Air conditioner and interior lighting device for vehicle equipped with air conditioner

Abstract

To provide an air conditioner that enables easy recognition of an air conditioning state.SOLUTION: An air conditioner 1 includes: a plurality of air conditioning air blowout ports 18a to 18i provided in the vehicle interior; a plurality of lighting parts 9a to 9f, 10a, 10b provided correspondingly to the plurality of air conditioning air blowout ports 18a to 18i; an air conditioning control part 2A that controls states of air conditioning air blown out from the air conditioning air blowout ports 18a to 18i; and a lighting control part 2B that controls lighting modes of the lighting parts 9a to 9f, 10a, 10b according to the states of the air conditioning air blown out from the air conditioning air blowout ports 18a to 18i.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an air conditioning system and an interior lighting device for a vehicle equipped with an air conditioning system. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known an air conditioning device that can be controlled when a vehicle occupant has a cold, so that the virus or the like transmitted by the cold occupant is not spread to the vicinity of other occupants (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-218466 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, because the air conditioning control described above is performed automatically, it is difficult for the passengers to clearly recognize the state of the air conditioning. Furthermore, if there is a passenger with a cold as described above, not knowing the state of the air conditioning can cause anxiety about the spread of viruses. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] An air conditioner according to one aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of air conditioning air outlets provided in a vehicle cabin, a plurality of lighting units provided corresponding to the plurality of air conditioning air outlets, an air conditioning control unit that controls a state of the air conditioning air blown out from the air conditioning air outlets, and a lighting control unit that controls a lighting form of the lighting units in accordance with the state of the air conditioning air blown out from the air conditioning air outlets. A detection unit that detects biological information of an occupant; Equipped with. The detection unit is a droplet sensor that detects droplets emitted from occupants, and the air conditioning control unit controls the volume of the air conditioning air and / or ventilates the room for a predetermined period of time depending on the amount of droplets detected by the droplet sensor, and the lighting control unit controls the lighting form of the lighting unit to display information regarding the air volume and / or indoor ventilation time using lighting light. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present invention, the air conditioning state can be easily recognized by the illumination of the lighting unit. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a control system of an air conditioner. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view that illustrates a schematic configuration of the interior of a vehicle cabin. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a first light emission mode of the illumination unit provided on the door trim. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a second light emission mode of the illumination unit provided on the door trim. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a second light emission mode of the illumination unit provided near the foot area of ​​the seat. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a first light emission mode of the illumination unit provided on the pillar. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a display form of the remaining time by the illumination unit. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating the second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a lighting device according to the second modification. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. -First embodiment- Fig. 1 is a diagram for explaining a first embodiment of the present invention, and is a block diagram showing a control system of an air conditioner. The air conditioner 1 shown in Fig. 1 shows the configuration for an automatic air conditioner, and the overall control is performed by an air conditioner ECU 2. The air conditioner ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 2 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM storing a control program, a RAM and other memories for temporarily storing data, and peripheral devices (such as a communication module). The CPU functions as an air conditioner control unit 2A and a lighting control unit 2B according to the control program stored in the memory.

[0009] The air conditioner 1 includes a temperature setting switch 3 for setting a desired temperature, sensors 4a-4c, 5, and 6 for acquiring information inside and outside the vehicle, a blower fan 7 for controlling and adjusting the air volume, dampers 8a-8c for adjusting the temperature and controlling the air outlet, and lighting units 9a-9f, 10a, and 10b provided inside the vehicle. The inside air sensor 4a is a temperature sensor that detects the temperature inside the vehicle. The outside air sensor 4b is a temperature sensor provided outside the vehicle and detects the temperature of the outside air. The sunshine sensor 4c is a sensor that detects the amount of sunshine, and is disposed, for example, near the front shield of the instrument panel 17 inside the vehicle. The droplet sensor 5 is a sensor that detects droplets that are dispersed when an occupant coughs or sneezes. The seating sensor 6 is a sensor that detects whether or not an occupant is seated in the seat, and is constituted, for example, by a pressure sensor provided on the seat.

[0010] The air mix damper 8a is a damper that switches between inside and outside air and is used for temperature adjustment. The mode damper 8b is a damper that switches the air outlet and is composed of dampers provided at each air conditioning air outlet. By controlling the opening degree of each damper of the mode damper 8b, the air conditioning air blown out from the outlet can be turned on and off and the air volume can be adjusted. The intake damper 8c is a damper that switches between inside and outside air.

