JP6360736B2 - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an air conditioner equipped with an infrared sensor.

  The infrared sensor mounted on the air conditioner is used to acquire the temperature environment and the presence of a person in the air-conditioned space. The air conditioner uses the data acquired by the infrared sensor to control the temperature, the wind direction, the strength of the wind, and the like, thereby realizing a comfortable air condition for a person in the air-conditioned space.

  Infrared sensors are classified into two types depending on their structure. One is a line infrared sensor in which a plurality of infrared light receiving elements are arranged in a line. The other is a matrix infrared sensor in which a plurality of infrared light receiving elements are arranged in a plane. The present invention is mainly described using a line infrared sensor. However, the technical innovation according to the present disclosure can also be applied to matrix infrared sensors.

  In order to detect the presence of a person in the air-conditioned space, the air conditioner scans a specific area to be detected using a line infrared sensor and acquires thermal data of the specific area. Then, the air conditioner generates a thermal image of a specific area from the thermal data acquired by the sensor, and performs image processing to check the position of the person in the thermal image.

  The air conditioner controls the temperature, the wind direction, the strength of the wind, and the like of the air-conditioned space so that the person is comfortable based on the examined person position, the temperature environment in the air-conditioned space, and the heat data of the person.

JP 2012-0421131 A US Provisional Application No. 13/328232 Specification

  The air conditioners disclosed in Patent Literature 1 and Patent Literature 2 use one vertical line infrared sensor to scan a room in which the air conditioner is installed, and acquire thermal data in the room and the presence of a person. The fineness of the acquired data can be improved as the number of horizontal scanning steps increases.

  However, a horizontal scan using only one vertical line infrared sensor can only obtain thermal data in that limited area when scanned. Thus, in one vertical line infrared sensor, an event occurring in another area other than the scan area, for example, another thermal change event such as a new person entering the air-conditioned space, occurs in the scan area. It is impossible to recognize simultaneously with a thermal change event.

  The objective of this invention is providing the air conditioning apparatus which makes it possible to recognize simultaneously the heat | fever change event in the several area | region in an air-conditioned space.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, an air conditioner according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a first scan-type infrared sensor having a plurality of infrared light-receiving elements and a second scan-type having a plurality of infrared light-receiving elements. And an infrared sensor.

  According to the present invention, the width of the monitoring field of view in the air-conditioned space is improved, and the real-time characteristics for detecting a heat change event that newly occurs in the air-conditioned space are improved.

Schematic which shows one structure of the air conditioning apparatus common in each embodiment. Schematic which shows the structural example of the process part 800 of the air conditioning apparatus of FIG. The figure which shows an example of the air conditioning apparatus 100 which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The figure which shows another example of the air conditioning apparatus 100 which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The figure explaining the structural example of the 1st and 2nd infrared sensors 310 and 320 The figure explaining the image of the spread images 314 and 324 acquired by the 1st and 2nd infrared sensors 310 and 320 The figure explaining the use example 1-1 of the air conditioning apparatus 100 Flowchart of processing procedure executed by processing unit 800 in use case 1-1 The figure explaining the use case 1-2 of the air conditioning apparatus 100 Flowchart of processing procedure executed by processing unit 800 in use case 1-2 The figure explaining the use example 1-3 of the air conditioning apparatus 100 The figure explaining the usage example 1-4 of the air conditioning apparatus 100 The figure explaining the method of increasing the resolution of thermal data and / or activity data A diagram illustrating another method for increasing the resolution of thermal data and / or activity data The figure explaining the use example 1-5 of the air conditioning apparatus 100 The figure which shows an example of the air conditioning apparatus 120 which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. The figure explaining the structure of the 1st and 2nd infrared sensors 310 and 330 The figure explaining the use example 2-1 of the air conditioning apparatus 120 The other figure explaining the use example 2-1 of the air conditioning apparatus 120 The figure explaining the use case 2-2 of the air conditioning apparatus 120 The figure explaining the use example 2-3 of the air conditioning apparatus 120 Flow chart of processing procedure executed by processing unit 800 in use case 2-3 The figure which shows an example of the air conditioning apparatus 130 which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. The figure which illustrates the monitoring field by the infrared sensor of air harmony device 130 The other figure which illustrates the surveillance field by the infrared sensor of air harmony device 130 The figure which shows an example of the air conditioning apparatus 140 which concerns on 4th Embodiment. The figure explaining the use example 4-1 of the air conditioning apparatus 140 The figure explaining the use example 4-2 of the air conditioning apparatus 140 The figure explaining the use case 4-3 of the air conditioning apparatus 140 The figure explaining the infrared sensor 340 of Structural Example 1 The figure explaining the infrared sensor 350 of Structural Example 2 The figure explaining the image of the plane spread images 355F and 355B acquired by the infrared sensor 350 The figure explaining the infrared sensor 360 of the structural example 3 The figure which shows an example of the combination of two scanning infrared sensors The figure which shows an example of the combination of two scanning infrared sensors The figure which shows an example of the combination of two scanning infrared sensors The figure which shows an example of the combination of two scanning infrared sensors

<Knowledge that became the basis of the present invention>
In a conventional apparatus using an infrared sensor, the temperature, wind direction, wind strength, and the like of the air-conditioned space are controlled based on the thermal data in the air-conditioned space acquired by scanning the sensor and the presence of a person. However, in a conventional apparatus using only one infrared sensor, only thermal data in the limited area when scanned can be obtained. There was a problem that other thermal change events occurring in this area could not be recognized at the same time.

<Method focused on by the present inventors>
Accordingly, the present inventors have created a new air conditioner that can simultaneously recognize heat change events in a plurality of regions in an air-conditioned space, paying attention to the use of a plurality of scan-type infrared sensors.
Various aspects of the present invention based on this new idea are as follows.

<Outline of each aspect of the invention>
An air conditioner according to an aspect of the present disclosure based on the invention includes a first scan-type infrared sensor having a plurality of infrared light-receiving elements and a second scan-type infrared sensor having a plurality of infrared light-receiving elements. .
According to this aspect, the two infrared sensors improve the width of the monitoring field of view in the air-conditioned space, and can simultaneously recognize heat change events in a plurality of regions in the air-conditioned space.

In this one aspect, the first scan type infrared sensor is a vertical line infrared sensor having a plurality of infrared light receiving elements arranged in a line in the vertical direction of the air conditioner, and the second scan type infrared sensor is the air conditioner of the air conditioner. A horizontal line infrared sensor having a plurality of infrared light receiving elements arranged in a row in the horizontal direction can be obtained.
For example, the first scanning infrared sensor scans the air-conditioned space, acquires thermal data, monitors whether there is a thermal change event, and if there is a thermal change event, the target that caused the thermal change event The first target area having a wider vertical range than the horizontal range including at least a part of the object may be scanned to obtain detailed thermal data of the object. The second scan type infrared sensor A second target region having a horizontal range wider than a vertical range including at least a part of the second target region may be scanned to monitor the occurrence of another thermal change event not attributed to the target.
Thereby, the real-time characteristic which detects the heat change event which newly arises in the air-conditioning space, acquiring the detailed thermal data of a target object is improved.

Here, the second scan type infrared sensor further monitors the activity of the object in the second target area, and the first scan type infrared sensor excludes the object that has not been active for a certain period of time from the first target area. And scan. The second scan type infrared sensor further monitors the activity of the target object in the second target area, and the first scan type infrared sensor follows the operation of the target object having the activity in the first target area. May be changed. The second scanning infrared sensor further monitors the activity of the object in the second target area, and the first scanning infrared sensor detects the first priority according to the priority of the object given based on the activity level. The target area may be scanned.
Thereby, according to the heat | fever change event used as control object, the temperature of an air-conditioning space, a wind direction, the strength of a wind, etc. can be controlled appropriately so that a person etc. may be comfortable.

In this one aspect, the inside of the air-conditioned space is scanned by the first scan type infrared sensor to acquire the thermal data of the first plane area, and the inside of the air-conditioned space is scanned by the second scan type infrared sensor. May acquire thermal data of the second plane region in which the half size of the infrared light receiving element is shifted in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, respectively.
Further, the first scanning infrared sensor scans the air-conditioned space, and the thermal data of the first plane area and the thermal data of the second plane area in which the half size of the infrared light receiving element is shifted in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, respectively. You may get it. In this case, the first scan type infrared sensor scans in a zigzag manner while shifting the half size of the infrared light receiving element in the horizontal direction in the air-conditioned space, and acquires thermal data of the first plane area and the second plane area. You can also
If it carries out like this, the resolution of a thermal change event can be raised using the heat data of a 1st plane area | region, and the heat data of a 2nd plane area | region.

The second scanning infrared sensor may be installed at the lowermost corner of the air conditioner, and in this way, the two areas of the entire area of the air-conditioned space and the lower area of the casing are independently monitored. can do.
In addition, a plurality of infrared light receiving elements between the infrared sensors based on the thermal data acquired by the first scanning infrared sensor and the thermal data acquired by the second scanning infrared sensor in the same region in the air-conditioned space. Variations in the characteristics may be calibrated.

Moreover, in this one aspect, the first and second scanning infrared sensors can be vertical line infrared sensors each having a plurality of infrared light receiving elements arranged in a line in the vertical direction of the air conditioner.
For example, the first scan-type infrared sensor scans a first target area including at least a part of an object that has caused a heat change event in the air-conditioned space, and acquires detailed heat data of the object. The second scanning infrared sensor scans a second target area including at least a part of another object that has caused a heat change event in the air-conditioned space, and acquires detailed heat data of the other object. May be. Further, the first scan type infrared sensor scans a first target region including at least a part of the target object that has caused the heat change event in the air-conditioned space, and acquires detailed heat data of the target object. The second scanning infrared sensor may scan a second target area different from the first area and monitor the occurrence of another thermal change event not caused by the target object.
Thereby, since the two areas of the air-conditioned space can be monitored independently, the real-time characteristics for detecting a new event occurring in the air-conditioned space are improved.

