JPH0228778B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Technical Field of the Invention] This invention relates to a centralized monitoring device for an air conditioner;
In particular, regarding a centralized monitoring device for air conditioners in which air conditioners equipped with terminal control devices are installed in each of a plurality of rooms, and each of these terminal control devices is centrally controlled by a central control device, This relates to a device for setting whether each terminal control device is installed or not attached to a central control device.

[Prior art]

In conventional air conditioner centralized monitoring devices of this type, when setting whether or not to install each terminal control device on the central control device, first remove the housing cover of the central control device, and then install the built-in This had to be done by operating the initial setting switch of the control circuit that was installed. However, since the parts to which the commercial power supply is directly energized are exposed inside the housing of the central control unit, it is dangerous to work with the housing cover open, and it is difficult to operate the central control unit. Touching unnecessary switches, etc. when
This causes problems such as loss of control and failure, and furthermore, the work itself becomes complicated.

[Summary of the invention]

In view of these conventional drawbacks, the present invention makes it possible to store and set the presence or absence of each terminal control device in the central control device at the time of initial setting by using an operation switch provided corresponding to each terminal control device. This is how it was done.

[Embodiments of the invention]

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the central monitoring device for air conditioners according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 14.

In this example device, in order to facilitate understanding of the content of the invention, one or more air conditioners equipped with this type of terminal control device are installed in each of a plurality of rooms, and each of these terminal control devices is The entire air conditioning system that is centrally controlled by a central controller will be described.

FIG. 1 is a system diagram showing the overall configuration of the apparatus of this embodiment. In FIG. 1, 1 is a central control unit that controls the entire system (hereinafter referred to as the master unit), 1a is a sub-central control unit (hereinafter referred to as the sub-master unit) that has exactly the same functions as the main unit 1, and 2 is a terminal control device (hereinafter referred to as a child unit) that operates an air conditioner (hereinafter referred to as an air conditioner) 3 under the control of the main unit 1 or sub-main unit 1a; 4 is the main unit 1 or sub-main unit 1a; This is a communication line such as a coaxial cable that transmits signals between 1a and slave unit 2. In addition, in the figure, A to F are rooms in which the air conditioner 3 is installed, and the air conditioner 3 may be installed with only one unit or with multiple units depending on its air conditioning capacity and the volume and size of the room. There are cases where it is installed.

FIG. 2 is an external view showing the operation unit (front) of the main unit 1, which is used to perform all operations such as starting and stopping the air conditioner 3 installed in each room, and the following: It consists of various operation switches, indicator lamps, etc.

That is, reference numeral 5 denotes an illuminated power switch, and when the power supply is normal, the push button portion of the switch 5 is illuminated when the switch 5 is turned on. Reference numeral 13 denotes an operation switch, and the operation of this switch 13 controls the operation and stopping of the air conditioner 3 in each room. Reference numeral 15 denotes an operation command lamp, which is turned on and off by operating the operation switch 13. When it is lit, it instructs the air conditioner 3 to operate, and when it is off, it instructs the air conditioner 3 to stop. Show that you are giving instructions.

14 is an external control lamp, EIA-RS232C
It lights up when functions such as the operation switch 13 are performed by an external computer system using a compliant standard interface. Reference numeral 16 denotes a monitoring lamp, which lights up when the air conditioner 3 is in operation. Reference numeral 17 denotes a room name card that can be freely replaced and displayed, and describes the name of the room controlled by the operation switch 13. In this embodiment, the number displayed on this card 17 corresponds to each of the 32 operation switches 13. identify.

Furthermore, 7 is a simultaneous operation switch, and by operating this switch 7, only the air conditioners 3 that have been set to the operation state by the operation switch 13 can be operated at the same time. Light up and display. Reference numeral 6 denotes a key switch, and by operating this switch 6, all inputs made by operating the operation switch 13 are ignored, and the indicator lamp 18 lights up to indicate the operation.

