JPH10325596A - Data writing device for control board of water heater - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [PROBLEMS] To easily and surely write data into a memory of a control base of a water heater. A remote control is set to a writing mode by simultaneously turning on an operation key and an up key for 5 seconds corresponding to a key operation for mode setting for 5 seconds. Is turned on to turn on the operation key 19a by turning on the up key 19b or down key 19c corresponding to the key operation for different data input, and is displayed on the display unit 20 sequentially by turning on the up key 19b or down key 19c. A required one is selected from the data addresses, and then the operation key 19a
By turning on for a predetermined time or more, setting data such as a gas type, an exhaust variation, and a number, which are data necessary for the water heater, and data on years of use are input.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a data writing device for writing data in a memory of a control base of a water heater comprising a memory and a microcomputer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, in a water heater, a water heater with a bath reheating function, and other water heaters, a memory,
A control board including a microcomputer and a connection terminal unit is provided. In particular, an EEPROM which is a rewritable nonvolatile memory is used as the memory.

This EEPROM includes 12A, 13A,
6A, LPG and other gas types, exhaust variations such as the presence or absence of an exhaust duct, and setting data required for operation such as the number indicating hot water supply capacity such as No. 16, No. 20, and No. 24,
Past operation data such as the number of times of burning, burning time, CO sensor usage time, failure history, etc., and unique data unique to each user, such as the volume of a bathtub and the level of a bath, are written. Of these data, the setting data is stored in the EEP when the control board is installed in the water heater body at the factory and shipped.
The operation data is written in the ROM as appropriate when the water heater is actually used, and the unique data is written when the water heater is installed in the user, and some data is written by learning during the actual use.

[0004] By the way, if a failure occurs and it becomes necessary to replace the control board by the after-sales service, the failed control panel is replaced with a control board for the after-sales service. At this time, since the above data is not written in the EEPROM of the after-sales service control board, the EEPROM of the failed control panel is
Conventionally, data stored in M is transferred to an EEPROM of a control base for after-sales service.

[0005] This transfer will be described.
As shown in FIG. 1, when a control board 4 having an EEPROM 1, a microcomputer 2, and a connector 3 fails, a maintenance monitor 5 is connected to the connector 3 of the control board 4,
The data stored in the EPROM 1 is read out and displayed on the display unit of the maintenance monitor 5, the displayed data is copied onto a recording paper 6, and the copied data is sequentially written into an EEPROM (not shown) of a control base for after-sales service. There is a way.

As another method, as previously proposed by the present applicant, a control board for after service having the same configuration as the control board 4 shown in FIG. 7 is connected by a communication line, and a control board for after service is provided. In advance, a flag indicating that it is an after-service control base is set in advance,
The stored data is transferred from the EEPROM of the failed control panel to the EEPROM of the after-sales service control board. When the data transfer is completed, the flag is erased, and the operation of the water heater by the after-sales service control board is performed on condition of this erasure. It is also conceivable to make it possible.

[0007]

However, in the former method, it is necessary for an operator to read data from the display unit of the maintenance monitor 5 and copy it to the recording paper 6, which is very complicated. is there. On the other hand, in the latter method, data cannot be transferred when any abnormality occurs in the communication system, and if the operator determines that the transfer is completed without noticing such abnormality, the control base for after-sales service is used. Since the transfer operation is completed without data being written to the EEPROM, in some cases, a new after-sales service control base EEPROM is used.
Data may not be written to the OM.

[0008] By the way, in reading the data by the former maintenance monitor 5, the maintenance monitor 5
Alternatively, the read data is temporarily stored in a storage means provided internally or externally in the remote control of the water heater, and the data once stored on the maintenance monitor 5 (or the remote control) is stored in the EEP of the control base for after-sales service.
It is conceivable to write the data in the ROM. In this case, for example, if the data stored in the maintenance monitor 5 (or the remote controller) is lost due to a long-time power failure or the like, the data cannot be transferred. .

