JP2015206523A - air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air conditioner capable of detecting whether a space to which air can be supplied, exists between a detected object and an ambient structure or not, or whether a space through which airflow can pass, exists on the detected object or not, with high accuracy.SOLUTION: An air conditioner includes an image pickup portion having a visible light cut filter and picking up an image inside of a room, an object detecting portion 64 detecting an object on the basis of the image picked up by the image pickup portion, a passing propriety detecting portion 65 for detecting whether the airflow can pass near the object detected by the object detecting portion 64 or not, and an airflow control portion 66 for controlling the airflow on the basis of a result of the detection by the passing propriety detecting portion 65.

Description

  The present invention relates to an air conditioner that can accurately detect whether there is a space in which air can be blown between a detected object and a surrounding structure, or whether there is a space through which an air flow can pass through the detected object.

  Attempts have been made to blow air comfortably even if there are obstacles in the room. Patent Document 1 is a system in which a first air conditioner and a second air conditioner are arranged in the same air-conditioned space, and performs signal communication between the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner. The first air conditioner includes an obstacle sensor, a radiant heat sensor, a human body detection unit that detects a position of the human body from a detection value of the radiant heat sensor, and a blowable angle that calculates a blowing angle range B from the detection value of the obstacle sensor. A calculating means, and a first control means for controlling the direction of the wind direction vane from the human body detection value and the blowing angle range calculation value, and the first control means is configured such that when the blowing angle is out of the blowing angle range B, It transmits to a 2nd air conditioner and drives a wind direction vane so that it may blow toward the human body which remove | deviated from the blowing angle range B. FIG.

  In Patent Document 2, the information of the thermal image is used effectively to determine whether the obstacle is short leg furniture or leg long furniture, and the warm air flow is controlled in accordance with the determination result to be comfortable. An air conditioner that realizes improvement in performance and energy saving is described. The air conditioner is attached to the indoor unit main body, scans a certain range of the room to detect the temperature of the range, an infrared image acquisition unit that generates thermal image data from the output of the infrared sensor, and infrared image acquisition An obstacle discriminating unit that detects an obstacle on the floor surface in the room based on the thermal image data acquired by the unit and discriminates whether the obstacle is leg short furniture or leg furniture. And an air flow control unit that controls the air flow of the warm air based on the determination result of the obstacle determination unit 31.

JP 2012-102924 A JP 2013-250026 JP

  Patent Document 1 describes that a ventilation obstacle is detected and conditioned air is blown to a person in an air-conditioned space to improve comfort. However, although the detected ventilation obstacle is taken into consideration, what is considered about whether there is a space that can blow air between the ventilation obstacle and the floor or between the ventilation obstacle and the room structure such as a wall? Not done.

  In addition, even if it is considered whether there is a space that can blow air between the detected air blowing obstacle and the floor or between the air blowing obstacle and the wall, the sensor of the air conditioner installed above the wall surface From the above, it was found by examination that it is difficult to detect whether there is a space where the air can be blown. For example, a table with legs, a cabinet with legs, etc. has a space where air can be blown between the table or cabinet and the floor, but from the air conditioner sensor installed above the wall, the entire appearance including the legs It cannot be distinguished from the floor or the like, and it is difficult to detect whether there is a space through which airflow can pass between the floor and the room structure.

  In Patent Document 2, an obstacle determination unit detects an obstacle in a room from thermal image data, and determines whether the obstacle is short leg furniture or long leg furniture. However, the floor furniture is warmed by the direct impact of warm air, and the area where the leg furniture is installed becomes hotter than the surrounding floor temperature. For the determination, there is a problem that the short leg furniture cannot be determined unless a temperature difference occurs in the room.

  The present invention is an invention for solving the above-described problems, and there is a space where air can be blown between a detected object and a surrounding structure, or there is a space where airflow can pass through the detected object. An object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner capable of accurately detecting the above.

  In order to achieve the above object, an air conditioner of the present invention has a filter that removes visible light (for example, a visible light cut filter 112), an imaging unit that images a room, and an image captured by the imaging unit. Based on the detection results of the object detection unit that detects the object, the passage passage detection unit that detects whether or not the airflow can pass through the vicinity of the object detected by the object detection unit, and the passage passage detection unit And an airflow control unit that controls the airflow. Other aspects of the present invention will be described in the embodiments described later.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to accurately detect whether there is a space in which air can be blown between the detected object and the surrounding structure, or whether the detected object has a space through which airflow can pass.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the external appearance structure of the air conditioner which concerns on this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner which concerns on this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the outdoor unit of the air conditioner which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the external appearance 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 imaging part which has a visible light cut filter which concerns on this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the wavelength range at the time of imaging through the filter of visible light cut. 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 whole outline | summary of the process of a control part. It is a flowchart which shows the process of an imaging control part, an object detection part, and a passage passability detection part. It is explanatory drawing which shows the determination process of the presence or absence of the object of an object detection part. It is explanatory drawing which shows the determination process using the gravity center of the object of the passage availability detection part. It is explanatory drawing which shows the determination process using the integrated area of the object of a passage availability detection part. It is explanatory drawing which shows the ratio of the integrated area by the height from the lower end of various furniture. It is explanatory drawing which shows the determination process of whether an object is an obstruction. It is explanatory drawing which shows the passing airflow of an airflow control part. It is explanatory drawing which shows the movement of the direction of a horizontal direction of an imaging part, and a viewing angle.

