Control system, information processing device and program

Abstract

To efficiently control an environment of a target position in a space to a predetermined target.SOLUTION: A control system comprises: a detection unit that detects an environmental change or an environmental change factor at a second position in a space, which is different from a first position in the space; a prediction unit that predicts the effect on the first position and / or a person or object at the first position in response to the detection of the detection unit; and a control unit that controls an adjustment device that adjusts a spatial environment so as to approach a predetermined target according to the prediction of the prediction unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control system, an information processing device, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 describes a temperature and humidity control system and method in which a temperature and humidity set value management unit sets a change amount for the humidity set value in the opposite direction (decreasing direction) to the change direction (increasing direction) of the indoor humidity (actual value) that will change due to defrosting operation, and during defrosting operation, the temperature and humidity set value management unit lowers the humidity set value sent to the control calculation unit by the predetermined change amount. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-20033 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a space where an adjustment device for adjusting the environment is installed, for example, a preset environment may change. In this case, for example, a number of detection units that detect environmental changes may be installed in each location where it is desired to suppress the environmental changes, and the environmental changes may be suppressed in accordance with the detection of the environment by the detection units. However, in this case, it may be necessary to install a relatively large number of detection units, or it may be necessary to change the installation positions of the detection units in accordance with changes in the location where it is desired to suppress the changes.

[0005] The present disclosure aims to efficiently control the environment of a target location in space to a predetermined goal. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The control system of the present disclosure is a control system comprising: a detection unit that detects environmental changes or factors of the environmental changes at a second position in a space that is different from a first position in the space; a prediction unit that predicts the impact on the first position and / or people or objects at the first position in accordance with the detection by the detection unit; and a control unit that controls an adjustment device that adjusts the environment of the space to approach a predetermined goal in accordance with the prediction by the prediction unit.

[0007] This control system makes it possible to efficiently control the environment of a target location in space to a predetermined target.

[0008] The control unit may be configured to control the adjustment device to reduce the effect if the effect predicted by the prediction unit prevents the spatial environment from approaching the predetermined target.

[0009] In this way, it is possible to control the environment at a target location in space to a predetermined target, even if there are environmental changes at a different location that prevent this.

[0010] The control unit may be configured to control the adjustment device using the effect predicted by the prediction unit if the effect contributes to the environment of the space approaching the predetermined target.

[0011] In this way, it is possible to control the environment of a target location in space to a predetermined target, even if there are contributing environmental changes at different locations.

[0012] The detection unit may detect a change in temperature at the second location, and the control unit may control the adjustment device so that the temperature of the first location in the space and / or people or objects at the first location approaches the predetermined target.

[0013] In this way, the temperature of a target location in space can be controlled to a predetermined target in the event of temperature variations at different locations.

[0014] The detection unit may detect an increase or decrease in the number of people or objects at the second location, and the control unit may control the adjustment device so that the temperature of the first location in the space and / or the people or objects at the first location approaches the predetermined target.

[0015] In this way, the temperature at a target location in the space can be controlled to a predetermined target even when there is an increase or decrease in the number of people or objects at different locations.

[0016] The detection unit may detect the opening or closing of a door or window at the second location, and the control unit may control the adjustment device so that the temperature of the first location in the space and / or people or objects at the first location approaches the predetermined target.

[0017] In this way, the temperature at a target location in the space can be controlled to a predetermined target even when doors or windows are opened or closed at different locations.

[0018] The prediction unit may use a physical model that models the space and the adjustment device in the space.

[0019] In this way, it is possible to control the environment of a target position in space to a predetermined target, taking into account the space and the adjustment devices in the space, with less calculation effort than if a physical model were not used.

[0020] The prediction unit may further use the physical model that models an entity that has an effect on the environment in the space, different from the adjustment device.

[0021] In this way, it is possible to control the environment of a target position in space to a predetermined target, taking into account things other than adjustment devices that affect the environment in the space, with less calculation effort than if a physical model were not used.

[0022] In addition, the information processing device of the present disclosure is an information processing device that includes an acquisition unit that acquires information regarding environmental changes or factors of the environmental changes at a second position in a space that is different from a first position in the space, a prediction unit that predicts the impact on the first position and / or people or objects at the first position in accordance with the acquisition of the information by the acquisition unit, and an output unit that outputs control information for an adjustment device to make adjustments to approach a predetermined goal in accordance with the prediction by the prediction unit.