Further, when it is necessary to change any data for the control board in use, the above-described transfer method simply transfers data from one EEPROM to the other, and transfers the data. It cannot be rewritten.

An object of the present invention is to make it easier and more reliable to write data into a memory of a control board.

[0011]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a memory for storing data necessary for a water heater, a write / read operation of the memory, and an operation control in accordance with a control program registered in advance. A data writing device for writing data to the memory of the control board of the water heater, comprising: a control terminal having a plurality of keys and connected to the microcomputer; To the writing mode by a key operation for writing the data to the microcomputer in order to write at least the data necessary for the water heater input by the key operation for data input in the writing mode to the memory. It is characterized by having.

According to such a configuration, of the keys of the control terminal, a key operation for setting a mode is performed, whereby the control terminal is set to the write mode, and the control terminal is set to the write mode. When the minimum data necessary for the water heater is input by performing key operations for data input, these input data are sent to the microcomputer of the control board, and the data from the control terminal is stored in the memory by the microcomputer. It is written, and the water heater can be operated.

Therefore, complicated operations such as conventional data reading and copying are not required, and a data writing error due to a transfer error can be prevented. Further, data loss due to a long-time power failure does not occur. Data can be easily and reliably written to the memory of the control base using the control terminal.

At this time, as described in claim 2, the data writing device comprises a control terminal having a plurality of keys and connected to the microcomputer, and a switch or the like provided in the water heater main body. A function of setting the writing mode by a predetermined operation of the electronic component and sending out at least data necessary for the water heater inputted by a key operation for data input to the microcomputer in the writing mode to the microcomputer. May be provided.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the data writing device comprises a control terminal having a plurality of keys and connected to the microcomputer, wherein the control terminal is connected to the connection terminal. The microcomputer is set to a writing mode by a mode setting signal output from the microcomputer, and writes at least data necessary for the water heater, which is input by a key operation for data input in the writing mode, to the memory. May be provided.

As described above, according to the second and third aspects of the present invention, a predetermined operation of an electronic component such as a switch provided in the water heater main body or a control terminal is connected to the connection terminal of the control board. The control terminal is set to the write mode by a mode setting signal output from the microcomputer when the control terminal is operated. In particular, in the case of claim 3, the control terminal is connected to the control terminal without operating any keys or switches. The control terminal can be set to the write mode simply by connecting to the control terminal.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the invention according to any one of the first to third aspects, further comprising a timer for counting a time since power-on, wherein the timer is set in advance from the start of counting by the timer. If the setting to the write mode is prohibited after the predetermined time has passed, the writable time is limited to the predetermined time. In comparison, the possibility of being affected by noise is limited, which is effective in suppressing data write errors due to noise.

In the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 4, if the control terminal comprises a remote controller for a water heater, the control terminal is installed in a kitchen or a bathroom at home. Data can be written using an existing remote controller, and there is no need to prepare a special terminal.

Further, in the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 5, as described in claim 6, data necessary for the water heater input by a key operation for data input in the writing mode. Is further provided to the microcomputer to notify the end of writing after the data has been written to the memory, and it is possible to reliably know that data has been written to the memory by the notification by the notification means. .

[0020]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

(First Embodiment) A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 is a block diagram, FIG. 2 is an external configuration diagram of a remote controller, FIG. 3 is an operation explanatory diagram, and FIG. 4 is a flowchart for operation explanation.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 denotes a control board for after-sales service mounted in the water heater main body, and 11 denotes a writable nonvolatile EEPROM as a memory provided on the control board 10, and 12A, 13A, Exhaust variations such as gas type such as LPG, presence or absence of exhaust duct,
In addition to the setting data required for operation such as the number indicating the hot water supply capacity such as No. 16, 24, etc., the number of combustion, the combustion time, CO
Sensor operation time, past operation data such as failure history, and unique data etc. unique to each user such as the capacity of the bathtub and water level of the bath are written.In this case, setting data and First, the data on the number of years of use of the water heater instead of the number of times of burning and the burning time are written.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 12 denotes a microcomputer provided on the control board 10, which controls writing and reading of the EEPROM 11, and is registered in advance in a built-in ROM or the like based on an operation signal from a remote controller to be described later. In addition to controlling the operation of the water heater in accordance with the control program, it also has a function of learning the above-described unique data and writing it into the EEPROM 11. Note that a flag indicating that the control board 10 is for after-sales service is set in the microcomputer 12 in advance.

