JP2001074292A - Air conditioner and physiological information device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an air conditioner in which a user can decide, whether the indoor environment is appropriate or not by detecting a physiological amount of a human body, indicating physiological information and controlling a controller to indicate physiological information based on the detected physiological amount. SOLUTION: A controller 1 and an indoor unit 2 are provided, respectively, with sections D1, D2 for indicating information detected through a perspiration sensor. The perspiration sensor 5 detects perspiration of a user and it is a kind of sensor for detecting physiological amount of human body. The controller 1 comprises a receiving section, a control section and a transmitting section wherein the receiving section receives a radio signal from the perspiration sensor 5. The control section performs various operations by receiving signals from the receiving section, indicates the operation results at an indicating section, and transmits a control signal based on the operation results or a control signal from an operating button in the controller 1 to the transmitting section. Upon receiving a control signal from the control section, the transmitting section transmits a signal to each apparatus 2, 3, 4 by radio.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to sweating, heart rate,
The present invention relates to an air conditioner and a physiological information device that detect physiological conditions such as blood pressure and skin temperature and display or warn physiological information.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an air conditioner, a set temperature and air volume in a room are appropriately set by individual users according to their preferences and physical condition, and operation is performed based on the set temperature and air volume. Is common. Here, the set value for obtaining a comfortable indoor environment varies depending on the situation.For example, it is not only different during the night when a person sleeps and during the day when a person is awake, but also during the same day, For example, it is different immediately after returning home on a hot summer day and after several hours.

[0003] On the other hand, an indoor unit or a remote controller of an air conditioner is generally configured to display the set temperature and air volume, and a user adjusts the set value to his / her preference while watching the display. And can be easily adjusted.

On the other hand, when the air conditioner is operated during sleep, it is necessary to lower the room temperature when entering the bed and to increase the room temperature after sleep for comfortable sleep. However, in this case, since the user cannot adjust the set value in the middle, it is possible to change the set value during operation based on a predetermined operation control program. Is being done.

[0005]

However, when the set value is changed during driving as described above, it is determined whether or not the indoor environment by driving at the set value is appropriate for the comfort and health condition of the user. Could not be determined by a conventional air conditioner.

[0006] Originally, an air conditioner should contribute to enhancing the comfort of a user and maintaining a healthy state.
For this reason, it is desired that the user or the like be notified of whether or not the indoor environment is appropriate for the user by a method such as display or warning.

[0007] The present invention has been made from such a point of view, and its purpose is to allow a user or the like to recognize whether or not the indoor environment is appropriate by displaying the physiological information of the user. Is to be able to do it.

[0008]

Means for Solving the Problems A first solution of the present invention is that in an air conditioner, detection means (5, 7, 8) for detecting a human physiological quantity, and display means for displaying physiological information (5). D1, D2)
And control means (1) for controlling physiological information to be displayed on the display means (D1, D2) based on the physiological quantity detected by the detection means (5, 7, 8).

In the above configuration, the detection means (5, 7, 8), the display means (D1, D2), and the control means (1) may be specifically configured as follows.

First, the control means (1) comprises a detecting means (5, 7, 8)
Based on the physiological amount obtained from the above, it is possible to determine whether or not the indoor environment is suitable for the person in the room, and display the determination result on the display means.

In the above configuration, the detecting means (5,
(8) is a perspiration sensor (5) that detects the state of perspiration, and the control means (1) displays perspiration information on display means (D1, D2) based on the detection signal of the perspiration sensor (5). Can be configured. Further, the control means (1) includes a sweat sensor.
The sleep cycle of the person derived based on the detection signal of (5) can be displayed on the display means (D1, D2).

In the above arrangement, the detecting means (5, 7, 8)
Is a blood flow sensor (7) that detects the blood flow state of a person, and the control means (1) displays blood flow information on display means (D1, D2) based on the detection signal of the blood flow sensor (7). May be configured. Further, the control means (1) can be configured to display at least one of the heart rate and the blood pressure derived based on the detection signal of the blood flow sensor (7) on the display means (D1, D2).

In the above arrangement, the detecting means (5, 7, 8)
Is a skin temperature sensor (8) that detects human skin temperature,
The control means (1) may be configured to display skin temperature information on the display means (D1, D2) based on the detection signal of the skin temperature sensor (8). Further, the control means (1) can be configured to display the sleep cycle of the person derived on the basis of the detection signal of the skin temperature sensor (8) on the display means (D1, D2).

In the above configuration, the detecting means is a deep body temperature sensor for detecting a deep body temperature of a person, and the control means (1)
Is displayed on the display means (D1,
D2) may be configured to display deep body temperature information.

In the above arrangement, the detecting means is a temperature distribution sensor for detecting a human body surface temperature distribution,
Display means (1) based on the detection signal of the temperature distribution sensor
(D1, D2) may be configured to display the body surface temperature distribution.

Further, in the above configuration, the display means (D2)
Can be provided in the indoor unit (2). Display means (D1)
Can be provided in the remote controller (1).
Further, the display means can be constituted by an external display device, and the control means (1) can control the external display device.

