WO2024150310A1 - Air conditioning device, control method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

An air conditioning device (2) that controls the air conditioning of a space being air conditioned comprises an air conditioning unit (80) that air conditions the space being air conditioned, and a control device (50) that controls the air conditioning unit (80). A control unit (53a) of the control device (50) acquires the level of sleepiness of a user in the space being air conditioned, as well as the lifestyle pattern of said user, and on the basis of the acquired level of sleepiness and lifestyle pattern, controls the air conditioning unit (80) using a setting that was set in advance such that the user experiences sleepiness that is appropriate for the lifestyle pattern.

Description

Air conditioning device, control method and program

This disclosure relates to an air conditioning device, a control method, and a program.

Air conditioners have been developed that adjust the environment of the space in which a user is present. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an air conditioner that adjusts the environment of a space based on thermal images of the people and environment in the room.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6-180139

It is known that there is a close relationship between the indoor environment and the drowsiness felt by the user. However, it is difficult to induce an appropriate state of drowsiness in the user using only the method described in Patent Document 1, which simply adjusts the spatial environment based on the people in the room and the temperature of the environment. For example, since each user has a different life rhythm, if air conditioning control is performed uniformly to eliminate drowsiness during the daytime, users who work the night shift and spend the daytime hours sleeping will feel uncomfortable, and this will not be appropriate air conditioning control.

This disclosure has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide an air conditioning device, a control method, and a program that performs air conditioning control that can provide an environment that induces appropriate drowsiness in the user.

In order to achieve the above object, the air conditioning device according to the present disclosure includes an air conditioning means, a drowsiness level acquisition means, a lifestyle pattern acquisition means, and a control means. The air conditioning means conditions the air-conditioned space. The drowsiness level acquisition means acquires the drowsiness level of a user in the air-conditioned space. The lifestyle pattern acquisition means acquires the lifestyle pattern of the user. The control means controls the air conditioning means with a predetermined setting based on the acquired drowsiness level and lifestyle pattern so that the user achieves a drowsiness appropriate to the lifestyle pattern.

According to the present disclosure, the user's drowsiness level and lifestyle pattern are acquired, and based on the acquired drowsiness level and lifestyle pattern, the air conditioning unit is controlled with a predetermined setting so that the user's drowsiness is appropriate for the lifestyle pattern. This makes it possible to provide an environment that induces the user's drowsiness to an appropriate state.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an air conditioning system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the layout of an air-conditioned space in which indoor units of an air-conditioning apparatus according to the first embodiment are arranged; FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a horizontal detectable range of a biological information detection device disposed in an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to the first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a vertical detectable range of a biological information detection device disposed in an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to the first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a functional configuration of an air conditioning system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of lifestyle pattern information stored in a storage unit of the indoor unit control unit shown in FIG. 3 . FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a control mode table stored in a storage unit of the indoor unit control unit shown in FIG. 3 . FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of an outdoor unit control unit according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of an indoor unit control unit according to the first embodiment. 1 is a flowchart of a drowsiness control process executed by an air conditioning apparatus according to the first embodiment. 11 is a flowchart of a drowsiness control process executed by an air conditioning apparatus according to a modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the layout of an air-conditioned space in which indoor units of an air-conditioning apparatus according to a second embodiment are arranged; FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a horizontal detectable range of a biological information detection device disposed in an indoor unit of an air conditioner in accordance with a second embodiment; FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a vertical detectable range of a biological information detection device disposed in an indoor unit of an air conditioner in accordance with a second embodiment; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a configuration of an air conditioning system according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10B is a diagram showing an example of a control mode table stored in a storage unit of an indoor unit control unit included in the indoor unit of the air conditioner shown in FIG. 10A . FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of history information used in the stress level reduction control process; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of history information of multiple people used in the stress level reduction control process. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a modified example of the configuration of the air conditioning system shown in FIG.

An air conditioning device, a control method, and a program according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or equivalent parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

(Embodiment 1)
[Configuration of Air Conditioning System 1]
The air conditioning system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure is a system that conditions an indoor space 71, which is an air-conditioned space, based on the drowsiness level of a user present in the indoor space 71. Air conditioning refers to adjusting the temperature, humidity, cleanliness, airflow, etc. of the air in the air-conditioned space, and specifically includes heating, cooling, dehumidification, humidification, air purification, etc. The drowsiness level refers to the degree to which the user feels drowsy.

As shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioning system 1 includes an air conditioner 2, which is equipment for conditioning an indoor space 71, and an information device 90 that is operated by a user. During air conditioning operation, air conditioning control is performed based on the drowsiness level of a user present in the indoor space 71. The information device 90 and an indoor unit control unit 53 provided in the air conditioner 2 are connected via a network NW.

As shown in Fig. 1, the air conditioner 2 is installed in a house 3. As an example, the house 3 is a typical detached house. The air conditioner 2 is a heat pump type air conditioning facility that uses, for example, _CO2 (carbon dioxide) or HFC (hydrofluorocarbon) as a refrigerant. Note that the house 3 is not limited to a detached house, and may be an apartment, condominium, building, or the like.

The air conditioning device 2 includes an outdoor unit 11 installed outside the house 3, an indoor unit 13 installed inside the house 3, and a remote controller (hereinafter, remote control) 55 operated by a user. The outdoor unit 11 and the indoor unit 13 are connected via a refrigerant pipe 61 through which the refrigerant flows, and a communication line 63 through which various signals are transferred.

As shown in FIG. 2, the indoor unit 13 is installed in a location such as the upper part of a wall where it can supply conditioned air to the indoor space 71. The indoor space 71 is cooled or heated by the cold air and hot air blown out from the indoor unit 13. In this embodiment, air conditioning control is performed based on the drowsiness level of one user HM present in the indoor space 71. Details will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 1, the outdoor unit 11 includes a compressor 21 that compresses and circulates the refrigerant, a four-way valve 22 that switches the direction of refrigerant flow, an outdoor heat exchanger 23 that exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant piping 61 and the air in the external space, an expansion valve 24 that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant piping 61 and expands it, an outdoor blower 31 that sends outdoor air to the outdoor heat exchanger 23, and an outdoor unit control unit 51 that controls the operation of the outdoor unit 11.

The indoor unit 13 also includes an indoor heat exchanger 25 that exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant piping 61 and the air in the indoor space 71, an indoor blower 33 that sends the air in the indoor space 71 to the indoor heat exchanger 25, a vane 34 that adjusts the air direction, and an indoor unit control unit 53 that controls the operation of the indoor unit 13. Hereinafter, the mechanisms that control the air direction, such as the vane and louvers, will be collectively referred to as the vane 34. The air conditioning device 2 has a refrigerant circuit that is configured by connecting the compressor 21, four-way valve 22, outdoor heat exchanger 23, expansion valve 24, and indoor heat exchanger 25 by the refrigerant piping 61. The refrigerant circuit circulates the refrigerant to perform the refrigeration cycle operation.

The compressor 21 compresses the refrigerant and circulates it through the refrigerant piping 61. Specifically, the compressor 21 compresses low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant and discharges the high-pressure, high-temperature refrigerant to the four-way valve 22. The compressor 21 is equipped with an inverter circuit that can change the operating capacity according to the drive frequency. The operating capacity is the amount of refrigerant that the compressor 21 sends out per unit time. The compressor 21 changes the operating capacity according to instructions from the outdoor unit control unit 51.

