EP4641103A1

EP4641103A1 - Control device, control method, and program

Info

Publication number: EP4641103A1
Application number: EP24756575.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Hirofumi Ishizuka
Original assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Thermal Systems Ltd
Current assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Thermal Systems Ltd
Priority date: 2023-02-16
Filing date: 2024-01-22
Publication date: 2025-10-29
Also published as: EP4641103A4; JP2024116686A; WO2024171724A1

Abstract

The present invention provides control of a warning device that, when refrigerant leakage is detected, emits a warning sound with appropriate volume and turns on light with appropriate brightness. This control device has: an acquisition unit that acquires a leakage detection signal indicating that refrigerant leakage from an air conditioner has been detected; a setting unit that sets the volume of a warning sound and/or the brightness of a warning light, on the basis of the size of a space where the air conditioner is provided and noise volume in the space; and an indication unit that indicates, when the leakage detection signal is acquired, setting contents set by the setting unit to a warning device.

Description

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a control device, a control method, and a program for an alarm device that issues an alarm when a refrigerant leakage is detected. The present disclosure claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-022433, filed in Japan on February 16, 2023 , the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

Background Art

In a case where leakage of a flammable refrigerant from an air conditioner is detected, an international standard requires (1) performing a protection operation of the air conditioner for safety and (2) sounding an indoor alarm and turning on a light. In accordance with this requirement, when the refrigerant leakage is detected, the air conditioner executes the protection operation of (1), and the alarm device executes the control of (2). The protection operation of (1) has a safe specification that can prevent the occurrence of a fire. However, even though the air conditioner appropriately executes the protection operation, when a loud alarm sound as in the case of a fire is output due to the requirement of (2), people in the room may be unnecessarily worried.
PTL 1 discloses, in relation to issuing an alarm when refrigerant leakage is detected, a control method for an alarm device such that, even after a user temporarily stops the alarm device to prevent noise nuisance caused by the alarm sound, subsequent users can still recognize the refrigerant leakage.

Citation List

Patent Literature

[PTL 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2018-91550

Summary of Invention

Technical Problem

In a case where the refrigerant leakage is detected, control is required such that an alarm sound of an appropriate volume is output without an alarm sound of an excessively loud volume.
The present disclosure provides a control device, a control method, and a program capable of solving the above-described problems.

Solution to Problem

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a control device including an acquisition unit that acquires a leakage detection signal indicating that a refrigerant leakage from an air conditioner is detected, a setting unit that sets a volume of an alarm sound and/or a brightness of an alarm light based on a size of a space in which the air conditioner is provided and a magnitude of noise in the space, and an instruction unit that instructs an alarm device of a setting content set by the setting unit when the leakage detection signal is acquired.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a control method for an alarm device that is activated when a refrigerant leakage is detected, the method including a step of acquiring a leakage detection signal indicating that a refrigerant leakage from an air conditioner is detected, a step of setting a volume of an alarm sound and/or a brightness of an alarm light based on a size of a space in which the air conditioner is provided and a magnitude of noise in the space, and a step of instructing an alarm device of a setting content set in the step of setting.
According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a program causing a computer to execute a step of acquiring a leakage detection signal indicating that refrigerant leakage from an air conditioner has been detected, a step of setting a volume of an alarm sound and/or a brightness of an alarm light based on a size of a space in which the air conditioner is provided and a magnitude of noise in the space, and a step of instructing an alarm device of a setting content set in the step of setting.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

According to the control device, the control method, and the program described above, it is possible to output an alarm sound at an appropriate volume.

Brief Description of Drawings

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a space in which an air conditioner or the like according to an embodiment is installed.
Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a control device according to the embodiment.
Fig. 3A is a first diagram showing an example of setting an alarm operation according to the embodiment.
Fig. 3B is a second diagram showing an example of setting the alarm operation according to the embodiment.
Fig. 4A is a third diagram showing an example of setting an alarm operation according to the embodiment.
Fig. 4B is a fourth diagram showing an example of setting an alarm operation according to the embodiment.
Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of control of the alarm device according to the embodiment.
Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the control device according to the embodiment.

Description of Embodiments

Hereinafter, a control method for an alarm device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 6.

