JP2015206483A - air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air conditioner capable of estimating a characteristic of a user from sensor information at operation start time or after the operation start.SOLUTION: An air conditioner includes: a control unit 60 for controlling an operation condition of a wind direction, a rotational speed of a blower fan, and a setting temperature; and a sensor unit 50 for detecting an environment of indoors including an indoor temperature. The control unit 60 estimates which one is a characteristic of a user out of whether a user is sensitive to heat, a user emphasizes energy saving, a user emphasizes comfort, or a user is sensitive to cold, by comparing the indoor temperature with a plurality of predetermined threshold values, and controls the operation condition on the basis of the estimated user characteristic.

Description

  The present invention relates to an air conditioner capable of estimating user characteristics from sensor information at the start of operation or after the start of operation.

  Patent Document 1 includes a remote controller (remote controller) for operating and operating an air conditioner main body, including a key operation unit for setting room temperature and a display unit for displaying temperature, and detecting the room temperature on the air conditioner main body. A memory for storing a history of data of the set temperature set based on the detected room temperature and the outside air temperature, an outside air temperature detecting unit for detecting the outside air temperature, a temperature setting unit set by the key operation unit After the start of the operation of the air conditioner, the recommended set temperature in the room is calculated from the currently detected room temperature and outside air temperature, and accumulated data of the set temperature for these detected temperatures accumulated in the storage unit Is described.

JP 2006-57908 A

  According to Patent Literature 1, after the operation of the air conditioner is started, the recommended set temperature is obtained from the detected room temperature and outside air temperature, and past accumulated data of the set temperature with respect to these detected temperatures. However, it is a problem that the recommended set temperature cannot be easily determined because the preference varies depending on the user.

  Further, when starting the air conditioner, it has been desired that the air conditioner automatically control as easily as possible, for example, only by the user starting (pressing) heating or cooling of the remote controller.

  This invention is invention for solving the said subject, Comprising: It aims at providing the air conditioner which can estimate a user's characteristic from the sensor information at the time of an operation start or after an operation start.

In order to achieve the above object, an air conditioner of the present invention includes a control unit that controls the operating conditions of the wind direction, the rotational speed of the blower fan, and the set temperature, and a sensor unit that detects the indoor environment including the indoor temperature. When the start of driving is detected, the control unit controls the driving conditions (for example, Tables 3 and 4) based on the indoor state (for example, Tables 1 and 2) detected by the sensor unit. It is characterized by doing.
Other aspects of the present invention will be described in the embodiments described later.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, a user's characteristic can be estimated from the sensor information at the time of a driving | operation start or after a driving | operation start.

It is explanatory drawing of the external appearance structure of the air conditioner which concerns on this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of a structure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner which concerns on this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of a structure of the outdoor unit of the air conditioner which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the detailed view of the remote control of the air conditioner which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the sensor part of the air conditioner which concerns on this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the control part of the air conditioner which concerns on this embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the process of the characteristic estimation part which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the process of the characteristic estimation part which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the process of the characteristic estimation part which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the process of the characteristic estimation part which concerns on 4th Embodiment.

  A mode for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter referred to as an embodiment) will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate.

  Drawing 1 is an explanatory view of the appearance composition of the air harmony machine concerning this embodiment. The air conditioner A is a device that performs indoor air conditioning such as cooling using, for example, heat pump technology. The air conditioner A is roughly classified into an indoor unit 100 installed on an indoor wall, ceiling, floor, etc., an outdoor unit 200 installed outdoors, and the like, and communicates with the indoor unit by infrared rays, radio waves, communication lines, and the like. A remote controller 40 (air conditioning control terminal) for the user to operate the air conditioner and various sensors 50 for obtaining information used for controlling and displaying the air conditioner such as room temperature and outside temperature (see FIG. 5) ). Moreover, the indoor unit 100 and the outdoor unit 200 are connected to the refrigerant pipe and a communication cable (not shown).

<Indoor unit>
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the configuration of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the present embodiment. The indoor unit 100 includes a heat exchanger 102, a blower fan 103, left and right wind direction plates 104, up and down wind direction plates 105, a front panel 106, a casing base 101, various sensor units 50 (see FIG. 5), and the like.

  The heat exchanger 102 has a plurality of heat transfer tubes 102a, and heats the indoor air taken into the indoor unit 100 by the blower fan 103 with the refrigerant flowing through the heat transfer tubes 102a to cool or cool the air. It is configured to heat. The heat transfer tube 102a communicates with the above-described refrigerant pipe and constitutes a part of a known refrigerant cycle. The blower fan 103 can adjust the wind speed. The left and right wind direction plates 104 are rotated forward and backward by the left and right wind direction plate motors, with the base end of the rotation shaft provided at the lower part of the indoor unit as a fulcrum. And the front end side of the left and right wind direction plate 104 faces the indoor side, so that the front end side of the left and right wind direction plate 104 can operate in a horizontal direction. The up-and-down wind direction plate 105 is rotated forward and backward by the up-and-down wind direction plate motor with the rotation shafts provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the indoor unit 100 as fulcrums. Thereby, the front end side of the up-and-down wind direction board 105 can be operated so as to swing in the up-and-down direction. The front panel 106 is installed so as to cover the front surface of the indoor unit, and can be rotated forward and backward by the front panel motor with the rotation axis at the lower end as a fulcrum. Incidentally, the front panel 106 may be fixed to the lower end of the indoor unit without rotating.