The four-way valve 22 is installed on the discharge side of the compressor 21. The four-way valve 22 switches the direction of the refrigerant flow in the refrigerant piping 61 depending on whether the air conditioner 2 is operating in cooling or dehumidification mode, or in heating mode.

The outdoor heat exchanger 23 exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant piping 61 and the air in the outdoor space 72, which is outside the space to be air-conditioned, in other words, the air in the external space. The outdoor blower 31 is provided next to the outdoor heat exchanger 23 and sends the air in the outdoor space 72 to the outdoor heat exchanger 23. The outdoor blower 31 draws in air from the outdoor space 72. The drawn-in air is supplied to the outdoor heat exchanger 23, where it exchanges heat with the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant piping 61, and is then blown out into the outdoor space 72.

The expansion valve 24 is installed between the outdoor heat exchanger 23 and the indoor heat exchanger 25, and reduces the pressure of the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant piping 61 to expand it. The expansion valve 24 is an electronic expansion valve whose opening degree can be controlled. The expansion valve 24 changes its opening degree according to instructions from the outdoor unit control unit 51 to adjust the pressure of the refrigerant.

The indoor heat exchanger 25 exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant piping 61 and the air in the indoor space 71. The indoor blower 33 is provided next to the indoor heat exchanger 25 and sends the air in the indoor space 71 to the indoor heat exchanger 25. The indoor blower 33 draws in the air in the indoor space 71. The drawn-in air is supplied to the indoor heat exchanger 25 and exchanges heat with the refrigerant piping 61, and then the air direction is adjusted by the vane 34 and the air is blown out as conditioned air into the indoor space 71. This conditions the indoor space 71. The indoor heat exchanger 25 has a humidifying function and a dehumidifying function. The humidifying method may be evaporation humidification, or steam humidification such as primary steam spray type, secondary steam spray type, or power-utilizing steam generation type, and any known method can be used. The dehumidifying method may be weak cooling dehumidification, reheat dehumidification, or any known method can be used.

Hereinafter, among the parts that condition the indoor space 71, the compressor 21, four-way valve 22, outdoor heat exchanger 23, expansion valve 24, and outdoor blower 31 arranged in the outdoor unit 11 will be referred to as the outdoor unit air conditioning section 81, and the indoor heat exchanger 25, indoor blower 33, and vane 34 arranged in the indoor unit 13 will be referred to as the indoor unit air conditioning section 82. Furthermore, the outdoor unit air conditioning section 81 and the indoor unit air conditioning section 82 together will be referred to as the air conditioning section 80 as the part that performs air conditioning. The air conditioning section 80 is an example of the air conditioning means of the present disclosure.

The indoor unit 13 further includes a temperature sensor 41 that detects temperature, a humidity sensor 42 that detects humidity, an infrared sensor 44 that detects infrared rays emitted from objects such as people and objects, and a biological information detection device 43 that determines the drowsiness level of the user HM.

The temperature sensor 41 is equipped with a resistance temperature detector, thermistor, thermocouple, etc., and detects the room temperature, which is the air temperature in the indoor space 71. The humidity sensor 42 is an electrical resistance type, capacitance type, etc. sensor, and detects the indoor humidity, which is the air humidity in the indoor space 71. The temperature sensor 41 and humidity sensor 42 are installed at the intake port of the indoor heat exchanger 25, and detect the temperature and humidity of the air sucked into the indoor heat exchanger 25 by the indoor blower 33. By being installed at the intake port of the indoor heat exchanger 25, the temperature sensor 41 and humidity sensor 42 can accurately detect the temperature and humidity of the air in the indoor space 71.

The infrared sensor 44 is a pyroelectric, thermopile, or other type of sensor, and detects infrared rays emitted from objects such as people and objects. By detecting infrared rays emitted from objects such as people and objects present in the indoor space 71, the infrared sensor 44 can identify the presence and position of the objects such as people and objects. The infrared sensor 44 is directional, and is configured so that the direction of direction can be controlled by a drive motor, gimbal mechanism, or the like. The infrared sensor 44 also has multiple infrared elements arranged at a depression angle, and by scanning the indoor space 71, a thermal image of the entire indoor space 71 can be obtained.

The bioinformation detection device 43 detects bioinformation and periodically determines the drowsiness level of the user HM. The bioinformation detection device 43 includes a Doppler sensor (not shown). The Doppler sensor has directionality and the directional direction can be controlled by a gimbal mechanism or the like. The Doppler sensor may be fixedly installed. The Doppler sensor irradiates a sine wave radio wave called a microwave band or a quasi-millimeter wave band toward the human body detected by the infrared sensor 44. The Doppler sensor receives a reflected wave from the human body and detects the human body's pulse wave. A pulse wave is a waveform that indicates changes in the movement of a person's body surface due to heartbeats, breathing, etc., and includes a waveform of changes in the movement of blood vessels and a waveform of changes in the body surface. The bioinformation detection device 43 periodically analyzes the pulse wave detected by the Doppler sensor and periodically determines the drowsiness level. Any known method can be used to derive the drowsiness level from the pulse wave. For example, the degree of drowsiness can be calculated by performing chaos analysis on the fluctuations in the pulse waveform obtained from the time series data of the pulse wave and converting them into a Lyapunov exponent.

It is also possible to use AI (Artificial Intelligence) such as neural networks to measure drowsiness levels. In this case, teacher data is created by investigating in advance the relationship between a set of input data, such as the pulse waves and changes therein, the heart rate and changes therein, the brain waves and changes therein, the body temperature and changes therein, changes in the movements of the facial muscles of the user HM, changes in the quality and volume of the voice uttered by the user HM, and the behavior of the user HM, and the output, which is the drowsiness level. Next, the teacher data is made to learn into the AI device. The AI device inputs bioinformation such as pulse waves and brain waves measured by the bioinformation detection device 43, the rate of change therein, the history therein, etc., and outputs an index showing the drowsiness level.

Hereinafter, the temperature sensor 41, humidity sensor 42, infrared sensor 44, and biological information detection device 43 are collectively referred to as the sensor group 40. Their outputs are collectively referred to as the output group of the sensor group 40. The output group of the sensor group 40 is supplied to the indoor unit control unit 53.

As shown in FIG. 1, a remote control 55 is disposed in the indoor space 71. The remote control 55 transmits and receives various signals to and from the indoor unit control unit 53. The remote control 55 is provided with a display unit 55a. The remote control 55 is provided with a push button, a touch screen, an LCD display, an LED (Light Emitting Diode), etc., and functions as a command receiving unit that receives various commands from the user HM, and as a display unit 55a that displays various information to the user HM. The user HM inputs commands to the air conditioning device 2 by operating the remote control 55. The commands are, for example, commands to switch between operation and stop, and commands to switch the operation mode, set temperature, set humidity, air volume, air direction, timer, etc. Operation modes include manual modes such as cooling, heating, and dehumidification, and a drowsiness management mode, which will be described later. The air conditioning device 2 operates according to the input commands.

