JP2003120989A - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air conditioner capable of realizing comfortable air conditioning corresponding to changes of conditions of a human body during sleeping. SOLUTION: A sensor unit 32 is mounted on a wrist of a person who is in a room to be air conditioned to detect a wrist temperature Ti and transmit the detected temperature Ti toward an indoor unit by radio. The indoor unit compensates a target room temperature Ts in accordance with the received wrist temperature Ti.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air conditioner that provides comfortable air conditioning during sleep.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As an air-conditioning control during sleep, there is an example in which a target room temperature is raised according to the passage of time during the cooling period, and a target room temperature is lowered according to the passage of time during the heating period. There is also an example in which fluctuation rhythms of human body sleep (hereinafter referred to as sleep rhythms) are registered as data, and the target room temperature is sequentially changed according to the data.

[0003]

In the conventional air conditioner, regarding the state of the sleeping human body,
I have not considered it at all. Even when the sleep rhythm is registered, there are individual differences in the sleep rhythm. Even in the same person, the sleep rhythm changes its cycle and pattern every day. For these reasons, it has been difficult to provide comfortable air conditioning according to changes in the state of the human body during sleep. If the actual sleep rhythm pattern and the registered sleep rhythm pattern are completely opposite, lower the target room temperature when it should be raised, or raise it when the target room temperature should be lowered. Inadequate control will be executed.

The present invention takes the above circumstances into consideration,
An object of the invention is to provide an air conditioner capable of comfortable air conditioning that appropriately responds to changes in the state of the human body during sleep.

[0005]

An air conditioner according to a first aspect of the present invention has an indoor temperature adjusting function, and has a limb temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the limbs of a person in an air-conditioned room. , And control means for controlling the driving in accordance with the temperature detected by the limb temperature sensor.

In the air conditioner of the invention according to claim 2, the control means is limited in the invention according to claim 1. When the sleep mode is set, the control means determines whether the person in the air-conditioned room has entered a sleep state from the temperature detected by the limb temperature sensor, and when the person enters the sleep state, the temperature detected by the limb temperature sensor is detected. The target room temperature is corrected accordingly.

An air conditioner according to a third aspect of the present invention is the air conditioner according to the second aspect, further comprising an operating means for setting a pleasant sleep mode.

An air conditioner according to a fourth aspect of the present invention includes an indoor temperature sensor for detecting the temperature in the air-conditioned room, and a control means for controlling the operation so that the detected temperature of the indoor temperature sensor becomes a target indoor temperature. A limb temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the limbs of a person who is in the air-conditioned room, and a determination means that determines whether or not a person in the air-conditioned room has entered a sleep state from the temperature detected by the limb temperature sensor when the sleep mode is set. When setting the above-mentioned sleep mode and the result of the determination by the determination means is affirmative,
And a correction unit that corrects the target room temperature according to the temperature detected by the limb temperature sensor.

An air conditioner according to a fifth aspect of the present invention comprises an indoor temperature sensor for detecting the temperature in the air-conditioned room, and a control means for controlling the operation so that the detected temperature of the indoor temperature sensor becomes the target indoor temperature. A limb temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the limbs of the person in the air-conditioned room, an indoor humidity sensor that detects the humidity in the air-conditioned room, and whether or not a person in the air-conditioned room has entered a sleep state when the sleep mode is set. A discriminating means for discriminating from the detection temperature of the extremity temperature sensor, and when the sleep mode is set, if the discrimination result of the discriminating means is affirmative, the detection temperature of the extremity temperature sensor and the detection humidity of the indoor humidity sensor And a correction unit that corrects the target indoor temperature accordingly.

An air conditioner according to a sixth aspect of the present invention includes an indoor temperature sensor for detecting the temperature in the air-conditioned room, and a control means for controlling the operation so that the detected temperature of the indoor temperature sensor becomes the target indoor temperature. A limb temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the limbs of a person who is in the air-conditioned room, and a determination means that determines whether or not a person in the air-conditioned room has entered a sleep state from the temperature detected by the limb temperature sensor when the sleep mode is set. When the determination result of this determining means is affirmative, a measuring means for measuring the passage of time from that, and when setting the pleasant sleep mode, when the determination result of the determining means is affirmative, the limb temperature sensor detection And a correction unit that corrects the target room temperature according to the temperature and the measurement time of the measurement unit.

An air conditioner according to a seventh aspect of the present invention includes an indoor temperature sensor for detecting the temperature in the air-conditioned room, and a control means for controlling the operation so that the detected temperature of the indoor temperature sensor becomes a target indoor temperature. A limb temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the limbs of the person in the air-conditioned room, an indoor humidity sensor that detects the humidity in the air-conditioned room, and whether or not a person in the air-conditioned room has entered a sleep state when the sleep mode is set. Discriminating means for discriminating from the temperature detected by the limb temperature sensor, a measuring means for measuring a lapse of time from when the discriminating result of the discriminating means is affirmative, and the discriminating means discriminating means when setting the sleep mode When the result is affirmative, a correction unit that corrects the target indoor temperature according to the temperature detected by the limb temperature sensor, the humidity detected by the indoor humidity sensor, and the measurement time of the measurement unit is provided. .

An air conditioner according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is the air conditioner according to any one of the fourth to seventh aspects, further having a limb temperature sensor and capable of being attached to a limb of a human body. The sensor unit wirelessly transmits the temperature detected by the temperature sensor to the indoor unit of the air conditioner at regular intervals.

An air conditioner according to a ninth aspect of the present invention is the air conditioner according to any of the fourth through seventh aspects, further comprising an operation of wirelessly transmitting the set operating conditions to the indoor unit of the air conditioner. And a limb temperature sensor,
A sensor unit that can be attached to the extremities of the human body and wirelessly transmits the temperature detected by the extremity temperature sensor to the indoor unit with higher transmission performance than the operating device.

