JP2023041908A - ventilation system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a ventilation system advantageous in achieving sleep of high quality.

SOLUTION: A ventilation system 1 includes: a ventilation device 2 as ventilation means capable of taking outside air into a room; and control means having a sleeping mode used when a user sleeps indoors when an outside air temperature is higher than a room temperature as an indoor air temperature, as an operation mode of the ventilation device 2. The control means can acquire information on concentration of carbon dioxide from carbon dioxide concentration detection means for detecting the concentration of carbon dioxide in the room. In the sleeping mode, a ventilating operation is performed by the ventilation device 2 when the concentration of carbon dioxide reaches a concentration threshold value.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

COPYRIGHT: (C)2023,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to ventilation systems.

In Patent Document 1 below, after the start of cooling operation in a sound sleep mode, when the outside air temperature drops below a predetermined set value, the cooling is stopped and the window is opened by the window opening and closing device, and the outside air in the morning is taken into the room. Techniques are disclosed.

JP-A-4-240344

The outside air temperature at night in summer does not necessarily fall below the set value. The technique of Patent Document 1 has a problem that ventilation is not performed during sleep because the window opening/closing device does not operate when the outside air temperature does not drop below the set value at night.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the problems described above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a ventilation system that is advantageous in obtaining good quality sleep.

The ventilation system according to the present disclosure includes a ventilation means capable of taking outside air into the room, and an operation mode of the ventilation means used when the user sleeps indoors when the outside air temperature is higher than the room temperature, which is the room temperature. and a control means having a sleep mode in which the control means is capable of acquiring information on the carbon dioxide concentration from the carbon dioxide concentration detection means for detecting the carbon dioxide concentration in the room, and in the sleep mode, the carbon dioxide concentration is the concentration When the threshold value is reached, ventilation is performed by the ventilation means.
In addition, the ventilation system according to the present disclosure includes a ventilation means that can take in outside air into the room, and an operation mode of the ventilation means when the outside air temperature is higher than the room temperature, which is the room temperature, when the user sleeps indoors. and a control means having a sleep mode used for the sleep mode, wherein the control means is capable of acquiring sleep state information from the sleep state detection means for detecting the sleep state information, which is information about the sleep state of the user, and the sleep mode In the above, a ventilation operation is performed by a ventilation means according to sleep state information.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it becomes possible to provide the ventilation system which becomes advantageous when obtaining good quality sleep.

1 is a cross-sectional side view showing a room provided with a ventilation system according to Embodiment 1; FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a ventilation system according to Embodiment 1; FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of a change from when a person starts sleeping until he wakes up. 4 is a flow chart showing an operation example of the ventilation system according to Embodiment 1 in sleep mode. 5 is a graph showing an example of changes over time in room temperature and carbon dioxide concentration when a sleep mode is executed according to the flowchart shown in FIG. 4;

Embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. Elements that are common or correspond to each figure are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions are simplified or omitted.

Embodiment 1.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view showing a room provided with a ventilation system 1 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. As shown in FIG. 1 , the ventilation system 1 includes a ventilation device 2 capable of taking in outside air, which is outdoor air, into the room 90 . A room 90 is a living space of a person. The ventilation device 2 includes an air supply fan 3 , an exhaust fan 4 and a heat exchange element 5 . An exhaust port 6 and an air supply port 7 are provided on the ceiling of the room 90 . A suction port 8 and a blowout port 9 are provided as openings in an outer wall of a building having a room 90 . The air supply duct 10 communicates between the suction port 8 and the air supply port 7 . When the air supply fan 3 operates, outside air sucked from the intake port 8 flows into the room 90 from the air supply port 7 after passing through the air supply fan 3 and the heat exchange element 5 . The exhaust duct 11 communicates between the exhaust port 6 and the blowout port 9 . When the exhaust fan 4 operates, the indoor air sucked in through the exhaust port 6 passes through the exhaust fan 4 and the heat exchange element 5 and then flows out of the room through the blowout port 9 . The heat exchange element 5 allows heat to be exchanged between the supply air flow through the supply air duct 10 and the exhaust air flow through the exhaust duct 11 .

The ventilation device 2 in the present embodiment is an example of ventilation means. The ventilator 2 corresponds to a type 1 ventilator that uses a fan for both air supply and exhaust. The ventilation means in the present disclosure is not limited to the first type ventilation device. For example, a second type ventilation device that uses a fan for supply and does not use a fan for exhaust may be used, or a fan is used for exhaust. , A third-class ventilation system that does not use a fan for air supply may be used. In the case of the type 3 ventilation system, outside air can flow into the room 90 through gaps in the room structure.

