Air conditioner controller

Abstract

To provide a controller of an air conditioner which can appropriately measure an indoor temperature.SOLUTION: A controller 1 according to an embodiment includes a temperature sensor 8, an ultrasonic sensor 9, a temperature measurement unit for measuring an indoor temperature on the basis of transmitting and receiving time of an ultrasonic wave, and a control unit 3 for controlling the operation of an air conditioner 13 on the basis of the temperature measured by the temperature measurement unit. Measurement of the temperature by the temperature sensor 8 and measurement of the transmitting and receiving time are performed at prescribed timing before starting of air blowing, and on the basis of a propagation speed of the ultrasonic wave at the measured temperature and the transmitting and receiving time measured at the timing, a distance to a reflection object 16 is calculated and is set as a reference distance, and the temperature is measured with using the set reference distance as the distance to the reflection object 16.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a controller used to operate an air conditioner. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a temperature sensor is provided to measure the indoor temperature and the measured temperature is used to control an air conditioner (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-165632 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, such a temperature sensor is generally provided inside the case of the controller, and therefore measures the temperature inside the case. In this case, electrical components such as a microcomputer that generate heat during operation are generally provided inside the case. For this reason, in the past, the temperature measured by the temperature sensor was corrected according to the estimated amount of heat generated by the electrical components, and the indoor temperature was measured and used to control the air conditioner.

[0005] However, when the air conditioner starts operating, air flow is generated in the room, and it is assumed that the air flow will remove heat from the case. If a correction is made to the temperature measured when heat is removed from the case according to the amount of heat generated by the electrical components, there is a risk that the correction will be excessive. In addition, since the temperature measured will likely differ depending on whether there is air flow or not, it may be difficult to make an appropriate correction.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and has an object to provide a controller for an air conditioner that can appropriately measure the temperature inside a room. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In the invention described in claim 1, the controller is for operating an air conditioner and includes a case, a temperature sensor provided within the case for measuring temperature, an ultrasonic sensor capable of transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, a temperature measuring unit for measuring the temperature inside the room based on the transmission and reception time from when ultrasonic waves are transmitted until the ultrasonic waves reflected by a reflecting object are received, and a control unit for controlling the operation of the air conditioner based on the temperature measured by the temperature measuring unit.

[0008] As a result, it is possible to measure room temperature without making corrections based on the amount of heat generated by electrical components as in the past, and while suppressing the effects of air flow. In addition, since the propagation speed of ultrasound is considered to be sufficiently fast assuming a typical room size, it is possible to measure the temperature in a short period of time and achieve high response to temperature changes in the room.

[0009] Incidentally, when measuring temperature based on the transmission and reception time of ultrasonic waves, the accurate distance to the reflecting object that reflects the ultrasonic waves is required. This is because, although the calculation formula will be described in detail in the embodiment described later, the temperature is measured based on the fact that the propagation speed of ultrasonic waves changes depending on the temperature, and therefore the temperature cannot be measured correctly unless the distance to the reflecting object is accurately determined.

[0010] However, for example, when trying to obtain an accurate distance based on the measured transmission and reception time, the accurate temperature of the room through which the ultrasonic waves propagated is required, but in order to obtain the temperature in the room accurately, an accurate distance is also required, creating a dilemma. Furthermore, with a temperature sensor that is affected by heat generated by electrical components and air flow, there is a possibility that the measured temperature may differ from the room temperature, making it difficult to resolve this dilemma.

[0011] Therefore, the control unit measures the temperature using a temperature sensor and the transmission and reception time at a predetermined timing before air blowing begins, and calculates the distance to the reflecting object based on the ultrasonic propagation speed at the measured temperature and the measured transmission and reception time, and sets this as a reference distance.The temperature measurement unit measures the temperature using the set reference distance as the distance to the reflecting object.

[0012] At a certain timing before the start of the blowing, since there is no air flow, it is considered that the temperature inside the case and the room temperature are in equilibrium. In other words, during the period before the start of the blowing, it is considered that the temperature measured by the temperature sensor is roughly equal to the temperature in the room where the ultrasonic waves are propagating, that is, the consistency between the temperature measured by the temperature sensor and the room temperature is ensured.

[0013] Therefore, by measuring the transmission and reception time during that period, the accurate distance to the reflecting object can be obtained based on the transmission and reception time and the propagation speed of the ultrasonic wave at the temperature measured by the temperature sensor. Once the accurate distance to the reflecting object is obtained, the indoor temperature can be accurately obtained by measuring the transmission and reception time, since the distance does not depend on the temperature. In other words, the above-mentioned dilemma can be resolved. Therefore, the indoor temperature can be measured appropriately.

