JP5078681B2 - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an air conditioner provided with a human body detection sensor for detecting the presence or absence of a person in an indoor unit, and in particular, in a defrosting operation, the presence of a person in a room is detected to control an operation different from that in a normal operation. It relates to air conditioners.

Conventionally, an air conditioner that efficiently performs a deice operation has been considered in order to prevent the user from feeling uncomfortable due to a decrease in room temperature caused by the deice operation in the determination of starting the deice (defrosting operation) control during the heating operation.
For example, as shown in Patent Document 1, a defrosting instruction is given according to a primary expression Y = a · X−b (a and b are positive constants) calculated from the outside air temperature X and the outdoor heat exchanger temperature Y. In order to achieve efficient de-ice driving, control was performed. By doing so, it is possible to perform the de-ice operation with a constant amount of frost formation.

JP 55-137439 A

  However, since the conventional defrosting operation start determination method does not determine whether the user is in the indoor state (present state) or not in the indoor state (absent state), the room temperature decreases due to the deice operation. Even in the absence state with little influence, the de-ice operation could not be performed until the amount of frost formation exceeded a certain value.

  For this reason, there is a problem that the heating capacity at the start of the presence state is reduced due to frost that has arrived during operation in the absence state, or that the de-ice operation is started in the presence state that is greatly affected by a decrease in room temperature.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-described conventional problems, and in a defrosting operation, a human body detection sensor for detecting the presence or absence of a person in an indoor unit detects a person and controls an operation different from that in a normal operation. It is to provide an air conditioner that can.

In order to achieve the above object, an air conditioner that controls operation by detecting the presence or absence of a human by a human body detection sensor provided in an indoor unit, provided in the outdoor unit, and performing outdoor heat exchange of the outdoor unit. An outdoor heat exchanger temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the outdoor unit, an outdoor air temperature detecting means provided in the outdoor unit for detecting the outdoor air temperature, and detected by the outdoor heat exchanger temperature detecting means and the outdoor air temperature detecting means. Based on the temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger and the outside air temperature, a region where the defrosting operation of the outdoor unit is performed, a region where the defrosting operation of the outdoor unit is not performed at all, and a boundary straight line that divides both regions The first defrosting operation temperature characteristic that constitutes the temperature, and during normal operation, the presence of a person is detected in the area to be air-conditioned by the human body detection sensor, and the detected temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger and the outside temperature are detected. The temperature is the first defrosting operation temperature If it belongs to the region to perform defrosting operation of the outdoor unit in the characteristic, it has rows defrosting operation of the outdoor unit, first the boundary straight line is shifted to the region side is not performed at all the defrosting operation of the outdoor unit The defrosting operation temperature characteristic of 2 is further provided, and when the absence of a person is detected in the area to be air-conditioned by the human body detection sensor for the first predetermined time, the second defrosting operation temperature characteristic is used instead of the first defrosting operation temperature characteristic. The defrosting operation temperature characteristic is used, and the second defrosting operation temperature characteristic is that the outside air temperature and the outdoor heat exchanger temperature detected by the outside air temperature detecting means and the outdoor heat exchanger temperature detecting means are high. The air conditioner is characterized in that the defrosting operation is started earlier than the first defrosting operation temperature characteristic in the stage .

According to the present invention, through during normal operation, when a person exists in the area to be conditioned, it is possible to perform defrosting operation for a constant frost formation amount, or, when standing detected absence detection o'clock By performing more defrosting operations, it is possible to reduce the amount of frost formation when the presence detection state is reached, and to reduce the number of defrosting operations in the presence detection state. Furthermore, the fall of the heating capability in the state at the time of presence detection can be suppressed as much as possible.
Also, by not performing the defrosting operation for a predetermined time after detecting that the person is in the presence state from the absence state, the room temperature decrease due to the defrosting operation for the predetermined time does not occur and the user is prevented from feeling uncomfortable. Can do.

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

An air conditioner according to a first aspect of the present invention is an air conditioner that controls the operation by detecting the presence or absence of a person using a human body detection sensor provided in an indoor unit, and is provided in the outdoor unit. An outdoor heat exchanger temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger, an outdoor air temperature detecting means provided in the outdoor unit for detecting the outdoor air temperature, the outdoor heat exchanger temperature detecting means and the outdoor air temperature detection Based on the temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger and the outside air temperature detected by the means, the region where the defrosting operation of the outdoor unit is performed and the region where the defrosting operation of the outdoor unit is not performed at all are divided. And a first defrosting operation temperature characteristic that constitutes a boundary straight line that detects the presence of a person in a region to be air-conditioned by the human body detection sensor during normal operation, and outputs the output of the outdoor heat exchanger The temperature and the outside air temperature are the first defrosting If it belongs to the region to perform defrosting operation of the outdoor unit is in rolling temperature characteristics, the have rows defrosting operation of the outdoor unit, the shift in the region side is not performed at all the defrosting operation of the boundary straight line the outdoor unit The second defrosting operation temperature characteristic is further provided,
When the absence of a person is detected in the area to be air-conditioned by the human body detection sensor for the first predetermined time, the second defrosting operation temperature characteristic is used instead of the first defrosting operation temperature characteristic, and the second The defrosting operation temperature characteristic of the first defrosting operation temperature characteristic at a stage where the outdoor air temperature and the outdoor heat exchanger temperature detected by the outdoor air temperature detection means and the outdoor heat exchanger temperature detection means are high. by initiating a faster defrosting operation, during normal operation, when a person exists in the area to be conditioned, have rows defrosting operation for a constant frost formation amount also during stationary detection absent detection o'clock By performing more defrosting operations, it is possible to reduce the amount of frost formation when the presence detection state is reached, and to reduce the number of defrosting operations in the presence detection state.

In the air conditioner according to the second invention, in particular, in the air conditioner according to the first invention, when the absence of a person is detected in the area to be air-conditioned by the human body detection sensor for the second predetermined time, the normal condition is By performing power-saving operation with low power consumption, a series of operations of energy-saving operation can be automatically performed at an appropriate time without sacrificing comfort during re-entry.

The air conditioner according to the third invention is the air conditioner according to the second invention, particularly in the air conditioner according to the second invention, wherein there is no person in the area to be air-conditioned by the human body detection sensor for a third predetermined time longer than the second predetermined time. Is confirmed, it is possible to reliably prevent forgetting to cut by automatically performing a series of operations for stopping the operation at an appropriate time by stopping the operation.

The air conditioner according to the fourth invention is the air conditioner according to the second invention, particularly in the air conditioner according to the second invention, wherein the power saving operation increases a set air volume of a fan provided in the indoor unit and is applied to the outdoor unit. By reducing the frequency of the provided compressor, energy-saving operation can be achieved without sacrificing comfort during re-entry.

The air conditioner according to the fifth aspect of the invention is particularly suitable for the air conditioner according to any one of the second to fourth aspects of the invention, when a person is detected by the human body detection sensor during power saving operation. Can achieve both energy-saving driving and comfortable driving by returning to the driving state for the second predetermined time.

An air conditioner according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the air conditioner according to any one of the second to fifth aspects of the invention, particularly the fourth predetermined time longer than the third predetermined time from the start of normal operation. When the time elapses, the operation is stopped regardless of the output of the human body detection sensor by stopping the operation regardless of the output of the human body detection sensor.

  As shown in FIG. 3B, an air conditioner used in a general home is composed of an outdoor unit 1 and an indoor unit 2 that are connected to each other by a normal refrigerant pipe, and FIGS. 1 and 2 show the present invention. The indoor unit of this air conditioner is shown.

  As shown in FIG. 3B, the outdoor unit 1 and the indoor unit 2 constituting the air conditioner are connected by a refrigerant pipe (not shown) so that the refrigerant gas circulates.

  The outdoor unit 1 includes a compressor 43, a heat exchanger 44, and a fan 45, and the indoor unit 2 is provided with a fan 8 and a heat exchanger 6.