An air conditioner according to a tenth aspect of the present invention is the air conditioner according to any one of the fourth to seventh aspects,
The correction means are limited. The correction means further includes
A predetermined value corresponding to each of the cooling operation and the heating operation is added to the target indoor temperature.

The air conditioner of the invention according to claim 11 is the air conditioner according to any one of claims 4 to 7,
The correction means are limited. The correction means corrects the target indoor temperature in the downward direction with respect to the increase in the temperature detected by the limb temperature sensor, and corrects the target indoor temperature in the upward direction with the decrease in the temperature detected by the limb temperature sensor.

An air conditioner according to a twelfth aspect of the present invention is the air conditioner according to any one of the fifth and seventh aspects.
The correction means are limited. The correction means corrects the target indoor temperature in the decreasing direction with respect to the increase in the detected humidity of the indoor humidity sensor, and corrects the target indoor temperature in the increasing direction with respect to the decrease in the detected humidity of the indoor temperature sensor.

An air conditioner according to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention is the air conditioner according to any one of the fourth to seventh aspects,
Further, during the cooling operation when the pleasant sleep mode is set, when the detected temperature of the indoor temperature sensor becomes lower than the target indoor temperature corrected by the correcting means by a predetermined value or more, the control means for switching the cooling operation to the heating operation and the pleasant sleep mode. During heating operation when is set, when the detected temperature of the indoor temperature sensor becomes higher than the target indoor temperature corrected by the correction means by a predetermined value or more,
Control means for switching the heating operation to the cooling operation.

An air conditioner according to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention comprises an indoor temperature sensor for detecting the temperature in the air-conditioned room, and a control means for controlling the operation so that the detected temperature of the indoor temperature sensor becomes the target indoor temperature. A limb temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the limbs of a person who is in the air-conditioned room, a limb humidity sensor that detects the humidity of the limbs of a person who is in the air-conditioned room, and a person in the air-conditioned room that is sleeping when the sleep mode is set. When the determination result of the determination means is positive when the sleep mode is set, the determination means that determines whether or not the limb temperature sensor detects the temperature, and the determination temperature of the limb temperature sensor and the limb humidity are set. And a correction unit that corrects the target indoor temperature according to the humidity detected by the sensor.

An air conditioner according to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention is the air conditioner according to the fourteenth aspect, further comprising a limb temperature sensor and a limb humidity sensor, and can be attached to a limb of a human body. The sensor unit wirelessly transmits the detection result of the limb humidity sensor to the indoor unit of the air conditioner at regular intervals.

An air conditioner according to a sixteenth aspect of the present invention includes an indoor temperature sensor for detecting the temperature in the air-conditioned room, and a control means for controlling the operation so that the detected temperature of the indoor temperature sensor becomes a target indoor temperature. A limb temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the limbs of the person who is in the air-conditioned room, a heart rate sensor that detects the heart rate of the person who is in the air-conditioned room, and when setting a good sleep mode,
A determination unit that determines whether or not a person in the air-conditioned room has entered a sleep state from the temperature detected by the limb temperature sensor, and when the sleep mode is set, when the determination result of the determination unit is positive, the limb temperature is determined. And a correction unit that corrects the target room temperature according to the temperature detected by the sensor and the heart rate detected by the heart rate sensor.

An air conditioner according to a seventeenth aspect of the present invention is the air conditioner according to the sixteenth aspect, further comprising a limb temperature sensor and a heart rate sensor, and can be attached to a limb of a human body. The sensor unit wirelessly transmits the detection result of the heart rate sensor to the indoor unit of the air conditioner at regular intervals.

An air conditioner according to an eighteenth aspect of the present invention includes an indoor temperature sensor for detecting the temperature in the air-conditioned room, and a control means for controlling the operation so that the detected temperature of the indoor temperature sensor becomes the target indoor temperature. A limb temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the limbs of the person who is in the air-conditioned room, a limb humidity sensor that detects the humidity of the person who is in the air-conditioned room, and a heart rate sensor that detects the heart rate of the person who is in the air-conditioned room. When the sleep mode is set, the determination means determines whether or not a person in the air-conditioned room has entered a sleep state from the temperature detected by the limb temperature sensor, and when the sleep mode is set, the determination result of the determination means is affirmative. In this case, a correction unit that corrects the target room temperature according to the temperature detected by the limb temperature sensor, the temperature detected by the limb humidity sensor, and the heart rate detected by the heart rate sensor is provided.

An air conditioner according to a nineteenth aspect of the present invention is the air conditioner according to the eighteenth aspect, further including a limb temperature sensor, a limb humidity sensor, and a heart rate sensor, and can be attached to the limbs of a human body. , A limb temperature sensor, a limb humidity sensor, and a sensor unit that wirelessly transmits the detection results of the heart rate sensor to the indoor unit of the air conditioner at regular intervals.

An air conditioner according to a twentieth aspect of the invention is the air conditioner according to any one of the fourteenth to nineteenth aspects, wherein the correcting means is limited. The correction means corrects the target indoor temperature in the downward direction with respect to the increase in the temperature detected by the limb temperature sensor, and corrects the target indoor temperature in the upward direction with the decrease in the temperature detected by the limb temperature sensor.

An air conditioner according to a twenty-first aspect of the invention is the invention according to any one of the fourteenth to nineteenth aspects, wherein the correcting means is limited. The correction means corrects the target indoor temperature in the decreasing direction with respect to the increase in the humidity detected by the limb humidity sensor, and corrects the target indoor temperature in the increasing direction with the decrease in the detected humidity by the limb temperature sensor.

