TWI768171B - Air Conditioning System - Google Patents

Abstract

The air-conditioning system of the present invention includes: an air conditioner that performs air-conditioning operation; a biological information acquisition unit that acquires biological information of an operator; The degree of concentration of the worker on the work; and the operation condition calculation unit, which calculates the operation condition of the air-conditioning operation of the air conditioner. The operating condition calculating unit calculates a cooling-warming feeling-reducing operating condition as the operating condition when the concentration-degree estimating unit estimates a decrease in the concentration. The condition of the cooling-warming-feeling-reduced operation.

Description

Air Conditioning System

Field of Invention The present invention relates to an air conditioning system.

Background of the Invention In the past, the environment in the space where the user exists was adjusted based on the user's current biological information. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6133200 discloses an environmental control system that controls the air volume of the blowing air to the user according to the user's arousal state.

Summary of Invention However, in recent years, it has been desired to control the environment of the space in which the worker exists so as to suppress the decrease in the worker's concentration on the work.

Therefore, the subject of this invention is to control the environment of the space in which an operator exists, and suppress the fall of the concentration degree of this operator in an operation|work.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an air-conditioning system that performs air-conditioning control of a space where workers exist, comprising: an air conditioner that performs an air-conditioning operation for the space; a living body information The acquisition unit acquires the biological information of the worker; the concentration degree estimation unit estimates the degree of concentration of the worker on the work based on the biological information acquired by the biological information acquisition unit; and the operation condition calculation unit calculates the above An operating condition for an air-conditioning operation of an air conditioner, and the operating condition calculating unit is configured to calculate a cooling-warming-feeling-reducing operating condition as the operating condition, when the concentration estimating unit estimates a decrease in the concentration. The feeling-reducing operation condition is a condition for causing the air conditioner to perform a cooling-warming-feeling-reducing operation that reduces the feeling of cooling of the worker.

According to the present invention, it is possible to control the environment of the space where the worker exists, and to suppress the decrease in the worker's concentration on the work.

Form for carrying out the invention An air-conditioning system according to one aspect of the present invention is an air-conditioning system for performing air-conditioning control of a space where an operator exists, and includes an air conditioner that performs an air-conditioning operation for the space, and a biological information acquisition unit that acquires the biological information of the operator. body information; an attentiveness estimating unit for estimating the worker's attentiveness to work based on the biometric information acquired by the aforementioned biometric information obtaining unit; Further, the operating condition calculating unit is configured to calculate a cooling-warming-feeling-reducing operation condition as the operating condition when the concentration-degree estimating unit estimates a decrease in the concentration-degree-of-focus degree, and the cooling-warming feeling-reducing operation condition is to make the air conditioner Conditions for performing the cooling-warming-feeling-reducing operation that reduces the feeling of cooling and heating of the above-mentioned worker.

According to such an aspect, it is possible to control the environment of the space where the worker exists, and suppress the decrease in the worker's concentration on the work.

For example, when the concentration degree estimation unit estimates that the reduction in the concentration degree is stopped, the air-conditioning operation of the air conditioner may return to the air-conditioning operation performed immediately before the cooling-warming reduction operation is started. Thereby, the cooling-warming feeling reduction operation can be appropriately performed.

For example, the said operating condition calculation part may calculate the operating condition which lowers the temperature of the said space of the said air conditioner, and may be used as the said cooling-warming feeling reduction operating condition. Thereby, the feeling of warmth or coldness of the worker can be reduced.

For example, the operation condition calculating unit may calculate an operation condition that greatly reduces the temperature of the space by the air conditioner as the temperature of the space immediately before the start of the cooling and heating reduction operation is higher, as the cooling and heating reduction operation condition. You can also. This is because, when the temperature is high before the start, if the temperature is slightly lowered, there is a possibility that the worker's feeling of cooling and heating does not decrease. Furthermore, when the temperature is low before the start, if the temperature is greatly lowered, the worker's sense of warmth and warmth may be excessively reduced, and conversely, the concentration may be lowered.

For example, the operating condition calculating unit may calculate an operating condition for reducing the temperature of the space stepwise by the air conditioner, as the cooling-warming-feeling-reducing operating condition. In this way, it is possible to suppress a situation in which the concentration is lowered due to a sudden temperature change.

For example, the air-conditioning system may include an input unit for the operator to select whether or not to perform the cooling/warming sensation reduction operation, and when the cooling/heating sensation reduction operation is selected to be performed, if the concentration estimated by the concentration estimation unit is used When the degree of concentration is lowered, the operating condition calculating unit calculates the cooling-warming-feeling-reducing operating condition. This makes it possible to perform the cooling sensation reducing operation only when the worker wants to concentrate, thereby suppressing the unnecessary execution of the cooling sensation reducing operation.

