Air-conditioning control system

Abstract

To allow a user to easily operate an air conditioning apparatus while suppressing energy consumption.SOLUTION: Air conditioners 12a to 12d perform air conditioning in respective regions thereof. A control device 14 controls the air conditioners 12a to 12d. During a first time period, the control device 14 operates the air conditioners 12a to 12d. During a second time period, when operation to activate the air conditioner is input into the mobile terminal 90 carried by a user, the control device determines in which air conditioner region the mobile terminal 90 is located. When determining that the mobile terminal 90 is located in the region of the air conditioner 12a or 12b, the control device operates the air conditioner 12a or 12b and does not operate the air conditioners 12c and 12d. When determining that the mobile terminal 90 is not located in the region of the air conditioner 12a or 12b, the control device does not operate any of the air conditioners 12a to 12d.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an air-conditioning control system for controlling an air conditioner.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a facility operation time adjustment device and a program.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] If the air conditioner is operated without limitation outside of regular hours based on an application, energy consumption will increase. Although it is conceivable to suppress energy consumption by making the operation of the air conditioner outside of regular hours a permission system, in that case, the air conditioner cannot be operated immediately as needed, which is troublesome. This invention aims to solve problems such as this, and suppress energy consumption without increasing the user's trouble.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The air-conditioning control system includes a first air-conditioning device that performs air-conditioning in a first area, a second air-conditioning device that performs air-conditioning in a second area different from the first area, and a control device that controls the first and second air-conditioning devices. The control device operates the first and second air-conditioning devices in a first time period. In a second time period different from the first time period, it is determined whether a portable terminal device carried by a user exists in the first area. When it is determined that the portable terminal device exists in the first area, based on an operation input to the portable terminal device, the first air-conditioning device is operated and the second air-conditioning device is not operated. When it is determined that the portable terminal device does not exist in the first area, neither the first nor the second air-conditioning device is operated.

Advantages of the Invention

[0006] According to the air-conditioning control system, by restricting the air-conditioning devices to be operated in the second time period, energy consumption can be suppressed, and a user in the area where the air-conditioning device can operate can easily operate the air-conditioning device by operating the portable terminal device.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] Referring to FIG. 1, the office 80 will be described. The office 80 is a space where users such as employees work, and is provided with a number of desks 81a to 81p and a plurality of air-conditioning devices 12a to 12d. One or more seats are provided on the desks 81a to 81p. The office 80 has a free-address system, and in principle, users sit at their preferred seats to work. The air conditioner 12a conditions the air in area 82a, which is one of the divided areas 82a to 82d in the office 80. Area 82a includes, for example, desks 81a to 81d. The air conditioner 12b conditions the air in area 82b, which is one of the areas 82a to 82d. Area 82b includes, for example, desks 81e to 81h. The air conditioner 12c conditions the air in area 82c, which is one of the areas 82a to 82d. Area 82c includes, for example, desks 81i to 81l. The air conditioner 12d conditions the air in area 82d, which is one of the areas 82a to 82d. Area 82d includes, for example, desks 81m to 81p.

[0009] Referring to FIG. 2, the air conditioning control system 10 will be described. The air conditioning control system 10 controls the air conditioning in the office 80. The control method of the air conditioning in the office 80 varies depending on the time zone. During the predetermined working hours or during the core time in the flextime system, etc., in a time zone where a large number of users are assumed to be present (an example of the first time zone), basically all the air conditioners 12a to 12d are operated. On the other hand, during a time zone where relatively few users are assumed to be present, such as outside the predetermined working hours (an example of the second time zone), basically the air conditioners 12a to 12d are not operated. However, if there is a request from the user, only some of the air conditioners 12a to 12d are operated. This suppresses energy consumption. Note that the flexible time in the flextime system may be treated as the first time zone or the second time zone depending on the number of users assumed to be present. Also, the air conditioners to be operated in the second time zone may be determined in advance or may be determined each time.