An air conditioner according to a twenty-second aspect of the present invention is the air conditioner according to any one of the fourteenth to nineteenth aspects, further comprising a temperature detected by an indoor temperature sensor during cooling operation when a sleep mode is set. Is lower than the target room temperature corrected by the correction means by a predetermined value or more, the control means for switching the cooling operation to the heating operation, and the temperature detected by the indoor temperature sensor by the correction means during the heating operation when the sleep mode is set. And a control means for switching the heating operation to the cooling operation when the temperature becomes higher than the corrected target room temperature by a predetermined value or more.

[0027]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION [1] A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, an outdoor heat exchanger 3 is connected to a discharge port of a compressor 1 via a four-way valve 2, and an indoor heat exchanger 5 is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 3 via an expansion valve 4. ing. The suction port of the compressor 1 is connected to the indoor heat exchanger 5 via the four-way valve 2. With these connections, a heat pump type refrigeration cycle capable of cooling operation and heating operation is configured.

That is, during the cooling operation, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 flows in the direction of the solid line arrow, and the outdoor heat exchanger 3
Is a condenser, and the indoor heat exchanger 5 functions as an evaporator. During the heating operation, by switching the four-way valve 2, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 flows as indicated by the broken line arrow, the indoor heat exchanger 5 functions as a condenser, and the outdoor heat exchanger 3 functions as an evaporator.

An outdoor fan 6 is provided for the outdoor heat exchanger 3, and an indoor fan 7 is provided for the indoor heat exchanger 5. An indoor temperature sensor 8 and an indoor humidity sensor 9 are provided in the flow path of the indoor air sucked by the indoor fan 7.

The outdoor compressor 1, the four-way valve 2, the outdoor heat exchanger 3, the expansion valve 4, and the outdoor fan 6 are provided in the outdoor unit. The indoor heat exchanger 5, the indoor fan 7, the indoor temperature sensor 8, and the indoor humidity sensor 9 on the indoor side are
It is provided in the indoor unit.

The compressor 1 is of a variable speed type (variable capacity type), and operates at a speed corresponding to the frequency of the AC power supplied from the inverter 11. The inverter 11 rectifies the voltage of the commercial AC power supply 10, converts the rectified DC voltage into an AC voltage having a frequency according to a command from the control unit 20, and outputs the AC voltage.

The control unit 20 controls the entire air conditioner. The control unit 20 includes a four-way valve 2, an outdoor fan 6,
Indoor fan 7, indoor temperature sensor 8, indoor humidity sensor 9,
The inverter 11, the light receiving unit 21, and the receiving unit 22 are connected.

The light receiving portion 21 is provided in the indoor unit,
Infrared light transmitted from a remote control type operation device (hereinafter, referred to as a remote control) 31 is received. The remote controller 31 is for setting operating conditions such as an operation mode (cooling / heating / sleeping) and a target indoor temperature, and wirelessly transmits the setting contents to the indoor unit by infrared light.

The receiving section 22 receives the radio wave transmitted from the sensor unit 32. The sensor unit 32 is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 4, the wrist band is a wrist band that can be attached to and removed from the limbs of the human body, for example, the wrist. , Has a transmitter 36 and a power switch 37 on the outer surface side.

The extremity temperature sensor 33 detects the temperature Ti of the wrist. The extremity humidity sensor 34 detects the humidity Hi based on the perspiration of the wrist. The heart rate sensor 35 detects the heart rate X of the human body. The transmitter 36 wirelessly transmits the detection result of each sensor to the indoor unit by radio waves every fixed time, for example, every 5 minutes, and has a transmission performance higher than the infrared light of the remote controller 31 by adopting the radio wave transmission. ing. Even if bedding such as a futon covers the sensor unit 32,
Reliable data transmission is possible.

The control unit 20 has the following (1) to (8) as main functions.

(1) Control means for controlling the output frequency of the inverter 11 so that the detected temperature Ta of the indoor temperature sensor 8 becomes the target indoor temperature Ts set by the remote controller 31 during the cooling and heating operations.

(2) When the sleep mode is set by the remote controller 31, a fixed temperature correction term f (0) is added to the target room temperature Ts set by the remote controller 31, and a new target room temperature Ts1 is set. To do. The temperature correction term f (0) is
It is a predetermined value corresponding to each of the cooling operation and the heating operation, for example, -0.5k during cooling and -3.0k during heating.
Is. Ts1 = Ts + f (0) (3) A means for receiving and taking in the data of the wrist temperature Ti transmitted from the sensor unit 32 by the receiving unit 22 when the sleep mode is set by the remote controller 31.

(4) Measuring means for measuring an elapsed time t from the time when the sleep mode is set by an internal timer.

(5) The difference between the wrist temperature Ti at the time when the pleasant sleep mode is set and the wrist temperature Ti detected thereafter is successively monitored, and the difference between both temperatures becomes the predetermined value ΔTi or more in the increasing direction. At this time, a means for determining that the wearer of the sensor unit 32 has entered a sleep state (sleeping determination).

(6) Correcting means for correcting the target indoor temperature Ts1 and setting a new target indoor temperature Ts2 according to the wrist temperature Ti, the indoor humidity Ha, and the elapsed time t after the sleep onset determination.

(7) Control means for switching the cooling operation to the heating operation when the detected temperature Ta of the indoor temperature sensor 8 becomes lower than the target indoor temperature Ts2 by a predetermined value, for example, 2 ° C. or more, during the cooling operation when the pleasant sleep mode is set. .

