Air conditioner

Abstract

To provide an air conditioner capable of easily and promptly estimating an accurate control region of a room where the air conditioner is installed.SOLUTION: An air conditioner includes a casing, a fan, a radar and a control section. The casing includes an inner ventilation passage, a suction port communicating the ventilation passage with outside and a blowout port communicating the ventilation passage with outside. The fan is provided in the ventilation passage and sends wind from the suction port to the blowout port. The radar is provided in the casing, and detects a movement locus of a user present in an indoor region where the casing is installed. The control section estimates an air-conditioning control region from a region defined on the basis of the movement locus detected by the radar.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to an air conditioner.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an air conditioner composed of an indoor unit and an outdoor unit is known. There is a tendency to install an air conditioner that has a predetermined margin of capacity compared to the heating and cooling capacity corresponding to the size of the room to be installed (e.g., the number of tatami mats). Therefore, it is desirable to grasp the size of the room where the air conditioner is actually used and perform air conditioning control according to the size of the room. Thus, a technique has been proposed to capture the inside of the room during operation of the air conditioner and grasp the size of the room based on the presence distribution of users present in the room. In addition, a technique has been proposed to estimate the dimensions of a room based on the detection result of users present in the room.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, when the shape of the room is complex, it may be difficult to grasp the control area that is the target of heating and cooling control. In addition, furniture or partitions may be installed in the room, and although users do not enter, they are actually spatially continuous and may need to be considered as part of the control area. In some cases, an accurate control area cannot be grasped simply from the presence distribution of users present in the room.

[0005] An example of the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an air conditioner that can easily and quickly estimate an accurate control area for a room in which an indoor unit is installed.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] The air conditioner according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a housing, a fan, a radar, and a control unit. The housing is provided with an internal ventilation path, a suction port that communicates the ventilation path with the outside, and a blowout port that communicates the ventilation path with the outside. The fan is provided in the ventilation path and sends air from the suction port to the blowout port. The radar is provided on the housing and detects the movement trajectory of a user existing in the indoor area where the housing is installed. The control unit estimates the control area for air conditioning based on the area defined by the movement trajectory detected by the radar. Then, when the estimation start condition of the control area is satisfied, the control unit outputs guidance information that prompts the user to move on foot along the area demarcation path in the indoor area.

[0008] Further, the control unit may output the guidance information when receiving an estimation request operation for the control area.

[0009] Further, when there is a partial omission in the movement trajectory, the control unit may execute a correction process of estimating the control area as closed area information of the movement trajectory by at least one of linear approximation and curve approximation for the section of the partial omission.

[0010] Further, the control unit may save the estimated control area in a storage unit in cooperation with the control unit.

[0011] Further, the control area saved in the storage unit may be modifiable on a terminal device in cooperation with the control unit.

[0012] Further, the storage unit may be able to save the installation position of the housing in the indoor area in association with the control area.

[0013] Further, the storage unit may be able to save indoor feature information in association with the estimated control area.

[0014] Further, the memory unit may be able to store a plurality of the estimated control regions as history information.

[0015] Further, the control unit may execute air conditioning control based on the estimated control region.

[0016] According to the air conditioner described above, for example, the control region is estimated based on the movement trajectory intentionally moved by the user. As a result, optimal air conditioning control can be realized. Further, since the user is tracked by the radar, the control region can be quickly estimated by moving around the desired region only once. As a result, smooth and optimal air conditioning control can be realized.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15

Figure 16

Figure 17

Figure 18

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments of the air conditioner according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In this specification, the components according to the embodiments and the descriptions of those components may be described in a plurality of expressions. The components and their descriptions are examples and are not limited by the expressions in this specification. The components may be specified by different names from those in this specification. Also, the components may be described by expressions different from those in this specification.

[0019] FIG. 1 is an exemplary and schematic block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an air conditioner 1 according to an embodiment including an indoor unit 10 and an outdoor unit 120.

[0020] The indoor unit 10 of the air conditioner 1 in the present embodiment includes a radar 2 and detects a detection target existing in the indoor area where the indoor unit 10 is installed. In the present embodiment, the detection target includes, in particular, a user CR (such as a user of the air conditioner 1) existing indoors, as well as furniture (such as chairs, sofas, beds, etc.), home appliances, walls, etc. that can be used by the user CR.

[0021] In this embodiment, the air conditioner 1 (indoor unit 10) detects the movement trajectory of the user CR by the radar 2, and based on the movement trajectory, estimates the control area for air conditioning control. In this case, the air conditioner 1 gives guidance such as "Please walk around the area that is the control area for air conditioning control." to intentionally move the user CR and acquire the reflected wave reflected by the user CR. For example, as an initial setting, when installing the air conditioner 1 or when the room layout and usage mode are determined, the reflected wave is acquired by the radar 2, so that the control area suitable for the room usage mode can be set. For example, it is possible to realize heating, cooling, and air supply control with an output suitable for the control area desired by the user CR.

[0022] The indoor unit 10 includes an operation terminal 94a. The operation terminal 94a receives an operation instruction from the user CR existing in the indoor area and transmits a command to the indoor unit 10 according to the received operation instruction. The operation terminal 94a is, for example, a remote controller. In addition to the operation terminal 94a, an external terminal device 94b (for example, a smartphone or a tablet) that operates with a dedicated application capable of cooperating with the indoor unit control unit 80 described later can also be connected to the indoor unit 10. Details of the external terminal device 94b will be described later.

[0023] The indoor unit 10 includes, in addition to the radar 2, an indoor unit control section 80, an up-down air direction plate 25, and a left-right air direction plate 29. The indoor unit control section 80 performs air conditioning processing in accordance with commands received from the operation terminal 94a or the external terminal device 94b, and also performs control according to the user CR detected using the radar 2. The indoor unit 10 has a "radar control mode" which is a substantial automatic control based on the detection result by the radar 2, and a "normal control mode" in which, in an operation where the user uses the operation terminal 94a, the radar 2 is not used and the indoor unit 10 is controlled (set). As will be described later, the indoor unit 10 intentionally moves the user CR and tracks the user CR moved using the radar 2. That is, information (reflected wave) for acquiring the movement locus of the user CR is acquired at a predetermined timing. Here, the timing for acquiring the movement locus can be, for example, when the user CR (user) requests, or a timing set in advance in the indoor unit 10, such as at the time of installation or the first operation at the beginning of the month. Details of the acquisition of the movement locus and the estimation of the control area using the movement locus will be described later.

[0024] In the "radar control mode", the radar 2 continuously or intermittently detects the position of the detection target (user CR) in the room under the control of the indoor unit control section 80. While tracking the position of the detected user CR, the indoor unit control section 80 controls the up-down air direction plate 25, the left-right air direction plate 29, the ventilation member 26, etc., so as to send air toward the user CR or conversely, air toward a position avoiding the user CR. The indoor unit control section 80 controls the direction of the air (air-conditioned air) blown out from the indoor unit 10 by controlling the operations of the up-down air direction plate 25 and the left-right air direction plate 29.

[0025] Thereby, the way the air-conditioned air is blown out from the indoor unit 10 can be dynamically changed according to the movement of the user CR existing in the detection area, so that the comfort of the user CR existing in the indoor area can be dynamically improved.

[0026] Specifically, the indoor unit 10 performs air conditioning processing on the air sucked from the indoor area through the suction port, and blows out the conditioned air subjected to the air conditioning processing toward the indoor area. The air conditioning processing includes, for example, endothermic processing (cooling), heating processing (heating), dehumidifying processing, humidifying processing, air blowing processing, air cleaning processing, etc. The endothermic processing, heating processing, dehumidifying processing, humidifying processing, air blowing processing, and air cleaning processing respectively correspond to the cooling operation mode, heating operation mode, dehumidifying operation mode, humidifying operation mode, air blowing operation mode, and air cleaning operation mode as the operation modes (main operation modes) of the air conditioner 1.

[0027] Note that the main operation mode can be appropriately combined with the control mode (radar control mode, normal control mode). The air conditioner 1 (indoor unit 10) can take any of the cooling operation mode, heating operation mode, dehumidifying operation mode, humidifying operation mode, air blowing operation mode, and air cleaning operation mode in the radar control mode. The same applies to the normal control mode.

[0028] In the air conditioning processing, the humidifying processing may be omitted. At this time, the humidifying operation mode may be omitted as the operation mode of the air conditioner 1.

[0029] The indoor unit 10 has a draft-free mode as an auxiliary operation mode, in which when blowing out the conditioned air, a turbulent flow that diffuses over a wide range is generated by mixing winds of two types of flow rates, and the blown-out wind is made into an overall gentle air flow (so-called draft-free (registered trademark) wind). The auxiliary operation mode can be appropriately combined with the control mode (radar control mode, normal control mode), and can be appropriately combined with the main operation mode.

[0030] The indoor unit 10 may have an automatic operation mode as an operation mode. The indoor unit 10 detects the temperature of the indoor area with the room temperature sensor 3 (temperature detection unit). The indoor unit 10 (indoor unit control unit 80) may operate in the cooling operation mode if the detected temperature is higher than the set temperature, and may operate in the heating operation mode if the detected temperature is lower than the set temperature in the automatic operation mode.

