Equipment Control System

Abstract

To provide a human state estimation module or the like estimating a human state for accurately performing control of equipment required by an object person.SOLUTION: An equipment control system is a human state estimation module 100 for estimating a human state as a state physically felt by an object person, and includes: a personal information holding part 163 storing an individual and information unique to the individual while being correlated with each other; a human state estimation part 161 estimating the human state; and an individual specification part 125 specifying the individual indicating the object person from individuals stored in the individual information holding part 163, to associate the object person with the individual and the information unique to the individual. The human state estimation part 161 estimates the human state on the basis of the individual associated with the object person by the individual specification part 125, and the information unique to the individual.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a human state estimation module and a thermal sensation estimation module that estimate a state felt by a subject for use in controlling equipment, etc., and a user interface device used in the modules. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, it has been proposed to detect a person's condition with a sensor and control the device etc. appropriately according to the detected person by using the detection result. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses that a thermal image sensor is used to adjust parameters such as the temperature and air volume of an air conditioner according to the activity level of the target user. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-077256 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the parameter adjustment of the air conditioner disclosed in the above Patent Document 1, a discrepancy may occur between the device control desired by the subject and the device control based on the adjusted parameters. Therefore, the present disclosure provides a device control system for accurately controlling the device desired by the subject. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, a device control system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a device control system for controlling a device, comprising: a personal information holding unit that links and stores an individual with information specific to the individual; a personal information input unit that accepts information specific to the individual input by the subject, the information including at least information related to the individual's preferences, and stores it in the personal information holding unit; and an individual identification unit that identifies the individual representing the subject from the individuals stored in the personal information holding unit, thereby matching the subject with the individual and the information specific to the individual, and controls the device based on the individual and the information specific to the individual associated with the subject by the individual identification unit. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present disclosure, control of a device desired by a subject can be performed with high precision. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a human state estimating module according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a human state estimation module according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the appearance of an interface unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the target person selection unit according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the individual identifying unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the personal information input unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 7A] FIG. 7A is a first perspective view showing the appearance of an interface unit according to Modification 1. FIG. [Figure 7B] FIG. 7B is a second perspective view showing the appearance of the interface unit according to the first modification. [Figure 7C]FIG. 7C is a third perspective view showing the appearance of the interface unit according to the first modification. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the appearance of an interface unit according to the second modification. [Figure 9A] FIG. 9A is a diagram illustrating a first display example of an image according to the second modification. [Figure 9B] FIG. 9B is a diagram illustrating a second display example of an image according to the second modification. [Figure 10A] FIG. 10A is a diagram illustrating a display example 3a of an image according to the second modification. [Figure 10B] FIG. 10B is a diagram illustrating a display example 3b of an image according to the second modification. [Figure 10C] FIG. 10C is a diagram illustrating a display example 3c of an image according to the second modification. [Figure 10D] FIG. 10D is a diagram illustrating a display example 3d of an image according to the second modification. [Figure 11A] FIG. 11A is a diagram illustrating a fourth display example of an image according to the second modification. [Figure 11B] FIG. 11B is a diagram illustrating a fifth display example of an image according to the second modification. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a human state estimation characteristic based on an input of a subject according to an embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating classification of human state estimation characteristics according to the embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a first flowchart illustrating the operation of the human state estimating module according to the embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a second flowchart illustrating the operation of the human state estimating module according to the embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a third flowchart illustrating the operation of the human state estimating module according to the embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a fourth flowchart illustrating the operation of the human state estimating module according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] (Summary of the Disclosure) Conventionally, as an example of a human state estimation module that estimates a human state, which is a state experienced by a person, a thermal sensation estimation module that estimates a thermal sensation experienced by a person has been used. Such a conventional thermal sensation estimation module is used to control an air conditioner or the like based on the thermal sensation, and to control the air conditioning in a room. Note that the module described below is a system composed of one or more devices to realize a specific function.

[0009] The estimated thermal sensation is generally used as a parameter for controlling air conditioning inside the device between the thermal sensation estimation module and the air conditioning device. Therefore, the subject of the thermal sensation estimation, who is the user of the air conditioning device, does not know the estimated thermal sensation of his / her own, and cannot confirm whether the thermal sensation matches his / her own sensation. In other words, it has been difficult to control air conditioning that reflects the subject's own preferences, such as being sensitive to heat or cold.

[0010] According to the present disclosure, by presenting a currently estimated human state to a subject and accepting input from the subject regarding the estimated human state, it is possible to realize control of a device that reflects the subject's preferences, etc. In other words, it is possible to use input information to estimate a human state that reflects an individual's senses, preferences, etc.

[0011] In order to solve the above problem, a human state estimation module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a human state estimation module for estimating a human state, which is a state experienced by a subject, and includes a personal information holding unit that links and stores an individual with information specific to the individual, a human state estimation unit that estimates the human state, and an individual identification unit that identifies an individual representing the subject from among the individuals stored in the personal information holding unit, and thereby associates the subject with the individual and information specific to the individual, and the human state estimation unit estimates the human state based on the individual and the information specific to the individual associated with the subject by the individual identification unit.

[0012] According to this, the human state estimation module can identify which individual the subject is from the information stored in the personal information storage unit. The human state estimation module estimates the human state of the subject based on the information specific to the individual linked to the identified individual. In other words, when estimating the human state of the subject, it is possible to estimate the human state corrected to suit the individual by taking into account the information specific to the individual. Therefore, by using the human state estimated in the above aspect, it is possible to accurately control the device desired by the subject.

[0013] In addition, the information specific to an individual includes at least one of information on the individual's characteristics, information on the individual's preferences, and a correct value of the state experienced by the individual, and the human state estimation module further includes a personal information input unit that accepts information specific to the individual input by the subject and stores it in the personal information holding unit, and the personal identification unit may associate the subject with the individual and the information specific to the individual stored in the personal information holding unit.

[0014] According to this, the subject can input information specific to the individual, including at least one of the individual characteristic information, the information on the individual's preferences, and the correct value of the state experienced by the individual, and store it in the personal information storage unit. The human state estimation module can estimate the human state corrected according to at least one of the individual characteristic information, the information on the individual's preferences, and the correct value of the state experienced by the individual, based on the information specific to the individual stored in the personal information storage unit. Therefore, by using the human state estimated in the above embodiment, it is possible to accurately control the device desired by the subject.

[0015] Furthermore, the subject may be provided with a subject selection unit, and the subject for which the input of an individual and information specific to an individual is accepted by the personal information input unit may be one subject selected from among a plurality of subjects by the subject selection unit.

[0016] According to this, when multiple subjects are present within the detection range when the human state estimation module estimates the human state, one subject can be selected from the multiple subjects. Since information specific to each selected subject can be input for each selected subject, even when multiple subjects exist, the human state can be estimated according to each subject. Therefore, even when multiple subjects exist, the individual human states estimated for each of the multiple subjects can be used to accurately control the device desired by each subject.

