JPH05157311A - Air conditioning controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To produce a heating environment corresponding to a preference of occupant under an automatic operation even if the occupant does not operate an air conditioner. CONSTITUTION:During studying operation, voice of an occupant detected by a micro-phone 4 is analyzed by a voice feature analyzing means 10, its feature amount (formant frequency) is extracted and then a studying means 21 performs a pattern study on a relation on its acoustic feature amount, a set temperature shift amount of an air conditioner 2 set by an occupant at that time, i.e., a relation with a preference of heat of the occupant. Under an automatic operation mode, a control means 11 outputs a set temperature shifting amount corresponding to voice of the occupant at present to the air conditioner 2 and controls it.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a control device for an air conditioner.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, several air conditioners having a function of automatically setting a temperature in view of the present indoor environment have been commercialized.

For example, an appropriate set temperature shift amount is automatically calculated by estimating the comfort level of the person in the room from the air conditioning conditions (set temperature, outside air temperature, intake temperature, intake temperature change, air volume). Air conditioners with the function of determining the set temperature according to the value have been commercialized (sensor technology Vo
l. 11, No. 8, pp. 33-38). In addition, the set temperature shift of the air conditioner that realizes comfortable thermal air conditioning is judged from the output value of the comfort sensor that outputs the current thermal comfort level in response to multiple indoor thermal conditions (room temperature, radiation temperature, etc.). Something that calculates quantity has been realized.

[0004]

However, in such an air conditioner, in general, in order to determine the set temperature only by using the indoor thermal environment amount detected by the attached sensor, the occupant of the room side No difference is addressed. For example, it is often better to change the set temperature depending on whether the person in the room is a child, a young person, or an old person, and whether the person in the room is male or female. Is also the same. In this way, the preference of thermal sensation differs depending on the age of the person in the room and gender.
Therefore, when the set temperature is uniquely determined only from the indoor thermal environment as in the conventional case, the set temperature often needs to be reset each time.

Further, the preference of the thermal sensation differs depending on each individual. In other words, there are people who are hot or cold, and different people have different feelings of heat. Moreover, even the same person has a difference in thermal sensation when he is healthy and when he has a cold, so the set value may be changed depending on his physical condition.

An object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioning control device capable of automatically creating a thermal environment according to the preference of a person in the room in consideration of the above problems of the conventional air conditioner control method.

[0007]

An air conditioning control device of the present invention includes a microphone for detecting a voice, a feature amount of analyzing the detected voice and outputting a feature amount thereof, for example, a formant frequency, and a voice feature amount thereof. And a set temperature shift amount based on a relationship between the set temperature shift amount and the set temperature shift amount.

In addition to the microphone, the voice feature analysis means, and the control means, the air conditioning control device of the present invention is provided between the voice feature amount output by the voice feature analysis means and the set temperature shift amount set by the person in the air conditioner. The learning means has a function of learning the relationship and setting the learned pattern in the control means.

[0009]

In the present invention, for example, the set temperature of the air conditioner is determined on the basis of the characteristics of the voice uttered by the person in the room, whereby the cooling and heating effect suitable for each person in the room can be automatically given. it can.

The voice of the person in the room detected by the microphone is analyzed by the voice feature analysis means, and the feature amount thereof is extracted. Furthermore, based on the preset relationship between the voice feature amount and the set temperature shift amount (for example, if the voice of an old man has a higher setting when cooling, etc.), the voice of the current occupant is determined. The corresponding set temperature shift amount is calculated by the control means, set in the air conditioner, and air conditioning is performed.

Further, the learning means provided for coping with the difference in the preference of the thermal sensation among the individuals in the room and the difference in the thermal sensation due to the difference in the health condition of the occupants are The voice feature amount of the voice uttered by and the set temperature shift amount of the air conditioner set by the occupant at that time are input, and the relationship between the voice feature amount and the set temperature shift amount preferred by the occupant has a pattern. Be learned. After learning, based on the pattern learned by this learning means, the set temperature shift amount corresponding to the current voice of the person in the room is output by the control means and set in the air conditioner.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of an air conditioning control device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a system configuration diagram of an embodiment of an air conditioning control device according to the present invention. The air conditioner 2 is attached to the wall of the room. The air conditioner 2 is provided with an air conditioning control device 3 that controls the air conditioning device 2, and a microphone 4 is attached to the air conditioning control device 3.

In such a system, the voice uttered by the occupant 1 is detected by the microphone 4 of the air conditioning controller 3 which controls the air conditioner 2 installed in the room, and the air conditioning controller 3 analyzes the voice. Then, the operation of the air conditioner 2 is controlled according to the set temperature that suits the voice speaker's preference.

The mode of operation of the air conditioning control device 3 having such a configuration will be described below. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the air conditioning control device 3 according to the present invention. The microphone 4 detects the voice uttered by the occupant 1, and the voice feature analysis unit 10 is a unit that analyzes the feature amount included in the voice. The control means 11 has its voice feature analysis means 10
It is a means for controlling the air conditioner 2 by inputting the characteristic amount analyzed in (4).

As the voice feature amount, a formant frequency or a pitch frequency, which is one of the frequency characteristics of voice, is used. Fig. 1 shows the distribution of formant frequencies. As can be seen from the figure, even if the same pronunciation is used, the farmant frequency varies considerably depending on the speaker, gender, age and health condition. The information can be used to identify the state of the speaker. As the analysis method, a method such as linear predictive analysis can be used (reference: Shuzo Saito, Kazuo Nakata, “
Basics of voice information processing "Ohmsha".