[0011] The air conditioning control unit 2A calculates the temperature of the conditioned air, the blowing air volume, and the air outlet based on signals from each sensor so that the temperature inside the vehicle cabin becomes the set temperature, and controls the blower fan 7 and dampers 8a-8c based on the calculation results. The lighting control unit 2B controls the lighting state (lighting color, light emission form, etc.) of the lighting units 9a-9e, 10a, 10b based on air conditioning control information (air outlet, blowing air volume, droplet information, etc.) from the air conditioning control unit 2A.

[0012] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle interior. A total of four seats 20a to 20d are provided in a vehicle interior 100, including front seats 20a and 20b and rear seats 20c and 20d. Each of the seats 20a to 20d has a seat cushion 21 that supports the buttocks of an occupant, a seat back 22 that supports the waist and back of the occupant, and a headrest 23 that supports the head of the occupant. The seat cushion 21 is provided with a seating sensor 6. 5a to 5d are splash sensors, and the splash sensors 5a to 5d are disposed at positions facing the corresponding seats 20a to 20d. In FIG. 2, the splash sensor 5a is disposed on the steering wheel, the splash sensor 5b is disposed on the instrument panel 17, and the splash sensors 5c and 5d are disposed on the back side of the seat back 22.

[0013] An illumination unit 9a is provided on the door trim of the door 14a provided corresponding to the seat 20a. An illumination unit 9c is provided on the door trim of the door 14c provided corresponding to the seat 20c. Although not shown, illumination units 9b and 9d similar to the illumination units 9a and 9c are also provided on the door trim of the doors 14b and 14d provided corresponding to the seats 20b and 20d. In addition, a pair of illumination units 9e (illumination unit 9e on the seat 20a side is not shown) is provided at the feet of the seats 20a and 20b, and a pair of illumination units 9f is provided at the feet of the seats 20c and 20d.

[0014] 2, the lighting units 9a to 9d are provided on the door trims of the doors 14a to 14d, but the lighting units 9a to 9d are preferably provided at positions visible to the passengers seated in the seats 20a to 20d. For example, the lighting unit 9c corresponding to the seat 20c may be provided on the pillar 16, the upper to middle area of ​​the door trim, or the like.

[0015] Air-conditioning air outlets 18a, 18b corresponding to the seats 20a, 20b are provided in the center and on both sides of the instrument panel 17. A defroster outlet 18i is provided near the windshield in the center of the instrument panel 17. The pair of outlets 18a extracts air-conditioning air in the direction of the seat 20a where the driver sits, and the pair of outlets 18b extracts air-conditioning air in the direction of the passenger seat 20b. Air outlets 18c, 18d that blow air-conditioning air toward the feet of the seats 20a, 20b are provided in the lower part of the instrument panel 17.

[0016] The lighting unit 10a is provided on the trim of the pillar 19 provided near the air outlet 18a on the left side. Although not shown, the lighting unit 10b (not shown) is also provided on the trim of the pillar provided near the air outlet 18b provided on the right side of the instrument panel 17. The left and right pillars 16 are provided with air outlets 18e, 18f that blow air-conditioned wind in the direction of the seats 20c, 20d. However, in FIG. 2, the right pillar 16 and the air outlet 18f are not shown. In addition, the lower parts of the seats 20a, 20b are provided with air outlets 18g, 18h that blow air-conditioned wind to the feet of the seats 20c, 20d. The lighting units 9a to 9f, 10a, and 10b are provided with, for example, LEDs that emit red light, LEDs that emit green light, and LEDs that emit blue light, and are configured to be able to illuminate in various colors.

[0017] Figures 3 and 4 are diagrams showing the light emission modes of the lighting units 9a to 9d provided on the door trim. Figure 3 shows a first light emission mode, and Figure 4 shows a second light emission mode. Note that Figures 3 and 4 show the lighting unit 9c as an example, but the lighting units 9a, 9b, and 9d have the same configuration. In Figure 3, the upper side shows the light emission mode when the lighting is off, and the lower side shows the light emission mode when the lighting is on (i.e., the first light emission mode).

[0018] The illumination unit 9c includes a plurality of light-emitting units 91-96. Each of the light-emitting units 91-96 has a red LED, a green LED, and a blue LED, and can emit light in various colors. When the illumination is turned off, all of the light-emitting units 91-96 are turned off, and in the first light-emitting mode, all of the light-emitting units 91-96 emit light. In FIG. 3, the light-emitting units 91-96 that are emitting light are hatched. That is, the hatching indicates that they are emitting light, and the same applies to the second light-emitting mode shown in FIG. 4.

