JP2009174734A - Air conditioning controller, air conditioning control method, air conditioning device, and air conditioning system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To save energy by efficiently controlling a plurality of air conditioning devices. <P>SOLUTION: This air conditioning control device 100 acquires installation positions of the plurality of air conditioning devices including air conditioners 200, showcases 210 and moving cold storage machines 220 from device information database 300. An adjustment position where the air conditioning is to be executed by at least one air conditioning device is acquired from any of the air conditioning devices. Then the air conditioning control device 100 decides one or more air conditioning devices disposed near the adjustment position as a control target group. Then the air conditioning control device 100 decides air conditioning motion on each air conditioning device of the control target group to instruct the air conditioning motion to each air conditioning device. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to device control technology, and more particularly to an air conditioning control device, an air conditioning control method, an air conditioning device, and an air conditioning system that control a plurality of air conditioning devices.

  In large stores such as supermarkets and shopping malls, a large number of air conditioners are installed to maintain the freshness of products and improve customer comfort. On the other hand, in recent years, there is an increasing trend to actively save energy (hereinafter referred to as “energy saving”) by saving energy.

In view of such a situation, the present inventor has proposed a technique for energy saving in consideration of the operating states of a plurality of devices that affect room temperature (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2006-23069 A

  In stores, space positions (hereinafter referred to as “adjustment positions”) where air conditioning is to be carried out are unevenly distributed due to the entry / exit of people, movement, purchasing activities, etc., and change over time. The present inventors dynamically grouped the air conditioners installed in the vicinity of the adjustment position at the timing when air conditioning should be performed, and executed the air conditioning operation in cooperation with each other, thereby effectively implementing air conditioning. We thought that energy saving was compatible.

  The present invention is an invention completed based on the above-mentioned attention of the present inventor, and its main purpose is to propose a technique capable of efficiently controlling each of a plurality of air conditioners to achieve energy saving. .

  In order to solve the above problems, an air conditioning control device according to an aspect of the present invention performs air conditioning by an installation position acquisition unit that acquires the installation positions of each of a plurality of air conditioning devices and at least one of the plurality of air conditioning devices. An adjustment position acquisition unit that acquires an adjustment position that is a spatial position to be performed, a device specification unit that specifies one or more air-conditioning devices installed within a predetermined range from the adjustment position as a control target group, and a device specification unit An air conditioning operation determination unit that determines the air conditioning operation of each air conditioning device of the specified control target group, and an air conditioning operation instruction unit that instructs each air conditioning device to perform the air conditioning operation determined by the air conditioning operation determination unit.

  The “air conditioner” in this specification refers to an electrical condition that affects the air condition (hereinafter referred to as “air condition”) in the surrounding space of the instrument, such as temperature, humidity, air flow, and the concentration of a specific gas. Equipment is included. In addition, these electrical devices are not installed for the purpose of affecting the air condition, but may be those that affect the air condition as a result of operation. Therefore, the “air conditioner” is not limited to a so-called air conditioner, but includes a cooler that generates cold, a warmer that generates heat, a humidifier that generates humid air, a fan or a ventilator that generates airflow, a gas cylinder that outputs toxic gas, and the like. .

  Another aspect of the present invention is an air conditioning control method. The method includes: obtaining an installation position of each of a plurality of air conditioners; obtaining an adjustment position that is a spatial position where air conditioning should be performed by at least one of the plurality of air conditioners; and In the step of specifying one or more air conditioners installed within a predetermined range as a control target group, the step of determining the air conditioning operation of each air conditioner of the control target group specified in the specifying step, and the step of determining Instructing each air-conditioning apparatus to perform the determined air-conditioning operation.

  Yet another embodiment of the present invention is an air conditioner. The air conditioner includes an instruction acquisition unit that acquires instruction data of an air conditioning operation to be executed from an external device, and an air conditioning operation execution unit that executes an air conditioning operation according to the instruction data acquired by the instruction acquisition unit. The instruction data acquires an installation position of each of the plurality of air conditioners, acquires an adjustment position that is a spatial position where air conditioning should be performed by at least one of the plurality of air conditioners, and obtains a predetermined range from the adjustment position. One or more air-conditioning devices installed inside are specified as control target groups, air-conditioning operations of each air-conditioning device in the control-target group are determined, and created according to each air-conditioning operation.