[0031] The air purification process is carried out, for example, by an ion emission method that emits ions into the air, an ultraviolet irradiation method that irradiates the inside of the indoor unit 10 with ultraviolet rays for disinfection, a dust collection method that collects dust when the air in the indoor area is sucked into the indoor unit 10, etc. Note that the dust collection methods include, for example, a filter dust collection method and an electrostatic dust collection method. In the filter dust collection method, air is passed through a fine filter such as a HEPA filter, and dirt substances such as dust are filtered by the filter to be removed from the air. In the electrostatic dust collection method, dirt substances such as dust contained in the sucked air are charged by high-voltage discharge and adsorbed onto a dust collection part (for example, a heat exchanger 22 or a filter charged with the opposite polarity) for collection. Note that the dirt substances adsorbed on the heat exchanger 22 can be automatically discharged outdoors together when, for example, the condensed water condensed on the surface of the heat exchanger is discharged.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 1, in the air conditioner 1, the indoor unit 10 includes, in addition to the radar 2, the indoor unit control unit 80, and the room temperature sensor 3, a heat exchanger 22, a fan 23, a filter 24 (described later), an up-down air direction plate 25, a left-right air direction plate 29, a ventilation member 26, a transmission and reception device 94, etc. Further, the indoor unit 10 includes a first control circuit 81, a second control circuit 82, a third control circuit 83, and a phonomotor 84, an up-down air direction plate motor 85, a left-right air direction plate motor 86, a switching motor 87, etc., which are controlled by the indoor unit control unit 80. Note that in the case of the configuration shown in FIG. 1, an example is shown in which an air purification unit 4 that executes an electrostatic dust collection method is controlled by the indoor unit control unit 80 as the air purification process.

[0033] Further, the outdoor unit 120 includes a heat exchanger 122, a fan 123, a four-way valve 124, a compressor 125, an outdoor unit control unit 180, a fourth drive circuit 181, a fifth drive circuit 182, a sixth drive circuit 183, a fan motor 184, a valve switching motor 185, a compressor motor 186, etc.

[0034] In the indoor unit 10, the fan 23 is disposed near the heat exchanger 22. The fan 23 guides the air sucked from the indoor area through the suction port of the indoor unit 10 to the heat exchanger 22, and guides the conditioned air heat-exchanged by the heat exchanger 22 to the blowout port of the indoor unit 10. The indoor unit control unit 80 drives the fan motor 84 with the first control circuit 81 to rotate the fan 23 around the rotation axis. The indoor unit control unit 80 can change the rotation speed of the fan 23.

[0035] The heat exchanger 22 has, for example, a refrigerant pipe (refrigerant circuit) and a plurality of fins. The heat exchanger 22 is thermally in contact with the refrigerant circuit passing nearby. The heat exchanger 22 performs heat exchange with the refrigerant for the air sucked from the room.

[0036] In the outdoor unit 120, the fan 123 is disposed near the heat exchanger 122. The fan 123 rotates according to the control by the outdoor unit control unit 180. Thereby, the fan 123 sucks in outside air and guides it to the heat exchanger 122, and discharges the outside air heat-exchanged by the heat exchanger 122 to the outside of the outdoor unit 120. The outdoor unit control unit 180 drives the fan motor 184 with the fourth drive circuit 181 to rotate the fan 123 around the rotation axis. The indoor unit control unit 80 can change the rotation speed of the fan 123 via the outdoor unit control unit 180.

[0037] The heat exchanger 122 has, for example, a refrigerant pipe (refrigerant circuit) and a plurality of fins. The heat exchanger 122 is thermally in contact with the refrigerant circuit passing nearby. The heat exchanger 122 performs heat exchange with the refrigerant for the outside air.

[0038] The four-way valve 124 is disposed in the refrigerant circuit. The four-way valve 124 can switch the refrigerant flow path in the refrigerant circuit between the cooling side and the heating side according to the control by the outdoor unit control unit 180. The outdoor unit control unit 180 drives the valve switching motor 185 with the fifth drive circuit 182 to switch the four-way valve 124 between the cooling side and the heating side. The indoor unit control unit 80 can switch the four-way valve 124 between the cooling side and the heating side via the outdoor unit control unit 180.

[0039] The compressor 125 is arranged in the refrigerant circuit. The compressor 125 compresses the refrigerant and sends it out into the refrigerant circuit under the control of the outdoor unit control unit 180 according to the control by the indoor unit control unit 80. The outdoor unit control unit 180 drives the compressor motor 186 with the sixth drive circuit 183 to cause the compressor 125 to perform a cycle operation of compressing the refrigerant. The indoor unit control unit 80 can change the cycle number of the compressor 125 (the number of times the compression cycle is executed per unit time) via the outdoor unit control unit 180.

[0040] For example, in the cooling operation mode, the air conditioner 1 switches the four-way valve 124 to the cooling side by the indoor unit control unit 80 and the outdoor unit control unit 180. Then, the heat absorption process is performed by the heat exchanger 22 to absorb heat from the air in the indoor area into the refrigerant, and the air-conditioned air after heat absorption is blown into the indoor area. Then, the heat dissipation process is performed by the heat exchanger 122 to release the heat absorbed by the refrigerant to the outside air.

[0041] Alternatively, in the heating operation mode, the air conditioner 1 switches the four-way valve 124 to the heating side by the indoor unit control unit 80 and the outdoor unit control unit 180. Then, the heat absorption process is performed by the heat exchanger 122 to absorb heat from the outside air into the refrigerant. Then, the heating process is performed by the heat exchanger 22 to heat the air in the indoor area with the heat absorbed by the refrigerant, and the heated air-conditioned air is blown into the indoor area.

[0042] The upper and lower air direction plates 25 and the left and right air direction plates 29 respectively adjust the air direction of the air - conditioned air blown into the indoor area. The air direction means the direction of the wind. In this specification, although the indoor unit control section 80 directly controls the direction in which the upper and lower air direction plates 25 and the left and right air direction plates 29 face, the direction in which the upper and lower air direction plates 25 and the left and right air direction plates 29 face and the direction of the wind (air direction) immediately after it is blown out from the air outlet of the indoor unit 10 are generally treated as being approximately the same. That is, the upper and lower air direction plates 25 and the left and right air direction plates 29 can adjust the air direction in their respective directions, and the indoor unit control section 80 can control the air direction by controlling the directions of the upper and lower air direction plates 25 and the left and right air direction plates 29. Note that the upper and lower air direction plates 25 and the left and right air direction plates 29 can each control their respective directions individually. As a result, it is possible to blow out air with the air direction aligned in one direction from the entire air outlet of the indoor unit 10, or it is also possible to blow out two or more winds with different air directions from two or more regions partitioned by the upper and lower air direction plates 25, the left and right air direction plates 29, etc. of the air outlet of the indoor unit 10.

[0043] The upper and lower air direction plate 25 can be switched between a closed position and an open position. The upper and lower air direction plate 25 closes the air outlet in the state where it is switched to the closed position. The upper and lower air direction plate 25 opens the air outlet in the state where it is switched to the open position. In the state where the air outlet is opened by the operation of the upper and lower air direction plate 25, the upper and lower air direction plate 25 and the left and right air direction plates 29 adjust the air direction of the air - conditioned air blown into the indoor area. The upper and lower air direction plate 25 adjusts the air direction of the air - conditioned air in the vertical direction. The left and right air direction plates 29 adjust the air direction of the air - conditioned air in the horizontal direction.

[0044] Using FIGS. 2 to 7, a more specific structure of the indoor unit 10 will be described. FIG. 2 is an exemplary and schematic cross - sectional view showing the configuration of the indoor unit 10.

[0045] Inside the housing 21, the indoor unit 10 has, as described above, a heat exchanger 22, a fan 23, a filter 24, two upper and lower air direction plates 25 (25A, 25B), a plurality of left and right air direction plates 29 (see FIGS. 1 and 4), a ventilation member 26, etc. The upper and lower air direction plates 25, the left and right air direction plates 29, and the ventilation member 26 can also be referred to as louvers.

[0046] As shown in each of the drawings from FIG. 2 onward, in this specification, for convenience, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are defined. The X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are orthogonal to each other. The X-axis is provided along the width of the indoor unit 10. The Y-axis is provided along the depth of the indoor unit 10. The Z-axis is provided along the height of the indoor unit 10.

[0047] Furthermore, in this specification, the X-direction, Y-direction, and Z-direction are defined. The X-direction is the direction along the X-axis, including the +X direction indicated by the arrow of the X-axis and the -X direction opposite to the arrow of the X-axis. The Y-direction is the direction along the Y-axis, including the +Y direction indicated by the arrow of the Y-axis and the -Y direction opposite to the arrow of the Y-axis. The Z-direction is the direction along the Z-axis, including the +Z direction indicated by the arrow of the Z-axis and the -Z direction opposite to the arrow of the Z-axis. In this embodiment, the +Z direction is the upward direction and the -Z direction is the downward direction.

[0048] The housing 21 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape extending in the X-direction. Note that the housing 21 may be formed in other shapes. The housing 21 is, for example, mounted on a wall of a building (indoors) or the like. The housing 21 has an upper surface 21a and a lower surface 21b. The upper surface 21a is provided at the upper end of the housing 21 or in the vicinity thereof and faces substantially upward. The lower surface 21b is provided at the lower end of the housing 21 or in the vicinity thereof and faces substantially downward.

[0049] A ventilation path 31, a suction port 32, and a blowout port 33 are provided in the housing 21. The ventilation path 31 is provided inside the housing 21. The suction port 32 opens, for example, on the upper surface 21a of the housing 21. The blowout port 33 opens, for example, on the lower surface 21b of the housing 21. The suction port 32 and the blowout port 33 may open at other portions of the housing 21.

[0050] The indoor unit 10 can allow air to pass through the ventilation passage 31. The air is a flow of gas such as air. The suction port 32 is provided at one end of the ventilation passage 31 and communicates the ventilation passage 31 to the outside of the indoor unit 10. The blowout port 33 is provided at the other end of the ventilation passage 31 and communicates the ventilation passage 31 to the outside of the indoor unit 10. In other words, the ventilation passage 31 is provided between the suction port 32 and the blowout port 33 inside the housing 21.