  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.

  FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an external configuration of an air conditioner according to the present embodiment. The air conditioner A is a device that performs air conditioning in a room such as cooling using, for example, a 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 indoor unit 100 by infrared rays, radio waves, communication lines, and the like. A remote controller 40 (remote controller, air conditioning control terminal) for the user to operate the air conditioner A, and various sensor units for obtaining information used for control and display of the air conditioner such as room temperature and outside temperature 50 (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). Furthermore, the indoor unit 100 includes an imaging unit 110 that images the room as one sensor of the sensor unit 50.

  A temperature detection unit 130 that detects the indoor temperature is disposed on one side of the imaging unit 110. With such an arrangement, it is possible to reduce detection errors in the distance and angle between the imaging unit 110 and the temperature detection unit 130 to be detected. A near-infrared light source 120 is disposed on the other side of the imaging unit 110. With such an arrangement, the difference between the detection range and angle of the imaging unit 110 and the irradiation range and angle of the near-infrared light source 120 can be reduced. That is, it is desirable to arrange the temperature detection unit 130 and the near-infrared light source 120 on both sides of the imaging unit 110.

  Further, in the present embodiment, a foot monitor 140 is disposed beside the imaging unit 110 or the temperature detection unit 130. As described later, when the foot is detected by the imaging unit 110 or the temperature detection unit 130 or when the foot is estimated, the foot monitor 140 is turned on, and the user can confirm that the foot has been detected. . The foot monitor 140 may be disposed not only on the indoor unit 100 but also on the remote controller 40.

<Indoor unit>
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a 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, a left and right wind direction plate 104 (wind direction portion), an up and down wind direction plate 105 (wind direction portion), a front panel 106, a housing base 101, and various sensor units 50 (see FIG. 5). ) Etc. Of the sensor unit 50, the imaging unit 110, the near-infrared light source 120, the temperature detection unit 130, and the foot monitor 140 are arranged in a space above the blowing air path upper surface 109 c and below the drain pan 99. These sensors and the like need to be installed obliquely downward so as to face the living space. In this embodiment, the substrate itself is installed obliquely downward and these sensors are directly connected to the substrate. . Note that the imaging unit 110, the near-infrared light source 120, the temperature detection unit 130, and the foot monitor 140 are not necessarily mounted on the indoor unit 100, and a sensor or the like mounted on the indoor unit 100 may be selected as appropriate according to the embodiment. That's fine. In addition, a light transmitting member 150 may be disposed on the front surface of the sensor.

  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 the air. Or it is comprised so that it may 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 vertical wind direction plate 105 can be operated so as to swing in the vertical 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 100 without rotating.

  When the blower fan 103 rotates, the indoor unit 100 takes indoor air into the indoor unit 100 through the air suction port 107 and the filter 108, and heat-exchanges this air with 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>
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the outdoor unit of the air conditioner according to the present 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 for controlling the outdoor unit 200, and an electrical component lid is placed on the electrical component box 210.

<Remote control>
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an appearance of a 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. Moreover, you may provide other air conditioning functions, such as air purification. The air conditioner A can adjust indoor air variously.

  On the display screen 41 of the remote controller 40, a message 42 indicating whether or not the object detection unit 64 and the pass-through permission / inhibition detection unit 65 are being executed is displayed. Specifically, the display contents include an obstacle (furniture that cannot pass through) during furniture detection, and no obstacle (furniture that can pass through).

  By pressing the automatic operation button 43, automatic operation for automatically selecting cooling, heating, dehumidification and the like based on the detection result of the sensor unit 50 and adjusting the set temperature and the like is started. Furthermore, in this embodiment, by pressing the automatic operation button 43, the execution of the object detection unit 64 and the pass-through availability detection unit 65 is started and reflected in the wind direction control. Therefore, the user can start driving with a single operation, and there is no need to separately operate the object detection unit 64 and the pass / fail detection unit 65.

  In the present embodiment, the object detection unit 64 and the pass / fail detection unit 65 are not executed even when the automatic operation button 43 is pressed by a button (not shown) inside the remote controller 40, or wind direction control based on these detection results. It can be operated so as not to execute.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, in addition to the automatic operation button 43, a foot airflow button 44 is provided exclusively. In the present embodiment, the foot airflow button 44 is provided on the surface of the remote control 40 so that the user can easily start the foot airflow operation even for a user who starts operation with a heating operation button or the like. That is, in this embodiment, at least two buttons, the automatic operation button 43 and the foot airflow button 44, can start the wind direction control based on the detection results of the object detection unit 64 and the pass-through availability detection unit 65. The foot airflow button 44 may be disposed inside the remote controller 40.