  Yet another embodiment of the present invention is an air conditioning system. The air conditioning system includes a plurality of air conditioning devices and an air conditioning control device that controls the air conditioning operation of each of the plurality of air conditioning devices. The air conditioning control device includes an installation position acquisition unit that acquires the installation positions of each of the plurality of air conditioning devices, and an adjustment position that acquires an adjustment position that is a spatial position where air conditioning should be performed by at least one of the plurality of air conditioning devices. The acquisition unit, the device specifying unit that specifies one or more air conditioners installed within a predetermined range from the adjustment position as a control target group, and the air conditioning operation of each air conditioner of the control target group specified by the device specifying unit An air conditioning operation determining unit to determine, and an instruction transmitting unit for transmitting the instruction data of the air conditioning operation determined by the air conditioning operation determining unit to each air conditioning device. The air conditioner includes an instruction receiving unit that receives air conditioning operation instruction data from the air conditioning control device, and an air conditioning operation executing unit that executes the air conditioning operation according to the received instruction data received by the instruction receiving unit.

  It should be noted that any combination of the above-described constituent elements and a representation of the present invention converted between an apparatus, a method, a system, a program, a recording medium storing the program, and the like are also effective as an aspect of the present invention.

  According to the present invention, each of a plurality of air conditioners can be efficiently controlled to save energy.

  In the following embodiments, an air conditioning system that efficiently adjusts the temperature at a specific point will be described as a typical example of air conditioning. However, the technical idea of the present invention is applicable not only to temperature adjustment but also to a system that adjusts various air conditions such as humidity adjustment and airflow adjustment.

  FIG. 1 shows a configuration of an air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The air conditioning system 500 includes an air conditioner control apparatus 100, an air conditioner A200a to an air conditioner E200e, which are collectively referred to as an air conditioner 200, a showcase A210a to a showcase E210e, which are collectively referred to as a showcase 210, and a mobile cooler that is collectively referred to as a mobile cooler 220. Machine A220a-mobile cooler D220d, equipment information database 300, and communication network 400 are provided. The respective devices and devices in the air conditioning system 500 are connected via the communication network 400. Communication network 400 includes known communication means including various wired and wireless media.

  The showcase 210 is a large cooler fixedly installed at a specific location, and the mobile cooler 220 is a small cooler that can be easily moved. In the following description, the air conditioner 200, the showcase 210, and the mobile cooler 220 are collectively referred to as “air conditioner”.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the air conditioner 200 in FIG. Each block shown in the block diagram of the present specification can be realized in terms of hardware by an element such as a CPU of a computer or a mechanical device, and in terms of software, it can be realized by a computer program or the like. The functional block realized by those cooperation is drawn. Therefore, it is understood by those skilled in the art that these functional blocks can be realized in various forms by a combination of hardware and software, and is not limited to any of these.

  The air conditioner 200 includes an air condition transmission unit 230, an adjustment position determination unit 232, an adjustment position transmission unit 234, an instruction reception unit 236, and an air conditioning operation execution unit 238. The air condition transmission unit 230 acquires temperature data from a temperature sensor that acquires the current temperature in the space around the air conditioner 200 and transmits the temperature data to the air conditioning control device 100. When the difference between the target temperature of the surrounding space held in the storage unit (not shown) and the current temperature of the surrounding space acquired by the air condition transmission unit 230 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the adjustment position determination unit 232 automatically The space around the machine is determined as the adjustment position. This target temperature is set in advance by the user via an interface (not shown).

  The adjustment position transmission unit 234 designates the adjustment position determined by the adjustment position determination unit 232 and the target temperature and requests data for air conditioning (hereinafter referred to as “air conditioning request data”). To 100. The instruction receiving unit 236 receives instruction data for instructing the air conditioning operation of the air conditioner 200 from the air conditioning control device 100. The air conditioning operation execution unit 238 causes the own device to execute the air conditioning operation according to the instruction data received by the instruction receiving unit 236. The configuration shown in FIG. 2 is the same for air conditioners other than the air conditioner 200, that is, the showcase 210 and the mobile cooler 220. Returning to FIG.