[0014] In the invention described in claim 2, a plurality of ultrasonic sensors are provided so as to be capable of transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves in different directions relative to the controller, and the temperature measurement unit measures the temperature in each of the different directions. This makes it possible to continue measuring the temperature by using the measurement results in other directions, even if a problem occurs with the measurement results in one direction.

[0015] In the invention described in claim 3, if at least one of the measured transmission / reception time or the indoor temperature measured based on the transmission / reception time has changed beyond a preset allowable range from the previous measurement result, the control unit discards the current measurement result and reuses the previous measurement result. This makes it possible to reduce the risk of controlling the operation of the air conditioner based on an erroneous measurement result in a situation where a temporary problem occurs in the measurement result due to, for example, electrical noise or human movement. In other words, the operation of the air conditioner can be controlled based on a more accurate temperature.

[0016] Also, claim 1 The invention described in includes a time acquisition unit that acquires time, and a storage unit that stores a reference distance and a stop time when operation is stopped. When setting the reference distance, the control unit acquires the current time and determines whether a predetermined waiting time has elapsed since the stop time stored in the storage unit, and sets the currently determined distance to the reflecting object as the reference distance if it determines that the waiting time has elapsed, whereas it sets the previous reference distance stored in the storage unit as the current reference distance if it determines that the waiting time has not elapsed.

[0017] If the standby time has passed since the last time it was stopped, it is considered that electrical components such as the CPU have not generated heat because it has been a while since it was stopped, and it is considered that there is no difference in temperature between the inside of the case and the room temperature during the period until the fan starts to blow air, since there is no air flow. Furthermore, it is considered that the effect of heat generated by electrical components is small immediately after the power is turned on.

[0018] In other words, when the standby time has elapsed at the time of setting the reference distance, it is considered to be a state in which the temperature inside the case and the temperature inside the room are in equilibrium, in other words, a state in which the temperature measured by the temperature sensor and the temperature inside the room are highly consistent. Therefore, by setting the reference distance after the standby time has elapsed, the accuracy of the reference distance is further improved, and as a result, the accuracy of the temperature measured by the ultrasonic sensor can also be improved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a controller according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which the internal temperature differs from the room temperature; [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining disturbance factors for an ultrasonic sensor. [Figure 4] A diagram showing the flow of processing executed by the controller DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Fig. 1, a controller 1 of this embodiment includes a case 2, a control unit 3, a memory unit 4, a display unit 5, an operation unit 6, a communication unit 7, a temperature sensor 8, two ultrasonic sensors 9, a time acquisition unit 10, and a temperature acquisition unit 11. This controller 1 is intended to be attached to a wall surface 12 or the like of a space (R) to be air-conditioned, such as an office or a room, and to be used to operate an air conditioner 13. Hereinafter, the space (R) to be air-conditioned will be referred to as the room.

[0021] Although not shown in the drawings, the case 2 is made of a resin material or the like and is formed into a thin, roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape. A display unit 5 is disposed on the front side of the case 2 when it is attached, and is configured to display, for example, a liquid crystal panel capable of displaying letters and numbers, and displays the operating state of the air conditioner 13 and the current set temperature. However, the display unit 5 can be configured with a light-emitting component such as an LED that indicates the operating state, or it can be configured to have both a liquid crystal panel and a light-emitting component.

[0022] An operation unit 6 for starting / stopping the operation, changing the set temperature, etc. is disposed on the front side of the case 2. This operation unit 6 can be configured with, for example, a mechanical switch or a touch panel provided in correspondence with the display unit 5, or it can be configured with both a switch and a touch panel.

[0023] The control unit 3 is configured with a microcomputer equipped with a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc. (not shown). The control unit 3 controls the controller 1 by reading and executing a program stored in the storage unit 4. For example, the control unit 3 executes a process of instructing the start / stop of the operation of the air conditioner 13 and a process of instructing a set temperature in response to an operation input to the operation unit 6. The control unit 3 also executes a process of determining a reference distance that serves as a reference when measuring the temperature using the ultrasonic sensor 9, which will be described in detail later.

[0024] The storage unit 4 is composed of a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory, and stores programs and various data for controlling the controller 1. In addition, in relation to this embodiment, the storage unit 4 also stores the time when the previous operation was stopped, the reference distance obtained during the previous operation, the indoor temperature measured last time or in the past, and the history of the transmission and reception time. Note that, although FIG. 1 shows an example of a configuration in which the control unit 3 and the storage unit 4 are separate entities, a configuration in which the control unit 3 has the storage unit 4 built in can be adopted.

