JP2002115900A - Water heater monitoring system - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] It is possible to provide a monitoring system for a water heater that can easily perform remote monitoring via a telephone line even with an existing water heater. A hot water heater, a control unit for controlling the amount of heating of a heating means based on detection contents of a temperature detector, a safety device, and the like, and a state of the hot water heater controlled by the control unit A remote control device 3 provided outside the water heater for displaying or / and notifying all or a part of the contents of the water heater, and the water heater 2
A communication signal line 41 transmitted and received between the remote controller 3 and the water heater 2; a water heater monitoring device 4 for monitoring the state of the water heater 2; A recognizing means 5 for recognizing the state of the water heater 2 by taking in the contents, and a transmitting means 6 for transmitting the state of the water heater 2 recognized by the recognizing means 5 via a telephone line 44 to a destination storing the state of the water heater 2 There is.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention obtains the status of a water heater by taking in an electric signal which is the communication content of the water heater and its remote control device, and notifies the administrator of the water heater by a telephone line. The present invention relates to a water heater monitoring system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional monitoring system based on communication of a water heater is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-173550, entitled "Combustion Device with Communication Function".

[0003]

However, the conventional monitoring system for a water heater, according to the conventional name, has the following problems. a. A communication function for connecting to an external telephone line inside the controller of the water heater (second communication unit 8 in the conventional example) and a function for storing a telephone number (storage unit 6 in the conventional example)
There is a problem that the water heater itself needs to support this communication function.

B. Therefore, since it is necessary to already have a communication function at the design stage of the water heater in order to correspond to the communication function, it is usually impossible to install the water heater without the existing communication function. If this communication function is to be added, there is a problem that it is necessary to replace the water heater with a communication function or a telephone number storage function.

C. Furthermore, among existing water heaters, there was a case where communication was performed between the water heater and the remote operation device, but there was a problem that various communication methods were used at each time. . This is because
In particular, from the history of the communication system between home water heaters and remote control devices, the microcomputers are used in both the hot water heaters and remote control devices, which are currently the mainstream communication systems, and the microcomputers communicate with each other using various signals. The method of controlling a water heater with a remote control device has been used for more than ten years. Further, as the age of the water heater has become newer, various additional functions have been added to the water heater due to technological advances and demands (needs) of purchasers. For this reason, even if the basic communication method is the same, it is impossible to perform the same contents for more than 10 years even if the traffic volume etc. is taken into account, so the communication method is usually partially changed for each age as necessary Or, if necessary, completely changed to accommodate new functions and the like. For this reason, even hot water heaters currently manufactured may adopt multiple communication methods due to differences in functions, and even more, if water heaters manufactured in the past are included, communication methods will not be of various types. There was nothing.

D. In the case of gas water heaters, fuel is supplied by gas pipes like city gas or by gas supply equipment when gas is supplied by cylinders like LP gas. Is carried out by the equipment borne by the supplier. Therefore, in the LP gas industry, where the city gas industry naturally has a competitive relationship, the supplier who first installed the supply equipment will supply the subsequent LP gas, and control the gas supply without running out of gas. Was normally performed by a fixed (contracted or near-traded) LP gas supplier. However, the supply of oil in the oil water heater has been done in accordance with the current Japanese business customs, because the oil supplier (oil dealer) did not bear any additional equipment for supplying oil, such as an oil tank. Except in areas where suppliers are oligopolistic, users of petroleum water heaters have generally chosen to purchase oil from various suppliers at will.

[0007] Therefore, since the business relationship of the oil heater of the oil water heater is not fixed, it is basically the responsibility of the user to manage the oil in the oil tank so as not to run out. The oil level is controlled only by the user's attention, and when the oil level reaches an appropriate level, contact the oil supplier for refueling, or go to the oil supplier to purchase the oil and There is a problem that refueling is troublesome and difficult, and even for oil suppliers, it is not possible to predict the sales volume of oil and purchase and manage inventory because the sales destination is not fixed. If you try to respond to oil delivery other than the sale of oil, it is necessary to prepare delivery means such as personnel and vehicles for oil delivery, and it is impossible to predict whether reliable work can be secured even if it is prepared Problem It was.

E. Further, in the above d, when the user of the oil hot water heater runs out of oil, air enters an oil supply circuit (for example, an oil supply pipe, an oil strainer, etc.), and normal combustion is detected in a state where the air enters. The burner stops automatically because it has a safety device that is running, but running the electromagnetic pump that pressurizes oil with air in it for a short time many times causes the failure of the electromagnetic pump There is a problem that even if the oil is supplied to the oil tank again, once air enters the oil supply circuit, it is necessary to repeat a predetermined air bleeding operation until the air is released.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and provides a monitoring system for a water heater that can monitor the operating state of the water heater from the outside even if it is a new one or an existing one. Aim.

