JP7489264B2 - Control device and control method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a control device capable of controlling a shading device such as a blind, and a control method thereof.

There is already technology that automatically closes the shielding body of a shielding device when a suspicious person approaches an opening in a house.

For example, the following Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which, when a proximity sensor detects that a person has approached an opening in a house, it outputs an abnormality detection signal, and based on the abnormality detection signal, a driving means drives a shield to close the opening. This technology can improve security against suspicious people from outside.

JP 2006-90043 A

However, the above technology only closes the shield when a person is detected, so the shield remains closed even after the person leaves.

In addition, depending on the usage scenario of the shield, it may not be desirable to control the shield to close when a person is detected.

In other words, although the above technology can automatically control obstructions when a person is detected, there is room for improvement in terms of user comfort and convenience.

In view of the above circumstances, the object of the present invention is to provide a control device and a control method that can improve the comfort and convenience of the user by determining the need to open or close a shield and controlling the opening and closing.

To achieve the above object, a control device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a control device that controls a shielding device capable of shielding an opening, and has a control unit. The control unit determines whether a person or a predetermined displacement has been detected within a predetermined range, and executes a first opening/closing control when the person or the predetermined displacement has been detected within the predetermined range. Furthermore, the control unit executes a second opening/closing control when a predetermined condition regarding the person or the predetermined displacement is satisfied within the predetermined range after the execution of the first opening/closing control.

According to this configuration, not only can the device control opening and closing in response to the approach of a person or a predetermined displacement, but it can also automatically control opening and closing when a predetermined condition is met thereafter, allowing for flexible use according to the scene, and controlling opening and closing according to the need for opening and closing of the shielding body can improve the comfort and convenience of the user. The predetermined displacement is, for example, an opening and closing operation of a door, window, blind, screen, curtain, etc., or the generation of a sound due to the opening and closing of the door, window, blind, screen, curtain, etc., which has a high probability of causing a person to be detected thereafter, but is not limited to these. In addition, the case where a predetermined condition regarding the person or the above-mentioned predetermined displacement is satisfied includes, for example, a case where a person is no longer detected, a case where the detected person does not direct the line of sight or the camera toward the opening, a case where the person is moving at a predetermined speed or faster, a case where the opening and closing operation of the door, window, blind, screen, curtain, etc. in the opposite direction to the first opening and closing control execution (closed when opening, open when closed), or a case where the generation of a sound due to the opening and closing is detected, but is not limited to these.

The control unit may execute, as the first opening/closing control, a control to change the opening/closing degree of the shading device from the first opening/closing degree at the time of the detection to a second opening/closing degree, and may execute, as the second opening/closing control, a control to return the second opening/closing degree to the first opening/closing degree.

This means that the opening degree can be automatically restored to its original state when a person leaves, eliminating the need for the user to manually restore the opening degree even if it is changed upon detection of a person.

The control unit may execute, as the first opening/closing control, a control to close the door to the second opening/closing degree, which is less than the threshold, when a person is detected within the specified range when the first opening/closing degree is equal to or greater than a threshold.

As a result, even if the shading device is used with the door open to a degree that allows the interior of the room to be seen from the outside, privacy can be protected by preventing people from looking into the room when they approach. This improves the comfort and convenience of users who want to use the shading device at home or elsewhere, with an emphasis on lighting and views.

The control unit may acquire motion information of a person detected within the predetermined range, and execute the first opening/closing control if it determines that the motion indicated by the motion information does not satisfy a predetermined condition.

This allows the occlusion device to close when a person detected within a specified range performs a specific motion, making it possible to close the occlusion device for people performing actions that may allow the room to be peeked into.

The control unit may obtain, as the movement information, information indicating in which direction the person is facing by detecting the person's line of sight using a line of sight detection means, and may execute the first opening/closing control when it determines from the movement information that the person is facing in the direction of the opening.

This allows the occlusion device to close if a detected person makes a movement that could lead to them looking into the room.

The control unit may acquire a moving image from an imaging device capable of capturing an image of an area including the predetermined range, acquire the motion information based on the moving image, and execute the first opening/closing control when it is determined from the motion information that the person is moving at less than a predetermined speed.