  In the present embodiment, a foot airflow button 44 and a floor plan airflow button are arranged as dedicated buttons for frequently used functions under the stop button. Incidentally, the floor plan airflow button is a button for detecting a floor plan in the room by the imaging unit 110 and starting a swing operation in accordance with the floor plan.

<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, a temperature detection unit 130 (see FIG. 1) that detects the surface temperature of a person, an object, and a room, an outside air temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a refrigerant pipe temperature sensor, a compressor temperature sensor, and an imaging unit 110 ( 1), and is constituted by a clock or the like. The imaging unit 110 is installed in the lower part of the center of the front panel 106 in the left-right direction.

  When the temperature detection unit 130 is a thermopile, for example, the horizontal and vertical directions are configured by 1 × 1 pixel, 4 × 4 pixel, and 1 × 8 pixel, and are installed at the lower part of the front panel 106 at 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 unit 130 is not limited to the average surface temperature in the room, and within the detection range, the surface temperature of the room in the region excluding the person, the surface temperature of the clothes of the person, the temperature of the skin of the person, It may be the floor surface temperature.

<Imaging unit>
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a configuration of an imaging unit having a visible light cut filter according to the present embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram of the imaging unit 110 as viewed from above. As the imaging unit 110, an imaging unit capable of imaging visible light and near infrared rays is used. Conventionally, in an imaging unit for detecting a person or the like, an infrared cut filter is attached inside the imaging unit. However, in the present embodiment, the infrared cut filter is not attached so as not to cut near infrared rays. The visible light cut filter 112 is disposed around the imaging unit main body 111, and the visible light cut filter 112 is rotated and moved in front of the imaging unit main body 111.

  Specifically, the imaging unit 110 includes an annular visible light cut filter 112 having an opening 113 around an imaging unit main body 111 that is a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor. The visible light cut filter 112 can be rotated around the imaging unit main body 111 by the filter motor 114 via the filter gear 115 (filter moving mechanism). Thereby, when performing normal imaging, it is possible to take an image without passing through the visible light cut filter 112. On the other hand, when detecting an object to be described later, the visible light cut filter 112 can be rotated and driven in conjunction with the imaging unit main body 111 via the visible light cut filter 112. Further, if necessary, the near-infrared light source 120 (see FIG. 1) is turned on before photographing, and the near-infrared reflected light can be imaged more clearly by irradiating the near-infrared light.

  FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a wavelength range in the case of imaging through a visible light cut filter. Ultraviolet rays and visible light are cut, and imaging can be performed using a wavelength region in the vicinity of near infrared rays (for example, 850 nm). Near-infrared light is characterized in that only the shape of the object is reflected without reflecting the color or pattern of the object. As a result, the shape of the object can be clearly captured. In addition, since no color information is used, the amount of information on the image is reduced, leading to an improvement in accuracy when detecting an object.

  FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the movement of the imaging unit in the horizontal direction and the viewing angle. With reference to FIG. 17, the movement of the imaging unit 110 in the horizontal direction and the viewing angle will be described. FIG. 17 is a conceptual diagram of the indoor unit 100 and the room in which the indoor unit 100 is provided as viewed from above. The upper side of FIG. 17 is the wall side to which the indoor unit 100 is attached, and the lower side is It becomes a space on the front side of the indoor unit 100 to which the indoor unit 100 is attached.

  In this example, the viewing angle in the horizontal direction of the imaging unit 110 is approximately 60 °. Therefore, if an image is picked up by the image pickup unit 110 when the horizontal direction of the image pickup unit 110 is in front (direction 311), an indoor image in the range 312 indicated by the arrow can be picked up. Further, if the direction of the image pickup unit 110 is moved 45 degrees to the right from the direction 311 toward the indoor unit 100 and imaged in the direction of the direction 313, an indoor image in the range 314 of the arrow can be captured. Furthermore, if the direction of the image pickup unit 110 is moved 45 degrees to the left from the direction 311 toward the indoor unit 100 and the image is taken in the direction 315, an indoor image in the range 316 indicated by the arrow can be taken. Thereby, in this example, the room in which the indoor unit 100 is installed can be imaged with a viewing angle of about 150 ° in total. Further, the arrow range 312 and the arrow range 314 may partially overlap (a range of about 15 °) to obtain an image. Similarly, the arrow range 312 and the arrow range 316 partially (about 15). ° Range) Overlapping images can be acquired. In order to capture an indoor image with the viewing angle of about 150 °, the orientation of the imaging unit 110 may be changed in the horizontal direction in the range from the direction 313 to the direction 315. The indoor corner detected by the wall detection unit 63 is indicated as a corner 373.

<Control unit>
FIG. 8 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. The control unit 60 drives the blower fan 103, the left and right wind direction plates 104, and the up and down wind direction plate 105 of the indoor unit 100 based on information from the remote controller 40 via the transmission / reception unit 45 and information from the sensor unit 50, and the outdoor unit 200. The compressor 202 and the propeller fan 207 are driven.