[0010]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a water heater monitoring system, comprising: a water heater capable of supplying water to at least a bath or a kitchen; and the water heater includes a temperature detector and a safety device. A control unit for controlling the amount of heating of the heating means according to the detected content, and a remote unit provided outside the water heater for displaying or / and notifying all or a part of the state of the water heater controlled by the control unit An operating device, an electric signal indicating the state of the water heater transmitted and received between the water heater and the remote control device, a water heater monitoring device for monitoring the state of the water heater, and the water heater A monitoring unit for recognizing the state of the water heater by taking in the contents of the communication by the electric signal, and a receiving destination storing the state of the water heater recognized by the recognition unit via a telephone line. With sending means Therefore, the monitoring device of the water heater has the communication function of sending it through the external telephone line and the function of storing the telephone number, which had been inside the controller of the water heater, so the water heater itself needs to respond As a result, the existing hot water heater can be used.

According to the water heater monitoring system of the second aspect, in addition to the above-mentioned first aspect, the recognition means of the water heater monitoring device is provided between the water heater and the remote control device. By supporting multiple communication methods instead of only one communication method based on a combination of transmitted and received electrical signals, more types expected when supporting existing water heaters Of existing hot water heaters.

According to the water heater monitoring system of the third aspect, in addition to the contents of the first and second aspects, the recognizing means of the water heater monitoring device includes the recognized electric signal. By selecting the information corresponding to the information stored in advance from among the information and transmitting the selected information from the transmitting means, the receiver on the information receiving side does not need to read unnecessary information.

According to the water heater monitoring system of the fourth aspect, in addition to the information of the third aspect, the information corresponding to the pre-stored information is selected.
The information when the safety device of the water heater is activated is converted into information that can be decrypted on the receiving side by a receiver of a telephone number preset according to the type of the safety device and the content of operation of the safety device. Can more easily grasp information.

According to the water heater monitoring system of the fifth aspect, in addition to the contents of the first to fourth aspects, the water heater is obtained from an electrical signal indicating the state of the water heater. Of the information, the information is divided into a plurality of groups according to the content of the treatment performed by the recipient who has received the information, and the preset telephone numbers can be set to different telephone numbers for each of the plurality of groups. It can be sent to the recipient who needs it (the recipient who wants to receive it when standing on the water heater side), and the processing corresponding to the information can be processed more quickly.

[0015] In particular, according to the water heater monitoring system of the sixth aspect, the oil water heater monitoring system of the present invention comprises: an oil water heater; an oil tank for supplying oil to the oil water heater; An oil amount detection device provided in the oil tank, and a remote control device for displaying and / or notifying that a refueling is required when the oil amount of the oil tank becomes equal to or less than a predetermined amount by the oil amount detection device. An electric signal connecting the remote control device and the oil hot water heater, and a monitoring device for the water heater that monitors the state of the oil hot water heater by capturing communication by the electric signal; and The monitoring device captures the communication based on the electric signal to indicate to the remote control device that the refueling is required, and / or
And by sending a signal to the oil supplier's telephone number stored in advance at the time of the notification that oil delivery is required, the oil supply user can automatically supply oil. For the oil supplier, the user of the oil water heater can be regarded as a fixed supply destination.

[0016]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a water heater monitoring system according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a monitoring system for a water heater according to a first embodiment,
FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a water heater monitoring system according to a second embodiment, and FIG.
FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a water heater monitoring device of a third embodiment, FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a water heater monitoring device of a fourth embodiment, FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a water heater monitoring device of a fifth embodiment, and FIG. FIG. 7 is a block diagram mainly showing a water heater monitoring apparatus of Example 6, and FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a water heater monitoring system for an oil water heater of Embodiment 7. In the description of each part, the same portions are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

In the block diagram of the water heater monitoring system of the present invention shown in FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a water heater monitoring system, 2 denotes gas, oil,
One or any combination of these functions, such as hot water supply, reheating of a bath, heating, automatic hot water filling, etc., using a heat source such as electricity, and control having the necessary functions for the above-mentioned functions and communication means with a remote control device described later A water heater having a unit, a remote control device having means for displaying or / and informing the operation and setting of the water heater 2 and the state of the water heater 2 and a communication means with the water heater 2, Reference numeral 4 denotes a monitoring device for the water heater, and a recognizing means 5 for internally recognizing communication contents between the water heater 2 and the remote control device 3.
And transmission means 6 having means for transmitting the contents recognized by the recognition means 5. 7 is a transmitting telephone which is near the water heater 2 or the remote control device 3 and is usually a home telephone of a user of the water heater 2; 8 is a receiving telephone connected to the transmitting telephone 7; A display unit 32 for displaying the state of the water heater 2 and target operating conditions of the water heater 2 set by the remote operation device 3 by means of a liquid crystal, a light emitting diode, a fluorescent display tube or the like provided in the remote operation device 3;
Is a notification unit provided with a method such as a mechanical sound such as a buzzer, a sound, or a flashing light for the purpose of calling the user's attention irrespective of the content displayed on the display unit 31 or the displayed content.
1 is provided in most of the remote control devices 3, but the notification unit 32 may not be provided. Reference numeral 33 denotes a switch for performing operations such as starting operation of the water heater 2 and setting hot water temperature.

