Air conditioner and method for controlling air conditioner

Abstract

To provide an air conditioner capable of maintaining indoor air quality in a high quality state regardless of information provided from an external device and a method for controlling an air conditioner.SOLUTION: An air conditioner includes: an outdoor unit; an indoor unit provided with an air cleaning device cleaning air; and a control device controlling the outdoor unit and the indoor unit. The control device includes: an acquisition part acquiring time; a determination part determining whether or not the time acquired by the acquisition part is included in an operation time zone preliminarily set; and an operation control part operating the air cleaning device when the determination part determines that the time acquired by the acquisition part is included in the operation time zone.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an air conditioner and a method for controlling an air conditioner. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses an air conditioning system in which a server device calculates a future indoor air quality prediction value based on future outdoor air quality information obtained from an external information source, and further calculates an air purification operation time from the calculated indoor air quality prediction value, and a control device that controls the air conditioner controls the operation of the air conditioner in accordance with the air purification operation time calculated by the server device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-46170 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an air conditioner and a method for controlling an air conditioner that are capable of maintaining high quality indoor air without relying on information provided from an external device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The air conditioner according to the present disclosure includes an outdoor unit, an indoor unit equipped with an air purifier that purifies air, An air quality sensor that measures the concentration of fine particles in a room to be air-conditioned, a human presence sensor, and a short-range wireless communication unit; and a control device for controlling the outdoor unit and the indoor unit, When the particulate matter concentration measured by the air quality sensor is equal to or higher than a reference value, the air purifier is instructed to start air purification operation, sensor data from the human presence sensor or biological information of the user wearing the wearable device received by the short-range wireless communication unit is acquired, a time is predicted based on the acquired sensor data or the biological information, and the air purifier is instructed to start air purification operation a predetermined time before the time period when the amount of particulate matter in the air in the room is predicted to increase above a predetermined reference value.

[0006] The method for controlling an air conditioner according to the present disclosure includes: an outdoor unit; an indoor unit having an air purifying device that purifies air; and a control device that controls the outdoor unit and the indoor unit. An air quality sensor that measures the concentration of fine particles in a room to be air-conditioned, a human presence sensor, and a short-range wireless communication unit; A control method for an air conditioner comprising: If the particulate matter concentration measured by the air quality sensor is equal to or higher than a reference value, the air purifier is instructed to start air purification operation, sensor data from the human presence sensor or biological information of the user wearing the wearable device received by the short-range wireless communication unit is acquired, a time is predicted based on the acquired sensor data or the biological information, and the air purifier is instructed to start air purification operation a predetermined time before the time period when the amount of particulate matter in the air in the room is predicted to increase above a predetermined reference value. Effect of the Invention

[0007] The air conditioner and air conditioner control method disclosed herein operate the air purifier when the time acquired by the acquisition unit is included in a preset operating time period, thereby making it possible to maintain high quality indoor air quality regardless of information provided by an external device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] A diagram showing PM2.5 measurement results. [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic internal configuration of the indoor unit as viewed from the left and right direction. [Diagram 3] 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioner according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control device for the air conditioner according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioner according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the air conditioner control device of the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] (The knowledge and other information that formed the basis of this disclosure) At the time when the inventors came up with the present disclosure, the technology for purifying indoor air with an air conditioner was as disclosed in Patent Document 1, in which a server device calculated a future indoor air quality prediction value based on future outdoor air quality information acquired from an external information source, and further calculated the air purification operation time from the calculated indoor air quality prediction value, and a control device that controls the air conditioner controlled the operation of the air conditioner according to the air purification operation time calculated by the server device. For this reason, in the industry, it was common for air conditioners to operate depending on information provided by external devices.

[0010] Figure 1 shows the change in PM2.5 concentration over a four-day period in Vietnam. The inventors of the present disclosure have found that there is a pattern in the daily change in PM2.5 concentration as a result of measuring the change in PM2.5 concentration. For example, in Vietnam, they have found that the concentration of PM2.5 is high in the time periods between 6:00 am and 11:00 am and between 6:00 pm and midnight, as shown in the dashed line in Figure 1. Therefore, the inventors of the present disclosure were inspired by the fact that there is a pattern to the daily changes in PM2.5 concentration and came up with the idea of ​​setting the time period when PM2.5 concentration is high as the operating time period of the air conditioner, and operating the air conditioner during this operating time period to reduce the concentration of fine particles indoors. The inventors also discovered that in order to realize this idea, it is necessary to obtain the time, and in order to solve this problem, they came to constitute the subject of the present disclosure.

[0011] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, in some cases, more detailed explanations than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed explanations of already well-known matters or duplicate explanations of substantially the same configurations may be omitted. It should be noted that the accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

[0012] (Embodiment 1) Hereinafter, the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0013] [1-1. Configuration] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic internal configuration of the outdoor unit 10 as viewed from the left and right direction.