  The control unit 60 detects the position of a person in the room based on the imaging control unit 61 that controls the imaging unit 110 in a first imaging mode and a second imaging mode that will be described later, and images captured by the imaging unit 110. The near-infrared image photographed by the imaging unit 110 via the visible light cut filter 112 and the wall detection unit 63 for detecting the wall position of the room based on the person sensing unit 62, the image photographed by the imaging unit 110 Based on the object detection unit 64 for detecting the object, the passage detection unit 65 for detecting whether or not the airflow can pass in the vicinity of the object detected by the object detection unit 64, and the airflow can pass therethrough. An airflow control unit 66 that blows an airflow in a certain area and a storage unit 67 are provided.

<Imaging control unit>
The imaging control unit 61 performs indoor imaging with the imaging unit 110 every predetermined time t1 (one hour, for example). That is, the imaging control unit 61 controls the stepping motor and drives the attachment member when the predetermined time t1 has elapsed from the end of the imaging process by the imaging unit 110, for example, at a constant angular velocity, the horizontal of the imaging unit 110. Start moving in direction. This operation starts from the direction 318 shown in FIG. 17 toward the direction 317, for example. Then, when the orientation of the imaging unit 110 reaches the direction 315, the imaging control unit 61 performs imaging with the imaging unit 110, for example, by temporarily stopping as necessary, and stores the image data as a “left image”. 67. Next, when the orientation of the imaging unit 110 reaches the direction 311, the imaging control unit 61 captures an image with the imaging unit 110, for example, temporarily stopping as necessary, and stores the image data as a “medium image”. Store in the unit 67. Next, when the orientation of the imaging unit 110 reaches the direction 313, the imaging control unit 61 performs imaging with the imaging unit 110, for example, temporarily stopping as necessary, and stores the image data as a “right image”. Store in the unit 67.

  In addition, when the imaging control unit 61 controls the imaging unit 110 including the visible light cut filter 112 and the imaging unit main body 111 that captures the room, the imaging control unit 61 positions the visible light cut filter 112 on the front surface of the imaging unit main body 111. A first shooting mode for shooting the room with the imaging unit main body 111 in a state where the imaging unit body 111 is in a state of shooting, and a second shooting mode for shooting the room with the imaging unit body 111 in a state where the visible light cut filter 112 is not positioned in front of the imaging unit body 111 And have.

<Human detection part>
The human detection unit 62 detects the position of a person in the room based on an image shot by the imaging unit 110 that does not pass through the visible light cut filter 112 (see FIG. 6) (taken in the second shooting mode). In addition to the imaging unit 110, 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 unit 62 is not limited to the presence or absence of a person, and the position, activity amount, life scene, and the like may be detected.

  The position of the person detects the position of the person's head or the like from the image captured by the imaging unit 110, and uses the position of the head as the position of the person. Furthermore, in this embodiment, in addition to the position of the person, the position of the person's feet is also detected. The position of the person's foot may be directly detected based on the image captured by the imaging unit 110, or the position of the person's head may be detected to detect the position of the person's head. The position of the person's foot may be estimated from the positions such as.

<Wall detector>
The wall detection unit 63 extracts edges in the image based on the image photographed by the imaging unit 110 without the visible light cut filter 112 (photographed in the second photographing mode), and extracts thick and long edges, A straight line is extended, an intersection is created, and the center of gravity of the intersection is used as a vanishing point to detect the corner 373 in the room, and the detected corner 373 (see FIG. 17) is detected as a wall and a wall or a wall and a ceiling or a wall. The floor tangent is used to detect the position of the indoor wall, ceiling, or floor surface.

  Note that the position of the person detected by the person detection unit 62 may be accumulated, and the detection result of the corner 373 may be complemented based on the accumulated value of the person's position. That is, because the indoor wall exists outside the accumulated value of the person's position and the indoor wall does not exist inside the accumulated value of the person's position, the indoor wall is the accumulated value of the person's position. If detected at a position inside, the detection result may be excluded.

<Object detection unit>
The object detection unit 64 detects an object from an image shot by the imaging unit 110 (taken in the first shooting mode) via the visible light cut filter 112. Specifically, it detects furniture, such as tables, kotatsu, chairs, sofas, bookshelves, cupboards, baskets, walls, floors, ceilings, doors, windows, small beams, fittings between columns, etc. in the room. Details will be described later with reference to FIG.

<Passthrough detection unit>
The passage permission / inhibition detection unit 65 detects the luminance below the object detected by the object detection unit 64, and estimates that there is an object that reflects near infrared rays if the luminance is high, and if the luminance is low, for example, the step of the object Can be estimated to be able to pass through. In addition to this, there are the following as specific passage determining means for various objects.

(1) Method using the center of gravity of an object (see FIG. 12)
The passage passability detection unit 65 determines whether the furniture is leg-long furniture or leg-short furniture based on the height L of the center of gravity position from the lower end of the object detected by the object detection unit 64 and the height H of the object. . Specifically, the passage detection unit 65 determines that the furniture is leg-length furniture when the ratio of the height L of the center of gravity of the object to the height H of the object is a predetermined value (for example, 70%) or more. Is estimated to be able to pass through. In addition, the passage permission / inhibition detection unit 65 determines that the furniture is leg short furniture when the ratio of the height L of the center of gravity of the object to the height H of the object is less than a predetermined value, and estimates that the air current cannot pass through. Details will be described later with reference to FIG.