Hereinafter, the temperature inside the room 90 will be referred to as "room temperature". Ventilation device 2 in the present embodiment includes room temperature sensor 12 that detects room temperature, and carbon dioxide concentration sensor 13 that detects carbon dioxide concentration in the air in room 90 . In the illustrated example, a room temperature sensor 12 and a carbon dioxide concentration sensor 13 are arranged near the exhaust port 6 . The room temperature sensor 12 is an example of room temperature detection means. In the following description, the carbon dioxide concentration in the air inside the room 90 is simply referred to as "carbon dioxide concentration". The carbon dioxide concentration sensor 13 is an example of carbon dioxide concentration detection means.

A user 91 can sleep on a bed 92 in a room 90 . In the illustrated example, the bed 92 is a bed. The bed 92 is not limited to the illustrated example, and may be a futon spread on the floor of the room 90 . In the illustrated example, a user 91 is sleeping on a bed 92 covered with bedding 93 . The bedding 93 is, for example, a comforter, a towel blanket, a blanket, or the like. A smartphone 94 used by the user 91 is placed at the bedside of the bed 92 . A smartphone 94 is an example of a mobile communication terminal.

The air conditioner 14 can perform an air conditioning operation for air conditioning the room 90 . The air conditioner 14 includes an indoor unit and an outdoor unit (not shown) connected to the indoor unit via refrigerant pipes. The air conditioner 14 can execute at least a cooling operation as an air conditioning operation. The air conditioner 14 may be capable of further executing air conditioning operations other than the cooling operation, such as heating operation and dehumidifying operation. In the illustrated example, the indoor unit of the air conditioner 14 is arranged near the ceiling of the room 90 . The indoor unit of the air conditioner 14 includes a louver 15 that controls the direction of the airflow blown into the room 90 .

Further, the air conditioner 14 in this embodiment includes a surface temperature sensor 16 . The surface temperature sensor 16 has, for example, an infrared sensor array (not shown) in which a plurality of infrared sensors are arranged in a line, and an actuator (not shown) that scans the room 90 by moving the infrared sensor array. The surface temperature sensor 16 can detect the surface temperature of the human body and objects in the room 90 and map the temperature distribution. For example, the surface temperature sensor 16 can detect the surface temperature of the human body of the user 91, the surface temperature of the bedding 93, the surface temperature of the floor of the room 90, the surface temperature of the walls of the room 90, and the like. The surface temperature sensor 16 periodically performs the operation of detecting the surface temperature and acquires temperature distribution data of the room 90 . By using the surface temperature sensor 16, the presence or absence of a person in the room 90 can be determined. Moreover, when a person exists in the room 90, the use of the surface temperature sensor 16 makes it possible to specify the position of the person and detect the surface temperature of the person.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the ventilation system 1 according to Embodiment 1. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the ventilator 2 further includes a ventilation control section 17 corresponding to control means and a communication section 18 corresponding to communication means. The ventilation control unit 17 controls the ventilation operation of the ventilation device 2 . The ventilation control unit 17 has a timer function that manages the date and time. The communication unit 18 is, for example, a transmitter/receiver for wireless communication.

The air conditioner 14 further includes a temperature/humidity sensor 19, an air conditioning control section 20 corresponding to control means, and a communication section 21 corresponding to communication means. The temperature/humidity sensor 19 periodically detects the room temperature and the humidity in the room 90 . The air conditioning control unit 20 controls the air conditioning operation of the air conditioner 14 . The air conditioning control unit 20 has a timer function that manages the date and time. The communication unit 21 is, for example, a transmitter/receiver for wireless communication. Regarding the air conditioner 14, the configurations of the refrigerating cycle, the blower fan, and the like necessary for realizing the air conditioning operation are well known, and thus the illustration thereof is omitted in the present disclosure.

Data can be transmitted and received bidirectionally between the communication unit 18 of the ventilator 2 and the communication unit 21 of the air conditioner 14 . For example, information detected using the surface temperature sensor 16 may be transmitted from the communication section 21 to the communication section 18 . Further, in the present embodiment, data can be bidirectionally transmitted and received between at least one of the communication unit 18 of the ventilation device 2 and the communication unit 21 of the air conditioner 14 and the smartphone 94 . Communication between the communication unit 18, the communication unit 21, and the smartphone 94 may be direct communication using, for example, infrared communication or short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (Bluetooth is a registered trademark). Alternatively, communication may be performed via a wireless LAN network such as Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi is a registered trademark). Also, the communication unit 18, the communication unit 21, and the smartphone 94 may communicate via a home energy management system (HEMS) (not shown).

