air conditioning system

Abstract

To provide an air conditioning system capable of determining whether an amount of water remaining in a water tank of a humidifier or an air cleaner with a humidification function is sufficient for operation in a prescribed time or not.SOLUTION: An air conditioning system 1 includes: a humidifier 4 equipped with water amount detecting means 16 for detecting a remaining water amount and having a humidification function; control means 10 for controlling the humidifier 4; water amount calculating means 17 for calculating a required water amount which is an amount of water required for operating the humidifier 4 on the basis of temperature and humidity of a living room 3 in which the humidifier 4 is installed, information related to the size of a space of the living room 3, and target set humidity set for the prescribed time; and remaining water amount determining means 30 for comparing the remaining water amount with the required water amount.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to control of air conditioning operation in an air conditioning system having a humidification function for supplying humidified air to a room. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a network system including an air conditioner with heating and cooling functions, an air purifier with a humidifying function, and a home appliance control server that controls the air purifier according to information from the air conditioner, or controls the air conditioner according to information from the air purifier. For example, when the air conditioner performs heating operation, the server causes the air purifier to perform humidifying operation, or when an illuminance sensor provided in the air purifier detects that the illuminance in the room has become dark, the server causes the air conditioner to start sleep mode (timer operation).

[0003] The network system disclosed in Patent Document 1 controls an air purifier according to information from an air conditioner, or controls an air conditioner according to information from an air purifier, thereby linking their operations and providing a more comfortable air-conditioned environment for users. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] WO2019 / 064616 publication Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The network system disclosed in Patent Document 1 can operate an air purifier in conjunction with the operation of an air conditioner. For example, a so-called sleep mode can be set, which starts operation at a predetermined time and runs for a predetermined period of time. If the operating mode at this time is heating, the air conditioner can operate in heating mode while the user is sleeping, and the air purifier can operate in humidifying mode in conjunction with the air conditioner's heating mode. However, if the air purifier is humidifying in conjunction with the air conditioner's heating mode while the user is sleeping, the water tank in the air purifier may run out of water while the user is sleeping. In this case, it is difficult for the user to notice that the water has run out while sleeping, and after the water runs out, the air purifier continues to operate in heating mode without humidifying. To prevent this problem, the user can simply refill the air purifier with water before going to bed, but refilling water every time the sleep mode is set is a hassle. Furthermore, even if the user checks the amount of water remaining in the air purifier's water tank when setting the sleep mode, it is difficult to determine whether the amount is sufficient for humidifying during the sleep mode.

[0006] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioning system that can determine whether the amount of water remaining in the water tank of a humidifier or an air purifier with a humidifying function is sufficient to perform humidifying operation for a specified period of time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is an air conditioning system having a first air conditioner with a humidification function and a water volume detection means for detecting the residual water volume, a control means for controlling the first air conditioner, a water volume calculation means for calculating the required water volume, which is the amount of water required for the first air conditioner to operate based on the temperature and humidity of the room in which the first air conditioner is installed, information related to the size of the space in the room, and a set target humidity for a predetermined period of time, and a residual water volume determination means for comparing the residual water volume with the required water volume. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an air conditioning system that can determine whether the amount of water remaining in the water tank of a humidifier or an air purifier with a humidifying function is sufficient for a predetermined period of operation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a configuration diagram of an air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a control block diagram of an air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 4 is a control flow diagram of a second air conditioner in the air conditioning system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a control flow diagram of a first air conditioner in the air conditioning system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the transition of temperature and humidity in a room where a second air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed when no humidification is performed. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the transitions of temperature and humidity when ventilating a room in which a second air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed but not humidifying. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of an air conditioning system according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

[0011] Fig. 1 is a configuration diagram of an air conditioning system 1 of this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a control block diagram of the air conditioning system 1 of this embodiment. Fig. 3 is a control flow diagram of a second air conditioner in the air conditioning system of this embodiment. Fig. 4 is a control flow diagram of a first air conditioner in the air conditioning system of this embodiment. The humidifier control unit 10 or indoor unit control unit 20 described below corresponds to the control means of the present invention. [Example]