(Configuration)

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a room in which an air conditioner or the like according to the embodiment is installed. In the room A, an air conditioner 1 (indoor unit 10) with a protection operation function, a remote controller 40, a refrigerant detector 50, an alarm unit 60, a ventilation device 70, and a human sensor 80 are provided. The air conditioner 1 includes an indoor unit 10 and an outdoor unit 20, and the indoor unit 10 and the outdoor unit 20 are connected by a refrigerant pipe 15. A shutoff valve 16 is provided in the refrigerant pipe 15. The indoor unit 10 includes a fan 11 that sends wind to the indoors and circulates indoor air, and a control device 30. The indoor unit 10 is provided with a remote controller 40 for operating the air conditioner 1, and the remote controller 40 includes a light 41, a speaker 42, and an operation unit 43. When the refrigerant leakage is detected, the light 41 is turned on or flashes, and the speaker 42 outputs an alarm sound. The operation unit 43 is configured to include an input device such as a button or a dial, and is used for an operation of the air conditioner 1, such as an operation of starting or stopping the air conditioner 1, setting an indoor temperature, stopping an alarm sound, and turning off the light 41, and for a setting operation of a volume of the alarm sound output from the speaker 42, brightness, color, or the like when the light 41 is turned on. The remote controller 40 is an example of an alarm device that is activated when the refrigerant leaks from the air conditioner 1. As the alarm device, a general-purpose alarm unit 60 can be used instead of the remote controller 40. The alarm unit 60 has a light 61 that is turned on when the refrigerant leakage is detected, and a speaker 62 that outputs an alarm sound. In addition, in the room A, the refrigerant detector 50 is provided in the vicinity of the floor (position of 0.3 m or less from the floor), and the ventilation device 70 and the human sensor 80 are provided at predetermined positions, respectively. The refrigerant detector 50 has a refrigerant sensor, and when the refrigerant leaks from the air conditioner 1, the refrigerant detector 50 detects the refrigerant and transmits a refrigerant detection signal to the control device 30. The ventilation device 70 is, for example, a facility for performing indoor ventilation in which air is taken in from the outside of the room and the air in the room is discharged from a ventilation port (not shown) provided in the lower portion of the room A, the ventilation device 70 being provided in the upper portion of the room A. The human sensor 80 is provided to detect the number of users present in the room. The human sensor 80 may be provided in the indoor unit 10.
The control device 30 is connected to the fan 11, the shutoff valve 16, the remote controller 40, the refrigerant detector 50, the alarm unit 60, the ventilation device 70, and the human sensor 80, transmits and receives control signals to and from these devices, and controls each device. For example, when the control device 30 receives the refrigerant detection signal from the refrigerant detector 50, the control device 30 performs the protection operation of the air conditioner 1. For example, as the protection operation, the control device 30 operates the fan 11 to circulate the indoor air, operates the ventilation device 70 to perform ventilation, and closes the shutoff valve 16 so that the refrigerant is not supplied to the indoor unit 10. These protection operations prevent fire from occurring. On the other hand, the control device 30 instructs the remote controller 40 and/or the alarm unit 60 to output the alarm sound and turn on the light. The remote controller 40 or the like issues an alarm sound or turns on a light based on an instruction from the control device 30. As the alarm device at the time of refrigerant leakage, both the remote controller 40 and the alarm unit 60 may be used, or only one of them may be used. Hereinafter, as an example, a case where the remote controller 40 is used as an alarm device will be described (in this case, it is not necessary to install the alarm unit 60).

(Control Device)