[0023] This information processing device makes it possible to efficiently control the environment of a target position in space to a predetermined target.

[0024] In addition, the program disclosed herein is a program that enables a computer to realize the following functions: detecting environmental changes or factors of the environmental changes at a second location in a space that is different from a first location in the space; predicting the impact on the first location and / or people or objects at the first location based on the detection; and controlling an adjustment device that adjusts the environment of the space to approach a predetermined goal based on the prediction.

[0025] A computer with this program installed can efficiently control the environment of a target position in space to a predetermined target. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an environmental control system to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied; [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3]1 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing a first operation example of the information processing device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an input screen for inputting spatial information acquired in the present embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an input screen for inputting information on a target temperature acquired in the present embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of temperature information acquired in the present embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the temperature of each section predicted in the present embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of control of an air conditioning device using control parameters output in this embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing a second operation example of the information processing device according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0028] [Overall configuration of the environmental control system] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an environmental control system 10 to which this embodiment is applied. The environmental control system 10 is an example of a control system, and is a system that controls the environment in a target space 100. There are various environments in the target space 100, such as temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide concentration, and odor, and there are various adjustment devices that adjust the environment for each of these environments. However, the following explanation will take temperature as an example of the environment and an air conditioner as an example of the adjustment device. As shown in the figure, the environmental control system 10 includes an air conditioner 200, a control device 300, a temperature sensor 400, an input / output device 500, and an information processing device 600.

[0029] The target space 100 is a space that is the target of environmental control by the environmental control system 10. Here, an office space is taken as an example of the target space 100. In the following description, the horizontal direction of the target space 100 is referred to as the planar direction, and the vertical direction is referred to as the height direction. The target space 100 is a space surrounded by walls 110, doors 120, a floor 130, and a ceiling (not shown). A window 140 is provided in the wall 110. Also installed in the target space 100 are indoor units 210a to 210c and a remote controller 240 (hereinafter referred to as the "remote control") of an air conditioning apparatus 200, which will be described later, a third temperature sensor 430 (an after-market sensor), which will be described later, and an input / output device 500, which will be described later. Furthermore, although not shown, the target space 100 is provided with fixtures that emit heat, such as lighting, computers, monitors, printers, etc. (hereinafter referred to as "heat-generating fixtures"), and fixtures that do not emit heat, such as desks, chairs, sofas, tables, and rugs (hereinafter referred to as "non-heat-generating fixtures"). Furthermore, although not shown, the target space 100 is provided with fixtures such as curtains and blinds (hereinafter referred to as "window fixtures") that control the external environment outside the target space 100, such as temperature, humidity, amount of solar radiation, and solar radiation angle, which affect the inside of the target space 100 through the windows 140.

[0030] The air conditioner 200 is a device that conditions the air in the target space 100. The air conditioner 200 has indoor units 210a to 210c, an outdoor unit 220, piping 230, and a remote control 240. The indoor units 210a to 210c are installed within the target space 100 and perform heat exchange between the refrigerant that has passed through the piping 230 and the air within the target space 100, thereby absorbing heat from the air within the target space 100 and discharging heat into the target space 100. The outdoor unit 220 is installed outside the target space 100 and performs heat exchange between the refrigerant that has passed through the piping 230 and the air outside the target space 100, thereby discharging heat outside the target space 100 and absorbing heat from the air outside the target space 100. The piping 230 is a pipe that connects the indoor units 210a to 210c and the outdoor unit 220, and the refrigerant passes through the inside of the pipe. The remote control 240 is a device for remotely operating the air conditioner 200. Although the figure shows indoor units 210a to 210c, they may also be referred to as indoor units 210 when there is no need to distinguish between them. Although the figure shows three indoor units 210, one, two, or four or more indoor units 210 may be provided.

[0031] The control device 300 is a device that controls the operation of the air conditioning device 200 based on set conditions.

[0032] The temperature sensor 400 is installed at a predetermined position within the target space 100 and measures the temperature at that predetermined position. The temperature sensor 400 includes first temperature sensors 410a-410c, a second temperature sensor 420, and a third temperature sensor 430. The first temperature sensors 410a-410c are temperature sensors provided in the indoor units 210a-210c, respectively, and measure the intake temperature, which is the temperature of the air drawn into the indoor units 210a-210c. The second temperature sensor 420 is a thermistor temperature sensor for the remote control 240 and measures the temperature of the air around the remote control 240. The third temperature sensor 430 is a temperature sensor that is retrofitted to the target space 100 and measures the temperature of the air within the target space 100.

