JP2020051696A - Air conditioning system and air conditioning method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide comfortable air-conditioning for a concentrated user.SOLUTION: An air conditioning system 10 comprises: a body motion detection device 48 that detects an amount of user motion; an activity amount estimation unit 54 that estimates an activity amount of a user based on the amount of motion; an air conditioner 20 that adjusts air conditioning by changing at least one of a temperature, a wind direction and a wind speed based on the activity amount; and an instruction input unit 46 for the user to issue an instruction to switch between a first operation control mode and a second operation control mode. In the activity amount estimation unit 54, the activity amount estimated in the second operation control mode is larger than the activity amount estimated in the first operation control mode.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to an air conditioning system and an air conditioning method for performing air conditioning in a room where a user exists.

  BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, an air conditioner that detects a user's activity amount and performs air conditioning based on the detected activity amount is known (for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2008-215764 A

  However, in the case of the air conditioner of Patent Document 1, the activity amount based on the movement of the user's body is used as an index. Therefore, it has not been possible to provide comfortable air conditioning to a user who feels hot by concentrating on intellectual work and the like.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide comfortable air conditioning even for a user who concentrates on intelligent work.

To solve the above-mentioned problem, according to one embodiment of the present invention,
An air conditioning system that performs air conditioning in a room where a user is present and performs air conditioning operation in at least a first operation control mode and a second operation control mode,
A body motion detection device that detects an amount of the user's motion,
An activity amount estimating unit that estimates an activity amount of the user based on the amount of the movement,
An air conditioner that adjusts air conditioning by changing at least one of the temperature, the wind direction, and the wind speed based on the activity amount,
An instruction input unit for the user to give an instruction to switch between the first operation control mode and the second operation control mode,
The activity amount estimating unit is characterized in that the activity amount estimated in the second operation control mode is larger than the activity amount estimated in the first operation control mode, Provided.

According to another aspect of the present invention,
Air-condition the room where the user is located,
An air conditioning method for performing air conditioning of at least a first operation control mode and a second operation control mode,
Detecting the amount of movement of the user,
Estimating the amount of activity of the user based on the amount of the movement,
Performing air conditioning that adjusts air conditioning by changing at least one of temperature, wind direction and wind speed based on the activity amount,
The activity amount estimated in the second operation control mode is larger than the activity amount estimated in the first operation control mode,
An air conditioning method is provided.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, comfortable air conditioning can be provided to the user who concentrates on intelligent work.

Schematic diagram of an air conditioning system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention The figure which shows schematically the structure of the air conditioner in an air conditioning system Block diagram of air conditioning system The figure which shows the several air-conditioning target area | region which is the area | region which divided the air-conditionable area | region of the air conditioner into a plurality. Diagram showing changes in thermal sensation of a user in a concentrated state Diagram showing changes in user's thermal sensation during concentrated mode operation FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a change in a user's body temperature during the concentrated mode driving Flow chart showing an example of the flow of operation when the air conditioner is operating in the centralized mode. Flow chart showing another example of the flow of operation when the air conditioner of the air conditioning system is operating in the centralized mode. Flow chart showing an example of the flow of operation when the air-conditioning apparatus of the air-conditioning system according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention operates in the centralized mode. Flow chart showing an example of the flow of operation when the air-conditioning apparatus of the air-conditioning system according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention operates in the centralized mode.

  An air conditioning system according to one embodiment of the present invention is an air conditioning system that performs air conditioning in a room where a user is present and performs air conditioning operation in at least a first operation control mode and a second operation control mode. A body motion detection device that detects an amount of movement, an activity amount estimating unit that estimates an activity amount of the user based on the amount of movement, and at least one of a temperature, a wind direction, and a wind speed based on the activity amount An air conditioner that adjusts air conditioning by changing the air conditioner; and an instruction input unit for the user to issue an instruction to switch between the first operation control mode and the second operation control mode, The estimating unit is characterized in that the activity amount estimated in the second operation control mode is larger than the activity amount estimated in the first operation control mode, and the air conditioning corresponding to the activity amount Rolling is performed.

  Here, the amount of movement of the user corresponds to the amount of movement of the body part of the user. As will be described later, the estimation may be performed using the movement amount of the body part of the user. Alternatively, the estimation may be performed using the acceleration and the speed or acceleration of the movement of the body part of the user.

  According to such an aspect, comfortable air conditioning can be provided to a user who concentrates on intelligent work.

  For example, when the activity amount is higher than a predetermined value before the instruction input unit is instructed to switch from the first operation control mode to the second operation control mode, the second operation control The first operation control mode may be maintained without switching to the mode. Thereby, comfortable air conditioning corresponding to the amount of activity can be provided to a user who is not performing intellectual work indoors and performing a task with a large amount of activity.

  For example, after the instruction input unit is instructed to switch the operation control mode, the activity amount estimated in the second operation control mode is smaller than the activity amount when the operation control mode switching is instructed. When rising, the air conditioner may end the second operation control mode. This suppresses providing unnecessary air conditioning to the user who has lost concentration.

  For example, the air-conditioning system further includes a position information acquisition unit that acquires at least a direction in which the user is present with respect to the air-conditioning apparatus, and the second operation control mode is performed around a position where the user is present. The air conditioning operation may be performed.

  For example, the position information acquisition unit may divide the room into a plurality of areas and detect which of the plurality of areas the position where the user is located. Thereby, an unnecessary air-conditioning operation is performed for another user who has not issued an instruction to switch between the first operation control mode and the second operation control mode, and the other user may feel uncomfortable. Is suppressed.

  For example, the body motion detection device is an acceleration measurement device that is attached to the user and measures acceleration, and the activity amount estimating unit may estimate an activity amount of the user based on a change in acceleration. . Thereby, the activity amount can be estimated based on the user's fine movement.

  For example, in the air-conditioning operation in the second operation control mode, a predetermined start condition is satisfied after the instruction input unit is instructed to switch from the first operation control mode to the second operation control mode. Then, it may be started.

  For example, the predetermined start condition is a condition that is satisfied when a predetermined first time elapses after the instruction input unit is instructed to switch from the first operation control mode to the second operation control mode. It may be.