[0017] The device may further include an image acquisition unit that acquires an image of the subject, and the individual identification unit may use the acquired image to associate the subject with the individual and information specific to the individual stored in the personal information holding unit.

[0018] According to this, the human state estimation module can automatically identify which individual the subject is from the information stored in the personal information storage unit by image recognition. Therefore, the subject and the individual can be automatically associated with each other, and the human state can be easily estimated by taking into account information specific to each individual and correcting the human state according to the individual.

[0019] The system may further include a camera image display unit that displays the image acquired by the image acquisition unit, and a human state display unit that displays an image indicating the human state estimated by the human state estimation unit, and the human state display unit may display at least a portion of the image indicating the human state by superimposing it on an area of ​​the image displayed by the camera image display unit in which a predetermined range including the subject is displayed.

[0020] According to this, the subject can confirm what human state each subject is in simply by visually checking the image. Therefore, the subject can easily use the human state estimation module.

[0021] Moreover, the human state display unit may further display an image indicating the correct value of the state experienced by the subject, which is input by the subject.

[0022] According to this, the estimated human state and the correct value, which is the state that the subject actually feels, can be compared on the same screen. Therefore, the subject can input the correct value of the state that the subject actually feels in order to correct the human state by intuitive operation, and the ease of use for the subject when using the human state estimation module is improved.

[0023] In addition, the human state estimated by the human state estimation unit may include information on an ordinal scale or more, and the human state display unit may display an image showing a reference figure that continuously or intermittently connects a first position corresponding to the minimum value that the human state can take and a second position corresponding to the maximum value, an estimated human state indication display that points to a position in the reference figure that corresponds to the estimated human state, and an input human state indication display that points to a position in the reference figure that corresponds to the correct value input by the subject.

[0024] According to this, the estimated human state displayed by the figure and the correct value, which is the state that the subject actually feels, can be compared on the same screen. Therefore, the subject can input the correct value of the state that the subject actually feels in order to correct the human state by a more intuitive operation, and the subject can use the human state estimation module with improved ease of use.

[0025] The device may further include a human state estimation characteristic display unit that displays human state estimation characteristics indicating a tendency of the subject's human state based on information specific to the individual input by the subject.

[0026] According to this, the subject can grasp the tendency of what kind of human state he / she may be in a certain environment. Therefore, the subject can easily determine whether the control of the device or the like is based on his / her tendency, and can estimate the human state for accurately controlling the device that the subject desires.

[0027] In addition, a thermal sensation estimation module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may use any of the above-described human state estimation modules further including a thermal image acquisition unit that acquires a thermal image showing a matrix-like temperature distribution to estimate a thermal sensation, which is a thermal sensation experienced by a subject, as a human state.

[0028] According to this, a thermal sensation estimation module that estimates a thermal sensation as a human state can be realized, and the thermal sensation of the subject can be estimated with higher accuracy by the thermal sensation estimation module. Therefore, it is possible to estimate a thermal sensation for accurately controlling an appliance desired by the subject.

[0029] Furthermore, a user interface device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a user interface device used to control the human state estimation module described in any one of the above, and includes a personal information input unit that accepts information specific to an individual input by a subject, the information including at least one of personal characteristic information, information regarding personal preferences, and a correct value of the state experienced by the individual, and stores the information in a personal information holding unit.

[0030] According to this, the subject can input information specific to the individual, including at least one of the individual characteristic information, the information on the individual's preferences, and the correct value of the state experienced by the individual, and store it in the personal information storage unit. The human state estimation module can estimate the human state corrected according to at least one of the individual characteristic information, the information on the individual's preferences, and the correct value of the state experienced by the individual, based on the information specific to the individual stored in the personal information storage unit. Therefore, by using the human state estimated in the above embodiment, it is possible to accurately control the device desired by the subject.

[0031] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below all show comprehensive or specific examples of the present disclosure. Therefore, the numerical values, components, the arrangement and connection of the components, as well as the steps and the order of the steps shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Therefore, among the components in the following embodiments, components that are not described in the independent claims showing the highest concept of the present disclosure will be described as optional components.

[0032] In addition, each figure is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily precisely illustrated. Therefore, the scales and the like are not necessarily the same in each figure. In each figure, the same reference numerals are given to substantially the same configurations, and duplicated explanations are omitted or simplified.

[0033] (Embodiment) [Human state estimation module] First, the device configuration of a human state estimating module according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of the human state estimating module according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a functional block diagram of the human state estimating module according to an embodiment.

[0034] The human state estimation module 100 in this embodiment is a device for estimating a human state, which is a state experienced by a subject. In the following description of the embodiment, an example of the human state estimation module 100 used for controlling an air conditioning device 101 installed in a room 10 will be described as the human state estimation module 100. More specifically, the human state estimation module in this embodiment will be described as a thermal sensation estimation module for estimating, as the human state, a thermal sensation, which is a thermal sensation experienced by a subject.

[0035] As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the human state estimation module 100 includes an interface unit 120, a sensing unit 140, and a calculation processing unit 160. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 1, the interface unit 120 is provided in a remote controller of the air conditioning device 101. The sensing unit 140 is built into the main body of the air conditioning device 101 and detects the room 10 in which the air conditioning device 101 is installed. The calculation processing unit 160 is a processing device for performing information processing in the human state estimation module 100, and is realized as a cloud server on a network that can be connected to the interface unit 120 and the sensing unit 140 via communication, for example.

[0036] Note that the above configuration is an example, and the interface unit 120 and the arithmetic processing unit 160 may be built into the air conditioning device 101. In other words, the human state estimation module 100 may be realized as a single device in which the interface unit 120, the sensing unit 140, and the arithmetic processing unit 160 are integrated. Furthermore, some of these components or some of the functions may be provided in a separate device.

[0037] 2, the interface unit 120, the sensing unit 140, and the calculation processing unit 160 included in the human state estimation module 100 in this embodiment are communicatively connected to each other. Each component will be described in more detail below.

[0038] [Interface section] The interface unit 120 is a user interface device that receives instructions from a subject to the human state estimation module 100. The interface unit 120 controls the human state estimation module 100 based on the instructions received from the subject. More specifically, the interface unit 120 includes a camera image display unit 121, a human state display unit 123, a human state estimation characteristic display unit 124, an individual identification unit 125, a personal information input unit 127, and an individual selection unit 129.

[0039] The camera image display unit 121 is a device that displays an image of the room 10 captured by the image acquisition unit 141 described later. The camera image display unit 121 includes an arithmetic circuit for image processing, and a display device that displays the processed image. Specifically, the display device is a liquid crystal display panel mounted on the remote controller of the air conditioning device 101.

[0040] The human state display unit 123 is a device that displays an image showing the human state of the subject estimated by the human state estimation unit 161 described later. The human state display unit 123 is a processing device that performs processing to superimpose the human state of the subject on the image displayed on the camera image display unit 121. Therefore, the human state display unit 123 includes an arithmetic circuit for performing image processing. The human state display unit 123 transmits an image generated using the arithmetic circuit to the arithmetic circuit of the camera image display unit 121, and superimposes the human state of the subject on the image displayed by the camera image display unit 121.