This means that, for example, if a detected person is running past or passing by on a bicycle, the occlusion device will not be detected, but will close if the person is walking at a speed that allows the room to be peered at, or is standing still.

The control unit may acquire attribute information of a person detected within the specified range, maintain the opening/closing degree of the shielding device when the attribute indicated by the attribute information satisfies a specified condition, and execute the first opening/closing control when the attribute indicated by the attribute information does not satisfy the specified condition.

This allows the shading device to be closed according to the attributes of a person detected within a specified range, so even in a case where the device is closed when a person is detected in a scene used at home, it is possible to prevent unnecessary closing control when a family member is detected, and the shading device can be closed only for people with attributes that would be problematic if they were to look into the room (such as non-residents).

The control unit may execute, as the first opening/closing control, a control to open the door to the second opening/closing degree, which is equal to or greater than the threshold, when a person is detected within the predetermined range when the first opening/closing degree is less than a threshold.

This allows the shading device to automatically open when a person approaches and close when the person leaves. Therefore, for example, when the shading device is used in a store, the inside of the store can be shown to attract customers when a person approaches, and when the person leaves, the shading device can be closed to save energy inside the store, improving user comfort and convenience.

A control method according to another aspect of the present invention is a control method for controlling a shielding device capable of shielding an opening, comprising the steps of:
determining whether a person or a predetermined displacement is detected within a predetermined range;
When the person or the predetermined displacement is detected within the predetermined range, a first opening/closing control is executed;
The method includes executing a second opening/closing control when a predetermined condition related to the person or the predetermined displacement is satisfied within the predetermined range after the first opening/closing control is executed.
Control methods.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to improve the comfort and convenience of the user by determining the need to open or close the shield and controlling the opening and closing. However, this effect does not limit the present invention.

1 is a diagram showing an example of installation of a horizontal blind according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 2 is a partially omitted front view of the horizontal blind when the slats are horizontal (fully open). FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a control device of the horizontal blind. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an overview of an example of opening/closing control of blinds by the control device. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an overview of another example of blind opening/closing control by the control device. 10 is a flowchart showing a flow of blind opening/closing control processing by the control device in the first embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing a flow of blind opening/closing control processing by a control device in a second embodiment of the present invention. 13 is a flowchart showing a flow of a blind opening/closing control process performed by a control device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. 13 is a flowchart showing a flow of blind opening/closing control processing by a control device in a fourth embodiment of the present invention. 13 is a flowchart showing a flow of blind opening/closing control processing by a control device in a fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 23 is a diagram showing an overview of an example of blind opening/closing control by a control device in a sixth embodiment of the present invention. 23 is a flowchart showing a flow of a blind opening/closing control process performed by the control device in the sixth embodiment.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

First Embodiment
First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[Blinds Overview]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of installation of an electric (horizontal) blind according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in the figure, an electric blind 100 (hereinafter simply referred to as blind 100) is installed in an opening O such as a window of a building B such as a house.

A sensor C such as a camera is installed on the same surface of building B as the blinds 100. The sensor C can detect objects such as a person H that are present within its sensing range R. Note that the sensor C may be installed inside building B as long as it is capable of sensing the outdoors.

Details will be described later, but in this embodiment, the control device of the blinds 100 controls the opening and closing of the blinds 100 when a person is detected within a predetermined sensing range R.

Figure 2 is a partially omitted front view of the electric blind when the slats are horizontal (fully open). The figure also shows part of the internal mechanism of the head box.

As shown in the figure, the blind 100 has a head box 1, a number of slats 2, a number of lifting cords 3, and a number of ladder cords 4.

The ladder cord 4 hangs down from the head box 1, and supports the multiple slats 2 in an aligned state. The lower end of the ladder cord 4 is connected to a bottom rail 5 provided below the slats 2.

The lifting cord 3 hangs down from the head box 1 and is inserted into a cord insertion hole provided in each slat 2, and its lower end is connected to the bottom rail 5.

The head box 1 is supported by a bracket that is fixed to a specific surface such as a window frame or a wall with screws or the like. Inside the head box 1, multiple liftable rotating drums 6, a motor 7, a drive shaft 8, an encoder 9, and a control device 10 are provided.