(2) Method using accumulated area of object (see FIG. 13)
The pass-through permission / inhibition detection unit 65 has a ratio of the total area of the object from the lower end of the object detected by the object detection unit 64 to the predetermined height M with respect to the total area and the object having the predetermined height M from the lower end of the object. Based on the ratio to the height H, it is determined whether the furniture is long leg furniture or short leg furniture. Specifically, the pass / fail detection unit 65 detects the height H of the object having a height M from the lower end of the object when the ratio of the total area from the lower end of the object to the total area of the object is a predetermined value (for example, 30%). When the ratio to is a predetermined value (for example, 50%) or more, it is determined that the furniture is leg-length furniture, and it is estimated that the airflow can pass through. Further, if the ratio of the height M from the lower end of the object to the height H of the object is less than the predetermined value when the integrated area with respect to the entire area of the object is less than the predetermined value, Judge and estimate that the airflow cannot pass through. Details will be described later with reference to FIG.

  As described in the present embodiment, when the proportion of the area of the object occupying a predetermined range in the image is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the passage allowance detection unit 65 estimates that the foot of the object can pass through. It is possible to estimate the extent that the air cannot pass through when the air is blown in the direction. It is possible to reduce the amount of heat supplied per unit time for an object that cannot pass through. In addition, it is possible to increase the amount of heat supplied per unit time in the direction in which it can pass through, and to improve comfort.

  FIGS. 15A and 15B are explanatory diagrams showing a process for determining whether or not an object is an obstacle. FIG. 15A shows a case where the object is not an obstacle, and FIG. 15B shows a case where the object is an obstacle. Let X be the total width of an indoor image taken by the imaging unit 110, which is a left screen, a middle screen, and a right screen, and be a total height Y. The horizontal width of an object in the image is x, and the vertical width is y. Whether or not the object is an obstacle is determined as not an obstacle when the area of the object with respect to the area of the entire screen is less than a predetermined value (for example, 8%), and the area of the object with respect to the area of the entire screen is a predetermined value In the above case, it may be determined as an obstacle.

  In the case of FIG. 15A, if x / X is 20% and y / Y is 15%, the area of the object with respect to the area of the entire screen is 3%, and it is determined that the object is not an obstacle. On the other hand, in the case of FIG. 15B, the area of the object with respect to the area of the entire screen is 10%, and is determined as an obstacle.

  In addition, the absolute value of the area, width, or height of the object is calculated from the area of the object screen and the distance to the object, and based on whether the area, width, or height of the object is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, It may be determined whether or not is an obstacle.

  If it is attempted to determine whether or not the wind can pass through all objects, the processing time of the microcomputer becomes longer. Therefore, in the present embodiment, an object having a size that affects the passage of wind is determined. That is, when an object is detected, it is determined whether the length in the vertical direction, the length in the horizontal direction, or both are greater than or equal to a predetermined value, and objects with a predetermined value or less such as a small trash can are excluded from detection targets To do. By doing so, the processing speed of the microcomputer can be improved.

Next, processing contents will be described.
FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an overall outline of the processing of the control unit. When the driving is started, the control unit 60 detects a person (process S91), and detects a person's foot (process S92), thereby grasping the position of the person. When one hour has not elapsed since the measurement (No in process S93), the process returns to process S91. When 1 hour has passed since the measurement (step S93, Yes), the control unit 60 performs object detection including a pass-through detection process (step S94). After the object detection process, a person is detected again (process S95), an indoor corner is detected (process S96), a person is detected (process S97), and finally the opening / closing of the partition is detected (process S98). Then, a series of processing is completed. The size of the room is determined based on the position of the person and the corner detection by the processing of processing S95 to processing S98. In the present embodiment, the position of a person is grasped based on an image photographed by the imaging unit 110. However, instead of the imaging unit 110, a temperature detection unit 130 or a pyroelectric infrared sensor is used. You may make it grasp | ascertain a position.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating processing of the imaging control unit, the object detection unit, and the pass-through availability detection unit. FIG. 10 is a detailed process of process S94 of FIG. The processing of FIG. 10 is the processing of the control unit 60, but the main components of the imaging control unit 61, the object detection unit 64, and the pass-through permission / inhibition detection unit 65 will be described clearly.

  The object detection unit 64 determines whether the room is irradiated with sunlight (sunlight presence / absence) (processing 901). The determination of the object detection unit 64 may be executed when a light source is detected and sunlight does not enter the room, or when the amount of sunlight entering the room is a predetermined value or less. This is because near-infrared rays are also included in sunlight, and therefore, when sunlight enters from a window, there is a risk of erroneous detection if there is an object at the location irradiated with sunlight. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the light source is detected and executed when the sunlight does not enter the room or when the amount of sunlight entering the room is a predetermined value or less. As another method for determining the presence / absence of sunlight, the object detection mode may be executed in a time zone in which the sun does not appear depending on the time zone without identifying the light source itself. Note that it is desirable that the light source identification can be performed because there is a possibility that the object cannot be detected when the user sets an incorrect time zone, and there is a possibility that the object detection may be erroneously detected even with an incandescent lamp. .

