Method for generating microclimates, and microclimate generating heating system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and system for controlling the temperature of an indoor space. The space may be provided with a conventional heating system and a heater matrix comprising a plurality of heater pixels embedded in surfaces contained within the space. Each heater pixel comprises a resistance heater element. The conventional heating system is used to maintain a base temperature in the space, which is lower than a comfortable room temperature. The operation of the heater matrix is ​​selectively controlled to create one or more areas within the space that have a microclimate with a comfortable temperature higher than the base temperature.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to methods and systems related to warming a space, particularly an indoor space. More particularly, the present invention relates to a heating system that generates a microclimate area where the temperature and / or the intensity of thermal radiation is locally increased.

Background Art

[0002] Recently, due to the increase in energy prices, people have become more cost-sensitive. It is well known that reducing the indoor temperature reduces energy consumption. For example, energy costs are reduced by 5% for every 1°C decrease in indoor temperature. When energy consumption is reduced, CO2 emissions are reduced. Electricity is the most common type of green energy produced by using renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, low-impact hydropower facilities, geothermal, and biomass, as it is easy to produce and deliver to consumers.

[0003] Keeping the room temperature lower when the space is unoccupied and raising the temperature to a comfortable temperature when the space is occupied leads to energy savings. The comfortable temperature varies from person to person. Too low or too high temperatures in a room or other indoor space cause discomfort and reduced work efficiency. Unfortunately, the temperature control in existing indoor heating systems is too slow to change the temperature profile of the space according to the occupancy, and they are only controlled at the room level and thus may not allow local differences within the space.

[0004] Description of Related Art Indoor heating has traditionally been carried out using centralized, slow-response heating systems, such as convection-based hot air generators and electric heaters. Electric floor heaters are installed in concrete or under flooring materials. Electric roof heaters radiate heat into the space from above. Designing a centralized heating system for office spaces, for example, where the layout can be changed by using movable walls such as office screens, is difficult because the movable structures within the space suppress heat conduction. Various movable, electric heating devices, such as movable radiators, can be used to heat smaller areas, but movable heating devices are difficult to handle. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] International patent application WO2022 / 234189 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] The objective is to provide a method and apparatus that solves the problem of saving energy while heating an indoor space without compromising the comfort of the occupants. The objective of the present invention is achieved by the method described in claim 1. The objective of the present invention is further achieved by the apparatus described in claim 11.

[0007] Preferred embodiments of the present invention are disclosed in the dependent claims. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] This invention is based on the concept of a heater matrix, which includes a plurality of heater units called heater pixels, each having an individually controllable radiant intensity. The heater matrix is ​​controlled by a control unit and one or more sensing units. The heater pixels of the heater matrix are coupled to a power source by power channels, and one or more information channels enable control of the operation of the heater units.

[0009] According to a first aspect, a method is provided for controlling the temperature of a space provided with a conventional heating system and a heater matrix. The heater matrix comprises a plurality of heater pixels embedded in a surface contained within the space. Each heater pixel comprises a resistive heater element. The method includes maintaining a basic temperature of the space by the conventional heating system, wherein the basic temperature is lower than a comfortable room temperature, and selectively controlling the operation of the heater matrix to create one or more areas in the space having a microclimate with a comfortable temperature higher than the basic temperature.

[0010] According to some embodiments, the selective operation control of the heater matrix includes individually controlling the operation of one or more of the heater pixels of the heater matrix, and / or controlling the operation of one or more of the heater pixels of the heater matrix as a group.

[0011] According to some embodiments, one or more of the heater pixels are equipped with temperature sensors. The method includes controlling the amount of power supplied to one or more heater pixels based on the temperature detected by each temperature sensor.

[0012] According to some embodiments, the base temperature is 19°C or lower, preferably 18°C ​​or lower, more preferably 17°C or lower, and most preferably 16°C or lower. The comfort temperature is generally at least 20°C, preferably at least 21°C.

[0013] In some embodiments, the method further includes receiving control information in response to a user operating a user interface or user device, and activating the operation of a heater matrix based on the control information.

[0014] In some embodiments, the method further includes determining whether at least one person can be identified who causes the heater matrix to activate. If at least one person is identified, the method includes obtaining the identified person's personal settings and controlling the heater matrix to operate at least in part according to the identified person's personal settings. If no person can be identified who causes the heater matrix to activate, the method includes obtaining general settings and controlling the heater matrix to operate according to general settings.