Further, a second solution of the present invention is a detecting means (5, 7, 8) for detecting a human physiological quantity, a display means (D1, D2) for displaying physiological information, and a detecting means ( Based on the physiological amount detected in (5,7,8), physiological information of a person is provided by control means (1) for controlling physiological information to be displayed by display means (D1, D2). It is intended to be displayed.
Also in this case, the detecting means (5, 7, 8), the display means (D1, D2) and the control means (1) can have the same specific configuration as the first solving means described above.

In the air conditioner having the above-described structure, or in a physiological information device which can be used independently of the air conditioner, a warning generating means (9) is provided so that the physiological amount detected by the detecting means (5) can be used. If the value exceeds a predetermined value, it is preferable that a warning is generated by the warning generating means (9). In this case, the warning generating means (9) can be provided together with the display means (D1, D2) or independently.

In this configuration, the detecting means is a perspiration sensor (5) for detecting a human perspiration state, and the control means (1)
When the amount of perspiration detected by the perspiration sensor (5) exceeds a predetermined value, a warning can be issued by the warning generating means (9). Further, it is preferable that the warning generating means (9) is installed in a separate room (R2) from the room (R1) using the detecting means (5).

-Operation-In the above solution, the perspiration sensor
(5) from detection means (5, 7, 8) such as a blood flow sensor (7), a skin temperature sensor (8), a deep body temperature sensor, and a temperature distribution sensor.
Physiological conditions such as sweating, blood flow, skin temperature, deep body temperature, and body surface temperature distribution are detected. And control means
According to (1), these physiological information are displayed on the display means (D1, D2), and physiological information such as sleep cycle, heart rate or blood pressure derived based on these physiological quantities is displayed on the display means (D
(D1, D2) or determine whether the indoor environment is suitable for the person in the room based on these physiological states, and display the determination result on the display means (D1, D2). be able to.

A person in the room can check the display contents on display means (D1, D2) provided in the indoor unit (2), the remote controller (1), or an external display device such as a television. it can.

The detecting means (5, 7, 8) and the display means (D1, D
By using the physiological information device provided with 2) and the control means (1), the physiological information as described above can be confirmed separately from the air conditioner.

In the case where the air conditioner and the physiological information device are configured to use the warning generating means (9), for example, if a sweat sensor is used as the detecting means (5), a large amount of night sweat is absorbed after going to bed. Alerts can be triggered when In particular, if the warning generating means (9) is provided in a separate room (R2) from the room (R1) in which the detecting means (5) is used, excessive sleep perspiration of a sleeping infant or the like may be caused by a third person (parent) in the separate room. Such)
Can be warned.

[0024]

Therefore, according to the above solution, the user can directly know his or her physiological information, and can easily determine whether or not the indoor environment is suitable for him from the physiological information. it can. Then, based on the information, the room can be adjusted to an air-conditioned state suitable for the user. Therefore, it is possible to improve the user's comfort and contribute to the improvement of the health condition.

Further, when the sleep cycle is displayed, the state during sleep can be recognized, so that it is possible to determine whether or not a comfortable sleep is being performed, and to utilize the information to promote health.

Further, if the air conditioner and the physiological information device are configured to use the warning generating means (9), for example, it is determined that the infant (I) or the like is sweating a lot during sleep. It can be recognized by parents (P). Infant
(I) cannot change clothes by himself even if he / she sweats a lot, and if he leaves it sweaty, he may get sick due to the body getting too cold. In particular, the infant (I) generally sleeps earlier than the parent (P), and even if the bedroom is the same, the parent (P) sleeps the infant (I) and then
While leaving the place of (I) and not always monitoring the condition of the infant (I), the amount of sweating is large around a while (15 minutes to 1 hour) after falling asleep. P)
He may sweat a lot during his bedtime and before he returns to the infant (I), during which he may be prone to falling asleep. In addition, it can be said that infants are more likely to fall asleep, especially in a home where the parent and child do not have a lifestyle of sleeping together. On the other hand, if the warning generating means (9) is used,
By issuing a warning when the infant (I) sweats a lot, the parent (P) can change clothes and wipe the sweat, which is effective in maintaining the health of the child.

[0027]

Embodiment 1 Hereinafter, Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

-Equipment Configuration- FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a room in which an air conditioner according to the first embodiment is installed, (1) is a controller (remote controller), and (2) is a room of the air conditioner. (3) lighting equipment, (4) audio equipment such as televisions and radios,
(5) is a perspiration sensor for detecting the perspiration state of a person. In the first embodiment, the indoor unit (2) is controlled by one controller (1).
, A lighting device (3), and an audio device (4). That is, the controller (1) can be used not only as a control means for the indoor unit (2) but also as a control means for the lighting device (3) and the audio equipment (4).

Each of the controller (1) and the indoor unit (2) is provided with a display section (D1, D2) for displaying information detected by the perspiration sensor. The figure shows a state in which the user wears the sweat sensor (5) at bedtime.

