JP6660532B2 - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an air conditioner that analyzes an infrared ray radiated from an object and controls air conditioning using surface temperature information of the object.

  2. Description of the Related Art In general, there is a thermography (thermal image forming apparatus) as a device that analyzes infrared rays emitted from an object to detect a surface temperature of the object. Since thermography can detect the surface temperature of an object in a non-contact manner, it is used in many fields of temperature detection, such as a research institute that performs thermal analysis and analysis and a manufacturing factory that performs quality control.

  Recently, it has been proposed that an air conditioner is equipped with a temperature detection sensor (thermopile sensor) and a human sensor in thermography, and an air conditioning control is performed by detecting an ambient temperature of the air conditioner and a position of a person. . Patent Literature 1 proposes an air conditioner that uses a thermopile module and a human sensor to detect the presence or absence of a human and the amount of human activity to perform air conditioning control (see Patent Literature 1).

JP 2017-057331 A

  However, mounting a plurality of sensors in a limited space in an indoor unit of an air conditioner has a low degree of freedom in design, and increasing the cost by mounting a plurality of sensors is considered as a problem.

  In order to solve the conventional problem, an air conditioner of the present invention is driven by changing the direction from one end to the other end of an air conditioning target area, and detects a thermal sensation sensor that detects an amount of infrared radiation radiated in the air conditioning target area. And a control unit for performing air conditioning by receiving an output of the thermal sensation sensor, wherein the control unit controls the thermal sensation sensor by a person present in the air conditioning target area. And a second mode for detecting the position and activity amount of a person in the air-conditioning target area, and the control unit controls the first mode and the second mode. Mode.

  The air conditioner of the present invention can perform the functions of the thermal sensor and the human sensor that are conventionally mounted with only the thermal sensor, and can save the space of the indoor unit body and the control base of the air conditioner, Costs can be reduced.

The perspective view which shows the external appearance structure of the indoor unit in the air conditioner of Embodiment 1 of this invention. Vertical sectional view of the air conditioner according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Perspective view when exposing a sensor holding portion in the air conditioner according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Control block diagram in the air conditioner according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention Flowchart showing a process of determining an activity amount in the air conditioner according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Perspective view showing a thermal sensation sensor in the air conditioner according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In the first embodiment of the present invention, (a) shows a definition of a horizontal angle, and (b) shows a definition of a vertical angle. Flowchart showing switching processing of thermal sensor detection control in the air conditioner according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In the conventional air conditioner indoor unit, (a) is an overall perspective view, and (b) is an exploded enlarged view of a sensor unit.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a thermal sensation sensor which is driven while changing its direction from one end to the other end of the air conditioned area and detects an amount of infrared radiation radiated in the air conditioned area, and receives an output of the thermal sensation sensor. A control unit that performs air conditioning by using the air conditioner, wherein the control unit detects the thermal sensation of a person present in the air-conditioning target area by the thermal sensation sensor. And a second mode for detecting the position and activity of a person in the air-conditioning target area, and the control unit switches between the first mode and the second mode.

  In the first invention configured as described above, the first mode can output a high-resolution thermal image of the entire air-conditioning target area, enable detection of a thermal sensation, and use the second mode to change the room in the second mode. By dividing into three directions (right, center, and left), low-resolution but near-real-time (about 1 minute / time) detection operation is performed. The movement of the object can be tracked and the amount of activity can be detected. In addition, the position information of the person is output in the first mode and the second mode, respectively, and by superimposing them, the accuracy of the position information of the person can be further improved.

  In a second invention, the control unit of the first invention switches the first mode and the second mode based on the human detection information and an operation state of the air conditioner, and performs appropriate detection control. Can be implemented. According to the second aspect of the present invention, by switching between the first mode and the second mode, it is possible to detect a human activity amount and a thermal sensation with one sensor.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, when the number of revolutions of the indoor blower in the air conditioner of the first or second aspect of the invention becomes equal to or less than a predetermined number of revolutions, detection is performed in the second mode in each of the forward path and the backward path of the sensor drive. It is configured to be. In the air conditioner according to the third aspect of the present invention configured as described above, when the number of rotations of the indoor blower is small, for example, 450 rpm or less, and the masking of the driving sound of the thermal sensation sensor by the blowing sound cannot be performed. By driving the second mode, the air-conditioning area is divided into three directions for detection, so that the number of intermittent driving sounds can be reduced and the actual listening feeling can be reduced. Further, in the air conditioner according to the third aspect of the present invention, when the blowing sound of the indoor blower is low, the driving sound can be reduced by reducing the driving speed of the thermal sensor. In the air conditioner according to the third aspect of the present invention, when the blower sound of the indoor blower is low, the frequency of the sensor drive is reduced, for example, 1 minute / time is changed to 10 minutes / time, thereby reducing the drive sound. Real listening feeling can be reduced.

