WO2001071692A2

WO2001071692A2 - A remote assistance and management system for household appliances in particular gas boilers for heating purposes

Info

Publication number: WO2001071692A2
Application number: PCT/EP2001/003064
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ruggero Marchetti
Original assignee: Merloni Termosanitari S.P.A.
Priority date: 2000-03-20
Filing date: 2001-03-16
Publication date: 2001-09-27
Also published as: DE60105400T2; PT1266490E; ATE275782T1; WO2001071692A3; EP1266490A2; DE60105400D1; ES2227204T3; AU6379201A; IT1315618B1; ITMO20000048A1; EP1266490B1

Abstract

This invention describes a system involving the remote-controlled assistance and management of household appliances, in a broad sense of the term, and in particular a boiler (1) for heating purposes. A plurality of connections (A), which are remote and bi-directional, run between a plurality of entities including, for example, a user device (2), a technical assistance centre (3), data traffic processing and management centre (4) and a statistics database (5).

Description

DESCRIPTION

A remote assistance and management system for household appliances of various typologies supplied with energy from the electricity mains, in particular gas boilers for heating purposes.

Technical field

The invention relates to a remote assistance and management system for household appliances of various typologies supplied with energy from the electricity mains, in particular boilers used for heating rooms and/or water to be used for sanitary purposes, hereinafter referred to as 'a boiler'.

Background Art

The current availability of technologies suitable for the transmission of data, even in a written form, such as the transmission via standard type cellular ether, for example GSM, or the Internet, opens up remarkable operative possibilities in the field of the management of all normal household appliances that are supplied with energy from the electricity mains such as the apparatus generally called 'white goods', heating and air- conditioning apparatus and heaters for water for sanitary purposes and suchlike. Various systems have already been designed which can enable household appliances to send out to both users and assistance centres, signals used to make certain functioning statuses explicit. The said commonly known systems envisage designs with different complexities, in fact, they range from an extremely simple system capable of sending out only signals such as the on/off type up to systems capable of sending communications of a far more complex kind, even via ether.

All the systems of this kind known today, however, have the drawback that the aforementioned remote signal transmission is only unidirectional, from the apparatus outwards, whether towards the user or the assistance centres. Obviously, in this way, it is doubtlessly practical to receive a malfunction or breakdown signal for a given apparatus from a distance, it is impossible to intervene on a practical level to resolve or to attempt to resolve the dysfunction.

Furthermore, a further drawback of the commonly known remote transmission systems which are uniquely unidirectional towards the exterior is constituted by the fact that it is impossible to take direct action on the apparatus to vary, from a distance, certain functioning parameters. To give an example, think how useful it would be to be able to take action from a distance to vary the heating temperature set. With regards to this, it is important to point out that the possibility of acting from a distance on the functioning methods of a household appliance would not only be useful but would also help to prevent energy being wasted.

Think of the costs of the technical assistance which involves first the technician coming to discover the nature of the problem and then returning with the relevant spare parts and instructions for the repair.

Disclosure of Invention

The main aim of this invention is to eliminate the aforementioned drawbacks and to make available the embodiment of a remote transmission system for data for the functioning of a household appliance, in particular a boiler, wherein the aforesaid remote transmission can take place from outside the domestic environment in which the said apparatus is installed.

In particular, the remote assistance and management system for household appliances of various typologies, in particular boilers, in question in the present invention - the said system being ofthe kind designed to permit the remote transmission of a plurality of data regarding the functioning of the aforementioned apparatus outwards from the domestic environment in which the apparatus is installed - is characterised by the fact that it enables the boiler to receive remote signals from the exterior, the said boiler being designed to modify one or more of its functioning modes as a result of the reception ofthe said signals from one or more external entities.

These and other characteristics of the invention will better emerge in the description of a preferred embodiment illustrated, provided in the form of a non-limiting example, in the drawing table attached, in which figure 1 shows a functional diagram of the system in question in the present invention.

With reference to the figure, 1 denotes the boiler of a piece of heating equipment and 2 a user connected with the said boiler, the said boiler being equipped with an internal memory circuit for both recent data and the last critical functioning transients. The said internal memory circuit can constitute an element apart, detached from the electronic card with which the said boiler is fitted, this being intentional so that the said circuit can constitute an optional piece of equipment. The said boiler and its relative user are connected by means of a connection

Al.

A technical assistance centre 3 is connected both directly to the boiler 1 by means of a connection A2 and a data traffic management processing centre

4 by means of a connection A3.