[0019] In the second light-emitting mode shown in Fig. 4, the light-emitting area is illuminated in a manner that flows from the front to the rear of the vehicle interior. In the example shown in Fig. 4, six light-emitting patterns are repeated at a predetermined time interval Δt. Hereinafter, the patterns will be referred to as the first light-emitting pattern, the second light-emitting pattern, the third light-emitting pattern, the fourth light-emitting pattern, the fifth light-emitting pattern, and the sixth light-emitting pattern, from the top of Fig. 4.

[0020] In the first light emission pattern, only the light emitting unit 91 emits light, in the second light emission pattern, only the light emitting unit 92 emits light, in the third light emission pattern, only the light emitting unit 93 emits light, in the fourth light emission pattern, only the light emitting unit 94 emits light, in the fifth light emission pattern, only the light emitting unit 95 emits light, and in the sixth light emission pattern, only the light emitting unit 96 emits light. By repeating these first to sixth light emission patterns in order at a time interval Δt, a visual effect is obtained in which the light emitting area of ​​the illumination unit 9c appears to flow from front to rear.

[0021] In the second light-emitting form, the light-emitting area is controlled to flow from the front to the rear, thereby making it possible to visualize the direction (wind direction) of the air-conditioning air blown out from the air outlet 18e, etc. Also, by setting the time interval Δt of the air-conditioning air to be small when the air volume is large and large when the air volume is small, the air volume can be visualized by the flow speed of the lighting area. Furthermore, by setting the lighting light to a cool color (e.g., blue) during cooling and a warm color (e.g., red) during heating, the cooling setting and heating setting can be visualized. Examples of warm colors include red, orange, and yellow, while examples of cool colors include dark blue, blue, and light blue.

[0022] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the light emission form of the illumination unit 9e. The illumination unit 9e has a plurality of light emitting units 91-96 arranged in a line from top to bottom, and can emit light in a first light emission form in which all the light emitting units 91-96 are illuminated as in Fig. 3, and in a second light emission form in which the light emitting area moves in a flowing manner as in Fig. 4. Fig. 5 shows the second light emission form in which the light emitting area moves in a flowing manner from top to bottom. The illumination unit 9f can also perform light emission control similar to that of the illumination unit 9e.

[0023] In the second light emission form, a first light emission pattern in which only light-emitting unit 91 emits light, a second light emission pattern in which only light-emitting unit 92 emits light, a third light emission pattern in which only light-emitting unit 93 emits light, a fourth light emission pattern in which only light-emitting unit 94 emits light, a fifth light emission pattern in which only light-emitting unit 95 emits light, and a sixth light emission pattern in which only light-emitting unit 96 emits light are repeated in sequence at time intervals Δt. By controlling in this second light emission form, the wind direction of the air outlets 18c and 18d that blow conditioned air downward can be expressed by the movement of the lighting area.

[0024] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the light emission mode of the illumination unit 10a. As with the illumination unit 9e, the light-emitting units of the illumination unit 10a are arranged vertically. In the case of the illumination unit 10a, the light-emitting units 101 to 106 are arranged in order from the bottom up. As shown in Fig. 6, when the illumination is off, all the light-emitting units 101 to 106 are turned off, and when the illumination is on, which is the first light emission mode, all the light-emitting units 101 to 106 are turned on.

[0025] Although the second light-emitting form is not shown, the first light-emitting pattern in which only the light-emitting unit 101 emits light, the second light-emitting pattern in which only the light-emitting unit 102 emits light, the third light-emitting pattern in which only the light-emitting unit 103 emits light, the fourth light-emitting pattern in which only the light-emitting unit 104 emits light, the fifth light-emitting pattern in which only the light-emitting unit 105 emits light, and the sixth light-emitting pattern in which only the light-emitting unit 106 emits light are repeated in sequence at time intervals Δt. By controlling in this way, the wind direction of the air outlet 18i that blows the air-conditioned wind upward can be expressed by the movement of the lighting area. Note that the lighting unit 10b (not shown) can also be controlled in the same light-emitting form as the lighting unit 10a.