  The first and second scanning infrared sensors may be installed at the rightmost and leftmost corners of the air conditioner, respectively. Here, the first and second scanning infrared sensors can control the scanning range according to the distance between the right side surface or the left side surface of the air conditioner and the wall surface. Thereby, the two areas of the left area and the right area of the air-conditioned space can be monitored independently.

  The first scanning infrared sensor includes a first element array having a plurality of infrared light receiving elements arranged in a line in the vertical direction of the air conditioner, and a first element having a plurality of infrared light receiving elements arranged in a line. The infrared sensor includes two element rows, and the first element row and the second element row are provided with a half element spacing in the parallel direction and relatively shifted by a half element spacing in the vertical direction. Also good. The first scanning infrared sensor may be an infrared sensor having a plurality of infrared light receiving elements arranged in a zigzag pattern that is bent at a right angle in the vertical direction of the air conditioner. In addition, the first scanning infrared sensor includes a first element array having a plurality of infrared light receiving elements arranged in a line in the vertical direction of the air conditioner, and intersects the first element array, so that the horizontal direction of the air conditioner And an infrared sensor including a second element array having a plurality of infrared light receiving elements arranged in a line.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present disclosure will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.
The principle of this innovation can be clearly understood by the following description. In addition to the following embodiments, any combination of embodiments or some parts of embodiments are also applicable to this innovation.

<Detailed description of each aspect of the invention>
<Device configuration>
First, a basic configuration of an air conditioner according to the present disclosure will be described.
Drawing 1 is a schematic structure figure showing an example of an air harmony device common to each embodiment. The air conditioner illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a plurality of infrared sensors 300, a temperature sensor 600, an actuator controller 700, a louver 710, a fan 720, an air compressor 730, a processing unit 800, a remote controller (remote controller) 910, a status display unit 920, And a network module 930.

  The plurality of infrared sensors 300 have a plurality of infrared light receiving elements arranged in a line, and a scanning type having a drive mechanism for moving the directions of the plurality of infrared light receiving elements in the vertical direction and / or the horizontal direction. It is a line sensor. The plurality of infrared sensors 300 scan the air-conditioned space where the air conditioner is installed by the drive mechanism, and individually acquire the heat data of the air-conditioned space. Although an example using a line infrared sensor as the infrared sensor 300 will be described below, a matrix infrared sensor may be used. As the infrared light receiving element included in the infrared sensor 300, for example, a thermopile sensor, a bolometer using a general thermometer as a temperature sensor, a quantum detection element, or the like can be used. The quantum detection element may be an InSb detector, an HgCdTe detector, an InGaAs detector, or the like. The temperature sensor 600 acquires the temperature of the air-conditioned space. Data acquired by both the temperature sensor 600 and the infrared sensor 300 is transferred to the processing unit 800.

  The actuator controller 700 controls actuators such as a louver 710, a fan 720, and an air compressor 730 attached to the air conditioner. The state of these actuators is grasped by the actuator controller 700 and transferred to the processing unit 800 as required.

  The remote controller 910 is used by a user of the air conditioner and transmits a command or a request to the processing unit 800. Further, the remote controller 910 acquires the current status of the air conditioner from the processing unit 800 and displays the current status on the status display unit 920 so that the user can see it. The status display unit 920 may be a touch sensor type display unit that allows a user to input an instruction or interact.

  The network module 930 connects the air conditioner to a network (not shown). The network may be a local network or the Internet. Data in the air conditioner may be transferred to the network via the network module 930. Further, data outside the air conditioner may be acquired via the network module 930.

  The processing unit 800 acquires data from the plurality of infrared sensors 300 and the temperature sensors 600, and the data is obtained by a program or application stored in the network and / or the processing unit 800 connected via the network module 930. To process. Then, the processing unit 800 determines an instruction to the actuator controller 700 using the processed data in order to control the air state in the air-conditioned space via the actuator including the louver 710, the fan 720, and the air compressor 730. For example, when it is found that the requested temperature set by the user is different from the acquired current temperature of the air-conditioned space, the processing unit 800 transfers a necessary command to the actuator controller 700 and the actuator corresponding to the temperature difference. Let control take place.

  The data processed by the processing unit 800 is used to determine a command to the infrared sensor 300 for acquiring thermal data of a specific target. For example, the processing unit 800 instructs the infrared sensor 300 to scan roughly at high speed when there is no person in the air-conditioned space, and when there is a person in the air-conditioned space (a person is detected). Order) to scan at low speeds. At this time, the infrared sensor 300 that scans the air-conditioned space at high speed may be one or a plurality, and the infrared sensor 300 that scans closely at a low speed may be one or a plurality.

  The processing unit 800 not only obtains a request from the user via the remote controller 910 or the like, but also transfers various types of data to the remote controller 910 in order to interact with the user or display to the user. The various types of data include the current status of the air condition in the conditioned space, the current heat data of the user, the thermal data of the user or conditioned space acquired over the past, and the network connected via the network module 930. Examples include acquired data, applications, programs, and the like. The status display unit 920 may be an interface having a touch-sensitive display unit that allows a user to input data and interact with those applications and programs.

  Further, the processing unit 800 may not only process the data therein, but also transfer the data to a network connected via the network module 930 in order to process the data at a specific destination. The specific destination may be a network server, a distributed computer network, a cloud computing service, or the like. After the data is processed in the connected network, the processing unit 800 may acquire the processed data and use it in the air conditioner.

  Further, the processing unit 800 may not only store data therein but also transfer the data to a network connected via the network module 930 in order to store the data at a specific destination. The specific destination may be a network server, a distributed network storage, a cloud storage service, or the like.

Note that the software and operating system of the processing unit 800 may be updated using data transfer from a connected network via the network module 930.
In addition, the program or application executed on the processing unit 800 is not limited to the program or application installed first, but may be a program or application newly downloaded from a network connected via the network module 930. Good. The user may request downloading of the program or application via the input unit of the remote controller 910.

  The user may access the air conditioner via a network connected to the network module 930. For example, the user may connect to a network connected to the network module 930 of the air conditioner via a smartphone and use the smartphone as a terminal that communicates with the air conditioner. A smartphone may be used to transmit a user request to the air conditioner or may be used to acquire data from the air conditioner.

  FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a configuration example of the processing unit 800. The configuration indicated by the dotted lines in FIG. 2 indicates that these configurations are external to the processing unit 800, and are illustrated in order to clarify the connection between the inside and the outside of the processing unit 800.

  The processing unit 800 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 801, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 802, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 803, a memory storage 804, an interface (indicated as “I / F” in FIG. 2) 820, and a bus The line 830 is configured.

  The ROM 802 holds predetermined computer programs and data that define basic operations of the processing unit 800. Memory storage 804 may include flash memory, solid state drives, or hard disk drives. The memory storage 804 holds other computer programs, applications, and data for the air conditioner. Programs, applications, and data stored in the memory storage 804 are updated or changed in response to a user request via the remote control 910 (or smartphone) via a connected network (not shown). May be. Furthermore, the program, application, and data stored in the memory storage 804 may be automatically updated by a command from a server in the network connected via the network module 930.

  The CPU 801, ROM 802, and RAM 803 are connected to the bus line 830. The memory storage 804 is connected to the bus line 830 via the interface 820. The external configurations of the plurality of infrared sensors 300, the temperature sensor 600, the actuator controller 700, the remote controller 910, and the network module 930 are also connected to the bus line 830 of the processing unit 800 via the interface 820.

  The CPU 801 reads computer programs and data from the ROM 802 via the bus line 830 and reads other computer programs, applications, and data from the memory storage 804 via the interface 820 and the bus line 830 for basic operations. The RAM 803 may temporarily store computer programs and data while the CPU 801 is operating. In the present embodiment, the CPU 801 is a single CPU. Alternatively, several CPUs may be used as the processing unit 800.

  The connection between the processing unit 800 and the remote controller 910 may include an additional module that transmits and receives a radio signal not shown in FIG.

  Data acquired by the CPU 801 from the external configuration of the plurality of infrared sensors 300, the temperature sensor 600, the actuator controller 700, the remote controller 910, and the network module 930 is stored in the RAM 803 via the interface 820 and the bus line 830 before being used by the CPU 801. Alternatively, it may be transferred to the memory storage 804.

  In addition, the structure of the air conditioning apparatus mentioned above is an example, Comprising: Some new structures may be omitted, and another new structure may be added. For example, the remote controller 910 and the status display unit 920 do not have to be indispensable, and the network module 930 is not necessary if a network environment is not used. As a new configuration, a speaker or a microphone may be installed for interaction with the user. Moreover, although the said air conditioning apparatus was shown in figure as providing the 3 or more infrared sensor 300, it can show | play an effect only by providing 2 infrared sensors. Moreover, although the said air conditioning apparatus illustrated three as the actuator which the actuator controller 700 controls, the louver 710, the fan 720, and the air compressor 730, control object is not limited to this.

<First Embodiment>
The first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 3A, 3B, and 4-12.
3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating an example of the air-conditioning apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment. The air conditioner 100 illustrated in the drawings is a so-called air conditioner in which the configuration shown in FIG. 1 is mounted on a casing 150 provided with an air inlet 160 and an air outlet 170. The air conditioner 100 includes a first infrared sensor 310 and a second infrared sensor 320 as the infrared sensor 300, and a louver 710 divided into a left louver 711 and a right louver 712. In addition, about the other structure which does not appear on the surface of the air conditioning apparatus 100, illustration is abbreviate | omitted.