[0051] The heat exchanger 22 is provided in the ventilation passage 31. The heat exchanger 22 performs heat exchange with the surrounding gas in the ventilation passage 31. Thereby, the heat exchanger 22 cools the air flowing through the ventilation passage 31 during the cooling operation and heats the air flowing through the ventilation passage 31 during the heating operation.

[0052] The fan 23 is provided in the ventilation passage 31. The fan 23 rotates around the rotation axis Axf extending in the X direction, thereby sending air from the suction port 32 to the blowout port 33 in the ventilation passage 31. Thereby, the indoor unit 11 sucks indoor air from the suction port 32 into the ventilation passage 31 and blows out the air (wind) in the ventilation passage 31 from the blowout port 33. For this reason, in this specification, the side closer to the suction port 32 in the ventilation passage 31 is referred to as the upstream side, and the side closer to the blowout port 33 is referred to as the downstream side.

[0053] The fan 23 is located downstream of the heat exchanger 22. For this reason, when the fan 23 generates wind, the air sucked from the suction port 32 passes through the fins of the heat exchanger 22. Thereby, the air flowing through the ventilation passage 31 performs heat exchange with the heat exchanger 22.

[0054] The filter 24 is provided at the suction port 32 or in the vicinity of the suction port 32 in the ventilation passage 31. The filter 24 is located upstream of the heat exchanger 22. The filter 24 covers the suction port 32 from inside the housing 21. The filter 24 filters, for example, the air sucked from the suction port 32 and captures dust in the air. As described above, by configuring the filter 24 with a HEPA filter or the like, higher-quality air purification processing can be realized.

[0055] The up-down air direction plates 25 and the left-right air direction plates 29 can be configured as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4. FIG. 2 shows a state where the up-down air direction plate 25 is in the closed position Pc1 (which may also be referred to as the first closed position). FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration and operation of the indoor unit 10, and shows a state where the up-down air direction plate 25 is in the open position Po1 (which may also be referred to as the first open position). FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration and operation of the indoor unit 10, and shows a state where the up-down air direction plate 25 is in the open position and the left-right air direction plate 29 is visible.

[0056] The up-down air direction plate 25 may include a plurality of up-down air direction plates 25A and 25B. The up-down air direction plates 25A and 25B are members that respectively adjust the air direction of the air-conditioning air in the up-down direction, and are also called up-down louvers. The up-down air direction plate 25A forms the first flow path C1 of the air-conditioning air, and the up-down air direction plate 25B forms the second flow path C2 of the air-conditioning air. The up-down air direction plates 25A and 25B each have a shaft portion 41 and a plate portion 42.

[0057] The shaft portion 41 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape extending in the X direction. The shaft portion 41 is rotatably supported by the housing 21 about a rotation axis Axl extending in the X direction. Note that the up-down air direction plates 25A and 25B each have an individual rotation axis Axl. The plate portion 42 projects from the shaft portion 41 in a direction substantially orthogonal to the rotation axis Axl. The plate portion 42 is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape extending in the X direction.

[0058] The up-down air direction plate 25A is supported by the rotation axis Axl, and the up-down air direction plate motor 85 is controlled by the second control circuit 82, and is movable between the closed position Pc1 shown in FIG. 2 and the open position Po1 shown in FIG. 3. The up-down air direction plate 25B is supported by the rotation axis Axl, and the up-down air direction plate motor 85 is controlled by the second control circuit 82, and is movable between the closed position Pc1 shown in FIG. 2 and the open position Po1 shown in FIG. 3.

[0059] As shown in Fig. 2, the upper and lower air direction plates 25A close the air outlet 33 that is the outlet of the first flow path C1 in a state where they are switched to the closed position Pc1. The upper and lower air direction plates 25B close the air outlet 33 that is the outlet of the second flow path C2 in a state where they are switched to the closed position Pc1. The first flow path C1 and the second flow path C2 form the air outlet 33 of the indoor unit 10.

[0060] As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the upper and lower air direction plates 25A open the first flow path C1 in a state where they are switched to the open position Po1. The upper and lower air direction plates 25B open the second flow path C2 in a state where they are switched to the open position Po1.

[0061] The open position Po1 includes various positions where the upper and lower air direction plates 25A and 25B open a part of the air outlet 33. For example, the open position Po1 includes a position where the upper and lower air direction plates 25A and 25B face substantially horizontally as shown in Fig. 3, a position where the upper and lower air direction plates 25A and 25B face downward, and a plurality of positions between these two positions. That is, the upper and lower air direction plates 25A and 25B are rotatable between a position facing substantially horizontally and a position facing downward.

[0062] The upper and lower air direction plates 25A and 25B located at the open position Po1 adjust the direction of the air discharged from the air outlet 33 in the vertical direction (+Z direction, -Z direction) according to the direction of the upper and lower air direction plates 25A and 25B. That is, when the upper and lower air direction plates 25A and 25B face substantially horizontally as shown in Fig. 3, the indoor unit 10 discharges air in a substantially horizontal direction. On the other hand, when the upper and lower air direction plates 25A and 25B face downward, the indoor unit 10 discharges air downward.

[0063] As shown in Fig. 4, the left and right air direction plate 29 is supported by a rotation shaft Ax2 (not shown) extending in the X direction, and the left and right air direction plate motor 86 is controlled by the second control circuit 82, and is movable between a rotation position toward the -X side end and a rotation position toward the +X side end.

[0064] The left and right wind direction plates 29 may include a plurality of left and right wind direction plates 29-1 to 29-k, 29-(k + 1) to 29-2k. The plurality of left and right wind direction plates 29-1 to 29-k, 29-(k + 1) to 29-2k are members that respectively adjust the wind direction of the air-conditioning air in the left and right directions (-X direction, +X direction), and are also called left and right louvers. Note that the left and right wind direction plates 29-1 to 29-k on the -X side and the left and right wind direction plates 29-(k + 1) to 29-2k on the +X side may be independently controllable by the indoor unit control unit 80 in terms of their orientations.

[0065] The left and right wind direction plates 29-1 to 29-k on the -X side are connected to a common rotation axis Ax2 (not shown), and 86 is controlled by the second control circuit 82, and may be movable collectively between the open position of the -X side end and the open position of the +X side end. The left and right wind direction plates 29-(k + 1) to 29-2k on the +X side are connected to a common rotation axis Ax2 (not shown), and the left and right wind direction plate motor 86 is controlled by the second control circuit 82, and may be movable collectively between the open position of the -X side end and the open position of the +X side end.

[0066] The ventilation member 26 shown in FIG. 2 is switchable between a closed position Pc2 (also referred to as a second closed position: see FIG. 5) and an open position Po2 (also referred to as a second open position: see FIG. 3). The ventilation member 26 can be arranged in the closed position Pc2 that covers at least a part of the blowout port 33 (the first flow path C1) opened by the upper and lower wind direction plates 25A located at the open position Po1. The ventilation member 26 has an inner surface facing the ventilation path 31 and an outer surface facing the outside in the closed position Pc2, and at least one ventilation port 56 opening in the inner surface and the outer surface is provided. In the closed position Pc2, the ventilation member 26 forms a first blowout flow path (the first flow path C1) through which the wind sent by the fan 23 is discharged to the outside through the ventilation port 56, and a second blowout flow path (the second flow path C2) that is discharged to the outside adjacent to the first blowout flow path (the first flow path C1) without passing through the ventilation port 56. That is, the ventilation member 26 is inserted into a part of the flow path of the air-conditioning air blown into the room in a state where it is switched to the closed position Pc2, and changes the opening ratio of a part of the flow path.

[0067] When the ventilation member 26 is switched to the open position Po2, the insertion into a part of the flow path is released (for example, it retracts from a part of the flow path), and the opening ratio of a part of the flow path is restored to its original state.

[0068] In the air conditioner 1, when the indoor unit control unit 80 enters the draft-free mode as an auxiliary operation mode, it switches the ventilation member 26 to the closed position Pc2. In the state where the ventilation member 26 is switched to the closed position Pc2, it is selectively inserted into the first flow path C1 to change the opening ratio of the first flow path C1. On the other hand, the opening ratio of the second flow path C2 that is opened and closed by the vertical air deflector 25B where the ventilation member 26 does not exist is maintained as it is. When the draft-free mode as an auxiliary operation mode is released, the indoor unit control unit 80 switches the ventilation member 26 to the open position Po2. When the ventilation member 26 is switched to the open position Po2, it retracts from the first flow path C1, and the opening ratio of the first flow path C1 is restored to its original state.

[0069] For example, the ventilation member 26 can be opened and closed between the open position Po2 shown in FIG. 3 and the closed position Pc2 shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the ventilation member 26.

[0070] As shown in FIG. 3, when the ventilation member 26 is switched to the open position Po2, it is housed in a recess 21c of the housing 21 provided near the air outlet 33. The recess 21c is recessed from the inner surface 21d of the housing 21 that forms a part of the ventilation path 31. By being housed in the recess 21c, the ventilation member 26 positioned at the open position Po2 is suppressed from obstructing the air flowing through the first flow path C1.