Reference numeral 41 denotes the water heater 2 and the remote controller 3.
A communication signal line for performing an electrical signal exchange between the terminals, that is, a communication signal line for performing so-called communication, is provided at any portion of the communication signal line 41 (the communication signal line of the water heater 2 or the remote operation device 3). (Including a connection terminal 41), a monitoring signal line 43 is a communication line for communicating with a telephone line from a network control unit described later, a telephone line 44 is a telephone line in the city, and a telephone line 47 is described later from the telephone line 44. A receiving communication line for communicating with a network control unit on the receiver side; a recognition unit 51 built in the recognition means 5 for recognizing communication contents between the water heater 2 and the remote control device 3;
Reference numeral 61 denotes a telephone number storage unit for storing a telephone number of a receiving destination;
2 is a network control unit (hereinafter, referred to as a transmission device) having a telephone line control function and a modem function.
Abbreviated as NCU. ), 81 is an NCU on the monitor side having the same function as the NCU 62 connected from the receiving telephone 8 by the receiving contact line 47, and 82 includes a display for displaying and storing signals transmitted through the NCU 81. It is a personal computer.

In the configuration diagram of FIG. 1, the monitoring method of the water heater monitoring system 1 and particularly the monitoring device 4 of the water heater will be described. Information such as the operation of the safety device is normally exchanged with the remote operation device 3 via the communication signal line 41. The monitoring device 4 of the water heater is installed at a suitable place from one end of the communication signal line 41 to a position close to the transmitting telephone 7, and the monitoring signal line 42 is extended from the monitoring device 4 of the water heater to transmit the communication signal. It is connected to an appropriate place from one end of the line 41 to the other, and is connected to the transmitting telephone 7 by a connecting line 43.

With this arrangement, the recognizing unit 51 in the recognizing means 5 of the monitoring device 4 for the water heater receives the communication between the water heater 2 and the remote controller 3 to determine the state of the water heater 2. I do. Further, the transmission means 6 of the water heater monitoring device 4 has a telephone number storage section 61 in which the telephone number of a supervisor who wants to manage the state of the water heater 2 is input. When there is a state recognized by the recognition unit 51, the state of the water heater 2 recognized by the telephone number stored in the telephone number storage unit 61 is transmitted to the telephone line 44 by the NCU 62.

If the telephone number entered in the telephone number storage unit 61 is the telephone number of the receiving telephone 8, the NCU 81 on the supervisor side is again connected to the telephone line 44 via the receiving contact line 47. Converted as a signal, N
The status of the water heater 2 sent from the water heater monitoring device 4 is displayed on a display of a personal computer 82 connected to the CU 81. Thereby, the monitoring device 4 can receive and recognize the exchange of communication between the water heater 2 and the remote control device 3, and simultaneously recognize the state of the water heater 2.
Can be sent as textual information to a supervisor (recipient) who has entered the status.

FIG. 2 shows another embodiment, in which 11 is a monitoring system for a water heater, and 12 is one of hot water supply, reheating of a bath, heating, automatic hot water filling by a heat source such as gas, oil and electricity. Or a water heater having a combination of these functions and a control unit having control necessary for the above-mentioned functions and a remote control device and a wireless communication means to be described later. Reference numeral 13 denotes the operation and setting of the water heater 12 and the water heater. A remote control device having means for displaying or / and notifying the status of the water heater 12 and wirelessly communicating with the water heater 12; a monitoring device 4a for the water heater; It has a recognizing means 5a for recognizing the communication contents between the devices 13, and a transmitting means 6a for transmitting the contents recognized by the recognizing means 5a. 31a is a display unit that displays the state of the water heater 12 and target operating conditions of the water heater 12 set by the remote operation device 13 by using a liquid crystal, a light emitting diode, a fluorescent display tube, and the like provided in the remote operation device 13, Reference numeral 32a denotes a notification unit provided with a method such as a mechanical sound such as a buzzer, a sound, or flashing light for the purpose of calling a user's attention irrespective of the content displayed on the display unit 31a or the displayed content. Most of the remote control devices 13 are provided with 31a, but the notification unit 32a may not be provided. Reference numeral 33a denotes a switch for performing operations such as starting operation of the water heater 12 and setting hot water temperature.

Reference numeral 45a denotes an antenna of the water heater for performing radio wave communication between the water heater 12 and the remote controller 13, and reference numeral 45b denotes a radio between the antenna 45a of the water heater and the remote controller 13. An antenna of a remote control device for performing radio wave communication, 45c is an antenna of a monitoring device that intercepts radio wave communication by radio performed between the antenna 45a of the water heater and the antenna 45b of the remote control device,
A receiving device 46 receives and converts and amplifies radio waves received by the antenna 45c of the monitoring device. Reference numeral 51a denotes a recognizing unit incorporated in the recognizing means 5a of the water heater 12 for recognizing communication contents received, converted, and amplified by the receiving device 46; 61a, a telephone number storage unit for storing a telephone number of a receiving destination; The NCU is a transmission device having a line control function and a modem function.

