency during heating operation, and in detail, the time change in suction temperature relative to the current consumption of the air conditioner 3 is shown as a relative value between a value estimated when there is no dirt on the air conditioner 3 and a value based on the current operating information. The suction temperature is the air temperature measured by a temperature sensor in the indoor unit 30, and the time change in suction temperature means, for example, the amount of change in suction temperature (°C) per minute.

Here, when there is no dirt on the air conditioner 3, it means that there is no dirt on the components (filters, heat exchanger, etc.) that make up the air conditioner 3 to a degree that would affect the operating efficiency. Furthermore, when there is no dirt on the air conditioner 3, the time change in suction temperature relative to the current consumption is calculated based on the oldest past operation information that is similar to the current situation. The situation being similar to the current situation means that the current operating state and outside temperature are similar, and specifically, it means that the operating mode (cooling operation or heating operation) and wind speed match the current operating mode and wind speed, respectively, and the set temperature and outside temperature match the current set temperature and outside temperature, respectively, within ±1°C.

First, the operating efficiency calculation unit 203 obtains the oldest operating information that is similar to the current situation from the history of operating information stored in the customer DB 240. Then, the operating efficiency calculation unit 203 extracts the operating current value of the fan motor (hereinafter referred to as the fan motor) in the indoor unit 30, the operating current value of the compressor in the outdoor unit 31, and the suction temperature from the obtained oldest operating information, and calculates the time change in the suction temperature relative to the operating current value of the fan motor and the time change in the suction temperature relative to the operating current value of the compressor, respectively.

At that time, the operating efficiency calculation unit 203 corrects the operating current value of the fan motor and the operating current value of the compressor using an aging deterioration coefficient according to the number of days that have elapsed from the day corresponding to the operation information to the present, and calculates the time change in the suction temperature for each using the corrected operating current value of the fan motor and the operating current value of the compressor. A data table showing the relationship between the number of days and the aging deterioration coefficient for each of the fan motor and the compressor for each model of air conditioner 3 is stored in advance in the secondary storage device 24 of the cloud server 2. In this way, the operating efficiency calculation unit 203 calculates the time change in the suction temperature relative to the current consumption when there is no dirt on the air conditioner 3.

Next, the operating efficiency calculation unit 203 calculates the time change in suction temperature relative to the current consumption current of the air conditioner 3 from the latest operating information. That is, the operating efficiency calculation unit 203 calculates the time change in suction temperature relative to the current operating current value of the fan motor and the time change in suction temperature relative to the current operating current value of the compressor from the latest operating information. Note that after calculating the time change in suction temperature relative to the current consumption current of the air conditioner 3, the operating efficiency calculation unit 203 may also calculate the time change in suction temperature relative to the consumption current when there is no dirt in the air conditioner 3 described above.

The operating efficiency calculation unit 203 calculates the relative value (%) between the time change of the suction temperature relative to the operating current value of the fan motor when there is no dirt in the air conditioner 3 and the time change of the suction temperature relative to the current operating current value of the fan motor, and the relative value (%) between the time change of the suction temperature relative to the operating current value of the compressor when there is no dirt in the air conditioner 3 and the time change of the suction temperature relative to the current operating current value of the compressor. The operating efficiency calculation unit 203 then calculates the current operating efficiency of the air conditioner 3 by taking the average of the two calculated relative values. The operating efficiency calculation unit 203 supplies the calculated current operating efficiency to the notification necessity determination unit 204.

The notification necessity determination unit 204 determines whether or not it is necessary to notify the user of information including the loss amount in the electricity bill based on the current operating efficiency of the air conditioner 3. If the current operating efficiency is below a predetermined threshold, the notification necessity determination unit 204 determines that it is necessary to notify the user of information including the loss amount in the electricity bill, and if the current operating efficiency is equal to or greater than the threshold, it determines that it is not necessary to notify the user of the information. This threshold may be a fixed value such as 50%, for example, or may be set by the user to a desired value as appropriate via the user terminal 4. If the notification necessity determination unit 204 determines that it is necessary to notify the user of information including the loss amount in the electricity bill, it supplies the current operating efficiency to the loss amount calculation unit 205.