The perspiration sensor (5) is a sensor for detecting the amount of perspiration of the user, and is a kind of physiological sensor for detecting the physiological amount of the human body. As shown in FIG.
(5) includes a moisture sensing section (51), a CPU (54), a transmission section (55), and a power supply section (57). The humidity sensing section (51) detects humidity near the human body, converts the detected humidity into a voltage signal, and
This is a part for transmitting to the PU (54), and is configured by disposing a humidity sensor (53) inside a housing (52) in which a plurality of ventilation holes (31) are formed. The transmitting section (55) is a section for transmitting detection information of the humidity sensing section (51) to the controller (1), and includes an antenna (56) for transmitting the detection information wirelessly. CP
U (54) is a control unit that controls the humidity sensing unit (51) and the transmission unit (55), and appropriately corrects detection information from the humidity sensing unit (51), and the like.
This is to be transmitted to the transmitting section (55). The power supply unit (57) is a power supply unit for driving the humidity sensing unit (51), the CPU (54), and the transmission unit (55), and a so-called button-type battery (5
8) is provided.

The moisture sensing section (51), the CPU (54), and the transmission section (5
5) and the power supply section (57) are separate bodies, and are connected to each other by a signal line (59). Thus, the perspiration sensor (5) is easily bent as a whole, and the flexibility is improved. In addition, these sensor bodies
(50), i.e., the moisture-sensitive part (51), the CPU (54), the transmitting part (55),
The power supply section (57) and the signal line (59) are covered with a silicone rubber (60) as a flexible material to prevent discomfort due to direct contact with the human body.

A flexible thin plate-shaped magnet (61) is attached to the back surface of the silicone rubber (60). As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, when attaching the perspiration sensor (5), the magnet (61)
A sweat sensor (5) is provided inside the clothing (21) so that the magnet contacts the clothing (21), and a thin plate-shaped magnet (6) is placed from outside the clothing (21).
2) is attached to the magnet (61) inside the clothing (21). That is,
The clothing (21) is sandwiched between the magnet (61) and the magnet (62). Thus, the perspiration sensor (5) is always positioned near the human body without falling off. In order to accurately and stably detect the humidity, the sweat sensor (5) is preferably provided on the chest. One of the magnets (61, 62) may be made of a magnetic material.

As shown in FIG. 5, the controller (1)
It includes a receiving unit (11), a control unit (12), and a transmitting unit (13). The receiving section (11) receives a radio signal from the perspiration sensor (5). The control unit receives signals from the receiving unit (11), performs various calculations, displays the calculation results on the display units (11, 21), controls signals based on the calculation results, and controls the controller (1).
A control signal is transmitted to the transmission unit (13) by an operation button or the like (not shown) provided in the communication unit. The transmission unit (13) receives the control signal from the control unit (12) and wirelessly transmits the signal to each of the devices (2), (3), and (4). In the present embodiment, the transmission unit (13) is configured to transmit an infrared signal corresponding to each device so that existing devices that can be remotely controlled by infrared signals can be used as they are. Note that a wireless signal other than infrared light may be transmitted according to the device to be operated.

-Display of physiological information-In the controller (1) and the display unit (D1, D2) of the indoor unit (2),
As the calculation result, information such as the user's sweating state and whether the indoor environment is suitable for the user can be displayed. When the indoor unit (2) is driven during sleep, the user's sleep cycle estimated from the sweating state can be displayed.

FIG. 6 shows a controller (1) and an indoor unit (2).
5 shows a display example on the display unit (D1, D2). As shown in the figure, in the display section (D1, D2), the current time (a),
The set temperature (b) and the ON / OFF state of the power supply (c) are displayed, and in the lower part, a graph (d) showing the change over time of the sweating state is displayed. From this graph, the user can roughly grasp, for example, the degree of sweating during sleep.

Information indicating whether or not the indoor environment is suitable for the user at that time includes, for example, a display such as "the room is at an appropriate temperature", "the room is too hot", or "the room is too cold". Section (D1, D2) may be provided in the upper section, etc., or a room temperature display may be added, for example, to the right end of the upper section, and the temperature display may be color-coded (for example, displayed in red when it is too hot, and in blue when it is too cold). May be displayed), or the setting temperature itself may be blinked to prompt the user to change the setting.

The sleep cycle can be switched and displayed in the lower part of the display section (D1, D2) with the graph of sweating state (d). Here, the sleep cycle will be described.

Sleep can be broadly classified into non-REM sleep and REM sleep. Focusing on the sweating phenomenon as a physiological characteristic during sleep, a considerable amount of sweating is observed during non-REM sleep, but the amount of sweating tends to decrease significantly during REM sleep. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the amount of perspiration is detected, and the sleep rhythm is predicted based on the temporal change of the amount of perspiration.

Next, the relationship between the physiological characteristics during sleep and the sleep cycle will be described in detail.

FIGS. 7 (a) to 7 (c) show changes over time in the depth of sleep, the deep body temperature and the amount of perspiration as physiological characteristics during sleep.

As shown in FIG. 7A, sleep depths are classified into depths 1 to 4 by brain wave analysis. Depth 1 represents a state close to an awake state, and depth 4 represents a state of deep sleep. Due to the characteristics of brain waves, especially depths 3 and 4 are called slow-wave sleep. Separately, sleep that is actually in a sleep state while exhibiting an electroencephalographic response close to waking is called REM sleep.
To distinguish from REM sleep, sleep states indicated by depths 1 to 4 are called non-REM sleep. Normally, non-REM sleep and REM sleep appear regularly and alternately with regularity.
One cycle is about 90 minutes, which is called a sleep cycle.
During non-REM sleep, the brain is only minimally active,
During REM sleep, the brain is said to be active.

As shown in FIG. 7A, after a while, a very deep sleep (slow-wave sleep) comes.
After that, REM sleep and non-REM sleep alternately appear,
The depth of non-REM sleep becomes shallower as it dawns.

As shown in FIG. 7 (b), the core body temperature during sleep decreases from the time of falling asleep until dawn, and turns to a rising tendency before getting up. Because of this tendency, during sleep,
It is considered necessary to reduce core body temperature in order to reduce human energy consumption.

FIG. 7C shows the sweating characteristics during sleep.
It is said that sweating basically occurs during non-REM sleep and hardly sweats during REM sleep. However, sweating may occur exceptionally due to the effects of dreams during REM sleep. As described above, since it is necessary to lower the core body temperature during sleep, a large amount of sweating is observed immediately after falling asleep.
After that, until they wake up, they sweat during non-REM sleep, but the amount decreases in the morning.

Here, the measurement of the amount of perspiration by the perspiration sensor (5) will be described. FIG. 8A shows the temporal change of the humidity near the human body (relative humidity) measured by the perspiration sensor (5), and FIG. 8B shows the temporal change of the sleep depth. As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, in a period A from the bed to sleep (sleep latency), the humidity near the human body is substantially constant. However, in the period B in which the person falls asleep and the sleep depth is deep, the humidity near the human body sharply increases. This is because, as described above, when falling asleep, the amount of perspiration increases so as to lower the core body temperature. In a period C after the amount of sweating reaches the peak, REM sleep and non-REM sleep are alternately repeated. In this period C, the amount of perspiration generally decreases in the REM sleep state, and increases in the non-REM sleep state.

As described above, there is a certain correlation between the amount of perspiration at bedtime and the depth of sleep. Therefore, the sleep cycle can be estimated with high accuracy by detecting the amount of perspiration during sleep or the rate of increase in the amount of perspiration. Therefore, the control unit (12) of the controller (1) of the first embodiment estimates the sleep cycle based on the amount of sweat using the above correlation. Then, the sleep cycle obtained as a result is formed into a graph as shown in FIG. 7A so that the sleep cycle can be switched and displayed with the lower display of the display unit in FIG.

The sleep cycle can be used, for example, to determine whether or not the sleep was a good sleep. Therefore,
The conditions for a good sleep based on sleep physiology will be described with reference to FIG.

As a condition for a good sleep, first, the time from entering the bed until going to sleep (sleep latency) is short.
Next, it is necessary that the depth of the first slow wave sleep be sufficiently deep and long in time. Here, in order to take the first slow wave sleep deeply and long, it is essential to sufficiently lower the core body temperature.

For a good sleep, the time at the beginning of sleep is the most important, but not only that, but also that the subsequent sleep rhythm is regularly realized is also an important condition.

Regarding the feeling of waking up when waking up, it is desirable to wake up immediately after the end of REM sleep. This is because if you wake up during non-REM sleep, your brain activity will not be active, and your awakening feeling will be blurred. In addition, awakening during REM sleep leads to a feeling of lack of sleep because REM sleep is often a dream.

That is, the following four are important as sleep conditions.

A short sleep latency, a sufficiently long initial deep sleep, a regular sleep rhythm achieved, and awakening shortly after the end of REM sleep.

Therefore, when the sleep cycle is displayed on the display unit as described above, the user can grasp whether or not his / her sleep was a good sleep by checking items (1) to (4).

-Example of Operation Control- In this embodiment, basically, the user sets the target temperature and air volume of the air conditioner using the controller (1), and the controller (1) uses the lighting device (3). And the audio device (4) can also be operated, but by utilizing the detection of the sweating state as described above, the following operation control can also be performed.

<Control Example 1> First, using the detected amount of perspiration, it is possible to realize a high-quality sleep environment by preventing "cool sleep" and "intermediate awakening" in accordance with the physiological phenomenon during sleep.

That is, after getting into bed, in order to obtain the first deep sleep which is important for high quality sleep, it is necessary to promote body heat radiation in order to rapidly lower the core body temperature.
Therefore, if a normal cooling operation state when the user is awake (a temperature that the user prefers at the time of awakening and an operation state at a relatively low temperature) is maintained, heat radiation is sufficiently promoted.

However, if sleep is continued under the same temperature condition even after the core body temperature has sufficiently decreased due to heat radiation, excessive heat radiation results in "cooling down" or "sloppyness".

This will be described based on the relationship between the environmental temperature and the heat generated by humans. FIG. 10 shows a human heat radiation phenomenon with respect to the environmental temperature. In the normal optimum temperature range A, the heat balance with the outside world is maintained by controlling the peripheral blood volume mainly by contraction of blood vessels. On the other hand, in the region B where the environmental temperature is higher than the temperature range A that can be adjusted by the contraction of the blood vessels, sweating is performed, and heat is effectively transferred from the body to the outside by the heat of evaporation caused by the sweating. Conversely, in the region C where the environmental temperature is lower than the optimum temperature range A, trembling occurs and heat is generated in the body. The area A1 in the area A is
This is a region set as the ambient temperature during the normal cooling operation, and is a temperature region set at the time of awakening. In the area A1, even if it moves a little, it does not sweat immediately and it is not too cold. Therefore, the area A1 is a comfortable environment area when awake.

On the other hand, during sleep, parasympathetic nervous activity becomes dominant, cardiopulmonary activity decreases, and muscles relax. In addition, it is said that the body temperature regulation function disappears during REM sleep, and a sufficient body temperature regulation function cannot be expected. Therefore, if you sleep at the set temperature set before entering the bed,
"Cooling down" will be caused.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, by always setting the set temperature in the high temperature area A2 within the optimum temperature, "cooling down" due to excessive heat radiation does not occur, and a large amount of sweat A comfortable state without "intermediate awakening" can be realized. In order to keep the set temperature in the area A2, it is preferable to constantly monitor the state of perspiration, lower the set temperature if the amount of perspiration does not increase, and raise the temperature if the expected perspiration does not occur.

<Control Example 2> In this embodiment, one controller (1) can operate not only the indoor unit (2) of the air conditioner but also the lighting device (3) and the audio equipment (4). As a result, the following operation control can be performed.

The operation of the indoor unit (2), the lighting device (3), and the audio equipment (4) in the operation control example 2 will be described with time. First, when a sleeper goes to bed, the operation mode of the indoor unit (2) is set to the rest operation mode. In the rest operation mode, the indoor unit (2) initially performs a relatively low-temperature cooling operation as in the case of awakening. In other words, the cooling operation is performed with the initial temperature set as the set temperature that lowers the core body temperature and prompts the user to fall asleep comfortably and promptly. On the other hand, the lighting device (3) and the audio equipment (4) are kept powered on.

Thereafter, the sleeping person sweats, the humidity near the human body increases, and the sleeping depth gradually increases. Sweating sensor
(5) performs humidity detection at predetermined time intervals, and the detection information is transmitted to the controller (1).

In this control example 2, it is determined that the state where the sleep depth is 1 or more is the awake state, and the state where the sleep depth is smaller than 1 is the sleep state. Therefore, the predetermined value serving as a criterion for falling asleep in the control unit (12) is set to a relative humidity of 80%, which is regarded as the humidity near the human body when the sleep depth is 1. Therefore, when the humidity near the human body transmitted from the perspiration sensor (5) exceeds the relative humidity of 80%, the controller
(1) determines that the sleeping person has fallen asleep.

When it is determined that the user falls asleep, the controller (1) transmits control signals to the indoor unit (2), the lighting device (3), and the audio device (4), and these devices (2), (3), (4) ) Are controlled as follows.

That is, in the indoor unit (1), the set temperature is changed from the initial temperature to a slightly higher cooling prevention temperature.
As a result, the temperature in the bedroom rises, and cooling down after falling asleep is reliably prevented.

On the other hand, the lighting device (3) is turned off and turned off. Note that, of course, instead of turning off the light, control may be performed so as to reduce the illuminance. Thereby, a comfortable sleeping environment is provided.

The power of the audio device (4) is also turned off.
To be. Thereby, the inside of the bedroom is silenced, and the sleep of the sleeping person is promoted. Therefore, a comfortable sleeping environment is provided.

<Control Example 3> As Control Example 3, a wake-up time suitable for obtaining a comfortable wake-up feeling is estimated based on the sleep cycle, and when the wake-up time comes, each device (2), (3), ( Four)
Can be changed so as to encourage the sleeping person to wake up.

In other words, by utilizing the fact that the sleep cycle is estimated, each device (2), (2),
(3) and (4) can be started collectively by the controller (1).

As a specific example, if the time is a predetermined time, for example, 30 minutes before the comfortable awakening time (in this case, the number of sleep cycles is appropriately set in advance by the user), the controller ( If a control signal is transmitted from 1) to the indoor unit (2) and normal cooling operation is started in the indoor unit (2), the room temperature will be adjusted to a predetermined temperature when awake, and a comfortable wake-up feeling will be obtained be able to.

On the other hand, when the time becomes a comfortable awakening time, a control signal is transmitted from the controller (1) to the audio device (4), and when the power of the audio device (4) is turned on, the sleeping person is awakened. be able to.

-Effects of First Embodiment- As described above, in the first embodiment, the perspiration sensor (5)
The display unit (D1, D2) for detecting the sweating state of the user by using and displaying the sweating state, sleep cycle, etc., allows the user to recognize his / her physiological state. Also, from the display units (D1, D2), it is possible to recognize whether the room is in a comfortable state for the user.