[0025] The communication unit 7 is communicatively connected to the air conditioner 13, and communicates control signals, such as instructions to start / stop the operation of the air conditioner 13 and instructions for the set temperature, with the air conditioner 13. This communication unit 7 is assumed to be of a wired communication type, but it is also possible to adopt a wireless communication type that uses, for example, infrared rays.

[0026] In this embodiment, the air conditioner 13 is assumed to be of a so-called central heating type, and air cooled or heated by the air conditioner 13 is supplied through a duct 14 to an air outlet 15 opening into the room as shown by arrow F. However, like a general air conditioner, there is a time lag between when the power is turned on and operation is started and when air conditioning with air blowing starts. Hereinafter, the period until air blowing starts is referred to as the pre-air blowing period. In this embodiment, the pre-air blowing period corresponds to the period from when the power of the controller 1 is turned on to when air blowing starts.

[0027] Temperature sensor 8 is provided inside case 2 and measures the temperature inside case 2. Temperature sensor 8 can be configured with known types such as a resistance temperature detector type, a thermistor type, a thermocouple type, or an integrated circuit type, and can employ either a contact type or a non-contact type measurement method. Hereinafter, the temperature inside case 2 that can be directly measured by temperature sensor 8, shown as Ta [°C] in Fig. 1, will be referred to as the internal temperature. [°C] indicates Celsius.

[0028] The ultrasonic sensor 9 incorporates an ultrasonic transmitter and receiver made of, for example, piezoelectric ceramics, a pulse generating circuit, transmitting and receiving transducers that convert between electrical signals and ultrasonic waves, etc. These two ultrasonic sensors 9 are disposed in such a way that they can transmit ultrasonic waves in different directions relative to the controller 1.

[0029] In this embodiment, the ultrasonic sensor 9A is disposed in an arrangement that transmits ultrasonic waves laterally from the controller 1, and the ultrasonic sensor 9B is disposed in an arrangement that transmits ultrasonic waves upward from the controller 1. However, the number and arrangement of the ultrasonic sensors 9 shown in Fig. 1 are merely examples and are not limited thereto, and a configuration in which one ultrasonic sensor 9 is provided or a configuration in which three or more ultrasonic sensors 9 are provided may be used.

[0030] When a transmission pulse signal instructing transmission is input from the control unit 3, the ultrasonic sensor 9 starts transmitting ultrasonic waves, and when the transmitted transmission wave (U1) is reflected by a reflecting object 16 and received as a reflected wave (U2), it outputs a receiving pulse signal indicating reception to the control unit 3. This reflecting object 16 may be any immovable object placed in a room, and examples of the reflecting object 16 include the left and right walls 12, the ceiling 17, the floor 18, and the cabinet 19 in the room shown in Fig. 3.

[0031] The control unit 3 then measures the room temperature by measuring the transmission and reception time from when the ultrasonic wave is transmitted until the ultrasonic wave reflected by the reflecting object 16 is received. Hereinafter, the room temperature from which the ultrasonic sensor 9 emits, shown as Tb [°C] in Fig. 1, that is, the room temperature measured using the ultrasonic sensor 9, will be referred to as room temperature.

[0032] In this embodiment, the control unit 3 measures the transmission and reception time by measuring the time from when a transmission pulse signal is output to when a reception pulse signal is input, for example, by using a built-in timer function or a built-in counter function (not shown). Note that it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the ultrasonic sensor 9 measures the transmission and reception time and notifies the control unit 3 of the measurement result.

[0033] The time acquisition unit 10 is configured, for example, by a real-time clock, and is capable of acquiring the time and date. Although Fig. 1 shows an example of a configuration in which the control unit 3 and the time acquisition unit 10 are separate entities, a configuration in which the real-time clock is built into the control unit 3 can also be adopted.

[0034] The temperature acquisition unit 11, details of which will be described later, measures the indoor temperature based on the transmission and reception time from when ultrasonic waves are transmitted until the ultrasonic waves reflected by a reflecting object 16 are received, and the distance to the reflecting object 16. In the present embodiment, the temperature measurement unit is realized by software by executing a program in the control unit 3. In Fig. 1, the distance to the reflecting object 16 when the ultrasonic sensor 9A is used to measure the temperature is indicated as LA, and the distance to the reflecting object 16 (here, the ceiling 17) when the ultrasonic sensor 9B is used to measure the temperature is indicated as LB.

[0035] Next, the operation of the above-mentioned controller 1 will be described. As described above, when the temperature sensor 8 is provided inside the case 2 of the controller 1, the temperature sensor 8 measures the internal temperature inside the case 2. At this time, since the case 2 contains electrical components such as a microcomputer that generate heat during operation, the internal temperature is affected by the heat generated.