The loss amount calculation unit 205 is an example of a loss amount calculation means. The loss amount calculation unit 205 calculates the loss amount of the electricity fee based on the electricity fee information corresponding to the customer stored in the customer DB 240 and the current operating efficiency. In this embodiment, the loss amount of the electricity fee is considered to be the amount obtained by subtracting the estimated amount of the electricity fee for the operation of the air conditioner 3 for the past day in the case where there is no dirt from the electricity fee for the operation of the air conditioner 3 for the past day. Note that the number of days for which the loss amount is calculated is an arbitrary design matter. The loss amount calculation unit 205 supplies the calculated loss amount to the notification information generation unit 206.

The notification information generating unit 206 generates notification information for notifying the user of information including the electricity bill loss amount calculated by the loss amount calculating unit 205. The notification information includes, for example, message information encouraging the user to clean the air conditioner 3 (e.g., message information encouraging the user to clean the filter) and message information indicating the electricity bill that can be reduced by cleaning (i.e., the loss amount). The notification information generating unit 206 supplies the generated notification information to the notification information transmitting unit 207.

The notification information sending unit 207 is an example of a notification information sending means. The notification information sending unit 207 sends the notification information generated by the notification information generating unit 206 to a user terminal 4 carried by a customer (i.e., a user of the air conditioner 3) to whom the notification information should be notified.

The notification information receiving unit 404 of the user terminal 4 receives the notification information transmitted from the cloud server 2. The notification information receiving unit 404 supplies the received notification information to the notification information display unit 405.

The notification information display unit 405 is an example of a notification means. The notification information display unit 405 displays the notification information received by the notification information receiving unit 404 on the display 40 in a predetermined format (see FIG. 7).

Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the procedure for the air conditioner management process executed by the air conditioner management system 1. The air conditioner management process is executed at a predetermined time every day.

In step S101, the cloud server 2 calculates the current operating efficiency of the air conditioner 3 using the method described above.

In step S102, the cloud server 2 compares the current operating efficiency of the air conditioner 3 with a predetermined threshold value to determine whether or not the user needs to be notified of information based on the loss amount in the electricity bill.

If the current operating efficiency is equal to or greater than the threshold (step S102; NO), and if there is no need to notify the user of information based on the loss amount in electricity charges, the air conditioner management process for this cycle ends. On the other hand, if the current operating efficiency is below the threshold (step S102; YES), the process of step S103 is executed.

In step S103, the cloud server 2 calculates the amount of electricity bill loss. In steps S104 and S105, the cloud server 2 generates notification information for notifying the user of information based on the calculated amount of electricity bill loss, and transmits the notification information to the user terminal 4.

In step S106, the user terminal 4 receives the notification information from the cloud server 2 and displays the received notification information in a predetermined manner (see FIG. 7).

As described above, according to the air conditioner management system 1 of this embodiment, when the operating efficiency falls below a threshold, the user is notified of information including the amount of the loss in electricity charges.

This allows the user to understand the benefits of cleaning, and as a result, makes it possible for the user to recognize the need for maintenance of the air conditioner 3.

Note that this disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are of course possible without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

For example, the cloud server 2 may determine whether or not dirt on the heat exchanger is affecting the decrease in operating efficiency, and if it determines that dirt on the heat exchanger is affecting the decrease in operating efficiency, may notify the user of information encouraging the user to clean the heat exchanger as notification information. In this case, the user terminal 4 further includes a filter cleaning completion receiving unit (an example of a filter cleaning completion receiving means) that receives input from the user that cleaning of the filter is complete, and a filter cleaning completion information transmitting unit that transmits information indicating that cleaning of the filter is complete (hereinafter referred to as filter cleaning completion information) to the cloud server 2 (both not shown), and the cloud server 2 further includes a filter cleaning completion information receiving unit (not shown) that receives the filter cleaning completion information from the user terminal 4.

In the above configuration, when the user operates the user terminal 4 and inputs that the filter cleaning is complete, the user terminal 4 transmits filter cleaning completion information to the cloud server 2. In the air conditioner management process (see FIG. 8) after receiving the filter cleaning completion information, if the current operating efficiency is below the threshold (step S102; YES), the cloud server 2 determines that the dirt on the heat exchanger is affecting the decrease in operating efficiency (see FIG. 9). Then, the cloud server 2 generates notification information including message information encouraging the user to clean the heat exchanger (step S104), and transmits the generated notification information to the user terminal 4 (step S105). The user terminal 2 receives the notification information and displays the received notification information in a predetermined manner (step S106). An example of the display of the notification information in this case is shown in FIG. 10.

The cloud server 2 may also periodically acquire outside temperature information for the area including the house H from a weather server (not shown) by communication via the Internet, store the acquired outside temperature information in the customer DB 240, and use it when calculating the operating efficiency. Information about the area including the house H (e.g., postal code, address, etc.) may be input by the user operating the user terminal 4 when registering the user.

The cloud server 2 further includes a weather forecast information acquisition unit (an example of a weather forecast information acquisition means) that acquires weather forecast information including a weather forecast (including, for example, weather, solar radiation, hours of sunshine, outside temperature, etc.) for a certain future period (for example, one week) from the above-mentioned weather server by communication via the Internet, and a prediction unit (an example of a prediction means) that predicts the operating status of the air conditioner 3 for a certain future period based on the acquired weather forecast information and the history of operating information stored in the customer DB 240, and the loss amount calculation unit 205 may calculate the loss amount of electricity charges for a certain future period based on the predicted operating status. In this way, it is possible to notify the user of information including the loss amount of electricity charges for a certain future period.

The notification information sent to the user may also include contact information for the manufacturer's service center, maintenance company, etc. (e.g., telephone number, URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of the website, email address, etc.). In this way, the user can immediately request the maintenance company, etc. to clean the air conditioner 3.

The notification information sent to the user may also include a message informing the user that cleaning the air conditioner 3 will help prevent odors and mold from spreading.

In addition, in the above embodiment, when calculating the time change in suction temperature relative to the current consumption when the air conditioner 3 is not dirty, the operating efficiency calculation unit 203 corrects the operating current values of the fan motor and compressor in the past operating information using an aging deterioration coefficient corresponding to the number of days elapsed from the date corresponding to the past operating information to the present, but the operating current values of the fan motor and compressor may also be corrected using an aging deterioration coefficient corresponding to the number of days elapsed from the time the air conditioner 3 was installed to the date corresponding to the past operating information.

The operating efficiency calculation unit 203 may also calculate the time change in suction temperature relative to the current consumption when the air conditioner 3 is not dirty, based on the operating current values of the fan motor and compressor and the suction temperature extracted from the operating information at the time the air conditioner 3 was installed (regardless of whether the situation is similar to the current situation).

In addition, the operating efficiency calculation unit 203 may obtain the time change in suction temperature relative to the current consumption when the air conditioner 3 is not dirty from a table prepared in advance by the manufacturer for each model of air conditioner 3 that shows the relationship between the accumulated operating time and the time change in suction temperature relative to the operating current values of the fan motor and compressor, rather than calculating the time change in suction temperature relative to the current consumption when the air conditioner 3 is not dirty based on actual past operating information. In this case, the table may be stored in the cloud server 2 or in another server.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the current operating efficiency of the air conditioner 3 is shown as a relative value between the time change in suction temperature relative to the current consumption of the air conditioner 3, which is estimated when there is no dirt in the air conditioner 3, and the time change in suction temperature relative to the current consumption of the air conditioner 3. However, this is merely an example, and the operating efficiency of the air conditioner 3 may be defined and calculated based on various well-known methods.

Furthermore, the communication between the indoor unit 30 of the air conditioner 3 and the cloud server 2 may be configured to be performed based on LPWA (Low Power Wide Area) in 5G (fifth generation mobile communication system).

In addition, at least one of the registration information and electricity bill information input by the user may be performed via the air conditioning remote control 5. In this case, the air conditioning remote control 5 may transmit the input information to the indoor unit 30, and the indoor unit 30 may transmit the information to the cloud server 2, or the air conditioning remote control 5 may wirelessly connect to the router 6 and transmit the information to the cloud server 2 via the router 6.

The air conditioning remote control 5 may also display the notification information in a predetermined manner. In this case, the air conditioning remote control 5 may receive the notification information from the cloud server 2 via the indoor unit 30, or may receive it from the router 6 without passing through the indoor unit 30.

In addition, the air conditioner 3 may be operated and monitored via the user terminal 3 by executing an air conditioner app installed on the user terminal 4.

The user may also input the name of the electric utility company and the electricity rate plan as electricity rate information and register it in the cloud server 2 via the user terminal 4. In this case, the loss amount calculation unit 205 obtains and uses the electricity rate unit price corresponding to the period for which the loss amount is calculated from the unit price table corresponding to the electricity rate plan stored in the secondary storage device 24. The loss amount calculation unit 205 may also obtain the electricity rate plan and the electricity rate unit price corresponding to the period for which the loss amount is calculated from a server operated by the electric utility company, etc.