[0041] The human state estimation characteristic display unit 124 is a device that displays a human state estimation characteristic that indicates a tendency of the human state of the subject based on information input by the subject. The human state estimation characteristic display unit 124 is a device that displays a characteristic image that indicates the human state estimation characteristic on the display device provided in the camera image display unit 121 instead of an image captured in the room 10. The human state estimation characteristic display unit 124 includes a calculation circuit for performing image processing. The human state estimation characteristic display unit 124 displays an image generated in the calculation circuit by interrupting the display device provided in the camera image display unit 121. The content of the characteristic image and the human state estimation characteristic generated by the human state estimation characteristic display unit 124 will be described later with reference to FIG. 12 and FIG. 13.

[0042] The individual identification unit 125 is an input device for identifying an individual who indicates the subject. More specifically, the individual identification unit 125 is a device for identifying an individual corresponding to the subject from among a plurality of individuals stored in the personal information storage unit 163 described later. The individual identification unit 125 includes an input device and a device for displaying an image on a display device. As an example, the individual identification unit 125 in this embodiment has a push-type switch that accepts an input by the subject as an input device. In addition, the individual identification unit 125 includes an arithmetic circuit for generating an image to be displayed on the display device. Each time the switch is pressed, the individual identification unit 125 sequentially displays a plurality of individuals stored in the personal information storage unit 163 in an image of the room 10 captured. That is, the subject himself can select an individual corresponding to the subject by inputting using the switch.

[0043] The personal information input unit 127 is an input device that receives input of information specific to an individual and stores it in the personal information storage unit 163 described later.

[0044] Here, the information specific to an individual is information for each individual related to the human state estimated using the human state estimation module. The information specific to an individual may include, for example, individual characteristic information indicating what kind of sensation an individual is likely to get in response to the external environment (i.e., what kind of human state an individual is likely to be in). The information specific to an individual may include, for example, information on an individual's preference indicating an individual's taste (i.e., what kind of human state an individual prefers to be in). The information specific to an individual may include, for example, information on a correct answer value that an individual actually feels corresponding to the human information (i.e., an actual human state corresponding to an estimated human state).

[0045] The personal information input unit 127 includes an input device and a device for displaying an image on a display device. As an example, the personal information input unit 127 in this embodiment includes a push-type switch as an input device for receiving an input from the subject. The personal information input unit 127 also includes a calculation circuit for generating an image to be displayed on the display device. Each time the switch is pressed, the personal information input unit 127 sequentially displays candidate options that the subject may select as information specific to the individual in the image of the room 10 captured. In other words, the subject himself / herself can select information specific to the individual corresponding to the subject by inputting using the switch.

[0046] The information specific to the selected individual is transmitted to personal information holding unit 163 connected to interface unit 120 via communication, and is stored in personal information holding unit 163. Note that, before inputting through personal information input unit 127, the subject completes inputting to individual identification unit 125. In this way, information specific to the individual by the individual corresponding to the subject is transmitted to personal information holding unit 163. Therefore, the individual and the information specific to the individual are stored in association with each other.

[0047] The subject selection unit 129 is an input device for selecting a subject from among a plurality of people when a plurality of people are present in the room 10 and each of them can be a subject of human state estimation by the human state estimation module 100. More specifically, the subject selection unit 129 is used to select a subject for identifying an individual by the above-mentioned individual identification unit 125 from among people in an image of the room 10 captured and displayed by the camera image display unit 121. The subject selection unit 129 includes an input device and a device for displaying an image on a display device. As an example, the subject selection unit 129 in this embodiment has a push-type switch as an input device that accepts input by the subject. The subject selection unit 129 also includes an arithmetic circuit for generating an image to be displayed on a display device.

[0048] The target person selection unit 129 extracts people in an image captured by image recognition of the image of the room 10. After that, the target person selection unit 129 displays a cursor on one of the extracted people in the image captured of the room 10. Each time the switch is pressed, the target person selection unit 129 moves the cursor in order to all the extracted people one by one.

[0049] [Sensing section] The sensing unit 140 is a sensor device that performs various detections for use in estimating the state of a person and controlling the air conditioning device 101. In this embodiment, the sensing unit 140 includes an image acquisition unit 141 and a thermal image acquisition unit 143.

[0050] The image acquisition unit 141 is an imaging device that captures an image of the subject by capturing an image of the room 10. That image is, in other words, an image displayed on the camera image display unit 121 of the interface unit 120. The image acquisition unit 141 is realized by a camera, for example. The image acquired by the image acquisition unit 141 is used for various functions realized by the interface unit 120 by being transmitted to the interface unit 120 via communication. The acquired image may be used for various functions realized in the arithmetic processing unit 160 by being transmitted to the arithmetic processing unit 160 via communication.

[0051] The thermal image acquisition unit 143 is an imaging device for acquiring a thermal image. The thermal image is an image in which the temperature of each lattice is displayed on a scale when an imaged two-dimensional surface is divided into a lattice. In other words, the thermal image is a thermogram showing a matrix-like temperature distribution. Therefore, the thermal image acquisition unit 143 is realized by a thermo camera that measures infrared rays corresponding to each lattice. The image acquired by the thermal image acquisition unit 143 is transmitted to the interface unit 120 via communication, and is used for various functions realized by the interface unit 120. The acquired thermal image may be transmitted to the arithmetic processing unit 160 via communication, and is used for various functions realized in the arithmetic processing unit 160.

[0052] [Calculation processing unit] The arithmetic processing unit 160 is a processing device having an information processing function such as human state estimation in the human state estimation module 100. The arithmetic processing unit 160 may also have a database function for storing various information. The arithmetic processing unit 160 in this embodiment is realized as a cloud server on a network. Therefore, the interface unit 120 and the sensing unit 140 transmit various information to the cloud server via the network and receive information processed on the cloud server, thereby realizing various functions of the human state estimation module 100. The arithmetic processing unit 160 in this embodiment includes a human state estimation unit 161, a personal information holding unit 163, and a human state estimation correction unit 165.

[0053] The human state estimation unit 161 is a processing device that estimates the human state. More specifically, as an example of the human state, the human state estimation unit 161 estimates the thermal sensation of the subject from the thermal image acquired by the thermal image acquisition unit 143. Therefore, the human state estimation unit 161 is connected to the thermal image acquisition unit 143 via communication in order to receive the thermal image. The human state estimation unit 161 estimates an estimated amount of heat dissipated from the subject to the surroundings based on the temperature difference between the environmental temperature surrounding the subject obtained from the thermal image and the subject's own body temperature. Furthermore, the human state estimation unit 161 estimates the thermal sensation of the subject from the estimated amount of heat dissipation. In addition, the human state estimation unit 161 is connected to the interface unit 120 via communication in order to transmit the estimated thermal sensation and display it on the screen 121a of the interface unit 120.