[0036] 2, it is expected that the internal temperature (Ta) measured by the temperature sensor 8 will be higher than the actual room temperature (Tb). For this reason, in the past, a correction value (ΔH1) was calculated for the internal temperature (Ta) measured by the temperature sensor 8 according to the expected amount of heat generated by the electrical components, and then the room temperature (Tb) was measured.

[0037] However, when the air conditioner 13 starts operating, more specifically, when air conditioning involving air blowing is started by the air conditioner 13, an air flow is generated in the room and takes heat away from the case 2. As a result, even if no significant change is observed in the room temperature (Tb) before and after the start of air blowing, the internal temperature (Ta) may change significantly.

[0038] Therefore, when there is no airflow, if a correction value (ΔH2) according to the amount of heat generated is calculated and corrected in the same way as when there is airflow, excessive correction may occur, and the calculated corrected temperature (Th) may deviate significantly from the room temperature (Tb). In addition, it is thought that the correction may also be affected when the air flow rate changes, but in order to make corrections while taking the air flow rate into account, complex corrections are required, and it is difficult to accurately grasp the air flow itself, making this difficult in practice.

[0039] Therefore, the controller 1 of this embodiment is configured to be able to appropriately measure the room temperature (Tb) in the following manner. Specifically, the controller 1 has an ultrasonic sensor 9, and measures the temperature using the ultrasonic sensor 9.

[0040] In this case, the relationship between the distance (L [m]) to the reflecting object 16 that reflects the ultrasonic wave, the propagation speed of the ultrasonic wave (C [m / sec]), and the transmission and reception time (t [sec]) can be expressed by the following (1), where [m] is meters, [m / sec] is meters per second, and [sec] is seconds. L = (C × t) ÷ 2 (1)

[0041] In addition, since this embodiment is assumed to be in a room where people enter and exit, the propagation speed (C) of ultrasonic waves at room temperature (Tb) can be expressed as the following equation (2), which is generally used as the speed of sound at 1 atmosphere. C=331.5×((273+Tb)÷273)) ···(2)

[0042] From equations (1) and (2), it can be seen that room temperature (Tb) can be calculated using equation (3) below. Tb=(2×273×L)÷(331.5×t)-273 ···(3)

[0043] That is, the controller 1 measures the room temperature by using the ultrasonic sensor 9, instead of the temperature sensor 8, which is easily affected by air flow. This makes it possible to suppress the effect of air flow when measuring the room temperature (Tb).

[0044] As is clear from equation (3), the distance (L) must be accurate to calculate the room temperature (Tb). If the distance (L) is incorrect, the temperature calculated from equation (3) will also be incorrect.

[0045] In that case, for example, it is conceivable to set an accurate distance when installing controller 1, but in a realistic indoor situation, it is expected that the distance to reflecting object 16 will change. For example, in a case where it is assumed that a room where people enter and exit is to be air-conditioned as in this embodiment, suppose that controller 1 is installed on wall surface 12 near door 20 for entering and exiting the room as shown in FIG.

[0046] In this case, assuming that the ultrasonic sensor 9 is generally installed in the following orientations, it may be placed in one or more of the following orientations with respect to the controller 1: upward, left, right, downward, or front. Note that it may also be placed at an angle with respect to the controller 1, but the reasons for the change in distance are the same and will be omitted here.

[0047] In such a situation, if the left wall surface 12A is assumed to be the reflecting object 16, the reference distance when measuring the room temperature, that is, the distance over which the ultrasonic waves are assumed to propagate, is L10 x 2. However, if the door 20 is open, for example, the actual distance over which the ultrasonic waves propagate is L11 x 2, so the distance assumed when measuring the room temperature changes, and in that case, there is a risk that the room temperature will not be measured correctly.

[0048] Similarly, when the right wall 12B is assumed to be the reflecting object 16, the assumed distance is L20×2, but if, for example, a cabinet 19 is placed after the controller 1 is installed, the actual distance the ultrasonic wave propagates becomes L21×2, and there is a risk that the room temperature will not be measured correctly. Also, when the front wall 12C is assumed to be the reflecting object 16, the assumed distance is L30×2, but if, for example, a person (M) moves in front of the controller 1, the actual distance the ultrasonic wave propagates becomes L31×2, and there is a risk that the room temperature will not be measured correctly.

[0049] In this way, a dilemma arises: if you try to obtain an accurate distance based on the measured transmission and reception time, you need an accurate temperature in the room where the ultrasonic waves have propagated, but you also need an accurate distance to obtain the temperature in the room accurately. It is difficult to resolve this dilemma with temperature sensor 8, which may measure a temperature that differs from the room temperature.

