JP7278699B2 - electrical equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a control device, an electric device, a control method and a program.

When a user uses a device, there is a demand for a technique for controlling the device according to the user's age.

For example, the television device disclosed in Patent Document 1 corrects the luminance and color temperature of the video according to the user's age input by a remote controller. The television device can display an image suitable for elderly people whose visual function has deteriorated by correcting according to age.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-251641

However, when viewing images on the television device of Patent Document 1, the user is required to perform a special operation of inputting his/her age using a remote controller, which is inconvenient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above circumstances, the present invention provides a control device or the like that performs control according to the user's age without requiring a special operation by the user.

In order to achieve the above object, the electrical equipment according to the present invention includes:
electrical equipment,
Skin moisture content acquisition means for acquiring the skin moisture content of the user who operates the electrical device;
a suction means for sucking dust;
control means for determining the suction force of the suction means based on the obtained skin moisture content by utilizing the fact that there is a correlation between the age of the user and the skin moisture content;
Prepare.

Since there is a correlation between the skin moisture content and the age, according to the present invention, by performing control based on the user's skin moisture content, the user's Age-appropriate control is possible.

1 is a side view of a vacuum cleaner according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention; A diagram showing a functional configuration of a vacuum cleaner according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Diagram showing the correlation between age and skin moisture content FIG. 1 shows an example of the hardware configuration of a control device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Flowchart showing an example of the operation of the vacuum cleaner according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention A diagram showing an example of correspondence between skin moisture content and estimated age in age estimation by the vacuum cleaner according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. A diagram showing an example of correspondence between an estimated age and the upper limit of the suction power in determining the upper limit of the suction power of the vacuum cleaner according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. A diagram showing an example of the correspondence between the amount of skin moisture and the upper limit of the suction power in determining the upper limit of the suction power of the vacuum cleaner according to the modification of the first embodiment of the present invention. Flowchart showing an example of the operation of the cleaner according to the modification of the first embodiment of the present invention A diagram showing the front side of a remote controller for a television apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the back side of the remote control for the television set according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention; A diagram showing a functional configuration of a television apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. Flowchart showing an example of volume change operation by a remote control for a television apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention A diagram showing an example of the correspondence between the estimated age and the increase/decrease value of the volume when changing the volume using the remote controller for the television device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. A diagram showing the front side of a remote controller for an air conditioner according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. The figure which shows the back surface of the remote control for air conditioners which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention. A diagram showing a functional configuration of an air conditioner according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. Flowchart showing an example of temperature change operation by a remote controller for an air conditioner according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention A top view of a cooker according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention A diagram showing a functional configuration of a cooker according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention A diagram showing an example of the current thermal power displayed on the display unit of the cooker according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. The figure which shows an example of the confirmation notice displayed on the display part of the cooker which concerns on Embodiment 4 of this invention. Flowchart showing an example of the heating power change operation of the cooker according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention A top view of a washing machine according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention A diagram showing a functional configuration of a washing machine according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention Flowchart showing an example of the operation of the washing machine according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention A diagram showing an example of the correspondence between the estimated age and the sound volume in determining the sound volume by the washing machine according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention.

Hereinafter, electrical equipment according to embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same code|symbol is attached|subjected to the same or equivalent part.

(Embodiment 1)
A cleaner 1 according to Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. The cleaner 1 is a cleaner capable of estimating the user's age and limiting the suction force according to the estimated age. By limiting the suction force according to the estimated age, even elderly people with weak muscles can handle the cleaner 1 without difficulty. Vacuum cleaner 1 is an example of an electrical appliance according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1 , cleaner 1 includes dust sensor 11 , motor 12 , fan 13 , dust box 14 , control device 100 and humidity sensor 200 . The motor 12 is connected with the fan 13 . Fan 13 is connected to dust box 14 . As shown in FIG. 2, the dust sensor 11, the motor 12 and the humidity sensor 200 are connected to the control device 100. As shown in FIG. In addition, in FIG. 1, the illustration about connection is abbreviate|omitted.

The dust sensor 11 is a sensor that detects the amount of sucked dust. A dust sensor 11 is provided at the suction port of the nozzle. The dust sensor 11 is implemented using an infrared sensor, for example. As the amount of dust passing through the suction port increases, more infrared rays are scattered, so the amount of dust sucked can be detected using an infrared sensor. The dust sensor 11 outputs the detected amount of dust to the control device 100 .

The motor 12 rotates the connected fan 13 under the control of the control device 100 . When the motor 12 rotates the fan 13, the vacuum cleaner 1 can suck dust through the suction port. The sucked dust is accumulated in the dust box 14. - 特許庁The motor 12 is an example of suction means according to the present invention.

The control device 100 controls the motor 12 based on the amount of dust detected by the dust sensor 11 and the amount of skin moisture detected by the humidity sensor 200 . The control device 100 includes a control section 110 and a skin moisture content acquisition section 120 . The control unit 110 is connected to the dust sensor 11 , the motor 12 and the skin moisture content acquisition unit 120 . The skin moisture content acquisition unit 120 is connected to the control unit 110 and the humidity sensor 200 . The control device 100 is mounted, for example, on a substrate provided inside the cleaner 1 . Control device 100 is an example of a control device according to the present invention.

The control unit 110 acquires the skin moisture content of the user from the skin moisture content acquisition unit 120 . Control unit 110 estimates the user's age based on the acquired skin moisture content. The control unit 110 acquires the amount of dust detected by the dust sensor 11 . The control unit 110 determines the suction force based on the estimated age and the obtained amount of dust. The controller 110 controls the motor 12 based on the determined suction force. Control unit 110 includes age estimation unit 111 . The control unit 110 is an example of control means according to the present invention.

The age estimation unit 111 estimates the user's age based on the skin moisture content acquired from the skin moisture content acquisition unit 120 . As shown in FIG. 3, it is known that there is a correlation between skin moisture content and age such that the younger the age, the higher the skin moisture content. The age estimator 111 uses this correlation to estimate the user's age based on the user's skin moisture content. Age estimation unit 111 is an example of age estimation means according to the present invention.

The details of age estimation and attraction force determination will be described together with the description of the operation.

The skin moisture content acquisition unit 120 acquires the user's skin moisture content detected by the humidity sensor 200 . The skin moisture content acquisition unit 120 outputs the acquired skin moisture content to the control unit 110 . The skin moisture content acquisition unit 120 is an example of the skin moisture content acquisition means according to the present invention.

Humidity sensor 200 detects the user's skin moisture content. A humidity sensor 200 is provided at a handle portion of the cleaner 1 . When the user grips the handle portion, the user's skin comes into contact with the humidity sensor 200, so the humidity sensor 200 can detect the user's skin moisture content. The humidity sensor 200 outputs the detected skin moisture content of the user to the skin moisture content acquisition unit 120 . As the humidity sensor 200, for example, a capacitance humidity sensor or a resistance humidity sensor can be employed.

The control device 100 can be implemented by the hardware configuration shown in FIG. 4, for example. The control device 100 shown in FIG. 4 is implemented by, for example, a computer system using a microcontroller.

The control device 100 includes a processor 1001 , a memory 1002 , an interface 1003 , and a secondary storage device 1004 that are interconnected via a bus 1000 .

The processor 1001 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). Each function of the control device 100 is realized by the processor 1001 reading the dedicated program stored in the secondary storage device 1004 into the memory 1002 and executing it.

The memory 1002 is, for example, a main memory configured by RAM (Random Access Memory). The memory 1002 stores a dedicated program read by the processor 1001 from the secondary storage device 1004 . The memory 1002 also functions as a work memory when the processor 1001 executes the dedicated program.

The interface 1003 is, for example, an I/O (Input/Output) port such as a serial port or GPIO (General-Purpose Input/Output). The dust sensor 11 , the motor 12 and the humidity sensor 200 are connected to the interface 1003 .

The secondary storage device 1004 is, for example, flash memory. A secondary storage device 1004 stores a dedicated program executed by the processor 1001 .

In the hardware configuration shown in FIG. 4, the control device 100 has a secondary storage device 1004 . However, the configuration is not limited to this, and the secondary storage device 1004 may be provided outside the control device 100 and the control device 100 and the secondary storage device 1004 may be connected via the interface 1003 . In this form, removable media such as USB flash drives, memory cards, etc. can also be used as the secondary storage device 1004 .

Further, instead of the hardware configuration shown in FIG. 4, the control device 100 may be configured by a dedicated circuit using an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or the like. . Moreover, in the hardware configuration shown in FIG. 4, part of the functions of the control device 100 may be implemented by a dedicated circuit connected to the interface 1003, for example.

Approximately the same hardware configuration can be adopted for control devices 100A to 100D in embodiments 2 to 5, which will be described later.

The configuration of the vacuum cleaner 1 has been described above. Next, an example of the operation of cleaner 1 will be described with reference to FIG. The operation shown in FIG. 5 is started when the cleaner 1 is started.

The control device 100 of the vacuum cleaner 1 acquires the user's skin moisture content from the humidity sensor 200 by the skin moisture content acquisition unit 120 (step S101). The skin moisture content acquisition unit 120 outputs the acquired skin moisture content to the control unit 110 .

The control unit 110 uses the age estimation unit 111 to estimate the user's age based on the skin moisture content acquired from the skin moisture content acquisition unit 120 (step S102). As described above, there is a correlation shown in FIG. 3 between skin moisture content and age. Therefore, by associating the skin moisture content with the estimated age as shown in FIG. 6, the age can be estimated based on the skin moisture content. The age estimation unit 111 estimates the user's age based on the correspondence shown in FIG. For example, when the skin moisture content is 27%, the age estimating unit 111 estimates the user's age as being in their 40s.

The control unit 110 determines the upper limit of the suction force according to the age estimated by the age estimation unit 111 (step S103). The control unit 110 determines the upper limit of the suction force based on the correspondence shown in FIG. 7, for example. For example, when the estimated age is in the 40's, the control unit 110 makes the upper limit of the suction force 10% smaller than usual. The upper limit of the normal suction force is, for example, the suction force corresponding to the maximum output of the motor 12 .

The controller 110 acquires the amount of dust to be sucked from the dust sensor 11 (step S104). The controller 110 determines a provisional suction force based on the amount of dust to be sucked (step S105). The "temporary attraction force" is the attraction force when the upper limit is not considered. When the amount of dust to be sucked is large, it is considered that there is a large amount of dust on the floor near the nozzle, so the control unit 110 increases the provisional suction force. When the amount of dust to be sucked is small, it is considered that there is little dust on the floor near the nozzle, so the control unit 110 reduces the provisional suction force.

The control unit 110 determines the final attraction force according to the upper limit of the attraction force determined in step S103 (step S106). If the provisional attraction force determined in step S105 exceeds the upper limit, the upper limit of the attraction force determined in step S103 is determined as the final attraction force. If the provisional attraction force does not exceed the upper limit, the attraction force is directly determined as the final attraction force. That is, the final attraction force is obtained by limiting the provisional attraction force by the upper limit. By limiting the suction force, the suction force is suitable even for elderly people with reduced muscle strength.

The control unit 110 controls the motor 12 based on the final suction force (step S107), and repeats the operation flow from step S104.

The cleaner 1 according to Embodiment 1 has been described above. According to the vacuum cleaner 1, the user's age is estimated based on the amount of skin moisture, the suction force is determined according to the estimated age, and the motor 12 is controlled. As a result, it is possible to prevent the suction force from becoming too large, making it difficult for elderly people with reduced muscle strength to handle.

In addition, according to the vacuum cleaner 1, since the suction force is determined according to the estimated age and the motor 12 is controlled, the user does not need to perform a special operation such as changing the suction force with a switch.

That is, the vacuum cleaner 1 uses the correlation between the skin moisture content and age to determine the suction force based on the user's skin moisture content, thereby requiring a special user operation. It is possible to perform control according to the user's age without any need.

Further, according to the cleaner 1, since the suction force is determined based on the amount of moisture in the skin, there is no need to register in the cleaner 1 information identifying the individual user, such as face information and fingerprint information, and privacy is also excellent. . In addition, according to the cleaner 1, the configuration for registering and determining the information for identifying the individual user is unnecessary, and the configuration is simple.

(Modification of Embodiment 1)
In Embodiment 1, the age of the user is estimated based on the amount of skin moisture, and the upper limit of the suction force is determined based on the estimated age of the user. On the other hand, combining the correspondence relationship between the skin moisture content and the estimated age shown in FIG. 6 and the correspondence relationship between the estimated age and the upper limit of the suction force shown in FIG. It is possible to obtain the correspondence relationship with the upper limit of It can be said that this correspondence relationship is obtained using the fact that there is a correlation between skin moisture content and age.

Therefore, it is possible to determine the upper limit of the suction force based on the skin moisture content without explicitly estimating the user's age. Therefore, as a modified example of Embodiment 1, vacuum cleaner 1 in which age estimating section 111 is omitted can be considered.

An example of the operation of the cleaner 1 according to the modification will be described with reference to FIG. 9 . The example of operation shown in FIG. 9 differs from the example of operation shown in FIG. 5 in that step S102a exists instead of steps S102 and S103. Since the operation after step S104 is the same, the explanation is omitted.

In step S102a, the control unit 110 determines the upper limit of the suction force based on the correspondence shown in FIG. 8 according to the skin moisture content. That is, the upper limit of the suction force is determined based on the skin moisture content without explicitly estimating the age of the user.

Since the correspondence shown in FIG. 8 is obtained using the fact that there is a correlation between the amount of skin moisture and age, the operation of step S102a can be performed without explicitly estimating the age of the user. It can be said that the upper limit of the suction power is determined by utilizing the fact that there is a correlation between the skin moisture content and age.

Therefore, according to the vacuum cleaner 1 according to the modification, as in the case of the first embodiment, the suction force is calculated based on the user's skin moisture content using the correlation between the skin moisture content and the age. By determining , it is possible to perform control suitable for the age of the user without requiring any special operation by the user.

It should be noted that a modification applying the same technical idea as the modification can also be adopted for Embodiments 2 to 5, which will be described later.

Moreover, the following is conceivable as another modified example of the first embodiment.

In Embodiment 1, cleaner 1 includes dust sensor 11, and temporary suction force varies according to the amount of dust detected by dust sensor 11. FIG. However, it is also possible to employ a modification in which the vacuum cleaner 1 does not include the dust sensor 11 and the provisional suction force is constant regardless of the amount of dust. Also in this modified example, when a large suction force is set as the provisional suction force, the final suction force may be restricted according to the age of the user.

In Embodiment 1, humidity sensor 200 is provided in the handle portion of cleaner 1 . However, the place where the humidity sensor 200 is provided is not limited to this. For example, the humidity sensor 200 may be provided on the activation switch of the vacuum cleaner 1 .

(Embodiment 2)
A television apparatus 2 according to Embodiment 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 10A, 10B and 11. FIG. 10A and 10B show only the remote controller 2a for the television device 2. FIG. The television device 2 is a television device capable of estimating the user's age and adjusting the amount of change in volume when changing the volume according to the estimated age. For example, by increasing the amount of volume change when the estimated age is high, it is possible to reduce the effort required for an elderly person with weak hearing to change the volume. The television device 2 is an example of the electrical equipment according to the present invention.

The television device 2 includes a remote controller 2a and a receiver 2b. The remote controller 2 a includes a volume change button 21 , a communication section 22 , a control device 100A, and a humidity sensor 200 . The receiver 2b has an audio output section 23 . The remote controller 2a and the receiver 2b can communicate with each other through infrared communication.

The volume change button 21 is a button for changing the volume of the sound emitted from the sound output unit 23 . As shown in FIG. 10A, the volume change button 21 is provided on the front side of the remote controller 2a. The volume change button 21 is composed of a set of a button for increasing the volume and a button for decreasing the volume. When the volume change button 21 is pushed by the user's operation, a signal indicating volume change is output to the control unit 110A of the control device 100A.

Under the control of the control device 100A, the communication unit 22 transmits a signal including the amount of change in volume after adjustment to the receiver 2b. As shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, the communication section 22 is provided at the tip of the remote controller 2a. The communication unit 22 is implemented by, for example, an infrared communication module.

The control device 100A acquires the user's skin moisture content from the humidity sensor 200 . The control device 100A determines the amount of change in volume based on the obtained skin moisture content, and transmits the amount of change in volume to the receiver 2b via the communication unit 22 . 100 A of control apparatuses are provided with 110 A of control parts, and the skin moisture content acquisition part 120. As shown in FIG. The skin moisture content acquisition unit 120 is the same as in the case of the first embodiment, and thus the description is omitted. The control device 100A is mounted, for example, on a board provided in the remote controller 2a. The control device 100A is an example of a control device according to the present invention.

110 A of control parts acquire a skin moisture content from the skin moisture content acquisition part 120, and estimate a user's age. Control unit 110A acquires a signal indicating volume change from volume change button 21 . Control unit 110A determines the volume change amount based on the estimated age. The control unit 110A transmits the determined volume change amount to the receiver 2b via the communication unit 22 . 110 A of control parts are provided with the age estimation part 111 like the case of Embodiment 1. FIG. Since the age estimation unit 111 is the same as in the first embodiment, the description is omitted. The control unit 110A is an example of control means according to the present invention.

The humidity sensor 200 is provided on the back surface of the remote control 2a as shown in FIG. 10B. Other points are the same as in the case of the first embodiment, so the description is omitted.

The receiver 2b receives the voice change amount from the remote controller 2a. The receiver 2b uses the audio output unit 23 to output the audio included in the video. The audio output unit 23 is, for example, a speaker. The receiver 2b controls the volume of the sound emitted from the audio output unit 23 based on the amount of change in volume received from the remote controller 2a. The audio output unit 23 is an example of audio output means according to the present invention.

The configuration of the television apparatus 2 has been described above. Next, referring to FIG. 12, an example of volume change operation by the remote controller 2a for the television apparatus 2 will be described. The operation shown in FIG. 12 is executed at the timing when the volume change button 21 of the remote controller 2a is operated.

The control device 100A of the remote controller 2a acquires the user's skin moisture content from the humidity sensor 200 (step S201). Control unit 110A of control device 100A estimates the user's age based on the acquired skin moisture content (step S202). Since these operations are the same as steps S101 and S102 shown in FIG. 5, description thereof is omitted.

Control unit 110A determines the volume change amount according to the estimated age (step S203). The control unit 110A determines the amount of change in volume based on the correspondence shown in FIG. 13, for example. For example, if the estimated age is in the 70s, the control unit 110A increases the amount of volume change by 30% from normal. The amount of normal volume change is the amount of change when a person with normal hearing presses the volume change button 21 once, and is, for example, 0.5 decibels.

The control device 100A causes the control unit 110A to transmit the determined volume change amount to the receiver 2b via the communication unit 22 (step S204), and ends the volume change operation. The receiver 2b changes the volume of the sound emitted from the audio output unit 23 based on the received amount of change in volume.

The television apparatus 2 according to the second embodiment has been described above. According to the television device 2, the user's age is estimated based on the user's skin moisture content, the volume change amount is determined according to the estimated age, and the volume of the audio output unit 23 is changed. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the trouble of operation when an elderly person with weak hearing changes the sound volume.

Further, according to the television device 2, since the amount of change in volume is determined according to the estimated age, no special operation for adjusting the amount of change in volume is required.

That is, according to the television apparatus 2, the correlation between the skin moisture content and the age is used to determine the volume change amount based on the user's skin moisture content, thereby allowing the user's special operation to be performed. Controls can be made according to the user's age without needing to.

Further, according to the television device 2, since the amount of change in volume is determined based on the amount of moisture in the skin, there is no need to register information for identifying the individual user, such as face information and fingerprint information, in the television device 2. Excellent privacy. In addition, according to the television apparatus 2, the configuration for registering and determining the information for identifying the individual user is unnecessary, and the configuration is simplified.

(Modification of Embodiment 2)
In the second embodiment, the remote controller 2a determines the amount of change in volume and transmits the determined amount of change in volume to the receiver 2b. However, the remote controller 2a may acquire the skin moisture content, estimate the age, and transmit the estimated age, and the receiver 2b may determine the volume change amount based on the estimated age. Alternatively, the remote controller 2a may acquire and transmit the skin moisture content, the image receiver 2b may estimate the age, and determine the volume change amount based on the estimated age.

In Embodiment 2, the humidity sensor 200 is provided on the back surface of the remote controller 2a. However, the place where the humidity sensor 200 is provided is not limited to this. For example, the humidity sensor 200 may be provided above the volume change button 21 of the remote controller 2a.

In Embodiment 2, the amount of change in volume is determined based on the amount of skin moisture. However, what is determined based on the amount of skin moisture is not limited to the volume change amount. For example, the upper limit of volume may be determined based on the amount of skin moisture. As a result, for example, it is possible to prevent an elderly person whose cognitive ability has deteriorated from excessively increasing the volume. Also, something other than the volume may be determined based on the skin moisture content. For example, display settings such as the brightness and color tone of the image displayed on the display unit of the receiver 2b may be determined based on the amount of skin moisture. As a result, it is possible to display images suitable for elderly people whose visual function has deteriorated. The display unit of the receiver 2b is an example of video output means according to the present invention.

(Embodiment 3)
An air conditioner 3 according to Embodiment 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. 14A, 14B and 15. FIG. 14A and 14B show only the remote controller 3a for the air conditioner 3. FIG. The air conditioner 3 is an air conditioner capable of estimating the user's age and limiting the set temperature according to the estimated age. By limiting the set temperature when the estimated age is high, it is possible to prevent elderly people with weak cognition from excessively changing the set temperature. The air conditioner 3 is an example of the electrical equipment according to the present invention.

The air conditioner 3 includes a remote controller 3a, an indoor unit 3b, and an outdoor unit 3c. The remote controller 3 a includes a temperature change button 31 , a temperature sensor 32 , a communication section 33 , a control device 100B, and a humidity sensor 200 . The remote control 3a and the indoor unit 3b can communicate with each other through infrared communication. The indoor unit 3b and the outdoor unit 3c are communicably connected by a dedicated communication line.

The temperature change button 31 is a button for changing the set temperature of the air conditioner 3 . As shown in FIG. 14A, the temperature change button 31 is provided on the front side of the remote control 3a. The temperature change button 31 is composed of a set of a button for increasing the set temperature and a button for decreasing the set temperature. When the temperature change button 31 is pushed by the user's operation, a signal indicating a change in the set temperature is output to the control section 110B of the control device 100B.

A temperature sensor 32 detects the room temperature of the room in which the remote controller 3a is located. As shown in FIG. 14B, the temperature sensor 32 is provided on the back surface of the remote controller 3a. The temperature sensor 32 outputs the detected room temperature to the controller 110B of the control device 100B.

The communication unit 33 transmits a signal including the changed set temperature to the indoor unit 3b under the control of the control device 100B. As shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B, the communication section 33 is provided at the tip of the remote controller 3a. The communication unit 33 is implemented by, for example, an infrared communication module.

The control device 100B acquires the user's skin moisture content from the humidity sensor 200 . Control device 100B acquires the room temperature from temperature sensor 32 . The control device 100B determines the preset temperature based on the acquired skin moisture content and the acquired room temperature. When the set temperature differs before and after the determination, the control device 100B transmits the changed set temperature to the indoor unit 3b via the communication unit 33. FIG. The control device 100B includes a control section 110B, a skin moisture content acquisition section 120, and a storage section 130B. The skin moisture content acquisition unit 120 is the same as in the case of the first embodiment, and thus the description is omitted. The control device 100B is mounted, for example, on a board provided in the remote controller 3a. Control device 100B is an example of a control device according to the present invention.

Control unit 110B acquires the skin moisture content from skin moisture content acquisition unit 120 and estimates the age of the user. Control unit 110B acquires the room temperature from temperature sensor 32 . Control unit 110B acquires a signal indicating a change in set temperature from temperature change button 31 . Control unit 110B determines the set temperature based on the estimated age and the obtained room temperature. When the set temperature differs before and after the determination, the control unit 110B transmits the changed set temperature to the indoor unit 3b via the communication unit 33. FIG. Control unit 110B includes age estimation unit 111, as in the case of the first embodiment. Since the age estimation unit 111 is the same as in the first embodiment, the description is omitted. Control unit 110B is an example of control means according to the present invention.

Storage unit 130B stores the current set temperature.

The humidity sensor 200 is provided on the back surface of the remote control 3a as shown in FIG. 14B. Other points are the same as in the case of the first embodiment, so the description is omitted.

The indoor unit 3b receives the changed set temperature from the remote controller 3a. The indoor unit 3b performs air conditioning in cooperation with the outdoor unit 3c based on the received set temperature. The indoor unit 3b and the outdoor unit 3c are examples of an air conditioning unit according to the present invention.

The configuration of the air conditioner 3 has been described above. Next, referring to FIG. 16, an example of the operation of changing the set temperature by the remote controller 3a for the air conditioner 3 will be described. The operation shown in FIG. 16 is executed at the timing when the temperature change button 31 of the remote controller 3a is operated.

The control device 100B of the remote controller 3a acquires the user's skin moisture content from the humidity sensor 200 (step S301). Control unit 110B of control device 100B estimates the user's age based on the acquired skin moisture content (step S302). Since these operations are the same as steps S101 and S102 shown in FIG. 5, description thereof is omitted.

Control unit 110B determines whether or not the estimated age is over seventies (step S303). If the estimated age is not 70s or over (step S303: No), the control unit 110B executes the operations after step S306.

If the estimated age is over seventies (step S303: Yes), the control unit 110B acquires the room temperature from the temperature sensor 32 (step S304).

The control unit 110B determines whether or not the difference between the changed set temperature and the acquired room temperature is equal to or greater than a threshold (step S305). The threshold is, for example, 5°C. The "set temperature after change" here is the set temperature in the case where the temperature change as operated by the temperature change button 31 is applied to the current set temperature stored in the storage unit 130B. Also, the "difference" here is an absolute value regardless of whether it is positive or negative.

For example, consider a case where the current set temperature is 27° C., the room temperature is 23° C., and the temperature change button 31 is operated to increase the set temperature by 1° C. FIG. In this case, the "set temperature after change" is 28°C, and the difference from the room temperature is 5°C. Similarly, if the current set temperature is 22° C., the room temperature is 24° C., and an operation is performed to decrease the set temperature by 1° C., the “set temperature after change” is 21° C. The difference is 3°C.

If the difference between the changed set temperature and the room temperature is equal to or greater than the threshold (step S305: Yes), the control unit 110B ends the set temperature change operation without changing the set temperature or transmitting the set temperature. do. This corresponds to limiting the set temperature when the difference between the changed set temperature and the room temperature is greater than or equal to the threshold. When the difference between the set temperature after the change and the room temperature is not equal to or greater than the threshold (step S305: No), the control unit 110B executes the operations after step S306.

In step S306, control unit 110B changes the set temperature. Specifically, the temperature change according to the operation by the temperature change button 31 is applied to the set temperature stored in the storage unit 130B. Then, the control unit 110B transmits the changed set temperature to the indoor unit 3b via the communication unit 33 (step S307), and ends the operation of changing the set temperature.

The air conditioner 3 according to Embodiment 3 has been described above. According to the air conditioner 3, the user's age is estimated based on the user's skin moisture content, and the set temperature is restricted according to the estimated age. Therefore, it is possible to prevent elderly people with weak cognitive ability from excessively changing the set temperature.

Further, according to the air conditioner 3, since the set temperature is limited according to the estimated age, no special operation for limiting the set temperature is required.

That is, according to the air conditioner 3, by using the correlation between the moisture content of the skin and the age, the set temperature is restricted based on the moisture content of the user's skin, thereby requiring a special operation by the user. It is possible to perform control according to the user's age without any need.

In addition, according to the air conditioner 3, since the set temperature is limited based on the amount of moisture in the skin, there is no need to register information identifying the individual user, such as face information and fingerprint information, in the air conditioner 3, and privacy is also excellent. . In addition, according to the air conditioner 3, the configuration for registering and determining the information for identifying the individual user is unnecessary, and the configuration is simplified.

(Modification of Embodiment 3)
In Embodiment 3, the remote controller 3a determines the set temperature and transmits the changed set temperature to the indoor unit 3b. However, the remote controller 3a may acquire the skin moisture content, estimate the age, and transmit the estimated age, and the indoor unit 3b may determine the set temperature based on the estimated age. Alternatively, the remote controller 3a may acquire and transmit the skin moisture content, the indoor unit 3b may estimate the age, and the set temperature may be determined based on the estimated age. Further, when the indoor unit 3b determines the set temperature, the remote controller 3a may not include the temperature sensor 32. FIG. This is because the indoor unit 3b can acquire the room temperature.

In Embodiment 3, the humidity sensor 200 is provided on the back surface of the remote controller 3a. However, the place where the humidity sensor 200 is provided is not limited to this. For example, the humidity sensor 200 may be provided above the temperature change button 31 of the remote control 3a.

In Embodiment 3, the set temperature is restricted based on the skin moisture content. However, what is done based on the skin moisture content is not limited to limiting the set temperature. For example, the amount of change in the set temperature may be determined based on the amount of moisture in the skin, similar to the amount of change in volume in the second embodiment.

(Embodiment 4)
A cooker 4 according to Embodiment 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. 17 and 18. FIG. The cooker 4 is a cooker capable of estimating the user's age and limiting the heating power according to the estimated age. By limiting the firepower when the estimated age is high, it is possible to prevent elderly people with weak cognition from increasing the firepower excessively. Cooker 4 is an example of an electrical appliance according to the present invention.

Cooker 4 is an IH (Induction Heating) cooker. Cooker 4 includes heating power change button 41 , confirmation button 42 , display 43 , heating coil 44 , control device 100C, and humidity sensor 200 .

The heating power change button 41 is a button for changing the heating power of the cooker 4 . As shown in FIG. 17, the heating power change button 41 is composed of a set of a button for increasing the heating power and a button for decreasing the heating power. When the heating power change button 41 is pushed by the user's operation, a signal indicating the heating power change is output to the control unit 110C of the control device 100C. A humidity sensor 200 is provided above the heating power change button 41 . Therefore, when the user tries to change the heating power using the heating power change button 41, the humidity sensor 200 can detect the user's skin moisture content.

The confirmation button 42 is a button for confirming the confirmation notification displayed on the display unit 43 . Confirmation notification and confirmation operation will be described later. When the confirmation button 42 is pushed by the user's operation, a signal indicating the confirmation operation is output to the control unit 110C of the control device 100C.

The display unit 43 displays the current thermal power under the control of the control device 100C. The current firepower is displayed, for example, in the form shown in FIG. 19A. Also, the display unit 43 displays a confirmation notification, which will be described later, under the control of the control device 100C. The confirmation notice is displayed, for example, in the form shown in FIG. 19B. The display unit 43 is, for example, a liquid crystal display.

The heating coil 44 heats the cooking utensil placed on the top plate by electromagnetic induction under the control of the control device 100C, thereby heating the food in the cooking utensil. A heating coil 44 is installed under the top plate. The heating coil 44 is an example of heating means according to the present invention.

The control device 100C acquires the user's skin moisture content from the humidity sensor 200 . The control device 100C controls the display section 43 to display the current thermal power or a confirmation screen on the display section 43 . 100 C of control apparatuses determine heating power based on the acquired skin moisture content, and control the heating coil 44 based on the determined heating power. 100 C of control apparatuses are provided with the control part 110C, the skin moisture content acquisition part 120, and the memory|storage part 130C. The skin moisture content acquisition unit 120 is the same as in the case of the first embodiment, and thus the description is omitted. The control device 100C is mounted on a board provided inside the cooker 4, for example. The control device 100C is an example of a control device according to the present invention.

110 C of control parts acquire a skin moisture content from the skin moisture content acquisition part 120, and estimate a user's age. The control unit 110C controls the display unit 43 to display the current heating power or confirmation notice on the display unit 43 . 110 C of control parts acquire the signal which shows a thermal power change from the thermal power change button 41. FIG. 110 C of control parts acquire the signal which shows confirmation operation from the thermal power change button 41. FIG. 110 C of control parts determine heating power based on the presence or absence of the estimated age and confirmation operation, and control the heating coil 44 based on the determined heating power. 110 C of control parts are provided with the age estimation part 111 like the case of Embodiment 1. FIG. Since the age estimation unit 111 is the same as in the first embodiment, the description is omitted. The controller 110C is an example of control means according to the present invention.

The current thermal power is stored in the storage unit 130C.

Humidity sensor 200 is provided on heating power change button 41 as described above. Other points are the same as in the case of the first embodiment, so the description is omitted.

The configuration of the cooker 4 has been described above. Next, with reference to FIG. 20, an example of the heating power changing operation of the cooker 4 will be described. The operation shown in FIG. 20 is executed at the timing when the heating power change button 41 is operated.

100 C of control apparatuses of the cooking appliance 4 acquire a user's skin moisture content from the humidity sensor 200 (step S401). Control unit 110C of control device 100C estimates the user's age based on the acquired skin moisture content (step S402). Since these operations are the same as steps S101 and S102 shown in FIG. 5, description thereof is omitted.

The control unit 110C determines whether or not the estimated age is over 70's (step S403). If the estimated age is not 70s or over (step S403: No), the control unit 110C executes the operations after step S407.

If the estimated age is in their 70s or older (step S403: Yes), the control unit 110C determines whether the changed thermal power is equal to or greater than the threshold (step S404). The threshold is, for example, 80% of maximum firepower. The term "changed thermal power" as used herein refers to the thermal power in the case where the thermal power change as operated by the thermal power change button 41 is applied to the current thermal power stored in the storage unit 130C.

If the thermal power after the change is not equal to or greater than the threshold (step S404: No), the control unit 110C executes the operations after step S407.

If the thermal power after the change is equal to or greater than the threshold (step S404: Yes), the control unit 110C causes the display unit 43 to display a confirmation notice, and waits for a confirmation operation by operating the confirmation button 42 for a certain period of time. (Step S405). The certain period of time is, for example, one minute. The control unit 110C determines whether or not a confirmation operation has been performed within a certain period of time (step S406).

If there is no confirmation operation (step S406: No), the control unit 110C ends the thermal power change operation without changing the thermal power. This corresponds to limiting the firepower when the elderly attempt to increase the firepower excessively without confirmation. If there is a confirmation operation (step S406: Yes), the control unit 110C executes the operations after step S407.

In step S407, the control unit 110C applies the thermal power change as operated by the thermal power change button 41 to the current thermal power stored in the storage unit 130C, and controls the heating coil 44 based on the thermal power after the change. do. Then, the control unit 110C ends the thermal power change operation.

The cooker 4 according to Embodiment 4 has been described above. According to the cooker 4, the user's age is estimated based on the user's skin moisture content, and heating power is limited according to the estimated age. Therefore, it is possible to prevent elderly people with weak cognition from excessively increasing the thermal power.

Moreover, according to the cooker 4, since the heating power is limited according to the estimated age, no special operation for limiting the heating power is required.

That is, according to the cooker 4, by using the correlation between the skin moisture content and the age, the heating power is limited based on the user's skin moisture content, so that the user's special operation is not required. control according to the age of the user without

Also, according to the cooker 4, heating power is limited based on the amount of moisture in the skin, so there is no need to register information for identifying the individual user, such as face information and fingerprint information, in the cooker 4, and privacy is also excellent. In addition, according to the cooker 4, the configuration for registering and determining the information identifying the individual user is unnecessary, and the configuration is simple.

(Modification of Embodiment 4)
In Embodiment 4, cooker 4 is an IH cooker. However, the present invention can also be applied to cookers other than IH cookers. For example, the present invention can also be applied to electric cookers such as microwave ovens and electric stoves using heating wires. The present invention can also be applied to a gas cooker that controls gas output by an electric circuit. Any cooker is an example of the electrical appliance according to the present invention.

In Embodiment 4, the heating power is limited based on the skin moisture content. However, what is done based on the skin moisture content is not limited to limiting the heating power. For example, like the amount of change in volume in the second embodiment, the amount of change in thermal power may be determined based on the amount of skin moisture.

(Embodiment 5)
A washing machine 5 according to Embodiment 5 will be described with reference to FIGS. 21 and 22 . The washing machine 5 is a washing machine capable of estimating the user's age and adjusting the volume of the notification sound according to the estimated age. By increasing the volume when the estimated age is high, even an elderly person with weak hearing can hear the notification sound. In addition, in FIG. 21, illustration is abbreviate|omitted about the cover which covers a washing tub.

Washing machine 5 includes start button 51 , audio output unit 52 , motor 53 , pulsator 54 , control device 100D, and humidity sensor 200 . The motor 53 is connected with the pulsator 54 . 21, illustration of the connection between the motor 53 and the pulsator 54 is omitted.

The start button 51 is a button for starting washing. When start button 51 is pushed by the user's operation, a signal indicating the start of washing is output to control unit 110D of control device 100D. A humidity sensor 200 is provided above the start button 51 . Therefore, when the user tries to start washing with the start button 51, the humidity sensor 200 can detect the user's skin moisture content.

The voice output unit 52 emits a notification sound indicating the completion of washing based on the control of the control device 100D to notify the user of the completion of washing. The audio output unit 52 is, for example, a piezoelectric buzzer whose volume can be adjusted. The audio output unit 52 is an example of audio output means according to the present invention.

The motor 53 rotates the connected pulsator 54 under the control of the control device 100D. The washing machine 5 can wash by rotating the pulsator 54 . The motor 53 is provided below the washing tub. A pulsator 54 is provided at the bottom of the washing tub.

The control device 100</b>D acquires the user's skin moisture content from the humidity sensor 200 . The control device 100D controls the motor 53 to perform washing. The control device 100D determines the volume of the notification sound based on the acquired skin moisture content, and controls the audio output unit 52 based on the determined volume. The control device 100</b>D includes a control section 110</b>D and a skin moisture content acquisition section 120 . The skin moisture content acquisition unit 120 is the same as in the case of the first embodiment, and thus the description is omitted. The control device 100D is mounted on a substrate provided inside the washing machine 5, for example. The control device 100D is an example of a control device according to the present invention.

The control unit 110D acquires the skin moisture content from the skin moisture content acquisition unit 120 and estimates the age of the user. Control unit 110D acquires a signal indicating the start of washing from start button 51 . The control unit 110D controls the motor 53. FIG. Control unit 110D determines the volume of the notification sound based on the estimated age, and controls audio output unit 52 based on the determined volume. Control unit 110D includes age estimation unit 111, as in the first embodiment. Since the age estimation unit 111 is the same as in the first embodiment, the description is omitted. The control unit 110D is an example of control means according to the present invention.

Humidity sensor 200 is provided on start button 51 as described above. Other points are the same as in the case of the first embodiment, so the description is omitted.

The configuration of the washing machine 5 has been described above. Next, an example of the operation of washing machine 5 will be described with reference to FIG. The operation shown in FIG. 23 is executed at the timing when the start button 51 is operated.

The control device 100D of the washing machine 5 acquires the user's skin moisture content from the humidity sensor 200 (step S501). Control unit 110D of control device 100D estimates the user's age based on the acquired skin moisture content (step S502). Since these operations are the same as steps S101 and S102 shown in FIG. 5, description thereof is omitted.

The control unit 110D determines the volume of the notification sound according to the estimated age (step S503). The control unit 110D determines the volume of the notification sound based on the correspondence shown in FIG. 24, for example. For example, if the estimated age is in the fifties, the control unit 110D increases the volume of the notification sound by 20%.

The control unit 110D controls the motor 53 to perform washing (step S504). When the washing is completed, the control unit 110D controls the voice output unit 52 based on the volume determined in step S503, and notifies the user of the completion of washing by emitting a notification sound (step S505). Then, the control unit 110D ends its operation.

The washing machine 5 according to Embodiment 5 has been described above. According to the washing machine 5, the user's age is estimated based on the user's skin moisture content, the volume of the notification sound is determined according to the estimated age, and the volume of the voice output unit 52 is changed. Therefore, even elderly people with weak hearing can hear the notification sound.

Further, according to the washing machine 5, since the volume is determined according to the estimated age, no special operation for adjusting the volume is required.

In other words, the washing machine 5 uses the correlation between the skin moisture content and age to determine the volume based on the user's skin moisture content, thereby eliminating the need for a special user operation. control according to the age of the user without

Further, according to the washing machine 5, since the sound volume is determined based on the amount of skin moisture, there is no need to register information for identifying the individual user, such as face information and fingerprint information, in the washing machine 5, and privacy is also excellent. In addition, according to the washing machine 5, the configuration for registering and determining the information identifying the individual user is not required, and the configuration is simple.

(Modification of Embodiment 5)
In Embodiment 5, humidity sensor 200 is provided on start button 51 . However, the place where the humidity sensor 200 is provided is not limited to this. For example, it may be provided on an operation button other than the start button 51 . Alternatively, it may be provided on the handle portion of the lid that covers the washing tub.

In Embodiment 5, washing machine 5 shown in FIG. 21 is a vertical washing machine. However, other types of washing machines such as two-tub type washing machines and drum type washing machines may be used. For example, in the case of a two-tub washing machine, a notification sound is emitted when washing is completed and dehydration is completed.

The programs used in the control devices 100, 100A to 100D in each of the above-described embodiments are computer-readable from CD-ROMs (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs), USB flash drives, memory cards, HDDs, and the like. It is possible to store and distribute on any available recording medium. By installing such a program in a specific or general-purpose computer, the computer can be made to function as the control devices 100, 100A-100D.

Alternatively, the above program may be stored in a storage device owned by another server on the Internet, and the above program may be downloaded from the server.

The present invention is capable of various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention. Moreover, the embodiment described above is for explaining the present invention, and does not limit the scope of the present invention. In other words, the scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and within the meaning of the invention equivalent thereto are considered to be within the scope of the present invention.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is suitable for controlling electrical equipment.

1 vacuum cleaner, 2 television device, 2a remote controller, 2b receiver, 3 air conditioner, 3a remote controller, 3b indoor unit, 3c outdoor unit, 4 cooker, 5 washing machine, 11 dust sensor, 12 motor, 13 fan, 14 dust box , 21 volume change button, 22 communication unit, 23 audio output unit, 31 temperature change button, 32 temperature sensor, 33 communication unit, 41 thermal power change button, 42 confirmation button, 43 display unit, 44 heating coil, 51 start button, 52 Voice output unit 53 Motor 54 Pulsator 100, 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D Control device 110, 110A, 110B, 110C, 110D Control unit 111 Age estimation unit 120 Skin moisture content acquisition unit 130B, 130C Storage Section 200 Humidity Sensor 1000 Bus 1001 Processor 1002 Memory 1003 Interface 1004 Secondary Storage Device.

Claims (3)

electrical equipment,
Skin moisture content acquisition means for acquiring the skin moisture content of the user who operates the electrical device;
a suction means for sucking dust;
control means for determining the suction force of the suction means based on the obtained skin moisture content by utilizing the fact that there is a correlation between the age of the user and the skin moisture content;
electrical equipment. electrical equipment,
Skin moisture content acquisition means for acquiring the skin moisture content of the user who operates the electrical device;
audio output means for outputting audio;
a volume change button operated by the user;
volume change means for changing the volume of the sound emitted by the sound output means when the user operates the volume change button;
a control means for determining a volume change amount by the volume change means when the volume change button is operated by the user based on the acquired skin moisture content;
electrical equipment. electrical equipment,
Skin moisture content acquisition means for acquiring the skin moisture content of the user who operates the electrical device;
a heating means for heating the object to be cooked;
a control means for determining the heating power of the heating means based on the acquired skin moisture content;
electrical equipment.

Images