The indoor unit 13 further includes a main unit display unit 58. The main unit display unit 58 is, for example, an LCD monitor, a lamp, etc., and is a display unit for notifying the user HM of any information such as the operating state of the air conditioning device 2, setting information, etc. The main unit display unit 58 displays various information to be notified to the user HM, including the operating mode of the air conditioning device 2.

The information device 90 is a device owned by the user HM, including a smartphone, tablet, etc. The information device 90 has a display unit 90a. Various information is displayed on the display unit 90a. The information device 90 is capable of operating the air conditioning device 2 via the network NW by installing an application for the air conditioning device.

Next, the placement of the indoor unit 13 will be described. In this embodiment 1, as shown in FIG. 2A, the indoor unit 13 is installed in a location where it can supply conditioned air to the indoor space 71, for example, at the top of a wall. The indoor space 71 is cooled or heated by the cold air and hot air blown out from the indoor unit 13. The indoor unit 13 detects the drowsiness level of one user HM present in the indoor space 71 using the biometric information detection device 43, and performs air conditioning control based on the lifestyle pattern and drowsiness level of the user HM.

In the following explanation, an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system is set, with the width direction of the interior space 71 shown in Figure 2A as the X-axis direction, the height direction as the Z-axis direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction and Z-axis direction as the Y-axis direction, and explanations will be made with reference to this system as appropriate. In addition, the direction of each arrow shown in Figure 2A is called the + direction, and the direction opposite to the arrow direction is called the - direction.

The biological information detection device 43 attached to the indoor unit 13 is capable of detection in both the horizontal and vertical directions with itself as the center. Schematic diagrams of the detectable range SA of the biological information detection device 43 are shown in Figures 2B and 2C. Figure 2B is a diagram showing the horizontal detectable range SAH of the biological information detection device 43 in the horizontal direction. The horizontal detectable range SAH is a semicircle of radius N centered on the biological information detection device 43. For example, in Figure 2B, the dotted line connecting point A in the -X direction to point A' in the +X direction and the dotted line of the circular arc form the horizontal detectable range SAH.

Figure 2C is a diagram showing the vertical detectable range SAV in the vertical direction of the biometric information detection device 43. The vertical detectable range SAV is a semicircle of radius N centered on the biometric information detection device 43. For example, in Figure 2C, the dotted line connecting point B in the -Z direction to point B' in the +Z direction and the dotted line of the circular arc form the vertical detectable range SAV. Note that below, the horizontal detectable range SAH and the vertical detectable range SAV are collectively referred to as the detectable range SA.

The biometric information detection device 43 can detect the biometric information of the user HM present within the detectable range SA. Therefore, it is desirable that the size of the indoor space 71 in which the user HM is present is large enough to fit within the detectable range SA of the biometric information detection device 43. In addition, the detectable range SA of the biometric information detection device 43 may be set to match the size of the indoor space 71 in which the user HM is present.

Next, the outdoor unit control unit 51, which is responsible for the control functions of the air conditioner 2, and the indoor unit control unit 53, which controls the operation of the indoor unit 13, will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 3. The outdoor unit control unit 51 and the indoor unit control unit 53 are control units that work together to control the entire air conditioning system 1 and perform air conditioning control, and hereinafter, both are collectively referred to as the control device 50.

The outdoor unit control unit 51 controls the operation of the outdoor unit 11. The outdoor unit control unit 51 includes a control unit 51a that controls the entire outdoor unit 11, a memory unit 51b that stores data necessary for control, a timer unit 51c that measures time, and a communication unit 51d that serves as a communication interface.

The control unit 51a receives control instruction signals including power on/off, operating mode, set temperature, set humidity, set air volume, timer information, detection data of various sensors, etc. from the indoor unit control unit 53 via the communication line 63. In response to the control instruction signals, the control unit 51a controls the entire outdoor unit 11, in particular the outdoor unit air conditioning unit 81, for example, controls the operating frequency of the compressor 21, controls the switching of the four-way valve 22, controls the rotation speed of the outdoor blower 31, and controls the opening degree of the expansion valve 24. The storage unit 51b is composed of memories such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory), and stores data necessary for control. The clock unit 51c is a part that measures time. The clock unit 51c is equipped with an RTC (Real Time Clock), and is a clock device that continues to measure time even when the power to the air conditioning device 2 is off. The control unit 51a refers to the time measured by the clock unit 51c to start and stop the timer. The communication unit 51d is an interface that allows the control unit 51a to communicate with the indoor unit control unit 53 via the communication line 63.

The indoor unit control unit 53 receives instructions from the user HM via the remote control 55, supplies control instruction information to the outdoor unit control unit 51 via the communication line 63, and controls the operation of the indoor unit 13. The indoor unit control unit 53 includes a control unit 53a that controls the entire indoor unit 13, a memory unit 53b that stores data necessary for control, a timer unit 53c that measures time, and a communication unit 53d that acts as a communication interface.

The control unit 53a receives control information from the remote control 55, including power on/off, operating mode, set temperature, set humidity, set air volume, timer information, and detection data from various sensors. The control unit 53a also receives the outputs of the sensors 40. Based on the received information, the control unit 53a transmits a control instruction signal to the outdoor unit control unit 51 and controls the vane 34 and the indoor blower 33 to perform air conditioning processing. The control unit 53a also plays a role in displaying information such as the operating state, operating mode, and setting information of the air conditioning device 2 on the main body display unit 58 of the indoor unit 13 to notify the user HM. In addition to the main body display unit 58 of the indoor unit 13, the control unit 53a sends instructions to the remote control 55 and the information device 90 to display the operating state of the air conditioning device 2. As a result, the operating state of the air conditioning device 2 is displayed on the display unit 55a of the remote control 55 and the display unit 90a of the information device 90. Such a display has the effect of making it easier for the user HM to understand the operating state of the air conditioning device 2, or of guiding the user HM to take actions that allow them to better concentrate or fall asleep. The control unit 53a corresponds to an example of the "sleepiness level acquisition means," "lifestyle pattern acquisition means," and "control means" of the present disclosure.

The storage unit 53b is composed of memories such as RAM and ROM, and stores programs and data necessary for control. Specifically, the storage unit 53b stores general air conditioning control programs such as cooling control, heating control, and dehumidification control, as well as a control program that causes the control unit 53a to execute air conditioning control according to the drowsiness level of the user HM in the indoor space 71, i.e., the drowsiness control program 54. The drowsiness control program 54 functionally comprises a drowsiness level acquisition processing unit 54a that causes the control unit 53a to execute a process to acquire a drowsiness level, a determination processing unit 54b that causes the control unit 53a to execute a process to determine whether the acquired drowsiness level is greater than a threshold value, and a control processing unit 54c that causes the control unit 53a to execute air conditioning processing in a drowsiness management mode.

The memory unit 53b further stores life pattern information 54d and a control mode table 54e for drowsiness control, which are data used when the drowsiness control program 54 is executed.

Lifestyle pattern information 54d is information that indicates the standard type of behavior of user HM during a day. Lifestyle pattern information 54d is information that indicates the life rhythm of user HM. Figure 4 shows an example of life pattern information 54d. As shown in Figure 4, life pattern information 54d includes attributes such as the season and holiday or weekday corresponding to this life pattern, and a schedule that indicates the time of each activity of user HM during a day. Note that a detailed schedule such as that shown in Figure 4 is not necessarily required, and it is sufficient to include at least the wake-up time and bedtime. Also, Figure 4 shows life pattern information 54d with the attribute summer weekday, but life pattern information 54d with other attributes is also stored in memory unit 53b.