  The device information database 300 is a database server that stores various information about each of a plurality of air conditioning devices. The device information database 300 stores the installation position of each air conditioner. The user may manually input the installation position of each air conditioner in the device information database 300, or the device information database 300 may acquire the respective existing position from each air conditioner. In the latter case, the following method may be used as a method for the air conditioner to acquire the position where the air conditioner is present. For example, the air conditioner may include a GPS receiver and calculate the position based on a signal from the transmitter. Also, multiple RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) tags are placed on the floor where the air conditioner is installed, and the air conditioner calculates its own position by sensing the RFID tag that exists under its own equipment. Good.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a store in which the air conditioner of FIG. 1 is arranged. This figure shows the layout of the store 1000 in which the air conditioner 200, the showcase 210, and the mobile cooler 220 in FIG. The device information database 300 records a position of each air conditioner specified by the XY coordinate axes from a specific position in the store 1000 as an origin.

  In addition, the device information database 300 stores an influence range indicating a range in which each air conditioner affects the temperature of the surrounding space. Specifically, the device information database 300 has a specific position in the store 1000 as the origin, and the position in the store 1000 included in the influence range of each air conditioner specified by the XY coordinate axes from the specific position in the store 1000, similarly to the installation position. Remember. The range of influence of each air conditioner is typically recorded by the user via an interface (not shown).

  For example, in FIG. 3, when the air conditioner E200e affects the temperature around the mobile cooler C220c, the device information database 300 stores the installation range of the mobile cooler C220c in the affected range of the air conditioner E200e. In the same figure, since the miscellaneous goods shelf 250 is arranged, the showcase E210e does not affect the temperature around the mobile cooler C220c. Therefore, the installation range of the mobile cooler C220c is not included in the influence range of the showcase E210e stored in the device information database 300. Returning to FIG.

  The air conditioning control device 100 controls the air conditioning operation of each of the plurality of air conditioning devices. Here, the processing content in the air-conditioning control apparatus 100 will be outlined. The air conditioning control device 100 acquires the installation positions of the plurality of air conditioning devices from the device information database 300. Moreover, the adjustment position where air conditioning should be implemented by at least one air conditioner is acquired from any of the air conditioners. Next, the air conditioning control device 100 identifies one or more air conditioning devices installed near the adjustment position as a control target group. Finally, the air conditioning control device 100 determines the air conditioning operation for each air conditioning device in the control target group and instructs each air conditioning device to perform the air conditioning operation.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the air-conditioning control apparatus 100 in FIG. The air conditioning control device 100 includes a storage unit 10, an installation position acquisition unit 20, an air state acquisition unit 30, and a group control unit 40. The air conditioning control device 100 executes an operation system (hereinafter referred to as “OS”) that provides a function and environment for efficiently using the device and controls the entire device in an integrated manner. May be. In this case, a plurality of software is executed by operating each functional block in the block diagram by the OS.

  The storage unit 10 is a storage area for holding various data. The storage unit 10 may store data permanently on the hard disk, or may temporarily hold data on the memory.

  The installation position acquisition unit 20 accesses the device information database 300, acquires the installation positions and the influence ranges of the plurality of air conditioning devices, and records them in the storage unit 10. There is no restriction | limiting in particular in the timing which the installation position acquisition part 20 accesses the apparatus information database 300, every time progress may be sufficient, and when the air conditioning request data is received in the adjustment position acquisition part 42 mentioned later may be sufficient. In addition, the device information database 300 may notify the installation position acquisition unit 20 of the installation position of the air conditioner related to the change, triggered by the change of the installation position of the air conditioner recorded in the device information database 300.

  The air condition acquisition unit 30 accesses each of the plurality of air conditioners, acquires temperature data of the surrounding space of each air conditioner, and records it in the storage unit 10. There is no particular limitation on the timing at which the air condition acquisition unit 30 accesses each air conditioner, and it may be every time a predetermined time elapses, or may be when the air conditioning request data is received by the adjustment position acquisition unit 42 described later. Further, the air conditioner side may periodically transmit temperature data about the surrounding space.

  The group control unit 40 efficiently performs air conditioning at the adjustment position by grouping one or more air-conditioning apparatuses installed near the adjustment position and controlling the air-conditioning operation for each of the air-conditioning apparatuses in the group. The group control unit 40 includes an adjustment position acquisition unit 42, a device identification unit 44, an air conditioning operation determination unit 46, and an instruction transmission unit 48.

  The adjustment position acquisition unit 42 receives the air conditioning request data from any of the plurality of air conditioning devices. Further, the adjustment position acquisition unit 42 may receive air conditioning request data from other devices that accept an air conditioning request by the user. The air conditioning request data includes a specific adjustment position and a target temperature that is a target for air conditioning. The air conditioning equipment that transmits the air conditioning request data to the air conditioning control device 100 is hereinafter referred to as “air conditioning request equipment”.