Next, a function of controlling the alarm device when the refrigerant leakage is detected will be described. This function may be provided in any of the air conditioner 1 (indoor unit 10), the remote controller 40, and the alarm unit 60, or may be provided as a device independent of these. Hereinafter, as an example, a case where a function of controlling an alarm device (remote controller 40) is implemented in the control device 30 of the indoor unit 10 will be described as an example.
Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the control device according to the embodiment. The control device 30 includes a sensor information acquisition unit 31, a setting receiving unit 32, a timer 33, an alarm control unit 34, a protection operation control unit 35, and a storage unit 36.
The sensor information acquisition unit 31 acquires information detected by the sensor. For example, the sensor information acquisition unit 31 acquires information indicating the presence or absence of a refrigerant leakage from the refrigerant detector 50 and acquires the number of users present in the room from the human sensor 80.
The setting receiving unit 32 acquires the setting information input by the user from the remote controller 40. For example, the setting receiving unit 32 acquires information on the extent to which the volume of the alarm sound and the brightness of light 41 are set when the refrigerant leaks, and information on conditions for determining the extent to which the volume and brightness are set. For example, in a case where the user directly designates the volume and the brightness, the setting receiving unit 32 acquires a setting of any one of "high", "medium", and "low" for the volume of the alarm sound and a setting of any one of "bright", "medium", and "dark" for the brightness of the light 41. In a case where the user sets the determination conditions for the volume and the brightness, the setting receiving unit 32 acquires the setting of the size of the room and the noise level (noise magnitude) of the room where the indoor unit 10 is provided. For example, the setting receiving unit 32 acquires settings such as a size of the room "large" and noise level "loud". This setting is a setting in which the alarm sound is set to "high" and the brightness of the light 41 is set to "bright" (Fig. 3A). Alternatively, the user may set only the noise level, and the setting receiving unit 32 may acquire only the noise level setting. In this case, the size of the room is substituted with the capacity of the air conditioner 1 (for example, when the capacity is larger than a predetermined threshold value, the room is treated as "large", and when the capacity is equal to or less than the threshold value, the room is treated as "small"). Various setting examples related to the volume and the brightness acquired by the setting receiving unit 32 will be described later with reference to Figs. 3A to 4B.
The timer 33 measures the time.
The alarm control unit 34 controls the operation of the remote controller 40 (alarm device) when the refrigerant leakage is detected. Specifically, the alarm control unit 34 controls the outputting and stopping of the alarm sound from the speaker 42, turning on and off the light 41, or the like. The alarm control unit 34 controls the volume of the alarm sound output from the speaker 42 and the brightness of the light 41 based on the setting received by the setting receiving unit 32.
The protection operation control unit 35 executes the protection operation of the air conditioner 1 when the refrigerant leakage is detected. Specifically, the protection operation control unit 35 operates the fan 11, closes the shutoff valve 16, and operates the ventilation device 70. The protection operation control unit 35 includes a failure detection unit 351. The failure detection unit 351 detects a failure of the air conditioner 1 and the ventilation device 70. When the air conditioner 1 fails, there is a possibility that the protection operation cannot be executed, or even if the protection operation is executed, sufficient safety cannot be ensured. The alarm control unit 34 controls the volume of the alarm sound to "high" and the light 41 to "bright" when the failure of the air conditioner 1 is detected.
The storage unit 36 stores various information such as measurement values acquired by the sensor information acquisition unit 31 and setting information acquired by the setting receiving unit 32. The storage unit 36 stores various programs that realize functions of the control device 30.

(Control of Volume and Brightness)