  For example, the predetermined start condition is such that the activity amount estimated by the activity amount estimating unit after the instruction input unit is instructed to switch from the first operation control mode to the second operation control mode. May be satisfied when the value of decreases.

  For example, the air conditioning system includes a body temperature measurement unit that measures the body temperature of the user, and the predetermined start condition is satisfied when the body temperature of the user increases from the body temperature at the time of the switching instruction to a predetermined temperature. It may be a condition.

  For example, after the air conditioner has been instructed to switch from the first operation control mode to the second operation control mode by the instruction input unit, the user may continue to operate until the predetermined second time elapses. A pre-cooling operation for reducing the thermal sensation may be performed. Thereby, a cold stimulus can be given to the user, and the concentration of the user can be increased.

  An air conditioning method according to another aspect of the present invention is an air conditioning method for performing air conditioning in a room where a user is present and performing air conditioning in at least a first operation control mode and a second operation control mode. Detecting the amount of movement, estimating the amount of activity of the user based on the amount of movement, performing air conditioning for adjusting air conditioning by changing at least one of temperature, wind direction and wind speed based on the amount of activity ( Correcting any one of the temperature, the wind direction and the wind speed based on the activity amount, and performing air conditioning for adjusting the air conditioning.), Comparing the activity amount estimated in the first operation control mode with the second Is characterized in that the activity amount estimated in the operation control mode is larger, and the air conditioning operation corresponding to the activity amount is executed.

  According to such an aspect, comfortable air conditioning can be provided to a user who concentrates on intelligent work.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 schematically shows an air conditioning system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 schematically shows a configuration of the air conditioner in the air conditioning system.

  As shown in FIG. 1, an air conditioning system 10 according to Embodiment 1 is a system that air-conditions a room S in which a user W is present. It is configured to be able to provide comfortable air conditioning.

  For that purpose, the air conditioning system 10 includes an air conditioner 20 that performs air conditioning of the room S.

  As shown in FIG. 2, in the case of the first embodiment, the air conditioner 20 includes an indoor unit 22 and an outdoor unit 24. As shown in FIG. 1, the indoor unit 22 of the air conditioner 20 is installed in the room S. The outdoor unit 24 is installed outside the room. The user W of the air conditioner 20 exists in the room S where the indoor unit 22 is installed.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the air conditioner 20 includes an indoor heat exchanger 26 provided in the indoor unit 22, an outdoor heat exchanger 28 provided in the outdoor unit 24, a compressor 30 for compressing the refrigerant, It has a four-way valve 32 for switching the flow direction of the refrigerant, an expansion valve 34 for reducing the pressure of the refrigerant, and a refrigerant pipe 36 connecting these. The indoor unit 22 includes an indoor fan 38 that blows air that has exchanged heat with the indoor heat exchanger 26 into the room, and an upper and lower louver 40 that changes the direction of air (airflow AF) sent from the indoor unit 22. And left and right louvers 42 are provided. Further, the outdoor unit 24 is provided with an outdoor fan 44 that blows air after heat exchange with the outdoor heat exchanger 28 to the outside.

  FIG. 2 shows a state of the air conditioner 20 during the cooling operation. During the cooling operation, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 30 passes through the four-way valve 32, the outdoor heat exchanger 28, the expansion valve 34, the indoor heat exchanger 26, and the four-way valve 32, and returns to the compressor 30. On the other hand, during the heating operation, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 30 passes through the four-way valve 32, the indoor heat exchanger 26, the expansion valve 34, the outdoor heat exchanger 28, and the four-way valve 32, and returns to the compressor 30. .

  The indoor fan 38 blows air cooled by heat exchange with the indoor heat exchanger 26 toward the room S during the cooling operation, and blows air heated by heat exchange with the indoor heat exchanger 26 during the heating operation. I do.

  The upper and lower louvers 40 and the left and right louvers 42 change the directions of the airflow AF (air after heat exchange with the indoor heat exchanger 26) blown from the indoor unit 22 toward the room S in the vertical and horizontal directions.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the air conditioning system.

  As illustrated in FIG. 3, the air conditioning system 10 includes a remote controller 46, a human body detection sensor 48, and a control device 50 for controlling the air conditioning device 20 based on the amount of activity of the user W. In the case of the first embodiment, control device 50 of air conditioning system 10 is a control device of air conditioning device 20 itself.

  The remote controller 46 functions as an instruction input unit of the air-conditioning system 10 and is a controller for the user W to remotely operate the air-conditioning apparatus 20.

  The human body detection sensor 48 is a sensor for detecting the user W in the room S, and specifically functions as a body motion detection device for detecting the amount of user's motion. In the case of the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the human body detection sensor 48 is mounted on the indoor unit 22 of the air conditioner 20. The human body detection sensor 48 includes a plurality of infrared sensor elements having different detection areas. Each of the infrared sensor elements detects, for example, infrared rays radiated from a human body, the presence or absence of a human body is determined based on a pulse signal output according to a change in the amount of detected infrared rays, and is output to the control device 50. It is configured. The control device 50 determines the amount of activity based on the frequency of the activity based on the pulse signal corresponding to the change in the amount of infrared light and the size of the area for the infrared sensor element where the amount of change is detected.

  Further, the air conditioning system 10 has a position information acquisition unit. The position information acquisition unit acquires at least a direction in which the user exists with respect to the air conditioner. In the present embodiment, the human body detection sensor 48 also functions as a position information acquisition unit. That is, the distance between the region of the room S detected by each of the plurality of infrared sensor elements and the air conditioner 20 is different, and the optical axes of the infrared sensor elements are provided at mutually twisted positions. Thereby, the room S can be divided into a plurality of air conditioning target areas A to H as shown in FIG. Such a human body detection sensor 48 clarifies the relationship between the air conditioning target areas A to H and the activity amount. That is, it is determined at which position of the air conditioning target areas A to H the activity amount occurs.

  The control device 50 is, for example, a circuit board mounted on the indoor unit 22 of the air conditioner 20, a storage device such as a memory storing a program and the like, and a CPU operating according to the program stored in the storage device. And the like. Thus, the control device 50 includes the driving control unit 52, the activity amount estimating unit 54, and the driving condition determining unit 56 (the processor operating according to the program stored in the storage device 58 functions as these).