  The device identification unit 44 identifies a group of air conditioning devices that are targets for controlling the air conditioning operation (hereinafter referred to as “control target group”). Specifically, one or more air conditioners installed within a predetermined range from the adjustment position specified by the air conditioning request data acquired by the adjustment position acquisition unit 42 are specified as a control target group.

  The range from the adjustment position (hereinafter referred to as “control target range”) may be set to an appropriate value based on company experience or experiments using the air conditioning system 500. In addition, the air conditioning request data may further specify the air conditioning control content at the adjustment position, and the device specifying unit 44 may adjust the control target range according to the control content. For example, when the air conditioning urgency level is specified in the air conditioning request data, the device specifying unit 44 may adjust the control target range to be larger as the urgency level is larger.

  Hereinafter, the larger the absolute value of the difference between the target temperature included in the air-conditioning request data and the current temperature around the air-conditioning request device acquired by the air condition acquisition unit 30 (hereinafter referred to as “adjustment amount”) is required. An example of adjusting the control target range to be large will be described. The device specifying unit 44 holds an evaluation function that outputs a control target range that is positively correlated with the amount of adjustment required. Here, the evaluation function is a function that outputs a control target range associated with each threshold value as compared with one or more threshold values.

  FIG. 5 shows control target groups specified by the device specifying unit 44. A range indicated by a circle in the figure indicates a control target range in which the installation position of the mobile cooler A220a, which is an air conditioning requesting device, is an adjustment position. The device identification unit 44 holds a first threshold value and a second threshold value that is greater than the first threshold value. When the first threshold value is larger by comparing the first threshold value and the amount of adjustment required, the device specifying unit 44 calculates the control target range 102 in the figure, and sets the mobile cooler A220a and the air conditioner B200b to the control target group. As specified. When the amount of adjustment required is larger than the first threshold value, it is subsequently compared with the second threshold value. When the second threshold value is larger, the control target range 104 in the figure is calculated, and in addition to the two devices described above, showcase A 210a and showcase E210e are further specified as control target groups. When the amount of adjustment required is larger than the second threshold value, the control target range 106 in the figure is calculated, and in addition to the four devices described above, the air conditioner A 200a and the air conditioner C 200c are further specified as a control target group.

  The device specifying unit 44 once identifies the control target group, and then compares the current temperature around the air-conditioning request device acquired again by the air condition acquisition unit 30 with the target temperature, and recalculates the adjustment required amount. To do. Subsequently, the device specifying unit 44 determines the control target range again based on the recalculated adjustment amount, and specifies again one or more air conditioning devices included in the control target range as a control target group.

  For example, in FIG. 5, it is assumed that the control target range 106 is initially determined, and that the six devices of the mobile cooler A220a, the air conditioner B200b, the showcase A210a, the showcase E210e, the air conditioner A200a, and the air conditioner C200c are the control target group. . As a result of the air conditioning operation by these devices, when the recalculated adjustment amount is equal to or less than the second threshold value, the device specifying unit 44 changes the control target range to the control target range 104 in FIG. As a result, the control target group includes four devices, namely, the mobile cooler A220a, the air conditioner B200b, the showcase A210a, and the showcase E210e.

  Furthermore, when specifying the control target group, the device specifying unit 44 considers not only the installation position of the air conditioning device but also the influence range of the air conditioning device. For each air conditioner included in the control target range, the device specifying unit 44 refers to the influence range of each air conditioner acquired by the installation position acquisition unit 20 and controls the air conditioner including the adjustment position in the influence range. Identify as a group. For example, even an air conditioner included in the control target range is not specified as a control target group if it is an air conditioner that does not affect the air state at the adjustment position. On the other hand, even an air conditioner that is not included in the control target range is specified as a control target group if it is an air conditioner that affects the air state at the adjustment position.

  FIG. 6 also shows a control target group specified by the device specifying unit 44. A range indicated by a circle in the figure shows a control target range 108 in which the installation position of the mobile cooler C220c, which is an air conditioning requesting device, is an adjustment position. If the influence range is not taken into account, the five devices of the mobile cooler C220c, the air conditioner D200d, the mobile cooler D220d, the showcase D210d, and the showcase E210e installed in the control target range 108 are specified as the control target group. Become.

