JPH10259947A - Air conditioning system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air conditioned environment comfortable to every one in a room. SOLUTION: This air conditioning system comprises an air conditioner 10 which is set up in a room required to control an air conditioned state, a local temperature adjusting mechanism 7 which is mounted to comply with a plurality of areas in the room and is capable of controlling the input and output of heat discretely for these areas and a control device 5 which controls the air conditioner 10 and the local temperature. The control device 5 detects the position of each remote controller based on image data from a CCD camera 3 and identifies each remote controller by reading a signal transmitted from each remote controller. A control signal is prepared for the air conditioner 10 and the local temperature adjustment mechanism 7 based on a temperature adjustment command transmitted from each remote controller and the detection and identification results.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air conditioning system which operates according to the intentions of a plurality of persons in a room and can provide a comfortable air condition for all.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional air conditioner (hereinafter, referred to as an air conditioner) controls air conditioning operation by feedback control using a set temperature designated by a key operation of a remote controller (hereinafter, referred to as a remote controller) or the like as a target value. When changing the indoor temperature, the user operates the remote controller to change the set temperature.

[0003]

However, in the conventional air conditioner, the average air condition in the room is adjusted to one target value, and local adjustment is not possible. An air conditioner capable of directing the wind direction to the position of a person has been proposed (Japanese Patent Publication No. 6-63730). However, even with this air conditioner, the room cannot be locally adjusted to a different temperature. Therefore, when a plurality of people are present in a room and a desired temperature varies from person to person, comfortable air conditioning cannot be realized for all.

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide an air conditioning system capable of obtaining a comfortable air condition for all the persons when a plurality of persons are present in the room.

[0005]

An air conditioner according to the present invention is installed in a room where air conditioning is to be adjusted, and operates in response to a temperature adjustment command from a plurality of remote controllers. A local temperature control mechanism that is attached to a plurality of areas in the room and that can individually control the flow of heat in and out of these areas to locally control the temperature; and the air conditioner and the local temperature control. And a control device for controlling the mechanism.

In the air conditioning system of the present invention, the air conditioner operates to bring the room closer to a certain uniform air condition, while the local temperature control mechanism releases heat in a specific area to the outside, Alternatively, local temperature control is performed by introducing heat from the outdoor to a specific area.

Specifically, the control device includes a detecting means for detecting a position of a remote controller which issues a temperature adjustment command, an identification means for identifying the remote control, a temperature adjustment command sent from the remote controller, and the detecting and controlling means. Based on the result of the identification and
Control means for generating control signals for the air conditioner and the local temperature control mechanism. In this specific configuration, when a desired temperature adjustment command is issued by operating a remote controller that can be carried by each person in the room, the position of the remote controller is detected, and the remote controller is identified as another remote controller. . As a result, the control means can recognize the target air condition for each area in the room, and in order to realize this air condition, create a control signal for the air conditioner for all the areas in the room, A control signal for the local temperature control mechanism is created for the region.

[0008] More specifically, the local temperature control mechanism is constituted by a plurality of fans mounted on a ceiling, a wall surface or a floor surface of a room and performing intake and / or exhaust. For example, in the cooling operation, the outdoor heat is introduced by performing a suction operation of a fan in a specific area,
The temperature of the region can be increased. In the heating operation, by exhausting the fan in a specific area, the heat in the room can be released and the temperature in the area can be reduced.

[0009] More specifically, the control means of the control device generates a control signal for the air conditioner based on the lowest set temperature in the cooling operation, and generates the highest set temperature in the heating operation. A control signal for the air conditioner is created as a reference. In the specific configuration, in the cooling operation, while the temperature of the room is adjusted to be lower by the air conditioner, the cool air is locally released by the local temperature adjustment mechanism, and the room is adjusted to a different temperature locally. You. In the heating operation, the temperature of the room is adjusted to be higher by the air conditioner, while the local air temperature is released locally by the local temperature adjustment mechanism, and the room is adjusted to a different temperature locally.