For example, an air-conditioning system includes a position detection element that detects the position of the worker, and the air conditioner selectively performs heating operation and cooling operation, and if the concentration estimated by the concentration estimation unit decreases, the concentration The operation condition calculation unit may calculate an operation condition in which air supply to the worker is restricted during heating operation, and air supply to the worker is prioritized during cooling operation. Thereby, the feeling of warmth or coldness of the worker can be reduced.

For example, the biological information acquisition unit includes a body motion detection element that detects the body motion of the worker, and the concentration estimation unit estimates concentration based on the duration of the body motion detected by the body motion detection element. degree is also possible. Thereby, the concentration degree of the worker can be estimated from the body movement of the worker.

For example, the biometric information acquisition unit may include a body temperature detection element to detect the body temperature of the worker, and the concentration estimation unit may estimate the concentration based on the rate of change of the body temperature detected by the body temperature detection element. Thereby, the concentration of the worker can be estimated based on the worker's body temperature.

For example, the biometric information acquisition unit may include a heartbeat detection element that detects the heartbeat of the worker, and the concentration estimation unit may estimate the concentration based on the rate of change of the heartbeat detected by the heartbeat detection element. This makes it possible to estimate the degree of concentration of the worker based on the worker's heartbeat.

For example, the biological information acquisition unit includes a heartbeat detection element that detects the heartbeat of the worker, and the concentration estimation unit calculates a tone (Tone) value and an entropy (Entropy) value based on the heartbeat detected by the heartbeat detection element. ) value, and the degree of concentration of the operator may be estimated based on the calculated pitch value and entropy value. In this way, the degree of concentration of the operator can be estimated from the pitch value and the entropy value of the operator.

For example, the biometric information acquisition unit may be provided in the air conditioner. Thereby, the biometric information acquisition unit is disposed near the ceiling of the space, and the biometric information of the worker can be acquired more reliably (compared to the case where the biometric information is disposed at a lower position).

For example, the concentration degree estimation unit and the operation condition calculation unit may be provided in the air conditioner. Thereby, the entire air conditioning system can be downsized.

For example, the air conditioning system may include a server connected to the air conditioner and the biometric information acquisition unit, and the server may function as the concentration estimation unit and the operation condition calculation unit. As a result, it is possible to accurately estimate the degree of concentration using a server having excellent arithmetic processing capability, and to calculate the operating conditions finely.

For example, the air conditioning system may include a work tool for the operator to use for work, and the work tool may include the biological information acquisition unit and function as the concentration estimation unit and the operation condition calculation unit. Thereby, the biometric information acquisition unit is arranged in the vicinity of the worker, and as a result, the biometric information of the worker can be acquired with high accuracy.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

First, the present invention is based on the discovery by the inventors that when a worker's concentration on work decreases, the worker's sense of warmth or warmth increases, that is, he/she feels heat. For this finding, the inventors conducted experiments.

Figure 1 shows the average concentration at a comfortable room temperature versus the average concentration at an uncomfortable room temperature. The average of the respective concentration of multiple subjects at comfortable and uncomfortable room temperature is shown. Here, the comfortable room temperature is 24°C, and the uncomfortable room temperature is 28°C. In addition, in the case of this embodiment, CTR (concentration time ratio: Concentration time Ratio) (%) was investigated as a worker's degree of concentration on work. The CTR value is the ratio of the concentration duration to the total work time and shows that the higher the value, the more focused the subject is on the work.

As shown in Figure 1, the concentration (CTR value) at the comfortable room temperature was higher than the concentration at the uncomfortable room temperature. In this way, it can be known that the degree of concentration is high at a comfortable room temperature, that is, when the subject's sense of warmth and coldness is a comfortable state that does not feel hot or cold. The "warmth and coldness" here refers to the body sensations of people who are hot, warm, cool, and cold to the temperature of the surrounding environment. In addition, an increase in the "warmth and coldness" means that the body sensation shifts to the hot side, and a decrease in the "coldness and warmth" means that the body sensation shifts to the cold side.

Figure 2 shows the relationship between warm and cold feeling and concentration (CTR) obtained from multiple subjects. In addition, the feeling of warmth and coldness is reported by the subjects. Here, starting from the low feeling of warmth and coldness, it is classified into "cold", "cool", "slightly cool", "lukewarm", "slightly warm", There are seven stages of "warm" and "hot". Also, Fig. 2 shows the feeling of warmth and coldness at a comfortable room temperature and at an unpleasant room temperature.

As long as the relationship between the feeling of warmth and coldness and the degree of concentration shown in Figure 2 is observed, it can be known that at a comfortable room temperature, the degree of concentration will be higher when the feeling of coldness and warmth is low. The same tendency can be seen at uncomfortable room temperature.

