Non-contact temperature information presentation system and method

Abstract

To make it possible to give a subject an appropriate temperature sense in a non-contact manner.SOLUTION: A non-contact temperature information presentation system by control of a heat quantity emitted from the surface of a subject or made incident, arranges a first heat source of temperature higher than the surface temperature of the subject and a second heat source of temperature lower than the surface temperature around the subject. The system is provided with a controller which controls heat radiation of the first heat source and heat radiation of the second heat source and heat balance of a sum of respective heat radiation and heat emitted from the surface of the subject. For example, the second heat source of low temperature performs heat radiation at almost constant temperature; the first heat source of high temperature varies temperature at which heat radiation is performed, and controls the heat quantity made incident on the surface of the subject or emitted to obtain an appropriate temperature sense following a video or the like.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a non-contact temperature information presentation system and method for presenting a temperature sensation to a subject in a non-contact manner. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, theaters and amusement facilities have begun to use devices that can blow cool or warm air onto audiences in accordance with the content of the video, creating a sense of realism. For example, by blowing cool air onto audiences in accordance with the display of a video of a snowy mountain in a blizzard, temperature information that matches the video is provided, creating a highly realistic feeling.

[0003] However, these conventional methods of presenting temperature information involve blowing wind on the audience, which may not be appropriate depending on the content of the image. For example, it is appropriate to stimulate the audience with cold wind when displaying an image of a snowstorm, as described above. However, if warm wind is presented to the audience in conjunction with an image of a windless, scorching desert, the audience may feel a sense of warmth, but the lack of association between the windless, scorching desert image and the wind creates an unnatural feeling for the audience.

[0004] Patent document 1 describes a technology in which a thermal stimulation device is attached to the arm or other part of the subject watching an image displayed on a display, and a thermoelectric element built into the thermal stimulation device is controlled to transmit a warm sensation that matches the content of the image to the skin that comes into contact with the thermal stimulation device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-135191 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the technology described in Patent Document 1, the temperature sensation is stimulated when the hot and cold stimulation device is in contact with the skin, so temperature information is transmitted only to the area that is in direct contact with the hot and cold stimulation device. Therefore, for the user, temperature information is transmitted only to a part of the body, such as the arm, and no temperature information is transmitted to the face, etc., which causes discomfort to the user.

[0007] As explained in the background technology section, if it were possible to transmit cold or warm sensations in a non-contact manner in accordance with the content of the video, it would be possible to provide more realistic video images. However, conventional technologies involve blowing air or applying thermal stimuli to areas that come into direct contact with the skin, as described in Patent Document 1, and it could not be said that they are able to provide a realistic thermal sensation.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a non-contact temperature information presentation system and method that can provide a subject with an appropriate temperature sensation without contact. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The non-contact temperature information presentation system of the present invention is a non-contact temperature information presentation system that controls the balance between heat radiated from the surface of a subject and heat incident on the subject, and arranges a first heat source having a temperature higher than the surface temperature of the subject and a second heat source having a temperature lower than the surface temperature of the subject around the subject. The device is equipped with a control device that controls the thermal radiation of the first heat source and the thermal radiation of the second heat source to set the sum of the respective thermal radiations and the heat balance of radiation from the subject to a set value. The heat balance control device controls the second heat source, which has a temperature lower than the surface temperature of the subject, to radiate heat at an approximately constant temperature, and controls the first heat source, which has a temperature higher than the surface temperature of the subject, to change the temperature at which heat is radiated in accordance with changes in the surface temperature of the subject.By variably setting the temperature according to the image output from the image output device, the subject can be presented with a temperature sensation synchronized with changes in the image through heat radiation.