Each lifting and lowering rotating drum 6 is connected to the upper ends of the lifting and lowering cord 3 and ladder cord 4 so that they can be wound and unwound, and raises and lowers the lifting and lowering cord 3 and tilts the ladder cord 4.

The motor 7 is the driving source for rotating the lifting and lowering rotating drums 6. The drive shaft 8 connects the multiple lifting and lowering rotating drums 6 together and transmits the driving force of the motor 7 to the lifting and lowering rotating drums 6.

The encoder 9 detects the amount of rotation of the drive shaft 8 and outputs the corresponding opening/closing degree information (in this embodiment, the angle information of the slat 2).

The control device 10 controls the driving of the motor 7 based on the amount of rotation detected by the encoder 9, and also controls the driving of the motor 7 in response to the detection of the person H, thereby controlling the opening and closing of the blinds 100.

The ladder cord 4 tilts in conjunction with the rotation of the lifting and lowering rotating drum 6 within a specified angle range, causing the slats 2 to rotate. This allows the inclination angle of the slats 2 (the open and closed state between the slats 2) to be adjusted.

In addition, as the lifting/lowering rotary drum 6 rotates, the lifting/lowering cord 4 is pulled and the bottom rail 5 rises, so that the slats 2 are raised and lowered while being stacked on the bottom rail 5.

[Configuration of the control device]
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control device 10. As shown in FIG.

As shown in the figure, the control device 10 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a memory 12, a storage unit 13, an input/output unit 14, and an I/O 15.

The CPU 11 accesses the memory 12 etc. as necessary and performs various calculation processes while providing overall control of each block of the control device 10.

Memory 12 is used as a working area for CPU 11, and temporarily stores the OS, various applications currently being executed, and various data currently being processed.

The storage unit 13 is a non-volatile memory in which firmware such as the OS, programs, and various parameters executed by the CPU 11 are fixedly stored. The storage unit 13 also stores a program for executing the opening/closing control in response to the detection of the person H, as well as various data and parameters required for the opening/closing control, such as threshold values and images for various analyses and authentications, which will be described later.

The input/output unit 14 is a user interface for the administrator or user of the control system, including a keyboard and mouse as input units and a display as an output unit.

I/O15 is a hardware interface that inputs and outputs signals to and from a sensor C such as a camera.

[Outline of opening and closing control example]
4 is a diagram showing an overview of an example of opening/closing control of the blinds 100 by the control device 10. In this example, it is assumed that the blinds 100 are installed at an opening O on the first floor of a house facing a road.

As shown in FIG. 1A, when the slats 2 of the blinds 100 are open and a person H is detected within the sensing range R of the sensor C, the control device 10 closes the slats 2 as shown in FIG. 1B. This prevents the person H from seeing inside the house, protecting the privacy of the residents of the house.

Next, as shown in FIG. 1C, when a person H is no longer detected within the sensing range R, the control device 10 opens the slats 2 to return them to their original open/closed state. This allows light to enter the room and improves the view from the room, thereby improving the comfort and convenience of the resident.

As shown in the rightmost diagram in the figure, when closing the slats 2 to protect privacy, the control device 10 does not need to close the slats 2 completely (slats 2 are vertical), but only needs to control the slats 2 to an angle that prevents the line of sight of a person within the sensing range R from reaching inside the room.

Similarly, when opening the slats 2 to let in light and enjoy the view, the control device 10 does not need to open them fully (with the slats 2 in a horizontal position), but only needs to control the slats 2 to an angle that allows light in and allows the outside to be seen.

Figure 5 is a diagram showing an overview of another example of opening and closing control of the blinds 100 by the control device 10. In this example, it is assumed that the blinds 100 are installed in an opening O on the second or higher floor of a multi-story building B such as a building, and that the building B faces or is adjacent to another multi-story building across the road.

In this case, the sensing range R of sensor C is extended to the opposing or adjacent building.

When the sensor C detects, for example, a person H (or the line of sight of person H) in a window of a building in front, the control device 10 closes the slats 2 to protect privacy, and when person H is no longer detected, it opens the slats 2 to allow in more light and improve the view.