[0012] An air conditioning system 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 shows an overall configuration diagram of the air conditioning system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The air conditioning system 1 includes a humidifier 4 with a humidifying function and an air conditioner 6 with a heating function. The humidifier 4 corresponds to a first air conditioner of the present invention, and the air conditioner 6 corresponds to a second air conditioner of the present invention. The humidifier 4 and the air conditioner 6 are installed in a living room 3, with the humidifier 4 humidifying the living room 3 and the air conditioner 6 controlling the temperature of the living room 3. The humidifier 4 includes a water tank 5 for humidifying the living room 3, and the water in the water tank 5 is replenished by the user as needed. The air conditioner 6 may have not only a heating function but also a cooling function. The humidifier 4 includes a humidifier control unit 10 that controls the humidifier 4, and the air conditioner 6 includes an indoor unit control unit 20 that controls the air conditioner 6. The air conditioning system 1 also includes a mobile terminal 9, such as a smartphone, that can remotely operate the humidifier 4 and the air conditioner 6.

[0013] FIG. 2 shows a control block diagram of an air conditioning system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The humidifier control unit 10 and the indoor unit control unit 20 constitute the control means of this embodiment. In this embodiment, the humidifier control unit 10 and the indoor unit control unit 20 are interconnected via a communication unit 12 provided in the humidifier control unit 10 and a communication unit 22 provided in the indoor unit control unit 10, as described below, allowing the humidifier 4 and the air conditioner 6 to operate in conjunction with each other. Alternatively, the control means may be provided separately from the air conditioning system 1. For example, a server (not shown) capable of communicating with the humidifier control unit 10 and the indoor unit control unit 20 may be provided, and the server may serve as the control means. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, a mobile terminal 9 such as a smartphone or tablet terminal may be connected to the control means. This allows the humidifier 4 and the air conditioner 6 to be controlled from the mobile terminal 9.

[0014] The humidifier 4 has a humidity sensor 7 that detects the humidity in the living room 3 and humidifies the living room 3 so that the humidity in the living room 3 detected by this humidity sensor 7 matches the target humidity set by the user. The air conditioner 6 has a temperature sensor 8 that detects the room temperature in the living room 3 and controls the temperature in the living room 3 so that the room temperature detected by this temperature sensor 8 matches the target humidity set by the user. The humidifier 4 and the air conditioner 6 each have a timer operation function that starts or ends operation at a predetermined time. Timer operation allows, for example, operation to start at a predetermined time before bedtime and end a predetermined time after starting operation, so-called sleep operation. During timer operation, the air conditioner 6 operates to maintain the temperature in the living room 3 at the target temperature set by the user, and the humidifier 4 operates to maintain the humidity in the living room 3 at the target humidity set by the user.

[0015] Furthermore, the humidifier control unit 10 can operate the humidifier 4 in conjunction with the operation of the air conditioner 6. Therefore, if the operation of the air conditioner 6 and the operation of the humidifier 4 are set to be linked, for example, if the air conditioner 6 is set to heating sleep operation, when the air conditioner 6 starts operating in sleep operation, the humidifier 4 will also start humidifying operation in conjunction with that.

[0016] The humidifier control unit 10 includes a humidity sensor 7, a CPU 11, a communication unit 12, an input unit 13, a memory unit 14, a notification unit 15, a water volume detection unit 16, a water volume calculation unit 17, and a residual water volume determination unit 30. The CPU 11 controls the humidifier 4 by executing a program stored in the memory unit 14. The communication unit 12 exchanges data with the air conditioner 6 and the mobile terminal 9 via wired or wireless communication. The input unit 13 has input means such as buttons, accepts commands from a user, and inputs the commands to the CPU 11. For example, the input unit 13 sets the target humidity and timer operation. The input unit 13 is provided in the humidifier 4, but may also be provided in a remote control (not shown) if one is provided. Furthermore, commands from the user to the humidifier 4 can also be given from the mobile terminal 9. The memory unit 14 stores the programs executed by the CPU 11, data generated by the execution of the programs by the CPU 11, data input via the input unit 13, data received from the mobile terminal 9 or the air conditioner 6, and the like. Notification unit 15 notifies the user of operation information of humidifier 4 by outputting voice, text, images, etc. based on signals from CPU 11. Water volume detection means 16 detects the residual water volume, which is the amount of water stored in water tank 5 provided in humidifier 4. Water volume calculation means 17 calculates the required water volume, which is the amount of water needed to maintain the humidity in room 3 at a target humidity level for a predetermined time (for example, the sleep operation time as timer operation), based on the required water volume calculation information. The required water volume calculation information includes the temperature and humidity in room 3 where humidifier 4 is installed before operation begins, information related to the size of the space in room 3, and the target temperature and humidity during the sleep operation time.