In the present embodiment, ventilation control unit 17 can acquire information about room temperature from room temperature sensor 12 . The ventilation control unit 17 is not limited to such a configuration, and may acquire information about the room temperature detected by room temperature detection means provided in a device other than the ventilator 2 through communication with the device. In that case, the ventilator 2 does not have to include the room temperature sensor 12 .

In the present embodiment, the ventilation control unit 17 can acquire information about the carbon dioxide concentration using the carbon dioxide concentration sensor 13 . Without being limited to such a configuration, the ventilation control unit 17 may acquire information about the carbon dioxide concentration detected by the carbon dioxide concentration detection means provided in the device other than the ventilation device 2 by communicating with the device. good. In that case, the ventilator 2 does not have to include the carbon dioxide concentration sensor 13 .

Although FIG. 2 illustrates a configuration in which the ventilation device 2 and the air conditioner 14 can cooperate by communicating between the communication unit 18 and the communication unit 21, the ventilation system 1 of the present disclosure does not necessarily require ventilation The device 2 and the air conditioner 14 do not have to work together. Also, the ventilation device 2 and the air conditioning device 14 may not necessarily be configured to be communicable with the smartphone 94 . In the above case, the ventilation device 2 may not include the communication unit 18 and the air conditioner 14 may not include the communication unit 21 .

Here, human sleep will be explained. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of changes from when a person starts sleeping to when he or she wakes up. FIG. 3 shows the relationship between sleep depth, which indicates the depth of sleep, and body motion. The height of the vertical line indicating body movement indicates the magnitude of body movement. High vertical lines indicate large body movements.

As shown in FIG. 3, from when a person starts sleeping to when he or she next wakes up, the sleep shifts to deeper sleep in the order of sleep depth 1, 2, 3, and 4, and then sleep depth 3, The sleep cycle of 2, 1, transition to REM sleep is usually repeated in a period of about 90 minutes. In addition, the sleep time from the start of sleep until waking up is divided into the first half of relatively deep sleep (hereinafter referred to as “first half of sleep”) and the second half of relatively light sleep (hereinafter referred to as “first half of sleep”). , referred to as the “second half of sleep”). Since sleep is deep in the first half of sleep, the body is relatively insensitive to external stimuli such as air currents, temperature and humidity. On the other hand, in the latter half of sleep, the sleep becomes shallower, sleep depths 3 and 4 rarely occur, and the person is more likely to respond to external stimuli. It should be noted that the deeper the sleep, the less body movement.

In the following description, the information regarding the state of sleep of the user 91 will be referred to as "sleep state information". In this embodiment, surface temperature sensor 16 can be used to detect sleep state information. At least one of the ventilation control unit 17 and the air conditioning control unit 20 can detect sleep state information using information detected by the surface temperature sensor 16, for example, as follows. Since the position of the user 91 can be identified from the temperature distribution data detected by the surface temperature sensor 16, body movements of the user 91 can be detected by comparing time-series temperature distribution data. As described above, body movements of the user 91 are related to sleep. Therefore, by detecting the body motion of the user 91, for example, sleep depth, sleep cycle, etc. can be detected as sleep state information. Furthermore, for example, it may be as follows. The time when the surface temperature sensor 16 detects the body movement of the user 91 is stored. Then, the total number of body movements that have occurred in a certain period of time in the past is compared with a threshold value for determining the depth of sleep, and the depth of sleep is estimated from the comparison result. Further, the time width in which body movement is detected, that is, the time from the detection of body movement to the next detection of body movement may be compared with a threshold, and the depth of sleep may be estimated from the comparison result. . Alternatively, other methods may be used to estimate the state of sleep. In the present embodiment, at least one of the ventilation control unit 17 and the air conditioning control unit 20 and the surface temperature sensor 16 correspond to sleep state detection means for detecting sleep state information as described above, for example.

The ventilation control unit 17 in the present embodiment has a “sleep mode” as the operating mode of the ventilation device 2 . The sleep mode is used when the user 91 sleeps in the room 90 when the outside air temperature is higher than the room temperature. For example, the sleep mode is used when the outside air temperature is higher than the room temperature, such as when going to bed with the air conditioner 14 operating in the cooling mode in summer. For example, the ventilation control unit 17 activates the sleep mode when the user 91 operates the operation unit (not shown) to start the sleep mode, or when the start time reserved by the user 91 comes. start processing.

