JP2008167151A - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air conditioner having a comfortable sound notifying function. <P>SOLUTION: The air conditioner includes an operating part 12 for setting the operation of the air conditioner, a storing means 33 for storing sound notification contents corresponding to operation contents of the operating part 12, and a sound emitting means 37 for outputting the sound notification contents. When the operating part 12 operates, the sound emitting means 37 notifies the sound notification contents stored in the storing means 33 during a first prescribed period of time, and the sound emitting means 37 stops notifying the sound notification contents when the operating part performs operation again within a first predetermined period of time after the sound emitting means 37 starts to notify the sound notification contents. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an air conditioner having a voice notification function for operation details.

  Along with the aging society in recent years, universal design that is easy to understand and easy to use regardless of the user, from children to the elderly, is regarded as important for operability and visibility in household electrical equipment. .

  In air conditioners, air conditioners that take universal design into account have been proposed. For example, as one of the universal designs, there is one having a function of notifying a driving situation by voice (for example, see Patent Document 1).

The air conditioner described in Patent Literature 1 is output from an indoor unit even in a dark operation or a person with reduced visual acuity by notifying the contents operated by the operation unit by voice from the indoor unit. The setting contents can be confirmed by voice.
JP 2001-128264 A

  However, in the conventional air conditioner, sound is repeatedly output from the indoor unit despite being operated. For this reason, some operators feel bothersome and uncomfortable with the sound output, and are not air conditioners having a comfortable sound notification function.

  Moreover, if the sound is output from the indoor unit immediately after the operation, the sound is output continuously when operated continuously.

  The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and an object thereof is to provide an air conditioner having a comfortable voice notification function.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, an air conditioner of the present invention includes at least a compressor, a four-way valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, an outdoor unit having a pressure reducing device, and an indoor unit having at least an indoor heat exchanger. In the air conditioner to be operated, an operation unit for setting the operation of the air conditioner, a storage unit for storing voice notification content corresponding to the operation content of the operation unit, and a sound generation unit for outputting the voice notification content When the operation unit operates, the sound generation means notifies the sound notification content stored in the storage means for a first predetermined time, and the sound generation means indicates the sound notification content. When the operation unit is operated again within the first predetermined time after the start of notification, by stopping the notification of the voice notification content by the sounding means, and operating after the voice is notified, Audio notification Since it is stopped, there is no notification of unwanted sound, it is not necessary to feel the burden to the user.

  The air conditioner of the present invention can provide a comfortable voice notification function.

An air conditioner according to a first aspect of the present invention is an air conditioner including at least a compressor, a four-way valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, an outdoor unit having a pressure reducing device, and an indoor unit having at least an indoor heat exchanger, An operation unit for setting the operation of the air conditioner, a storage unit for storing voice notification content corresponding to the operation content of the operation unit, and a sound generation unit for outputting the voice notification content. During the operation, the sound generation means notifies the sound notification contents stored in the storage means for a first predetermined time, and the sound generation means first notifies the sound notification contents after the start of notification. If the operation unit is operated again in time, the sounding means stops reporting the sound notification content, and if the operation is performed after the sound is notified, the sound notification is stopped. , Unwanted voice Notification is eliminated, it is not necessary to feel the burden to the user.

  In the air conditioner of the second invention, in particular in the first invention, after the voice notification content is started to be notified by the sound generation means during the operation at the operation unit, the second operation is performed after the operation at the operation unit is executed again. And a sound notification means corresponding to the last operation content is notified by the sounding means if the operation on the operation unit is not executed again within the second predetermined time. Thus, only the last operation content can be reliably transmitted to the user.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an air conditioner according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, an indoor unit 10 that performs air conditioning is disposed indoors, and an outdoor unit (not illustrated) that exchanges heat with the outside air is disposed outside the indoor unit 10 and the outdoor unit (not illustrated). Are connected by refrigerant piping to form an air conditioner.

  In addition, an operation method, temperature setting, and the like are instructed to the indoor unit 10 using the remote controller 12 as an operation unit. On the other hand, the indoor unit 10 includes a microcomputer provided with a receiving unit 32 for receiving the instruction content of the remote controller 12, a storage unit 33 for storing the voice notification content, a speaker 37 serving as a sound generation means for outputting the voice notification content, and the like. A control device 38 composed of the peripheral circuits is provided.

  FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the control device for the air conditioner according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 2, the control device 38 is operated by the reception unit 32 that receives the instruction content of the remote controller 12, the storage unit (storage unit) 33 that stores the voice notification content corresponding to the received operation content, and the remote control 12. Generated by a search unit (search means) 34 for searching for the optimum voice notification content according to the content, a voice generation circuit (voice generation means) 35 for converting the searched voice notification content into a voice signal, and a voice generation circuit 35 The amplifying circuit (amplifying means) 36 converts the sound signal thus converted into actual sound, and a speaker (sounding means) 37 that produces the sound amplified by the amplifying circuit 36.

  The operation and action of the air conditioner according to the present embodiment configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a flowchart at the time of a volume switching operation in the first embodiment of the present invention. Although the volume switching operation will be described in the present embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, operations such as driving switching can be handled by the same flowchart.

  In FIG. 3, first, the remote controller 12 instructs the indoor unit 10 to switch the volume. Specifically, a volume switching operation signal is transmitted to the receiving unit 32 by pressing a volume switching button (not shown) disposed on the remote controller 12.

When the reception unit 32 receives the signal for the volume switching operation, the search unit 34 searches and selects the audio content suitable for the volume switching operation from the storage unit 33, and from the speaker 37 through the audio generation circuit 35 and the amplification circuit 36, for example. Outputs the sound “The volume is being switched. Select the volume with the volume buttons.”

  When the volume is changed with a volume change button (not shown) provided on the remote controller 12 during a first predetermined time T1 (for example, 5 seconds) after the output of the sound is started. The voice output is immediately stopped. In other words, when the user changes the volume with the volume change button, the user judges that the volume can be changed without informing the user by notifying the voice and outputting an unnecessary audio output. It can be set as the structure which does not make a user feel uncomfortable.

  However, if the volume is not changed during the first predetermined time T1 after the start of the sound output, that is, if the user does not operate the remote controller 12, the sound is output during the first predetermined time T1. However, when the first predetermined time T1 has elapsed, the audio output is stopped and unnecessary audio output is avoided.

  Then, after the sound is output by the first operation (in this embodiment, the operation of the volume switching button), the second operation (in this embodiment, the operation of the volume change button) is performed, and the second operation is performed. If the no-operation state continues for the second predetermined time T2 after the operation, the speaker 37 outputs, for example, a voice saying “Volume“ high ”” and ends.

  In addition, after the first operation, after the first predetermined time T1 has elapsed, the second predetermined time T2 is counted, and during the second predetermined time T2, a standby state is set. If the second operation is not performed in the meantime, the process ends without outputting the sound from the speaker 37.

  In addition, after the first operation, after the first predetermined time T1 has elapsed, the second predetermined time T2 is counted, and during the second predetermined time T2, a standby state is set. When the second operation is performed before T2 elapses, the second predetermined time T2 starts to be counted again after the second operation is performed, and during the standby state of the second predetermined time T2. If no operation is continued, a sound is output from the speaker 37 and the process is terminated.

  As described above, by reading the operation pattern of the user (operator) by the time interval of the button operation, an air conditioner having an audio notification function that realizes optimal audio output and does not give discomfort. Can be provided.

  The present invention is not limited to an air conditioner, and can be comfortably operated in various home appliance operations.

Schematic of the air conditioner in Embodiment 1 of the present invention The block diagram of the control part of the air conditioner in the same embodiment Flow chart of voice notification in the same embodiment

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Indoor unit 12 Remote control 32 Reception part 33 Memory | storage part 34 Search part 35 Audio | voice generation circuit 36 Amplification circuit 37 Speaker 38 Control apparatus

Claims (2)

In an air conditioner composed of at least a compressor, a four-way valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, an outdoor unit having a pressure reducing device, and an indoor unit having at least an indoor heat exchanger, for setting the operation of the air conditioner An operation unit; a storage unit that stores voice notification content corresponding to the operation content of the operation unit; and a sound generation unit that outputs the voice notification content. The voice notification content stored in the storage means is notified for a first predetermined time, and the sounding means is operated again by the operation unit within the first predetermined time after the voice notification content is started to be notified. If it does, it will stop alerting | reporting the said audio | voice alerting | reporting content in the said sound generation means, The air conditioner characterized by the above-mentioned. During the operation at the operation unit, after the start of the notification of the voice notification content by the sound generation means, the second predetermined time is waited after the operation at the operation unit is executed again, and within the second predetermined time, 2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein if the operation on the operation unit is not executed again, the sound notification unit notifies the sound notification content corresponding to the last operation content.

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