More specifically, each remote controller has a temperature sensor, and the control means of the control device creates a control signal for the local temperature adjusting mechanism based on a temperature detection signal from the temperature sensor. According to this specific configuration, for one indoor area in which a temperature adjustment command is issued from the remote controller, a local temperature is determined based on a deviation between a target set temperature of the area and a temperature detection signal from a temperature sensor of the remote controller. The temperature adjustment mechanism is feedback-controlled, and the area is adjusted to the target temperature.

[0011]

According to the air conditioning system of the present invention, when a plurality of people are present in a room, a comfortable air condition according to the intention of all the members can be obtained.

[0012]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings. The air-conditioning system according to the present invention has a structure in which a plurality of persons are present in a room (8) as shown in FIG. 2 and each person has a remote controller (11a) (11b). In response to infrared remote control signals from the remote controllers (11a) (11b)... (11n), air conditioning that is comfortable for all is realized.

An air conditioner (10) capable of controlling the blow-out temperature and wind direction is mounted on the wall of the room (8), and the air conditioner has a built-in CCD camera (3) for photographing the room. On the ceiling wall of the room (8), a plurality of fans (71), (72), and (73) constituting the local temperature control mechanism (7) are arranged at equal intervals. The operations of the air conditioner (10) and the local temperature control mechanism (7) are controlled by a control device (5).

At the front position of the CCD camera (3), a visible light cutoff filter (2) is installed as shown in FIG. 1 and emitted from each remote controller (11a) (11b)... (11n) of the remote controller group (1). The received infrared remote control signal enters the light receiver (4) of the air conditioner (10) and, at the same time, passes through the visible light cutoff filter (2).
The light enters a CCD camera (3) in which CCD elements are two-dimensionally arranged. Therefore, when infrared light is incident on a specific CCD element of the CCD camera (3), the CCD at the incident point is detected.
Based on the two-dimensional position of the element and the received light intensity, it is possible to measure the two-dimensional position of the remote controller that is the source of the infrared remote control signal in the room. The infrared remote control signal includes identification data for identifying each remote control from other remote controls, set temperature data indicating a target set temperature input by key operation, and a temperature sensor built in the remote control. Measured temperature data.

The image data obtained from the CCD camera (3) and the temperature data (set temperature data and measured temperature data) obtained from the light receiver (4) are sent to a control device (5) composed of a microcomputer or the like. Supplied. Control device
(5) detects the two-dimensional position of the remote control that is the source of the infrared remote control signal based on the image data as described above. In controlling the air conditioner body (6), a control device
(5) specifies the remote controller for which the lowest temperature is set in the cooling operation based on the temperature data from each remote controller, and specifies the remote controller for which the highest temperature is set in the heating operation. The air conditioner body (6) is controlled based on the set temperature. As a result, the room
In the cooling operation, the temperature is adjusted toward a lower temperature as a whole, and in the heating operation, the temperature is adjusted as a whole in a higher temperature.

FIG. 3 shows a specific control procedure for the air conditioner body (6). First, in step S1,
The set temperature data and the measured temperature data are obtained from each remote controller, and in step S2, the maximum temperature (Tmax) and the minimum temperature (Tmin) are obtained from the set temperature data. Next, in step S3, whether the room temperature (the average value of the measured temperature data) is equal to the minimum temperature Tmin during heating,
At the time of cooling, it is determined whether or not it is equal to the maximum temperature Tmax. If the determination is no, the process proceeds to step S4 to uniformly change the air condition of the entire room to the minimum temperature during heating and to the maximum temperature during cooling. Temperature control.