When going to bed with the cooling operation of the air conditioner 14 in summer, there are generally the following problems. Since it is difficult to fall asleep when it is hot, the set temperature of the air conditioner 14 is often lowered when going to bed. In recent years, the insulation properties of houses have been improved, so once the room temperature drops due to the air-conditioning operation, the room temperature does not rise easily. For this reason, the low room temperature at bedtime continues during sleep, and it is easy to get cold in bed. In addition, since the room 90 is often sealed with the windows closed when the cooling operation is used, the carbon dioxide concentration gradually increases during sleep. High carbon dioxide levels impair sleep quality.

The sleeping mode of the present embodiment is advantageous in solving the above problems. In the sleep mode, the ventilation control unit 17 performs the ventilation operation with the ventilation device 2 when the time that has elapsed since the user 91 went to bed or fell asleep reaches the reference time. This ventilation operation may be hereinafter referred to as "first ventilation operation". By taking outside air into the room 90 by the first ventilation operation during sleep, the following effects can be obtained. During sleep, outside air having a temperature higher than the room temperature flows into the room 90, so that the room temperature can be raised. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent coldness. Moreover, since the room temperature can be raised without depending on the air conditioner 14, power consumption can be suppressed. Furthermore, the inflow of fresh outside air into the room 90 can reduce the carbon dioxide concentration that rises during sleep. As a result, it is advantageous in improving the quality of sleep.

The reference time may be, for example, a time corresponding to one sleep cycle, a time longer than one sleep cycle, or a time corresponding to two or three sleep cycles. Although there are individual differences in the sleep cycle, one cycle is generally about 90 minutes. Therefore, 90 minutes, 180 minutes, or 270 minutes may be set as the reference time.

The ventilation control unit 17 may regard the time when the sleep mode starts as the time when the user 91 goes to bed or falls asleep. Alternatively, the timing at which the user 91 falls asleep may be detected by the sleep state detecting means.

In the sleep mode, the ventilation control unit 17 may perform the ventilation operation with the ventilator 2 when the carbon dioxide concentration acquired by the carbon dioxide concentration sensor 13 reaches a predetermined concentration threshold. This ventilation operation may be hereinafter referred to as "second ventilation operation". By taking outside air into the room 90 through the second ventilation operation during sleep, the following effects can be obtained. It is possible to reliably prevent the carbon dioxide concentration during sleep from increasing beyond the concentration threshold. As a result, it is advantageous in improving the quality of sleep. Furthermore, during sleep, outside air having a temperature higher than the room temperature flows into the room 90, so that the room temperature can be raised. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent coldness. Moreover, since the room temperature can be raised without depending on the air conditioner 14, power consumption can be suppressed. Note that the concentration threshold value may be, for example, 1000 ppm.

In the sleep mode, the ventilation control unit 17 may perform the ventilation operation with the ventilator 2 according to the sleep state information acquired by the sleep state detection means. This ventilation operation may be hereinafter referred to as "third ventilation operation". By taking outside air into the room 90 by the third ventilation operation during sleep, the following effects can be obtained. During sleep, outside air having a temperature higher than the room temperature flows into the room 90, so that the room temperature can be raised. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent coldness. Moreover, since the room temperature can be raised without depending on the air conditioner 14, power consumption can be suppressed. Furthermore, the inflow of fresh outside air into the room 90 can reduce the carbon dioxide concentration that rises during sleep. As a result, it is advantageous in improving the quality of sleep. In particular, by using the sleep state information, it is possible to perform ventilation at a more appropriate timing according to the state of sleep of the user 91, which is more advantageous for improving the quality of sleep.

The ventilation system 1 according to the present disclosure only needs to have a configuration capable of executing at least one of the first ventilation operation, the second ventilation operation, and the third ventilation operation in the sleep mode. In the sleep mode, the ventilation control unit 17 stops the ventilation device 2 until the ventilation operation is performed. As a result, the high-temperature outside air can be prevented from flowing into the room 90, so the cooling load of the air conditioner 14 can be reduced, and the power consumption of the air conditioner 14 can be reduced.