Next, various setting examples of the volume of the alarm sound and the brightness of the light 41 will be described.
Fig. 3A is a setting example of the volume and brightness according to the size of the room and noise level. A control table shown in Fig. 3A is stored in the storage unit 36 of the control device 30 in advance. The user sets the size of the room ("large", "small", or the like) and the noise level ("loud", "quiet", or the like), and the setting receiving unit 32 receives the setting. For example, in a case where the size of the room A is set to "large" and the noise level is set to "loud", the alarm control unit 34 refers to the control table in Fig. 3A and instructs the remote controller 40 to set the volume to "high" and the brightness to "bright". The remote controller 40 outputs an alarm sound at a volume of "high" from the speaker 42 and turns on the light 41 at the maximum brightness. Similarly, in a case where the size of the room is set to "small" and the noise level is set to "loud", the alarm sound is set to "medium" and the brightness of the light 41 is set to "medium". In a case where the size of the room is set to "small" and the noise level is set to "quiet", the alarm sound is set to "low" and the brightness of the light 41 is set to "dark". In the international standard, it is stipulated that the alarm sound has a volume that is at least 15 dB higher than the volume of the surrounding. Therefore, even in a case of the volume "low", a volume that satisfies this condition is set. In a case where the capacity of the air conditioner 1 is used instead of the size of the room, the alarm control unit 34 treats the room as "large" when the capacity of the air conditioner 1 is greater than a predetermined threshold value and treats the room as "small" when the capacity of the air conditioner 1 is equal to or less than the threshold value, and sets the volume and the brightness with reference to the control table in Fig. 3A. With such control, it is possible to avoid a situation where an alarm is output at a loud volume and a user feels anxious even though a room is small or quiet.
Further, while setting the basic volume and brightness according to the size of the room and the noise level, control may be performed to adjust the basic volume and brightness according to the situation. Fig. 3B shows an example of a switching condition table used to switch the volume and the brightness according to the condition regardless of the size of the room or the noise level. The storage unit 36 of the control device 30 stores a switching condition table shown in Fig. 3B in advance. For example, in a case where the air conditioner 1 fails (for example, in a case where any one of the fan 11 and the shutoff valve 16 fails), or in a case where the ventilation device 70 fails, there is a possibility that the protection operation cannot be performed. Therefore, in a situation where the air conditioner 1 or the ventilation device 70 has failed, the volume is controlled to "high" and the brightness is controlled to "bright" regardless of the setting of the size of the room or the noise level, and the control is performed to urge the user to pay attention. In a case where the air conditioner 1 has failed, for example, in a case where the fan 11 has failed, in a case where the shutoff valve 16 has failed, and in a case where the ventilation device 70 has failed, the lighting mode of the light 41 may be changed (for example, flashing at different cycles, changing the color, or the like) in each case so that the failed device can be notified. In a case where the number of users present in the room A detected by the human sensor 80 is large (for example, in a case of "x1" or more people), there is a possibility that the alarm sound may be masked by the conversation or the activity of the user (the noise is high). Therefore, also in this case, regardless of the setting of the size of the room or the noise level, the volume may be controlled to "high" and the brightness may be controlled to "bright" so that the user can be reliably notified of the detection of the refrigerant leakage. In a case where the time measured by the timer 33 indicates nighttime, it is considered that the noise in the room A and the surroundings is low ("quiet") due to nighttime. Therefore, in this case, regardless of the setting of the size of the room or the noise level, the volume may be controlled to "low" and the brightness may be controlled to "dark" so that excessive anxiety is not caused. In a case where the remote controller 40 is operated (for example, the operation of the air conditioner 1 is started), it is considered that the user is present in the room A at the time of the operation. Therefore, it is considered that the user is present nearby for a predetermined time after the setting receiving unit 32 acquires the operation signal from the remote controller 40, and thus, regardless of the setting of the size of the room A or the noise level, the volume may be set to "low" and the brightness may be set to "dark" only for the predetermined time (for example, 60 seconds). Then, when the predetermined time elapses, it is considered that the user may not be present nearby, and control may be performed to return to the basic volume and brightness based on the setting in Fig. 3A. Further, in a case where the administrator or the serviceman arrives, the output of the alarm sound or the lighting of the light 41 may be stopped. For example, when an administrator or a serviceman performs an operation that can be performed only by a specific user, such as inputting a password, on the remote controller 40 (alarm device), the setting receiving unit 32 receives a notification that the password input or the like has been performed from the remote controller 40. Then, the alarm control unit 34 instructs the remote controller 40 to stop the output of the alarm sound and turn off the light 41, based on the switching condition table of Fig. 3B. In this way, the output of the alarm sound or the like is stopped. In this way, according to the switching condition table of Fig. 3B, the magnitude of the alarm sound and the brightness of the light can be controlled according to the situation. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the alarm sound from being issued at an excessively loud volume and causing anxiety to the user.
In the description with reference to Figs. 3A and 3B, an example in which the user sets the size of the room and the noise level and the alarm operation of the remote controller 40 is controlled to have a predetermined volume and brightness has been described. However, the user may be allowed to set the volume and brightness levels. For example, the volume and brightness may be set in ten stages of 1 to 10 (where 10 corresponds to the maximum volume and the maximum brightness of the light 41). For example, in the setting of Fig. 3A, the user may set the volume to "10" and the brightness to "8" for the size of the room "large" and the noise level "loud". Regarding the setting in Fig. 3B, for example, both the volume and the light at the time of the air conditioner failure may be set to "10" so that the user cannot change the settings, and for other items, for example, the volume at nighttime may be set to a desired magnitude such as "2" or "4". For example, in a case where the room A is located in a downtown area and the environment is noisy even at nighttime, a volume of "8" or the like can be set at nighttime.
Fig. 4A shows an example of a case where the volume and the brightness level are directly set. For example, in a case where the room A is large, the user sets the volume level and the brightness level for each of the three stages of the noise "loud", "medium", and "quiet" as shown in Fig. 4A. Separately, the user sets the determination condition for the noise level in the room A. An example of the noise level determination condition is shown in Fig. 4B. For example, during the operation of the air conditioner 1, the noise level is set to "medium", during the stop, the noise level is set to "quiet", and depending on the number of people detected by the human sensor 80, the noise level is set to "quiet" when the number of people is less than "x2", the noise level is set to "loud" when the number of people is "x3" or more, the noise level is set to "quiet" at night, and the noise level is set to "loud" during the day. For the brightness of the light 41, for example, the adjustment amount of the brightness may be set according to a situation such as "-3" at night, "-3" when the number of people in the room is small, and "+1" when the number of people in the room is large. According to such a setting, for example, when the refrigerant leakage is detected during the stop of the air conditioner 1 at nighttime, the light 41 can be controlled to be turned on at the brightness "5" while the alarm sound is output at the volume level "5". When the refrigerant leakage is detected during the daytime operation of the air conditioner 1, the light 41 can be controlled to be turned on at the brightness "8" while the alarm sound is output at the volume level "10" (among the noise "loud" corresponding to the daytime and the noise "medium" corresponding to the operation of the air conditioner, the noise "loud" is prioritized). Regarding the volume of the alarm sound, instead of determining the noise as "loud", "medium", or "quiet" and setting the volume according to "loud", "medium", or "quiet", the volume may be adjusted to "+2" or "-2" according to each situation shown in Fig. 4B with respect to a certain reference volume (for example, 8), in the same manner as adjustment of the brightness of the room.

