Digital Services Available from Smart Water Heater

Overview

The Product Technology Development Department of Osaka Gas Marketing Co., Ltd. is working to create new value by equipping gas water heaters with IoT functions.

Purpose of Development

As society is increasingly digitized and various industries shift from goods to services, it is necessary to further improve the value of gas appliances, such as in terms of customer convenience, by enhancing services.
Meanwhile, Ene-Farm and Eco-Jozu are now compatible with IoT, making it possible to add functions and services using smartphone apps or the like even after the device itself goes on sale. In light of these circumstances, we have developed services ancillary to gas appliances with the aim of improving their product appeal.

Development of Voice Control Function for Gas Appliances Using Smart Speaker

By systemically linking a company’s smart speaker server and our gas appliance server via a WebAPI, we have implemented a function to operate gas appliances by voice.

Development of Water Heater Error Notification Function

We have built a database of possible water heater errors and how to deal with them and realized a service that, when an error occurs, informs the customer of how to deal with the error by way of the customer’s smartphone app.

Development of Information Distribution Function to Smartphone App

A push notification function to send relevant messages to gas appliances and certified smartphone apps will be implemented. Convenient ways of using gas appliances for the customer’s specific equipment and other useful information will be delivered.

Development of Family Tracking App Monitoring Hot Water Usage

Data about the amount of hot water supplied by the water heater will be accumulated on the server and distributed to the smartphone app of distant family members as hourly hot water usage history. This function is provided for tracking of elderly family members using an IoT-compatible water heater. Its notable feature is that it delivers hot water usage history regardless of usage location, such as a bathtub, shower, kitchen, and washroom.