[0033] The input / output device 500 is disposed, for example, within the target space 100, and accepts a user operation for inputting spatial information including information about the target space 100 itself and information about the arrangement of objects in the target space 100. The input / output device 500 also accepts a user operation for inputting a target temperature for each position in the target space 100. In this case, the input / output device 500 may output an image object representing the target space 100 and allow the user to input the spatial information and the target temperature by placing an icon on the image object. The information about the arrangement of objects may also include information about the orientation of the objects. In this case, the input / output device 500 may allow the user to input the orientation information by placing the icon in a desired orientation on the image object. The input / output device 500 may be, for example, a touch panel.

[0034] The information processing device 600 predicts the temperature at each position in the target space 100 using information about the temperature change or the cause of the temperature change measured by the temperature sensor 400, and a physical model according to spatial information about the target space 100 and operational information about the air conditioning device 200, etc. The information processing device 600 then controls the air conditioning device 200 so as to reduce the difference between the target temperature for each position input by the user and the predicted temperature for each position.

[0035] [Hardware configuration of information processing device] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device 600 according to this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the information processing device 600 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 601, which is a computing means, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 602, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 603, and a storage device 604, which are storage means. The RAM 602 is a main memory and is used as a working memory when the CPU 601 performs computational processing. The ROM 603 holds programs and data such as pre-prepared setting values, and the CPU 601 can read programs and data directly from the ROM 603 to execute processing. The storage device 604 is a storage means for programs and data. Programs are stored in the storage device 604, and the CPU 601 loads the programs stored in the storage device 604 into the main memory and executes them. The storage device 604 also stores and saves results of processing by the CPU 601. For example, a magnetic disk device or an SSD (Solid State Drive) is used as the storage device 604.

[0036] [Functional configuration of information processing device] 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an information processing device 600 according to this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the information processing device 600 according to this embodiment includes a spatial information acquisition unit 610, a target acquisition unit 620, a motion information acquisition unit 630, a temperature change information acquisition unit 640, a prediction unit 650, and an output unit 660.

[0037] The space information acquisition unit 610 acquires, from the input / output device 500, space information that is information about the target space 100 itself and information about the arrangement of objects in the target space 100.

[0038] The information about the target space 100 itself includes, for example, information about the size of the target space 100. In other words, the information about the size of the target space 100 is information about the horizontal extent of the target space 100 and the vertical extent of the target space 100, and may be expressed, for example, by the floor area, volume, ceiling height, etc. of the target space 100. The information about the target space 100 itself may also include, for example, information about the layout and shape of the target space 100. Furthermore, the information about the target space 100 itself may also include, for example, information about the orientation of the target space 100, such as the direction in which the upper wall of the target space 100 shown in FIG. 1 faces.

[0039] The information about the placement of objects in the target space 100 includes, for example, information about the placement of the indoor units 210 and the remote control 240 in the target space 100. The space information acquisition unit 610 may acquire information about the placement of the first temperature sensors 410a-410c when acquiring information about the placement of the indoor units 210a-210c, and may acquire information about the placement of the second temperature sensor 420 when acquiring information about the placement of the remote control 240. The information about the placement of objects in the target space 100 may also include, for example, information about the placement of the third temperature sensor 430 in the target space 100. The information about the placement of objects in the target space 100 may also include, for example, information about the placement of windows 140 and fixtures in the target space 100. Here, the information about the placement of objects in the target space 100 may also include information about the height position of the objects in the target space 100. The information about the placement of objects in the target space 100 may also include, for example, information about the orientation of the objects in the target space 100, depending on the type of object.

[0040] In addition, the information about the placement of objects in the target space 100 may include performance information about the performance of the objects. In the case of the air conditioning apparatus 200, performance information is, for example, information about the specifications of the air conditioning apparatus 200, such as the heating capacity, cooling capacity, and the air outlet area of ​​the indoor unit 210. In the case of a window fixture, performance information is, for example, information about the area of ​​the window that can be blocked by the window fixture, the insulating performance of the window fixture, etc. Such performance information may be stored in advance in the storage device 604 (see FIG. 2).

[0041] The target acquisition unit 620 acquires the target temperature at each position in the target space 100 from the input / output device 500.