Thereafter, if the answer is affirmative in step S3, the process proceeds to step S5 to acquire the set temperature data and the measured temperature data from each remote controller, and in step S6, from among these set temperature data, Maximum temperature
(Tmax) and the minimum temperature (Tmin) are obtained. Next, in step S7, the temperature of the air outlet of the air conditioner is set to the maximum temperature Tmax + α during heating and the minimum temperature Tm during cooling.
Set to in-α. Here, α is a predetermined constant. In step S8, among the plurality of remote controllers,
The blowing direction of the air conditioner is adjusted toward the remote controller having the smallest difference between the temperature set for each remote controller and the temperature set for the air conditioner.

On the other hand, in the control operation for the local temperature adjusting mechanism (7), the control device (5) brings the temperature in the vicinity of each remote controller closer to the set temperature based on the deviation between the set temperature and the measured temperature by each remote controller. In order to have multiple fans (71)
Among (72) and (73), the rotation speed of these fans is controlled by setting the fan closest to each remote controller as the main fan and the fans around the fans as sub fans.

For example, in a cooling operation, these fans are rotated in the exhaust direction, and the larger the deviation between the remote control set temperature and the measured temperature (or the air conditioner set temperature), the higher the rotational speed of the main fan. Set. As a result, as the temperature deviation increases, more cool air is released outside the room, and local temperature adjustment is performed. In the heating operation, these fans are rotated in the exhaust direction, and the remote control set temperature and the measured temperature are set.
The higher the deviation from (or the temperature of the air conditioner), the higher the rotational speed is set for the main fan. As a result, as the temperature deviation increases, more warm air is released outside the room, and local temperature adjustment is performed. In addition, the rotation direction of the fan can be set to the intake direction. In this case, outdoor air is introduced into the room in the cooling operation, and outdoor air is introduced into the room in the heating operation, and the temperature is similarly increased. Adjustments are made.

As a result, even if a plurality of persons in the room set different temperatures by operating the remote controller, the area in the vicinity of each person is adjusted to a temperature as close as possible to the set temperature, and is comfortable for all. You can get a good air conditioning.

The configuration of each part of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the technical scope described in the claims. For example, the local temperature control mechanism (7)
Not only a plurality of fans but also a simple damper mechanism that allows air to enter and exit can be used. or,
The method of detecting the position of the remote controller is not limited to the method using the CCD camera. For example, a method using the principle of triangulation can be adopted.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an air conditioning system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an installation state of an air conditioner and a local temperature control mechanism.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a control operation for the air conditioner.

[Explanation of symbols]

 (1) Remote control group (11a) (11b) ... (11n) Remote control (2) Visible light cutoff filter (3) CCD camera (4) Light receiver (5) Control device (6) Air conditioner body (7) Local temperature control mechanism (71) (72) (73) Fan

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An air conditioner that is installed in a room where air conditioning is to be adjusted and that operates in response to a temperature adjustment command from a plurality of remote controllers, and is installed corresponding to a plurality of areas in the room. A local temperature control mechanism capable of controlling local temperature control by individually controlling the flow of heat in and out of these areas, and a control device controlling the air conditioner and the local temperature control mechanism. Harmony system. 2. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising: detecting means for detecting a position of the remote controller issuing the temperature adjustment command; identifying means for identifying the remote controller; The air conditioning system according to claim 1, further comprising control means for generating a control signal for the air conditioner and the local temperature control mechanism based on the identification result. 3. The air conditioning system according to claim 2, wherein the local temperature adjusting mechanism is mounted on a ceiling, a wall surface, or a floor surface of the room, and includes a plurality of fans that perform intake and / or exhaust. 4. The control device of the control device creates a control signal for the air conditioner based on the lowest set temperature in the cooling operation, and generates the control signal for the air conditioner based on the highest set temperature in the heating operation. The air conditioning system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein a control signal is generated for the air conditioning system. 5. Each of the remote controllers has a temperature sensor, and the control means of the control device creates a control signal for the local temperature adjusting mechanism based on a temperature detection signal from the temperature sensor. The air conditioning system according to any one of the above.