JP2005314870A - Natural light awakening device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a natural light awakening device for awakening a user by taking sunlight required for awakening into a room 21 while reducing influence given to other person. <P>SOLUTION: This natural light awakening device is provided with a blind 1 as a light shutting-off and transmission switching means capable of changing a scope of light transmission and a scope of light shutting-off, a sun altitude recognition means for recognizing information related to sun altitude corresponding to getting-up time, and an awakening control means for putting a part of the blind 1 into a light transmission condition while putting the other part of the blind 1 into a light shutting-off condition so that sunlight of sun altitude corresponding to getting-up time reaches the user. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a natural light awakening device that awakens (wakes) a sleeping user by sunlight.

  Conventionally, in Patent Document 1, when a user's desired wake-up time is set in the wake-up time setting unit, the blind blade is opened to enter the room to wake up the user when the wake-up time is reached. A lighting adjustment apparatus is disclosed.

Patent Document 2 also includes a sensor for detecting the brightness of the room and the brightness of the room. During daytime when the room is bright, the room light is turned off and the angle of the slat is opened to take in natural light into the room. In addition, there is disclosed a blind that is controlled so that a slat is automatically closed and a room light is turned on when the outdoor environment becomes dark after sunset.
JP-A-8-60955 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-59871

  Although the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 is a technology related to awakening by sunlight, it does not disclose a technology in which a part of a plurality of blades constituting a blind is opened and the other part is closed. For this reason, since all the several blades which comprise a blind are open | released, the whole indoor becomes brighter than necessary. In this case, if another person is sleeping in the same room, there is a high possibility that the other person will wake up from bedtime.

  The above-mentioned Patent Document 2 is not a technique relating to user arousal. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 does not disclose a technique in which a part of a plurality of blades constituting a blind is opened and the other part is closed.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and provides a natural light awakening device that awakens a user by taking sunlight necessary for awakening into a room while reducing the influence on other people. Let it be an issue.

  The natural light awakening device according to the present invention uses light-blocking light-transmitting switching means with variable light-transmitting range and light-blocking range, solar altitude recognizing means for recognizing information related to solar altitude, and sunlight with solar altitude corresponding to the rising time. And awakening control means for setting a part of the light-blocking translucent switching means to be in a light-transmitting state while other parts of the light-blocking light-transmitting switching means are in a light-blocking state so as to reach the person and awaken the user It is characterized by.

  The awakening control means sets a part of the light-shielding light-transmitting switching means to a light-transmitting state while putting other parts of the light-shielding light-transmitting switching means in a light-shielding state so that sunlight at a solar altitude reaches the user. For this reason, the user who wants to be awakened can be awakened by sunlight, and the other part of the light-shielding light transmission switching means is put in a light-shielding state, so that the entire room is prevented from being brightened.

  According to the natural light awakening device of the present invention, when awakening is performed, a part of the light-blocking light transmission switching unit is set to the light-transmitting state while other portions of the light-blocking light transmission switching unit are in a light-blocking state. For this reason, it becomes possible to awaken the user who wants to be awakened by suppressing that the whole room becomes bright. Therefore, it can suppress affecting other people who are sleeping.

  According to the present invention, when sunlight reaches the user through the light-shielding / transmission switching means, it is preferable to allow the user to reach the user's upper body and the upper body, particularly the user's face and face. The vicinity can be within 60 cm, within 30 cm, especially within 10 cm from the contour of the user.

  The solar altitude recognizing means includes geographical information (information such as country name, prefecture name, city name, etc., or information on latitude and longitude), date of waking up, and information on solar altitude corresponding to the time of waking up. The form which memorize | stores can be employ | adopted. This is because the solar altitude changes according to geographical information (information such as country name, prefecture name, city name, etc., or information of latitude and longitude), the date of rising, and the time of rising.