Further, in the first embodiment, in addition to displaying information such as a sweating state and a sleep cycle, driving control can be performed using the detected sweating state, so that the user's comfort can be improved. Become.

[0075]

[Second Embodiment] In a second embodiment of the present invention, a blood flow sensor is used as a physiological sensor instead of the sweat sensor of the first embodiment, and information obtained from the blood flow sensor is displayed on the display unit. This is an example of such a case. Other device configurations are the same as in the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 11, the blood flow sensor (7)
The light emitting diode (71) and the photodiode (72) are provided, and the light emitting diode (71) is connected to the power supply (73). The photodiode (72) is connected to the amplifier (7
It is connected to 4) and transmits pulse wave data obtained by amplifying the reception signal of the photodiode (72) to the controller (1). The light emitting diode (71) and the photodiode (72) are
It is built into the ring (76) to be mounted on.

This blood flow sensor is configured to use the absorbance of hemoglobin in blood. Specifically, hemoglobin in blood has a strong absorbance for light in a certain wavelength band. For this reason, when light in the wavelength band is emitted from the light emitting diode to the fingertip (75), the amount of transmitted light or reflected light received by the photodiode (72) changes according to the volume fluctuation of the blood vessel (dilation / contraction or pulsation of the blood vessel). Changes in the blood vessel volume). That is, as shown in FIG.
At the time of contraction of (77), since the amount of hemoglobin (78) is small, the amount of light absorbed (L1) in the irradiated light (L1) is small, and the amount of transmitted light or reflected light (L2) increases, as shown in FIG. In addition, when the blood vessel (77) is expanded, the amount of hemoglobin (78) is large, so that the amount of absorbed light is large and the amount of transmitted light or reflected light (L2) is small. As described above, the amount of received light changes in accordance with the state of blood flow, so that the pulse wave can be detected by converting the amount of received light into an electric signal.

On the other hand, in the human body temperature control system, FIG.
As described with reference to FIG. 0, the thermal energy generated by metabolism is released when it is excessive, and when it is insufficient, it is attempted to suppress the release as much as possible. Since blood is the largest transport medium of heat energy, heat release and release suppression are achieved by controlling the flow of blood from the body to the body surface. In other words, blood flow increases when you have a hot sensation,
When the heat sensation is eliminated, blood flow decreases. For this reason, the blood vessels expand when the temperature is hot, and the blood vessels contract when the temperature is cold. Therefore, it is possible to estimate the heat sensation of a human by measuring the blood flow with the blood flow sensor (7).

In particular, peripheral parts such as limbs and the like are parts having high heat radiation efficiency and are parts where blood flow is significantly increased or decreased in controlling human body temperature, so that measurement is relatively easy.
Although the photoelectric pulse wave itself is not a blood flow, a measurement amount corresponding to the blood flow can be obtained by means such as integrating pulse wave information.

In the present embodiment, information such as increase or decrease in blood flow, heat sensation, or heart rate and blood pressure obtained based on the measurement of blood flow thus measured can be displayed on the display unit. it can. Therefore, the user can grasp the blood flow information including the blood pressure and the heart rate, and can generally know his or her physiological state.

[0081]

[Embodiment 3] In Embodiment 3, instead of the perspiration sensor (5) or blood flow sensor (7) as a physiological quantity sensor, as shown by a virtual line in FIG. This is an example using a skin temperature sensor (8) for measuring the temperature.

As described above, a person sweats periodically during sleep. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 13, the measurement result of the forehead skin temperature changes with time with perspiration. In other words, the skin temperature decreases during sweating, while the skin temperature increases more during non-sweating. Therefore, the sleep cycle can be estimated using the temperature change.

In the third embodiment, the display unit (D1, D2) displays the forehead skin temperature itself in a graph or the like, or displays the sleep cycle estimated based on the skin temperature. Can be. These displays allow the user to recognize his or her physiological state during sleep.

[0084]

Embodiment 4 Next, Embodiment 4 of the present invention will be described. In the fourth embodiment, an alarm is issued when the amount of perspiration detected by the perspiration sensor (5) exceeds a predetermined value.

Specifically, in the children's room (R1) where the indoor unit (2) is installed, the amount of perspiration of the sleeping infant (I) is detected by the perspiration sensor (5), and according to the perspiration state, In addition to controlling the operation of the indoor unit (2), if the amount of perspiration is larger than a predetermined amount, an alarm (alarm generation means) installed in another room (R2)
(9) alerts the parent (P).

In the fourth embodiment, the perspiration sensor (5)
Has the same configuration as that described in the first embodiment.
The indoor unit 2 has a controller (1) serving as a control unit.
Is built-in. The controller (1) is a perspiration sensor
It receives the signal from (5) and performs an operation based on the signal to control the operation of the indoor unit (2) and the alarm (9). The alarm (9) is configured to emit an alarm sound (or light) when receiving an operation signal from the controller (1).