[0071] As shown in FIG. 5, the ventilation member 26 is inserted into the first flow path C1 in a state where it is switched to the closed position Pc2, and changes the opening ratio of the first flow path C1. The opening ratio of the first flow path C1 becomes smaller than before the ventilation member 26 is inserted. As shown in FIG. 6, the ventilation member 26 is a member in which a plurality of ventilation holes 56 are arranged in a plate-shaped plate portion 52. The ventilation member 26 is supported by a shaft portion 51, and a switching motor 87 is controlled by a third control circuit 83, and is movable between a closed position Pc2 and an open position Po2. When it moves to the closed position Pc2, as shown in FIG. 7, the air flowing in the ventilation path 31 by the fan 23 passes through the ventilation holes 56 and changes into the air flow W2a.

[0072] On the other hand, the air outlet 33 forming the second flow path C2 is not provided with the ventilation member 26. The opening ratio of the second flow path C2 is maintained as it is. That is, the air discharged from the second flow path C2 becomes the air flow W1a (laminar flow) that does not pass through the ventilation member 26. As a result, the air flow W2a passing through the ventilation member 26 provided in the first flow path C1 and the air flow W1a passing through the second flow path C2 where the ventilation member 26 is not provided are formed adjacent to each other.

[0073] In this case, in response to the decrease in the opening ratio of the first flow path C1, the flow velocity of the air flow W2a increases. Therefore, the air flow W2a draws in the air flow W1a. As a result, the air flow W1a hits the air flow W2a. In addition, the air flow W2a that has transitioned to turbulent flow diffuses and hits the air flow W1a flowing adjacent to the air flow W2a. In this way, the air flows W1a and W2a having different flow velocities and states (laminar flow or turbulent flow) hit each other by flowing adjacent to each other. That is, the air flow W1a that does not pass through the ventilation member 26 (ventilation holes 56) and the air flow W2a that has passed through the ventilation member 26 (ventilation holes 56) interfere with each other.

[0074] When the wind W1a and the wind W2a collide with each other, for example, the masses of the wind W1a and the wind W2a are broken up, and the turbulent wind W2a is carried to the wind W1a. The wind W1a and the wind W2a produce various such interactions, generating a turbulent flow Ws (mixed wind) that diffuses over a wide area. As a result, the turbulent flow Ws discharged from the indoor unit 10 becomes closer to a natural wind (so-called wind with no sense of wind) than the wind immediately after being discharged from the air outlet 33. In this case, the ventilation member 26 may be formed in either one of the first flow path C1 and the second flow path C2, so that it can contribute to suppressing an increase in the number of parts, complication of the configuration of the indoor unit 10, and cost increase. Further, the ventilation member 26 has a simple structure including only the ventilation opening 56, and can contribute to suppressing an increase in cost and a decrease in the strength of the ventilation member 26, etc.

[0075] Returning to FIG. 1, the radar 2 can detect the position, moving speed, angle, and shape (such as the height from the floor surface) of a detection target (for example, the user CR) in the room. The radar 2 is a Doppler radar such as an ultrasonic radar, a millimeter-wave radar, a microwave radar, or a lidar. The radar 2 includes a transmission unit 2a, a reception unit 2b, and a signal processing unit 2c. The radar 2 generates a radio wave such as a millimeter wave or a microwave, a sound wave, or light in the signal processing unit 2c and transmits it from the transmission unit 2a to the indoor area, and receives a reflected wave reflected by a detection target (user CR) or the like that may exist in the indoor area by the reception unit 2b and passes it to the signal processing unit 2c. The radar 2 is provided at any position on the front surface of the housing 21 of the indoor unit 10, but it is preferably provided at a position where it is easy to detect the position etc. of the detection target (user CR) in the indoor area. The radar 2 may be embedded at a position near the center in the X direction in the +Y side portion of the housing 21, as shown by the dotted line in FIGS. 2 to 5. Note that the transmission unit 2a and the reception unit 2b are preferably exposed from the surface of the housing 21, as shown in FIG. 4. Details of the detection process by the radar 2 will be described later.

[0076] FIG. 8 is an exemplary and schematic block diagram showing details of the indoor unit control unit 80 of the indoor unit 10 (air conditioner 1) configured as described above.

[0077] The CPU that constitutes the indoor unit control unit 80 reads out a control program installed and stored in a non-volatile storage device such as a ROM, and realizes a module that executes various controls and arithmetic processes according to the program. The indoor unit control unit 80 includes modules such as an operation mode control unit 80a, a drive circuit control unit 80b, a radar control unit 80c, a control area estimation unit 80d, a condition processing unit 80e, a guidance processing unit 80f, a correction unit 80g, a storage processing unit 80h, an air purification processing unit 80i, a wind control unit 80j, and a temperature monitoring unit 80k. Further, the control area estimation unit 80d includes detailed modules such as a tracking unit 80d1 and a drawing unit 80d2. Note that each of these modules may be configured by hardware. Also, each module may be integrated or divided according to its function.

[0078] The operation mode control unit 80a switches between the "radar control mode" and the "normal control mode" described above as the operation mode of the indoor unit 10, and also switches between a cooling operation mode, a heating operation mode, a dehumidifying operation mode, a humidifying operation mode, a blowing operation mode, an air purification operation mode, etc. These switching operations are executed based on a command signal from an operation terminal 94a operated by a user or an external terminal device 94b connected to the indoor unit control unit 80 via the transmission / reception device 94, or are automatically performed based on the detection result of the radar 2.

[0079] Based on the operation mode switched by the operation mode control unit 80a and the classification, number, activity level, etc. of the user CR included in the detection target existing in the indoor area, that is, based on the usage status of the indoor unit 10, the drive circuit control unit 80b controls the first control circuit 81, the second control circuit 82, and the third control circuit 83, and controls the operations of the fan 23, the vertical air direction plate 25, the horizontal air direction plate 29, and the ventilation member 26.

[0080] The radar control unit 80c controls the transmission and reception of the radar 2 (transmission unit 2a, reception unit 2b), and controls the signal processing unit 2c to obtain the analysis results (detection results) of the transmitted wave and the received wave. Note that the radar 2 may enable the detection process after the indoor unit 10 is activated by an operation of the operation terminal 94a or the like. Alternatively, regardless of the activation of the indoor unit 10, it may always standby in the standby mode. For example, when the movement (motion) of an object (user CR to be detected) in the initially set indoor area is detected, it may be normally activated to obtain the presence or absence of the detection target, the number of detection targets, the shape information of the detection target, and the like. Further, when the execution of the area detection mode in which the indoor unit 10 recognizes the control area (size, shape, etc.) to be air-conditioned is requested by an operation of the operation terminal 94a, the external terminal device 94b, or the like, the radar control unit 80c also transmits a radar wave to the room where the user CR moving according to the guidance by the guidance processing unit 80f exists, and receives the reflected wave reflected by the user CR.

[0081] When the conditions for executing the area detection mode are satisfied by the condition processing unit 80e, the control area estimation unit 80d tracks the movement pattern of the user CR who has intentionally moved indoors based on the guidance of the guidance processing unit 80f, and estimates the control area of the indoor unit 10 based on the movement trajectory.

[0082] For example, when the condition processing unit 80e receives a signal indicating that an operation requesting the area detection mode has been performed on the operation terminal 94a or the external terminal device 94b via the transmission / reception device 94, it determines that the estimation start condition for starting the area detection mode is satisfied, and provides the result to the control area estimation unit 80d. In another embodiment, at a timing set in advance for the indoor unit 10, for example, at the time of installation of the indoor unit 10, every predetermined period (e.g., one month) after installation, when the cooling operation is performed for the first time or when the cooling operation is executed (at the beginning of the season), etc., it may be determined that the conditions for starting the area detection mode are satisfied, and the area detection mode may be automatically executed. In this case, the user CR may be notified that the area detection mode is started.

[0083] When the guidance processing unit 80f executes the area detection mode, it outputs guidance information for moving the user CR that sets the control area along the area delineation path. The guidance information is, for example, "The control area of the indoor unit will be determined. Starting from the current position, walk around to surround the area desired as the control area and return to the starting position." etc. Note that it is easier for the radar control unit 80c to acquire the reflected wave when the user CR walks slowly at a constant speed. Therefore, when the user CR is moving, the guidance processing unit 80f may monitor the moving speed and provide guidance information that guides the increase or decrease of the speed to make it substantially constant.

[0084] As described above, the control area estimation unit 80d includes a tracking unit 80d1 and a delineation unit 80d2. When the condition for executing the area detection mode by the condition processing unit 80e is satisfied, the tracking unit 80d1 regards the detected user CR as an area specifier and starts tracking the user CR. As described above, the guidance processing unit 80f outputs the above-described guidance information (walking guide) at this timing. As described above, for example, guidance such as "The control area of the indoor unit will be determined. Starting from the current position, walk around to surround the area desired as the control area and return to the starting position." is performed by voice or the like. Therefore, the tracking unit 80d1 continues the tracking process of the user CR until it can be considered that the user CR being tracked has reached the start position (end position) again from the start position. That is, when it can be considered that the user has returned to the start position, the tracking for area estimation ends.

[0085] The area drawing unit 80d2 draws a control area using the movement locus obtained as a result of the tracking process of the tracking unit 80d1. When the user CR moves on foot, the body tends to move while swaying from side to side. In particular, when the receiving unit 2b receives a radar wave (reflected wave), the swaying of the body is detected in detail, so the movement locus acquired by the tracking unit 80d1 is not a straight line but tends to be a meandering line. Therefore, the area drawing unit 80d2 converts the control area imagined by the user CR into a simple and neat shape by performing a well-known straight line approximation process on the meandering movement locus. As a result, the drive circuit control unit 80b can easily control the upper and lower air direction plates 25 and the left and right air direction plates 29, and optimal air conditioning control can be easily and efficiently realized for the control area. When the user CR moves along the wall of the indoor area, for example, the user CR moves at a position slightly away from the wall. Also, the separation distance is likely to change. Therefore, when the area drawing unit 80d2 draws a control area using the movement locus, the control area may be estimated in consideration of a certain offset amount with respect to the wall. For example, an area obtained by expanding the movement locus by 0.3 m outward may be set as the control area. The offset amount is a value that can be set in advance by tests or the like, and may be changed by the user CR himself / herself according to the walking style of the user CR. Also, since the control area estimation unit 80d can also detect the position of the wall constituting the indoor area, the offset amount may be adjusted according to the position of the wall.

[0086] Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 11, an example of estimating the control area RA will be described by taking as an example the case where the indoor unit 10 is installed on a part of the wall surface of a substantially square indoor area R.

[0087] In the indoor area R, when a user CR who wants to set a control area RA performs an estimation request operation (such as pressing a predetermined switch) in the area setting mode via an operation terminal 94a or an external terminal device 94b, the condition processing unit 80e determines that the conditions for executing the area detection mode are satisfied, and starts the transmission and reception of radar waves by the radar 2 under the control of the radar control unit 80c. The indoor unit control unit 80 first outputs the above-described guidance information by the guidance processing unit 80f, and causes the user CR who wants to set the control area RA to start walking in the indoor area R. In the case of FIG. 10, for example, the tracking of the user CR walking like the arrow F is performed by designating the start position S. The start position may be, for example, the position where the user CR performed the estimation request operation in the area setting mode, or the position of the user CR at the start of the area detection mode. Alternatively, a position where the user CR can be easily detected by the radar 2 may be designated.

[0088] The movement locus L shown by the solid line in FIG. 10 is the locus walked by the user CR. In this case, the user CR is moving along the wall surface of the indoor area R. That is, this is an example where the user CR is trying to set the entire area of the indoor area R as the control area RA.

[0089] When the drawing unit 80d2 acquires the movement locus L from the drawing unit 80d2, as described above, the control area RA surrounded by the broken line E is drawn based on the movement locus L which is a closed area. In this case, as described above, the control area RA may be drawn in consideration of the offset amount. That is, the indoor unit 10 uses the control area RA as a control area, and controls the fan 23, the vertical wind direction plate 25, the left and right wind direction plates 29, etc. with an output corresponding to the control area RA, and executes optimal air conditioning control.

[0090] FIG. 11 shows an example in which the indoor area R is divided by a partition P (objects such as a screen, bookshelf, furniture, etc.), and a user CR who attempts to set a control area RA forms a movement trajectory L by walking along an arrow F so as to exclude a non-control area RX. In this case, the defining unit 80d2 defines a control area RA indicated by a broken line E in the indoor area R along the movement trajectory L in the area excluding the non-control area RX. That is, the user CR can easily set the control area RA in a desired appropriate area by walking around the area where the air conditioning control has actually been executed, and reflect it in the air conditioning control.

[0091] Note that when the tracking unit 80d1 detects a plurality of users CR in the room at the start of the area detection mode, there may be a plurality of movement trajectories at the same time. In this case, the control area estimation unit 80d may abort the area detection mode. In another embodiment, for example, the guidance processing unit 80f outputs guidance information such as "A plurality of people have been detected in the room. In order to determine the control area of the indoor unit, please perform the control area setting operation when the number of people in the room becomes one." to cause the area detection mode to be re-executed when there is one user CR in the indoor area R.

[0092] FIG. 12 shows a case where there is an obstacle N such as a bookshelf in the indoor area R. In this case, when the user CR starts moving from the start position S and moves in the direction of the arrow F along the wall as in FIG. 10, the radar wave irradiated from the indoor unit 10 is blocked by the obstacle N. As a result, the movement trajectory L detected by the indoor unit 10 includes a non-detection area NS (partial omission) from the start point NSa to the end point NSb when the user CR passes through the back side of N. In this case, the movement trajectory L becomes discontinuous, and the control area RA cannot be surrounded, and the estimation of the control area RA may become inaccurate. Therefore, the correction unit 80g executes a correction process of complementing a partial section of the non-detection area NS including the start point NSa to the end point NSb by a well-known linear approximation process to obtain closed area information. As a result, even when there is an obstacle N in the indoor area R, the defining unit 80d2 can appropriately estimate the control area RA as indicated by the broken line E.

[0093] In addition, when the reflected wave cannot be received again even after a predetermined period has elapsed, the correction unit 80g may determine that the movement of the user CR has been interrupted halfway and stop the linear approximation. In this case, the guidance processing unit 80f may output a message indicating that the user CR has been lost, perform the estimation request operation again, and propose to restart walking from the start position S.

[0094] The storage processing unit 80h stores the control area RA estimated as described above in a storage unit in cooperation with the indoor unit control unit 80. The storage unit in cooperation with the indoor unit control unit 80 may be, for example, a storage unit provided in the indoor unit 10, a storage unit built in the operation terminal 94a or the external terminal device 94b connected via the transmission / reception device 94, or a server on the network or the like. When operating the indoor unit 10, the indoor unit control unit 80 reads out the control area RA stored in the storage unit and reflects it in the operation control of the indoor unit 10. As a result, it is possible to realize the operation of the indoor unit 10 using an appropriate control area RA at all times and provide optimal air conditioning control to users including the user CR.

[0095] FIG. 9 is an exemplary and schematic block diagram showing the configuration of an external terminal device 94b that can cooperate with the indoor unit control unit 80 of the air conditioner 1. The external terminal device 94b includes a communication unit 96, a storage unit 98, an input control unit 100, a terminal control unit 102, and the like. The communication unit 96, the storage unit 98, the input control unit 100, the terminal control unit 102, and the like can utilize the hardware configuration provided in the external terminal device 94b in advance. When the external terminal device 94b is configured by a smartphone, a tablet, or the like, the configuration of the input control unit 100, the terminal control unit 102, and the like may be realized by installing a predetermined application.

[0096] The communication unit 96 obtains the control area RA estimated by the control area estimation unit 80d through the storage processing unit 80h by communicating with the transmission / reception device 94 and stores it in the storage unit 98. In addition, the communication unit 96 transmits the control area RA stored in the storage unit 98 to the transmission / reception device 94 as necessary, provides it to the indoor unit control unit 80, and reflects it in the control of the indoor unit 10.

[0097] The storage unit 98 may be, for example, a storage device (ROM, SSD, etc.) provided in the external terminal device 94b, or a storage device or the like that can be attached to the external terminal device 94b.

[0098] The input control unit 100 may also be an input device (keyboard, pointer, touch panel, etc.) provided in the external terminal device 94b. The input control unit 100 can be used by the terminal control unit 102 when, for example, modifying or adding information to the control area RA.

[0099] The terminal control unit 102 includes an information control unit 102a and a history management unit 102b. The information control unit 102a can modify the content of the control area RA stored in the storage unit 98 on the external terminal device 94b. For example, as a result of checking the control area RA stored in the storage unit 98 on the display unit (not shown) of the external terminal device 94b and finding that it is different from the image held by the user CR who made the estimation request for the control area RA, the information control unit 102a can execute the modification of the control area RA manually, for example, via the input control unit 100. In addition, the information control unit 102a can perform a process of adding detailed information within the indoor area R that cannot be completely detected by the detection of the radar 2.

[0100] The information control unit 102a includes, for example, a region adjustment unit 102a1 and an indoor information processing unit 102a2.

[0101] For example, as shown in FIG. 13, when a part of the wall surface where the indoor unit 10 is installed is recessed and the indoor unit 10 is installed in the recess, a part of the radar wave of the radar 2 is blocked by the recess, and even if the user CR moves along the wall in the direction of arrow F, a non-detection area NS (blind spot) may occur. In this case, a linear approximation process may be performed by the correction unit 80g from the start point NSa to the end point NSb of the non-detection area NS, or manual correction may be performed by the area adjustment unit 102a1. In this case, correction is performed via the input control unit 100 on the corrected control area RA indicated by the broken line E displayed on the display unit (not shown) of the external terminal device 94b. For example, an operation of connecting the start point NSa and the end point NSb is performed so that the non-recognized wall surface HL shown in FIG. 13 is part of the control area RA. In this case, after connecting the start point NSa and the end point NSb freely using a touch panel or the like, it may be corrected to the shape of the desired control area RA using at least one of linear approximation and curve approximation, or by touching a plurality of points on the non-recognized wall surface HL, it may be automatically corrected to the shape of the desired control area RA using at least one of linear approximation and curve approximation. As a result, it is possible to estimate a control area RA close to the shape of the actual indoor area R (room shape).

[0102] Also, as shown in FIG. 14, in the indoor area R, even if the wall surface where the indoor unit 10 is installed is flat, that wall surface may become a non-recognized wall surface HL, and there may be cases where the user CR located near the non-recognized wall surface HL cannot be detected either. Also in this case, the area adjustment unit 102a1 may be used to correct the control area RA indicated by the broken line E and modify it to the shape of the desired control area RA. For example, the control area RA on the non-recognized wall surface HL side is estimated from the position of the user CR that has become undetectable on the non-recognized wall surface HL side. As a result, regardless of the installation position of the indoor unit 10, it is possible to estimate a control area RA close to the shape of the actual indoor area R (room shape).