Therefore, based on the test results shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , in order to suppress the decrease in the concentration of the worker, the inventors thought that when the concentration of the worker decreases, that is, when the feeling of warmth and warmth increases with the decrease in the concentration, The worker's sense of warmth is reduced. It is considered that this can suppress further reduction in the concentration of the worker. And, the inventors came up with an air conditioning system for this. Hereinafter, this air-conditioning system will be described.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an air-conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the air-conditioning system.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the air-conditioning system 10 of the present embodiment is a system that performs air-conditioning control of a space R (for example, a room) in which the worker W exists, and is configured to be based on the biological characteristics of the worker W related to the degree of concentration The degree of concentration of the worker W on the work is estimated based on changes in the body information, and air-conditioning control is performed based on the estimated result.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the air conditioning system 10 includes an air conditioner 20 that performs an air conditioning operation for the space R, and an information processing device 50 that calculates and suppresses the concentration of the operator W based on the biological information of the operator W. The operating conditions of the air conditioner 20 in which the temperature is lowered.

In the case of the present embodiment, the air conditioner 20 is configured to selectively perform heating operation and cooling operation by blowing high-temperature or low-temperature air toward the space R in order to maintain the space R at the set temperature. In addition, the air conditioner 20 is configured such that the wind direction and the wind volume can be adjusted. The operating conditions of the air conditioner 20 such as temperature, wind direction, and air volume are set by the operator W through a controller (not shown) of the air conditioner 20 .

The information processing device 50 is a computer including, for example, a CPU and a memory unit (eg, a hard disk), and drives the CPU according to a program stored in the memory unit, thereby executing various operations described below.

In addition, the information processing device 50 is configured to be able to communicate with the air conditioner 20 wirelessly or by wire. For example, the information processing device 50 communicates with the air conditioner 20 through a LAN.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , in the case of the present embodiment, the information processing device 50 includes a body temperature detection element 52 , a body motion detection element 54 , and a heartbeat detection element 56 , as a means for acquiring the worker W. A plurality of biological information acquisition units of biological information. Furthermore, the information processing apparatus 50 is provided with the position detection element 58 which detects the position of the worker W in the space R, and the input element 60 as an input part.

The body temperature detection element 52 is an element for detecting the body temperature of the worker W as biological information of the worker W. As shown in FIG. The body temperature detection element 52 is, for example, an infrared sensor. The reason for detecting the body temperature is because there is a correlation between body temperature and concentration, and the body temperature tends to rise when concentration decreases. In addition, the body temperature detection element 52 is not limited to an infrared sensor as long as the body temperature can be detected.

The body motion detection element 54 is an element for detecting the body motion (periodic body motion) of the worker W as biological information of the worker W. As shown in FIG. The body movement detection element 54 is, for example, a camera capable of continuous photography, and detects the body movement of the operator W based on changes in the portrait of the operator W appearing in a plurality of captured images of the camera. The reason for detecting the body movement is that there is a correlation between the body movement and the degree of concentration, and the body movement tends to occur when the degree of concentration is lowered. In addition, the body motion detection element 54 is not limited to a camera as long as the body motion can be detected.

The heartbeat detection element 56 is an element for detecting the heartbeat of the worker W as the biological information of the worker W. As shown in FIG. The heartbeat detection element 56 is, for example, a non-contact heartbeat measurement element, and the non-contact heartbeat measurement element is configured to emit millimeter waves toward the worker W, receive the millimeter waves reflected by the worker W, and according to the received millimeter waves. The millimeter wave is used to measure the heartbeat of the worker W. The reason for detecting the heartbeat is that there is a correlation between the heartbeat and the concentration, and the heartbeat tends to increase when the concentration decreases. In addition, the method of detecting the heartbeat is not limited to the method using millimeter waves, and other methods may be used.

Also, in the case of the present embodiment, the detected heartbeat is used to calculate the pitch value and the entropy value. The pitch value and the entropy value are values based on the "pitch-entropy method".

Here, the aforementioned "pitch-entropy method" will be described.

…數式(1)As shown in FIG. 5 , the pitch-entropy method is a method for measuring cardiac autonomic nerve activity based on the rate of change of the RR interval in the heartbeat waveform (electrocardiogram waveform), and has been used in various fields. In this pitch-entropy method, the rate of change PI (Percentage Index) of the RR interval is first calculated. The rate of change PI(n) from the RR interval RRI(n) of the nth (integer) number to the RR interval RRI(n+1) of the n+1th number is calculated by Equation (1).

...equation (1)

The PI calculated by Equation (1) is related to the number of heartbeats. When PI is positive, it shows that the heartbeat is rising. The increase in heart rate shows that the activity of the sympathetic nervous system is superior to that of the parasympathetic nervous system.

On the other hand, when PI is negative, it shows that the number of heartbeats is decreasing. The reduction in heart rate shows that the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system is superior to that of the sympathetic nervous system.

In order to calculate the pitch value and the entropy value, PI is measured for a certain period of time (N (integer) PI values are obtained). The N PI values are classified into M (integer) numbers by class. As a result, a PI histogram (PI order distribution) as shown in FIG. 6 was created.

For example, class i is in the range of 0~1%. In the PI order distribution shown in FIG. 6, the order of class i is fi.