Reference numeral 9 denotes a gas leak alarm lamp, which lights up when a gas leak alarm 30, which will be described later and is connected to the handset 2, detects a gas leak. 10 is an operation warning lamp,
It lights up when the air conditioner 3 performs an operation different from the command from the main unit 1. Reference numeral 11 denotes a communication alarm lamp, which lights up when communication is not performed normally due to disconnection or short circuit of the communication line 4. Reference numeral 12 denotes an operation request lamp, which is turned on when an operation request switch 29, which will be described later and is connected to the slave device 2, is turned on. Reference numeral 8 denotes a speaker, which includes the gas leak alarm lamp 9, an operation alarm lamp 10, a communication alarm lamp 11, and an operation request lamp 12.
When any one of the following lights up, an alarm sounds to notify you of this.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the rear side of the base unit 1. As shown in FIG. 20 is a changeover switch for setting the system status, 21 is a connector for the EIA-RS232C compliant standard interface, 22 is a setting switch for setting the communication method of the standard interface, etc., and 23 is for adjusting the volume of the alarm sound. 24 is a plug for connecting the signal line 4, 24
26 is a two-plug type outlet conveniently provided to use other electrical equipment at the same time; and 27 is a power plug for receiving commercial power supply.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the configuration of the terminal side. The handset 2 has an air conditioner 3, a gas leak alarm 30 with an external output terminal, an operation request switch 29, and contacts that are turned on and off depending on the set temperature. An external thermostat 28 is connected to each.

FIGS. 5a and 5b are external views of the handset 2. FIG. 3
1 is a connector that connects the air conditioner 3, 32 is a connector that connects the gas leak alarm 30, 33 is a connector that connects the external thermostat 28, 34 is a connector that connects the signal line 4, and 35 is a slave unit identification number. An identification number setting switch 36 is a mounting terminal to which an operation request switch 29 is connected.

FIG. 6 is a circuit block diagram of the master unit 1 and the sub-master unit 1a, with a microcomputer 40 at its center, a storage circuit 43 for storing programs of this microcomputer 40, and an EIA-
Standard interface circuit 37 for connecting with an RS232C compliant standard interface, the slave device 2
a modem circuit 38 that performs FSK modulation and demodulation for communication with the display circuit 3 that flashes display lamps such as the external control lamp 14 and the operation command lamp 15;
9. Consisting of a switch input circuit 41 that provides input to switches such as the operation switch 13, an alarm sound generation circuit 44 that generates the alarm sound, etc., and a power supply circuit 42 that supplies power to each circuit. .

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing details of the power supply circuit 42. As shown in FIG. 45 is a stabilized power supply; 47 is a power failure compensation battery for the memory circuit 43; 46 is a comparison circuit that measures the voltage of this battery 47 to determine its degree of wear; and 48 is the memory circuit when energized. 43 is supplied with power from the stabilized power supply 45,
This is a switching circuit for switching to the battery 47 in the event of a power outage. In this way, the power for the memory circuit 43 is supplied by the output of the switching circuit 48, the power for other circuits is supplied from the stabilized power supply 47, and the comparator circuit The output of 46 is connected to the microcomputer 40.

FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram showing the connection between the handset 2 and the air conditioner 3, and the air conditioner 3 is taken as an example of a gas heater. 49 is a power plug for supplying commercial power; 51 is an automatic/manual changeover switch for switching whether the air conditioner 3 is operated under central control or independently and manually; 50 is an air conditioner for manual operation. Main switch to turn on/off the power of 3, 5
3 is a self-holding switch to prevent restarting even if no action is taken when the power is reenergized after a power outage;
54 is a control circuit for controlling the combustion sequence in the air conditioner 3, 52 is a self-holding relay that is closed when the control circuit 54 is energized by the operation of the self-holding switch 53, and 57 is the parent circuit. The slave unit control circuit 55 and 56, which perform functions such as communication with the unit 1, are relay contacts A and B that are remotely controlled by the base unit 1. In this way, the slave unit 2 and the air conditioner 3 are connected to each other through six terminals. Connected by electrical wires.

