Control method and control device of air conditioner, and air conditioner

Abstract

The application relates to a control method and device of an air conditioner and the air conditioner, and belongs to the technical field of air conditioners. The control method comprises the following steps: determining state information of a target population; determining the ambient temperature feeling of the target population according to the state information of the target population; and adjusting the operation parameters of the air conditioner according to the ambient temperature feeling of the target population. The application can automatically adjust the indoor environment temperature to the temperature that the target population feels comfortable, improves the use experience of the target population, and also reduces the nursing burden of the nursing personnel when the target population is a special population that needs to be nursed by others.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of temperature regulation technology, and in particular to a control method, control device, and air conditioner for an air conditioner. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of artificial intelligence and the increasing demand for intelligent monitoring, smart homes, and new human-computer interaction, more and more smart appliances are entering ordinary households. However, when air conditioners regulate indoor temperature, special groups such as infants, people with speech or behavioral impairments, or those with dementia cannot accurately report their perception of the ambient temperature, nor can they manually adjust the air conditioner. Current air conditioners cannot intelligently regulate indoor temperature based on the temperature perception of these special groups. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To overcome the problems existing in related technologies, this invention proposes a control method, control device, and air conditioner for an air conditioner.

[0004] The first aspect of this invention provides a control method for an air conditioner, the control method comprising:

[0005] Determine the status information of the target population;

[0006] Determine the ambient temperature perception of the target population based on their status information;

[0007] The operating parameters of the air conditioner are adjusted according to the ambient temperature perception of the target population.

[0008] In some implementations, the status information of the target population includes the target population's movements, respiratory rate, and / or heart rate.

[0009] In some implementations, determining the status information of the target population includes:

[0010] Obtain channel status information from wireless communication devices;

[0011] The status information of the target population is determined based on the channel state information.

[0012] In some implementations, determining the state information of the target population based on the channel state information includes:

[0013] The channel state information is preprocessed, and the preprocessing includes at least one of noise reduction processing and redundancy removal processing;

[0014] Feature values ​​are extracted from the preprocessed channel state information;

[0015] In the neural network model, the state information of the target population is determined based on the feature values.

[0016] In some implementations, determining the ambient temperature perception of the target population based on the state information of the target population includes:

[0017] In the deep learning model, the state information of the target population is analyzed and identified;

[0018] The ambient temperature perception of the target population is determined based on the identification results.

[0019] In some implementations, the control method further includes, before determining the state information of the target population:

[0020] Acquire sound information about the indoor environment where the air conditioner is located;

[0021] The sound information is determined to include preset sound signals of the target audience;

[0022] Initiate the detection of status information of the target population.

[0023] In some implementations, the operating parameters include air volume, and / or air temperature, and / or air angle.

[0024] A second aspect of the present invention provides a control device, the control device comprising:

[0025] The status information determination unit is used to determine the status information of the target population.

[0026] Ambient temperature perception determination unit, used to determine the ambient temperature perception of the target population based on the state information of the target population;

[0027] The control unit is used to adjust the operating parameters of the air conditioner based on the ambient temperature perception of the target population.

[0028] A third aspect of the present invention provides a control device comprising one or more processors and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions, wherein when the one or more processors execute the program instructions, the one or more processors are configured to implement the control method proposed in any one of the first aspects of the present invention.

[0029] The fourth aspect of the present invention provides an air conditioner that employs the control method proposed in any one of the first aspects of the present invention, or includes the control device proposed in the second or third aspects of the present invention.

[0030] The technical solution of the present invention can include the following beneficial effects: The present invention determines the ambient temperature perception of the target population by determining the status information of the target population, and intelligently controls the air conditioner according to the ambient temperature perception of the target population, thereby intelligently adjusting the indoor ambient temperature to a temperature that the target population feels comfortable, improving the user experience of the target population, and also reducing the care burden of caregivers when the target population is a special population that needs care from others.

[0031] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0032] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0033] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating a control method for an air conditioner according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0034] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating a control method for an air conditioner according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0035] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating a control method for an air conditioner according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0036] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating a control method for an air conditioner according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0037] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a specific control scheme for an air conditioner according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0038] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a specific control scheme for an air conditioner according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0039] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a control device for an air conditioner according to an exemplary embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0040] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numerals in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with the present invention. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of the invention as detailed in the appended claims.

[0041] Figure 1This is a flowchart of a control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, with reference to... Figure 1 The control method in this embodiment includes the following steps:

[0042] S11, Determine the status information of the target population.