The lifestyle pattern information 54d may be created by input operations by the user HM from the remote control 55, information device 90, etc., or may be created by the control unit 53a based on the state of the user HM in the indoor space 71 and the presence/absence history measured by the sensor group 40. For example, the position of the user HM in the indoor space 71 can be identified from a thermal image acquired by the infrared sensor 44, and the wake-up time, bedtime, absence time, etc. of the user HM can be estimated from the position history. In addition, if it is possible to determine whether the user HM is asleep or not from the detection value of the bioinformation detection device 43, it is also possible to estimate the wake-up time and bedtime from the history of the determination results. The user HM may modify the lifestyle pattern information 54d created by the control unit 53a based on the measurement results of the sensor group 40. If the indoor space 71 is divided into multiple rooms by partitions or the like, each room may be identified from the position of the heat source and the movement of the air currents in the thermal image acquired by the infrared sensor 44, and the user HM's lifestyle pattern information 54d may be created by determining the length of stay in each room, etc.

The control mode table 54e is a table that stores various information referenced in the drowsiness control process described below. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the control mode table 54e stores information indicating the drowsiness level judgment threshold Thd for judging whether or not to start drowsiness elimination operation, and the control content of the drowsiness elimination operation. For example, the control content of the drowsiness elimination operation during heating is to increase the set temperature by Td1 to the upper limit value Tdp, decrease the set humidity by Hd1, increase the air volume by Fd1, and change the airflow direction to direct the airflow directly toward the user HM. The control content of the drowsiness elimination operation during cooling is to decrease the set temperature by Td2 to the lower limit value Tdm, decrease the set humidity by Hd2, increase the air volume by Fd2, and change the airflow direction to direct the airflow toward the user HM.

The control mode table 54e also stores a drowsiness level judgment threshold Thi for judging whether or not to start drowsiness increasing operation, and information indicating the control content of the drowsiness increasing operation. For example, the control content of the drowsiness increasing operation during heating is to reduce the set temperature Ti1 to the lower limit value Tim, increase the set humidity Hi1, decrease the airflow volume Fi1, and change the airflow direction to a windscreen that does not direct the airflow toward the user HM. The control content of the drowsiness increasing operation during cooling is to increase the set temperature Ti2 to the upper limit value Tip, increase the set humidity Hi2, decrease the airflow volume Fi2, and change the airflow direction to a windscreen.

The timer unit 53c shown in FIG. 3 is a unit that measures time. The timer unit 53c is equipped with an RTC and is a timing device that continues to measure time even when the power to the air conditioning device 2 is off.

The communication unit 53d communicates with the outdoor unit control unit 51 and also communicates with the information device 90 via the network NW.

Next, an example of the hardware configuration of the outdoor unit control unit 51 and the indoor unit control unit 53 will be described with reference to Figures 6A and 6B.

The outdoor unit control unit 51 is composed of a computer such as a microcontroller, and includes, for example, a processor 1001 that executes a control program, a memory 1002 that functions as a main memory area, a secondary storage device 1003 that stores the control program, an I/O (Input/Output) interface 1004 that inputs and outputs signals, and a communication module 1005 that performs communication, all of which are connected to each other via a bus 1000, as shown in FIG. 6A.

The processor 1001 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processor 1001 loads a control program stored in the secondary storage device 1003 into the memory 1002 and executes it.

Memory 1002 is, for example, a main storage device configured from a RAM. Memory 1002 functions as a work memory for processor 1001, and stores the control program that processor 1001 reads from secondary storage device 1003.

The secondary storage device 1003 is composed of a flash memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), etc. The secondary storage device 1003 stores the control program executed by the processor 1001, fixed data, etc.

The I/O interface 1004 is composed of a serial port, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port interface, etc. The I/O interface 1004 transmits control signals to the outdoor unit air conditioning section 81 in the outdoor unit 11, such as the compressor 21, the four-way valve 22, the expansion valve 24, the outdoor blower 31, etc., enabling control by the processor 1001.

The communication module 1005 is composed of a network interface, etc., and realizes communication between the processor 1001 and the indoor unit control unit 53.

The control unit 51a and the timer unit 51c are each composed of, for example, a processor 1001 and an I/O interface 1004. The storage unit 51b is composed of a memory 1002 and a secondary storage device 1003. The communication unit 51d is composed of, for example, a communication module 1005.

On the other hand, the indoor unit control unit 53 is composed of a computer such as a microcontroller, and includes, for example, a processor 1011 that executes a control program, a memory 1012 that functions as a main memory area, a secondary storage device 1013 that stores the control program, an I/O interface 1014 that inputs and outputs signals, and a communication module 1015 that performs communication, all of which are connected to each other via a bus 1010, as shown in Fig. 6B. The processor 1011, memory 1012, secondary storage device 1013, I/O interface 1014, and communication module 1015 have the same configurations and functions as the bus 1000, processor 1001, memory 1002, secondary storage device 1003, I/O interface 1004, and communication module 1005 that constitute the outdoor unit control unit 51 shown in Fig. 6A. However, the secondary storage device 1013 stores the drowsiness control program 54, and the I/O interface 1014 is connected to the sensor group 40, the remote control 55, the main body display unit 58, and the indoor unit air conditioning unit 82, for example, the drive mechanism of the vane 34. In addition, the communication module 1015 is connected to the outdoor unit control unit 51 and the network NW.

Up to this point, a description has been given of the configuration of the air conditioning system 1. Next, a description will be given of its operation.
The air conditioning device 2 normally performs air conditioning operation in a general normal mode, but when the air conditioning operation is switched to the drowsiness management mode, a drowsiness control process is executed to control the drowsiness level of the user HM to an appropriate state. For ease of understanding, the drowsiness control process executed by the air conditioning device 2 in the usage environment illustrated in FIG. 2 will be described below.

When the user HM selects "drowsiness management mode" using the remote control 55, the selection is recognized by the control unit 53a, which starts executing the drowsiness control program 54. As a result, the control unit 53a first identifies the presence of the user HM using the infrared sensor 44, and sends an instruction to the bioinformation detection device 43 to obtain the drowsiness level of the user HM. The control unit 53a then starts the drowsiness control process shown in FIG. 7.

When the drowsiness control process is started, the control unit 53a first acquires the drowsiness level of the user HM from the biological information detection device 43 (step S101).

Then, the control unit 53a refers to the lifestyle pattern information 54d that matches the current attributes and determines whether the time period is an active time period or an inactive time period for the user HM (step S102). Specifically, the control unit 53a may make the above determination by determining the time period from the wake-up time to the bedtime specified in the schedule indicated by the lifestyle pattern information 54d as the active time period. Note that various methods can be used to identify the active time period from the schedule, and the active time period may be the time period from the wake-up time to the bedtime excluding meal times, bath times, the hour before going to bed, etc.

If the current time is within an active time period (step S102; active time period), the control unit 53a determines whether the acquired drowsiness level is equal to or greater than the judgment threshold Thd for drowsiness elimination driving stored in the control mode table 54e (step S103). The judgment threshold Thd is an example of the first judgment threshold of the present disclosure. If the drowsiness level is not equal to or greater than the judgment threshold (step S103; No), the user HM is not feeling drowsy and therefore there is no need to perform drowsiness elimination driving, and the process proceeds to step S107.