In addition, or instead, the control device 10 may close slat 2 if sensor C detects that the blinds of the building in front are open, and open slat 2 if sensor C detects that the blinds are closed.

Here, as shown in (A) in the diagram on the far right of the figure, when the sensor C detects a person H above (on an upper floor), the control device 10 closes the slats 2 by tilting them toward the outdoors so that they face the line of sight, and as shown in (B) in the figure, when the sensor C detects a person H below (on a lower floor), the control device 10 tilts the slats 2 toward the inside so that they face the line of sight. This makes it possible to protect privacy while partially maintaining daylight or a view.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1C, if sensor C detects people both above and below, control device 10 brings slat 2 into a fully closed state.

[Operation of the control device]
Next, a detailed description will be given of the operation of the control device 10 configured as above. The operation is executed by the cooperation of hardware such as the CPU 11 of the control device 100 and software stored in the memory 12.

Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the process of controlling the opening and closing of the blinds 100 by the control device 10.

As shown in the figure, first, the control device 10 acquires detection information (outdoor information; e.g., video images) in the outdoor sensing range R from the sensor C (step 101).

Next, the control device 10 determines whether or not a person H has been detected within the sensing range R based on the outdoor information (step 102). Specifically, when the sensor C is a camera, the control device 10 can detect the person H by extracting features of the person from a moving image and distinguishing the person H from cars, animals, etc.

If it is determined that person H has been detected (Yes), the control device 10 detects the current opening and closing degree (angle of slat 2) using the encoder 9 (step 103).

Next, the control device 10 determines whether the current opening degree is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (step 104). Here, the threshold is set to, for example, a degree of opening that allows the inside of the door to be seen from the outside.

If it is determined that the current opening degree is equal to or greater than the threshold (Yes), the control device 10 drives the motor 7 to close the slats 2 so that the opening degree is less than the threshold, thereby preventing the interior of the room from being seen from the outside (step 105, first opening/closing control).

The control device 10 then again acquires outdoor information from sensor C (step 106) and determines whether a person H has been detected within sensing range R (step 107).

If the control device 10 determines that the person H is no longer detected (No), it drives the motor 7 to control the slats 2 to open back to the opening degree obtained in step 103 above (step 108, second opening/closing control).

The control device 10 does not necessarily need to return the door to its original opening degree when the person H is no longer detected, but may control the door to open to a predetermined opening degree that allows light in.

[summary]
As described above, according to this embodiment, the control device 10 not only controls the opening and closing of the blinds 100 as person H approaches, but can also automatically control the opening and closing after person H has left, allowing for flexible use according to the situation, and not only protecting privacy but also improving user comfort and convenience.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this and subsequent embodiments, parts having the same functions as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.

In the first embodiment described above, the control device 10 executes the opening/closing control when a person H is detected within the sensing range R. In this embodiment, the control device 10 executes the opening/closing control when the person H performs a predetermined motion in addition to detecting the person H.

Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of the opening and closing control process of the blinds 100 by the control device 10 in this embodiment.

As shown in the figure, steps 201 and 202 are similar to steps 101 and 102 in FIG. 6 above, but when person H is detected (Yes in step 202), the control device 10 determines whether person H satisfies a predetermined operating condition (step 203).

If it is determined that person H does not satisfy the predetermined operating conditions (No), the control device 10 executes a closing control similar to steps 103 to 105 in FIG. 6 above (steps 204 to 206).

Then, the control device 10 executes the same processing as steps 201 to 203 above (steps 207 to 209), and if it determines that person H satisfies the predetermined motion condition (Yes in step 209), it executes opening control to return the opening degree to the original value, as in step 108 in FIG. 6 above (step 210).

Here, the following are examples of specific operating conditions:

1. When a person directs his/her gaze into the room When acquiring the outdoor information (steps 201 and 207), the control device also detects the gaze of person H, and when the control device does not detect the gaze of the person, it determines that a predetermined operating condition is satisfied (Yes in steps 203 and 209).

The gaze of a person may be detected, for example, from a moving image captured by a camera as sensor C, or may be detected by providing a gaze sensor separate from the camera.

As a result, even if person H is detected, the closing control can be performed only when person H's gaze is directed at the door, reducing unnecessary closing control processing.