  The awakening control means sets the other parts of the light-shielding translucent switching means in a light-shielded state so that sunlight at the solar altitude corresponding to the time of waking up reaches the user when the user wakes up. Then, a part of the light-blocking light-transmitting switching means is set to the light-transmitting state. As the light shielding / transmission switching means, it is preferable to adopt a form that is a blind system having a plurality of slats or an optical shutter system that switches between a light transmission state and a light shielding state. In the case of a blind system having a plurality of slats, an actuator is attached to each slat, and each slat can be opened and closed independently. Alternatively, an actuator for opening and closing a slat group composed of a plurality of slats can be attached, and one slat group can be opened and closed independently of other slat groups. Examples of the actuator include a motor, an air cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, a piezoelectric element, and a magnetostrictive element. Examples of the optical shutter method for switching between the light transmitting state and the light shielding state include a liquid crystal type and an electrochromic type.

  The awakening control means can adopt a form in which the light transmission intensity and / or the light transmission range transmitted through the light-shielding light transmission switching means such as the blind is increased as time elapses. In this case, it is advantageous to wake up comfortably and get up. The awakening control means can adopt a form in which the light transmitting state and the light blocking state that are transmitted through the light blocking light transmitting switching means are alternately repeated. In this case, since light and dark are alternately repeated, it is advantageous to wake up and wake up a user who is difficult to wake up.

  The outdoor brightness sensor for detecting the outdoor brightness and an artificial light source for illuminating the user, and the wake control means is when the outdoor brightness detected by the outdoor brightness sensor is too dark to be suitable for wakefulness. Further, it is possible to adopt a form in which the light of the artificial light source is illuminated to the user. In this case, the user can be awakened by the light of the artificial light source even when the outdoor is still dark and there is no or little sunlight. Illustrative examples of the artificial light source include indoor lighting lamps.

  Moreover, the awakening control means can be configured to be compatible with a plurality of users. In this case, when the first user's wake-up time is reached among the plurality of users, sunlight having a solar altitude corresponding to the wake-up time of the first user reaches the first user, and the first user In order to wake up the user, a part of the light-blocking light-transmitting switching means is set to a light-transmitting state while the other part of the light-blocking light-transmitting switching means is in a light-blocking state. And when it becomes a 2nd user's wake-up time among several users, the sunlight of the solar height corresponding to the wake-up time reaches the 2nd user, and the 2nd user wakes up. As described above, it is possible to adopt a mode in which a part of the light-blocking light transmission switching unit is in a light-transmitting state while the other part of the light-blocking light transmission switching unit such as a blind is in a light-blocking state. In this case, when the first user is awakened, the influence on the second user can be reduced even when the second user is sleeping. In addition, when the second user is awakened and wakes up, the influence on the first user can be reduced even when the first user is sleeping. Even when the first user and the second user are sleeping in the same room, the influence on other users can be suppressed.

  When the light-blocking light-transmitting switching means such as a blind is in a light-transmitting state, when there is a risk that other users may be awakened by sunlight incident on the room, the wake-up control means is a user who does not want to wake up. Although the light from the artificial light source is not applied to the eye, a form in which the light from the artificial light source is applied to a user who wants to wake up can be adopted.

  In addition, it has a user position sensor that detects the position of the user who is sleeping, and the awakening control means is a solar altitude sunlight corresponding to the wake-up time according to the position of the user detected by the user position sensor. In order to reach the user, it is possible to adopt a form in which a part of the light-blocking light transmission switching unit is in a light-transmitting state while the other part of the light-blocking light transmission switching unit such as a blind is in a light-blocking state. The user position sensor can be provided in a bed or tatami bedclothing, and is a pressure sensor that detects pressure applied by the user's load, a temperature sensor that detects the user's body temperature, or the user's body An image sensor or the like that detects the outline of the image as an image can be exemplified.

  It is possible to adopt a form having a registration unit capable of registering in advance at least one of a light transmission range (light irradiation width) that passes through a light-shielding light transmission switching unit such as a blind and a sleeping position of a user with respect to the light-shielding light transmission switching unit. it can. In this case, when a plurality of users go to bed in the same room, it is preferable that each user can be registered.

  Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 1, the natural light awakening apparatus according to the present embodiment has a blind 1 as a light-shielding light-transmitting switching means that can be opened and closed. The blind 1 is provided on the window 20 of the building 2 that is a structure so as to cover the entire window 20, and is disposed on the indoor 21 side. However, the blind 1 may be provided on the outdoor 22 side. A bed 24 is provided in the vicinity of the blind 1. The blind 1 has a plurality of slats 10 that are pivotal opening / closing parts arranged in parallel in the vertical direction, and a base body 11 that holds the slats 10. Each slat 10 is provided with an actuator 12. The actuator 12 is a small motor. Each slat 10 can be opened and closed by being individually and independently rotated by an actuator 12. Accordingly, it is possible to turn only one slat 10 to be opened while the other slats 10 are closed in a light-shielded state so that only one slat 10 is in a translucent state. Thus, the light transmission range and the light shielding range of the blind 1 are variable by the rotation of each slat 10.