[0103] The indoor information processing unit 102a2 can perform a process of adding detailed information in the indoor area R that cannot be fully detected by the detection of the radar 2. For example, in the detection by the radar 2, it may be difficult to recognize the positions of windows and doors existing in the indoor area R, the types of objects installed in the indoor area R, etc. For example, when there is a window, it is easily affected by the outdoor temperature and solar radiation through the window, and temperature changes are likely to occur at that position compared to the positions without windows. Similarly, at the position where there is a door, temperature changes are likely to occur due to the opening and closing of the door. Also, as an example of the use of the air conditioner 1, the air conditioner 1 may be used when drying laundry indoors. The position for indoor drying may be fixed at a position such as a corner of the indoor area R that is not usually used much, and in such a case, air supply control or the like may be performed toward that area. Therefore, by adding indoor feature information such as windows, doors, and indoor drying corners using the indoor information processing unit 102a2, the air conditioning control by the indoor unit 10 can be made more optimal.

[0104] The indoor information processing unit 102a2 can add information by arranging item marks indicating pre-prepared indoor feature information via the input control unit 100 using a touch panel or the like for the control area RA displayed on the display unit (not shown) of the external terminal device 94b. For example, in the case of the example shown in FIG. 15, an item mark M1 indicating the position of the door, an item mark M2 indicating the position of the window, an item mark M3 indicating the indoor drying corner, an item mark M4 indicating the position of the circulator, etc. are additionally arranged by the indoor information processing unit 102a2.

[0105] When the indoor unit control unit 80 controls the indoor unit 10 with reference to the control area RA additionally arranged in the indoor information processing unit 102a2, for example, the control of the vertical air deflector 25, the horizontal air deflector 29, the fan 23, etc. can be changed according to the positions of the item marks M1 to M4. For example, the positions where the item mark M1 (door) and the item mark M2 (window) exist may have a larger temperature change than other positions as described above. For example, during the cooling operation, due to the presence of the door and the window, the temperature at that position may become higher. Also, in the case of the heating operation, due to the presence of the door and the window, the temperature at that position may become lower. Therefore, active air blowing is performed toward the positions of the window and the door. For example, in the case of an operation where the vertical air deflector 25 and the horizontal air deflector 29 are swung, the swing speed of the vertical air deflector 25 and the horizontal air deflector 29 is slowed down, and cold air or warm air is sent to the positions of the window and the door for a longer time than other positions to perform temperature adjustment. Also, in this case, the output of the fan 23 may be temporarily increased. Further, air-conditioned air that has been air-conditioned may be blown toward the positions of the window and the door for a predetermined time from the start of the operation of the air conditioner 1 (indoor unit 10). Also, when the item mark M4 (circulator) exists, at that position, the air is effectively mixed by the circulator, and the air temperature is easily equalized. Therefore, regarding the direction where the circulator exists, the swing speed of the vertical air deflector 25 and the horizontal air deflector 29 may be increased so that the equalized air temperature is easily maintained.

[0106] Also, in the case of the item mark M3 (indoor drying corner), the control area RA may be used even when there is no one. In such a case, in the case of a conventional air conditioner, detailed settings for the indoor drying mode are required. However, in the case of the air conditioner 1 of the present embodiment, since the position of the indoor drying corner is set in advance by the indoor information processing unit 102a2, it is possible to omit the setting of the wind direction, air volume, and operation mode each time it is used, contributing to an improvement in usability. Further, even when there are users such as the user CR in the control area RA, it is possible to adjust the swing speed and wind force of the upper and lower wind direction plates 25 and the left and right wind direction plates 29 suitable for indoor drying at the position of the indoor drying corner, and it is possible to supply the optimal cold air or warm air to the user CR and the like, and to perform good air blowing for indoor drying.

[0107] Note that the area adjustment unit 102a1 can also register the position of the indoor unit 10 in the indoor area R as indoor feature information, facilitating the grasp of the positional relationship with other indoor feature information such as the item mark M1 in the indoor area R. Further, the above-described item marks are merely examples and may be increased or decreased as appropriate. Also, an item mark associated with the control state of the indoor unit 10 by the user CR or the like may be newly created and made available.

[0108] By the way, there are cases where a plurality of rooms are connected by doors or shoji screens. In that case, depending on the usage situation of the room, the doors or shoji screens may be opened and closed to change the size of the indoor area R. For example, in the case of the floor plan shown in FIG. 16, adjacent to the control area RA (for example, a Western-style room) where the indoor unit 10 is installed, a control area RB (for example, a Japanese-style room) connected via a shoji screen PS and a control area RC (for example, a kitchen) connected via a door Pd may be air-conditioned and controlled by a single air conditioner 1 with a large output. In this case, it is inefficient to perform area settings such as only the control area RA, the control area RA + RB, the control area RA + RC, and the control area RA + RB + RC each time it is used.

[0109] Therefore, the history management unit 102b stores a plurality of the once-estimated control areas in the storage unit 98, and manages them individually so that the control area designated via the input control unit 100 by an operation such as a touch panel can be reflected in the control of the indoor unit 10.

[0110] For example, in FIG. 16, the control area RA is an example where the shoji PS and the door Pd are closed and the area estimation operation is performed, and the user CR makes a round trip from the start position S in the direction of the arrow F along the wall of the control area RA where the indoor unit 10 is present. In this case, the tracking unit 80d1 of the control area estimation unit 80d acquires the movement locus L1, and the drawing unit 80d2 estimates the control area RA according to the movement locus L1 indicated by the solid line. The storage processing unit 80h transmits the estimation result to the external terminal device 94b, and the history management unit 102b stores the estimation result as history information in the storage unit 98 together with the estimation conditions (such as the floor information of the shoji PS and the door Pd).

[0111] In the case of the control areas RA+RB, it is a case where the area estimation operation is performed with the shoji PS opened and the door Pd closed. In this case, the user CR starts walking from the start position S along the wall of the control area RA where the indoor unit 10 is present, moves from the control area RA to the control area RB, moves in the direction of the arrow F1, and makes a round trip of the area RA+RB. In this case, the tracking unit 80d1 of the control area estimation unit 80d acquires the movement locus L2 indicated by the two-dot chain line, and the drawing unit 80d2 estimates the control area RA+RB according to the movement locus L2. The storage processing unit 80h transmits the estimation result to the external terminal device 94b, and the history management unit 102b stores the estimation result in the storage unit 98 together with the estimation conditions. Depending on the positional relationship between the position of the radar 2 and the shoji PS, the non-detection area NS may be included in the control area RB. In this case, the correction of the non-detection area NS may be performed by the correction unit 80g, but if the range of the non-detection area NS is wide, it may be corrected by the area adjustment unit 102a1 after being stored in the storage unit 98 of the external terminal device 94b. In this case, a more accurate area of RA+RB can be estimated.

[0112] Similarly, in the case of the control areas RA + RC, this is the case where the area estimation operation is performed with the shoji PS closed and the door Pd open. In this case, the user CR starts walking from the start position S along the wall of the control area RA where the indoor unit 10 is located, moves from the control area RA to the control area RC in the direction of the arrow F2, and makes one round of the area of RA + RC. In this case, the tracking unit 80d1 of the control area estimation unit 80d acquires the movement trajectory L3 indicated by the dashed line, and the drawing unit 80d2 estimates the control area RA + RC according to the movement trajectory L2. The storage processing unit 80h transmits the estimation result to the external terminal device 94b, and the history management unit 102b stores the estimation result in the storage unit 98 together with the estimation conditions. In the case of the example in FIG. 16, since the door Pd is present in front of the indoor unit 10, the possibility of the non-detection area NS occurring in the control area RC is small. However, when the non-detection area NS occurs, by correcting with the correction unit 80g or the area adjustment unit 102a1, a more accurate area of RA + RC can be estimated. The same applies to the case of the control areas RA + RB + RC.

[0113] In this way, by the history management unit 102b storing and managing a plurality of control areas, it becomes possible to use a control area suitable for the usage status of the indoor area R, and the indoor unit 10 can be operated appropriately. Although the control area may be specified by the operation of the user CR, the control area may be determined based on the detection by the radar 2. For example, when the user CR is detected in the area of the control area RB or the control area RC, these areas may be added to the control area. Also, when the radar 2 detects that the shoji PS or the door Pd is open, the areas of the control area RB or the control area RC may be added to the control area.

[0114] Returning to FIG. 8, the air purification processing unit 80i controls the execution or non-execution of air purification processing in the indoor area R, the efficiency of air purification, etc., according to the detection status of the user CR in the indoor area R. The air purification processing unit 80i controls the air purification unit 4 and executes, for example, an air control process of an electrostatic precipitation method. As described above, the air purification unit 4 includes a high-voltage discharge unit or the like in order to charge dirt substances such as dust contained in the air sucked from the suction port 32. In this case, the air purification processing unit 80i can adjust the air purification efficiency by controlling the fan motor 84 via the first control circuit 81 and adjusting the strength of the fan 23 to adjust the amount of air sucked from the suction port 32.

[0115] When the air purification processing unit 80i performs detection processing in the detection area of the radar 2 in the indoor area R, for example, if a living body such as the user CR is not detected, the air purification processing of the indoor area R may be executed. When only the sofa as a still object, for example, is detected as a detection target by the radar 2 of the indoor unit 10, the air purification processing unit 80i blows out clean air (clean air from which dust and the like have been removed by the function of the air purification unit 4) for purifying the air in the indoor area R from the air outlet 33 at a larger air volume than when the user CR is detected in the indoor area R, and executes "absence air purification control". As described above, the efficiency of the air control processing is generally determined by the amount of air sucked in and the amount of air blown out. Therefore, when trying to execute efficient air control processing, the driving sound of the fan 23 tends to increase. Therefore, by executing the absence air purification control during the period when the user CR is absent, efficient air purification processing can be performed without giving discomfort to the user such as the user CR due to the driving sound. When performing the absence air purification control, since temperature adjustment (heating or cooling) of the blown air is unnecessary, the heat exchange processing by the heat exchanger 22 may be omitted. The absence air purification control may be always executed when the user CR is absent. However, in that case, it is not economical because it is always executed at night or when absent. Therefore, the execution period may be set by an operation of an operation terminal 94a or the like. When the entry of the user CR into the indoor area R is confirmed during the execution of the absence air purification control, the air purification processing unit 80i may lower the rotation speed of the fan 23 below that during the execution of the absence air purification control and return to the normal air purification state that prioritizes quietness over air purification efficiency.