(8) During heating operation when the sleep mode is set, when the detected temperature Ta of the indoor temperature sensor 8 becomes higher than the target indoor temperature Ts2 by a predetermined value, for example, 2 ° C. or more, the heating operation is switched to the cooling operation. .

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 shows changes in the wrist temperature and the amount of sweat when the indoor temperature Ta is constant.

Room temperature sensor 8 during cooling and heating operations
The output frequency of the inverter 11 is controlled according to the difference between the detected temperature Ta and the target room temperature Ts set by the remote controller 31. As a result, the capacity of the compressor 1 changes, and the detected temperature Ta converges to the target indoor temperature Ts.

At the time of going to bed, a person in the air-conditioned room (hereinafter referred to as a user) wears the sensor unit 32 on his wrist, turns on the power switch 37 of the sensor unit 32, and sets the comfortable sleep mode by the remote controller 31.

When the sensor unit 32 is attached to the wrist and the power switch 37 is turned on, the wrist temperature Ti is detected by the sensor unit 32, and these detection data are transmitted from the sensor unit 32.

When the sleep mode is set, the transmitted data is taken into the control unit 20 via the receiving unit 22 and the control unit 20 starts measuring the elapsed time t. Furthermore, the target indoor temperature Ts is -0.5 k during cooling.
However, during heating, the new target indoor temperature Ts1 is set by shifting in the downward direction by -3.0k.

As the sleep of the user deepens, the wrist temperature Ti of the user rises. The difference between the wrist temperature Ti and the subsequent wrist temperature Ti is sequentially monitored, and when the difference between the two temperatures becomes the predetermined value ΔTi or more in the increasing direction, it is determined that the user has fallen asleep.

After the sleep onset determination, with respect to the target room temperature Ts1,
A new target indoor temperature Ts2 is set by adding the temperature correction term f1 (Ti) related to the wrist temperature Ti, the temperature correction term f2 (Ha) related to the indoor humidity Ha, and the temperature correction term f3 (t) related to the elapsed time t. To be done. Ts2 = Ts1 + f1 (Ti) + f2 (Ha) + f3
(T) Here, the temperature correction term f1 (Ti) relating to the wrist temperature Ti
explain about. The wrist temperature Ti usually shows a trend as shown in FIG. 3, and increases in the non-REM sleep period and decreases in the REM sleep period. The amount of sweat increases during the non-REM sleep period,
Reduced during REM sleep.

Therefore, the maximum value T of the wrist temperature Ti after falling asleep is T
imax is defined as the reference wrist temperature when the sleep is deepest, and the reference wrist temperature Timax and the current wrist temperature Ti
The temperature correction term f1 (Ti) is determined by multiplying the difference (= Timax−Ti) by a predetermined gain constant G1. f1 (Ti) = (Timax−Ti) · G1 That is, when sleep goes to the REM sleep period (when the wrist temperature Ti drops), the target room temperature Ts1 is corrected in the upward direction so that the user does not feel cold. I am trying. When the sleep goes to the non-REM sleep period (when the wrist temperature Ti rises), the target indoor temperature Ts1 is corrected downward to prevent the user from sweating. By adding the temperature correction term f1 (Ti), it is possible to suppress the variation in the amount of sweat of the user even if the cycle changes of REM sleep and non-REM sleep are repeated.

The physical characteristics of NREM sleep are that eye movements are slow, muscle tension is lower than when awake,
It is known that the number of hearts stays slow, breathing is slow, blood pressure is low, gastric acid secretion is low, urine output is low, and sweating occurs. The physical characteristics of REM sleep include rapid eye movement, muscle tension lower than in the non-REM period, heart turbulence and speed up, breathing turbulence and speed up, blood pressure instability, and gastric acid secretion. It is known that the amount increases, the amount of urine decreases significantly, and there is no sweating.

Temperature correction term f2 (H
A) will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, the indoor temperature Ta is controlled to be substantially constant during the cooling operation and the heating operation of the air conditioner. However, after a long time such as during sleep, the indoor humidity Ha changes due to the effect of the outdoor humidity Ho and the like. When the indoor humidity Ha fluctuates, the cold feeling of the user naturally changes even at the same indoor temperature Ta. Therefore, the temperature correction term f2 (Ha) related to the indoor humidity Ha is taken into consideration. For example, the indoor humidity Ha at the time when the sleep mode is set is set as the reference indoor humidity Ha0, and the difference between the reference indoor humidity Ha0 and the current indoor humidity Ha (= H
a0-Ha) is multiplied by a predetermined gain constant G2 to determine the temperature correction term f2 (Ha). f2 (Ha) = (Ha0−Ha) · G2 That is, when the indoor humidity Ha decreases, the target indoor temperature Ts1 is corrected in the upward direction, and when the indoor humidity Ha increases, the target indoor temperature Ts1 is corrected in the downward direction. I am trying to do it.

By adding the temperature correction term f2 (Ha), it is possible to obtain a comfortable temperature and humidity environment in consideration of the fluctuation of the indoor humidity Ha.

Temperature correction term f3 (t) relating to time t
Will be described. As described above, one of the factors influencing the feeling of cold weather during sleep is the cycle change of REM sleep and non-REM sleep. Second, there is a change in metabolism. Metabolism is shown in Figure 5.
As shown in, the value gradually decreases as the sleep time elapses. A person's cold and hot feeling is determined by the amount of metabolism and the amount of heat released from the skin. This is the reason why it becomes cold in the morning even if the room temperature Ta is constant.

Therefore, it is conceivable to add a temperature correction term relating to the metabolic rate, but since the metabolic rate is a simple trend of a downward rightward as shown in FIG. The elapsed time (sleep time) t from is multiplied by a predetermined gain constant G3 to determine the temperature correction term f3 (t). f3 (t) = t · G3 By the addition of the temperature correction term f3 (t), the target room temperature Ts2 is shifted to the higher side with the decrease in the metabolic amount, and cold air in the second half of sleep can be prevented.