  FIG. 7 also shows control target groups specified by the device specifying unit 44. A range indicated by a broken line in the figure shows an influence range 110 of the air conditioner E200e and an influence range 112 of the showcase E210e. As indicated by the influence range 110 in FIG. 7, since the air conditioner E200e affects the installation position of the mobile cooler C220c that is the adjustment position, the device specifying unit 44 specifies the air conditioner E200e as the control target group. On the other hand, since the showcase E210e does not affect the adjustment position, as shown in the influence range 112 of the figure, the device specifying unit 44 does not specify the showcase E210e as a control target group.

  Furthermore, the device specifying unit 44 once specifies the control target group, and then specifies the control target group again based on the installation position of the air conditioner acquired again by the installation position acquisition unit 20. That is, the control target group is adjusted to reflect the new installation position of the air conditioning equipment whose installation position has been changed. For example, even if the mobile cooler 220 is initially specified as a control target group, when the new installation position is outside the control target range, the mobile cooler 220 is excluded from the control target group. On the other hand, even if the mobile cooler 220 is not initially specified as a control target group, when the new installation position falls within the control target range, the mobile cooler 220 is included in the control target group.

  FIG. 8 shows a state where the air conditioner of FIG. 6 has moved. In the figure, the mobile cooler D220d in FIG. 6 is moved out of the control target range. At this time, the device identification unit 44 accesses the storage unit 10 and refers to the new position of the mobile cooler D220d acquired by the installation position acquisition unit 20. The equipment identification unit 44 determines that the new position of the mobile cooler D220d is outside the control target range, and excludes the mobile cooler D220d from the control target group. When the control target group is initially specified in the state of FIG. 8 and then the state of FIG. 6 is obtained, the device specifying unit 44 similarly refers to the new position of the mobile cooler D220d and moves the mobile cooler. The machine D220d is specified as a control target group. Returning to FIG.

  The air conditioning operation determination unit 46 determines the air conditioning operation of each air conditioning device of the control target group specified by the device specifying unit 44. For example, when the current temperature at the adjustment position is higher than the target temperature, the air conditioning operation determination unit 46 determines to cause each air conditioning device in the control target group to perform a cooling operation that lowers the temperature at the adjustment position. The air-conditioning operation determination unit 46 may determine the air-conditioning operation according to the magnitude of the difference between the current temperature at the adjustment position and the target temperature, and the present applicant proposes in “Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-23069”. The air conditioning operation may be determined using a calculation formula.

  The instruction transmission unit 48 creates instruction data for instructing each air conditioning device to perform the air conditioning operation determined by the air conditioning operation determination unit 46 and transmits the instruction data to each air conditioning device. In addition, when there is a device control device that is provided for each air conditioning device and controls the air conditioning operation of the corresponding air conditioning device, the instruction transmission unit 48 sends the information to the device control device corresponding to the air conditioning device of the control target group. The instruction data may be transmitted.

  Hereinafter, the flow of processing in the group control unit 40 will be described using a flowchart. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a series of processing orders in the group control unit 40. The adjustment position acquisition unit 42 receives the air conditioning request data transmitted from the air conditioning requesting device (S10). The device specifying unit 44 specifies one or more air conditioners as a control target group in a group specifying process to be described later (S12). The air conditioning operation determination unit 46 determines the air conditioning operation of each air conditioning device in the control target group (S14). The instruction transmission unit 48 transmits instruction data for instructing an air conditioning operation to each air conditioning device (S16).

  Subsequently, the device specifying unit 44 waits until a predetermined time elapses (N in S18), and when the predetermined time elapses (Y in S18), the surrounding space of the air conditioning requesting device acquired again by the air state acquisition unit 30 Compare current temperature and target temperature. When the current temperature is equal to or lower than the target temperature (Y in S20), the device specifying unit 44 ends the process in the group control unit 40. When the current temperature is higher than the target temperature (N in S20), the device specifying unit 44 returns to the process in S12.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the processing order of the group specifying process of FIG. The device specifying unit 44 calculates a required adjustment amount that is the difference between the current temperature and the target temperature at the adjustment position (S30). The device specifying unit 44 calculates a control target range based on the adjustment amount required (S32). The device specifying unit 44 accesses the storage unit 10 and refers to the installation position of each air conditioner (S34), and further refers to the influence range of each air conditioner (S36). The device specifying unit 44 specifies one or more air conditioners that are installed in the control target range and include the adjustment position in the influence range as a control target group (S38).

