Building

Abstract

To provide a building capable of managing a temperature of a sleeping room for good sleep.SOLUTION: A building H of the present invention comprises: blowout ports 14A and 14B provided in a sleeping room A; a supply mechanism 10 that suctions air from each of a plurality of spaces B and F that are different from the sleeping room A and have different temperatures, and supplies the suctioned air to the sleeping room A through the blowout ports 14A and 14B; and a first adjustment mechanism 18 that adjusts an amount of air suctioned by the supply mechanism 10 for each of the plurality of spaces.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a building, and more particularly to a building capable of controlling the temperature of sleeping rooms. [Background technology]

[0002] In homes and other buildings, when air conditioners (especially cooling) are used while sleeping, many users cite problems such as a deterioration in the sleep environment, such as waking up during the night because the room temperature is not appropriate when the air conditioner is running. To address this problem, users have tried to improve the sleep environment by running the air conditioner in an adjacent room other than the sleeping room and leaving the doors to both rooms open to let cool air flow from the adjacent room into the sleeping room, or, if multiple people live in the building, by having each person sleep in separate rooms with temperatures set to suit their individual constitutions, such as age and gender. However, both methods use a lot of electricity and are costly.

[0003] Solutions to the above problems have been proposed in the past. One example is Patent Document 1, which proposes a method for controlling the set temperature, humidity, and airflow strength of an air conditioner based on the perceived temperature of a user who is likely to wake up during the night. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-132581 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the method described in Patent Document 1 cannot solve the problem of waking up during the night when there are multiple users who are prone to waking up during the night in the same room. Also, when users who experience different sensible temperatures sleep in different rooms, it is necessary to install an air conditioner in each room, making it difficult to reduce electricity usage and electricity charges (costs).

[0006] Additionally, it is known that waking up during the night can be caused by a woman's menstrual cycle and menopausal symptoms. A woman's menstrual cycle includes periods of high (high temperature) and low (low temperature) basal body temperature, and during the high temperature period, she tends to have shallower sleep. Furthermore, during menopause (around age 50), hormonal imbalances and disruptions to the autonomic nervous system (thermoregulatory function) can cause various physical symptoms, one of which is hot flashes. Hot flashes are sudden, unrelated symptoms of heat and sweating in the upper body, such as the face and neck, regardless of the ambient temperature. These effects (hot flashes and night sweats) are known to cause waking up during the night. Furthermore, hot flashes can sometimes be accompanied by heat in the upper body and chills in the lower body (chill flashes). However, no technology has yet been developed to adjust the temperature of a sleeping room while taking into account the aforementioned changes in body temperature specific to women and the symptoms associated with menopausal body temperature changes.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its object is to provide a building in which the temperature of a sleeping room can be controlled to ensure a good night's sleep. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The above problem is solved by the building of the present invention by providing an air outlet provided in the sleeping room, a supply mechanism that draws in air from each of a plurality of spaces that are different from the sleeping room and have different temperatures, and supplies the drawn-in air to the sleeping room through the outlet, and a first adjustment mechanism that adjusts the amount of air drawn in by the supply mechanism for each of the plurality of spaces.

[0009] In the building of the present invention configured as described above, it is possible to supply air at different temperatures to the sleeping room from each of a plurality of spaces different from the sleeping room, so that the room temperature in the sleeping room can be adjusted to a temperature suitable for a good night's sleep without using an air conditioner.

[0010] Furthermore, in the above-described building, it is preferable that the first adjustment mechanism includes a first switch provided for each space that opens and closes to adjust the amount of air drawn in by the supply mechanism, and a first control device that controls the first switch for each space and adjusts the opening degree of the first switch for each space. According to the above configuration, it is possible to draw an appropriate amount of air from each of a plurality of spaces different from the sleeping room.

[0011] In addition, in the above-mentioned building, it is more preferable that the supply mechanism includes an air mixer that mixes air drawn in from multiple spaces to generate mixed air, and that the mixed air is supplied to the sleeping room through the air outlet. According to the above configuration, it is possible to supply mixed air, which is air adjusted to an appropriate temperature, to a sleeping room.

[0012] In addition, in the above-mentioned building, it is preferable that the first control device determines the average time of falling asleep over a predetermined period of time in the past based on historical information on the time of falling asleep of users of bedding placed in the sleeping room, and starts supplying air by the supply mechanism from a start time set according to the determined average time of falling asleep. According to the above configuration, the room temperature can be automatically adjusted to match the time when the user of the bedding falls asleep, which allows the user to fall asleep smoothly and enjoy a good night's sleep without being disturbed by an inappropriate room temperature.

[0013] Furthermore, it is preferable that the above-mentioned building further includes a sensor that detects actions taken by users when they wake up, and that the first control device terminates the supply of air by the supply mechanism depending on the time the sensor detects the action. According to the above configuration, it is possible to end the temperature adjustment control in the sleeping room in accordance with the wake-up time of the user.

[0014] In addition, in the above building, it is preferable that an air outlet is provided in each of multiple locations in the sleeping room, and that a second adjustment mechanism is provided to adjust the amount of air supplied through each air outlet for each air outlet. With the above configuration, it is possible to set the temperature of the air supplied from the air outlet depending on the location in the sleeping room. With this configuration, it is possible to cool either the upper or lower body of the user intensively.

