Air conditioner control device, air conditioner, analysis server, air conditioner control method, and air conditioner control program

Abstract

To provide an air conditioner control device, an air conditioner, an analysis server, an air conditioner control method, and an air conditioner control program for performing air cleaning by appropriately combining an air conditioner and an air cleaner.SOLUTION: An air conditioner control device 50 controls an air conditioner for performing air conditioning in a room in which an air cleaner is installed, the air conditioner control device comprising a storage unit 53 that stores a plurality of air flow patterns of the air conditioner, and a setting unit 54 that selects one air flow pattern from the plurality of air flow patterns and sets the one air flow pattern to the air conditioner. The setting unit 54 selects the air flow pattern and sets the air flow pattern to the air conditioner such that the conditioned air from the air conditioner becomes an air flow flowing to the air cleaner.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an air conditioner control device, an air conditioner, an analysis server, an air conditioner control method, and an air conditioner control program. [Background technology]

[0002] In order to maintain the cleanliness of indoor air, efforts are being made to improve the air purification function of air conditioners and to add ventilation functions. Air purifiers are also used to purify the air. However, the ventilation function installed in air conditioners is considered to be insufficient in terms of air exchange capacity compared to opening windows for ventilation. Also, it is difficult for air purifiers alone to suck in the air from all over the room.

[0003] Therefore, for example, in Patent Document 1, in a dust collection system, airflow is generated by air blowing in a blower section and air suction in a dust collection section, which causes dust at the generation position to be collected in the dust collection section. In Patent Document 2, in the dust collection system, when no one is present in a predetermined space, a relatively large amount of air is blown to collect dust. In Patent Document 3, an air conditioner and an air purifier are provided, and the air conditioner blows out air in a downward direction, and the air purifier collects dust suspended in the air near the floor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-96566 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2017-26270 A [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 7195303 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the inventions of Patent Documents 1 to 3 do not consider the installation positions of the air conditioner and the air purifier. Although the position of the air conditioner is fixed when installed, the installation position of the air purifier depends on the user. Therefore, it is difficult for the air conditioner to know where the air purifier is installed in the room. The appropriate blowing direction of the air conditioner's blown air that is sucked into the air purifier varies depending on the relative positions of the air conditioner and the air purifier, but this phenomenon has not been considered.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide an air conditioner control device, an air conditioner, an analysis server, an air conditioner control method, and an air conditioner control program for appropriately combining an air conditioner and an air purifier to purify the air. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the air conditioner control device, air conditioner, analysis server, air conditioner control method, and air conditioner control program disclosed herein employ the following means. The air conditioner control device of the present disclosure controls an air conditioner that conditions a room in which an air purifier is installed, and includes a memory unit that stores multiple airflow patterns for the air conditioner, and a setting unit that selects one airflow pattern from the multiple airflow patterns and sets one airflow pattern for the air conditioner, where the setting unit selects the airflow pattern so that the conditioned air of the air conditioner becomes an airflow that flows toward the air purifier, and sets the airflow pattern for the air conditioner.

[0008] The air conditioner of the present disclosure includes the above-mentioned air conditioner control device.

[0009] The analysis server of the present disclosure receives indoor condition information from the air conditioner control device described above, is equipped with an analysis unit that analyzes the airflow condition in the room based on the indoor condition information, and transmits the airflow condition in the room, which is the analysis result of the analysis unit, to the air conditioner control device.

[0010] The air conditioner control method disclosed herein includes a storage process for controlling an air conditioner that conditions a room in which an air purifier is installed and storing a plurality of airflow patterns for the air conditioner, and a setting process for selecting one airflow pattern from the plurality of airflow patterns and setting the one airflow pattern for the air conditioner, wherein the setting process selects the airflow pattern so that the conditioned air of the air conditioner becomes an airflow that flows toward the air purifier, and sets the airflow pattern for the air conditioner, and is executed by a computer.