2. When a person points a camera or the like inside a room When the control device 10 does not detect that person H detected in the moving image acquired as the outdoor information points a camera (including a mobile terminal with a camera) toward the inside of building B, it determines that a predetermined operation condition is satisfied (Yes in steps 203 and 209).

Specifically, the control device 10 may detect the shape of a camera or a mobile device with a camera from the video image, and when it detects that person H's hand or arm has been moved to a position or angle typical of when photographing, it may determine that the person has pointed the camera.

In addition, if the control device 10 detects a camera lens even if person H does not actually point the camera toward the room, it may determine that the predetermined operating condition is not met (No) in steps 203 and 209.

As a result, even if person H is detected, the door will only be closed if person H performs an action that may cause the camera to capture the interior of the room, reducing unnecessary door control processing.

3. When a person is moving at less than a certain speed (e.g., pedestrians are included but bicycles are not included)
If the control device 10 does not detect that the person H detected in the moving image acquired as the outdoor information is moving at a speed less than the predetermined speed, it determines that the predetermined motion condition is satisfied (Yes in steps 203 and 209).

Specifically, the control device 10 may detect the speed of the person H by detecting the amount of movement of the detected person H between a specified number of frames from the moving image.

As a result, even if person H is detected, cases such as when the person is running past or passing by on a bicycle will not be taken into consideration, and the door will be closed only when the person is walking at a speed that allows the room to be peered into, or when the person is standing still, reducing unnecessary door control processing.

Third Embodiment
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.

In each of the above-described embodiments, it was assumed that only one person H was detected within the sensing range R, but in this embodiment, when multiple people are detected within the sensing range R, the control device 10 executes the close control if any one of the people is performing the above-mentioned specified action.

Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of the opening and closing control process of the blinds 100 by the control device 10 in this embodiment.

As shown in the figure, steps 301 and 302 are similar to steps 201 and 202 in FIG. 7 above, but if person H is detected (Yes in step 302), the control device 10 determines whether the detected people are multiple people (step 303).

If multiple people are detected (Yes), the control device 10 determines whether all of them meet the same predetermined conditions as above (step 304).

If multiple people are not detected (No), the same process as step 203 in Figure 7 above is executed (step 305).

The control device 10 then executes the same processing as steps 204 to 208 in FIG. 7 above (steps 306 to 310), and again determines whether there are multiple detected persons H (step 311).

Then, the control device 10 executes the same processing as steps 304 and 305 above (steps 312, 313), and if it is determined that the detected person H satisfies the predetermined operating conditions (Yes in steps 312 and 313), it executes opening control to return the opening degree to the original value, as in step 210 in FIG. 7 above (step 314).

According to this embodiment, when multiple people are detected within the sensing range R, if any one of them is performing an action that allows the user to look into the room, the blinds 100 are closed, so it is possible to determine whether the blinds 100 should be opened or closed while checking the actions of each person.

Fourth Embodiment
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described.

In the second embodiment described above, the control device 10 executes opening and closing control when a person H is detected within the sensing range R and the person H does not satisfy a predetermined operating condition. In this embodiment, however, instead of the predetermined operating condition of the person H, the control device 10 executes opening and closing control when the person H does not have a predetermined attribute.

Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of the opening and closing control process of the blinds 100 by the control device 10 in this embodiment.

As shown in the figure, steps 401 and 402 are similar to steps 101 and 102 in FIG. 6 above, but when person H is detected (Yes in step 402), the control device 10 determines whether person H satisfies a predetermined attribute condition (step 403).

If it is determined that person H does not satisfy the specified attribute conditions (No), the control device 10 executes a closing control similar to steps 103 to 105 in FIG. 6 above (steps 404 to 406).

Then, the control device 10 executes the same processing as steps 401 to 403 above (steps 407 to 409), and if it determines that person H satisfies the predetermined attribute conditions (Yes in step 409), it executes opening control to return the opening degree to the original value, as in step 108 in Figure 6 above (step 410).

Here, the following are some examples of specific attribute conditions:

1. When the person is not a resident The control device 10 executes face recognition processing on the face image of person H detected in the moving image acquired as the outdoor information, based on face images of residents of building B stored in advance, and when it detects that the person is a resident, it determines that a predetermined attribute condition is satisfied (Yes in steps 403 and 409).