FIG. 9 is a circuit block diagram of the handset control circuit 57. 58 is an external input circuit to which the gas leak alarm 30, operation request switch 29 and external thermostat 28 are connected; 59 is a microcomputer;
60 is an air conditioner connection circuit for connecting the air conditioner 3; 61 is a modulation/demodulation circuit for communicating with the base unit 1; and 62 is an identification number setting circuit for identifying the slave unit 2.

Next, the operation of the air conditioner centralized monitoring system according to the configuration of the above embodiment will be described.

First, the operating conditions are initialized.

Now, as shown in FIG. 1, the main unit 1, sub-main unit 1a, and slave unit 2 are connected to each other by a signal line 4, and each slave unit 2 is connected to one air conditioner 3. Let it connect. Further, for each handset 2, the identification number setting switch 35 sets an identification number for each handset 2, such that, for example, the handset in room A is number 1, and one of the handsets in room B is number 2. At this time, these identification numbers No. 1 and No. 2 correspond to the identification numbers of the operation switch 13 of the base unit 1, respectively. And as in room B,
If two air conditioners 3 are installed in one room, set the first unit to number 2 and the second unit to number 34, so that the operation switch number 2 of the main unit 1 can be set. 13, both machines can be controlled. In other words, room B
When the slave unit 2 of the first air conditioner 3 installed in
The handset 2 will be number n+32.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, when a sub-base unit 1a is installed in the same system, an identification number is set for this sub-base unit 1a in the same way as for the slave unit 2, and at this time, The identification number set for the sub-base unit 1a cannot be used for the slave unit 2. The identification number of the sub-base unit 1a can be set to any number from 0 to 32, and it does not matter how many units the sub-base unit 1a can be as long as it is 32 or less. However, in this embodiment, there is one sub-base unit 1a, and its identification number is set to 0. In other words, by setting in this way, when the sub-master unit 1a is connected to the slave unit 2,
Therefore, the identification number setting switch 35 similar to the above can be omitted. Note that if this sub-base unit 1a is not installed, the previous number 0 can be used as the identification number of the slave unit 2. Furthermore, after setting the identification number of the handset 2 in this manner, the room name is written in the corresponding number on the room name card 17 of the base unit 1 to facilitate operation.

Next, in order for the base unit 1 to be able to discover a malfunction in the handset 2, it is necessary to inform the base unit 1 of how the handset 2 is installed in the system. The changeover switch 20 provided in the slave unit 1 is switched to the initial setting position (not shown) of the slave unit 2, and the presence or absence of the slave unit 2 is set by operating the operation switch 13. That is,
Specifically, for example, when trying to set the room with identification number 0, if there is only one slave unit 2 (air conditioner 3) (the only identification number is 0), the operation switch 1 is set.
When you press 3 once, the operation command lamp 15 lights up, indicating that there is only one slave unit 2 in room number 0, and if there are two slave units 2 (air conditioner 3), the operation command lamp 15 lights up. When the switch 13 is pressed once more, both the operation command lamp 15 and the external control lamp 14 light up, indicating that there are two slave units 2 in room number 0, and there is also a setting error. When the operation switch 13 is pressed once more to confirm, both the operation command lamp 15 and the external control lamp 14 go out and return to the initial state, thereby confirming that the settings have been made correctly. . In this way, all settings for identification numbers 0 to 31 are made. At this time, regarding the operation switch 13 with the identification number where the handset 2 is not installed,
Leave it in its initial state.