  According to a fourth aspect, based on the operating state in the first or second aspect, when the room temperature falls within a predetermined temperature range with respect to a set temperature, and the thermostat is turned off, the first and second routes of the sensor drive are respectively performed on the outward route and the return route. It is configured to detect in two modes. In the fourth invention having the above-described configuration, the second mode is set when the air conditioner is in a thermo-off state, and the driving sound of the thermal sensation sensor cannot be masked by the blowing sound of the indoor blower. By driving, the air conditioning area is divided into three directions for detection, so that the number of intermittent driving sounds can be reduced, and the real listening feeling can be reduced.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the activity amount of the presence area of the person in the air-conditioning area is detected based on the operation state in the first or second aspect, and the detected activity amount is large (“activity amount”). In the case of “medium” and “large amount of activity”, the detection is performed in the second mode on each of the forward path and the return path of the sensor drive. According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, when the activity amount of the person is large, the detection cycle is long, and the detection is performed in the second mode instead of the first mode, which is weak in movement. Information can be detected.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, based on the operating state in the first or second aspect, an activity amount in a region where a person is present in the air-conditioning area is detected, and the detected activity amount is small (“activity amount”). In the case of “small” and “activity amount rest”, the detection is performed in the first mode on the outward path of the sensor drive and in the second mode on the return path. In the sixth aspect of the present invention, when the amount of human activity is small, the first mode in which the detection cycle is long but human information is detected with high resolution, and the second mode in which human motion can be detected are provided. By alternately detecting the modes, human information can be detected with high accuracy.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, when the room temperature falls within a predetermined temperature range with respect to a set temperature based on the operation state of the first or second aspect, and the stable operation is performed, The first mode is detected on the outward path of the sensor drive, and the second mode is detected on the return path. In the seventh aspect of the present invention, when the room temperature is within a predetermined temperature range with respect to the set temperature, for example, when the room temperature during cooling-the set temperature is equal to or lower than + 0.5 ° C., the first mode and the second mode are set. By performing both of the two modes, it is possible to detect the position, activity amount, and thermal sensation of a person, and perform air conditioning suitable for any person on the person in the air conditioning area. Conversely, when the room temperature is separated from the set temperature by a predetermined temperature or more, the detection is performed in the second mode, so that the detection is performed at a high frequency, and when the room temperature changes or the like, the environmental change in the air conditioning area is changed. It can respond flexibly and perform highly accurate detection.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present disclosure is not limited to the application of the detailed configurations and arrangements of the components described in the following specification or illustrated in the following drawings. Also, the wording and terms used herein are for the purpose of the present specification and should not be construed as limiting. For example, use of the phrase "comprises", "comprises", or "has" and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the elements described thereafter, as well as additional elements as well as their equivalents.

In the embodiments, the various steps are described herein in one order, but can be performed in any order in other embodiments of the method without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. And / or all of the above steps may not be performed.
(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of an indoor unit in the air conditioner according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an internal configuration of the air conditioner according to Embodiment 1, and is a sectional view in which a central portion of the air conditioner is cut along a front-rear surface (the left side in FIG. , The right side is the back side).

  An indoor unit 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a ceiling-side top surface having a suction port 2 (see FIG. 2) for taking in indoor air, a front-side front surface, both side surfaces, and an outlet 3 for blowing air into the room. The exterior has a bottom surface and a rear surface on the wall surface side. The front surface and both side surfaces of the indoor unit 1 are formed of smoothly continuous surfaces, and the height dimension of both side surfaces is gradually reduced toward the front side. For this reason, the bottom surface of the indoor unit 1 is inclined so as to face forward.

As shown in FIG. 1, a vertical louver 4 is provided at an air outlet 3 on a bottom surface of the indoor unit 1, and the air outlet 3 is configured to be opened and closed. FIG. 1 shows the indoor unit 1 in a state where the vertical louvers 4 close the outlet 3. The indoor air taken in from the inlet 2 formed on the top surface of the indoor unit 1 is subjected to heat exchange with dust removed inside the indoor unit 1, and is blown out from the outlet 3.