  As shown in FIG. 3, the operation control unit 52 of the control device 50 controls the compressor 30, the indoor fan 38, the upper and lower louvers 40, and the left and right louvers 42 based on a user W's instruction input to the remote controller 46. The air conditioning operation for the room S is configured to be performed. For example, when the set temperature is input to the remote controller 46, the operation control unit 52 of the control device 50 executes an air conditioning operation that maintains the room temperature at the set temperature. For this purpose, a temperature sensor (not shown) for measuring the indoor temperature is provided, for example, in the indoor unit 22.

  In addition, the operation control unit 52 of the control device 50 is configured to be able to perform air conditioning of the room S based on the amount of activity of the user W. Specifically, the activity amount estimation unit 54 estimates the activity amount of the user W based on the detection result of the human body detection sensor 48, and the driving condition determination unit 56 determines the driving condition based on the estimated activity amount. The operation control unit 52 performs the air-conditioning operation based on the determined operation conditions. The air conditioning operation based on this activity amount (the air conditioning operation in the first operation control mode) will be described.

  First, the amount of activity is an index indicating the intensity of a person's movement (that is, the size of the movement per unit time). The larger the amount, the more intense the movement, and thus the higher the thermal sensation of the person. The term “thermal sensation” here refers to a person's sense of temperature such as “hot”, “warm”, “comfortable”, “cool”, or “cold”.

  The activity amount estimating unit 54 is configured to estimate such an activity amount based on the detection result of the human body detection sensor 48. In the case of the first embodiment, the activity amount estimating unit 54 is configured to classify and estimate the activity amount into four levels. Specifically, the activity amount is classified into a “rest” level, a “small” level, a “medium” level, and a “large” level.

  The “rest” level activity amount is an activity amount when a person stays at the same place without substantially moving his / her body, for example, relaxing on a sofa or watching TV. In this case, a person feels cold because the metabolic rate decreases.

  The “small” level activity amount is, for example, an activity amount when only the upper body is partially moving while staying at the same place, such as having a meal. In this case, there is no significant change in metabolism, and the person is neither hot nor cold.

  The “medium” level activity amount is an activity amount when the user is moving in a narrow range while using the whole body, such as cooking. In this case, the metabolic rate increases slightly, and the person feels slightly hot.

  The activity level at the “large” level is the activity level when moving in a wide range while using the whole body, for example, when cleaning the room.In this case, the metabolic rate increases and the person becomes hot. feel.

  The activity amount estimating unit 54 estimates the activity amount of the user W based on, for example, the reaction frequency of each of the plurality of infrared sensor elements in the human body detection sensor 48, that is, the frequency of detecting a change in the amount of infrared light and outputting a signal. .

  First, the activity amount estimating unit 54 indicates that among a plurality of infrared sensor elements of the human body detection sensor 48, there is an infrared sensor element whose reaction frequency is less than 5 times per 2 minutes and whose state continues for 30 minutes or more. In this case, the detection area is estimated to be a “rest” area where the user W having an activity amount of the “rest” level can exist.

  In addition, the activity amount estimation unit 54 determines that “the total reaction frequency of all the infrared sensor elements is 40 times or more per 2 minutes and the response frequency of at least one infrared sensor element is 5 times or more per 2 minutes. The area excluding the “rest” area is estimated to be a “high-activity” area in which a user W having a “high” level of activity can exist.

  Furthermore, when the total reaction frequency of all the infrared sensor elements is less than 40 times per 2 minutes, the activity amount estimating unit 54 sets the detection area of the infrared sensor element whose reaction frequency is 5 times or more per 2 minutes to “medium”. It is estimated that the user is in the “medium activity amount” area where the user W having the level activity amount may exist.

  Then, the activity amount estimating unit 54 estimates a region excluding the “rest” region, the “activity amount” region, and the “medium activity” region as the “small activity” region.

  Based on such a criterion, the plurality of air-conditioning target areas A to H shown in FIG. 4 are respectively set as a “rest” area, an “active amount” area, an “active amount” area, and an “active amount large” area. Can be classified. That is, the activity amount (activity amount level) of the user W and the air conditioning target area where the user W is located can be estimated.

  The driving condition determining unit 56 determines the activity amount of the user W based on the activity amount of the user W estimated by the activity amount estimation unit 54, that is, the “rest” region, the “low activity amount” region, the “medium activity amount” region, and the “high activity amount”. The operating conditions of the air conditioner 20 for each of the "regions" are determined.

  As the operating condition for the “rest” region, since the user feels that the metabolic rate has decreased and feels cold, the operating condition determining unit 56 sets the operating condition of raising the indoor temperature to a higher temperature than the set temperature, for example, increasing the indoor temperature by 1 ° C. decide.

  The operating condition determining unit 56 determines the operating condition for maintaining the room temperature as the operating condition for the “small activity” region.

  As the operating condition for the “medium activity” region, the user feels that the metabolic rate is slightly increased and slightly hot, so the operating condition determining unit 56 sets the room temperature to a temperature slightly lower than the set temperature, for example, 1 ° C. Determine the operating conditions to lower.

  Then, as a driving condition for the “high activity amount” region, since the user feels hot because the metabolic rate is increased, the driving condition determining unit 56 sets the indoor temperature to a temperature lower than the set temperature, for example, 2 ° C. Determine the operating conditions to lower.

  In other words, the driving condition determining unit 56 determines driving conditions that greatly reduce the thermal sensation of the user W as the amount of activity of the user W increases. Then, the operation control unit 52 executes the air conditioning operation of the air-conditioning apparatus 20 based on the operation conditions determined by the operation condition determination unit 56 as described above. Thus, the user W can spend a comfortable air-conditioning environment without feeling “hot” or “cold”.