On the other hand, if the drowsiness level is equal to or greater than the judgment threshold Thd (step S103; Yes), the user HM is feeling drowsy even though it is an active time period, so the control unit 53a refers to the control mode table 54e and executes drowsiness relief driving (step S104). Then, the process proceeds to step S107.

For example, when the information shown in FIG. 5 is stored in the control mode table 54e, in cooling operation of the drowsiness relief operation, the control unit 53a reduces the set temperature by Td2, reduces the set humidity by Hd2, increases the air volume by Fd2, and sets the air direction to wind direction. As a result, during cooling operation, a strong wind that is cooler and drier than normal directly hits the user HM, thereby eliminating the drowsiness of the user HM.

On the other hand, if the current time is an inactive time period (step S102; inactive time period), the control unit 53a determines whether the acquired drowsiness level is equal to or lower than the judgment threshold Thi for drowsiness-increasing driving stored in the control mode table 54e (step S105). The judgment threshold Thi is an example of a second judgment threshold of the present disclosure. If the drowsiness level is not equal to or lower than the judgment threshold Thi (step S103; No), the user HM feels sufficiently drowsy and therefore does not need to perform drowsiness-increasing driving, and the process proceeds to step S107.

On the other hand, if the drowsiness level is equal to or lower than the judgment threshold Thi (step S105; Yes), the user HM is not feeling drowsy despite being in an inactive time period, so the control unit 53a refers to the control mode table 54e and executes a drowsiness-increasing operation (step S106). Then, the process proceeds to step S107.

For example, when the information shown in FIG. 5 is stored in the control mode table 54e, in cooling operation for increasing drowsiness, the control unit 53a increases the set temperature by Ti2, increases the set humidity by Hi2, decreases the air volume by Fi2, and sets the airflow direction to wind protection. As a result, weak air that is warmer and more humid than normal is blown during cooling operation so as not to hit the user HM, thereby increasing the drowsiness of the user HM. Then, the process proceeds to step S107.

In step S107, the control unit 53a determines whether the drowsiness management mode has been stopped. If it is determined that the drowsiness management mode has been stopped (step S107; Yes), the control unit 53a ends the drowsiness control process. At this time, the operation may be returned to the normal mode, or the operation of the air conditioning system 1 may be stopped.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S107 that the drowsiness management mode has not been stopped (step S107; No), the control unit 53a executes the process of step S101 again after a certain period of time has elapsed. Note that stopping the drowsiness management mode includes a case where an instruction to end the "drowsiness management mode" is given by the remote control 55, a case where an instruction to stop operation of the air conditioning device 2 is given, etc.

In this way, the air conditioning system 1 according to embodiment 1 acquires the drowsiness level and lifestyle pattern of the user HM, and controls the air conditioning unit 80 with predetermined settings so that the drowsiness level is appropriate for the lifestyle pattern acquired by the user HM. Specifically, the air conditioning system 1 according to embodiment 1 determines whether the current time is an active or inactive time period based on the lifestyle pattern information 54d of the user HM, and executes different drowsiness control depending on the determination result. This makes it possible to provide an environment that induces the drowsiness level of the user HM to an appropriate state.

(Modification of the first embodiment)
The above-mentioned first embodiment can be modified in various ways.

In the first embodiment, when the drowsiness level of the user HM during the active time period is equal to or greater than the judgment threshold Thd (step S103; Yes), a drowsiness elimination operation whose control content is specified in the control mode table 54e is executed (step S104), but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, when performing repeated control, a drowsiness elimination operation that reflects the change in the drowsiness level of the user HM due to the previous change in settings may be executed.

The drowsiness control process in this case will be explained using the example of Figure 8. Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the drowsiness control process that changes the temperature setting to eliminate drowsiness. Unlike Figure 7, Figure 8 omits the drowsiness-increasing operation that is performed during the user HM's inactive time period.

First, the control unit 53a acquires the drowsiness level of the user HM detected by the biometric information detection device 43 (step S201). Then, the control unit 53a refers to the schedule of the life pattern information 54d and determines whether the current time is within the user HM's active time period (step S202). If the current time is not within the active time period (step S202; No), the process proceeds to step S210.

On the other hand, if it is during the active time period (step S202; Yes), the control unit 53a determines whether the acquired drowsiness level is equal to or higher than the determination threshold Thd (step S203). If the drowsiness level is lower than the determination threshold Thd (step S203; No), the user HM is not feeling drowsy, and the process proceeds to step S210.

On the other hand, if the drowsiness level is equal to or greater than the judgment threshold Thd (step S203; Yes), the control unit 53a compares the drowsiness level acquired this time with the drowsiness level acquired previously (step S204). If it is the first time and there is no drowsiness level acquired previously (step S204; first time), the control unit 53a selects a correction direction to increase the room temperature during heating operation and to decrease the room temperature during cooling operation (step S205). Note that since the correction direction is adjusted appropriately in the process described below, the opposite correction direction may also be selected. Then, the control unit 53a corrects the set temperature by one step in the selected correction direction (step S206). The correction width at this time is a preset temperature difference. Then, the process proceeds to step S210.

On the other hand, if the drowsiness level has increased and worsened compared to the previous time in step S204 (step S204; worsening), the control unit 53a reverses the temperature correction direction from the previous correction direction (step S207). Then, the control unit 53a corrects the set temperature by one step in the reversed correction direction (step S208). Then, the process proceeds to step S210.

On the other hand, if the drowsiness level has improved in step S204 by decreasing compared to the previous time (step S204; Improved), the control unit 53a corrects the set temperature by one step in the same direction as the previous temperature correction direction (step S209). Here, the temperature after correction in steps S206, S208, and S209 may be limited to a temperature within a predetermined range. Then, the process proceeds to step S210.

In step S210, the control unit 53a determines whether the drowsiness management mode has been stopped. If it is determined that the drowsiness management mode has been stopped (step S210; Yes), the control unit 53a ends the drowsiness control process. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S210 that the drowsiness management mode has not been stopped (step S210; No), the control unit 53a re-executes the process of step S201 after a certain period of time has elapsed.

In this way, when the drowsiness level is equal to or above the threshold, the direction of temperature correction is determined based on the change in drowsiness level due to the previous change when changing the set temperature. This makes it possible to control the air conditioning unit 80 in a way that reflects the characteristics of the change in drowsiness level of the user HM in response to a change in settings, and realizes a spatial environment that is more suited to the user HM. Also, in this case, it is possible to execute the drowsiness control process simply by storing the judgment threshold value in the control mode table 54e. Note that similar repeated control can also be performed for the drowsiness level increase control that is executed during the user HM's non-active time slots.

Furthermore, in the first embodiment, energy saving control may be enabled. For example, in step S104 of FIG. 7, drowsiness elimination operation is performed, and in step S106, drowsiness increase operation is performed. However, if an energy saving setting is set, the air conditioning unit 80 may be controlled within a setting range that reduces power consumption, although the drowsiness elimination effect and drowsiness increase effect are somewhat lower than those of normal drowsiness elimination operation and drowsiness increase operation.