[0014] The air conditioner 1A includes an outdoor unit 10 and an indoor unit 100. The outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 100 are connected by a refrigerant pipe (not shown). The outdoor unit 10 is disposed outdoors, and the indoor unit 100 is disposed in an indoor space to be cooled or heated.

[0015] The outdoor unit 10 includes a compressor 11, an outdoor fan 12, and an outdoor heat exchanger 13, and the indoor unit 100 includes an indoor heat exchanger 104 and an indoor fan 105.

[0016] An air inlet 121 and an air outlet 125 are formed in the housing 2 of the indoor unit 100. The air inlet 121 is formed on the top surface of the housing 2, and the air outlet 125 is formed on the bottom surface of the housing 2. The rear surface of the housing 2 is attached to a wall surface. Also provided inside the housing 2 are an indoor fan 105 that draws air Ar into the housing 2 from the air inlet 121, and an indoor heat exchanger 104 that exchanges heat with the air Ar drawn in from the air inlet 121.

[0017] The indoor unit 100 is also equipped with an ozone / ion generating device 111, an electrostatic atomizing device 113, and an air purifying device 110 equipped with an air purifying filter 115.

[0018] The ozone / ion generator 111 includes a discharge electrode and a counter electrode. The ozone / ion generator 111 oxidizes oxygen molecules in the air by discharging to generate ozone, and also generates positive ions and negative ions by discharging, which are released into the air as ion wind. When a negative potential is applied to the discharge electrode of the ozone / ion generator 111, a corona discharge occurs at the tip of the discharge electrode, and electrons are emitted from the tip of the discharge electrode toward the counter electrode. The flow of emitted electrons is accelerated by the high electric field and collides with gas molecules, giving kinetic energy to the gas molecules, creating an airflow that becomes an electron-induced wind of air. At this time, some of the electrons are trapped in the outer shell of the gas molecules' bond and become negatively charged negative ion molecules. Therefore, the airflow of the electron-induced wind becomes an ion wind airflow containing negative ion molecules. In this way, the ion wind generated by applying a DC potential to the discharge electrode and the counter electrode becomes an airflow that is blown out from the discharge electrode through the counter electrode, and the ion wind containing negative ion molecules can be emitted in the direction from the discharge electrode toward the counter electrode.

[0019] The electrostatic atomizer 113 is provided, for example, on the rear guider 4 that guides the flow of air drawn into the housing 2 through the suction port 121. The electrostatic atomizer 113 includes a discharge unit that generates a mist containing charged fine water particles by discharging electricity to the moisture supplied thereto, and a power supply circuit that generates a high voltage to be applied to the discharge unit. The discharge unit and the power supply circuit are not shown. The electrostatic atomizer 113 generates a mist containing charged fine water particles to suppress viruses, mold, substances that cause allergies, bacteria, etc. in the air and to deodorize the air. The charged fine water particles contain active ingredients such as radicals that exhibit disinfecting and deodorizing effects.

[0020] The air purifying device 110 includes a power source (not shown) such as a motor that advances and retreats the air purifying filter 115. The air purifying filter 115 advances and retreats between an air cleaning position where it covers the air inlet 121 of the indoor unit 100 and a standby position where it is stored inside the indoor unit 100, due to the power source.

[0021] When the air purification filter 115 is disposed in the air purification position, fine particles such as mold, bacteria, allergens, pollen, PM2.5, and dust in the indoor air moving toward the air inlet 121 by the rotation of the indoor fan 105 are captured by the air purification filter 115. This causes the purified indoor air to return to the room as an airflow Af through the air inlet 121, the filter 123, the indoor heat exchanger 104, and the air outlet 125. As a result, the quality of the indoor air is improved.

[0022] When the air purifying device 110 is not driven, the air cleaning filter 115 waits in a standby position stored in the indoor unit 100, and the indoor air Ar flows directly into the indoor unit 100 through the air inlet 121. Also, as long as the indoor fan 105 is rotating, air purification is possible even when the air conditioning is stopped, i.e., when the compressor 11 is stopped.

[0023] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the air conditioner 1A. The outdoor unit 10 includes a compressor 11, an outdoor fan 12, an outdoor heat exchanger 13, a four-way valve 14, an expansion valve 15, and an outdoor sensor unit 16. The indoor unit 100 includes an indoor heat exchanger 104, an indoor fan 105, an up-down louver 106, and a left-right louver 107. The compressor 11, the outdoor heat exchanger 13, the four-way valve 14, and the expansion valve 15 provided in the outdoor unit 10, and the indoor heat exchanger 104 provided in the indoor unit 100 constitute a refrigeration cycle circuit.

[0024] The four-way valve 14 is controlled by the control device 130, and switches the direction in which the refrigerant flows in the refrigeration cycle circuit between cooling operation and heating operation. During cooling or dehumidifying operation, the expansion valve 15 reduces the pressure of the high-pressure refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle circuit that has dissipated heat in the outdoor heat exchanger 13 to the low-pressure of the refrigeration cycle circuit. Also, during heating operation, the expansion valve 15 reduces the pressure of the high-pressure refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle circuit that has dissipated heat in the indoor heat exchanger 104 to the low-pressure of the refrigeration cycle circuit.