In the sleep mode, the ventilation control unit 17 temporarily performs the ventilation operation, and stops the ventilation device 2 after the ventilation operation ends. As a result, the high-temperature outside air can be prevented from flowing into the room 90, so the cooling load of the air conditioner 14 can be reduced, and the power consumption of the air conditioner 14 can be reduced.

Instead of the above configuration, the ventilation control unit 17 performs weak operation in which the ventilator 2 is operated at a ventilation volume lower than that of the ventilation operation at least one of before the execution of the ventilation operation and after the end of the ventilation operation in the sleep mode. you can go In the weak operation, the amount of high-temperature outside air flowing into the room 90 is small, so the cooling load of the air conditioner 14 is reduced, and the power consumption of the air conditioner 14 can be reduced.

In the sleep mode, the ventilation control unit 17 may end the ventilation operation when the room temperature detected by the room temperature sensor 12 rises to the reference temperature while performing the ventilation operation. As a result, it is possible to more reliably prevent the room temperature from becoming too high or too low after the end of the ventilation operation, which is more advantageous in providing quality sleep. The reference temperature may be, for example, a temperature determined according to the set temperature of the air conditioner 14, or may be a temperature obtained by adding a predetermined value to the room temperature before execution of the ventilation operation.

During the ventilation operation in the sleep mode, the air conditioning control unit 20 preferably stops the air conditioning operation of the air conditioner 14 or reduces the strength of the air conditioning operation. By doing so, the room temperature can be quickly raised, and the power consumption of the air conditioner 14 can be reduced.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing an operation example of the ventilation system 1 according to Embodiment 1 in the sleeping mode. An example of the operation of the ventilation system 1 is further described below with reference to FIG. When the user 91 goes to bed on the bed 92, the sleep mode operation starts. For example, the user 91 may start operation in the sleep mode by remotely operating the ventilation system 1 with the smartphone 94 or a remote control device (not shown) while in bed 92 .

When the sleep mode starts, as step S1, the air conditioning control unit 20 executes the air conditioning operation of the air conditioner 14, the room temperature sensor 12 detects the room temperature, and the carbon dioxide concentration sensor 13 detects the carbon dioxide concentration. In step S1, the air-conditioning control unit 20 may perform the air-conditioning operation so that the room temperature is slightly lower than the set temperature. By lowering the room temperature after going to bed, the user 91 can more reliably prevent the user 91 from feeling hot, so that the user 91 can quickly and deeply fall asleep.

Proceeding from step S1 to step S2, the ventilation control unit 17 determines whether the concentration of carbon dioxide detected in step S1 is equal to or higher than the concentration threshold. If the carbon dioxide concentration is less than the concentration threshold, the process returns to step S1. If the carbon dioxide concentration has reached the concentration threshold, the process proceeds to step S3. At step S3, the ventilation control unit 17 executes the ventilation operation, and the air conditioning control unit 20 stops the air conditioning operation.

In step S3, the ventilation control unit 17 may end the ventilation operation when the room temperature detected by the room temperature sensor 12 rises to the reference temperature, as described above. Alternatively, the ventilation control unit 17 continues the ventilation operation until the carbon dioxide concentration detected by the carbon dioxide concentration sensor 13 drops to a second threshold lower than the concentration threshold, and when the carbon dioxide concentration drops to the second threshold. , may terminate the ventilation operation. When the ventilation operation ends, the air conditioning control unit 20 resumes the air conditioning operation. If the ventilation operation is continued until the carbon dioxide concentration drops to the second threshold, the room temperature may become higher than the reference temperature. When the room temperature becomes higher than the reference temperature after the ventilation operation ends, the air conditioning control unit 20 performs cooling operation so that the room temperature drops to the reference temperature.

Proceeding from step S3 to step S4, the sleep state detecting means determines whether the sleep of the user 91 has shifted from the first half of sleep to the second half of sleep. In this step S4, for example, the following may be performed. The body movement of the user 91 is detected by the surface temperature sensor 16 to determine the sleeping state. If the number of body movements within a certain period of time is less than a predetermined threshold, or if the magnitude of body movements is less than a predetermined threshold, it is determined that the sleep state of the user 91 is in the first half of sleep. As shown in FIG. 3, the body motion repeats increasing and decreasing. The sleep state detection means determines progress of sleep of the user 91 based on the body motion detected by the surface temperature sensor 16 . When the number of body movements within a certain period of time detected by the surface temperature sensor 16 exceeds the threshold, or when the magnitude of the body movement exceeds the threshold, the sleep state detecting means detects the user 91. It is determined that the period of light sleep has become longer, and that it has shifted to the latter half of sleep.