  According to the present embodiment, the air conditioners installed in the vicinity of the adjustment position can be dynamically grouped, and the air conditioners belonging to the group can perform air conditioning at the adjustment position. Thereby, both effective air conditioning at the adjustment position and energy saving can be achieved. That is, when air conditioning at the adjustment position is achieved by using only one air conditioner, it may take a considerable time to reach the target temperature. By implementing this air conditioning with a plurality of air conditioners, it is possible to shorten the time until the target temperature is reached. Also, only the nearby air conditioners are controlled, and no air conditioning operation is instructed for the air conditioners installed at positions away from the adjustment position. Therefore, the air conditioning equipment that performs the air conditioning operation is limited, and energy saving such as reduction in power consumption can be achieved.

  Moreover, according to this Embodiment, according to the change of the installation position of an air conditioning apparatus, the air conditioning apparatus of control object can be changed dynamically. Thereby, even if it is an air-conditioning apparatus once specified as a control object group, when it leaves | separates from an adjustment position by the change of an installation position, it can exclude from a control object group. That is, it is possible to save energy by eliminating useless air conditioning operation. In addition, since the change setting of the installation position of the air conditioner can be automated, it is possible to reduce the burden on the user due to the store layout change and the like and to reduce human error.

  Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the air conditioner to be controlled can be adjusted according to the influence range of the air conditioning operation in the air conditioner. As a result, it is possible to identify appropriate air conditioning equipment as a control target group in consideration of the air conditioning capacity of each of the various air conditioning equipment, the positional relationship between the air conditioning equipment and the adjustment position, and the presence of other articles that limit the range of influence. . That is, it is possible to save energy by eliminating a useless air conditioning operation that does not affect the adjustment position.

  Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the control target range can be dynamically determined according to the control content of the air conditioning at the adjustment position. Thereby, for example, the control target range can be increased as the urgency level of air conditioning is increased, and effective air conditioning can be realized according to the urgency level.

  Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the control target range can be dynamically increased as the difference between the current temperature and the target temperature at the adjustment position increases. Further, once the control target group is specified, if the difference between the current temperature and the target temperature at the adjustment position becomes small, the control target range can be dynamically reduced and the control target group can be specified again. Thereby, both effective air conditioning at the adjustment position and energy saving can be achieved.

  The present invention has been described based on the embodiments. This embodiment is an exemplification, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to combinations of the respective constituent elements and processing processes, and such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention. is there.

  It should also be understood by those skilled in the art that the functions to be fulfilled by the constituent elements described in the claims are realized by the individual functional blocks shown in the present embodiment or their linkage.

  A modification will be described. In this modification, the device identification unit 44 sets the priority for the control target group according to a predetermined rule. The device specifying unit 44 adjusts the control target range according to the priority, and specifies one or more air-conditioning devices installed in the adjusted control target range as a control target group. For example, the device specifying unit 44 adjusts the control target group having a higher priority so that the control target range becomes larger.

  The priority set for the control target group may be specified by the air conditioning request data, and the device specifying unit 44 may set the priority for the control target group. Further, the device specifying unit 44 may calculate the priority using a predetermined evaluation function according to the control content of the adjustment target position and the difference between the current temperature and the target temperature. Furthermore, the priority may be calculated by a predetermined evaluation function according to the attribute of the adjustment target position. As an example of this, the device specifying unit 44 sets a high priority when the sales position of fresh food or ice cream is an adjustment target position, and lower priority when the sales position of can juice is an adjustment target position. Set the degree.

  In addition, when the air-conditioning device specified as the low-priority control target group is also specified as the high-priority control target group, the device specifying unit 44 excludes the air-conditioning device from the low-priority control target group. Include only in high priority control target groups. In this case, the device specifying unit 44 records the specified control target group in the storage unit 10 together with the air conditioning devices included in the group and the priority of the group. Thereafter, by referring to this record when other control target groups are specified, the duplication of the air conditioning equipment is detected.

  FIG. 11 shows control target groups specified by the device specifying unit 44. A range indicated by a circle in FIG. 4 indicates a control target range 114 having the installation position of the mobile cooler A220a as an adjustment position, and a control target range 116 having the installation position of the mobile cooler B220b as an adjustment position. In the figure, the priority of the control target group related to the mobile cooler A220a is higher than the priority of the control target group related to the mobile cooler B220b. Therefore, the control target range is set larger in the former.