[0017] The indoor unit control unit 20 includes a temperature sensor 8, a CPU 21, a communication unit 22, an information input unit 23, a memory unit 24, and an alarm unit 25. The CPU 21 controls the air conditioner 6 by executing a program stored in the memory unit 24. The communication unit 22 exchanges data with the humidifier 4 and the mobile terminal 9 via wired or wireless communication. The information input unit 23 has input means such as buttons, accepts commands from a user, and inputs the commands to the CPU 21. For example, the information input unit 23 sets the target temperature and timer operation. The information input unit 23 is provided in the air conditioner 6, but may also be provided in a remote control (not shown) if one is provided. Furthermore, commands to the air conditioner 6 from the user can also be given from the mobile terminal 9. The memory unit 24 stores the programs executed by the CPU 21, data generated by the execution of the programs by the CPU 21, data input via the information input unit 23, data received from the mobile terminal 9, and the humidifier 4. The notification unit 25 notifies the user of the operation information of the air conditioner 6 by outputting voice, text, images, etc. to the user based on a signal from the CPU 21. The notification unit 25 may notify the notification unit 15 of the operation information of the indoor unit 6, and the notification unit 15 may notify the notification unit 25 of the operation information of the humidifier 10, and so on.

[0018] The humidifier control unit 10 also includes a residual water volume determination means 30. The residual water volume determination means 30 compares the required water volume calculated by the water volume calculation means 17 with the residual water volume calculated by the water volume detection means 16, and notifies the CPU 11 of the result.

[0019] In the required water volume calculation information, the temperature and humidity before operation in the room 3 in which the humidifier 4 is installed may be the values ​​detected by the humidity sensor 7 if the humidifier 4 has a temperature sensor in addition to the humidity sensor 7, or may be the values ​​detected by the humidity sensor if the air conditioner 6 has a temperature sensor in addition to the temperature sensor 8. Information related to the size of the space in the room 3 is, for example, the volume of the room 3, and may be directly input from the input unit 13 of the humidifier 4, directly input from the information input unit 23 of the air conditioner 6, or pre-stored in the memory 14 of the humidifier 4 or the memory 24 of the air conditioner 6. The target temperature setting for the sleep operation period is input by the user via the information input unit 23 of the air conditioner 6, and the target humidity setting is input by the user via the input unit 13 of the humidifier 4.

[0020] Note that when calculating the required water volume in sleep mode when the air conditioner 6 is not in heating mode and only the humidifier 4 is in operation, the target set temperature does not need to be included in the required water volume calculation information. In this case, the required water volume calculation information required to calculate the required water volume is the temperature and humidity in the room 3 where the humidifier 4 is installed before operation begins, information related to the size of the space in the room 3, and the target set humidity during sleep mode. Also, if the approximate ventilation volume per unit time can be determined, such as in a 24-hour ventilation system, that ventilation volume is added to the required water volume calculation information.

[0021] Next, using Figures 5 and 6, we will explain the changes in temperature and humidity during heating in room 3 (indoors). Note that simply referring to humidity refers to relative humidity. Figure 5 shows the changes in temperature and humidity (relative humidity) when room 3 does not have a ventilation system such as a ventilator and humidifier 4 is not operating during heating operation, i.e., when humidification is not performed. As an example, the temperature (room temperature) and humidity before heating are approximately the same as the temperature and humidity of the outside air, e.g., the room temperature is 6.8°C and the humidity is 42%. If heating operation is started from this state with a target temperature setting of, for example, 20.5°C, as the room temperature rises, the saturated water vapor content, which is the maximum amount of water vapor that can be contained in the air in room 3, increases, causing a relative decrease in humidity in room 3. When the room temperature reaches the target temperature of 20.5°C, the humidity drops to 25%. After this, if the room temperature is maintained at the target temperature and humidification by humidifier 4 is not performed, the humidity in room 3 will not change and will remain at 25%. As described above, if the humidifier 4 is not operated during heating operation in a room 3 without ventilation equipment, the indoor humidity will decrease as the room temperature rises, and once the room temperature reaches the target set temperature, the indoor humidity will not change unless the room temperature changes. From the above, in a room 3 without ventilation equipment, in order to link the humidifier 4 during heating operation, for example, when performing heating operation in sleep mode, to set the humidity in room 3 to the predetermined target humidity, it is sufficient to operate the humidifier 4 until the room temperature reaches the target set temperature, and the water tank 5 of the humidifier 4 only needs to store an amount of water equal to or greater than the amount of water necessary to set the humidity in room 3 to the predetermined target humidity until the room temperature reaches the target set temperature.