In addition, a gas leak alarm 30, an operation request switch 29, and an external thermostat 28 can be connected to each of the slave units 2, but only the operation request switch 29 can be connected to the master unit 2. need to be informed. That is also the handset 2 mentioned above.
In the same way as when setting the installation state, the changeover switch 20 is switched to the gas leak initial setting or the external thermometer initial setting (both not shown), and the operation switch 13 is operated. However, in this case, unlike the initial settings of the handset 2, for example, even though the settings are made for room No. 0, this gas leak alarm 30 etc. is installed only in the handset 2 in the room No. 32. Since it is possible that the device may be connected, when the operation switch 13 is pressed three times from the initial state, it is set only to the slave device 2 in room No. 32, and only the external control lamp 14 is lit. In other words, the operation switch 13
Each time you press , it connects only to the slave unit 2 numbered 0 (only the operation command lamp 15 lights up) → the slave unit 2 numbered 0 and 32.
(operation command lamp 15 and external control lamp 1)
4 is lit) → Only the handset 2 of No. 32 is connected (only the external control lamp 14 is lit) → Both handsets 2 of No. 0 and 32 are connected
No co-connection (Lamp 1 for both operation command and external control)
5 and 14 are not lit), and settings from 0 to 31 are made.

All initial settings are made in this way, but with the changeover switch 20 returned to its original operating position, each air conditioner 3 will operate automatically against the user's will. In order to prevent this, in this embodiment, the simultaneous operation switch 7 is always kept in the OFF state.

That is, FIG. 10 shows a flowchart for realizing the contents of the initial settings. The example shown in FIG. 10 is for the initial settings of the handset, but the same applies to other initial settings.

In the flowchart of FIG. 10, first, the set state of the changeover switch 20 is determined, and if it is not at the initial setting position of the handset, the process moves to the next step.
When the handset is at the initial setting position, the simultaneous operation switch 7 is turned off, and then it is determined whether the operation switch 13 has been pressed.

If the operation switch 13 is not pressed, the set state of the changeover switch 20 is determined once again, and if the operation switch 13 is pressed, the counter inside the microcomputer is
Add 1 to the value of Cn (n indicates the number of the operation switch 13 that was pressed), then if the value of Cn is 1, the operation command lamp 15 is lit, and if the value of Cn is 2, this When the operation command lamp 15 is turned on, the external control lamp 14 is also turned on, and if the value of Cn is neither 1 nor 2, this value is set to 0 and both the operation command lamp 15 and the external control lamp 14 are turned off. . After this processing, the value of Cn is transferred to the storage circuit 43, and the first set state of the changeover switch 20 is determined.

Note that the same operation is performed when changing the initial settings.

Next, after completing the initial settings as above,
Perform individual control actions.

First, the changeover switch 20 is set to the operating position (not shown), and the procedure for operating the air conditioners 3 No. 0 and No. 32 in this state will be described.

In this state, as described above, each time the operation switch 13 No. 0 is pressed, only the operation command lamp 15 is lit, only the external control lamp 14 is lit, and both lamps are turned off. Operate it so that only the operation command lamp 15 lights up. Then, by pressing the simultaneous operation switch 7 once, the display lamp 19 lights up, and the modem circuit 61 of the main unit 1 instructs each slave unit 2 No. 0 and No. 32 to start operation via the signal line 4. A signal is given. This procedure is shown in the flowchart of FIG.

That is, first, the state of the n-th driving command lamp 15 is determined. If the operation command lamp 15 is lit, it is determined whether or not the simultaneous operation switch 7 is in the ON state, and when it is in the ON state, it is further determined whether the n-th air conditioner 3 is already in the operating state. If it is in operation, the process ends; if it is not in operation, it gives a signal to turn on both relay contact A55 and relay contact B56 to slave unit 2, and then turns only relay contact B56 off. Finish the process. Also, when the operation command lamp 15 is not lit or the simultaneous operation switch 7 is ON.
When not, relay contact A55, relay contact B5
6 are both turned off to end the process.

In this way, it is possible to remotely control the operation of the air conditioner 3, but in this case, the relay contact A of the slave unit 2
55. The operation of the air conditioner 3 by opening and closing the relay contact B56 will be described later. In this embodiment, a gas heater is used as an example, but if other types of air conditioners can be operated and stopped only by relay contact A55, relay contact B
56 can be omitted, making it even simpler. Further, as is clear from this flowchart, the simultaneous operation switch 7 can be turned on first, and then the operation switch 15 can be operated to start or stop the operation. Furthermore, since the simultaneous operation switch 7 is related to all numbered slave units 2, it is possible to operate and stop all the air conditioners 3 at the same time by turning ON and OFF the simultaneous operation switch 7. It is.