[0025] The indoor fan 105 is driven by a motor (not shown) and supplies air from the indoor space to the indoor heat exchanger 104. The rotation speed of the indoor fan 105 is controlled by the control device 130. By controlling the rotation speed of the indoor fan 105, the amount of air supplied to the indoor heat exchanger 104 is adjusted.

[0026] The up-down louvers 106 control the up-down direction of the air blown out from the indoor unit 100. The left-right louvers 107 control the left-right direction of the air blown out from the indoor unit 100.

[0027] The air conditioning operations performed by the air conditioner 1A include cooling operation, heating operation, and dehumidification operation.

[0028] The outdoor unit 10 includes an outdoor sensor unit 16 having an ultraviolet sensor 16A, and the indoor unit 100 includes an infrared signal receiving unit 101, a short-range wireless communication unit 102, a communication unit 103, an indoor sensor unit 108, an air purifier 110, and a control device 130.

[0029] The ultraviolet ray sensor 16A is a sensor that detects the amount of ultraviolet ray outside the room.

[0030] When the remote control 5 is operated by a user, the infrared signal receiving unit 101 receives an infrared signal output from the remote control 5. The infrared signal output from the remote control 5 includes information indicating the operation accepted by the remote control 5 and time information indicating the time. Upon receiving an infrared signal, the infrared signal receiving unit 101 extracts the information indicating the operation and the time information from the received infrared signal, and outputs the extracted information indicating the operation and the time information to the control device 130.

[0031] The short-range wireless communication unit 102 exchanges data with devices through short-range wireless communication. The devices include, for example, a wearable device attached to the user's body, a smartphone, etc. The short-range wireless communication unit 102 of this embodiment acquires biometric information of the user from a device such as a wearable device or a smartphone.

[0032] The communication unit 103 performs wireless communication based on a predetermined wireless communication standard, and performs data communication with devices connected to a network NW such as the Internet. The network NM may be configured to include a wide area network such as the Internet, a mobile communication network, or a WAN (Wide Area Network), or may be configured as a private network such as an intranet or a LAN (Local Area Network). A ventilation fan 300 arranged in the room together with the indoor unit 100, and an external device 200 are connected to the network NW of this embodiment. In addition, in this embodiment, a case is described in which the communication unit 103 performs data communication with the external device 200 and the ventilation fan 300 via wireless communication, but the air conditioner 1A may also be configured to be wired connected via a cable such as a LAN cable and connected to the network NW via a wired connection.

[0033] The indoor sensor unit 108 includes an air quality sensor 108A, a temperature sensor 108B, a human presence sensor 108C, and a solar radiation sensor 108D.

[0034] The air quality sensor 108A is a sensor that measures the concentration of fine particles in a room. In this embodiment, the air quality sensor 108A is a PM2.5 sensor that measures the concentration of fine particles, PM2.5, but the air quality sensor 108A may be a bacteria sensor, an allergen sensor, a pollen sensor, a dust sensor, or the like.

[0035] The temperature sensor 108B is a sensor that detects the temperature of the indoor air taken into the indoor unit 100 through an opening (not shown) provided in the indoor unit 100. The human presence sensor 108C detects the presence or absence of a person in the indoor space based on a change in the amount of infrared radiation. The human presence sensor 108C is configured with a pyroelectric type infrared sensor that detects infrared radiation emitted from the human body. The solar radiation sensor 108D is a sensor that detects the amount of solar radiation irradiated into the space to be air conditioned.

[0036] The controller 130 is a computing device that includes a memory 133 and a processor 150 .

[0037] The memory 133 includes a semiconductor memory such as a read only memory (ROM) or a random access memory (RAM), and an auxiliary storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD). The memory 133 stores a control program 141 executed by the processor 150, and sensor data measured by the sensors of the outdoor sensor unit 16 and the indoor sensor unit 108.

[0038] The processor 150 is configured by a microcomputer such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MCU (Micro Controller Unit) equipped with a CPU, or an MPU (Micro Processor Unit). The control device 130 may be realized by an integrated circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0039] The control device 130 includes, as functional blocks, an acquisition unit 151, a determination unit 153, and an operation control unit 155. These functional blocks indicate functions of the control device 130, and are realized by the processor 150 executing the control program 141 stored in the memory 133.

[0040] The acquisition unit 151 acquires the time. The acquisition unit 151 of the first embodiment controls the communication unit 103 to connect to the network NW and acquires the time from the external device 200 connected to the network NW. The acquisition unit 151 also controls the short-range wireless communication unit 102 to acquire the time from other devices such as a television or a refrigerator installed in a room.