  The indoor unit 100 takes in indoor air into the indoor unit 100 through the air inlet 107 and the filter 108 as the blower fan 103 rotates, and heat-exchanges the air in the heat exchanger 102. Thereby, the air after the heat exchange is cooled by the heat exchanger 102 or heated. The air after the heat exchange is guided to the blowing air passage 109a. Further, the air guided to the blowout air passage 109a is sent out from the air blowout port 109b to the outside of the indoor unit, and air is conditioned in the room. When the air is blown into the room from the air outlet 109 b after the heat exchange, the horizontal wind direction is adjusted by the left and right wind direction plates 104, and the vertical wind direction is adjusted by the upper and lower wind direction plates 105.

<Outdoor unit>
Drawing 3 is an explanatory view of the composition of the outdoor unit of the air harmony machine concerning this embodiment. The outdoor unit 200 of the air conditioner A includes a compressor 202 that compresses the refrigerant, an expansion valve that decompresses the high-pressure refrigerant, a four-way valve that switches the refrigerant flow path, a heat exchanger 206 that exchanges heat between the outside air and the refrigerant, and the like. Equipment. The outdoor unit 200 divides (divides) the heat exchanger chamber 204 and the machine chamber 205 by the partition plate 211, the electrical component box 210, and the lead wire support component 209. In the heat exchanger chamber 204, a propeller fan 207 that promotes heat exchange with the outside air of the refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant piping, a motor for driving the propeller fan, a fan column that rotatably supports the propeller fan 207, and the outside air circulate. A heat exchanger 206 that performs heat exchange of the refrigerant is disposed. In the machine room 205, a compressor 202 that converts a circulating refrigerant into a high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant, an electric expansion valve that converts a normal-temperature / high-pressure liquid refrigerant into a low-temperature / low-pressure liquid refrigerant, a reactor for an electrical component, and a refrigerant flow. A heat transfer tube of refrigerant piping is provided. The electrical component box 210 stores electrical components that control the outdoor unit, and an electrical component lid is placed on the electrical component box 210.

<Remote control>
FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of the appearance of the remote control of the air conditioner according to the present embodiment. The remote controller 40 is operated by the user and transmits an infrared signal to the remote control receiver Q (see FIG. 1) of the indoor unit. The contents of the signal are various commands such as an operation request, a change in set temperature, a timer, an operation mode change, and a stop request. The air conditioner A can perform at least indoor cooling, heating, dehumidification, and the like based on these signals. Further, other air conditioning functions such as air purification may be provided. The air conditioner can adjust indoor air in various ways.

  The display screen 41 of the remote controller 40 displays the current user characteristics 42 estimated by the characteristic estimation unit 61 (see FIG. 6). Specifically, the user characteristics 42 include “hot”, “comfort-oriented”, “power-saving-oriented”, “cold”, and details will be described later.

<Sensor part>
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a sensor unit of the air conditioner according to the present embodiment. The sensor unit 50 is provided in the indoor unit 100 and the outdoor unit 200. The sensor unit 50 includes a room temperature sensor, an outside air temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a refrigerant pipe temperature sensor, a compressor temperature sensor, a human detection sensor 110 (see FIG. 1), a temperature detection sensor 111 (see FIG. 1), a clock, and the like. The

  The human detection sensor 110 is an imaging unit, for example, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor, and is installed in the lower part of the center of the front panel 106 in the left-right direction. In addition to this, an infrared sensor, a near infrared sensor, a thermography, a pyroelectric sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, and a noise sensor may be used. What is detected by the human detection sensor 110 is not limited to the presence or absence of a person, but may be a position, an amount of activity, a life scene, or the like.

  The temperature detection sensor 111 is temperature detection means, for example, a thermopile composed of 1 × 1 pixel in the horizontal and vertical directions, 4 × 4 pixels, and 1 × 8 pixels, and the front panel 106 (not shown in FIG. 1). ) At the bottom of the center in the left-right direction. In addition, an infrared sensor, a near infrared sensor, and a thermography may be used. What is detected by the temperature detection sensor 111 is not limited to the average surface temperature in the room, but the room surface temperature in the area excluding the insider in the detection range, the surface temperature of the person's clothes, the temperature of the person's skin, the floor May be the surface temperature.