Next, a case will be described in which the air conditioner 3 is controlled by giving commands to the main unit 1 from the outside using the EIA-RS232C standard interface.

First, connect the EIA-RS232C standard interface connector 21 of the base unit 1 to the
A computer system with an RS232C standard interface is connected, and the communication method (for example, baud rate, presence or absence of parity, etc.) is set using the setting switch 22. In this state, commands from the external device are input to the standard interface circuit 37 and processed by the microcomputer 40. A flow chart for executing the commands by the microcomputer 40 is shown in FIG.

That is, this standard interface circuit 37
For example, a command to operate slave unit 2 with number 0 is input as "Sn" (n is any number from 0 to 31).
This input command is decoded by the microcomputer 40. When this decoded command is to operate the n-th slave unit 2 and the n-th external control lamp 14 is lit (the operation switch 13
(which can be set by Both will be lit. Further, if the decoded command is to stop the n-th slave unit 2 and the n-th external control lamp 14 is lit,
The n-th slave device 2 is processed to be stopped, and the n-th operation command lamp 15 is similarly turned off.

In this way, it is possible to control the operation and stop of the slave unit 2 from the outside using the EIA-RS232C standard interface, but even if it is controlled from the outside, by operating the operation switch 13,
By turning off the external control lamp 14, it is possible to remove this external control and switch to control by the base unit 1.

Next, power failure compensation for the memory circuit 43 in the base unit 1 will be described.

In the base unit 1, the initial settings and operation command status are stored in the RAM of the storage circuit 43. Therefore, if the power supply is temporarily stopped due to a power outage, the data stored in this RAM When the power goes out and the power is turned on again, you will have to start over from the initial settings again. Therefore, in order to solve this problem, the battery 47 compensates and protects the contents stored in the memory circuit 43.

Here, 5V is normally used as a power source for the memory circuit 43, and is supplied from a stabilized power source 45, but the voltage of the battery 47 is lower than the voltage of this stabilized power source 45. Approximately 3.5V is used to maintain memory contents.
Now, if the commercial power supply is stopped due to a power outage or the like and the voltage of the stabilized power supply 45 drops below the voltage of the battery 47, the power supply to the memory circuit 43 is automatically switched to the battery 47 by the switching circuit 48. The stored contents are continued to be held, and when the voltage of the stabilized power source 45 becomes higher than the voltage of the battery 47 by re-energization, the power supply from the stabilized power source 45 is restored again. Furthermore, if the battery 47 is exhausted due to repeated power outages, etc., the battery 47 cannot compensate for the power outage, so the voltage of the battery 47 is constantly monitored by the comparator circuit 46, and the voltage of the battery 47 is kept at a constant voltage value, e.g. When the voltage drops to 3.0V, it is determined that the battery 47 has reached the end of its lifespan, and the administrator is notified of this. That is, specifically, the output of the comparison circuit 46 is inputted to the microcomputer 40, and the output is used to cause the light emitting section of the illuminated power switch 5 to flash and display.

Next, the function of the keypad switch 6 will be described.

This key switch 6 is the operation switch 1.
This is to prevent the air conditioner 3 from being operated by mistake, and is turned on after the operation switch 13 is set to run or stop the air conditioner 3. Therefore, even if a person other than the administrator accidentally touches the operation switch 13 after that, the microcomputer 40 can simply ignore the input when the keypad switch 6 is ON, and the input will be ignored. It is possible to prevent the air conditioner 3 from operating in a room where the air conditioner is closed. However, in this case, only the key inputs from the operation switch 13 are ignored, and the key inputs from other switches are valid. If a key other than the operation switch 13 is pressed, all the air conditioners 3 will stop even if it is operated by mistake, so it is better for managers not to ignore it because this can be detected reliably. This is because it becomes easier. Incidentally, when the key switch 6 is turned on, the display lamp 18 is turned on, and this can be canceled by pressing the key switch 6 again.

