Air conditioner control device, control method, program, and air conditioner control system

Abstract

An air conditioner control device according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a distance acquisition unit and an adjustment unit. The distance acquisition unit acquires the distance between a target person in a space air-conditioned by a plurality of air conditioners and each of the plurality of air conditioners. The adjustment unit adjusts at least one of a set temperature, wind direction, or air volume of the air conditioner having the shortest distance from among the distances acquired by the distance acquisition unit so as not to give the feeling of a draft to the target person.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technology of an air conditioner control device, a control method, a program, and an air conditioner control system.

Background Art

[0002] When a temperature change to an air conditioner is instructed, generally, a method of controlling the air volume and set temperature of the air conditioner closest to the target person is common.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, the controlled air volume may become strong. Also, when the temperature is changed, it may cause discomfort to the target person or people around, such as a draft feeling.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a technology capable of suppressing discomfort given to a target person.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The air conditioner control device according to an embodiment includes a distance acquisition unit and an adjustment unit. The distance acquisition unit acquires the distance between a target person to be air-conditioned by a plurality of air conditioners and each of the plurality of air conditioners. The adjustment unit adjusts at least one of the set temperature, wind direction, or air volume of the air conditioner with the closest distance acquired by the distance acquisition unit so as not to give a draft feeling to the target person. In the embodiment of the air conditioner control device, if one of the subjects is not the subject closest to the first air conditioner, and is not the subject closest to the second air conditioner, and is the subject whose distance from the first air conditioner and the distance from the second air conditioner are the same, the adjustment unit adjusts the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner to reduce the airflow to the subject.

[0007] The control method of the embodiment comprises a distance acquisition step and an adjustment step. The distance acquisition step acquires the distance between a person to be air-conditioned by a plurality of air conditioners and each of the plurality of air conditioners. The adjustment step adjusts at least one of the set temperature, airflow direction, or airflow volume of the air conditioner closest to the distance acquired in the distance acquisition step so as not to cause a draft to the person. In the control method of the embodiment, if one of the subjects is not the subject closest to the first air conditioner, and is not the subject closest to the second air conditioner, and is the subject whose distance from the first air conditioner and the distance from the second air conditioner are the same, the adjustment step adjusts the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner to reduce the airflow to the subject.

[0008] The program of the embodiment causes a computer to perform a distance acquisition step and an adjustment step. The distance acquisition step acquires the distance between a person to be air-conditioned by multiple air conditioners and each of the multiple air conditioners. The adjustment step adjusts at least one of the set temperature, airflow direction, or airflow volume of the air conditioner closest to the person acquired in the distance acquisition step so as not to cause a draft sensation to the person. In the program of the embodiment, if one of the subjects is not the subject closest to the first air conditioner, and is not the subject closest to the second air conditioner, and is the subject whose distance from the first air conditioner and the distance from the second air conditioner are the same, the adjustment step adjusts the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner to reduce the airflow to the subject.

[0009] The air conditioner control system of the embodiment is an air conditioner control system including a plurality of air conditioners and an air conditioner control device that controls the air conditioners, wherein the air conditioner control device comprises a distance acquisition unit and an adjustment unit. The distance acquisition unit acquires the distance between a person to be air-conditioned by the plurality of air conditioners and each of the plurality of air conditioners. The adjustment unit adjusts at least one of the set temperature, airflow direction, or airflow rate of the air conditioner closest to the distance acquired by the distance acquisition unit so as not to cause a draft to the person. In the air conditioner control system of the embodiment, if one of the subjects is not the subject closest to the first air conditioner, and is not the subject closest to the second air conditioner, and the distance from the first air conditioner and the distance from the second air conditioner are the same, the adjustment unit adjusts the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner to reduce the airflow to the subject. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] This invention makes it possible to provide a technology that can suppress discomfort caused to the subject. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example configuration of an air conditioner control system including an air conditioner control device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This diagram shows the specific configuration of the air conditioner control unit. [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing a configuration example of air conditioner information. [Figure 4] It is a diagram for explaining the wind directions in which the air conditioner can blow air. [Figure 5] It is a diagram for explaining the wind directions in which the air conditioner can blow air. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing an adjustment example by an adjustment unit. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing a control example when viewing the control content from the horizontal direction. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing a control example of equidistant control X. [Figure 9] It is a diagram showing a control example of equidistant control Y. [Figure 10] It is a flowchart showing a basic flow. [Figure 11] It is a diagram showing a pattern in which subject a feels a draft feeling. [Figure 12] It is a diagram showing a configuration example of an air conditioner control system including an air conditioner control device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 13] It is a diagram showing a specific configuration of the air conditioner control device. [Figure 14] It is a diagram showing a basic processing outline according to this embodiment. [Figure 15] It is a diagram for explaining a method of acquiring the orientation of a subject. <00​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​[Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] The air conditioner control device, control method, program, and air conditioner control system of the embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0013] (First Embodiment) Figure 1 shows an example of the configuration of an air conditioner control system 10 including an air conditioner control device 100 according to this embodiment. The air conditioner control system 10 consists of the air conditioner control device 100, a plurality (n units in Figure 1) of air conditioners 200-1, 200-2, ..., 200-n, and a camera 300. In the following description, unless otherwise distinguished, the air conditioners 200-1, 200-2, ..., 200-n will be referred to as air conditioner 200. Furthermore, the entire area space to be air-conditioned by the plurality of air conditioners 200 may be referred to as the target area. In addition, the person to be air-conditioned by the air conditioner 200 may be referred to as the target person.