[0026] Next, air conditioning control by the air conditioning control unit 2A and lighting control by the lighting control unit 2B will be described. [1. Air conditioning control] First, the air conditioning control will be described. The air conditioning device shown in Fig. 1 performs two different types of air conditioning control depending on the detection result of the droplet sensor 5. When droplets are not detected by the droplet sensor 5, normal control in a typical automatic air conditioner (hereinafter referred to as first air conditioning control) is performed. On the other hand, when droplets are detected by the droplet sensor 5, a second air conditioning control different from the normal control is performed.

[0027] (1) First air conditioning control (normal control) The first air conditioning control is the normal control in a general automatic air conditioner as described above, and calculates the blowing temperature of the air conditioning air and the open / close state of the air outlet so that the temperature inside the vehicle cabin becomes the set temperature based on the temperature set by the temperature setting switch 3 and the detection information of the inside air sensor 4a, the outside air sensor 4b, and the sunshine sensor 4c, and controls the blower fan 7 and each damper 8a to 8c based on the calculation result. A detailed explanation of the control will be omitted.

[0028] (2) Second air conditioning control (control when droplets are detected) When droplets scattered when an occupant coughs or sneezes are detected by the droplet sensor 5, the air conditioning control unit 2A executes the second air conditioning control. If an occupant has a cold, the droplets from the occupant's cough or sneeze may contain viruses that cause the cold. In that case, in order to prevent infection to other occupants, it is preferable to prevent the droplets emitted from the occupant with a cold from moving to other occupants. In the second air conditioning control, air conditioning control is performed to ventilate the air in the vehicle cabin and to suppress the movement of droplets to other occupants.

[0029] In the second air conditioning control, the basic operation is to suppress the flow of conditioned air from the seat corresponding to the droplet sensor 5 where droplets have been detected to other seats. When an occupant with a cold is seated in the front seats 20a, 20b, (a) the inside air circulation mode is selected to prevent droplets from moving to the rear seats, while when an occupant with a cold is seated in the rear seats 20c, 20d, (b) the outside air introduction mode is selected to exhaust air from within the vehicle cabin to the outside of the vehicle through a grill provided at the rear of the vehicle cabin. An example of the specific operation of the inside air circulation mode and the outside air introduction mode is described below, but is not limited to this.

[0030] (a) Air recirculation mode In the internal air circulation mode, the intake damper 8c is controlled to the internal air circulation side. Furthermore, when an occupant with a cold is seated in the seat 20a, the conditioned air is blown from the outlet 18c to the feet of the seat 20a, the conditioned air is blown from the outlet 18b to the seat 20b, and the conditioned air is blown from the outlets 18e, 18f or the outlets 18e to 18h to the seats 20c and 20d in the rear. The air volume of the outlet 18c is set smaller than the air volumes of the other outlets.

[0031] On the other hand, when a passenger with a cold is seated in seat 20b, conditioned air is blown out from outlet 18d to the feet of seat 20b, from outlet 18a to seat 20a, and from outlets 18e, 18f or 18e-18h to the rear seats 20c, 20d. The air volume of outlet 18d is set smaller than the air volumes of the other outlets.

[0032] (b) Outside air intake mode In the outside air introduction mode, the intake damper 8c is controlled to the outside air introduction side. Furthermore, the conditioned air is blown out from the outlets 18a and 18b to the front seats 20a and 20b, and the conditioned air is blown out from the outlets 18e and 18f or the outlets 18e to 18h to the rear seats 20c and 20d. The air volume of the outlets 18e to 18h is set smaller than the air volume of the other outlets 18a to 18d.

[0033] The above-mentioned internal air circulation mode and external air introduction mode may be continued until the seat occupancy sensor 6 of the seat corresponding to the droplet sensor 5 where the droplets were detected detects that the person is not seated and turns off, or may be continued for a period of time according to the amount of droplets detected. In addition, in the outside air introduction mode, the air volume of the air outlets 18a to 18d may be changed according to the amount of droplets detected by the droplet sensor 5. The air volume is increased as the amount of droplets increases.

[0034] [2. Lighting control] The lighting control in each of the above-mentioned air conditioning controls will be described. (1) Lighting control in the first air conditioning control (normal control) In the first air conditioning control, which is a normal control, the direction and the flow rate of the air-conditioned wind blown out from the air outlets are visualized by expressing them by the light emission form of the lighting units. When the air-conditioned wind is blown out from the air outlets 18a, 18b, 18e, and 18f, the light emission form of the lighting units 9a to 9d is the second light emission form shown in FIG. 4. The flow of the air-conditioned wind blown out from the air outlets 18a, 18b, 18e, and 18f is visualized by the second light emission form in which the light emission area flows from the front to the rear. When the air-conditioned wind is blown out from the air outlets 18c, 18d, 18g, and 18h, the light emission form of the lighting units 9e and 9f is the second light emission form shown in FIG. 6. The flow of the air-conditioned wind blown out from the air outlets 18c, 18d, 18g, and 18h ​​is visualized by the second light emission form in which the light emission area flows from the top to the bottom.