Further, in FIG. 1, 13 is a control board 10
, A connector provided on the control board 10, which is not shown in FIG. 1 by mounting the control board 10 at a predetermined position in the water heater main body. The control board 10 is connected to a power supply by a two-core power supply line of 0 V and +15 V, and a remote control described later is connected to the connector 14 by a two-core remote control line 16, so that power is supplied from the control base 10 to the remote control side. It is supposed to be. At this time, a communication signal of a high frequency such as 250 Khz is superimposed on the power supply by the above-described two-core superimposing circuit 13, and the superimposed signal causes
Serial communication is performed between the remote controller and the remote controller.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 18 denotes a remote controller for a water heater installed in, for example, a home kitchen, and details of its appearance are as shown in FIG. 2, and the operation of the water heater is turned on / off as an operation key. An operation key 19a, an up key 19b for raising the hot water supply temperature, a down key 19c for lowering the hot water supply temperature, and a bath automatic key 19d for putting hot water in the bathtub are provided to display the hot water supply temperature and time. A display unit 20 composed of a 7-segment display element using an LED or a fluorescent tube is provided, and a priority lamp 21a for displaying priority of hot water supply / shower, a combustion lamp 21b for displaying burner combustion, and the like are provided. An operation signal corresponding to the operation is output to the microcomputer 12 of the control board 10.

The remote controller 18 functions as a control terminal constituting a data writing device. For example, the simultaneous setting of the operation key 19a and the up key 19b, which is a combination that cannot be performed by normal operation, for 5 seconds is set in a mode. Key operation for the remote controller 18 by this operation.
Is set to the write mode. When the remote controller 18 is set to the write mode in this manner, the display unit 20 is controlled by the microcomputer 12, and a data address required for data input registered in the microcomputer 12 in advance is displayed on the display element of the display unit 20. It has become so.

Further, in this state, turning on the up key 19b or down key 19c and turning on the operation key 19a, which are operations different from those at the time of setting the mode, correspond to key operations for inputting data, for example, turning on the up key 19b. Each time the down key 19c is turned on, the data address displayed on the display unit 20 is sequentially changed in the opposite direction. When the required data address is displayed, the operation key 19a is turned on for a predetermined time or longer, thereby setting data such as gas type, exhaust variation, number, etc. which are necessary for the water heater among the above data. The years of use data is entered. Here, the years of use data are years calculated from the year of manufacture of the water heater and the current year.

In this case, data that can be changed and set according to the user's preference, for example, whether or not the 60-minute continuous hot water supply timer operates, and data for switching between the standard water level and the water level such as increase / decrease of the water level can be newly input. It has become.

By the way, the relationship between the data address and the data content will be specifically described. The display unit 20 displays A1,..., A8, B1,..., B8,.
Since the data addresses such as 9, A1,... Are sequentially displayed by turning on the up key 19b or the down key 19c as described above, for example, to input a gas type, first, as shown in FIG. After turning on the key 19b or the down key 19c to select the data address of A1, the operation key 19a is turned on and the priority lamp 21 is turned on.
a is turned on or off so as to match the gas type, then the data address of A2 is selected and the same operation is performed, and the data address of A3 is selected and the same operation is performed to input the gas type. It does. In Table 1, ○ indicates that the priority lamp 21a is turned off, and ● indicates that the priority lamp 21a blinks. Each time the operation key 19a is turned on, the blinking and extinguishing of the priority lamp 21a are alternately repeated.