On the other hand, the set temperature shift amount of the air conditioner 2 (this is temperature data indicating how much the set temperature is shifted with respect to the set temperature during heating and cooling which the air conditioner 2 has by default. ) Is determined depending on the gender and age of the occupant 1 and the age (for example, in the case of a woman or an elderly person, the air conditioner should be set to a higher setting). With respect to the voice feature amount output by the voice feature analysis means 10, the set temperature shift amount to be set based on the preset relationship is output to the air conditioner 2. The air conditioner 2 is operated using this set temperature shift amount, and comfortable air conditioning is realized by the set temperature that the person in the room 1 likes.

FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of another embodiment of the air conditioning control device 3 according to the present invention. The preference of thermal sensation varies from individual to individual, and the thermal sensation varies depending on the health condition of the individual. In this embodiment, in order to cope with this difference in thermal sensation, the voice feature amount of the voice uttered by the person 1 in the room,
At that time, the learning means 21 for learning the relationship with the set temperature shift amount of the air conditioner 2 set by the occupant 1 is used. Since the set temperature shift amount will be a low value when the occupant 1 is hot and will be a high value when the occupant is cold, a value indicating the thermal preference of the occupant 1 Therefore, if this value is used, the thermal sensation of the current occupant can be learned.

Next, the configuration and operation will be described at the same time.

The operation of the air conditioning controller 3 in the learning mode in which the mode switching SW 20 is set to the learning mode will be described. The occupant 1 manually inputs the set temperature shift amount by the set temperature shift amount input means 22 attached to the air conditioner 2.
The learning unit 21 learns a pattern between the set temperature shift amount and the feature amount of the voice uttered by the person 1 in the room.
Information on the learned pattern is set in the control unit 11.

Next, in the automatic mode in which the mode switching SW 20 is set to the automatic mode side, when the voice feature analysis means 10 for analyzing the voice uttered by the person 1 in the room outputs the voice feature amount, the control means 11 However, using the voice characteristic amount and the already learned pattern information, the set temperature shift amount corresponding to the preference of the occupant 1 corresponding to the voice of the occupant 1 is output to the air conditioner 2. The air conditioner 2 is operated using this set temperature shift amount, and comfortable air conditioning is realized by the set temperature that the person in the room 1 likes.

FIG. 5 shows a block diagram of an embodiment of the voice feature analysis means 10 which is a component of the present invention. As described above, the voice feature analysis unit 10 outputs the feature amount of the voice detected by the microphone 4, for example, the formant frequency, but the formant frequency has a property that it changes depending on the spoken word. is there.
Therefore, in this embodiment, a specific word, for example, "Yes"
This is dealt with by detecting and using a voice feature amount for the same pronunciation language by analyzing the voice only when the voice is uttered. Therefore, the voice recognition means 30 outputs an analysis command to the voice analysis means 31 at the timing when the specific word is recognized, and the voice analysis means 31 receiving the analysis command calculates and outputs the feature amount of the voice there. It has become.

FIG. 6 shows a learning means 2 which is a constituent element of the present invention.
1 is a configuration diagram of a neural network which is an example of 1 and a control unit 11. FIG. The neural network is used for analyzing and controlling the relationship between the voice feature amount such as the Falmant frequency and the pitch frequency and the preset temperature shift amount of the speaker. In the learning unit 21, the voice feature amount is input to the input layer of the neural network. Then, the current set temperature shift amount of the air conditioner 2 is given to the output layer as a learning signal,
Set the weight of the middle layer appropriately. Further, in the control means 11, when the voice feature amount is input to the input layer of the neural network, the set temperature shift amount of the air conditioner 2 which has already been learned and which the person in the room 1 has liked is output from the output layer. It

Each means of the present invention may be realized by software using a computer or by using a dedicated hardware circuit having those functions.

[0025]

As described above, in the air conditioning control device according to the present invention, the characteristics of the voice of the person in the room are analyzed, the set temperature of the air conditioner is determined according to the characteristic amount, and the operation is performed. Even if the user does not operate the air conditioner, he / she can automatically give an air conditioning effect according to the preference of the person in the room, sex, age, health condition, etc. simply by producing a sound.

Further, by learning without setting the set temperature according to the voice feature quantity in advance, a more detailed air conditioning effect can be obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a characteristic of a formant frequency which is an example of a voice feature amount used in an air conditioning control device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a system configuration diagram showing an embodiment of an air conditioning control device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an air conditioning control device according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an air conditioning control device according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a configuration block diagram of a voice feature analyzing means in the air conditioning control device according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of a neural network used in a learning unit and a control unit in the air conditioning control device according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 occupant 2 air conditioner 3 air conditioning control device 4 microphone 10 voice feature analysis means 11 control means 20 mode switching SW 21 learning means 22 set temperature shift amount input means 30 voice recognition means 31 voice analysis means

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A set temperature of an air conditioner according to a microphone for detecting a voice, a voice feature analysis unit for analyzing a feature amount of the voice detected by the microphone, and a voice feature amount output from the voice feature analysis unit. An air conditioning control device comprising: a control unit that outputs a shift amount. 2. The relationship between the voice feature amount and the set temperature shift amount to be set in the control means is defined as the set temperature shift amount set by a person in the air conditioner and the voice feature analysis means at that time. The air-conditioning control device according to claim 1, further comprising a learning unit having a function of obtaining the voice feature amount output from the learning unit.