The above is the operation method for the base unit 1.

Next, the operations of the handset 2 and the air conditioner 3 will be described.

As mentioned above, the air conditioner 3 can be operated independently (hereinafter referred to as manual operation) or remotely controlled by the main unit 1 (hereinafter referred to as automatic operation).
An automatic/manual changeover switch 51 is provided for selectively switching between the two modes. That is, in FIG. 8, contacts e and g of this automatic/manual changeover switch 51 are for automatic operation, and contacts f and h are for manual operation.

First, a case will be described in which the air conditioner 3 is manually operated.

Select the automatic/manual changeover switch 51 to manual operation, and turn the main switch 50 for manual operation.
After turning on, temporarily turn on self-holding switch 53.
By turning it on, the control circuit 54 is energized and the self-holding relay 52 is turned on, and from then on,
Even if this self-holding switch 53 is turned off, the self-holding by the self-holding relay 52 will continue to energize the control circuit 54, and by this operation, the air conditioner 3 can be manually operated. The fact that self-holding is applied is notified to the handset 2 by applying a commercial power supply of 100 V between a and d of the handset control circuit 57.

Also, by turning off the main switch 50,
Power to the control circuit 54 is cut off, the self-holding relay 52 is also turned off, and the air conditioner 3 is naturally stopped. For example, if an abnormality such as a misfire occurs while the air conditioner 3 is operating, the control circuit 54
turns off this self-holding relay 52 and cuts off the power supply to itself.

Next, a case will be described in which the air conditioner 3 is automatically operated.

By selecting the automatic/manual changeover switch 51 to the automatic operation side, a commercial power supply of 100 V is applied between a and c of the slave unit control circuit 57 to notify the slave unit 2 that this mode is automatic operation. . In this state, under the control from base unit 1,
Relay contact A55 and relay contact B56 simultaneously
When turned ON, the control circuit 54 is energized and the self-holding relay 52 is activated as in the case of manual operation.
ON, and then, even if relay contact B56 is turned OFF, the self-holding by this self-holding relay 52 continues to energize the control circuit 54, allowing the air conditioner 3 to operate automatically. The slave unit 2 confirms that 100V of commercial power is applied between a and d of the control circuit 57, and that this self-maintenance is applied.
Let me know. Similarly, if an abnormality such as a misfire occurs during operation, the control circuit 54 turns off this self-holding relay 52 and cuts off the power supply to itself.

That is, in the handset 2, by monitoring the voltage between a and c of the handset control circuit 57, it is possible to determine whether the air conditioner 3 is in automatic operation or manual operation. Similarly, by monitoring the voltage between a and b, it is possible to determine whether or not the air conditioner is energized regardless of its operation.

Next, a case will be described in which an external thermostat 28 for controlling the temperature of the air conditioner 3 is connected to the slave unit 2.

At this time, be sure to set air conditioner 3 to automatic operation.
The signal from the external thermostat 28 attached to the handset 2 is sent to the microcomputer 59 by the external input circuit 58.
from the modulation/demodulation circuit 61 to the signal line 4.
The base unit 1 receives the signal and sends the signal to the slave unit 2 according to the program shown in the flowchart shown in FIG.

In other words, as is clear from this flowchart, the nth handset 2 (n is 0 in this system)
~63) When the signal from the external thermostat 28 is input to the base unit 1, the first initial setting is to determine whether or not the external thermostat 28 is attached to this n-th slave unit 2. If installation of this external thermostat 28 has been instructed, then it is determined whether or not the operation command lamp 15 number n (n-32 if n>31) is lit, and this operation command lamp 15
When is lit, the simultaneous operation switch 7
Determine if is turned on. If the simultaneous operation switch is ON, the external thermostat 28 is ON.
The process of operating air conditioner 3 is performed and the air conditioner is turned off.
If so, processing is performed to stop this, and no processing is performed when any of these initial settings, operation commands, and simultaneous operation does not apply.