[0015] Furthermore, in the above-described building, it is preferable that the second adjustment mechanism includes a second switch provided for each air outlet and opening and closing to adjust the amount of air supplied through the air outlet, and a second control device that controls the second switch for each air outlet and adjusts the opening degree of the second switch for each air outlet. According to the above configuration, it is possible to supply an appropriate amount of air from each air outlet in the sleeping room.

[0016] In the above building, it is preferable that the second control device controls the second switch for each air outlet based on at least one of the temperature and humidity in the bedding placed in the sleeping room. According to the above configuration, it is possible to determine whether or not a sleeping user is experiencing an abnormality (for example, a hot flash symptom), and to adjust the temperature in the sleeping room based on the presence or absence of the abnormality.

[0017] In addition, in the above-mentioned building, it is preferable that the second control device controls the second open / close switch for each air outlet based on the temperature inside the bedding measured on the side where the user's head is placed and the temperature inside the bedding measured on the side where the user's feet are placed. According to the above configuration, air can be supplied from each outlet so as to generate a temperature difference between the upper body and the lower body of the user while sleeping.

[0018] In the above building, it is preferable that the second control device controls the second switch for each air outlet in accordance with a control mode designated according to the attributes of the user of the bedding. According to the above configuration, the room temperature of the sleeping room can be adjusted to a temperature suitable for the attributes of the bedding user (specifically, gender, age, menopausal symptoms, etc.).

[0019] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned building, it is preferable that the second control device identifies the trend of temperature change inside the bedding over a predetermined period in the past based on historical information about the temperature inside the bedding, and controls the second switch for each air outlet based on the identified trend of change. According to the above configuration, the room temperature of the sleeping room can be adjusted to an appropriate temperature according to the period during which the body temperature of the bedding user changes cyclically (for example, the high and low temperature periods in a woman's menstrual cycle).

[0020] Furthermore, in the above-described building, when a specific mode is designated as the control mode and the humidity inside the bedding is higher than a reference value, the second control device calculates the temperature difference between the temperature inside the bedding measured on the side of the bedding where the user's head is placed and the temperature inside the bedding measured on the side where the user's feet are placed, and when the temperature difference becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value, it preferably controls the second switch for each air outlet so that the amount of air supplied through the air outlet closest to the user's upper body is greater than the amount of air supplied through the other air outlets. According to the above configuration, when the upper body of a sleeping user rises due to hot flashes or the like, air can be supplied from each outlet so as to selectively lower the temperature of the user's upper body. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] The building of the present invention enables temperature control of the sleeping room to ensure a comfortable sleep for the user. In addition, since the room temperature of the sleeping room can be adjusted without using an air conditioner, electricity consumption can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a building according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a supply mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 illustrates a control mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 4A and 4B are schematic diagrams showing attachment positions of sensors in bedding according to one embodiment of the present invention, where FIG. 4A is a top view of the bedding and FIG. 4B is a side view of the bedding. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing user information data. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing sleep history data. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing mode condition data. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing temperature setting data for each mode. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing table data relating to opening and closing patterns of an intake louver. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing table data relating to opening and closing patterns of an air outlet louver. [Figure 11] 10 is a control flow relating to temperature management in sleeping room A. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a control flow relating to the opening and closing of each louver when the high temperature period mode or the low temperature period mode is selected. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a control flow relating to the opening and closing of each louver when the menopausal mode is selected. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] <<About a building according to one embodiment of the present invention>> A building according to one embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the present embodiment) will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiment described below is merely an example for facilitating understanding of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. In other words, the present invention may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention naturally includes equivalents thereof. In the drawings, the structure of each component is shown simplified and schematic to make the explanation easier to understand. Also, the size (dimensions) of each component and the spacing between components shown in the drawings may differ from the actual ones.

[0024] In this specification, a "user" refers to a person who uses a sleeping room (bedroom) in the building of the present invention, where temperature control is performed while the user is sleeping, and more specifically, a person who uses the bedding installed in the sleeping room. A sleeping room where temperature control is performed while the user is sleeping is a space where no air conditioner is installed or where no air conditioner is used. The building of the present invention is used to control the temperature (room temperature) in a sleeping room, to help a user sleep well and to prevent the user from waking up during the night.

[0025] In the following description, a house will be used as an example of a building. However, the building of the present invention may be any building that has a plurality of spaces with different temperatures (air temperatures) in addition to a sleeping room, and may be a building other than a house, such as an accommodation facility. The house according to this embodiment is a house that has a space where cool air circulates and a space where warm air circulates in addition to a sleeping room, for example, a house as shown in FIG. 1 (hereinafter referred to as House H).

[0026] As shown in Figure 1, house H has multiple spaces, specifically, sleeping room A, sleeping room B, and hallway F. Sleeping room B and hallway F are adjacent spaces to sleeping room A. Sleeping room B is equipped with an air conditioner AC, so in the summer, cool air is circulated by the air conditioner AC in sleeping room B, maintaining the room at a constant temperature. On the other hand, sleeping room A and hallway F are not equipped with an air conditioner AC. Hallway F is an unoccupied room and does not have an air conditioner, so warm air is circulated in the summer. Here, sleeping room A corresponds to the "sleeping room" of the present invention, and is the room in which temperature control is performed in this embodiment. Sleeping room B and hallway F correspond to the "plural spaces different from the sleeping room and having different temperatures" of the present invention. The number of rooms and their uses are not particularly limited as long as the space allows cold and warm air to circulate. Also, the space is not particularly limited to indoors and may be outdoors as long as warm air is circulated.