Subsequently, the up key 19b or the down key 19c is turned on to select the data address of A4, the operation key 19a is turned on, the priority lamp 21a is turned on or off, and the exhaust variation is input. Turn on the up key 19b or the down key 19c to select the data address of A5, turn on the operation key 19a to turn on or off the priority lamp 21a, and further select the data address of A6 to turn on or off the priority lamp 21a. The light is turned off, and the number of the number, such as 16, 20, 24, etc., is input.

Other data is input in the same manner. For data with data addresses of 0 to 9, the data addresses of 0 to 9 displayed by the upper display element of the display unit 20 are up-keyed. After the selection is made by turning on the down key 19b or the down key 19c, the value is appropriately selected and input from numerical values of 0 to 9 displayed by the lower display elements of the display unit 20.

For example, when inputting the years of use data, a data address of the years of use data is selected, and a numerical value corresponding to the years of use determined from the year of manufacture of the water heater and the current year is selected and input. At this time, when the input years of use data is transmitted to the control board 10, the microcomputer 12 of the control board 10 calculates an approximate value such as the number of times of burning and the burning time from the use years by a predetermined calculation. Approximate values such as the number of times of burning and burning time
Is written to.

The data input by the predetermined key operation is sent to the control board 10. When the data input is completed, the operation key 19a and the up key 19b are simultaneously turned on for 5 seconds. The microcomputer 11 controls the EEPROM 11 to be in a writing state, all the input data is written in the EEPROM 11, and the water heater can be operated based on the data written in the EEPROM 11.

Next, the EEPROM 11 of the control board 10
The procedure for writing data to the memory will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 4, when any one of the operation keys of the remote controller 18 is operated (Step S)
1) It is determined whether the key operation is a key operation for setting the remote controller 18 to the writing mode, that is, an operation of simultaneously turning on the operation key 19a and the up key 19b for 5 seconds (step S2). If the result of the determination is NO, it is determined that the write mode has not been set, and the operation ends. If the result of the determination is YES, it is determined that the remote controller 18 has been set to the write mode. Required data such as setting data and years of use data is input by a predetermined key operation for data input (step S3), and the input data is sent to the control board 10.

Then, it is determined whether or not the input of all data has been completed (step S4). If the determination result is NO, the process returns to step S3. If the determination result is YES, the process returns to step S3. Input data is actually EE
It is determined whether a key operation for writing to the PROM 11 has been performed, that is, an operation of simultaneously turning on the operation key 19a and the up key 19b for 5 seconds (step S5). If the determination result is NO, the determination result is YES. Is repeated until the judgment result becomes YES.
The microcomputer 11 of 0 controls the EEPROM 11 to be in a write state, and the input data is written into the EEPROM 11, thereby ending the write operation.

When the data writing to the EEPROM 11 is completed, the microcomputer 12 transmits a signal to the remote controller 18 to notify the completion of the writing, and the reception of this signal indicates the completion of the writing to the display section 20 of the remote controller 18. The display may be performed. In this case, the display unit 20 functions as a notification unit that notifies the end of the writing.

By the way, as described above, the EE of the control
The case where data is written to the PROM 11 is a case where necessary data is written to a new control board 10 for after-sales service when the control board in use breaks down. Instead, the remote controller 18 is used to write at least the setting data such as the gas type, the exhaust variation, and the number and the life data into the EEPROM 11 of the new control board 10 as described above. is there.

As described above, the data writing by the remote controller 18 is performed by the EEPR by the communication between the failed control board and the after-service control board, which is a conventional method.
This is effective in writing data to be transferred to the OM when it is impossible to transfer data due to some abnormality in the communication system. By writing the minimum data necessary for operation using the remote controller 18, Thus, the water heater can be made operable. However, when the used control board breaks down, it is natural that data can be written into the EEPROM 11 of the after-sales control board 10 using a remote controller from the beginning, and the data can be written more reliably.

Further, according to the data writing by the remote controller 18, even if it is necessary to change any data in the control board 10 in use, the data can be easily rewritten.