[0010] The air conditioning control system 10 includes, for example, the air conditioners 12a to 12d described above, a position detection device 13, and a control device 14. The position detection device 13 and the control device 14 are, for example, server devices, and realize the functions described below by executing the stored computer programs. The functions of the position detection device 13 and the control device 14 may be realized distributively by a plurality of server devices, or may be realized by a common server device. Further, some or all of the functions of the position detection device 13 and the control device 14 may be realized by a virtual server device provided in the cloud.

[0011] The position detection device 13 grasps the position of the user carrying the portable terminal device 90 (for example, a smartphone, etc.) by detecting the position of the portable terminal device 90 carried by the user. For example, the portable terminal device 90 communicates with an NFC (Near Field Communication) tag installed in the seat, reads the data stored in the NFC tag, and transmits the read information. The position detection device 13 detects the position where the portable terminal device 90 exists by receiving and analyzing the information transmitted from the portable terminal device 90. Alternatively, when the portable terminal device 90 communicates with the control device 14 via a wireless LAN (Local Area Network), the position detection device 13 obtains information about the connected portable terminal device 90 from the access point device to which the portable terminal device 90 is connected in order to relay the communication with the portable terminal device 90, and analyzes the obtained information to detect the position where the portable terminal device 90 exists.

[0012] The control device 14 controls the air conditioners 12a to 12d based on the operations input by the user to the portable terminal device 90, the position of the portable terminal device 90 detected by the position detection device 13, and the like.

[0013] In the first time period, the control device 14 operates all of the air conditioners 12a to 12d. The control device 14 may control the air conditioners 12a to 12d, such as raising or lowering the set temperature of the air conditioners 12a to 12d, based on the operations input by the user to the portable terminal device 90. For example, an application program for air conditioning control is pre-installed in the mobile terminal device 90. The user activates this application program and inputs operations such as tapping a button displayed on the screen. The operations input by the user are transmitted to the control device 14 via a wireless LAN, a public communication line, or the like. The control device 14 controls the air conditioners 12a to 12d based on the operation content received from the mobile terminal device 90. For example, the number of opinions of "too hot" and the number of opinions of "too cold" are tabulated, and if the number of opinions of "too hot" is larger, the set temperature is lowered. Conversely, if the number of opinions of "too cold" is larger, the set temperature is raised.

[0014] In the second time zone, the control device 14 generally stops all of the air conditioners 12a to 12d. Thereby, the energy consumption can be suppressed. However, when there is an application from the user via the mobile terminal device 90, some of the air conditioners can be operated. For example, the user starts the application program installed in the mobile terminal device 90 and makes an application by tapping a button displayed on the screen. The mobile terminal device 90 transmits the application to the control device 14, and the control device 14 receives it.

[0015] It is also possible to determine in advance which air conditioners can be operated. For example, it is determined that the air conditioners 12a and 12b can be operated, and the air conditioners 12c and 12d are determined to be inoperable. In that case, when the control device 14 receives an application from the mobile terminal device 90, it determines in which of the areas 82a to 82d the mobile terminal device 90 is present based on the detection result by the position detection device 13. If the determined area is area 82a, the application is accepted and the air conditioner 12a is operated. Similarly, if the determined area is area 82b, the application is accepted and the air conditioner 12b is operated. On the other hand, if the determined area is area 82c or 82d, the application is rejected and the air conditioner is not operated. In addition, when the application is rejected, the fact may be transmitted to the mobile terminal device 90 and displayed on the screen of the mobile terminal device 90. Further, information indicating an area where the air conditioner can be operated may be transmitted to the mobile terminal device 90 to prompt the user to move to the operable area.