The data traffic management processing centre 4 is connected to the boiler

1 by means of a connection A4 and to the user 2 by means of a connection

A5. A statistic database 5 is connected to the data traffic management processing centre 4 by means of a connection A6. All the connections from

Al to A6 are remote and bi-directional and can be realised either via telephone cable or via ether e.g. using GSM technology, or via Internet.

With regards to the connection, within the domestic environment, between the electronic card installed inside the boiler 1 and the means, also installed in the same domestic environment, designed to send out all the remote transmissions, this can also be realised using currently known technology called 'conveyed wave' technology, which enables the transmission of signals via the normal electricity mains. There will now follow a description of the functioning of the system in question in the present invention using the references indicated in the figure.

By means of the connection Al, the user 2 can receive functioning and shutdown signals from the boiler 1 and it can, still using the connection Al, send the said boiler remote reprogramming commands for the on/ofif times for the temperature of the room heating and the water heating and for the summer/winter switch. The boiler 1, by means of the connection A4, sends the data traffic management processing centre 4 any signal regarding its own functioning for the most recent period on a regular basis and/or a request for a check and/or in the event of an anomaly. All the signals sent out by the boiler 1 are accompanied by the code number used to identify the said boiler. With regards to this, it should be highlighted that the treatment of the data and the information coming from the domestic environment takes place in conformity with the laws in force in every nation to protect the privacy of its citizens.

The same signals that the boiler 1 sends to the data traffic management processing centre 4 are also sent, by means of the connection A2, to the technical assistance centre 3. By means of the connection A3, this latter is informed ofthe data and can process the statistics regarding the life of the boiler 1 that are supplied to the data traffic management processing centre 4 by the statistics database 5 via the relative connection A6. The centre 4 can process and transmit to the technical assistance centre 3 the most suitable procedure to identify the nature of the problem in any specific case. Although the boiler 1 sends the said signals to the said external entities 2, 3, 4, and 5 on a regular basis or when required, it may also be useful for the boiler 1 to have a means capable of storing recent data, for example, from the last twenty-four hours, and also the last critical functioning transients of the said boiler so that these can be immediately available for the technical assistance service in the event of an inspection.

The said suitable signals are useful to be able to understand whether there are any functioning anomalies which are indications of potentially imminent breakdowns.

This preventative action can also be aimed towards understanding the reason for the occurrence of various malfunctions: the technical assistance centre could re-enter the new data from the breakdown research into the system's memory, the said data being useful for the technical assistance service for future reference, as well as receiving the suitable part of the procedure to follow each time it or the boiler is called. In addition to the aforementioned preventative assistance action, it is also possible for the technical assistance centre 3 to intervene to attempt to resolve the malfunctions or shutdowns that that have actually occurred and are not simply those envisaged.

In fact, it could occur that, for example, there is a volatile shutdown in the boiler 1, and this shutdown could be resolved with the relevant signals being sent. This possibihty of remote intervention can prevent the need for a physical intervention by the assistance service.

With regards to the technical assistance centre 3, it should be noted that the parameters set by the user 2 both for the boiler and for the room thermostat could be modified provisionally from a remote position, via ether or via the telephone line, in order to carry out the functioning test: once the intervention has been completed, when the technical assistance centre 3 disconnects, all the parameters set by the user 2 will be automatically restored. The staff employed in the technical assistance centre 3 can also carry out, again from a remote position, via ether or via the telephone line, the routine checks on the boiler's functioning which are required by law and which consist ofthe checks of both the performance and the hygiene levels ofthe combustion via the ionisation current or other means. However, it should be noted that the data traffic management processing centre 4 always maintains a higher position in the hierarchy than the technical assistance centre 3. According to this hierarchical set-up, the data traffic management processing centre 4 can pass on to the boiler 1, via the connection A4 , the same data that can be sent to the said boiler by the technical assistance centre 3, by means ofthe relative connection A2. It should also be noted that the aforementioned hierarchical set-up in which the said data traffic management processing centre in a pre-eminent position grants this latter the power to delete or modify the signals sent to the boiler 1 by the technical assistance centre 3: in fact, via the connection A3, this latter transmits all the data sent out by the boiler itself to the data traffic management processing centre. All the information the data traffic management processing centre possesses is transmitted by this latter to the statistics database 5 by means of the relevant connection A6. This database also processes the information about the boiler l's preferential user bands and the said data can be organised according to the family it belongs to: think, for example, ofthe possibility of subdividing the said preferential user bands according to the professions of the users. Remember, once again, the importance of the of the fact that all this data is handled in compliance with the laws on privacy. There will now follow, in a generally summary form, a description of some of the numerous operative possibihties offered for the system in question in the present invention by the remote signals entering the boiler 1. - the heating program can be modified including, for example, variations T EP01/03064

in room temperature, "summer/winter" mode or heating times;