As described above, by adding each temperature correction term to the target room temperature Ts1, the target room temperature Ts2 that sequentially changes as the sleep progresses is obtained as shown in FIG. As a result, the user's skin temperature during sleep and the amount of sweat are suppressed as shown in FIG.

By setting a good sleep mode at bedtime,
Optimal air conditioning can be performed according to the sleep state (sleeping time, REM sleep-non-REM sleep cycle, metabolic rate) of the user in the air-conditioned room on that day. When going to bed, since the optimum target room temperature Ts is set at that time, it is possible to smoothly fall asleep. During sleep, the target room temperature is adjusted in accordance with the cycle of REM sleep-non-REM sleep, so excessive sweating can be suppressed, and a comfortable sensation can be maintained no matter what timing the user awakens midway. At the time of awakening, temperature correction based on sleep time in consideration of metabolism was taken into account, so that no chills were felt, and excessive sweating during sleep was suppressed and the feeling of cold heat was optimized. As a result, it is possible to prevent discomfort caused by body fatigue and sweat of clothes.

Further, a change in the feeling of coldness due to a change in the outside air humidity Ho or a change in the indoor humidity Ha due to the convenience of the air conditioning operation can be absorbed by the temperature correction term relating to the indoor humidity Ha, and as a result, the thermal environment. A comfortable sleeping environment can be provided under any conditions.

On the other hand, during the cooling operation when the pleasant sleep mode is set, the air conditioning capacity is controlled so that the room temperature Ta becomes the target room temperature Ts2. Even when the temperature To is higher than the indoor temperature Ta, the outdoor temperature To becomes lower than the indoor temperature Ta in the morning, and even if the control for shifting the target indoor temperature Ts2 to the upward side by the setting of the pleasant sleep mode works (the room is in the morning Although the outdoor temperature To is actually low, the indoor temperature Ta may not rise and the user may feel cold air even if the control for preventing the temperature from becoming cold is working.

Therefore, during the cooling operation when the sleep mode is set, the cooling operation is performed when the detected temperature Ta of the indoor temperature sensor 8 becomes lower than the target indoor temperature Ts2 by 2 ° C. or more, as shown in FIG. After that, the heating operation is started. By switching the operation mode, it is possible to avoid the inconvenience that the user feels cold.

Further, the heating operation in the case where the pleasant sleep mode is set, and the air conditioning capacity is controlled so that the indoor temperature Ta becomes the target indoor temperature Ts2. However, at the change of seasons, the outdoor temperature To is the indoor temperature when sleeping. Even if it is lower than Ta,
In the morning, the outdoor temperature To becomes higher than the indoor temperature Ta, and even if the sleep mode is set, the target indoor temperature Ts is set.
Even if the control for shifting 2 to the lower side works, the outdoor temperature To is actually high, and therefore the indoor temperature Ta does not decrease and the user may feel the heat.

Therefore, during the heating operation when the sleep mode is set, the heating operation is performed when the detected temperature Ta of the indoor temperature sensor 8 is higher than the target indoor temperature Ts2 by 2 ° C. or more, as shown in FIG. After that, the cooling operation is started. By switching the operation mode, it is possible to avoid the inconvenience that the user feels hot.

In the above embodiment, the target room temperature T
As the temperature correction term for s1, both the wrist temperature Ti and the indoor humidity Ha are added, but the wrist temperature Ti
Even if only added, a sufficient effect can be obtained with respect to comfortable air conditioning.

[2] A second embodiment will be described.
The control unit 20 has the following main functions (11) to (1).
6).

(11) Control means for controlling the output frequency of the inverter 11 so that the detected temperature Ta of the indoor temperature sensor 8 becomes the target indoor temperature Ts set by the remote controller 31 during the cooling and heating operations.

(12) When the sleep mode is set by the remote controller 31, the data of the wrist temperature Ti, the wrist humidity Hi, and the heart rate X transmitted from the sensor unit 32 are received by the receiving unit 22.
Means to receive and capture at.

(13) The difference between the wrist temperature Ti at the time when the pleasant sleep mode is set and the wrist temperature Ti detected thereafter is successively monitored, and the difference between the two temperatures becomes the predetermined value ΔTi or more in the increasing direction. At this time, a means for determining that the wearer of the sensor unit 32 has entered a sleep state (sleeping determination).

(14) Correction means for correcting the target room temperature Ts and setting a new target room temperature Ts' in accordance with the wrist temperature Ti, the wrist humidity Hi, and the heart rate X after the sleep onset determination.

(15) Control for switching the cooling operation to the heating operation when the detected temperature Ta of the indoor temperature sensor 8 becomes lower than the target indoor temperature Ts' by a predetermined value, for example, 2 ° C. or more during the cooling operation when the pleasant sleep mode is set. means.

(16) During heating operation when the sleep mode is set, when the detected temperature Ta of the indoor temperature sensor 8 becomes higher than the target indoor temperature Ts' by a predetermined value, for example, 2 ° C. or more, the heating operation is switched to the cooling operation. means.

The other structure is the same as that of the first embodiment.

The operation will be described. During cooling and heating operation,
According to the difference between the detected temperature Ta of the indoor temperature sensor 8 and the target indoor temperature Ts set by the remote controller 31, the inverter 1
The output frequency of 1 is controlled. As a result, the capacity of the compressor 1 changes, and the detected temperature Ta converges to the target indoor temperature Ts.

When the person in the air-conditioned room (hereinafter referred to as a user) wears the sensor unit 32 on his / her wrist and turns on the power switch 37 at bedtime, the remote controller 31 sets the comfortable sleep mode.