[0116] The wind control unit 80j controls the direction and quality of the wind (such as cooling wind or heating wind, etc.) blown from the air outlet 33 according to the presence status of the detection target (user CR) within the indoor area R detectable by the radar 2. The wind control unit 80j controls the up-and-down air direction plate motor 85 via the second control circuit 82 to perform position control of the up-and-down air direction plate 25 in the left-right direction. Also, the wind control unit 80j controls the left-right air direction plate motor 86 via the left-right air direction plate motor 86 to perform position control of the left-right air direction plate 29 in the left-right direction. By combining the direction control of the up-and-down air direction plate 25 and the left-right air direction plate 29, the wind control unit 80j can appropriately change the direction (reach position) of the wind blown from the air outlet 33. For example, the wind control unit 80j controls the up-and-down air direction plate 25 and the left-right air direction plate 29 so that the wind always hits the user CR being tracked by the tracking unit 80d1 during normal operation. For example, during cooling control, the sense of refreshment can be improved. Conversely, the wind control unit 80j finds a position (absence area) where the user CR does not exist so that the wind does not hit the user CR being tracked by the tracking unit 80d1, and controls the up-and-down air direction plate 25 and the left-right air direction plate 29 to reduce the discomfort of direct wind hitting. Note that the wind control unit 80j may periodically change the direction of the wind to alternately form a state where the wind hits and a state where the wind does not hit.

[0117] As described above, the wind control unit 80j controls the switching motor 87 via the third control circuit 83, moves the ventilation member 26 to the closed position Pc2, and can blow out turbulent flow (so-called wind with no wind feeling) from the air outlet 33. In addition to the ventilation member 26, the wind control unit 80j controls the vertical wind direction plate 25 and the left and right wind direction plates 29, controls the direction of the wind with no wind feeling, and can direct it, for example, in the direction where the user CR is present or conversely not present during normal operation. For example, by making the wind with no wind feeling (i.e., natural wind) hit the user CR, during cooling control, the discomfort caused by the cold air hitting can be suppressed while improving the sense of coolness, and during heating control, the discomfort caused by the warm air hitting can be suppressed while making it easier to feel warmer. Conversely, by blowing out the wind with no wind feeling in the direction where the user CR is not present, the direct impact of the wind can be further suppressed. Even when blowing out the wind with no wind feeling, the tracking result of the user CR by the tracking unit 80d1 can be utilized, and the wind with no wind feeling can be blown out toward the position where the moving user CR is present or conversely not present. The wind with no wind feeling is effective in terms of the physical condition management of infants (especially babies) when they are present in the indoor area R.

[0118] The temperature monitoring unit 80k controls the operation mode control unit 80a based on the temperature (room temperature) of the indoor area R provided by the room temperature sensor 3 (temperature detection unit), and executes at least cooling control (control of the heat exchange mode) regardless of the operation of the operation terminal 94a. For example, when the user CR is detected in the indoor area R by the radar 2 and the indoor temperature deviates from a predetermined temperature by the temperature monitoring unit 80k, for example, when it becomes 32°C or higher, the cooling control by the indoor unit 10 is started regardless of the operation of the operation terminal 94a. For example, when the user CR is a child, infant, pet, etc. and cannot judge an appropriate room temperature or operate the operation terminal 94a, or even when an adult cannot judge an appropriate room temperature or operate the operation terminal 94a due to illness or the like, the temperature of the indoor area R (indoors) can be appropriately maintained. In particular, by automatically performing cooling control, it is effective in preventing heat stroke and the like (suppressing the burden on the user CR). Note that when the user CR is detected by the temperature monitoring unit 80k and the room temperature becomes equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature, in cooperation with the air volume control unit 80j, for a predetermined time from the start of cooling control, air is blown toward the detected user CR to efficiently lower the body temperature. After a predetermined period has elapsed, the blowing direction of the air may be changed to a direction where the user CR does not exist or switched to a draft-free control. In this case, the temperature burden on the user CR can be effectively reduced, and after the burden on the user CR is considered to be reduced, it becomes easier to provide a more comfortable environment for the indoor area R for the user CR.

[0119] Note that when the room temperature becomes equal to or lower than the predetermined temperature, the temperature monitoring unit 80k may automatically execute heating control (control of the heat exchange mode). Also in this case, similar to the cooling control, automatic maintenance at a comfortable room temperature is possible.

[0120] FIG. 17 is an exemplary and schematic cross-sectional view showing another configuration for generating a draft-free wind. In the case of the indoor unit 10 shown in FIG. 17, ventilation members 26 (26A, 26B) are arranged for each air outlet 33. FIG. 18 is an exemplary and schematic view showing the configuration of the ventilation members 26 (26A, 26B), and is a front view showing the ventilation member 26A arranged in the first flow path C1 and the ventilation member 26B arranged in the second flow path C2. Note that the configurations of the ventilation member 26A and the ventilation member 26B are substantially the same, and when there is no need to distinguish and explain them, they will be described as the ventilation member 26. Further, the configuration of the indoor unit 10 shown in FIG. 17 is substantially the same as the configuration shown in FIG. 5 except that the ventilation member 26 is arranged at each air outlet 33. Members having the same function are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted or simplified.

[0121] For example, the ventilation member 26A is located in the vicinity of the upper end portion of the first flow path C1, similar to the configuration shown in FIG. 5. The ventilation member 26B is located at the upper end portion of the second flow path C2 in the Z direction. Note that the ventilation member 26A may block the first flow path C1 at the closed position Pc2, and the ventilation member 26B may block the second flow path C2 at the closed position Pc2, and is not limited to the example of FIG. 17.

[0122] The ventilation member 26A located at the closed position Pc2 covers the first flow path C1 opened by the upper and lower air direction plates 25A located at the open position Po1. Further, the ventilation member 26B located at the closed position Pc2 covers the second flow path C2 opened by the upper and lower air direction plates 25B located at the open position Po1.

[0123] Note that the two ventilation members 26 located at the closed position Pc2 do not necessarily completely block the air outlet 33. For example, the air outlet 33 may communicate with the room without being covered by the ventilation member 26 in the X direction, or air may pass through the gap between the ventilation member 26 and the upper and lower air direction plates 25. For example, when viewed in the wind traveling direction, it is sufficient that most of the first flow path C1 and the second flow path C2 are covered by the ventilation members 26A and 26B.

[0124] The ventilation member 26 located at the open position Po2 opens a part of the air outlet 33 opened by the upper and lower air direction plates 25 located at the open position Po1. In the case of FIG. 17, the ventilation member 26A located at the open position Po2 opens the first flow path C1 opened by the upper and lower air direction plates 25A located at the open position Po1. Further, the ventilation member 26B located at the open position Po2 opens the second flow path C2 opened by the upper and lower air direction plates 25B located at the open position Po1.

[0125] The ventilation member 26 is made of, for example, synthetic resin, similar to the ventilation member 26 shown in FIG. 6. The ventilation member 26 may be made of other materials such as metal. Each of the two ventilation members 26 has a shaft portion 51 and a plate portion 52.

[0126] The shaft portion 51 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape extending in the X direction. The shaft portion 51 is supported by the housing 21 so as to be rotatable about the rotation axis Axc extending in the X direction. Note that each of the plurality of ventilation members 26 has an individual rotation axis Axc. The plate portion 52 projects from the shaft portion 51 in a direction substantially orthogonal to the rotation axis Axc. The plate portion 52 is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape extending in the X direction. By the shaft portion 51 rotating about the rotation axis Axc, the ventilation member 26 can move between the closed position Pc2 and the open position Po2.

[0127] The shaft portion 51 of the ventilation member 26 is spaced upward from the plate portion 42 of the upper and lower air direction plates 25 located at the open position Po1. The plate portion 52 of the ventilation member 26 located at the closed position Pc2 extends from the shaft portion 51 toward the plate portion 42 of the upper and lower air direction plates 25.

[0128] The tip 52a of the plate portion 52 of the ventilation member 26 located at the closed position Pc2 abuts on the plate portion 42 of the upper and lower air direction plates 25 or is disposed in the vicinity of the plate portion 42. Thereby, the ventilation member 26 located at the closed position Pc2 covers a part of the air outlet 33 opened by the upper and lower air direction plates 25 located at the open position Po1. The tip 52a is the end portion of the plate portion 52 located on the opposite side of the shaft portion 51.

[0129] The length of the plate portion 52 in the X direction is substantially equal to the length of the air outlet 33 in the X direction. As a result, the ventilation members 26A and 26B located at the closed position Pc2 can cover most of the first flow path C1 and the second flow path C2.

[0130] The length of the plate portion 52 in the direction in which the plate portion 52 protrudes from the shaft portion 51 is shorter than the maximum lengths of the first flow path C1 and the second flow path C2 in the Z direction, respectively. Thereby, when the ventilation member 26 moves between the closed position Pc2 and the open position Po2, interference with the upper and lower air direction plates 25 is suppressed.