[0041] The determination unit 153 determines whether the time acquired by the acquisition unit 151 is included in a preset operation time period. The operation time period is set to a time period during which the amount of particulate matter in the air in the room is predicted to increase above a preset reference value. The operation time period may also be set a predetermined time before the time period during which the amount of particulate matter in the air is predicted to increase above a preset reference value. In this case, the air purifying device 110 is operated in advance in anticipation of an increase in the amount of particulate matter, thereby making it possible to maintain the quality of the air in the room at an even higher level. When the time acquired by acquisition unit 151 is included in a preset operation time period, determination unit 153 outputs an instruction to operation control unit 155 to cause air purifying device 110 to perform air purification operation.

[0042] The operation control unit 155 operates the air purifying device 110 according to the instruction from the determination unit 153 . The operation control unit 155 causes the air purifying device 110 to perform an air purification operation by operating at least one of the ozone / ion generating device 111, the electrostatic atomizing device 113, and the air purification filter 115 provided in the air purifying device 110. The operation control unit 155 may also cause the air purifying operation to be performed by performing a dehumidifying operation of the refrigerant cycle circuit. Furthermore, the operation control unit 155 may output an operation instruction to the ventilation fan 300 connected to the network NW via the communication unit 103. The ozone / ion generator 111, the electrostatic atomizer 113, the air cleaning filter 115, the dehumidification operation, and the ventilation operation by the ventilation fan 300, the operations of which are controlled by the operation control unit 155, are collectively referred to as a cleaning function below.

[0043] The priority order of the cleaning functions that the operation control unit 155 operates for air purification operation is as follows: electrostatic atomization device 113 has the highest priority, followed by ozone / ion generation device 111, air purification filter 115, dehumidification operation, and ventilation operation by ventilation fan 300. For example, the operation control unit 155 may change the cleaning function to be operated based on the air quality measured by the air quality sensor 108A. For example, when the particulate concentration measured by the air quality sensor 108A is equal to or higher than a reference value, the electrostatic atomization device 113, which has the highest priority, may be operated, and when the particulate concentration is higher than the reference value, the electrostatic atomization device 113 and the ozone / ionization device 111 may be operated. Similarly, as the particulate concentration increases, additional cleaning functions may be operated.

[0044] In addition, the operation control unit 155 may divide the operating time zone into multiple periods and change the cleaning functions to be operated in each divided period. For example, among the multiple divided periods, multiple cleaning functions may be operated in a period in which the fine particle concentration is expected to be the highest, and the electrostatic atomization device 113 with the highest priority may be operated in the other periods.

[0045] In addition to when an instruction is input from the determination unit 153, the operation control unit 155 also operates the cleaning function for a certain period of time when the particulate concentration measured by the air quality sensor 108A is equal to or greater than a reference value. The reference value of the particulate concentration is, for example, 35 μg / m 3 is set to.

[0046] [1-2. Operation] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control device 130. The operation of the control device 130 of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flow chart shown in FIG. First, the control device 130 executes an acquisition step of acquiring time information (step S1). For example, when the remote control 5 accepts a user operation to power on the air conditioner 1A, it transmits an operation signal including information indicating the accepted operation and time information to the air conditioner 1A. When the control device 130 receives the operation signal, it acquires the time information included in the received operation signal. The control device 130 may also access the network NW via the communication unit 103 and obtain time information from an external device 200 connected to the network NW.

[0047] When the control device 130 acquires the time information, it executes a determination step of determining whether or not the current time indicated by the acquired time information is included in a preset operation time period (step S2). This operation time period is set to a time period in which the concentration of fine particles such as PM2.5 is predicted to be higher than a preset reference value. If the current time is included in the operation time period (step S2 / YES), the control device 130 executes an operation step of instructing the air purifying device 110 to start an air purifying operation (step S3). The control device 130 may also cause the refrigerant cycle circuit to start a dehumidifying operation, or may transmit a signal to operate the ventilation fan 300 via the communication unit 103 (step S3). The control device 130 causes the air purifying device 110 to perform an air purifying operation by operating at least one of the ozone / ion generating device 111, the electrostatic atomizing device 113, and the air purifying filter 115 provided in the air purifying device 110. Furthermore, the control device 130 performs an air cleaning operation by causing the refrigerant cycle circuit to perform a dehumidifying operation and by operating the ventilator fan 300.

[0048] Thereafter, the control device 130 resets the counter (step S4) and starts the counter (step S5).Then, the control device 130 acquires the count value of the counter (step S6) and determines whether or not the elapsed time from the start of the air purification operation or the dehumidification operation is equal to or longer than a preset time based on the acquired count value (step S7).

[0049] If the time elapsed since the start of the air purification operation or the dehumidification operation is not equal to or longer than the preset time (step S7 / NO), the control device 130 returns to the process of step S6. If the control device 130 determines that the time elapsed since the start of the air purification operation or the dehumidification operation is equal to or longer than the preset time (step S7 / YES), the control device 130 instructs the air purifier 110 to stop the air purification operation (step S8). Alternatively, the control device 130 instructs the air purifier 110 to stop the dehumidification operation (step S8).