…數式(2)The pitch value T is the mean of the PIs in the PI order distribution. The pitch value T is calculated by the equation (2).

...equation (2)

The pitch value T calculated by the equation (2) shows the balance of the increase and decrease of the heart rate, and also shows how the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system are active in a balance.

…數式(3)The entropy value E is an index showing the uniformity of the distribution in the PI order distribution. The entropy value E is calculated by Equation (3).

...equation (3)

…數式(4)Here, p(i) in Equation (3) is the probability of occurrence of class i. The occurrence probability p(i) is calculated by the equation (4).

...equation (4)

Here, fsum in the equation (4) is the sum of the degrees of all classes.

When the entropy value E calculated by the equations (3) to (4) is a relatively small value, the PI order distribution takes a class of a PI value close to 0 (in the case of Fig. 6, class i, i- 1) has a significantly larger distribution than the other classes (a distribution in the shape of a steep mountain). This condition shows weak autonomic nerve activity and little change in heart rate. On the other hand, when the entropy value E is a relatively large value, the PI order distribution takes a substantially uniform distribution of the order of each class. That is, the variation range of the R-R interval is large, and the absolute value of the PI value is large. This situation shows that the activity of the autonomic nervous system is very active, and the heart rate is changing greatly. Therefore, the entropy value shows the strength or weakness of the activity of the autonomic nervous system.

In addition, as a substitute for the R-R interval RRI in the heartbeat waveform required for calculating the pitch value and the entropy value, the heart rate or the pulse rate may be used. This is because the R-R interval corresponds to the heart rate or the pulse rate. For example, when the R-R interval is 1 second, since the heart's ventricle contracts once a second, the number of heartbeats (per minute) is 60. In addition, when there is no disease such as arrhythmia, the heart rate and the pulse rate are the same. Therefore, in order to calculate the pitch value or the entropy value, the heart rate or the pulse rate may also be used.

The reason why the pitch value T and the entropy value E based on the pitch-entropy method are used for the operation control of the air conditioner is that the inventors of the present invention found that the pitch value T and the entropy value E are as shown in FIG. 7 . It corresponds to the "warm feeling" of the operator of the air conditioner.

7 is a pitch-entropy diagram in which one axis (vertical axis) represents the pitch value T, and the other axis (horizontal axis) represents the entropy value E.

As shown in FIG. 7 , the inventors have experimentally found the pitch value and entropy value corresponding to the comfortable feeling of warmth and coldness (such as the somatosensory feeling in a room with a room temperature of 18-28 degrees) that is neither too hot nor too cold. combination exists. That is, in the pitch-entropy map, the presence of the comfort zone As in which the operator feels comfortable is found.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7 , the inventors have experimentally found the combination of the pitch value and the entropy value corresponding to the feeling of overheating discomfort, that is, the discomfort area Ah (the first discomfort area in the pitch-entropy graph). area).

In addition, as shown in FIG. 7 , the inventors have experimentally found the combination of the pitch value and the entropy value corresponding to the feeling of coldness and discomfort of supercooling, that is, the discomfort area Ac in the pitch-entropy graph (the second no. comfort zone).

As long as according to these areas As, Ah, and Ac, when the pitch value increases and the entropy value decreases, it can be known that the feeling of warmth and coldness is increasing. That is, from the changes in the pitch value and the entropy value, it can be known that the feeling of warmth and coldness is increasing due to the decrease in the degree of concentration.

Returning to FIG. 3 , the position detection element 58 is an element for detecting the position of the worker W in the space R. As shown in FIG. The position detection element 58 is, for example, an infrared sensor or an image recognition device. When the body temperature detection element 52 is an infrared sensor, the infrared sensor can also be used as a position detection element. Alternatively, when the body motion detection element 54 is a camera, the camera can also be used as the camera of the image recognition device.

The input element 60 is an element for the operator W to operate the information processing device 50 , and is, for example, a remote controller with a touch screen. In addition, in the case of the present embodiment, the input element 60 is an element for allowing the operator W to select whether to set the “focus mode”, which is executed by the air conditioner 20 to reduce the feeling of warmth and coldness of the operator W. The air-conditioning operation (cooling and heating reduction operation) is performed to suppress the decrease in concentration.

As shown in FIG. 4 , the information processing device 50 periodically obtains the body temperature, body movement, body temperature, etc. and heartbeat information (biological information). The information processing device 50 includes a concentration estimation unit 62 (for example, the CPU functions as a concentration estimation unit by a program), and the concentration estimation unit 62 estimates the concentration of the worker W based on the acquired biological information. .