  The indoor unit has a main body 2 and a movable front panel (hereinafter simply referred to as a front panel) 4 that can freely open and close the front opening 2a of the main body 2, and the front panel 4 is the main body 2 when the air conditioner is stopped. While the front opening 2a is closed in close contact with the front, the front panel 4 moves in a direction away from the main body 2 to open the front opening 2a during operation of the air conditioner. 1 shows a state in which the front panel 4 closes the front opening 2a, and FIG. 2 shows a state in which the front panel 4 opens the front opening 2a.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, in the main body 2, the heat exchanger 6 and the indoor air taken in from the front opening 2 a and the top opening 2 b are exchanged by the heat exchanger 6 and blown out into the room. The fan 8, the upper and lower blades 12 that open and close the air outlet 10 that blows the heat-exchanged air into the room and change the air blowing direction up and down, and the left and right blades that change the air blowing direction left and right (not shown) The middle blade 14 that opens and closes on the air outlet 10 side of the front opening 2a is swingably attached to the main body 2 below the front opening 2a via the middle blade drive mechanism 16. . Further, the upper part of the front panel 4 is connected to the upper part of the main body 2 through two arms 18 and 20 provided at both ends thereof, and drive control of a drive motor (not shown) connected to the arm 18 is performed. Thus, during operation of the air conditioner, the front panel 4 moves forward and obliquely upward from the position when the air conditioner is stopped (closed position of the front opening 2a). The upper and lower blades 12 are connected to the lower part of the main body 2 via two arms 22 and 24 provided at both ends thereof, and a driving method thereof will be described later.

  As shown in FIGS. 1B and 1C, a plurality of (for example, five) sensor units 26, 28, 30, 32, and 34 are provided on the upper portion of the front panel 4 from the main plane of the front panel 4. The sensor unit 26, 28, 30, 32, 34 is held by a sensor holder 36 as shown in FIG. 4. The human body detection device is covered with a cover 5 as shown in FIG. 1A, and FIG. 1B shows a state where the cover 5 is removed.

  Each sensor unit 26, 28, 30, 32, 34 is provided in the upper part of the front panel 4, as shown in FIG. This is for enlarging (a human body position discriminating region described later) and securing a far field of view to the maximum extent. Further, as shown in FIG. 5 (b), the visual field range can be secured farther by moving the front panel 4 forward from the stop position at the start of operation, and also shown in FIG. 5 (c). Thus, the visual field range can be further expanded by moving the front panel 4 obliquely upward from the stop position. The positions of the sensor units 26, 28, 30, 32, and 34 are not limited to the upper part of the front panel 4, and even when the front panel is not movable, the human body detection device is placed on the upper part of the front panel or the main body. By attaching to the upper part, the visual field range can be expanded compared to the case of attaching to the lower part.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5D, the sensor units 26, 28, 30, 32, 34 are provided so as to protrude from the main plane of the front panel 4. , 34 can be arranged further forward, and as shown in FIGS. 5B to 5D, the components of the indoor unit (for example, the upper and lower blades 12 and the front panel 2a with the front opening 2a opened) 4) and the like can be prevented, and the visual field range can be expanded.

  In the present embodiment, each sensor unit 26, 28, 30, 32, 34 is provided on the front panel 4, so that when the front panel 4 opens the front opening 2a, it is attached to the front panel 4. It will move and will protrude further forward.

  The sensor unit 26 includes a circuit board 26a, a lens 26b attached to the circuit board 26a, and a human body detection sensor (not shown) mounted inside the lens 26b. The same applies to the other sensor units 28, 30, 32, and 34. Furthermore, the human body detection sensor is configured by, for example, an infrared sensor that detects the presence or absence of a person by detecting infrared radiation emitted from the human body, and a pulse that is output in response to a change in the amount of infrared detected by the infrared sensor. The presence or absence of a person is determined by the circuit board 26a based on the signal. That is, the circuit board 26a functions as presence / absence determination means for determining the presence / absence of a person. Hereinafter, a sensor and a lens paired with each other are referred to as a sensor / lens pair.

  Here, in order to obtain the detection areas in the front and rear, right and left directions, it is conceivable to arrange the sensor units 26, 28, 30, 32 and 34 on the surface of an arbitrary sphere Z as shown in the side view of FIG. . In this case, the optical axes of the sensor / lens pairs of the sensor units 26, 28, 30, 32, and 34 intersect at the center P of the sphere Z and are not in a twisted position. When viewed from the indoor unit, the sensor units 26, 28, 30, 32, and 34 are projected on the surface of the sphere Z in the front-rear direction, so it is difficult to reduce the size of the human body detection device.

  Further, in order to suppress the above-described jumping out of the sensor unit, an arbitrary sphere Z is cut out at an arbitrary plane X as shown in FIG. 7, and the optical axis of the plane X and each of the sensor units 26, 28, 30, 32, and 34 is cut. It is also conceivable to arrange each sensor unit 26, 28, 30, 32, 34 at the intersection with (not the twist position). In this case, the arrangement of the sensor units 26, 28, 30, 32, and 34 is less likely to jump out in the front-rear direction as shown in the front view of FIG. The arrangement of sensor units having different distances from each other is dispersed in the vertical and horizontal directions, and there is a limit to downsizing the human body detection device.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the optical axes of the sensor / lens pair of the sensor units 26, 28 are on the same plane, and the optical axes of the sensor / lens pair of the sensor units 30, 32, 34 are on the same plane. However, the optical axis of the sensor / lens pair of the sensor units 26 and 28 and the optical axis of the sensor / lens pair of the sensor units 30, 32, and 34 are not on the same plane, but are twisted. Each circuit board 26a, 28a, 30a, 32a, 34a is attached to the sensor holder 36 at a predetermined angle.

  Thus, by setting the optical axis of the sensor / lens pair of the sensor unit having a different distance between the detection area and the indoor unit to the twisted position, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the sensor units 26, 28, 30, 32 and 34 can be arranged substantially linearly in the lateral direction, and the human body detection device can be downsized.

  Although an example in which sensor units having different distances from the indoor unit to the detection area of the sensor unit are arranged in a substantially straight line in the lateral direction has been described, sensor units having different left and right directions are substantially straight in the height direction of the indoor unit. The same can be said for the case of the arrangement.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, among the plurality of sensor units 26, 28, 30, 32, and 34 provided in the indoor unit, sensors having different distances between the visual field area of the sensor unit and the air conditioner Since the optical axes of the sensor / lens pair of the unit are twisted with respect to each other, the sensor units 26, 28, 30, 32, and 34 can be installed so as not to jump out of the front panel 4 of the indoor unit. The human body detection device can be downsized.

  Further, by arranging the sensor units 26, 28, 30, 32, 34 on a substantially straight line, the sensor units 26, 28, 30, 32, 34 are not dispersed in the vertical and horizontal directions, and the sensor units 26, 28, The size of 30, 32, 34 can be reduced.

  In addition, a plurality of sensor units 26, 28, 30, 32, and 34 in which the optical axes of the sensor / lens pairs are in a twisted position are provided in the human body detecting device, and the optical axes of the sensor / lens pairs are arranged in the visual field direction. Since it is arranged so as to face, it is possible to form a plurality of detection areas in the distance direction and a plurality of detection areas in the left-right direction when viewed from the human body detection device, and downsize the lens by improving the light collection efficiency Is possible.

FIG. 9 shows human body position determination areas detected by the sensor units 26, 28, 30, 32, and 34. The sensor units 26, 28, 30, 32, and 34 each have a person in the next area. Can be detected.
Sensor unit 26: area A + C + D
Sensor unit 28: Area B + E + F
Sensor unit 30: area C + G
Sensor unit 32: Area D + E + H
Sensor unit 34: area F + I

  That is, in the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the present invention, the area that can be detected by the sensor units 26 and 28 and the area that can be detected by the sensor units 30, 32, and 34 partially overlap, and the number of areas A to I A smaller number of sensor units is used to detect the presence or absence of a person in each of the areas A to I.

  In addition, by attaching at least three human body detection sensors to the upper part of the indoor unit, the position of the human body in the room can be two-dimensionally grasped in the perspective direction and the horizontal direction with respect to the indoor unit, that is, where on the indoor floor. Can do. FIG. 10 shows an area to be detected when three human body detection sensors are provided. In the example of FIG. 10, the presence or absence of a person in the area near the indoor unit is detected by one human body detection sensor. The presence or absence of a person in an area far from the machine is detected by two human body detection sensors.