[0010] The non-contact temperature information presentation method of the present invention further comprises: A first heat source having a temperature higher than the surface temperature of the subject and a second heat source having a temperature lower than the surface temperature of the subject are placed around the subject, The balance of heat radiated from the surface of the subject and heat incident on the subject is calculated as follows: Computer controlled Non-contact temperature information display method There is, Controlling the thermal radiation of the first heat source and the second heat source, and controlling the sum of the respective thermal radiation and the heat balance of radiation and incidence from the surface of the subject. The processing is performed by a computer, and the control processing executed by the computer involves controlling the second heat source, which has a temperature lower than the surface temperature of the subject, to radiate heat at an approximately constant temperature, and controlling the first heat source, which has a temperature higher than the surface temperature of the subject, to change the temperature at which it radiates heat in accordance with changes in the surface temperature of the subject.By variably setting the temperature according to the image output from the image output device, it is possible to present the subject with a temperature sensation synchronized with changes in the image through heat radiation. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, a single system can be used to induce any temperature sensation, from warm to cold, in a wide temperature range without contact with a subject. For example, it can be used to induce warm or cold sensations in a large number of spectators in theaters such as movie theaters and amusement facilities. Furthermore, because the present invention uses thermal radiation, it is possible to impart only a temperature sensation to a subject, rather than generating a flow of hot or cold air. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a configuration diagram showing an example of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of heat sources according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another example of the arrangement of heat sources. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example in which a shutter is provided according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 1 is a configuration diagram showing an example in which a system according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to a theater. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 shows the arrangement of heat sources (a) and the temperature change in that arrangement (b). [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration in which a temperature control device of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured using a computer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] An embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "this example") will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of the non-contact temperature information presentation system of this example. 1, the non-contact temperature information presentation system of this example places a high-temperature heat source 10 and a low-temperature heat source 20 facing each other near a subject a to whom a temperature sensation is to be given, so that the heat radiation from each heat source 10, 20 reaches the subject a. Here, the high-temperature heat source 10 is the first heat source, and the low-temperature heat source 20 is the second heat source.

[0014] For example, a heating element that generates heat when supplied with electric power is used as the high-temperature heat source 10. Such a high-temperature heat source 10 can relatively quickly control the radiation temperature to a desired state. A panel that performs radiant cooling is used as the low-temperature heat source 20. Radiant cooling involves circulating a low-temperature medium, such as cold water, inside the panel to keep the panel at a low temperature, thereby radiating low-temperature heat. Such low-temperature heat sources 20 require a relatively long time to set the temperature. Note that using the high-temperature heat source 10 as a heat generating element and the low-temperature heat source 20 as a radiant cooler is just an example, and other heat sources may be used. For example, dry ice may be used as the low-temperature heat source 20, and the low-temperature heat source 20 may be kept at a constant temperature.

[0015] The temperatures of the high-temperature heat source 10 and the low-temperature heat source 20 are controlled by a temperature control device 100 . The temperature control device 100 includes a temperature calculation unit 101 and a temperature setting unit 102.

[0016] The temperature calculation unit 101 acquires information about the target temperature from the video output device 40, and calculates the radiation temperature T1 of the high-temperature heat source 10 and the radiation temperature T2 of the low-temperature heat source 20, which are necessary to obtain the heat balance on the surface of the subject a. Here, the radiation temperature T1 of the high-temperature heat source 10 is higher than the absolute surface temperature T0 of the subject a, and the radiation temperature T2 of the low-temperature heat source 20 is lower than the absolute surface temperature T0 of the subject a. Information about the radiation temperatures T1 and T2 calculated by the temperature calculation unit 101 is supplied to the temperature setting unit 102.

[0017] The temperature setting unit 102 controls the high-temperature heat source 10 to a radiation temperature T1, and also controls the low-temperature heat source 20 to a radiation temperature T2. Here, since it takes a relatively long time to set the low-temperature heat source 20 to the desired temperature, it is preferable that the temperature control device 100 shown in Fig. 1 sets the radiation temperature T2 to approximately the same temperature, and controls the radiation temperature T1 of the high-temperature heat source 10 to achieve the target heat balance.

[0018] FIG. 2 shows the principle of controlling the heat balance between the radiation temperature T1 of a high-temperature heat source 10 and the radiation temperature T2 of a low-temperature heat source 20, which are arranged opposite each other, and the absolute surface temperature T0 of a subject a. It is known from the Stefan-Boltzmann law that each heat source 10, 20 radiates energy (heat) proportional to the fourth power of temperature T as electromagnetic waves from an object with absolute temperature T.