In the case of the present embodiment, the concentration degree estimation unit 62 estimates the concentration degree based on the change rate of the body temperature detected by the body temperature detection element 52 . For example, the concentration estimation unit 62 calculates the change rate of the detected temperature within 5 minutes. When the temperature detected by the body temperature detection element 52 rises by 0.2 degrees within a period of 5 minutes, the concentration estimation unit 62 estimates that the concentration of the worker W has decreased. After the estimation, when the detected temperature decreases by 0.1 degree within a period of 5 minutes, the concentration estimation unit 62 estimates that the decrease in concentration has substantially stopped.

For another example, when the temperature detected by the body temperature detection element 52 exceeds 34 degrees, it is estimated that the concentration of the worker W has decreased. After the estimation, when the detected temperature decreases by 0.2 degrees, the concentration degree estimation unit 62 estimates that the decrease in the concentration degree has substantially stopped.

In addition, the concentration degree estimation unit 62 estimates the concentration degree based on the duration of the body movement detected by the body movement detection element 54 . For example, the concentration estimation unit 62 calculates the duration of the body movement within 5 minutes. The concentration estimation unit 62 estimates that the concentration has decreased when the body movement with a duration of 1.2 times the duration of the body movement in the previous 5 minutes is calculated. After this estimation, when the body movement of 0.8 times the duration of the body movement in the previous 5 minutes is calculated, the concentration estimation unit 62 estimates that the decrease in concentration has substantially stopped.

Further, the concentration degree estimation unit 62 estimates the concentration degree based on the change rate of the heartbeat detected by the heartbeat detection element 56 . For example, the concentration estimation unit 62 calculates the number of heartbeats per minute from the heartbeats of 5 minutes. When the number of heartbeats per minute is calculated to be 1 or 2 times the number of heartbeats per minute calculated previously, the concentration estimation unit 62 estimates that the concentration has decreased. After this estimation, the concentration estimation unit 62 estimates that the decrease in concentration has substantially stopped when the heart rate per minute is 1.1 times the previously calculated heart rate per minute.

Further, the concentration degree estimation unit 62 calculates the pitch value and the entropy value from the heartbeat detected by the heartbeat detection element 56, and estimates the concentration degree based on the calculated pitch value and entropy value. For example, when the pitch value increases by -0.8 times or more and the entropy value decreases by 0.9 times or less in a period of 5 minutes, the concentration degree estimation unit 62 estimates that the concentration degree has decreased. After this estimation, if the pitch value decreases by a factor of -1.2 or less and the entropy value increases by a factor of 1.1 or more within a period of 5 minutes, the concentration estimation unit 62 estimates that the decrease in concentration has substantially stopped. .

In this way, the concentration estimation unit 62 estimates the worker W based on each of a plurality of pieces of biological information of the worker W, that is, body temperature, body motion, heartbeat, and pitch value/entropy value, that is, four criteria. of concentration. If, for example, the body temperature, body motion, heartbeat, and pitch value/entropy value are all estimated as lowering of concentration, the concentration estimation unit 62 determines that the concentration of the worker W is decreasing as the final estimation result. In this case, since the estimation is based on the four criteria, the estimation accuracy of the decrease in concentration is high.

Alternatively, when an estimation result that the degree of concentration is lowered for each of one, two, or three pieces of biological information appears, it can be determined that the degree of concentration of the operator W is decreasing as a final estimation result. In this case, it is preferable to include body temperature in one, two, or three pieces of biological information. This is because the estimation of the decrease in concentration based on body temperature is more accurate than other biological information.

The information processing device 50 includes an operation condition calculation unit 64 (for example, the CPU functions as an operation condition calculation unit by a program), and the operation condition calculation unit 64 estimates (determines) the worker W by the concentration estimation unit 62 . When the degree of concentration is decreasing, the operating conditions required to suppress further decrease in the degree of concentration are calculated.

When the concentration degree estimation unit 62 estimates (determines) a decrease in the concentration degree, the operation condition calculation unit 64 calculates the operation condition required to reduce the feeling of warmth and coldness of the worker W whose feeling of heat and cold is increased due to the decrease in the concentration degree. (Cooling sensation reduction operating conditions).

In the case of the present embodiment, in order to reduce the feeling of cooling and heating of the worker W, that is, for the worker W who feels hot, the operating condition calculation unit 64 calculates the operating condition that reduces the temperature of the space R as the feeling of cooling and heating. Reduce operating conditions. The information processing device 50 transmits, to the air conditioner 20 , a control signal corresponding to the cooling sensation reduction operation condition to the air conditioner 20 based on the calculated cooling sensation reduction operation condition.

The air conditioner 20 executes an operation for lowering the temperature of the space R (a feeling of cooling operation) based on the control signal. By lowering the temperature of the space R, the feeling of warmth and coldness of the worker W is lowered, and further reduction in the degree of concentration is suppressed. In addition, as mentioned above, the said cooling-warm feeling reduction operation is continued until the concentration degree estimation part 62 estimates that the reduction of the concentration degree has substantially stopped. After the cooling-warming feeling reduction operation is completed, the air conditioner 20 restarts the air-conditioning operation performed immediately before the cooling-warming feeling reduction operation is started. For example, when the concentration estimation unit 62 estimates that the further reduction of the concentration has substantially stopped, the information processing device 50 transmits a control signal to the air conditioner 20 to end the cooling and heating reduction operation.