- attempts can be made to restore the unit from a distance in the event of a volatile shutdown due to, for example, a gust of wind or a momentary gas failure;

- the water system can be refilled from a distance;

- interventions in the event of shutdowns caused by parameters oscillating around the limit, for example, overheating of the exchanger or a low ionisation current; - interventions due to sensors creeping in the event, for example, of the ionisation current dropping or the temperature ofthe exchanger rising;

- general modifications can be made to the functioning parameters set by the technical assistance centre when the unit is switched on.

A first and main advantage of the system in question in the present invention is represented by the bi-directionahty of the plurahty of the connections A.

A further advantage is represented by the preventative function carried out by the technical assistance centre 3, with the result that certain causes of potential shutdowns ofthe boiler 1 can be predicted, and moreover, certain emergency situations can be resolved without having to interact physically to carry out assistance.

A still further advantage ofthe system in question in the present invention is the possibility ofthe user 2 taking action from a distance with regards to the functioning ofthe boiler 1. A still further advantage is represented by the economical savings made in the management ofthe said boiler, thanks to the plurahty of remote signals and commands that can be sent to the said boiler from both the user and the technical assistance centre.

A still further advantage is represented by the presence of the statistic database 5 whose operations can be used as a basis with which to establish customised functioning parameters for each individual boiler 1 , with considerable results in terms of energy saving.

Claims

Claims A remote assistance and management system for household apphances of various typologies supplied with energy from the electricity mains, in particular boilers (1), the said system being of the kind designed to allow the remote communication of a plurality of data regarding the functioning of the aforementioned apparatus towards the exterior from the domestic environment in which they are installed, wherein the said system permits the boiler (1) to receive the remote signals from outside; the said boiler being designed to modify one or more of its functioning statuses as a result of the reception of the said signals from one or more external entities. A system according to claim 1, wherein the said external entities (2,

3,

4 and 5) are composed of one or more bodies such as, for example, a user (2), a technical assistance system (3), a data traffic management processing centre (4) and a statistics database

(5), all connected together and with the boiler (1) by a plurahty of remote connections (A), all the said connections being bi-directional. A system according to claims 1) and 2), wherein all the connections (A) can be realised either via telephone cable or via ether, for example, using GSM technology, or via the Internet. A system according to claims 1) and 2) and 3), wherein the user (2) receives remote functioning and shutdown signals for the boiler (1) and sends remote reprograrnming signals for the times, temperatures and summer/winter modes ofthe said boiler. A system according to claims 1), 2) and 3), wherein the technical assistance centre (3) receives any type of remote signals and sends remote signals regarding, preferably but not exclusively, the re-setting of the boiler l's functioning parameters while the said boiler is functioning and attempts to either release the said boiler when it is in shutdown or to resolve its malfunctions in general.

6. A system according to the previous claims 1), 2) and 3), wherein a data traffic management processing centre (4) receives all the said remote signals received from the technical assistance centre (3) and sends the same type of signals as the said technical assistance centre.

7. A system according to the previous claim 1), 2), 3) and 6), wherein the data traffic management processing centre (4) maintains a hierarchical position of superiority in relation to the technical assistance centre (3); this hierarchical pre-erninence allows the aforementioned data traffic management processing centre to delete or modify the signals sent to the boiler (1) directly from the technical assistance centre (3).

8. A system according to claims 1), 2) and 3), wherein the statistics database (5) receives and processes any type of information regarding the boiler (1), from data concerning the construction of this said boiler to data regarding its good functioning, the degrading of the parameters, shutdown and any maintenance interventions.

9. A system according to claim 1), wherein the electronic card with which the boiler (1) is equipped can contain storage means for the data collected after the last transmission and or the most recent data, for example, from the last twenty-four hours, regarding the functioning of the said boiler; these storage means being also capable of storing information regarding the last critical functioning transients ofthe said boiler. A system according to claims 1) and 9), wherein the circuiting of the memory both for the recent data and for the last critical functioning transients of boiler 1 can constitute an element apart since it is not bound to the electronic card with which the said boiler is fitted, this being intentional so that the said circuit constitutes an optional piece of equipment.