  Also, an outdoor brightness sensor 27 that detects the brightness of the outdoor 22 and an indoor brightness sensor 28 that detects the brightness of the indoor 21 are provided. Furthermore, the room 21 is provided with an artificial light source 26 that can illuminate the user. The artificial light source 26 can be provided on the ceiling surface 21r of the room 21, but is not limited to this, and the bed 24 may be used. The artificial light source 26 is preferably a spot light type having a low light scattering property and a light collecting property.

  A controller 3 is provided. As shown in FIG. 2, the signal from the outdoor brightness sensor 27, the signal from the indoor brightness sensor 28, and the signal from the setting device 35 are input to the controller 3. The controller 3 controls each actuator 12 and the artificial light source 26 of the blind 1. The controller has an input processing circuit, an output processing circuit, a CPU, and a memory 3m. The controller 3 can function as a solar altitude recognizing means for recognizing information relating to the solar altitude and an awakening control means for controlling the user's awakening. As shown in FIG. 3, the information about the solar altitude is information about the solar altitude corresponding to conditions such as geographical information (information such as country name, prefecture name, city name or latitude and longitude information), date and time. . Such information on the solar altitude is stored in an area of the memory 3m as a storage means mounted on the controller 3. Therefore, when the geographical information of the area where the user goes to sleep and the time at which he / she wants to wake up are set in the setting device 35, the controller 3 recognizes the date / time at which he / she wants to wake up and the solar altitude at the time at which he / she wants to wake up. .

  The controller 3 can function as a registration unit that registers the sleeping position of the user with respect to the blind 1 from the setting device 35. Here, as shown in FIG. 1, the horizontal distance between the blind 1 and the sleeping user A (center line of the user A) is L, and the lower end of the blind 1 and the sleeping user A (use H is the vertical distance from the back of the person and W is the desired light irradiation width for the user A who wants to wake up. The horizontal distance L and the vertical distance H correspond to the sleeping position of the user A with respect to the blind 1. The horizontal distance L, vertical distance H, and light irradiation width W can be registered in the controller 3 from the setting device 35. In general, when the user A is large or when the sleeping position is easily changed, the light irradiation width W can be increased. In general, when the user A is small or when the sleeping position is difficult to change, the light irradiation width W can be reduced. When the light irradiation width W is large, or when the sleeping position is likely to change, it is easy to affect the person sleeping next to it, so the distance to the next person should be considered when setting the light irradiation width W Is preferred.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 1, the sun altitude at the wake-up time is set to α for the date and time desired to wake up, and the distance from the lower end of the blind 1 of the central slat 10 to be opened at the desired wake-up time is h. Assuming that the opening width of the blind 1 opened at the desired wake-up time is δ, the following (1) is obtained and (2) and (3) are derived.

tanα≈ (h + H) / L (1)
(H + H) ≈L · tanα (2)
h ≒ L ・ tanα-H (3)
Further, (4) is obtained and (5) is derived.

tanα≈δ / W (4)
δ ≒ W · tanα (5)
According to the above equations (3) and (5), h and δ are small when the rising time is relatively early and the solar altitude α at the rising time is low. When the wake-up time is relatively late and the solar altitude α at the wake-up time is high, h and δ are increased. In this way, the value of h and the value of δ are adjusted according to the solar altitude α at the time of rising.

When the wake-up time desired by the user A on the side of the window 20 is reached, the controller 3 constituting the wake-up control means sets the blind 1 so that the sunlight with the solar altitude corresponding to the wake-up time reaches the user A. While the slat 10p which is a part is opened to be in a light-transmitting state, the slat 10s in the other part of the blind 1 is put in a light-shielding state. For this reason, the sunlight with the solar altitude α ₁₂ corresponding to the wake-up time of the user A can reach the user A (especially near the face) to be awakened through the open width δ of the open slat 10p.