[0011] The air conditioner control program of the present disclosure causes a computer to execute the air conditioner control method described above. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the present disclosure, air in areas that cannot be sucked in by the air purifier alone is stirred up by the airflow generated by the air conditioner, and then collected in an area that can be sucked in by the air purifier, allowing the air in the entire room to be cleaned by the air purifier. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the installation positions of an air purifier and an air conditioner and the air flow in some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the installation positions of an air purifier and an air conditioner and the air blowing and suction in some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the installation positions of an air purifier and an air conditioner and the air flow in some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the installation positions of an air purifier and an air conditioner and the blowing and suction of air in some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the installation positions of an air purifier and an air conditioner and the air flow in some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the installation positions of an air purifier and an air conditioner and the blowing and suction of air in some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 7]FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an air conditioner control device in some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of functions of an air conditioner control device in some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of an air conditioner control device in some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of functions of an air conditioner control device in some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of an air conditioner control device in some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 12] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of an air conditioner control device in some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram evaluating the removal rate and comfort of each method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of an air conditioner control device, an air conditioner, an analysis server, an air conditioner control method, and an air conditioner control program according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. [First embodiment] Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the installation positions of an air purifier and an air conditioner and the air flow. Fig. 1(a) is a perspective view of the room, and Fig. 1(b) is a plan view of the room seen from above. In FIG. 1, an air conditioner 10 and an air purifier 20 are installed in a room. As shown in Fig. 1(a), the air conditioner 10 is installed on the upper part of the wall on the front right side of the drawing. The air purifier 20 is installed on the floor on the front left side of the drawing. The air purifier 20 is installed facing toward the center of the room so that it can easily take in ambient air. Thus, in the case of Fig. 1, the air conditioner 10 and the air purifier 20 are installed side by side.

[0015] As shown in Fig. 1(b), the air purifier 20 takes in and purifies air in the vicinity of the air purifier 20. However, air far from the air purifier 20 in the room cannot be sucked in, and operating only the air purifier 20 may cause stagnation of air in the room. In this embodiment, the stagnation of air is referred to as stagnant air. The stagnant air contains harmful substances such as dust, dirt, pollen, viruses, mold, and PM2.5.

[0016] Therefore, the air conditioner 10 is operated to generate an air flow (air current) that sends indoor air, particularly stagnant air, toward the air purifier 20.

[0017] As shown by the solid arrow in Fig. 1(b), the air conditioner 10 blows out conditioned air so that the air flows from the upper right side of the front of the drawing to the right side of the rear of the drawing. The conditioned air that hits a wall or the like in the rear right direction of the drawing flows to the left side of the drawing together with the surrounding air, and some of it is sucked into the air purifier 20. When the air conditioner 10 and the air purifier 20 are installed side by side, it is preferable to set an airflow pattern such that the conditioned air flows from the air conditioner 10 diagonally to the air purifier 20 in this way.

[0018] 1(b), the conditioned airflow blown out from the air conditioner 10 is sent to a position where stagnant air can be sucked in by the air purifier 20. At that time, the conditioned airflow is sent to the air purifier 20 while stirring the air in the room.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the installation positions of the air purifier and the air conditioner and the air blowing out and sucking in. In Fig. 2, the thick solid arrow indicates the blown air (conditioned air) of the air conditioner 10, the dashed arrow indicates the suction air of the air purifier 20, and the solid arrow indicates the blown air of the air purifier 20. The shaded area in Fig. 2 indicates an area where there is a lot of stagnant air when the air purifier 20 is operating alone. Stagnant air is mostly present in the diagonal area of ​​the air purifier 20.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 2, when the air conditioner 10 is operated in addition to the air purifier 20, the air blown out by the air conditioner 10 (conditioned air) flows toward the air purifier 20 through an area where there is a lot of stagnant air when the air purifier 20 is operated alone. The air purifier 20 can suck in stagnant air in the room and blow out purified air. This makes it possible to purify the air in the entire room.

[0021] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the installation positions of the air purifier and the air conditioner and the air flow, Fig. 3(a) is a perspective view of the room, and Fig. 3(b) is a plan view of the room seen from above. In FIG. 3, an air conditioner 10 and an air purifier 20 are installed in a room. As shown in Fig. 3(a), the air conditioner 10 is installed on the upper part of the wall on the front right side of the drawing. The air purifier 20 is installed on the floor on the back left side of the drawing. The air purifier 20 is installed facing toward the center of the room so that it can easily take in surrounding air. Thus, in the case of Fig. 3, the air conditioner 10 and the air purifier 20 are installed diagonally.