Furthermore, during the drowsiness increasing operation in step S106 of FIG. 7, the control unit 53a may not only adjust the set temperature, humidity, air volume, air direction, etc., but may also perform control such as lowering the dimming of the display on the main unit display unit 58 and lowering the volume of the sound output from the air conditioning device 2. In this way, the visual and auditory stimuli emitted from the air conditioning device 2 are reduced, and the effect of increasing drowsiness can be further enhanced. Note that when the drowsiness increasing operation ends and normal operation is resumed, the control unit 53a may perform processing to adjust the dimming of the display on the main unit display unit 58 and return the volume of the sound output from the air conditioning device 2 to original levels.

In the first embodiment, the drowsiness control process controls the air conditioning unit 80 to reduce the drowsiness level when the user HM is in an active time period (sleepiness elimination operation), and controls the air conditioning unit 80 to increase the drowsiness level when the user HM is in an inactive time period (sleepiness increase operation). However, air conditioning control may be performed to adjust the drowsiness level according to more specific time periods, rather than just active and inactive time periods. For example, during the user HM's lunch break, the air conditioning unit 80 may be controlled to a setting intermediate between the setting for the drowsiness elimination operation and the setting for the drowsiness increase operation.

The control unit 53a may change one or more of the temperature, humidity, air volume, and air direction depending on the drowsiness level of the user HM. The control unit 53a may determine whether to raise or lower the room temperature depending on the current operation mode. The control unit 53a may switch the operation mode of heating and cooling. Furthermore, the control unit 53a may control the operation according to conditions preset by the user HM.

The control contents of the drowsiness elimination operation in step S104 of FIG. 7 and the control contents of the drowsiness increase operation in step S106 may be determined using machine learning technology. In this case, the control unit 53a includes a machine learning device. The machine learning device learns, for example, the relationship between the drowsiness level and each set value such as temperature, humidity, air volume, and wind direction. During the drowsiness elimination operation in step S104, the control unit 53a may cause the machine learning device to output a combination of each set value such as temperature, humidity, air volume, and wind direction that can minimize the drowsiness level, control the indoor unit air conditioning unit 82 according to each output set value, and further control the outdoor unit air conditioning unit 81 via the control unit 51a. During the drowsiness increase operation in step S106, the control unit 53a may cause the machine learning device to output a combination of each set value such as temperature, humidity, air volume, and wind direction that can maximize the drowsiness level, control the indoor unit air conditioning unit 82 according to each output set value, and further control the outdoor unit air conditioning unit 81 via the control unit 51a.

In step S103 of FIG. 7 or step S203 of FIG. 8, it is determined whether the acquired drowsiness level is equal to or greater than the judgment threshold Thd, but instead it may be determined whether the time series change in the acquired drowsiness level increases by a preset rate or more. Also, in step S105 of FIG. 7, it is determined whether the acquired drowsiness level is equal to or less than the judgment threshold Th i, but instead it may be determined whether the time series change in the acquired drowsiness level decreases by a preset rate or more.

(Embodiment 2)
In the above-described first embodiment, a case where one user HM exists in the indoor space 71 has been described. However, there may be a case where a plurality of users HM exists in the indoor space 71. For example, as shown in FIG. 9A, it is assumed that a first user HM1 and a second user HM2 exist in the indoor space 71. Then, similarly to the first embodiment, the detectable range SA of the biometric information detection device 43 is a semicircular range in the horizontal and vertical directions centered on the biometric information detection device 43, as shown in FIG. 2B and FIG. 2C.

In this case, the biometric information detection device 43 acquires a pulse wave that is a composite of the pulse waves of the first user HM1 and the second user HM2, both of which are present within the detectable range SA. When the pulse waves of multiple users are combined, it is possible to separate the pulse waves of each user using known techniques such as Fourier transform, but this complicates the processing. Therefore, in this second embodiment, the detectable range SA of the biometric information detection device 43 is narrowed and rotated by the rotating unit 430, making it possible to individually detect the first user HM1 and the second user HM2 present within the indoor space 71.

As shown in FIG. 9A, the indoor unit 13 is installed in a location where it can supply conditioned air to the indoor space 71, for example, at the top of a wall. The indoor unit 13 is equipped with a biological information detection device 43A and a rotating unit 430 that can rotate the biological information detection device 43A.

FIGS. 9B and 9C are schematic diagrams of the detectable range SA of the biometric information detection device 43A in the second embodiment. First, FIG. 9B is a diagram showing the horizontal detectable range SAH in the horizontal direction of the biometric information detection device 43A. The horizontal detectable range SAH is a sector-shaped range of radius N and angle θ centered on the biometric information detection device 43A. The rotation unit 430 moves the horizontal detectable range SAH in both directions of the dotted arrow by rotating the biometric information detection device 43A. This allows the biometric information detection device 43A to detect the user HM within the range of the two-dotted point connecting point A in the -X direction to point A' in the +X direction and the two-dotted point of the arc.

FIG. 9C is a diagram showing the vertical detectable range SAV in the vertical direction of the biometric information detection device 43A. The vertical detectable range SAV is a sector-shaped range with a radius N and an angle θ centered on the biometric information detection device 43A. The rotation unit 430 moves the vertical detectable range SAV in both directions of the dotted arrow by rotating the biometric information detection device 43A. This allows the biometric information detection device 43A to detect the user HM within the range of the two-dotted arrow connecting point B in the -Z direction to point B' in the +Z direction and the two-dotted arrow of the arc. Note that, hereinafter, the horizontal detectable range SAH and the vertical detectable range SAV are collectively referred to as the detectable range SA.

The biometric information detection device 43A can individually detect the biometric information of the first user HM1 and the second user HM2 who are present within the detectable range SA. For this reason, it is desirable to set the angle θ between the horizontal detectable range SAH and the vertical detectable range SAV to an angle that ensures that the detectable range SA falls within the body width of the user HM.

When multiple users HM are present in the indoor space 71, the air conditioning device 2 executes drowsiness control processing for each user HM when switching from a general normal mode to air conditioning operation in the drowsiness management mode. In this case, the lifestyle pattern information 54d shown in FIG. 4 must be set for each user HM. For example, when the first user HM1 or the second user HM2 shown in FIG. 9A selects the "drowsiness management mode" using the remote control 55, the selection is input to the control unit 53a. The control unit 53a starts executing the drowsiness control program 54. The control unit 53a first executes the drowsiness control processing shown in FIG. 7 for the first user HM1. Then, the control unit 53a executes the drowsiness control processing shown in FIG. 7 for the second user HM2. This allows the drowsiness level to be determined individually for the first user HM1 and the second user HM2, and the temperature, humidity, air volume, wind direction, etc. to be controlled so that the drowsiness level matches the lifestyle pattern of each person.

(Modification of the second embodiment)
In the above-mentioned second embodiment, the drowsiness level is determined for each of the first user HM1 and the second user HM2, and the temperature, humidity, air volume, wind direction, etc. are controlled so that the drowsiness level is adapted to the life pattern of each person. Without being limited to this, the temperature, humidity, air volume, wind direction, etc. may be controlled to a state that reduces the drowsiness level of the user HM who has the highest drowsiness level among the people during the active time period. Furthermore, the set values of the temperature, humidity, air volume, wind direction, etc. may be the average values of the set values of all the people.