[0014] The air conditioner control device 100 controls the air conditioner 200. The air conditioner 200 is an indoor unit and provides air conditioning according to the control of the air conditioner control device 100. As for the communication method between the air conditioner control device 100 and the air conditioner 200, any method that enables communication between the air conditioner control device 100 and the air conditioner 200 is acceptable, and a general-purpose protocol such as Modbus may be used.

[0015] Camera 300 is a camera capable of imaging the entire target area and is used to detect subjects in the target area. In this embodiment, camera 300 is, for example, a thermal camera or a visible light camera. The image captured by camera 300 is transmitted to the air conditioner control device 100. The number of cameras 300 should be such that subjects in the target area can be detected with greater precision. For example, one camera may be provided for each air conditioner 200. Alternatively, a 360° camera may be used as camera 300.

[0016] Figure 2 shows the specific configuration of the air conditioner control device 100. The air conditioner control device 100 includes an operation unit 110, a display unit 111, a communication unit 112, a control unit 120, and a storage unit 140.

[0017] The operation unit 110 is configured using existing input devices such as a keyboard, pointing device (mouse, tablet, etc.), touch panel, or buttons. The operation unit 110 is operated by the user when inputting instructions from the operator of the air conditioner control device 100 to the air conditioner control device 100. The operation unit 110 may also be an interface for connecting the input device to the air conditioner control device 100. In this case, the operation unit 110 inputs the input signal generated in response to the user's input in the input device to the air conditioner control device 100.

[0018] The display unit 111 is an image display device such as a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, or a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display. The display unit 111 may also be an interface for connecting the image display device to the air conditioner control device 100. In this case, the display unit 111 generates a video signal for displaying the air conditioner control device 100 and outputs the video signal to the image display device connected to it.

[0019] The communication unit 112 communicates with other devices. For example, the communication unit 112 communicates with the air conditioner 200 and the camera 300. The communication unit 112 sends control signals to the air conditioner 200 and receives information about the status of the air conditioner 200. The communication unit 112 also receives video from the camera 300.

[0020] The memory unit 140 stores an application program 141 and air conditioner information 142. The application program 141 is a program executed by the control unit 120 (for example, a program for controlling the air conditioner 200). The air conditioner information 142 is information indicating the performance of each air conditioner. Figure 3 shows an example of the configuration of the air conditioner information 142. In Figure 3, the air conditioner information 142 consists of an air conditioner identifier, location, model number, wind speed, and reach distance. The air conditioner identifier is information for uniquely identifying the air conditioner 200. The location indicates the location of the air conditioner corresponding to the air conditioner identifier. The location is indicated by the X and Y coordinates when the target area is considered to be the XY plane, for example. The model number indicates the model number of the air conditioner corresponding to the air conditioner identifier. The wind speed indicates the maximum wind speed of the air conditioner corresponding to the air conditioner identifier. The reach distance indicates the reach distance of the air outlet of the air conditioner corresponding to the air conditioner identifier.