[0050] In other words, in consideration of the realistic situation assumed in a room to be air-conditioned, a situation may occur in which the distance that should be a prerequisite for measuring the room temperature cannot be treated as a pure prerequisite. Therefore, the controller 1 of this embodiment is capable of acquiring the distance required to correctly measure the room temperature. As will be described later, the distance required to correctly measure the temperature corresponds to the reference distance.

[0051] The controller 1 executes the process shown in Fig. 4. Although each process is executed by the control unit 3 or the like, the controller 1 will be mainly described here for the sake of simplicity. For example, when the power is turned on and a process is started, the controller 1 acquires the current time (S1). Next, the controller 1 determines whether or not a predetermined waiting time has elapsed since the time when the previous operation was stopped (S2).

[0052] This standby time can be set appropriately depending on the size of the room to be covered. If the standby time has passed since the last shutdown time, it is considered that the electrical components such as the CPU have been shut down for a long time and are not generating heat. Also, immediately after the power is turned on and no air conditioning involving ventilation is being performed, there is no air flow, so it is considered that there is no difference between the internal temperature (Ta) and the room temperature (Tb) inside the case 2. Also, immediately after the power is turned on, the impact of heat generation from the electrical components such as the CPU is considered to be very small.

[0053] In this way, when the power is turned on and the standby time has elapsed, this is considered to be a state in which the temperature inside the case 2 and room temperature are in equilibrium and the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 8 is roughly equal to the temperature inside the room through which the ultrasonic waves propagate; in other words, this is a state in which the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 8 and room temperature are in agreement.

[0054] Therefore, when the controller 1 determines that the standby time has elapsed (S2: YES), it executes a process of setting a distance that serves as a reference for measuring the room temperature, that is, a reference distance. Specifically, the controller 1 measures the internal temperature using the temperature sensor 8 (S3), and measures the transmission and reception time using the ultrasonic sensor 9 (S4). Note that steps S3 and S4 can be executed in any order. That is, the controller 1 measures the temperature and the transmission and reception time at a predetermined timing before the start of air blowing.

[0055] Next, the controller 1 calculates the distance (L) to the reflecting object 16 at the internal temperature (Ta) from the measured internal temperature (Ta) and the transmission and reception time (t) (S5). Specifically, the controller 1 calculates the distance (L) from equation (3) assuming that the measured internal temperature (Ta) is equal to room temperature (Tb). Note that the propagation speed (C) can also be calculated from equation (2) and substituted into equation (1) to calculate the distance (L).

[0056] Then, the controller 1 sets the obtained distance (L) to the reflecting object 16 as the reference distance (S6). The set reference distance is substituted into formula (3) and used as the distance (L) for measuring the room temperature during air conditioning operation. Since this reference distance is set based on the internal temperature that is ensured to coincide with the room temperature as described above and the transmission and reception time at that internal temperature, it is possible to ensure the accuracy of the temperature measurement results by the ultrasonic sensor 9.

[0057] On the other hand, if the controller 1 determines that the waiting time has not elapsed (S2: NO), there is a possibility that the accuracy of the reference distance obtained by the above-mentioned procedure cannot be ensured, so the controller 1 reads out the previous reference distance from the memory unit 4 (S7) and sets the read out previous reference distance as the reference distance to be used this time. In other words, the controller 1 reuses the previous reference distance obtained in a state where accuracy can be ensured.

[0058] In this way, the controller 1 can set a distance at which accuracy is required when measuring temperature with the ultrasonic sensor 9. Although the propagation speed of ultrasonic waves changes depending on the temperature, the reference distance is constant and does not depend on the temperature, so it is possible to measure the room temperature (Tb) using equation (3). In other words, the accuracy of the room temperature (Tb) calculated from equation (3) can be ensured. Furthermore, since the propagation speed of ultrasonic waves is considered to be sufficiently fast in consideration of the generally assumed size of a room, it is possible to measure the temperature in a short time, and high tracking ability can be obtained for temperature changes in the room.

[0059] Once the reference distance is set, the controller 1 transitions to normal processing, which controls the operation of the air conditioner 13 based on the room temperature measured by the ultrasonic sensor 9. Note that, although Fig. 4 shows a flow in which the process transitions directly to normal processing when the power is turned on, it is also possible to configure the controller 1 to wait at the stage where the reference distance is set, and transition to normal processing when an operation to start operation is input. Similarly, in the case where the controller 1 is connected to a higher-level control device, the controller 1 can transition to normal processing when an instruction to start operation is received from the control device.