  In this manner, the air conditioning that differs for each air conditioning target area is performed by appropriately controlling the direction of the airflow AF via the upper and lower louvers 40 and the left and right louvers 42 shown in FIG. This can be realized by appropriately controlling the output. For example, during the cooling operation, the rotation speed of the indoor fan 38 is reduced at the timing when the airflow AF flows toward the “rest” region, and the rotation speed of the indoor fan 38 is reduced at the timing when the airflow AF flows toward the “high activity amount” region. Increase the speed. Thereby, comfortable air conditioning can be provided for each of the air conditioning target areas, that is, for each of a plurality of users having different activities.

  By the way, as shown in FIG. 1, there is a case where the user W is performing an intellectual work such as studying, that is, a case where the user W is concentrated without substantially moving his body. In this case, the activity amount estimating unit 54 may estimate that the activity amount of the user W is low.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a change in thermal sensation of a user in a concentrated state.

  As shown in FIG. 5, when the user W starts an intellectual task requiring concentration, that is, when the user W starts to concentrate (timing P1), and after a while (timing P2) from the start, the user W feels warm and cool. Begins to rise. At this time, the user W starts to feel that the head, not the entire body, is hot. The predetermined first time PP1 from the timing P1 to the timing P2 is a time from the start of concentration to the time when the concentration is maximized, and although there is an individual difference, an average of 15 minutes to 13 minutes is provided. Minutes. The thermal sensation is based on, for example, PMV (Predicted Mean Vote).

  When the user W feels that the head is hot as a thermal sensation (after timing P2), the activity amount estimating unit 54 estimates the “rest” level or “small” level activity amount as the user W activity amount. Can. This is because the user W is not substantially moving, and the activity amount of the user W corresponds to the “rest” level or the “small level” according to the above-described activity amount determination criterion.

  Therefore, when the activity amount estimating unit 54 estimates the activity amount of the user W to be the “rest” level or the “small” level even though the user W feels “hot” due to the maximum concentration, the driving condition determining unit 56 determines operating conditions to raise or maintain room temperature. The air conditioner 20 performs the air-conditioning operation based on the operating conditions. As a result, the user W who feels "hot" feels discomfort due to the increase or maintenance of the room temperature, and the concentration power decreases.

  As a countermeasure, the air conditioning system 10 according to Embodiment 1 is configured to provide comfortable air conditioning (air conditioning in the second operation control mode) for the user W who feels "hot" due to concentration. I have.

  In order to provide comfortable air conditioning for the user W who feels "hot" due to the concentration, it is necessary to know the timing P2 when the concentration of the user W reaches the maximum, and to know the timing P2, It is necessary to know the timing P1 at which the user W starts to concentrate. Therefore, the air-conditioning system 10 according to Embodiment 1 is configured to provide the centralized mode operation to the user W.

  Specifically, the air conditioning system 10 has an instruction input unit for the user W to instruct the air conditioning apparatus 20 to start the concentrated mode operation. That is, it has an instruction input unit for instructing switching from the first operation control mode to the second operation mode. In the case of the first embodiment, the instruction input unit is the remote controller 46. For example, the remote controller 46 includes a “concentration mode” button. The start of the concentrated mode operation may be reserved by inputting the start time of the concentrated mode operation. Further, the remote controller 46 may be a dedicated controller for operating the air-conditioning apparatus 20 or a mobile terminal of the user W. In the case of a mobile terminal, software for operating the air conditioner 20 is installed in the mobile terminal.

  When the user W instructs the air-conditioning apparatus 20 to start the concentrated mode operation via the remote controller 46, the air-conditioning apparatus 20 sets the instruction timing to the timing P1 at which the user W starts to concentrate, and starts the concentrated mode operation. The concentrated mode operation will be specifically described.

  FIG. 6 shows a change in the user's thermal sensation during the concentrated mode operation. FIG. 7 shows a user's body temperature change during the concentrated mode operation. In FIG. 6, the broken line indicates a change in the user's thermal sensation calculated when the concentrated mode operation is not performed.

  As shown in FIG. 6, in the case of the first embodiment, when the concentrated mode operation is started, first, the air conditioner 20 “rest” estimated by the activity amount estimation unit 54 after the start of the concentrated mode operation. The region and the “small” region are recognized as the “concentration” region where the user W that has begun to concentrate exists.

  The air conditioner 20 executes a pre-cooling operation for reducing the thermal sensation of the user W, for example, an air-conditioning operation for reducing the indoor temperature, in the “concentration” region. As the pre-cooling operation, for example, an air-conditioning operation for lowering the room temperature by 3 ° C. as compared with the set temperature at the start timing P1 of the intensive mode operation is performed until a predetermined second time PP2 (for example, 3 to 5 minutes) elapses. Is done. By this pre-cooling operation, a cold stimulus is given to the user W, and the concentration of the user W can be increased.

  After the end of the pre-cooling operation, the air-conditioning apparatus 20 performs an air-conditioning operation that maintains the thermal sensation of the user W reduced by the pre-cooling operation in the “concentration” region, for example, maintains the indoor temperature after the completion of the pre-cooling operation. I do.

  When the predetermined start condition is satisfied after the start timing P1 of the concentrated mode operation, the air conditioner 20 performs the concentrated maintenance operation based on the activity amount of the user W (the air conditioning in the second operation control mode) for the “concentrated” region. Operation). That is, when a predetermined start condition is satisfied after the user instructs switching from the first operation control mode to the second operation mode, the operation mode is switched from the first operation control mode to the second operation control mode. This intensive maintenance operation is a part of the intensive mode operation. The predetermined start condition is a condition that is satisfied when the concentration of the user W has reached the maximum. In the case of the first embodiment, the predetermined start condition is satisfied when a predetermined first time PP1, for example, 15 minutes has elapsed from the start timing P1 of the concentrated mode operation, that is, when the timing P2 occurs.

  When the predetermined start condition is satisfied, the air conditioner 20 executes the air conditioning operation corresponding to the activity amount higher than the activity amount estimated by the activity amount estimating unit 54, as the intensive maintenance operation.