In addition, even if a person is not a resident of building B, they may be authenticated and registered in advance as a related person.

This prevents the blinds 100 from being controlled to close to protect privacy, even if a person H detected within the sensing range R in front of the house is a resident or the like.

2. If the person is not a child

When the control device 10 detects that the person H detected in the video image acquired as the outdoor information is a child based on the characteristics (height, size and proportions of each body part, etc.) of the person, it determines that the specified attribute conditions are met (Yes in steps 403 and 409).

As a result, if a person H detected within the sensing range R in front of the house is a child, there is little concern that the person may be peeking into the room, so the door will not be closed, but it will be closed only if the person H is an adult, etc.

Fifth Embodiment
Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described.

Figure 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of the opening and closing control process of the blinds 100 by the control device 10 in this embodiment.

This embodiment is a modification of the third embodiment, which shows the process when multiple people are detected within the sensing range R, and the fourth embodiment, which uses the attribute conditions of person H as a condition for opening and closing control in addition to the detection of person H, and uses the predetermined attribute conditions of the fourth embodiment instead of the predetermined operating conditions of the third embodiment.

In other words, when multiple people are detected within the sensing range R (Yes in steps 503 and 511), the control device 10 determines whether all of the people satisfy the above-mentioned specified attribute conditions (steps 504 and 512), and if none of the people satisfy the specified attribute conditions (No in step 504), it executes close control (steps 506 to 508), and if all of the people subsequently satisfy the specified attribute conditions (Yes in step 512), it executes open control to return to the original opening and closing degree (step 514).

In this embodiment, when multiple people are detected within the sensing range R, if even one of them has attributes that would be problematic if someone were to look into the room, the blinds 100 are closed, so it is possible to determine whether to open or close the blinds 100 while checking the attributes of each person.

Sixth Embodiment
Next, a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the blinds 100 are controlled to open and close in order to protect the user's privacy while improving the user's comfort and convenience. However, in this embodiment, the blinds 100 are controlled to open and close in order to promote sales at a facility such as a store while also saving energy.

Figure 11 is a diagram showing an overview of an example of opening and closing control of the blinds 100 by the control device 10 in this embodiment. In this example, it is assumed that the blinds 100 are installed in an opening O on the first floor of a store.

As shown in FIG. 1A, when the slats 2 of the blinds 100 are closed and a person H is detected within the sensing range R of the sensor C, the control device 10 opens the slats 2 as shown in FIG. 1B. This allows the person H to stop in front of the store and view the inside of the store through the blinds 100, thereby promoting sales at the store.

Next, as shown in FIG. 1C, when a person H is no longer detected within the sensing range R, the control device 10 closes the slats 2 and returns them to their original open/closed state. This makes it possible to increase the energy-saving effect within the store (heat blocking effect in summer and insulation effect in winter) when the advertising effect of the store is not desired.

Figure 12 is a flowchart showing the flow of the opening and closing control process of the blinds 100 by the control device 10 in this embodiment.

The opening and closing control in this embodiment is the opposite process to the opening and closing control shown in FIG. 6 in the first embodiment.

That is, when a person H is detected within the sensing range R (Yes in step 602), the control device 10 determines whether the current opening degree is less than the threshold value (steps 603, 604), and when it determines that the opening degree is less than the threshold value (Yes in step 604), it controls the opening so that the opening degree is equal to or greater than the threshold value, allowing the inside of the store to be seen from outside (step 605).

The threshold here should be the degree of opening or closing that allows the inside of the store to be seen from outside.

Then, when the person H is no longer detected within the sensing range R (No in step 607), the control device 10 performs closing control to return the opening degree to the opening degree detected in step 603 (step 608).

The control device 10 does not necessarily need to return the door to its original opening and closing position, but may instead control the door to close at a predetermined opening and closing position that allows for energy conservation within the store.

Alternatively, when the control device 10 detects the approach of person H, it may control the motor 7 to rotate the slats 2 continuously (repeatedly opening and closing) to make it easier for person H to notice the presence of the store. In this case, the slats 2 may be two-tone slats (slats with different colors on the front and back) to make it easier for person H to notice the store.