[0016] Rather than determining in advance the air conditioner that can be operated, it may be determined based on an application from the user. For example, an upper limit on the number of air conditioners to be operated is determined in advance, and starting from the area where an application is received from the user, the air conditioner is operated until the upper limit is reached. Alternatively, starting from the area with a large number of applications from the user, the air conditioner is operated until the upper limit is reached. For example, when the control device 14 receives an application from the mobile terminal device 90, it compares the number of already operating air conditioners with the upper limit of the number of air conditioners to be operated. If the number of already operated air conditioners has reached the upper limit, the application is rejected. If the number of already operated air conditioners has not reached the upper limit, based on the detection result by the position detection device 13, it is determined in which area among areas 82a to 82d the mobile terminal device 90 is present. Then, based on the determination result, the number of applications in the determined area is calculated, and the calculated number of applications is compared with a reference value. If the calculated number of applications exceeds the reference value, the application is accepted and the air conditioner corresponding to the determined area is operated. If the calculated number of applications has not reached the reference value, the acceptance of the application is postponed.

[0017] The reference value may be "0". In that case, the air conditioner will be operated in the order of applications received. If the reference value is greater than "0", even if there is an application, the air conditioner is not immediately operated, and the air conditioner is operated only after a certain number of applications have been accumulated. By doing so, it is not a first-come, first-served basis, and the air conditioner in the area where there are a certain number of users who want to operate the air conditioner can be operated. The reference value may be changed according to the passage of time. For example, as the elapsed time since the first application increases, the reference value is decreased. By doing so, even when the number of applications is small, it is possible to prevent the acceptance of applications from being indefinitely postponed. Also, the reference value may be different for each area. For example, the reference value for the area corresponding to the air conditioner that is mainly desired to be operated may be decreased, and the reference value for the area corresponding to the air conditioner that is not desired to be operated very much may be increased. Furthermore, the reference value may be determined based on the number of applications in other areas. For example, based on the maximum of the number of applications in other areas where the air conditioner is not yet operating, a reference value for comparing with the number of applications is determined. For example, a number obtained by adding a predetermined number to the maximum value of the number of applications is used as the reference value. By doing so, the air conditioners can be operated in the order of the number of users who want to operate the air conditioners being large.

[0018] In this way, by restricting the air conditioners to be operated in the second time zone, energy consumption can be suppressed. If the air conditioners that can be operated in the second time zone are determined in advance, users in the area corresponding to the air conditioner can easily operate the air conditioner just by applying from the portable terminal device 90. If the user is guided to the area where the air conditioner can be operated when the application is rejected, users can be gathered in the area where the air conditioner can be operated. Rather than determining in advance the air conditioners that can be operated in the second time zone, if only the upper limit of the number of air conditioners that can be operated is determined in advance and which air conditioner is to be operated is determined based on the applications from the users, the number of users who have to move to the area where the air conditioner is operating can be minimized.

[0019] When the air conditioner is operated based on an application from a user, the control device 14 may monitor whether the user is at the location where the application was made based on the detection result by the position detection device 13. And when the user leaves that location, the air conditioner is stopped. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the air conditioner from continuing to operate even when the user has left, and it is possible to suppress energy consumption. When there are a plurality of users who have made an operation application for one air conditioner, if the number of users remaining at the location where the application was made among the users who have made the application is less than a reference value, the air conditioner may be stopped.

[0020] Also, the control device 14 may stop the air conditioner based on information other than the position information of the user. For example, when the elapsed time since the air conditioner was operated exceeds a reference value, the air conditioner may be stopped. The reference value in this case may be a fixed value determined in advance, or may be determined based on, for example, the overtime application information of the user obtained from the work attendance management system.

[0021] The embodiments described above are examples for facilitating the understanding of the present invention. The present invention is not limited thereto, and includes those that are variously modified, changed, added, or removed without departing from the scope defined by the appended claims. This can be easily understood by those skilled in the art from the above description.