  In FIG. 11, the air conditioner C <b> 200 c is included in both the control target range 114 and the control target range 116. At this time, the device identification unit 44 includes the air conditioner C200c only in the control target group related to the mobile cooler A220a. That is, when the control target group related to the mobile cooler B220b has been specified first, the air conditioner C200c is excluded from the control target group related to the mobile cooler B220b as the control target group related to the mobile cooler A220a is specified. . Moreover, when the control object group concerning mobile cooler A220a is specified previously, air conditioner C200c is not specified as a control object group concerning mobile cooler B220b.

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the processing order of the group specifying process of FIG. This figure shows the processing order in this modification, and S32 to S38 have already been described in the description of FIG. The device identification unit 44 acquires the priority from the air conditioning request data or a predetermined evaluation function (S40). The device specifying unit 44 determines whether the air conditioning device specified as the control target group is included in another control target group. When there is an air-conditioning device that overlaps with another control target group (Y in S42), the device specifying unit 44 includes the air-conditioning device only in the high-priority control target group (S44). If there is no overlapping air conditioner (N in S42), the process of S44 is skipped.

  According to this modification, the air conditioning can be performed with priority over the other adjustment positions for the adjustment positions where air conditioning is required immediately. For example, by setting an adjustment position where air conditioning should be preferentially performed, air conditioning can be effectively performed as compared with other adjustment positions. Further, even when the user suddenly wants to perform air conditioning at a specific position, air conditioning can be performed with priority over other adjustment positions.

  The priority may be changed. For example, when the device specifying unit 44 detects that the current temperature at the adjustment position has approached the target temperature, the priority of the control target group is lower than the current setting. The priority may be changed. Moreover, about the control object group of the same priority, you may include the same air conditioning apparatus in both, and you may perform the air-conditioning operation | movement with respect to each adjustment position by a time division.

  Another modification will be described. In the above-described embodiment, the position information and the influence information of the air conditioning equipment are held in the equipment information database 300, and the air conditioning control device 100 acquires these information from the equipment information database 300. As a modification, each air conditioner may hold its own position information and influence information, and the air conditioning control device 100 may access each air conditioner to acquire such information, and conversely from each air conditioner. Information may be sent directly.

  Still another modification will be described. In the above-described embodiment, the temperature sensor is attached to the air conditioner, and the air conditioner acquires the temperature data of the surrounding space from this temperature sensor. As a modification, not only a temperature sensor but also a sensor for detecting various air conditions such as a humidity sensor and a wind speed sensor may be attached to the air conditioner. Various sensors may be attached at various positions other than the air conditioner, and the air conditioning control device 100 receives the output data of these sensors, and adjusts the air conditioning at the sensing point of the sensor to the nearby air conditioner. May be implemented.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the air conditioning system in embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the function structure of the air conditioner in FIG. It is a schematic diagram of the store where the air conditioner of FIG. 1 is arranged. It is a block diagram which shows the function structure of the air-conditioning control apparatus in FIG. It is a figure which shows the control object group specified in an apparatus specific part. It is a figure which shows the control object group specified in an apparatus specific part. It is a figure which shows the control object group specified in an apparatus specific part. It is a figure which shows the state which the air conditioner of FIG. 6 moved. It is a flowchart which shows a series of processing orders in a group control part. It is a flowchart which shows the process order of the group specific process of FIG. It is a figure which shows the control object group specified in an apparatus specific part. It is a flowchart which shows the process order of the group specific process of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Memory | storage part, 20 Installation position acquisition part, 30 Air state acquisition part, 40 Group control part, 42 Adjustment position acquisition part, 44 Equipment identification part, 46 Air-conditioning operation determination part, 48 Instruction transmission part, 100 Air-conditioning control apparatus, 200 Air conditioner , 210 showcase, 220 mobile cooler, 230 air condition transmission unit, 232 adjustment position determination unit, 234 adjustment position transmission unit, 236 instruction reception unit, 238 air conditioning operation execution unit, 250 miscellaneous goods shelf, 300 device information database, 400 communication Net, 500 air conditioning system, 1000 stores.