If it is determined in step S4 that the user 91 is still in the first half of sleep and has not transitioned to the second half of sleep, the process returns to step S1. On the other hand, when it is determined in step S4 that the sleep state of the user 91 has shifted to the latter half of sleep, the process proceeds to step S5, and the air conditioning control section 20 changes the set temperature of the air conditioner 14. FIG. In this step S5, the set temperature is increased by a predetermined value (for example, 1 degree). By slightly raising the set temperature, it is possible to more reliably prevent the body of the user 91 who has shifted to the latter half of sleep and has become light sleep from getting cold. After that, in the latter half of sleep, toward waking up, the sleep becomes even lighter, the person becomes more sensitive to changes, and the body temperature begins to rise. It is good to gradually raise the room temperature to a temperature that is not too hot according to such changes. To achieve this, the air conditioning control unit 20 may repeat the process of increasing the set temperature several times before waking up.

As described above, in this flowchart, the timing for changing the set temperature of the air conditioner 14 is determined according to the sleeping state of the user 91 . As a result, the set temperature can be changed at a more appropriate timing according to the sleeping state of the user 91 . On the other hand, in the case of a configuration that does not include sleep state detection means, the set temperature of the air conditioner 14 may be changed, for example, after a certain period of time has elapsed since going to bed.

Proceeding from step S5 to step S6, the ventilation control unit 17 determines whether the current carbon dioxide concentration detected by the carbon dioxide concentration sensor 13 is equal to or higher than the concentration threshold. If the carbon dioxide concentration is less than the concentration threshold, the process of step S6 is repeated. On the other hand, if the current carbon dioxide concentration has reached the concentration threshold, the process proceeds to step S7. At step S7, the ventilation control unit 17 executes a ventilation operation.

The process proceeds from step S7 to step S8. In step S8, the ventilation control unit 17 or the air conditioning control unit 20 determines whether or not to end the sleep mode operation. When the operation in the sleep mode is finished, the process proceeds to step S9, and the operation of the ventilator 2 and the air conditioner 14 is stopped. In step S8, it is determined, for example, whether the sleeping mode operation has ended as follows.
- When the user operates the remote control device or the smartphone 94 to stop the operation of the ventilation system 1, it is determined that the sleep mode operation is finished.
- When a preset end time (e.g., 8 hours) has elapsed since the start of the sleep mode operation, it is determined that the sleep mode operation is finished.
- When the preset wake-up time has come, it is determined that the operation in the sleep mode is finished.
The position of the user 91 is detected by the surface temperature sensor 16, and it is determined whether or not the user 91 has woken up, and if the user 91 has woken up, it is determined that the operation in the sleep mode is finished.

FIG. 5 is a graph showing an example of changes over time in room temperature and carbon dioxide concentration when the sleep mode according to the flowchart shown in FIG. 4 is executed. The graph of "with ventilation operation" in FIG. 5 shows the transition of the carbon dioxide concentration when the sleep mode is executed, and the graph of "without ventilation operation" (comparative example) is when the sleep mode is executed. It shows the transition of carbon dioxide concentration when there is no

As shown in FIG. 5, in the case of "no ventilation operation", the carbon dioxide concentration continues to rise in the closed room 90, and the carbon dioxide concentration increases during sleep, so good quality sleep cannot be obtained. Can not. In contrast, according to the present embodiment, the room temperature can be raised to an appropriate temperature during sleep while keeping the carbon dioxide concentration within the concentration threshold value (for example, 1000 ppm). As a result, it becomes possible to obtain good quality sleep.

As described above, the sleeping mode processing has been described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

A plurality of users 91 may sleep in the room 90 . The ventilation control unit 17 may acquire information on the number of users 91 from number detection means for detecting the number of users 91 . For example, the surface temperature sensor 16 can detect the number of users 91 . Then, the ventilation control unit 17 may change the concentration threshold of the carbon dioxide concentration at which the ventilation operation is performed according to the number of users 91 . For example, the density threshold may be increased as the number of users 91 increases. By doing so, the frequency of the ventilation operation can be adjusted more appropriately according to the number of users 91 .

In the sleep mode, the ventilation control unit 17 may perform a ventilation operation when the sleep state detecting means detects that the sleep of the user 91 has shifted from the first half of sleep to the second half of sleep. This makes it possible to raise the room temperature and lower the carbon dioxide concentration when shifting to the second half of light sleep, which is more advantageous for obtaining good quality sleep.