[0022] Next, we will explain how to calculate the amount of moisture required to bring the humidity in room 3 to a predetermined target humidity level before the room temperature reaches the target set temperature in room 3 that does not have ventilation equipment. Here, we will explain how to calculate the amount of moisture required by taking the example of raising the room temperature to 20°C by heating and operating humidifier 4 to a relative humidity of 60% from the room temperature of 6.8°C and humidity of 42% shown above.

[0023] First, the absolute humidity when the room temperature is 20°C due to heating operation is calculated using equations (1) to (3). Note that equation (1) is an approximation using Tetens parameter values, and is used to calculate the saturated water vapor pressure in the atmosphere, which is not an ideal gas. Et=6.1078×10 ((t×a) / (t+b)) ···(1) Ep = Et × RH (2) VH=217×(Ep / (t+273.15))···(3) Et: saturated water vapor pressure (unit: hPa) Ep: Water vapor pressure (unit: hPa) VH: Absolute humidity (unit: g / m 3 ) RH: Relative humidity t: room temperature (unit: °C) a, b: constants (for water: a = 7.5, b = 237.3) When the room temperature rises to 20°C without humidification by the humidifier 4, the humidity is 25% (the humidity in the room 3 before heating operation detected by the humidity sensor 7) as shown in FIG. 5. Substituting the room temperature of 20°C and the humidity of 25% into the above formulas (1) to (3), the absolute humidity is 4.32 g / m 3 In other words, 1 m of air in room 3 at room temperature of 20°C and humidity of 25% 3 The moisture content per serving is 4.32g.

[0024] Next, when the absolute humidity is set to 60% (= target humidity) at room temperature of 20°C, the absolute humidity is calculated using equations (1) to (3) in the same way. The absolute humidity is 10.38 g / m 3 In other words, 1 m of air in room 3 at room temperature of 20°C and humidity of 60% 3 Therefore, the amount of moisture required (per 1 m of air) to raise the room temperature to 20°C from a room temperature of 6.8°C and humidity of 42% by operating the heater and to raise the humidity in room 3 to the target humidity of 60% by operating the humidifier 4 is 10.38 g. 3 The weight of the piece is 10.38g - 4.32g = 6.06g.

[0025] Next, we will explain how to predict the amount of water required based on the spatial volume of room 3. Here, as an example, room 3 has a spatial height of 2.4 m and an area of ​​6 tatami mats. The spatial volume of room 3 is 23.3 m. 3 (= 6 tatami mats, 9.7m 2 × 2.4m), the amount of water required to bring the humidity in Room 3 to 60% (required water volume) is: 3 to the 1m calculated above 3 Required water amount per serving: Multiply by 6.06g to get 23.3m 3 × 6.06 g ≒ 141.2 g (ml). As explained using Figure 5, in room 3 without ventilation equipment, the humidity does not change once the room temperature reaches the set temperature, so humidification by humidifier 4 is not necessary. Therefore, if there is more than the calculated 141.2 g of water stored in water tank 5 before humidifier 4 starts operating, humidifier 4 will not run out of water during humidification operation before the humidity reaches 60%.

[0026] Next, a case where a ventilation system is installed in the living room 3 will be described using FIG. 6. In this embodiment, as an example, a case where the living room 3 is equipped with a 24-hour ventilation system as defined by the Building Standards Act will be described. With a 24-hour ventilation system, half of the air in the room is replaced every hour, meaning that it takes two hours to replace the entire air in the room. If the operation time for sleep mode is set to, for example, eight hours, the number of humidifications required to maintain a humidity level of 60% during sleep mode can be predicted as follows: However, the target temperature setting is constant at 20°C.