[0022] In central air conditioning control in a large-scale office, in addition to a large amount of energy consumption, it is common for overtime charges and separate charges to be added outside of regular hours. For this reason, easy and efficient air conditioning management is required. In order to solve those problems, the number of air conditioners operating during early departure and overtime hours is limited to ensure energy saving, and at the same time, it is possible to easily perform overtime air conditioning operation from a user's hand terminal (such as a smartphone) in the corresponding area. Here, the "early departure and overtime hours" refer to the time (the second time zone) outside the "core time" (the first time zone) pre-set by the administrator. The air-conditioning control system uses a system that enables office users (hereinafter referred to as users) to control the nearby air-conditioning by touching the NFC tag installed at each seat with their own hand-held terminal (smartphone). The air-conditioning equipment has, for example, one heat source device, and a plurality of air handling units (AHUs) for performing air-conditioning control using the air sent from there are installed on each floor. The system for limiting the air-conditioning operable area limits the number of operating AHUs. Which AHU to operate is determined and decided in advance manually based on the performance of each AHU and the work characteristics of the users working within the control range. The operating area can be changed as appropriate without compromising the comfort of the users. During early departure and overtime, an operation request for the air-conditioning equipment can be sent to the system by touching the NFC tag using the user's hand-held terminal (such as a smartphone). The system determines whether the current time is the early departure and overtime time zone and whether the installation position of the NFC tag is within the air-conditioning operable area. If the conditions are met, air-conditioning control for a certain period of time is enabled. By using this system, the operation of the air-conditioning can be realized only in the necessary locations, and the amount of energy consumption and power consumption due to unnecessary air-conditioning operation time can also be reduced. An out-of-hours operation request for the air-conditioning can be made by touching the NFC using a hand-held terminal (such as a smartphone). It is verified whether the location information matches the pre-set air-conditioning area and whether it is the early departure and overtime time. For each out-of-hours usage application, the air-conditioning is operated only for a certain period of time. Limit the air-conditioning area that can be operated. This enables the operation of the air-conditioning only in the necessary locations, leading to energy conservation and power saving. It reduces the trouble of applications and saves time for both the administrator and the users. Also, it enables the operation of the air-conditioning only for the necessary time, leading to energy conservation and power saving. And it can reduce the basic power consumption amount. Since the operating area can be changed as appropriate, flexible operation is possible without compromising the comfort of the office due to the area setting.

Explanation of Signs

[0023] 10 Air conditioning control system, 12a to 12d Air conditioners, 13 Position detection device, 14 Control device, 80 Office, 81a to 81p Desks, 82a to 82d Areas, 90 Mobile terminal device.

Claims

1. a first air conditioner for air-conditioning in a first area; a second air conditioner for air-conditioning in a second area different from the first area; a control device for controlling the first and second air conditioners and comprising: the control device: operates the first and second air conditioners in a first time period; in a second time period different from the first time period, determines whether a portable terminal device carried by a user exists in the first area; when it is determined that the portable terminal device exists in the first area, operates the first air conditioner based on an operation input to the portable terminal device and does not operate the second air conditioner; when it is determined that the portable terminal device does not exist in the first area, does not operate either the first or the second air conditioner; an air-conditioning control system.

2. a first air conditioner for air-conditioning in a first area; a second air conditioner for air-conditioning in a second area different from the first area; a control device for controlling the first and second air conditioners and comprising: the control device: operates the first and second air conditioners in a first time period; in a second time period different from the first time period, determines in which of the first and second areas a portable terminal device carried by one or more users exists; when none of the air conditioners is operating and the number of portable terminal devices existing in the first area among the portable terminal devices in which an operation to operate the air conditioner has been input is greater than a first reference value, operates the first air conditioner and does not operate the second air conditioner; when none of the air conditioners is operating and the number of portable terminal devices existing in the second area among the portable terminal devices in which an operation to operate the air conditioner has been input is greater than a second reference value, operates the second air conditioner and does not operate the first air conditioner; an air-conditioning control system.

3. the control device: in the second time period, after operating the first air conditioner based on the operation input to the portable terminal device, determines whether the portable terminal device has left the location where the operation was input; when it is determined that the portable terminal device has left the location, stops the first air conditioner; the air-conditioning control system according to Claim 1 or 2.

4. the control device: When, in the second time period, the elapsed time since the first air conditioner was operated based on the operation input to the mobile terminal device exceeds a reference value, the first air conditioner is stopped. The air conditioning control system according to claim 1 or 2.

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