Therefore, according to the above-described first embodiment, when the control board in use breaks down, complicated operations such as reading and copying of data as in the related art are not required, and the data due to a transfer error can be eliminated. Can be prevented, and data is not lost due to a long-time power failure or the like, and the minimum necessary for the operation of the EEPROM 11 of the control board 10 can be easily and reliably stored using the remote controller 18 of the existing water heater. Limit data can be written to make the water heater operable.

Further, it is possible to easily rewrite data in the control board 10 in use as necessary, and it is possible to easily realize, for example, an operation state that matches the user's preference.

(Second Embodiment) A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the following description, FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are also referred.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the control board 10, which is different from the first embodiment described above.
As shown in FIG. 5, by operating the gas pressure adjusting MAX / MIN switch 25 provided on the control board 10 in an unusual manner, for example, MAX / MIN is performed.
By simultaneously turning on the switch 25 for 5 seconds, a mode setting signal is transmitted from the microcomputer 12 to the remote controller 18, and the remote controller 18 receives the signal, thereby setting the remote controller 18 to the write mode. .

The procedure for inputting data after the remote controller 18 is set to the write mode is the same as that in the first embodiment, and a duplicate description of data input will be omitted.

Therefore, according to the second embodiment, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained, and the MAX / MIN switch 25 does not remove the cover of the water heater. Since the remote control 18 cannot be operated as long as the remote control 18 is not erroneously set to the writing mode due to an erroneous operation of the operation key, writing with higher reliability can be performed.

The above-described MAX / MIN switch 2
Electronic components such as switches and setting connectors provided on the water heater main body other than 5 may be used. For example, in the case of a connector, the microcomputer 12 detects a short circuit of a predetermined connector pin and sets the mode on the remote controller 18. A signal may be transmitted.

(Third Embodiment) A third embodiment of the present invention will be described. However, the following description refers to FIG. 1 and FIG.

This embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the microcomputer 12 outputs a mode setting signal when the remote controller 18 is connected to the connector 14 of the control board 10. Is the control board 10
The data (hereinafter, referred to as AS data) indicating that it is for after-service is previously written in the EEPROM 11 at the factory shipment stage, the control board 10 is mounted on the water heater main body, and after the power is turned on, the microcomputer 12 executes the EEPROM.
A mode setting signal is output from the microcomputer 12 when the AS data of M11 is read, and this signal is received by the remote controller 18, whereby the remote controller 18 is set to the write mode.

Therefore, according to the third embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained, and the remote controller 18 can be connected to the connector 1 of the control board 10.
4, the remote controller 18 can be set to the write mode by outputting a mode setting signal from the microcomputer 12, and the write mode can be set very easily. There is no need to perform complicated key operations as in the case.

(Fourth Embodiment) A fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the following description, FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are also referred.

The present embodiment is different from the third embodiment in that timers 27 and 28 are respectively provided in the control board 10 and the remote controller 18 as shown in FIG. 6 which is a block diagram of the control board 10. Provided, these timers 2
The microcomputer counts the time from when the power is turned on in steps 7 and 28, and prohibits the setting of the write mode after a predetermined time T (for example, 5 minutes or 10 minutes) has elapsed from the start of the count. This is because the mode setting signal is not output from the remote controller 12 and the remote controller 18 is not allowed to receive the mode setting signal.

Therefore, according to the fourth embodiment, after the time T counted by the timers 27 and 28 has elapsed, the setting of the remote controller 18 to the write mode is prohibited.
By substantially limiting the writable time to the T time, the influence of noise can be limited, and the occurrence of data write errors due to noise can be suppressed as compared with the case where the writable time is unlimited. .

In each of the above embodiments, the case where the control terminal is the remote controller 18 has been described. However, this control terminal may be a dedicated terminal for maintenance used by a service person.

The notifying means for notifying that the writing of the EEPROM 11 has been completed is not limited to the display unit 20 of the remote controller 18 as described above, but may be, for example, a buzzer or a display lamp. For example, means for forcibly operating a load such as a fan that does not affect the operation for a certain period of time and notifying may be used.