[0060] When the process shifts to the normal process, the controller 1 measures the transmission and reception time (S8) and measures the room temperature from the measured transmission and reception time and the reference distance (S9). If a plurality of ultrasonic sensors 9 are provided, this measurement of the room temperature is performed for each ultrasonic sensor 9. Although not shown in FIG. 4, the measurement of the transmission and reception time and the room temperature are actually performed at predetermined measurement intervals. The measurement interval can be appropriately set to a frequency of, for example, once, several times, or several tens of times per second depending on the processing power of the CPU.

[0061] When the room temperature is measured, the controller 1 judges whether the measurement result is valid or not (S10). At this time, the controller 1 judges whether at least one of the measurement results of the measured transmission / reception time or the room temperature measured based on the transmission / reception time has changed beyond a preset allowable range from the previous measurement result stored in the memory unit 4. This allowable range can be set appropriately, and a range that is expected to change in one measurement cycle can be set based on the performance of the air conditioner 13, the size of the room to be air-conditioned, etc.

[0062] This is because it is believed that the room temperature will not change drastically in a short period of time when air conditioning is performed by a general air conditioner 13. Furthermore, when temperatures are measured by multiple ultrasonic sensors 9 each oriented in a different direction, the controller 1 judges the validity of each measurement result. As a result, even if a problem occurs with the measurement result in one direction, the measurement of the room temperature can be continued by using the measurement result in another direction.

[0063] If the controller 1 determines that the current measurement result does not exceed the allowable range, that is, if the current measurement result is valid (S10: YES), it controls the operation of the air conditioner 13 based on the currently measured room temperature (S12). At this time, if the temperature is measured by multiple ultrasonic sensors 9, the controller 1 uses any one of the average, mode, median, etc. of the respective measurement results as the measurement result to specify the room temperature, and stores each measurement result in the memory unit 4 in chronological order.

[0064] On the other hand, if the controller 1 determines that the current measurement result exceeds the allowable range, that is, if the controller 1 determines that the current measurement result is invalid (S10: NO), the controller 1 discards the current measurement result and reuses the previous measurement result stored in the memory unit 4, and controls the operation of the air conditioner 13 based on the previously measured temperature. The repetition of steps S8 to S12 corresponds to the above-mentioned steady-state processing.

[0065] At this time, when the temperature is measured by multiple ultrasonic sensors 9, the controller 1 reuses the previous measurement results of each. However, when the measurement result by the ultrasonic sensor 9 in one direction is valid and the measurement result by the ultrasonic sensor 9 provided in the other direction is invalid, the controller 1 can be configured to adopt the measurement result determined to be valid and reuse the previous measurement result for the measurement result determined to be invalid. Alternatively, the controller 1 can be configured to adopt only the measurement result determined to be valid and simply discard the measurement result determined to be invalid.

[0066] During the steady-state processing, the controller 1 determines whether or not to stop the operation (S13). In this embodiment, the controller 1 determines to stop the operation when an operation to stop the operation is input. However, in a case where the controller 1 is connected to a higher-level control device, the controller 1 determines to stop the operation even when an instruction to stop the operation is received from the control device.

[0067] When the controller 1 determines not to stop the operation (S13: NO), the controller 1 proceeds to step S8 and repeats the steady process. On the other hand, when the controller 1 determines not to stop the operation (S13: NO), the controller 1 proceeds to step S8 and repeats the steady process. In this manner, the controller 1 controls the operation of the air conditioner 13 while repeating the steady-state process of measuring the room temperature using the ultrasonic sensor 9. According to the controller 1 described above, the following effects can be obtained.

[0068] The controller 1 is for operating the air conditioner 13 and comprises a case 2, a temperature sensor 8 provided within the case 2 for measuring temperature, an ultrasonic sensor 9 capable of transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, a temperature measuring unit for measuring the temperature inside the room based on the transmission and reception time from when ultrasonic waves are transmitted until the ultrasonic waves reflected by a reflecting object 16 are received and the distance to the reflecting object 16, and a control unit 3 for controlling the operation of the air conditioner 13 based on the temperature measured by the temperature measuring unit.

[0069] As a result, it is possible to measure the room temperature without making corrections according to the heat generation amount of the electrical components as in the past, and while suppressing the influence of air flow. In addition, since the propagation speed of ultrasonic waves is considered to be sufficiently fast in consideration of the generally assumed size of a room, it is possible to measure the temperature in a short time and to obtain high tracking ability to the temperature change in the room. Therefore, the room temperature can be measured appropriately.

[0070] At this time, the controller 1 measures the temperature using the temperature sensor 8 and the transmission and reception time at a predetermined timing before air blowing begins, calculates the distance to the reflecting object 16 based on the propagation speed of the ultrasonic wave at the measured temperature and the measured transmission and reception time, sets this as a reference distance, and measures the temperature using the set reference distance as the distance to the reflecting object 16.