With such a configuration, when the infant (I) is sweating a lot of night sweat after going to bed, the signal from the sweat sensor (5) indicates that the infant (I) has a large amount of sweat. (1) is detected, and as a result, the alarm
An alarm is issued at (9). Therefore, the parent (P) in the separate room (R2) notices a large amount of night sweat of the infant (I), and can change clothes or wipe sweat. For this reason,
If you leave it sweaty, your child will be too cold
Although the physical condition of (I) may deteriorate, according to the fourth embodiment, the health of the child (I) can be maintained.

-Modification of Embodiment 4-In this embodiment 4, it is determined that the infant (I) has a lot of night sweats.
(P), but the application is not limited to infants. The alarm (9) is a sweat sensor
It may be provided in the same room as the bedroom of the person using the physiological quantity sensor such as (5). For example, when the infant (I) and the parent (P) are sleeping in the same room, providing the alarm (9) in the room allows the parent to immediately cope with excessive sweating of the child.

In the fourth embodiment, the perspiration sensor
Although the air conditioning control is also performed by using (5), the detection result by the physiological quantity sensor such as the perspiration sensor (5) may be used only for warning the relatives. Further, a physiological information device that can be used independently of the indoor unit (2) may be constituted by the perspiration sensor (5), the controller (1), and the alarm (9).

Further, although the display function of the physiological information is omitted in the fourth embodiment, a warning function may be provided in addition to the display function as in the above embodiments. The display devices (D1, D2) and the alarm (9) can be provided in a plurality of rooms as needed.

[0091]

Other Embodiments of the Invention The present invention may have the following configurations in the first to third embodiments.

For example, a deep body temperature sensor for measuring a deep body temperature may be used as a physiological sensor, and the deep body temperature may be displayed on the display unit. As this deep body temperature sensor,
For example, there is an earphone-type temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the ear canal. The core body temperature is a factor closely related to a good sleep as described above. Therefore, the user can recognize whether or not he or she is in a good sleep state from the transition of the core body temperature.

Further, the temperature distribution on the body surface may be measured by using an infrared temperature sensor using a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor or the like, and this temperature distribution may be displayed. Even in this case, it is preferable that information such as a sleep cycle can be displayed.

In the first embodiment, the controller
Display units (D1, D2) are provided on both (1) and indoor unit (2), and it has been described that both display units (D1, D2) can display physiological amounts such as sweating and sleep cycles. Is the controller
It may be performed on either (1) or the indoor unit (2). controller
In the case of displaying only with (1), the controller (1) and the physiological quantity sensor such as the perspiration sensor (5) are used independently from the air conditioner as described in the modification of the fourth embodiment. A physiological information device capable of performing such operations.

[0095] Separately from the display units (D1, D2) provided in the controller (1) and the indoor unit (2), physiological information may be displayed on a display of a television or a personal computer.
In other words, the display may be provided on the controller (1) or the indoor unit (2) and then displayed on a television or the like, or the controller (1) or the indoor unit (2) may be provided without the display unit. Information may be displayed on a television or the like.

Further, the controller (1) is an indoor unit.
Although it has been described that devices other than (2) can be controlled, a remote controller dedicated to indoor units may be used. Further, in the first embodiment, the controller (1) including the control unit (12) and the like may be configured to be built in the indoor unit (2) as in the fourth embodiment. Conversely, in the configuration of the fourth embodiment, the controller (1) may of course be separate from the indoor unit (2).

In the above embodiment, the state in which the indoor unit (2) is driven while sleeping is mainly described. However, information relating to physiological amounts such as sweating and information indicating that the room is too hot or too cold are: It is possible to display even during the day when the user is awake.

[0098] In the above embodiment, the display is made by characters or graphs. However, depending on the information to be displayed, for example, a warning when the temperature is too hot or too cold, the sound may be displayed. Good.

The value detected by the perspiration sensor (5) is not limited to the relative humidity, but may be an absolute humidity. In this case, the predetermined value serving as a reference for detecting falling asleep is set based on the absolute humidity.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the inside of a room where an air conditioner according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention is installed.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a configuration of a perspiration sensor.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a method of attaching a perspiration sensor.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which a user wears a perspiration sensor.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the relationship between equipment control in the room in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a display state of a display unit.

7A and 7B are diagrams showing human physiological characteristics during sleep, and FIG.
Is the time course of sleep depth, (b) is the time course of deep body temperature,
(C) shows the change over time in the amount of perspiration.

8A and 8B are diagrams showing a sleeping state of a sleeping person, wherein FIG. 8A shows a temporal change of a temperature near a human body, and FIG. 8B shows a temporal change of a sleep depth.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a good sleep condition based on sleep physiology.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a relationship between an environmental temperature and heat production and radiation, and an air conditioning set temperature range when awake.

FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram of a blood flow sensor used in the air-conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

12A and 12B are explanatory diagrams showing a detection state by the blood flow sensor of FIG. 11, wherein FIG. 12A shows a state of vasoconstriction and FIG. 12B shows a state of vasodilation.