[0027] In an actual 24-hour ventilation system, the air in room 3 is constantly replaced little by little, but as mentioned above, the 24-hour ventilation system operates so that all of the air in room 3 is replaced every two hours, so it can be thought of as the 24-hour ventilation system replacing all of the air in room 3 three times during the eight hours of sleep mode operation. Therefore, when humidifier 4 is linked to air conditioner 6 when sleep mode starts in heating mode, as shown in Figure 6, it is assumed that humidifier 4 must be driven to perform humidifying operation four times, and the amount of moisture used in the four humidifying operations is calculated.

[0028] As mentioned above, in a 24-hour ventilation system, the air in the entire room is replaced every two hours. Therefore, in the case of an eight-hour sleep mode, all the air in room 3 is replaced three times, as shown in Figure 6. Therefore, four humidification cycles are required to maintain a room temperature of 20°C and a humidity of 60% from a room temperature of 6.8°C and a humidity of 42%. Therefore, if room 3 is the same size as the room 3 described above without ventilation equipment (room height: 2.4 m, area: 6 tatami mats), the amount of water required to maintain a room temperature of 20°C and a humidity of 60% during the eight-hour sleep mode (required water volume) is 141.2 g × 4 humidification cycles = 564.8 g. Therefore, it is sufficient to store at least 564.8 g of water in the water tank 5 of the humidifier 4.

[0029] The required amount of water can also be calculated using the ventilation volume per unit time. That is, the calculation formula is: Required amount of water = (ventilation volume per unit time) x (amount of water per unit volume required for target humidity setting) x (operating time in sleep mode). In the above example, the 24-hour ventilation system replaces half of the air in room 3 every hour, so the ventilation volume per unit time is 23.3 m3 (volume of room 3). 3 Half of this = 11.65m 3 Therefore, the required amount of water = 11.65 m 3 ×6.06g / m 3 ×8h = 564.8ml.

[0030] During heating operation using timer operation such as sleep mode, the air conditioning system 1 of this embodiment calculates the required water volume, which is the volume of water necessary to bring the indoor humidity to a target humidity level, using the method described above, and compares the calculated required water volume with the residual water volume remaining in the water tank 5 of the humidifier 4. If the comparison shows that the residual water volume is less than the required water volume, the air conditioning system notifies the user that the remaining water volume is less than the required water volume before starting the timer operation, and encourages the user to refill the water tank 5 with water.

[0031] Equations (1) to (3) for calculating the required water volume, which is the amount of water needed to bring the indoor humidity to the target humidity setting, are stored in memory 14 of humidifier control unit 10. For example, when sleep mode is set, water volume calculation means 17 in humidifier control unit 10 substitutes the current humidity in room 3 detected by humidity sensor 7, the target humidity setting input from input unit 13, and the target temperature setting obtained from indoor unit control unit 20 of air conditioner 6 into equations (1) to (3) stored in memory 14 to calculate the required water volume. Residual water volume determination means 30 compares the required water volume calculated by water volume calculation means 17 with the residual water volume detected by water volume detection means 16, and if the residual water volume is less than the required water volume, notifies CPU 11 of the result, and CPU 11 instructs notification unit 15 to notify that the remaining water volume is less than the required water volume. The detailed control flow is explained next.

[0032] Using the control flow diagram of FIG. 3, the flow of control executed by indoor unit control unit 20 of air conditioner 6, which is the second air conditioner, will be described. Here, as an example of timer operation, a case where a user has reserved sleep operation during heating operation (hereinafter referred to as heating sleep operation) will be described. First, indoor unit control unit 20 of air conditioner 6 determines whether heating sleep operation has been reserved as a timer operation (ST1). If heating sleep operation has been reserved (Yes in ST1), it determines whether the user has enabled interlocking operation of air conditioner 6 and humidifier 4 (ST2). If interlocking operation with humidifier 4 is enabled (Yes in ST2), it determines whether the current time is 10 minutes before the start of heating sleep operation of air conditioner 6 (ST3). If it is 10 minutes before the start of heating sleep operation (YES in ST3), it transmits to humidifier 4 an interlocking request signal requesting that humidifier 4 operate in conjunction with heating operation of air conditioner 6, and information for calculating the amount of water required for humidification (required water amount calculation information). Here, the required water volume calculation information includes the temperature and humidity of room 3 before the heating sleep mode started, information about the size of the space in room 3, the target set temperature, and the target set humidity, but because the target set humidity is held by the humidifier 4, information about the target set humidity is excluded from the required water volume calculation information sent from the air conditioner 6 to the humidifier 4. Furthermore, because the humidity in room 3 is detected by the humidity sensor 7 of the humidifier 4, the humidity of room 3 is also excluded from the required water volume calculation information. Note that if the target set humidity can be set in the air conditioner 6 or if the air conditioner 6 is equipped with a humidity sensor, the target set humidity and the humidity of room 3 may be included in the required water volume calculation information.