[0027] In a house H according to this embodiment, a supply mechanism 10 provided inside a wall W draws in cool air through a first intake louver 12A provided in a sleeping room B and draws in warm air through a second intake louver 12B provided in a hallway F. The supply mechanism 10 is configured to supply the drawn-in air to a sleeping room A through a first outlet louver 14A and a second outlet louver 14B. The house H also includes a first adjustment mechanism 16 that adjusts the amount of air drawn in through the first intake louver 12A and the second intake louver 12B, and a second adjustment mechanism 18 that adjusts the amount of air supplied through the first outlet louver 14A and the second outlet louver 14B. The amount of drawn air is the amount of air delivered per unit time, i.e., the flow rate of air flowing through the intake path.

[0028] In addition, a first sensor unit 20 is attached to the bedding C in the sleeping room A to measure the room temperature of the sleeping room A and the sleeping state and sleeping environment of the user U. Examples of the bedding C include a bed, a futon, and a mattress. In addition, the first intake louver 12A and the second intake louver 12B each have a built-in second sensor (intake temperature sensor) 22 that measures the temperature of the space into which the air is being drawn, in other words, the room temperature of the sleeping room B and the corridor F. As shown in FIG. 3, the house H also includes a controller 24 that controls the supply mechanism 10, the first adjustment mechanism 16, and the second adjustment mechanism 18.

[0029] The supply mechanism 10 draws in air from each of the sleeping room B and the corridor F and supplies the drawn-in air to the sleeping room A through an outlet, and as shown in Figure 1, is equipped with a duct L, a mixing valve 26, and a fan 28. The duct L is an air supply path through which air flows, and as shown in Fig. 2, it is composed of an intake duct L1 connected to the first intake louver 12A, an intake duct L2 connected to the second intake louver 12B, an exhaust duct L3 connected to the first outlet louver 14A, and an exhaust duct L4 connected to the second outlet louver 14B. Note that in the drawing, components shown with dashed lines indicate components inside the wall. The mixing valve 26 is an air mixer that generates mixed air by mixing the air drawn in from the sleeping room B and the hallway F, and in the house H, it mixes the cool air drawn in from the sleeping room B with the warm air drawn in from the hallway F. The supply mechanism 10 then supplies the mixed air generated by the mixing valve 26 to the sleeping room A through the air outlet. When the fan 28 operates (rotates), it draws in air from each of the sleeping rooms B and the corridor F, and discharges the drawn-in air to the sleeping room A through the ducts L (L1 to L4).

[0030] The first intake louver 12A is arranged on a wall surface B1 on one side of the sleeping room B, and the second intake louver 12B is arranged on a wall surface F1 on one side of the space of the corridor F. Note that the number of the first intake louvers 12A and the second intake louvers 12B and their positions on the wall surface A1 are not particularly limited.

[0031] The first outlet louver 14A is arranged on a wall surface A1 on one side of the sleeping room A, on the side of the upper body of a user U lying on bedding C, and the second outlet louver 14B is arranged on the same wall surface A1, on the side of the lower body of the user U. The sleeping room A is provided with a plurality of air intake ports (air outlets) for taking in air, and the openings of the first outlet louver 14A and the second outlet louver 14B are attached so as to be continuously connected to these air intake ports. The number of first outlet louvers 14A and 14B is not particularly limited. The height at which first outlet louvers 14A and 14B are disposed on wall surface A1 is also not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of air circulation, it is preferable that they are disposed at the upper part of wall surface A1.

[0032] The first adjustment mechanism 16 adjusts the amount of air drawn by the supply mechanism 10 into each of the sleeping rooms B and the corridor F. The first adjustment mechanism 16 includes first switches that open and close the first and second intake louvers 12A and 12B, respectively, specifically, first intake louver switch 30A and second intake louver switch 30B, and a first control device 32. The first intake louver switch 30A adjusts the amount of air drawn from the sleeping room B and is a valve or damper that adjusts the opening degree of the first intake louver 12A. The second intake louver switch 30B adjusts the amount of air drawn from the corridor F and is a valve or damper that adjusts the opening degree of the second intake louver 12B. The first control device 32 is a control circuit configured to control each of the first switches, specifically, the first intake louver switch 30A and second intake louver switch 30B, depending on the control mode selected by the controller 24.

[0033] The second adjustment mechanism 18 adjusts the amount of air supplied to the sleeping room A through each of the air outlets provided in a plurality of locations in the sleeping room A, more specifically, through each of the first air outlet louvers 14A and 14B, for each air outlet. The second adjustment mechanism 18 includes second switches that open and close the first air outlet louver 14A and the second air outlet louver 14B, respectively, specifically, a first air outlet louver switch 34A and a second air outlet louver switch 34B, and a second control device 36. The first air outlet louver switch 34A adjusts the amount of air blown into the sleeping room A and is a valve or damper that adjusts the opening degree of the first air outlet louver 14A. The second air outlet louver switch 34B adjusts the amount of air blown into the sleeping room A and is a valve or damper that adjusts the opening degree of the second air outlet louver 14B. The second control device 36 is a control circuit configured to control each of the second switches, specifically the first outlet grille switch 34A and the second outlet grille switch 34B, depending on the control mode selected by the controller 24.