[0071] This makes it possible to obtain a correct reference distance to the reflecting object 16 that serves as a reference when measuring temperature with the ultrasonic sensor 9, and by measuring the temperature based on the reference distance and the transmission and reception time, the accuracy of the measured temperature can be ensured. Also, by measuring the temperature and the transmission and reception time during the period from when the power is turned on until the start of air blowing as in the embodiment, the reference distance can be obtained while suppressing the influence of heat generated by internal electrical components, thereby improving accuracy.

[0072] The controller 1 is also provided with a plurality of ultrasonic sensors 9 capable of transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves in different directions relative to the controller 1, and measures the temperature in each of the different directions. This allows the measurement of the room temperature to continue even if a problem occurs with the measurement result in one direction, for example, by using the measurement result in another direction.

[0073] Furthermore, if at least one of the measured transmission / reception times or the indoor temperature measured based on the transmission / reception times has changed from the previous measurement result beyond a preset allowable range, the controller 1 discards the current measurement result and reuses the previous measurement result. This reduces the risk of controlling the operation of the air conditioner 13 based on an erroneous measurement result in a situation where a temporary problem occurs in the measurement result due to electrical noise, human movement, or the like.

[0074] The controller 1 also has a time acquisition unit 10 that acquires the time, and a memory unit 4 that stores the reference distance and the stop time when operation was stopped.When setting the reference distance, the controller acquires the current time and determines whether a predetermined waiting time has elapsed since the stop time stored in the memory unit 4, and if it determines that the waiting time has elapsed, it sets the distance to the reflecting object 16 determined this time as the reference distance, whereas if it determines that the waiting time has not elapsed, it sets the previous reference distance stored in the memory unit 4 as the current reference distance.

[0075] This ensures that the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 8 matches the room temperature at which the ultrasonic waves propagate, and ensures the accuracy of the reference distance. In addition, since the accuracy of the reference distance can be ensured, the accuracy of the room temperature measured based on the reference distance can also be ensured.

[0076] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above or shown in the drawings, and can be modified or expanded, for example, as described below, without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0077] Although the position of the temperature sensor 8 is not limited in the embodiment, when the temperature sensor 8 is provided inside the case 2, it is desirable to position it below electrical components that generate heat during operation, such as the control unit 3 and the display unit 5. This is because the control unit 3 must be operating when calculating the reference distance, and therefore, by positioning the temperature sensor 8 below the control unit 3, it is believed that the effect of heat generation can be reduced.

[0078] However, since it is assumed that the CPU used in such a controller 1 has a relatively low power consumption, it is unlikely that the temperature inside the case 2 will rise suddenly even if the control unit 3 starts operating. Therefore, a configuration in which the temperature sensor 8 is located above the control unit 3 is not excluded.

[0079] In the embodiment, the temperature sensor 8 is provided inside the case 2, but the temperature sensor 8 may be provided outside the case 2. That is, the control unit 3 can set the reference distance based on the temperature measured by a temperature sensor provided somewhere in the room. For example, the temperature sensor 8 may be provided in an exposed state on the surface of the case 2, the temperature sensor 8 may be attached to the surface of the case 2, or the temperature sensor 8 may be provided in the air outlet 15 shown in FIG. 1. In this way, by connecting in a communicable manner using the communication unit 7, it is possible to obtain the same effect as in the embodiment and to support an existing controller 1.

[0080] The present invention can also be applied to an apparatus equipped with an outdoor unit and an indoor unit, in which the temperature sensor 8 is provided in the indoor unit. In this case, if the temperature sensor 8 is provided in the housing of the indoor unit, it is considered that the temperature sensor 8 will be affected by the air flow in the same manner as the internal temperature described in the embodiment. Therefore, the same effect as in the embodiment can be obtained by measuring the temperature with the temperature sensor 8 provided in a position where the indoor temperature can be measured, whether inside or outside the case 2, and by measuring the transmission and reception time at that temperature during the pre-air-blowing period to set the reference distance.

[0081] In the embodiment, a configuration is shown in which measurement results that have changed beyond an acceptable range are discarded, but the discarded measurement results can be stored in chronological order, and if measurement results that can be considered to be the same as the discarded measurement results are measured over a specified confirmation period, for example several minutes to several hours, the reference distance can be reset based on the measurement results of the transmission and reception time based on the current room temperature.

[0082] This allows the ultrasonic sensor 9 to continue measuring the room temperature when it is expected that a certain amount of time will be required until the next power-on, such as when the air conditioner 13 is in continuous operation. In this case, since the current room temperature is measured based on the reference distance that was correctly determined in the pre-air-blowing period, the validity of the reset reference distance can be ensured by resetting the reference distance based on the current room temperature.