  In the case of the first embodiment, when the “concentration” region is the “rest” region, the operation condition determination unit 56 determines the operation condition corresponding to the “small activity amount” region as the concentrated maintenance operation. When the “concentration” region is the “small activity amount” region, the operating condition corresponding to the “medium activity amount” region is determined. Alternatively, as the intensive maintenance operation, the operating condition corresponding to the “medium activity amount” region is determined regardless of whether the “concentration” region is the “rest” region or the “small activity amount” region. In other words, when the intensive maintenance operation is started in the concentrated mode operation, the activity amount estimated by the activity amount estimating unit 54 is increased and corrected, and the air conditioning operation based on the increased and corrected activity amount is executed. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7, the user W whose body temperature has begun to rise due to the maximum concentration, that is, the user W who has started to feel "hot", is reduced to the activity amount that has not been increased and corrected. It can be shifted to the "cooler" side as compared with the case based on the above. The “body temperature” here is not the temperature of the body surface of the user W that emits infrared rays as described above, but is measured by directly touching the internal temperature of the user W, that is, the body surface of the user W. Temperature, for example, a temperature that can be measured by a thermometer or the like.

  However, before the start of the concentrated mode operation (that is, before an instruction to switch from the first operation control mode to the second operation control mode is given), when the user's activity is higher than a predetermined value, For example, when the amount of activity is the “medium” level or the “large” level, the centralized maintenance operation is not performed (that is, the first operation control mode is maintained without switching to the second operation control mode). Thereby, comfortable air conditioning corresponding to the amount of activity can be provided to a user who is not performing intellectual work indoors and performing a task with a large amount of activity.

  By such a concentrated mode operation, as shown in FIG. 6, the user W who is present in the “concentration” area and starts feeling “hot” (heat sensation has begun to increase) due to the maximum concentration. In contrast, there is provided an air conditioner that reduces the thermal sensation, that is, suppresses an increase in the thermal sensation. As a result, the concentration of the user W is not hindered by the air conditioning, and the concentration of the user W is smoothly increased, and is maintained after reaching the maximum. In addition, since the concentrated mode operation is not performed on the air-conditioning target area other than the “concentrated” area, the concentrated mode that is not in the “concentrated” area and is unnecessary for another user who has not instructed the concentrated mode operation. It is suppressed that the other user feels uncomfortable by driving.

  Such concentrated mode operation ends when the user W issues an end instruction to the air-conditioning apparatus 20 via the remote controller 46. Alternatively, when the user's concentration stops, the concentrated mode operation automatically ends. For example, during the concentrated mode driving, when the activity amount estimated by the activity amount estimating unit 54 increases, for example, when the activity amount increases to the “medium” level or the “large” level, that is, when the user W starts to move, the concentration The mode operation ends automatically. This suppresses providing unnecessary air conditioning to the user who has lost concentration. Note that the user may set the duration of the concentrated mode operation, and the concentrated mode operation may be terminated when the set duration has elapsed from the start of the concentrated mode operation. When the concentrated mode operation ends, the air conditioner 20 returns to the air conditioning operation immediately before the concentrated mode operation or stops driving.

  Next, an operation flow of the air conditioner 20 during the concentrated mode operation will be described.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation flow when the air-conditioning apparatus is operating in the centralized mode.

  The series of operations illustrated in FIG. 8 is started when the user W is instructed to start the concentrated mode operation.

  In step S100, the air-conditioning apparatus 20 determines whether the “rest” region and / or the “small activity” region estimated by the activity amount estimation unit 54 exist. That is, it is determined whether or not there is a user W who is concentrated without substantially moving his / her body. When the “rest” area and / or the “small activity” area exists, the process proceeds to step S110. Otherwise, the centralized mode operation ends.

  In step S110, the air-conditioning apparatus 20 recognizes the “rest” region and / or the “low activity amount” region as the “concentration” region where the user W that has begun to concentrate exists.

  In step S120, the air-conditioning apparatus 20 performs a pre-cooling operation for setting the room temperature lower by 3 ° C. than the set temperature in the “concentration” region recognized in step S110 for 3 to 5 minutes. As a result, the room temperature becomes lower than the set temperature, and a cold stimulus is given to the user W present in the “concentration” region, thereby promoting the user W's concentration.

  When the pre-cooling operation in step S120 is completed, in step S130, the air conditioner 20 maintains the room temperature after the completion of the pre-cooling operation, that is, a temperature 3 ° C. lower than the set temperature, in the “concentration” region, The air conditioning operation for maintaining the thermal sensation of the user W is started.

  In step S140, the air conditioner 20 determines whether the activity level of the “concentration” region has not changed, that is, whether the activity level of the user W is at the “rest” level and / or “small” level. Is determined. If the activity level has not changed, the process proceeds to step S150. Otherwise, it is determined that the concentration of the user W has stopped and the amount of activity of the user W has increased, and the concentrated mode operation ends.

  In step S150, the air conditioner 20 determines whether 15 minutes have elapsed since the start of the concentrated mode operation. That is, it is determined whether a predetermined start condition for starting the concentrated maintenance operation is satisfied. If 15 minutes have elapsed, the process proceeds to step S160. Otherwise, the process returns to step S140.

  In step S160, the air conditioning operation corresponding to the "medium activity" region is started as the concentration maintenance operation for the "concentration" region that is the "rest" region and / or the "small activity amount" region. That is, the concentration maintenance operation is started in which the user's feeling of "hot" due to the concentration is lowered, for example, the indoor temperature is slightly lower than the set temperature, for example, the indoor temperature is lowered by 1 ° C.

  In step S170, similarly to step S140, the air conditioner 20 determines whether the activity amount level in the “concentration” region has not changed. If the activity level has not changed, the process proceeds to step S180. Otherwise, it is determined that the concentration of the user W has stopped and the amount of activity of the user W has increased, and the concentrated mode operation ends.

  In step S180, air conditioner 20 determines whether a flag for ending the concentrated mode operation has occurred. This operation end flag is generated, for example, when the user instructs the air conditioner 20 to end or stop driving the concentrated mode operation via the remote controller 46. The air conditioner 20 may be configured such that the user sets the duration of the concentrated mode operation, and generates an operation end flag when the set duration has elapsed from the start of the concentrated mode operation. When the operation end flag is generated, the air conditioner 20 ends the concentrated mode operation. After the end of the concentrated mode operation, the air-conditioning apparatus 20 may start the air conditioning operation immediately before the start of the concentrated mode operation, or may stop driving. If the operation end flag has not been generated, the process returns to step S170.