When the sensor unit 32 is attached to the wrist and the power switch 37 is turned on, the wrist temperature Ti, the wrist humidity Hi, and the heart rate X are detected by the sensor unit 32, and these detection data are transmitted from the sensor unit 32. To be done.

When the good sleep mode is set, the transmitted data is taken into the control unit 20 via the receiving unit 22.

As the sleep of the user deepens, the wrist temperature Ti of the user rises. The difference between the wrist temperature Ti and the subsequent wrist temperature Ti is sequentially monitored, and when the difference between the two temperatures becomes the predetermined value ΔTi or more in the increasing direction, it is determined that the user has fallen asleep.

After the sleep onset determination, with respect to the target room temperature Ts, a temperature correction term f1 (Ti) related to the wrist temperature Ti, a temperature correction term f4 (Hi) related to the wrist humidity Hi, and a temperature correction term f5 (related to the heart rate X). X) is added, and a new target indoor temperature Ts' is set. Ts ′ = Ts + f1 (Ti) + f4 (Hi) + f5 (X) The temperature correction term f1 (Ti) relating to the wrist temperature Ti will be described. The wrist temperature Ti usually shows a trend as shown in FIG. 3, and increases in the non-REM sleep period and decreases in the REM sleep period. The amount of sweat, which is a factor of the wrist humidity Hi, increases during the non-REM sleep period and decreases during the REM sleep period.

Therefore, the maximum value T of the wrist temperature Ti after falling asleep is T
imax is defined as the reference wrist temperature when the sleep is deepest, and the reference wrist temperature Timax and the current wrist temperature Ti
The temperature correction term f1 (Ti) is determined by multiplying the difference (= Timax−Ti) by a predetermined gain constant G1. f1 (Ti) = (Timax−Ti) · G1 That is, when the sleep goes to the REM sleep period (when the wrist temperature Ti drops), the target room temperature Ts is corrected in the upward direction so that the user does not feel cold air. I am trying.
When sleep goes to NREM sleep stage (wrist temperature Ti
When the temperature rises), the target indoor temperature Ts is corrected in the downward direction to prevent the user from sweating. By adding the temperature correction term f1 (Ti), it is possible to suppress the variation in the amount of sweat of the user even if the cycle changes of REM sleep and non-REM sleep are repeated.

A temperature correction term f4 (H
i) It will be explained. The wrist humidity Hi is a barometer of the user's feeling of cold and hot, and when the user feels hot, he / she sweats and the wrist humidity Hi rises, and when he feels cold, the wrist humidity Hi falls.

Therefore, the temperature correction term f4 (Hi) is determined by multiplying the difference (= Hi0-Hi) between the predetermined reference wrist humidity Hi0 and the wrist humidity Hi after falling asleep by a predetermined gain constant G4. . f4 (Hi) = (Hi0−Hi) · G4 That is, when the wrist humidity Hi decreases, the target room temperature T
s is corrected in the upward direction, and when the wrist humidity Hi is increased, the target indoor temperature Ts is corrected in the downward direction.

By adding the temperature correction term f4 (Hi), excessive sweating and chill can be prevented.

The temperature correction term f5 (X) relating to the heart rate X will be described. In the first embodiment, the correction related to the metabolic amount is set as a function of the time lapse t after the sleep onset determination, but the change in the metabolic amount also changes due to personal differences, sleep state of the day, and the like.

As shown in FIG. 5, the heart rate rises excessively during the REM sleep period, but otherwise the heart rate decreases with the progress of sleep (decrease in metabolism).

Therefore, the average value Xn of the heart rate X at the time when the pleasant sleep mode is set and the minimum value Xmin of the heart rate X after the sleep onset determination are sequentially obtained, and the average heart rate X
The temperature correction term f5 (X) is determined by multiplying the difference between n and the minimum heart rate Xmin by a predetermined gain number G5. f5 (X) = (Xn-Xmin) * G5 By adding the temperature correction term f5 (X), comfortable air conditioning in accordance with the change in metabolic rate of the user on that day becomes possible.

As described above, by adding each temperature correction term to the target room temperature Ts, the optimum target room temperature Ts' appropriately corresponding to the sleep state of the user can be obtained, and as a result, a comfortable sleeping environment can be obtained. You can

In the above embodiment, the target room temperature T
As the temperature correction term for s, three of the wrist temperature Ti, the wrist humidity Hi, and the heart rate X are added, but two of the wrist temperature Ti and the wrist humidity Hi, or two of the wrist temperature Ti and the heart rate X are added. Even if the above is added, a sufficient effect can be obtained for comfortable air conditioning.

[3] A third embodiment will be described.
The third embodiment deals with the case where a plurality of users sleep in the same air-conditioned room, and allows the remote controller 31 to set a comfortable sleep mode for a plurality of people. The sensor unit 32 is worn by only one user.

When the sleep mode for a plurality of people is set,
Temperature correction term f1 related to the wrist temperature Ti, which easily causes individual differences
The gain G1 for determining (Ti) is set to a value smaller than the normal value. For example, it is set to half the normal value or zero.

With such gain setting, the change pattern of the target room temperature Ts2 with the progress of sleep becomes the change pattern of FIG. That is, compared with the change pattern of FIG. 6 in the first embodiment, the change pattern is lower and the change width is smaller.

As a result, a comfortable thermal environment can be obtained even under the sleeping conditions of a plurality of people. In terms of comfort, it is slightly inferior to that of the first embodiment, but much more comfortable air conditioning is possible compared to the conventional air conditioning control.

Other configurations and operations are the same as those in the first embodiment.