  As shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 2, inside the indoor unit 1, a filter 10 for capturing dust contained in the captured indoor air, and a heat exchanger for exchanging heat with the captured indoor air. A through-flow fan 12 is provided for generating an airflow that is drawn from the suction port 2 through the filter 10 and blows out from the outlet 3 to the room (living space) through the heat exchanger 11. The front surface of the indoor unit 1 is constituted by a front panel 8, and the front panel 8 can be opened to replace the filter 10 inside the indoor unit 1.

  The outlet 3 is provided with a vertical wind direction louver 4 for changing the wind direction in the vertical direction, and a left and right wind direction louver 5 for changing the wind direction in the horizontal direction. The vertical wind direction louver 4 has an upper blade 4a, middle blades 4b, 4c, and a lower blade 4d. Each of the upper blade 4a, the middle blades 4b, 4c, and the lower blade 4d has a wind direction in the vertical direction by a drive motor for a vertical wind direction louver connected to one or both of the right and left rotation shafts, for example, a stepping motor. It is configured to be driven to rotate. The left and right wind direction louvers 5 have upper left and right blades 5a and lower left and right blades 5b. The plurality of left and right wind direction changing blades are connected to the connecting bar so that the respective left and right wind direction changing blades work together. The connecting rail is connected to a drive motor for a left and right wind direction louver, for example, a rotating shaft of a stepping motor. It is.

  As shown in FIG. 2, in the indoor unit 1 of the air conditioner of the first embodiment, a sensor holding unit 9 is provided between the front panel 8 and the outlet 3. The front surface of the sensor holding portion 9 is inclined with respect to the front panel 8 having a substantially vertical surface. An electrical unit 14 is provided inside the sensor holding unit 9. The electrical unit 14 includes a control unit 25. The control unit 25 controls the driving of various sensors, the vertical wind direction louvers 4, the left and right wind direction louvers 5, the fan 12, the compressor of the outdoor unit, and the like. The operation of the harmony machine is controlled (Fig. 4). The electrical unit 14 is mounted using a part of the underframe constituting the frame of the indoor unit 1. The control unit 25 in the electrical unit 14 is configured by a microcomputer, and controls the operation of the air conditioner based on various information from a plurality of sensors described later.

  As shown in FIG. 2, one infrared-transmissive decorative sheet 15 made of resin is attached to the front surface of the sensor holding unit 9. The thermal sensor 7 and the like are provided inside the sensor holding unit 9. Therefore, the thermal sensation sensor 7 is configured to detect the presence of a person, the movement of a person, thermal image information, and the like based on infrared rays from an air-conditioning target area that is a living space via the decorative sheet 15. Further, the indoor unit 1 according to the first embodiment has a floor temperature sensor for detecting a floor temperature of an air-conditioning target area, a solar radiation sensor for detecting a sunshine state in the air-conditioning target area, and a detection state of various sensors. A light emitting display section 16 is provided.

  The thermal sensation sensor 7 is a thermopile sensor, and is configured by arranging a large number of thermoelectric element-type sensor elements in a matrix. A condenser lens is provided in front of the matrix-like sensor elements. In the first embodiment, for example, the sensor elements are arranged in an 8 × 8 matrix. In the thermal sensation sensor 7 according to the first embodiment, the sensor elements arranged in a matrix are rotated and scanned while the vertical and horizontal directions of the sensor elements are inclined with respect to the rotation axis to indicate thermal image information. It is configured to output a signal. For example, when the sensor 7 is stationary, the detection viewing angle is about 60 °, but by scanning while tilting the rotation axis of the thermal sensation sensor 7, the horizontal viewing angle is about 180 °, and the vertical viewing angle is about A signal for forming thermal image information corresponding to 30 ° is output.

  The thermopile sensor, which is the thermal sensation sensor 7 in the air conditioner according to Embodiment 1, provides thermal image information (temperature distribution information) on the floor surface and wall surface in the air-conditioned area and / or thermal image information (temperature distribution information) on the human body. ) Two-dimensional thermal image information is formed. This thermal image information is formed by the amount of infrared rays detected by the thermal sensation sensor 7. Therefore, unlike the human sensor 6 that detects a change in the amount of infrared rays, the thermal image information detected by the thermal sensor 7 via the decorative sheet 15 requires calibration. The calibration method for the thermal sensation sensor 7 will be described later.

  The thermal sensation sensor 7 detects the presence or absence of a person, the position of the person, the movement of the person (the amount of activity), and the thermal sensation of the person, based on the amount of infrared rays in the air-conditioning target area and its change.

  The air conditioner according to the first embodiment has a configuration in which the “thermal sensation” of a person in the air-conditioning target area is detected based on the thermal image information from the thermal sensation sensor 7. In general, a PMV scale (Predicted Mean Vote: predicted thermal sensation report) is often used as an index of “thermal sensation” indicating “cold”. On the PMV scale, it is a seven-point scale from "+3 (Hot: hot)" to "-3 (Cold: cold)".

  In the first embodiment of the present disclosure, a nine-stage thermal sensation scale proposed by the Air Conditioning and Sanitary Engineering Society Subcommittee on Thermal Sensation is used as the thermal sensation scale. The 9-point rating scale is obtained by adding "+4 (very hot)" and "-4 (very cold)" to both poles of the PMV scale. Using this thermal sensation scale, thermal sensation detection control described later is performed.

  In the following description of the embodiments, the “thermal sensation” indicates a numerical value within the range of “−4” to “+4” on the thermal sensation scale. Similarly, in terms of “thermal sensation” such as “average thermal sensation”, “standard thermal sensation”, and “detected thermal sensation” to be described later, each of the terms “-4” to “-4” of the thermal sensation scale This shows a numerical value within the range of “+4”.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the sensor holding unit 9 provided with the thermal sensation sensor 7 in an exposed manner. The sensor unit 9 provided below the front panel 8 of the indoor unit 1 is provided with the thermal sensor 7 on the back side of the decorative sheet 15 as described above. It is held by the holding unit 9.

  The internal space of the sensor holding unit 9 for holding the thermal sensation sensor 7 is sealed, and is separated from the air flow path inside the indoor unit.

  In addition, for example, light from a plurality of LEDs that emit light of different colors is provided in the center of the sensor holding unit 9 so that the operating state and the detection state of the thermal sensation sensor 7 and the like can be visually recognized. A light emitting display unit 16 configured to emit light by a light plate is provided.

[Activity detection in air conditioners]
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the thermal sensation sensor 7 is disposed on the left side of the center of the sensor holding unit 9, and the detection end 22 (see FIG. 6), which is a sensor part protruding downward, is substantially 180 °. Rotate to obtain thermal image information of the air conditioning target area I (living space). The thermal sensation sensor 7 is rotated and scanned by a predetermined angle to detect the amount of infrared rays itself in the air conditioning target area.

  Therefore, as described above, in the first embodiment, since the thermal sensation sensor 7 is configured to detect the amount of infrared rays via the decorative sheet 15, the calibration process is performed as described later. FIG. 4 shows a control block diagram of a control system in the present embodiment.

  In the air conditioner according to Embodiment 1, it is determined based on the signal output from thermal sensation sensor 7 whether the human body is in a resting state in which the human body hardly moves or in an active state in which the human body is active. In the air conditioner of the first embodiment, the magnitude of the amount of movement (movement) of a person in four stages of “large”, “medium”, “small”, and “resting state” in the active state where the human body is active is determined. are doing. Specifically, the control unit 25 determines that the activity amount is “large”, “medium”, or “medium” in accordance with the amount of movement of the person detected by the thermal sensation sensor 7 within a predetermined detection time (for example, two minutes). The activities of "small" and "resting" are determined. More specifically, the control unit 25 compares the amount of movement of the person with a plurality of predetermined thresholds, and determines “large”, “medium”, “small”, and “resting state” of the activity amount. ing.

  Note that, in the first embodiment, the activity amount “large” refers to a state in which a large amount of activity is active in a wide area, such as when cleaning. The activity amount “medium” refers to a state where the activity is performed in a small area such as cooking. The activity amount “small” refers to a state in which the user is somewhat active in a small area such as when eating.

  In the air conditioner of the first embodiment, the human body position determination region in the air conditioning target region is divided into seven regions based on the human position detection result output from thermal sensation sensor 7. In the air conditioner, the human position distance r and the human position angle θ output from the thermal sensation sensor 7 are applied to the seven human body position determination areas of the air conditioning target area to detect the presence or absence of a person. ing.

  The activity amount can be determined, for example, by the following method. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a process of determining the amount of activity.

  When performing the activity amount detection operation, first, in step 21, an activity amount detection operation in a certain direction is performed, and in step 22, it is determined whether the detection in all three directions is completed. Here, the “measurement direction” refers to any block (direction) of blocks L, C, and R (see FIG. 8 described below), and the measurement is performed on all the blocks.

  If it is determined in step 22 that all the directions have not been completed, the process returns to step 21. If it is determined that the detection has been completed in all directions, in step 23, it is determined whether the four sets of measurements have been completed. I do. If the four-set measurement has not been completed in step 23, the process returns to step 21. If the four-set measurement has been completed, the process proceeds to step 24.

  In step 24, it is determined whether or not the total detected movement amount of the sensor of the four sets of measurement (the past four sets including the current one set measurement) has reached a predetermined distance (for example, 3 m). If not, in step 25, it is determined that “the amount of activity is small”, and the process proceeds to step 26.

  In step 26, it is determined whether or not the total detection distance of the thermal sensation sensors in all the blocks has reached a predetermined distance (for example, 20 m). All areas determined to be present except for the area determined to be "" are determined to be "high in activity", while if the predetermined number has not been reached, in step 28, the thermal sensation sensor of four sets of measurements is performed. An area where the total detection distance has reached the predetermined distance is determined to be “in the amount of activity”.

  After the activity amount determination in step 27 or 28, the activity amount determination control ends in step 29.

If it is determined in step 24 that the total detection distance of the sensors is less than the predetermined number in the four-unit measurement, it is determined in step 30 whether or not the area is “resting”. Is determined to be “small activity”. In the next step 32, it is determined that "the amount of activity" is small. In step 33, after it is determined that the "amount of activity" is small, it is determined whether or not the state of "the amount of activity" has been continued for 30 minutes.

  If it is determined in step 33 that the lapse of 30 minutes has not ended, the process proceeds to step 29. If it is determined that the lapse of 30 minutes has ended, it is determined that “the amount of activity is small” in all of the lapse of 30 minutes. After the determined area is determined to be “rest” in step 34, the process proceeds to step 29.

  At the beginning of the activity measurement after the power of the air conditioner is turned on, the activity in any area is unknown. However, according to the processing of this flowchart, it is only after four sets of measurements have been completed from the start of the measurement that each area has been measured. The determination of "large amount of activity", "medium amount of activity" or "low amount of activity" is made, and the determination of "rest" is made only after the lapse of 30 minutes. Therefore, since there is no "rest" area for a while after the start of the measurement, the determination in step 30 is NO, and the determination in step 31 is "small activity". Thereafter, the area continuously determined as “small activity” is determined as “rest” in step 34 after 30 minutes, and if the total detection distance of the four sets of sensors is less than the predetermined distance, Continued to be judged as “rest”.

In the processing of the above-described flowchart, the activity amount is determined as follows.
(1) Rest The area where the sensor response frequency is less than 3m / 4 sets lasted for 30 minutes or more. (2) The amount of activity The total of the sensor response frequency in all areas is 20m or more / 4 sets, and the sensor detection distance is at least one area. Is more than 3 m between the four sets, all areas except the area determined to be “rest” (3) In the activity amount When the sum of the sensor response frequencies of all the areas is less than 20 m / 4 sets, The area where the sensor detection distance is 3 m or more between the four sets (4) The small activity amount The area where it is not determined that the subject is at rest, the large activity amount, or the medium activity amount is not determined. The “position determination area” may be simply referred to as “area”.

[Thermal sensation detection operation]
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the thermal sensation sensor 7 arranged on the right side of the sensor holding unit 9. FIG. 6 shows the thermal sensation sensor 7 provided on the back side of the decorative sheet 15 by cutting a part of the decorative sheet 15. As shown in FIG. 6, a front plate 19 having a sensor window 17 that is open on the front side and on both sides of a detection end portion (sensor portion) 22 extending downward in the thermal sensation sensor 7 is provided. . The front plate 19 is a resin plate that covers the front surface of the sensor holding unit 9. The front plate 19 has concave grooves 18 formed on both sides of the sensor window 17 at the center, and the opening of the sensor window 17 and the front plate 19 are formed by the rotation of the detection end 22 of the thermal sensation sensor 7. Through the groove 18, the entire area of the air conditioning target area can be scanned without passing through the front plate 19.

[Detection of thermal sensation in air conditioners]
Next, detection of thermal sensation based on thermal image information acquired by the thermopile sensor that is the thermal sensation sensor 7 in the air conditioner of Embodiment 1 will be described.

First, a method of calculating the heat radiation amount of the human body from the thermal image information obtained from the thermopile sensor as the thermal sensation sensor 7 will be described.

The amount of heat radiation (H) [W / m ² ] from the human body is generally represented by the following equation (1).

In the formula (1), R is a heat radiation amount (heat reception amount) [W / m ² ] by radiation of the human body, C is a heat radiation amount (heat reception amount) [W / m ² ] by convection of the human body, and K is The amount of heat radiation (heat reception) by the conduction of the human body [W / m ² ]. E _sk is the amount of heat radiation [W / m ² ] due to moisture evaporation from the skin, E _res is the amount of heat radiation [W / m ² ] due to moisture evaporation of expiration, and C _res is the amount of heat radiation due to convection of expiration. [W / m ² ].

  Further, assuming that the surface temperature of the clothing and the skin is tcl, the surrounding wall surface temperature is tr, and the ambient air temperature is ta, R and C are represented by the following equations (2) and (3).

Here, hr is the radiation thermal conductivity [W / m ² ° C], and hc is the convective thermal conductivity [W / m ² ° C].

In the case where the contact area of the human body with the floor or the like is small, the heat radiation amount K due to conduction of the human body is negligibly small, and the heat radiation amount (C _res ) due to convection from exhalation is small, the equation (1) is calculated by the following equation. It can be expressed by (4).

In the state that can be expressed by the equation (4) as described above, when the person is in a resting state and the amount of activity of the person is small, the heat radiation amount E _sk due to the evaporation of water from the skin and the heat radiation amount E _res due to the water evaporation of the expiration. However, if the situation can be regarded as substantially constant, the equation (4) becomes the following equation (5).

  That is, if the difference (tcl-tr) between the person's surface temperature (tcl) and the wall surface temperature (tr) and the difference (tcl-ta) between the person's surface temperature (tcl) and the ambient temperature (ta) are known, It is possible to estimate the heat radiation amount (H) of the person.

  As the ambient air temperature (ta), a detection value of a temperature sensor mounted on the air conditioner, or a value obtained by correcting the detection value according to a driving situation or a detected person's state can be adopted.

  Furthermore, especially when the ambient air temperature (ta) and the surrounding wall surface temperature (tr) are substantially equal (ta ≒ tr), that is, when the air conditioning is sufficiently stable, the equation (1) is expressed by the following equation (6). be able to.

That is, in the state that can be expressed by the equation (4), when the person is in a resting state and the amount of activity of the person is small, the heat _release amount E _sk due to the moisture evaporation from the skin and the heat _release amount E _res due to the water evaporation of the exhalation are: If the situation can be regarded as substantially constant, the variable of the equation (4) is only (tcl-tr).

  For this reason, in a case where the person is at rest and the amount of activity of the person is small, and in a state where the air conditioning operation is sufficiently stable, the difference (tcl−) between the surface temperature (tcl) of the person and the wall surface temperature (tr) is obtained. If tr) is known, the heat radiation amount (H) of the person can be estimated.

  If the amount of heat radiation (H) of a person and the amount of metabolism (heat production M) of the person are balanced (H = M), the heat balance of the person is balanced, and the person feels comfortable. Can be estimated. On the other hand, if the heat release (H) is larger than the metabolism (heat production M) (H> M), the person feels cold according to the magnitude of the heat release. If it is smaller (H <M), it can be estimated that the person feels hot.

  Therefore, when the person is at rest and the amount of activity of the person is small, the ambient temperature (ta) and the surface temperature (tcl) of the person from the thermal image information obtained from the thermopile sensor, which is the thermal sensation sensor 7, By extracting the surrounding wall surface temperature (tr) and detecting the heat radiation amount (H) of the person, it is possible to detect the "warmth sensation" of the person in a non-contact manner.

  Further, when the air-conditioning operation is sufficiently stable, the surface temperature (tcl) of the person and the surrounding wall surface temperature (tr) are extracted from the thermal image information obtained from the thermopile sensor as the thermal sensation sensor 7. By detecting the heat radiation amount (H) of the person, it is possible to detect the "warmth sensation" of the person in a non-contact manner.

In the air conditioner according to Embodiment 1, as described above, the amount of heat radiation of a person when the amount of activity of a person is small or when the person is in a resting state is estimated in a non-contact manner, and based on the estimated amount of heat radiation. The air conditioning control is performed by detecting the "warmth sensation" of the person. However, it is difficult to identify the area (person existing area) where the person exists in the air conditioning target area (living space) using only the thermal image information obtained from the conventional thermal sensation detection operation, and furthermore, the amount of human activity is reduced. It is difficult to detect whether the state is small or the person is at rest.

  Therefore, in the thermal sensation detection control based on the thermal sensation detection in the air conditioner of the first embodiment, the temperature distribution information from the thermal image information obtained from the thermopile sensor as the thermal sensation sensor 7 is used together with the thermal sensation information. Using the human body detection information obtained by driving the sense sensor 7 by the activity amount detection operation and temperature information from other sensors in the living space, which is the air conditioning target area, the position of a person in the air conditioning target area (living space) , A person's "activity" and a person's "thermal sensation".

  In the air conditioner of the first embodiment, thermal image information from the thermal sensation sensor 7, human body detection information, and temperature information (room temperature information) from temperature sensors (room temperature sensor, floor temperature sensor, etc.) are used. Although it is assumed that the thermal sensation detection control is performed, the air conditioner of the present disclosure acquires room temperature information from thermal image information of the thermal sensation sensor 7 and acquires thermal image information from the thermal sensation sensor 7. It is also possible to perform the same air-conditioning control as the thermal sensation detection control in the first embodiment using the information and the human body detection information.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the case where the person is at rest and the amount of activity of the person is small, that is, the case where the metabolic amount (heat production M) can be regarded as a substantially constant value, is described. In the case of the above, the metabolic amount (calorific value M) according to the activity amount is calculated, and the metabolic amount (caloric value M) is compared with the heat release amount H to detect the “thermal sensation”. do it.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram showing definitions of terms “horizontal angle”, “vertical angle”, and “floor distance” used in the first embodiment. As shown in (a) of FIG. 7, in the “horizontal angle”, when the indoor unit 1 is viewed from above, the front of the thermal sensation sensor 7 (sensor position: the detection end portion 22) has a horizontal angle of “0” °. The left is a “−” area, and the right is a “+” area. Also, as shown in FIG. 7B, in the “vertical angle”, the horizontal plane of the thermal sensation sensor 7 (sensor position: detection end 22) is at the vertical angle “0” °, and the upper part is The "-" area is below and the "+" area is below. On the floor surface, the “floor distance” is a distance from a position of a perpendicular line from the thermal sensation sensor 7 (sensor position) to a position of a detection target human body.

[Determination of thermal sensor operation]
FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a detection operation switching process of the thermal sensor control.

  First, in step 101, it is determined whether or not the air conditioner is operating. If the air conditioner is operating, the process proceeds to step 102, and if the air conditioner is stopped, the process proceeds to step 109.

  Next, in step 102, it is determined whether or not the indoor fan rotation speed is equal to or higher than a predetermined rotation speed. If the rotation speed is equal to or higher than the predetermined rotation speed, the process proceeds to step 103. Transition.

  Next, in step 103, the temperature difference between the room temperature and the set temperature is determined. If it is within the predetermined temperature range, the process proceeds to step 104, and if it is outside the predetermined temperature range, the process proceeds to step 109.

  Next, in step 104, the activity amount is determined. If the activity amount is small (specifically, the activity amount is small or quiet), the process proceeds to step 105, and if it is determined that the activity amount is large. Then, the process proceeds to step 109.

  Next, in step 105, the driving direction of the thermal sensation sensor 7 is determined, and if it is the forward drive, the thermal sensation detection control of step 106 is performed. The activity detection control of step 107 is performed.

  On the other hand, also in step 109, the drive direction is determined. If the drive is the forward drive, the activity detection control of step 110 is performed. If the drive is the return drive, the activity detection control of step 111 is performed. Is carried out.

  As in the above flowchart, in the air conditioner according to Embodiment 1, when the air conditioner is in the operating state, the indoor fan is at or above the predetermined rotation speed, the room temperature is within the predetermined temperature range with respect to the set temperature, and the amount of activity is small. The thermal sensation detection operation is performed only on the outward path.

  This is because the thermal sensation detection operation in the present embodiment requires a long detection cycle (about two and a half minutes required), and repeats about 1 ° drive and infrared detection to detect the detection area with high resolution. Therefore, discontinuous driving noise is generated, and the thermal sensation estimation algorithm assumes that the amount of activity is small.

  For example, in step 101, when the operation is stopped, the driving sound of the thermal sensation detection operation cannot be masked because the indoor blower is stopped, so the activity amount detection operation is performed. In step 102, the activity detection operation is performed for the same reason. In step 103, the operation is in the transitional period, and the room temperature is likely to change. Therefore, the thermal sensation detection operation having a long detection cycle is not appropriate, and the activity amount detection operation is performed. In step 104, since the index of the thermal sensation scale is set in the thermal sensation detection algorithm on the basis of the state of rest of the person or the state where the amount of activity of the person is "small", the activity (the amount of activity) > Small), the detection of the “thermal sensation” of the person based on the thermal image information from the thermal sensation sensor 7 is meaningless, and the activity amount detection operation is performed.

  Note that the thermal image information transmitted from the thermal sensation sensor 7 to the control unit 25 in the first embodiment includes the number, position (vertical angle, horizontal angle, and distance) of detected persons, “moving distance”, and “temperature”. Data such as "cool feeling" (see FIGS. 7A and 7B).

  As described above, according to the air conditioner of the present disclosure, the thermal sensation sensor 7 switches between the thermal sensation detection operation and the activity amount detection operation based on the operating state and the sensor detection state, and performs detection suited to the situation. By doing so, it is possible to specify a human presence area where a human is present, capture the amount of human activity, detect the thermal sensation of the human, and reduce the number of conventional human sensors.

  The activity amount detection control in each of the steps 107, 110, and 111 may have the same control content or different control content.

  Although the present disclosure has been described in the embodiments with a certain degree of detail, the disclosed contents of the embodiments should be changed in the details of the configuration, and combinations of elements and changes in the order in the embodiments are claimed. The present invention can be realized without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.

  As described above, the air conditioner according to the present invention can detect thermal sensation and activity with a single sensor, so that it can be used for air conditioners in general, air purifiers, and general white goods. Can be applied.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Indoor unit 2 Suction port 3 Outlet 4 Vertical louver 5 Vertical louver 6 Human sensor 7 Thermal sensor 8 Front panel 9 Sensor holding part 10 Filter 11 Heat exchanger 12 Fan 13 Top panel 14 Electrical unit 15 Decoration Sheet 16 Light-emitting display unit 17 Sensor window 18 Recessed groove 19 Front plate 22 Detection end 25 Control unit

Claims (5)

A thermal sensor that is driven from one end of the air conditioning target area to the other end and detects the amount of infrared radiation radiated in the air conditioning target area, and controls the air conditioning by receiving the output of the thermal sensor. And a unit, wherein the control unit is configured to control the thermal sensation sensor to detect a thermal sensation of a person present in the air conditioning target area, and the air conditioning target area In the second mode of detecting the position and activity amount of the person in the, the control unit drives the first mode and the second mode detection information pertaining to a person, the operating state of the air conditioner When the rotation speed of the blower of the indoor unit of the air conditioner becomes equal to or less than a predetermined rotation speed, the detection is performed in the second mode on the outward path and the return path of the driving of the thermal sensor. An air conditioner characterized by that: The thermal sensor is characterized in that when the room temperature falls within a predetermined temperature range with respect to a set temperature and the thermo-sensor is turned off, the thermal sensor is detected in a second mode on a forward path and a return path for driving the thermal sensor. The air conditioner according to claim 1 . When the room temperature falls within a predetermined temperature range with respect to a set temperature and becomes stable, the thermal sensor detects in the second mode on the forward path and the return path of the driving of the thermal sensor, respectively. The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2. The thermal sensation sensor detects in the second mode each of the forward and backward paths of the driving of the thermal sensation sensor when it is determined that the activity amount of the person is large based on the detection information relating to the person. The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The thermal sensation sensor detects in the first mode on the outward path of the sensor drive and in the second mode on the return path when it is determined that the activity amount of the person is small based on the detection information on the person. The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein:

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