Also, a method for monitoring the operation and stoppage of the air conditioner 3 will be described here.

First, when one air conditioner 3 is installed in one room, whether or not this air conditioner 2 is operating is determined by the voltage between a and d of the slave unit control circuit 57 (when in operation, the voltage is 100V is applied and while stopped
0V) is determined by the air conditioner connection circuit 60 of the slave unit 2,
This is notified to the microcomputer 59 of the handset 2, and is also transmitted to the base device 1 via the communication line 4 by the modulation/demodulation circuit 61. Then, in the base unit 1, this signal is received by the modulation/demodulation circuit 38, judged by the microcomputer 40, and the n-th slave unit 2 (in this case,
n is 0 to 31 (32 to 63 will be described later) is in operation, the n-th monitoring lamp 16 is turned on, and if it is stopped, it is turned off.

Next, when two air conditioners 3 are installed in one room, the flowchart shown in FIG. 14 is not as simple as described above. That is, if the operation status signal of the air conditioner 3 of number n and n+32 is input, and the operation command lamp 15 of number n is lit and the operation command is being issued to slave unit 2 of number n, then this number
The n-th monitoring lamp 16 is turned on only when both the n+32nd slave units 2 are in operation, and is turned off at other times. Conversely, when the n-th operation command lamp 15 is not lit,
The monitoring lamp 16 of number n is turned off only when slave units 2 numbered No. and number n+32 are both stopped, and the monitoring lamp 16 is turned on if either one is in operation.

Furthermore, based on the information from slave unit 2, base unit 1 displays the location of the abnormality and the type of abnormality when the following abnormalities occur in the system, and also issues alarms and calls. is given the ability to do so.

In other words, a communication abnormality alarm when communication with handset 2 is not possible. Operation abnormality alarm when the main unit 3 does not start even though you tried to start it, or when it does not stop even though you tried to stop it. Gas leak alarm when the gas leak alarm 30 detects a gas leak abnormality, when the gas leak alarm 30 is malfunctioning, or when the communication line 4 connecting the handset 2 and the gas leak alarm 30 is abnormal. Although different from an alarm, this is a driving request call that notifies you that a driving request has been made by turning on the driving request switch 29 connected to the handset 2. There are four items.

If an abnormality occurs in any of these four items, and if the abnormality is number n or n+32nd handset 2, the monitoring lamp 16 of number n will blink, and each alarm corresponding to the abnormality will be activated. Turn on a lamp, etc. In other words, in the above case, the communication alarm lamp 11, in the case of , the operation alarm lamp 10, in the case of , the gas leak alarm lamp 9, and in the case of , the operation request lamp 12 are lit respectively, and at the same time, the administrator is notified of the alarm sound generation circuit. 44 through the speaker 8.

In the case of this alarm sound, it is also possible to differentiate each abnormal state by changing the sound range, but in this case, each abnormal state is classified by each lamp display. It is not necessary to adopt such a method in particular, and it can be used when it is necessary to reclassify the alarm contents, for example, when distinguishing between when a gas leak is detected and when a malfunction occurs, such as in a gas leak alarm. Bye.

In addition, the display, alarm, and call of the abnormal state are as follows:
Not only when one air conditioner 3 is installed in one room, but also when two air conditioners 3 are installed in one room, each This can be executed when the operation command and monitoring results are different.