<Control unit>
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a configuration of a control unit of the air conditioner according to the present embodiment. The control unit 60 is provided in the electrical component. Based on information from the remote controller 40 and information from the sensor unit 50 via the transmission / reception unit 45, the control unit 60 drives the blower fan 103, the left / right wind direction plate 104, and the up / down wind direction plate 105 of the indoor unit 100, and the outdoor unit 200 compressor 202 and propeller fan 207 are driven.

  The control unit 60 includes a characteristic estimation unit 61 and a storage unit 62 that are features of the present application.

[First Embodiment]
<Characteristic estimation unit>
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing processing of the characteristic estimation unit according to the first embodiment. The characteristic estimation unit 61 estimates the user's characteristic for the use of the air conditioner A from the output of the sensor when the operation of the air conditioner A is started by the operation of the remote controller 40 by the user. The user's characteristics for the estimated use of the air conditioner A are characteristics relating to the preference of the use of the air conditioner A, such as “emphasis on comfort”, “emphasis on power saving”, “hot”, and “chill”.

  When the characteristic estimation unit 61 receives an operation start command (S71), the characteristic estimation unit 61 receives an output from the sensor unit 50 (S72). Based on the sensor information from the sensor unit 50 and Tables 1 and 2, the characteristic estimation unit 61 (“Comfort emphasis”, “Power saving emphasis”, “Hotness”, “Coldness”) are estimated (S73), and the estimated result is stored in the storage unit 62 (S74). And the characteristic estimation part 61 transmits control change with respect to the compressor 202 shown in FIG. 6, the left-right wind direction board 104, the up-and-down wind direction board 105, the ventilation fan 103, the propeller fan 207, etc. (S75).

The estimation of user characteristics in S73 will be described in detail.
In the storage unit 62, values used when the characteristic estimation unit 61 estimates the user's characteristics are stored in Tables 1 and 2 in advance. Here, an example of the room temperature T at the start of operation will be described. A combination from a plurality of sensors (for example, room temperature and humidity) may be used.

  According to Table 1, in the case of cooling, if the room temperature T at the start of operation is less than 26 ° C., it is estimated as a “hot” characteristic as a user characteristic. If the room temperature T is 26 ° C. or higher and lower than 28 ° C., it is estimated as a “comfort-oriented” characteristic as a user characteristic. If the room temperature T is 28 ° C. or higher and lower than 30 ° C., it is estimated as a “power saving priority” characteristic as a user characteristic. If the room temperature T is 30 ° C. or higher, it is estimated as a “cold” characteristic as a user characteristic.

  According to Table 2, in the case of heating, if the room temperature T at the start of operation is less than 4 ° C., it is estimated as a “hot” characteristic as a user characteristic. If the room temperature T is 4 ° C. or higher and lower than 14 ° C., it is estimated as a “power saving priority” characteristic as a user characteristic. If the room temperature T is 14 ° C. or higher and lower than 22 ° C., it is estimated as a “comfort-oriented” characteristic as a user characteristic. If the room temperature T is 22 ° C. or higher, it is estimated as a “cold” characteristic as a user characteristic.

  For example, when the heating operation is started at a room temperature of 5 ° C., the characteristic estimation unit 61 estimates that the user places importance on power saving, and when the heating operation is started at a room temperature of 15 °, the user emphasizes comfort. It is estimated that. Alternatively, for example, when the cooling operation is started when the room temperature is 25 ° C., the user is estimated to be hot, and when the heating operation is started when the room temperature is 22 ° C., the user is estimated to be cold. To do. The information from various sensors used by the characteristic estimation unit 61 may be an average value after a certain time from the start of operation or within a certain time from the start of operation.

  The characteristic estimation unit 61 of the control unit 60 reflects the most common characteristic among the latest ten stored among the user characteristics stored in the storage unit 62 as the user characteristic in the control. The average value of the latest 10 memories may be reflected in the control of the air conditioner A as a user characteristic. Alternatively, the most common characteristics in the last month may be reflected in the control as user characteristics. Alternatively, the most common characteristic for each operation mode may be reflected in the control for each operation mode as the user characteristic.

  The control unit 60 stores the user characteristics in advance in the storage unit 62, such as the set temperature, the compressor rotation speed, the maximum current amount, the left and right wind direction plates, the up and down wind direction plates, and the blower fan rotation speed. 4 is reflected in the control. The rotation speed means the number of rotations per unit time.

  Specifically, when the user who has estimated that “power saving is important” starts the heating operation, the set temperature is increased, the rotation speed of the compressor 202 is decreased, the maximum current amount is decreased, and the rotation speed of the blower fan 103 is decreased. Control such as to do.

  Alternatively, when the user who has estimated that “comfort is emphasized” starts the heating operation, the set temperature is increased, the rotational speed of the compressor 202 is increased, the maximum current is increased, the left and right wind direction plates 104 are directed toward the user, and the up and down wind direction Controls such as turning the plate 105 toward the user's feet and increasing the rotational speed of the blower fan 103 are performed.

  Alternatively, when a user who estimates that it is “cold” starts a heating operation, the user sets the left and right wind direction plates to a higher setting temperature, higher compressor rotation speed, higher maximum current, than “comfort-oriented” The control is performed such that the up / down wind direction plate is directed toward the user's feet, the blower fan rotation speed is increased, and the like.

  On the other hand, when the user who is estimated to be “hot” starts the cooling operation, further lower the set temperature, increase the compressor rotation speed, increase the maximum current amount, direct the left and right wind direction plates to the user, and set the upper and lower wind direction plates to the user. The control is performed such as turning to the fan or increasing the rotational speed of the blower fan.

  In addition, although it demonstrated using room temperature as sensor information here, the sensor to be used may be external temperature, humidity, the human detection sensor 110, the temperature detection sensor 111, and a timepiece.

<Effect>
The characteristic estimation unit 61 can estimate the environment in which the user needs air conditioning because it is sensor information at the start of operation that estimates the user's characteristics. That is, if the user does not require heating to a low room temperature, it can be estimated that the user is resistant to cold. Alternatively, if the user needs cooling even at a low room temperature, the user can be estimated to be vulnerable to heat.

  Since the control is performed based on the user's characteristics, for example, even if the user does not press the “power saving button”, it is possible to perform control so that the power is automatically saved based on the estimation by the characteristic estimation unit 61. Or, in order to increase the comfort, the user is automatically comfortable based on the estimation by the characteristic estimation unit 61 without changing the wind direction so as to face the user himself or increasing the wind speed. Control can be performed.

  Since the storage unit 62 stores the user characteristics by the characteristic estimation unit 61, it is possible to ignore sudden control as noise. In other words, during the heating season, a user who is normally “considering power saving” is estimated to be “considering emphasis on comfort” when the user starts heating operation at a room temperature higher than usual in accordance with the characteristics of the “comfort-oriented” visitor. The characteristic is ignored due to the difference in frequency from the normal “power saving priority” user characteristic, and the normal “power saving priority” user characteristic can be maintained. Alternatively, even when a plurality of users use one air conditioner A, it is possible to realize the control required by the most frequently used user with the highest probability by reflecting the characteristics of the most frequently used user. It becomes.

  The control unit 60 may be able to take into account a difference in characteristics due to a difference in users by setting the average value of the latest 10 stored values as the characteristics of the user. That is, even when a plurality of users use one air conditioner A, the difference between the characteristics of the plurality of users is averaged to realize a control with less dissatisfaction for both the power saving-oriented user and the comfort-oriented user. It becomes possible.

  The control unit 60 may reflect the characteristics of the user most frequently in the last month in the control. In other words, by limiting to the user's characteristics over a certain period such as one month, it becomes possible to estimate the change in the user's characteristics accompanying changes in temperature and humidity over time, and the change in air conditioning required by the user is possible. Can be reflected in the control.

  The control unit 60 may reflect the most common characteristics for each operation mode as control characteristics for each operation mode. That is, in the case of the characteristics of the user who is strong in cold but weak in heat, it is estimated that “considering power saving” during heating operation, and “comfort-oriented” during cooling operation. This is because the user may feel discomfort due to heat when the cooling operation is also controlled based on the estimation of characteristics during heating operation. On the other hand, by reflecting the user characteristics for each operation mode in the control, it is possible to reflect the user characteristics for each of heat and cold in the control.

  Furthermore, the air conditioner A of this embodiment is not limited to the above, and may perform the following control. For example, the control unit 60 may change the time during which the left / right wind direction plate 104 or the up / down wind direction plate 105 is directed to the user. Or you may change the frequency which turns to a user. The control unit 60 may change the degree of changing the set temperature according to the degree of user characteristics. That is, when the user's characteristics are cold and the degree is weak, the time for directing the wind direction to the user during heating operation is 2 seconds per swing, and the user's characteristics are cold and the degree is strong In this case, the time for directing the wind direction to the user during the heating operation is set to 4 seconds per swing.

  The characteristic estimation part 61 may estimate a user's characteristic based on the information from one sensor, and may estimate a user's characteristic using the information from a some sensor. That is, the user's characteristics may be estimated at room temperature, or the user's characteristics may be estimated on the basis of the sensible temperature calculated based on factors such as room temperature and humidity. User characteristics include “weak to dry” and “strong to dry” in addition to “comfortable”, “power saving”, “hot”, and “cold”.

[Second Embodiment]
In the second embodiment, the characteristic estimation unit 61 estimates the user's characteristic from the difference between the predetermined value and the sensor output. Since the air conditioner A of 2nd Embodiment is the same as what was shown in FIGS. 1-4, description is abbreviate | omitted.

<Characteristic estimation unit>
The characteristic estimation unit 61 estimates the user's characteristic from the difference between the predetermined value T ₀ and the room temperature T that is the output of the sensor. That is, the characteristic estimation unit 61 issues a control command according to Table 5 stored in the storage unit 62 in advance.

Specifically, the characteristics of the user are estimated based on the difference between the government recommended cooling / heating room temperature and the room temperature, the difference between the average operation start temperature of the Japanese and the room temperature, and the like. Assuming that the government recommended cooling room temperature is T ₀ , if the room temperature T at the start of operation is lower than 2 ° C., the user's characteristics are estimated as “hot”, and the difference is within −2 ° C. (−2 ° C. to 0 ° C.) If the difference is within + 2 ° C (0 ° C or more and less than + 2 ° C), it is estimated as 'conserving power', and if the difference is + 2 ° C or more ”. As in the case of heating, the difference between the room temperature T is a predetermined value T ₀ and the output of the sensor, it is possible to estimate the characteristics of the user.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing processing of the characteristic estimation unit according to the second embodiment. When the characteristic estimation unit 61 receives an operation start command (S81), the characteristic estimation unit 61 receives an output from the sensor unit 50 (S82), and calculates a difference between the predetermined value (predetermined value) and the sensor unit 50 (S83). . The characteristic estimation unit 61 estimates the user characteristics (“comfort-oriented”, “power-saving-oriented”, “hot”, “cold”) based on Table 5, for example (S84), and stores the estimated result in the storage unit 62. (S85). And the characteristic estimation part 61 transmits a control change with respect to the compressor 202 shown in FIG. 6, the left-right wind direction board 104, the up-and-down wind direction board 105, the ventilation fan 103, the propeller fan 207, etc. (S86).

  Moreover, when the characteristics of the user of the air conditioner A are collected by the server, it is connected to the server and compared with the domestic operation history at the room temperature of the user, and the relative heat among the domestic users. -The cold characteristic may be estimated as the user characteristic. Alternatively, it may be connected to a server, and relative power-saving / comfort-oriented characteristics from a comparison with the driving conditions of neighboring users may be estimated as user characteristics.

<Effect>
The characteristic estimation unit 61 can always estimate the characteristics of the user based on a certain standard by comparing the room temperature during cooling or the room temperature during heating recommended by the government. In addition, when the characteristics of the user of the air conditioner A are collected by the server, it is possible to estimate the characteristics of the user based on general actual usage by connecting to the server.

[Third Embodiment]
In the third embodiment, the characteristics of the user are estimated based on sensor information when a predetermined time elapses after the sensor unit 50 becomes a predetermined output. Since the air conditioner A of the third embodiment is the same as that shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, description thereof will be omitted.

<Characteristic estimation unit>
FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating processing of the characteristic estimation unit according to the third embodiment. The characteristic estimation unit 61 estimates the characteristic during the heating operation of the user based on the room surface temperature, for example, by the temperature detection sensor 111 after 10 minutes, for example, after detecting a person by the human detection sensor 110 (see FIG. 1). Furthermore, if the human activity sensor 110 detects the amount of human activity and detects that the activity amount is large, the characteristics of the user during the heating operation may be estimated based on the indoor surface temperature.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating processing of the characteristic estimation unit according to the third embodiment. The characteristic estimation unit 61 receives a predetermined output from the sensor unit 50 (S91), and when an elapse of a predetermined time is detected (S92), the characteristic estimation unit 61 receives an output from the sensor unit 50 (S93). The characteristic estimation unit 61 estimates the user's characteristics (“comfort-oriented”, “power-saving-oriented”, “hot”, “cold”) based on, for example, Table 1 or Table 2 (S94), and the estimated result is stored in the storage unit. 62 (S95). And the characteristic estimation part 61 transmits control change with respect to the compressor 202 shown in FIG. 6, the left-right wind direction board 104, the up-and-down wind direction board 105, the ventilation fan 103, the propeller fan 207, etc. (S96).

<Effect>
The characteristic estimation unit 61 estimates the user's characteristics based on sensor information when a predetermined time has elapsed after the sensor unit 50 has achieved a predetermined output. For example, the characteristic estimation unit 61 goes out during the daytime in winter and has a room temperature of 5 ° C. When the heating operation is started immediately after entering the indoor space, it is possible to eliminate the risk of being determined as “a user who can withstand cold until the room temperature reaches 5 ° C.” according to Table 2. Become. That is, when a person is active indoors for a certain period of time and accepts the environment, the user characteristics are estimated. Therefore, the user characteristics can be estimated more correctly.

  Furthermore, the air conditioner A of the present embodiment is not limited to the above, and may include the following configuration. The characteristic estimation unit 61 collects information from the sensor unit 50 at a predetermined frequency. That is, the characteristic estimation unit 61 detects room temperature and the presence / absence of a person once every 30 minutes. The characteristic estimation unit 61 collects information from the sensor unit 50 at a predetermined frequency only during the operation of the air conditioner A, or only during the operation stop, and is performed both during the operation stop and during the operation. Also good.

  Furthermore, the characteristic estimation part 61 may estimate a user's characteristic based on the information from the sensor part 50 acquired with the predetermined frequency before the driving | operation start for the predetermined time. Or you may estimate a characteristic based on the information from the sensor part 50 acquired with the predetermined frequency after the predetermined time after the driving | operation start.

  Moreover, the characteristic estimation part 61 may estimate a user's characteristic based on the information from the sensor part 50 when predetermined time passes, after the human detection sensor 110 detects a predetermined number of persons. Or the characteristic estimation part 61 may estimate a user's characteristic based on the information from the sensor part 50 when predetermined time passes, after the human detection sensor 110 detects a predetermined activity amount.

[Fourth Embodiment]
In the fourth embodiment, the characteristics of the user are estimated based on the settings at the start of driving or the settings after the change. Since the air conditioner A of the fourth embodiment is the same as that shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, description thereof will be omitted.

<Characteristic estimation unit>
The characteristic estimation part 61 can estimate a user's characteristic according to a setting change also in the case of the same heating mode. That is, the characteristic estimation unit 61 issues a control command according to Table 6 stored in advance in the storage unit 62 during heating. T is a room temperature at the start of operation, and T1 is a temperature set by the user. The wind speed 1 is an initial set value, and the wind speed 2 is a set value after the wind speed 1.

  Specifically, for example, when the room temperature is 5 ° C., the characteristic estimation unit 61 estimates that the user who starts the heating operation at the set temperature of 20 ° C. using the remote controller 40 shown in FIG. A user who starts a heating operation at a set temperature of 27 ° C. when the room temperature is 5 ° C. is estimated as “comfort-oriented”. Alternatively, when the indoor surface temperature is 10 ° C., the set temperature is set to 20 ° C., and the user who starts the heating operation with a strong wind speed is estimated as “comfort-oriented”. The user who starts the heating operation with a strong wind speed and then changes to a weak wind may be estimated as “conserving power”. In the first embodiment, when the room temperature at the start of operation is the same 5 ° C. and 10 ° C., the user characteristics are all determined to be “important for power saving”, but in the fourth embodiment, other settings are made. The feature is that the user characteristics differ depending on the combination. Similarly, in the case of cooling, the user's characteristics can be estimated based on the settings at the start of operation or the settings after the change.

  For example, in the case of heating operation, the period from the start of operation until the setting is changed is determined by the user to experience the warm air blown through the remaining heat operation time after starting the heating operation, and to determine the setting change. It may be the time to reach. Alternatively, it may be the time until the remaining heat operation after starting the heating operation.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating processing of the characteristic estimation unit according to the fourth embodiment. When the characteristic estimation unit 61 receives an operation start command and receives a setting change (S11), the characteristic estimation unit 61 receives an output from the sensor unit 50 (S12), and sensor information from the sensor unit 50, for example, in Table 6 Based on the characteristics of the user (S13), the estimated result is stored in the storage unit 62 (S14). And the characteristic estimation part 61 transmits control change with respect to the compressor 202 shown in FIG. 6, the left-right wind direction board 104, the up-and-down wind direction board 105, the ventilation fan 103, the propeller fan 207, etc. (S15).

<Effect>
The characteristic estimation unit 61 can estimate based on the degree of the environment required by the user by estimating the user's characteristic based on the setting at the start of operation or the setting content after the change. That is, the estimation based on the output of the sensor unit 50 at the start of operation is an estimation of the user's characteristics based on the environment that the user can withstand without using the air conditioner A. The estimation is an estimation of the user characteristics based on the environment required by the user. These two estimations may be reflected in the control as independent estimations, respectively, or may be reflected in the control in consideration of both, for example, using an average value of both. Furthermore, the air conditioner A of this embodiment is not limited to the above, and may have the following configuration.

<Display section>
The air conditioner A of the present embodiment may further include a display unit, and may display the user characteristics estimated by the characteristic estimation unit 61. That is, a display unit for displaying characteristics such as “comfort-oriented”, “power-saving-oriented”, “hot”, “cold”, etc., which are user characteristics estimated by the characteristic estimating unit 61 may be provided.

  A display part is provided in the place which can be visually recognized from the user of an indoor unit, and displays a user's characteristic by turning on LED (Light Emitting Diode). Alternatively, the remote controller 40 shown in FIG. 4 may be provided with a display unit (for example, a display screen 41), and a user characteristic (see user characteristic 42 in FIG. 4) is displayed on an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). Also good.

  Furthermore, you may provide the characteristic correction part which a user corrects the characteristic estimated in the characteristic estimation part 61. FIG. The user characteristics modified by the user have priority over the user characteristics estimated by the characteristic estimation unit 61. Or you may provide the reset part which erase | eliminates the user's characteristic which the characteristic estimation part 61 estimated, and the content which the memory | storage part 62 memorize | stored.

The control of this embodiment is not limited to Table 3 and Table 4, but may be controlled as follows, for example.
The air conditioner A includes a temperature sensor (for example, a room temperature sensor) that detects the temperature of the room, and when the temperature of the room detected by the temperature sensor at the start of the cooling operation is higher than a predetermined temperature (for example, the user In the case of cold weather), the controller 60 may control the indoor temperature to a temperature higher than the set temperature.

  The air conditioner A includes a control unit 60 that controls the indoor temperature to a set temperature, and a temperature sensor (for example, a room temperature sensor) that detects the indoor temperature, and is detected by the temperature sensor at the start of heating operation. When the indoor temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature (for example, when the user is hot), the control unit 60 may control the indoor temperature to a temperature lower than the set temperature.

  The air conditioner A includes a controller 60 that controls the rotational speed of the blower fan, and a temperature sensor (for example, a room temperature sensor) that detects the temperature of the room, and the room detected by the temperature sensor at the start of the cooling operation. If the temperature is higher than a predetermined temperature, the control unit 60 may control the rotational speed of the blower fan 103 to a value smaller than the set value.

  The air conditioner A includes a control unit 60 that controls the wind direction, a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the room (for example, a room temperature sensor), and a human detection sensor 110 that detects the position of a person, and starts cooling operation. When the temperature of the room detected by the temperature sensor is higher than a predetermined temperature (when the user is cold), the control unit 60 may direct the wind direction to a position other than the position of the person detected by the human detection sensor 110.

  The air conditioner A includes a control unit 60 that controls the rotation speed of the blower fan and a temperature sensor (for example, a room temperature sensor) that detects the temperature of the room, and the indoor air conditioner detected by the temperature sensor at the start of the heating operation. When the temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature (for example, when the user is hot, the control unit 60 may control the rotation speed of the blower fan 103 to a value smaller than the set value.

  The air conditioner A includes a control unit 60 that controls the wind direction, a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the room (for example, a room temperature sensor), and a human detection sensor 110 that detects the position of a person, and starts heating operation. When the temperature of the room detected by the temperature sensor is lower than a predetermined temperature (for example, when the user is hot), the control unit 60 may direct the wind direction to a position other than the position of the person detected by the human detection sensor 110. .

  The air conditioner A includes a control unit 60 that controls the indoor temperature to a set temperature, and a temperature sensor (for example, a room temperature sensor) that detects the indoor temperature, and is detected by the temperature sensor at the start of the cooling operation. When the temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature (for example, when the user is hot), the control unit 60 may control the indoor temperature to a temperature lower than the set temperature.

  The air conditioner A includes a control unit 60 that controls the indoor temperature to a set temperature, and a temperature sensor (for example, a room temperature sensor) that detects the indoor temperature, and is detected by the temperature sensor at the start of the heating operation. When the temperature is higher than a predetermined temperature (for example, when the user is cold), the control unit may control the indoor temperature to a temperature higher than the set temperature.

  The air conditioner A includes a control unit 60 that controls the rotation speed of the blower fan 103 and a temperature sensor (for example, a room temperature sensor) that detects the temperature of the room, and is detected by the temperature sensor at the start of the cooling operation. When the temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature (for example, when the user is hot), the control unit 60 may control the rotation speed of the blower fan 103 to a value larger than the set value.

  The air conditioner A includes a control unit 60 that controls the wind direction, a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the room (for example, a room temperature sensor), and a human detection sensor 110 that detects the position of a person, and starts cooling operation. When the temperature of the room detected by the temperature sensor is lower than a predetermined temperature (for example, when the user is hot), the control unit 60 may direct the wind direction to the position of the person detected by the human detection sensor 110.

  The air conditioner A includes a control unit 60 that controls the rotation speed of the blower fan 103 and a temperature sensor (for example, a room temperature sensor) that detects the temperature of the room, and is detected by the temperature sensor at the start of the heating operation. When the temperature is higher than a predetermined temperature (for example, when the user is cold), the control unit 60 may control the rotation speed of the blower fan 103 to a value larger than the set value.

  The air conditioner A includes a control unit 60 that controls the wind direction, a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the room (for example, a room temperature sensor), and a human detection sensor 110 that detects the position of a person, and starts heating operation. When the indoor temperature detected by the temperature sensor at is higher than a predetermined temperature, the control unit 60 may direct the wind direction to the position of the person detected by the human detection sensor 110.

  According to this embodiment, since it is sensor information at the time of an operation start or after an operation start that estimates a user's characteristic, the environment where a user requires air conditioning can be estimated. That is, if the user does not require heating to a low room temperature, it can be estimated that the user is resistant to cold. Alternatively, if the user needs cooling even at a low room temperature, the user can be estimated to be vulnerable to heat.

40 Remote control (air conditioning control terminal)
41 Display screen (display section)
45 Transmission / Reception Unit 50 Sensor Unit 60 Control Unit 61 Characteristic Estimation Unit 62 Storage Unit 100 Indoor Unit 103 Blower Fan 104 Left and Right Wind Direction Plate 105 Vertical Wind Direction Plate 106 Front Panel 110 Human Detection Sensor 200 Outdoor Unit 202 Compressor 207 Propeller Fan A Air Conditioner

Claims (17)

A control unit that controls the operating conditions of the wind direction, the rotational speed of the blower fan, and the set temperature;
A sensor unit for detecting the indoor environment including the indoor temperature,
When the control unit detects the start of operation, the control unit controls the operation condition based on the indoor state detected by the sensor unit. The control unit compares the room temperature with a plurality of predetermined thresholds to determine whether the user is hot, whether the user is power saving, whether the user is comfortable, or whether the user is cold. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein one of the characteristics of the user is estimated, and the operation condition is controlled based on the estimated characteristic of the user. The sensor unit has a human detection sensor for detecting the position of a person,
The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein after the presence of the room is detected by the human detection sensor, the operation condition is controlled based on a room temperature after a predetermined time has elapsed. The control unit detects the start of operation and changes the characteristics of the user based on the change of the set temperature or the air volume when the set temperature or the rotation speed of the blower fan is changed. Item 3. An air conditioner according to Item 2. The control unit transmits information on the estimated user characteristics to an air conditioning control terminal on which the user operates the air conditioner,
The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the air conditioning control terminal displays the estimated user characteristic on a display screen. A controller that controls the indoor temperature to a set temperature;
A temperature sensor for detecting the temperature in the room,
When the indoor temperature detected by the temperature sensor at the start of cooling operation is higher than a predetermined temperature, the control unit controls the indoor temperature to be higher than the set temperature. A controller that controls the indoor temperature to a set temperature;
A temperature sensor for detecting the temperature in the room,
When the indoor temperature detected by the temperature sensor at the start of heating operation is lower than a predetermined temperature, the control unit controls the indoor temperature to a temperature lower than the set temperature. A control unit for controlling the rotation speed of the blower fan;
A temperature sensor for detecting the temperature in the room,
When the indoor temperature detected by the temperature sensor at the start of cooling operation is higher than a predetermined temperature, the control unit controls the rotational speed of the blower fan to a value smaller than a set value. . A control unit for controlling the wind direction;
A temperature sensor for detecting the temperature in the room;
A human detection sensor for detecting the position of a person,
When the indoor temperature detected by the temperature sensor at the start of cooling operation is higher than a predetermined temperature, the control unit directs the wind direction to a position other than the position of the person detected by the human detection sensor. Machine. A control unit for controlling the rotation speed of the blower fan;
A temperature sensor for detecting the temperature in the room,
When the indoor temperature detected by the temperature sensor at the start of heating operation is lower than a predetermined temperature, the control unit controls the rotational speed of the blower fan to a value smaller than a set value. . A control unit for controlling the wind direction;
A temperature sensor for detecting the temperature in the room;
A human detection sensor for detecting the position of a person,
When the indoor temperature detected by the temperature sensor at the start of heating operation is lower than a predetermined temperature, the control unit directs the wind direction to a position other than the position of the person detected by the human detection sensor. Machine. A controller that controls the indoor temperature to a set temperature;
A temperature sensor for detecting the temperature in the room,
When the indoor temperature detected by the temperature sensor at the start of cooling operation is lower than a predetermined temperature, the control unit controls the indoor temperature to be lower than the set temperature. A controller that controls the indoor temperature to a set temperature;
A temperature sensor for detecting the temperature in the room,
When the indoor temperature detected by the temperature sensor at the start of heating operation is higher than a predetermined temperature, the control unit controls the indoor temperature to a temperature higher than the set temperature. A control unit for controlling the rotation speed of the blower fan;
A temperature sensor for detecting the temperature in the room,
When the indoor temperature detected by the temperature sensor at the start of cooling operation is lower than a predetermined temperature, the control unit controls the rotational speed of the blower fan to a value larger than a set value. . A control unit for controlling the wind direction;
A temperature sensor for detecting the temperature in the room;
A human detection sensor for detecting the position of a person,
When the indoor temperature detected by the temperature sensor at the start of cooling operation is lower than a predetermined temperature, the control unit directs the wind direction to the position of the person detected by the human detection sensor. A control unit for controlling the rotation speed of the blower fan;
A temperature sensor for detecting the temperature in the room,
When the indoor temperature detected by the temperature sensor at the start of heating operation is higher than a predetermined temperature, the control unit controls the rotational speed of the blower fan to a value larger than a set value. . A control unit for controlling the wind direction;
A temperature sensor for detecting the temperature in the room;
A human detection sensor for detecting the position of a person,
When the indoor temperature detected by the temperature sensor at the start of heating operation is higher than a predetermined temperature, the control unit directs the wind direction to the position of the person detected by the human detection sensor.

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