  Actually, the total of the “rest” region and the “small activity” region estimated by the activity amount estimation unit 54 may be two or more. For example, there is a possibility that two users perform intellectual work requiring concentration in different air conditioning target areas.

  The flow of the operation at the time of the central mode operation of the air conditioner 20 in this case will be described.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating another example of the flow of operation when the air-conditioning apparatus is operating in the centralized mode. The difference from the flowchart shown in FIG. 8 is that steps S142 and S144 are added. Therefore, the added steps S142 and S144 will be described.

  If it is determined in step S140 that the activity level in the “concentration” area has changed, in step S142, the air conditioner 20 deletes the area in which the activity level has increased from the “concentration” area.

  Subsequently, in step S144, the air conditioner 20 determines whether the “rest” region and / or the “small activity amount” region exists, that is, whether the region remains after the deletion in step S142. If the “rest” area and / or the “small activity” area exists, the process proceeds to step S150. If not, the concentrated mode operation ends.

  According to the first embodiment as described above, comfortable air conditioning can be provided to a user who concentrates on intellectual work.

(Embodiment 2)
In the above-described first embodiment, during the concentrated mode operation, the predetermined start condition for starting the concentrated maintenance operation is satisfied when a predetermined first time (for example, 15 minutes) has elapsed since the start of the concentrated mode operation. I do. In the second embodiment, the predetermined start condition for starting the intensive maintenance operation during the intensive mode operation is different from that of the first embodiment. Therefore, the second embodiment will be described focusing on the different predetermined start conditions.

  In the case of the air-conditioning system according to Embodiment 2, if the amount of activity in the “concentration” region decreases (for example, decreases by a predetermined amount) during the concentration mode operation, it is determined that the predetermined start condition is satisfied, and the concentrated maintenance operation is started. I do. For example, when the activity level in the “small activity” area that is recognized as the “concentration” area decreases to the activity level in the “rest” area, the predetermined start condition is satisfied. Further, in each of the “rest” area and the “small activity” area, which are recognized as the “concentration” area, when the reaction frequency of the plurality of infrared sensor elements in the human body detection sensor falls below a predetermined threshold, a predetermined start is performed. The condition holds.

  Next, an operation flow in the centralized mode operation of the air-conditioning apparatus of the air-conditioning system according to Embodiment 2 will be described.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation flow when the air-conditioning apparatus of the air-conditioning system according to Embodiment 2 operates in the concentrated mode.

  A series of operations shown in FIG. 10 is started when the start of the concentrated mode operation is instructed by the user W.

  In step S200, the air-conditioning apparatus determines whether the “rest” area and / or the “small activity” area estimated by the activity estimation unit exists. If there is a “rest” area or “small activity” area, the process proceeds to step S210. Otherwise, the centralized mode operation ends.

  In step S210, the air-conditioning apparatus recognizes the “rest” region and / or the “low activity amount” region as the “concentration” region where the user W that has begun to concentrate exists.

  In step S220, the air-conditioning apparatus executes a pre-cooling operation for setting the room temperature lower by 3 ° C. than the set temperature in the “concentration” region authorized in step S210 for 3 to 5 minutes. As a result, the room temperature becomes lower than the set temperature, and a cold stimulus is given to the user W present in the “concentration” region, thereby promoting the user W's concentration.

  When the pre-cooling operation in step S220 is completed, in step S230, the air conditioner maintains the room temperature after completion of the pre-cooling operation, that is, a temperature 3 ° C. lower than the set temperature, in the “concentration” region, The air conditioning operation for maintaining the thermal sensation of the user W is started.

  In step S240, the air-conditioning apparatus determines whether the activity level in the “concentration” area has changed, that is, whether the activity level of the user W is at the “rest” level and / or the “small” level. I do. If the activity level has not changed, the process proceeds to step S250. Otherwise, it is determined that the concentration of the user W has stopped and the amount of activity of the user W has increased, and the concentrated mode operation ends.

  In step S250, the air-conditioning apparatus determines whether the amount of activity in the “concentration” region has decreased since the start of the concentration mode operation. That is, it is determined whether a predetermined start condition for starting the concentrated maintenance operation is satisfied. When the activity amount has decreased, the process proceeds to step S260. Otherwise, the process returns to step S240.

  In step S260, the air conditioning operation corresponding to the "medium activity" region is started as the concentration maintenance operation for the "concentration" region that is the "rest" region and / or the "small activity amount" region.

  In step S270, similarly to step S240, the air conditioner determines whether the activity level in the “concentration” region has not changed. If the activity level has not changed, the process proceeds to step S280. Otherwise, it is determined that the concentration of the user W has stopped and the amount of activity of the user W has increased, and the concentrated mode operation ends.

  When an operation end flag is generated in step S280, the air conditioner ends the concentrated mode operation. If the operation end flag has not been generated, the process returns to step S270.

  According to the second embodiment described above, similarly to the first embodiment, comfortable air conditioning can be provided to a user who concentrates on intellectual work.

(Embodiment 3)
In the above-described first embodiment, during the concentrated mode operation, the predetermined start condition for starting the concentrated maintenance operation is satisfied when a predetermined first time (for example, 15 minutes) has elapsed since the start of the concentrated mode operation. I do. In the third embodiment, the predetermined start condition for starting the intensive maintenance operation during the intensive mode operation is different from that of the first embodiment. Therefore, the third embodiment will be described focusing on the different predetermined start conditions.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the user's body temperature starts to rise immediately before the timing P2 at which the intensive maintenance operation is to be started, that is, immediately before the timing P2 when the concentration of the user W reaches the maximum. Therefore, the user's body temperature is monitored, and the timing at which the monitored body temperature rises by a predetermined temperature Δtb from the body temperature at the start of the concentrated mode operation is regarded as the timing at which the predetermined start condition for starting the concentrated maintenance operation is satisfied. be able to.

  The determination of the predetermined temperature increase Δtb is based on the amount of change in temperature. For example, the body temperature is measured at the start of the concentrated mode operation, and thereafter, the body temperature of the user W is measured every 5 minutes. The timing at which the temperature rises by 0.2 ° C. or more with respect to the body temperature at the start of the concentrated mode operation is defined as the timing at which the predetermined start condition is satisfied.

  Note that the body temperature of the user W may be measured periodically without using the body temperature at the start of the concentrated mode operation, and the average value may be set as the “body temperature at the start of the concentrated mode operation”. Further, the rise in body temperature may be based on the absolute amount of the body temperature, or may be based on the rate of change, without being based on the amount of change. When based on the absolute amount, it is preferable to set a value obtained by adding 0.2 ° C. to the body temperature at the start of the operation mode operation as the threshold value. When based on the rate of change, the rate of change for 5 minutes is preferably 1%.

  The monitoring of the user's body temperature can be performed by a wearable terminal equipped with a body temperature sensor, which can be worn on the user's body, for example. That is, the air-conditioning system according to Embodiment 3 includes a body temperature measurement unit that measures the body temperature of the user.

  Next, an operation flow in the centralized mode operation of the air-conditioning apparatus of the air-conditioning system according to Embodiment 3 will be described.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation flow when the air-conditioning apparatus of the air-conditioning system according to Embodiment 3 operates in the concentrated mode.

  A series of operations shown in FIG. 11 is started when the user W instructs the start of the concentrated mode operation.

  In step S300, the air-conditioning apparatus determines whether the “rest” region and / or the “small activity” region estimated by the activity amount estimating unit exist. If the “rest” area or the “small activity” area exists, the process proceeds to step S310. Otherwise, the centralized mode operation ends.

  In step S310, the air-conditioning apparatus recognizes the “rest” area and / or the “low activity amount” area as the “concentration” area where the user W that has started to concentrate is present.

  In step S320, the air-conditioning apparatus executes a pre-cooling operation for setting the room temperature lower by 3 ° C. than the set temperature in the “concentration” region recognized in step S310 for 3 to 5 minutes. As a result, the room temperature becomes lower than the set temperature, and a cold stimulus is given to the user W present in the “concentration” region, thereby promoting the user W's concentration.

  When the pre-cooling operation in step S320 is completed, in step S330, the air conditioner maintains the room temperature after the completion of the pre-cooling operation, that is, a temperature 3 ° C. lower than the set temperature, in the “concentration” region, The air conditioning operation for maintaining the thermal sensation of the user W is started.

  In step S340, the air conditioner determines whether the activity level of the “concentration” area has not changed, that is, whether the activity level of the user W is at the “rest” level and / or “small” level. judge. If the activity level has not changed, the process proceeds to step S350. Otherwise, it is determined that the concentration of the user W has stopped and the amount of activity of the user W has increased, and the concentrated mode operation ends.

  In step S350, the body temperature measurement unit (for example, a wearable terminal) of the air conditioning system measures the body temperature of the user.

  In step S360, the air-conditioning apparatus determines whether the user's body temperature has increased by more than a predetermined threshold from the body temperature at the start of the concentrated operation mode, that is, the predetermined start condition for starting the concentrated maintenance operation is It is determined whether or not the condition is satisfied. If it has exceeded, the process proceeds to step S370. Otherwise, the process returns to step S340.

  In step S370, the air conditioning operation corresponding to the "medium activity" region is started as the concentration maintenance operation for the "concentration" region that is the "rest" region and / or the "small activity amount" region.

  In step S380, similarly to step S340, the air-conditioning apparatus determines whether the activity level in the “concentration” region has not changed. If the activity level has not changed, the process proceeds to step S390. Otherwise, it is determined that the concentration of the user W has stopped and the amount of activity of the user W has increased, and the concentrated mode operation ends.

  When the operation end flag is generated in step S390, the air conditioner ends the concentrated mode operation. If the operation end flag has not been generated, the process returns to step S370.

  According to the third embodiment described above, similarly to the first embodiment, comfortable air conditioning can be provided to a user who concentrates on intellectual work.

(Embodiment 4)
In the above-described first to third embodiments, the activity amount of the user is estimated based on the detection result of the human body detection sensor. Specifically, the activity amount of the user and the position of the user are estimated based on the human body detection frequency in each of the detection areas of the plurality of infrared sensor elements included in the human body detection sensor. On the other hand, in the fourth embodiment, the activity amount of the user is estimated by a different method. Therefore, the fourth embodiment will be described focusing on this different point.

  The air conditioning system according to Embodiment 4 includes, as a body motion detection device, an acceleration measurement device that is mounted on a user and measures the acceleration of the user. The acceleration measuring device is, for example, a wearable terminal including an acceleration sensor.

  The activity amount estimating unit in the air-conditioning system according to Embodiment 4 estimates the user's activity amount based on a change in acceleration measured by the acceleration measuring device. For example, the higher the change frequency of the acceleration exceeding the predetermined threshold value and the larger the change amount, the larger the activity amount is estimated. Then, during the concentrated mode operation, when a predetermined start condition of the concentrated maintenance operation (for example, a lapse of 15 minutes from the start of the concentrated mode operation or a rise in the body temperature of the user) is satisfied, the activity amount estimated by the activity amount estimation unit is determined. The air conditioner performs the increase correction (for example, increases by 30%) and performs the air conditioning operation corresponding to the increase corrected activity amount.

  In the fourth embodiment, unlike in the first to third embodiments, since the position of the user is not estimated, the concentrated mode operation is performed for the entire room where the user exists.

  According to the fourth embodiment described above, similarly to the first to third embodiments, comfortable air conditioning can be realized for a user who concentrates on intellectual work.

  As described above, the present invention has been described with reference to the above-described four embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

  For example, in the case of the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, after the start of the concentrated mode operation (after timing P1), the pre-cooling operation that lowers the user's thermal sensation in order to encourage the user to increase the concentration power Is executed. For example, as the pre-cooling operation, an air-conditioning operation is performed in which the room temperature is lower than the set temperature by 3 ° C. However, embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this.

  For example, when the room temperature at the start timing of the concentrated mode operation is low, for example, when the room temperature is such that the user feels “cold” or “cool”, the pre-cooling operation is performed to further reduce the user's thermal sensation. Instead, it may hinder the concentration of users. Therefore, for example, if the room temperature at the start of the concentrated mode operation is lower than the predetermined temperature, the pre-cooling operation may not be performed.

  Further, in the case of the above-described second and third embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, it is possible to start the concentrated maintenance operation of steps S260 and S370 before 15 minutes have elapsed since the start of the concentrated mode operation. There is. If the intensive maintenance operation is started before the elapse of 15 minutes, the state where the concentration has not reached the maximum, that is, the user does not feel "hot" decreases the thermal sensation, and the user's concentration may decrease. There is. Therefore, even if a predetermined start condition for starting the concentrated maintenance operation is satisfied, if 13 minutes have not elapsed since the start of the concentrated mode operation, the start of the concentrated maintenance operation may be delayed until 15 minutes have elapsed. Good. Alternatively, if the predetermined start condition for starting the intensive maintenance operation is not satisfied even after 15 minutes have elapsed since the start of the intensive mode operation, the intensive maintenance operation is forcibly started after the lapse of 17 minutes. You may.

  Furthermore, in the above-described first to third embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4, in a plurality of air-conditioning target areas, the concentrated mode operation is performed on the “centralized” area which is the air-conditioning target area where the user exists. Be executed. The “concentration” area where the user exists is estimated by the activity amount estimation unit. However, embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this. For example, the air conditioning system may be configured so that a user can select an air-conditioning target area where the centralized mode operation is executed. For example, the remote controller includes a touch screen unit, and displays a plurality of air conditioning target areas shown in FIG. 4 on the touch screen unit. When the user touches any one of the plurality of air-conditioning target areas displayed on the touch screen unit, the air-conditioning target area in which the concentrated mode operation is executed is selected by the user.

  Further, for example, in the above-described first to third embodiments, each time the concentrated mode operation is performed, the air-conditioning target area that has been identified as the “concentrated” area is stored in a storage unit such as a memory, and is stored in the storage unit. Based on the history of the “concentration” region, the “concentration” region in which the concentrated mode operation is performed, that is, the user who performs the concentrated and intellectual work may exist. As shown in FIG. 1, the intellectual work performed in a concentrated manner without substantially moving the body is performed, for example, in an air conditioning target area where a desk is installed. Therefore, the “concentration” area does not change unless the layout of the desk is changed.

  In addition, the activity amount of the user is estimated based on the detection result of the human body detection sensor in the above-described first to third embodiments, and based on the detection result of the acceleration sensor in the above-described fourth embodiment. However, embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this. For example, the air conditioning system includes a camera as a body motion detection device, and it is also possible to estimate the amount of activity of the user based on the amount of change in the image of the user in a captured image of the camera.

  In addition, it is also possible that at least part of one embodiment can be combined in whole or in part with another at least one embodiment to form a further embodiment according to the invention. It will be clear to those skilled in the art.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION This invention is applicable to the air conditioning system which performs air conditioning of the room where a user exists.

10 air conditioning system 20 air conditioner 46 instruction input unit (remote controller)
48 Body Motion Detection Device (Human Body Detection Sensor)
54 Activity Estimation Unit

Claims (12)

An air conditioning system that performs air conditioning in a room where a user is present and performs air conditioning operation in at least a first operation control mode and a second operation control mode,
A body motion detection device that detects an amount of the user's motion,
An activity amount estimating unit that estimates an activity amount of the user based on the amount of the movement,
An air conditioner that adjusts air conditioning by changing at least one of temperature, wind direction, and wind speed based on the activity amount,
An instruction input unit for the user to give an instruction to switch between the first operation control mode and the second operation control mode,
The activity amount estimating unit is characterized in that the activity amount estimated in the second operation control mode is larger than the activity amount estimated in the first operation control mode,
Air conditioning system. If the activity amount is higher than a predetermined value before the instruction input unit is instructed to switch from the first operation control mode to the second operation control mode, the operation mode is changed to the second operation control mode. Maintaining the first operation control mode without performing the switching of
The air conditioning system according to claim 1. After the instruction input unit is instructed to switch the operation control mode,
When the amount of activity estimated in the second operation control mode is higher than the amount of activity when the switching of the operation control mode is instructed, the air conditioner ends the second operation control mode. ,
The air conditioning system according to claim 1 or 2. A position information acquisition unit that acquires at least the direction in which the user exists with respect to the air-conditioning apparatus,
Performing an air-conditioning operation in the second operation control mode around a position where the user is present;
The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The position information acquisition unit divides the room into a plurality of areas, and detects which of the plurality of areas corresponds to the position where the user is present,
The air conditioning system according to claim 4. The body motion detection device is an acceleration measurement device that is mounted on the user and measures acceleration.
The activity amount estimating unit estimates an activity amount of the user based on a change in acceleration,
The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The air-conditioning operation in the second operation control mode, when a predetermined start condition is satisfied after the instruction input unit is instructed to switch from the first operation control mode to the second operation control mode, Started,
The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The predetermined start condition is satisfied when a predetermined first time elapses after the instruction input unit is instructed to switch from the first operation control mode to the second operation control mode,
The air conditioning system according to claim 7. The predetermined start condition is that the activity estimated by the activity estimation unit decreases after the instruction input unit is instructed to switch from the first operation control mode to the second operation control mode. Then it holds,
An air conditioning system according to claim 7. A body temperature measuring unit that measures the body temperature of the user,
The predetermined start condition is satisfied when the body temperature of the user increases from the body temperature at the time of the switching instruction to a predetermined temperature,
The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 7 to 9. The air conditioning apparatus is configured to control the temperature of the user until a predetermined second time elapses after the instruction input unit is instructed to switch from the first operation control mode to the second operation control mode. Perform pre-cooling operation to reduce cold feeling,
The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 10. Air-condition the room where the user is located,
An air conditioning method for performing air conditioning of at least a first operation control mode and a second operation control mode,
Detecting the amount of movement of the user,
Estimating the amount of activity of the user based on the amount of the movement,
Performing air conditioning that adjusts air conditioning by changing at least one of temperature, wind direction and wind speed based on the activity amount,
An air conditioning method, wherein the activity amount estimated in the second operation control mode is larger than the activity amount estimated in the first operation control mode.

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