In the above description of the embodiment, a gas heater has been described as an example of the air conditioner 3, but the present invention can be easily applied to centralized monitoring of other air conditioners, electrical equipment, and the like. Further, in the embodiment, the communication line 4 is used for communication between the base unit 1 and the slave unit 2, but for example, a power line or the like may be used.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As detailed above, according to the present invention, an air conditioner having a terminal control device is installed in each room, and each of the terminal control devices is centrally controlled by a central control device. In the centralized monitoring device, the central control device includes an operation switch that instructs or controls the operation or stop of the corresponding air conditioner via each terminal control device, and a control switch that instructs or controls the operation, stoppage, or initial setting of the system. a changeover switch for switching to the initial setting state, and a memory setting means for detecting the operation of each of the operation switches when the changeover switch is switched to the initial setting state, and storing and setting whether or not the corresponding terminal control device is installed. Because of this, there is no need to open the housing cover of the central control unit when making this setting as in the past, which simplifies the setting operation and eliminates the danger of the work. This can eliminate the causes of malfunctions, etc.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the air conditioner centralized monitoring device according to the present invention, and Figs. 2 and 3 are external views showing the operating section (front) and rear side of the same main unit, respectively. , Fig. 4 is a configuration block diagram of the above terminal side, Figs. 5 a and b are external views of the above handset, Fig. 6 is a circuit block diagram of the above main unit and sub-base unit, and Fig. 7 is the same power supply circuit. 8 is a circuit diagram showing the connection between the slave unit and the air conditioner, Figure 9 is a circuit block diagram of the slave unit control circuit, and Figure 10 is the contents of the initial settings. Figure 11 is a flowchart showing the procedure for starting operation from the master unit to each slave unit, and Figure 12 is the EIA-RS232C
A flowchart showing the procedure for controlling the operation and stopping of an air conditioner by giving commands to the main unit from the outside using a standard interface. Figure 13 shows how an external thermostat for controlling the temperature of the air conditioner is connected to the slave unit. A flowchart showing the procedure for controlling when
FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a control procedure when two air conditioners are installed in one room. 1... Main device (central control device that controls the entire system), 1a... Sub-main device (sub-central control device), 2... Child device (terminal control device), 3... Air conditioner (air conditioner), 4
...Communication line, 5...Power switch, 6...Key lock switch, 7...Simultaneous operation switch, 8...Alarm speaker, 9...Gas leak alarm lamp, 10...Operation alarm lamp, 11...Communication alarm lamp, 12...Operation Request lamp, 13... Operation switch, 14... External control lamp, 15... Operation command lamp, 16... Monitoring lamp, 20... Changeover switch, 21... Connection connector for standard interface, 22... Setting switch, 28... External thermostat , 29... Operation request switch, 30... Gas leak alarm, 35... Identification number setting switch, 38, 61... Modulation/demodulation circuit, 39... Display circuit, 40, 59... Microcomputer, 41
...Switch input circuit, 42...Power supply circuit, 43...Memory circuit, 44...Alarm sound generation circuit, 45...Stabilized power supply, 46...Comparison circuit, 47...Battery for power failure compensation,
48...Switching circuit, 50...Main switch, 51...Auto/manual changeover switch, 52...Self-holding relay, 53...Self-holding switch, 54...Control circuit,
57...Slave device control circuit, 58...External input circuit, 60
...Air conditioner connection circuit, 62...Identification number setting circuit. Note that the same reference numerals in each figure indicate the same or corresponding parts.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. In a centralized monitoring device for air conditioners, in which an air conditioner having a terminal control device is installed in each room, and each of the terminal control devices is centrally controlled by a central control device. , the central control device includes each operation switch that instructs or controls the operation or stop of the corresponding air conditioner via each terminal control device, and switches the system to an operation, stop state, or an initial setting state. A changeover switch, and a memory setting means for detecting the operation of each of the operation switches in a state where the changeover switch is switched to the initial setting state side, and storing and setting the presence or absence of a mounting device for the corresponding terminal control device. A central monitoring device for air conditioners featuring: 2. The centralized monitoring device for air conditioners according to claim 1, wherein the central control device and each terminal control device are connected by a dedicated communication line. 3. The centralized monitoring device for air conditioners according to claim 1, wherein a power line for supplying power to each device is used for communication between the central control device and each terminal control device. .