(Embodiment 3)
In the above-described first and second embodiments, the air conditioning of only the air conditioner 2 is controlled based on the drowsiness level and lifestyle pattern of the user HM, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In addition to the air conditioner 2, as illustrated in Fig. 10A, external devices such as a lighting device 91, an air purifier 92, and an electric fan 93 connected to the network NW may be controlled. These external devices may be operated via a wired signal or a wireless signal such as an infrared signal from the air conditioner 2, or via a cloud server. These external devices are placed in the indoor space 71, and are installed and used in a manner that can affect the drowsiness level of the user HM located in the indoor space 71.

In this case, the control mode table 54e shown in FIG. 10B instead of FIG. 5 is stored in the memory unit 53b of the indoor unit control unit 53. In this control mode table 54e, identification information of external devices controlled during drowsiness relief operation and their control modes, and identification information of external devices controlled during drowsiness increase operation and their control modes are registered.

In this embodiment, when performing drowsiness elimination operation in step S104 of the drowsiness control process shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 53a transmits commands corresponding to each of the lighting device 91, air purifier 92, and electric fan 93 via the network NW in accordance with the settings of the control mode table 54e in FIG. 10B. As a result, the lighting device 91 is controlled to emit light at a dimming level of 100%, the air purifier 92 is controlled to operate at maximum output, and the electric fan 93 is controlled to perform swing operation at an output of "high". The operation of these external devices is expected to have the effect of further reducing the drowsiness level of the user HM.

Similarly, when performing drowsiness-increasing operation in step S106 of the drowsiness control process shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 53a transmits commands corresponding to each of the lighting device 91, the air purifier 92, and the electric fan 93 via the network NW in accordance with the settings of the control mode table 54e in FIG. 10B. As a result, the lighting device 91 is controlled to emit light at a dimming level of 40%, the air purifier is controlled to operate in silent mode, and the electric fan is controlled to operate in a gentle breeze mode. The operation of these external devices is expected to have the effect of further increasing the drowsiness level of the user HM.

(Modification)
Various modifications can be made to the above first to third embodiments.

In the above-mentioned first to third embodiments, for example, as shown in FIG. 11A, history information including the implementation date and time of the driving control for increasing or decreasing the drowsiness level, weather, temperature, driving mode, change in drowsiness level, etc. is formed and recorded in the memory unit 53b or an external storage device. The history information may be fed back during the next driving control for increasing or decreasing the drowsiness level. For example, drowsiness elimination driving with different driving modes may be performed multiple times in advance and the driving history may be recorded in the memory unit 53b. After that, the driving mode with the highest reduction rate in drowsiness level among the recorded driving modes may be identified, and in step S104 of FIG. 7, the same or similar control as that driving mode may be performed. In addition, a temperature setting value that can reduce drowsiness level may be obtained from the relationship between the change in drowsiness level over time recorded in the history information and the changes in temperature and humidity, and used for driving control.

Furthermore, if multiple users HM are present in the interior space 71, each user HM may be identified and history information for each user HM may be formed, as shown in FIG. 11B. In this case, during the drowsiness relief driving in step S104 in FIG. 7, the user HM present in the interior space 71 is identified, and based on the history information of the identified user HM, for example, the driving behavior when the drowsiness level was at its lowest is reproduced. This is expected to effectively reduce the drowsiness level.

In the first to third embodiments, the air conditioning apparatus 2 has the control device 50 inside. However, this is not limited to the above, and the control device 50 may be arranged outside the air conditioning apparatus 2. In this case, the control device 50 is connected to the air conditioning apparatus 2 via a network NW, for example, as shown in FIG. 12. In this case, the air conditioning apparatus 2 has, for example, a communication device 56 that communicates with an external device. The communication device 56 enables communication between the outdoor unit control unit 51 and the outdoor unit air conditioning unit 81 of the control device 50 arranged outside, and enables communication between the indoor unit control unit 53 of the control device 50 arranged outside and the sensor group 40, the remote control 55, and the indoor unit air conditioning unit 82.

Furthermore, for example, the control device 50 may be configured from a server device 57 connected to the network NW. In this case, for example, a control program that executes the control processing executed by the outdoor unit control unit 51 and the indoor unit control unit 53 may be installed in the server device 57, and an outdoor unit control function and an indoor unit control function may be constructed on the server device 57. Note that the server device 57 may be realized by a personal computer.

Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiments 1 to 3, the air conditioning apparatus 2 is provided with the biometric information detection device 43, but the biometric information detection device 43 may be located outside the air conditioning apparatus 2. For example, the biometric information detection device 43 may be placed on the ceiling, wall, floor, etc. that form the indoor space 71. Also, a wearable biometric information detection device may be used. In this case, it is desirable to connect the wearable biometric information detection device and the indoor unit control unit 53 by wireless communication or wired communication.

Furthermore, some recent portable information terminals have the function of measuring and analyzing various types of bioinformation. Using this type of portable information terminal as a sensor, for example, in the configuration of FIG. 3, the information device 90 and the indoor unit control unit 53 may be directly connected by wire or wirelessly, or connected via a network NW, and the portable information terminal may acquire the bioinformation, analyze it to determine the drowsiness level, and notify the indoor unit control unit 53 of the same. The portable information terminal may also acquire the bioinformation and transmit it to the indoor unit control unit 53, which may then analyze the bioinformation to determine the drowsiness level. For example, the bioinformation detection device 43 may simply receive a Doppler signal, and the indoor unit control unit 53 may analyze the Doppler signal to extract a pulse wave, and further analyze the pulse wave to determine the drowsiness level.

In addition, in the above-mentioned first and second embodiments, the drowsiness control process is started by the user HM selecting the drowsiness management mode using the remote control 55, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The start and end can be set in any manner. For example, when a human presence sensor such as the infrared sensor 44 detects a person in the indoor space 71, the drowsiness control process may be automatically started, and may be ended when the person is no longer detected.

In addition, if the infrared sensor 44 detects the user HM, the air conditioner may be automatically set to a drowsiness management mode to start the drowsiness control process, and if the infrared sensor 44 no longer detects the user HM, the air conditioner operation in the drowsiness management mode may be stopped.

In addition, by referring to the lifestyle pattern information 54d of the user HM, the air conditioner may be automatically set to the drowsiness management mode and drowsiness control processing may be started each time a time has passed when it is estimated that the user HM will start a new activity.

Furthermore, in the above-mentioned first to third embodiments, an infrared sensor 44 and a Doppler sensor are provided. The infrared sensor 44 identifies the position of a person, and the Doppler sensor detects the pulse waves of the human body, and the two work together to fulfill the role of a sensor, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The air conditioning device 2 may be provided with only a Doppler sensor, and the Doppler sensor may not only detect the pulse waves of the human body but also identify the position of the person. Furthermore, the detection by the infrared sensor 44 and the detection by the Doppler sensor may be combined to increase reliability.

In addition, in the above first to third embodiments, the human pulse wave is detected by a Doppler sensor, but the pulse wave may be detected by any type of sensor. For example, the human pulse wave may be detected by a 24 GHz to 79 GHz FMCW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave radar) sensor. The pulse wave may also be measured by irradiating a living body with infrared light, red light, green light, or other light and measuring the light reflected within the living body or the light that has passed through the living body with a light receiving element. The sensor is not limited to a non-contact type, and may be a contact type sensor that detects by contacting the human body. For example, an electrocardiogram may be used to measure the human body and the pulse wave may be extracted from the electrocardiogram.