In addition, in order to reduce the feeling of cooling of the worker W, the operation condition calculation unit 64 may calculate the operation condition for adjusting the wind direction of the air conditioner 20 as the operation condition for reducing the feeling of cooling.

To this end, first, the position of the worker W in the space R is detected by the position detection element 58 . When the air conditioner 20 performs the cooling operation, the operation condition calculation unit 64 calculates the operation condition for actively blowing air toward the worker W (detection position) as the cooling sensation reduction operation condition. For example, the operating conditions in which the air is blown toward the worker W frequently, or the air is blown toward the worker W for a longer period of time than other positions, are calculated. The air conditioner 20 executes the cooling sensation reduction operation according to the calculated cooling sensation reduction operation condition, thereby blowing cool air to the worker W whose concentration degree is lowered and whose cooling sensation is increased. As a result, the feeling of warmth and coldness of the worker W is reduced, and further reduction in the degree of concentration can be suppressed.

On the other hand, when the air conditioner 20 performs the heating operation, the operation condition calculation unit 64 calculates an operation condition for restricting air supply to the worker W (detection position) as the cooling sensation reduction operation condition. For example, the operating conditions under which air is not blown toward the worker W, or air is blown toward the worker W in a shorter time than other positions, are calculated. The air conditioner 20 executes the cooling sensation reduction operation based on the calculated cooling sensation reduction operation conditions, thereby suppressing the blowing of warm air to the worker W whose concentration degree is lowered and whose cooling sensation is increased. As a result, the feeling of warmth and coldness of the worker W is reduced, and further reduction in the degree of concentration can be suppressed.

Depending on the worker W, the concentration may be lowered due to direct air supply. Therefore, the air conditioning system 10 may be configured such that when the concentration level is lowered, the operator W can select whether to perform direct ventilation through the input element 60 .

Further, the temperature reduction range of the space R required to suppress the decrease in the concentration of the worker W during the cooling sensation reduction operation is preferably determined according to the temperature of the space R immediately before the cooling sensation reduction operation is started. For example, the higher the temperature immediately before the start of the cooling sensation reduction operation, the larger the temperature reduction range caused by the cooling and heating sensation reduction operation. This is because, when the temperature is high before the start, if the temperature is slightly lowered, there is a possibility that the feeling of cooling and heating of the worker W does not decrease. In addition, if the temperature is significantly lowered when the temperature is low before the start, the feeling of warmth and warmth of the worker W is excessively lowered, and conversely, the concentration may be lowered.

In addition, the temperature of the space R required for suppressing the reduction in the concentration of the worker W during the cooling-warming reduction operation is preferably lowered slowly, and may be lowered in stages. This is because, if the temperature of the space R changes abruptly, the concentration of the worker W may be lowered. Therefore, the temperature change should preferably be carried out in a manner that the operator does not notice.

From this, an example of the flow of the operation of the air-conditioning system 10 for suppressing the decrease in the concentration of the worker W will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 8 .

The operation of the air conditioner shown in the flowchart of FIG. 8 is not started until the operator W sets through the input device 60 the “concentration mode” in which the air conditioner 20 performs the cooling-warming-feeling-reducing operation to suppress the decrease in concentration.

First, in step S100, the air-conditioning system 10 acquires the biological information of the worker W. As shown in FIG. In the case of the present embodiment, the body temperature, body motion, heartbeat, and pitch value/entropy value of the worker W are acquired through the body temperature detection element 52 , the body motion detection element 54 , and the heartbeat detection element 56 .

Next, in step S110, the air conditioning system 10 (the concentration estimation unit 62 of the information processing device 50) estimates the concentration of the operator W based on the biological information acquired in step S110.

Next, in step 120, it is determined whether or not the degree of concentration estimated in step S110 is a decrease in the degree of concentration. If the degree of concentration is lowered, the process proceeds to the next step S130. If not, go to step S190.

When it is determined in step S120 that the degree of concentration has decreased, in step S130, the air conditioning system 10 (the operation condition calculation unit 64 of the information processing device 50 thereof) calculates a cooling-warming feeling reduction operation condition that suppresses further reduction in the degree of concentration.

In step S140, the air conditioner 20 of the air-conditioning system 10 executes the cooling sensation reduction operation in which the concentration degree is suppressed from being further lowered according to the cooling sensation reduction operation condition calculated in step S130.

In step S150, the air conditioning system 10 acquires the biological information of the worker W. Then, in step S160, the degree of concentration is estimated. These steps are steps for confirming whether or not the reduction in the degree of concentration has been substantially stopped by the cooling-warming reduction operation.