[0022] 3(b), air purifier 20 takes in and purifies air in the vicinity of air purifier 20. However, air far from air purifier 20 in the room cannot be sucked in, and stagnant air may occur when only air purifier 20 is operated.

[0023] Therefore, the air conditioner 10 is operated to generate an air flow (air current) that sends indoor air, particularly stagnant air, toward the air purifier 20.

[0024] The air conditioner 10 blows out conditioned air so that the air flows from the upper right side of the front of the drawing to the right side of the rear of the drawing, as shown by the solid arrow in FIG. 3(a). The conditioned air that hits a wall or the like in the rear right direction flows to the left side of the rear of the drawing together with the surrounding air, and some of it is sucked into the air purifier 20. The air conditioner 10 also blows out conditioned air so that the air flows from the upper right side of the front of the drawing to the left side of the front of the drawing, as shown by the dashed arrow. The conditioned air that hits a wall or the like in the front left direction of the drawing flows to the left side of the rear of the drawing together with the surrounding air, and some of it is sucked into the air purifier 20. When the air conditioner 10 and the air purifier 20 are installed diagonally, it is preferable to set an airflow pattern such that the conditioned air flows from the air conditioner 10 to the air purifier 20 in this way.

[0025] Fig. 3(b) is a diagram showing the case where the conditioned airflow is indicated by the solid arrow in Fig. 3(a). As shown in Fig. 3(b), the conditioned airflow blown out from the air conditioner 10 is sent to a position where stagnant air is generated, where the stagnant air can be sucked in by the air purifier 20. At that time, the conditioned airflow is sent to the air purifier 20 while stirring the air in the room.

[0026] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the installation positions of the air purifier and the air conditioner and the air blowing out and sucking in. In Fig. 4, the thick solid arrow indicates the blown air (conditioned air) of the air conditioner 10, the dashed arrow indicates the suction air of the air purifier 20, and the solid arrow indicates the blown air of the air purifier 20. The shaded area in Fig. 4 indicates an area where there is a lot of stagnant air when the air purifier 20 is operating alone. Stagnant air is mostly present in the diagonal area of ​​the air purifier 20. Fig. 4 is a diagram in the case where the conditioned air is indicated by the solid arrow in Fig. 3(a).

[0027] As shown in Fig. 4, when the air conditioner 10 is operated in addition to the air purifier 20, the air blown out by the air conditioner 10 (conditioned air) flows toward the air purifier 20 through an area where there is a lot of stagnant air when the air purifier 20 is operated alone. The air purifier 20 can suck in stagnant air in the room and blow out purified air. This makes it possible to purify the air in the entire room.

[0028] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the installation positions of the air purifier and the air conditioner and the air flow, Fig. 5(a) is a perspective view of the room, and Fig. 5(b) is a plan view of the room seen from above. In FIG. 5, an air conditioner 10 and an air purifier 20 are installed in a room. As shown in Fig. 5(a), the air conditioner 10 is installed on the upper part of the wall on the front left side of the drawing. The air purifier 20 is installed on the floor on the front right side of the drawing. The air purifier 20 is installed facing toward the center of the room so that it can easily take in ambient air. Thus, in the case of Fig. 5, the air conditioner 10 and the air purifier 20 are installed so that they face each other almost directly ahead.

[0029] 5(b), air purifier 20 takes in and purifies air in the vicinity of air purifier 20. However, air far from air purifier 20 in the room cannot be sucked in, and operating only air purifier 20 may cause stagnant air in the room.

[0030] Therefore, the air conditioner 10 is operated to generate an air flow (air current) that sends indoor air, particularly stagnant air, toward the air purifier 20.

[0031] As shown by the solid arrow in Fig. 5(a), the air conditioner 10 blows out conditioned air so that the air flows from the upper left front side of the drawing to the left rear side of the drawing. The conditioned air that hits a wall or the like in the left rear side of the drawing flows to the right rear side of the drawing together with the surrounding air, and some of it is sucked into the air purifier 20. When the air conditioner 10 and the air purifier 20 are installed so that they face each other almost directly, it is preferable to set an airflow pattern such that the conditioned air flows from the air conditioner 10 to the air purifier 20 through the diagonal of the air purifier 20 in this way.