[0042] The operation information acquisition unit 630 acquires operation information relating to the operation of the air conditioning device 200 and operation information relating to the operation of window fixtures such as blinds.

[0043] The operation information includes, for example, the air volume of the indoor unit 210 of the air conditioning apparatus 200, the airflow direction in the indoor unit 210, and the temperature of the refrigerant in the indoor unit 210. The operation information acquisition unit 630 may acquire such operation information from the control device 300. The operation information may also include, for example, the amount of movement of curtains, which are window fixtures, and the angle of louvers. The operation information acquisition unit 630 may acquire such operation information from an unillustrated window fixture control device or images taken by a unillustrated camera for photographing the window fixtures.

[0044] When the temperature in the target space 100 changes due to the occurrence of some factor, the temperature change information acquisition unit 640 acquires temperature change information related to the temperature change. The temperature change information acquisition unit 640 acquires temperature change information by performing at least one of a first operation and a second operation. The position where the temperature changed or the position where the factor occurred is an example of a second position, and the specific position that is the target of temperature prediction, which will be described later, is an example of a first position.

[0045] In the first operation, the temperature change information acquisition unit 640 acquires, as temperature change information, information on the temperatures measured by the first temperature sensors 410a-410c, the second temperature sensor 420, and the third temperature sensor 430 after the temperature in the target space 100 has changed due to some factor. Here, factors that cause the temperature change in the target space 100 include, for example, people or objects gathering in the center of the target space 100, or the door 120 or window 140 of the target space 100 being opened. In this embodiment, the temperature change information acquisition unit 640 is provided as an example of an acquisition unit that acquires information on an environmental change at a second position in the space that is different from a first position in the space. Acquiring information on an environmental change can also be considered as detecting the environmental change. In this sense, in this embodiment, the temperature change information acquisition unit 640 can be said to be provided as an example of a detection unit that detects an environmental change at a second position. In addition, in the present embodiment, it can be said that the temperature change information acquisition unit 640 is provided as an example of a detection unit that detects a temperature change at the second position. Alternatively, the temperature sensor 400 may be regarded as an example of a detection unit.

[0046] In the second operation, the temperature change information acquisition unit 640 acquires information regarding the cause of a temperature change in the target space 100 as temperature change information. The information regarding the cause of a temperature change in the target space 100 is, for example, information indicating that people or objects have gathered in the central part of the target space 100. This information may be acquired, for example, by analyzing an image of the central part of the target space 100 captured by a camera (not shown). The information regarding the cause of a temperature change in the target space 100 may also be information indicating that a door 120 or a window 140 of the target space 100 has been opened. This information may be acquired, for example, by receiving a sensor signal from an opening / closing sensor (not shown) installed on the door 120 or the window 140. In this embodiment, the temperature change information acquisition unit 640 is provided as an example of an acquisition unit that acquires information regarding the cause of an environmental change at a second position in the space that is different from a first position in the space. Acquiring information regarding the cause of an environmental change can also be considered as detecting the cause of the environmental change. In this sense, it can be said that in this embodiment, the temperature change information acquisition unit 640 is provided as an example of a detection unit that detects factors of environmental changes at the second location. Also, it can be said that in this embodiment, the temperature change information acquisition unit 640 is provided as an example of a detection unit that detects an increase or decrease in people or objects at the second location, or a detection unit that detects opening or closing of a door or window at the second location. Alternatively, a camera, an opening / closing sensor, etc. may be regarded as an example of a detection unit.

[0047] The prediction unit 650 predicts the temperature at a specific location in the target space 100 that is different from the location where the temperature has changed or the location where the cause of the temperature change occurred, based on the space information, operation information, and temperature change information. To predict the temperature in the target space 100, the prediction unit 650 uses a physical model that models the target space 100, the air conditioning device 200 in the target space 100, and fixtures and the like that affect the environment in the target space 100. Then, the prediction unit 650 predicts the temperature at a specific location in the target space 100 where the temperature has not been measured, using the temperature change information for at least one location in the target space 100 and the physical model.

[0048] The prediction unit 650 uses a physical model to calculate the temperature difference obtained by subtracting the temperature at the specific position from the temperature measured by any one of the first temperature sensors 410a to 410c, the second temperature sensor 420, and the third temperature sensor 430.