  Returning to FIG. 9, this embodiment will be further described. In the following description, the sensor units 26, 28, 30, 32, and 34 are replaced with the first sensor 26, the second sensor 28, the third sensor 30, 4 sensors 32 and a fifth sensor 34. Since the areas C, D, E, and F are detected by two sensors, the areas other than the overlapping areas (areas A, B, G, H, and I) are detected by one sensor. Therefore, it is called a normal area. The overlapping area is divided into left overlapping areas C and D and right overlapping areas E and F.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart for setting region characteristics to be described later in each of the regions A to I using the first to fifth sensors 26, 28, 30, 32, and 34. FIG. FIG. 11 is a flowchart for determining in which of the areas A to I a person is located by using the fifth to fifth sensors 26, 28, 30, 32, and 34, and determining the position of the person with reference to these flowcharts The method will be described below.

  In step S1, the presence or absence of a person in the left overlapping region is first determined at a predetermined period T1 (for example, 5 seconds), and in step S2, a predetermined sensor output is cleared under a predetermined condition.

  Table 1 shows a method of determining the left overlapping region. When one of the three reaction results shown in Table 1 is satisfied, the outputs of the first sensor 26 and the third sensor 30 are cleared. . Here, 1 is defined as a response, 0 is defined as no response, and clear is defined as 1 → 0.

  In step S3, the presence / absence of a person in the right overlapping region is further determined in the above-described predetermined period T1, and in step S4, a predetermined sensor output is cleared under a predetermined condition.

  Table 2 shows a method for determining the right overlapping region. When one of the three reaction results shown in Table 2 is satisfied, the outputs of the second sensor 28 and the fifth sensor 34 are cleared. .

  Moreover, when it corresponds to either of the six reaction results shown in Table 1 and Table 2, the output of the 4th sensor 32 is also cleared and it transfers to step S5. In step S5, the presence / absence of a person in the normal region is determined based on Table 3 in the above-described predetermined cycle T1, and in step S6, all sensor outputs are cleared.

  Furthermore, a case where the presence / absence of a person in the areas A, B, and C is determined using only the outputs from the first to third sensors 26, 28, and 30 will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 13, when all of the first to third sensors 26, 28, and 30 are OFF (no pulse) in the period T1 immediately before the time t1, the person in the regions A, B, and C at the time t1 It is determined that there is no yes (A = 0, B = 0, C = 0). Next, during the period from time t1 to time t2 after period T1, only the first sensor 26 outputs an ON signal (with a pulse), and when the second and third sensors 28, 30 are OFF, at time t2. It is determined that there is a person in the area A and there are no persons in the areas B and C (A = 1, B = 0, C = 0). Further, when the first and third sensors 26 and 30 output the ON signal from the time t2 to the time t3 after the period T1, and the second sensor 28 is OFF, a person is in the region C at the time t3. It is determined that there are no people in the areas A and B (A = 0, B = 0, C = 1). Hereinafter, the presence / absence of a person in each of the areas A, B, and C is similarly determined for each period T1.

  Actually, the first to fifth sensors 26, 28, 30, 32, and 34 are used to determine in which area of the areas A to I a person is present. Based on each of the areas A to I, a first area where the person is good (a place where the person is good), a second area where the time where the person is short is short (an area where the person simply passes, an area where the stay time is short, etc. ), And a third area (a non-living area such as a wall or a window where people hardly go) is distinguished. Hereinafter, the first region, the second region, and the third region are referred to as a life category I, a life category II, and a life category III, respectively, and the life category I, the life category II, and the life category III are respectively a region characteristic I. It can also be said that the region of region characteristic II, region of region characteristic II, region of region characteristic III. In addition, life category I (region characteristic I) and life category II (region characteristic II) are combined into a life region (region where people live), while life category III (region characteristic III) is defined as a non-living region (regional characteristic III). The area of life may be broadly classified according to the frequency of the presence or absence of a person.

  This determination is performed after step S7 in the flowchart of FIG. 11, and this determination method will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 14 shows a case where the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the present invention is installed in an LD of 1 LDK composed of one Japanese-style room, LD (living room / dining room) and kitchen, and is indicated by an ellipse in FIG. The area shows the well-placed place where the subject reported.

  As described above, the presence / absence of a person in each of the areas A to I is determined every period T1, and 1 (with a reaction) or 0 (without a reaction) is output as a reaction result (determination) in the period T1. Is repeated a plurality of times, and in step S7, it is determined whether or not the cumulative operation time of a predetermined air conditioner has elapsed. If it is determined in step S7 that the predetermined time has not elapsed, the process returns to step S1. On the other hand, if it is determined that the predetermined time has elapsed, two reaction results accumulated in the predetermined time in each region A to I are obtained. Each region A to I is determined as one of the life categories I to III by comparing with the threshold value.

  In more detail with reference to FIG. 15 showing the long-term accumulation result, the first threshold value and the second threshold value smaller than the first threshold value are set, and in step S8, the long-term accumulation result of each region A to I is set. Is determined to be greater than the first threshold, and the region determined to be greater is determined to be the life category I in step S9. If it is determined in step S8 that the long-term cumulative result of each region A to I is less than the first threshold value, whether or not the long-term cumulative result of each region A to I is greater than the second threshold value in step S10. The region determined to be large is determined to be the life category II in step S11, while the region determined to be small is determined to be the life category III in step S12.

  In the example of FIG. 15, the areas E, F, and I are determined as the life category I, the areas B and H are determined as the life category II, and the areas A, C, D, and G are determined as the life category III.

  FIG. 16 shows the case where the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the present invention is installed in another LD of 1 LDK, and FIG. 17 discriminates each region A to I based on the long-term accumulation result in this case. Results are shown. In the example of FIG. 16, the areas C, E, and G are determined as the life category I, the areas A, B, D, and H are determined as the life category II, and the areas F and I are determined as the life category III.

  Note that the above-described determination of the region characteristics (life classification) is repeated every predetermined time, but the determination result hardly changes unless the sofa, the table, or the like arranged in the room to be determined is moved.

  Next, the final determination of the presence / absence of a person in each of the areas A to I will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  Since steps S21 to S26 are the same as steps S1 to S6 in the flowchart of FIG. 11 described above, the description thereof is omitted. In step S27, it is determined whether or not a predetermined number M (for example, 15 times) of reaction results in the period T1 has been obtained. If it is determined that the period T1 has not reached the predetermined number M, the process returns to step S21. If it is determined that the period T1 has reached the predetermined number M, in step S28, the total number of reaction results in the period T1 × M is used as the cumulative reaction period number, and the cumulative reaction period number for one time is calculated. The calculation of the cumulative reaction period is repeated a plurality of times, and it is determined in step S29 whether or not the calculation result of the cumulative reaction period is obtained for a predetermined number of times (for example, N = 4). When the determination is made, the process returns to step S21. On the other hand, when it is determined that the predetermined number of times has been reached, in step S30, the person in each of the areas A to I is determined based on the already determined area characteristics and the predetermined number of accumulated reaction periods. Presence or absence of is estimated.

  In step S31, by subtracting 1 from the calculation number (N) of the cumulative reaction period number and returning to step S21, the calculation of the cumulative reaction period number of times is repeated.

  Table 4 shows a history of reaction results for the latest one time (time T1 × M). In Table 4, for example, ΣA0 means the number of cumulative reaction periods for one time in the region A.

  Here, the cumulative reaction period number of one time immediately before ΣA0 is ΣA1, the previous cumulative reaction period number of ΣA2 is ΣA2,... Presence or absence of a person is estimated from the life category and the cumulative number of reaction periods.

  Next, after the time T1 × M from the above-described determination of the presence / absence of the person, the presence / absence of the person is similarly estimated from the past four histories, life categories, and cumulative reaction period times.

  That is, in the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the present invention, the presence / absence of a person is estimated using a smaller number of sensors than the number of the discrimination areas A to I. Since there is a possibility that the position is incorrect, avoiding human position estimation in a single predetermined period regardless of whether it is an overlapping area, the region characteristics obtained by accumulating the region determination results for each predetermined period over a long period, and for each predetermined period The region determination results are accumulated N times, and the location of the person is estimated from the past history of the accumulated reaction period times of each region obtained, thereby obtaining the position estimation result of the person with high probability.

  Table 5 shows the time required for the presence estimation and the time required for the absence estimation when the presence / absence of the person is determined as described above and T1 = 5 seconds and M = 12 times are set.