[0033] Next, indoor unit control unit 20 determines whether the time to start heating sleep operation has arrived (ST5), and if so (Yes in ST5), sends a heating sleep operation start signal to humidifier 4 (ST6). Next, indoor unit control unit 20 starts heating sleep operation in air conditioner 6 and starts timer measurement (ST7). Note that indoor unit control unit 20 is equipped with a timing means (not shown). Next, indoor unit control unit 20 determines whether the operating time for heating sleep operation preset by the user has elapsed (ST8), and if so (Yes in ST8), sends a heating sleep operation end signal to humidifier 4 (ST9), ends heating sleep operation in air conditioner 6, and resets the timer measurement (ST10). If the operating time for the heating sleep operation has not elapsed in the processing of ST8 (No in ST8), the indoor unit control unit 20 returns to the processing of ST8 and continues the heating sleep operation in which the air conditioner 6 and the humidifier 4 are linked until the operating time for the heating sleep operation has elapsed.

[0034] In the processing of ST2, if the user has not specified that the air conditioner 6 and the humidifier 4 are to be operated in conjunction with each other (No in ST2), the indoor unit control unit 20 starts heating sleep operation without operating the humidifier 4 in conjunction with each other and starts timer measurement (ST11), and if the operating time for heating sleep operation has elapsed (Yes in ST12), it ends the heating sleep operation of the air conditioner 6 and resets the timer measurement (ST10). Note that, in the processing of ST12, if the operating time for heating sleep operation has not elapsed (No in ST12), the indoor unit control unit 20 returns to the processing of ST12 and continues the heating sleep operation of the air conditioner 6 until the operating time for heating sleep operation has elapsed.

[0035] Next, the control flow executed by the humidifier control unit 10 of the humidifier 4, which is the first air conditioner, will be described using the control flow diagram of Figure 4. First, the humidifier control unit 10 of the humidifier 4 determines whether it has received an interlocking request signal from the air conditioner 6 (ST21). If it has received an interlocking request signal (Yes in ST21), it determines whether it has received required water volume calculation information from the air conditioner 6 (ST22). If it has not received required water volume calculation information from the air conditioner 6 (No in ST22), the humidifier control unit 10 returns to ST22 and waits to receive required water volume calculation information from the air conditioner 6. If it has received required water volume calculation information from the air conditioner 6 (Yes in ST22), the humidifier control unit 10 calculates the required water volume using the target humidity set by the user in the humidifier 4, the humidity in the room 3 detected by the humidity sensor 7, and the required water volume calculation information transmitted from the air conditioner 6. In other words, the humidifier control unit 10 calculates the required water volume using the temperature and humidity in the room 3 before operation started, information related to the size of the space in the room 3, the target humidity and the target temperature. The humidifier control unit 10 stores the calculated required amount of water in the memory unit 14.

[0036] Next, the humidifier control unit 10 operates the water volume detection means 16 to detect the amount of water remaining in the water tank 5 (ST24) and determines whether the amount of remaining water is less than the required amount of water calculated in ST23 (ST25). If the amount of remaining water is less than the required amount of water (Yes in ST25), the humidifier control unit 10 notifies the user to refill the water tank (ST26). The notification to refill the water is made via the notification unit 15, for example, by voice, text, or image. Next, the humidifier control unit 10 determines whether a heating sleep operation start signal has been received from the air conditioner 6 (ST27). If a heating sleep operation start signal has been received (Yes in ST27), the humidifier control unit 10 starts humidification operation using the humidifier 4 (ST28). Next, the humidifier control unit 10 determines whether a heating sleep operation end signal has been received from the air conditioner 6 (ST29). If the heating sleep operation end signal is received (Yes in ST29), the humidifier control unit 10 ends the humidifying operation by the humidifier 4 (ST30). Note that if the heating sleep operation end signal is not received in the processing of ST29 (No in ST29), the humidifier control unit 10 returns the processing to ST29 and continues the humidifying operation by the humidifier 4 until the heating sleep operation end signal is received.