[0049] This physical model includes terms that define the thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity from the position where the temperature sensor 400 is installed to a specific position. The thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity may be calculated from information about the size of the target space 100 acquired by the spatial information acquisition unit 610.

[0050] This physical model includes terms that define the influence of the discharge temperature, discharge humidity, wind direction, wind speed, and air volume on the temperature at a specific location from the indoor unit 210 of the air conditioning apparatus 200. The discharge temperature, discharge humidity, wind direction, wind speed, and air volume of the indoor unit 210 may be acquired by the operation information acquisition unit 630.

[0051] This physical model includes terms that define the influence of the external environment, such as the temperature, humidity, amount of solar radiation, and solar radiation angle outside the target space 100, on the temperature at a specific location. Here, the influence of the external environment on the temperature at a specific location includes the influence of the external environment through the windows 140, walls 110, floor 130, and ceiling of the target space 100, and the influence of the external environment when it directly flows into the target space 100. The temperature, humidity, amount of solar radiation, and solar radiation angle outside the target space 100 may be obtained from an external information source, such as weather information.

[0052] This physical model includes terms that define the effect that heat-generating fixtures have on the temperature at specific locations as heat-generating bodies and as blocking bodies that block the flow of air within the target space 100. Information on the heat emitted by the heat-generating fixtures as heat-generating bodies and the effect of the heat-generating fixtures as blocking bodies can be obtained from information on the heat-generating fixtures in the space information obtained by the space information acquisition unit 610.

[0053] This physical model is a term that specifies the effect that non-heat-generating fixtures have on the temperature at a specific location as a barrier that blocks the flow of air in the target space 100. The effect of non-heat-generating fixtures as a barrier can be obtained from information about non-heat-generating fixtures in the spatial information obtained by the spatial information acquisition unit 610.

[0054] This physical model includes a term that specifies the effect that the window fixture has on the temperature at a specific location by controlling the effect of the external environment outside the target space 100. The effect of controlling the window fixture may be acquired from information about the window fixture in the operation information acquired by the operation information acquisition unit 630.

[0055] The prediction unit 650 uses a physical model including the above terms to calculate the temperature difference between the temperature measured by the temperature change information acquisition unit 640 and the temperature at the specific position. Then, the prediction unit 650 predicts the temperature at the specific position by subtracting the calculated temperature difference from the temperature acquired by the temperature change information acquisition unit 640.

[0056] Note that the temperature prediction by the prediction unit 650 is not limited to the example using the physical model described above. For example, the prediction unit 650 may predict the temperature at a specific position by machine learning.

[0057] In this case, the prediction unit 650 uses spatial information, temperatures that can be detected at a certain point in time, and control parameters of the air conditioner 200 as explanatory variables. Here, spatial information is, for example, the size of the target space 100 and information on the installation positions of the air conditioner 200, heat-generating fixtures, non-heat-generating fixtures, etc. installed in the target space 100. The detectable temperatures are, for example, the intake temperature of the indoor unit 210 detected by the first temperature sensors 410a to 410c, the temperature of the air around the remote control 240 detected by the second temperature sensor 420, and the temperature of the air inside the target space 100 detected by the third temperature sensor 430. The control parameters are, for example, the air outlet area of ​​the indoor unit 210, the fan rotation speed corresponding to the air volume of the indoor unit 210, the refrigerant temperature related to the air outlet temperature, and the flap angle of the indoor unit 210.

[0058] In this case, the prediction unit 650 uses as the objective variable actual measured values ​​from multiple temperature sensors installed in the target space 100 or simulated values ​​obtained by numerical calculations such as CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics), which are values ​​obtained after a predetermined time has elapsed after various parameters have been changed.

[0059] The prediction unit 650 then predicts the temperature at a specific position in the target space 100 using a trained model obtained by supervised learning using the explanatory variables and the target variables. When predicting the temperature using the trained model, the prediction unit 650 also uses a temperature detected at at least one position in the target space 100, thereby improving prediction accuracy.

[0060] In addition, the prediction unit 650 may predict the temperature at a specific location in the target space 100 using a prediction model obtained by model predictive control for controlling an air conditioning device 200 that adjusts the air environment in the target space 100, for example.

[0061] In this embodiment, a prediction unit 650 is provided as an example of a prediction unit that predicts the first position and / or the influence on people and objects at the first position.