  Thus, after the area to be air-conditioned by the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the present invention is divided into the plurality of areas A to I by the first to fifth sensors 26, 28, 30, 32, and 34, The region characteristics (life categories I to III) of the regions A to I are determined, and the time required for the presence estimation and the time required for the absence estimation are changed according to the region characteristics of the regions A to I.

  In other words, since it takes about 1 minute for the wind to reach after changing the air conditioning setting, changing the air conditioning setting in a short time (for example, a few seconds) will not only impair comfort, but will also make people short. For such a place, it is preferable not to perform air conditioning so much from the viewpoint of energy saving. Therefore, the presence / absence of a person in each of the areas A to I is first detected, and the air conditioning setting in the area where the person is present is optimized.

  More specifically, with the time required to estimate the presence / absence of an area determined as life category II as a standard, in the area determined as life category I, there is a person at a shorter time interval than the area determined as life category II. In contrast, when there are no more people in the area, the absence of the person is estimated at a longer time interval than the area identified as Living Category II, thereby shortening the time required for the presence estimation. The time required for estimation is set to be long. On the other hand, in the area determined to be life category III, the presence of a person is estimated at a longer time interval than the area determined to be life category II. By estimating the absence of a person at a time interval shorter than the area determined as II, the time required for the presence estimation is set longer, and the time required for the absence estimation is set shorter. Furthermore, as described above, the life division of each region changes depending on the long-term accumulation result, and accordingly, the time required for the presence estimation and the time required for the absence estimation are variably set.

  Further, the rotational speed control of the fan 8 and the wind direction control of the upper and lower blades 12 and the left and right blades are performed according to the air conditioning setting in each of the areas A to I. These controls will be described below.

  Wind direction control during heating is performed by controlling the wind direction in front of the person's feet in the area where it is determined that there is a person, so that warm air reaches the vicinity of the feet, and during air conditioning, the wind direction control is performed above the person's head. By controlling, the cool air reaches above the head. The wind direction is adjusted by the rotational speed of the fan 8 and the angles of the upper and lower blades 12 or the left and right blades.

  FIG. 18 shows the rotation control of the upper and lower blades 12, and when the air conditioner is stopped, as shown in FIG. 18A, the front panel 4, the upper and lower blades 12, and the middle blade 14 are all closed. . In FIG. 18, the description of part of the configuration is omitted for the purpose of explaining the rotation control of the upper and lower blades 12.

  At the time of cooling, in order to make the blown air (cold air) reach above the human head (cooling ceiling airflow), the state shown in FIG. 18 (a) to the state shown in FIG. 18 (b) are passed through FIG. 18 (c). The state shown in is reached. First, the arms 18 and 20 are driven and controlled so that the front panel 4 is separated from the front opening 2 a, and the arms 22 and 24 are driven and controlled so that the upper and lower blades 12 are separated from the outlet 10.

  In the state of FIG. 18C, the air blown out from the blowout port 10 is guided in the horizontal direction by the upper and lower blades 12, but the downstream end of the upper and lower blades 12 is curved upward, so that it is far from the room. Can send air up to. At this time, the upper part of the blower outlet 10, that is, the lower part of the front panel 4 is closed by the middle blade 14, and a part of the air blown out from the blower outlet 10 is not led to the front opening 2 a.

  On the other hand, at the time of heating, in order to make the blown air (warm air) reach the vicinity of the person's feet (heating airflow), the state shown in FIG. 18 (a) to the state shown in FIG. 18 (b) are passed through FIG. The state shown in (d) is reached. In the state of FIG. 18 (d), the air blown out from the outlet 10 is guided obliquely downward by the upper and lower blades 12, but the downstream end of the upper and lower blades 12 is curved toward the main body, so Warm air that tends to accumulate upwards can be sent down the room.

  In addition, FIG.18 (e) is utilized at the time of air conditioning before stabilization, and blowing air is directed to a human body (air flow for human bodies).

FIG. 19 shows the set number of rotations of the fan 8 when air conditioning is performed in each of the areas A to I. A1, A2, and A3 are reference rotations of areas at short distance, medium distance, and long distance from the indoor unit, respectively. A4 is a rotation speed difference due to a difference in region when the distance is the same, and is set as follows, for example.
A1: 800 rpm (during heating), 700 rpm (during cooling)
A2: 1000 rpm (during heating), 900 rpm (during cooling)
A3: 1200rpm (during heating), 1100rpm (during cooling)
A4: 100 rpm (common for cooling and heating)

  Here, the expression “relative position” is introduced as an expression representing the positional relationship with the indoor unit, such as the distance from the indoor unit in each region, the angle from the front of the indoor unit, and the height difference.

  Further, the degree of air conditioning that is easy to air-condition in each region is expressed by an expression of air conditioning requirement level. It is assumed that the higher the air conditioning requirement level, the more difficult the air conditioning is, and the lower the air conditioning requirement level, the easier the air conditioning. For example, as the distance from the indoor unit increases, the blown air is difficult to reach and the air conditioning is difficult to perform. That is, the air conditioning requirement level and the relative position from the indoor unit are closely related, and in this embodiment, the air conditioning requirement level is determined according to the relative position from the indoor unit.

  Therefore, it means that the set rotation speed of the fan 8 in the case of performing air conditioning in each of the areas A to I is set higher as the air conditioning requirement level is higher. That is, as the position of the area to be air-conditioned is farther from the indoor unit, the set rotational speed of the fan 8 is set higher, and when the distance from the indoor unit is the same, the fan 8 is shifted to the left and right from the front of the indoor unit. The set rotation speed is set high. Further, when there is one area to be air-conditioned, it is set to the set rotation speed (air volume) of that area, and when there are a plurality of areas to be air-conditioned, it is set to the set rotation speed of the area where the degree of air conditioning requirement is high.

  FIG. 20 shows the set angles of the upper and lower blades 12 and the left and right blades during heating. B1, B2, and B3 are the reference upper and lower blade angles of the regions at short distance, medium distance, and long distance from the indoor unit, respectively. , B4 is the angle difference between the upper and lower blades when the distance is the same, whereas C1 and C2 are the reference left and right blade angles of the left and right regions (the counterclockwise direction is the counterclockwise direction), and C3 and C4 are the differences in the regions The angle difference between the left and right blades is, for example, set as follows. The angle of the upper and lower blades 12 is an angle when measured in the counterclockwise direction with reference to this position as 0 ° when the line connecting the front and rear ends of the blade is horizontal with the blades convex upward. That is.

B1: 70 °
B2: 55 °
B3: 45 °
B4: 10 °
C1: 0 °
C2: 15 °
C3: 30 °
C4: 45 °

  That is, when heating the area A or B close to the indoor unit, the upper and lower blades 12 are set to a first angle (for example, 70 °), and the rotation speed of the fan 8 is set to the first rotation speed (for example, 70 °). , 800 rpm), and the wind direction is controlled at the edge of the indoor unit side (in front of the person's feet) in the region A or B so that the warm air reaches the vicinity of the feet. In addition, when heating the area C, D, E or F at a medium distance from the indoor unit, the upper and lower blades 12 are set to a second angle (for example, 55 °) smaller than the first angle, The rotation speed of the fan 8 is set to a second rotation speed (for example, 1000 rpm) higher than the first rotation speed, and the wind direction is directed to the edge on the indoor unit side (in front of the human foot) in the region C, D, E, or F. The warm air is made to reach the vicinity of the feet. Furthermore, when heating the area G, H, or I farthest from the indoor unit, the upper and lower blades 12 are set to a third angle (for example, 45 °) smaller than the second angle, and the rotation of the fan 8 is performed. The number is set to a third rotational speed (for example, 1200 rpm) higher than the second rotational speed, and the wind direction is controlled at the edge of the indoor unit side (in front of the human foot) in the region G, H, or I, and in the vicinity of the foot The warm air is made to reach.

  FIG. 21 shows the set angles of the upper and lower blades 12 and the left and right blades during cooling in the rising or unstable region, and E1, E2, and E3 are reference points for regions at short distance, medium distance, and long distance from the indoor unit, respectively. The upper and lower blade angles, E4, is the angle difference between the upper and lower blades due to the difference in the area when the distance is the same, while F1 and F2 are the reference left and right blade angles in the left and right regions (counterclockwise is the positive direction), and F3 and F4 Is the angle difference between the left and right blades due to the difference in area, and is set as follows, for example. Note that “rise” refers to the time when the operation of the air conditioner is started, and “unstable region” refers to a state where the current indoor air-conditioning state does not satisfy a set condition (for example, a set temperature).