[0035] In addition, by controlling the lighting units 10a and 10b provided on the left and right pillars 19 in the second light emission mode, the flow direction and flow rate of the conditioned air blown out from the air outlet 18i can be visualized. Furthermore, when the air volume is large, the time interval Δt is set to be small to speed up the flow in the lighting area, and when the air volume is small, the time interval Δt is set to be large to slow down the flow in the lighting area, so that the size of the air volume can be visualized by the flow speed in the lighting area. Note that cooling and heating may be expressed by changing the lighting color of the lighting units 9a to 9f, 10a, and 10b. For example, the lighting light is set to a cool color (e.g., blue) during cooling, and the lighting light is set to a warm color (e.g., red) during heating. In addition, the high and low set temperatures (strength of cooling and heating) may be expressed by the intensity of the lighting color.

[0036] (2) Lighting control in the second air conditioning control In the second air conditioning control when droplets are detected by the droplet sensor 5, the lighting units 10a, 10b provided on the pillar 19 are controlled to illuminate in the first light emission mode as a sign to inform the passenger that there is a passenger with a cold. The lighting color is not particularly limited, but may be red, for example, to indicate danger. This allows all passengers to recognize that there is a passenger with a cold. The amount of droplets detected by the droplet sensor 5 may be expressed by the color tone of the lighting units 10a, 10b. For example, the lighting color of the lighting units 10a, 10b is changed from yellow to orange, light red, dark red, etc., as the amount of droplets increases.

[0037] The flow and direction of the conditioned air blown out from each of the air outlets 18a to 18h can be expressed by the light emission form and the moving speed of the light emission area of ​​the lighting units 9a and 9b corresponding to the air outlets 18a and 18b, the pair of lighting units 9e corresponding to the air outlets 18c and 18d, the lighting units 9c and 9d corresponding to the air outlets 18e and 18f, and the pair of lighting units 9f corresponding to the air outlets 18g and 18h. Information on which seat the passenger with a cold is sitting in is notified by the lighting color of the lighting units 9a to 9b. For example, if the passenger with a cold is sitting in the seat 20c, the color of the lighting unit 9c corresponding to the seat 20c is dark red, and the colors of the other lighting units 9a, 9b, and 9d are light red.

[0038] In the above-mentioned air conditioning control, when the inside air circulation mode or the outside air introduction mode is performed for a predetermined time, the remaining time for the inside air circulation mode or the outside air introduction mode may be displayed using the lighting units. For example, the lighting control as shown in FIG. 7 is performed by the lighting units 10a and 10b. In FIG. 7, the predetermined time is Δt1, and the lighting state at the timing of the elapsed time t being t=0 (ventilation start), t=Δt1 / 3, t=2Δt1 / 3, and t=Δt1 (ventilation completion) is shown. By such control, the elapsed time can be visualized by the reduction of the light-emitting units. Therefore, the occupant can easily recognize how long the inside air circulation mode or the outside air introduction mode as described above will be performed and the end time.

[0039] In the first embodiment described above, the air conditioner 1 includes a plurality of air conditioning air outlets 18a-18i provided in the vehicle interior 100, a plurality of lighting units 9a-9f, 10a, 10b provided corresponding to the plurality of air conditioning air outlets 18a-18i, an air conditioning control unit 2A that controls the state of the air conditioning air blown out from the air conditioning air outlets 18a-18i, and an illumination control unit 2B that controls the illumination form of the illumination units 9a-9f, 10a, 10b according to the state of the air conditioning air blown out from the air conditioning air outlets 18a-18i. The illumination form of the illumination units 9a-9f, 10a, 10b visualizes the state of the air conditioning air blown out from the outlets, and the occupant can recognize the state of the air conditioning air from the illumination form of the illumination units.