[0050] Furthermore, in the judgment of step S2, if it is judged that the current time indicated by the acquired time information is not included in the preset operation time period (step S2 / NO), the control device 130 acquires sensor data from the air quality sensor 108A. The control device 130 judges whether the concentration of PM2.5 indicated by the acquired sensor data is equal to or higher than a reference value (step S10). The reference value is, for example, 35 μg / m 3 is set to.

[0051] If the concentration of PM2.5 indicated by the sensor data is equal to or greater than the reference value (step S10 / YES), the control device 130 instructs the air purifier 110 to start the air purifier operation (step S11). Alternatively, the control device 130 may cause the refrigerant cycle circuit to start a dehumidification operation, or may transmit a signal to operate the ventilation fan 300 via the communication unit 103 (step S11). After that, the control device 130 resets the count value of the counter (step S12) and starts counting the counter (step S13). Then, the control device 130 acquires sensor data from the air quality sensor 108A (step S14) and determines whether the concentration of PM2.5 indicated by the sensor data is equal to or greater than the reference value (step S15). If the concentration of PM2.5 indicated by the sensor data is not equal to or greater than the reference value (step S15 / NO), the control device 130 instructs the air purifier 110 to stop the air purifier operation (step S8). Alternatively, the control device 130 instructs the refrigerant cycle circuit to stop the dehumidification operation.

[0052] Furthermore, when the concentration of PM2.5 indicated by the sensor data is equal to or greater than the reference value (step S15 / YES), the control device 130 acquires the count value of the counter (step S16). Based on the acquired count value, the control device 130 judges whether or not a set time has elapsed since the air purifying device 110 started the air purifying operation in step S11 (step S17). The control device 130 also judges whether or not a set time has elapsed since the refrigerant cycle circuit started the dehumidifying operation (step S17). If the set time has elapsed since the air purifying operation or the dehumidifying operation started (step S17 / YES), the control device 130 instructs the air purifying device 110 to stop the air purifying operation (step S8). Alternatively, the control device 130 instructs the refrigerant cycle circuit to stop the dehumidifying operation (step S8). If the set time has not elapsed since the air purifying operation started (step S17 / NO), the control device 130 returns to the process of step S14 and acquires sensor data of the air quality sensor 108A again.

[0053] Furthermore, if the PM2.5 concentration indicated by the sensor data acquired in step S9 is not equal to or greater than the reference value (step S10 / NO), the control device 130 resets the counter value (step S18) and starts counting the counter (step S19). Then, the control device 130 acquires the counter value (step S20). The control device 130 calculates the current time based on the time information acquired in step S1 and the acquired count value, and determines whether the calculated time is included in the operating time zone (step S21).

[0054] If the calculated time is included in the operating time zone (step S21 / YES), the control device 130 returns to step S3 and instructs the air purifying device 110 to start air purification operation (step S3). Alternatively, the control device 130 causes the refrigerant cycle circuit to start dehumidification operation (step S3). If the calculated time is not included in the operating time zone (step S21 / NO), the control device 130 determines whether or not it has acquired time information from the remote control 5 by interrupt (step S22). When the remote control 5 accepts a user operation to change the temperature setting of the air conditioner 1A, it transmits an operation signal including information indicating the accepted operation and time information to the air conditioner 1A.

[0055] If the control device 130 has not acquired the time information by interruption (step S22 / NO), it returns to the process of step S9, acquires sensor data from the air quality sensor 108A, and compares the PM2.5 concentration indicated by the acquired sensor data with the reference value (step S10). If the control device 130 has acquired the time information by interruption (step S22 / YES), it determines whether the current time is included in the operating time zone based on the time information acquired by interruption (step S2).

[0056] [1-3. Effects, etc.] As described above, the air conditioner 1A includes the outdoor unit 10, the indoor unit 100 equipped with the air purifier 110 that purifies the air, and the control device 130 that controls the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 100. The control device 130 includes an acquisition unit 151, a determination unit 153, and an operation control unit 155. The acquisition unit 151 acquires the time. The determination unit 153 determines whether or not the time acquired by the acquisition unit 151 is included in a preset operation time period. When the determination unit 153 determines that the time acquired by the acquisition unit 151 is included in a preset operation time period, the operation control unit 155 causes the air purifying device 110 to perform an air cleaning operation. For this reason, by setting in advance a time period during which the concentration of fine particles is high as an operating time period, the air conditioner 1A can be operated during that operating time period, thereby improving the indoor air quality.

[0057] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 151 receives an infrared signal transmitted from a remote control 5 that operates the air conditioner 1A, and acquires the time included in the received infrared signal. Therefore, when the user operates the remote control 5, the time can be obtained along with the operation information of the remote control 5, and the air conditioner 1A can be operated during a preset operating time period.

[0058] The acquisition unit 151 also connects to the network NW to which the external device 200 is connected, and acquires the time through data communication with the external device 200. Therefore, the time can be obtained through data communication with the external device 200, and the air conditioner 1A can be operated during a preset operating time period.