  The imaging control unit 61 moves so as to apply the visible light cut filter 112 to the opening 113 (see FIG. 6) (processing S902). Then, the imaging control unit 61 moves to the initial imaging position (for example, the imaging position on the left screen) (processing S903), turns on the near-infrared light source 120 (see FIG. 1), and emits near-infrared light (near-infrared light). (Irradiation ON) (Processing S904). The imaging control unit 61 images (captures) the room (processing S905), turns off the near-infrared light source 120, and stops near-infrared irradiation (near-infrared irradiation OFF) (processing S906).

  The object detection unit 64 determines the presence / absence of an object (see FIG. 11) (processing S907). Then, the pass-through permission / inhibition detection unit performs the pass-through estimation for the object detected by the object detection unit 64 (see FIG. 12 and FIG. 13) (processing S908).

  Next, the imaging control unit 61 determines whether or not shooting in the three directions of the left screen, the middle screen, and the right screen has ended (processing S909), and when shooting in the three directions has not ended (processing S909, No), the process returns to step S903. On the other hand, when the photographing in the three directions has been completed (step S909, Yes), the imaging control unit 61 moves the visible light cut filter 112 to the original position (step S910).

  In the control flow of FIGS. 9 and 10, particularly the object detection process and the pass / fail detection, when the automatic button of the remote controller 40 is pressed, automatic operation is executed, but the object detection mode is executed every predetermined time. In the case of this embodiment, it is executed every hour. Note that the object detection mode may be executed by a button different from the automatic button.

  In the object detection mode executed by the object detection unit 64, the imaging unit 110 having the visible light cut filter 112 is used. In addition, a near-infrared light source 120 (for example, a near-infrared LED (Light Emitting Diode)) is also used when necessary to increase object detection accuracy. As described above, the imaging unit 110 drives in the left-right direction in the same way as normal imaging, and images the room. The near-infrared light source 120 irradiates the room immediately before imaging by the imaging unit 110, and ends the irradiation when imaging by the imaging unit 110 is completed. By irradiating the near-infrared light source 120 only at the timing when the imaging unit 110 captures an image, the lifetime of the near-infrared light source 120 is extended compared to the case where the near-infrared light source 120 is continuously irradiated during execution of the object detection mode. Can do.

  In the present embodiment, since the imaging unit 110 performs imaging three times in the left direction, the middle direction, and the right direction, the near-infrared light source 120 also performs irradiation three times in accordance with the timing of imaging by the imaging unit 110. Then, the image captured by the object detection unit 64 is processed to detect the shape of an object such as furniture.

  Here, normally, when extracting the shape of an object, there is a possibility that the exact shape of the object cannot be extracted due to the color or pattern of the object. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the visible light cut filter 112 is moved to be positioned in front of the imaging unit 110 and the near-infrared light source 120 is irradiated in the object detection mode. Near-infrared light is characterized in that only the shape of the object is reflected without reflecting the color or pattern of the object. By making use of this feature of near infrared rays, it is possible to prevent erroneous detection due to the color and pattern of the object and to detect the shape of the object more accurately. By increasing the detection accuracy in this way, it is possible to determine whether the object has a shape that allows wind to pass through, such as a table with a leg or a chair, or a shape that prevents wind from passing through, such as a sofa.

  In the object detection mode of the present embodiment, the imaging control unit 61 may irradiate the near-infrared light source 120 having a wavelength peak near about 850 nm. The captured image appears white as near infrared rays are reflected in the direction of the imaging unit 110, and appears black so as not to be reflected in the direction of the imaging unit 110. In general, wood, cloth, metal, paper, and the like existing in a living space have a rough surface, and near infrared rays are diffusely reflected on the surface. By imaging near infrared rays reflected in the direction of the imaging unit 110 by diffuse reflection, it is possible to detect that the reflecting object exists in the reflected direction. For this reason, by irradiating the near-infrared light source 120, it is possible to cover materials of furniture that are generally present in the room, and it is possible to obtain high detection accuracy.

  The near-infrared light source 120 includes visible light including near-infrared light having a peak in the vicinity of about 850 nm. Therefore, when the near-infrared light source 120 is turned on, the near-infrared light source 120 looks red. For this reason, the display part which displays whether it is lighting or not becomes unnecessary, and it becomes possible to reduce cost.

  FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a process for determining the presence / absence of an object in the object detection unit. The object detection unit 64 divides the image captured by the imaging control unit 61 into a matrix, and manages each divided region as a cell. For example, the matrix 1101 is an image matrix viewed from the indoor unit 100 side of the air conditioner A, and will be described as 5 vertical cells × 10 horizontal cells. The position of each cell corresponds to the position in the case of controlling the left / right wind direction and the up / down wind direction.

  The object detection unit 64 determines whether or not an object exists from the luminance value of the image. The numerical value in each cell indicates the ratio of the occupied area of the object in each cell by 1 to 5. Specifically, it is “1” for an occupied area of 0 to less than 20%, and “2” for an occupied area of 20 to less than 40%.