FIG. 13 is a graph showing a temporal change in forehead skin temperature in Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an air conditioner according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

(1) Controller (remote controller (control means)) (D1) Display unit (display means) (2) Indoor unit (D2) Display unit (display means) (3) Lighting device (4) Audio equipment (5) Perspiration sensor (Physiological sensor (detecting means)) (7) Blood flow sensor (physiological sensor (detecting means)) (8) Skin temperature sensor (physiological sensor (detecting means)) (9) Alarm (warning generating means) ( 51) Humidity sensor (52) Housing (53) Humidity sensor (54) CPU (55) Transmitter (57) Power supply (60) Silicon rubber (61) Magnet

Claims (22)

[Claims] 1. A detecting means for detecting a human physiological quantity (5, 7, 8)
Display means for displaying physiological information (D1, D2); and detection means
An air conditioner comprising: control means (1) for controlling physiological information to be displayed on display means (D1, D2) based on the physiological quantity detected in (5, 7, 8). 2. The control means (1) determines whether or not the indoor environment is suitable for a person present in the room, based on the physiological quantity obtained from the detection means (5, 7, 8). The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the determination result is displayed on a display unit. 3. The detecting means (5, 7, 8) includes a perspiration sensor (5) for detecting a person's state of perspiration, and the control means (1) performs display based on a detection signal of the perspiration sensor (5). 2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the means for displaying perspiration is displayed by means (D1, D2). The control means (1) displays the sleep cycle of the person derived based on the detection signal of the perspiration sensor (5).
The air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein the air conditioner is denoted by (D2). 5. The detection means (5, 7, 8) includes a blood flow sensor (7) for detecting a blood flow state of a person, and the control means (1) outputs a detection signal of the blood flow sensor (7). The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the blood flow information is displayed by the display means (D1, D2) based on the information. 6. The air according to claim 5, wherein the control means (1) displays at least one of the heart rate and the blood pressure derived on the basis of the detection signal of the blood flow sensor (7) on the display means (D1, D2). Harmony equipment. 7. The detecting means (5, 7, 8) includes a skin temperature sensor (8) for detecting a human skin temperature, and the control means (1) is based on a detection signal of the skin temperature sensor (8). Display means (D1, D
The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the skin temperature information is displayed in (2). 8. The air conditioner according to claim 7, wherein the control means (1) displays the sleep cycle of the person derived on the basis of the detection signal of the skin temperature sensor (8) on the display means (D1, D2). 9. The detecting means includes a deep body temperature sensor for detecting a deep body temperature of a person, and the control means (1) displays deep body temperature information on display means (D1, D2) based on a detection signal of the deep body temperature sensor. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the air conditioner is displayed. 10. The detecting means includes a temperature distribution sensor for detecting a temperature distribution of a human body surface, and the control means (1) controls the display means (D1, D2) based on a detection signal of the temperature distribution sensor. The air conditioner apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a temperature distribution is displayed. 11. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the display means (D2) is provided in the indoor unit (2). 12. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the display means (D1) is provided in the remote controller (1). 13. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the display means is constituted by an external display device, and the control means is configured to control the external display device. 14. Control means comprising warning generating means (9).
(1) The control according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the warning is generated by the warning generating means (9) when the physiological amount detected by the detecting means (5, 7, 8) exceeds a predetermined value. 2. The air conditioner according to 1. 15. A detecting means (5) for detecting a physiological quantity of a person.
Air comprising: a warning generating means (9); and a control means (1) for generating a warning in the warning generating means (9) when the physiological amount detected by the detecting means (5) exceeds a predetermined value. Harmony equipment. The detecting means is a perspiration sensor (5) for detecting a human perspiration state, and the control means (1) is a perspiration sensor.
16. The air conditioner according to claim 14, wherein a warning is issued by a warning generating means when the amount of perspiration detected by (5) exceeds a predetermined value. 17. The air conditioner according to claim 14, wherein the warning generating means (9) is installed in a separate room (R2) from the room (R1) using the detecting means (5). . 18. A detecting means (5, 7,
8), display means (D1, D2) for displaying physiological information, and physiological information based on the physiological amount detected by the detecting means (5, 7, 8) so as to be displayed on the display means (D1, D2). Control means to control (1)
A physiological information device comprising: 19. Control means comprising warning generating means (9)
20. The physiological information device according to claim 18, wherein (1) controls the alarm generating means (9) to generate an alarm when the physiological amount detected by the detecting means (5, 7, 8) exceeds a predetermined value. . 20. A detecting means (5) for detecting a physiological quantity of a person.
And a control means (1) for generating a warning in the warning generating means (9) when the physiological amount detected by the detecting means (5) exceeds a predetermined value. Information devices. 21. The detecting means comprises a perspiration sensor (5) for detecting a human perspiration state, and the control means (1) comprises a perspiration sensor.
21. The physiological information apparatus according to claim 19, wherein a warning is issued by the warning generating means when the amount of perspiration detected by (5) exceeds a predetermined value. 22. The physiological information apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the warning generating means (9) is installed in a separate room (R2) from the room (R1) using the detecting means (5). .