That is, when the user A wants to wake up at the first wake-up time, the controller 3 blinds 1 so that the sunlight with the solar altitude α ₁₂ corresponding to the wake-up time reaches the user A (particularly near the face). Among them, the slat 10s (the slat defined by δ described above) which is a part of the blind 1 is opened to make a light-transmitting state while the slat 10s of the other part is in a light shielding state. For this reason, sunlight outside the room 22 reaches the user A (especially near the face) to be awakened through the open slat 10 (open width δ).

When the user A wants to wake up at the second wake-up time, the wake-up control means causes the sunlight with the solar altitude α ₅ corresponding to the second wake-up time to reach the user A (particularly near the face). Then, the slat 10r (open width δ), which is a part of the blind 1, is opened so as to be translucent, while the other part of the blind 1 is blocked. For this reason, sunlight outside the room 22 reaches the user A (especially near the face) to be awakened through the open slat 10r (open width δ). In this way, the user can be awakened by sunlight. At this time, not all the slats 10 of the blind 1 are opened, but only the slats 10 (opening width δ) that transmit sunlight necessary for awakening are opened, so that the entire room 21 is prevented from being brightened. The user A can be awakened by applying sunlight to the user A who wants to be awakened. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a problem that affects the next sleeping user B and awakens the user B.

  If the user A wakes up and gets up, the controller 3 again closes the slats 10 of the blind 1 in order to ensure the sleeping of the user B sleeping next to the user A. The confirmation of the awakening of the user A is recognized by the controller 3 when the user A or the like operates the wakeup confirmation switch (wakeup confirmation element) 35e of the setting device 35.

  Then, when the wake-up time desired by the user B is reached, the controller 3 constituting the wake-up control means sets the blind 1 so that sunlight having a solar altitude corresponding to the wake-up time of the user B reaches the user B. While the slat 10 which is a part is opened to be in a translucent state, the other part of the blind 1 is in a light-shielding state. For this reason, sunlight with a solar altitude corresponding to the wake-up time reaches the user B (especially near the face) to be awakened through the open slats 10 and can awaken the user B. When the user B is the person who wakes up in the room 21 last time, the controller 3 opens all the slats 10 of the blind 1 because there is no fear that the other person will be awakened unexpectedly. Brighten the entire room 21.

  When the slat 10 of the blind 1 is opened, it is preferable to set the opening angle of the slat 10 so that the sunlight direction of the solar altitude at the rising time and the direction of the slat 10 are parallel or substantially parallel. . The reason for this is to prevent the progress of sunlight from being affected by the orientation of the slats 10.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, when the controller 3 is awakened, the controller 3 can adopt a form in which the light-transmitting state and the light-blocking state that pass through the blind 1 are alternately repeated in a short time. In this case, since light and dark are repeated, it is advantageous for awakening even a user who is difficult to wake up.

  Further, the controller 3 determines that the brightness (sunlight) of the outdoor 22 detected by the outdoor brightness sensor 27 is not suitable for awakening of the person because the outdoor 22 is dark, such as in the early morning of the winter, rainy weather, and the like. Sometimes, the artificial light source 26 in the room 21 is turned on, and the light from the artificial light source 26 is illuminated near the face of the user. Thus, even when the outdoor 22 is still dark and sunlight cannot be used, the user can be awakened by the light of the artificial light source 26.

  Further, when the user A on the side farther from the window wakes up earlier than the user A on the side closer to the window, the light from the artificial light source 26 is not applied to the user A and the user B (especially Near the face). Accordingly, it is advantageous to awaken the user B and get up while suppressing the influence on the user A.

  Since the slat 10 improves the directivity of the sunlight which permeate | transmits, what has a large slat width with respect to the permeation | transmission direction of sunlight is preferable. Thereby, the directivity of sunlight can be improved. Moreover, in order to reduce the attenuation of sunlight, the surface of the slat 10 is preferably one having a high light reflectance.

  FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of a representative control law executed by the controller 3. The control law is merely an example, and is not limited to the flowchart shown in FIG. In FIG. 4, first, when the sleep switch 35f of the setting device 35 is operated, all the actuators 12 of the blind 1 are driven and all the slats 10 are closed, whereby the blind 1 is fully closed (step S102). ). Then, it is determined whether or not the current time is the wake-up time of the user A (step S104). Wait until the current time reaches the wake-up time of user A. If the current time is the wake-up time of the user A, it is determined based on the signal from the outdoor brightness sensor 27 whether or not the outdoor 22 is bright (step S106). If the outdoor 22 is bright, it can be awakened by sunlight, and therefore, the solar altitude α at the time of waking up in that month in the area where the users A and B go to sleep is obtained (step S108). Further, based on the solar altitude α, the vertical distance H, the horizontal distance L, and the light irradiation width W at the time when the user A wakes up, h and δ are obtained by the above (formula 3) (formula 5) (step S110). h corresponds to an element that determines which slat 10 of the plurality of slats 10 constituting the blind 1 is to be opened. δ corresponds to the number of open slats 10 necessary to obtain the desired light irradiation width W.

  Based on h and δ described above, a natural light awakening process is performed in which only predetermined slats 10 of the blind 1 are opened and other slats 10 are kept closed (step S112). Further, it is determined whether or not the user A has been woken up (step S114). When user A's wake-up is not confirmed, it is estimated that user A is asleep, so in blind 1, the opening and closing of slats 10 defined based on h and δ are repeated alternately, Sunlight is intermittently applied to the user A (step S116). That is, light and dark are repeated. By repeating light and dark in this way, even a user who is difficult to awaken can be awakened easily.

  When the user A is confirmed to wake up, the blind 1 is fully closed and each slat 10 is closed (step S118). Thereby, since it can suppress that sunlight injects into the room | chamber 21, the sleep of the user B whose wake-up time has not come is maintained favorably. And it waits until user B's wake-up time (step S120). When it is time for user B to wake up, blind 1 is fully opened and each slat 10 is opened (step S122).

  When the outdoor 22 is so dark that it cannot be awakened by sunlight even when the user A wakes up, such as early in the morning in winter, the process proceeds from step S106 to step S132, and the artificial light source in the room 21 26 is turned on with a predetermined light intensity, and the light from the artificial light source 26 is applied to the user A (particularly near the face) for a predetermined time (step S132). Then, the user A is confirmed to wake up (step S134). When the user A (especially in the vicinity of the face) is only exposed to the light of the artificial light source 26 for a predetermined time, when the user A is not confirmed to wake up, the artificial light source 26 is repeatedly turned on and off (step S136). That is, light and dark by the artificial light source 26 is repeated. As a result, even a user who is difficult to awaken is likely to be awakened.

  If the user's awakening is not confirmed (step S138), the light intensity of the artificial light source 26 is further increased (step S140), the process returns to step S136, and the artificial light source 26 is repeatedly turned on and off. When the wake-up of the user A is confirmed, the process proceeds to step S118, where the blind 1 is fully closed as described above, and each slat 10 is closed (step S118). Thereby, since it can suppress that sunlight injects into the room | chamber 21, the sleeping of the user B who has not yet come up is maintained well. And it waits until user B's wake-up time (step S120). When the wake-up time of the user B is reached, the blind 1 is fully opened and each slat 10 is opened (step S122), and sunlight is taken into the entire room 21.

  FIG. 5 shows a typical control rule of the natural light awakening process in step S112 described above. The control law of the natural light awakening process is merely an example, and is not limited to the flowchart shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, in the natural light awakening process, a small amount of the first slat 10 (slat 10 closest to h) defined by h is opened (step S302). Thereby, a slight amount of sunlight is applied to the user A (particularly near the face). Next, after waiting for a predetermined time T1 (step S304), the opening amount of the first slat 10 defined by h is increased (step S306). Next, after waiting for a predetermined time T2 (step S308), the opening amount of the first slat 10 defined by h is further increased (step S310). Next, after waiting for a predetermined time T3 (step S312), the second slat 10 defined by h and δ (second slat 10 closest to h) is opened (step S314).

  Next, after waiting for a predetermined time T4 (step S316), the third slat 10 defined by h and δ described above (the slat 10 second closest to h is opened (step S318). After waiting for time T5 (step S320), the remaining slats 10 among the required number of sheets to be opened defined by h and δ are released (step S322).