  The object detection unit 64 performs a plurality of detections in order to determine whether the object is an object such as furniture that is always installed indoors, or whether it is an object that is temporarily placed. Specifically, the image is taken once per hour, and the shape of the object is specified by majority decision among the detection results a predetermined number of times (for example, 10 times). For example, when it is determined that the object is an object from six detection results out of ten times, it is recognized as an always-installed object and its shape is specified.

  In the example shown in FIG. 11, a matrix 1120 that is a majority decision result is shown based on ten detection results of the matrix 1101,. In this case, objects are detected in the second to fourth columns from the left, and similarly, objects are detected in the second and third columns from the right.

  FIGS. 12A and 12B are explanatory diagrams showing determination processing using the center of gravity of the object of the passage pass / fail detection unit, where FIG. 12A is an example of the center of gravity position of the object, and FIG. 12B is a determination example using the center of gravity of the object. FIG. In FIG. 12A, the center of gravity position of the object is shown, and the pass / fail detection unit 65 determines whether the foot of the object is airflow based on the height H and the center of gravity position L of the object from the bottom of the object. It is determined whether or not can be passed.

  Specifically, the passage detection unit 65 determines that the furniture is leg-length furniture when the ratio of the height L of the center of gravity of the object to the height H of the object is a predetermined value (for example, 70%) or more. Is estimated to be able to pass through. In addition, the passage permission / inhibition detection unit 65 determines that the furniture is leg short furniture when the ratio of the height L of the center of gravity of the object to the height H of the object is less than a predetermined value, and estimates that the air current cannot pass through. That is, when the gravity center position L of the object is compared with the height H of the object, and the gravity center position L of the object is equal to or higher than a predetermined height with respect to the height H of the object, the shape allows airflow (wind) to pass through. Judge that there is.

  In FIG. 12B, the determination result for the cell detected in FIG. 11 (the symbol of the occupied area is 2 to 5) is “1” when the passage is possible and “2” when the passage is impossible. Have been described. A matrix 1220 that is the result of the majority decision is shown based on 10 determination results of the matrix 1201,. In this case, it is determined that the objects detected from the second column to the fourth column from the left cannot pass through. On the other hand, it is determined that the objects detected in the second and third columns from the right can pass through.

  FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a determination process using the accumulated area of the object of the passage detection unit, (a) is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the height from the lower end and the accumulated area, and (b) is an illustration of the object. It is a figure which shows the example of determination using an integration area. In the case of the object on the left side of FIG. 13A, the height from the lower end and the integrated area have a substantially linear relationship, whereas in the case of the object on the right side of FIG. 13B, the height from the lower end and the integrated area. Is not in a linear relationship.

  Specifically, the pass / fail detection unit 65 detects the height of the object having the height M from the lower end of the object when the ratio of the integrated area from the lower end of the object to the total area of the object is a predetermined value (for example, 30%). When the ratio with respect to H is a predetermined value (for example, 50%) or more, it is determined that the furniture is leg-length furniture, and it is estimated that the airflow can pass through. Further, if the ratio of the height M from the lower end of the object to the height H of the object is less than the predetermined value when the integrated area with respect to the entire area of the object is less than the predetermined value, Judge and estimate that the airflow cannot pass through.

  In FIG. 13B, the determination result for the cell detected in FIG. 11 (the symbol of the occupied area is 2 to 5) is “1” when the passage is possible and “2” when the passage is impossible. Have been described. A matrix 1320 that is the result of the majority decision is shown based on the 10 determination results of the matrix 1301,. In this case, it is determined that the objects detected from the second column to the fourth column from the left cannot pass through. On the other hand, it is determined that the objects detected in the second and third columns from the right can pass through.

  FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing the ratio of the integrated area depending on the height from the lower end of various furniture. The horizontal axis indicates the ratio of the distance from the lower end to the upper end, and the vertical axis indicates the ratio of the integrated area from the lower end to the total area. From the results shown in FIG. 14, in the case of furniture of (1), (3), and (5), it can be seen that the ratio of the distance from the lower end to the upper end and the ratio of the integrated area are monotonically proportional. On the other hand, the furniture of (2), (4), and (6) has a parabolic relationship convex downward.

  The furniture (1) is short leg furniture, and similarly, the furniture (5) is short leg furniture (sofa). It can be seen that the furniture (chair) of (3) has an area of the wheel part at the foot and inhibits the flow of airflow. According to the result of FIG. 14, whether or not the shape is such that the airflow passes through the foot depending on whether the ratio of the integrated plane line is 30% and the ratio of the distance from the lower end to the upper end is 50% or more. It can be seen that This result is the same as that shown in the determination of FIG.

  FIGS. 16A and 16B are explanatory diagrams showing airflow control of the airflow control unit. FIGS. 16A and 16C show a case where there is an object that cannot pass through, and FIGS. 16B and 16D show a case where there is an object that can pass through. FIGS. 16A and 16B are views of the room as viewed from above, and FIGS. 16C and 16D are views of the room as viewed from the side. When the passage permission / inhibition detection unit 65 estimates that the object cannot pass through, the airflow control unit 66 reduces the air volume by reducing the rotational speed of the blower fan, for example, as shown in FIG. Control. On the other hand, when it is estimated that the object that can be passed through is detected as the object that can be passed through 65, the air flow controller 66 controls the object while maintaining the rotational speed of the blower fan, for example.

