Air-conditioning system

Abstract

An air-conditioning system includes: an air-conditioning device; and a distribution device to distribute an update program to the air-conditioning device, the distribution device being connected to the air-conditioning device via a first network. Preferably, the distribution device is configured to receive distribution of the update program from a network server connected to the distribution device via a second network. The distribution device is configured to perform protocol conversion between a communication method of the first network and a communication method of the second network.

1 . An air-conditioning system comprising:
 an air-conditioning device to store a control program in a nonvolatile manner; and   a distribution device to distribute, to the air-conditioning device, an update program for updating the control program stored in the air-conditioning device in a nonvolatile manner, the distribution device being connected to the air-conditioning device via a first network, wherein   the air-conditioning device includes a plurality of outdoor units commonly connected to one refrigerant circuit,   each of the plurality of outdoor units is configured to replace the pre-update program with the distributed update program either at a timing specified by the distribution device or at a timing when a condition specified by the distribution device is satisfied,   each of the plurality of outdoor units is configured to store the pre-update program and the update program, and   each of the plurality of outdoor units is configured to use the pre-update program without using the update program when the pre-update program fails to be normally updated to the update program in any one of the plurality of outdoor units.   
     
     
         2 . The air-conditioning system according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a network server connected to the distribution device via a second network, wherein   the distribution device is configured to receive distribution of the update program from the network server.   
     
     
         3 . The air-conditioning system according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the distribution device is configured to perform protocol conversion between a communication method of the first network and a communication method of the second network.   
     
     
         4 . The air-conditioning system according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the distribution device collects and stores information necessary for distributing the update program for the air-conditioning device from the air-conditioning device either when the distribution device is powered on or at a constant cycle, and   the network server is configured to access the distribution device, read the information from the distribution device, and distribute the update program according to the information.   
     
     
         5 . The air-conditioning system according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the information includes at least one of a compression method, a data format, and a communication method when the update program is distributed.   
     
     
         6 . The air-conditioning system according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the data format includes a full data format and a differential data format,   the network server is configured to, when the data format is the differential data format, compare the update program with a pre-update program, generate differential data between the update program and the pre-update program and differential position data indicating a position of the differential data, and distribute the generated differential data and the generated differential position data to the distribution device,   the distribution device transfers the differential data and the differential position data to the air-conditioning device, and   the air-conditioning device is configured to restore the update program based on the differential data and the differential position data.   
     
     
         7 . The air-conditioning system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the distribution device is a first distribution device, and the air-conditioning device is a first air-conditioning device,   the air-conditioning system further comprising:   a second air-conditioning device;   a second distribution device corresponding to the second air-conditioning device; and   a network server connected to the first distribution device and the second distribution device via a second network, and   the network server is configured to store a first update program and a second update program respectively corresponding to the first air-conditioning device and the second air-conditioning device, and first information and second information respectively necessary for distributing the first update program and the second update program.   
     
     
         8 . The air-conditioning system according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the network server is configured to distribute a corresponding update program to, out of the first distribution device and the second distribution device, a distribution device corresponding to a rewrite instruction that has been received from an operator or a distribution device corresponding to a rewrite condition that has been established.   
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The air-conditioning system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 when the pre-update program is normally updated to the update program in all of the plurality of outdoor units, each of the plurality of outdoor units is configured to use the update program as the control program and rewrite the pre-update program to the update program.   
     
     
         12 . The air-conditioning system according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a network server connected to the distribution device via a second network, wherein   the network server includes:   a storage device to store the update program; and   a processing device to read the update program from the storage device and automatically distribute the update program to the distribution device, and   the processing device is configured to
 compare versions or time stamps of the update program stored in the storage device and the control program stored in the air-conditioning device in a nonvolatile manner, and 
 distribute the update program to the distribution device when the versions or the time stamps indicate that the update program is newer than the control program. 
   
     
     
         13 . An air-conditioning system comprising:
 an air-conditioning device to store a control program in a nonvolatile manner;   a distribution device to distribute, to the air-conditioning device, an update program for updating the control program stored in the air-conditioning device in a nonvolatile manner, the distribution device being connected to the air-conditioning device via a first network; and   a network server connected to the distribution device via a second network, wherein   the network server includes:   a storage device to store the update program and a pre-update program; and   a processing device to read the update program from the storage device and distribute the update program to the distribution device,   the processing device compares the update program with the pre-update program, and generates differential data between the update program and the pre-update program, a first checksum indicating a checksum of the differential data, and a second checksum indicating a checksum of the entire update program,   the distribution device receives the differential data, the first checksum, and the second checksum from the network server, and transfers the differential data, the first checksum, and the second checksum to the air-conditioning device, and   the air-conditioning device is configured to collate the received differential data using the first checksum, and collate an update program restored from the received differential data using the second checksum.   
     
     
         14 . An air-conditioning system comprising:
 an air-conditioning device to store a control program in a nonvolatile manner;   a distribution device to distribute, to the air-conditioning device, an update program for updating the control program stored in the air-conditioning device in a nonvolatile manner, the distribution device being connected to the air-conditioning device via a first network; and   a network server connected to the distribution device via a second network, wherein   the network server includes:   a storage device to store the update program and the pre-update program; and   a processing device to read the update program from the storage device and distribute the update program to the distribution device, and   the processing device is configured to compare the update program with the pre-update program while a comparison start position is shifted by unit width, add a unit width in which a difference is detected to differential data, and add a position of data of the added unit width to differential position data.   
     
     
         15 . The air-conditioning system according to  claim 14 , wherein
 the air-conditioning device receives the differential data and the differential position data from the network server via the distribution device, and   the air-conditioning device restores the update program using the control program, the differential data, and the differential position data.   
     
     
         16 . The air-conditioning system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the plurality of outdoor units include a main outdoor unit and a subordinate outdoor unit, and   the main outdoor unit is configured to instruct the subordinate outdoor unit to update the control program.   
     
     
         17 . The air-conditioning system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the plurality of outdoor units include a main outdoor unit and a plurality of subordinate outdoor units, and   the main outdoor unit checks whether each of the plurality of subordinate outdoor units has succeeded in updating the control program, and when there is a subordinate outdoor unit that has failed to update, the main outdoor unit instructs all of the plurality of subordinate outdoor units to use the pre-updated program.   
     
     
         18 . The air-conditioning system according to  claim 17 , wherein
 the main outdoor unit checks whether each of the plurality of subordinate outdoor units has successfully updated the control program, and when all the plurality of subordinate outdoor units have successfully updated the control program, the main outdoor unit instructs all the plurality of subordinate outdoor units to back up and store the updated program as the pre-updated program.   
     
     
         19 . The air-conditioning system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a network server connected to the distribution device via a second network, wherein
 the network server comprises   a storage device configured to store the update program, and   a processing unit configured to read the update program from the storage device and automatically distribute the update program to the distribution device.