  As described above, in the natural light awakening process according to the present embodiment, when the user wakes up, the opening amount of the slat 10 is increased little by little, and the light irradiation width of sunlight hitting the user is increased little by little. For this reason, it is advantageous for a user to wake up comfortably and satisfactorily.

  FIG. 6 shows a second embodiment. The second embodiment has basically the same configuration as the first embodiment and has the same function and effect. Hereinafter, a description will be given centering on differences from the first embodiment. A user position sensor 40 for detecting the positions of the users A and B who are sleeping on the bed 24 is provided inside the bed 24 (sleeping tool). The user position sensor 40 is formed of a pressure sensor that detects the position of the user by receiving a pressure applied by the body load of the users A and B on the bed 24. A signal from the user position sensor 40 is input to the controller 3, and the controller 3 can recognize the positions of the users A and B on the bed 24. For this reason, the controller 3 can recognize the positions of the users A and B on the bed 24 even when the position of the user A is changing while sleeping. Then, when a part of the blind 1 is in a light-transmitting state while the other part of the blind 1 is in a light-shielding state, the controller 3 corrects the slat 10 to be opened according to the sleeping position of the user A. . Specifically, in calculating h, the value of the horizontal distance L from the blind 1 is corrected. As described above, since the correction is performed according to the position of the user A, the sunlight having the solar altitude α corresponding to the wake-up time of the user A can be obtained even when the position of the user A is changing while sleeping. The user A (especially in the vicinity of the face) can be satisfactorily reached and hit, and the user A can be awakened well.

  FIG. 7 shows a third embodiment. The third embodiment has basically the same configuration as that of the first embodiment and has the same function and effect. Hereinafter, a description will be given centering on differences from the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, even if the user B is farther than the window 20 without being awakened, the user A who is sleeping on the window 20 side is awakened by applying sunlight to the user B. It is possible. In addition, since the user position sensor 40 for detecting the position of the sleeping user in the bed 24 is provided in the bed 24 (sleeping equipment), even when the position of the user changes during sleeping, In order to correct the slat 10 to be opened according to the sleeping position of the user, the controller 3 applies the sunlight having the solar altitude α corresponding to the wake-up time to the user B (especially near the face) in a good manner. The user B can be awakened and woken up without fully opening the blind 1, that is, without making the entire room 21 bright.

  FIG. 8 shows a fourth embodiment. The fourth embodiment has basically the same configuration as that of the first embodiment and has the same function and effect. Hereinafter, a description will be given centering on differences from the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, the blind 1 </ b> C is an optical shutter system provided integrally with the window 20 of the building 2, and is a shutter layer formed of a plurality of electrochromic layers arranged in parallel in the vertical direction on the window. 18 (18a-18j). The electrochromic layer is colored and decolored by applying and releasing voltage, and can switch between a light-shielding state and a light-transmitting state (transparent state), and thus can function as a blind.

  Also in this embodiment, when the wake-up time desired by the user A is reached, the controller 3 moves the other part of the blind 1 so that the sunlight of the solar altitude corresponding to the wake-up time reaches the user A. The shutter layer 18 which is a part of the blind 1 is opened while being in a light-shielding state, and a light-transmitting state (transparent state) is obtained. For this reason, sunlight with a solar altitude corresponding to the wake-up time reaches the user A (especially near the face) who wants to wake up through the shutter layer 18 in the open state. Since the other portions of the shutter layer 18 are in a light-shielding state, it is possible to suppress the sunlight from hitting the user B sleeping next to it.

FIG. 9 shows a fifth embodiment. The fifth embodiment has basically the same configuration as that of the first embodiment and has the same function and effect. Hereinafter, a description will be given centering on differences from the first embodiment. In this case, as shown in FIG. 9, a solar altitude detection sensor 80 for detecting the solar altitude α is provided outside the room 22. The solar altitude detecting means 80 includes a shadow forming object 81 to which sunlight hits and a shadow 82 formed by the shadow forming object 81 and a two-dimensional photosensor 83 that receives sunlight around the shadow 82. Based on the height H _X of the shadow forming object 81 and the distance L _X of the portion of the shadow 82 that does not receive sunlight, the solar altitude detection sensor 80 can directly detect the solar altitude α at the rising time. . The solar altitude α thus obtained by the solar altitude detecting means 80 is recognized by the controller 3. Accordingly, the value of h and the value of δ can be obtained as in the case of the first embodiment.