In step S170, it is determined whether or not the reduction in the degree of concentration has been substantially stopped by the cooling-warming reduction operation of the air conditioner 20. When the decrease in concentration has substantially stopped, the process proceeds to step S180. If not, go back to step S150.

When it is determined in step S170 that the reduction in the degree of concentration has substantially stopped, in step S180, the cooling-warming sensation reducing operation of the air conditioner 20 ends. However, it returns to the operation before the cooling and heating reduction operation.

In step S190, it is determined whether or not the setting of the concentration mode has been released by the operator W. If the setting of the concentration mode has been released, a series of actions shown in FIG. 8 will end. If the setting of the concentration mode has not been canceled, the process returns to step S100.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to control the environment of the space where the worker exists, and to suppress the decrease in the worker's concentration on the work.

In the above, the present invention has been described with reference to the above-mentioned embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments.

For example, in the case of the above-described embodiment, the air conditioning system 10 lowers the temperature of the space R where the worker W exists in order to reduce the worker's feeling of cooling and heating whose concentration has been lowered (the feeling of cooling and warmth has been increased accordingly). However, embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this. For example, in order to reduce a worker's feeling of warmth or coldness, the humidity of the space may be reduced in addition to or instead of the temperature of the space. In addition, when the air conditioner is in the cooling operation, the air volume of the blowing air may be increased, and on the other hand, when the air conditioner is in the heating operation, the air volume may be decreased.

Moreover, in the case of the above-mentioned embodiment, in order to estimate the concentration of the worker W, the body temperature, body motion, heartbeat, and pitch value/entropy value are acquired as the biological information of the worker W. However, embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this. That is, as long as it is biological information that changes due to a decrease in concentration.

In addition, in the case of the above-described embodiment, the information acquisition unit, the concentration estimation unit 62, and the operation condition calculation unit 64 of the air conditioning system 10 such as the body temperature detection element 52, the body motion detection element 54, and the heartbeat detection element 56, It is installed in the information processing device 50 . However, embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this.

For example, the information processing device, that is, the biological information acquisition unit, the concentration estimation unit, and the operation condition calculation unit may be installed in the air conditioner. As a result, the entire air conditioning system is integrated into the air conditioner, so that the air conditioning system can be miniaturized. Furthermore, since the air conditioner is installed in a high place near the ceiling, if the biometric information acquisition unit is installed in the air conditioner, the biometric information acquisition unit will The biological information of the operator can be obtained more reliably.

Moreover, the air conditioning system may have a server connected to the air conditioner, and the server may function as a concentration estimation unit and an operation condition calculation unit. When estimating the degree of concentration with high accuracy, or when calculating the operating conditions finely, the degree of concentration estimating unit and the operating condition calculating unit require a high degree of arithmetic processing. In this case, it is preferable that a server with excellent arithmetic processing capability functions as the concentration estimation unit and the operation condition calculation unit. In this case, the biometric information acquisition unit is installed in the space where the operator exists or the air conditioner, and the server is installed outside the space. Furthermore, the server is connected to the air conditioner and the biological information acquisition unit in a communicative manner.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3 , when the work tool WT used by the worker W for work is a tool having computing processing capabilities such as a notebook computer, the work tool is used as the concentration estimation unit and the operation condition calculation unit. And it can function. In this case, the biological information acquisition unit is connected to the work tool as an external device, or is incorporated in the work tool. In addition, the work tool is configured to be able to communicate with the air conditioner. Thereby, the biometric information acquisition unit is arranged in the vicinity of the worker, and as a result, the biometric information of the worker can be acquired with high accuracy. That is, the air-conditioning system according to the embodiment of the present invention is, broadly speaking, an air-conditioning system that performs air-conditioning control of a space in which a worker is present, and includes an air conditioner that performs air-conditioning operation for the space, and a biometric information acquisition unit that performs an air-conditioning operation. Obtains the biological information of the worker; the concentration estimation unit estimates the concentration of the worker on the work based on the biological information obtained by the biological information obtaining unit; and the operating condition calculation unit calculates the degree of concentration of the air conditioner. An operating condition for air-conditioning operation, and the operating condition calculating unit is configured to calculate a cooling-warming-feeling-reducing operation condition as the operating condition when the concentration-degree estimating unit estimates a decrease in the degree of concentration, and the cooling-warming feeling-reducing operation The condition is a condition for causing the air conditioner to perform a cooling-warming-feeling-reducing operation that reduces the feeling of cooling and heating of the worker.

The present invention can be applied to any air-conditioning system that performs air-conditioning control of a space where workers are present.