[0043] The target population defined in this embodiment is those who cannot accurately describe their feelings of hot and cold, and are unable to control the air conditioner. Examples of the target population include infants, people with disabilities such as behavioral and speech impairments, people with dementia, or normal individuals who are asleep. Because the target population cannot accurately describe their feelings of hot and cold, and cannot control the air conditioner, it is difficult for the air conditioner to adjust the indoor temperature to a comfortable level for them. Therefore, the air conditioner needs to adjust the indoor temperature after determining the target population's perceived temperature. In this embodiment, the target population's state information is determined before determining their perceived temperature. This state information reflects their perceived temperature and may include, for example, their movements, respiratory rate, and / or heart rate. In one possible implementation, the target population's movements are acquired by installing a camera on the air conditioner, their respiratory rate is acquired by installing an infrared sensor on the air conditioner, and their heart rate is acquired by installing a photoelectric heart rate sensor on the air conditioner. In another possible implementation, the target population's state is determined by acquiring the channel state information of a wireless communication module in the indoor environment where the air conditioner is located. In one feasible approach, the step of determining the status information of the target population is performed by activating a status information determination function, or the status information of the target population is automatically determined after the air conditioner is turned on.

[0044] S12, Determine the ambient temperature perception of the target population based on their status information.

[0045] In this embodiment, the target population reports different status information depending on their perceived ambient temperature. Taking infants and toddlers as an example, when they are restless or kicking off their blankets, they may feel hot; when they are curled up or sneezing, they may feel cold. When an infant's respiratory rate is higher than a preset respiratory rate range, or when their heart rate is higher than a preset heart rate range, they may feel hot; when their respiratory rate is lower than a preset respiratory rate range, or when their heart rate is lower than a preset heart rate range, they may feel cold. This embodiment can determine the target population's perceived ambient temperature based on one of the actions, respiratory rate, or heart rate, or it can combine two or three of these factors.

[0046] S13 adjusts the air conditioner's operating parameters based on the ambient temperature perception of the target population.

[0047] In this embodiment, targeting a group of people who cannot accurately describe their hot or cold state and cannot manually adjust the air conditioner, this embodiment determines their perceived ambient temperature based on their state information after identifying the target group's status. Finally, based on this perceived ambient temperature, the air conditioner's operating parameters are intelligently adjusted to bring the indoor temperature to a comfortable level for the target group. Operating parameters include, for example, airflow volume, and / or airflow temperature, and / or airflow angle. In one possible implementation, when the target group is identified as feeling hot, operating adjustment parameters are generated by analyzing the current operating parameters of the air conditioner. These parameters are then sent from the cloud to the air conditioner, which intelligently performs corresponding adjustments, such as lowering the temperature, increasing the fan speed, or adjusting the airflow angle to blow directly onto the target group. Conversely, when the target group is identified as feeling cold, operating adjustment parameters are generated by analyzing the current operating parameters of the air conditioner. These parameters are then sent from the cloud to the air conditioner, which intelligently performs corresponding adjustments, such as raising the temperature, decreasing the fan speed, or adjusting the airflow angle to avoid blowing directly onto the target group.

[0048] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of a control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, with reference to... Figure 2 Determining the status information of the target population includes the following steps:

[0049] S21, Obtain the channel status information of the wireless communication device.

[0050] The wireless communication device in this embodiment is a device with wireless hotspot functionality, such as a wireless router or a smartphone with its hotspot enabled. Channel State Information (CSI) is a channel attribute of the communication link. It describes the fading factors of the signal on each transmission path, i.e., the value of each element in the channel gain matrix H (sometimes also called the channel matrix or channel fading matrix), such as signal scattering, environmental fading (multipath fading or shadowing fading), and power decay of distance. CSI allows the communication system to adapt to current channel conditions, providing a guarantee for high-reliability and high-speed communication in multi-antenna systems. When the wireless communication device is placed in an indoor environment where an air conditioner is located, human behavior, breathing, and heartbeat can affect the propagation of the wireless signal, causing waveform changes. The state information of the wireless channel can be extracted using software tools, i.e., extracting the subcarrier waveform state data information in the channel. In one possible implementation, a Wi-Fi module is installed on the air conditioner, and the Wi-Fi module receives the channel state information from the wireless communication device.

[0051] S22, Determine the status information of the target population based on channel state information.

[0052] In this embodiment, Figure 5 For example, human movements, breathing, and heartbeats can interfere with the channel status information (i.e., the propagation waveform of the wireless communication device) received by the wireless sensing module of the air conditioner. The air conditioner obtains the WIFI channel status information and uploads the data to the cloud server for corresponding processing. The cloud data processing module preprocesses the data, performs corresponding filtering and removes outliers, and then the status detection module monitors the target group's movements, breathing rate, and heart rate from the preprocessed channel status information data. The status recognition module analyzes the target group's movements, breathing rate, and heart rate from other locations to identify the target group's ambient temperature perception.

[0053] This embodiment determines the status information of the target population based on channel state information. Since most households are equipped with wireless communication devices, the technical solution of this invention does not require the configuration of additional devices for determining the status of the target population. This solves the technical problem of high cost caused by equipping air conditioners with devices for determining status information in related technologies, thereby achieving the technical effect of reducing costs.