[0032] 5(b), the conditioned airflow blown out from the air conditioner 10 is sent to a position where stagnant air can be sucked in by the air purifier 20. At that time, the conditioned airflow is sent to the air purifier 20 while stirring the air in the room.

[0033] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the installation positions of the air cleaner and the air conditioner and the air blowing out and sucking in. 6, the thick solid arrow indicates the blown air (conditioned air) of the air conditioner 10, the dashed arrow indicates the suction air of the air purifier 20, and the solid arrow indicates the blown air of the air purifier 20. The shaded area in Fig. 6 indicates an area where there is a lot of stagnant air when the air purifier 20 is operating alone. Stagnant air is mostly present in the diagonal area of ​​the air purifier 20.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 6, when the air conditioner 10 is operated in addition to the air purifier 20, the air blown out by the air conditioner 10 (conditioned air) flows toward the air purifier 20 through an area where there is a lot of stagnant air when the air purifier 20 is operated alone. The air purifier 20 can suck in stagnant air in the room and blow out purified air. This makes it possible to purify the air in the entire room.

[0035] In this way, when the air conditioner 10 is operated in addition to the air purifier 20 and the conditioned air of the air conditioner 10 is sent so that the air purifier 20 can suck in stagnant air, the appropriate airflow pattern differs depending on the installation positions of the air purifier 20 and the air conditioner 10. Therefore, in this embodiment, the above-mentioned multiple airflow patterns are rotated when the air conditioner 10 is operating.

[0036] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of an air conditioner control device in some embodiments of the present disclosure. 7, the air conditioner control device (Controller) 50 is a computer system, and includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit: Processor) 1100, a secondary storage device (ROM, Secondary storage: Memory) 1200, a main storage device (RAM, Main Memory) 1300, a hard disk drive (HDD) 1400 as a large-capacity storage device, and a communication unit 1500 for connecting to a network or the like. Note that a solid-state drive (SSD) may also be used as the large-capacity storage device. These units are connected via a bus 1800.

[0037] The CPU 1100, for example, controls the entire air conditioner control device 50 using an OS (Operating System) stored in a secondary storage device 1200 connected via a bus 1800, and executes various processes by executing various programs stored in the secondary storage device 1200. One or more CPUs 1100 may be provided, and they may cooperate with each other to realize processes.

[0038] The main memory device 1300 is composed of writable memory such as cache memory or RAM (Random Access Memory), and is used as a working area for reading out programs executed by the CPU 1100 and writing data processed by the programs.

[0039] The secondary storage device 1200 is a non-transitory computer readable storage medium. The secondary storage device 1200 is, for example, a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, a semiconductor memory, or the like. Examples of the secondary storage device 1200 include a ROM (Read Only Memory), a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and a SSD (Solid State Drive) flash memory. The secondary storage device 1200 stores, for example, an OS for controlling the entire information processing device such as Windows (registered trademark), iOS (registered trademark), Android (registered trademark), a BIOS (Basic Input / Output System), various device drivers for operating peripheral devices as hardware, various application software, and various data and files. In addition, the secondary storage device 1200 stores programs for implementing various processes and various data required for implementing various processes. A plurality of secondary storage devices 1200 may be provided, and the above-mentioned programs and data may be divided and stored in each secondary storage device 1200.

[0040] The air conditioner control device 50 may also include an input unit consisting of a keyboard, a mouse, etc., and a display unit consisting of a liquid crystal display device or the like that displays data. The air conditioner control device 50 may also include a notification unit that includes a display unit and includes a lamp and a speaker that outputs sound, particularly an alarm sound.

[0041] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the functionality of a control device in some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 8, the air conditioner control device 50 includes a storage unit 53 and a setting unit .

[0042] A series of processes for realizing the functions of the air conditioner control device 50 is stored in the secondary storage device 1200 (see FIG. 7) in the form of a program, for example, and the CPU (processor) 1100 (see FIG. 7) reads this program into the main storage device 1300 (see FIG. 7) and executes information processing and arithmetic processing to realize various functions. The program may be pre-installed in the secondary storage device 1200, provided in a state stored in another non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, or distributed via wired or wireless communication means. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable storage media include magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, and semiconductor memories.