[0015] In some embodiments, the method further includes determining that a space is occupied based on sensor signals received from one or more sensors, and activating the operation of a heater matrix in response to the determination that the space is occupied.

[0016] In some embodiments, the method, upon determining that the space is occupied, includes acquiring further sensor signals in an attempt to identify at least one person occupying the space. If at least one person is identified, the method includes obtaining the personal settings of the identified person and controlling the operation of the heater matrix at least in part according to the personal settings of the identified person. If none of the one or more people occupying the space can be identified, the method includes obtaining general settings and controlling the operation of the heater matrix according to the general settings.

[0017] In some embodiments, selectively controlling the operation of a heater matrix includes obtaining a heater matrix setting such that at least one heater pixel should not be activated by being placed with furniture.

[0018] In some embodiments, selectively controlling the operation of a heater matrix further includes determining the location of at least one person in space, or receiving information that determines the location of at least one person in space, and selectively controlling the operation of one or more of the heater pixels of the heater based on the determined location.

[0019] According to an aspect of the present invention, a heating system is provided comprising a conventional heating system and a microclimate heating system comprising a controller, at least one sensor, and a heater matrix. The heater matrix comprises a plurality of heater pixels embedded in a surface contained in the space, each heater pixel comprising a resistive heater element. The conventional heating system is configured to maintain a base temperature in the space, which is lower than a comfortable room temperature. The controller is configured to selectively control the operation of the heater matrix to create one or more areas in the space having a microclimate with a comfortable temperature higher than the base temperature.

[0020] According to some embodiments, the selective operation control of the heater matrix includes individually controlling the operation of one or more of the heater pixels of the heater matrix, and / or controlling the operation of one or more of the heater pixels of the heater matrix as a group.

[0021] According to some embodiments, one or more of the heater pixels are equipped with a temperature sensor. The controller is configured to receive sensor data from the temperature sensors of one or more heater pixels, and the controller is configured to control the amount of power supplied to each of the one or more heater pixels based on the temperature detected by each temperature sensor.

[0022] In some embodiments, the system comprises at least one of a user interface and / or a user device. The controller is configured to activate the operation of the heater matrix based on control information received in response to the user operating the user interface or user device.

[0023] According to some embodiments, the controller is configured to determine whether at least one person can be identified who would cause the heater matrix to activate. If at least one person is identified, the controller is configured to retrieve the identified person's personal settings from memory and to control the heater matrix's operation at least partially in accordance with the identified person's personal settings. If no person can be identified who would cause the heater matrix to activate, the controller is configured to retrieve general settings from memory and to control the heater matrix's operation in accordance with the general settings.

[0024] According to some aspects, the system further comprises at least one sensor selected from the group consisting of a moisture sensor, a capacitive sensor, a particle sensor, a strain sensor, and a chemical sensor such as a volatile organic compound (VOC) sensor. The controller is further configured to determine that the space is occupied based on sensor signals received from one or more sensors, and to activate the operation of the heater matrix in response to determining that the space is occupied.

[0025] According to some aspects, when the controller determines that the space is occupied, the controller is further configured to obtain sensor signals to attempt to identify at least one person in the space. If the controller is able to identify at least one person, the controller is configured to obtain the personal settings of the identified person from the memory and control the operation of the heater matrix according to the personal settings of the identified person. If the controller is unable to identify any of the one or more persons occupying the space, the controller is configured to obtain general settings from the memory and control the operation of the heater matrix according to the general settings.

[0026] According to some aspects, the heater matrix settings determine at least one heater pixel that should not be activated by being placed with the furniture.

[0027] According to some aspects, the carrier material of the heater pixel is one or more of fibrous materials such as paper or cardboard, glass fiber, carbon fiber, textile, fabric made from textile, polymer fiber, fiber reinforced material made from polymer fiber, laminates such as high pressure laminate, glass fiber composites, polymer materials, films, inorganic materials such as concrete and ceramic.

[0028] According to some embodiments, the heating system further comprises at least one position sensor configured to determine the location of at least one person in a space, or the controller is communicably coupled to a positioning system to receive information determining the location of at least one person in a space. The controller is further configured to selectively control the operation of one or more of the heater pixels of the heater based on the determined location of at least one person.

[0029] The present invention has the advantage of enabling energy savings by maintaining a low indoor temperature when the space is unoccupied, and by responding quickly to the person (one or more) entering the space. The system can even recognize the person entering and set the sense of warmth at a desired location within the space according to that person's preference.

[0030] Embodiments of the present invention enable a reduction in the energy required for heating indoor spaces, such as houses and rooms. A heater matrix covering a large surface area in a space alters the perception of warmth so that the overall temperature can be lower compared to existing point heat sources such as radiators or existing convection-based heating systems such as heat pumps. The temperature can be adjusted according to a person's (one or more) preferences via individually controlled heater pixels.

[0031] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to preferred embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0032] [Figure 1] This diagram shows a room equipped with a heater matrix containing multiple heater pixels. [Figure 2] This is a diagram showing the back surface of an exemplary heater matrix embedded in a carrier. [Figure 3a] This figure shows a carrier material with embedded heater pixels. [Figure 3b]This figure shows a carrier material with embedded heater pixels. [Figure 3c] This figure shows a carrier material with embedded heater pixels. [Figure 3d] This figure shows a carrier material with embedded heater pixels. [Figure 4] This diagram shows a system for controlling heating using a heater matrix. [Figure 5] This diagram shows a method for controlling heating in a space with a heater matrix. [Figure 6] This diagram shows a method for controlling heating in a space with a heater matrix. [Figure 7] This diagram shows a method for controlling heating in a space with a heater matrix. [Figure 8] This diagram shows a method for controlling heating in a space with a heater matrix. [Figure 9] This diagram shows the functional elements of the controller. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0033] In this context, "comfort temperature" refers to the temperature that most people prefer for indoor settings. Comfort temperature is when a person feels comfortable wearing typical indoor clothing.

[0034] In this context, "basic temperature" refers to a temperature lower than the comfort temperature.

[0035] In this context, indoor space, also simply called space, refers to a house, room, or equivalent that can be heated using any conventional heating system.

[0036] Figure 1 shows a room equipped with a heater matrix.

[0037] The heater matrix 100 comprises a plurality of resistive heater elements, referred to herein as heater pixels 10. Each heater pixel 10 represents a cell of the heater matrix 100. The heater pixels 10 can have any size and / or shape, and they can be controlled individually or as a group.

[0038] The heater pixels 10 can be embedded in any suitable interior decorative material sheet. In this example, the heater pixels 10 are provided in walls and on floors, and are embedded in carrier materials installed on the walls and floors, respectively. For example, the heater pixels 10 in walls can be embedded in any fibrous material, such as paper, cardboard, glass fiber, carbon fiber, textiles and fabrics made from textiles, polymer fibers and fiber-reinforced materials made using them. Such materials may include laminates such as high-pressure laminates, glass fiber composites, etc. The heater pixels can also be integrated with polymer materials and films, as well as inorganic materials such as concrete and ceramics. Preferably, the heater pixels are invisible in the room, in other words, hidden behind one or more visible surface layers of their respective carriers. In Figure 1, selective activation is shown by indicating active heater pixels 10 with a pattern, while inactive heater pixels 10 are white, outlined areas.

[0039] The heater pixels 10 can be controlled individually. This allows for the control of heater pixels 10 that are inactive when placed with furniture 21 or rug 20, as shown in Figure 1. On the other hand, one or more heater pixels located next to furniture 21 where people often spend time, such as an office desk, are preferably activated to generate a comfortable microclimate with a comfortable temperature. Heater pixels 10 can also be embedded in furniture. For example, a sofa or chair may have one or more heater pixels embedded in the furniture upholstery fabric that covers the sofa.

[0040] Figure 2 shows a simplified diagram of the back of an exemplary heater matrix 100 embedded in a carrier. This small exemplary heater matrix can be mounted on any suitable building board 19, such as a laminate acting as the carrier.

[0041] Each heater pixel 10 comprises a resistive heater element patterned from a conductive material. The conductive material is preferably a metal, such as Al, Ni, Cu, Fe, Zn, or alloys such as brass, bronze, nickel silver, or derivatives thereof such as phosphor bronze. The conductive material can also be applied in printed form. In such cases, inks made from silver, carbon, or copper, or mixtures thereof, may be used. The resistive heater element is configured to be heated by supplying a controllable current within it. The conductive material layer of the heater pixel 10 is thin. The resistive heater element can be manufactured by printing, or by using converting techniques such as die-cutting known in the packaging industry, or by using other roll-to-roll manufacturing techniques such as laser patterning, etching, and dry etching, all of which enable the creation of a thin, patterned layer of conductive material. In this context, thin refers to a layer of conductive material about 0.5 to 50 micrometers thick. In some examples, the layer of conductive material is about 10 to 30 micrometers thick. In some other layered structures, the conductive material layer is approximately 10 to 20 micrometers thick.

[0042] In Figure 2, the electrical connection for the resistive heater element of the heater pixel 10 is provided by a bridge coupling element 35 electrically connected to a ground feed line 30 and an operating voltage feed line 31, which are further coupled to a power supply (not shown) by wiring 33. The ground feed line 30 and the operating voltage feed line 31 are also made of conductive material, and according to some embodiments, they can be printed and manufactured by using converting techniques known from the printing and packaging industries, such as die-cutting or kiss-cutting or laser patterning, or by using conventional electronics manufacturing techniques, such as etching and dry etching. The conductivity of the feed lines 30, 31 is preferably better than the conductivity of the resistive heater element of the heater pixel 10 so that the feed lines 30, 31 do not overheat significantly when the heater pixel 10 is active.

[0043] To facilitate the mass production of multiple heater pixels 10, a roll-to-roll manufacturing method may be applied. An exemplary method for manufacturing patterned resistive heater elements usable in the heat pixels 10 is disclosed in international patent application WO2022 / 234189. Multiple heater pixels 10 are electrically connected to generate a heater matrix 100. Electrical connections for the heater pixels 10, such as feed lines 30, 31, etc., may be generated at least partially during the manufacturing process of the heater pixels 10, but the electrical connections may also be generated after the manufacturing process of the heater pixels 10.

[0044] The heater pixels 10 can preferably be integrated into various interior building or decorative materials that can be used as carriers for the heater matrix 100. The heater pixels 10 can be integrated into fabrics such as furniture covering fabrics, curtains, blinds, decorative fabrics and textiles, or laminates such as flooring laminates and fiber-reinforced composites such as glass fiber. Preferably, the conductive material pattern is positioned close to the outer surface of the carrier such that there is only one or more thin layers of material between the conductive material pattern and the outer surface of the interior decorative material. This reduces power loss in the material layer between the heater pixel and the space it is intended to heat.

[0045] Figures 3a-3c show cross-sectional views of exemplary building material sheets having layers of heater pixel resistance heater elements 110. The drawings are not to a constant scale.

[0046] Figure 3a shows a fabric, such as furniture covering fabric. The resistive heating element 110 is attached to the back surface of the layer of fabric 112. According to some embodiments, the resistive heating element 110 is attached to the fabric 112 by adhesive.

[0047] Figure 3b shows a fabric in which the resistance heating element 110 is embedded between two fabric layers. The fabric layers may be of the same type or different types.

[0048] Figure 3c shows a laminate, such as laminate flooring, according to some embodiments. The laminate generally comprises several thin material layers, such as an applique layer 114 and a clear protective layer 113. The resistive heating element 110 is attached to the back of the core layer 115. According to some embodiments, the resistive heating element 110 is adhesively attached to the back of the core layer 115.

[0049] Figure 3d shows another exemplary laminate. The resistance heating element 110 is located between the appliqué layer 114 and the core layer 115. According to some embodiments, the resistance heating element 110 is adhesively attached between the appliqué layer 114 and the core layer 115.

[0050] Figure 4 shows a system for controlling heating using a heater matrix, according to several embodiments.

[0051] To create a heater matrix, each heater pixel 10 is communicatively connected to a control unit 40. Heater pixels can be connected to the control unit 40 individually as heater pixels 10-A, 10-B, 10-C, and 10-D, or as one or more groups of heater pixels. In this non-limiting example, heater pixels 10-1, 10-2, and 10-3 are configured as one group, and heater pixels 10-4, 10-5, and 10-6 are configured as another group. When heater pixels are connected individually to the control unit, they can be controlled individually. When two or more heater pixels are connected to the control unit as a group, they are controlled as a group.