  The air conditioning apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 3A is a configuration example in which a first infrared sensor 310 and a second infrared sensor 320 are installed side by side in the horizontal direction of the apparatus. The air conditioning apparatus 100 shown in FIG. This is a configuration example in which an infrared sensor 310 and a second infrared sensor 320 are installed side by side in the vertical direction of the apparatus. The positions and intervals at which the first infrared sensor 310 and the second infrared sensor 320 are installed are not limited to those illustrated.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a structural example of the first and second infrared sensors 310 and 320.
The first infrared sensor 310 (FIG. 4A) includes a right cylindrical drum 316, a pan motor 312, and a tilt motor 313. The drum 316 includes a plurality of infrared light receiving elements 311 arranged in a line on the side surface, and the arrangement of the elements is configured to match the vertical direction (also referred to as the vertical direction) of the air conditioner 100. That is, the first infrared sensor 310 is a vertical line infrared sensor having the infrared light receiving elements 311 arranged in a vertical direction. The pan motor 312 is used to pan the plurality of infrared light receiving elements 311 in the left-right direction (also referred to as the horizontal direction) of the air conditioner 100. The tilt motor 313 is used to tilt the plurality of infrared light receiving elements 311 in the vertical direction.
The second infrared sensor 320 (FIG. 4B) includes a right circular cylinder drum 326, a pan motor 322, and a tilt motor 323. The drum 326 includes a plurality of infrared light receiving elements 321 arranged in a line on the side surface, and the arrangement of these elements is configured to match the horizontal direction. That is, the second infrared sensor 320 is a horizontal line infrared sensor having the infrared light receiving elements 321 arranged in a horizontal array. The pan motor 322 is used to pan the plurality of infrared light receiving elements 321 in the horizontal direction. The tilt motor 323 is used to tilt the plurality of infrared light receiving elements 321 in the vertical direction.
In addition, as the number of infrared light receiving elements 311 and 321 included in the first and second infrared sensors 310 and 320, for example, 16 elements or 32 elements may be considered in addition to the 8 elements shown in the drawings.

  FIG. 5 shows spread images 314 and 324, which are regions of thermal data on a two-dimensional plane in the air-conditioned space, which are acquired by the infrared light receiving elements 311 and 321 included in the first and second infrared sensors 310 and 320. It is a figure explaining an image.

  The first infrared sensor 310 can pan the infrared light receiving elements 311 arranged vertically by the pan motor 312 in the left-right direction of the air conditioner 100, scan the air-conditioned space in the horizontal direction, and acquire the heat data of the air-conditioned space. It is. Further, when the entire conditioned space cannot be covered by a single horizontal scanning operation, the tilted motor 313 tilts the vertically arranged infrared light receiving elements 311 in the vertical direction of the air conditioner 100, so that the entire conditioned space is covered. Can be scanned. The first infrared sensor 310 scans a narrow range limited to this region (or a region including the vicinity thereof) if there is a region of thermal data (region where a thermal change event occurs) corresponding to a predetermined condition. More detailed thermal data can be obtained. That is, the first infrared sensor 310 can acquire thermal data in a region where the vertical range is wider than the horizontal range at a time.

On the other hand, the second infrared sensor 320 tilts the horizontally arranged infrared light receiving elements 321 in the vertical direction of the air conditioner 100 by the tilt motor 323, scans the conditioned space in the vertical direction, and acquires the thermal data of the conditioned space. It is possible. When the entire air-conditioned space cannot be covered by a single vertical scan operation, the pan-motor 322 scans the entire air-conditioned space by panning the horizontally arranged infrared light receiving elements 321 in the left-right direction of the air conditioner 100. can do. The second infrared sensor 320 scans a narrow range limited to this region (or a region including the vicinity thereof) if there is a region of thermal data (region where a thermal change event occurs) corresponding to a predetermined condition. More detailed thermal data can be obtained. That is, the second infrared sensor 320 can acquire thermal data in a region where the horizontal range is wider than the vertical range at a time.
In the present embodiment, the recognition ability of a large number of thermal change events that occur in the air-conditioned space is improved by detecting a wide range in the horizontal direction by the second infrared sensor 320.

Hereinafter, some use cases of the air conditioning apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment will be described.
Note that switching of each use case or change of the operation mode may be performed by the user via an interface unit such as the remote controller 910 or may be automatically performed by the processing unit 800 of the air conditioner 100.

[Use Case 1-1]
FIG. 6A is a diagram for explaining a use case 1-1 of the air conditioner 100. FIG. 6A shows a view of the room (air-conditioned space) viewed from the air conditioning apparatus 100. The spread images 314 and 324 are regions where thermal data is acquired by the first and second infrared sensors 310 and 320 as described with reference to FIG.

In this use case 1-1, only the first person 201 is initially in the room, and the second person 202 enters the room later.
In this example, the first infrared sensor 310 first scans the entire room roughly (high-speed scan) to detect the first person 201 to be controlled. The person is detected by determining whether a heat change event has occurred, for example, by determining whether the value of the heat data acquired by the sensor is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (a value based on body temperature, etc.) Is possible. When a person is detected, the first infrared sensor 310 is then based on the position where the first person 201 is detected in order to obtain the thermal data of the first person 201 with higher accuracy (the first person 201). A detailed scan (low-speed scan) is performed in a target region having a wider vertical range than the horizontal range (including at least a part of the spread image 314 or a region in the vicinity thereof).
On the other hand, the second infrared sensor 320 is based on the position where the first person 201 is detected (at least a part of the first person 201) in order to widely monitor whether any new heat change event occurs in the room. Scanning is performed in a target area having a wider horizontal range than the vertical range (for example, the spread image 324 and its vicinity). In this case, the second infrared sensor 320 may be fixed at a predetermined position, or a vertical range related to the height of the first person 201 (for example, an arrow range in FIG. 6A) may be slowly scanned in the vertical direction. Good.

  When the second person 202 newly enters the room in this scan monitoring state, the second person 202 is immediately recognized by the wide horizontal field of view of the second infrared sensor 320. When the second person 202 to be controlled is recognized, the range of the detailed scan performed by the first infrared sensor 310 is set to a range that covers both areas where the first person 201 and the second person 202 exist. The priority may be given to the first person 201 and the second person 202 for performing the detailed scan. For example, the second person 202 who entered the room later may have a higher priority than the first person 201 who was in the room from the beginning.

  As described above, by using the first infrared sensor 310 having the infrared light receiving elements 311 arranged in the vertical direction and the second infrared sensor 320 having the infrared light receiving elements 321 arranged in the horizontal direction, detailed thermal data in the target region is acquired. However, it is possible to widely detect heat change events in the air-conditioned space.

  FIG. 6B is a flowchart for explaining a processing procedure in which the processing unit 800 according to the use case 1-1 executes room air conditioning control using the thermal data acquired from the first and second infrared sensors 310 and 320. The operation of the processing unit 800 according to the use case 1-1 of FIG. 6A can be systematically explained by the flowchart of FIG. 6B. Note that the flowchart of FIG. 6B is merely an example. Therefore, the processing unit 800 may execute various auxiliary steps in addition to the steps shown in FIG. 6B.

Step S201: The first infrared sensor 310 scans the entire area of the room where the air conditioning apparatus 100 is installed, and obtains thermal data. In a situation where no person is detected, the scanning speed is set high. Thereafter, the process of step S202 is executed.
Step S202: The processing unit 800 identifies one or a plurality of target regions with a high probability that a target object such as a person exists based on the thermal data acquired in step S201. For example, a comparison process with a temperature threshold value is used to specify the target region. This is because it can be determined that the temperature region within the specified temperature range has a high probability that a person exists, while the temperature region outside the specified temperature range has a low probability that a person exists. If the target area is not specified, the entire room is continuously scanned. Thereafter, the process of step S203 is executed.

Step S203: When the target area is specified, the first infrared sensor 310 performs a detailed scan of the specified target area to acquire more detailed thermal data. On the other hand, the second infrared sensor 320 starts monitoring a wide area in the horizontal direction in the room, and acquires thermal data. Thereafter, the process of step S204 is executed.
Step S204: Detailed thermal data of the target area acquired by the first infrared sensor 310 in step S203 is analyzed by the processing unit 800, the position of the person is confirmed, and important data of the person is collected. The thermal data over a wide area in the room acquired by the second infrared sensor 320 in step S203 is analyzed by the processing unit 800 and used to obtain a probability that a new thermal change event will occur in the room. Thereafter, the process of step S205 is executed.
Step S205: The air condition in the room is controlled by the processing unit 800 using the position and important data of the person acquired in step S204. Thereafter, the process of step S206 is executed.

Step S206: Using the thermal data indicating the probability that a new thermal change event will occur outside the target area, the target area to be scanned in detail by the first infrared sensor 310 is corrected in the next operation loop. The target area is corrected, for example, as follows.
In the use case 1-1 of FIG. 6A, in the situation where the first person 201 has already been detected and the target area where the first person 201 exists is repeatedly scanned in detail by the first infrared sensor 310, the second person Consider a case where a person 202 newly enters the room. In this case, a new thermal change event is detected around the door of the room by the second infrared sensor 320. If it is determined that this new event is a person to be controlled, an area covering not only the area where the first person 201 exists but also the new area where the second person 202 exists is the new object. Set as an area.
After the process of step S206 is completed, the process of step S203 is executed again, and the series of processes from step S203 to S206 continues until the target region is not specified or the air conditioner 100 is turned off.

As in the above-described prior art, in a configuration having one vertical line infrared sensor in which a plurality of infrared light receiving elements are arranged in a line in the vertical direction, only a region where the presence of a person is detected is scanned for a long time or fixedly. Therefore, there is a possibility that a new thermal change event occurring in another area different from this area is not recognized.
On the other hand, in the present embodiment, in addition to the vertical line infrared sensor (first infrared sensor 310), a plurality of infrared light receiving elements to be scanned independently are arranged in a line in a horizontal direction (second line infrared sensor (second infrared sensor 310). Since the infrared sensor 320) is provided, it is possible to improve the recognition rate of new thermal change events occurring in other areas different from the area where the presence of a person is detected, as compared with the prior art using only the vertical line infrared sensor. .

[Use Case 1-2]
FIG. 7A is a diagram for describing a use case 1-2 of the air conditioner 100. FIG. 7A shows a view of a room (air-conditioned space) viewed from the air conditioning apparatus 100. The spread images 314 and 324 are regions where thermal data is acquired by the first and second infrared sensors 310 and 320 as described with reference to FIG.