[0043] The storage unit 53 shown in FIG. 8 stores a plurality of airflow patterns for the air conditioner 10. As the multiple airflow patterns, at least two or more patterns are stored, for example, when the air conditioner 10 and the air purifier 20 are arranged side by side, when the air conditioner 10 and the air purifier 20 are installed diagonally, and when the air conditioner 10 and the air purifier 20 are installed facing forward. The airflow pattern when the air conditioner 10 and the air purifier 20 are arranged side by side is an airflow pattern in which air flows from the air conditioner 10 to the air purifier 20 through a diagonal of the air purifier 20. The airflow pattern when the air conditioner 10 and the air purifier 20 are installed diagonally is an airflow pattern in which air flows from the air conditioner 10 to the air purifier 20. The airflow pattern when the air conditioner 10 and the air purifier 20 are installed facing forward is an airflow pattern in which air flows from the air conditioner 10 to the air purifier 20 through a diagonal of the air purifier 20.

[0044] The setting unit 54 selects one airflow pattern from the multiple airflow patterns stored in the memory unit 53, and sets it in the air conditioner 10. When the air purifier 20 and the air conditioner 10 are operating, the setting unit 54 changes the airflow pattern of the air conditioner 10 at predetermined time intervals. As a result, the multiple airflow patterns are rotated and executed while the air conditioner 10 is operating. The predetermined time may be set by the setting unit 54 to 1 minute to 10 minutes, or even 5 minutes, or may be set by the user via a remote control.

[0045] The air conditioner 10, whose airflow pattern has been set by the setting unit 54, mainly controls the airflow direction in accordance with the airflow pattern. When the air conditioner 10 is installed, it is known whether a wall is on the left or right side of the indoor unit depending on the installation position, so the airflow direction is set based on the position of the wall.

[0046] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of an air conditioner control device in some embodiments of the present disclosure. 9, the setting unit 54 of the air conditioner control device 50 sets one of a plurality of airflow patterns to the air conditioner 10. The air conditioner 10, for which an airflow pattern has been set, controls the direction of the blown air in accordance with the airflow pattern.

[0047] Next, in step S102, the setting unit 54 determines whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed since the airflow pattern was set. If it is determined that the predetermined time has elapsed (YES in step S102), the process proceeds to step S103. On the other hand, if it is determined that the predetermined time has not elapsed (NO in step S102), the determination in step S102 is performed again.

[0048] When it is determined that the predetermined time has elapsed, the setting unit 54 changes the airflow pattern (S103). Returning to step S101, the changed airflow pattern is set in the air conditioner 10.

[0049] In this way, the stagnant air in areas that cannot be sucked in by the air purifier 20 alone is stirred up by the airflow generated by the air conditioner 10, and collected in an area that can be sucked in by the air purifier 20, and then sucked into the air purifier 20, thereby enabling the air throughout the room to be purified by the air purifier 20.

[0050] Even if the positional relationship between the air purifier 20 and the air conditioner 10 is unknown, the air flow pattern of the air conditioner 10 is changed at predetermined time intervals, so that the air purifier 20 can suck in stagnant air in an area that cannot be sucked in by the air purifier 20 alone using one of the air flow patterns.

[0051] Second Embodiment A second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the functions of an air conditioner control device according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment described above in that it includes a data input unit 51 and a data communication unit 52 that communicates with an analysis server 60, but is otherwise similar to the first embodiment. Here, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and duplicated descriptions of the same parts as in the first embodiment will be omitted. The same parts as in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 10, the air conditioner control device 50 includes a data input unit 51, a data communication unit 52, a storage unit 53, and a setting unit .

[0053] 10 inputs status information of the room in which the air conditioner 10 and the air purifier 20 are installed. The status information of the room includes the installation positions of the air purifier 20 and the air conditioner 10 in the room. The status information of the room may also include the external shape and size of the room, and the positions and sizes of objects such as furniture in the room.

[0054] The indoor state information may be inputted through the input unit, or through an electronic device owned by the user, such as a smartphone or tablet. In particular, it is preferable to use an interface such as an app installed on the smartphone. When using a smartphone app, the user inputs the outer shape and size of the room, and the positions and sizes of objects such as furniture in the room, from the app.