Referring to the block diagram of FIG. 2, the monitoring method of the water heater monitoring system 11 and particularly the monitoring device of the water heater monitoring device 4a will be described. Information such as the operation of the safety device is normally communicated with the remote control device 13 by radio waves. The water heater monitoring device 4a is installed at a place where radio waves exchanged between the water heater 12 and the remote control device 13 can be intercepted and near the transmitting telephone 7, and the water heater monitoring device 4a is connected to the transmitting telephone 7. The connection is made with a connection line 43.

With this arrangement, the antenna 45c and the receiving device 46 of the monitoring device 4a of the water heater receive the communication between the water heater 12 and the remote control device 13, and the recognition section 51a in the recognition means 5a. Then, the state of the water heater 12 is determined. Further, the monitoring device 4a of the water heater has a telephone number storage section 61a in which the telephone number of a supervisor who wants to manage the state of the water heater 12 is input. The recognition unit 5
If there is a state recognized by 1a, the telephone number storage unit 6
The state of the water heater 12 recognized by the telephone number stored in 1a is transmitted to the telephone line 44 by the NCU 62a.

If the telephone number entered in the telephone number storage section 61a is the telephone number of the receiving telephone 8a, the NCU 81a is converted again as a signal from the telephone line 44 by the receiving contact line 47. Fix, NCU8
The water heater 1 sent from the monitoring device 4a of the water heater 12 on a display of a personal computer 82a connected to the water heater 1a
2 is displayed. Thus, the monitoring device 4a can monitor and monitor the status of the water heater 12 by intercepting the wireless communication between the water heater 12 and the remote control device 13, and simultaneously input the recognized status of the water heater 12. It can be sent as textual information to a given observer (recipient).

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment 3 corresponding to the water heater monitoring device 4 which is a main part of the water heater monitoring system 1 of FIG. Parts not shown have the same configuration as in FIG. In FIG. 3, 4b
Is a monitoring device of the water heater, which internally has a recognizing means 5b for recognizing communication contents between the water heater 2 and the remote control device 3, and a transmitting means 6b for transmitting the content recognized by the recognizing means 5b. 51b is a recognizing unit for recognizing the communication contents provided in the recognizing means 5b, and 52 is a switch (for example, plural Communication system setting unit which is a contact dip switch, rotary switch, etc.)
Reference numeral 3 denotes a communication system conversion unit for converting the communication system set by the communication system setting unit 52 into a form recognizable by the recognizing unit 51b; 61b, a telephone number storage unit for storing a telephone number of a receiving destination; An NCU is a transmission device having a control function and a modem function.

Referring to FIG. 3, the operation of the monitoring device 4b for the water heater will be described. First, when the monitoring device 4b is installed, the water heater 2 and the remote control device are determined by the type of the water heater 2 or the remote control device 3. 3 is specified, and the specified communication method is set by a switch of the communication method setting unit 52. When communication performed by the water heater 2 and the remote control device 3 enters the communication system conversion unit 53, the communication system conversion unit 5
3 is converted into a form recognizable by the recognizing unit 51b by the communication system set by the communication system setting unit 52. Of course, depending on the communication method, there is a case where conversion is not necessary. Therefore, the conversion performed by the communication method conversion unit 53 includes no conversion. Thereafter, the state of the water heater 2 recognized by the recognition unit 51b is stored in the telephone number of the monitoring person stored in the telephone number storage unit 61b.
It is transmitted by the CU 62b.

As described above, the recognizing means 5b of the monitoring device 4b for the water heater has the communication system setting section 52 and the communication system conversion section 53, so that it can handle a plurality of communication systems. Has become.

Further, in the third embodiment, as a method of determining a plurality of communication systems, the installation operator checks the model of the water heater or the remote control device, specifies the communication system based on the model, and switches It is said that the communication method is switched to the communication method specified by the above, etc., but depending on the communication method, there is a case where the communication method has a distinctive feature that the communication method can be determined based on a change in an electrical signal or the like, and in this case, A method may be used in which the communication method conversion unit 53 automatically determines the communication method without using the communication method setting unit 52. Thereby, whether one of the communication systems can be selected and set by the communication system setting unit 52 or the communication system conversion unit 53
Can automatically determine and select a communication method, and can cope with various communication methods of the past and presently produced hot water heater 2 and the remote control device 3.

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment 4 corresponding to a water heater monitoring apparatus 4 which is a main part of the water heater monitoring system 1 of FIG. Parts not shown have the same configuration as in FIG. In FIG. 4, 4c
Is a monitoring device for the water heater, which internally has a recognizing means 5c for recognizing the communication content between the water heater 2 and the remote control device 3, and a transmitting means 6c for transmitting the content recognized by the recognizing means 5c. Reference numeral 51c denotes a recognizing unit for recognizing the communication contents provided in the recognizing unit 5c, and 54 stores in advance information necessary for management by the monitor among the states of the water heater 2 recognized by the recognizing unit 5c. , A communication content selection unit for selecting from among various types of information, 61c is a telephone number storage unit for storing the telephone number of the supervisor who is the recipient, and 62c is a transmission device having a telephone line control function and a modem function. NCU.

Referring to FIG. 4, the operation of the water heater monitoring device 4c will be described. The recognition unit 51c recognizes the state of the water heater 2 based on the communication performed by the water heater 2 and the remote controller 3. Among the states of the water heater 2 recognized by the recognizing unit 51c, the information stored in advance and which needs to be managed by the monitor is selected from the various types of information by the communication content selecting unit 54.
And the selected information is stored in the telephone number storage section 61c to the telephone number of the monitoring person who is the receiving destination.
It is transmitted by U62c.

As described above, in the fourth embodiment, only the necessary one of the states of the water heater 2 is selected by the communication content communication selecting section 54 of the recognizing means 5c. This differs between the water heater 2 and the remote control device 3 depending on the communication method, but communicates various states of the water heater, and even if all of them are transmitted, it is not necessary for the monitoring person who is the receiving destination. Since the information is also included, only the necessary information is selected and sent to the supervisor who is the receiver.

Examples of the information of the water heater 2 include information that the safety device of the water heater has been activated and information that the usage of the water heater has exceeded a normally conceivable range. Some or all of the information on replacement of consumable parts due to the use time exceeding a predetermined time, information on refueling, or a combination thereof is stored in the communication content selection unit 54 in advance. In this way, it is selected and transmitted. As a result, only the information necessary for the supervisor is transmitted to the recipient supervisor.

FIG. 5 shows another embodiment 5 corresponding to the water heater monitoring apparatus 4c of the fourth embodiment, and explains the fourth embodiment. Parts not shown have the same configuration as in FIG. In FIG. 5, reference numeral 4d denotes a water heater monitoring device, which internally includes a recognition unit 5d for recognizing communication contents between the water heater 2 and the remote control device 3, and a transmission unit 6d for transmitting the content recognized by the recognition unit 5d. have. 51d is the recognition means 5
d is a recognition unit for recognizing the communication content provided by d. 54d is a communication content selection unit for selecting information necessary for management by the monitor from among the states of the water heater 2 recognized by the recognition unit 51d, and 55 is the communication content. A transcoding unit that encodes the information selected by the selection unit 54d, a telephone number storage unit 61d that stores the telephone number of the supervisor of the receiving destination, and a transmission device 62d that has a telephone line control function and a modem function. NCU.

Referring to FIG. 5, the operation of the water heater monitoring device 4d will be described. The recognition unit 51d recognizes the state of the water heater 2 based on the communication performed by the water heater 2 and the remote controller 3. After selecting, from the state of the water heater 2 recognized by the recognition unit 51d, information that needs to be managed by a monitor by the communication content selection unit 54d, and converting the selected information into a code by the code conversion unit 55, The encoded information is transmitted by the NCU 62d to the telephone number of the supervisor stored in the telephone number storage section 61d.

As described above, in the fifth embodiment, the information on the water heater is encoded and transmitted. Specifically, the information on the activation of the safety device of the water heater is mainly determined by the type of the safety device or the type of the safety device. Encoding is performed according to the content of the operation. The reason for this is that even a single-function water heater that only performs hot water supply usually has several types of safety devices, which combine functions such as hot water supply and reheating of a bath, heating, and automatic hot water filling. Some water heaters have about twenty types of safety devices. For this reason, it is not efficient to send to the recipient side in characters or the like depending on the type of the safety device or the content of the operation, so it is assumed that the recipient uses a different code that can recognize that the safety device has been activated. I have. Thus, various safety devices of the water heater and combinations of the safety devices with the operation states can be encoded and sent to the supervisor who is the receiver.

FIG. 6 shows another embodiment 6 corresponding to the water heater monitoring apparatus 4 which is a main part of the water heater monitoring system 1 of FIG. Parts not shown have the same configuration as in FIG. In FIG. 6, 4e
Is a monitoring device of the water heater, which internally has a recognizing means 5e for recognizing the communication content between the water heater 2 and the remote control device 3, and a transmitting means 6e for transmitting the content recognized by the recognizing means 5e. 51e is a recognizing unit for recognizing the communication contents provided in the recognizing means 5e, and 52e is a switch (for example, a plurality of switches) capable of setting a plurality of settings for setting the monitoring device 4e of the water heater to correspond to various communication methods. Communication system setting unit which is a contact dip switch, rotary switch, etc.)
3e is a communication system conversion unit for converting the communication system set by the communication system setting unit 52e into a form recognizable by the recognizing unit 51e, and 54e is a state managed by the monitor among the states of the water heater 2 recognized by the recognizing unit 5e. A communication content selection unit 55e for selecting a necessary state, a code conversion unit for encoding information selected by the communication content selection unit 54e, and a plurality of telephone numbers 61e stored in a telephone number setting unit described later are stored. A telephone number storage unit, 62e is an NCU which is a transmission device having a telephone line control function and a modem function, 63 is a telephone number setting unit which can input a telephone number by a combination of ten keys and a plurality of switches, and 64 is The telephone number storage section 61e
Of the plurality of telephone numbers stored in the communication content selection unit 5
A telephone number selection unit for selecting a telephone number in accordance with information on the state of the water heater 2 selected in 4e. In addition, telephone line 4
There are a plurality of monitoring persons who are the receiving destinations for managing the water heater 2 through 4, 8b-8f are receiving telephones, 81b-81
f is an NCU on the receiving side, and 82b to 82f are personal computers.

The operation of the monitoring device 4e of the water heater will be described with reference to FIG. 6. First, when the monitoring device 4e is installed, the water heater 2 and the remote control device are determined by the type of the water heater 2 or the remote control device 3. 3 is specified, and the specified communication method is set by a dip switch of the communication method setting unit 52e. At the same time, a plurality of communication methods are set in the telephone number setting unit 63 according to the degree of management according to the state of the water heater 2. Set the phone number of the supervisor who is the recipient. For example,
When the state of the water heater 2 requires specialized techniques such as parts replacement, the technique is not as necessary as in (1) above, but when ordinary management is required. In the case of (1), the telephone number of the receiving telephone 8b, in the case of (2), the telephone number of the receiving telephone 8c,
In the case of (3), the telephone number of the receiving telephone 8d is set to the same. In the case of (1), not only the telephone number of the receiving telephone 8b but also the telephone numbers of the receiving telephone 8e and the receiving telephone 8f may be set at the same time.

When the setting is completed, the water heater 2 and the remote controller 3
When the communication performed by the communication system conversion unit 53e enters the communication system conversion unit 53e, the communication system conversion unit 53e compares the communication system with the communication system set by the communication system setting unit 52e and converts the communication system into a form recognizable by the recognition unit 51e. Of course, there is a case where conversion is not necessary depending on the communication system, and the conversion performed by the communication system conversion unit 53e includes no conversion. Then, the state of the water heater 2 recognized by the recognition unit 51e is recognized. Among the states of the water heater 2 recognized by the recognizing unit 51e, information that needs to be managed by the monitoring person who is the recipient is selected by the communication content selecting unit 54e, and the selected information is converted into a code by the code converting unit 55e. Convert.

A case will be described in which the telephone number selecting section 64 automatically selects the telephone number of the transmission destination based on the information of the water heater 2 selected by the communication content selecting section 54e.
In order to explain this, according to the information management division described in the above example, for example, when the information management division is the content of (2), the content is compared with the content stored in the communication content selection unit 54e. And judge that the management category is (2),
The monitor who is the receiving side corresponding to the management category (2) is set to the receiving telephones 8b to 8f set by the telephone number setting unit 63.
Is selected as the telephone number of the receiving telephone 8c by the telephone number selecting section 64 from the telephone numbers stored in the telephone number storage section 61e. Thereafter, the NCU 6 is added to the telephone number of the receiving telephone 8c that has selected the encoded information.
2e, is sent to the NCU 81c on the receiver side through the contact line 43, the telephone line 44, etc., and the encoded information is displayed on the display of the personal computer 82c. Needless to say, the telephone number of the caller is simultaneously displayed on the display from the monitor of the receiver, so that the user name of the water heater 2 can be specified.

In the example of the management division in the sixth embodiment, as described above, since the state of the water heater 2 may be various, it is better to set a plurality of monitoring persons as receiving destinations corresponding thereto. This is because treatment of the water heater 2 can be performed more quickly.
Of course, there is also a method of centralized monitoring with a single monitor being the receiver (and thus a single receiving telephone), but there are few cases where the central monitor can handle everything, and usually the central monitor has more expertise. This is because the result will be relayed to a certain company or the like, and it will take more time to relay.
In addition, as for the management division, only one example is shown, and the method of classifying the state of the water heater is basically divided according to the state of the water heater, but the treatment capability of the monitoring person who is the receiving destination and These may be considered together according to the convenience of the sender having the water heater. This allows
An appropriate telephone number can be selected from a plurality of telephone numbers of the monitoring person who is the receiving destination stored according to the state of the water heater and transmitted.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram for explaining claim 6.
Denotes a monitoring system for a water heater, 22 denotes one of hot water supply, reheating of bath, heating, automatic hot water filling, etc., or a composite function of these functions, and control required for the above-mentioned functions will be described later. An oil water heater provided with a control unit having a communication unit with a remote operation device; 23 has means for displaying or informing the operation and setting of the oil water heater 22 and the state of the oil water heater 22; A remote control device provided with a communication means for communicating with the water heater 22; a monitoring device 24 for the water heater, in which recognition means 5f for recognizing the communication content between the oil water heater 22 and the remote control device 23; It has a transmitting means 6f for transmitting the contents recognized in the above.

Reference numeral 25 denotes an oil tank for storing oil used in the oil hot water heater 22. For home use, an oil tank having a capacity of 100 L or less is usually used due to management problems. 26 detects the amount of oil in the oil tank 25 by detecting the pressure and the height of the oil level, and when the oil pressure is equal to or less than a predetermined pressure or a predetermined oil level, the oil is not exhausted but the oil amount is low. As a signal to prompt the replenishment of oil
When a signal prompting replenishment is issued to the oil hot water heater 22 by an oil amount detector having a function of emitting the oil to the oil hot water heater 2, the control unit of the oil hot water heater 22 displays or / and / or displays by means of display or notification of the remote operation device 23. Communicate to inform. Reference numeral 27 denotes a detector signal line for transmitting a signal from the oil amount detector 26 to the control unit of the oil hot water supply device 22, and reference numeral 28 denotes an oil supply pipe for sending oil from the oil tank 25 to the oil hot water supply device 22.