In addition, a control device (not shown), such as a Home Energy Management System (HEMS) controller installed in the house H, may be provided with the same functions as the cloud server 2 (see FIG. 6). In this case, the control device is an example of a management device. In addition, either the air conditioner 3 or the air conditioner remote control 5, or both, may share the same functions as the cloud server 2 (see FIG. 6).

In addition, if the operating efficiency of the air conditioner 3 drops significantly in a short period of time (for example, one day), the cloud server 2 may send notification information to the user terminal 4, including message information to alert the user, such as "Are any doors or windows open?"

Furthermore, all or part of the functional units of the cloud server 2 (see FIG. 6) may be realized by dedicated hardware. The dedicated hardware may be, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a combination of these.

The management program and air conditioner app in the above embodiment can also be stored and distributed on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), a Magneto-Optical Disc, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, a memory card, or a HDD.

In addition, the management program and air conditioner app may be stored in a storage device owned by a server (not shown) on the Internet, and the management program and air conditioner app may be downloaded from the server to the cloud server 2 and the user terminal 4, respectively.

This disclosure can also be applied to multi-air conditioning systems for buildings, not just home air conditioners.

The technical ideas of each of the above modifications may be realized individually or in appropriate combinations.

1 Air conditioner management system, 2 Cloud server, 3 Air conditioner, 4 User terminal, 5 Air conditioner remote control, 6 Router, 20, 310 Communication interface, 21, 44 CPU, 22, 45 ROM, 23, 46 RAM, 24, 47 Secondary storage device, 25, 48 Bus, 30 Indoor unit, 31 Outdoor unit, 32 Communication line, 33 Refrigerant piping, 40 Display, 41 Operation reception unit, 42, 300 First communication interface, 43, 301 Second communication interface, 200 Registration information acquisition unit, 201 Electricity fee information acquisition unit, 202 Operation information acquisition unit, 203 Operation efficiency calculation unit, 204 Notification necessity determination unit, 205 Loss amount calculation unit, 206 Notification information generation unit, 207 Notification information transmission unit, 302 Third communication interface, 303, 311 Main unit, 304, 312 Sensor, 305, 313 Control circuit, 400 Registration reception unit, 401 Registration information transmission unit, 402 Electricity charge information input reception unit, 403 Electricity charge information transmission unit, 404 Notification information reception unit, 405 Notification information display unit

Claims (13)