[0055] The data communication unit 52 transmits the indoor state information, which is input information, to the analysis server 60, which performs airflow analysis based on the input information representing the indoor state information input by the data input unit 51. The data communication unit 52 receives the indoor airflow state analyzed by the analysis server 60.

[0056] The analysis server 60 includes an analysis unit 61. The analysis server 60 receives indoor condition information from the data communication unit 52 of the air conditioner control device 50, and analyzes the indoor airflow condition based on the indoor condition information. The analysis unit 61 analyzes the indoor airflow condition. The indoor airflow condition, which is the analysis result of the analysis by the analysis unit 61, is transmitted by the analysis server 60 to the data communication unit 52 of the air conditioner control device 50.

[0057] The storage unit 53 stores indoor airflow conditions and corresponding airflow patterns as a mapping.

[0058] Although the analysis server 60 is a server, the analysis may be performed on a smartphone owned by the user. In this case, the analysis result is also transmitted to the data communication unit 52.

[0059] FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of an air conditioner control device in some embodiments of the present disclosure. 11, the data input unit 51 of the air conditioner control device 50 inputs, as indoor condition information, the outer shape and size of the room, and the positions and sizes of objects such as furniture in the room. The input indoor condition information is transmitted to the analysis server 60 by the data communication unit 52.

[0060] In step S202, the analysis unit 61 of the analysis server 60 that has received the indoor state information performs airflow analysis based on the indoor state information. The indoor airflow state, which is the analysis result of the analysis unit 61, is transmitted from the analysis server 60 to the data communication unit 52.

[0061] In step S203, the setting unit 54 receives the indoor airflow conditions from the data communication unit 52, selects one airflow pattern from the mapping of airflow patterns corresponding to the indoor airflow conditions stored in the memory unit 53, and determines the airflow pattern to be set in the air conditioner 10. The setting unit 54 may derive an operation setting for the air conditioner 10 corresponding to the indoor airflow condition received from the data communication unit 52, and set this as the airflow pattern setting. Also, the airflow pattern may be selected based on the arrangement of the air conditioner 10 and the air purifier 20.

[0062] In step S204, the setting unit 54 sets the airflow pattern determined in step S203 in the air conditioner 10, and the air conditioner 10 operates with the determined airflow pattern.

[0063] Third Embodiment A third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. 12 is a flowchart showing a control method for an air conditioner control device in some embodiments of the present disclosure. This embodiment differs from the second embodiment described above in that a 3D model is input to the data input unit 51, but is otherwise similar to the second embodiment. Here, differences from the second embodiment will be mainly described, and duplicated descriptions of the same parts as the second embodiment will be omitted. The same parts as those in the second embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0064] In step S301 of FIG. 12, the data input unit 51 of the air conditioner control device 50 acquires input information about the room from the user using the camera of an electronic device such as a smartphone or tablet owned by the user. The user takes pictures of the room in all directions using the cameras of the various electronic devices and creates a 3D model of the room on the various electronic devices. The data input unit 51 uses the 3D model of the room as information about the state of the room. The 3D model of the room can provide the external shape and size of the room, and the positions and sizes of objects such as furniture in the room. The 3D model of the room is transmitted to the analysis server 60 by the data communication unit 52.

[0065] In step S302, the analysis unit 61 of the analysis server 60 that has received the indoor state information performs airflow analysis based on the 3D model that is the indoor state information. The indoor airflow state that is the analysis result of the analysis unit 61 is transmitted from the analysis server 60 to the data communication unit 52.

[0066] In step S303, the setting unit 54 receives the indoor airflow conditions from the data communication unit 52, selects one airflow pattern from the mapping of airflow patterns corresponding to the indoor airflow conditions stored in the memory unit 53, and determines the airflow pattern to be set in the air conditioner 10. The setting unit 54 may derive an operation setting for the air conditioner 10 corresponding to the indoor airflow condition received from the data communication unit 52, and set this as the airflow pattern setting. Also, the airflow pattern may be selected based on the arrangement of the air conditioner 10 and the air purifier 20.

[0067] In step S304, the setting unit 54 sets the airflow pattern determined in step S303 in the air conditioner 10, and the air conditioner 10 operates with the determined airflow pattern.