In each of the above embodiments, the sensor unit of the type worn on the wrist has been described as an example, but the sensor unit of the type worn on the ankle is not limited to the wrist. In short, it can be attached anywhere on the limbs. Other,
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments,
Various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0094]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an air conditioner capable of performing comfortable air conditioning that appropriately responds to changes in the state of the human body during sleep.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of each embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a sensor unit of each embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of general changes in wrist temperature and perspiration amount according to each embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an outdoor humidity and an outdoor temperature in the first embodiment,
The figure which shows the relationship between indoor humidity, indoor temperature, and target indoor temperature.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a relationship among a metabolic rate, a heart rate, and a sleep cycle in each embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a change in target indoor temperature in the first embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a relationship among an indoor temperature, a wrist temperature, and a sweating amount in each embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing heating switching conditions during cooling in each embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a cooling switching condition during heating in each embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a change in target indoor temperature in the second embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Compressor, 2 ... Four-way valve, 3 ... Outdoor heat exchanger, 4 ... Expansion valve, 5 ... Indoor heat exchanger, 8 ... Indoor temperature sensor, 9 ... Indoor humidity sensor, 11 ... Inverter, 20 ... Control part, 21 ...
Light receiving section, 22 ... Receiving section, 31 ... Remote control (operating means),
32 ... Sensor unit, 33 ... Limb temperature sensor, 34 ...
Limb humidity sensor, 35 ... Heart rate sensor, 36 ... Transmitter,
37 ... Power switch

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI theme code (reference) F24F 11/02 104 F24F 11/02 104Z F term (reference) 3L060 AA05 CC01 CC02 CC06 CC07 CC19 DD05 DD07 EE01 3L061 BA01 BA03 BA06 BB01

Claims (22)