[0037] If, in the processing of ST21, no interlock request signal is received from the air conditioner 6 (No in ST21), the humidifier control unit 10 ends the processing without starting the humidifier 4. Also, if, in the processing of ST25, the amount of remaining water is equal to or greater than the required amount of water (No in ST25), there is no need to refill water, and the humidifier control unit 10 proceeds to the processing of ST27 without notifying the user to refill water. Note that, after a predetermined time (e.g., 5 minutes) has elapsed since the processing of ST26 notified the user to refill water, the humidifier control unit 10 may return the processing to ST24 to detect the amount of remaining water again, and check in the processing of ST25 whether the amount of remaining water is greater than the required amount of water.

[0038] In the present embodiment described above, the notification to replenish water is made via the notification unit 15 of the humidifier 4, but the notification may also be made to the mobile terminal 9 connected to the air conditioning system 1.

[0039] In this embodiment, the air conditioning system 1 includes a humidifier 4 and an air conditioner 6, and the humidifier 4 and the air conditioner 6 are linked during timer operation to set the room 3 to a target humidity and temperature. The example illustrates the calculation of the amount of water required to maintain the target humidity during timer operation. However, the required amount of water can also be calculated when only the humidifier 4 is operated by timer operation to set the room 3 to a target humidity for a certain period of time. In this case, the humidifier 4 must acquire the information needed to calculate the required amount of water. For example, the humidifier 4 may have a temperature sensor in addition to the humidity sensor 7, and these sensors detect the temperature and humidity in the room 3 where the humidifier 4 is installed before operation begins. Information related to the size of the space in the room 3 is acquired through input by the user via the input unit 13 of the humidifier 4.

[0040] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to a limited number of embodiments, the scope of the invention is not limited thereto, and modifications of the embodiments based on the above disclosure will be obvious to those skilled in the art. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1...Air conditioning system, 2...Control means, 3...Living room, 4...Humidifier, 5...Water tank, 6...Air conditioner, 7...Humidity sensor, 8...Temperature sensor, 9...Mobile terminal, 10...Humidifier control unit, 11...CPU, 12...Communication unit, 13...Input unit, 14...Memory unit, 15...Notification unit, 16...Water volume detection means, 17...Water volume calculation means, 20...Indoor unit control unit, 21...CPU, 22...Communication unit, 23...Information input unit, 24...Memory unit, 25...Notification unit, 30...Residual water volume determination means

Claims

1. a first air conditioner having a water amount detection means for detecting the amount of residual water and having a humidification function; a control means for controlling the first air conditioner; a water amount calculation means for calculating a required amount of water, which is the amount of water required for the first air conditioner to operate for a predetermined period of time, based on the temperature and humidity of the room in which the first air conditioner is installed, information related to the size of the space in the room, and a set target humidity; a residual water volume determination means for comparing the residual water volume with the required water volume; a second air conditioner having a temperature control function in the room; The second air conditioner is capable of timer operation, which starts at a predetermined time and stops after a predetermined time has elapsed; An air conditioning system characterized in that the first air conditioner is driven in conjunction with the second air conditioner being driven by a timer.

2. 2. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the control means notifies the user that the residual water volume is less than the required water volume when the residual water volume determination means determines that the residual water volume is less than the required water volume.

3. 3. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the water volume calculation means calculates the required water volume by adding the ventilation volume per unit time in the room to the calculation of the required water volume.

4. An air conditioning system described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the water volume calculation means calculates the required water volume as the target temperature to be set by the second air conditioner as the indoor temperature.

5. The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the control means determines whether the residual water volume determination means determines whether the residual water volume is less than the required water volume at the start time of the timer operation or a predetermined time before the start time of the operation.

6. 6. The air conditioning system according to claim 5, wherein the control means notifies the user that the residual water volume is less than the required water volume at the start time of the timer operation or a predetermined time before the start time of the timer operation.

7. The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the first air conditioner has a memory unit, and the volume of the room is pre-stored in the memory unit as information related to the size of the space in the room.

8. a mobile terminal capable of communicating with the air conditioning system; 8. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the control means notifies the mobile terminal that the remaining water volume is less than the required water volume.

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