[0059] The acquisition unit 151 acquires sensor data from the indoor sensor unit 108 mounted in the air conditioner 1A. The determination unit 153 estimates a time based on the sensor data acquired by the acquisition unit, and determines whether or not the estimated time is included in the operating time period. Therefore, even if the air conditioner 1A does not have a timekeeping function or a communication function, the time can be estimated based on sensor data from the indoor sensor unit 108 installed in the air conditioner 1A, and the air conditioner 1A can be operated during the operating time period.

[0060] The sensors from which the acquisition unit 151 acquires sensor data include at least one of an ultraviolet sensor 16A that detects the amount of ultraviolet rays, a temperature sensor 108B that detects the temperature in the room in which the indoor unit 100 of the air conditioner 1A is installed, a solar radiation sensor 108D that detects the amount of sunlight irradiation, and a human presence sensor 108C that detects the presence or absence of a person. This makes it possible to improve the accuracy of the time estimation based on the sensor data acquired by the acquisition unit 151, and to operate the air conditioner 1A within a preset operating time period.

[0061] The air conditioner 1A also includes a refrigeration cycle circuit including an outdoor unit 10 and an indoor unit 100. The air purifier 110 includes at least one of an electrostatic atomizer 113 that generates mist containing charged fine particle water, an ozone / ionizer 111 that generates ozone and negative ions by corona discharge, and an air purifier filter 115 that captures fine particles in the air. When the time acquired by the acquisition unit 151 is included in a preset operation time period, the operation control unit 155 operates at least one of the electrostatic atomization device 113, the ozone / ion generation device 111, and the air cleaning filter 115. Alternatively, the operation control unit 155 causes the refrigeration cycle circuit to perform a dehumidification operation. This makes it possible to effectively remove fine particles present in the room.

[0062] (Embodiment 2) Hereinafter, the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 5 and FIG.

[0063] [2-1. Configuration] A description will now be given of embodiment 2. The above-mentioned embodiment 1 is an embodiment in which the air conditioner 1A is configured to be able to acquire time from an external source such as the remote control 5 or external device 200. This embodiment 2 is an embodiment in which the air conditioner 1B is unable to acquire time information from an external source.

[0064] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an air conditioner 1B according to the second embodiment. The configuration of air conditioner 1B of embodiment 2 differs from air conditioner 1A of embodiment 1 in that air conditioner 1B does not include infrared signal receiving unit 101 and communication unit 103. Other than that, the configuration of air conditioner 1B is the same as that of air conditioner 1A of embodiment 1, so a detailed description of the configuration of air conditioner 1B will be omitted.

[0065] The air conditioner 1B does not include an infrared signal receiving unit 101 or a communication unit 103. Therefore, the air conditioner 1B does not include a means for acquiring the time from outside. For this reason, the determination unit 153 estimates the time based on the sensor data acquired by the acquisition unit 151 from the indoor sensor unit 108 and the outdoor sensor unit 16.

[0066] The acquisition unit 151 acquires sensor data of the ultraviolet ray sensor 16A provided in the outdoor unit . The determination unit 153 estimates the time based on the amount of ultraviolet light indicated by the sensor data acquired by the acquisition unit 151 . For example, the memory 133 stores the measured values ​​of the amount of ultraviolet light for each preset period as a database. The preset period is, for example, one week or one month. The determination unit 153 inputs the sensor data of the ultraviolet light sensor 16A, compares the amount of ultraviolet light indicated by the input sensor data with the database, and estimates the current time. Here, the time estimated by the determination unit 153 is, for example, a rough time period such as one hour.

[0067] Furthermore, the determination unit 153 may estimate the time by referring to the sensor data of the temperature sensor 108B and the solar radiation sensor 108D in addition to the sensor data of the ultraviolet ray sensor 16A. For example, the determination unit 153 may estimate the time based on the amount of ultraviolet light measured by the ultraviolet light sensor 16A, the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 108B, or the amount of solar radiation measured by the solar radiation sensor 108D.

[0068] Furthermore, the determination unit 153 may estimate the time based on sensor data from the human presence sensor 108C. For example, the judgment unit 153 may determine that it is the morning operating time for operating the air conditioner 1 when a certain period of time has passed since the presence of a person was detected by the human presence sensor 108C after a certain period of time has passed since no human presence was detected during nighttime sleeping hours, etc. Furthermore, when a state in which the presence of a person is not detected continues for a certain period of time or more, the determination unit 153 may determine that it is nighttime and that the nighttime operating hours have passed.

[0069] Furthermore, the determination unit 153 may estimate the time based on the user's biological information acquired by the short-range wireless communication unit 102 from a device such as a wearable device or a smartphone. For example, the determination unit 153 determines whether or not the user is asleep based on the user's biological information. If a certain amount of time has passed since it was determined that the user is not asleep, the determination unit 153 may determine that it is the morning operating time period during which the air conditioner 1 is to be operated. Furthermore, when it is determined that the user is asleep, the determination unit 153 may determine that it is nighttime and that the nighttime operating hours are gone.

[0070] [2-2. Operation] The operation of the control device 130 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in Fig. 6. Note that this flowchart describes a case where the time is estimated based on the sensor data of the ultraviolet sensor 16A.