[0068] FIG. 13 is a diagram evaluating the removal rate and comfort of each method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 13 shows particle removal rates and comfort levels of a system combining the air conditioner 10 and the air purifier 20 according to the present embodiment and a window-opening ventilation system (two patterns, one for a wind speed of 0.15 m / s and one for a wind speed of 0.3 m / s), which does not use the air conditioner 10 or the air purifier 20 but opens the windows in the room for ventilation. The particle removal rate is expressed as a percentage of the amount of particles uniformly distributed in the room that have been removed after 1000 seconds. The comfort level is considered to be comfortable when the thermal environment evaluation index PMV (Predicted Mean Vote, predicted thermal sensation declaration) is within the range of -0.5 to +0.5. The outdoor temperature is assumed to be midsummer, and the air conditioner 10 is set to cooling.

[0069] When ventilation is performed with the windows open at a wind speed of 0.15 m / s, the particle removal rate is 76%, and when ventilation is performed with the windows open at a wind speed of 0.3 m / s, the particle removal rate is 91%. However, when ventilation is performed with the windows open in midsummer, the comfort level is uncomfortable throughout the room.

[0070] On the other hand, the method of this embodiment shows a particle removal rate of 85%, which is close to that of ventilation with an open window at a wind speed of 0.3 m / s, and the comfort level is generally comfortable, although there are some uncomfortable regions. Thus, according to this embodiment, it is possible to maintain indoor comfort while performing air purification similar to that of ventilation with an open window.

[0071] <Additional Notes> The air conditioner control device, the air conditioner, the analysis server, the air conditioner control method, and the air conditioner control program described in the above-described embodiments can be understood, for example, as follows.

[0072] An air conditioner control device (50) of a first aspect of the present disclosure controls an air conditioner (10) that conditions the air of a room in which an air purifier (20) is installed, and includes a memory unit (53) that stores a plurality of airflow patterns for the air conditioner, and a setting unit (54) that selects one airflow pattern from the plurality of airflow patterns and sets one airflow pattern for the air conditioner, where the setting unit selects the airflow pattern such that the conditioned air of the air conditioner becomes an airflow that flows toward the air purifier, and sets the airflow pattern for the air conditioner.

[0073] The air (dust) in areas that the air purifier alone cannot suck is stirred up by the airflow generated by the air conditioner, and then collected in an area that the air purifier can suck in, allowing the air purifier to purify the air throughout the room.

[0074] In the air conditioner control device of a second aspect of the present disclosure, in the first aspect, the setting unit may change the airflow pattern of the air conditioner at predetermined time intervals when the air purifier and the air conditioner are operating.

[0075] Even if the relative positions of the air purifier and air conditioner are unknown, the airflow pattern of the air conditioner is changed at predetermined time intervals, allowing the air purifier to suck in air (dust) from areas that the air purifier alone cannot suck in, using one of the airflow patterns.

[0076] The air conditioner control device of the third aspect of the present disclosure, in the first aspect, includes a data input unit (51) that inputs status information of the room, and a data communication unit (52) that transmits the status information of the room to an analysis server (60) and receives the airflow status of the room analyzed by the analysis server, and the setting unit may select one of the airflow patterns corresponding to the airflow status of the room received by the data communication unit, and set one of the airflow patterns to the air conditioner.

[0077] An airflow pattern corresponding to the airflow state based on the indoor condition information is selected and set in the air conditioner, so that the air conditioner operates with the airflow pattern that matches the indoor condition information. The air conditioner can continuously generate airflow that collects indoor air toward the air purifier. By continuously sucking air (dust) from areas that the air purifier alone cannot suck into the air purifier, the air throughout the room can be purified by the air purifier.

[0078] In the air conditioner control device of a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, in the third aspect, the status information of the room may include positions of the air purifier and the air conditioner in the room.

[0079] By knowing the positions of the air purifier and air conditioner in the room, the airflow conditions from the air conditioner to the air purifier can be known. By setting an airflow pattern according to the relative positions of the air purifier and air conditioner, the air in the entire room can be purified by the air purifier.

[0080] In an air conditioner control device according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, in the fourth aspect, the status information about the room may include an outer shape and a size of the room.