Claims (10)

An installation position acquisition unit for acquiring the installation positions of each of the plurality of air conditioners;
An adjustment position acquisition unit that acquires an adjustment position that is a spatial position where air conditioning is to be performed by at least one of the plurality of air conditioners;
A device identifying unit that identifies one or more air conditioners installed within a predetermined range from the adjustment position as a control target group;
An air conditioning operation determining unit that determines an air conditioning operation of each of the air conditioning devices of the control target group identified in the device identifying unit;
An air conditioning operation instruction unit for instructing each air conditioning device to perform the air conditioning operation determined by the air conditioning operation determination unit;
An air-conditioning control device comprising: The installation position acquisition unit further acquires a new installation position of the air conditioner whose installation position has been changed,
2. The air conditioning control device according to claim 1, wherein the device identification unit identifies again an air conditioning device included in the control target group according to a new installation position acquired by the installation position acquisition unit. . The installation position acquisition unit further acquires an influence range in which each of the plurality of air conditioners affects the air condition of the surrounding space,
The said equipment specific | specification part specifies again the air conditioning equipment contained in the said control object group according to whether the said adjustment position is included in the influence range of each air conditioning equipment. The air conditioning control device described in 1. The adjustment position acquisition unit further acquires the control content of air conditioning at the adjustment position,
The said equipment specific | specification part adjusts the range from the said adjustment position according to the said control content, and specifies one or more air-conditioning equipment installed in the range after adjustment as a control object group, It is characterized by the above-mentioned. The air-conditioning control apparatus in any one of 1-3. An air condition acquisition unit for acquiring a current air condition at the adjustment position;
The control content includes a target air condition,
The device specifying unit adjusts the range from the adjustment position to be larger as the difference between the air state acquired in the air state acquisition unit and the target air state is larger, and is within the adjusted range. The air conditioning control device according to claim 4, wherein one or more installed air conditioning devices are specified as a control target group.   When the difference between the air state acquired again in the air state acquisition unit and the target air state is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold after specifying the control target group, the device specifying unit starts from the adjustment position. 6. The air conditioning control according to claim 5, wherein the range is adjusted to be smaller than a current setting, and one or more air conditioning devices installed in the adjusted range are specified again as a control target group. apparatus.   The device specifying unit further sets a priority for the control target group according to a predetermined rule, adjusts the range from the adjustment position according to the priority, and is installed within the adjusted range. The air conditioning control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the air conditioning equipment is specified as a control target group. Obtaining the installation positions of each of the plurality of air conditioners;
Obtaining an adjustment position that is a spatial position where air conditioning is to be performed by at least one of the plurality of air conditioners;
Identifying one or more air conditioners installed within a predetermined range from the adjustment position as a control target group;
Determining the air conditioning operation of each air conditioning device of the control target group identified in the identifying step;
Instructing each air conditioning device of the air conditioning operation determined in the determining step;
An air conditioning control method comprising: An instruction acquisition unit for acquiring instruction data of an air conditioning operation to be executed from an external device;
In accordance with the instruction data acquired in the instruction acquisition unit, an air conditioning operation execution unit that executes an air conditioning operation;
With
The instruction data acquires an installation position of each of a plurality of air conditioners, acquires an adjustment position that is a spatial position where air conditioning should be performed by at least one of the plurality of air conditioners, and One or more air conditioners installed within a predetermined range are specified as a control target group, air conditioning operations of each air conditioner of the control target group are determined, and created according to each air conditioning operation Air conditioning equipment. Multiple air conditioners,
An air conditioning control device for controlling an air conditioning operation of each of the plurality of air conditioning devices;
With
The air conditioning control device
An installation position acquisition unit for acquiring the installation positions of each of the plurality of air conditioners;
An adjustment position acquisition unit that acquires an adjustment position that is a spatial position where air conditioning is to be performed by at least one of the plurality of air conditioners;
A device identifying unit that identifies one or more air conditioners installed within a predetermined range from the adjustment position as a control target group;
An air conditioning operation determining unit that determines an air conditioning operation of each of the air conditioning devices of the control target group identified in the device identifying unit;
An instruction transmission unit that transmits the instruction data of the air conditioning operation determined in the air conditioning operation determination unit to each air conditioning device;
Have
The air conditioner is
An instruction receiving unit for receiving instruction data of the air conditioning operation from the air conditioning control device;
An air conditioning operation executing unit for executing an air conditioning operation according to the received instruction data received in the instruction receiving unit;
An air conditioning system characterized by comprising:

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