[0021] The control unit 120 controls the entire air conditioner control device 100. The control unit 120 is composed of a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and memory. By executing the application program 141, the control unit 120 realizes the functions of the distance acquisition unit 121, the adjustment unit 122, the target person position acquisition unit 123, and the number of people acquisition unit 126.

[0022] The distance acquisition unit 121 acquires the distance between the person to be air-conditioned by the multiple air conditioners 200 and each air conditioner 200. As described above, the position of the air conditioners 200 can be obtained from the air conditioner information, and the position of the person is obtained by the person position acquisition unit 123, which will be described later, so the distance acquisition unit 121 can acquire the distance using these.

[0023] The adjustment unit 122 adjusts at least one of the following to prevent the subject from feeling a draft: the set temperature, airflow direction, or airflow volume, for at least one of the air conditioners 200 whose distance acquired by the distance acquisition unit 121 is the closest, and for the air conditioners 200 whose distance to the subject is other than the shortest distance. Basically, the adjustment unit 122 adjusts the airflow volume of the air conditioner 200 that is closest to the subject to be relatively weaker, and adjusts the airflow volume of the air conditioners 200 that are not closest to the subject to be relatively stronger. In this embodiment, lowering the airflow volume also includes setting the airflow volume to 0 (i.e., not blowing air). In addition to adjusting the airflow volume, the set temperature of the air conditioner 200 that is closest to the subject may be adjusted to a temperature close to the ambient temperature (e.g., ambient temperature plus or minus 1 degree), and the set temperature of the air conditioners 200 that are not closest to the subject may be adjusted to a set temperature that is 1 degree lower, for example, in the case of cooling operation. Furthermore, the airflow direction of the air conditioner 200 closest to the target may be adjusted so as not to be directed towards the target, while the airflow direction of the air conditioner 200 not closest to the target may be adjusted so as to be directed towards the target. In addition, control may be performed by combining the set temperature, airflow direction, or airflow volume. In this embodiment, the case of adjusting the airflow will be described below, but this is not limited to this.

[0024] The subject position acquisition unit 123 acquires the position of the subject. The subject position acquisition unit 123 acquires the position of the subject from the video received from the camera 300. Here, the position is indicated by the X coordinate and Y coordinate in the XY plane described above, and is acquired for each subject. The number of people acquisition unit 126 acquires the number of people located within a predetermined distance from the air conditioner 200. The predetermined distance is, for example, the range to which the air from the air conditioner 200 reaches.

[0025] Some or all of the adjustment unit 122, the subject position acquisition unit 123, and the number of people acquisition unit 126 may be implemented by hardware (including circuitry) such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), PLD (Programmable Logic Device), or FPGA, or by the cooperation of software and hardware. The program may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. A computer-readable recording medium is a non-temporary storage medium such as a flexible disk, magneto-optical disk, ROM, CD-ROM, or other portable media, or a hard disk built into a computer system. The program may be transmitted via a telecommunications line.

[0026] Some of the functions of the adjustment unit 122, the subject position acquisition unit 123, and the number of people acquisition unit 126 do not need to be pre-installed in the air conditioner control device 100, and may be realized by installing additional application programs in the air conditioner control device 100.

[0027] The processing overview performed by the configuration described above will now be explained. Figures 4 and 5 are diagrams illustrating the airflow directions that the air conditioner 200 according to this embodiment can blow. The air conditioner 200 shown in Figure 4 is, for example, an air conditioner installed on the ceiling, viewed from above. Air can be blown in each direction shown in Figure 4 (α1, α2, α3, β1, β2, β3, γ1, γ2, γ3, δ1, δ2, δ3). The following Figure 5 is a view of the air conditioner 200 from the side. As shown in Figure 5, the air conditioner 200 can blow air upward, diagonally downward, or downward using flaps. The angle of the flaps may be set arbitrarily.