[0054] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of a control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, with reference to... Figure 3 Determining the state information of the target population based on channel state information includes:

[0055] S31, Preprocess the channel state information, the preprocessing including at least one of noise reduction processing and redundancy removal processing.

[0056] In this embodiment, preprocessing operations such as redundancy removal are performed on the extracted waveform data. For example, a Hamming window low-pass filter is used to convolve the data in the channel link between each pair of antennas in a CSI data stream to perform preliminary noise reduction. Then, PCA (Principal Components Analysis) technology is used to reduce the dimensionality and remove redundancy from the channel state information CSI data stream.

[0057] S32, extract feature values ​​from the preprocessed channel state information.

[0058] In this embodiment, feature values ​​are extracted from the preprocessed data. For example, the CSI information within a certain period of time after denoising is analyzed by discrete wavelet transform and divided into multiple frequency bands. The wavelet coefficients of each frequency band are extracted as features for recognition. Then, the Percentiles algorithm is used to calculate the spectrum of the specified action to estimate the speed of the upper (representing the upper cutoff frequency) and center (representing the center frequency) at each sampling time.

[0059] The Percentiles algorithm first sets an empirical threshold for the wavelet coefficients. Wavelet coefficients smaller than the threshold are processed by noise reduction and set y = (v,t) = 0, while wavelet coefficients larger than the threshold are retained and set y = (v,t) = 1, where t is the sampling time and v is the velocity component at the specified time. The motion velocity is estimated by accumulating the amplitude distribution in the wavelet coefficient spectrum. Let the cumulative distribution function be P. When P(U(t),t) = 95%, the velocity level U(t) corresponds to the frequency band of the estimated upper velocity. When P(C(t),t) = 50%, the velocity level C(t) corresponds to the frequency band of the estimated center velocity. Here, U(t) is the frequency band corresponding to the upper velocity estimated by the Percentiles algorithm, and C(t) is the frequency band corresponding to the center velocity estimated by the Percentiles algorithm.

[0060] S33, In the neural network model, the state information of the target population is determined based on the feature values.

[0061] In this embodiment, Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), also simply called Neural Networks (NNs) or Connection Models, are mathematical models that use a structure similar to the synaptic connections of the brain to process information. In engineering and academia, they are often simply referred to as "neural networks" or neural network-like structures. They mimic the behavioral characteristics of animal neural networks and are algorithmic mathematical models for distributed parallel information processing. These networks rely on the complexity of the system, adjusting the relationships between a large number of interconnected nodes to achieve the purpose of processing information. In this embodiment, feature values ​​are analyzed using machine learning algorithms, and convolutional neural networks based on deep learning models are used to identify the target population's actions, respiratory rate, and heart rate, among other state information.

[0062] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of a control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, with reference to... Figure 4 Determining the ambient temperature perception of the target population based on their status information includes the following steps:

[0063] S41, In deep learning models, the state information of the target population is analyzed and identified;

[0064] S42, Determine the ambient temperature perception of the target population based on the recognition results.

[0065] In this embodiment, the cloud server, coupled with big data analytics and a deep learning model (AI model), is responsible for performing AI analysis and recognition on the reported status information data, such as movement, respiratory rate, and heart rate. Specifically, the AI ​​model is pre-designed to use heart rate and respiratory monitoring data obtained from big data analytics, applicable to a specific population group. Based on different heart rate ranges and respiratory rates, it identifies and judges the target's status. Finally, the AI ​​model analyzes and judges the target group's perceived ambient temperature based on the reported data.

[0066] In a specific example, with Figure 6 For example, an air conditioner uses a wireless sensing and recognition system to monitor the target group's movements, respiratory rate, heart rate, and other status information. By identifying these status information, it analyzes the target group's perceived temperature. If the system detects that the target group feels hot, it intelligently generates adjustment parameters for the air conditioner, and the main controller intelligently executes these adjustments, such as lowering the temperature or increasing the fan speed. If the system detects that the target group feels cold, it intelligently generates adjustment parameters, and the main controller intelligently executes these adjustments, such as raising the temperature or decreasing the fan speed.

[0067] Return to reference Figure 1 Before determining the status information of the target population, the control methods also include:

[0068] S101, acquire sound information of the indoor environment where the air conditioner is located.

[0069] In this embodiment, the target population often makes sounds when they feel hot or cold. For example, if the target population is infants, they may cry when they feel hot or cold. Therefore, before determining the target population's state information, the sound signals of the indoor environment where the air conditioner is located are acquired. In one possible approach, the sound information of the indoor environment is acquired by installing a voice module on the air conditioner. In another possible approach, the acquisition of the sound information of the indoor environment begins as soon as the air conditioner is turned on.