[0040] Also, a droplet sensor 5 may be further provided as a detector for detecting the biological information of the occupant, and the air conditioning control unit 2A may control the state of the conditioned air based on the detection result of the droplet sensor 5, and the lighting control unit 2B may control the lighting mode based on the detection result of the droplet sensor 5 and the control of the air conditioning control unit 2A. As a result, the air conditioning state can be set according to the physical condition of the occupant obtained from the biological information, and the air conditioning state can be visually confirmed by the lighting mode, providing a sense of security to the occupant.

[0041] (Variation 1) The control of the first modification is suitable for application to taxis and the like. In the control of the first modification, when a passenger with a cold gets off the vehicle, ventilation control is performed for a predetermined time. When a passenger with a cold gets off the vehicle and the state of the seating sensor 6 of the seat where the passenger was sitting changes from on to off, the air conditioning control unit 2A automatically performs ventilation control for a predetermined time. Here, ventilation is performed for a predetermined time Δt2 by blowing conditioned air introduced from the air outlets 18a to 18h. In this case, if lighting control as shown in FIG. 7 is adopted, the effective state of ventilation and the end of ventilation can be visually recognized.

[0042] In a shared car or the like, in a situation where another user uses the vehicle immediately after a user with a cold, it is preferable to perform the control as in the above-mentioned modified example 1 and output a command from the air conditioning ECU 2 to the vehicle door opening / closing control unit to prohibit the vehicle door from being opened or closed while the interior ventilation is being performed. As a result, it is possible to prevent the next user from getting into the vehicle in a state where the ventilation is insufficient.

[0043] -Second embodiment- 8 is a block diagram for explaining the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, a lighting device 200 independent of the air conditioner 1 is provided, and an air conditioning command and a lighting control command related to the above-mentioned second air conditioning control are generated by a lighting control unit 210 of the lighting device 200 based on information from the droplet sensor 5 (5a to 5b) and the seating sensor 6. The air conditioning command is generated only when droplets are detected by the droplet sensor 5, and is transmitted from a communication unit 220 to the air conditioning ECU 2. The lighting control unit 210 of the lighting device 200 receives air conditioning information from the air conditioning ECU 2 via the communication unit 220, regardless of whether droplets are detected or not.

[0044] (Control example) (1) When droplets are not detected If no droplets are detected by the droplet sensor 5, no air conditioning command is input from the lighting control unit 210 to the air conditioning ECU 2. If no air conditioning command is input from the lighting control unit 210, the air conditioning ECU 2 executes normal control (first air conditioning control) described in the first embodiment. The lighting control unit 210 performs lighting control of the lighting units 9a-9f, 10a, and 10b based on air conditioning information related to the first air conditioning control input from the air conditioning ECU 2. This lighting control is similar to the lighting control during the first air conditioning control in the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.

[0045] (2) If droplets are detected When droplets are detected by the droplet sensor 5, the lighting control unit 210 generates an air conditioning command to make the air conditioner 1 perform the second air conditioning control (control when droplets are detected) described in the first embodiment based on the droplet detection result, and transmits the air conditioning command to the air conditioning ECU 2. When the air conditioning ECU 2 receives an air conditioning command related to the second air conditioning control from the lighting device 200, it executes the second air conditioning control based on the air conditioning command instead of the normal control (first air conditioning control). The air conditioning information at that time is transmitted from the air conditioning ECU 2 to the lighting device 200. When the lighting control unit 210 receives the air conditioning information from the air conditioning ECU 2, it performs the lighting control of the lighting units 9a to 9f, 10a, and 10b based on the air conditioning information. This lighting control is similar to the lighting control during the second air conditioning control in the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.

[0046] In the above description, the lighting control in the lighting device 200 was performed based on the air conditioning information input from the air conditioner 1. However, the lighting control unit 210 may generate an air conditioning command (second air conditioning control) and a lighting control command corresponding to the air conditioning command, and perform lighting control of the lighting units 9a to 9f, 10a, and 10b based on the lighting control command. Also, based on the detection information of the droplet sensor 5 and the seating sensor 6, air conditioning control commands and lighting control commands similar to those in the above-mentioned modified example 1 may be generated, and air conditioning control and lighting control similar to those in modified example 1 may be performed.

[0047] (Variation 2) In the above-mentioned first and second embodiments, the air conditioner 1 is an automatic air conditioner. In the case of a manual air conditioner, however, by installing a lighting device 200 as shown in FIG. 9 in the vehicle, it is possible to notify the driver that a passenger has a cold and to notify the driver that the air conditioning state is set to the second air conditioning control state by using the lighting units 9a to 9f, 10a, and 10b.