[0131] The plate portion 52 has an inner surface 52b and an outer surface 52c. The inner surface 52b faces the ventilation path 31 at the closed position Pc2. The outer surface 52c is located on the opposite side of the inner surface 52b. The outer surface 52c faces the outside of the indoor unit 10 at the closed position Pc2.

[0132] When both of the two ventilation members 26 are located at the open position Po2, the two ventilation members 26 open almost the entire area of the air outlet 33 opened by the upper and lower air direction plates 25 located at the open position Po1. Note that even when the two ventilation members 26 are located at the open position Po2, when the upper and lower air direction plates 25 are located at the closed position Pc1, the first flow path C1 and the second flow path C2 are covered by the corresponding upper and lower air direction plates 25.

[0133] As shown in FIG. 17, the ventilation member 26A located at the open position Po2 is housed in a recess 21c of the housing 21 provided near the air outlet 33. The recess 21c is recessed from the inner surface 21d of the housing 21 that forms a part of the ventilation path 31. By being housed in the recess 21c, the ventilation member 26A located at the open position Po2 is suppressed from obstructing the air flowing through the ventilation path 31.

[0134] The ventilation member 26B is provided in the ventilation path 31 near the air outlet 33. The plate portion 52 of the ventilation member 26B located at the open position Po2 extends in the direction along the flow of the wind in the ventilation path 31. Thereby, the ventilation member 26B located at the open position Po2 is suppressed from obstructing the wind flowing through the ventilation path 31. Note that the arrangement of the ventilation members 26A and 26B located at the open position Po2 is not limited to the above example.

[0135] As shown in FIG. 18, each of the ventilation members 26 is provided with a plurality of first ventilation openings 55 and a plurality of second ventilation openings 56a. Note that each of the ventilation members 26 may be provided with a row of first ventilation openings 55 and a row of second ventilation openings 56a.

[0136] As shown in FIG. 18, each of the plurality of first ventilation openings 55 and the plurality of second ventilation openings 56a is a through-hole penetrating the plate portion 52. Therefore, each of the plurality of first ventilation openings 55 and the plurality of second ventilation openings 56a opens to the inner surface 52b and the outer surface 52c of the plate portion 52.

[0137] The plurality of first ventilation openings 55 and the plurality of second ventilation openings 56a are alternately arranged in the arrangement direction Dp. Therefore, the first ventilation openings 55 and the second ventilation openings 56a are provided side by side in the arrangement direction Dp. The arrangement direction Dp is an example of a first direction and is a direction along the outer surface 52c of the plate portion 52.

[0138] The arrangement direction Dp is substantially equal to the direction in which the plate portion 52 extends from the shaft portion 51. Further, when the ventilation member 26 is located at the closed position Pc2, the arrangement direction Dp is substantially equal to the Z direction. Note that the arrangement direction Dp is not limited to this example and may be another direction such as the X direction.

[0139] As shown in FIG. 18, the first ventilation opening 55 is, for example, a substantially rectangular slit extending in the X direction. The X direction is an example of a second direction and is a direction along the outer surface 52c of the plate portion 52 and intersecting the arrangement direction Dp. Note that the first ventilation opening 55 may be a hole having a circular, square, triangular, or other shaped cross-section. The plurality of first ventilation openings 55 are arranged side by side in the arrangement direction Dp.

[0140] The second vent 56a is a hole having a circular cross-section, similar to the example shown in FIG. 6. Note that the second vent 56a may be a hole having a square, triangular, or other shaped cross-section. The cross-sections of the first vent 55 and the second vent 56a are cross-sections orthogonal to the direction in which the first vent 55 and the second vent 56a penetrate the plate portion 52.

[0141] The plurality of second vents 56a are arranged in the X direction. In other words, the plurality of second vents 56a are arranged at intervals in the X direction. For this reason, the plurality of second vents 56a form a row 58 of a plurality of second vents 56a arranged in the X direction. In the plate portion 52, the plurality of rows 58 are arranged in the arrangement direction Dp. The plurality of second vents 56a may be arranged in a grid pattern or in a staggered pattern.

[0142] The plurality of slit-shaped first vents 55 and the row 58 of the second vents 56a are alternately arranged in the arrangement direction Dp. For this reason, the plurality of first vents 55 and the plurality of second vents 56a form a row 59 of the first vents 55 and the second vents 56a arranged in the arrangement direction Dp.

[0143] The first vents 55 are arranged at both ends in the row 59 of the first vents 55 and the second vents 56a arranged in the arrangement direction Dp. For this reason, in the arrangement direction Dp, the plurality of second vents 56a are located between two of the plurality of first vents 55. Note that in the ventilation member 26 of the modified example, the second vent 56a may be arranged at the end in the row 59 of the first vents 55 and the second vents 56a arranged in the arrangement direction Dp. In this case, in the arrangement direction Dp, the plurality of first vents 55 are located between two of the plurality of second vents 56a.

[0144] As shown in FIG. 18, the cross-section of each of the second vents 56a is smaller than the cross-section of each of the first vents 55. Also, the sum of the cross-sections of the plurality of second vents 56a included in each of the plurality of rows 58 is smaller than the cross-section of one of the plurality of first vents 55. As a result, the flow velocity of the air (W2a) passing through the second vents 56a becomes faster than the flow velocity of the air (W1a) passing through the first vents 55. As a result, the air passing through the ventilation member 26A (26B) exhibits the same behavior as the example described with reference to FIG. 7. That is, the air W2a draws in the air W1a. Thereby, the air W1a hits the air W2a. Also, the air W2a that has transitioned to turbulent flow diffuses and hits the air W1a flowing adjacent to the air W2a. In this way, the air W1a and the air W2a, which differ in flow velocity and state (laminar flow or turbulent flow), flow adjacent to each other and hit each other. That is, the air W1a that does not pass through the ventilation member 26 (the second vents 56a) and the air W2a that has passed through the ventilation member 26 (the second vents 56a) interfere with each other.

[0145] When the air W1a and the air W2a hit each other, for example, the masses of the air W1a and the air W2a are broken up, and the turbulent air W2a is carried to the air W1a. The air W1a and the air W2a cause various such interactions to generate a turbulent flow Ws that diffuses over a wide range. As a result, the turbulent flow Ws discharged from the indoor unit 10 can be made closer to natural air (so-called windless air) than the air immediately after being discharged from the blowout port 33.

[0146] In this way, even in a configuration where the ventilation member 26A is provided in the first flow path C1 and the ventilation member 26B is provided in the second flow path C2, it is possible to generate windless air in the same manner as in the case where the ventilation member 26 is provided only in the first flow path C1 shown in FIG. 5 and the like, and the same control using the detection result of the radar 2 and the same effects can be obtained.

[0147] In the above-described embodiment, for example, the air conditioner 1 for residential use has been described, but the configuration of the present embodiment is similarly applicable to various air conditioners 1. For example, the configuration of the present embodiment is applicable to air conditioners for business use (such as for stores), and the same effects can be obtained.

[0148] In addition, when estimating the control area (indoor shape) of the indoor area R, the control area estimation unit 80d of the air conditioner 1 according to the present embodiment may acquire, for example, the height information from the floor to the ceiling of the indoor area R manually input via the external terminal device 94b. Alternatively, the control area estimation unit 80d may acquire the result of measuring the height to the ceiling with the radar 2. In this case, the control area estimation unit 80d can also estimate the volume (capacity) of the control area, and it becomes possible to perform more appropriate air conditioning control (air conditioning operation).

[0149] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The above embodiments can be implemented in various forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. The above embodiments are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0150] 1... air conditioner, 2... radar, 3... room temperature sensor, 4... air purification unit, 10... indoor unit, 21... housing, 22... heat exchanger, 23... fan, 25, 25A, 25B... upper and lower air direction plates, 26, 26A, 26B... ventilation members, 29... left and right air direction plates, 31... ventilation path, 32... suction port, 33... blowout port, 80... indoor unit control unit, 80a... operation mode control unit, 80b... drive circuit control unit, 80c... radar control unit, 80d... control area estimation unit, 80d1... tracking unit, 80d2... defining unit, 80e... condition processing unit, 80f... guidance processing unit, 80g... correction unit, 80h... storage processing unit, 80i... air purification processing unit, 80j... air flow control unit, 80k... temperature monitoring unit, L, L1, L2, L3... movement trajectories, M1, M2, M3, M4... item marks, R... indoor area, RA, RB, RC... control areas.

Claims

1. A housing provided with an internal ventilation passage, a suction port for communicating the ventilation passage to the outside, and a blowout port for communicating the ventilation passage to the outside; A fan provided in the ventilation passage for sending air from the suction port to the blowout port; A radar provided on the housing for detecting the movement trajectory of a user existing in the indoor area where the housing is installed; A control unit for estimating an air conditioning control area based on an area defined by the movement trajectory detected by the radar; Comprising: When the estimation start condition of the control area is satisfied, the control unit outputs guidance information for prompting the user to move on foot along the area definition path in the indoor area. An air conditioner.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the control unit outputs the guidance information when receiving an estimation request operation for the control area.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein when there is a partial omission in the movement trajectory, the control unit executes a correction process for estimating the control area as closed area information of the movement trajectory by at least one of linear approximation and curve approximation for the section of the partial omission.

4. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit stores the estimated control area in a storage unit in cooperation with the control unit.

5. The air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein the control area stored in the storage unit is modifiable on a terminal device in cooperation with the control unit.

6. The air conditioner according to claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the storage unit can store the installation position of the housing in the indoor area in association with the control area.

7. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the storage unit can store indoor feature information in association with the estimated control area.

8. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein the storage unit can store a plurality of the estimated control areas as history information.

9. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the control unit executes air conditioning control based on the estimated control area.

Images