The sleep state detection means may detect information regarding at least one of the thermal sensation of the user 91 and the state of the bedding 93 of the user 91 as the sleep state information. According to the surface temperature sensor 16, the thermal sensation of the user 91 can be determined, for example, as follows. From the temperature distribution detected by the surface temperature sensor 16, the surface temperature of the skin of the user 91 such as the face, hands, feet, etc. is specified, and when the surface temperature of the skin is high, it is determined that the user 91 feels warm. On the other hand, when the surface temperature of the skin is low, it can be determined that the user 91 feels cold. Further, according to the surface temperature sensor 16, the state of the bedding 93 of the user 91 can be determined as follows. The surface temperature of the bedding 93 is lower than the surface temperature of the skin of the user 91 . Also, the surface temperature of the bedding 93 is lower than the surface temperature of the sleepwear that is in contact with the skin of the user 91 . Using this fact, it is possible to determine how much the user 91 is covered with the bedding 93 from the temperature distribution detected by the surface temperature sensor 16 . The ventilation control unit 17 may perform the ventilation operation according to information regarding at least one of the thermal sensation of the user 91 and the state of the bedding 93 of the user 91 detected by the sleep state detection means. For example, the ventilation control unit 17 may perform a ventilation operation when a thermal sensation that the user 91 feels cold is detected. As a result, the room temperature rises, so that the coldness of the user 91 can be eliminated. Further, the ventilation control unit 17 may perform the ventilation operation when it is detected that the user 91 covers most of the body with the bedding 93 . When the user 91 covers most of the body with the bedding 93, it can be determined that the user 91 feels cold. By executing the ventilation operation in this case, the room temperature rises, so that the coldness of the user 91 can be eliminated.

In the present embodiment, the air conditioner 14 is provided with the surface temperature sensor 16 of the sleep state detection means, which is advantageous in simplifying the configuration of the ventilator 2 .

In the present embodiment, the surface temperature sensor 16 is exemplified as the sensor of the sleep state detecting means, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the sensor of the sleep state detection means may use at least one of a radio wave sensor such as a Doppler sensor, a camera, an infrared camera, a thermography, and an ultrasonic radar. Further, the sleep state detection means may be configured to detect at least one of heartbeat, pulsation, pulsation, and respiration of the user 91 and determine the sleep state based on the detection result. Moreover, the sensor of the sleep state detection means may be provided at a place other than the air conditioner 14 . For example, the sensor of the sleep state detection means may be provided in the ventilator 2 . Further, an acceleration sensor or the like included in the smart phone 94 placed on the bedside of the user 91 may be used as a sensor of the sleep state detection means.

The ventilation control unit 17 or the air conditioning control unit 20 controls the room temperature, the carbon dioxide concentration, the sleep state of the user 91, the execution history of the ventilation operation, the set temperature of the air conditioner 14, and the air conditioning control unit 20 when the sleep mode is executed. The air volume of the device 14 (hereinafter referred to as “sleep information”) may be transmitted to the smartphone 94 via the communication unit 18 or the communication unit 21 . Thereby, the user 91 can check the sleeping information by looking at the smartphone 94 after waking up.

The ventilation system 1 includes a user interface through which the user 91 can input information about impressions of the user 91 when he went to bed during execution of the sleep mode (hereinafter referred to as "sleep impression information") and a communication unit 18 or a communication unit. 21, and may be configured to control the sleeping mode at a later date according to the sleeping impression information acquired from the user interface. For example, a smart phone 94 may be made available as the user interface. Sleep impression information includes, for example, slept well, slept very poorly, was hot when falling asleep, was cold when falling asleep, was hot before waking up, and was cold before waking up. , and other information. At least one of the ventilation control unit 17 and the air conditioning control unit 20 can learn the preferences of the user 91 by associating and learning the daily sleep information and the sleep impression information. At least one of the ventilation control unit 17 and the air conditioning control unit 20 controls the parameters of the sleeping information in the sleep mode later in accordance with the learned preferences of the user 91, thereby A higher level of adaptive sleep mode control can be provided.

The ventilation system 1 acquires outside temperature information from outside temperature detection means (not shown) that detects the outside temperature, and if it is confirmed that the outside temperature is higher than the room temperature, it permits execution of the sleep mode. may be configured to

In the present embodiment, the ventilation device 2 including the fan as the ventilation means was exemplified, but the ventilation means in the present disclosure is not limited to the one provided with the fan. For example, the ventilation means may be configured to take outside air into the room 90 by opening the window using a window opening/closing device (not shown) that automatically opens and closes the window facing the outside.