[0048] The lighting device 200 shown in Fig. 9 generates a lighting control command similar to that in the second embodiment described above, and controls the lighting of the lighting units 9a to 9f, 10a, and 10b. For example, by controlling the lighting units 10a and 10b provided on the pillar 19 to the first light emission mode (lighting on) as shown in Fig. 6, it is possible to notify the passenger that there is a passenger who has caught a cold. In addition, the passenger can recognize how to change the air conditioning state of the manual air conditioner based on the lighting mode of the lighting units 9a to 9f.

[0049] As described above, the lighting device 200 is an interior lighting device for a vehicle equipped with an air conditioner 1, and includes lighting units 9a-9f, 10a, and 10b provided corresponding to air conditioning air outlets 18a-18i in the vehicle interior, a communication unit 220 which is an input unit to which air conditioning information relating to the air conditioning state is input from the air conditioner 1, and a lighting control unit 210 which controls the lighting form of the lighting units 9a-9f, 10a, and 10b based on the air conditioning information input to the communication unit 220. Since the lighting form of the lighting units 9a-9f, 10a, and 10b is controlled based on the air conditioning information from the air conditioner 1, the air conditioning state is visualized by the lighting, and the air conditioning state can be easily recognized.

[0050] In the first and second embodiments described above, the droplet sensor 5 is provided as a detection unit for detecting the biological information of the occupant, but a body temperature sensor (e.g., an infrared thermometer) for detecting the body temperature of the occupant may be used instead of the droplet sensor 5. If the body temperature of the occupant is detected to be equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature, the occupant is determined to have a cold, and control (air conditioning control and lighting control) is performed similarly to when droplets are detected by the droplet sensor. The air volume and lighting color may be controlled based on the deviation of the occupant's body temperature from a predetermined temperature instead of the amount of droplets. Note that the biological information (physical condition) of the occupant may be detected using both the droplet sensor 5 and a temperature sensor.

[0051] Although various embodiments and modifications have been described above, they may be combined and applied if possible, and the present invention is not limited to these contents. Other embodiments that are conceivable within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention are also included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 1...air conditioner, 2A...air conditioner control unit, 2B...lighting control unit, 5, 5a to 5d...droplet sensor, 6...seating sensor, 210...lighting control unit, 9a to 5f, 10a, 10b...lighting unit, 18a to 18i...air outlet, 20a to 20d...seat, 200...lighting device, 220...communication unit

Claims

1. A plurality of air conditioning air outlets provided in the vehicle interior; A plurality of lighting units provided corresponding to the plurality of air conditioning air outlets; an air conditioning control unit that controls a state of the conditioned air blown out from the air conditioning air outlet; a lighting control unit that controls a lighting mode of the lighting unit in accordance with a state of the conditioned air blown out from the conditioned air outlet; A detection unit that detects biological information of an occupant, The detection unit is a droplet sensor that detects droplets emitted from an occupant, The air conditioning control unit controls the volume of the air conditioning air and / or ventilates the room for a predetermined period of time according to the amount of droplets detected by the droplet sensor, The air conditioning device, wherein the lighting control unit controls a lighting form of the lighting unit to display information regarding the air volume and / or the indoor ventilation time by using illumination light.

2. A plurality of air conditioning air outlets provided in a vehicle cabin; A plurality of lighting units provided corresponding to the plurality of air conditioning air outlets; an air conditioning control unit that controls a state of the conditioned air blown out from the air conditioning air outlet; a lighting control unit that controls a lighting mode of the lighting unit in accordance with a state of the conditioned air blown out from the conditioned air outlet; A detection unit that detects biological information of an occupant; a seating detection unit that is provided on a seat in the vehicle interior and detects whether an occupant is seated or not; The detection unit is a droplet sensor that detects droplets emitted from an occupant, The droplet sensor is provided corresponding to the seat, When the droplet sensor detects droplets and the seating detection unit corresponding to the seat detects that the droplet sensor is not seated, the air conditioning control unit performs indoor ventilation for a predetermined period of time, The air conditioning device according to claim 1, wherein the lighting control unit controls a lighting mode of the lighting unit to indicate that the indoor ventilation is in progress and has been completed by using illumination light.

3. In the air conditioning device according to claim 2, The air conditioning control unit outputs a command to a door control unit that controls opening and closing of the vehicle doors while the interior ventilation is being performed.

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