[0062] The output unit 660 outputs to the control device 300 control parameters for controlling the air conditioning device 200 so as to reduce the difference between the target temperature at each position acquired by the target acquisition unit 620 and the temperature at each position predicted by the prediction unit 650. Here, the control parameters include, for example, the air outlet area of ​​the air conditioning device 200, the fan rotation speed (air volume), the refrigerant temperature (air outlet temperature), and the flap angle. In this embodiment, the output unit 660 is provided as an example of an output unit that outputs control information for the adjustment device to make adjustments to approach a predetermined target. Furthermore, outputting control information for the adjustment device to make adjustments can also be considered as controlling the adjustment device that makes the adjustments. In this sense, it can also be said that in this embodiment, the output unit 660 is provided as an example of a control unit that controls an adjustment device that adjusts the environment of the space. It can also be said that in this embodiment, the output unit 660 is provided as an example of a control unit that controls an adjustment device so that the temperature of a first position in the space and / or a person or object at the first position approaches a predetermined target. Alternatively, the control device 300 can be considered as an example of a control unit.

[0063] Factors that cause temperature changes within the target space 100 include factors that hinder reducing the difference between the target temperature at each position acquired by the target acquisition unit 620 and the temperature at each position predicted by the prediction unit 650, and factors that contribute to this.

[0064] If a factor occurs that prevents the difference from being reduced, the output unit 660 outputs a control parameter that reduces the effect of that factor. An example of such a factor is when people or objects gather in the center of the target space 100, in a case where it is desired to lower the temperature of the target space 100. In this case, the output unit 660 may output a control parameter that increases the fan rotation speed to increase the airflow for cooling and adjusts the flap angle so that the air blows onto the outer periphery of the target space 100. Another example of such a factor is when a door 120 or window 140 of the target space 100 opens and cold air enters the target space 100, in a case where it is desired to raise the temperature of the target space 100. In this case, the output unit 660 may output a control parameter that increases the fan rotation speed to increase the airflow for heating and adjusts the flap angle so that the air blows onto the side of the target space 100 opposite the door 120 or window 140.

[0065] If a factor that contributes to reducing the difference occurs, the output unit 660 outputs a control parameter that assumes the influence of that factor is utilized. An example of such a factor is when it is desired to increase the temperature of the target space 100, and people or objects gather in the center of the target space 100. In this case, the output unit 660 may output a control parameter that adjusts the flap angle so that the airflow hits the outer periphery of the target space 100 without increasing the fan rotation speed in order to reduce the airflow of the heater by an amount that allows the heat of the people or objects to be utilized. Another example of such a factor is when it is desired to lower the temperature of the target space 100, and a cooled object is brought in near the door 120 of the target space 100. In this case, the output unit 660 may output a control parameter that adjusts the flap angle so that the airflow hits the side of the target space 100 opposite the door 120 in order to reduce the airflow of the air conditioner by an amount that allows the cool air from the cooled object to be utilized, without increasing the fan rotation speed.

[0066] [First Operation Example of Information Processing Device] (Operation flow) 4 is a flowchart showing a first operation example of information processing device 600 according to this embodiment. This first operation example is an operation example in which temperature change information acquisition unit 640 performs a first operation. Note that in this description, first temperature sensors 410a-410c, second temperature sensor 420, and third temperature sensor 430 will be represented by temperature sensor 400.

[0067] As shown in the figure, in the information processing device 600, first, the space information acquisition unit 610 acquires space information, which is information about the target space 100 itself and information about the arrangement of objects in the target space 100 (step 701). In addition, the target acquisition unit 620 acquires information about the target temperature at each position in the target space 100 (step 702).

[0068] Next, in the information processing device 600, the operation information acquisition unit 630 acquires operation information related to the operation of the air conditioning device 200 and the like in the target space 100 (step 703). In addition, the temperature change information acquisition unit 640 acquires information on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 400 (step 704).

[0069] Next, in the information processing device 600, the prediction unit 650 inputs the temperature information acquired in step 704 into a physics model to predict the temperature at each position in the target space 100 (step 705). Here, the physics model may be based on the spatial information acquired in step 701 and the motion information acquired in step 703.

[0070] Thereafter, in the information processing device 600, the output unit 660 outputs control parameters for controlling the air conditioning device 200 to the control device 300 (step 706). Specifically, the output unit 660 outputs control parameters that reduce the difference between the target temperature at each position in the target space 100 acquired in step 702 and the temperature at each position in the target space 100 predicted in step 705.