an operating efficiency calculation means for calculating a current operating efficiency of the air conditioner based on a history of operating information relating to the operation of the air conditioner and an aging deterioration coefficient according to an operating period of the air conditioner;
a loss calculation means for calculating an amount of loss in an electricity charge caused by dirt on components constituting the air conditioner based on the current operating efficiency ;
and a notification means for notifying a user of notification information including the loss amount. The air conditioner management system according to claim 1, wherein the operation information includes the measurement results of one or more sensors provided in the air conditioner and the operating status of the air conditioner. The air conditioner management system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the notification information includes message information encouraging cleaning of the filter. an operating efficiency calculation means for calculating a current operating efficiency of the air conditioner based on a history of operating information relating to the operation of the air conditioner;
a loss calculation means for calculating an amount of loss in an electricity charge caused by dirt on components constituting the air conditioner based on the current operating efficiency;
a notification information generating means for generating notification information including the amount of loss and message information for encouraging cleaning of the filter;
a notification means for notifying a user of the notification information;
and a filter cleaning completion receiving means for receiving an input from a user indicating that the filter cleaning has been completed.
The notification information generating means generates notification information including message information encouraging cleaning of a heat exchanger when the current operating efficiency calculated by the operating efficiency calculating means falls below a predetermined threshold value after the filter cleaning completion receiving means receives the input,
The notification means notifies a user of the notification information . A weather forecast information acquiring means for acquiring weather forecast information including a future weather forecast for a certain period of time;
and a prediction means for predicting an operating status of the air conditioner for the certain period based on the weather forecast information and the history of the operation information,
The air conditioner management system according to claim 1 , wherein the loss amount calculation means calculates an amount of loss in electricity charges for the certain period based on the predicted operating status. An operation information acquisition means for acquiring operation information related to the operation of the air conditioner;
an operating efficiency calculation means for calculating a current operating efficiency of the air conditioner based on the history of the operating information and an aging deterioration coefficient according to the operating period of the air conditioner;
a loss calculation means for calculating an amount of loss in an electricity charge caused by dirt on components constituting the air conditioner based on the current operating efficiency ;
and a notification information sending means for sending notification information including the loss amount to a terminal device. An operation information acquisition means for acquiring operation information related to the operation of the air conditioner;
an operating efficiency calculation means for calculating a current operating efficiency of the air conditioner based on the history of the operation information;
a loss calculation means for calculating an amount of loss in an electricity charge caused by dirt on components constituting the air conditioner based on the current operating efficiency;
a notification information generating means for generating notification information including the amount of loss and message information for encouraging cleaning of the filter;
A notification information transmitting means for transmitting the notification information to a terminal device;
and a filter cleaning completion information receiving means for receiving filter cleaning completion information indicating that cleaning of the filter has been completed from the terminal device,
The notification information generating means generates notification information including message information encouraging cleaning of a heat exchanger when the current operating efficiency calculated by the operating efficiency calculating means after receiving the filter cleaning completion information falls below a predetermined threshold value,
The notification information transmitting means transmits the notification information to the terminal device. an operation efficiency calculation means for calculating a current operation efficiency of the own machine based on a history of operation information related to the operation of the own machine and an aging deterioration coefficient according to an operation period of the own machine;
a loss calculation means for calculating an amount of loss in an electricity charge caused by dirt on a component constituting the device itself based on the current operating efficiency ;
and a notification information sending means for sending notification information including the loss amount to a terminal device. an operation efficiency calculation means for calculating a current operation efficiency of the own machine based on a history of operation information related to the operation of the own machine;
a loss calculation means for calculating an amount of loss in an electricity charge caused by dirt on a component constituting the device itself based on the current operating efficiency;
a notification information generating means for generating notification information including the amount of loss and message information for encouraging cleaning of the filter;
A notification information transmitting means for transmitting the notification information to a terminal device;
and a filter cleaning completion information receiving means for receiving filter cleaning completion information indicating that cleaning of the filter has been completed from the terminal device,
The notification information generating means generates notification information including message information encouraging cleaning of a heat exchanger when the current operating efficiency calculated by the operating efficiency calculating means after receiving the filter cleaning completion information falls below a predetermined threshold value,
The notification information transmitting means transmits the notification information to the terminal device. Calculating a current operating efficiency of the air conditioner based on a history of operation information related to the operation of the air conditioner and an aging deterioration coefficient according to an operation period of the air conditioner;
Calculating an amount of electricity loss caused by dirt on components constituting the air conditioner based on the current operating efficiency ;
The air conditioner management method notifies a user of notification information including the loss amount. Calculating a current operating efficiency of the air conditioner based on a history of operational information relating to the operation of the air conditioner;
Calculating an amount of electricity loss caused by dirt on components constituting the air conditioner based on the current operating efficiency;
generating notification information including the amount of loss and message information encouraging cleaning of the filter;
notifying a user of the notification information;
Accepting input from the user that filter cleaning has been completed,
generating notification information including a message prompting the user to clean a heat exchanger when the current operating efficiency of the air conditioner calculated after receiving the input falls below a predetermined threshold;
The air conditioner management method notifies a user of the notification information. Computer,
An operation information acquisition means for acquiring operation information related to the operation of the air conditioner;
an operating efficiency calculation means for calculating a current operating efficiency of the air conditioner based on the history of the operating information and an aging deterioration coefficient according to the operating period of the air conditioner;
a loss calculation means for calculating an amount of loss in an electricity bill caused by dirt on components constituting the air conditioner based on the current operating efficiency ;
a program that causes the computer to function as a notification information transmitting means for transmitting notification information including the loss amount to a terminal device. Computer,
An operation information acquisition means for acquiring operation information related to the operation of the air conditioner;
an operating efficiency calculation means for calculating a current operating efficiency of the air conditioner based on the history of the operation information;
a loss calculation means for calculating an amount of loss in an electricity bill caused by dirt on components constituting the air conditioner based on the current operating efficiency;
a notification information generating means for generating notification information including the amount of loss and message information encouraging cleaning of the filter;
A notification information transmitting means for transmitting the notification information to a terminal device;
a filter cleaning completion information receiving unit that receives filter cleaning completion information indicating that cleaning of the filter has been completed from the terminal device;
The notification information generating means generates notification information including message information encouraging cleaning of a heat exchanger when the current operating efficiency calculated by the operating efficiency calculating means after receiving the filter cleaning completion information falls below a predetermined threshold value,
The notification information transmitting means transmits the notification information to the terminal device.

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