[0028] Figure 6 shows an example of adjustment by the adjustment unit 122. In Figure 6, lowercase letters (a-e) indicate subjects, and 200A-100C indicate air conditioners. In Figure 6, subjects a and d are the subjects closest to air conditioner 200A, and subjects c and b are the subjects closest to air conditioner 200B. In this case, the adjustment unit 122 adjusts to reduce the airflow of the air conditioner closest to the subject. That is, the adjustment unit 122 adjusts so that subjects a and d, who are closest to air conditioner 200A, do not receive airflow from air conditioner 200A. On the other hand, air conditioner 200A continues to provide airflow to subjects c, d, and e. Also, the adjustment unit 122 adjusts so that subjects c and d, who are closest to air conditioner 200B, do not receive airflow from air conditioner 200B. On the other hand, air conditioner 200B continues to provide airflow to subject d. Furthermore, since the person closest to air conditioner 200C is person a, air conditioner 200C should not blow air towards person a. However, in this case, since no air conditioner will blow air towards person a, air conditioner 200C may exceptionally blow air.

[0029] Figure 7 shows an example of the control shown in Figure 6 when viewed from the side. As shown in Figure 7, for example, even when air conditioner 200A blows air toward subjects b and c, subject d will not be given a draft sensation. Also, for subject e, if there is no second nearest air conditioner within a predetermined distance, the airflow direction may be controlled to be slightly upward.

[0030] Next, we will explain the control method (hereinafter referred to as "equidistance control") for a case in which one of the subjects is not the subject closest to the first air conditioner, is not the subject closest to the second air conditioner, and is the subject whose distance from the first air conditioner and the distance from the second air conditioner are the same.

[0031] There are two types of equidistant control (equidistance control X and Y). Figure 8 shows an example of equidistant control X. Figure 9 shows an example of equidistant control Y. In Figures 8 and 9, subject c is defined as a subject who is not the subject closest to air conditioner 200A, is not the subject closest to air conditioner 200B, and whose distance from air conditioner 200A and air conditioner 200B are the same.

[0032] First, in equidistant control X, the adjustment unit 122 adjusts the air conditioners 200A and 200B to reduce the airflow to the target person c, as shown in Figure 8. For example, it adjusts the airflow of air conditioners 200A and 200B to be reduced by one level.

[0033] Next, in equidistant control Y, the adjustment unit 122 adjusts the air conditioner (air conditioner 200A in Figure 9) that corresponds to the larger number of people located within a predetermined distance from air conditioner 200A (b, c, d, e in Figure 9) and the larger number of people located within a predetermined distance from air conditioner 200B (b, c, d in Figure 9), so that the airflow to person c is set to 0.

[0034] Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating the basic flow of the control described above. In Figure 10, the air conditioning control device 100 acquires the position of the subject using the image from the camera 300 (step S1). Next, the air conditioning control device 100 acquires the distance between the subject and each air conditioner 200 (step S2). Then, the air conditioning control device 100 adjusts the airflow to decrease the airflow of the air conditioner closest to the acquired distance (step S3). By controlling in this way, discomfort to the subject can be suppressed.

[0035] Next, we will explain an example of control when a subject may feel a draft. Figure 11 shows a pattern in which subject a feels a draft. In Figure 11, when air is blown from air conditioner 200B to subject a, subject b may feel a draft. In this case, it is not possible to prevent subject b from feeling a draft, but the following two control measures may be taken. One is to limit the subjects who are controlled to not feel a draft. In this case, for example, the subjects in Figure 10 would be subjects a, c, and d, and subject b would be excluded. The other control measure is to notify subjects who may feel a draft.

[0036] (Second Embodiment) In this embodiment, the control system basically adjusts the airflow so that the air conditioner is closer to the person it is cooling, for example, by lowering the airflow by one level. This helps to suppress discomfort caused to the person. Alternatively, the control system may be adjusted so that the airflow is stronger, for example, by increasing the airflow by one level, for air conditioners that are farther away from the person it is cooling. This allows for operation without reducing the overall air conditioning capacity.

[0037] Figure 12 shows an example configuration of an air conditioner control system 10 including an air conditioner control device 100 according to this embodiment. The air conditioner control system 10 consists of an air conditioner control device 100, a plurality of (n in Figure 12) air conditioners 200-1, 200-2, ..., 200-n, a camera 300, and an access point 400. A description of a configuration similar to that of the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0038] Access point 400 is a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) access point used by mobile devices such as smartphones used by people in the target area. Access point 400 can acquire parameters related to communication quality, such as RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator), SNR (Signal-to-Noise Ratio), and MCS (Modulation and Coding Scheme). The parameters acquired by access point 400 are acquired by the air conditioner control device 100, for example, using SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol). The air conditioner control device 100 uses the communication quality to determine the orientation of the target person. The number of access points 400 should be sufficient to detect the orientation of the target person in the target area. Access points 400 may also be provided on the air conditioner 200.