[0083] In the embodiment, an example was shown in which the process for setting the reference distance is executed immediately after the power is turned on, but the process for setting the reference distance can be executed when an operation to start operation is performed. In other words, the temperature and the transmission and reception time can be acquired at a predetermined timing before the start of airflow to set the reference distance. This is because, as described above, the CPU is expected to consume relatively little power, and because it is expected that the CPU is in a sleep state to reduce power consumption and generates little heat when an operation to start operation is not performed.

[0084] In the embodiment, the ultrasonic sensor 9 is provided in the case 2, but the ultrasonic sensor 9 may be provided outside the case 2 and connected to be communicative by using the communication unit 7. This allows the contents of the embodiment to be applied to an existing controller 1.

[0085] In addition, the ultrasonic sensor 9 can be modularized and the module can be communicatively attached to the top, side, or bottom of the case 2, allowing the modules to be attached in any orientation and in any number. This allows for flexible response even when the installation environment differs for each user.

[0086] In the embodiment, the controller 1 is provided with the time acquisition unit 10 and acquires the time by itself. However, the controller 1 may acquire the time from an external source via the communication unit 7.

[0087] In the embodiment, a configuration in which the power is turned on by a user operation has been exemplified, but the present invention can also be applied to a configuration in which the power is turned on remotely from an external central control device.

[0088] In the embodiment, a configuration in which the control unit 3 measures the transmission and reception time has been exemplified, but a configuration in which the ultrasonic sensor 9 measures the transmission and reception time and notifies the control unit 3 of the measurement result can also be adopted.

[0089] In the embodiment, an example is shown in which the reference distance is set when the power is turned on, but it is also possible to configure the reference distance so that it can be input as an initial value, or to configure the reference distance so that it can be reset by executing a process for setting the reference distance in response to user operation.

[0090] In addition, the specified timing before air blowing starts includes any timing during the period from when air blowing stops until the next time air blowing starts when the air conditioner 13 repeatedly operates with and without air blowing. Blow air

[0091] In addition, the measurement results of the reference distance, e.g. In memory section 4 The validity can be confirmed by comparing the value measured this time with a stored previously set reference distance, and if it is determined to be valid, the value measured this time is used, and if it is determined to be invalid, the previously measured value is set as the reference distance.

[0092] In addition, the reference distance can be measured multiple times during the pre-air blowing period, and the average or median of the multiple measurement results can be set as the reference distance, or the validity of the multiple measurement results can be judged, and the value judged to be valid can be set as the reference distance. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] In the drawings, 1 is a controller, 2 is a case, 3 is a control unit, 4 is a memory unit, 8 is a temperature sensor, 9, 9A, and 9B are ultrasonic sensors, 10 is a time acquisition unit, 11 is a temperature acquisition unit, 12 is a wall surface (reflecting object), 13 is an air conditioning unit, 16 is a reflecting object, 17 is a ceiling (reflecting object), 18 is a floor surface (reflecting object), and 19 is a cabinet (reflecting object).

Claims

1. A controller for operating an air conditioner, Case and A temperature sensor provided in the case for measuring a temperature; An ultrasonic sensor capable of transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves; a temperature measuring unit that measures the indoor temperature based on a transmission / reception time from when an ultrasonic wave is transmitted until when the ultrasonic wave reflected by a reflecting object is received; A control unit that controls the operation of the air conditioner based on the temperature measured by the temperature measuring unit; A time acquisition unit that acquires the time; A storage unit that stores the reference distance and the stop time when the driving was stopped, The control unit measures the temperature using the temperature sensor and the transmission and reception time at a predetermined timing before air blowing is started, and calculates the distance to the reflecting object based on the propagation speed of the ultrasonic wave at the measured temperature and the measured transmission and reception time, and sets the distance as a reference distance. When setting the reference distance, the control unit acquires the current time and determines whether a predetermined waiting time has elapsed since the stop time stored in the memory unit, and if it determines that the waiting time has elapsed, sets the currently calculated distance to the reflecting object as the reference distance, whereas if it determines that the waiting time has not elapsed, sets the previous reference distance stored in the memory unit as the current reference distance. The temperature measurement unit is an air conditioner controller that measures the temperature by using a set reference distance as the distance to the reflecting object.

2. a plurality of ultrasonic sensors are provided so as to be capable of transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves in different directions relative to the controller; The air conditioner controller according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature measuring unit measures temperatures in different directions.

3. 3. A controller for an air conditioning device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit discards the current measurement result and reuses the previous measurement result when at least one of the measurement results of the measured transmission / reception time or the indoor temperature measured based on the transmission / reception time has changed beyond a predetermined tolerance range from the previous measurement result.

Images