Reference numerals 8g and 8h denote receiving telephones connected to the transmitting telephone 7 via the telephone line 44, and reference numerals 81g and 81h denote NCUs on the monitoring side connected by the communication lines 43 corresponding to the receiving telephones 8g and 8h, respectively. 82g and 82h are personal computers including a display for displaying information on the state of the oil hot water heater 22 received corresponding to each of the NCUs 81g and 81h. Also, the water heater monitoring device 2
Since the inside of 4 has the same configuration as the monitoring device 4e of the water heater of the sixth embodiment, the description is omitted.

A monitoring method of the water heater monitoring system 21 according to the seventh embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Also,
In the seventh embodiment, the description of the content of the water heater monitoring device 24 is the same as that of the sixth embodiment, and thus the description is omitted, and a system for monitoring the oil amount of petroleum water heater which is the subject of this embodiment is described. I will explain only.

When the amount of oil stored in the oil tank 25 decreases due to the use of the water heater 22 and the oil amount detector 26 detects that the oil amount is equal to or less than a predetermined oil amount, the detection content is indicated by a detector signal line 27. It is sent to the control unit of water heater 22.
The method of detecting the control unit of the oil hot water heater 22 and the oil amount detector 26 is as follows. The oil amount detector 26 constantly detects the oil amount and outputs a signal (voltage or pulse signal) to the oil hot water heater 2.
2 and the control unit of the oil hot water heater 22 constantly monitors the signal and determines that a predetermined value is obtained, and outputs to the remote control device 23 that oil replenishment is necessary. The oil amount detector 26 has a switch for turning on or off a contact when a predetermined pressure is reached, and when the contact is turned on or off, the control unit of the oil water heater 22 determines that replenishment of oil is necessary. Etc. may be output.

Then, when the control unit of the oil hot water heater 22 communicates to the remote control device 23 that oil supply is necessary, the monitoring device 24 of the hot water heater turns the communication signal line 41 from one end to the other end. Since it is connected to an appropriate place by the monitoring signal line 42, information that oil replenishment is necessary is obtained. After that, the recognizing means 5f recognizes which management category it is based on the information indicating that oil supply is necessary. Based on the recognized contents, the transmitting means 6f selects a telephone number corresponding to the management category (that is, a telephone number of the petroleum dealer) and encodes information indicating that petroleum replenishment is necessary. It is transmitted through the telephone line 44 on the 7 side.

Here, if the receiving telephone 8h is a telephone of a petroleum distributor, the telephone number corresponding to the information indicating that oil supply is necessary is the telephone number of the receiving telephone 8h. PC 82h through NCU 81h
Information that oil supply is needed is sent to PC 8
An indication of that fact and the telephone number of the owner of the oil hot water heater 22 are displayed on the display of 2h, and the oil distributor delivers the oil to the address of the owner of the oil hot water heater 22 according to the content.

As described above, since the water heater monitoring system is configured in the embodiment, it has the following operations. a. In the first aspect, the monitoring device has a recognition unit that captures information indicating a state of the water heater from communication (electrical signal exchange) performed between the water heater and the remote operation device,
At the same time, it has an operation of having a transmitting means for transmitting the fetched information to the set telephone number. b. In claim 2, in addition to the effect of the above a, the recognition means may be any of various types of communication systems (electric signal exchange systems) between the past and presently produced hot water heaters and the remote control device. It has an effect of responding to a plurality of communication systems by manual switching or automatic switching. c. According to the third aspect of the invention, in addition to the function of the above a or b, only the information necessary for management out of various states of the water heater is communicated to the monitor (manager) and notified. d. In claim 4, in addition to the function of the above c, there is a function of notifying various safety devices of the water heater and their operation status by code. E. According to the fifth aspect, in addition to the above-mentioned functions a to d, there is an operation of selecting an optimum monitor (administrator) according to the state of the water heater and notifying the user. f. In claim 6, when the amount of oil in the oil tank of the newly installed or existing oil water heater is reduced and oil replenishment becomes necessary, the oil supplier is automatically notified and the oil can be delivered. Have.