Then, when the control device 10 detects that the person H has approached further and is in front of the store (e.g., in front of a display window), it may bring the slats 2 to a fully open, horizontal state.

In this way, this embodiment allows opening and closing control to achieve both sales promotion and energy conservation in facilities such as stores.

<Other Modifications>
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present technology.

In the above-described first to fifth embodiments, the blinds 100 are controlled to close when a person is detected, and then controlled to open when the person is no longer detected. Here, the control device 10 may open the blinds 100 after a certain period of time (e.g., one minute) has elapsed rather than opening the blinds 100 immediately after the person is no longer detected (i.e., the person leaves).

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiments 1 to 5, if a control in which the interval between the open control associated with a person leaving and the close control associated with a person approaching is less than a predetermined time is repeated a predetermined number of times, the control device 10 may keep the door closed for at least a certain period of time (e.g., one minute) or more.

This processing eliminates the annoyance of frequently opening and closing slats 2 due to the intermittent detection of people.

In the above-mentioned embodiments 1 to 5, the control device 10 may set the control speed of the slats 2 (the rotation speed of the motor 7) slower when returning the slats 2 to the open state than when returning them to the closed state. This can eliminate the discomfort felt by the user when outside light suddenly enters the room.

In the above embodiment, the control device 10 controls the opening and closing of the blinds 100 based on the detection of a person H in the sensing range R. However, the control device 10 may also control the opening and closing based on the detection by the sensor C of a predetermined displacement of an object other than a person H.

Here, the specified displacement refers to, for example, the opening and closing of doors, windows, blinds, screens, curtains, etc. of a building facing building B, such as a house or building in which the blinds 100 are installed, and the sound generated by opening and closing them. When such movements are detected, it is considered highly likely that a person who can be seen through the blinds 100 inside building B will be detected thereafter. Therefore, by executing opening and closing control (particularly closing control) in response to the movements without waiting for the detection of a person, the possibility of person H peeking inside the building can be further reduced.

In this case, the control device 10 may detect the opening and closing action by analyzing a video image captured by a camera, or if the sensor C has a microphone, may detect the opening and closing action by analyzing the sound accompanying the opening and closing action. In this case, the control device 10 may execute the analysis process, or may have another device, such as an analysis server on the cloud, execute the analysis process and receive the analysis results.

In the above embodiment, the control device 10 controlled the angle of the slats 2 as opening and closing control. However, as opening and closing control, the control device 10 may also control the angle of the louvers of the vertical blinds, control the raising and lowering of the blinds 100 (slats 2 or screens), or control the opening and closing of the vertical blinds or curtains in the left-right direction.

In this case, the encoder 9 may output louver angle information in the case of vertical blinds instead of slat 2 angle information as opening/closing degree information, or may output information indicating the raised/lowered position of the blind 100 (bottom rail 5) instead of the slat or louver angle.

When controlling the raising and lowering of the blinds 100, the control device 10 may lower the blinds 100 to the lowest position when a person H is detected within the sensing range R. In addition, in a blind that combines a transparent screen and a non-transparent screen, the area blocked by the transparent screen may be reduced when a person H is detected. More specifically, when the upper screen is a transparent screen and the lower screen is a non-transparent screen, the position of the middle bar connecting the two is raised when a person H is detected. On the other hand, when the upper screen is a non-transparent screen and the lower screen is a transparent screen, the position of the middle bar is lowered when a person H is detected. In this case, the position to which the middle bar is raised or lowered may be a predetermined position, or may be a position where the area blocked by the transparent screen is smallest.

In the above embodiment, the control device 10 controls the opening and closing of the blinds 100 depending on whether a person H is detected outdoors. However, even if a person H is detected outdoors, the control device 10 may not execute the closing control if it determines that there is no person (resident) indoors, but may execute the closing control if it determines that there is a person indoors. In this case, a sensor such as a human presence sensor may be provided to detect the presence or absence of a person indoors.

In the fourth and fifth embodiments described above, the attribute information of the detected person is obtained from a video captured by a camera, but the attribute information may be obtained from something other than a video. For example, the attribute information may be obtained by receiving an ID of a specific user (resident, etc.) stored in advance by the control device 10 from a smartphone carried by the user or a wearable device worn by the user, via communication such as short-range wireless communication.