10‧‧‧Air conditioning system 20‧‧‧Air conditioner 50‧‧‧Information processing device 52‧‧‧Body temperature detection element 54‧‧‧ Body Motion Detection Element 56‧‧‧Heartbeat detection element 58‧‧‧Position detection element 60‧‧‧Input Components 62‧‧‧Concentration Estimation Department 64‧‧‧Operating Condition Calculation Section Ac‧‧‧Discomfort Zone (Second Discomfort Zone) Ah‧‧‧Discomfort zone (1st uncomfortable zone) As‧‧‧Comfort zone R‧‧‧Space S100~S190‧‧‧Steps W‧‧‧Workers WT‧‧‧Working Tools

FIG. 1 is a graph showing the concentration of workers in a comfortable room temperature and an uncomfortable room temperature. FIG. 2 is a graph showing the relationship between the worker's sense of warmth and concentration and the degree of concentration. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of an air-conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a block diagram of an air conditioning system. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a heartbeat waveform. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the frequency distribution of PI. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a tone-entropy map. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the operation of the air-conditioning system.

10‧‧‧Air conditioning system

20‧‧‧Air conditioner

50‧‧‧Information processing device

52‧‧‧Body temperature detection element

54‧‧‧ Body Motion Detection Element

56‧‧‧Heartbeat detection element

58‧‧‧Position detection element

60‧‧‧Input Components

R‧‧‧Space

W‧‧‧Workers

WT‧‧‧Working Tools

Claims (14)

An air-conditioning system is an air-conditioning system for performing air-conditioning control of a space where an operator exists, comprising: an air conditioner that performs air-conditioning operation for the space; a biological information acquisition unit that acquires biological information of the operator; concentration estimation a unit for estimating the degree of concentration of the worker on the work based on the biological information acquired by the biological information acquisition unit; and an operating condition calculation unit for calculating the operating conditions for the air-conditioning operation of the air conditioner, and calculating the operating conditions The unit is configured such that when the concentration estimating unit estimates a decrease in the concentration, it calculates a cooling-warming-feeling-reducing operation condition as the operating condition, and the cooling-warming feeling-reducing operation condition is to cause the air conditioner to perform the operation that allows the operator to perform the operation. The condition of the cold-warm feeling-reduced operation in which the thermal sensation is reduced, the bio-information acquisition unit includes a heartbeat detection element that detects the heartbeat of the worker, and the concentration estimation unit calculates based on the heartbeat detected by the heartbeat detection element The tone value and the entropy value are used to estimate the degree of concentration based on the calculated tone value and entropy value. The air conditioning system of claim 1, wherein when the concentration estimation unit estimates that the concentration reduction has stopped, the air conditioning operation of the air conditioner is restored to the air conditioning operation performed immediately before the cooling sensation reduction operation is started. The air-conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the operation condition calculation unit calculates an operation condition for lowering the temperature of the space by the air conditioner as the cooling-warming-feeling-reducing operation condition. The air-conditioning system according to claim 3, wherein the operating condition calculating unit calculates the operating conditions under which the air conditioner significantly lowers the temperature of the space as the temperature of the space immediately before the start of the cooling-warming-feeling-reducing operation is increased. As the above-mentioned cooling sensation reduction operating conditions. The air-conditioning system according to claim 3, wherein the operation condition calculating unit calculates an operation condition for reducing the temperature of the space stepwise by the air conditioner as the cooling-warming-feeling-reducing operation condition. The air-conditioning system according to claim 1, comprising: an input unit for the operator to select whether or not to perform the cooling/warming sensation reducing operation, and further, when the cooling/warming sensation reducing operation is selected to be performed, if the concentration estimation unit estimates If the degree of concentration decreases, the operating condition calculating unit calculates the operating condition for reducing the feeling of cooling. The air-conditioning system according to claim 1, comprising: a position detection element for detecting the position of the worker, and the air conditioner can selectively perform heating operation and cooling operation, and if the concentration estimated by the concentration estimation unit is used If the temperature decreases, the operation condition calculation unit calculates an operation condition under which air supply to the worker is restricted during heating operation, and air supply to the worker is prioritized during cooling operation. The air conditioning system of claim 1, wherein the aforementioned organism The information acquisition unit includes a body motion detection element for detecting the body motion of the worker, and the concentration degree estimation unit estimates the concentration degree based on the duration of the body motion detected by the body motion detection element. The air-conditioning system of claim 1, wherein the biometric information acquisition unit includes a body temperature detection element for detecting the body temperature of the worker, and the concentration estimation unit determines the rate of change of the body temperature detected by the body temperature detection element. Speculate focus. The air conditioning system of claim 1, wherein the concentration degree estimation unit estimates the concentration degree according to the change rate of the heartbeat detected by the heartbeat detection element. The air-conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the biological information acquisition unit is provided in the air conditioner. The air conditioning system according to claim 11, wherein the concentration degree estimation unit and the operation condition calculation unit are provided in the air conditioner. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, comprising: a server connected to the air conditioner and the biometric information acquisition unit, and the server functioning as the concentration estimation unit and the operation condition calculation unit. The air-conditioning system according to claim 1, comprising: a work tool for the operator to use for work, and the work tool is provided with the biological information acquisition unit, and It functions as the concentration estimation unit and the operation condition calculation unit.

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