This use case 1-2 is a case where one person 201 and the television 401 exist in the room.
In this case, the first infrared sensor 310 detects the person 201 by roughly scanning the entire room. Here, the TV 401 that is turned on may indicate a temperature in the vicinity of a human body temperature. In this case, if the detection of the person is determined based on whether the value of the heat data acquired by the sensor is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (a value based on body temperature, etc.), the unintended television 401 may be detected as a person. There is. Therefore, in order to avoid such erroneous detection, the activity data of the object may be included.

  Activity data of a plurality of objects including the person 201 and the television 401 is detected by the wide horizontal field of view of the second infrared sensor 320. If the detected activity data is analyzed, it can be determined whether or not the object is active. Therefore, it is possible to determine a region having a high temperature and high activity where a person is likely to exist. Therefore, when a plurality of objects are detected by the first infrared sensor 310, priority is given to objects having activity based on activity data of these objects. In the example of FIG. 7A, since the area where the person 201 is detected is prioritized over the area where the television 401 is detected based on the activity data, the target area (expanded image) to be scanned by the first infrared sensor 310 is prioritized. 314) is set for the person 201. That is, the television 401 that has no activity for a certain time or permanently is excluded from the target area.

  FIG. 7B is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure in which the processing unit 800 according to the use case 1-2 performs air conditioning control of the room using the thermal data acquired from the first and second infrared sensors 310 and 320. The operation of the processing unit 800 according to the use case 1-2 of FIG. 7A can be systematically explained by the flowchart of FIG. 7B. Note that the flowchart of FIG. 7B is merely an example. Therefore, the processing unit 800 may execute various auxiliary steps in addition to the steps shown in FIG. 7B.

Step S201: The first infrared sensor 310 scans the entire area of the room where the air conditioning apparatus 100 is installed, and obtains thermal data. In a situation where no person is detected, the scanning speed is set high. Thereafter, the process of step S202 is executed.
Step S202: The processing unit 800 identifies one or a plurality of target regions with a high probability that a person exists based on the thermal data acquired in step S201. For example, a comparison process with a temperature threshold value is used to specify the target region. This is because it can be determined that the temperature region within the specified temperature range has a high probability that a person exists, while the temperature region outside the specified temperature range has a low probability that a person exists. If the target area is not specified, the entire room is continuously scanned. Thereafter, the process of step S203 is executed.

Step S203: When one or a plurality of target areas are specified, the first infrared sensor 310 performs a detailed scan of the specified target area to acquire more detailed thermal data. On the other hand, monitoring of a wide area in the horizontal direction in the room is started by the second infrared sensor 320, and activity data based on thermal data is acquired. Thereafter, the process of step S204 is executed.
Step S214: Detailed thermal data of the target area acquired by the first infrared sensor 310 in step S203 is analyzed by the processing unit 800, the position of the person is confirmed, and important data of the person is collected. The thermal data over a wide area in the room acquired by the second infrared sensor 320 in step S203 is analyzed by the processing unit 800 and used to obtain a probability that a new thermal change event will occur in the room. At the same time, an activity state in one or more target areas specified based on the activity data is determined. Thereafter, the process of step S205 is executed.

Step S205: The air condition in the room is controlled by the processing unit 800 using the position and important data of the person acquired in step S214 or the activity state in the target area. Thereafter, the process of step S217 is executed.
Step S217: Based on the activity state of the one or more target areas determined in step S214, the processing unit 800 determines the priority order of the target areas for executing the detailed scan as the control target. As for the priority order, a higher priority may be given to a target area having a wider activity range, or a higher priority may be given to a target area having a longer activity time. Further, a high priority may be given to a target area that has no or little history of activity data, such as a newly detected target area. Thereafter, the process of step S206 is executed.

Step S206: Using the priority order of the target area determined in Step S207 together with the thermal data indicating the probability that a new thermal change event will occur outside the target area, the first infrared sensor 310 performs the following operation loop. The target area to be scanned in detail is corrected. The target area is corrected, for example, as follows.
In the use case 1-2 in FIG. 7A, the person 201 and the TV 401 have already been detected, and the target area where the person 201 exists and the target area where the TV 401 exists are detailed without priority by the first infrared sensor 310. Consider the situation that is being scanned. In this case, after a certain period of time, it can be determined from the activity data acquired by the second infrared sensor 320 that the target area where the television 401 is located has a low activity level and the target area where the person 201 is high has a high activity level. Thereby, the priority order of the target area where the person 201 is present is set higher than the target area where the television 401 is present. Therefore, only the area where the person 201 is present is set as a new target area. As a result, more important data of the person 201 is collected and effectively used for air condition control in step S205.
After the process of step S206 is completed, the process of step S203 is executed again, and the series of processes from step S203 to S206 continues until the target region is not specified or the air conditioner 100 is turned off.

As in the above-described prior art, in a configuration having one vertical line infrared sensor in which a plurality of infrared light receiving elements are arranged in a line in the vertical direction, it may not be possible to detect the activity of an object that moves faster than its limited scanning speed. In addition, it may not be possible to detect the activity of multiple objects at the same time.
On the other hand, in the present embodiment, in addition to the vertical line infrared sensor (first infrared sensor 310), a plurality of infrared light receiving elements to be scanned independently are arranged in a line in a horizontal direction (second line infrared sensor (second infrared sensor 310). Infrared sensor 320) provides advantages over the prior art in terms of detecting the activity of multiple objects and detecting the activity of high speed objects.

[Use Case 1-3]
FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a use case 1-3 of the air conditioning apparatus 100. FIG. 8 shows a view of the room (air-conditioned space) viewed from the air conditioning apparatus 100. The spread images 314 and 324 are regions where thermal data is acquired by the first and second infrared sensors 310 and 320 as described with reference to FIG.

This use case 1-3 is a case where there is only one person 201 in the room.
In this example, an operation of moving from one place in the room to another place at various speeds, stopping somewhere in the room, or going out of the room will be considered. Such movement of the person 201 can be effectively detected by the second infrared sensor 320 having a wide horizontal field of view.

  For example, when the person 201 moves in the room, the second infrared sensor 320 recognizes a change in the position and speed of the person 201 and transmits the recognized data to the processing unit 800. The processing unit 800 uses the data to make the detailed scan position and / or scan speed follow the operation of the person 201 with respect to the first infrared sensor 310 in order to track the person 201 in the room. You may request to change. If there is no wide horizontal field of view of the second infrared sensor 320 as in the prior art, if the person 201 is lost due to a sudden movement and cannot be tracked, the first infrared sensor 310 needs to rescan the entire room. It may take a long time to detect a new position of the person 201, and since there is no tracking data of the person 201, the scan speed may not be controlled appropriately. This shows that the present invention has an advantage in tracking compared to the prior art.

  Further, for example, when the person 201 goes out of the room, the second infrared sensor 320 recognizes the change in the position and speed of the person 201, and the processing unit 800 recognizes that the person is no longer in the room in a short time. To do. If there is no wide horizontal field of view of the second infrared sensor 320 as in the prior art, it is necessary to scan the entire room with the first infrared sensor 310 if the person 201 is lost due to sudden exit and cannot be tracked. It takes a long time to confirm that there is no person 201 in the room. This again shows that the present invention has an advantage in tracking compared to the prior art.

In order to systematically explain the use case 1-3 in FIG. 8, the flowchart in FIG. 7B is used.
After the processing unit 800 starts the processing, the region where the person 201 in FIG. 8 is specified as the target region where the first infrared sensor 310 performs detailed scanning. When the position of the person 201 is suddenly changed, the second infrared sensor 320 recognizes the activity of the target area, and the target area is corrected in step S206. Therefore, the first infrared sensor 310 can change the area of the detailed scan to a new position where the person 201 has moved without wasting time for redetecting the person 201.

[Use Case 1-4]
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating use cases 1-4 of the air conditioning apparatus 100. FIG. 9 shows a view of the room (air-conditioned space) viewed from the air conditioning apparatus 100. The spread images 314 and 324 are regions where thermal data is acquired by the first and second infrared sensors 310 and 320 as described with reference to FIG.

In this use case 1-4, there are a first person 201, a second person 202, and a plurality of home appliances such as a refrigerator 402, a rice cooker 403, a coffee maker 404, and an oven 405 in the room. .
In this case, considering that there are cases where a plurality of household electrical appliances that are turned on show a temperature in the vicinity of a human body temperature, the first infrared sensor 310 causes a plurality of high-temperature objects, as in the above-described use case 1-2. An object is detected, and activity data of a plurality of high-temperature objects is simultaneously acquired by the second infrared sensor 320 having a wide horizontal field of view. The activity data is used, for example, to identify a life form (first person 201, second person 202, etc.) and a non-life form (rice cooker 403, coffee maker 404, oven 405, etc.). The second infrared sensor 320 also detects a new event that occurs in a region separated in the horizontal direction, such as a new person entering the room.

  Based on the activity data acquired by the second infrared sensor 320, it may be possible to recognize an overlap between a living organism exhibiting a high temperature and a non-living organism and reduce false detection. For example, when the first person 201 moves to the right and overlaps with the refrigerator 402, if only the thermal data from the first infrared sensor 310 is used, the first person 201 is erroneously detected as a non-living object, There is a possibility that the first person 201 cannot be detected. However, by using the horizontal tracking data (activity data) by the second infrared sensor 320, the air conditioner 100 can recognize that the first person 201 and the refrigerator 402 may overlap.

In order to systematically explain the use case 1-4 of FIG. 9, the flowchart of FIG. 7B is used.
After the processing unit 800 starts processing, a plurality of target regions including a region where a person exists and a region where a plurality of home appliances are installed are specified. Based on the activity level monitored by the second infrared sensor 320, the importance of the detailed scan in each target area is analyzed, and the priority order is determined for each target area in step S217. Accordingly, the first person 201 and the second person 202 who are active are given high priority, and the home appliances which are not active are given lower priority than the person.
For example, when the first person 201 moves in front of the refrigerator 402, the second infrared sensor 320 uses the activity data of the target area of the first person 201 so that both the first person 201 and the refrigerator 402 Change the priority of overlapping areas. As a result, the activity of the first person 201 is not lost during the overlap.

  Data regarding the arrangement of home appliances in the room where the air conditioner 100 is installed may be collected or updated every time the processing unit 800 obtains an analysis result based on heat data and activity data. It may be collected or updated in a situation where it is recognized that there is no person within. The collected data may be held in a memory in the processing unit 800, or may be held in a server (not shown) in an external network connected to the network module 930. If data regarding the arrangement of home appliances is held in this way, it can be used for analysis processing by the processing unit 800 when air conditioning control processing is started, so that the speed of detecting a person is improved.

  Here, with reference to FIG. 10A further, a method for increasing the resolution of the thermal data and / or activity data in the target region will be described. In this method, the second infrared sensor 320 also scans the entire room and acquires thermal data.

  In FIG. 10A, a plane spread image 315 (solid line grid) is an image in a plane region obtained by scanning the horizontal direction by the first infrared sensor 310, that is, a set of spread images 314 related to one vertical line. The plane spread image 325 (broken-line grid) is an image in a plane region obtained by scanning in the vertical direction by the second infrared sensor 320, that is, a set of spread images 324 for one horizontal line. The plane spread image 315 and the plane spread image 325 are shifted by a half size (half pixel) of the element in the horizontal direction and a half size (half pixel) of the element in the vertical direction. The two plane spread images 315 and 325 whose scan areas are shifted by half a pixel may be used to increase the resolution by a super-resolution technique. As a result, more room information can be acquired.

  Thus, by using both the first and second infrared sensors 310 and 320 for scanning the entire room, two plane spread images 315 and 325 can be acquired simultaneously. Therefore, according to this method, the state of the room can be acquired with higher resolution than the prior art method having one vertical line infrared sensor.

  Further, with reference to FIG. 10B, another method for increasing the resolution of thermal data and / or activity data in the target region will be described. For the sake of simplicity, the spread image 324 acquired by the infrared light receiving element 321 of the second infrared sensor 320 is not shown in FIG. 10B.

  In FIG. 10B, plane spread images 315L and 315U are both images in a plane area obtained by scanning the horizontal direction with the first infrared sensor 310, and are a set of spread images 314 related to one vertical line. In this method, the first infrared sensor 310 moves the scan area in a zigzag manner. That is, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 10B, the first infrared sensor 310 scans the acquired spread image 314 while moving in a zigzag manner while shifting the half-size (half-pixel) of the element in the horizontal and vertical directions. The plane spread image 315L (solid grid) is a set of spread images 314 below the zigzag trajectory. The plane spread image 315U (dashed grid) is a set of spread images 314 on the upper side of the zigzag trajectory. The two plane spread images 315L and 315U whose scan areas are shifted by half a pixel may be used to increase the resolution by the super-resolution technique. As a result, more room information can be acquired.

  The zigzag movement of the scan area by the first infrared sensor 310 can be easily realized by the pan motor 312 and the tilt motor 313 shown in FIG. For example, the pan motor 312 rotates the infrared light receiving elements 311 arranged vertically by half a pixel in the same horizontal direction at predetermined intervals. On the other hand, the tilt motor 313 alternately performs half-pixel rotation in the upper vertical direction and half-pixel rotation in the lower vertical direction at predetermined intervals for the infrared light receiving elements 311 in the vertical array.

In this way, by scanning the first infrared sensor 310 in a zigzag manner, the two plane spread images 315L and 315U can be acquired simultaneously. Therefore, according to this method, the state of the room can be acquired with higher resolution than the prior art method having one vertical line infrared sensor. The area scanned by the zigzag does not have to be the entire room, and may be only a predetermined area (for example, an area determined to be important by the processing unit 800, an area excluding a position of a household electrical appliance that is known in advance, or the like). .
As for the second infrared sensor 320, in order to widely monitor whether any new event occurs in the room, only the target region or its vicinity may be scanned, or the entire room may be scanned. Similarly to the first infrared sensor 310, the second infrared sensor 320 may be scanned in a zigzag manner.

[Use Case 1-5]
FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating use cases 1-5 of the air conditioner 100. FIG. 11 shows a view of the room (air-conditioned space) viewed from the air conditioning apparatus 100.
This use case 1-5 is a method for calibrating variation in characteristics of the eight infrared light receiving elements 311 and 321 included in the first and second infrared sensors 310 and 320.

The line spread image 324V is acquired by scanning one of the eight infrared light receiving elements 321 of the second infrared sensor 320, in the example of FIG. 11, in the vertical direction. Therefore, each component image (eight images) of the line spread image 324V shares characteristics such as the noise level and the offset level of the same infrared light receiving element 321a.
On the other hand, the line spread image 314H is acquired at the same position as the line spread image 324V using the eight infrared light receiving elements 311 of the first infrared sensor 310. Therefore, since each component image (eight images) of the line spread image 314H is created by different infrared light receiving elements, the noise level and the offset level have different characteristics.

  When the change in the state of the room between the acquisition of the line spread image 324V and the acquisition of the line spread image 314H is sufficiently negligible, the difference between each component image of the line spread image 324V and each component image of the line spread image 314H Can be considered as variations in characteristics such as noise level and offset level between the plurality of infrared light receiving elements 311 of the first infrared sensor 310. Therefore, this image difference (variation data) may be used to calibrate the characteristic variation in the plurality of infrared light receiving elements 311 of the first infrared sensor 310.

  This concept is the same for the second infrared sensor 320. That is, by scanning one of the infrared light receiving elements 311 of the first infrared sensor 310 in the horizontal direction, a line spread image is acquired in the horizontal direction, and the eight infrared light receiving elements 321 of the second infrared sensor 320 are used. The horizontal line spread image is acquired at the same position. Accordingly, the difference between the two images can be considered as a characteristic variation such as a noise level and an offset level between the plurality of infrared light receiving elements 321 of the second infrared sensor 320. Therefore, this image difference (variation data) may be used to calibrate characteristic variations in the plurality of infrared light receiving elements 321 of the second infrared sensor 320.

This will be described using a specific example.
For example, the line spread image 324V is [20.1, 20.2, 19.8, 19.9, 20.0, 20.2, 20.1, 19.7] in order from the upper side in temperature units. If the line spread image 314H is [20.2, 20.0, 19.7, 19.7, 20.2, 20.3, 19.8, 19.6] in order from the upper side in temperature units, the difference between them is as follows. [0.1, −0.2, −0.1, −0.2, 0.2, 0.1, −0.3, −0.1] are the plurality of infrared rays of the first infrared sensor 310. The calibration data represents the characteristic variation in the light receiving element 311. Similarly, the calibration data representing the characteristic variation in the plurality of infrared light receiving elements 321 of the second infrared sensor 320 is, for example, [0.2, −0.3, −0.2, −0.1, 0 in units of temperature. .1, 0.3, 0.0, 0.1]. In this example, since the infrared light receiving element 321a of the second infrared sensor 320 is used as a reference element, the calibration data representing the seventh characteristic variation from the left of the second infrared sensor 320 is “0.0”.
This calibration data is stored in a memory or the like of the processing unit 800 and used for improving the resolution. For example, in the super-resolution technique using two plane spread images described in Use Case 1-4, an offset due to element characteristic variation between the two plane spread images is included. Therefore, if the characteristic variation between two plane spread images is eliminated using calibration data before being processed by the super resolution method, a higher resolution image is obtained by the super resolution method using the two plane spread images. Is obtained.

  Note that the line spread image 324V and the line spread image 314H are obtained when the line spread image 324V and the line spread image 314H are acquired, such as a region where a person does not exist or a region where a temperature change is difficult to occur (for example, a ceiling or a wall). It is preferable to select and acquire a region where a state change is unlikely to occur.

  As described above, according to the air conditioning apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment, the two scanning infrared sensors, the vertical line infrared sensor and the horizontal line infrared sensor, are used. As a result, the breadth of the monitoring field of view in the air-conditioned space is improved, so that real-time characteristics for detecting a heat change event that newly occurs in the air-conditioned space are improved while acquiring detailed heat data in the target area.

  In the above embodiment, the first infrared sensor 310 is a vertical line infrared sensor and the second infrared sensor 320 is a horizontal line infrared sensor. However, the positions of these sensors may be reversed. However, in the configuration of FIG. 3B, the lower position of the horizontal line infrared sensor is desirable. This is because most events that occur in a room are easier to detect near the floor than near the ceiling of the room.

  In addition, since the air conditioning apparatus 100 includes two infrared sensors, two images with parallax can be created at the same time, thereby enabling a three-dimensional view of an object in the room. As a result, the distance from the air conditioning apparatus 100 can be acquired. Therefore, the direction and intensity of the wind blown from the air conditioning apparatus 100 can be appropriately set for each target position. Moreover, since the two infrared sensors are installed close to each other in the air conditioning apparatus 100, the process of calibrating the characteristic variation described in the use case 1-5 can be performed with high accuracy.

<Second Embodiment>
The second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 3A, 3B, and 12-17.
FIG. 12 shows an example of the air conditioner 120 according to the second embodiment. The air conditioner 120 illustrated in the drawing is a so-called air conditioner in which the configuration shown in FIG. 1 is mounted on a housing 150 provided with an air suction port 160 and an air discharge port 170. The air conditioner 120 includes a first infrared sensor 310 and a second infrared sensor 330 as the infrared sensor 300, and includes a louver 710 divided into a left louver 711 and a right louver 712. In addition, about the other structure which does not appear on the surface of the air conditioning apparatus 120, illustration is abbreviate | omitted. Although the air conditioning apparatus 120 shown in FIG. 12 is a configuration example in which the first infrared sensor 310 and the second infrared sensor 330 are installed side by side in the left-right direction of the apparatus, the position, interval, and the like are not limited thereto.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the structure of the first and second infrared sensors 310 and 330.
The first infrared sensor 310 (FIG. 13A) and the second infrared sensor 330 (FIG. 13B) have a common structure. The first and second infrared sensors 310 and 330 include right circular drums 316 and 336, pan motors 312 and 332, and tilt motors 313 and 333. The drums 316 and 336 include a plurality of infrared light receiving elements 311 and 331 arranged in a row on the side surface, and the arrangement of these elements is configured to match the vertical direction (vertical direction) of the air conditioner 120. Yes. That is, the first and second infrared sensors 310 and 330 are vertical line infrared sensors having infrared light receiving elements 311 and 331 arranged in a vertical arrangement, respectively. The pan motors 312 and 332 are used to pan the plurality of infrared light receiving elements 311 and 331 in the left-right direction (horizontal direction) of the air conditioner 120. The tilt motors 313 and 333 are used to tilt the plurality of infrared light receiving elements 311 and 331 in the vertical direction. As the number of infrared light receiving elements 311 and 331 included in the first and second infrared sensors 310 and 330, for example, 8 elements (illustration example), 16 elements, 32 elements, and the like are conceivable.

Hereinafter, some use cases of the air conditioner 120 according to the second embodiment will be described.
Note that switching of each use case or change of the operation mode may be performed by a user via a user interface unit such as the remote controller 910 or may be automatically performed by the processing unit 800 of the air conditioner 120. Further, in order to notify the user of the current operation mode of the air conditioner 120, the remote controller 910 may display the current operation mode on the status display unit 920, or the air conditioner 120 may include the housing 150. A light emitting diode (LED) installed in the LED may emit light or a light pattern according to the current operation mode.

[Use Case 2-1]
FIG.14 and FIG.15 is a figure explaining the usage example 2-1 of the air conditioning apparatus 120. FIG. A spread image 334 in the figure is an area where thermal data is acquired by the second infrared sensor 330.

This use case 2-1 is a case where the position of the person 201 in the air-conditioned space can be acquired in three dimensions.
When the first and second infrared sensors 310 and 330 detect the same portion of the person 201, the angles Ax and Bx shown in FIG. 14 are known from the data of the pan motors 312 and 332, respectively. The angle Ax is measured as an angle formed between a line perpendicular to the wall surface to which the air conditioner 120 is attached and a line perpendicular to the light receiving surface of the infrared light receiving element 311 included in the first infrared sensor 310. The angle Bx is measured as an angle formed by a line perpendicular to the wall surface to which the air conditioner 120 is attached and a line perpendicular to the light receiving surface of the infrared light receiving element 331 included in the second infrared sensor 320. The distance D0 between the first infrared sensor 310 and the second infrared sensor 330 is a design value. Therefore, the horizontal distances d1 and d2 from the air conditioner 120 to the person 201 can be calculated by the following equation [1].

Further, when the person 201 is detected by the first infrared sensor 310 or the second infrared sensor 330, the highest position and the lowest position of the person 201 can be known from the vertical visual field of the infrared light receiving element 311 or 331. For example, as shown in FIG. 15, assuming that the five regions from the bottom of the spread image 334 by the infrared light receiving element 331 included in the second infrared sensor 330 indicate high temperatures, the angles Ex and Fx are the data of the tilt motor 333. And from the vertical field of view (data at the time of manufacture) of the first and fifth elements from the bottom among the plurality of infrared light receiving elements 331. The horizontal distance d2 from the air conditioner 120 to the person 201 is also known from the above equation [1]. Therefore, the approximate height h of the person 201 can be calculated by the following equation [2].

  The air conditioner 120 controls the actuator using the horizontal distances d1 and d2 from the air conditioner 120 to the person 201 calculated by the above calculation and the approximate height h of the person 201, and the amount of wind blown out, Wind strength and direction may be adjusted. Further, the air conditioner 120 may predict who the person 201 is from the approximate height h, or may set an appropriate air-conditioning state according to the predicted person's preference (dislikes direct wind, cold, etc.). Good.

[Use Case 2-2]
FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a use case 2-2 of the air conditioner 120. Spread images 314 and 334 in the figure are regions where thermal data is acquired by the first and second infrared sensors 310 and 330.

This use case 2-2 is a case where the first person 203 and the second person 204 are sleeping in separate beds in the air-conditioned space (in this case, the bedroom).
First, using one or both of the first and second infrared sensors 310 and 330, first, the entire room is roughly scanned (high-speed scanning) to detect the first person 203 and the second person 204 to be controlled. . Next, a detailed scan (low-speed scan) is performed to obtain highly accurate thermal data. In this situation, there is little activity by persons in the room, so the first and second infrared rays The sensors 310 and 330 may perform detailed scanning in a limited area where a person exists. For example, in FIG. 16, the first infrared sensor 310 performs a detailed scan in an area where the first person 203 exists (an area including at least a part of the first person 203), and the second infrared sensor 330 is a second person. Detailed scanning is performed in an area where 204 exists (an area including at least a part of the second person 204). As a result, the states of two persons are obtained simultaneously.

  Compared to the configuration of the prior art having one vertical line infrared sensor in which a plurality of infrared light receiving elements are arranged in a line in the vertical direction, the configuration of the air conditioning apparatus 120 is configured to detect a plurality of persons in the same conditioned space. Real-time characteristics to be detected can be improved.

  The air conditioner 120 may control the set temperature so that each person in the air-conditioned space is comfortable based on the state of each person acquired by the first and second infrared sensors 310 and 330, respectively. Alternatively, the left louver 711 and the right louver 712 may be moved separately to control the wind strength and air volume.

[Use Case 2-3]
FIG. 17A is a diagram for describing a use case 2-3 of the air conditioning apparatus 120. Spread images 314 and 334 in the figure are regions where thermal data is acquired by the first and second infrared sensors 310 and 330.

In this use case 2-3, the first person 205 is sleeping in the bed in the air-conditioned space (in the example, the bedroom), and the second person 206 enters the room later.
In this case, the first person 205 has already been detected, and in order to control the temperature, intensity, and amount of wind, a detailed scan (low speed scan) is performed on the first person 205 by the second infrared sensor 330. It is running. On the other hand, since the first infrared sensor 310 may have a high probability that a new event will occur in the vicinity of the door 501, the first infrared sensor 310 scans an area where the door is supposed to be located more frequently (high-speed scanning) than the other areas. The position of the door 501 in the bedroom may be grasped by the air conditioner 120 using room data indicating an approximate layout of the bedroom. For example, the room data may be generated based on the analysis result of the heat data and activity data that the air conditioner 120 has acquired several times until now, or may be given to the air conditioner 120 by the user. . In the former case, for example, the position of the door is detected by examining the inside of the bedroom for sudden changes in temperature several times, or the position where a person frequently appears and enters the bedroom is detected. Can be determined.

  When the second person 206 enters the bedroom, the first infrared sensor 310 that has scanned the vicinity of the door 501 detects the second person 206. In response to this detection, for example, the air conditioner 120 transmits a power-on request to the small light 406 installed on the door 501 via the wireless router 408 and does not interfere with the first person 205. In addition, only lighting that can guide the second person 206 into the bedroom may be provided. In this case, of course, a request to turn on the main light 407 is not transmitted. Communication between the air conditioner 120 and the lights 406 and 407 may be established on a general connection network via the wireless router 408. Each of the lamps 406 and 407 has a network module (not shown) for connecting to the wireless router 408.

On the other hand, there may be a case where the second person 206 is an undesirable person, for example, a thief. Therefore, the following control is also possible assuming such a case.
The air conditioner 120 stores in advance detailed data (number of people, characteristics, etc.) regarding the person using the bedroom, and determines the legitimacy of the person who enters the bedroom at night. Detailed data (user data) about the person using the bedroom may be input to the air conditioner 120 by the user, or the analysis result of the heat data and activity data acquired by the air conditioner 120 several times until now. Alternatively, it may be acquired from the usage history of the device by the user. If it is determined that it is not desirable for the second person 206 to enter the room, the air conditioning apparatus 120 may notify the police or a security company or sound an alarm sound. Whether or not the second person 206 is desired to enter the room may be, for example, exceeding the total number of people in the residence or entering the room even though the door 501 is locked. It should be noted that the air conditioner 120 can grasp the locked / unlocked state of the door 501 manually by the user or automatically via the wireless router 408 or the like.

  The room data and user data may be stored in the memory of the processing unit 800 of the air conditioning apparatus 120, or may be stored in a server in an external network connected to the network module 930. In this use case 2-3, the network module 930 is connected to an external network via the wireless router 408.

  FIG. 17B is a flowchart for explaining a processing procedure in which the processing unit 800 according to the use case 2-3 executes the air conditioning control of the room using the heat data acquired from the first and second infrared sensors 310 and 330. The operation of the processing unit 800 according to the use case 2-3 of FIG. 17A can be systematically explained by the flowchart of FIG. 17B. Note that the flowchart of FIG. 17B is merely an example. Therefore, the processing unit 800 may execute various auxiliary steps in addition to the steps shown in FIG. 17B.

Step S301: Room data is acquired by the processing unit 800. Based on the acquired room data, the processing unit 800 may recognize the approximate layout of the room and the approximate position of the door of the room. Thereafter, the process of step S302 is executed.
Step S302: The processing unit 800 acquires user data. Thereafter, the process of step S303 is executed.
Step S303: One of the first and second infrared sensors 310 and 330 scans the room around a region where a person was present, and acquires thermal data. On the other hand, the peripheral area of the door estimated from the room data acquired in step S301 is monitored by the other infrared sensor. Thereafter, the process of step S304 is executed.
Step S304: The thermal data acquired by the infrared sensor that scanned the room in step S303 is analyzed by the processing unit 800. Thereafter, the process of step S305 is executed.
Step S305: The air conditioning in the room is controlled by the processing unit 800 based on the thermal data analyzed in step S304. Thereafter, the process of step S306 is executed.

Step S306: The thermal data acquired by the infrared sensor that monitors the door peripheral area in step S303 is analyzed by the processing unit 800 and used to determine whether any new thermal event has occurred around the door. . If it is determined that no new event has occurred around the door, the process returns to step S303. When it is determined that a new event has occurred around the door, the process recognizes that there is a new person entering the room, and the process of step S307 is executed.
Step S307: The user data acquired in step S302 is used to determine whether or not the total number of persons after a new occupant is added by the processing unit 800 is greater than the registered number of persons acquired in step S302. Used. If the total number is equal to or less than the registered number, the process of step S308 is executed. On the other hand, when the total number is larger than the registered number, the process of step S310 is executed.

Step S308: The user data acquired in step S302 is used by the processing unit 800 to determine whether a new occupant is registered. If the degree of coincidence between the new occupant data and the registered data is higher than the set confidence level, the new occupant is recognized as a registered user, and the process of step S309 is executed. On the other hand, when the degree of coincidence between the new occupant data and the registered data is lower than the set confidence level, the new occupant is not recognized as a registered user, and the process of step S310 is executed.
Step S309: The room guidance process is activated, and a new guest is guided into the room. Thereafter, the process returns to step S303.
Step S310: It is determined that an unusual entry has occurred with high probability for the room. As a result, the emergency mode is activated. Detailed operations in the emergency mode may be set by the user of the air conditioner 120. After step S310 is properly executed, the process ends.

  As described above, according to the air conditioning apparatus 120 according to the second embodiment, two scan-type vertical line infrared sensors are mounted. Thereby, since the two areas of the air-conditioned space can be monitored independently, the real-time characteristics for detecting a new event occurring in the air-conditioned space are improved.

<Third Embodiment>
The third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 13, 18, 19 and 20.
FIG. 18 shows an example of the air conditioner 130 according to the third embodiment. An air conditioner 130 illustrated in the drawings is a so-called air conditioner in which the configuration shown in FIG. 1 is mounted on a housing 150 provided with an air inlet 160 and an air outlet 170. The air conditioner 130 includes a first infrared sensor 310 and a second infrared sensor 330 as the infrared sensor 300, and a louver 710 divided into a left louver 711 and a right louver 712. The configuration of the first and second infrared sensors 310 and 330 is the same as that shown in FIG. In addition, illustration is abbreviate | omitted about the other structure which does not appear on the surface of the air conditioning apparatus 130. FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 18, in the air conditioner 130 of the third embodiment, the first infrared sensor 310 and the second infrared sensor 330 are respectively installed at the rightmost and leftmost corners of the housing 150. Yes. With this configuration, the air conditioner 130 can scan a wide range of areas on the left and right sides of the housing 150 (for example, locations that become blind spots) that could not be captured at the sensor position in the air conditioner according to the above embodiment. it can. This is shown in FIG. 19 for a clear understanding of the description.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 20, even when the air conditioner 130 is installed in the vicinity of a corner in the room, the second infrared sensor 330 separated from the corner sufficiently scans the room. Therefore, it is possible to realize more comfortable control without lowering the detection rate of the person in the room.

  Furthermore, in the air conditioner 130, the position of the wall of the room can be recognized by various methods such as using the temperature distribution of each region and the history of human presence. Therefore, when the air conditioner 130 is installed at a position close to the wall as shown in FIG. 20, the first infrared sensor 310 on the wall side reduces the scanning range after recognizing that the wall is close to the wall. (The hatched area in FIG. 20). As a result, unnecessary scans can be omitted, thereby increasing the probability of detecting a new thermal event that occurs in the room.

  As described above, according to the air conditioner 130 according to the third embodiment, the two scan-type vertical line infrared sensors are mounted on the rightmost and leftmost corners of the housing 150, respectively. Thereby, since the wide area | region of air-conditioned space can be monitored, the real-time characteristic which detects the event which newly arises in the air-conditioned space is improved.

<Fourth Embodiment>
The fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 4, 21, 22A, 22B, and 22C.
FIG. 21 shows an example of an air conditioner 140 according to the fourth embodiment. The air conditioner 140 illustrated in the drawing is a so-called air conditioner in which the configuration shown in FIG. 1 is mounted on a casing 150 provided with an air inlet 160 and an air outlet 170. The air conditioner 140 includes a first infrared sensor 310 and a second infrared sensor 320 as the infrared sensor 300, and includes a louver 710 divided into a left louver 711 and a right louver 712. The configuration of the first and second infrared sensors 310 and 320 is the same as the configuration shown in FIG. In addition, about the other structure which does not appear on the surface of the air conditioning apparatus 140, illustration is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 21, in the air conditioner 140 of the fourth embodiment, the second infrared sensor 320 is installed at the lowermost corner of the housing 150. With this configuration, the air conditioner 140 can scan a wide area under the casing 150 that could not be captured at the sensor position in the air conditioner according to the embodiment.

[Use Case 4-1]
FIG. 22A is a diagram for describing a use case 4-1 of the air conditioning apparatus 140. Spread images 314 and 324 in the figure are regions where thermal data is acquired by the first and second infrared sensors 310 and 320.
This use case 4-1 is an example in which a person 201 is present in the air-conditioned space. In this example, the first infrared sensor 310 first scans the entire room roughly, and when the person 201 is detected, the first infrared sensor 310 then details the target area based on the position of the person 201, for example, the spread image 314 and its neighboring areas. Scan. On the other hand, the second infrared sensor 320 scans an area immediately below the air conditioner 140, for example, a spread image 324 or an area in the vicinity thereof. For example, if the air conditioner 140 is mounted on the window 502, the area near the window 502 can be scanned by the second infrared sensor 320 to detect the intensity of infrared rays that enter the room from the window 502. Therefore, it is also possible to determine an outdoor weather condition or the like from the intensity of this infrared ray.
Thus, using the first and second infrared sensors 310 and 320, the air conditioner 140 can adjust the current air conditioning state of the room based on both outdoor weather conditions and indoor conditions. it can.

[Use Case 4-2]
FIG. 22B is a diagram illustrating a use case 4-2 of the air conditioning apparatus 140.
This use case 4-2 is an example in which the person 203 is sleeping in the bed in the air-conditioned space. In this case, as in the case of use case 4-1, the first infrared sensor 310 widely grasps the state of the entire room, and the second infrared sensor 320 grasps the state mainly under the apparatus. In this example, if the second infrared sensor 320 recognizes a decrease in outdoor temperature by monitoring the temperature around the window 502 (due to nighttime rainfall or the like), the air conditioner 140 determines the amount of cold air blown from the louver 710. Can be lowered or turned.

[Use Case 4-3]
FIG. 22C is a diagram for describing a use case 4-3 of the air conditioning apparatus 140.
This use case 4-3 is an example in which there are two persons 201 and 202 in the air-conditioned space, and the person 202 is immediately below the air conditioner 140. In this case, as in the case of use case 4-1, the first infrared sensor 310 widely grasps the state of the entire room, and the second infrared sensor 320 grasps the state mainly under the apparatus. In this example, the person 202 directly under the air conditioner 140 that could not be detected by the first infrared sensor 310 can be detected by the second infrared sensor 320.

  As described above, according to the air conditioner 140 according to the fourth embodiment, one of the two scan-type vertical line infrared sensors is mounted on the lowermost corner of the casing 150. Thereby, since the two areas of the entire area of the air-conditioned space and the lower area of the housing can be monitored independently, the real-time characteristics for detecting a new event in the air-conditioned space are improved.

<Example structure of infrared sensor>
Hereinafter, some structural examples of the infrared sensor that can be used in the air conditioner of the present disclosure will be described. In addition, about the same structure as already demonstrated structures, such as an infrared light receiving element, a pan motor, and a tilt motor, the same referential mark is attached | subjected and description is abbreviate | omitted.

[Structure Example 1]
FIG. 23 is a diagram illustrating the infrared sensor 340 of Structural Example 1.
The infrared sensor 340 is different from the first infrared sensor 310 shown in FIG. 4A in the number and arrangement of infrared light receiving elements 311 provided on the drum 346.

  As shown in FIG. 23, the infrared light receiving element 311 provided on the drum 346 has a configuration in which 7.5 elements in a vertical arrangement are arranged in two rows. The elements in the two columns are arranged such that half of the element height (m / 2) is shifted in the vertical direction and the element width is half (n / 2) in the horizontal direction. In the example of FIG. 23, the upper part of the left column and the lower part of the right column are element halves, but the positions of the element halves may be reversed. The number of infrared light receiving elements 311 in the two rows may be 15.5 elements, 31.5 elements, or the like other than the elements illustrated in FIG.

  The spread image about one vertical line obtained by the infrared light receiving elements 311 in the two rows of the infrared sensor 340 having the above-described configuration is an image shifted by half the element from the beginning. Therefore, a plane spread image that is a set of spread images obtained by scanning the infrared sensor 340 in the horizontal direction is equivalent to the plane spread images 315 and 325 described with reference to FIG. 10A of the first embodiment. The image is shifted by half the element in the vertical direction. Therefore, if this infrared sensor 340 is used, it is necessary to use another infrared sensor or to perform a scanning operation in the zigzag orbit described with reference to FIG. 10B in order to simultaneously create the two planar spread images 315 and 325. Absent.

[Structural Example 2]
FIG. 24 is a diagram illustrating the infrared sensor 350 of Structural Example 2.
This infrared sensor 350 differs from the first infrared sensor 310 shown in FIG. 4A in the number and arrangement of infrared light receiving elements 311 provided on the drum 356.

  As shown in FIG. 24, the infrared light receiving element 311 provided on the drum 356 has a configuration in which 10 elements are arranged in a zigzag manner in the vertical direction. The plurality of infrared light receiving elements 311 have a square shape, and are arranged so that diagonal lines are parallel to the vertical direction. The number of infrared light receiving elements 311 may be 8 to 32 elements in addition to the elements illustrated in FIG.

  In the infrared light receiving element 311 of the infrared sensor 350 configured as described above, a spread image 354 shown in FIG. 25 is obtained. Therefore, if the infrared sensor 350 is scanned in the horizontal direction by shifting half of the diagonal lines of the elements, two plane spread images 355F and 355B shown in FIG. 25 are obtained. Therefore, if this infrared sensor 350 is used, it is necessary to use another infrared sensor or to perform a scanning operation in the zigzag orbit described with reference to FIG. 10B in order to simultaneously create the two plane spread images 355F and 355B. Absent. Two planar spread images 355F and 355B may be used to increase image resolution by super-resolution techniques.

[Structural Example 3]
FIG. 26 is a diagram illustrating the infrared sensor 360 of Structural Example 3.
This infrared sensor 360 is different from the first infrared sensor 310 shown in FIG. 4A in the number and arrangement of the infrared light receiving elements 311 provided on the drum 366.

  As shown in FIG. 26, the plurality of infrared light receiving elements 331 provided on the drum 366 have a so-called cross-shaped arrangement in which eight elements in a vertical array and nine elements in a horizontal array intersect. Nine elements in a horizontal array are arranged along the side surface of the drum 366. The number of elements may be 16 elements or 32 elements in addition to the elements illustrated in FIG.

  The infrared light receiving element 311 of the infrared sensor 360 having the above configuration can simultaneously acquire spread images in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction. That is, a detailed scan in a target region of interest can be performed by a plurality of elements arranged in a vertical arrangement, and the state of the room can be widely monitored for any new event in the room by a plurality of elements arranged in a horizontal arrangement.

[Example 1 applying structural example]
The infrared sensor 340 shown in the structural example 1 may be applied in place of the first infrared sensor 310 of the air conditioner 100 or 140 according to the first or fourth embodiment. The sensor configuration image in this case is shown in FIG.
In addition, the infrared sensor 350 shown in the structural example 2 can be applied in place of the first infrared sensor 310 of the air-conditioning apparatus 100 or 140 according to the first or fourth embodiment. The sensor configuration image in this case is shown in FIG.
Furthermore, in the air conditioning apparatus 100 or 140 according to the first or fourth embodiment, the first infrared sensor 310 is replaced with the first infrared sensor 370 in which the number of infrared light receiving elements 321 is larger than that of the second infrared sensor 320. Can also be applied. The sensor configuration image in this case is shown in FIG.

  With this configuration, an image with a high resolution can be obtained using only the first infrared sensor 340, 350, or 370 without using the second infrared sensor 320. Therefore, for example, the variation between the sensors can be eliminated as compared with the method of acquiring the planar spread image using the two infrared sensors described in FIG. 10A, and the first infrared sensor 310 described in FIG. Compared with a method of acquiring a planar spread image by scanning twice and scanning, it is possible to reduce the calculation load and time for image acquisition.

[Example 2 applying structural example]
In the air conditioner 120 or 130 according to the second or third embodiment, the number of infrared light receiving elements of either the first infrared sensor 310 or the second infrared sensor 330 can be increased. The sensor image in this case is shown in FIG. 30 (an example in which there are many first infrared sensors 310).
If comprised in this way, without using the 2nd infrared sensor 320, the area | region by the side of the infrared sensor with many infrared light receiving elements can be acquired with a higher resolution image.

  The principle of the embodiment of the present disclosure described above may be used in various air conditioning systems such as a room air conditioner, an automobile air conditioner, and an office air conditioner.

100, 120, 130, 140 Air conditioner 150 Housing 160 Air inlet 170 Air outlet 300, 310, 320, 330, 340, 350, 360, 370 Infrared sensor 311, 321, 321a, 331 Infrared light receiving element 312, 322, 332 Pan motor 313, 323, 333 Tilt motor 314, 314H, 324, 324V, 334 Spread image 315, 315L, 315U, 325, 355F, 355B Plane spread image 316, 326, 336, 346, 356, 366 Drum 700 Actuator Controllers 710, 711, 712 Louver 800 processing unit

Claims (14)

A first scanning infrared sensor having a plurality of infrared light receiving elements;
A second scanning infrared sensor having a plurality of infrared light receiving elements;
The first scanning infrared sensor is a vertical line infrared sensor having a plurality of infrared light receiving elements arranged in a line in the vertical direction of the air conditioner,
The second scanning infrared sensor is a horizontal line infrared sensor having a plurality of infrared light receiving elements arranged in a line in the horizontal direction of the air conditioner,
The first scanning infrared sensor scans the air-conditioned space, acquires thermal data, monitors whether there is a thermal change event, and if there is a thermal change event, the target that caused the thermal change event Scanning a first target region having a wider vertical range than a horizontal range including at least a part of the object, obtaining detailed thermal data of the target object,
The second scanning infrared sensor scans a second target region having a wider horizontal range than a vertical range including at least a part of the target object, and monitors the occurrence of another thermal change event not caused by the target object. To
Characterized in that, air-conditioning apparatus. The second scanning infrared sensor further monitors the activity of the object in the second target area,
The first scanning infrared sensor scans an object that has not been active for a certain period of time by excluding it from the first target area.
The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein The second scanning infrared sensor further monitors the activity of the object in the second target area,
The first scanning infrared sensor changes the first target area following the movement of an object having activity,
The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein The second scanning infrared sensor further monitors the activity of the object in the second target area,
The first scanning infrared sensor scans the first target area according to the priority of the object given based on the activity level.
The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein A first scanning infrared sensor having a plurality of infrared light receiving elements;
A second scanning infrared sensor having a plurality of infrared light receiving elements;
The first scanning infrared sensor is a vertical line infrared sensor having a plurality of infrared light receiving elements arranged in a line in the vertical direction of the air conditioner,
The second scanning infrared sensor is a horizontal line infrared sensor having a plurality of infrared light receiving elements arranged in a line in the horizontal direction of the air conditioner,
The first scanning infrared sensor scans the air-conditioned space and acquires thermal data of the first plane region,
The second scanning infrared sensor scans the air-conditioned space and acquires thermal data of a second plane area in which a half size of the infrared light receiving element is shifted in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction from the first plane area. ,
Using the thermal data of the first planar region and the thermal data of the second planar region, the resolution of the thermal change event is increased.
Characterized in that, air-conditioning apparatus. A first scanning infrared sensor having a plurality of infrared light receiving elements;
A second scanning infrared sensor having a plurality of infrared light receiving elements;
The first scanning infrared sensor is a vertical line infrared sensor having a plurality of infrared light receiving elements arranged in a line in the vertical direction of the air conditioner,
The second scanning infrared sensor is a horizontal line infrared sensor having a plurality of infrared light receiving elements arranged in a line in the horizontal direction of the air conditioner,
The first scan type infrared sensor scans zigzag while shifting the half size of the infrared light receiving element in the horizontal direction in the air-conditioned space, and the half size of the infrared light receiving element is shifted in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, respectively . acquiring thermal data for a planar region及beauty second planar region,
Characterized in that, air-conditioning apparatus. A first scanning infrared sensor having a plurality of infrared light receiving elements;
A second scanning infrared sensor having a plurality of infrared light receiving elements;
The first scanning infrared sensor is a vertical line infrared sensor having a plurality of infrared light receiving elements arranged in a line in the vertical direction of the air conditioner,
The second scanning infrared sensor is a horizontal line infrared sensor having a plurality of infrared light receiving elements arranged in a line in the horizontal direction of the air conditioner,
A plurality of infrared light receiving elements between the infrared sensors based on the thermal data acquired by the first scanning infrared sensor and the thermal data acquired by the second scanning infrared sensor in the same area in the conditioned space. Calibrate the characteristic variation of
Characterized in that, air-conditioning apparatus. The second scanning infrared sensor is installed at the lowermost corner of the air conditioner,
The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein A first scanning infrared sensor having a plurality of infrared light receiving elements;
A second scanning infrared sensor having a plurality of infrared light receiving elements;
The first and second scanning infrared sensors are vertical line infrared sensors each having a plurality of infrared light receiving elements arranged in a line in the vertical direction of the air conditioner.
The first scan-type infrared sensor scans a first target region including at least a part of an object that has caused a heat change event in an air-conditioned space, and acquires detailed heat data of the object.
The second scanning infrared sensor scans a second target region including at least a part of another object that has caused a heat change event in the air-conditioned space, and obtains detailed heat data of the other object. get,
Characterized in that, air-conditioning apparatus. A first scanning infrared sensor having a plurality of infrared light receiving elements;
A second scanning infrared sensor having a plurality of infrared light receiving elements;
The first and second scanning infrared sensors are vertical line infrared sensors each having a plurality of infrared light receiving elements arranged in a line in the vertical direction of the air conditioner.
The first scan-type infrared sensor scans a first target region including at least a part of an object that has caused a heat change event in an air-conditioned space, and acquires detailed heat data of the object.
The second scanning infrared sensor scans a second target area different from the first area, and monitors the occurrence of other thermal change events not caused by the object.
Characterized in that, air-conditioning apparatus. A first scanning infrared sensor having a plurality of infrared light receiving elements;
A second scanning infrared sensor having a plurality of infrared light receiving elements;
The first and second scanning infrared sensors are vertical line infrared sensors each having a plurality of infrared light receiving elements arranged in a line in the vertical direction of the air conditioner.
The first and second scanning infrared sensors are respectively installed at the rightmost and leftmost corners of the air conditioner,
The first and second scanning infrared sensors control a scanning range according to the distance between the right side surface or the left side surface of the air conditioner and the wall surface.
Characterized in that, air-conditioning apparatus. The first scanning infrared sensor includes a first element array having a plurality of infrared light receiving elements arranged in a line and a plurality of infrared light receiving elements arranged in a line in a vertical direction of the air conditioner. An infrared sensor including an element array;
The first element row and the second element row are provided at a distance of half the element in the parallel direction and are relatively shifted by a distance of the half element in the vertical direction.
The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The first scanning infrared sensor is an infrared sensor having a plurality of infrared light receiving elements arranged in a zigzag pattern that is bent at a right angle in the vertical direction of the air conditioner.
The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The first scan-type infrared sensor includes a first element array having a plurality of infrared light receiving elements arranged in a line in the vertical direction of the air conditioner, and intersects the first element array in the horizontal direction of the air conditioner. A second element array having a plurality of infrared light receiving elements arranged in a line in an infrared sensor,
The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein