Air conditioning control system, terminal device, control device, operating method, and control method
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- KOBE UNIV
- Filing Date
- 2025-11-04
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-03
Smart Images
Figure 0007898701000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to an air conditioning control system that controls a plurality of air conditioners and the like.
Background Art
[0002] Conventionally, in a central heat source type air conditioning system, energy saving is achieved by introducing outside air, controlling the air conditioning based on the result of the prediction of the flow of people, or performing air blowing for moving air in the air conditioned space (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] In a conventional central heat source type air conditioning system, control for achieving energy saving as described above can be performed. However, in an air conditioning system in which remote control is not performed, such as a building mall type air conditioning system or an air conditioning system that performs individual air conditioning, the same remote control as that of an air conditioning system in which such centralized management is performed cannot be performed. For example, control for achieving energy saving could not be performed.
[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above situation, and an object thereof is to provide an air conditioning control system and the like that can achieve remote control for an air conditioner for which remote control has not been performed.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0006] To achieve the above objective, an air conditioning control system according to one aspect of the present invention comprises one or more terminal devices arranged in one or more areas, each air-conditioned by one or more air conditioning units, and a control device, wherein each terminal device includes an acquisition unit that acquires area information relating to the area in which the terminal device is located, a terminal transmission unit that transmits the area information acquired by the acquisition unit to the control device, a terminal receiving unit that receives operation instructions transmitted from the control device, and an operation unit that operates the air conditioning unit that air-conditions the area in which the terminal device is located in accordance with the operation instructions received by the terminal receiving unit, and the control device includes a receiving unit that receives area information transmitted from one or more terminal devices, a determination unit that determines the control content of the air conditioning for each of the one or more areas using the area information for each of the one or more areas received by the receiving unit, and a transmission unit that transmits operation instructions for each of the one or more terminal devices according to the control content determined by the determination unit, corresponding to the area in which the terminal device is located.
[0007] With this configuration, the control unit can control the air conditioning units in each area via terminal devices located in each area. Therefore, even one or more air conditioning units that cannot be remotely controlled can be remotely controlled by the control unit, enabling, for example, energy savings.
[0008] Furthermore, in an air conditioning control system according to one aspect of the present invention, one or more air conditioning units, one or more areas, and one or more terminal devices may each be two or more air conditioning units, two or more areas, and two or more terminal devices.
[0009] This configuration makes it possible to achieve centralized control by a control unit for multiple air conditioning units that cannot be remotely controlled.
[0010] In an air conditioning control system according to one aspect of the present invention, two or more areas may be in direct or indirect communication with each other.
[0011] With this configuration, for example, it is possible to use area information from two or more areas to perform energy-saving control for the entirety of those two or more areas.
[0012] Furthermore, in an air conditioning control system according to one aspect of the present invention, the area information may include air information relating to the air.
[0013] This configuration allows for the control of air conditioning systems in each area using air-related information such as temperature in that area.
[0014] Furthermore, in an air conditioning control system according to one aspect of the present invention, the area information may include population density.
[0015] With this configuration, the air conditioning system in each area can be controlled using the population density in that area. For example, energy savings can be achieved by reducing the intensity of the air conditioning in areas with fewer people.
[0016] Furthermore, in an air conditioning control system according to one aspect of the present invention, the operating unit may operate the air conditioning unit by outputting an infrared signal to the air conditioning unit.
[0017] With this configuration, the air conditioning system can be remotely controlled by outputting infrared signals from the terminal device.
[0018] Furthermore, in an air conditioning control system according to one aspect of the present invention, the operating unit may operate the air conditioning unit by physically pressing the operating buttons of the air conditioning unit.
[0019] This configuration allows even air conditioning systems that would normally require physical buttons to be operated to be controlled by a terminal device.
[0020] Furthermore, in an air conditioning control system according to one aspect of the present invention, the terminal device further includes an image acquisition unit that acquires a captured image of a display screen showing the result of an operation performed on the air conditioning device by an operation unit, the terminal transmission unit also transmits the captured image acquired by the image acquisition unit to the control device, the receiving unit also receives the captured image transmitted from the terminal device, and the transmission unit may transmit operation instructions such that the control content determined by the determination unit matches the result of the operation shown by the captured image received by the receiving unit.
[0021] This configuration allows the air conditioning system to be operated in such a way that the results of its operation match the predetermined control settings. For example, even if the degree of change in the set temperature with each press of the temperature increase or decrease button differs for each air conditioning system, this configuration makes it possible to achieve the desired control.
[0022] Furthermore, an air conditioning control system according to one aspect of the present invention may further include one or more air conditioning devices.
[0023] Furthermore, a terminal device according to one aspect of the present invention is a terminal device that constitutes an air conditioning control system comprising one or more terminal devices arranged in one or more areas, each air-conditioned by one or more air conditioning units, and a control device, the terminal device comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires area information relating to the area where the terminal device is located; a terminal transmission unit that transmits the area information acquired by the acquisition unit to the control device; a terminal receiving unit that receives operation instructions transmitted from the control device; and an operation unit that operates the air conditioning units that provide air conditioning to the area where the terminal device is located in accordance with the operation instructions received by the terminal receiving unit.
[0024] Further, a control device according to one aspect of the present invention is a control device that constitutes an air-conditioning control system including one or more terminal devices respectively arranged in one or more areas that are respectively air-conditioned by one or more air-conditioning devices and the control device, and includes a receiving unit that receives area information of one or more areas in which one or more terminal devices are respectively arranged, which is transmitted from the one or more terminal devices; a determining unit that determines the control content of air-conditioning for each of the one or more areas by using the area information for each of the one or more areas received by the receiving unit; and a transmitting unit that transmits, for each of the one or more terminal devices, an operation instruction corresponding to the control content determined by the determining unit, which corresponds to the area in which the terminal device is arranged.
[0025] Further, an operation method according to one aspect of the present invention is an operation method of an air-conditioning device that is processed in a terminal device that constitutes an air-conditioning control system including one or more terminal devices respectively arranged in one or more areas that are respectively air-conditioned by one or more air-conditioning devices and the control device, and includes a step in which an acquisition unit acquires area information regarding the area in which the terminal device is arranged; a step in which a terminal transmission unit transmits the area information acquired in the step of acquiring the area information to the control device; a step in which a terminal reception unit receives an operation instruction transmitted from the control device; and a step in which an operation unit operates an air-conditioning device that air-conditions the area in which the terminal device is arranged according to the operation instruction received in the step of receiving the operation instruction.
[0026] Moreover, a control method according to an aspect of the present invention is a control method processed in a control device that constitutes an air conditioning control system including one or more terminal devices respectively arranged in one or more areas where air conditioning is performed by one or two or more air conditioners, and a control device, the receiving unit receives area information of one or more areas where one or two or more terminal devices are respectively arranged, which is transmitted from one or two or more terminal devices respectively; a determining unit uses the area information of each of the one or two or more areas received in the step of receiving the one or two or more area information to determine the control content of air conditioning for each of the one or two or more areas; and a transmitting unit transmits an operation instruction corresponding to the control content determined in the step of determining the control content, for each of the one or two or more terminal devices, according to the control content corresponding to the area where the terminal device is arranged.
Advantages of the Invention
[0027] According to an air conditioning control system or the like according to an aspect of the present invention, the control device can control the air conditioners in each area via the terminal devices arranged in each area. Therefore, even for an air conditioner for which remote control has not been performed, it can be remotely controlled by the control device.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0028] [Figure 1] Schematic diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioning control system according to an embodiment of the present invention [Figure 2] Block diagram showing the configuration of a terminal device and a control device according to the same embodiment [Figure 3] Flowchart showing the operation of a terminal device according to the same embodiment [Figure 4] Flowchart showing the operation of a control device according to the same embodiment [Figure 5] Explanatory diagram regarding operations on the operation panel of an air conditioner in the same embodiment [Figure 6] Explanatory diagram regarding operations on the operation panel of an air conditioner in the same embodiment [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0029] The air conditioning control system, terminal device, control device, processing method, and control method according to the present invention will be described below using embodiments. In the following embodiments, components and steps denoted by the same reference numerals are the same or equivalent and may not be described again. In the air conditioning control system according to this embodiment, the control device remotely controls each air conditioning unit by controlling the air conditioning units in each area via terminal devices located in each area.
[0030] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the air conditioning control system 100 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the air conditioning control system 100 comprises multiple air conditioning units 10-1 to 10-4 that provide air conditioning to multiple areas 3-1 to 3-4, multiple terminal devices 20-1 to 20-4 arranged in each of the multiple areas 3-1 to 3-4, and a control device 30 that controls the multiple air conditioning units 10-1 to 10-4 by having the multiple terminal devices 20-1 to 20-4 operate the air conditioning units 10-1 to 10-4. The multiple areas 3-1 to 3-4 may, for example, be included in a single air-conditioned space. Note that when the air conditioning units 10-1 to 10-4 are not particularly distinguished, they may be referred to as air conditioning unit 10. The same applies to other components, etc. Furthermore, the multiple terminal devices 20 and the control device 30 communicate via wired or wireless communication lines. In this embodiment, the case where the communication is performed wirelessly will be mainly described. The wireless communication may be, for example, wireless LAN communication such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), other short-range wireless communication, or wireless communication via the Internet. The wired communication line may be, for example, the Internet, an intranet, or a public telephone network.
[0031] Furthermore, this embodiment mainly describes the case where there are four areas 3, four air conditioning units 10, and four terminal devices 20, as shown in Figure 1, but this is not required. The number of each may be one or any number of two or more. In addition, this embodiment mainly describes the case where there are multiple areas 3, four air conditioning units 10, and four terminal devices 20, but the number of each may be one.
[0032] Multiple areas 3 may be in direct or indirect communication with each other. Multiple areas 3 that are in direct or indirect communication may include, for example, multiple areas 3 that are in vertical communication with each other, or multiple areas 3 that are in horizontal communication with each other. This embodiment primarily describes the case where multiple areas 3 are in direct or indirect communication with each other, but this is not always the case. Multiple areas 3 may include areas 3 that are not in direct or indirect communication with other areas 3.
[0033] Direct communication between multiple areas 3 means, for example, that multiple areas 3 are adjacent to each other, and that at the point of adjacency, multiple areas 3 are connected in such a way that air can circulate within the space. Partitions such as walls or floors may or may not exist between the directly connected multiple areas 3. In the former case, the multiple areas 3 may communicate through openings in the partitions, and in the latter case, the multiple areas 3 may be spaces that are virtually divided from a larger space. As an example, areas 3-1 and 3-2 in Figure 1 are two directly connected areas. This embodiment mainly describes the case where there are no partitions between areas 3, and areas 3-1 to 3-4 constitute a single air-conditioned space.
[0034] Multiple areas 3 being indirectly connected means, for example, that multiple areas 3 are connected in such a way that air can circulate within the space via other areas 3 or other spaces (e.g., corridors, stairwells, open spaces, escalators, spaces without air conditioning, etc.).
[0035] Multiple air conditioning units 10 may, for example, independently provide air conditioning to multiple areas 3. This embodiment will mainly describe this case. When multiple air conditioning units 10 independently provide air conditioning to multiple areas 3, for example, they may be able to supply air at different temperatures to each area 3. That is, multiple air conditioning units 10 may be able to independently set the temperature of the air supplied to each area 3. Air conditioning may include, for example, adjusting the temperature of the air-conditioned space, adjusting the humidity of the air-conditioned space, or adjusting the ventilation of the air-conditioned space. Air conditioning units 10 may, for example, be building-wide air conditioning units (i.e., multi-split air conditioning systems for buildings) or individual air conditioning units, or other types of air conditioning units that are not directly centrally managed by the control device 30. Individual air conditioning units 10 may, for example, be household air conditioning units.
[0036] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the terminal device 20 and the control device 30. For the sake of explanation, Figure 2 shows the case where the control device 30 communicates with only one terminal device 20, but the control device 30 may communicate with, for example, two or more terminal devices 20.
[0037] As shown in Figure 2, the terminal device 20 may include an acquisition unit 21, an image acquisition unit 22, a terminal transmission unit 23, a terminal reception unit 24, and an operation unit 25.
[0038] The acquisition unit 21 acquires area information relating to the area 3 where the terminal device 20 equipped with the acquisition unit 21 is located. The acquisition unit 21 may, for example, acquire area information periodically, or it may acquire area information when the terminal receiving unit 24 receives an acquisition instruction transmitted from the control device 30. The area information may include, for example, air information relating to the air, or it may include population density.
[0039] The air information shall include at least temperature. Furthermore, the air information may also include one or more of the following: humidity, carbon dioxide concentration, etc. The acquisition unit 21 may acquire air information using, for example, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a carbon dioxide concentration meter, etc., and may receive measurement results from these sensors. The temperature sensor, etc., may be placed, for example, on the walls, ceiling, floor, etc., of area 3.
[0040] The acquisition unit 21 may, for example, acquire the total or partial number of people in area 3 and calculate the population density by dividing the acquired number by the area of the acquired region. The acquisition unit 21 may, for example, acquire the total or partial number of people in area 3 using captured images acquired by a camera. The method for identifying people in captured images is already publicly known, and its explanation will be omitted. The acquisition unit 21 may also, for example, acquire the total or partial number of people in area 3 using MAC (Media Access Control) addresses included in wireless signals transmitted from mobile terminals such as smartphones. The acquisition unit 21 may also, for example, acquire the total or partial number of people in area 3 using LiDAR. The acquisition unit 21 may, for example, acquire population density using a camera, or it may accept population density acquired using a camera, etc., by another device.
[0041] When the acquisition unit 21 acquires the population density using a camera, it may determine the number of people included in the captured image acquired using the camera, and then calculate the population density by dividing the determined number by the floor area of area 3 corresponding to the captured image.
[0042] When the acquisition unit 21 acquires population density using a wireless signal, it may acquire population density by counting the number of MAC addresses identified for the wireless signal received during a predetermined period and dividing the result of this count by the area corresponding to the reception range of the wireless signal. In this case, the population density may be acquired by assuming that each person in area 3 holds one wireless communication terminal. Alternatively, for example, if it is statistically known that the number of wireless communication terminals held per person in a certain area 3 is greater than 1 or less than 1, the number of people in the reception range of the wireless signal may be calculated by multiplying the MAC address count by a predetermined coefficient different from 1.
[0043] When the acquisition unit 21 acquires the population density using LiDAR, it may use the LiDAR measurement results to identify the number of people within the LiDAR's measurement range, and then acquire the population density by dividing that identified number by the area of the LiDAR's measurement range. Alternatively, the acquisition unit 21 may acquire the population density by other methods.
[0044] The image acquisition unit 22 acquires an image of the display screen that shows the results of operations performed on the air conditioning unit 10 by the operation unit 25. The image acquisition unit 22 may also acquire an image of the display screen of the operation panel of the air conditioning unit 10 that provides air conditioning to area 3, which is located on the wall surface of area 3. The display screen may show, for example, the set temperature, set humidity, and the power on / off status of the air conditioning unit 10, which are the results of operations performed by the operation unit 25. The image acquisition unit 22 may also acquire an image of the display screen after operations have been performed by the operation unit 25.
[0045] The image acquisition unit 22 may, for example, capture images, or it may receive images captured by another device such as a camera. In the former case, the image acquisition unit 22 may have an optical device such as a camera for taking images, while in the latter case, the image acquisition unit 22 does not need to have such an optical device.
[0046] The terminal transmission unit 23 may transmit area information acquired by the acquisition unit 21 to the control device 30. The terminal transmission unit 23 may also transmit captured images acquired by the image acquisition unit 22 to the control device 30. The terminal transmission unit 23 may transmit area information and captured images together with an area identifier that identifies the area 3 where the terminal device 20 equipped with the terminal transmission unit 23 is located.
[0047] The terminal transmission unit 23 may or may not include a wired or wireless transmission device (e.g., a modem or network card) for transmission. Furthermore, the terminal transmission unit 23 may be implemented by hardware or by software such as a driver for operating the transmission device.
[0048] The terminal receiving unit 24 receives operation instructions transmitted from the control device 30. These operation instructions may be generated, for example, based at least on area information transmitted from the terminal transmitting unit 23. The terminal receiving unit 24 may also receive instructions to acquire area information transmitted from the control device 30.
[0049] The terminal receiving unit 24 may or may not include a wired or wireless receiving device (e.g., a modem or network card) for receiving data. Furthermore, the terminal receiving unit 24 may be implemented by hardware or by software such as a driver for operating the receiving device.
[0050] The operation unit 25 operates the air conditioning unit 10 that provides air conditioning for area 3 where the terminal device 20 is located, in response to operation instructions received by the terminal receiving unit 24. In this way, the control device 30 can remotely operate the air conditioning unit 10 via the terminal device 20.
[0051] The operating unit 25 may, for example, operate the air conditioning unit 10 by outputting an infrared signal to the air conditioning unit 10 if the air conditioning unit 10 is capable of remote operation by infrared signals. For example, in the case of an air conditioning unit 10 that is capable of remote operation by infrared signals, such as an individual air conditioning system air conditioning unit 10, operation may be performed by outputting an infrared signal.
[0052] Furthermore, the operating unit 25 may operate the air conditioning unit 10 by, for example, physically pressing the operation buttons of the air conditioning unit 10. For example, if the air conditioning unit 10 is operated by an operation panel located on a wall or the like, and the operation panel has one or more operation buttons for operating the air conditioning unit 10, the air conditioning unit 10 may be operated by the operating unit 25 by physically pressing those operation buttons. The physical pressing of the operation buttons may be, for example, physically pressing a hardware button (physical button), or physically pressing an operation button displayed on a touch panel. In the latter case, for example, the degree of pressing may be less than in the former case. Also, if the touch panel is capacitive, it is preferable that, for example, the member that contacts the touch panel has a mechanism that can change the capacitance of the touch panel.
[0053] When the air conditioning unit 10 is operated by physically pressing an operation button, the operating unit 25 may have, for example, an operating mechanism for operating the operation button. The operating unit 25 may have, for example, an operating mechanism for one or more operation buttons that are to be operated. The operating mechanism may have, for example, a contact part that contacts the operation button and a moving part that moves the contact part in the direction in which the operation button is pressed. The moving part may be, for example, a one-axis actuator such as an air cylinder or solenoid for moving the contact part in one axis direction, or it may be a driving means such as a motor for rotating the contact part.
[0054] As shown in Figure 2, the control device 30 may include a receiving unit 31, a storage unit 32, a determination unit 33, and a transmission unit 34.
[0055] The receiving unit 31 receives area information transmitted from each of the multiple terminal devices 20. The receiving unit 31 may also receive captured images transmitted from the terminal devices 20. The received area information and captured images may be stored, for example, in the storage unit 32. If an area identifier identifying area 3 is also received along with the area information and captured images, the area information and other data may be stored in the storage unit 32 in association with that area identifier.
[0056] The receiving unit 31 may or may not include a wired or wireless receiving device (e.g., a modem or network card) for receiving data. Furthermore, the receiving unit 31 may be implemented by hardware or by software such as a driver for the receiving device.
[0057] As described above, the storage unit 32 may store area information and captured images for each area 3. The storage unit 32 may also store, for example, the current settings of the air conditioning unit 10 for each area 3. Furthermore, the storage unit 32 may store other information. The storage unit 32 is preferably implemented using a non-volatile recording medium, but may also be implemented using a volatile recording medium. The recording medium may be, for example, a semiconductor memory or a magnetic disk.
[0058] The determination unit 33 uses the area information for each of the multiple areas 3 received by the receiving unit 31 to determine the air conditioning control content for each of the multiple areas 3. The air conditioning control content may be, for example, control of the power supply of the air conditioning unit 10 (i.e., on and off), control of the set temperature, control of the set humidity, control of the airflow, etc. The set temperature and set humidity may be, for example, a target temperature and a target humidity. When determining the air conditioning control content for a certain area 3, the determination unit 33 may use only the area information for that area 3, or it may also use the area information for areas 3 other than that area 3.
[0059] The decision unit 33 may, for example, determine a control action to turn off the air conditioning unit 10 in areas 3 where the population density is less than a predetermined first threshold. Alternatively, the decision unit 33 may determine a control action to lower the set temperature by a predetermined value from the reference value in areas 3 where the population density is greater than a second threshold. The second threshold may be a value greater than the first threshold.
[0060] Furthermore, the decision unit 33 may determine, for example, that for a certain area 3, if the absolute value of the difference between the temperature indicated by the air information included in the area information and the set temperature is smaller than a third threshold, it will turn off the air conditioning unit 10 that provides air conditioning to that area 3. However, when the decision unit 33 turns off the air conditioning unit 10 in a certain area 3, it may also turn on the air conditioning units 10 in areas 3 adjacent to that area 3. For this reason, the decision unit 33 may, for example, determine that the air conditioning unit 10 will be turned off for the area 3 where the absolute value of the difference between the temperature indicated by the air information and the set temperature is smallest, and the absolute value of that difference is smaller than a third threshold, and then determine that the air conditioning units 10 will be turned on for areas 3 adjacent to that area 3. The decision unit 33 may also repeat this determination of control contents for areas 3 where the starting and stopping of the air conditioning units 10 has not been determined. The decision unit 33 may, for example, use information indicating the positional relationship of multiple areas 3 to identify areas 3 adjacent to a certain area 3. That information may be stored, for example, in the memory unit 32.
[0061] Furthermore, the determination of the control content for each area 3 by the determination unit 33 is not limited to the above description. The determination unit 33 may determine control content similar to that performed in conventional central heat source type air conditioning systems. For example, the control content for the air conditioning of each area 3 may be determined in the same way as the control method described in Patent Document 1 and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2025-126776.
[0062] The determination unit 33 may, for example, store the control content determined for each area 3 in the storage unit 32. The transmission unit 34 transmits operation instructions corresponding to the control content to the terminal devices 20 in each area 3, thereby setting the air conditioning units 10 in each area 3 according to that control content. Therefore, the control content stored in the storage unit 32 in this way may indicate the current settings of the air conditioning units 10. The initial values of the settings for each of the multiple air conditioning units 10 may, for example, be stored in the storage unit 32 manually. Alternatively, the initial settings for each of the multiple air conditioning units 10 may be performed manually according to the initial values of the settings for each of the multiple air conditioning units 10 stored in the storage unit 32.
[0063] The transmitting unit 34 transmits an operation instruction to each of the multiple terminal devices 20, corresponding to the control content determined by the determination unit 33 for the area 3 where the terminal device 20 is located. The transmitting unit 34 may, for example, transmit an operation instruction to a terminal device 20 located in a certain area 3, according to the control content determined for that area 3. The operation instruction according to the determined control content may be an operation instruction to realize that control content. For example, if the control content is to turn off the power, the operation instruction may be an instruction to turn off the power, or an instruction to press the power button. Also, for example, if the control content is to set the temperature to 24°C, and the current set temperature is 26°C, the operation instruction may be an instruction to set the temperature to 24°C, or an instruction to press the button to lower the set temperature. Thus, the operation instruction may be generated using, for example, the current setting content and the determined control content. The operation instruction according to the control content may be generated by, for example, the transmitting unit 34, or by the determination unit 33. In this embodiment, the latter case will be mainly described. Furthermore, operation instructions may be stored in the memory unit 32 for each area 3, for example.
[0064] Furthermore, the transmitting unit 34 may transmit operation instructions such that the control content determined by the determination unit 33 matches the result of the operation indicated by the captured image received by the receiving unit 31. For example, if the control content for a certain area 3 is to set the temperature to 24°C, and the operation instruction transmitted to the terminal device 20 of that area 3 is to press the button to lower the set temperature, the transmitting unit 34 may transmit the operation instruction to the terminal device 20 of that area 3 until the current set temperature obtained from the captured image for that area 3 becomes 24°C. The current settings of the air conditioning unit 10 may also be obtained by performing character recognition or the like on the captured image. The process of obtaining the current settings from the captured image may be performed by the transmitting unit 34, for example, or by a component other than the transmitting unit 34, such as the determination unit 33.
[0065] Furthermore, if the acquisition of area information in the terminal device 20 is performed in response to the receipt of an acquisition instruction, the transmission unit 34 may transmit an acquisition instruction to each of the multiple terminal devices 20. In this way, when area information is acquired in response to the transmission of an acquisition instruction, the control device 30 can determine the timing of the acquisition of the area information, and it is also possible to ensure that area information is acquired simultaneously in each terminal device 20.
[0066] The transmitting unit 34 may or may not include a wired or wireless transmitting device (e.g., a modem or network card) for transmission. Furthermore, the transmitting unit 34 may be implemented by hardware or by software such as a driver for operating the transmitting device.
[0067] Next, the operation of the terminal device 20 will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 3.
[0068] (Step S101) The acquisition unit 21 determines whether to acquire area information. If it decides to acquire area information, it proceeds to step S102; otherwise, it proceeds to step S104. The acquisition unit 21 may, for example, periodically decide whether to acquire area information, or it may decide to acquire area information when it receives an instruction to acquire area information from the terminal receiving unit 24.
[0069] (Step S102) The acquisition unit 21 acquires area information.
[0070] (Step S103) The terminal transmission unit 23 transmits the area information acquired in step S102 to the control device 30. The terminal transmission unit 23 may also transmit the area information along with the area identifier of the area 3 where the terminal device 20 equipped with the terminal transmission unit 23 is located. Then, the process returns to step S101.
[0071] (Step S104) The terminal receiving unit 24 determines whether it has received an operation instruction. If it has received an operation instruction, it proceeds to step S105; otherwise, it returns to step S101.
[0072] (Step S105) The control unit 25 performs an operation on the air conditioning unit 10 in accordance with the operation instruction received in step S104. This air conditioning unit 10 is the air conditioning unit 10 that provides air conditioning for area 3 where the terminal device 20 equipped with the control unit 25 is located.
[0073] (Step S106) The image acquisition unit 22 acquires a captured image of the display screen that shows the results of the operation on the air conditioning unit 10.
[0074] (Step S107) The terminal transmission unit 23 transmits the captured image acquired in step S106 to the control device 30. In this case as well, the terminal transmission unit 23 may transmit the captured image together with the area identifier. Then, the process returns to step S101.
[0075] Note that the order of processing in the flowchart in Figure 3 is just one example, and the order of each step may be changed if similar results can be obtained. Also, in the flowchart in Figure 3, processing may be terminated by power off or processing termination interrupt.
[0076] Next, the operation of the control device 30 will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 4.
[0077] (Step S201) The receiving unit 31 determines whether it has received area information. If it has received area information, it proceeds to step S202; otherwise, it proceeds to step S203.
[0078] (Step S202) The receiving unit 31 stores the received area information in the storage unit 32. If an area identifier is received along with the area information, the receiving unit 31 may store the area information in the storage unit 32 in association with the area identifier. Also, if past area information for a certain area 3 is stored in the storage unit 32, the receiving unit 31 may, for example, overwrite the past area information with the new area information. Then, the process returns to step S201.
[0079] (Step S203) The decision unit 33 determines whether to determine the control content for each area 3. If it determines the control content, it proceeds to step S204; otherwise, it returns to step S201. The decision unit 33 may, for example, periodically determine whether to determine the control content, or it may determine whether to determine the control content when the latest area information for all areas 3 has been stored in the storage unit 32.
[0080] (Step S204) The determination unit 33 uses the area information for each of the multiple areas 3 stored in the storage unit 32 to determine the control content for each of the multiple areas 3.
[0081] (Step S205) The transmitting unit 34 transmits operation instructions to the multiple terminal devices 20, each corresponding to the control content. It is preferable for the transmitting unit 34 to transmit operation instructions to all terminal devices 20. The operation instructions corresponding to the control content may also be generated, for example, by the determination unit 33.
[0082] (Step S206) The receiving unit 31 determines whether it has received the captured image. If it has received the captured image, it proceeds to step S207; otherwise, it proceeds to step S209. It is preferable that the receiving unit 31 receives the area identifier along with the captured image.
[0083] (Step S207) The transmitting unit 34 determines whether the control content determined in step S206 for area 3 where the captured image was received matches the result of the operation indicated by the received captured image. If they match, the unit returns to step S206; otherwise, it proceeds to step S208. For example, if the transmitting unit 34 returns to step S206, it may store information such as a match flag in the storage unit 32, associated with the area identifier of area 3, to indicate that they match. As an example, if they match, the match flag may be set to "1".
[0084] (Step S208) The transmitting unit 34 transmits an operation instruction to the terminal device 20 in area 3 where the captured image was received in step S206, according to the decision made for area 3. The transmitting unit 34 may, for example, transmit the same operation instruction to the terminal device 20 in area 3 as the one transmitted previously. Then, the process returns to step S206.
[0085] (Step S209) The transmitting unit 34 determines whether the determined control content matches the result of the operation shown by the received captured image for all areas 3 that are air-conditioned by the multiple air conditioning units 10 controlled by the control device 30. If the determined content and the result of the operation match for all areas 3, the unit returns to step S201; otherwise, it returns to step S206. The transmitting unit 34 may determine that the determined content and the result of the operation match for all areas 3 if, for example, the match flags stored in the storage unit 32 are set to "1" for all areas 3. In this case, for example, when returning to step S201, all match flags may be reset to "0".
[0086] Note that the order of processing in the flowchart in Figure 4 is just one example, and the order of each step may be changed if similar results can be obtained. Also, in the flowchart in Figure 4, processing may be terminated by power off or processing termination interrupt.
[0087] Next, the operation of the air conditioning control system 100 according to this embodiment will be explained using a specific example. In this example, each air conditioning unit 10 is operated by the operation panel 11 shown in Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5 is a front view of the operation panel 11, and Figure 6 is a side view of the operation panel 11. Note that in Figure 6, the cooling button and heating button are omitted for the sake of explanation.
[0088] The control panel 11 may have a power button 11a for switching the power of the air conditioning unit 10 on and off, an increase button 11b for raising the set temperature, a decrease button 11c for lowering the set temperature, a cooling button and a heating button for switching between cooling and heating, and a display screen 12 for displaying the results of the operation. The control panel 11 also has the operating mechanisms 251 and 252 of the operating unit 25. Operating mechanism 251 is for operating the power button 11a, and operating mechanism 252 is for operating the temperature increase button 11b and temperature decrease button 11c. Operating mechanism 251 may have a contact portion 251a that contacts the power button 11a, and a movable portion (not shown) that rotates the contact portion 251a in the direction of the double arrow shown in Figure 6. Furthermore, the operating mechanism 252 may have a contact portion 252a that contacts the set temperature increase button 11b, a contact portion 252b that contacts the set temperature decrease button 11c, and a movable portion (not shown) that rotates the contact portions 252a and 252b in the direction of the double arrows shown in Figure 6. The movable portion of the operating mechanisms 251 and 252 may be, for example, a motor that rotates the contact portions 251a, 252a, and 252b. If the cooling and heating buttons on the control panel 11 are to be operated remotely, operating mechanisms may also be provided for them.
[0089] Furthermore, in this specific example, as shown in Figure 6, the display screen 12 is photographed by the image acquisition unit 22, which is positioned so that its optical axis is in the direction of the normal to the display screen 12 or a direction close to it, and the captured image is acquired.
[0090] Although not shown in Figure 6, the terminal device 20 may have a support for the image acquisition unit 22. Furthermore, the exchange of information between the terminal receiving unit 24 and the operating mechanisms 251 and 252 of the operating unit 25, and between the image acquisition unit 22 and the terminal transmitting unit 23, may be carried out independently, for example, via wired or wireless connections.
[0091] The transmitting unit 34 of the control device 30 transmits an instruction to acquire area information to each terminal device 20 when the time scheduled for acquiring area information arrives. When the terminal receiving unit 24 of each terminal device 20 receives the acquisition instruction, the acquisition unit 21 determines that area information should be acquired (step S101), acquires the area information at that time, and passes it to the terminal transmitting unit 23 (step S102). In this specific example, it is assumed that this area information includes the temperature and population density of area 3. Upon receiving the area information, the terminal transmitting unit 23 transmits the area identifier stored in the recording medium (not shown) of the terminal device 20 and the received area information to the control device 30 (step S103).
[0092] When the receiving unit 31 of the control device 30 receives the area identifier and area information from the terminal device 20 of each area 3, it associates the two and stores them in the storage unit 32 (steps S201, S202). In this way, the area information of each area 3 is stored in the storage unit 32.
[0093] Subsequently, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the transmission of the acquisition instruction, the determination unit 33 determines the control content for each area 3 using the area information for each area 3 stored in the storage unit 32 (steps S203, S204). The determination unit 33 also determines the operation instructions corresponding to the control content determined for each area 3, passes the operation instructions for each area 3 to the transmission unit 34, and stores the control content and operation instructions for each area 3 in the storage unit 32. It is assumed that the control content and operation instructions are stored in the storage unit 32 associated with the area identifier of the corresponding area 3.
[0094] Upon receiving an operation instruction for each area 3, the transmission unit 34 transmits each operation instruction to the terminal device 20 located in the area 3 corresponding to that instruction (step S205).
[0095] The operation instructions transmitted from the control device 30 are received by the terminal receiving unit 24 of the terminal device 20 in the corresponding area 3 and passed to the operation unit 25 (step S104). The operation unit 25 then operates the air conditioning unit 10 according to the operation instructions (step S105). Specifically, when an operation instruction to lower the set temperature is received, the operation unit 25 of terminal device 20-1 presses the lower button 11c to lower the set temperature using the contact part 252b in accordance with the operation instruction. As a result, the set temperature is lowered from 25°C to 24°C. Subsequently, the image acquisition unit 22 of terminal device 20-1 captures and acquires an image of the display screen 12 showing the set temperature "24°C", and passes the captured image to the terminal transmission unit 23 (step S106). Upon receiving the captured image, the terminal transmission unit 23 transmits the captured image and the area identifier of area 3-1 to the control device 30 (step S107).
[0096] The captured image and area identifier transmitted from the terminal device 20-1 are received by the receiving unit 31 of the control device 30 and passed to the transmitting unit 34 (step S206). Upon receiving the captured image and area identifier, the transmitting unit 34 performs character recognition on the captured image to identify the set temperature after the operation, "24°C," and determines whether that set temperature matches the control content stored in the storage unit 32 associated with the received area identifier (step S207). In this specific example, let's assume that the control content was "23°C." Since the two do not match, the transmitting unit 34 reads the operation instruction stored in the storage unit 32 associated with the area identifier of area 3-1 and transmits that operation instruction back to the terminal device 20-1 (step S208).
[0097] The operation instruction transmitted from the control device 30 is received by the terminal receiving unit 24 of the terminal device 20-1 in area 3-1 and passed to the operation unit 25 (step S104). The operation unit 25 then performs the operation to lower the set temperature of the air conditioner 10 again in accordance with the operation instruction (step S105). Suppose the set temperature drops from 24°C to 23°C. Subsequently, the image acquisition unit 22 of the terminal device 20-1 captures and acquires an image of the display screen 12 showing the set temperature "23°C", and passes the captured image to the terminal transmission unit 23 (step S106). Upon receiving the captured image, the terminal transmission unit 23 transmits the captured image and the area identifier of area 3-1 to the control device 30 (step S107).
[0098] The captured image and area identifier transmitted from the terminal device 20-1 are received by the receiving unit 31 of the control device 30 and passed to the transmitting unit 34 (step S206). Upon receiving the captured image and area identifier, the transmitting unit 34 performs character recognition on the captured image to identify the set temperature after the operation, "23°C," and determines whether that set temperature matches the control content "23°C" stored in the storage unit 32, which is associated with the received area identifier (step S207). In this case, since the two match, the transmitting unit 34 does not transmit the operation instruction again.
[0099] In this way, for each of the multiple terminal devices 20, the operation instruction is repeatedly transmitted until the control content matches the result of the operation shown by the captured image (steps S206 to S209). In this manner, finally, for each of the multiple areas 3, the control content determined by the determination unit 33 matches the result of the operation by the operation unit 25, and each air conditioning unit 10 performs air conditioning according to the determination content determined by the determination unit 33.
[0100] As described above, with the air conditioning control system 100 according to this embodiment, the control device 30 can control the air conditioning units 10 in each area 3 via terminal devices 20 located in each area 3. Therefore, even for one or more air conditioning units 10 that are not centrally managed, the control device 30 can centrally control them using air information and human density in each area 3, thereby achieving, for example, energy savings.
[0101] Furthermore, when the control unit 25 operates the air conditioning unit 10 by outputting an infrared signal, the terminal device 20 in area 3 can be positioned with greater flexibility. For example, the terminal device 20 can be positioned on the ceiling or in other locations that do not obstruct people in area 3.
[0102] Furthermore, when the control unit 25 operates the air conditioning unit 10 by physically pressing the operation buttons on the air conditioning unit 10, remote control becomes possible for the air conditioning unit 10 that is operated by the physical pressing of the operation buttons. Also, as in the specific example above, by using the operating mechanism to physically press the operation buttons, remote control becomes possible for operation buttons arbitrarily placed on the control panel.
[0103] Furthermore, by using the captured image, the transmission unit 34 transmits operation instructions so that the determined control content matches the result of the operation shown by the received captured image. This makes it possible to achieve the desired control even if the operation in response to the operation differs for each air conditioning unit 10, or if the operation in response to the operation of an air conditioning unit 10 is unknown. For example, even if one air conditioning unit 10 raises the set temperature by 1 degree each time the set temperature increase button is pressed, and another air conditioning unit 10 raises the set temperature by 0.5 degrees each time the set temperature increase button is pressed, the air conditioning unit 10 can be operated to set according to the determined control content by using the captured image.
[0104] In this embodiment, the description mainly focused on the case where, in the terminal device 20, an image acquisition unit 22 acquires a captured image of the display screen showing the result of the operation, and the control device 30 transmits an operation instruction based on that captured image. However, this is not always the case. For example, if the operation in response to the operation instruction is performed by outputting an infrared signal, the acquisition of a captured image is not required. In this case, the terminal device 20 does not need to be equipped with an image acquisition unit 22.
[0105] Furthermore, if the air conditioning unit 10 can be controlled via wireless communication such as a wireless LAN, the operation unit 25 of the terminal device 20 may operate the air conditioning unit 10 via that wireless communication. In this case, the operation unit 25 may be implemented by hardware, such as a transmitting device that transmits operation signals compliant with the wireless communication, or by software such as a driver that drives the transmitting device.
[0106] Furthermore, although this embodiment mainly describes the case where there are multiple areas 3, air conditioning units 10, and terminal devices 20, their numbers may be one or more. When there are one or more areas 3, air conditioning units 10, and terminal devices 20, for example, the multiple areas 3, multiple air conditioning units 10, and multiple terminal devices 20 in this embodiment may be read as one or more areas 3, one or more air conditioning units 10, and one or more terminal devices 20, respectively. More specifically, the receiving unit 31 may receive area information transmitted from one or more terminal devices 20. The determination unit 33 may also use the received area information for each of the one or more areas 3 to determine the control content for the air conditioning for each of the one or more areas 3. The transmitting unit 34 may also transmit operation instructions to each of the one or more terminal devices 20 corresponding to the determined control content for the area 3 where the terminal device 20 is located.
[0107] Furthermore, although this embodiment mainly describes a case where the control device 30 automatically controls the air conditioning units 10 in each area 3 via the terminal device 20 using area information for each area 3, the control device 30 may also accept manual input and remotely control the air conditioning units 10 via the terminal device 20 in response to that input. For example, the power on and off of the air conditioning units 10 in each area 3 may be switched in response to manual input to the control device 30. In addition, the air conditioning units 10 in each area 3 may also be controlled manually directly. For example, if a person in a certain area 3 feels hot, the set temperature of the air conditioning unit 10 in that area 3 may be changed manually.
[0108] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, each process or function may be implemented by centralized processing by a single device or a single system, or by distributed processing by multiple devices or multiple systems.
[0109] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the exchange of information between each component may, for example, be performed by outputting information from one component and receiving information from the other component if the two components performing the information exchange are physically different, or by moving from the processing phase corresponding to one component to the processing phase corresponding to the other component if the two components performing the information exchange are physically the same.
[0110] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, information related to the processing performed by each component, such as information received, acquired, selected, generated, transmitted, or received by each component, as well as information such as thresholds, formulas, and addresses used by each component in processing, may be temporarily or for a long period of time stored in a recording medium (not shown), even if not explicitly stated in the above description. The storage of information in the recording medium (not shown) may be performed by each component or a storage unit (not shown). The reading of information from the recording medium (not shown) may be performed by each component or a reading unit (not shown).
[0111] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, if the information used in each component, such as thresholds, addresses, and various setting values used by each component in processing, can be changed by the user, then even if not explicitly stated in the above description, the user may be allowed to change such information as appropriate, or not. If the user can change such information, the change may be implemented, for example, by a receiving unit (not shown) that receives change instructions from the user and a changing unit (not shown) that changes the information in response to those change instructions. The receiving unit (not shown) may receive change instructions from an input device, receive information transmitted via a communication line, or receive information read from a predetermined recording medium.
[0112] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, if two or more components included in the terminal device 20 and the control device 30 have communication devices, input devices, etc., the two or more components may have a single physical device or they may have separate devices.
[0113] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, each component may be configured with dedicated hardware, or, if it is a component that can be implemented by software, it may be implemented by executing a program. For example, each component can be implemented by a program execution unit such as a CPU reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or semiconductor memory. During execution, the program execution unit may execute the program while accessing the storage unit or recording medium.
[0114] Furthermore, this program may be executed by being downloaded from a server or the like, or by being read from a predetermined recording medium (for example, an optical disc such as a CD-ROM, a magnetic disc, or a semiconductor memory). This program may also be used as a program constituting a program product.
[0115] Furthermore, the computer running this program may be a single computer or multiple computers. That is, it may perform centralized processing or distributed processing.
[0116] Furthermore, the embodiments described above are illustrative examples for specifically carrying out the present invention and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention. The technical scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than by the description of the embodiments, and modifications within the literal scope and equivalent meaning of the claims are intended. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0117] 10 Air conditioner 20 Terminal devices 21 Acquisition Department 22 Image acquisition unit 23 Terminal transmission unit 24 Terminal receiving unit 25 Control section 30 Control device 31 Receiver 32 Storage section 33 Decision Section 34 Transmitter 100 Air Conditioning Control System
Claims
1. A control device comprising two or more terminal devices and a control device, each located in two or more areas that are air-conditioned by two or more air conditioning units, The two or more areas mentioned above are directly or indirectly connected. The aforementioned terminal device is An acquisition unit that acquires area information relating to the area where the terminal device is located, A terminal transmission unit transmits area information acquired by the acquisition unit to the control device, A terminal receiving unit that receives operation instructions transmitted from the control device, The device includes an operating unit that operates an air conditioning unit that provides air conditioning for the area where the terminal device is located, in response to an operation instruction received by the terminal receiving unit. The control device is A receiving unit that receives area information transmitted from each of the two or more terminal devices, A determination unit that determines the control content of the air conditioning for each of the two or more areas using the area information for each of the two or more areas received by the receiving unit, An air conditioning control system comprising: a transmission unit that transmits operation instructions to each of the two or more terminal devices according to the control content determined by the determination unit, corresponding to the area where the terminal device is located.
2. A control device comprising one or more terminal devices and one or more terminal devices arranged in one or more areas, each of which is air-conditioned by one or more air conditioning units, The aforementioned terminal device is An acquisition unit that acquires area information relating to the area where the terminal device is located, A terminal transmission unit transmits area information acquired by the acquisition unit to the control device, A terminal receiving unit that receives operation instructions transmitted from the control device, An operating unit that operates an air conditioning unit that provides air conditioning for the area where the terminal device is located, in response to an operation instruction received by the terminal receiving unit, The system includes an image acquisition unit that acquires a captured image of a display screen showing the results of operations performed on the air conditioning system by the aforementioned operation unit, The control unit operates the air conditioning unit by physically pressing the control buttons of the air conditioning unit. The terminal transmission unit also transmits the captured image acquired by the image acquisition unit to the control device. The control device is A receiving unit that receives area information and captured images transmitted from one or more terminal devices, respectively, A determination unit that determines the control content of the air conditioning for each of the one or more areas using the area information for each of the one or more areas received by the receiving unit, An air conditioning control system comprising: a transmitting unit that transmits operation instructions to each of the one or more terminal devices such that the control content determined by the determination unit, corresponding to the area where the terminal device is located, matches the result of the operation shown by the captured image received by the receiving unit.
3. The air conditioning control system according to claim 2, wherein the one or more air conditioning units, the one or more areas, and the one or more terminal devices are, respectively, two or more air conditioning units, two or more areas, and two or more terminal devices.
4. The air conditioning control system according to claim 3, wherein the two or more areas are in direct or indirect communication.
5. The air conditioning control system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the area information includes air information relating to air.
6. The air conditioning control system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the area information includes population density.
7. The air conditioning control system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the operating unit operates the air conditioning device by outputting an infrared signal to the air conditioning device.
8. The air conditioning control system according to claim 1, wherein the operating unit operates the air conditioning device by physically pressing the operating buttons of the air conditioning device.
9. An air conditioning control system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising the aforementioned air conditioning device.
10. A terminal device comprising the air conditioning control system according to any one of Claims 1 to 4.
11. A control device comprising the air conditioning control system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
12. An operating method that includes all processing performed by a terminal device constituting the air conditioning control system according to any one of Claims 1 to 4.
13. A control method that includes all processing performed by a control device constituting the air conditioning control system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.