[0054] The personal information holding unit 163 is a storage device that associates an individual with information specific to the individual and stores the information. The personal information holding unit 163 is configured using a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), and the like to store the information. Each device can be connected to the personal information holding unit 163 via communication. Each device is connected to the personal information holding unit 163 to store information in the personal information holding unit 163 or to acquire (read) information stored in the personal information holding unit 163.

[0055] The human state estimation correction unit 165 is a processing device that corrects the estimated human state by using the estimated human state and stored information specific to an individual. Therefore, the human state estimation unit 161 and the human state estimation correction unit 165 may be realized as one processing device that operates integrally.

[0056] Each of the above functions may be realized by a separate server, or may be realized by an integrated server. Furthermore, some of the above functions may be further divided and processed by a server.

[0057] The interface unit 120 will be described in more detail below.

[0058] Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the appearance of an interface unit according to an embodiment. As shown in Fig. 3, the interface unit 120 includes, for example, a screen 121a and a plurality of switches. The screen 121a is an example of a display device included in the camera image display unit 121. Therefore, an image acquired by the image acquisition unit 141 is displayed on the screen 121a of the interface unit 120. The image is an image configuration in which the indoor room 10 is captured by the sensing unit 140 of the air conditioning device 101.

[0059] For example, as shown in the figure, the image shows a first person 21 and a second person 23 present in the room 10. Note that a thermal image acquired by the thermal image acquisition unit 143 may be displayed on the screen 121a. Furthermore, one or more people present on the image are identified by image recognition. Then, one of the identified one or more people is selected, and a cursor 25 for selecting one person is displayed on the screen 121a. The cursor 25 is rectangular image information that surrounds one person to indicate that one of the one or more people has been selected. In addition, the name of the target person selected by being surrounded by the cursor 25 and the human state estimated by the human state estimation module are displayed. For example, in the figure, the cursor 25 surrounds the first person 21, and the first person 21 is selected. In addition, "Human A" is displayed as the name of the first person 21, and "Cool", which is a warm / cold feeling, is displayed as the human state of the first person 21.

[0060] Here, if the subject is not stored as an individual in the personal information storage unit 163, "Human A" is assigned as the initial value of the personal name corresponding to the subject. As shown in the figure, when multiple people are present in the room 10 and each of them can be a subject of human state estimation by the human state estimation module 100, if "Human A" has already been assigned, a new personal name with consecutive symbol parts changed, such as "Human B", may be assigned. In addition, if the subject is a stored subject, the stored personal name may be displayed. For example, if the subject is the subject with the storage number 1, "User 1" may be displayed. Note that any name may be stored as the personal name. For example, the subject's name, such as "Taro", may be stored.

[0061] The multiple switches included in the interface unit 120 are, for example, configured by an individual identification unit 125, a personal information input unit 127, and a target person selection unit 129. Therefore, when the target person presses the multiple switches of the interface unit 120, each operation of the human state estimation module 100 is executed.

[0062] Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the target person selection unit according to the embodiment. Fig. 4(a) shows the target person selection unit 129 before it is operated. Fig. 4(b) shows the target person selection unit 129 after it is operated. The target person selection unit 129 shown by hatching in the figure is an input device for selecting a target person from among a plurality of people by operating it, as described above.

[0063] Therefore, the subject operates the subject selection unit 129 to select a person corresponding to the subject. As an example, the subject selection unit 129 includes two switches indicating left and right directions. When the subject operates one of the two switches, the cursor 25 moves on the image to another person displayed in the left or right direction indicated by the operated switch. In the figure, before and after the operation of the subject selection unit 129, the cursor 25 for selecting the first person 21 changes to the cursor 27 for selecting the second person 23.

[0064] In this manner, when there are multiple subjects in the room 10, the subject can select one of the multiple subjects as the subject corresponding to the subject by the subject selection unit 129. Note that when there is only one subject in the room 10, the operation of the subject selection unit 129 may be omitted.

[0065] Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the individual identification unit according to the embodiment. Fig. 5(a) shows the individual identification unit 125 before it is operated. Fig. 5(b) shows the individual identification unit 125 after it is operated. The individual identification unit 125 shown by hatching in the figure is an input device for identifying an individual who indicates a target person by operating it, as described above.

[0066] Therefore, the subject operates the individual identification unit 125 to obtain the individual information corresponding to the subject from the personal information storage unit 163. The individual identification unit 125 includes, as an example, two switches indicating up and down directions. When the subject operates either of the two switches, the stored individual names are displayed in order on the image. In the figure, before and after the operation of the subject selection unit 129, the stored individual name corresponding to the first person 21 has been changed from "User 1" to "User 2". In other words, the first person 21 is an individual who is stored with the name of "User 2".

[0067] In this manner, the subject can have the individual identifying unit identify an individual who represents the subject from among a plurality of individuals stored in personal information holding unit 163, and can obtain information about the individual.

[0068] Here, the personal information is information about an individual stored in the personal information storage unit 163, and includes the individual and information specific to the individual. Note that the personal information may include image information of the individual's face. In this way, by recognizing the face of the subject in the image of the room 10 acquired by the image acquisition unit 141, it is possible to automatically identify the individual stored in the personal information storage unit 163 and acquire information about the individual.

[0069] Fig. 6 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the personal information input unit according to the embodiment. Fig. 6(a) shows the state before the personal information input unit 127 is operated. Fig. 6(b) shows the state after the personal information input unit 127 is operated. As described above, the personal information input unit 127 shown by hatching in the figure is an input device that accepts the input of information specific to an individual by operation and stores it in the personal information holding unit 163.

[0070] Therefore, the subject operates the personal information input unit 127 to input information specific to the individual and store it in the personal information holding unit 163. The personal information input unit 127 includes one switch, for example. When the subject operates the switch, possible human states of the person are displayed in sequence on the image. In the figure, the human state corresponding to the first person 21 has changed from "Cool" to "Neutral" in thermal sensation before and after the operation of the personal information input unit 127. In other words, the first person 21, who is the subject, was estimated to be in a "Cool" state in thermal sensation, but in reality, the first person 21 was in a "Neutral" state in thermal sensation, which indicates that the subject corrected the human state (thermal sensation).

[0071] The corrected human state information (i.e., information specific to an individual) is transmitted to the personal information storage unit 163 together with the control information of the air conditioning apparatus 101 and stored as part of the individual's information. This enables the human state estimation module 100 to estimate the human state based on the corrected information specific to an individual.

[0072] [Interface section variation 1] Here, a first modified example of the interface unit 120 will be further described with reference to Figures 7A to 7C. Note that in the following description of the modified example, differences from the embodiment will be described, and descriptions of substantially the same parts as in the embodiment will be omitted or simplified.

[0073] Fig. 7A is a first perspective view showing the appearance of the interface unit according to Modification 1. Fig. 7B is a second perspective view showing the appearance of the interface unit according to Modification 1. Fig. 7C is a third perspective view showing the appearance of the interface unit according to Modification 1.

[0074] As shown in FIG. 7A, the interface unit 120a in this modification is different from the embodiment in that it includes a sub-screen 123a in addition to the screen 121a. The sub-screen 123a is a display device for individually displaying information that was superimposed on the image displayed on the screen 121a in the above embodiment. For example, the sub-screen 123a may display text information such as an individual's name and an estimated human state. The size of the sub-screen 123a is not particularly limited. The sub-screen 123a may display an image obtained by trimming an image of a person selected by the target person selection unit 129 from among multiple targets. The sub-screen 123a may also display a characteristic image indicating a human state estimation characteristic.

[0075] As an example, the screen 121a in the figure shows that the first person 21 is selected by the cursor 25. Moreover, the sub-screen 123a in the figure shows that the first person 21 is stored as "User 1" and is estimated to be in a "Cool" state as a thermal sensation. The subject arbitrarily operates multiple switches to input to the human state estimation module 100.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 7B, for example, the sub-screen 123a may display a stored name of a subject, such as "Taro," instead of "User 1."

[0077] 7C, for example, the interface unit 120b may not include the individual identification unit 125. In a configuration in which the individual stored in the personal information storage unit 163 is automatically identified and information about the individual is acquired by recognizing the face of the subject in the image of the room 10 acquired by the image acquisition unit 141 described above, operation by the individual identification unit 125 is not required. By not including the individual identification unit 125, the complexity when the subject operates the human state estimation module 100 using the interface unit 120b is reduced, and a more convenient human state estimation module 100 can be realized.

[0078] [Interface section variation 2] Further, the second modification of the interface unit 120 will be described below with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the interface unit according to the second modification. (a) of Fig. 8 is a diagram showing operations corresponding to the target person selection unit 129. Also, (b) of Fig. 8 is a diagram showing operations corresponding to the individual identification unit 125 and the personal information input unit 127.

[0079] As shown in FIG. 8, the interface unit 120c in this modification includes only the touch panel 121b. Therefore, the interface unit 120c does not need to include multiple switches. This allows an operator to intuitively operate the interface unit 120c, improving the operability of the interface unit 120c. In addition, the device configuration of the interface unit 120c is simplified. A physical input device such as a switch may be vulnerable to wear of the moving parts, and durability is important for long-term use, but by including the touch panel 121b, high durability can be achieved at a relatively low cost.

[0080] As shown in (a) of FIG. 8, in this modified example, the subject uses his / her hand 30 to touch the touch panel 121b to input to the interface unit 120c. For example, the subject uses the hand 30 to touch a location corresponding to the subject (here, the first person 21) in the image displayed on the touch panel 121b. Then, the cursor 25 is displayed, and an image similar to the image displayed on the screen 121a of FIG. 3 is displayed. Furthermore, the subject uses the hand 30 to quickly touch the same location on the touch panel 121b twice. Then, the image displayed on the touch panel 121b changes to the image shown in (b) of FIG. 8.

[0081] The operation of the touch panel 121b when shifting from (a) of Fig. 8 to (b) of Fig. 8 is not limited to touching twice quickly, but may be touching three times quickly, or may be maintained in a touched state for a predetermined period of time. Also, the operation of the touch panel 121b when shifting from (a) of Fig. 8 to (b) of Fig. 8 does not have to be performed. After touching a portion corresponding to the user in the image displayed on the touch panel 121b, the screen of (b) of Fig. 8 may be automatically displayed after a predetermined period of time has elapsed.

[0082] As shown in (b) of Figure 8, touch panel 121b displays an individual identification display 33 corresponding to individual identification section 125 in the embodiment, and a personal information input display 31 corresponding to personal information input section 127 in the embodiment, superimposed on an image.

[0083] The individual identification display 33 is an input area for identifying an individual who indicates the subject. The individual identification display 33 displays the name of the individual stored in the personal information storage unit 163 and left and right arrows for displaying the previous and next candidate individuals. When the subject operates either the left or right arrow with the hand 30, the stored individual names displayed on the image are switched in order.

[0084] The personal information input display 31 is an input area for inputting information specific to an individual, such as a correct answer value that is the state that the subject actually feels with respect to the estimated human state. The personal information input display 31 displays an arrow-shaped scale bar for indicating the state that the subject actually feels, and indicates that the closer to the tip of the arrow on the scale bar, the hotter the thermal sensation feels. The subject can input information specific to the individual by touching the relevant part of the scale bar with the hand 30, or by tracing (swiping) up and down while touching the scale bar.

[0085] [Example of interface display] 9A to 11B, examples of images displayed on the interface unit 120 will be described below. Note that in the following description, examples of images will be described as images displayed on the touch panel 121b of the interface unit 120c according to the second modification, but similar images may be displayed in the embodiment and the first modification.

[0086] Fig. 9A is a diagram illustrating a display example 1 of an image according to Modification Example 2. In Fig. 9A, a first person 21 and a second person 23 are displayed on the touch panel 121b, and each of them is recognized as a subject. In addition, the personal names of neither subject are stored, and the first person 21 is given the name "Human A," and the second person 23 is given the name "Human B." In addition, it is shown that the thermal sensation, which is an estimated human state, of "Human A" is in a "Cool" state, and the thermal sensation, which is an estimated human state of "Human B," is in a "Neutral" state.

[0087] Here, as shown in the figure, the individual's name and human state are displayed superimposed on the subject displayed in the image. More specifically, at least a part of the image showing the human state is displayed superimposed on an area on the image in which a predetermined range including the subject is displayed. In this way, the subject can confirm which subject is in what human state just by visually checking the image. The predetermined range is a range in which it is possible to know which subject among multiple subjects corresponds to which human state. For example, it is sufficient that the subject displayed closest to the location where the image showing the human state is displayed among multiple subjects corresponds to the subject in question.

[0088] As shown in the figure, the name of an individual and the thermal sensation may be displayed without selection by the cursor 25. When an input is made by a subject, the input can be made for any subject on the image by simply selecting that subject.

[0089] Fig. 9B is a diagram illustrating a display example 2 of an image according to the modified example 2. Fig. 9B is different from display example 1 in that a human state actually experienced by a first person 21 is input. More specifically, in display example 2, in addition to the image of display example 1, an image indicating a correct answer value of the state experienced by the subject, which is input by the subject, is further displayed.

[0090] In the figure, the first person 21, "Human A", is shown to have an estimated human state of thermal sensation of "Cool" and an actual thermal sensation experienced of "Neutral".

[0091] In this way, by displaying an image showing the correct value of the state experienced by the subject, the subject can compare the estimated human state with the state experienced by the subject that he / she inputted at a glance. Therefore, the correct value of the state experienced by the subject, which is one of the pieces of information specific to an individual, can be input more intuitively.

[0092] Hereinafter, another display example of the scale bar of the personal information input display 31 shown in (b) of Fig. 8 will be described further with reference to Figs. 10A to 10D. Fig. 10A is a diagram for explaining a display example 3a of an image according to Modification Example 2. (a) of Fig. 10A is a diagram showing an overview of the image. Also, (b) of Fig. 10A is an enlarged view of the scale bar 35.

[0093] As shown in (a) of FIG. 10A, in this display example, a scale bar 35 for inputting the state experienced by the subject is displayed.

[0094] As shown in (b) of FIG. 10A, the scale bar 35 has a long rectangular reference figure 55 that continuously connects a first position 51 corresponding to the coldest possible minimum thermal sensation to a second position 53 corresponding to the hottest possible maximum thermal sensation.

[0095] Furthermore, the scale bar 35 includes an estimated human state indication display 57 (a hollow triangle at the top of the image) that indicates a position corresponding to the estimated human state on the reference figure 55, and an estimated human state indication display 57 (a hatched triangle at the bottom of the image) that indicates a position corresponding to the correct answer value input by the subject. In this way, a display that combines high visibility due to the comparison between the estimated human state indication display 57 and the input human state indication display 59, in addition to the high intuitive visibility due to the scale bar 35, can be realized.

[0096] FIG. 10B is a diagram illustrating a display example 3b of an image according to the second modification.

[0097] 10B shows a scale bar 35b which is another example of the scale bar 35. The scale bar 35b is displayed on the image of the touch panel 121b in place of the scale bar 35. The scale bar 35b includes a reference figure 55b, an estimated human state indication display 57b indicating a position corresponding to an estimated human state, and an input human state indication display 59b indicating a position corresponding to a correct answer value input by the subject.

[0098] More specifically, the reference figure 55b is a figure that intermittently connects a first position 51b corresponding to the minimum possible value of the thermal sensation and a second position 53b corresponding to the maximum possible value. The estimated human condition indication 57b is indicated by the number of scales filled with hatching when the intermittent reference figure 55b is used as a scale. The input human condition indication 59b is indicated by hatched triangles at the bottom of the image, similar to FIG. 10A.

[0099] FIG. 10C is a diagram illustrating a display example 3c of an image according to the second modification.

[0100] 10C shows a scale bar 35c which is another example of the scale bar 35. The scale bar 35c is displayed on the image of the touch panel 121b in place of the scale bar 35. The scale bar 35c includes a reference figure 55c, an estimated human state indication display 57c indicating a position corresponding to an estimated human state, and an input human state indication display 59c indicating a position corresponding to a correct answer value input by the subject.

[0101] More specifically, the reference figure 55c is an arc-shaped figure continuously connecting a first position 51c corresponding to the minimum possible value of the thermal sensation and a second position 53c corresponding to the maximum possible value. The estimated human state indication indicator 57c is indicated by a hollow pointer pointing to the corresponding position of the reference figure 55c. The input human state indication indicator 59c is indicated by a hatched pointer pointing to the corresponding position of the reference figure 55c.

[0102] FIG. 10D is a diagram illustrating a display example 3d of an image according to the second modification.

[0103] 10D shows a scale bar 35d that is another example of the scale bar 35. The scale bar 35d is displayed on the image of the touch panel 121b in place of the scale bar 35. The scale bar 35d includes a reference figure 55d, an estimated human state indication display 57d that indicates a position corresponding to an estimated human state, and an input human state indication display 59d that indicates a position corresponding to a correct answer value input by the subject.

[0104] More specifically, the reference figure 55d is a double arc shape continuously connecting a first position 51d corresponding to the minimum possible value of the thermal sensation and a second position 53d corresponding to the maximum possible value. The estimated human state indication display 57d is indicated by hatching from the first position 51d to the corresponding position of the white reference figure 55d. The input human state indication display 59d is indicated by hatching from the first position 51d to the corresponding position of the white reference figure 55d.

[0105] FIG. 11A is a diagram illustrating a fourth display example of an image according to the second modification.

[0106] The display example shown in Fig. 11A shows an input example for arbitrarily registering the name of an individual to be stored. As shown in Fig. 11A, the first person 21 selected by the cursor 25 is "Taro", and up to "Ta" has been input in the input field 37 in the image. Characters are input by combining the operation of touching the touch panel 121b with the subject's hand 30 and the operation of tracing the touch panel 121b, thereby selecting and inputting each character one by one.

[0107] FIG. 11B is a diagram illustrating a fifth display example of an image according to the second modification.

[0108] The display example shown in FIG. 11B shows an example of an image displayed during a reset operation to erase all stored personal information. As shown in FIG. 11B, When the subject uses his / her hand 30 to erase the personal information of the first person 21 selected by the cursor 25, the reset button 41 is displayed. This is arbitrarily designed to be displayed by a combination of operations on the touch panel 121b. Note that it is desirable for the combination of operations to be complex so that the subject's personal information is not erased by mistaken operation.

[0109] [Human state estimation characteristics] In the following, the human state estimation characteristic and the characteristic image showing the human state estimation characteristic displayed by the human state estimation characteristic display unit 124 described in the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 12 and Fig. 13. Fig. 12 is a diagram for explaining the human state estimation characteristic based on the input of the subject according to the embodiment. Fig. 13 is a diagram for explaining the classification of the human state estimation characteristic according to the embodiment.

[0110] 12 shows the human state estimation characteristics for each subject in the cases where there is no input from the subject, where there is input from the subject at the center of the estimated line, and where there is input from the subject at the end of the estimated line. Note that, here, the human state estimation characteristics will be described using the estimated characteristics of thermal sensation as an example.

[0111] In the absence of input from the subject, the amount of heat loss estimated from the thermal image and the thermal sensation experienced by the subject show a proportional relationship.

[0112] Here, if there is an input from the subject at the center of the estimated line, the straight line at the center is corrected in the direction of the input. Note that no correction is made to the two ends (i.e., the points where the amount of heat dissipation is 0 and the amount of heat dissipation is maximum), and a curve smoothly connecting these three points is output as the human state estimation characteristic (i.e., characteristic image). For example, as shown in the figure, if the subject feels hotter than the estimated thermal sensation at the center of the estimated line, the estimated line will be a curve that is convex in the positive direction of the estimated thermal sensation axis.

[0113] On the other hand, if there is further input from the subject at an end of the estimated line, the estimated line is corrected in the direction of the input at that end. That is, the entire estimated line is corrected in the estimated thermal sensation axis direction by changing the offset. The figure shows the estimated line when the center of the estimated line is corrected and then the subject further corrects the end of the estimated line.

[0114] In this way, for each individual, an estimated curve of the human state corrected according to the input information specific to the individual is created and stored in the personal information storage unit 163. The human state estimation module 100 estimates the human state based on the stored estimated curve for the individual identified by the individual identification unit 125, and therefore can estimate the human state closer to the state experienced by the subject. Therefore, by controlling the device based on the estimated human state, it becomes possible to accurately control the device as desired by the subject.

[0115] Also, as shown in FIG. 12, the human state estimation characteristic display unit 124 may display a characteristic image showing detailed human state estimation characteristics for each individual, or may display a simple human state tendency as described below.

[0116] For example, as shown in Fig. 13, the human state estimation characteristic may be classified into an overall tendency to feel hot, normal, or cold, and instead of displaying an accurate value, a simple tendency may be displayed by the human state estimation characteristic display unit 124. This allows the characteristic image displayed by the human state estimation characteristic display unit 124 to be displayed with a smaller amount of information. Also, the subject can more easily understand the tendency. Note that such a detailed display and a simple display may be switched by settings.

[0117] [Operation of human state estimation module] Hereinafter, the operation of the human state estimating module 100 described in the above embodiment and each modified example will be described with reference to Fig. 14 to Fig. 17. Fig. 14 is a first flowchart for explaining the operation of the human state estimating module according to the embodiment.

[0118] In the flowchart shown in FIG. 14, only one subject is present in the room 10, and the individual is identified based on an input from the subject.

[0119] First, an image is acquired in the sensing unit 140 of the human state estimation module 100. The image is transmitted to the interface unit 120 and displayed on the screen 121a. The subject operates the individual identification unit 125 while checking his / her own image displayed on the screen 121a to input information for identifying the individual (S10). The interface unit 120 reads the individual information stored in the personal information storage unit 163 by referring to the personal information. Since the individual information includes information specific to the individual, by reading the individual information, the information specific to the individual is also read (S11).

[0120] On the other hand, a thermal image is acquired by the sensing unit 140 (S12) and transmitted via communication to be acquired by the human state estimation unit 161. The human state estimation unit 161 further receives and acquires information specific to an individual from the interface unit 120 via communication.

[0121] The human state estimation unit 161 estimates the thermal sensation (i.e., the human state) of the subject using the acquired thermal image and the acquired information specific to the individual (S13). More specifically, the human state estimation unit 161 estimates the thermal sensation of the subject using the acquired thermal image. The human state estimation unit 161 transmits the estimated thermal sensation of the subject and the acquired information specific to the individual to the human state estimation correction unit 165. The human state estimation correction unit 165 corrects the estimated thermal sensation using the information specific to the individual, and transmits the corrected thermal sensation to the human state estimation unit 161. As described above, the human state estimation unit 161 estimates the thermal sensation of the subject using the thermal image and the information specific to the individual (S13).

[0122] The estimated result of the thermal sensation is transmitted from the human state estimation section 161 to the interface section 120, and is received by the interface section 120. The interface section 120 displays the received estimation result of the thermal sensation on the screen 121a (S14).

[0123] Here, the subject judges whether the displayed estimation result of thermal sensation is correct or not, and inputs the result. The interface unit 120 judges whether the subject inputs correction information for the estimation result of thermal sensation (S15). If there is no input from the subject (No in S15), the human state estimation module 100 ends the process.

[0124] On the other hand, if the subject inputs correction information (Yes in S15), the interface unit 120 acquires the input correction information (S16). The interface unit 120 corrects the information specific to the individual based on the correction information, and transmits the corrected information specific to the individual to the personal information storage unit 163 for storage (S17). After that, the human state estimation module 100 repeats the process again from step S11.

[0125] FIG. 15 is a second flowchart illustrating the operation of the human state estimating module 100 according to the embodiment.

[0126] In the flowchart shown in Fig. 15, only one subject is present in the room 10, and the individual who represents the subject is identified by image authentication. Therefore, the following will explain the points that are different from the flowchart shown in Fig. 14, but the points that are substantially the same will be omitted or simplified.

[0127] First, an image is acquired in the sensing unit 140 of the human state estimation module 100. The image is transmitted to the interface unit 120. Furthermore, the interface unit 120 refers to the personal information storage unit 163 to identify an individual corresponding to the subject in the image from among the individuals stored in the personal information storage unit 163 by image authentication (S20). The interface unit 120 reads information on the identified individual. Since the individual information includes information specific to the individual, the information specific to the individual is also read by reading the individual information (S21). The subsequent processing is the same as that in the flowchart shown in FIG. 14, and step S22 is performed instead of step S12. Furthermore, step S23 is performed instead of step S13, step S24 is performed instead of step S14, and step S25 is performed instead of step S15. Furthermore, step S26 is performed instead of step S16, and step S27 is performed instead of step S17. The processing performed in each stick substituted for each of the above steps is substantially the same. After that, the human state estimation module 100 repeats the process from step S21.

[0128] FIG. 16 is a third flowchart illustrating the operation of the human state estimating module 100 according to the embodiment.

[0129] In the flowchart shown in FIG. 16, a configuration is adopted in which a plurality of subjects are present in a room 10, and individuals are identified based on input from the subjects.

[0130] First, a thermal image is acquired by the sensing unit 140 (S30), and transmitted via communication to the human state estimation unit 161. The human state estimation unit 161 estimates the thermal sensation (i.e., the human state) of multiple subjects in the thermal image using the acquired thermal image (S31). The human state estimation unit 161 transmits the estimated thermal sensation estimation result to the interface unit 120, which receives it. An image is also acquired by the sensing unit 140 of the human state estimation module 100. The image is transmitted to the interface unit 120 and displayed on the screen 121a. The interface unit 120 displays the received thermal sensation estimation result together with the image on the screen 121a (S32).

[0131] Here, the subject selects a subject corresponding to himself / herself from among multiple subjects in the image displayed on screen 121a by operating subject selection unit 129. Interface unit 120 determines whether or not subject selection information for selecting a subject has been input from the subject (S33), and if it is determined that subject selection information has not been input (No in S33), repeats the process again from step S30.

[0132] On the other hand, if it is determined that target person selection information has been input (Yes in S33), the target person selection information is acquired from target person selection unit 129 (S34). Interface unit 120 acquires and reads personal information indicating the selected target person from among the individuals stored in personal information storage unit 163 by referring to personal information storage unit 163. Since personal information includes information unique to the individual, acquiring and reading the personal information also acquires and reads the information unique to the individual (S35).

[0133] The interface unit 120 transmits the input target person selection information and the read individual-specific information to the human state estimation unit 161. The human state estimation unit 161 extracts the thermal sensation of a target person selected from the multiple targets for which a thermal sensation estimation was performed based on the received target person selection information. The human state estimation unit 161 also estimates the thermal sensation (i.e., the human state) of the target using the received individual-specific information and the extracted target person's thermal sensation (S36).

[0134] More specifically, the human state estimation unit 161 transmits the extracted thermal sensation of the subject and the received information specific to the individual to the human state estimation correction unit 165. The human state estimation correction unit 165 corrects the extracted thermal sensation using the information specific to the individual, and transmits the corrected thermal sensation to the human state estimation unit 161. As described above, the human state estimation unit 161 performs a thermal sensation estimation of the subject using the extracted thermal sensation and the information specific to the individual (S36).

[0135] The estimated result of the thermal sensation is transmitted from the human state estimation section 161 to the interface section 120, and is received by the interface section 120. The interface section 120 displays the received estimation result of the thermal sensation on the screen 121a.

[0136] Here, the subject judges whether the displayed estimation result of thermal sensation is correct or not, and inputs the result. The interface unit 120 judges whether the subject inputs correction information for the estimation result of thermal sensation (S37). If there is no input from the subject (No in S37), the human state estimation module 100 ends the process.

[0137] On the other hand, if the subject inputs correction information (Yes in S37), the interface unit 120 acquires the input correction information (S38). The interface unit 120 corrects the information specific to the individual based on the correction information, and transmits the corrected information specific to the individual to the personal information storage unit 163 for storage (S39). After that, the human state estimation module 100 repeats the process again from step S30.

[0138] FIG. 17 is a fourth flowchart illustrating the operation of the human state estimating module 100 according to the embodiment.

[0139] In the flowchart shown in Fig. 17, multiple subjects are present in the room 10, and multiple individuals representing each of the multiple subjects are identified by image authentication. Therefore, the following will explain the points that are different from the flowchart shown in Fig. 16, but the points that are substantially the same will be omitted or simplified.

[0140] First, an image is acquired in the sensing unit 140 of the human state estimation module 100. The image is transmitted to the interface unit 120. Furthermore, the interface unit 120 refers to the personal information storage unit 163 to identify multiple individuals corresponding to multiple subjects in the image from among the individuals stored in the personal information storage unit 163 by image authentication (S40). The interface unit 120 reads information on the identified multiple individuals. Since the information on the multiple individuals includes information specific to the multiple individuals, reading the information on the multiple individuals also reads information specific to the multiple individuals (S41).

[0141] Next, a thermal image is acquired by the sensing unit 140 (S42), and transmitted via communication to be acquired by the human state estimation unit 161. The interface unit 120 transmits the read information specific to the multiple individuals to the human state estimation unit 161. The information specific to the multiple individuals is received by the human state estimation unit 161 and acquired.

[0142] The human state estimation unit 161 estimates the thermal sensation (i.e., the human state) of each of the multiple subjects using the acquired thermal image and the acquired information specific to the multiple individuals (S43). More specifically, the human state estimation unit 161 estimates the thermal sensation of each of the multiple subjects using the acquired thermal image. The human state estimation unit 161 transmits the estimated thermal sensation of each of the multiple subjects and the acquired information specific to the multiple individuals to the human state estimation correction unit 165. The human state estimation correction unit 165 corrects the estimated thermal sensation of each of the multiple subjects using the information specific to the multiple individuals, and transmits the corrected thermal sensation of each of the multiple subjects to the human state estimation unit 161. As described above, the human state estimation unit 161 estimates the thermal sensation of each of the multiple subjects using the thermal image and the information specific to the multiple individuals (S43).

[0143] The estimated results of the thermal sensation of each of the multiple subjects are transmitted from the human state estimation unit 161 to the interface unit 120, and received by the interface unit 120. The interface unit 120 displays the received estimated results of the thermal sensation of each of the multiple subjects on the screen 121a (S44).

[0144] Here, the subject selects a subject corresponding to himself / herself from among multiple subjects in the image displayed on screen 121a by operating subject selection unit 129. Interface unit 120 determines whether or not subject selection information for selecting a subject has been input from the subject (S45), and if it is determined that subject selection information has not been input (No in S45), repeats the process again from step S41.

[0145] On the other hand, if it is determined that the target person selection information has been input (Yes in S45), the target person selection information is acquired from the target person selection unit 129 (S46).

[0146] The subsequent processes are the same as those in the flowchart shown in Fig. 16, and step S47 is performed instead of step S37. Also, step S48 is performed instead of step S38, and step S49 is performed instead of step S39. After that, the human state estimation module 100 repeats the processes from step S41 again.

[0147] (Other embodiments) The human state estimation module 100, the thermal sensation estimation module, and the user interface device according to the present disclosure have been described above based on the above-mentioned embodiment and each modified example, but the present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment and each modified example. For example, the present disclosure also includes forms obtained by applying various modifications to the above-mentioned embodiment, etc. that a person skilled in the art would conceive, and forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions of the embodiment, etc. within the scope of the gist of the present disclosure.

[0148] In the second modification of the above embodiment, various displays are displayed on the touch panel 121b, and various functions are realized by operating the touch panel 121b. For example, a hardware switch for realizing these various functions may be provided separately.

[0149] Also, for example, various functions may be realized by arbitrarily combining the touch panel 121b and hardware switches.

[0150] Furthermore, although the interface unit 120 has been described as being a remote controller for the air conditioning apparatus 101, it may be realized by a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal. Moreover, it may be realized as an application that realizes the above functions on the mobile terminal.

[0151] In the above, an example of thermal sensation has been mainly described as a human state, but the human state estimation module may be used in combination with any device, such as a drowsiness estimation device, a pulse wave estimation device, or a heart rate estimation device, as a human state.

[0152] A drowsiness estimation device or the like does not need to acquire a thermal image, and does not need to be equipped with a thermal image acquisition unit.

[0153] In addition, in the above embodiment and the like, an example has been shown in which the subject operates the human state estimating module, but the human state estimating module may be operated by a user different from the subject. [Industrial Applicability]

[0154] The present invention can be used in equipment control systems, etc., which detect the state experienced by a subject using sensors, etc., and use the detected state to control equipment, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0155] 10 Indoor 21 The First Person 23 The Second Person 25, 27 Cursor 30 moves 31 Personal information input display 33 Personal identification display 35, 35b, 35c, 35d scale bars 37 Input field 41 Reset button 51, 51b, 51c, 51d 1st position 53, 53b, 53c, 53d 2nd position 55, 55b, 55c, 55d Reference figures 57, 57b, 57c, 57d Estimated human condition indication 59, 59b, 59c, 59d Input status indication 100 Person State Estimation Module 101 Air conditioning equipment 120, 120a, 120b, 120c Interface section 121 Camera image display section 121a screen 121b Touch Panel 123 Person Status Display Unit 123a Sub screen 124 Human state estimation characteristic display unit 125 Personal identification section 127 Personal Information Input Section 129 Target Selection Department 140 Sensing section 141 Image acquisition unit 143 Thermal image acquisition unit 160 Processing section 161 Human State Estimation Unit 163 Personal Information Retention Department 165 Human State Estimation Correction Unit

Claims

1. A device control system for controlling a device, comprising: a personal information storage unit that stores an individual and information specific to the individual in association with each other; a personal information input unit that receives information specific to the individual input by the subject, the information including at least information regarding the individual's preference indicating what type of thermal sensation the individual prefers among thermal sensations that are thermal sensations experienced by the subject, and stores the information in the personal information storage unit; and an individual identification unit that identifies the individual representing the target person from among the individuals stored in the personal information storage unit, thereby associating the target person with the individual and information specific to the individual, and controlling the device based on the individual and information specific to the individual associated with the target person by the individual identification unit. Equipment control system.

2. Further comprising a thermal image acquisition unit for acquiring a thermal image of the subject. The device control system according to claim 1 .

3. Using the thermal image, a thermal sensation is estimated, which is a thermal sensation felt by the subject. The device control system according to claim 2 .

Images