[0071] First, the control device 130 acquires sensor data from the ultraviolet sensor 16A included in the outdoor sensor unit 16 (step T1). The control device 130 estimates the time based on the amount of ultraviolet light indicated by the acquired sensor data (step T2). The control device 130 estimates the current time zone. The control device 130 determines whether the estimated time zone is included in the operating time zone (step T3).

[0072] If the estimated time period is included in the operating period (step T3 / YES), the control device 130 instructs the air purifying device 110 to start the air purifying operation (step T4). Alternatively, the control device 130 may cause the refrigerant cycle circuit to start the dehumidifying operation (step T4), or, if connected to the ventilating fan 300 via the short-range wireless communication unit 102, may transmit a signal to operate the ventilating fan 300 via the short-range wireless communication unit 102 (step T4). After that, the control device 130 resets the counter (step T5) and causes the counter to start counting (step T6). Then, the control device 130 acquires the count value of the counter (step T7), and determines whether or not the elapsed time from the start of the air purifying operation or the dehumidifying operation is equal to or longer than a preset time based on the acquired count value (step T8).

[0073] If the time elapsed since the start of the air purification operation or dehumidification operation is not equal to or longer than the preset time (step T8 / NO), the control device 130 returns to the process of step T7. If the control device 130 determines that the time elapsed since the start of the air purification operation or dehumidification operation is equal to or longer than the preset time (step T8 / YES), it instructs the air purifier 110 to stop the air purification operation or dehumidification operation (step T9).

[0074] Furthermore, if it is determined in the judgment of step T3 that the estimated time period is not included in the operating time period (step T3 / NO), the control device 130 acquires sensor data from the air quality sensor 108A (step T10). The control device 130 judges whether the concentration of PM2.5 indicated by the acquired sensor data is equal to or greater than the reference value (step T11). The reference value is the same value as in the first embodiment. If the concentration of PM2.5 indicated by the sensor data is not equal to or greater than the reference value (step T11 / NO), the control device 130 returns to the processing of step T1, acquires sensor data from the ultraviolet ray sensor again, and estimates the current time period based on the amount of ultraviolet ray indicated by the acquired sensor data (step T2).

[0075] Furthermore, if the concentration of PM2.5 indicated by the sensor data is equal to or greater than the reference value (step T11 / YES), the control device 130 instructs the air purifying device 110 to start air purification operation (step S12). Alternatively, the control device 130 may cause the refrigerant cycle circuit to start a dehumidification operation, or, if connected to the ventilation fan 300 by the short-range wireless communication unit 102, may transmit a signal to operate the ventilation fan 300 by the short-range wireless communication unit 102 (step T12). After that, the control device 130 resets the count value of the counter (step T13) and starts counting the counter (step T14). Then, the control device 130 acquires sensor data from the air quality sensor 108A (step T15) and determines whether the concentration of PM2.5 indicated by the sensor data is equal to or greater than the reference value (step T16). If the PM2.5 concentration indicated by the sensor data is not equal to or higher than the reference value (step T16 / NO), the control device 130 instructs the air purifier 110 to stop the air purifying operation (step T9). Alternatively, the control device 130 instructs the refrigerant cycle circuit to stop the dehumidifying operation (step T9).

[0076] Furthermore, when the concentration of PM2.5 indicated by the sensor data is equal to or higher than the reference value (step T16 / YES), the control device 130 acquires the count value of the counter (step T17). Based on the acquired count value, the control device 130 determines whether or not a set time has elapsed since the start of the air purification operation or the dehumidification operation in step T12 (step T18). If the set time has elapsed since the start of the air purification operation (step T18 / YES), the control device 130 instructs the air purification device 110 to stop the air purification operation (step T9). Alternatively, the control device 130 instructs the refrigerant cycle circuit to stop the dehumidification operation (step T9). If the set time has not elapsed since the start of the air purification operation (step T18 / NO), the control device 130 returns to the process of step T15 and acquires sensor data from the air quality sensor 108A again.

[0077] In the above-mentioned embodiment 2, a configuration was described in which the air conditioner 1B does not have an infrared signal receiving unit 101 and a communication unit 103. However, the following cases are also anticipated in which the air conditioner 1B is unable to acquire time information. First, the indoor unit 100 is equipped with a communication unit 103, but a connection device for connecting to the network NM is not provided in the room in which the indoor unit 100 is installed, or even if a connection device is provided in the room, the air conditioner 1B is not intentionally connected to the network NW. Secondly, the indoor unit 100 is provided with the infrared signal receiving unit 101 but does not have the function of acquiring time information from the remote control 5. In any of these cases, as in the above-described second embodiment, the acquisition unit 151 estimates the time based on the sensor data acquired from the indoor sensor unit 108 and the outdoor sensor unit 16, and the operation control unit 155 causes the air purifier 110 to perform air purification operation and causes the refrigerant cycle circuit to perform dehumidification operation, thereby maintaining the indoor air of high quality.