(Other examples)
According to the above-described embodiment, the user is sleeping on the bed 24, but may be sleeping on a tatami mat. The bed 24 may sleep three people (children, etc.). The artificial light source 26 is not necessarily provided. According to the embodiment described above, the memory 3m of the controller 3 stores geographical information, information on the sun altitude corresponding to the date and time of waking up, and the time of waking up. Based on the geographical information, the date of waking up, and the time of waking up, the solar altitude at the time of waking up may be calculated. In addition, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the drawings, and can be implemented with appropriate modifications within a range not departing from the gist.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used for a natural light awakening device that wakes a sleeping user with sunlight.

It is a block diagram which shows the concept which awakens a user using a natural light awakening apparatus. It is a block diagram near a controller. It is a block diagram which shows the information regarding geographical information, a date, a wake-up time, and a solar height. It is a typical flowchart which a controller performs. It is a flowchart of the typical natural light awakening process which a controller performs. It is a block diagram which shows the concept which concerns on Example 2 and awakens a user using a natural light awakening apparatus. It is a block diagram which shows the concept which concerns on Example 3 and awakens a user using a natural light awakening apparatus. FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram schematically showing a blind having a shutter layer formed of a plurality of electrochromic layers according to Example 4. FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram of a solar altitude detection sensor according to Example 5.

Explanation of symbols

  In the figure, 1 is a blind (shading light transmission switching means), 10 is a slat, 12 is an actuator, 18 is a shutter layer, 20 is a window, 21 is indoors, 22 is outdoor, 24 is a bed, 26 is an artificial light source, 27 is An outdoor brightness sensor, 28 is an indoor brightness sensor, 3 is a controller (wake-up control means), 35 is a setter, and 40 is a user position sensor.

Claims (8)

A light transmission / transmission switching means having a variable light transmission range and light shielding range;
Solar altitude recognition means for recognizing information about the solar altitude corresponding to the wake-up time;
A part of the light-blocking light-transmitting switching means while other parts of the light-blocking light-transmitting switching means are in a light-blocking state so that the user is awakened by reaching sunlight at a solar altitude corresponding to the wake-up time. A natural light awakening device, comprising: awakening control means for bringing the light into a translucent state.   2. The natural light awakening device according to claim 1, wherein the solar altitude recognizing means stores geographical information on which the user goes to bed, information on the solar altitude corresponding to the date of waking up, and the time of waking up.   3. The natural light awakening device according to claim 1, wherein the light-shielding light transmission switching unit is a slat system having a plurality of slats or an optical shutter system for switching between a light-transmitting state and a light-shielding state.   4. The wakefulness control unit according to claim 1, wherein the awakening control unit increases the light transmission intensity and / or the light transmission range transmitted through the light-blocking light transmission switching unit over time. A natural light awakening device. In any one of Claims 1-4, It has an outdoor brightness sensor which detects outdoor brightness, and the artificial light source which illuminates a user,
The natural light awakening device, wherein the awakening control means illuminates a sleeping user with the light of the artificial light source when the outdoor brightness detected by the outdoor brightness sensor is not suitable for awakening. In any one of Claims 1-5, it has an artificial light source which illuminates a user,
The natural light characterized in that the awakening control means illuminates the user who wishes to wake up with the light of the artificial light source when there is a risk of awakening another user when the light-shielding light transmission switching means is in a light-transmitting state. Awakening device. In any one of Claims 1-6, It has a user position sensor which detects the position of the user who is sleeping,
The awakening control means includes the light-shielding light-transmitting switching means so that sunlight having a solar altitude corresponding to the wake-up time reaches the user according to the position of the user detected by the user position sensor. A natural light awakening device characterized in that a part of the light-blocking light-transmitting switching means is set in a light-transmitting state while the other part is in a light-blocking state.   In any one of Claims 1-7, at least one of the light transmission range which permeate | transmits the said light-shielding light transmission switching means and the user's sleeping position with respect to the said light-shielding light transmission switching means can be registered previously. A natural light awakening device comprising a registration means.

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