[0070] S102, Determine that the sound information includes preset sound signals of the target audience.

[0071] The preset sound signal defined in this embodiment is the sound signal emitted by the target group when they feel hot or cold, for example, the sound signal of an infant crying. After acquiring the sound information of the indoor environment, the sound signal of the indoor environment is analyzed and identified to determine whether the sound information contains the preset sound signal of the target group. In one possible implementation, the air conditioner pre-stores the preset sound signal. After acquiring the sound information of the indoor environment, the sound information is matched with the pre-stored preset sound signal. If the match is successful, it is determined that the sound signal includes the preset sound signal of the target group.

[0072] S103, Initiate the detection of status information of the target population.

[0073] In this embodiment, if the sound information in the indoor environment includes the preset sound signal of the target group, it is determined that the current indoor temperature makes the target group feel uncomfortable. Therefore, it is necessary to adjust the operating parameters of the air conditioner, and then the confirmation of the target group's status information is activated.

[0074] This embodiment also provides a control device for implementing the above-described control method. Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a control device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, with reference to... Figure 7 The control device may include

[0075] The status information determination unit 701 is used to determine the status information of the target population.

[0076] The ambient temperature perception determination unit 702 is used to determine the ambient temperature perception of the target population based on the state information of the target population.

[0077] The control unit 703 is used to adjust the operating parameters of the air conditioner according to the ambient temperature perception of the target population.

[0078] In this embodiment, the state information determination unit 701 can be used to execute step S11, the ambient temperature perception determination unit 702 can be used to execute step S12, and the control unit 703 can be used to execute step S13. The state information determination unit 701 can also acquire channel state information of the wireless communication device and determine the state information of the target population based on the channel state information. The state information determination unit 701 can also preprocess the channel state information, including at least one of noise reduction and redundancy removal; extract feature values ​​from the preprocessed channel state information; and determine the state information of the target population based on the feature values ​​in a neural network model. The ambient temperature perception determination unit 702 can analyze and identify the state information of the target population in a deep learning model and determine the ambient temperature perception of the target population based on the identification results.

[0079] It should be noted that the examples and application scenarios implemented by the above modules and corresponding steps are the same, but are not limited to the content disclosed in the above embodiments. The above modules, as part of the device, can run in a hardware environment and can be implemented in software or hardware.

[0080] This embodiment also provides a control device for implementing the above control method, which includes one or more processors and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions. When the one or more processors execute the program instructions, the one or more processors are used for the control method proposed in the above embodiment.

[0081] This embodiment also provides a control device for implementing the above control method, which employs the control method proposed in the above embodiments of the present invention, or includes the control device proposed in the above embodiments.

[0082] Other embodiments of the invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the embodiments disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of the invention are indicated by the following claims.

[0083] It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the precise structure described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of the invention is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A control method for an air conditioner, characterized in that, The control method includes: Determine the status information of the target population; the target population refers to people who cannot accurately describe their feelings of hot and cold and who cannot control the air conditioner; the status information of the target population includes the target population's movements, respiratory rate and / or heart rate; Determine the ambient temperature perception of the target population based on their status information; Adjust the air conditioner's operating parameters based on the ambient temperature perception of the target population; Before determining the status information of the target population, the control method further includes: Acquire sound information about the indoor environment where the air conditioner is located; The sound information is determined to include a preset sound signal of the target population; the preset sound signal is the sound signal emitted by the target population when they feel hot or cold. Initiate the detection of status information of the target population.

2. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The status information for determining the target population includes: Obtain channel status information from wireless communication devices; The status information of the target population is determined based on the channel state information.

3. The control method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Determining the state information of the target population based on the channel state information includes: The channel state information is preprocessed, and the preprocessing includes at least one of noise reduction processing and redundancy removal processing; Feature values ​​are extracted from the preprocessed channel state information; In the neural network model, the state information of the target population is determined based on the feature values.

4. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Determining the ambient temperature perception of the target population based on their state information includes: In the deep learning model, the state information of the target population is analyzed and identified; The ambient temperature perception of the target population is determined based on the identification results.

5. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The operating parameters include air volume, and / or air temperature, and / or air angle.

6. A control device for an air conditioner, characterized in that, The control device is used to execute the control method according to any one of claims 1-5, the control device comprising: The status information determination unit is used to determine the status information of the target population. Ambient temperature perception determination unit, used to determine the ambient temperature perception of the target population based on the state information of the target population; The control unit is used to adjust the operating parameters of the air conditioner based on the ambient temperature perception of the target population.

7. A control device for an air conditioner, characterized in that, It includes one or more processors and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions, wherein when the one or more processors execute the program instructions, the one or more processors are used to implement the control method according to any one of claims 1-5.

8. An air conditioner, characterized in that, It employs the control method described in any one of claims 1-5, or includes the control device described in claim 6 or claim 7.

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