E1: 50 °
E2: 35 °
E3: 25 °
E4: 10 °
F1: 0 °
F2: 15 °
F3: 25 °
F4: 35 °

  FIG. 22 shows the setting angles of the upper and lower blades 12 and the left and right blades during cooling in the stable region, where H1 is a reference upper and lower blade angle in the case of ceiling airflow, and H2 is a reference upper and lower angle in the case of stripping airflow. The blade angle, H3 is the upper limit blade angle difference due to the difference in distance, while I1 and I2 are the reference left and right blade angles in the left and right regions (counterclockwise is the positive direction), and I3 and I4 are the left and right blades due to the difference in regions The angle difference is set as follows, for example. The stable region is a state where the current indoor air conditioning state is a set condition (for example, a set temperature).

H1: 180 °
H2: 190 °
H3: 5 °
I1: 0 °
I2: 15 °
I3: 25 °
I4: 35 °
Here, as shown in FIG. 18 (c), the ceiling airflow is the airflow when the upper and lower blades 12 are positioned at the lower part of the air outlet 10 and all the blown air is received by the concave surface of the blade and the air is sent out. This means that the upper and lower blades 12 are positioned slightly above the ceiling air flow, and a part (a small amount) of the blowing air is also flowed to the convex surface side of the blade (below the blade). This is the airflow when the wind is sent out in a state where condensation is unlikely to occur.

  When cooling the area A or B close to the indoor unit, the upper and lower blades 12 are set below a predetermined angle (for example, 5 °) from the horizontal, and the rotational speed of the fan 8 is the first rotational speed (when heating) The rotation speed is lower than the first rotation speed and is set to 700 rpm, for example, and is set so that the cold air reaches above the head of the area A or B so that the cool air falls like a shower. Further, when cooling the region C, D, E, or F at a medium distance from the indoor unit, the upper and lower blades 12 are set substantially horizontal, and the rotational speed of the fan 8 is a second higher than the first rotational speed. The rotation speed is set to be lower than the second rotation speed at the time of heating, for example, 900 rpm, and is set so that the cool air reaches above the area C, D, E, or F overhead. Further, when cooling the region G, H, or I farthest from the indoor unit, the upper and lower blades 12 are set upward by a predetermined angle (for example, 5 °) from the horizontal, and the rotation speed of the fan 8 is the second rotation. Is set to a third rotational speed higher than the number (for example, 1100 rpm, which is smaller than the third rotational speed during heating), and is set to allow the cold air to reach above the region G, H, or I overhead. Yes.

  Next, the wind direction control performed according to the number of areas to be air-conditioned will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  After the operation of the air conditioner is started, the presence / absence determination of a person in the areas A to I is first performed in step S41, and one area determined to have a person in step S42, that is, one area to be air-conditioned. In such a case, in step S43, air conditioning is performed based on the air volume and direction set according to the area. If it is determined in step S42 that there is not one area to be air-conditioned, it is determined in step S44 whether there are two areas to be air-conditioned. If there are two areas to be air-conditioned, the process proceeds to step S45.

In step S45, the air volume is set to the set air volume of the area where the air conditioning requirement is high, and the arrangement mode of the two areas is identified as one of the five modes as shown in FIG. 24, and in the next step S46, Control is performed as shown in Table 6 according to the identified mode.

  Here, mode 1 represents the case of two areas adjacent to each other with a medium distance and the front of the indoor unit, and mode 2 represents the case of two areas adjacent to each other in the front-rear relationship with the angle substantially equal to the indoor unit. Represents. In addition, mode 3 represents the case of two regions where the angle with the indoor unit is substantially the same and is separated in the longitudinal relationship, mode 4 represents the case of two regions where the distance to the indoor unit is substantially the same and the angle is different, Mode 5 represents the case of two regions that are separated, in other words, two regions that are different in distance and angle from the indoor unit.

  The up-and-down wind directions of modes 1 to 4 are fixed to a low demand area during heating, and are fixed to a high demand area during cooling. In addition, the vertical wind direction in mode 5 controls the operation of the upper and lower blades 12 and after stopping for a predetermined time (fixed angle) in the first region of the two regions (first and second regions), The operation of changing the wind direction toward the first region is repeated after changing the wind direction toward the second region and stopping in the second region for a predetermined time. In addition, the stop time of each area | region is each set, for example according to the distance from an indoor unit, and it is preferable to lengthen a stop time, so that the distance from an indoor unit is far.

  The left and right wind directions in mode 1 are fixed at the center of two adjacent areas. In modes 2 and 3, it is assumed that the two areas are in substantially the same direction with different distances when viewed from the indoor unit. The wind direction is fixed in a highly requested area. Further, the left and right wind directions of mode 4 and the mode 5 comprising the arrangement of two spaced apart areas are controlled in the same way as the control of the upper and lower blades 12, and after stopping for a predetermined time in the first area, The operation of changing the wind direction toward the first area is repeated after changing the wind direction toward the second area and stopping in the second area for a predetermined time. The stopping time of each area is set according to the relative position from the indoor unit to each area, for example, the angle from the front of the indoor unit, and it is preferable to increase the stopping time as the angle from the front of the indoor unit increases. .

  If it is determined in step S44 that there are not two areas to be air-conditioned, in step S47, three or more areas to be air-conditioned are selected from the two modes, the normal mode and the special mode, depending on the arrangement. Judgment. Here, the special mode represents the case of a total of three areas, that is, a medium distance and two areas adjacent to each other across the front of the indoor unit, and one area that is a long distance and located in front of the indoor unit. The case of three or more areas excluding is denoted as normal mode. When there are three or more areas to be air-conditioned, the air volume is set to the set air volume in the area with the highest air-conditioning requirement, and in step S47, the special mode (adjacent to the center) shown in FIG. In step S48, the wind direction is set in the same manner as in mode 1 of FIG.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S47 that the mode is not the special mode, control in the normal mode shown in FIG. 25 (b) or (c) is performed in step S49, and the vertical wind direction is the region closest to the indoor unit. The angle of the upper and lower blades 12 is changed between the set angle of the upper and lower blades 12 and the set angle of the upper and lower blades 12 in the region farthest from the indoor unit.

  In the normal mode, the left and right wind directions are set to the left end angle and the right end angle at the left and right blade setting angles in the regions at both ends (regions C and I in FIG. 25B and regions C and H in FIG. 25C). Set and stop at the left end angle for a predetermined time, then change the wind direction toward the right end side (swing), stop at the right end angle for a predetermined time and then change the wind direction toward the left end side region (swing) repeat. Note that the operating speed of the left and right blades during the swing is set slower than the operating speed of the left and right blades in the modes 4 and 5 described above. In addition, the stop time at the left end angle or the right end angle is set in accordance with, for example, the angle from the front of the indoor unit, and it is preferable that the stop time is increased as the angle from the front of the indoor unit increases.

  In addition, after each air-conditioning control is performed in step S43, S46, S48 or S49, it returns to step S41.

  Further, when the indoor unit is arranged as shown in FIG. 14, it is determined that the indoor unit is installed in the vicinity of the left side wall using the first to fifth sensors 26, 28, 30, 32, and 34. It is also possible to control the operation of the left and right blades only in the region located on the right side of the left side wall. In this case, the human body detection device including the first to fifth sensors 26, 28, 30, 32, and 34 functions as an automatic installation position recognition unit for the indoor unit.

  It should be noted that at least two sensors may be provided as means for automatically recognizing the installation position of the indoor unit. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the first and second sensors 26 and 28 whose optical axes are on the same plane are provided. To take further explanation.

  When two sensors 26 and 28 are provided, outputs for each cycle T1 from the two sensors 26 and 28 are accumulated for a predetermined time (for example, 3 to 4 hours), and the accumulated reaction result is compared with one threshold value. Thus, the two areas are divided into a living area and a non-living area or two living areas. Note that the threshold value to be compared may be, for example, the second threshold value described above.

  In the example of FIG. 26 in which the indoor unit is installed in the vicinity of the left side wall (for example, within 1 m), area A is determined as a non-living area and area B is determined as a living area, whereas the indoor unit is positioned on the right side wall. When installed in the vicinity (for example, within 1 m), the left area from the front of the indoor unit is determined as the living area, and the right area from the front of the indoor unit is determined as the non-living area. When the indoor unit is installed at the center of the wall, both the left and right areas from the front of the indoor unit are determined to be living areas.