[0051]

According to the present invention, the water heater monitoring system has the following effects. a. In the first aspect, the monitoring device of the water heater has means for recognizing the communication between the water heater and the remote control device. Therefore, not only can the water heater be installed at the time of new installation but also the existing water heater can be easily remote-controlled via the telephone line. Monitoring can be performed, and the management can be carried out regardless of whether the store is a new store or an existing store, so that there is an effect that the management is not biased. b. In claim 2, in addition to the effect of a, the recognition means of the monitoring device of the water heater can cope with a plurality of communication methods performed between the water heater and the remote control device by manual switching or automatic switching. It goes without saying that it is not necessary to prepare a separate hot water heater monitoring device for each type of past hot water heaters, not to mention a new hot water heater and a remote control device. c. According to the third aspect, in addition to the effects of the above a or b, only the necessary information of the state of the water heater is notified to the monitor (administrator), so that the monitor (administrator) can easily perform the management. It has the effect of. d. According to the fourth aspect, in addition to the effect of the above item c, since the notification is made to the monitoring person (administrator) by a code, the state of the water heater can be easily determined. E. According to the fifth aspect, in addition to the effects of the above-mentioned a to d, an optimal monitor (administrator) is selected and notified according to the state of the water heater, so that the treatment for the water heater can be performed quickly and appropriately. Has an effect. f. In claim 6, since the oil supplier directly manages the new or existing oil hot water heater so as not to run out of oil, no oil shortage occurs in the oil hot water heater and the oil supply pipe associated with the oil shortage occurs. There is no need to worry about air biting and the resulting failure of the oil water heater, so oil water heater users no longer need to manage oil water heaters, especially oil. Has the effect of being able to be a fixed customer.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a monitoring system for a water heater according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a monitoring system for a water heater according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a water heater monitoring apparatus according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a monitoring device for a water heater according to a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a water heater monitoring apparatus according to a fifth embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram mainly showing a water heater monitoring apparatus according to a sixth embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram of a water heater monitoring system for an oil water heater according to a seventh embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1,11,21 Water heater monitoring system 2,12 Water heater 3,13 Remote controller 4,4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, 24 Water heater monitoring device 5,5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e , 5f recognition means 6, 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e, 6f transmission means 7 transmission telephone 8, 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d, 8e, 8f, 8g, 8h
Receiving telephone set 22 Oil hot water heater 23 Remote control device for oil hot water heater 25 Oil tank 26 Oil level detector 27 Signal line for detector 28 Oil supply pipe 31, 31a Display unit 32, 32a Notification unit 33, 33a Switch 41 Communication signal line 42 monitoring signal line 43 connecting line 44 telephone line 45a, 45b, 45c antenna 46 receiving device 47 receiving connecting line 51, 51a, 51b, 51c, 51d, 51e recognition unit 52, 52e communication system setting unit 53, 53e communication system Conversion units 54, 54d, 54e Communication content selection units 55, 55e Code conversion units 61, 61a, 61b, 61c, 61d, 61e Phone number storage unit 63 Phone number setting unit 64 Phone number selection units 62, 62a, 62b, 62c, 62d, 62e, 8
1, 81a, 81b, 81c, 81d, 81e, 81
f, 81g, 81h NCU 82, 82a, 82b, 82c, 82d, 82e, 82
f, 82g, 82h PC

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A water heater capable of supplying hot water to at least a bath or a kitchen, a controller for controlling a heating amount of a heating means based on detection contents of a temperature detector, a safety device, and the like; A remote control device provided outside the water heater that displays or / and informs all or a part of the content of the state of the water heater controlled by the water heater, and is transmitted and received between the water heater and the remote control device. A water heater monitoring system comprising: an electric signal indicating a state of the water heater; and a monitoring device of the water heater monitoring the state of the water heater. It has recognition means for recognizing the state of the water heater by taking in the contents of the communication, and transmission means for transmitting, via a telephone line, a destination storing the state of the water heater based on the content recognized by the recognition means. That Features a monitoring system for water heaters. 2. The recognizing means of the monitoring device of the water heater does not support only one communication method based on a combination of electric signals transmitted and received between the water heater and the remote control device. The monitoring system for a water heater according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring system supports a plurality of communication methods. 3. The monitoring device of the water heater, wherein the recognizing means selects information corresponding to information stored in advance from the recognized electric signals and transmits the selected information from the transmitting means. The water heater monitoring system according to claim 1 or 2. 4. When the information corresponding to the pre-stored information is selected, the information when the safety device of the water heater operates is set in advance according to the type of the safety device and the contents of the operation of the safety device. 4. The monitoring system for a water heater according to claim 3, wherein the telephone number is converted so that it can be decoded by a receiver on the receiving side. 5. The information on the water heater obtained from an electric signal indicating the state of the water heater is divided into a plurality of groups according to the contents of a treatment performed by a receiver who has received the information, and is set in advance. The monitoring system for a water heater according to claim 1, wherein another telephone number can be set for each of the plurality of groups. 6. An oil water heater, an oil tank for supplying oil to the oil water heater, an oil amount detecting device provided in the oil tank, and the oil amount of the oil tank is predetermined by the oil amount detecting device. A remote control device for displaying or / and notifying that the fuel supply is necessary when the amount becomes less than the amount, an electric signal connecting the remote control device and the oil hot water heater, and communication using the electric signal. In the monitoring system of the water heater, comprising a monitoring device of the water heater that monitors the state of the oil water heater by capturing the monitoring device of the water heater, the monitoring device of the water heater captures the communication by the electric signal to the remote control device. A system for monitoring a hot-water supply system, comprising: sending a signal indicating that oil delivery is required to a pre-stored telephone number of an oil supplier when indicating or / and notifying that a refueling is required. Tem.