[0078] [2-3. Effects] According to the air conditioner 1B of the second embodiment, it is possible to obtain the same effects as those of the air conditioner 1A of the first embodiment described above. In particular, the acquisition unit 151 of the air conditioner 1B of the second embodiment acquires sensor data from the indoor sensor unit 108 mounted on the air conditioner 1B. Furthermore, the determination unit 153 estimates a time based on the sensor data acquired by the acquisition unit, and determines whether or not the estimated time is included in the operating time zone. Therefore, even if the air conditioner 1B does not have a timekeeping function or a communication function, the time can be estimated based on sensor data from the indoor sensor unit 108 mounted on the air conditioner 1B, and the air conditioner 1B can be operated during the operating time period.

[0079] The above-described embodiment merely shows one aspect of the present invention, and any modification and application are possible within the scope of the present invention. For example, each unit of the air conditioner 1 shown in Figures 3 and 5 is an example, and the specific implementation form is not particularly limited. In other words, it is not necessarily necessary to implement hardware that corresponds to each unit individually, and it is of course possible to configure the units so that the functions of each unit are realized by a single processor executing a program. Also, some of the functions realized by software in the above-mentioned embodiment may be hardware, or some of the functions realized by hardware may be software.

[0080] Furthermore, the operation units shown in the flowcharts of Figures 4 and 6 are divided according to the main processing contents in order to facilitate understanding of the operation of the control device 130, and the present invention is not limited by the manner in which the processing units are divided or the names thereof. The processing units may be further divided into more step units according to the processing contents. Furthermore, one step unit may be further divided to include more processing. Furthermore, the order of the steps may be appropriately changed within a range that does not impede the spirit of the present invention.

[0081] It should be noted that the above-described embodiments are intended to illustrate the technology of the present disclosure, and various modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, and the like can be made within the scope of the claims or their equivalents. [Industrial Applicability]

[0082] INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY As described above, the air conditioner and the method for controlling the air conditioner of the present invention can be used to remove fine particles, particularly air pollutants, from the air inside a room. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 1A Air conditioner 1B Air conditioner 5. Remote Control 10 Outdoor unit 11 Compressor 12 Outdoor fan 13 Outdoor heat exchanger 14 Four-way valve 15 Expansion valve 16 Outdoor sensor section 16A UV sensor 100 Indoor unit 100 Control device 101 Infrared signal receiver 102 Near Field Wireless Communication Department 103 Communications Department 104 Indoor heat exchanger 105 Indoor fan 106 Up and down louvers 107 Left and right louvers 108 Indoor sensor unit 108A Air Quality Sensor 108B Temperature Sensor 108C Human Sensor 108D Solar radiation sensor 110 Indoor sensor unit 110 Air Purifier 111 Ion generator 113 Electrostatic atomizer 115 Air Purifier Filter 121 Intake port 123 Filters 125 Air outlet 130 Control device 133 Memory 141 Control Program 150 processors 151 Acquisition Department 153 Judgment section 155 Motion control section 200 External device 300 Ventilator NW Network

Claims

1. The outdoor unit, An indoor unit equipped with an air purifier that purifies the air; an air quality sensor for measuring the concentration of fine particles in a room to be air-conditioned; A human presence sensor, A short-range wireless communication unit; A control device for controlling the outdoor unit and the indoor unit, The control device includes: When the particulate matter concentration measured by the air quality sensor is equal to or greater than a reference value, an instruction is given to the air purifying device to start an air purifying operation; acquires sensor data from the human presence sensor or biological information of a user wearing the wearable device received by the short-range wireless communication unit, predicts a time based on the acquired sensor data or the biological information, and instructs the air purifier to start an air purification operation a predetermined time before a time period when the amount of fine particles in the air in the room is predicted to increase above a preset reference value. Air conditioner.

2. The air purifying device includes at least one of an electrostatic atomizer that generates a mist containing charged fine particle water, an ozone / ion generator that generates ozone and negative ions by corona discharge, and an air purifying filter that captures fine particles in the air; The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the control device operates at least one of the electrostatic atomizer, the ozone / ion generator, the air purifying filter, and a ventilation fan connected to the air conditioner, or causes the air conditioner to perform a dehumidification operation, when the time acquired by the acquisition unit is included in a preset operating time period.

3. A control method for an air conditioner including an outdoor unit, an indoor unit equipped with an air purifier that purifies air, a control device that controls the outdoor unit and the indoor unit, an air quality sensor that measures a particulate matter concentration in a room to be air-conditioned, a human presence sensor, and a short-range wireless communication unit, When the particulate matter concentration measured by the air quality sensor is equal to or greater than a reference value, an instruction is given to the air purifying device to start an air purifying operation; acquires sensor data from the human presence sensor or biological information of a user wearing the wearable device received by the short-range wireless communication unit, predicts a time based on the acquired sensor data or the biological information, and instructs the air purifier to start an air purification operation a predetermined time before a time period when the amount of fine particles in the air in the room is predicted to increase above a preset reference value. A method for controlling an air conditioner.

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