  By automatically recognizing the installation position of the indoor unit in this way, the operation control of the air direction control means in the vertical direction and the wind direction control means in the horizontal direction of the air conditioner can be performed so that air conditioning can be performed only in the living area. Just do it. In the wall-mounted indoor unit of the present embodiment, the operation control of the upper and lower blades and the left and right blades, which are wind direction control means, is performed.

  In addition, when the indoor unit is installed near the side wall, if the curtain is shaken by the wind blown from the outlet 10, the human body detection sensor may mistakenly detect the curtain as a person and the wind may not flow in the direction where the person is present. There are problems such as misjudging that there is a person when there is no person.

  However, the human body detection device configured by the first and second sensors 26 and 28, as shown in FIG. 26, the first sensor 26 detects the presence or absence of a person in the region A, while the second sensor The sensor 28 detects the presence or absence of a person in the region B separated so as not to overlap the region A. Therefore, the areas A and B are separated in the vicinity of the center line located between the optical axis of the first sensor 26 and the optical axis of the second sensor 28. When installed in the machine, the area A and the area B are separated from the front of the indoor unit to the left and right, and based on the results of accumulating the detection responses of the sensors in the areas A and B that do not overlap each other for a predetermined time. It is possible to reliably distinguish between the area and the non-living area. Here, by distinguishing between the living area and the non-living area, when there is a sensor detection reaction in the non-living area, the wind direction control is not performed on the non-living area. In other words, in this case, the wind direction is controlled only in the living area. As a result, if there is a person in the living area, even if an irregular reaction such as a curtain swing is detected in the non-living area, it is determined that the reaction is other than a person, and the wind direction is set so that the wind does not flow in the non-living area. By controlling the above, it is possible to prevent the comfort of the living area where people are present from being impaired. In addition, even when there are no people in the room, even if an irregular response such as a swing of a curtain is detected in a non-living area, it is determined that the response is a non-human response and prevents the erroneous determination that there is a person. be able to.

  Further, the third sensor 32 shown in FIG. 4 is provided in the human body detection device, and is positioned between the optical axis of the first sensor 26 and the optical axis of the second sensor 28 as shown in FIG. It is possible to detect the presence or absence of a person in the area C that straddles both sides of the center line. By adding only one sensor 32, it is possible to determine whether a person is present at the left or right position of the region extending from left to right.

  In FIG. 28, a human body detection device including six sensors is provided in an indoor unit to divide a human body position determination region into a plurality of regions, and two regions separated adjacently to the left and right as viewed from the front of the indoor unit are divided into two regions. The case where it arranges is shown.

  In the example shown in FIG. 28, the areas A and B or the areas D and E are separated in the left and right directions, and the sensor detection in the areas A and B or the areas D and E that do not overlap each other. The living area and the non-living area can be more reliably distinguished based on the results of accumulating the reactions for a predetermined time.

  Moreover, the indoor unit is provided with a timer, and by using this timer, absence detection energy saving control, forgetting-off prevention control, and various driving operation controls are performed.

  The operation control when this absence is detected will be described below.

First, energy saving control and forgetting-off prevention control will be described with reference to Table 7 and FIG.

  FIG. 29 shows an example of the temperature shift. Here, a case where the set temperature Tset is 28 ° C. and the target temperature (limit value) is 20 ° C. will be described. ΔT is a temperature difference between the set temperature Tset and the target temperature.

  When the first to fifth sensors 26, 28, 30, 32, and 34 detect that no person is present in all the areas A to I, the timer starts counting, and after the timer starts counting, the time t1 ( For example, when the absence of a person is confirmed at 10 minutes), the set temperature Tset is automatically reduced by 2 ° C. (1 / 4ΔT). Further, when the absence of a person is confirmed at time t2 (for example, 30 minutes after the start of counting), the set temperature Tset is automatically further reduced by 2 ° C. (1 / 4ΔT). Similarly, when the absence of a person is confirmed at time t3 (eg, 1 hour after the start of counting) and time t4 (eg, 2 hours after the start of counting), the set temperature Tset is set to 2 ° C. (1 / 4ΔT), respectively. Reduce automatically.

  At time t4, the total temperature is reduced by 8 ° C. from the set temperature Tset to 20 ° C., which is equal to the target temperature. Therefore, the set temperature Tset is maintained at the target temperature until time t5 (for example, 4 hours after the start of counting). However, when the absence of a person is still confirmed at time t5, the operation of the air conditioner is stopped to prevent forgetting to turn off the air conditioner.

  When the presence of a person is detected between time t1 and time t5, the temperature is returned to the set temperature Tset before time t1.

  The temperature shift width (reduced temperature) is set as shown in Table 7 according to the temperature difference ΔT between the set temperature Tset and the target temperature, and the temperature shift width is smaller as the temperature difference ΔT is smaller. When the set temperature Tset is lower than the target temperature, the current temperature is maintained. However, when the absence of a person is confirmed at time t5, the operation of the air conditioner is stopped in the same manner as in the example of FIG. is there.

Next, control during cooling will be described with reference to Table 8 and FIG.

  FIG. 30 shows an example of a temperature shift. Here, a case where the set temperature Tset is 20 ° C. and the target temperature (limit value) is 28 ° C. will be described. ΔT is a temperature difference between the set temperature Tset and the target temperature.

  When the first to fifth sensors 26, 28, 30, 32, and 34 detect that no person is present in all the areas A to I, the timer starts counting, and after the timer starts counting, the time t1 ( For example, when the absence of a person is confirmed at 10 minutes, the set temperature Tset is automatically increased by 2 ° C. (1 / 4ΔT). Further, when the absence of a person is confirmed at time t2 (for example, 30 minutes after the start of counting), the set temperature Tset is automatically further increased by 2 ° C. (1 / 4ΔT). Similarly, when the absence of a person is confirmed at time t3 (eg, 1 hour after the start of counting) and time t4 (eg, 2 hours after the start of counting), the set temperature Tset is set to 2 ° C. (1 / 4ΔT), respectively. Increases automatically.

  At time t4, the total temperature is increased by 8 ° C. from the set temperature Tset to 28 ° C., which is equal to the target temperature. Therefore, the set temperature Tset is maintained at the target temperature until time t5 (for example, 4 hours after the start of counting). However, when the absence of a person is still confirmed at time t5, the operation of the air conditioner is stopped to prevent forgetting to turn off the air conditioner.

  When the presence of a person is detected between time t1 and time t5, the temperature is returned to the set temperature Tset before time t1.

  The temperature shift width (increased temperature) is set as shown in Table 8 according to the temperature difference ΔT between the set temperature Tset and the target temperature. The smaller the temperature difference ΔT, the smaller the temperature shift width. When the set temperature Tset is higher than the target temperature, the current temperature is maintained. However, when the absence of a person is confirmed at time t5, the operation of the air conditioner is stopped in the same manner as in the example of FIG. is there.

  FIG. 31 shows an example in which the power saving operation is achieved by controlling the air volume (rotational speed) of the fan 8 and the capacity of the compressor provided in the outdoor unit.

  That is, when the air volume of the fan 8 is increased, the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger 6 is improved, and when the compressor frequency is the same, the cooling or heating capacity is increased, so that the room temperature is maintained at the same set temperature. Makes it possible to reduce the frequency of the compressor, and the required power consumption is reduced. Further, even when the air volume of the fan 8 is increased in the absence, there is no problem of discomfort due to the air current being too strong and comfort problems due to increased noise of the fan 8.

  As shown in FIG. 31A, when the first to fifth sensors 26, 28, 30, 32, and 34 detect that no person is present in all the areas A to I, the timer starts counting. When the absence of a person is confirmed at time t1 (for example, 10 minutes) after the timer starts counting, the air volume of the fan 8 is increased as shown in FIG. ), The compressor frequency is gradually reduced to time t2 (for example, 30 minutes after the start of counting). After the time t1, the air flow of the fan 8 is kept constant (limit value), and after the time t2, the compressor frequency is kept constant (limit value), but the time t2, time t3 (for example, start of counting) 1 hour), t4 (for example, 2 hours after the start of counting), and t5 (for example, 4 hours after the start of counting), when the absence of a person is continuously confirmed, the air conditioner is operated at time t5. Stop and prevent forgetting to turn off the air conditioner.

  When the presence of a person is detected between time t1 and time t5, the setting air volume and the setting frequency before time t1 are restored.

  In addition, in all of the examples of FIG. 29 to FIG. 31 described above, when there is no person for a predetermined time during normal operation, the power saving operation is performed with less power consumption than during normal operation. If there is no air conditioner, the operation of the air conditioner is stopped to achieve energy saving (“normal operation” is “operation instructed by the user”).

  In addition, even if the absence continues for a long time, if the human body sensor misdetects a disturbance other than a person such as a curtain that may cause a temperature change, normal operation will continue in the absence (unmanned) state forever. Since it is also possible to continue, when a predetermined time t6 (for example, 24 hours) longer than the time t5 has elapsed, the operation is stopped and the forgetting to cut can be surely prevented. Moreover, it is preferable to make an audible or visual notification to the main body or the remote controller by voice or an LED lamp or to display characters on the screen immediately before the stop of the operation after the elapse of a predetermined time t6 longer than the time t5 or the time t5. Furthermore, if the remote control or the like is provided with automatic stop selection means that can select whether or not to perform automatic operation stop after elapse of a predetermined time t6 that is longer than time t5 or time t5, the usability is improved.

  If the above-described absence detection energy saving control and forgetting prevention control are air conditioners provided with at least one human body detection sensor in the indoor unit, absence detection energy saving control and forgetting prevention control are performed according to the output from one human body detection sensor. It can be performed.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 32, FIG. 33 and FIG. 34, the defrosting operation (deice operation) of the air conditioner according to the present embodiment will be described.

  The outdoor unit 1 includes an outdoor heat exchanger temperature detection means (not shown) and an outside air temperature detection means (not shown) using a temperature sensor or the like. The outdoor temperature detection means detects the outdoor air temperature X, and the outdoor heat exchanger temperature detection means detects the outdoor heat exchanger temperature Y. Moreover, the output value output by the outdoor temperature detection means and the outdoor heat exchanger temperature detection means is input into the control part (not shown) of the outdoor unit 1, for example.

  Here, when the presence of a person is detected in an area to be air-conditioned (hereinafter referred to as presence detection), the first for determining whether or not to perform a defrosting operation during normal operation (heating operation) FIG. 32 shows a conceptual diagram of the defrosting operation temperature characteristics. For example, the control unit of the outdoor unit 1 has a first defrosting operation temperature characteristic. 32, the horizontal axis represents the outside air temperature X, and the vertical axis represents the outdoor heat exchanger temperature Y.

  In the first defrosting operation characteristic region shown in FIG. 32, region A is a region where no defrosting operation is performed at the time of presence detection, and region B is a region where defrosting operation is performed at the time of presence detection. Further, the boundary straight line that separates the region A and the region B is a linear expression Y calculated from the outside air temperature X and the outside heat exchanger temperature Y detected by the outside temperature detecting means and the outside heat exchanger temperature detecting means described above. = A · X−b (a and b are positive constants). Thus, in addition to the timer described above, the outdoor air temperature X and the outdoor heat exchanger temperature Y output by the outdoor air temperature detecting means and the outdoor heat exchanger temperature detecting means in the outdoor unit 1, and the first shown in FIG. Operation operation control of the defrosting operation is performed using the defrosting operation temperature characteristic.

  Specifically, when the presence of a person is detected in at least one of the areas A to I (area to be air-conditioned) shown in FIG. 9 by the first to fifth sensors 26, 28, 30, 32, and 34. 32, using the first defrosting operation characteristic region shown in FIG. 32, the outside air temperature X and the outside heat exchanger temperature Y detected by the outside air temperature detecting means and the outside heat exchanger temperature detecting means are It is determined whether it belongs to a region A where no defrosting operation is performed at the time of detection or a region B where defrosting operation is performed at the time of detection. As a result of the determination, when the detected outside air temperature X and outdoor heat exchanger temperature Y belong to the region B where the defrosting operation is performed when the presence is detected, the defrosting operation is started. Thereby, during a normal driving | operation, when a person exists in the area | region which should be air-conditioned, the defrosting driving | operation which reduces and reduces the amount of frosting which adheres to the outdoor unit 1 can be performed.

  Next, FIG. 33 shows a conceptual diagram of the second defrosting operation characteristic region for determining whether or not to perform the defrosting operation when it is detected that there is no person in the region to be air-conditioned (at the time of absence detection). . The control unit of the outdoor unit 1 has a second defrosting operation temperature characteristic, similar to the first defrosting operation temperature characteristic described above. 33, the horizontal axis represents the outside air temperature X, and the vertical axis represents the outdoor heat exchanger temperature Y.

  In the second defrosting operation characteristic region shown in FIG. 33, region C is a region where no defrosting operation is performed when absence is detected, and region D is a region where defrosting operation is performed when absence is detected. Further, a straight line dividing the region C and the region D is a linear expression Y = calculated from the outside air temperature X and the outside heat exchanger temperature Y detected by the outside temperature detecting unit and the outside heat exchanger temperature detecting unit described above. a · X−c (a and c are positive constants). In FIG. 33, this boundary straight line (solid line) shifts the boundary straight line (dotted line) in the first defrosting operation temperature characteristic in parallel to the region side where no defrosting operation is performed. Thereby, the area | region D which performs a defrost operation at the time of absence detection becomes larger than the area | region A which performs a defrost operation at the time of presence detection. As a result, in the second defrosting operation temperature characteristic shown in FIG. 33, the outdoor air temperature X and the outdoor heat exchanger temperature Y detected by the outdoor air temperature detector and the outdoor heat exchanger temperature detector are higher. In the stage, it can be determined that the defrosting operation is performed earlier than the first defrosting operation temperature characteristic shown in FIG. That is, the second defrosting operation temperature characteristic is at a stage where the outdoor air temperature X and the outdoor heat exchanger temperature Y detected by the outdoor air temperature detecting means and the outdoor heat exchanger temperature detecting means are higher in FIG. The defrosting operation can be started earlier than the first defrosting operation temperature characteristic shown. Therefore, at the time of absence detection, the defrosting operation is started at a stage where the defrosting operation has a smaller amount of frost formation than at the time of presence detection.

  Thus, when the absence is detected, the defrosting operation is started at a stage where the outdoor air temperature X and the outdoor heat exchanger temperature Y output by the outdoor air temperature detector and the outdoor heat exchanger temperature detector are high. , By performing more defrosting operation than during normal time during absence detection, the amount of frost formation at the time of presence detection is reduced, and the number of defrosting operations in the state of presence detection is reduced be able to. Furthermore, the fall of the heating capability in the state at the time of presence detection can be suppressed as much as possible.

  Next, the flow of the flowchart showing the operation of the defrosting operation of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, when the presence of a person is confirmed in STEP 1 of FIG. 34 during heating operation during normal operation (NO in STEP 1), the process proceeds to STEP 2. On the other hand, when the timer starts counting and the absence of a person is confirmed in the area to be air-conditioned at time T1 (for example, 40 minutes) after the timer starts counting, the process proceeds to STEP3.

  Next, in STEP 2, when there is a person in the area to be air-conditioned, in order to determine whether to start the defrosting operation, the first defrosting operation characteristic region shown in FIG. 32 is used. Whether or not the outside air temperature X and the outside heat exchanger temperature Y detected by the outside air temperature detecting means and the outdoor heat exchanger temperature detecting means are present in the region B where the defrosting operation is performed at the time of presence detection shown in FIG. judge. As a result of the determination, when the outdoor air temperature X and the outdoor heat exchanger temperature Y detected by the outdoor air temperature detecting means and the outdoor heat exchanger temperature detecting means belong to the region B in which the defrosting operation is performed at the time of detection (YES in STEP 2) The defrosting operation is started.

  On the other hand, in STEP 2, the outside air temperature X and the outside heat exchanger temperature Y detected by the outside air temperature detecting means and the outdoor heat exchanger temperature detecting means do not belong to the region B where the defrosting operation is performed when the presence is detected, that is, When belonging to the region A where no defrosting operation is performed at the time of detection (NO in STEP2), the heating operation during the normal operation is continued as it is, and the process returns to STEP1.

  Subsequently, in STEP 3, in order to determine whether to start the defrosting operation at the time of absence detection, using the conceptual diagram of the determination of the defrosting operation at the time of absence detection shown in FIG. It is determined whether the outside air temperature X and the outdoor heat exchanger temperature Y detected by the means and the outdoor heat exchanger temperature detecting means exist in the region D where the defrosting operation is performed when the absence is shown in FIG. As a result of the determination, when the outside air temperature X and the outdoor heat exchanger temperature Y detected by the outside air temperature detecting means and the outdoor heat exchanger temperature detecting means are the region D in which the defrosting operation is performed when the absence is detected (YES in STEP 3) The defrosting operation at the time of absence detection is started.

  On the other hand, in STEP 3, the outside air temperature X and the outside heat exchanger temperature Y detected by the outside air temperature detecting means and the outside heat exchanger temperature detecting means do not belong to the region D where the defrosting operation is performed when the absence is detected, that is, absent. When belonging to the region C where no defrosting operation is performed at the time of detection (NO in STEP 3), the heating operation during the normal operation is continued as it is, and the process returns to STEP 1.

  Further, after the defrosting operation at the time of absence detection in STEP 4 is completed, the absence detection energy saving control, the forgetting-off prevention control, and the various types of control in the operation control at the time of absence detection as described above are performed using a timer provided in the indoor unit. The driving operation control is performed. As a result, after completion of the defrosting operation at the time of absence detection, during normal operation (heating operation), if there is no person for a predetermined time, the power consumption operation is performed with less power consumption than during normal operation. Furthermore, when there is no person for a predetermined time (for example, 180 minutes after the completion of the defrosting operation), the operation of the air conditioner can be stopped to achieve energy saving.

  As described above, the air conditioner according to the present embodiment is a temperature at which the outdoor air temperature X and the outdoor heat exchanger temperature Y detected by the outdoor air temperature detecting means and the outdoor heat exchanger temperature detecting means are high during the absence detection. At this stage, the defrosting operation is started earlier than at the time of presence detection, so by performing more defrosting operation than at the time of presence detection during the absence detection, the amount of frost formation when the state at the time of presence detection is reached can be obtained. The number of defrosting operations in the state at the time of presence detection can be reduced. Furthermore, the fall of the heating capability in the state at the time of presence detection can be suppressed as much as possible.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, It can implement in another various aspect. For example, the sensor unit for detecting the presence of a person may have one sensor.

  The air conditioner according to the present invention can improve the living environment by determining when to automatically start the defrosting operation based on the presence or absence of a person without sacrificing comfort during re-entry. Therefore, it is useful as a general home air conditioner that does not place an operational burden on the user.

The indoor unit of the air conditioner concerning this invention is shown, (a) is a front view, (b) is a front view of the state which removed the cover of the human body detection apparatus provided in the upper part, (c) is a side view. FIG. 1B shows the indoor unit in FIG. 1B with the front panel opening the front opening, where FIG. 1A is a perspective view and FIG. 1B is a side view. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the indoor unit of FIG. The figure which shows the connection relation of the air conditioner of FIG. The human body detection apparatus is shown, (a) is a front view, (b) is a side view, (c) is a perspective view. Schematic showing the change of the visual field range based on the change of the mounting position of the human body detection device Side view of an indoor unit when a sensor unit constituting a human body detection device is provided on the surface of an arbitrary sphere Side view of an indoor unit when an arbitrary sphere is cut off at an arbitrary plane and a sensor unit is provided at the intersection of this plane and the optical axis of the sensor unit Front view of the sensor unit of FIG. Schematic showing the human body position determination area detected by each sensor unit provided in the human body detection device Schematic of area division detected by three sensor units Flowchart for setting region characteristics for each region shown in FIG. The flowchart which finally determines the presence or absence of a person in each area | region shown by FIG. Timing chart showing the presence / absence determination of people by each sensor unit Schematic plan view of a residence where the indoor unit of FIG. 1 is installed The graph which shows the long-term accumulation result of each sensor unit in the residence of FIG. Schematic plan view of another residence where the indoor unit of FIG. 1 is installed The graph which shows the long-term accumulation result of each sensor unit in the residence of FIG. The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the indoor unit which shows the operating state of the up-and-down blade provided in the indoor unit of FIG. Schematic showing the set number of rotations of the fan when air-conditioning each area shown in FIG. 9 Schematic showing the set angles of the upper and lower blades and the left and right blades when heating each area shown in FIG. Schematic showing the set angles of the upper and lower blades and the left and right blades when standing up or unstable when cooling each region shown in FIG. Schematic showing the set angles of the upper and lower blades and the left and right blades at the time of cooling when cooling each region shown in FIG. Flow chart showing wind direction control performed according to the number of areas to be air-conditioned Schematic showing the arrangement mode when air-conditioning two areas Schematic showing the arrangement mode when air-conditioning three areas Schematic view of the room showing how to determine living and non-living areas when the indoor unit is installed near the left side wall Schematic diagram of the room showing another method for determining the living area and the non-living area when the indoor unit is installed near the left side wall Schematic diagram of the room showing still another method for determining the living area and the non-living area when the indoor unit is installed near the left side wall Timing chart showing temperature control during heating Timing chart showing temperature control during cooling Timing chart for achieving power-saving operation by controlling the fan air volume and the capacity of the compressor installed in the outdoor unit Conceptual diagram of determination of defrosting operation during normal operation Conceptual diagram of determination of defrosting operation during absence detection The flowchart which shows operation | movement of the defrost operation in the operation control at the time of the absence detection of the air conditioner which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Outdoor unit 2 Indoor unit 2a Front opening part 2b Upper surface opening part 4 Movable front panel 5 Cover 6 Heat exchanger 8 Fan 10 Outlet 12 Upper and lower blades 14 Middle blades 16 Middle blade drive mechanism 18, 20, 22, 24 Arm 26, 28, 30, 32, 34 Sensor unit 26a, 28a, 30a, 32a, 34a Circuit board 26b, 28b, 30b, 32b, 34b Lens 36 Sensor holder

Claims (6)

An air conditioner that controls the operation by detecting the presence or absence of a person with a human body detection sensor provided in the indoor unit,
An outdoor heat exchanger temperature detecting means provided in the outdoor unit for detecting the temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger of the outdoor unit;
An outside air temperature detecting means provided in the outdoor unit for detecting the outside air temperature;
Based on the temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger and the outside air temperature detected by the outdoor heat exchanger temperature detecting means and the outside air temperature detecting means, an area for performing the defrosting operation of the outdoor unit, and the removal of the outdoor unit. A first defrosting operation temperature characteristic that constitutes a region where no frost operation is performed and a boundary straight line dividing both regions;
During normal operation, the presence of a person in the area to be air-conditioned is detected by the human body detection sensor, and the detected temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger and the outdoor air temperature are in the first defrosting operation temperature characteristic. if it belongs to the region for the defrosting operation, it has rows defrosting operation of the outdoor unit, the second defrosting operation for the boundary straight line is shifted to the region side is not performed at all the defrosting operation of the outdoor unit Temperature characteristics,
When the absence of a person is detected in the area to be air-conditioned by the human body detection sensor for the first predetermined time, the second defrosting operation temperature characteristic is used instead of the first defrosting operation temperature characteristic, and the second The defrosting operation temperature characteristic of the first defrosting operation temperature characteristic at a stage where the outdoor air temperature and the outdoor heat exchanger temperature detected by the outdoor air temperature detection means and the outdoor heat exchanger temperature detection means are high. An air conditioner characterized by starting defrosting operation earlier . The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein when the absence of a person is detected in an area to be air-conditioned by the human body detection sensor for a second predetermined time, a power-saving operation is performed with less power consumption than during normal operation. The air conditioner according to claim 2 , wherein when the absence of a person is confirmed in the area to be air-conditioned by the human body detection sensor for a third predetermined time longer than the second predetermined time, the operation is stopped. The air conditioner according to claim 2 , wherein the power saving operation is performed by increasing a set air volume of a fan provided in the indoor unit and decreasing a frequency of a compressor provided in the outdoor unit. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 2 to 4 , wherein when a person is detected by the human body detection sensor during power saving operation, the operation state is restored to the operation state for the second predetermined time. The air according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein when a fourth predetermined time longer than the third predetermined time has elapsed since the start of normal operation, the operation is stopped regardless of the output of the human body detection sensor. Harmony machine.

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