(Operation)

Next, the control of the volume of the alarm sound and the brightness of the light when the refrigerant leakage is detected will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the control of the alarm device according to the embodiment. As an example, it is assumed that a control table shown in Fig. 3A and a switching condition table shown in Fig. 3B are stored in the storage unit 36 in advance. Alternatively, the user may operate the remote controller 40 in advance to set the size and the noise level of the room A, and the setting content may be recorded in the storage unit 36, or the initial setting (for example, Fig. 4A) of the volume and the brightness and the noise determination condition (Fig. 4B) set directly by the user may be recorded in the storage unit 36.
First, the refrigerant detector 50 detects the refrigerant leakage (step S1). The refrigerant detector 50 notifies the control device 30 of a signal indicating that the refrigerant leakage has been detected. In the control device 30, the sensor information acquisition unit 31 receives the signal and outputs the signal to the alarm control unit 34 and the protection operation control unit 35. The protection operation control unit 35 executes the protection operation. For example, the protection operation control unit 35 controls the shutoff valve 16 to be in a closed state, rotates the fan 11 at a predetermined rotation speed, and operates the ventilation device 70. On the other hand, the alarm control unit 34 starts controlling the alarm operation by the alarm device (remote controller 40 or the like). The alarm control unit 34 acquires information necessary for controlling the volume of the alarm sound and the brightness of the light according to the situation (step S2). For example, the alarm control unit 34 acquires the number of people detected by the human sensor 80 through the sensor information acquisition unit 31. The alarm control unit 34 acquires the time measured by the timer 33 and the presence or absence of a failure of the air conditioner 1 and the ventilation device 70 detected by the failure detection unit 351.
Next, the alarm control unit 34 sets a basic volume and brightness (step S3). For example, when the size of the room A is "large" and the noise level is "quiet", the alarm control unit 34 sets the volume of the alarm sound to "medium" and the brightness of the light 41 to "medium" based on the control table in Fig. 3A. In a case where the user directly performs the initial setting of the volume and the brightness, the alarm control unit 34 sets the volume and the brightness according to the user's setting.
Next, the alarm control unit 34 changes the setting of the volume and the brightness according to the situation (step S4). For example, when the number of people detected by the human sensor 80 is equal to or larger than a threshold value ("x1"), the alarm control unit 34 changes the volume to "high" and the brightness to "bright" based on the switching condition table of Fig. 3B. When the time measured by the timer 33 indicates night (for example, 22:00), the alarm control unit 34 changes the volume to "low" and the brightness to "dark" based on the switching condition table of Fig. 3B. When a failure of the fan 11, the shutoff valve 16, the ventilation device 70, or other devices related to the protection operation is detected when the protection operation is to be performed, the alarm control unit 34 changes the volume of the alarm sound to "high" and the brightness to "bright". The same applies in a case where the setting is made as in Figs. 4A and 4B. For example, when the number of people is "x3" or more and the time is daytime, the alarm control unit 34 sets the volume of the alarm sound to "10" and the brightness to "9".
Next, the alarm control unit 34 controls the alarm device based on the setting performed in step S4 (step S5). For example, in a case where the volume of the alarm sound is set to "high" and the brightness is set to "bright" in the processing up to step S4, the alarm control unit 34 transmits an instruction signal to the remote controller 40 to output the alarm sound at "high" and turn on the light 41 at "bright". The remote controller 40 starts the alarm operation based on the instruction signal, outputs an alarm sound at a volume "high" from the speaker 42, and turns on the light 41 at a brightness "bright".
Next, the alarm control unit 34 determines whether a stop operation has been performed (step S6). For example, when the person in charge or the serviceman inputs a password or the like into the remote controller 40, a signal indicating that a stop operation has been performed is transmitted from the remote controller 40 to the control device 30. When the alarm control unit 34 receives the signal through the setting receiving unit 32, the alarm control unit 34 determines that the stop operation has been performed (step S6; Yes), and transmits an instruction signal for instructing the stop of the alarm sound and the turning off of the light to the remote controller 40. The remote controller 40 stops the alarm operation based on the instruction signal (step S8). The remote controller 40 stops the output of the alarm sound and the lighting of the light 41.