In each of the above-described embodiments, an electric blind 100 is shown as a shading device to be controlled by the control device. However, the shading device is not limited to this, and the present invention can be easily applied to the control device of any shading device, such as other brands of vertical blinds, roller screens, honeycomb screens, pleated screens, Roman shades, etc., as well as curtains, shutters, accordion doors, sliding doors, or panel doors.

Reference Signs List 1: Head box 2: Slat 3: Lifting cord 4: Ladder cord 5: Bottom rail 6: Lifting rotary drum 7: Motor 8: Drive shaft 9: Encoder 10: Control device 11: CPU
12: Memory C: Sensor R: Sensing range

Claims (8)

A control device for controlling a shielding device capable of shielding an opening of a building ,
A control device comprising a control unit that determines whether a person or a specified displacement has been detected within a specified range outside the building , and when the person or the specified displacement has been detected within the specified range, executes control to change the opening/closing degree of the shading device in the open state from the first opening/closing degree at the time of the detection to a second opening/closing degree as a first opening/closing control, and when a specified condition regarding the person or the specified displacement is satisfied within the specified range after the execution of the first opening/closing control , executes control to return the second opening/closing degree to the first opening/closing degree as a second opening/ closing control. The control device according to claim 1 ,
The control unit executes, as the first opening/closing control, a control to close the door to the second opening/closing degree at which the opening/closing degree is less than the threshold when a person is detected within the specified range when the first opening/closing degree is equal to or greater than a threshold. The control device according to claim 1 ,
The control unit acquires attribute information of a person detected within the specified range, maintains the opening and closing degree of the shading device when the attributes indicated by the attribute information satisfy specified conditions, and executes the first opening and closing control when the attributes indicated by the attribute information do not satisfy specified conditions. A control device for controlling a shielding device capable of shielding an opening,
a control unit that determines whether a person or a predetermined displacement has been detected within a predetermined range, and when the person or the predetermined displacement has been detected within the predetermined range, executes a first opening/closing control to change an opening/closing degree of the shading device from a first opening/closing degree at the time of the detection to a second opening/closing degree, and when a predetermined condition related to the person or the predetermined displacement is satisfied within the predetermined range after the execution of the first opening/closing control, executes a second opening/closing control to return the second opening/closing degree to the first opening/closing degree,
The control unit acquires motion information of a person detected within the predetermined range, and executes the first opening/closing control when it is determined that the motion indicated by the motion information does not satisfy a predetermined condition. The control device according to claim 4 ,
The control unit detects the person's gaze using a gaze detection means, thereby obtaining information indicating which direction the person is facing as the movement information, and when it determines from the movement information that the person is facing toward the opening, executes the first opening/closing control. The control device according to claim 4 ,
The control unit acquires moving images from an imaging device capable of capturing an image of an area including the specified range, acquires the motion information based on the moving images, and executes the first opening/closing control when it determines from the motion information that the person is moving at less than a specified speed. A control device for controlling a shielding device capable of shielding an opening of a building,
a control unit that determines whether a person has been detected within a predetermined range outside the building, and when the person is detected within the predetermined range and a first opening/closing degree of the shading device at the time of detection is less than a threshold, executes a first opening/closing control for opening the shading device to a second opening/closing degree equal to or greater than the threshold , and when the person is no longer detected within the predetermined range after execution of the first opening/closing control, executes a second opening/closing control for returning the second opening/closing degree to the first opening/closing degree.
Control device. A control method for controlling a shielding device capable of shielding an opening of a building , comprising:
determining whether a person or a predetermined displacement is detected within a predetermined range outside the building ;
when the person or the predetermined displacement is detected within the predetermined range, a first opening/closing control is executed to change an opening degree of the shading device in an open state from a first opening/closing degree at the time of the detection to a second opening/closing degree;
A control method comprising: executing a control for returning the second opening/closing degree to the first opening/closing degree as a second opening/closing control when a specified condition regarding the person or the specified displacement is satisfied within the specified range after a first opening/closing control is executed.

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