Control method, program, and control system

Abstract

To provide a control method capable of suppressing power consumption of a plurality of air conditioners.SOLUTION: A control method includes a selection step S13 for selecting at least a part of a plurality of areas 80 included in an indoor space 90 as an available area on the basis of the number of persons existing in the indoor space 90, and a step S15 for operating a first air conditioner having the available area as a target for temperature adjustment of the plurality of air conditioners 20 at output higher than that of a second air conditioner having a non-available area other than the available area as a target for temperature adjustment. In the selection step S13, the area 80 whose air conditioning load is smaller among the plurality of areas 80 is preferentially selected as the available area.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a control method, a program, and a control system. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an area-based environment provision control system that can achieve energy conservation while taking intellectual productivity into consideration. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2005-291588 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present invention provides a control method and the like that can reduce power consumption of multiple air conditioners in a system that can adjust the temperature in each of multiple areas included in an indoor space. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A control method according to one embodiment of the present invention is a control method executed by a computer, and includes a selection step of selecting at least a portion of a plurality of areas included in an indoor space as an available area based on the number of people located in the indoor space, and a step of operating a first air conditioning device among a plurality of air conditioning devices installed in the indoor space, the first air conditioning device being the target of temperature adjustment for the available area, at a higher output than a second air conditioning device being the target of temperature adjustment for a non-available area other than the available area, and in the selection step, an area among the plurality of areas with a smaller air conditioning load is preferentially selected as the available area.

[0006] A program according to one aspect of the present invention is a program for causing the computer to execute the control method.

[0007] A control system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a selection unit that selects at least a portion of a plurality of areas included in an indoor space as an available area based on the number of people located in the indoor space, and a control unit that operates a first air conditioning device among a plurality of air conditioning devices installed in the indoor space, which is configured to adjust the temperature of the available area, at a higher output than a second air conditioning device that is configured to adjust the temperature of a non-available area other than the available area, and the selection unit gives priority to selecting an area among the plurality of areas with a smaller air conditioning load as the available area. Effect of the Invention

[0008] A control method etc. according to one aspect of the present invention can reduce power consumption of multiple air conditioners. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a control system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an increase in the available area. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a flowchart of an example 1 of the selection operation of the available area. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a second example of the operation of selecting an available area. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a third example of the selection operation of the available area. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a fourth example of the selection operation of the available area. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are all comprehensive or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, component arrangement and connection forms, steps, and order of steps shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. In addition, among the components in the following embodiments, components that are not described in the independent claims will be described as optional components.

[0011] In addition, each drawing is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily a precise illustration. In each drawing, the same reference numerals are used for substantially the same configurations, and duplicated explanations may be omitted or simplified.

[0012] (Embodiment) [composition] First, the configuration of a control system according to an embodiment will be described below. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a control system according to an embodiment.

[0013] 1, a control system 10 is a system that controls a plurality of air conditioners 20 and a plurality of lighting devices 30 provided in an indoor space 90 such as an office space. The control system 10 includes a plurality of air conditioners 20, a plurality of lighting devices 30, a plurality of environmental sensors 40, a plurality of people sensors 50, a control device 60, and an entrance / exit management device 70.

[0014] The indoor space 90 is divided into a plurality of areas 80, and at least one air conditioner 20, one lighting device 30, one environmental sensor 40, and one people sensor 50 are installed in each area 80. It is sufficient that at least one of the environmental area 40 and the people sensor 50 is installed in each area 80.

[0015] In the following description, it is assumed that the temperature in a certain area 80 is adjusted by an air conditioner 20 provided in the area 80, and the brightness in the certain area 80 is adjusted by a lighting device 30 provided in the area 80. In addition, it is assumed that the environment in the certain area 80 is sensed by an environmental sensor 40 provided in the area 80, and the number of users (number of people) in the certain area 80 is sensed by a number sensor 50 provided in the area 80.

[0016] The air conditioner 20 is an air conditioner capable of heating operation, cooling operation, and fan operation. The heating operation refers to an operation mode in which air from the indoor space 90 is taken in, heated, and blown out into the indoor space 90, and the cooling operation refers to an operation mode in which air from the indoor space 90 is taken in, cooled, and blown out into the indoor space 90. The fan operation refers to an operation mode in which air from the indoor space 90 is taken in, and the taken in air is blown out into the indoor space 90 as is without adjusting the temperature. In the following embodiment, the heating operation, the cooling operation, and the fan operation are also described as heating operation, cooling operation, and fan operation.

[0017] The lighting device 30 is provided on the ceiling of the indoor space 90 and illuminates the indoor space 90. The lighting device 30 is realized by a semiconductor light emitting element such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode). The lighting device 30 is, for example, a base light, but may be other lighting devices such as a downlight or a spotlight.

[0018] The environmental sensor 40 senses the environment in the indoor space 90 and provides (transmits) the sensing data to the control device 60. Specifically, the environmental sensor 40 senses at least one of the ceiling surface temperature, wall surface temperature, room temperature, and solar radiation in the area 80 in which the environmental sensor 40 is installed. The environmental sensor 40 is realized by a temperature sensor or a solar radiation sensor.

[0019] The people sensor 50 senses the number of people in the area 80 in which the people sensor 50 is installed, and provides (transmits) people information indicating the number of people to the control device 60. The people sensor 50 is, for example, a high-performance image sensor (high-performance camera) that senses the number of people in the area 80 by capturing an image of the area 80 and processing the captured image.

[0020] If the indoor space 90 is provided with a positioning system capable of measuring the positions of people in the indoor space 90, the control device 60 can also identify the number of people in each of the multiple areas 80 based on the position information of people obtained from the positioning system. The positioning system is realized, for example, by multiple receivers distributed in the indoor space 90, which receive beacon signals emitted by transmitters held by users of the indoor space 90. Note that the users may hold beacon signal receivers, and the positioning system may be realized by multiple beacon transmitters distributed in the indoor space 90.

[0021] The control device 60 is a device that controls the multiple air conditioning devices 20 and the multiple lighting devices 30. The control device 60 is, for example, a device provided in the indoor space 90, but may be a device provided in a location away from the indoor space 90, such as a cloud server. The control device 60 specifically includes a communication unit 61, an information processing unit 62, and a storage unit 63.

[0022] The communication unit 61 is a communication module (communication circuit) for the control device 60 to communicate with various devices such as the multiple air conditioners 20, the multiple lighting devices 30, the multiple environmental sensors 40, the multiple people sensors 50, and the entrance / exit management device 70. When the control device 60 is provided in the indoor space 90, the communication unit 61 communicates with the various devices through a local communication network. When the control device 60 is provided in a location away from the indoor space 90, the communication unit 61 communicates with the various devices through a wide area communication network such as the Internet. The communication performed by the communication unit 61 is, for example, wired communication, but may also be wireless communication. There is no particular limitation on the communication standard used for the communication.

[0023] The information processing unit 62 performs information processing for controlling the multiple air conditioners 20 and the multiple lighting devices 30. The information processing unit 62 is realized, for example, by a microcomputer, but may also be realized by a processor. The information processing unit 62 includes, as functional components, an acquisition unit 64, a selection unit 65, and a control unit 66. The functions of the acquisition unit 64, the selection unit 65, and the control unit 66 are realized, for example, by a microcomputer or a processor (hardware) constituting the information processing unit 62 executing a computer program (software) stored in the storage unit 63.

[0024] The storage unit 63 is a storage device that stores information required to control the multiple air conditioners 20 and the multiple lighting devices 30, and computer programs executed by the information processing unit 62. The storage unit 63 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory, but may also be realized by a HDD (Hard Disk Drive).

[0025] The entrance / exit management device 70 manages the number of people located in the indoor space 90, and provides (transmits) the number of people to the control device 60. The entrance / exit management device 70 is realized, for example, by an IC card reader that reads the IC card of a user of the indoor space 90.

[0026] Although the control system 10 uses a combination of multiple people sensors 50 and the entrance / exit management device 70 to manage the number of people located in the indoor space 90, if information indicating the number of people located in the area 80 is not required, the number of people may be managed using only the entrance / exit management device 70. Also, since the control system 10 can manage the number of users in the indoor space 90 by adding up the number of people sensed by the multiple people sensors 50, the control system 10 may manage the number of people using only the multiple people sensors 50. The control system 10 may manage the number of people using at least one of the multiple people sensors 50 and the entrance / exit management device 70.

[0027] [Increase or decrease in available area] In recent years, the number of companies adopting telecommuting has increased, and the number of people coming to the office varies depending on the day. Therefore, the control system 10 divides the indoor space 90 into a plurality of areas 80, sets at least a part of the plurality of areas 80 as usable areas, and increases or decreases the number of usable areas according to the number of people located in the indoor space 90. Then, the control system 10 operates only the air conditioners 20 installed in the usable areas. As a result, the control system 10 can reduce power consumption in the indoor space 90 compared to a configuration in which all the air conditioners 20 are operated regardless of the number of people located in the indoor space 90. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the increase in the usable area.

[0028] FIG. 2 is a plan view of an indoor space 90, showing how the available area increases over time when the number of users in the indoor space 90 increases from 1 to 10 (see the upper part of FIG. 2). In the example of FIG. 2, the indoor space 90 is divided into seven areas, areas 1 to 7, and the hatched areas are available areas. Desks and seats are shown diagrammatically in areas 1 to 7, and seats in use are colored black.

[0029] When there is no one in the indoor space 90, the communication unit 61 of the control device 60 receives information indicating the entry of the first user from the entrance / exit management device 70. The control unit 66 sets the area 1 as an available area by making only the lighting devices 30 provided in area 1 of areas 1 to 7 emit light brighter than the lighting devices 30 provided in areas 2 to 7 (FIG. 2(a)). Specifically, the control unit 66 uses the communication unit 61 to transmit a control signal to the lighting devices 30 provided in area 1, thereby making the lighting devices 30 provided in area 1 emit light brighter.

[0030] When there is no one in the indoor space 90, the lighting devices 30 are turned off, but may emit light at a relatively low brightness, such as with a dimming ratio of 20%. The lighting devices 30 provided in the usable area emit light at a relatively high brightness, such as with a dimming ratio of 80 to 100%.

[0031] Furthermore, the control unit 66 operates (turns on) the air conditioning equipment 20 provided in area 1, which is an available area, and does not operate (turns off) the air conditioning equipment 20 provided in areas 2 to 7. Specifically, the control unit 66 can operate (turn on) the air conditioning equipment 20 provided in area 1 by using the communication unit 61 to send a control signal to the air conditioning equipment 20 provided in area 1.

[0032] Thereafter, each time the communication unit 61 determines that the number of people in the indoor space 90 has reached the threshold based on the information received from the entrance / exit management device 70, the control unit 66 adds one available area ((b) and (c) in FIG. 2). In the example of FIG. 2, the thresholds are 4 and 10 people, but the thresholds may be appropriately determined empirically or experimentally. When an available area is added, the control unit 66 causes the lighting devices 30 installed in the added available area to emit light brightly, and operates (turns on) the air conditioning devices 20 installed in the added available area.

[0033] When the number of people in the indoor space 90 is decreased, the available areas are reduced, for example, in the reverse order to the order in which they were added.

[0034] In this way, the control system 10 guides people to the available areas by making the available areas brighter than other areas, and by operating only the air conditioning equipment 20 installed in the available areas, it is possible to reduce the power consumption of multiple air conditioning equipment 20.

[0035] [Example 1 of how to select available areas] Incidentally, in the example of Fig. 2 above, the available areas are added in numerical order of the areas 80, but there is room for consideration as to which area 80 should be selected next as the available area. The control system 10 can further reduce power consumption in the indoor space 90 by giving priority to areas 80 with small air conditioning loads (in other words, heat loads) as available areas. Below, a first example of a method for selecting an available area will be described. Fig. 3 is a flowchart of the first example of the operation for selecting an available area.

[0036] When the acquisition unit 64 of the control device 60 determines that the number of people located in the indoor space 90 has reached a threshold value and that an additional available area is necessary (S11), it acquires the room temperatures (in other words, the ambient temperatures) of the multiple areas 80 (S12). Specifically, the acquisition unit 64 can acquire the room temperatures (room temperature sensing data) of each of the multiple areas 80 by using the communication unit 61 to communicate with the environmental sensors 40 provided in each of the multiple areas 80. Note that, when multiple environmental sensors 40 are provided in one area 80, the acquisition unit 64 acquires the average value of the temperatures sensed by the multiple environmental sensors 40 as the room temperature of the area 80.

[0037] The selection unit 65 selects an available area based on the room temperature acquired in step S12 (S13). When the air conditioner 20 is in cooling operation (when it is summer), the lower the room temperature of the area 80, the smaller the air conditioning load is considered to be, so the selection unit 65 selects the area 80 with the lowest room temperature among the areas 80 that are not currently available (hereinafter also referred to as unusable areas) as the available area to be added next. When the air conditioner 20 is in heating operation (when it is winter), the selection unit 65 selects the area 80 with the highest room temperature among the currently unusable areas as the available area to be added next, because the higher the room temperature of the area 80, the smaller the air conditioning load is considered to be, so the selection unit 65 selects the area 80 with the highest room temperature among the currently unusable areas as the available area to be added next.

[0038] Next, the control unit 66 causes the lighting devices 30 provided in the selected area 80 to emit light brighter than the lighting devices 30 provided in the unavailable area (S14). Specifically, the control unit 66 causes the lighting devices 30 provided in the selected area 80 to emit light brighter by transmitting a control signal to the lighting devices 30 provided in the selected area 80 using the communication unit 61.

[0039] Furthermore, the control unit 66 operates (turns on) the air conditioning equipment 20 provided in the selected area 80 (S15). Specifically, the control unit 66 uses the communication unit 61 to transmit a control signal to the air conditioning equipment 20 provided in the selected area 80, thereby operating the air conditioning equipment 20 provided in the selected area 80.

[0040] In this way, the control system 10 preferentially selects areas 80 that are estimated to have a smaller air conditioning load as available areas based on the sensing data of the room temperatures in each of the multiple areas 80, and operates only the air conditioning devices 20 installed in the available areas. This allows the control system 10 to further reduce power consumption in the indoor space 90.

[0041] In addition, in the example 1 of the selection operation of the available area, the ceiling surface temperature or the wall surface temperature may be used instead of the room temperature. In the above description of the example 1 of the selection operation of the available area, the room temperature may be read as the ceiling surface temperature or the wall surface temperature.

[0042] In addition, in the example 1 of the operation of selecting the available area, the amount of solar radiation may be used instead of the room temperature. In this case, in step S13, when the air conditioner 20 is operated in cooling mode (when the season is summer), the area 80 with less solar radiation is considered to have a smaller air conditioning load, so the selection unit 65 selects the area 80 with the least amount of solar radiation among the non-available areas as the available area to be added next. In addition, when the air conditioner 20 is operated in heating mode (when the season is winter), the selection unit 65 selects the area 80 with the greatest amount of solar radiation among the non-available areas as the available area to be added next, because the area 80 with more solar radiation is considered to have a smaller air conditioning load.

[0043] In addition, in the example 1 of the operation of selecting the available area, two or more of the room temperature, the ceiling surface temperature, the wall surface temperature, and the amount of solar radiation may be used. For example, when the room temperature, the ceiling surface temperature, and the wall surface temperature are used, the selection unit 65 may select the available area based on the total of the room temperature, the ceiling surface temperature, and the wall surface temperature in each of the multiple areas 80.

[0044] In this way, in the example 1 of the available area selection operation, the available area may be selected based on the sensing data indicating the air conditioning load in each of the multiple areas 80. The sensing data includes at least one of the ceiling surface temperature, the wall surface temperature, the room temperature, and the amount of solar radiation.

[0045] [Example 2 of how to select available areas] The control system 10 may perform preliminary operation of the multiple air conditioners 20 to estimate the air conditioning load of each of the multiple areas 80. Hereinafter, a second example of such an available area selection method will be described. Fig. 4 is a flowchart of the second example of the available area selection operation.

[0046] The control unit 66 of the control device 60 performs preliminary operation of the multiple air conditioners 20 (S21). For example, the control unit 66 operates the multiple air conditioners 20 with the same settings, such as early in the morning when no one is in the indoor space 90. The same settings means that parameters highly related to the air conditioning load, such as the set temperature and the air volume, are set to the same settings.

[0047] Next, the acquisition unit 64 acquires the power consumption of the multiple air conditioners 20 after a certain period of time has elapsed since the start of preliminary operation (S22). The power consumption may be measured and acquired by the acquisition unit 64, or may be measured by a power measurement device (not shown) and acquired by the acquisition unit 64.

[0048] The selection unit 65 determines the priority order of the multiple areas 80 based on the power consumption acquired in step S22 (S23). The selection unit 65, for example, calculates the total power consumption of the air conditioners 20 in each of the multiple areas 80, and assigns a higher priority order to the area 80 with the smaller total power consumption. In other words, the lower the air conditioning load is, the higher the priority order is assigned to the area 80. The priority order of the multiple areas 80 is stored in the storage unit 63.

[0049] Thereafter, when the selection unit 65 determines that the number of people located in the indoor space 90 has reached a threshold value and that an available area needs to be added (S24), it selects an available area based on the priority order determined in step S23 (priority order stored in the storage unit 63) (S25). The selection unit 65 selects the area 80 with the highest priority order among the currently unavailable areas as the next available area to be added.

[0050] Next, the control unit 66 causes the lighting devices 30 installed in the selected area 80 to emit light brighter than the lighting devices 30 installed in the unavailable area (S26). In addition, the control unit 66 operates (turns on) the air conditioning devices 20 installed in the selected area 80 (S27).

[0051] In this way, the control system 10 obtains the power consumption of each of the multiple air conditioners 20 when the multiple air conditioners 20 are operated with the same settings, and prioritizes the selection of an area 80 as an available area for which the total power consumption of the air conditioners 20 that are the target of temperature adjustment for that area 80 is smaller. As a result, an area 80 with a lower total power consumption of the air conditioners 20 when selected as an available area is more likely to be selected as an available area, and the control system 10 can further reduce power consumption in the indoor space 90.

[0052] In the second example of the method for selecting the available area, the preparatory operation is performed periodically, for example, at a certain time every day. In other words, the priority order is updated periodically.

[0053] [Example 3 of how to select available areas] The control system 10 may select the available area using the temperature of the air outlet of the air conditioner 20 instead of the power consumption of the air conditioner 20. Hereinafter, a third example of such a method for selecting the available area will be described. Fig. 5 is a flowchart of the third example of the operation for selecting the available area.

[0054] The control unit 66 of the control device 60 performs preliminary operation of the multiple air conditioning devices 20 (S31). The acquisition unit 64 acquires temperatures of the air outlets of the multiple air conditioning devices 20 after a certain period of time has elapsed since the preliminary operation was started (S32). Specifically, the acquisition unit 64 can acquire the temperatures of the air outlets of the multiple air conditioning devices 20 by communicating with the multiple air conditioning devices 20 using the communication unit 61.

[0055] The selection unit 65 determines the priority order of the multiple areas 80 based on the air outlet temperature acquired in step S32 (S33). For example, the selection unit 65 assigns a higher priority order to an area 80 in which an air conditioner 20 with a smaller temperature difference (more specifically, the absolute value of the temperature difference) between the air outlet temperature and the set temperature is provided. In other words, the lower the air conditioning load is, the higher the priority order is assigned to the area 80. Note that when multiple air conditioners 20 are provided in one area 80, the selection unit 65 sets the average value of the temperature difference between the air outlet temperature and the set temperature as the temperature difference of the air conditioners 20 provided in that area 80. The priority order of the multiple areas 80 is stored in the storage unit 63.

[0056] Thereafter, when the selection unit 65 determines that the number of people located in the indoor space 90 has reached a threshold value and that an available area needs to be added (S34), it selects an available area based on the priority order determined in step S33 (priority order stored in the storage unit 63) (S35). The selection unit 65 selects the area 80 with the highest priority order among the currently unavailable areas as the next available area to be added.

[0057] Next, the control unit 66 causes the lighting devices 30 provided in the selected area 80 to emit light brighter than the lighting devices 30 provided in the unavailable area (S36). In addition, the control unit 66 operates (turns on) the air conditioning devices 20 provided in the selected area 80 (S37).

[0058] In this way, the control system 10 obtains the inlet temperature of each of the multiple air conditioners 20 when the multiple air conditioners 20 are operated with the same settings, and preferentially selects as an available area an area 80 in which an air conditioner 20 with a smaller temperature difference between the inlet temperature and the set temperature is installed. As a result, an area 80 that is estimated to have a smaller air conditioning load when selected as an available area is more likely to be selected as an available area, so the control system 10 can further reduce power consumption in the indoor space 90.

[0059] In the example 3 of the method for selecting the available area, the preparatory operation is performed periodically, for example, at x o'clock every day. In other words, the priority order is updated periodically.

[0060] [Example 4 of how to select available areas] If an available area already exists in the indoor space 90, a new available area may be selected based on the number of people located in the available area. A fourth example of such an available area selection method will be described below. Fig. 6 is a flowchart of the fourth example of the available area selection operation.

[0061] When the acquisition unit 64 of the control device 60 determines that the number of people located in the indoor space 90 has reached a threshold value and that an additional available area is necessary (S41), it acquires the number of people located in the currently available area (S42). Specifically, the acquisition unit 64 can acquire the number of people located in the available area by using the communication unit 61 to communicate with a people sensor 50 provided in the available area. The acquisition unit 64 may acquire the number of people located in the available area by using the communication unit 61 to communicate with a positioning system (not shown).

[0062] The selection unit 65 identifies the available area with the largest number of people based on the number of people located in the available area obtained in step S42 (S43), and selects a new available area to add based on its location relative to the identified available area (S44).

[0063] When air conditioner 20 is operating in cooling mode (when it is summer), areas 80 farther away from the available area with the most people are less susceptible to the heat caused by crowding and are considered to have a smaller air conditioning load. Therefore, selection unit 65 selects the non-available area located farthest from the available area with the most people identified in step S43 as the next available area to add.

[0064] When air conditioner 20 is in heating operation (when it is winter), areas 80 closer to the available area with the most people are more likely to utilize heat from crowding and have a smaller air conditioning load. Therefore, selection unit 65 selects the unusable area located closest to the available area with the most people identified in step S43 as the next available area to be added. Note that the distance between one area 80 and another area 80 is determined by, for example, the distance between the center of gravity of one area 80 and the center of gravity of the other area 80 when indoor space 90 is viewed in a plan view.

[0065] Next, the control unit 66 causes the lighting devices 30 installed in the selected area 80 to emit light brighter than the lighting devices 30 installed in the unavailable area (S45). In addition, the control unit 66 operates (turns on) the air conditioning devices 20 installed in the selected area 80 (S46).

[0066] In this way, when the indoor space 90 includes a usable area, the control system 10 obtains the number of people located in the usable area, and when increasing the usable area when the air conditioner 20 that targets the temperature adjustment of the usable area is performing heating operation (heating operation), the control system 10 adds, as the usable area, the non-available area that is closest to the area with the highest number of people among the usable areas. Also, when increasing the usable area when the air conditioner 20 that targets the temperature adjustment of the usable area is performing cooling operation (cooling operation), the control system 10 adds, as the usable area, the non-available area that is farthest from the area with the highest number of people among the usable areas.

[0067] As a result, the area 80 that is estimated to have a small air conditioning load when selected as an available area is added as an available area, so that the control system 10 can further reduce power consumption in the indoor space 90.

[0068] [Variations] In the above embodiment, it has been described that the control system 10 does not operate (stops) the air conditioning equipment 20 installed in the non-available area while operating the air conditioning equipment 20 installed in the available area. Here, the air conditioning equipment 20 installed in the non-available area may operate with a lower output than the air conditioning equipment 20 installed in the available area. In other words, the air conditioning equipment 20 that adjusts the temperature of the available area only needs to operate with a higher output than the air conditioning equipment 20 that adjusts the temperature of the non-available area, and the air conditioning equipment 20 that adjusts the temperature of the non-available area may be stopped or may operate with a lower output.

[0069] For example, when the air conditioners 20 installed in the available area are performing cooling or heating operation, the air conditioners 20 installed in the unavailable area may perform fan operation.

[0070] Furthermore, when the air conditioner 20 installed in the usable area is performing cooling operation, the air conditioner 20 installed in the non-usable area may perform cooling operation at a higher set temperature than the air conditioner 20 installed in the usable area. When the air conditioner 20 installed in the usable area is performing heating operation, the air conditioner 20 installed in the non-usable area may perform heating operation at a lower set temperature than the air conditioner 20 installed in the usable area.

[0071] [Effects, etc.] Inventions derived from the disclosure of this specification are, for example, the following inventions. Hereinafter, the inventions derived from the disclosure of this specification will be described together with the effects and the like obtained by the inventions.

[0072] Invention 1 is a control method executed by a computer such as a control device 60, and includes a selection step of selecting at least a portion of a plurality of areas 80 included in an indoor space 90 as an available area based on the number of people located in the indoor space 90, and a step of operating a first air conditioning device, which is one of a plurality of air conditioning devices 20 installed in the indoor space 90 and targets the temperature of the available area, at a higher output than a second air conditioning device, which is one of a plurality of air conditioning devices 20 and targets the temperature of a non-available area other than the available area, and in the selection step, an area 80 with a smaller air conditioning load among the plurality of areas 80 is preferentially selected as the available area.

[0073] This control method makes it possible to suppress the power consumption of a plurality of air conditioners 20 by giving priority to areas 80 with low air conditioning loads as available areas.

[0074] Invention 2 is a control method of Invention 1, in which, in the selection step, an available area is further selected based on sensing data indicating the air conditioning load in each of the multiple areas 80, and the sensing data includes at least one of the ceiling surface temperature, the wall surface temperature, the room temperature, and the amount of solar radiation.

[0075] Such a control method can estimate the air conditioning load in each of the multiple areas 80 by using sensing data indicating the air conditioning load.

[0076] Invention 3 is a control method of Invention 1, which further includes a step of acquiring the power consumption of each of the multiple air conditioning devices 20 when the multiple air conditioning devices 20 are operated with the same settings, and in the selection step, an area among the multiple areas 80 having a smaller total power consumption of the air conditioning devices 20 that are the target of temperature adjustment for that area 80 is selected as an available area with higher priority.

[0077] This control method makes it possible to estimate the air conditioning load in each of the multiple areas 80 based on the power consumption when the multiple air conditioners 20 are actually operated.

[0078] Invention 4 is a control method of Invention 1, which further includes a step of acquiring the temperature of the intake of each of the plurality of air conditioning devices 20 when the plurality of air conditioning devices 20 are operated with the same settings, and in the selection step, an area 80 in which an air conditioning device 20 having a smaller temperature difference between the intake temperature and the set temperature is installed is preferentially selected as an available area.

[0079] This control method can estimate the air conditioning load in each of the multiple areas 80 based on the temperature difference between the air inlet temperature and the set temperature when the multiple air conditioners 20 are actually operated.

[0080] Invention 5 is a control method of Invention 1 which further includes a step of obtaining the number of people located in the available area when the indoor space 90 includes a usable area, and in the selection step, when increasing the available area when the first air conditioning device is operating in heating mode, adds as the available area the non-available area closest to the available area with the highest number of people, and when increasing the available area when the first air conditioning device is operating in cooling mode, adds as the available area the non-available area farthest from the available area with the highest number of people.

[0081] Such a control method can estimate the air conditioning load in the unusable area based on the number of people located in the usable area (in other words, the degree of congestion in the indoor space 90).

[0082] Invention 6 is a control method according to any one of Inventions 1 to 5, in which a plurality of lighting devices 30 are provided in an indoor space 90, and further includes a step of controlling the plurality of lighting devices 30 to make the usable area brighter than an unusable area other than the usable area.

[0083] Such a control method can notify a user of an available area and guide the user to the available area.

[0084] The seventh aspect of the present invention is a program for causing a computer to execute any one of the control methods of the first to sixth aspects of the present invention.

[0085] According to such a program, the computer can reduce the power consumption of the multiple air conditioners 20 by giving priority to areas 80 with low air conditioning loads as available areas.

[0086] Invention 8 is a control system 10 comprising a selection unit 65 that selects at least a portion of a plurality of areas 80 included in an indoor space 90 as a usable area based on the number of people located in the indoor space 90, and a control unit 66 that operates a first air conditioning device, which is the target of temperature adjustment for the usable area among the plurality of air conditioning devices 20 installed in the indoor space 90, at a higher output than a second air conditioning device, which is the target of temperature adjustment for the non-usable area other than the usable area, and the selection unit 65 gives priority to selecting an area among the plurality of areas 80 with a smaller air conditioning load as the usable area.

[0087] Such a control system 10 can reduce the power consumption of a plurality of air conditioners 20 by giving priority to areas 80 with low air conditioning loads as available areas.

[0088] (Other embodiments) Although the embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

[0089] For example, in the above embodiment, the control system is realized by a plurality of devices. When the control system is realized by a plurality of devices in this manner, the components (particularly, functional components) of the control system may be allocated in any manner among the plurality of devices.

[0090] The control system may also be realized as a single device. For example, the control system may be realized as a single device corresponding to the control device.

[0091] Furthermore, the method of communication between the devices in the above-described embodiment is not particularly limited. In addition, a relay device (such as a gateway device) (not shown) may be involved in the communication between the devices.

[0092] In the above embodiment, the processes executed by a specific processing unit may be executed by another processing unit. The order of multiple processes may be changed, or multiple processes may be executed in parallel.

[0093] In the above embodiment, each component may be realized by executing a software program suitable for each component. Each component may be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU or a processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or a semiconductor memory.

[0094] Furthermore, each component may be realized by hardware. For example, each component may be a circuit (or an integrated circuit). These circuits may form a single circuit as a whole, or each may be a separate circuit. Furthermore, each of these circuits may be a general-purpose circuit, or a dedicated circuit.

[0095] Furthermore, the general or specific aspects of the present invention may be realized as a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, or a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, or may be realized as any combination of a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, and a recording medium.

[0096] For example, the present invention may be realized as a control device according to the above-described embodiment, or as a control method executed by a computer such as the control system (control device) according to the above-described embodiment, or as a program for causing a computer to execute the control method (in other words, a computer program product).The present invention may also be realized as a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium on which such a program is recorded.

[0097] In addition, the present invention also includes forms obtained by applying various modifications to each embodiment that a person skilled in the art may think of, or forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions of each embodiment within the scope that does not deviate from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0098] 10. Control System 20 Air conditioning equipment 30 Lighting equipment 40 Environmental Sensors 50 People Sensor 60 Control device 61 Communications Department 62 Information Processing Section 63 Memory section 64 Acquisition Department 65 Selection section 66 Control Unit 70 Entry / exit control device 80 Area 90 Indoor space

Claims

1. 1. A computer-implemented control method comprising: A selection step of selecting at least a portion of a plurality of areas included in the indoor space as an available area based on the number of people located in the indoor space; and operating a first air conditioner, which is a temperature control target for the available area among a plurality of air conditioners installed in the indoor space, at a higher output than a second air conditioner, which is a temperature control target for a non-available area other than the available area; In the selection step, an area having a smaller air conditioning load among the plurality of areas is preferentially selected as the available area. Control methods.

2. The selection step further includes selecting the available area based on sensing data indicating the air conditioning load in each of the plurality of areas; The sensing data includes at least one of a ceiling surface temperature, a wall surface temperature, a room temperature, and an amount of solar radiation. The control method according to claim 1 .

3. Further, the method includes a step of acquiring power consumption of each of the plurality of air conditioners when the plurality of air conditioners are operated with the same setting, In the selection step, an area having a smaller total power consumption of air conditioners that adjust the temperature of the area is selected as the available area with higher priority. The control method according to claim 1 .

4. Further, the method includes a step of acquiring a temperature of an inlet of each of the plurality of air conditioners when the plurality of air conditioners are operated with the same setting, In the selection step, an area in which an air conditioner having a smaller temperature difference between an intake temperature and a set temperature is installed is preferentially selected as the available area. The control method according to claim 1 .

5. Further, when the available area is included in the indoor space, the step of acquiring the number of people located in the available area is included; In the selection step, When increasing the available area while the first air conditioner is in heating operation, a non-available area that is closest to an area with the largest number of people among the available areas is added as the available area; When the available area is increased while the first air conditioner is in cooling operation, the unusable area farthest from the area with the highest number of people among the available areas is added as the available area. The control method according to claim 1 .

6. A plurality of lighting devices are provided in the indoor space, Further, the method includes controlling the plurality of lighting devices to make the available area brighter than an unavailable area other than the available area. The control method according to claim 1 .

7. A program for causing the computer to execute the control method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. a selection unit that selects at least a portion of a plurality of areas included in the indoor space as an available area based on the number of people located in the indoor space; a control unit that operates a first air conditioner, among a plurality of air conditioners installed in the indoor space, which adjusts the temperature of the available area, at a higher output than a second air conditioner, which adjusts the temperature of a non-available area other than the available area; The selection unit preferentially selects an area having a smaller air conditioning load from among the plurality of areas as the available area. Control system.

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