In a case where the stop operation is not performed (step S6; No), the control device 30 determines whether there is a change in the situation (step S7). For example, when the user performs an operation on the remote controller 40, the operation state of the air conditioner 1 changes (for example, the air conditioner 1 reaches the set temperature and the operation of the air conditioner 1 is stopped), or the number of people in the room changes, the control device 30 determines that the situation has changed. When the situation does not change (step S7; No), the processes after step S6 are repeated. The remote controller 40 outputs the alarm sound at the same volume and turns on the light 41 at the same brightness. When the situation changes (step S7; Yes), the processes after step S4 are repeated. For example, in a case where the user performs an operation on the remote controller 40, the alarm control unit 34 instructs the remote controller 40 to set the alarm sound to "low" and the brightness of the light to "dark" for a predetermined time according to the setting of the condition "remote controller operation present" in Fig. 3B. In this way, the volume of the alarm sound output by the remote controller 40 is reduced for a predetermined time, and the brightness of the light 41 is also reduced for a predetermined time. Then, when the administrator or the serviceman arrives and a predetermined operation is performed (step S6; Yes), the alarm control unit 34 instructs the remote controller 40 to stop the alarm operation, and the output of the alarm sound from the remote controller 40 or the like is stopped (step S8).
As described above, according to the present embodiment, the volume of the alarm sound and the brightness of the light that are output when the refrigerant leakage is detected can be set according to the size of the room or the noise level. In this way, it is possible to prevent an alarm sound from being output at an excessively loud volume or a light from being turned on at an excessively high brightness. Even in the same room, the situation such as noise and brightness changes, but according to the present embodiment, the volume can be increased in a situation where the noise in the room is considered to be high and the volume can be decreased in a situation where the noise level is considered to be low. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the user from feeling anxious or the alarm sound from being a nuisance to the neighborhood while the user is reliably notified that the refrigerant leakage has been detected.
In the above-described embodiment, the basic volume and brightness are determined according to the size and noise level of the room A. However, since the brightness of the room A differs depending on the type and number of lights and sunshine, the user may be asked to set "bright", "medium", "dark", or the like for the brightness of the room A in advance together with the size and noise level of the room A, and the light 41 may be controlled to be turned on with "bright" in a case where the brightness of the room A is "bright", to be turned on with "medium" in a case where the brightness of the room A is "medium", and to be turned on with "dark" in a case where the brightness of the room A is "dark". Regarding the determination of the noise level in the room A, a microphone may be provided in the room A, the noise level may be determined from the sound pressure level detected by the microphone, and the volume of the alarm sound may be set to a magnitude corresponding to the noise level. Regarding the determination of the brightness of the room A, the light 41 may be controlled according to the brightness detected by the illuminance sensor by providing the illuminance sensor in the room A.
Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the control device according to the embodiment.
A computer 900 includes a CPU 901, a main storage device 902, an auxiliary storage device 903, an input and output interface 904, and a communication interface 905.
The above-described control device 30 is implemented in the computer 900. Each of the functions described above is stored in the auxiliary storage device 903 in the form of a program. The CPU 901 reads out the program from the auxiliary storage device 903, expands the program in the main storage device 902, and executes the above-described processing according to the program. The CPU 901 allocates a storage area in the main storage device 902 according to the program. The CPU 901 allocates a storage area for storing data being processed, in the auxiliary storage device 903 according to the program.
By recording a program for realizing all or some of the functions of the control device 30 on a computer-readable recording medium, and by reading the program recorded on the recording medium into a computer system and executing the read program, the processes by each functional unit may be performed. The "computer system" herein includes an OS and hardware such as peripheral devices. The "computer system" also includes a homepage providing environment (or a display environment) in a case where a WWW system is used. The "computer-readable recording medium" refers to a portable medium such as a CD, a DVD, or a USB, or a storage device such as a hard disk built into the computer system. In a case where the program is distributed to the computer 900 through a communication line, the computer 900 to which the program is distributed may expand the program in the main storage device 902 and execute the processing described above. The program described above may be for realization of a part of the above functions, or may realize the above-described functions in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system.
While some embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof, as well as in the scope and gist of the invention.

The control device, the control method, and the program described in each embodiment are ascertained as follows, for example.

(1) A control device 30 of a first aspect includes an acquisition unit (sensor information acquisition unit 31) that acquires a leakage detection signal indicating that a refrigerant leakage from an air conditioner 1 is detected, a setting unit (alarm control unit 34) that sets a volume of an alarm sound and/or a brightness of an alarm light (light 41) based on a size of a space (room A) in which the air conditioner is provided and a magnitude of noise in the space (control table in Fig. 3A) and an instruction unit (alarm control unit 34) that instructs an alarm device of a setting content set by the setting unit when the leakage detection signal is acquired.

Accordingly, an alarm sound of a volume according to the size of the room or the noise level can be output, so that it is possible to prevent a user from being confused with a fire occurrence or the like and becoming anxious due to an alarm sound that is output at an excessively loud volume.
(2) The control device 30 according to a second aspect is the control device 30 of (1), in which the acquisition unit further acquires a situation detection signal indicating a situation of the air conditioner or the space, the setting unit changes the volume and/or the brightness based on the situation detection signal, and the instruction unit instructs the alarm device of the setting content including the changed volume and/or brightness.
The situation detection signal (failure of the air conditioner 1, the number of people in the room, time (day and night), presence or absence of remote controller operation, or the like) indicating the situation of the air conditioner or the space is acquired, and the volume of the alarm sound and the brightness of the light are changed based on the conditions in Figs. 3B and 4B. In this manner, the volume and brightness can be controlled according to the situation, and the user's anxiety or noise to the surroundings can be prevented.
(3) The control device 30 according to a third aspect is the control device 30 of (2), in which when the situation detection signal indicates a failure of the air conditioner or when the situation detection signal indicates that the noise in the space is high, the setting unit increases the volume and/or the brightness.
In a case where the air conditioner fails, there is a possibility that the protection operation may not function, and thus, the volume of the alarm sound and the brightness of the light can be increased to alert the user. In a case where the noise in the room is loud, the user can be notified of the refrigerant leakage by increasing the volume or the like of the alarm sound so that the alarm sound is not masked by the noise.
(4) The control device 30 according to a fourth aspect is the control device 30 of (3), in which when the situation detection signal indicates that the number of people in the space is equal to or larger than a predetermined value, the setting unit determines that the noise in the space is high.
By determining the noise magnitude according to the number of people in the room using a human sensor provided in the air conditioner 1 or other devices, the volume of the alarm sound and the brightness of the alarm light can be controlled.
(5) The control device 30 according to a fifth aspect is the control device 30 of (2) to (4), in which when the situation detection signal indicates that the noise in the space is low, the setting unit reduces the volume and/or the brightness.
In this manner, in a case where the noise in the room is small, the volume of the alarm sound or the like is reduced, so that it is possible to prevent the user from being excessively anxious.
(6) The control device 30 according to a sixth aspect is the control device 30 of (5), in which when the situation detection signal indicates that it is nighttime, the setting unit determines that the noise in the space is low.
In this manner, it is possible to determine noise based on a time zone and control the volume of an alarm sound or the like in an aspect suitable for a situation.
(7) The control device 30 according to a seventh aspect is the control device 30 of (2) to (6), in which when the situation detection signal indicates that a remote controller of the air conditioner is operated, the setting unit reduces the volume and/or the brightness for a predetermined time.
In a case where there is an operation on the remote controller, it is considered that the user is present nearby, and the volume or the like is lowered. In this manner, the user's anxiety can be reduced.
(8) The control device 30 according to an eighth aspect is the control device 30 of (2) to (7), in which when the situation detection signal indicates that a remote controller of the air conditioner is operated by a specific user, the setting unit sets stopping of an output of the alarm sound, and/or sets turning off of the alarm light.
For example, in a case where there is an operation on the remote controller by a specific user (a person in charge or a serviceman) such as password input, it is considered that the refrigerant leakage can be dealt with, and the output of the alarm sound or the lighting of the light is stopped. In this manner, the user's anxiety can be reduced.
(9) A control method according to the ninth aspect is a control method for an alarm device that is activated when a refrigerant leakage is detected, the method including a step of acquiring a leakage detection signal indicating that a refrigerant leakage from an air conditioner is detected, a step of generating instruction information that sets a volume of an alarm sound and/or a brightness of an alarm light based on a size of a space in which the air conditioner is provided and a magnitude of noise in the space, and a step of instructing an alarm device of a setting content set in the step of setting.
(10) A program according to a tenth aspect causes a computer to execute a step of acquiring a leakage detection signal indicating that a refrigerant leakage from an air conditioner has been detected, a step of generating instruction information that sets a volume of an alarm sound and/or a brightness of an alarm light based on a size of a space in which the air conditioner is provided and a magnitude of noise in the space, and a step of instructing an alarm device of a setting content set in the step of setting.

Industrial Applicability

Reference Signs List

1: air conditioner
10: indoor unit
11: fan
15: refrigerant pipe
16: shutoff valve
20: outdoor unit
30: control device
31: sensor information acquisition unit
32: setting receiving unit
33: timer
34: alarm control unit
35: protection operation control unit
351: failure detection unit
36: storage unit
40: remote controller
41: light
42: speaker
43: operation unit
50: refrigerant detector
60: alarm unit
61: light
62: speaker
70: ventilation device
80: human sensor
A: room

Claims

A control device comprising:
an acquisition unit that acquires a leakage detection signal indicating that a refrigerant leakage from an air conditioner is detected;

a setting unit that sets a volume of an alarm sound and/or a brightness of an alarm light based on a size of a space in which the air conditioner is provided and a magnitude of noise in the space; and

an instruction unit that instructs an alarm device of a setting content set by the setting unit when the leakage detection signal is acquired.
The control device according to Claim 1,
wherein the acquisition unit further acquires a situation detection signal indicating a situation of the air conditioner or the space,

the setting unit changes the volume and/or the brightness based on the situation detection signal, and

the instruction unit instructs the alarm device of the setting content including the changed volume and/or brightness.
The control device according to Claim 2,
wherein when the situation detection signal indicates a failure of the air conditioner or when the situation detection signal indicates that the noise in the space is high, the setting unit increases the volume and/or the brightness.
The control device according to Claim 3,
wherein when the situation detection signal indicates that the number of people in the space is equal to or larger than a predetermined value, the setting unit determines that the noise in the space is high.
The control device according to Claim 2 or 3,
wherein when the situation detection signal indicates that the noise in the space is low, the setting unit reduces the volume and/or the brightness.
The control device according to Claim 5,
wherein when the situation detection signal indicates that it is nighttime, the setting unit determines that the noise in the space is low.
The control device according to Claim 2 or 3,
wherein when the situation detection signal indicates that a remote controller of the air conditioner is operated, the setting unit reduces the volume and/or the brightness for a predetermined time.
The control device according to Claim 2 or 3,
wherein when the situation detection signal indicates that a remote controller of the air conditioner is operated by a specific user, the setting unit sets stopping of an output of the alarm sound, and/or sets turning off of the alarm light.
A control method for an alarm device that is activated when a refrigerant leakage is detected, the method comprising:
a step of acquiring a leakage detection signal indicating that a refrigerant leakage from an air conditioner is detected;

a step of setting a volume of an alarm sound and/or a brightness of an alarm light based on a size of a space in which the air conditioner is provided and a magnitude of noise in the space; and

a step of instructing an alarm device of a setting content set in the step of setting.
A program causing a computer to execute:
a step of acquiring a leakage detection signal indicating that a refrigerant leakage from an air conditioner has been detected;

a step of setting a volume of an alarm sound and/or a brightness of an alarm light based on a size of a space in which the air conditioner is provided and a magnitude of noise in the space; and

a step of instructing an alarm device of a setting content set in the step of setting.