[0052] Sensors are provided in the system to enable precise control of radiated power for each heater pixel or group of heater pixels. Preferably, sensors are used to detect the presence and / or location of one or more people in the space. In some embodiments, sensors are also provided to recognize a person or group of people in the space.

[0053] As shown in Figure 4, a temperature sensor 42, such as an NTC, PTC, or thermocouple sensor, may be provided in association with one or more heater pixels 10. The temperature sensor 42 provides localized temperature data to each heater pixel, thus enabling control of the operating power of the heater pixels to produce a desired temperature at each individual heater pixel. In addition, one or more types of sensors, such as one or more chemical sensors including a moisture sensor, a capacitive sensor, a particle sensor, a strain sensor, or a volatile organic compound (VOC) sensor, may be provided in association with one or more heater pixels 10.

[0054] According to some embodiments, one or more sensors 45 may be directly or indirectly coupled to a control unit 40. The one or more sensors 45 may be selected from a group comprising capacitive sensors, optical sensors such as photodiodes, motion sensors, and thermal sensors. Such sensors may be used, for example, to determine the presence of one or more people in a space having a heater matrix. The thermal pixels may further comprise one or more tactile elements configured to operate as part of a user interface. According to some embodiments, one or more sensors 45 directly or indirectly coupled to the control unit 40 may be configured to identify people in the space. By identifying people, the system may apply personal settings for (one or more) comfortable temperatures and / or (one or more) microclimates in the space. Such personal settings may determine the temperature of any individual heater pixels so that (one or more) temperatures can be adjusted to (one or more) desired comfortable temperatures for the identified person, as well as the location of microclimates in the space can be individually determined. For example, a person might prefer a slightly lower temperature at their office table or in their bed, and a slightly higher temperature on their sofa.

[0055] The control unit may be further connected to a central unit 41 which can be configured to communicate with external systems and databases. According to some embodiments, the central unit 41 enables remote control and / or remote data processing. To enable remote control and / or remote data processing, the central unit 41 is preferably provided with one or more data communication interfaces.

[0056] In some embodiments, the control unit 40 and / or central unit 41 are configured to provide wireless communication 95 with a mobile communication device 99. The mobile communication device 99 may be a remote controller, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, etc. In some embodiments, the mobile communication device 99 is provided with an application program that provides a user interface for remotely controlling the heater matrix. The application program may also provide a user interface for determining general settings and / or personal settings. Such settings determine which heater pixels 10 should be activated and what the target temperature of each active heater pixel 10 should be.

[0057] Figure 5 shows methods for controlling heating in a space according to several embodiments.

[0058] In step 51, only conventional heating is turned on. The room temperature is maintained at the base temperature, in other words, within a temperature range below the comfort temperature range.

[0059] The user may manually activate the heater matrix through a user interface that may include a simple mechanical switch, a smart card reader device, a short-range wireless tag reader device, or an intelligent home control system interface, or the user may use remote control. According to some embodiments, remote control of the heater matrix is ​​provided by a dedicated remote controller device, or the remote control is implemented as a mobile phone application program.

[0060] As soon as the user activates the heater matrix in step 52, the control unit retrieves predetermined settings from memory and, accordingly, activates the heater pixels in step 56 to create (one or more) desired microclimates in the space with (one or more) desired comfort temperatures. The retrieved settings preferably determine a heating pattern that determines which heater pixels are activated, as well as predefined temperatures for each active heater pixel and / or group of heater pixels.

[0061] When a heater pixel is active in step 56, the controller controls the operation of each active heater pixel to maintain the temperature at a desired comfort temperature, as determined in a setting associated with or stored in the memory contained within the controller, and thus generates and maintains the desired microclimate (one or more) in the space, and continues to scan for sensor signals to see if the space is still occupied.

[0062] As soon as the controller determines in step 52 that the user has deactivated the heater matrix, the controller switches off all heater pixels, and thus only the conventional heating system provides heating energy to the space. Compared to the normal use of the conventional heating system, the temperature of the unoccupied space can be significantly reduced from a comfortable room temperature to the base temperature, which results in energy savings.

[0063] Figure 6 shows a method for controlling the heating of a space according to several embodiments. In this embodiment, the comfortable heat produced by the heater matrix is ​​adjusted according to human preference.

[0064] The steps common to those described in Figure 5 are the same as those described above.

[0065] In this embodiment, upon detecting in step 52 that the heater matrix has been activated, in step 53 it is further determined whether the person who activated the heater matrix can be identified. Person identification may be based, for example, on identifying the user device used to activate the heater matrix. According to some embodiments, person identification is based on detecting, for example, a smart card or tag that may be carried by a person in any type of active or passive mobile device, or a code entered by a person in a user interface. Furthermore, one or more of any suitable sensors in or associated with the space may be used to identify a person.

[0066] If a person can be identified, in step 54, a set of predefined personal settings for that particular person is retrieved from the controller's memory. On the other hand, if a person cannot be identified, in step 55, a set of general settings is retrieved from the controller's memory.

[0067] Next, in step 56, one of these acquired settings, personal settings, or general settings is applied to control the operation of the heater matrix.

[0068] Figure 7 shows methods for controlling heating in a space according to several embodiments.

[0069] In step 61, only conventional heating is turned on. The room temperature is maintained at the base temperature, in other words, below the comfort temperature range.

[0070] According to some embodiments, the system uses one or more sensor signals to determine whether a space is occupied by one or more people. The controller 40 scans and processes the sensor signals continuously or intermittently to determine whether the space is occupied. To determine whether the space is occupied, sensor signals from one or more sensors may be used to determine the presence of one or more people in the space, and / or sensor signals from one or more sensors may be used to determine that one or more people are entering the space. According to some embodiments, sensors of the heating system may also be used to determine the location of one or more people in the space being heated by the heater matrix. Alternatively, the controller may be communicably coupled to a positioning system capable of determining the location of at least one person in the space and communicating this location information to the controller. The controller uses the determined location of at least one person to selectively control the operation of the heater matrix. Any known type of sensor and / or positioning system suitable for determining the location of a person in a space is applicable. When the space is an indoor space, the position sensor or positioning system is preferably selected from among the systems known to be used for indoor positioning. Non-limiting examples of applicable indoor positioning systems include systems that apply Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons, infrared, ultra-wideband (UWB), radio-frequency identification (RFID), magnetic, computer vision, and acoustic methods to determine the location of an object or person.

[0071] In step 62, based on sensor signals obtained from at least one sensor associated with one or more heater pixels and / or at least one sensor connected to the control unit, it is detected that the space is occupied by at least one person; in other words, as soon as the presence of at least one person is detected, the control unit retrieves predetermined settings from memory and, accordingly, in step 66, activates the heater pixels to create (one or more) desired microclimates in the space with (one or more) desired comfort temperatures. The retrieved settings preferably determine a heating pattern that determines which heater pixels are activated, and also predefined temperatures for each active heater pixel and / or heater pixel group. According to some embodiments, the determined heater pixels and / or heater pixel groups are further activated depending on one or more determined locations of one or more people in the space.

[0072] When a heater pixel is active in step 66, the controller controls the operation of each active heater pixel to maintain the temperature at a desired comfort temperature, as determined in a setting associated with or stored in the controller's memory, thereby generating and maintaining a desired microclimate (one or more) in the space. The controller continues to scan sensor signals, scan whether the space is still occupied, and optionally scan where one or more people are in the space, to determine which of the heater pixels should be activated according to the determined setting. The selective activation of the determined heater pixels facilitates further reduction of energy consumption.

[0073] As soon as the controller determines in step 62 that the space is unoccupied, in other words, that no human presence is detected in the space, the controller preferably switches off all heater pixels, and thus only the conventional heating system provides heating energy to the space. Compared to the normal use of the conventional heating system, the temperature of the unoccupied space can be significantly reduced from a comfortable room temperature to the base temperature, which results in energy savings.

[0074] When a person enters a space, this is detected by the controller based on one or more sensor signals, and the heater matrix is ​​reactivated to generate comfort heat to produce a comfortable temperature in a desired area of ​​the room (one or more). Optionally, the desired area in the space is heated by the heater matrix according to the determined positions of one or more people. For example, a person might determine two areas in the space that should be heated by heater pixels: on the sofa and on the work desk. If it is detected that the person is on the sofa, only the desired heater pixels on or near the sofa are activated, while the heater pixels on or near the work desk remain deactivated. If it is detected that the person has moved from the sofa to the work desk, the controller can adjust the operation of the heater matrix so that the heater pixels on or near the sofa are switched off, and the heater pixels associated with the work desk are activated.

[0075] Figure 8 shows a method for controlling the heating of a space according to several embodiments. In this embodiment, the comfortable heat produced by the heater matrix is ​​adjusted according to human preference.

[0076] The steps common to those described in Figure 7 are the same as those described above.

[0077] In this embodiment, after detecting the presence of a person in step 62, it is further determined in step 63 whether the person can be identified. Person identification may be based on, for example, the person's physical attributes, such as size and weight; on the person's activities, such as switching on a heater matrix using a specific user device or performing a predetermined operation; or on the use of any known type of indirect identification, such as detecting a smart card, tag, or code that may be carried by the person in any type of active or passive mobile device.

[0078] If a person can be identified, in step 64, a set of predefined personal settings for that particular person is retrieved from the controller's memory. On the other hand, if a person cannot be identified, in step 65, a set of general settings is retrieved from the controller's memory.

[0079] Next, in step 66, one of these acquired settings, personal settings, or general settings is applied to control the operation of the heater matrix.

[0080] According to some embodiments, the location of an identified person may be used to determine which heater pixels are activated using the identified person's personal settings. This allows for further optimization of energy consumption by the heater matrix.

[0081] Figure 9 shows the functional elements of the controller 40. The controller comprises at least one processor 90 and at least one memory 91, the memory 91 comprising program code that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor 90 to perform steps for controlling the heater matrix. The controller 40 comprises, or may be provided with, at least one of a user interface 92 and a wireless communication interface unit 93 to enable the user to input and adjust settings for controlling the heater matrix using one of a user interface 92 and remote control utilizing wireless communication with the controller 40. Settings, including at least one of general settings and personal settings, are preferably stored in the memory 91. The settings determine which heater pixels of the heater matrix should be activated and what the desired temperature for each active heater pixel is. According to some embodiments, the wireless communication interface unit 93 is configured for wireless communication 95 with a mobile communication device 99, such as a mobile phone or tablet computer. Alternatively, the mobile communication device may be a dedicated remote controller. According to some embodiments, an application program is provided in the mobile communication device 99 for inputting and adjusting settings. Wireless communication between at least one wireless communication interface unit 93 and the mobile communication device 99 can be implemented using any applicable wireless communication method, such as NFC, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3G, 4G, 5G, or 6G cellular communication, and / or a proprietary wireless communication method.

[0082] As technology advances, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the basic concepts of the present invention can be implemented in various ways. Therefore, the present invention and its embodiments are not limited to the examples described above, and they may vary within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the temperature of a space, wherein the space is provided with a conventional heating system and a heater matrix having a plurality of heater pixels embedded in the surface contained within the space, each heater pixel having a resistance heater element, and the method is - Maintaining the basic temperature of the space by the conventional heating system, wherein the basic temperature is lower than a comfortable room temperature, - Selectively controlling the operation of the heater matrix in order to create one or more areas within the space having a microclimate with a comfort temperature higher than the base temperature. Methods that include...

2. The selective operation control of the heater matrix is - Controlling the operation of one or more of the heater pixels of the heater matrix individually, and / or controlling the operation of one or more of the heater pixels of the heater matrix as a group. The method according to claim 1, including the method described in claim 1.

3. One or more of the heater pixels are equipped with a temperature sensor, and the method is - Control the amount of power supplied to one or more heater pixels based on the temperature detected by each of the temperature sensors. The method according to claim 1 or 2, including the method described in claim 1 or 2.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the base temperature is 19°C or lower, preferably 18°C ​​or lower, more preferably 17°C or lower, and most preferably 16°C or lower.

5. - Receiving control information in response to the user operating the user interface or user device, - Activating the operation of the heater matrix based on the control information. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising:

6. - To determine whether at least one person can be identified who causes the operation of the heater matrix to be activated, - If at least one person is identified, the personal settings of the identified person are obtained, and the operation of the heater matrix is ​​controlled at least partially in accordance with the personal settings of the identified person. - If the person causing the activation of the heater matrix cannot be identified, the general setting is obtained and the operation of the heater matrix is ​​controlled according to the general setting. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

7. - Determining that the space is occupied based on sensor signals received from one or more sensors, - In response to the determination that the space is occupied, the operation of the heater matrix is ​​activated. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising:

8. - When it is determined that the space is occupied, further sensor signals are acquired in an attempt to identify at least one person occupying the space, and if at least one person is identified, the personal settings of the identified person are acquired, and the operation of the heater matrix is ​​controlled at least in part according to the personal settings of the identified person. - If none of the one or more people occupying the space can be identified, the general setting is obtained and the operation of the heater matrix is ​​controlled according to the general setting. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

9. Selectively controlling the operation of the heater matrix means - Obtaining the settings of the heater matrix, which includes determining that at least one heater pixel should not be activated by being placed with furniture. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, including

10. The operation of the heater matrix is ​​to be selectively controlled as described above. - Determining the location of at least one person in the space, or receiving information that determines the location of at least one person in the space, - Selectively control the operation of one or more of the heater pixels of the heater based on the determined position. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising:

11. A heating system comprising a conventional heating system and a microclimate heating system comprising a controller, at least one sensor, and a heater matrix having a plurality of heater pixels embedded in a surface contained in a space, each heater pixel having a resistive heater element, wherein the conventional heating system is configured to maintain a basic temperature in the space, the basic temperature being lower than a comfortable room temperature, and the controller is configured to selectively control the operation of the heater matrix to create one or more areas in the space having a microclimate with a comfortable temperature higher than the basic temperature.

12. The heating system according to claim 11, wherein the selective operation control of the heater matrix includes controlling the operation of one or more of the heater pixels of the heater matrix individually, and / or controlling the operation of one or more of the heater pixels of the heater matrix as a group.

13. The heating system according to claim 11 or 12, wherein one or more of the heater pixels are equipped with a temperature sensor, the controller is configured to receive sensor data from the temperature sensors of one or more heater pixels, and the controller is configured to control the amount of power supplied to each of the one or more heater pixels based on the temperature detected by each of the temperature sensors.

14. The heating system according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the base temperature is 19°C or lower, preferably 18°C ​​or lower, more preferably 17°C or lower, and most preferably 16°C or lower.

15. The heating system according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the system comprises at least one of a user interface and a user device, and the controller is configured to activate the operation of the heater matrix based on control information received in response to the user operating the user interface or the user device.

16. The aforementioned controller, - To determine whether at least one person can be identified who causes the heater matrix to activate. It is configured to do the following: - If at least one person is identified, the controller is configured to retrieve the identified person's personal settings from memory and to control the operation of the heater matrix at least partially in accordance with the identified person's personal settings. - The heating system according to claim 15, wherein if no person can be identified who would cause the heater matrix to activate, the controller is configured to retrieve a general setting from memory and control the operation of the heater matrix according to the general setting.

17. The controller further comprises at least one sensor selected from the group comprising a moisture sensor, a capacitive sensor, a particle sensor, a strain sensor, and a chemical sensor such as a volatile organic compound (VOC) sensor, - Determining that the space is occupied based on sensor signals received from one or more sensors, - In response to the determination that the space is occupied, the operation of the heater matrix is ​​activated. A heating system according to any one of claims 11 to 14, further configured to perform the following:

18. The aforementioned controller, - When it is determined that the space is occupied, the system attempts to identify at least one person in the space by acquiring a sensor signal, - If at least one person is identified, the personal settings of the identified person are retrieved from memory, and the operation of the heater matrix is ​​controlled according to the personal settings of the identified person. - If none of the one or more people occupying the space can be identified, the general settings are retrieved from the memory and the operation of the heater matrix is ​​controlled according to the general settings. The heating system according to claim 17, further configured to perform the following:

19. The heating system according to any one of claims 11 to 18, wherein the heater matrix setting determines at least one heater pixel that should not be activated by being placed together with furniture.

20. A heating system according to any one of claims 11 to 19, wherein the carrier material of the heater pixels is one or more of fibrous materials such as paper or cardboard, glass fiber, carbon fiber, textile, fabric made from textile, polymer fiber, fiber-reinforced material made from polymer fiber, laminate such as high-pressure laminate, glass fiber composite, polymer material, film, concrete, and ceramic.

21. The heating system according to any one of claims 11 to 20, further comprising at least one position sensor configured to determine the position of at least one person in the space, or the controller being communicably coupled to a positioning system to receive information determining the position of at least one person in the space, and the controller being further configured to selectively control the operation of one or more of the heater pixels of the heater based on the determined position.

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