The memory is not limited to the above-mentioned EEPROM, but may be another rewritable nonvolatile memory or a rewritable RAM which is backed up.

Further, the timer in the fourth embodiment is
In addition to the hardware configuration, it may be a software configuration.

[0057]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the key operation of the control terminal sets the control terminal to the write mode, and stores the minimum data necessary for the water heater in the memory of the control base. Data can be written, eliminating the need for complicated operations such as reading and copying data as in the past, preventing data write errors due to transfer errors, and possibly causing data loss due to long-term power outages. Therefore, it is possible to easily and reliably write data to the memory of the control base using the control terminal, and it is possible to improve the reliability of writing data to the memory.

According to the second and third aspects of the present invention, the control terminal can be set to the write code without operating the keys of the control terminal.

Further, according to the fourth aspect of the present invention,
Since the writable time is limited by the timer, the possibility of being affected by noise can be limited, and data write errors due to noise can be suppressed.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the control terminal is constituted by a remote control of a water heater, data is written using an existing remote control installed in a kitchen or a bathroom at home. Can be prepared without the need for special terminals.

Further, according to the invention described in claim 6,
The provision of the notifying means for notifying the end of the writing of the data to the memory makes it possible to surely know the writing of the data to the memory.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external configuration diagram of the above remote controller.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the above.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the above.

FIG. 5 is a partial block diagram of a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a partial block diagram of a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 control board 11 EEPROM (memory) 12 microcomputer 18 remote controller (control terminal) 19a operation key 19b up key 19c down key 20 display unit 25 MAX / MIN switch 27, 28 timer

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor: Masayoshi Murakami 93, Edo-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe-shi, Hyogo Pref. Inventor: Tadashi Matsubara 93, Edo-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo Pref.

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A water heater control base comprising: a memory for storing data necessary for the water heater; and a microcomputer for controlling writing and reading of the memory and for controlling operation according to a pre-registered control program. A data writing device for writing data to the memory, comprising a control terminal having a plurality of keys and connected to the microcomputer, wherein the writing mode is set by a key operation for mode setting, and A function for sending to the microcomputer at least data necessary for the water heater, which is input by a key operation for data input in the storage mode, to the memory, for a control base of the water heater. Data writer. 2. A water heater control base comprising: a memory for storing data necessary for the water heater; and a microcomputer for controlling writing and reading of the memory and for controlling operation according to a control program registered in advance. A data writing device for writing data to the memory, comprising a control terminal having a plurality of keys and connected to the microcomputer, wherein a predetermined number of electronic components such as switches provided in the water heater main body are provided. A function is set to a writing mode by an operation, and a function is provided for sending to the microcomputer at least data necessary for the water heater, which is input by a key operation for data input in the writing mode, to the memory. A data writing device for a control board of a water heater. 3. A control system for a water heater comprising a memory for storing data necessary for the water heater, and a microcomputer for controlling writing and reading of the memory and for controlling operation according to a control program registered in advance. A data writing device for writing data to the memory, comprising a control terminal having a plurality of keys and connected to the microcomputer, wherein the control terminal is connected to the connection terminal unit. Is set to a writing mode by a mode setting signal output from the microcomputer, and at least data necessary for the water heater, which is input by a key operation for data input in the writing mode, is sent to the microcomputer for writing into the memory. Data writing device for control board of water heater characterized by having function . 4. A timer for counting the time from when the power is turned on is provided, and after a lapse of a predetermined time from the start of counting of the timer, setting of the write mode is prohibited. The data writing device for a control board of a water heater according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: 5. The data writing device for a control board of a water heater according to claim 1, wherein the control terminal comprises a remote controller for the water heater. 6. A notifying means for notifying the end of writing after data necessary for the water heater input by a key operation for data input in a writing mode is sent to the microcomputer and written into the memory. The data writing device for a control board of a water heater according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: