JP7486364B2 - Indoor unit and air conditioning system - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to indoor units and air conditioning systems.

Currently, there are known air conditioning systems that install sensor terminals that detect temperature, humidity, etc. outside the indoor unit to achieve highly accurate air conditioning control. In such air conditioning systems, the sensor terminals are installed in various parts of the space to be air-conditioned, and often transmit sensor information indicating temperature, humidity, etc. to the indoor unit via wireless communication.

Patent Document 1 describes an air conditioning control system in which wireless temperature and humidity sensors that measure temperature and humidity are installed in various parts of the space to be air-conditioned. The wireless temperature and humidity sensors transmit temperature and humidity measurements via wireless communication to a controller connected to the indoor unit.

JP 2019-148350 A

However, in the air conditioning control system described in Patent Document 1, there is a possibility that the controller may not be able to properly receive the radio waves emitted by the wireless temperature and humidity sensor. For example, if the antenna installed in the controller has directionality, depending on the relationship between the orientation of the antenna and the position of the wireless temperature and humidity sensor, the controller may have difficulty receiving the radio waves emitted by the wireless temperature and humidity sensor. For this reason, there is a demand for technology that can properly acquire sensor information from a sensor terminal via wireless communication.

This disclosure has been made in consideration of the above problems, and aims to provide an indoor unit and an air conditioning system that can appropriately acquire sensor information from a sensor terminal via wireless communication.

In order to achieve the above object, the indoor unit according to the present disclosure comprises:
A louver provided at the outlet of the conditioned air;
An antenna installed on the louver;
a sensor information acquiring means for acquiring, from a sensor terminal that detects at least one of a temperature and a humidity of a room in which the indoor unit is installed by wireless communication via the antenna, sensor information indicating the physical quantity detected by the sensor terminal ;
and an angle adjusting means for adjusting an angle of the louver to a predetermined first angle when the sensor information acquiring means acquires the sensor information from the sensor terminal.

In the present disclosure, when the indoor unit acquires sensor information from the sensor terminal, the angle of the louver on which the antenna is installed is adjusted to a predetermined first angle. Therefore, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to appropriately acquire sensor information from the sensor terminal through wireless communication.

Configuration diagram of an air conditioning system according to the first embodiment Configuration diagram of an indoor unit according to the first embodiment Illustration of louver angle adjustment FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a management device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a sensor terminal according to a first embodiment. Functional configuration diagram of an air conditioning system according to the first embodiment FIG. 1 shows a sensor terminal management table. A diagram showing a signal strength management table A diagram showing a communication timing management table. Diagram showing the schedule management table 1 is a flowchart showing a table generation process executed by a management device according to a first embodiment. A flowchart showing a server-type measurement process executed by an indoor unit according to the first embodiment. A flowchart showing broadcast-type measurement processing executed by an indoor unit according to the first embodiment. A flowchart showing the schedule management table generation process shown in FIG. 11. A flowchart showing a sensor information acquisition control process executed by a management device according to the first embodiment. A flowchart showing a sensor information acquisition process executed by an indoor unit according to the first embodiment. Functional configuration diagram of an indoor unit according to embodiment 2

The following describes in detail the embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the drawings. Note that the same or equivalent parts in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an air conditioning system 1000 according to the first embodiment. The air conditioning system 1000 is a system that conditions the air of a room 500 to be air-conditioned. The air conditioning system 1000 includes four indoor units 100, a management device 200, and five sensor terminals 300. The indoor unit 100 is a collective term for the indoor unit 100A, the indoor unit 100B, the indoor unit 100C, and the indoor unit 100D. The sensor terminal 300 is a collective term for the sensor terminal 300A, the sensor terminal 300B, the sensor terminal 300C, the sensor terminal 300D, and the sensor terminal 300E. The four indoor units 100 and the management device 200 are connected to each other by a field bus 400 and communicate with each other by wire via the field bus 400. The four indoor units 100 and the five sensor terminals 300 communicate with each other wirelessly.

The indoor unit 100 is a piece of equipment that conditions the air in the room 500 according to the control of the management device 200 and is installed inside the room 500. Conditioning the air in the room 500 means adjusting the temperature, humidity, air cleanliness, etc. of the air inside the room. The indoor unit 100 blows out conditioned air into the room according to the control of the management device 200.

Conditioned air is air for conditioning the air in a room, and is basically heated air or cooled air. Heated air is air for heating the room, and has a higher temperature than the air in the room. Cooled air is air for cooling the room, and has a lower temperature than the air in the room. The conditioned air is supplied to the indoor units 100 from an outdoor unit (not shown). In this embodiment, the four indoor units 100 are four-way cassette type indoor units, and are installed on the ceiling of the room 500.

The configuration of the indoor unit 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. The indoor unit 100 includes a control unit 11, a memory unit 12, a wired communication unit 13, a wireless communication unit 14, a path switching unit 15, four louver drive units 16, four louvers 17, four antennas 18, and four air outlets 19. Louvers 17 are a collective term for louvers 17A, 17B, 17C, and 17D. Antennas 18 are a collective term for antennas 18A, 18B, 18C, and 18D. Air outlets 19 are a collective term for air outlets 19A, 19B, 19C, and 19D. Note that in FIG. 2, three of the four louver drive units 16 are omitted from the illustration, except for the louver drive unit 16 corresponding to louver 17A.

The control unit 11 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), an RTC (Real Time Clock), etc. The CPU is also called a central processing unit, central arithmetic unit, processor, microprocessor, microcomputer, DSP (Digital Signal Processor), etc., and functions as a central arithmetic processing unit that executes processes and calculations related to the control of the indoor unit 100. In the control unit 11, the CPU reads out programs and data stored in the ROM and uses the RAM as a work area to centrally control the indoor unit 100. The RTC is, for example, an integrated circuit with a clock function. The CPU can determine the current date and time from the time information read from the RTC.

The storage unit 12 is equipped with non-volatile semiconductor memory such as flash memory, EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), or EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM), and serves as a so-called auxiliary storage device (also called a secondary storage device). The storage unit 12 stores programs and data used by the control unit 11 to execute various processes. The storage unit 12 also stores data generated or acquired by the control unit 11 executing various processes.

The wired communication unit 13 communicates with each of the other indoor units 100 and the management device 200 via a wired connection via the field bus 400 in accordance with the control of the control unit 11. The wired communication unit 13 has a communication interface that complies with various wired communication standards.

The wireless communication unit 14 communicates with each of the four sensor terminals 300 in accordance with the control of the control unit 11. For example, the wireless communication unit 14 communicates with each of the four sensor terminals 300 in accordance with a well-known communication standard such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), or Zigbee (registered trademark). The wireless communication unit 14 has a communication interface that complies with a wireless communication standard such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or Zigbee.

The path switching unit 15 switches the path connecting the antenna 18 and the wireless communication unit 14 in accordance with a control signal supplied from the wireless communication unit 14. In other words, the path switching unit 15 establishes a path connecting the wireless communication unit 14 and an antenna 18 of the four antennas 18 that is used for wireless communication by the wireless communication unit 14. The path switching unit 15 includes a switch that connects one of the four antennas 18 to the wireless communication unit 14.

The louver driving unit 16 drives the louvers 17 to rotate according to the control of the control unit 11. The louver driving unit 16 is provided for each of the four louvers 17. As shown in FIG. 3, the louver driving unit 16 rotates the louvers 17 within a range of 90° from the horizontal direction to the vertical direction around a rotation axis 171 extending horizontally. In this embodiment, the angle of the louvers 17 is 0° when the louvers 17 are at a rotation angle extending horizontally, and the angle of the louvers 17 is 90° when the louvers 17 are at a rotation angle extending vertically. FIG. 3 shows an example in which the angle of the louvers 17A and the angle of the louvers 17C are 90°. The rotation axis 171A is the rotation axis 171 corresponding to the louvers 17A, and the rotation axis 171C is the rotation axis 171 corresponding to the louvers 17C. The louver driving unit 16 includes an actuator that rotates the louvers 17 around the rotation axis 171.

The louvers 17 adjust the direction of the conditioned air between directly below and directly to the side. The directly to the side direction is the horizontal direction toward the outside of the indoor unit 100. In this embodiment, the angles of the four louvers 17 can be independently controlled by the four louver drive units 16, and the direction of the conditioned air blown out from the four air outlets 19 can be independently controlled.

The antenna 18 is an antenna used when the wireless communication unit 14 communicates wirelessly with the sensor terminal 300. The antenna 18 radiates the wireless signal supplied from the wireless communication unit 14 via the path switching unit 15 into the space of the room 500. The antenna 18 also receives the wireless signal that the sensor terminal 300 radiates into the space of the room 500 and that propagates within the space of the room 500. Note that the wireless signal radiated by the antenna 18 and the wireless signal received by the antenna 18 are radio waves. In this embodiment, the antenna 18 is a dipole antenna. Note that a dipole antenna is a directional antenna in which the strength of the radiated radio waves and the strength of the received radio waves are highly dependent on the direction.

The antenna 18 is installed inside or on the surface of the louver 17. The installation angle and installation position of the antenna 18 can be adjusted as appropriate. In this embodiment, the antenna 18 is installed on the lower surface of the louver 17 so that the longitudinal direction of the louver 17 and the longitudinal direction of the antenna 18 coincide, and the thickness direction of the louver 17 and the thickness direction of the antenna 18 coincide.

The radio waves received by the antenna 18 are not limited to those traveling in a straight line from the sensor terminal 300 to the antenna 18, but may also be radio waves reflected by a wall, ceiling, floor, etc. Here, depending on the installation position of the antenna 18, it may be difficult for the antenna 18 to receive radio waves from the sensor terminal 300. Also, in this embodiment, the antenna 18 is a directional antenna. Therefore, depending on the installation angle of the antenna 18, it may be difficult for the antenna 18 to receive radio waves from the sensor terminal 300. In other words, the ease with which the antenna 18 can receive radio waves may depend greatly on the installation position and installation angle of the antenna 18.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the management device 200 selects the antenna 18 to be used for receiving radio waves and the angle of the antenna 18 to be used for receiving radio waves so that the antenna 18 can easily receive radio waves from the sensor terminal 300. Note that the selection of the antenna 18 to be used for receiving radio waves means the selection of the indoor unit 100 and the selection of the louver 17. Also, the selection of the angle of the antenna 18 means the selection of the angle of the louver 17 on which the antenna 18 is installed.

The air outlets 19 are openings for blowing conditioned air from inside the management device 200 to inside the room 500. In this embodiment, each of the four air outlets 19 has an elongated shape, and the four air outlets 19 are arranged at positions corresponding to the four sides of a square. In this embodiment, one louver 17 is provided for one air outlet 19. Specifically, louver 17A is provided for air outlet 19A, louver 17B is provided for air outlet 19B, louver 17C is provided for air outlet 19C, and louver 17D is provided for air outlet 19D.

The management device 200 is a device that manages the indoor unit 100. For example, the management device 200 controls the operation of the indoor unit 100 and monitors the operating status of the indoor unit 100. The management device 200 is, for example, a remote controller that is installed on the wall of the room 500. The management device 200 is an example of a communication device.

Next, the configuration of the management device 200 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 4, the management device 200 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, a display unit 23, an operation reception unit 24, and a wired communication unit 25. These units are connected via a communication bus.

The control unit 21 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, RTC, etc. The CPU functions as a central processing unit that executes processes and calculations related to the control of the management device 200. In the control unit 21, the CPU reads out programs and data stored in the ROM, and uses the RAM as a work area to control the management device 200.

The storage unit 22 is equipped with non-volatile semiconductor memory such as flash memory, EPROM, EEPROM, etc., and serves as a so-called auxiliary storage device (also called secondary storage device). The storage unit 22 stores programs and data used by the control unit 21 to execute various processes. The storage unit 22 also stores data generated or acquired by the control unit 21 executing various processes.

The display unit 23 displays various images according to the control of the control unit 21. The display unit 23 includes a touch screen, a liquid crystal display, etc. The operation reception unit 24 receives various operations from the user and supplies information indicating the contents of the received operations to the control unit 21. The operation reception unit 24 includes a touch screen, a button, a lever, etc.

The wired communication unit 25 communicates with each of the four indoor units 100 via a wired connection via the field bus 400 in accordance with the control of the control unit 21. The wired communication unit 25 is equipped with a communication interface that complies with various wired communication standards.

The sensor terminal 300 is a terminal device that detects physical quantities such as temperature and humidity in the room 500. The sensor terminal 300 transmits sensor information indicating the detection results to the indoor unit 100 via wireless communication. In other words, the sensor terminal 300 radiates a wireless signal including the sensor information into the space of the room 500. In this embodiment, five sensor terminals 300 are installed in various parts of the room 500.

Next, the configuration of the sensor terminal 300 will be described with reference to FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 5, the sensor terminal 300 includes a control unit 31, a detection unit 32, a wireless communication unit 33, and an antenna 34. These units are connected via a communication bus.

The control unit 31 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, RTC, etc. The CPU functions as a central processing unit that executes processing and calculations related to the control of the sensor terminal 300. In the control unit 31, the CPU reads out programs and data stored in the ROM, and uses the RAM as a work area to perform overall control of the sensor terminal 300.

The detection unit 32 detects physical quantities such as the temperature and humidity of the room 500. The detection unit 32 is a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, etc. The wireless communication unit 33 communicates with the indoor unit 100 according to the control of the control unit 31. For example, the wireless communication unit 33 communicates with the indoor unit 100 in accordance with well-known communication standards such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, etc. The wireless communication unit 33 has a communication interface that complies with wireless communication standards such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, etc.

The antenna 34 is an antenna used when the wireless communication unit 33 communicates wirelessly with the indoor unit 100. The antenna 34 radiates the wireless signal supplied from the wireless communication unit 33 into the space of the room 500. The antenna 34 also receives the wireless signal that the indoor unit 100 radiates into the space of the room 500 and that propagates within the space of the room 500. In this embodiment, the antenna 34 is a dipole antenna.

Next, the functional configuration of the air conditioning system 1000 will be described with reference to FIG. 6. The indoor unit 100 functionally comprises a sensor information acquisition unit 101, a timing information transmission unit 102, an intensity measurement unit 103, an intensity information transmission unit 104, an angle adjustment unit 105, a louver selection unit 106, an air conditioning control unit 107, and a transfer unit 108. Each of these functions is realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. The software and firmware are written as programs and stored in the ROM or memory unit 12. The CPU then executes the programs stored in the ROM or memory unit 12 to realize each of these functions.

The sensor information acquisition unit 101 acquires sensor information from the sensor terminal 300 by wireless communication via the antenna 18. The sensor information acquisition unit 101 monitors the wireless communication unit 14, and when sensor information transmitted from the broadcast type sensor terminal 300 is received by the wireless communication unit 14, acquires the sensor information from the wireless communication unit 14. The sensor information acquisition unit 101 transmits request information requesting sensor information to the server type sensor terminal 300, and acquires the sensor information transmitted from the server type sensor terminal 300. The sensor information acquisition unit 101 is an example of a sensor information acquisition means.

The broadcast type sensor terminal 300 is a sensor terminal 300 that transmits acquired sensor information to all indoor units 100 at a predetermined cycle at the same time. The broadcast type sensor terminal 300 can enter a sleep state except when acquiring and transmitting sensor information, and therefore consumes less power than the server type sensor terminal 300. The broadcast type sensor terminal 300 is appropriately referred to as the first sensor terminal.

The server-type sensor terminal 300 is a sensor terminal 300 that becomes a server when the indoor unit 100 is a client. The server-type sensor terminal 300 transmits sensor information to the indoor unit 100 in response to a request from the indoor unit 100. The server-type sensor terminal 300 constantly monitors whether or not there is a request from the indoor unit 100, and therefore often consumes more power than the broadcast-type sensor terminal 300. The server-type sensor terminal 300 is appropriately referred to as a second sensor terminal.

Whether the sensor terminal 300 is a first sensor terminal or a second sensor terminal can be identified by referring to the sensor terminal management table. FIG. 7 shows the sensor terminal management table. The sensor terminal management table is a table that holds records in which the sensor terminal name, the transmission method, and the collection device name are associated with each other. The sensor terminal name is the name of the sensor terminal 300. The names of sensor terminal 300A, sensor terminal 300B, sensor terminal 300C, sensor terminal 300D, and sensor terminal 300E are sensor terminal A, sensor terminal B, sensor terminal C, sensor terminal D, and sensor terminal E, respectively.

The transmission method is the type of method for transmitting the sensor information, and is either a server type or a broadcast type. The collection device name is the name of the device to which the sensor information ultimately reaches, and is basically the name of the device that requires the sensor information. The collection device is either indoor unit 100A, indoor unit 100B, indoor unit 100C, indoor unit 100D, or management device 200. Note that the names of indoor unit 100A, indoor unit 100B, indoor unit 100C, indoor unit 100D, and management device 200 are indoor unit A, indoor unit B, indoor unit C, indoor unit D, and management device, respectively.

The sensor terminal management table is generated by the control unit 21 of the management device 200, for example, in accordance with operations received from a construction company by the operation reception unit 24 of the management device 200. The generated sensor terminal management table is stored in the memory unit 22 of the management device 200.

The timing information transmission unit 102 transmits to the management device 200 timing information indicating the timing at which the sensor information acquisition unit 101 acquired the sensor information from the first sensor terminal. The timing information is, for example, information indicating an offset time and a communication cycle. The communication cycle is the interval between acquisition times at which the sensor information is acquired. The offset time is the time from a predetermined time to the next time the sensor information is acquired, assuming that the sensor information is acquired every communication cycle. The predetermined time is, for example, midnight.

The intensity measurement unit 103 measures the received signal strength when the sensor information acquisition unit 101 acquires sensor information from the sensor terminal 300 for each combination of a plurality of louvers 17 and a plurality of candidate angles that are candidates for the angle of the louvers 17. In this embodiment, the candidate angles are 19 angles that are separated by 5° intervals from 0° to 90°. The intensity measurement unit 103 measures the received signal strength for 4 x 19 = 76 combinations. The intensity measurement unit 103 measures the strength of the wireless signal that includes the sensor information and is received by the antenna 18 as the received signal strength. Note that the combination of the louvers 17 and the candidate angles is essentially the combination of the antenna 18 and the candidate angles. The intensity measurement unit 103 measures the received signal strength for each sensor terminal 300. The intensity measurement unit 103 is an example of an intensity measurement means.

The strength information transmission unit 104 transmits the strength information to the management device 200. The strength information is information based on the received signal strength measured by the strength measurement unit 103. The strength information is, for example, information indicating the highest received signal strength among the measured received signal strengths, the louver 17 included in the combination when the highest received signal strength was measured, and the candidate angle included in the combination when the highest received signal strength was measured. The strength information transmission unit 104 transmits the strength information for each sensor terminal 300 to the management device 200.

When the sensor information acquisition unit 101 acquires sensor information from the sensor terminal 300, the angle adjustment unit 105 adjusts the angle of the louver 17 included in the combination with the highest received signal strength to a predetermined first angle. The first angle is a candidate angle included in the combination with the highest received signal strength measured by the strength measurement unit 103. The first angle is the optimal angle for acquiring sensor information. The first angle is indicated by angle information supplied from the management device 200 to the indoor unit 100. The angle adjustment unit 105 is an example of an angle adjustment means.

The louver selection unit 106 selects a louver 17 on which an antenna 18 used to acquire sensor information is installed. The louver selection unit 106 selects a louver 17 based on louver information provided by the management device 200. The louver selection unit 106 controls the path switching unit 15 so that the path between the antenna 18 installed on the selected louver 17 and the wireless communication unit 14 is conductive.

The air conditioning control unit 107 controls the blowing of conditioned air and controls the air conditioning of the room 500. The air conditioning control unit 107 stops blowing of conditioned air when the sensor information acquisition unit 101 acquires sensor information from the sensor terminal 300. The air conditioning control unit 107 is an example of an air conditioning control means.

The transfer unit 108 transfers the sensor information acquired by the sensor information acquisition unit 101 from the sensor terminal 300 to the management device 200.

The management device 200 functionally comprises a selection unit 201, a schedule determination unit 202, a schedule generation unit 203, an angle information transmission unit 204, a louver information transmission unit 205, an acquisition instruction transmission unit 206, and a transfer unit 207. Each of these functions is realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. The software and firmware are written as programs and stored in the ROM or the storage unit 22. The CPU then executes the programs stored in the ROM or the storage unit 22 to realize each of these functions.

The selection unit 201 selects a first indoor unit from among the multiple indoor units 100, selects a first louver from among the multiple louvers 17, and selects a first angle from among the multiple candidate angles based on the received signal strength measured by the strength measurement unit 103 included in each of the multiple indoor units 100 for each combination of multiple louvers 17 and multiple candidate angles. The first indoor unit is the indoor unit 100 that acquires sensor information. The first louver is the louver 17 on which the antenna 18 used to acquire sensor information is installed.

For example, the selection unit 201 selects the indoor unit 100 included in the combination with the highest received signal strength among the combinations of multiple indoor units 100, multiple louvers 17, and multiple candidate angles as the first indoor unit. The selection unit 201 also selects the louver included in the combination with the highest received signal strength as the first louver. The selection unit 201 also selects the candidate angle included in the combination with the highest received signal strength as the first angle.

Specifically, the selection unit 201 generates a signal strength management table based on the strength information received by the management device 200 from the strength information transmission unit 104, and stores the signal strength management table in the memory unit 22. The selection unit 201 then selects the first indoor unit, the first louver, and the first angle based on the signal strength management table. Figure 8 shows the signal strength management table. The signal strength management table is a table that holds records in which the sensor terminal name, the indoor unit name, the louver name, the optimal angle (°), and the signal reception strength (dBm) are associated with each other.

The louver name is the name of the louver 17. The names of louver 17A, louver 17B, louver 17C, and louver 17D are louver A, louver B, louver C, and louver D, respectively. The optimal angle (°) is the angle of the louver 17 that provides the highest received signal strength in the corresponding sensor terminal 300, the corresponding indoor unit 100, and the corresponding louver 17. The received signal strength (dBm) is the received signal strength when the angle of the louver 17 is set to the optimal angle (°) in the corresponding sensor terminal 300, the corresponding indoor unit 100, and the corresponding louver 17. The selection unit 201 is an example of a selection means.

The schedule determination unit 202 determines a first schedule, which is a schedule for the first sensor terminal to transmit sensor information to the multiple indoor units 100, based on the timing at which the multiple indoor units 100 receive sensor information from the first sensor terminal. For example, the schedule determination unit 202 determines the first schedule based on timing information supplied to the management device 200 from the indoor units 100. The schedule determination unit 202 generates a communication timing management table based on the determined first schedule.

Figure 9 shows the communication timing management table. The communication timing management table is a table that holds records in which a sensor terminal name, an offset time (seconds), and a communication period (seconds) are associated with each other. The communication timing management table shown in Figure 9 indicates, for example, that sensor terminal 300A, which is a broadcast-type sensor terminal 300, transmits sensor information every 60 seconds starting at 00:00:10 am. The schedule determination unit 202 stores the generated communication timing management table in the memory unit 22. The schedule determination unit 202 is an example of a schedule determination means.

The schedule generating unit 203 generates a second schedule, which is a schedule for the second indoor unit to acquire sensor information from the second sensor terminal, based on the first schedule identified by the schedule identifying unit 202. The second indoor unit is an indoor unit 100 that acquires sensor information from a server-type second sensor terminal. The second indoor unit may be the same as or different from the first indoor unit, which is an indoor unit 100 that acquires sensor information from a first sensor terminal, which is a broadcast-type sensor terminal 300.

The schedule generating unit 203 generates the second schedule based on, for example, the signal strength management table and the communication timing table so that the indoor unit 100 can acquire sensor information with as strong a received signal strength as possible. For example, if only the indoor unit 100A can receive sensor information from the first sensor terminal and the second sensor terminal with a strong received signal strength, the schedule generating unit 203 adjusts at least one of the offset time and the communication cycle so that the timing at which the second sensor terminal transmits the sensor information does not overlap with the timing at which the first sensor terminal transmits the sensor information.

The schedule generation unit 203 also generates a schedule management table based on the signal strength management table and the communication timing table. FIG. 10 shows the schedule management table. The schedule management table is a table that holds records in which indoor unit names, sensor terminal names, offset times (seconds), communication cycles (seconds), louver names, and optimal angles (°) are associated with each other. The schedule management table is a table that indicates which indoor unit 100 acquires sensor information from which sensor terminal 300, at which timing, with which louvers 17 at which angles. The schedule management table is a table that includes a first schedule and a second schedule. The schedule generation unit 203 is an example of a schedule generation means.

The angle information transmission unit 204 transmits angle information indicating a predetermined first angle to the first indoor unit of the multiple indoor units 100. The first indoor unit and the first angle can be identified from the schedule management table. The angle adjustment unit 105 provided in the first indoor unit adjusts the angle of the louver 17 provided in the first indoor unit to the first angle indicated by the angle information when the sensor information acquisition unit 101 provided in the first indoor unit acquires sensor information from the sensor terminal 300. The angle information transmission unit 204 is an example of an angle information transmission means.

The louver information transmission unit 205 transmits louver information indicating the first louver to the first indoor unit. The first louver can be identified from the schedule management table. The angle adjustment unit 105 provided in the first indoor unit adjusts the angle of the first louver indicated by the louver information to the first angle indicated by the angle information when the sensor information acquisition unit 101 provided in the first indoor unit acquires sensor information from the sensor terminal 300. The louver information transmission unit 205 is an example of a louver information transmission means.

The acquisition instruction transmission unit 206 transmits acquisition instruction information instructing the first indoor unit to acquire sensor information according to the first schedule specified by the schedule specification unit 202. In response to the first indoor unit receiving the acquisition instruction information from the management device 200, the angle adjustment unit 105 provided in the first indoor unit adjusts the angle of the louver 17 provided in the first indoor unit to the first angle indicated by the angle information. In addition, the acquisition instruction transmission unit 206 transmits acquisition instruction information to the second indoor unit according to the second schedule specified by the schedule generation unit 203. The acquisition instruction transmission unit 206 is an example of an acquisition instruction transmission means.

When the management device 200 receives sensor information from an indoor unit 100 that is not a collection device, the transfer unit 207 transfers the sensor information to the indoor unit 100 that is a collection device.

Next, the table generation process executed by the management device 200 will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG. 11. For example, when the air conditioning system 1000 is constructed, the management device 200 starts executing the table generation process in response to receiving an instruction to start the table generation process from the construction company.

First, the control unit 21 included in the management device 200 selects a sensor terminal 300 (step S101). For example, the control unit 21 selects one sensor terminal 300 from the five sensor terminals 300 indicated in the sensor terminal management table. After completing the processing of step S101, the control unit 21 refers to the sensor terminal management table and determines whether the selected sensor terminal 300 is a server type (step S102).

When the control unit 21 determines that the selected sensor terminal 300 is a server type (step S102: YES), it instructs all indoor units 100 to perform server type measurement processing (step S103). On the other hand, when the indoor units 100 receive an instruction to perform server type measurement processing from the management device 200, they execute the server type measurement processing shown in FIG. 12.

First, the control unit 11 provided in the indoor unit 100 selects one louver from the four louvers 17 (step S201). When the control unit 11 completes the process of step S201, it connects the antenna 18 (step S202). That is, the control unit 11 controls the path switching unit 15 so that the antenna 18 installed on the selected louver 17 is connected to the wireless communication unit 14. When the control unit 11 completes the process of step S202, it sets the angle of the louver 17 to the lower limit value (step S203). That is, the control unit 11 controls the louver driving unit 16 to set the angle of the selected louver 17 to 0°.

When the control unit 11 completes the processing of step S203, it acquires sensor information from the sensor terminal 300 (step S204). That is, the control unit 11 transmits request information to the sensor terminal 300 and acquires sensor information from the sensor terminal 300. When the control unit 11 completes the processing of step S204, it measures the received signal strength (step S205). When the control unit 11 completes the processing of step S205, it determines whether the angle of the louver 17 is at the upper limit (step S206). The upper limit is 90°.

When the control unit 11 determines that the angle of the louver 17 is not at the upper limit (step S206: NO), it increases the angle of the louver 17 by a specified value (step S207). The specified value is 5°. When the control unit 11 completes the process of step S207, it returns the process to step S204. When the control unit 11 determines that the angle of the louver 17 is at the upper limit (step S206: YES), it saves the optimal angle and the received signal strength at the optimal angle (step S208). When the control unit 11 completes the process of step S208, it determines whether there are any unselected louvers 17 (step S209).

When the control unit 11 determines that there is an unselected louver 17 (step S209: YES), it returns the process to step S201. On the other hand, when the control unit 11 determines that there is no unselected louver 17 (step S209: NO), it transmits signal strength information to the management device 200 (step S210). The signal strength information is information that indicates the optimal angle and the received signal strength at the optimal angle for each louver 17. When the control unit 11 completes the process of step S210, it completes the server-type measurement process.

When the control unit 21 completes the process of step S103, it acquires signal strength information from all indoor units 100 (step S104). When the control unit 21 completes the process of step S104, it updates the signal strength management table based on the acquired signal strength information (step S105).

When the control unit 21 determines that the selected sensor terminal 300 is not a server type (step S102: NO), it instructs all indoor units 100 to perform broadcast type measurement processing (step S106). On the other hand, when the indoor unit 100 receives an instruction to perform broadcast type measurement processing from the management device 200, it executes the broadcast type measurement processing shown in FIG. 13.

First, the control unit 11 of the indoor unit 100 selects one louver from the four louvers 17 (step S301). After completing the process of step S301, the control unit 11 connects the antenna 18 (step S302). After completing the process of step S302, the control unit 11 sets the angle of the louver 17 to the lower limit (step S303).

When the control unit 11 completes the process of step S303, it acquires the sensor information transmitted by the sensor terminal 300 multiple times (step S304). That is, the control unit 11 monitors the wireless communication unit 14 for a predetermined period. When the control unit 11 completes the process of step S304, it calculates the median of the received signal strength (step S305). When the control unit 11 completes the process of step S305, it calculates the offset time and the communication cycle (step S306). When the control unit 11 completes the process of step S306, it determines whether the angle of the louver 17 is at the upper limit (step S307).

When the control unit 11 determines that the angle of the louver 17 is not at the upper limit (step S307: NO), it increases the angle of the louver 17 by a specified value (step S308). When the control unit 11 completes the process of step S308, it returns the process to step S304. When the control unit 11 determines that the angle of the louver 17 is at the upper limit (step S307: YES), it saves the optimal angle, the received signal strength at the optimal angle, the offset time, and the communication cycle (step S309). When the control unit 11 completes the process of step S309, it determines whether there are any unselected louvers 17 (step S310).

When the control unit 11 determines that there is an unselected louver 17 (step S310: YES), the control unit 11 returns the process to step S301. On the other hand, when the control unit 11 determines that there is no unselected louver 17 (step S310: NO), the control unit 11 transmits signal strength information and communication timing information to the management device 200 (step S311). The communication timing information is information indicating the offset time and the communication cycle. When the control unit 11 completes the process of step S311, the control unit 11 completes the broadcast type measurement process.

When the control unit 21 completes the processing of step S106, it acquires signal strength information and communication timing information from all indoor units 100 (step S107). When the control unit 21 completes the processing of step S107, it updates the signal strength management table based on the acquired signal strength information (step S108). When the control unit 21 completes the processing of step S108, it updates the communication timing management table based on the acquired communication timing information (step S109).

When the control unit 21 completes the processing of step S105 or step S109, it determines whether or not there is an unselected sensor terminal 300 (step S110). If the control unit 21 determines that there is an unselected sensor terminal 300 (step S110: YES), it returns the processing to step S101. If the control unit 21 determines that there is no unselected sensor terminal 300 (step S110: NO), it executes a schedule management table generation process (step S111). The schedule management table generation process will be described below with reference to FIG. 14.

First, the control unit 21 determines whether or not there is a sensor terminal 300 with a first priority (step S401). The sensor terminal 300 with a first priority is a broadcast type sensor terminal 300 whose collection device is an indoor unit 100. For the sensor terminal 300 with a first priority, it is difficult to change the timing of transmitting sensor information, and the indoor unit 100 from which it is desirable to obtain sensor information is specified, so various allocations are prioritized.

When the control unit 21 determines whether or not there is a sensor terminal 300 with the first priority (step S401: YES), it assigns the indoor unit 100 and the louver 17 to the sensor terminal 300 with the first priority (step S402). The control unit 21 basically assigns the indoor unit 100, which is a collection device, and the louver 17, which has the maximum received signal strength in the indoor unit 100, to the sensor terminal 300 with the first priority.

However, if the indoor unit 100 that is the collection device has already been assigned to another sensor terminal 300 and there is a timing overlap, the indoor unit 100 with the greatest received signal strength among the indoor units 100 other than the collection device and the louver 17 in this indoor unit 100 with the greatest received signal strength are assigned. Note that assigning the louver 17 means assigning the optimal angle of this louver 17.

When the control unit 21 determines that there is no sensor terminal 300 with the first priority (step S401: NO), or when the processing of step S402 is completed, it determines whether there is a sensor terminal 300 with the second priority (step S403). When the control unit 21 determines that there is a sensor terminal 300 with the second priority (step S403: YES), it assigns the indoor unit 100 and the louver 17 to the sensor terminal 300 with the second priority (step S404). The sensor terminal 300 with the second priority is a broadcast type sensor terminal 300 whose collection device is the management device 200. It is difficult to change the timing of transmitting sensor information for the sensor terminal 300 with the second priority, but since the indoor unit 100 from which it is desirable to obtain sensor information is not specified, various assignments are not prioritized over the sensor terminal 300 with the first priority.

The control unit 21 basically assigns the indoor unit 100 with the highest received signal strength and the louver 17 with the highest received signal strength in this indoor unit 100 to the second priority sensor terminal 300. However, if the indoor unit 100 with the highest received signal strength has already been assigned to another sensor terminal 300 and there is a timing overlap, the indoor unit 100 with the second highest received signal strength and the louver 17 with the highest received signal strength in this indoor unit 100 are assigned to the second priority sensor terminal 300. In other words, among the indoor units 100 that can receive sensor information from the second priority sensor terminal 300 in terms of timing, the indoor unit 100 with the highest received signal strength and the louver 17 with the highest received signal strength in this indoor unit 100 are assigned to the second priority sensor terminal 300.

When the control unit 21 determines that there is no second-priority sensor terminal 300 (step S403: NO), or when the processing of step S404 is completed, the control unit 21 determines whether there is a third-priority sensor terminal 300 (step S405). When the control unit 21 determines that there is a third-priority sensor terminal 300 (step S405: YES), the control unit 21 assigns the indoor unit 100 and the louver 17 to the third-priority sensor terminal 300 (step S406). The third-priority sensor terminal 300 is a server type sensor terminal 300 whose collection device is the indoor unit 100. The third-priority sensor terminal 300 can change the timing of transmitting sensor information, but since the indoor unit 100 from which it is desirable to obtain sensor information is specified, various assignments are not prioritized over the second-priority sensor terminal 300, but are prioritized over the fourth-priority sensor terminal 300.

The control unit 21 basically assigns the indoor unit 100, which is a collection device, and the louver 17, which has the highest received signal strength in this indoor unit 100, to the sensor terminal 300 with the third priority. However, if the indoor unit 100, which is a collection device, is already assigned to another sensor terminal 300, the offset time of the sensor terminal 300 with the third priority is adjusted so that the timing does not overlap. It is preferable that the communication cycle of the sensor terminal 300 with the third priority is not changed.

When the control unit 21 determines that there is no third-priority sensor terminal 300 (step S405: NO), or when the processing of step S406 is completed, the control unit 21 determines whether there is a fourth-priority sensor terminal 300 (step S407). When the control unit 21 determines that there is a fourth-priority sensor terminal 300 (step S407: YES), the control unit 21 assigns the indoor unit 100 and the louver 17 to the fourth-priority sensor terminal 300 (step S408). The fourth-priority sensor terminal 300 is a server-type sensor terminal 300 whose collection device is the management device 200. The fourth-priority sensor terminal 300 is capable of changing the timing of transmitting sensor information, and since the indoor unit 100 from which sensor information is preferably acquired is not specified, various assignments are not prioritized over the third-priority sensor terminal 300.

The control unit 21 basically assigns the indoor unit 100 with the highest received signal strength and the louver 17 with the highest received signal strength in this indoor unit 100 to the sensor terminal 300 with the fourth priority. However, if the indoor unit 100 with the highest received signal strength has already been assigned to another sensor terminal 300, the offset time of the sensor terminal 300 with the fourth priority is adjusted so that the timing does not overlap. It is preferable that the communication cycle of the sensor terminal 300 with the fourth priority is not changed. If the control unit 21 determines that there is no sensor terminal 300 with the fourth priority (step S407: NO) or if the processing of step S408 is completed, the schedule management table generation processing is completed. When the control unit 21 completes the schedule management table generation processing of step S111, the table generation processing is completed.

Next, the sensor information acquisition control process executed by the management device 200 will be described with reference to FIG. 15.

First, the control unit 21 determines whether it is communication timing (step S501). The control unit 21 determines whether the current time is communication timing based on the schedule management table. If the control unit 21 determines that it is communication timing (step S501: YES), it determines whether the sensor terminal 300 is a server type (step S502). If the control unit 21 determines that the sensor terminal 300 is a server type (step S502: YES), it transmits the sensor terminal information to the indoor unit 100 from which the sensor information was obtained (step S503). The sensor terminal information is information that indicates the sensor terminal 300 that transmitted the sensor information.

When the control unit 21 determines that the sensor terminal 300 is not a server type (step S502: NO), or when the processing of step S503 is completed, the control unit 21 transmits the acquisition instruction information, louver information, and angle information to the indoor unit 100 that is the acquisition source (step S504). When the control unit 21 completes the processing of step S504, it receives the sensor information from the indoor unit 100 that is the acquisition source (step S505).

When the control unit 21 completes the process of step S505, it determines whether or not it is necessary to transfer the sensor information (step S506). When the control unit 21 determines that it is necessary to transfer the sensor information (step S506: YES), it transmits the sensor information to the destination indoor unit 100 (step S507). When the control unit 21 determines that it is not the timing for communication (step S501: NO), when it determines that it is not necessary to transfer the sensor information (step S506: NO), or when it has completed the process of step S507, it returns to the process of step S501.

Next, the sensor information acquisition process executed by the indoor unit 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 16.

First, the control unit 11 determines whether or not acquisition instruction information has been received from the management device 200 (step S601). When the control unit 11 determines that acquisition instruction information has been received from the management device 200 (step S601: YES), it stops blowing air (step S602). When the control unit 11 completes the processing of step S602, it adjusts the angle of the louvers 17 (step S603). That is, the control unit 11 adjusts the angle of the louvers 17 indicated by the louver information to the angle indicated by the angle information.

When the control unit 11 completes the process of step S603, it determines whether the sensor terminal 300 is a server type (step S604). If the control unit 11 determines that the sensor terminal 300 is a server type (step S604: YES), it transmits transmission request information to the sensor terminal 300 (step S605).

When the control unit 11 completes the process of step S605, or when it determines that the sensor terminal 300 is not a server type (step S604: NO), it receives sensor information from the sensor terminal 300 (step S606). When the control unit 11 completes the process of step S606, it transmits the sensor information to the management device 200 (step S607).

When the control unit 11 completes the process of step S607, it returns the angle of the louvers 17 to the original angle (step S608). When the control unit 11 completes the process of step S608, it resumes blowing air (step S609). When the control unit 11 determines that it has not received acquisition instruction information from the management device 200 (step S601: NO), or when it completes the process of step S609, it returns the process to step S601.

In this embodiment, when the indoor unit 100 acquires sensor information from the sensor terminal 300, the angle of the louver 17 on which the antenna 18 is installed is adjusted to a predetermined first angle. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the sensor information can be appropriately acquired from the sensor terminal 300 by wireless communication.

In addition, in this embodiment, the received signal strength is measured for each combination of multiple indoor units 100, multiple louvers 17, and multiple candidate angles, and the indoor units 100, louvers 17, and the angles of the louvers 17 are selected based on the measured received signal strength. Therefore, according to this embodiment, sensor information can be obtained more reliably from the sensor terminal 300.

In addition, in this embodiment, when the indoor unit 100 acquires sensor information from the sensor terminal 300, the blowing of conditioned air is stopped. Therefore, according to this embodiment, inappropriate air conditioning control is prevented from being performed in order to acquire sensor information.

In addition, in this embodiment, a first schedule is specified, which is a schedule for the broadcast type sensor terminal 300 to transmit sensor information, and the angle of the louver 17 is adjusted according to the first schedule. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the broadcast type sensor terminal 300 can appropriately acquire sensor information.

In addition, in this embodiment, a second schedule, which is a schedule for the sensor-type sensor terminal 300 to transmit sensor information, is generated based on a first schedule, which is a schedule for the broadcast-type sensor terminal 300 to transmit sensor information. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the sensor-type sensor terminal 300 can appropriately acquire sensor information.

(Embodiment 2)
In the first embodiment, an example has been described in which there are multiple indoor units 100 and a management device 200, and the management device 200 controls the acquisition of sensor information by the multiple indoor units 100. If there is only one indoor unit 100, the indoor unit 100 may control the acquisition of sensor information. Descriptions of configurations and functions similar to those in the first embodiment will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

Figure 17 shows the functional configuration of the indoor unit 120 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 17, the indoor unit 120 functionally includes a sensor information acquisition unit 101, an intensity measurement unit 103, an angle adjustment unit 105, a louver selection unit 106, an air conditioning control unit 107, a selection unit 109, a schedule determination unit 110, and a schedule generation unit 111.

The selection unit 109 selects a first louver from among the multiple louvers 17 and selects a first angle from among the multiple candidate angles based on the received signal strength measured by the strength measurement unit 103 for each combination of the multiple louvers 17 and the multiple candidate angles. More specifically, the selection unit 109 selects as the first louver a louver 17 included in the combination of the multiple louvers 17 and the multiple candidate angles that has the highest received signal strength measured by the strength measurement unit 103, and selects as the first angle a candidate angle included in the combination that has the highest received signal strength. The selection unit 109 is an example of a selection means.

On the other hand, the angle adjustment unit 105 adjusts the angle of the first louver to the first angle when the sensor information acquisition unit 101 acquires sensor information from the sensor terminal 300. The sensor information acquisition unit 101 also acquires sensor information from the first sensor terminal and a second sensor terminal that transmits sensor information to the indoor unit 120 in response to a request from the indoor unit 120. The air conditioning control unit 107 also stops blowing conditioned air when the sensor information acquisition unit 101 acquires sensor information from the sensor terminal 300.

The schedule determination unit 110 determines a first schedule, which is a schedule for the first sensor terminal to transmit sensor information to the indoor unit 120, based on the timing at which the indoor unit 120 receives sensor information from the first sensor terminal. The schedule determination unit 110 is an example of a schedule determination means. On the other hand, the angle adjustment unit 105 adjusts the angle of the louvers 17 to a first angle according to the first schedule determined by the schedule determination unit 110.

The schedule generation unit 111 generates a second schedule, which is a schedule for the sensor information acquisition unit 101 to acquire sensor information from the second sensor terminal, based on the first schedule identified by the schedule identification unit 110. The schedule generation unit 111 is an example of a schedule generation means. On the other hand, the angle adjustment unit 105 adjusts the angle of the louvers 17 to the first angle according to the second schedule generated by the schedule generation unit 111.

In this embodiment, when the indoor unit 120 acquires sensor information from the sensor terminal 300, the angle of the louver 17 on which the antenna 18 is installed is adjusted to a predetermined first angle. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the sensor information can be appropriately acquired from the sensor terminal 300 by wireless communication.

In addition, in this embodiment, the received signal strength is measured for each combination of multiple louvers 17 and multiple candidate angles, and the louvers 17 and the angles of the louvers 17 are selected based on the measured received signal strength. Therefore, according to this embodiment, sensor information can be acquired more reliably from the sensor terminal 300.

In addition, in this embodiment, when the indoor unit 120 acquires sensor information from the sensor terminal 300, the blowing of conditioned air is stopped. Therefore, according to this embodiment, inappropriate air conditioning control is prevented from being performed in order to acquire sensor information.

In addition, in this embodiment, a first schedule is specified, which is a schedule for the broadcast type sensor terminal 300 to transmit sensor information, and the angle of the louver 17 is adjusted according to the first schedule. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the broadcast type sensor terminal 300 can appropriately acquire sensor information.

In addition, in this embodiment, a second schedule, which is a schedule for the sensor-type sensor terminal 300 to transmit sensor information, is generated based on a first schedule, which is a schedule for the broadcast-type sensor terminal 300 to transmit sensor information. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the sensor-type sensor terminal 300 can appropriately acquire sensor information.

(Modification)
In the first and second embodiments, an example in which the number of louvers 17 is four has been described. The number of louvers 17 may be three or less, or may be five or more. Even when the number of louvers 17 is one, the angle of the louver 17 is adjusted, so that sensor information is easily acquired. In the first and second embodiments, an example in which the number of sensor terminals 300 is five has been described. The number of sensor terminals 300 may be four or less, or may be six or more.

In the first and second embodiments, an example has been described in which two sensor terminals 300 are of the broadcast type and three sensor terminals 300 are of the server type. The number of broadcast type sensor terminals 300 and the number of server type sensor terminals 300 are not limited to this example. For example, all sensor terminals 300 may be of the broadcast type, or all sensor terminals 300 may be of the server type.

In the above embodiment, the control unit 11 functions as each unit shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 17 by the CPU executing a program stored in the ROM or the storage unit 12. In the above embodiment, the control unit 21 functions as each unit shown in FIG. 6 by the CPU executing a program stored in the ROM or the storage unit 22. However, in the present disclosure, the control unit 11 and the control unit 21 may be dedicated hardware. Dedicated hardware is, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a combination of these. When the control unit 11 and the control unit 21 are dedicated hardware, the functions of each unit may be realized by individual hardware, or the functions of each unit may be realized together by a single hardware.

In addition, some of the functions of each unit may be realized by dedicated hardware, and other functions may be realized by software or firmware. In this way, the control unit 11 and the control unit 21 can realize each of the above-mentioned functions by hardware, software, firmware, or a combination of these.

By applying an operation program that specifies the operation of the indoor unit 100, indoor unit 120, and management device 200 according to the present disclosure to a computer such as an existing personal computer or information terminal device, it is possible to cause the computer to function as the indoor unit 100, indoor unit 120, and management device 200 according to the present disclosure. In addition, the method of distributing such a program is arbitrary, and for example, the program may be distributed by storing it on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disk ROM), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), an MO (Magneto Optical Disk), or a memory card, or may be distributed via a communication network such as the Internet.

Various embodiments and modifications of this disclosure are possible without departing from the broad spirit and scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are intended to explain this disclosure and do not limit the scope of this disclosure. In other words, the scope of this disclosure is indicated by the claims, not the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the scope of the disclosure equivalent thereto are considered to be within the scope of this disclosure.

This disclosure is applicable to air conditioning systems.

11, 21, 31 Control unit, 12, 22 Memory unit, 13, 25 Wired communication unit, 14, 33 Wireless communication unit, 15 Path switching unit, 16 Louver drive unit, 17, 17A, 17B, 17C, 17D Louver, 18, 18A, 18B, 18C, 18D, 34 Antenna, 19, 19A, 19B, 19C, 19D Air outlet, 23 Display unit, 24 Operation reception unit, 32 Detection unit, 100, 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D, 120 Indoor unit, 101 Sensor information acquisition unit, 102 Timing information transmission unit, 103 Intensity measurement unit, 104 Intensity information transmission unit, 105 Angle adjustment unit, 106 Louver selection unit, 107 Air conditioning control unit, 108, 207 Transfer unit, 109, 201 Selection unit, 110, 202 Schedule determination unit, 111, 203 Schedule generation unit, 171, 171A, 171C Rotation axis, 200 Management device, 204 Angle information transmission unit, 205 Louver information transmission unit, 206 Acquisition instruction transmission unit, 300, 300A, 300B, 300C, 300D, 300E Sensor terminal, 400 Field bus, 500 Room, 1000 Air conditioning system

Claims (13)

A louver provided at the outlet of the conditioned air;
An antenna installed on the louver;
a sensor information acquiring means for acquiring, from a sensor terminal that detects at least one of a temperature and a humidity of a room in which the indoor unit is installed by wireless communication via the antenna, sensor information indicating the physical quantity detected by the sensor terminal ;
and an angle adjustment means for adjusting an angle of the louver to a predetermined first angle when the sensor information acquisition means acquires the sensor information from the sensor terminal.
Indoor unit. a signal strength measuring unit for measuring a received signal strength when the sensor information acquiring unit acquires the sensor information from the sensor terminal for each of a plurality of candidate angles that are candidates for the angle of the louver;
The first angle is a candidate angle at which the received signal strength measured by the strength measuring means is the highest.
The indoor unit according to claim 1. A plurality of the louvers and a plurality of the antennas are provided,
the intensity measuring means measures the received signal intensity for each combination of the plurality of louvers and the plurality of candidate angles;
the first angle is a candidate angle included in a combination in which the received signal strength measured by the strength measurement means is the highest,
the angle adjustment means adjusts an angle of a louver included in the combination having the highest received signal strength to the first angle when the sensor information acquisition means acquires the sensor information from the sensor terminal.
The indoor unit according to claim 2. Further comprising an air conditioning control means for controlling the blowing out of the conditioned air,
the air conditioning control means stops blowing out the conditioned air when the sensor information acquisition means acquires the sensor information from the sensor terminal.
The indoor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3. the sensor information acquisition means acquires the sensor information from a first sensor terminal that transmits the sensor information to the indoor unit at a predetermined cycle;
The indoor unit may further include a schedule specifying means for specifying a first schedule, which is a schedule for the first sensor terminal to transmit the sensor information to the indoor unit, based on a timing at which the indoor unit receives the sensor information from the first sensor terminal;
The angle adjustment means adjusts the angle of the louver to the first angle in accordance with the first schedule specified by the schedule specification means.
The indoor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4. the sensor information acquisition means acquires the sensor information from the first sensor terminal and a second sensor terminal that transmits the sensor information to the indoor unit in response to a request from the indoor unit;
a schedule generating means for generating a second schedule, which is a schedule for the sensor information acquiring means to acquire the sensor information from the second sensor terminal, based on the first schedule identified by the schedule identifying means;
The angle adjustment means adjusts the angle of the louver to the first angle in accordance with the second schedule generated by the schedule generation means.
The indoor unit according to claim 5. An air conditioning system comprising: a sensor terminal that detects at least one physical quantity of a temperature and a humidity of a room in which an indoor unit is installed ; a plurality of indoor units that condition air in the room ; and a communication device that communicates with each of the plurality of indoor units,
Each of the plurality of indoor units is
A louver provided at the outlet of the conditioned air;
An antenna installed on the louver;
a sensor information acquiring means for acquiring sensor information indicating the physical quantity detected by the sensor terminal from the sensor terminal by wireless communication via the antenna;
and an angle adjustment means for adjusting the angle of the louver.
The communication device includes:
an angle information transmitting means for transmitting angle information indicating a predetermined first angle to a first indoor unit among the plurality of indoor units;
the angle adjustment means included in the first indoor unit adjusts the angle of the louver included in the first indoor unit to the first angle indicated by the angle information when the sensor information acquisition means included in the first indoor unit acquires the sensor information from the sensor terminal.
Air conditioning system. Each of the plurality of indoor units is
a signal strength measuring unit for measuring a received signal strength when the sensor information acquiring unit acquires the sensor information from the sensor terminal for each of a plurality of candidate angles that are candidates for the angle of the louver;
The communication device includes:
and a selection means for selecting the first indoor unit from among the plurality of indoor units and selecting the first angle from among the plurality of candidate angles based on the received signal strength measured for each of the plurality of candidate angles by the strength measurement means provided in each of the plurality of indoor units.
8. An air conditioning system according to claim 7. the selection means selects an indoor unit included in a combination having the highest received signal strength from among combinations of the plurality of indoor units and the plurality of candidate angles as the first indoor unit, and selects a candidate angle included in the combination having the highest received signal strength as the first angle.
9. An air conditioning system according to claim 8. Each of the plurality of indoor units is
A plurality of the louvers and a plurality of the antennas are provided,
the intensity measuring means measures the received signal intensity for each combination of the plurality of louvers and the plurality of candidate angles;
the selection means selects the first indoor unit from among the plurality of indoor units, selects a first louver from among the plurality of louvers, and selects the first angle from among the plurality of candidate angles based on the received signal strength measured by the strength measurement means provided in each of the plurality of indoor units for each combination of the plurality of louvers and the plurality of candidate angles;
The communication device includes:
a louver information transmitting means for transmitting louver information indicating the first louver to the first indoor unit,
the angle adjustment means included in the first indoor unit adjusts the angle of the first louver indicated by the louver information to the first angle indicated by the angle information when the sensor information acquisition means included in the first indoor unit acquires the sensor information from the sensor terminal.
9. An air conditioning system according to claim 8. the selection means selects an indoor unit included in a combination having the highest received signal strength from among combinations of the plurality of indoor units, the plurality of louvers, and the plurality of candidate angles as the first indoor unit, selects a louver included in the combination having the highest received signal strength as the first louver, and selects a candidate angle included in the combination having the highest received signal strength as the first angle.
11. An air conditioning system according to claim 10. a first sensor terminal that transmits the sensor information to the indoor units at a predetermined cycle;
The communication device includes:
a schedule specifying means for specifying a first schedule, which is a schedule for the first sensor terminal to transmit the sensor information to the indoor units, based on a timing at which the indoor units receive the sensor information from the first sensor terminal;
and an acquisition instruction sending means for sending acquisition instruction information for instructing the first indoor unit to acquire the sensor information in accordance with the first schedule specified by the schedule specifying means,
the angle adjustment means included in the first indoor unit adjusts an angle of the louver included in the first indoor unit to the first angle indicated by the angle information in response to the first indoor unit receiving the acquisition instruction information from the communication device;
An air conditioning system according to any one of claims 7 to 11. the sensor terminal includes the first sensor terminal and a second sensor terminal that transmits the sensor information to a second indoor unit in response to a request from the second indoor unit among the plurality of indoor units;
The communication device includes:
a schedule generating means for generating a second schedule, which is a schedule for the second indoor unit to acquire the sensor information from the second sensor terminal, based on the first schedule identified by the schedule identifying means;
the acquisition instruction transmitting means transmits the acquisition instruction information to the second indoor unit in accordance with the second schedule generated by the schedule generating means.
13. An air conditioning system according to claim 12.

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