  In the present embodiment, when the object is detected by the object detection unit 64 and the airflow is blown to the object by the passage pass / fail detection unit 65, it is detected whether or not the airflow passes. When it is detected that the airflow can pass through, the airflow control unit 66 does not detect the left and right wind direction plates 104 even if there is an object between the position of the human body detected by the human detection unit 62 and the indoor unit 100. And the vertical airflow direction plate 105 are controlled to send air in a direction including an object through which airflow can pass. For example, when a human body is detected at the back of the table during heating operation, the airflow control unit 66 passes under the table and the direction of the left and right wind direction plates 104 and the vertical wind direction so that the warm air reaches the feet of the human body. The direction of the plate 105 is controlled. Moreover, you may control the rotational speed of the ventilation fan 103 according to the position of a human body or an object, and you may blow in the direction including the object through which an airflow passes.

  On the other hand, when it is detected that the airflow cannot pass, the airflow control unit 66 controls the direction of the left and right airflow direction plates 104, the direction of the upper and lower airflow direction plates 105, and the rotational speed of the blower fan 103 so that the airflow cannot pass. Vent away from objects. For example, when a human body is detected at a position behind the sofa, the airflow control unit 66 controls the direction of the left and right wind direction plates 104 and the direction of the vertical wind direction plate 105 so that the airflow reaches the periphery of the human body avoiding the sofa. . At this time, the airflow may be controlled to be directed toward the end of the sofa, or the left / right wind direction plate 104 or the up / down wind direction plate 105 may be swung based on the position of the human body.

  In the present embodiment, the passage permission / inhibition detection unit 65 can detect whether the airflow can pass through the object. Therefore, a thermo-off associated with a short circuit caused by blowing air during heating toward an object such as a sofa that cannot pass under the It is possible to prevent the occurrence of discomfort that does not reach the warm air.

  In addition, during cooling, it is possible to prevent discomfort caused by supplying excessive cold air to the user by blowing air to a small beam that cannot pass through. That is, the direction of the left and right wind direction plates 104, the direction of the up and down wind direction plates 105, and the rotation speed of the blower fan 103 can be controlled to reduce the amount of heat supplied per unit time for an object that cannot pass through, improving comfort. It becomes possible to make it.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 40 Remote control 41 Display screen 45 Transmission / reception part 50 Sensor part 60 Control part 61 Imaging control part 62 Human detection part 63 Wall detection part 64 Object detection part 65 Pass-through possibility detection part 66 Airflow control part 67 Memory | storage part 100 Indoor unit 103 Blower fan 104 Left and right Wind direction plate 105 Vertical wind direction plate 106 Front panel 109b Air outlet 110 Imaging unit 111 Imaging unit body 112 Visible light cut filter 113 Opening 114 Filter motor (filter moving mechanism)
115 Filter gear (filter moving mechanism)
120 Near-infrared light source 130 Temperature detector 140 Foot monitor 200 Outdoor unit 202 Compressor 207 Propeller fan A Air conditioner

Claims (8)

An imaging unit that has a filter that removes visible light and that images a room;
An object detection unit for detecting an object based on an image captured by the imaging unit;
A pass-through detection unit that detects whether an airflow can pass through the vicinity of the object detected by the object detection unit; and
An air conditioner that controls an airflow based on a detection result of the passage permission / inhibition detection unit. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the imaging unit includes a filter movable mechanism that can select whether to apply the filter. Based on the detected center of gravity position and height of the object, the passage permission / inhibition detection unit can allow airflow to pass through when the center of gravity position of the object is equal to or higher than a predetermined height with respect to the height of the object. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the air conditioner is detected. The pass-through detection unit is configured such that the ratio of the integrated area of the object from the lower end to a predetermined height with respect to the area of the object detected by the object detection unit, and the ratio of the predetermined height from the lower end of the object to the height of the object The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein it is detected whether or not airflow can pass through. An imaging unit having a filter that removes visible light, and an imaging unit body that images the room;
A first shooting mode in which a room is photographed by the image pickup unit main body with the filter positioned on the front surface of the image pickup unit main body, and a state in which the filter is not positioned on the front surface of the image pickup unit main body. An air conditioner comprising: an imaging control unit having a second imaging mode for imaging the room. Equipped with a near-infrared light source that emits near-infrared light in the room,
The air conditioner according to claim 6, wherein the near-infrared light source is turned on when the room is photographed in the first photographing mode. An imaging unit having a filter that removes visible light, and an imaging unit main body that images a room through the filter;
An air conditioner comprising a temperature detection unit that detects a human surface temperature or a pyroelectric infrared sensor. Equipped with a near-infrared light source that emits near-infrared light in the room,
The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 7, wherein the near-infrared light source is turned on when the imaging unit photographs a room.

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