[0034] The first sensor unit 20 consists of multiple sensors attached to the bedding C in the sleeping room A, and specifically consists of an in-bed temperature (upper body) sensor 38, an in-bed temperature (lower body) sensor 40, an in-bed humidity sensor 42, an indoor temperature sensor 44, and a sleep sensor 46. The in-bed temperature (upper body) sensor 38 and the in-bed temperature (lower body) sensor 40 measure the temperature inside the bedding C. More specifically, the in-bed temperature (upper body) sensor 38 measures the temperature inside the bedding C on the side where the user U's head is placed while the user U is sleeping, and the in-bed temperature (lower body) sensor 40 measures the temperature inside the bedding C on the side where the user U's feet are placed while the user U is sleeping. The in-bed humidity sensor 42 measures the humidity inside the bedding C, and the room temperature sensor 44 measures the temperature in the sleeping room A. The sleep sensor 46 measures the time when the user U falls asleep, the respiratory rate, the heart rate, etc. The sleep sensor 46 also detects the actions that the user U takes when waking up, such as getting out of the bedding C. The bed temperature (upper body) sensor 38, the bed temperature (lower body) sensor 40, the bed humidity sensor 42, and the sleep sensor 46 start measurement when the user U turns them on when going to bed.

[0035] The sensors other than the indoor temperature sensor 44 are sensors that measure the temperature inside the bed (i.e., inside the bedding C). As shown in Figures 4(a) and (b), the bed temperature (upper body) sensor 38, the bed humidity sensor 42, and the sleep sensor 46 are positioned inside the bedding C at position P1 of the upper body of the sleeping user U, and the bed temperature (lower body) sensor 40 is positioned inside the bedding C at position P2 of the lower body of the sleeping user U. The room temperature sensor 44 is placed at a position P3, such as on the side of the bedding C, near the sleeping user U, where the temperature of the sleeping room A can be measured appropriately.

[0036] The second sensors 22 are intake temperature sensors that are built into the first intake louver 12A and the second intake louver 12B, respectively, and measure the temperature of the air being drawn in. Specifically, the intake temperature sensor 22A built into the first intake louver 12A measures the temperature of the air being drawn in from sleeping room B, i.e., the air temperature in sleeping room B. The intake temperature sensor 22B built into the second intake louver 12B measures the temperature of the air being drawn in from corridor F, i.e., the air temperature in corridor F.

[0037] The controller 24 is a general-purpose computer device, and includes a data acquisition unit 48, a mode specification unit 50, a control unit 52, a storage unit 54, and an operation unit 56, as shown in FIG.

[0038] The data acquisition unit 48 acquires in real time the sleep environment information transmitted from the first sensor unit 20, specifically, the bed temperature (upper body temperature) information transmitted from the bed temperature (upper body) sensor 38, the bed temperature (lower body temperature) information transmitted from the bed temperature (lower body) sensor 40, the bed humidity information transmitted from the bed humidity sensor 42, and the sleep information transmitted from the sleep sensor 46 (specifically, the time of falling asleep, the time of waking up, the respiratory rate, the heart rate, etc.). In addition, the data acquisition unit 48 acquires the room temperature measured by the second sensor 22, specifically, the temperature information of the sleeping room B transmitted from the inhalation temperature sensor 22A and the temperature information of the hallway F transmitted from the inhalation temperature sensor 22B. Furthermore, the data acquisition unit 48 acquires user information (such as gender and age) input via the operation unit 56.

[0039] The mode specifying unit 50 specifies one mode from a plurality of control modes for managing the temperature of the sleeping room A, specifically, a high temperature period mode, a low temperature period mode, and a menopausal period mode, based on the user information. The menopausal period mode corresponds to the specified mode. The control unit 52 controls the supply mechanism 10, the first adjustment mechanism 16, and the second adjustment mechanism 18 based on the control mode specified by the mode specification unit 50. In addition, in this embodiment, the control unit 52 controls the first open / close switches (specifically, the first suction louver open / close switch 30A and the second suction louver open / close switch 30B) through the first control device 32 of the first adjustment mechanism 16 to adjust the opening degrees of the first suction louver 12A and the second suction louver 12B. In addition, the control unit 52 controls the second open / close switches (specifically, the first outlet louver open / close switch 34A and the second outlet louver open / close switch 34B) through the second control device 36 of the second adjustment mechanism 18 to adjust the opening degrees of the first outlet louver 14A and the second outlet louver 14B.

[0040] The storage unit 54 stores and accumulates various types of information acquired by the data acquisition unit 48. Specifically, the storage unit 54 first stores user information shown in Fig. 5. The user information includes, for example, the identification ID, gender, and age of the user U. The user information also includes sleep history information of each user U shown in Fig. 6 based on various information acquired by the data acquisition unit 48. The sleep history information shown in Fig. 6 is an example of information relating to a woman under the age of 45.

[0041] The sleep history information includes, for example, for the day on which temperature control of sleeping room A was implemented, the date and the average temperature in the bed measured during operating hours on that day (daily average bed temperature), the average temperature in the bed over the last seven days (weekly average bed temperature), the control mode implemented (implementation mode), the time of fall asleep, and the average time of fall asleep over the last seven days (weekly average sleep onset time). Here, the weekly average bed temperature indicates the trend in the temperature in the bedding over a predetermined period in the past. In other words, the sleep history information can be said to be historical information on the temperature inside the bedding C.

[0042] The storage unit 54 also stores a mode condition table shown in Fig. 7. The mode condition table is table data in which user information (gender, age) and control modes are associated with each other, and the mode identification unit 50 identifies the control mode to which the user information (gender, age) belongs in the table cell. The storage unit 54 also stores set temperature information for the sleeping room A for each control mode shown in Fig. 8. Here, when the menopause mode is specified as the control mode, the control modes are divided into cases, and the set temperature differs between the control modes for each case depending on the condition and gender of the user U. Examples of each case include a case where the user U experiences hot flash symptoms (menopause (anti-hot flash)), a case where the user U does not experience hot flash symptoms and the subject is a man (menopause (normal-male)), and a case where the subject is a woman (menopause (normal-female)).

[0043] The memory unit 54 also stores an opening / closing table for the first intake louver 12A and the second intake louver 12B shown in Fig. 9 and an opening / closing table for the first outlet louver 14A and the second outlet louver 14B shown in Fig. 10. The opening / closing table for the first intake louver 12A and the second intake louver 12B is table data that associates the opening degrees (%) of the first intake louver 12A and the second intake louver 12B with the relationship between the set temperature x of the sleeping room A and the temperatures of other spaces (specifically, the temperature a of the sleeping room B and the temperature b of the corridor F). The relationship between the set temperature x of the sleeping room A and the temperatures of other spaces (the temperature a of the sleeping room B and the temperature b of the corridor F) includes a pattern (1) in which the set temperature x is equal to or lower than the temperature a of the sleeping room B, a pattern (2) in which the set temperature x is higher than the temperature a of the sleeping room B and lower than the temperature b of the corridor F, and a pattern (3) in which the set temperature x is equal to or higher than the temperature b of the corridor F. The opening / closing table for the first outlet louver 14A and the second outlet louver 14B is table data in which the opening degrees (%) of the first outlet louver 14A and the second outlet louver 14B are associated with each control mode (including by case).

[0044] <<Control flow for temperature management in sleeping room A>> Next, the overall flow of control (hereinafter simply referred to as the control flow) for managing the temperature of the sleeping room A in the house H according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. Note that the control flow described below is merely an example, and some steps in the flow may be changed, new steps may be added, or the order in which steps are performed may be rearranged, as long as it does not deviate from the spirit of the present invention.

[0045] In the control flow, the controller 24 designates a control mode while referring to the data stored in the memory unit 54, and controls the supply mechanism 10, the first adjustment mechanism 16, and the second adjustment mechanism 18 according to the designated control mode and the set temperature corresponding to that control mode. In the control flow, first, the control unit 52 of the controller 24 acquires the sleep history information shown in Fig. 6 from the storage unit 54 (S001). The control unit 52, in cooperation with the first control device 32 of the first adjustment mechanism 16, determines the average time to fall asleep over the past week (corresponding to a predetermined period) up to the previous day, i.e., the weekly average time to fall asleep over the previous day, based on the sleep history information. The control unit 52 then determines whether the current time is within 30 minutes of the weekly average time to fall asleep over the previous day (S002).

[0046] If the current time is not within 30 minutes of the previous day's weekly average sleep onset time (NO in S002), the process returns to step S001. On the other hand, if the current time is within 30 minutes of the previous day's weekly average sleep onset time (YES in S002), the control unit 52 cooperates with the first control device 32 to start supplying air by the supply mechanism 10 at that time. In this way, the start time of the air supply is set according to the identified weekly average sleep onset time (i.e., the average sleep onset time). In addition, the control unit 52 first acquires room temperature information of sleeping room A and sleeping room B (the adjacent room) from the room temperature sensor 44 and the second sensor (first intake temperature sensor) 22A built into the first intake louver 12A (S003), and determines whether the air conditioner in the adjacent room to sleeping room A is operating and cooling the air in sleeping room B (S004).

[0047] If it is determined that the air in the adjacent room is cooled (YES in S004), the mode identification unit 50 reads out the user information shown in Fig. 5 and the mode condition table shown in Fig. 7 from the storage unit 54, and specifies a control mode corresponding to the user information (S005). Here, the control mode is specified as one of the high temperature period mode, low temperature period mode, and menopausal period mode according to the attributes (gender and age) of the user U indicated by the user information. The high temperature period mode is used for men with a high perceived temperature and women with a menstrual cycle whose basal body temperature is in the high temperature period. The low temperature period mode is used for women with a low perceived temperature (including women with a menstrual cycle whose basal body temperature is in the low temperature period). For example, if user U is a woman under 45 years old, the weekly average bed temperature is compared with the previous day's average daily bed temperature, and if the previous day's average daily bed temperature is 0.3°C or more higher than the weekly average bed temperature, the high temperature period mode is specified. Conversely, if the average bed temperature is 0.3°C or more lower than the weekly average bed temperature, the low temperature period mode is specified. Note that the method for specifying the high temperature period / low temperature period mode is not limited to this, and the control mode may also be specified by comparing the bed temperature obtained in real time on the day with the weekly average bed temperature. The menopause mode is a control mode for hot flashes, and usually a control mode based on gender, specifically, the menopause (normal-male) mode or the menopause (normal-female) mode, is specified. Note that in the menopause (normal-male) mode, the same control flow as in the high temperature mode is executed, and in the menopause (normal-female) mode, the same control flow as in the low temperature mode is executed.