[0039] Figure 13 shows the specific configuration of the air conditioner control device 100. The air conditioner control device 100 includes an operation unit 110, a display unit 111, a communication unit 112, a control unit 120, and a storage unit 140.

[0040] The communication unit 112 communicates with other devices. For example, the communication unit 112 communicates with the air conditioner 200, the camera 300, and the access point 400. The communication unit 112 sends control signals to the air conditioner 200 and receives information about the status of the air conditioner 200. The communication unit 112 also receives video from the camera 300 and parameters from the access point 400.

[0041] The memory unit 140 stores an application program 141, air conditioner information 142, and position prediction model information 143. The application program 141 is a program executed by the control unit 120 (for example, a program for controlling the air conditioner 200). The air conditioner information 142 is information indicating the performance of each air conditioner, and its configuration example is the same as that described in Figure 3.

[0042] Returning to Figure 13, the location prediction model information 143 shows a model obtained by machine learning using video footage (including the time of capture and day of the week) of the target area. The location prediction model estimates and outputs the location of a person or subject within the target area based on the current date and time and day of the week. The location of the person or subject is also shown using X and Y coordinates.

[0043] The control unit 120 controls the entire air conditioner control device 100. The control unit 120 is configured using a processor such as a CPU and memory. By executing the application program 141, the control unit 120 realizes the functions of the distance acquisition unit 121, adjustment unit 122, target person position acquisition unit 123, direction acquisition unit 124, prediction unit 125, and number of people acquisition unit 126.

[0044] The distance acquisition unit 121 acquires the distance between the person to be air-conditioned by the multiple air conditioners 200 and each air conditioner 200. As described above, the position of the air conditioners 200 can be obtained from the air conditioner information, and the position of the person is obtained by the person position acquisition unit 123, which will be described later, so the distance acquisition unit 121 can acquire the distance using these.

[0045] The adjustment unit 122 adjusts at least one of the following parameters for at least one of the air conditioners 200: set temperature, airflow direction, or airflow volume. This parameter is determined by the distance acquisition unit 121 and applies to at least one of the air conditioners 200 whose distance to the target is the shortest distance, and the air conditioners whose distance to the target is not the shortest distance. Basically, the adjustment unit 122 adjusts the airflow volume of the air conditioner with the shortest distance to the target to be relatively weaker, and the airflow volume of the air conditioner that is not the shortest distance to the target to be relatively stronger. In addition to adjusting the airflow volume, the adjustment unit 122 may also adjust the set temperature of the air conditioner with the shortest distance to the target to be close to the ambient temperature (e.g., ambient temperature ±1 degree), and adjust the set temperature of the air conditioner that is not the shortest distance to the target to be, for example, -1 degree lower in the case of cooling operation. Furthermore, the airflow direction of the air conditioner with the shortest distance to the target may be adjusted so that it does not face the target, and the airflow direction of the air conditioner that is not the shortest distance to the target may be adjusted so that it faces the target. Furthermore, control may be performed by combining the set temperature, airflow direction, or airflow volume.

[0046] The subject position acquisition unit 123 acquires the subject's position. The subject position acquisition unit 123 acquires the subject's position from the video received from the camera 300. Here, the position is indicated by the X and Y coordinates in the XY plane described above, and is acquired for each subject. The direction acquisition unit 124 acquires the subject's orientation using radio waves from the mobile terminal carried by the subject. Details of the method for acquiring orientation will be described later. The prediction unit 125 predicts the subject's position using position prediction model information. The number of people acquisition unit 126 acquires the number of people located within a predetermined distance from the air conditioner 200. The predetermined distance is, for example, the range to which the air from the air conditioner 200 reaches.

[0047] Some or all of the adjustment unit 122, the subject position acquisition unit 123, the direction acquisition unit 124, the prediction unit 125, and the number of people acquisition unit 126 may be implemented by hardware (including circuitry) such as ASICs, PLDs, or FPGAs, or by the cooperation of software and hardware. The program may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. A computer-readable recording medium is a non-temporary storage medium such as a flexible disk, magneto-optical disk, ROM, CD-ROM, or other portable media, or a hard disk built into a computer system. The program may be transmitted via a telecommunications line.