[0081] Knowing the interior shape and size of the room allows for more precise airflow patterns.

[0082] In an air conditioner control device according to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, in any one of the third aspect to the fifth aspect, the state information of the room may be a 3D model of the room.

[0083] The 3D model provides information about the condition of the room (status information), such as the room's exterior shape and size, the position and size of objects such as furniture in the room, and the position of air purifiers and air conditioners, making it possible to set airflow patterns in detail.

[0084] An air conditioner according to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure includes the air conditioner control device according to any one of the first to sixth aspects.

[0085] The analysis server of the eighth aspect of the present disclosure includes an analysis unit (61) that receives indoor condition information from an air conditioner control device of any of the third to sixth aspects, analyzes the airflow condition in the room based on the indoor condition information, and transmits the airflow condition in the room, which is the analysis result of the analysis unit, to the air conditioner control device.

[0086] An air conditioner control method of a ninth aspect of the present disclosure includes a storage step of controlling an air conditioner that conditions a room in which an air purifier is installed, and storing a plurality of airflow patterns for the air conditioner, and a setting step of selecting one of the plurality of airflow patterns and setting the one airflow pattern for the air conditioner, wherein the setting step is executed by a computer by selecting the airflow pattern such that the conditioned air of the air conditioner becomes an airflow that flows toward the air purifier, and setting the airflow pattern for the air conditioner.

[0087] An air conditioner control program according to a tenth aspect of the present disclosure causes a computer to execute the air conditioner control method according to the ninth aspect.

[0088] Although the present disclosure has been described using the embodiments, the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. For example, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the air blown out from the air conditioner 10 (conditioned air) is directed in one direction in the drawings, but the direction may be swung mainly in the left-right or up-down directions. This allows the air in a wide range of the room to be agitated. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 10 Air conditioner 20. Air Purifier 50 Air conditioner control device 51 Data Entry Section 52 Data Communications Department 53 Storage section 54 Setting section 60 Analysis Server 61 Analysis Department 1100 CPU 1200 Secondary storage 1300 Main storage 1500 Communications Department 1800 Bus

Claims

1. It controls the air conditioner that cools the room where the air purifier is installed, A storage unit that stores a plurality of airflow patterns of the air conditioner; a setting unit that selects one of the airflow patterns and sets the one airflow pattern to the air conditioner, The setting unit selects the airflow pattern so that conditioned air from the air conditioner becomes an airflow flowing to the air purifier, and sets the airflow pattern in the air conditioner.

2. The air conditioner control device according to claim 1 , wherein the setting unit changes the airflow pattern of the air conditioner at predetermined time intervals when the air purifier and the air conditioner are in operation.

3. A data input unit for inputting the indoor condition information; a data communication unit that transmits the indoor status information to an analysis server and receives the indoor airflow status analyzed by the analysis server; The setting unit selects one of the airflow patterns corresponding to the airflow state in the room received by the data communication unit, and sets the one of the airflow patterns to the air conditioner. The air conditioner control device according to claim 1.

4. The air conditioner control device according to claim 3 , wherein the status information of the room includes positions of the air purifier and the air conditioner in the room.

5. The air conditioner control device according to claim 4 , wherein the status information of the room includes an outer shape and a size of the room.

6. The air conditioner control device according to claim 3 , wherein the status information of the room is a 3D model of the room.

7. An air conditioner comprising the air conditioner control device according to claim 1.

8. receiving indoor status information from the air conditioner control device according to claim 3; An analysis unit that analyzes an airflow state in the room based on the state information in the room, An analysis server that transmits the airflow state in the room, which is the analysis result of the analysis unit, to the air conditioner control device.

9. It controls the air conditioner that cools the room where the air purifier is installed, a storage step of storing a plurality of airflow patterns of the air conditioner; A setting step of selecting one of the airflow patterns from the plurality of airflow patterns and setting the one airflow pattern in the air conditioner, The setting step is an air conditioner control method executed by a computer that selects the airflow pattern so that conditioned air from the air conditioner becomes an airflow that flows to the air purifier, and sets the airflow pattern in the air conditioner.

10. An air conditioner control program that causes a computer to execute the air conditioner control method according to claim 9.

Images