[0048] When a control mode is designated according to the attributes of the user U (S005), the control unit 52 operates the mixing valve 26 and the fan 28, and controls the first intake louver opener 30A, the second intake louver opener 30B, the first discharge louver opener 34A, and the second discharge louver opener 34B via the first control device 32 of the first adjustment mechanism 16 and the second control device 36 of the second adjustment mechanism 18, respectively, based on the designated control mode, thereby managing the temperature of the sleeping room A (S006). As a result, the entire room can be adjusted to the set temperature of the control mode before the user U goes to sleep.

[0049] Thereafter, when the user U goes to bed, the in-bed temperature (upper body) sensor 38, the in-bed temperature (lower body) sensor 40, the in-bed humidity sensor 42, and the sleep sensor 46 are powered on, causing each sensor to start measurement. The sleep information measured by the sleep sensor 46 and the sleep environment information measured by the in-bed temperature (upper body) sensor 38, the in-bed temperature (lower body) sensor 40, and the in-bed humidity sensor 42 are transmitted to the data acquisition unit 48 of the controller 24 and stored in the memory unit 54 (S007). Note that in the high temperature period mode or the low temperature period mode, it is not necessary to acquire and store the in-bed humidity as sleep environment information. When the sleep sensor 46 detects that the user U has woken up (S008), the control unit 52 stops the operation of the mixing valve 26 and the fan 28 at that point and terminates the control flow related to the temperature management of the sleeping room A (in other words, the supply of air by the supply mechanism 10).

[0050] <<Control flow for opening and closing each louver in high temperature mode / low temperature mode>> Next, a flow of controlling the opening and closing of each louver in step S006 when the high temperature period mode or the low temperature period mode is designated in the control mode designation in step S005 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. When the high temperature period mode or the low temperature period mode is specified in the control mode specification in step S005, the control unit 52 of the controller 24 acquires temperature information of the sleeping room A from the room temperature sensor 44 (S061).

[0051] Furthermore, the control unit 52 determines whether or not the temperature (air temperature) of the sleeping room A from the room temperature sensor 44 differs from the set temperature of the control mode (designated mode) based on the set temperature information shown in FIG. 8 (S062). If it is determined that the temperature is the same as the set temperature for the control mode (NO in S062), the louvers are not opened or closed, and the process returns to step S061. On the other hand, if it is determined that the temperature is different from the set temperature for the control mode (YES in S062), the control unit 52 acquires temperature information, specifically, temperature information of the air drawn in from the sleeping room B and temperature information of the air drawn in from the corridor F, from the intake temperature sensors 22A and 22B built into the first intake louver 12A and the second intake louver 12B (S063).

[0052] Next, the control unit 52 reads out from the memory unit 54 an opening / closing table for the first intake louver 12A and the second intake louver 12B shown in Fig. 9, and identifies the relationship between the set temperature x of the selected control mode and the temperatures acquired from the intake temperature sensors 22A and 22B built into the first intake louver 12A and the second intake louver 12B. Specifically, the control unit 52 determines which of the following patterns the temperature relationship corresponds to: (1) a pattern in which the set temperature x is equal to or lower than the temperature a of the sleeping room B, (2) a pattern in which the set temperature x is higher than the temperature a of the sleeping room B and lower than the temperature b of the hallway F, or (3) a pattern in which the set temperature x is equal to or higher than the temperature b of the hallway F (S064). The control unit 52 also reads out from the memory unit 54 an opening / closing table for the first outlet louver 14A and the second outlet louver 14B shown in Fig. 10.

[0053] If the set temperature x is equal to or higher than the temperature b of the air drawn in from the corridor F (if the pattern determined in S064 is (3)), the opening degrees of the first intake louver 12A and the second intake louver 12B are controlled to 0%, and then the process returns to step S061. On the other hand, if the set temperature x is equal to or lower than the temperature a in the sleeping room B (if the pattern determined in S064 is (1)), or if the set temperature x is higher than the temperature a in the sleeping room B and lower than the temperature b in the hallway F (if the pattern determined in S064 is (2)), the control unit 52 adjusts the temperature of the air supplied to the sleeping room A based on the opening / closing table of the first intake louver 12A and the second intake louver 12B (S065). Specifically, the control unit 52 operates the mixing valve 26 and the fan 28, and controls the first intake louver opener / closer 30A and the second intake louver opener / closer 30B via the first control device 32, respectively, to adjust the opening degrees of the first intake louver 12A and the second intake louver 12B.

[0054] Furthermore, the control unit 52 controls the first outlet louver opener 34A and the second outlet louver opener 34B based on the opening / closing table of the outlet louvers shown in FIG. 10, specifically so that the opening degree of the first outlet louver 14A is 0% and the opening degree of the second outlet louver 14B is 100% (S066). This completes the control of opening and closing each louver in step S006 when the high temperature period mode or low temperature period mode is specified in step S005 of Fig. 10. This allows the temperature of the entire room to be set to the set temperature of the specified control mode before the user U goes to bed. After step S066 is completed, step S007 in the control flow of Fig. 10 is executed.

[0055] The control flow (S061 to S066) for opening and closing each louver related to the high temperature period / low temperature period modes described above is also performed when the menopause mode is specified (menopause mode (normal)) in step S005 of Fig. 10. Specifically, when the subject of the menopause mode is a man, the same control flow as in the high temperature period mode is executed, and when the subject is a woman, the same control flow as in the low temperature period mode is executed.