[0019] Specifically, the object constituting the high-temperature heat source 10 emits a heat flux of εσ(T1) per unit area and unit time. 4 The heat of σ(T2) per unit area and unit time is emitted from the object that constitutes the low-temperature heat source 20. 4 of heat is emitted as electromagnetic waves, where ε is the emissivity and σ is the Stefan-Boltzmann constant. Here, assuming that the high-temperature heat source 10 and the low-temperature heat source 20 are black bodies and the emissivity ε is 1.0, the heat radiated from the two heat sources is expressed by the following equation.

[0020] [Number 1] σ(T1) 4 +σ(T2) 4

[0021] As explained above, the radiation temperature T1 of the high-temperature heat source 10 is higher than the absolute surface temperature T0 of the subject, and the radiation temperature T2 of the low-temperature heat source 20 is lower than the absolute surface temperature T0 of the subject.

[0022] The high-temperature heat source 10 is σT1 per unit area and unit time. 4 The heat of the low-temperature heat source 20 is radiated as electromagnetic waves, and the heat of the low-temperature heat source 20 is σT2 4The heat is radiated as electromagnetic waves, and the surface temperature of subject a is absolute temperature T0, and the emissivity is 1.0. Adding these together, we get the following:

[0023] [Number 2] σ(T1) 4 +σ(T2) 4 -σ(T0) 4

[0024] When the value of this [Equation 2] is negative, heat is emitted from subject a, causing subject a to feel cold, and conversely, when the value of [Equation 2] is positive, heat flows into subject a, causing subject a to feel warm. In this example, by independently controlling the absolute surface temperatures T1 and T2 of heat sources 10 and 20, it becomes possible to present a wide range of temperatures to subject a. Specifically, it becomes possible to present temperature information that stimulates a high-temperature warm sensation or a cold sensation in accordance with the image output from video output device 40. The range of skin temperatures that will not cause discomfort or harm to the human subject a is between 15°C and 43°C, and the target absolute surface temperature T0 is preferably between 288K and 316K.

[0025] Furthermore, since it generally takes a relatively long time to set the temperature of the low-temperature heat source 20, it is preferable that the temperature control device 100 maintains the absolute surface temperature T2 of the low-temperature heat source 20 at a constant temperature and varies the absolute surface temperature T1 of the high-temperature heat source 10 to obtain the desired heat balance. When the absolute surface temperature T2 of the low-temperature heat source 20 is maintained at a constant temperature, for example, a low-temperature object such as dry ice may be used as the low-temperature heat source 20, and the temperature control device 100 may be configured to control only the radiation temperature T1 of the high-temperature heat source 10.

[0026] Here, as an example of temperature, if the surface temperature T0 of subject a is 310K, the temperature T1 of the high-temperature heat source 10 is 673K, and the temperature T2 of the low-temperature heat source 20 is 194K (the temperature of dry ice), then (T1) 4 -(T0) 4 is (T0) 4 -(T2) 4This figure is the radiant heat per unit area, so the cooling capacity can be increased by increasing the area of ​​the low-temperature heat source 20. In other words, although the high-temperature heat source 10 and the low-temperature heat source 20 are shown as the same size in the example of FIG. 2, in practice it is preferable to make the low-temperature heat source 20 larger than the high-temperature heat source 10.

[0027] The direction of heat transfer is determined by the heat balance between the surrounding heat sources 10 and 20 and the subject a, making it possible to present temperature information to the subject a. For this reason, as shown in Figure 3, multiple high-temperature heat sources 10-1, 10-2, and 10-3 and multiple low-temperature heat sources 20-1, 20-2, and 20-3 can be placed around multiple subjects a and b to present temperature information to the subjects a and b. The number and placement of each heat source 10 and 20 shown in Figure 3 are examples.

[0028] When the temperature control device 100 controls the temperature T1 of the high-temperature heat source 10 and the temperature T2 of the low-temperature heat source 20, it takes time for the temperature to change because the objects that make up the heat sources 10 and 20 themselves have heat capacity. For this reason, a shutter that blocks electromagnetic waves may be placed between the object of at least one of the heat sources and the subject.

[0029] FIG. 4 shows an example of the configuration in this case. 4 shows an example in which a freely openable and closable shutter 21 is placed in front of the low-temperature heat source 20. As shown in Fig. 4, the temperature control device 100 controls the low-temperature heat source 20 to a set temperature T2 with the shutter 21' closed, and then controls the shutter 21 to an open state when the temperature reaches T2. By providing the shutter 21 in this way, the time response of the temperature information presentation system can be improved. If the time response of the high-temperature heat source 10 is not sufficient, a shutter may be placed in front of the high-temperature heat source 10 as well.

[0030] FIG. 5 shows an example in which the non-contact temperature information presentation system of this embodiment is applied to a theater 200. The theater 200 has a screen 201 for displaying images at the front of the room, and a large number of seats 202 are arranged on the floor 240 of the theater 200. Here, a large number of high-temperature heat sources 10 and low-temperature heat sources 20 are arranged alternately on the ceiling 210 of the theater 200. Here, for simplicity of explanation, the high-temperature heat sources 10 and low-temperature heat sources 20 are shown as being the same size, but in practice, it is preferable to make the low-temperature heat sources 20 larger, as already explained. Although not shown, high-temperature heat sources 10 and low-temperature heat sources 20 may also be arranged on the left and right side surfaces 220 and 230 of the theater 200.

[0031] The screen 201 displays the image reproduced by the image output device 40 shown in FIG. 1, and the temperature control device 100 controls the temperature T1 of the high-temperature heat source 10 and the temperature T2 of the low-temperature heat source 20 to set the heat balance on the faces of the audience members sitting in the seats 202, thereby presenting a warm or cold temperature sensation. By applying this non-contact temperature information presentation system to a theater, it is possible to present a large number of audience members with realistic sensations of warmth and cold that match the images being shown in the theater. The sensations of warmth and cold presented here use thermal radiation, so instead of creating a flow of hot or cold air, only the sensation of temperature is given to the subject, resulting in an extremely realistic sensation of temperature that matches the images being shown.

[0032] FIG. 6 shows an example of an experiment demonstrating that the temperature can be appropriately controlled in the non-contact temperature information presentation system of this example. FIG. 6(a) shows an example of the configuration in which the experiment was conducted. In this example, a heating lamp 1 corresponding to a high-temperature heat source 10 and an ice pack 2 corresponding to a low-temperature heat source 20 are arranged side by side, and a lead plate 3 serving as an irradiated object for measurement is placed opposite the heating lamp 1 and the ice pack 2. A radiation temperature sensor 4 for measuring the surface temperature of the lead plate 3 is then placed.

[0033] 6(b) shows an example of the change in the surface temperature of the lead plate 3 due to the change in the infrared output of the heating lamp 1, as measured by the radiation temperature sensor 4. The temperature of the ice pack 2 here is constant. By changing the infrared output of the heating lamp 1, the surface temperature of the lead plate 3 was changed from 13°C to 25°C. The ambient temperature here was 25°C. From the example in FIG. 6, it can be seen that the temperature T0 can be appropriately controlled by the non-contact temperature information presentation system of this example.

[0034] The temperature control device 100 shown in Fig. 1 can be configured by, for example, a computer. Fig. 7 shows an example of a hardware configuration when the temperature control device 100 is configured by a computer. The computer (temperature control device 100) shown in FIG. 7 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 100a, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 100a, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 100c, a non-volatile storage 100d, a network interface 100e, an input device 100f, and an output device 100g, each connected to a bus.

[0035] The CPU 100a is an arithmetic processing unit that reads out and executes program code of software that realizes the functions performed by the temperature control device 100 from the ROM 100b or the nonvolatile storage 100d. The RAM 100c is a work area that executes arithmetic processing. The CPU 100a reads program codes from the ROM 100b or the nonvolatile storage 100d and executes arithmetic processing in the RAM 100c, thereby configuring various processing function units in the RAM 100c. For example, the RAM 100c configures the temperature calculation unit 101 shown in FIG.

[0036] The nonvolatile storage 100d may be a large-capacity information storage medium such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a memory card, etc. The nonvolatile storage 100d stores software that realizes the functions of the temperature control device 100 and data obtained by executing the software.

[0037] The network interface 100e is, for example, a network interface card (NIC) and is used to transmit and receive data to and from other devices. For example, the network interface 100e receives a temperature command from the video output device 40. The input device 100f processes input of data from the outside, for example, temperature data from the sensor 30. The output device 100g performs processing for outputting data to the outside. For example, the output device 100g outputs instructions to the high-temperature heat source 10 and the low-temperature heat source 20 to control the temperature.

[0038] The embodiment examples described so far have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those having all of the configurations described. For example, in the configuration shown in FIG. 1, the temperature control device 100 controls the temperature in synchronization with the video output from the video output device 40, but controlling the temperature in synchronization with such a video is just one example, and the temperature control device 100 may also control the temperature according to a predetermined temperature control schedule. [Explanation of symbols]

[0039] 1...heating lamp, 2...ice pack, 3...lead plate, 4...radiation temperature sensor, 10...high temperature heat source, 20...low temperature heat source, 21, 21'...shutter, 40...video output device, 100...temperature control device, 100a...CPU, 100b...ROM, 100c...RAM, 100d...non-volatile storage, 100e...network interface, 100f...input device, 100g...output device, 101...temperature calculation unit, 102...temperature setting unit, 200...theater, 201...screen, 202...seat, 210...ceiling, 220...side, 240...floor

Claims

1. A non-contact temperature information presentation system that controls the balance between heat radiated from the surface of a subject and heat incident on the subject, A first heat source having a temperature higher than a surface temperature of the subject and a second heat source having a temperature lower than a surface temperature of the subject are arranged around the subject; a control device for controlling the thermal radiation of the first heat source and the thermal radiation of the second heat source to control the sum of the respective thermal radiations and the balance of heat radiated from the surface of the subject; The heat balance control device controls the second heat source, which has a temperature lower than the surface temperature of the subject, to radiate heat at a substantially constant temperature, and controls the first heat source, which has a temperature higher than the surface temperature of the subject, to change the temperature at which heat is radiated in accordance with changes in the surface temperature of the subject, thereby variably setting the temperature according to the image output from the image output device, and presenting the subject with a temperature sensation synchronized with changes in the image through heat radiation. Non-contact temperature information display system.

2. The surface area of ​​the second heat source is larger than the surface area of ​​the first heat source. The non-contact temperature information presentation system according to claim 1 .

3. The first heat source and the second heat source are arranged in plurality around the subject. The non-contact temperature information presentation system according to any one of claims 1 to 2.

4. A shutter for blocking thermal radiation is disposed between at least the second heat source of the first and second heat sources and the subject. The non-contact temperature information presentation system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. A non-contact temperature information presentation method in which a first heat source having a temperature higher than the surface temperature of a subject and a second heat source having a temperature lower than the surface temperature of the subject are placed around the subject, and the balance of heat radiated from the surface of the subject and heat incident on the subject is controlled by a computer, The computer controls and processes the thermal radiation of the first heat source and the thermal radiation of the second heat source, and controls the sum of the respective thermal radiations and the balance of heat radiated from the surface of the subject, The control process executed by the computer is to control the second heat source, which has a temperature lower than the surface temperature of the subject, to radiate heat at a substantially constant temperature, and to control the first heat source, which has a temperature higher than the surface temperature of the subject, to change the temperature at which heat is radiated in accordance with changes in the surface temperature of the subject, thereby variably setting the temperature according to the image output from the image output device, and presenting the subject with a temperature sensation synchronized with changes in the image through heat radiation. Non-contact temperature information presentation method.

Images