At least one of the ventilation control unit 17 and the air conditioning control unit 20 may be configured as follows. Each function of the controller may be implemented by a processing circuit. The processing circuitry of the controller may comprise at least one processor and at least one memory. When the processing circuit includes at least one processor and at least one memory, each function of the control unit may be realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. At least one of software and firmware may be written as a program. Software and/or firmware may be stored in the at least one memory. At least one processor may implement each function of the control unit by reading and executing a program stored in at least one memory. The at least one memory may include non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory, magnetic disks, or the like.

The processing circuitry of the controller may comprise at least one piece of dedicated hardware. If the processing circuit comprises at least one piece of dedicated hardware, the processing circuit may be, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field- Programmable Gate Array), or a combination thereof. The function of each section of the control section may be implemented by a processing circuit. Also, the functions of the respective units of the control unit may be collectively implemented by a processing circuit. A part of each function of the control unit may be realized by dedicated hardware, and another part may be realized by software or firmware. The processing circuit may implement each function of the controller by hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof.

1 Ventilation system 2 Ventilator 3 Supply fan 4 Exhaust fan 5 Heat exchange element 6 Exhaust port 7 Air supply port 8 Suction port 9 Blow port 10 Supply air duct 11 Exhaust duct 12 Room temperature sensor 13 carbon dioxide concentration sensor 14 air conditioner 15 louver 16 surface temperature sensor 17 ventilation control unit 18 communication unit 19 temperature and humidity sensor 20 air conditioning control unit 21 communication unit 90 indoor 91 user 92 Bed, 93 Bedding, 94 Smartphone

Claims (10)

a ventilation means capable of taking outside air into the room;
a control means having, as an operation mode of the ventilation means, a sleep mode used when a user sleeps in the room when the outdoor temperature is higher than the room temperature of the room;
with
The control means can acquire information about the carbon dioxide concentration from a carbon dioxide concentration detection means for detecting the carbon dioxide concentration in the room,
A ventilation system in which, in the sleeping mode, the ventilation means performs a ventilation operation when the concentration of carbon dioxide reaches a concentration threshold. The control means can acquire information on the number of people from a number detection means for detecting the number of users,
2. The ventilation system according to claim 1, wherein the concentration threshold is changed according to the number of people. a ventilation means capable of taking outside air into the room;
a control means having, as an operation mode of the ventilation means, a sleep mode used when a user sleeps in the room when the outdoor temperature is higher than the room temperature of the room;
with
The control means is capable of acquiring the sleep state information from sleep state detection means for detecting sleep state information that is information relating to the state of sleep of the user,
A ventilation system in which, in the sleep mode, ventilation is performed by the ventilation means in accordance with the sleep state information. 4. The ventilation system according to claim 3, wherein in the sleep mode, the ventilation operation is performed when the sleep of the user shifts from the first half of sleep to the second half of sleep, which is lighter than the first half of sleep. The sleep state information includes information on at least one of the user's thermal sensation and the state of the user's bedding,
5. The ventilation system according to claim 3, wherein in the sleep mode, the ventilation operation is performed according to information on at least one of the thermal sensation and the state of the bedding. The control means can acquire the room temperature information from the room temperature detection means for detecting the room temperature,
6. The ventilation system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein in the sleeping mode, the ventilation operation is terminated when the room temperature rises to a reference temperature while the ventilation operation is being performed. Equipped with an air conditioner capable of executing air conditioning operation for air conditioning in the room,
7. A ventilation system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein during the ventilation operation in the sleep mode, the air conditioning operation is stopped or the intensity of the air conditioning operation is reduced. Equipped with an air conditioner capable of executing air conditioning operation for air conditioning in the room,
8. The ventilation system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the air conditioner includes sleep state detection means for detecting sleep state information that is information about the state of sleep of the user. The room temperature, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the room, the state of sleep of the user, the execution history of the ventilation operation, the set temperature of an air conditioner that performs air conditioning in the room, and 9. The ventilation system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising communication means capable of transmitting information on at least one of air volume of said air conditioner to a mobile communication terminal used by said user. . a communication means capable of communicating with a user interface through which the user can input sleeping impression information, which is information about impressions of going to bed during execution of the sleeping mode;
10. The ventilation system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the sleep mode for a later date is controlled according to the sleep impression information obtained from the user interface.

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