[Claims] 1. An air conditioner having an indoor temperature adjusting function, a limb temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of a limb of a person in an air-conditioned room, and a control for controlling an operation according to a temperature detected by the limb temperature sensor. An air conditioner comprising: 2. The air conditioner of the invention according to claim 1, wherein, when the sleep mode is set, the control means determines whether or not a person in the air-conditioned room has entered a sleep state by using the limb temperature sensor. An air conditioner characterized by determining from a detected temperature and correcting a target room temperature in accordance with the detected temperature of the extremity temperature sensor when a sleep state is entered. 3. The air conditioner of the invention according to claim 2, further comprising operation means for setting the pleasant sleep mode. 4. An indoor temperature sensor for detecting the temperature inside the air-conditioned room, a control means for controlling the operation so that the detected temperature of the indoor temperature sensor becomes a target indoor temperature, and the temperature of the extremities of a person in the air-conditioned room. A limb temperature sensor for detecting, and a determination means for determining whether or not a person in the air-conditioned room has entered a sleep state from the detected temperature of the limb temperature sensor when setting the sleep mode, when setting the sleep mode, An air conditioner comprising: a correction unit that corrects the target indoor temperature according to the temperature detected by the limb temperature sensor when the determination result of the determination unit is affirmative. 5. An indoor temperature sensor for detecting the temperature in the air-conditioned room, a control means for controlling the operation so that the detected temperature of the indoor temperature sensor becomes a target room temperature, and the temperature of the extremities of a person in the air-conditioned room. Limb temperature sensor that detects the temperature, an indoor humidity sensor that detects the humidity inside the air-conditioned room, and when the sleep mode is set, it is determined from the temperature detected by the limb temperature sensor whether or not a person in the air-conditioned room has entered a sleep state. And a correction for correcting the target indoor temperature according to the temperature detected by the limb temperature sensor and the humidity detected by the indoor humidity sensor when the result of the determination by the determination means is positive when the sleep mode is set. An air conditioner comprising: 6. An indoor temperature sensor for detecting the temperature in the air-conditioned room, a control means for controlling the operation so that the detected temperature of the indoor temperature sensor becomes a target indoor temperature, and the temperature of the extremities of a person in the air-conditioned room. A limb temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the limb, a determination unit that determines whether or not a person in the air-conditioned room has entered a sleep state when the sleep mode is set, and a determination result of the determination unit is positive. In the case of, the measuring means for measuring the lapse of time from that time, when the sleep mode is set, depending on the detection temperature of the extremity temperature sensor and the measuring time of the measuring means when the determination result of the determining means is affirmative. And a correction unit that corrects the target indoor temperature. 7. An indoor temperature sensor for detecting the temperature in the air-conditioned room, a control means for controlling the operation so that the detected temperature of the indoor temperature sensor becomes a target indoor temperature, and the temperature of the limbs of a person in the air-conditioned room. Limb temperature sensor that detects the temperature, an indoor humidity sensor that detects the humidity inside the air-conditioned room, and when the sleep mode is set, it is determined from the temperature detected by the limb temperature sensor whether or not a person in the air-conditioned room has entered a sleep state. When the determination result of the determination means is affirmative, a measuring means for measuring the elapsed time from that, and when the sleep mode is set, when the determination result of the determination means is affirmative, the limb temperature is An air conditioner comprising: a correction temperature that corrects the target indoor temperature in accordance with the temperature detected by the sensor, the humidity detected by the indoor humidity sensor, and the measurement time of the measurement unit. 8. The air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein the limb temperature sensor is provided, and the limb of the human body can be worn on the limb temperature sensor for a certain period of time. An air conditioner further comprising a sensor unit that wirelessly transmits to each indoor unit of the air conditioner. 9. The air conditioner according to claim 4, further comprising: an operating device that wirelessly transmits the set operating condition to an indoor unit of the air conditioner; and the extremity temperature sensor. The air conditioner further comprises: a sensor unit that can be attached to the extremities of a human body and wirelessly transmits the temperature detected by the extremity temperature sensor to the indoor unit with higher transmission performance than the operating unit. 10. The air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein the correction unit further adds predetermined values corresponding to the cooling operation and the heating operation to the target indoor temperature. A characteristic air conditioner. 11. The air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein the correction unit corrects the target indoor temperature in a downward direction with respect to an increase in the temperature detected by the limb temperature sensor, and increases the limb temperature. An air conditioner that corrects a target indoor temperature in an upward direction with respect to a decrease in temperature detected by a temperature sensor. 12. The air conditioner according to claim 5, wherein the correction unit corrects the target indoor temperature in a downward direction with respect to an increase in humidity detected by an indoor humidity sensor, An air conditioner that corrects a target indoor temperature in an upward direction with respect to a decrease in humidity detected by a temperature sensor. 13. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein the temperature detected by the indoor temperature sensor is corrected by the correction means during a cooling operation when the pleasant sleep mode is set. The control means for switching the cooling operation to the heating operation when the temperature is lower than the target indoor temperature by a predetermined value or more, and the temperature detected by the indoor temperature sensor is corrected by the correction means during the heating operation when the sleep mode is set. An air conditioner further comprising: a control unit that switches a heating operation to a cooling operation when the temperature exceeds a target indoor temperature by a predetermined value or more. 14. An indoor temperature sensor for detecting a temperature in an air-conditioned room, a control means for controlling operation so that a temperature detected by the indoor temperature sensor becomes a target indoor temperature, and a temperature of a limb of a person in the air-conditioned room. Limb temperature sensor that detects the temperature, a limb humidity sensor that detects the humidity of the limbs of the person in the air-conditioned room, and whether or not a person in the air-conditioned room has entered a sleep state when the sleep mode is set. And a determination unit that determines the detected temperature of the limb when the sleep mode is set and the determination result of the determination unit is positive, the target room is determined according to the detected temperature of the limb temperature sensor and the detected humidity of the limb humidity sensor. An air conditioner comprising: a correction unit that corrects the temperature. 15. The air conditioner according to claim 14, comprising the limb temperature sensor and the limb humidity sensor,
An air conditioner further comprising a sensor unit that can be attached to the extremities of a human body and wirelessly transmits the detection results of the extremity temperature sensor and the extremity humidity sensor to the indoor unit of the air conditioner at regular intervals. Machine. 16. An indoor temperature sensor for detecting a temperature in an air-conditioned room, a control means for controlling an operation so that a temperature detected by the indoor temperature sensor becomes a target indoor temperature, and a temperature of a limb of a person in the air-conditioned room. The limb temperature sensor that detects the temperature, the heart rate sensor that detects the heart rate of the person who is in the air-conditioned room, and whether the person in the air-conditioned room has entered a sleep state when the sleep mode is set. A determination unit that determines from the detected temperature, and when the determination result of the determination unit is positive when the sleep mode is set, the target room according to the detected temperature of the limb temperature sensor and the detected heart rate of the heart rate sensor An air conditioner comprising: a correction unit that corrects the temperature. 17. The air conditioner according to claim 16, which has the limb temperature sensor and the heart rate sensor and can be attached to a limb of a human body, and a detection result of the limb temperature sensor and the heart rate sensor is displayed. A sensor unit that wirelessly transmits to the indoor unit of the air conditioner at regular intervals,
An air conditioner further comprising: 18. An indoor temperature sensor for detecting a temperature in an air-conditioned room, a control means for controlling an operation so that a temperature detected by the indoor temperature sensor becomes a target indoor temperature, and a temperature of a limb of a person in the air-conditioned room. Limb temperature sensor that detects temperature, limb humidity sensor that detects the humidity of the person in the air-conditioned room, heart rate sensor that detects the heart rate of the person in the air-conditioned room, and when the sleep mode is set Determination means for determining whether or not the person has entered a sleep state from the temperature detected by the limb temperature sensor, and when the determination result of the determination means is affirmative when the sleep mode is set, the limb temperature sensor detects An air conditioner comprising: a correction unit configured to correct the target room temperature according to a temperature, a temperature detected by the limb humidity sensor, and a heart rate detected by the heart rate sensor. 19. The air conditioner according to claim 18, which has the extremity temperature sensor, the extremity humidity sensor, and the heart rate sensor, and can be attached to the extremities of a human body. An air conditioner further comprising a humidity sensor and a sensor unit that wirelessly transmits the detection result of the heart rate sensor to the indoor unit of the air conditioner at regular intervals. 20. The air conditioner according to claim 14, wherein the correction unit corrects the target indoor temperature in a downward direction with respect to an increase in the temperature detected by the limb temperature sensor, and reduces the limb. An air conditioner that corrects a target indoor temperature in an upward direction with respect to a decrease in temperature detected by a temperature sensor. 21. The air conditioner according to claim 14 or 19, wherein the correction means corrects the target indoor temperature in a downward direction with respect to an increase in the humidity detected by the limb humidity sensor, so that the limb is reduced. An air conditioner that corrects a target indoor temperature in an upward direction with respect to a decrease in humidity detected by a temperature sensor. 22. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 14 to 19, wherein the temperature detected by the indoor temperature sensor is corrected by the correction means during a cooling operation when the pleasant sleep mode is set. The control means for switching the cooling operation to the heating operation when the temperature is lower than the target indoor temperature by a predetermined value or more, and the temperature detected by the indoor temperature sensor is corrected by the correction means during the heating operation when the sleep mode is set. An air conditioner further comprising: a control unit that switches a heating operation to a cooling operation when the temperature exceeds a target indoor temperature by a predetermined value or more.