[0071] (Example) FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an input screen 810, which is an example of an input screen for inputting the spatial information acquired in step 701 of FIG.

[0072] As shown in the figure, an input screen 810 displays a target space object 811, which is an image object that represents the target space 100 in three dimensions. In this state, the user inputs information about the placement of objects by placing image objects on the target space object 811. In the figure, the user inputs information about the placement of the indoor units 210a and 210b by placing indoor unit objects 812a and 812b representing the indoor units 210a and 210b on the target space object 811. In addition, the user inputs information about the placement of the remote control 240 by placing a remote control object 813 representing the remote control 240 on the target space object 811. Furthermore, the user inputs information about the placement of the third temperature sensor 430 by placing an add-on sensor object 814 representing the third temperature sensor 430 (add-on sensor) on the target space object 811.

[0073] Here, the target space object 811 may be displayed by the user creating a three-dimensional drawing on the input screen 810 according to the size of the target space 100. In addition, the indoor unit objects 812a and 812b, the remote control object 813, the add-on sensor object 814, etc. may be arranged by the user selecting them from a list prepared on the input screen 810.

[0074] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an input screen 820, which is an example of an input screen for inputting information about the target temperature acquired in step 702 of FIG.

[0075] As shown in the figure, input screen 820 displays zone objects 821a-821f, which are image objects that three-dimensionally represent zones 150a-150f of target space 100, respectively. In this state, the user inputs target temperatures for zones 150a-150f by placing the target temperatures near zone objects 821a-821f that represent zones 150a-150f. In the figure, the user inputs 24°C as the target temperature for zone 150a, 24°C as the target temperature for zone 150b, and 26°C as the target temperature for zone 150c. The user also inputs 22°C as the target temperature for zone 150d, 22°C as the target temperature for zone 150e, and 26°C as the target temperature for zone 150f.

[0076] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of temperature information acquired in step 704 of Fig. 4. Note that, here, an example is taken in which the cause of the temperature change is people gathering in the center of the target space 100.

[0077] As shown in the figure, a group C of people has formed in the center of the target space 100. As a result, the intake temperature measured by the first temperature sensor 410a provided in the indoor unit 210a is 24°C, and the intake temperature measured by the first temperature sensor 410b provided in the indoor unit 210b is 25°C. The temperature measured by the second temperature sensor 420 provided in the remote control 240 is 24°C. Furthermore, the temperature measured by the third temperature sensor 430, which is an add-on sensor, is 26°C.

[0078] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the temperature of each compartment predicted in step 705 of FIG.

[0079] 7 as explanatory variables into the physical model, the prediction unit 650 predicts the temperatures of the sections 150a to 150f. It is assumed that the prediction unit 650 predicts the temperature of the section 150a to be 24°C, the temperature of the section 150b to be 24°C, and the temperature of the section 150c to be 26°C. It is also assumed that the prediction unit 650 predicts the temperature of the section 150d to be 24°C, the temperature of the section 150e to be 22°C, and the temperature of the section 150f to be 26°C.

[0080] Here, among the predicted temperatures of the sections 150a to 150f, only the temperature of the section 150d, which is hatched with diagonal lines, differs from the target temperature input on the input screen 820 in Figure 6. Specifically, the target temperature of the section 150d input on the input screen 820 in Figure 6 is 22°C, whereas the predicted temperature of the section 150d shown in Figure 8 is 24°C. On the other hand, the target temperatures of the sections other than the section 150d input on the input screen 820 in Figure 6 are the same as the predicted temperatures of the sections other than the section 150d shown in Figure 8.

[0081] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of control of the air conditioner 200 using the control parameters output in step 706 of FIG.

[0082] As described above, the target temperature for section 150d input on input screen 820 in Figure 6 is lower than the predicted temperature for section 150d shown in Figure 8. Therefore, as shown in the figure, output section 660 changes the flap angle of indoor unit 210a using the control parameters to an angle that increases the airflow. Meanwhile, as described above, the target temperatures for sections 150c and 150f input on input screen 820 in Figure 6 are the same as the predicted temperatures for sections 150c and 150f shown in Figure 8. Therefore, as shown in the figure, output section 660 stops operation of indoor unit 210b using the control parameters.

[0083] [Second Operation Example of Information Processing Device] 10 is a flowchart showing a second operation example of information processing device 600 according to the present embodiment. This second operation example is an operation example in which temperature change information acquisition unit 640 performs a second operation. Note that in this description, first temperature sensors 410a-410c, second temperature sensor 420, and third temperature sensor 430 will be represented by temperature sensor 400.

[0084] As shown in the figure, in the information processing device 600, first, the space information acquisition unit 610 acquires space information, which is information about the target space 100 itself and information about the arrangement of objects in the target space 100 (step 751). In addition, the target acquisition unit 620 acquires information about the target temperature at each position in the target space 100 (step 752).

[0085] Next, in the information processing device 600, the operation information acquisition unit 630 acquires operation information related to the operation of the air conditioning device 200 and the like in the target space 100 (step 753). In addition, the temperature change information acquisition unit 640 acquires information related to the cause of the temperature change in the target space 100 (step 754).

[0086] Next, in the information processing device 600, the prediction unit 650 inputs the temperature information measured by the temperature sensor 400 into a physical model to predict the temperature at each position in the target space 100 (step 755). Here, the physical model may be based on the spatial information acquired in step 751 and the operation information acquired in step 753.

[0087] Thereafter, in the information processing device 600, the output unit 660 outputs control parameters for controlling the air conditioning device 200 to the control device 300 (step 756). Specifically, the output unit 660 outputs control parameters that reduce the difference between the target temperature at each position in the target space 100 acquired in step 752 and the temperature at each position in the target space 100 predicted in step 755.

[0088] [program] The processes performed by information processing device 600 in this embodiment are prepared as a program such as application software, for example.

[0089] This program enables a computer to perform the following functions: detect environmental changes or factors of the environmental changes at a second location in a space that is different from a first location in the space; predict the impact on the first location and / or people or objects at the first location based on the detection; and control an adjustment device that adjusts the environment of the space to approach a predetermined goal based on the prediction.

[0090] The program for realizing this embodiment can be provided not only by communication means but also by being stored on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] 10...environmental control system, 100...target space, 200...air conditioning device, 300...control device, 400...temperature sensor, 500...input / output device, 600...information processing device, 610...space information acquisition unit, 620...target acquisition unit, 630...operation information acquisition unit, 640...temperature change information acquisition unit, 650...prediction unit, 660...output unit

Claims

1. a detection unit that detects a temperature change or a cause of the temperature change at a second position in the space, the second position being different from the first position in the space; a prediction unit that predicts an impact on the first position and / or a person or object at the first position in response to the detection by the detection unit; a control unit that controls an adjustment device that adjusts the temperature of the space in accordance with the prediction by the prediction unit so that the temperature of the first position in the space and / or a person or object at the first position approaches a predetermined target; A control system comprising:

2. the control unit controls the adjustment device to reduce the effect when the effect predicted by the prediction unit prevents the temperature of the space from approaching the predetermined target. The control system of claim 1 .

3. the control unit controls the adjustment device by utilizing the effect predicted by the prediction unit when the effect contributes to the temperature of the space approaching the predetermined target. The control system of claim 1 .

4. The control system according to claim 1 , wherein the detection unit detects an increase or decrease in the number of people or objects at the second location.

5. The control system according to claim 1 , wherein the detector detects whether a door or a window is open or closed at the second position.

6. the prediction unit uses a physical model that models the space and the adjustment device in the space; The control system of claim 1 .

7. The prediction unit further uses the physical model that models an object that affects the temperature in the space, different from the adjustment device. The control system of claim 6.

8. The control system according to claim 1 , further comprising a target acquisition unit that acquires the predetermined target input by a user.

9. an acquisition unit that acquires information about a temperature change or a cause of the temperature change at a second position in the space, the second position being different from the first position in the space; a prediction unit that predicts an impact on the first location and / or a person or object at the first location in response to the acquisition of the information by the acquisition unit; an output unit that outputs control information for an adjustment device to adjust the temperature of the first position in the space and / or a person or object at the first position so that the temperature approaches a predetermined target in accordance with the prediction by the prediction unit; An information processing device comprising:

10. On the computer, a function of detecting a temperature change or a cause of the temperature change at a second location in the space, the second location being different from the first location in the space; In response to the detection, predicting an impact on the first location and / or people or objects at the first location; a function of controlling an adjustment device that adjusts the temperature of the space in accordance with the prediction so that the temperature of the first position in the space and / or a person or object at the first position approaches a predetermined target; A program to make this happen.

Images