# US 11,906,185 B2 · State analyzer system and state analysis device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,906,185 B2 - Document ID: US11906185B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/960,762 - Filed: 2018-01-25 - Published: 2020-10-29 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2018-01-25 - Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation - Applicants: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation - Inventors: Takehiro Koyano; Yasutaka Ochiai; Kosuke Tanaka; Yoshiaki Koizumi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11906185B2 ## CPC - F24F 11/63: Electronic processing - F24F 11/32: Responding to malfunctions or emergencies - F24F 11/38: Failure diagnosis - F24F 11/49: ensuring correct operation, e.g. by trial operation or configuration checks - F25B 13/00: Compression machines, plants or systems, with reversible cycle (defrosting cycles F25B47/02) - F25B 49/005: {of safety devices (F25B49/02 and F25B49/04 take precedence)} - F25B 2313/0314: Temperature sensors near the indoor heat exchanger - F25B 2313/0315: Temperature sensors near the outdoor heat exchanger - F25B 2400/053: between the storage receiver and another part of the system - F25B 2400/054: between the suction tube of the compressor and another part of the cycle - F25B 2500/19: Calculation of parameters - F25B 2700/21152: at the discharge side of the compressor - F25B 2700/21161: of the fluid heated by the condenser - F25B 2700/21171: of the fluid cooled by the evaporator - F24F: AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING (removing dirt or fumes from areas where they are produced B08B15/00; vertical ducts for carrying away waste gases from buildings E04F17/02; tops for chimneys or ventilating shafts, terminals for flues F23L17/02) - F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS ## Abstract A state analysis device and a state analyzer system include a specific state determination unit that determines specific state information representing a state of refrigerant at a specific position in a refrigeration circuit and a normal region determination unit that determines a normal region in a state space within which the specific state information is present when an air-conditioning apparatus operates under a normal state. The state analysis device and the state analyzer system allow a display to display the specific state information and the normal region. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A state analyzer system comprising: an air-conditioning apparatus including a refrigerant circuit including a compressor and an expansion unit, a controller being configured to detect a state of refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit as state data while the compressor is running, and control the compressor and the expansion unit; a state analyzer device comprising a processor, and a display, the processor of the state analyzer device being configured to: acquire the state data and control data from the controller of the air-conditioning apparatus, determine and continuously update a plurality of pieces of specific state information by using the state data and the control data, the control data indicating a content of control performed by the controller, the plurality of pieces of specific state information each representing, as a point, a state of the refrigerant at each of a plurality of specific positions in the refrigeration circuit, and being located in a state space defined by a pressure of the refrigerant and an enthalpy; determine, by using the state data and the control data, a plurality of normal regions in the state space within which each of the plurality of pieces of specific state information is present when the air-conditioning apparatus operates under a normal state; and control the display to display a diagnostic image including the plurality of pieces of specific state information of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit as the compressor is running, and simultaneously superimposed thereon the plurality of normal regions determined by the state analyzer device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The state analyzer system of claim 1, wherein the processor of the state analyzer device is further configured to: based on a positional relationship of each of the plurality of pieces of specific state information and a corresponding one of the plurality of normal regions, determine whether the air-conditioning apparatus has an abnormality. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The state analyzer system of claim 2, wherein the processor of the state analyzer device is further configured to determine that the air-conditioning apparatus has the abnormality when at least one of the plurality of pieces of specific state information is present outside of the corresponding one of the normal regions. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The state analyzer system of claim 2, wherein the processor of the state analyzer device is further configured to control the display to display information indicating that the abnormality occurs in the air-conditioning apparatus when at least one of the plurality of pieces of specific state information is present outside of the corresponding one of the normal regions. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The state analyzer system of any one of claim 2, wherein the processor of the state analyzer device is configured to identify a factor of the abnormality in the air-conditioning apparatus, based on the positional relationship of each of the plurality of pieces of specific state information and the corresponding one of the plurality of normal regions, and control the display to display information indicating the factor of the abnormality in the air-conditioning apparatus identified by the state analyzer device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The state analyzer system of claim 5, wherein the refrigerant circuit includes a condenser and an evaporator, and the processor of the state analyzer device identifies, as the factor of the abnormality in the air-conditioning apparatus, at least one of: an abnormality in an amount of refrigerant enclosed in the refrigerant circuit; an abnormality in the condenser or the evaporator; an abnormality in the compressor; an abnormality in which liquid refrigerant flows into the compressor; an abnormality in the expansion unit; and an abnormality in which the refrigerant circuit has a clogging portion. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The state analyzer system of claim 5, wherein the refrigerant circuit includes a condenser and an evaporator, the air-conditioning apparatus has fans each being attached to the condenser and the evaporator, and the processor of the state analyzer device identifies, as the factor of the abnormality in the air-conditioning apparatus, at least one of: an abnormality in the fan attached to the condenser; and an abnormality in the fan attached to the evaporator. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The state analyzer system of claim 1, wherein the processor of the state analyzer device is further configured to control the display to display the diagnostic image including, not only the plurality of pieces of specific state information and the plurality of normal regions but also an isothermal line indicating a temperature of an environment in which the air-conditioning apparatus is installed. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The state analyzer system of claim 1, further comprising: a storage device configured to store the state data and the control data, wherein the processor of the state analyzer device is further configured to accumulate the plurality of pieces of specific state information in the storage device or a server apparatus provided outside the air-conditioning apparatus for a preset certain period, and control the display to display the diagnostic image including a plurality of current pieces of specific state information and a plurality of past pieces of the specific state information. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The state analyzer system of claim 1, wherein the display is provided in at least one of a remote controller, a centralized management apparatus, a mobile phone, and a personal computer that are informationally connected to the air-conditioning apparatus. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The state analyzer system of claim 1, further comprising: a storage device configured to store the state data and the control data, wherein the processor of the state analyzer device is further configured to determine the normal region by using the state data and the control data accumulated in the storage device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The state analyzer system of claim 1, wherein the processor of the state analyzer device is further configured to accumulate the state data and the control data in a server apparatus provided outside the air-conditioning apparatus, and determine the normal region by using the state data and the control data accumulated in the server apparatus. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The state analyzer system of claim 1, wherein the processor of the state analyzer device is further configured to determine the normal region by using information on design specifications of the air-conditioning apparatus. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The state analyzer system of claim 1, wherein the processor of the state analyzer device is further configured to determine the normal region based on machine learning using the state data and the control data. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The state analyzer system of claim 1, wherein the processor of the state analyzer device is further configured to determine, as each of the normal regions, a plurality of regions to be determined depending on a degree of the abnormality in the air-conditioning apparatus, wherein in each of the normal regions, a point of relatively large degree of abnormality of the air-conditioning apparatus is on outside, around points of relatively small degree of abnormality on inside. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The state analyzer system of claim 15, wherein the refrigerant circuit includes a condenser, the processor of the state analyzer device is further configured to determine each of the specific state information including: inlet information indicating a state of refrigerant at an inlet of the compressor; outlet information indicating a state of refrigerant at an outlet of the compressor; and condensation information indicating a state of refrigerant at an outlet of the condenser, and determine each of the normal regions including: an inlet region where the inlet information is present when the air-conditioning apparatus operates under the normal state; an outlet region where the outlet information is present when the air-conditioning apparatus operates under the normal state; and a condensation region where the condensation information is present when the air-conditioning apparatus operates under the normal state. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The state analyzer system of claim 1, wherein the processor of the state analyzer device is further configured to analyze a state of the air-conditioning apparatus when a state analysis is requested from an outside. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The state analyzer system of claim 1, wherein the processor of the state analyzer device is further configured to analyze a state of the air-conditioning apparatus at regular time intervals. ### Claim 19 A state analyzer system comprising: an air-conditioning apparatus including a refrigerant circuit including a compressor and an expansion unit, the air-conditioning apparatus being configured to detect a state of refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit as state data while the compressor is running, and a controller configured to control the compressor and the expansion unit; and a state analyzer device comprising a processor, the processor of the state analyzer device being configured to: acquire the state data and control data from the controller of the air-conditioning apparatus, determine and continuously update a plurality of pieces of specific state information by using the state data and the control data, the control data indicating a content of control performed by the controller, the plurality of pieces of specific state information each representing, as a point, a state of the refrigerant at each of a plurality of specific positions in the refrigeration circuit, and being located in a state space defined by a pressure of the refrigerant and an enthalpy; determine, by using the state data and the control data, a plurality of normal regions in the state space within which each of the plurality of pieces of specific state information is present when the air-conditioning apparatus operates under a normal state; and based on a positional relationship of each of the plurality of pieces of specific state information of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit as the compressor is running and the corresponding one of the plurality of normal regions, determine whether the air-conditioning apparatus has an abnormality. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The state analyzer system of claim 19, wherein the processor of the state analyzer device is further configured to determine that the air-conditioning apparatus has the abnormality when at least one of the plurality of pieces of specific state information is present outside of the corresponding one of the normal regions. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The state analyzer system of claim 20, further comprising: an output configured to output a result processed by the state analyzer device, wherein the processor of the state analyzer device is further configured to control the output to output information indicating that the abnormality occurs in the air-conditioning apparatus when at least one of the plurality of pieces of specific state information is present outside of the corresponding one of the normal regions. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The state analyzer system of claim 19, further comprising: an output configured to output information on a result processed by the state analyzer device, wherein the processor of the state analyzer device is configured to identify a factor of the abnormality in the air-conditioning apparatus, based on the positional relationship of each of the plurality of pieces of specific state information and the corresponding one of the normal regions, and control the output to output information indicating the factor of the abnormality in the air-conditioning apparatus identified by the state analyzer device. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The state analyzer system of claim 21, wherein the output includes a display, and the processor of the state analyzer device is further configured to control the display to display a diagnostic image including the plurality of pieces of specific state information and the corresponding one of the plurality of normal regions determined by the state analyzer device. ### Claim 24 A state analysis device that analyzes a state of an air-conditioning apparatus by using state data and control data and controls a display, which is provided outside, to display an analysis result, the air-conditioning apparatus including a refrigerant circuit including a compressor and an expansion unit and a controller configured to control the compressor and the expansion unit, the state data indicating a state of refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit while the compressor is running, the control data indicating a content of control performed by the controller, the state analysis device comprising a processor being configured to: acquire the state data and the control data from the controller of the air-conditioning apparatus, determine and continuously update specific state information by using the state data and the control data, the plurality of pieces of specific state information each representing, as a point, a state of the refrigerant at each of a plurality of specific positions in the refrigeration circuit, and being located in a state space defined by a pressure of refrigerant and an enthalpy; determine, by using the state data and the control data, a plurality of normal regions in the state space within which each of the plurality of pieces of specific state information is present when the air-conditioning apparatus operates under a normal state; and control the display to display a diagnostic image including the plurality of pieces of specific state information of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit as the compressor is running, and simultaneously superimposed thereon a plurality of normal regions.