Furthermore, biological information other than pulse waves may be used as long as the degree of drowsiness can be obtained. For example, i) blood flow may be measured using a blood flow sensor, and drowsiness level may be calculated from the blood flow, ii) brain waves may be measured using an brain wave sensor, and drowsiness level may be calculated from the intensity of alpha waves, etc., iii) cerebral blood flow may be calculated using a technique such as near-infrared spectroscopy, and drowsiness level may be calculated from the cerebral blood flow, and iv) a surface electromyogram may be obtained using an electromyogram sensor attached to the skin, and drowsiness level may be calculated from the surface electromyogram.

The bioinformation detection device 43 may also be able to obtain not only the drowsiness level of the user HM but also the depth of sleep of the user HM while sleeping from the bioinformation. In this case, it is possible to control the air conditioning so that the depth of sleep is appropriate for the lifestyle pattern. For example, the bioinformation detection device 43 may obtain the depth of sleep of the user HM 15 minutes before the wake-up time specified in the schedule of the user HM shown in the lifestyle pattern information 54d, and if it is equal to or greater than the judgment threshold, the air conditioning unit 80 may be controlled to increase the air volume and perform air blowing operation to promote good awakening. The bioinformation detection device 43 may also monitor the depth of sleep of the user HM from the bedtime to 15 minutes before the wake-up time specified in the schedule shown in the lifestyle pattern information 54d, and if a depth of sleep equal to or less than the judgment threshold is detected, the air conditioning unit 80 may be controlled to increase the set temperature or reduce the air volume to promote deep sleep.

In the first to third embodiments, the infrared sensor 44 identifies the presence/absence of the user HM and the positions of multiple people, but instead, the biometric information detection device 43 (Doppler sensor) may identify the positions of multiple people. Specifically, the biometric information detection device 43 irradiates light while changing the irradiation angle to identify the positions of people.

In the first to third embodiments, the indoor unit 13 is equipped with a vane 34 including a vane and a louver, but it may be equipped with any airflow direction adjustment mechanism as long as it can change the airflow direction.

In the first to third embodiments, the indoor unit control unit 53 receives instructions from the user HM from the remote control 55, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The indoor unit control unit 53 may receive instructions from the user HM from an information device 90 in which an application for the air conditioning device 2 is installed.

In the first and second embodiments, the indoor space 71 is not limited to being indoors, but may be a closed space or a semi-closed space with a portion open. It may also be a substantially closed space or a semi-closed space separated by an air curtain or the like.

In addition, a program for realizing each of the functions in the air conditioning system 1 described above may be stored and distributed on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory) or a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc Read Only Memory), and a computer capable of realizing each of the functions described above may be constructed by installing this program on the computer. Furthermore, if each function is realized by sharing the work between an OS (Operating System) and an application, or by collaboration between an OS and an application, only the application may be stored on the recording medium.

This disclosure allows for various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the disclosure. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are intended to explain the disclosure and do not limit the scope of the disclosure. In other words, the scope of the disclosure is indicated by the claims, not the embodiments. Furthermore, various modifications made within the scope of the claims and within the scope of the disclosure equivalent thereto are considered to be within the scope of the disclosure.

1 air conditioning system, 2 air conditioning device, 3 house, 11 outdoor unit, 13 indoor unit, 21 compressor, 22 four-way valve, 23 outdoor heat exchanger, 24 expansion valve, 25 indoor heat exchanger, 31 outdoor blower, 33 indoor blower, 34 vane, 40 sensor group, 41 temperature sensor, 42 humidity sensor, 43, 43A biological information detection device, 430 rotation unit, 44 infrared sensor, 50 control device, 51 outdoor unit control unit, 51a control unit, 51b memory unit, 51c timekeeping unit, 51d communication unit, 53 indoor unit control unit, 53a control unit, 53b memory unit, 53c timekeeping unit, 53d communication unit, 54 drowsiness control program, 54a drowsiness level acquisition processing unit, 54b judgment processing unit, 54c control processing unit, 54d production Active pattern information, 54e Control mode table, 55 Remote controller, 55a Display, 56 Communication device, 57 Server device, 58 Main unit display, 61 Refrigerant piping, 63 Communication line, 71 Indoor space, 72 Outdoor space, 80 Air conditioning unit, 81 Outdoor unit air conditioning unit, 82 Indoor unit air conditioning unit, 90 Information device, 90a Display, 91 Lighting device, 92 Air purifier, 93 Electric fan, 1000, 1010 Bus, 1001, 1011 Processor, 1002, 1012 Memory, 1003, 1013 Secondary storage device, 1004, 1014 I/O interface, 1005, 1015 Communication module, NW Network, HM User, HM1 First user, HM2 Second user

Claims (9)

An air conditioning means for conditioning a space to be air-conditioned;
A drowsiness level acquisition means for acquiring a drowsiness level of a user in the air-conditioned space;
A life pattern acquisition means for acquiring a life pattern of the user;
and a control means for controlling the air conditioning means at a predetermined setting based on the acquired drowsiness level and the lifestyle pattern so that the user has a drowsiness appropriate for the lifestyle pattern.
Air conditioning equipment. The control means
determining whether the current time is a time period during which the user is active based on the lifestyle pattern;
When it is determined that the time period is the active time period, if the acquired drowsiness level is equal to or greater than a first determination threshold, control of the air conditioning means is executed to reduce the drowsiness level.
The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1. The control means
determining whether a current time is a non-active time period of the user based on the lifestyle pattern;
When it is determined that the time period is the inactive time period, if the acquired drowsiness level is equal to or lower than a second determination threshold, control of the air conditioning means is executed to increase the drowsiness level.
3. An air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1 or 2. The control means controls the air conditioning means to adjust at least one of a temperature, a humidity, a wind direction, and an air volume of the air-conditioned space.
An air-conditioning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3. When there are multiple users in the air-conditioned space,
The drowsiness level acquisition means acquires the drowsiness levels of all of the plurality of users,
The control means controls the air conditioning means in accordance with the drowsiness levels of the respective users.
An air-conditioning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4. a rotation unit that rotates the drowsiness level acquisition means in a horizontal or vertical direction,
The drowsiness level acquisition means acquires the drowsiness level of the user in the air-conditioned space by rotating the vehicle in a horizontal or vertical direction using the rotating unit.
An air conditioning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The control means further controls an external device to optimize the drowsiness level of the user.
An air-conditioning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6. Acquire the drowsiness level of the user in the air-conditioned space,
Acquire a lifestyle pattern of the user;
Based on the acquired drowsiness level and the lifestyle pattern, air conditioning control is performed with a predetermined setting so that the user has a drowsiness level appropriate for the lifestyle pattern.
Control methods. On the computer,
A process of acquiring a drowsiness level of a user in an air-conditioned space;
A process of acquiring a lifestyle pattern of the user;
A process of controlling air conditioning with a predetermined setting so that the user has a drowsiness level appropriate for the lifestyle pattern based on the acquired drowsiness level and the lifestyle pattern;
A program that executes the following.

Images