[0056] <<Control flow for opening and closing each louver related to menopausal mode>> Next, a flow of controlling the opening and closing of each louver in step S006 when the menopausal mode (specific mode) is designated in the control mode designation in step S005 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. In step S005 of FIG. 10, when the menopause mode is specified and the user U experiences hot flashes while sleeping, the set temperature of the sleeping room A is changed, and a control flow for opening and closing each louver according to the changed set temperature is executed.

[0057] 10, when the user U goes to bed, turns on the in-bed temperature (upper body) sensor 38, the in-bed temperature (lower body) sensor 40, the in-bed humidity sensor 42, and the sleep sensor 46, and each sensor starts measurement. The measured sleep environment information (including in-bed humidity information) is sent to the data acquisition unit 48 of the controller 24 (S007).

[0058] When the controller 24 acquires the sleeping environment information, the control unit 52 processes the sleeping environment information in real time and performs a hot flash determination. Specifically, the control unit 52 first determines whether the user U has a sweating symptom in the upper body based on the in-bed humidity information (S090). In this determination, the control unit 52 cooperates with the second control device 36 of the second adjustment mechanism 18 to determine whether the value indicated by the in-bed humidity information (i.e., the humidity in the bedding C) exceeds a reference value.

[0059] If the value indicated by the in-bed humidity information is equal to or lower than the reference value, that is, if there is no sweating symptom (NO in S090), the menopausal mode (normal) is maintained, and the process returns to step S061. On the other hand, when the value indicated by the in-bed humidity information is higher than the reference value, that is, when the user U has a sweating symptom (YES in S090), the control unit 52 acquires temperature information of the in-bed temperature (upper body and lower body) (S091) and determines whether the user U has a hot flash symptom (S092). Specifically, the control unit 52 cooperates with the second control device 36 of the second adjustment mechanism 18 to identify the in-bed temperature on the upper body side of the user U and the in-bed temperature on the lower body side, and calculates the temperature difference between these temperatures. Then, if the in-bed temperature on the upper body side is higher than the in-bed temperature on the lower body side and the temperature difference is equal to or greater than a threshold (predetermined value), it is determined that the user has a hot flash symptom, and if the temperature difference is less than the threshold, it is determined that the user does not have a hot flash symptom.

[0060] If there are no symptoms of hot flashes (NO in S092), the menopause mode (normal) is maintained, and the process returns to step S061. On the other hand, if there are symptoms of hot flashes (YES in S092), a hot flash countermeasure is implemented. The control unit 52 first acquires temperature information, specifically, temperature information of the air inhaled from the sleeping room B and temperature information of the air inhaled from the corridor F, from the inhalation temperature sensors 22A and 22B built into the first inhalation louver 12A and the second inhalation louver 12B (S093).

[0061] The control unit 52 reads out from the memory unit 54 an opening / closing table for the first intake louver 12A and the second intake louver 12B shown in Fig. 9, and identifies the relationship between the set temperature x of the selected control mode and the temperatures acquired from the intake temperature sensors 22A and 22B built into the first intake louver 12A and the second intake louver 12B. Specifically, the control unit 52 determines which of the following patterns the temperature relationship corresponds to: (1) a pattern in which the set temperature x is equal to or lower than the temperature a of the sleeping room B, (2) a pattern in which the set temperature x is higher than the temperature a of the sleeping room B and lower than the temperature b of the hallway F, or (3) a pattern in which the set temperature x is equal to or higher than the temperature b of the hallway F (S094). The control unit 52 also reads out from the memory unit 54 an opening / closing table for the first outlet louver 14A and the second outlet louver 14B shown in Fig. 10.

[0062] If the set temperature x is equal to or higher than the temperature b of the air drawn in from the corridor F (if the pattern determined in S094 is (3)), the opening degrees of the first intake louver 12A and the second intake louver 12B are controlled to 0%, after which the menopause mode (normal) is maintained and the process returns to step S061. On the other hand, if the set temperature x is equal to or lower than the temperature a in the sleeping room B (if the pattern determined in S094 is (1)), or if the set temperature x is higher than the temperature a in the sleeping room B and lower than the temperature b in the hallway F (if the pattern determined in S094 is (2)), the control unit 52 adjusts the temperature of the air supplied to the sleeping room A based on the opening / closing table for the first suction louver 12A and the second suction louver 12B (S095). Specifically, the control unit 52 operates the mixing valve 26 and the fan 28, and controls the first suction louver opener / closer 30A and the second suction louver opener / closer 30B via the first control device 32, respectively, to adjust the opening degrees of the first suction louver 12A and the second suction louver 12B.

[0063] Furthermore, the control unit 52 controls the first outlet louver opener / closer 34A and the second outlet louver opener / closer 34B based on the opening / closing table of the outlet louvers 14, specifically so that the opening degree of the first outlet louver 14A is 100% and the opening degree of the second outlet louver 14B is 0% (S096). Specifically, the control unit 52 controls the first outlet louver opener / closer 34A and the second outlet louver opener / closer 34B via the second control device 36, respectively, and adjusts the opening degrees of the first outlet louver 14A and the second outlet louver 14B so that the amount of air supplied through the outlet closest to the upper body of the user U among the multiple outlets is greater than the amount of air supplied through the other outlets. This makes it possible to cool only the upper body side of the user U that is experiencing symptoms such as flushing due to hot flashes. The control unit 52 repeats steps S007 to S096 until the hot flashes (menopausal symptoms) of the user U subside.

[0064] In steps S090, S092, and S094, if the menopausal mode (normal) is maintained, the same control flow as the control flow for opening and closing each louver related to the high temperature period / low temperature period mode (S061 to S066) described above is executed. If it is determined in steps S062, S064, and S008 that control of opening and closing each louver is unnecessary (NO in steps S062, S064, and S008), the process returns to step S007, and the control unit 52 performs a hot flash determination (steps S090 to S092). After completing step S066, the control unit 52 repeats a series of control flows according to the determination until it detects that the user U has woken up based on the sleep information acquired in step S007' (YES in S008).

[0065] According to the present invention, the room temperature of sleeping room A can be appropriately set and managed according to the attributes of user U, specifically, the difference in perceived temperature between men and women and the change in basal body temperature due to a woman's menstrual cycle, thereby improving the sleeping environment of user U. In addition, the presence or absence of hot flashes that occur regardless of the time of day while sleeping can be determined in real time, and if symptoms are confirmed, the room temperature setting in sleeping room A can be changed appropriately and the upper half of user U's body can be cooled, thereby improving the sleeping environment of user U. As a result, it is possible to prevent the user U from waking up during sleep, and to help the user U sleep soundly. Furthermore, since the room temperature of the sleeping room A of the user U can be adjusted without using an air conditioner, the amount of electricity used can be reduced. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 10 Supply mechanism 12A First intake louver 12B Second intake louver 14A First air outlet louver 14B Second air outlet louver 16 First adjustment mechanism 18 Second adjustment mechanism 20 First sensor unit 22 Second sensor (intake temperature sensor) 24 Controller 26 Mixing valve (air mixer) 28 fans 30A No. 1 intake louver opener 30B Second intake louver opener 32 First control device 34A First air outlet grille opener 34B Second air outlet grille opener 36 Second control device 38 Bed temperature (upper body) sensor 40 Bed temperature (lower body) sensor 42 Bed humidity sensor 44 Indoor temperature sensor 46 Sleep Sensor 48 Data Acquisition Section 50 Mode identification section 52 Processing section 54 Memory section 56 Operation section A. Sleeping room A1 Wall B. Sleeping room B1 wall C Bedding F Corridor F1 Wall H Housing U User L1, L2, L3, L4 ducts P1, P2, P3 position W Inside the wall AC Air Conditioner

Claims

1. An air outlet installed in the sleeping room, a supply mechanism that draws air from each of a plurality of spaces that are different from the sleeping room and have different temperatures, and supplies the drawn air to the sleeping room through the air outlet; a first adjustment mechanism that adjusts the amount of air drawn in by the supply mechanism for each of the plurality of spaces.

2. The first adjustment mechanism includes: a first switch provided for each of the spaces and configured to open and close to adjust the amount of air drawn in by the supply mechanism; The building according to claim 1 , further comprising: a first control device that controls the first switch for each of the spaces to adjust the opening degree of the first switch for each of the spaces.

3. The building according to claim 1, wherein the supply mechanism includes an air mixer that mixes air drawn in from the plurality of spaces to generate mixed air, and supplies the mixed air to the sleeping room through the air outlet.

4. The building described in claim 2, wherein the first control device determines the average pre-recorded sleep time over a specified period of time in the past based on historical information of the fall asleep times of users of bedding placed in the sleeping room, and starts supplying air by the supply mechanism from a start time set in accordance with the determined average pre-recorded sleep time.

5. Further, a sensor for detecting a movement performed by the user when waking up is provided, The building according to claim 4 , wherein the first control device terminates the supply of air by the supply mechanism depending on the time when the sensor detects the operation.

6. The air outlet is provided in each of a plurality of locations in the sleeping room, The building according to claim 1 , further comprising a second adjustment mechanism that adjusts the amount of air supplied through each of the air outlets for each of the air outlets.

7. The second adjustment mechanism includes: a second switch provided for each of the air outlets and configured to open and close to adjust the amount of air supplied through the air outlets; The building according to claim 6 , further comprising: a second control device that controls the second switch for each of the air outlets to adjust the opening degree of the second switch for each of the air outlets.

8. The building according to claim 7 , wherein the second control device controls the second switch for each air outlet based on at least one of the temperature and humidity in bedding placed in the sleeping room.

9. The building described in claim 8, wherein the second control device controls the second opening / closing device for each air outlet based on the temperature inside the bedding measured on the side where the user's head is placed and the temperature inside the bedding measured on the side where the user's feet are placed.

10. The building according to claim 9 , wherein the second control device controls the second switch for each air outlet in accordance with a control mode designated according to an attribute of a user of the bedding.

11. The building described in claim 7, wherein the second control device identifies a trend in temperature change inside the bedding over a predetermined period in the past based on historical information about the temperature inside the bedding, and controls the second opening / closing device for each air outlet based on the identified trend in temperature change.

12. The second control device is When a specific mode is designated as the control mode and the humidity inside the bedding is higher than a reference value, a temperature difference is calculated between the temperature inside the bedding measured on the side of the bedding where the user's head is placed and the temperature inside the bedding measured on the side of the bedding where the user's feet are placed, The building described in claim 10, wherein when the temperature difference becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the second opening / closing device for each air outlet is controlled so that the amount of air supplied through the air outlet closest to the upper body of the user is greater than the amount of air supplied through the other air outlets.

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