[0048] Some of the functions of the adjustment unit 122, the subject position acquisition unit 123, the direction acquisition unit 124, the prediction unit 125, and the number of people acquisition unit 126 do not need to be pre-installed in the air conditioner control device 100, and may be realized by installing additional application programs in the air conditioner control device 100.

[0049] The processing overview performed by the configuration described above will now be explained. Figure 14 is a diagram showing the basic processing overview according to this embodiment. Figure 14 shows a view of the target area from the side. Figure 14 shows a target person on the floor, and air conditioners 200A, 200B, and 200C are installed on the ceiling. The air conditioners are 200B, 200A, and 200C in order of increasing distance from the target person. In this embodiment, at least one of the set temperature, airflow direction, or airflow rate of at least one of the air conditioners 200 that is at the shortest distance from the target person, and at least one of the air conditioners that is at a distance other than the shortest distance from the target person, specifically the air conditioner 200 that is the second closest to the target person, is adjusted. For example, in Figure 14, at least one of the set temperature, airflow direction, or airflow rate of the air conditioner 200A that is the second closest to the target person is adjusted. For example, the airflow of air conditioner 200A, which is the second closest to the subject, is set to a relatively strong airflow. Furthermore, air conditioner 200B, which is the closest to the subject, may be stopped or set to a relatively weak airflow. In addition to adjusting the airflow, the set temperature may be adjusted according to the distance between the multiple air conditioners 200 and the person being controlled (for example, to a temperature close to the ambient temperature around the air conditioner, such as within ±1 degree of the ambient temperature), or it may be set lower or higher than the target set temperature. The airflow direction of the air conditioner may also be adjusted. Furthermore, control may be performed by combining the adjustment of the set temperature and airflow.

[0050] Figure 15 is a diagram illustrating the method for obtaining the orientation of the subject. Figure 15 shows a view of the target area from the side. In Figure 15, the subject is shown on the floor, and access points 400A, 400B, and 400C are shown on the ceiling. Note that the air conditioner 200 is not shown in Figure 15.

[0051] In Figure 15, assume that the subject is holding a smartphone in front of them. In this case, generally, the signal strength of the access point behind the subject will be weaker than the signal strength of the access point in front of the subject.

[0052] In Figure 15, the distance between the smartphone and access point 400A is set to 10m, the distance between the smartphone and access point 400B is set to 3m, and the distance between the smartphone and access point 400C is set to 10m. The signal strength detected at access point 400A is set to -70dB, the signal strength detected at access point 400B is set to -40dB, and the signal strength detected at access point 400C is set to -60dB.

[0053] In this case, the probability that the subject is facing in the direction of access point 400C is at least higher than the probability that it is facing in the direction of access point 400A. Therefore, the air conditioner control device 100 acquires the subject's orientation as the direction from the subject to access point 400C. For example, the orientation is acquired as a half-line starting from the subject's coordinates and passing through the coordinates of access point 400, which has the strongest radio wave strength. If the subject's coordinates and the coordinates of access point 400, which has the strongest radio wave strength, coincide or almost coincide, the orientation may be acquired as a half-line starting from the subject's coordinates and passing through the coordinates of access point 400, which has the second strongest radio wave strength. The air conditioner control device 100 adjusts the airflow rate of the air conditioner present in the acquired orientation of the subject to be less than the airflow rate when the air conditioner is not present in the subject's orientation. Whether or not an air conditioner is present in the subject's orientation can be determined by whether or not a figure representing the air conditioner 200 intersects the half-line in the XY plane.

[0054] If the mobile device is equipped with a magnetic sensor, the orientation of the subject may be obtained using the magnetic sensor. In this case, the air conditioner control device 100 and the mobile device are configured to communicate with each other, and the mobile device notifies the air conditioner control device 100 of the magnetic sensor's detection results, for example, at regular intervals. In addition to the magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor or a gyroscope sensor may also be used. For example, assuming that the subject is seated, the acceleration is 0 when seated, so the orientation may be detected using the magnetic sensor and gyroscope sensor from the time before the period of 0 acceleration. Furthermore, if a visible light camera is used, face recognition processing may be performed on the image, and the orientation of the subject may be detected according to the result of the face recognition processing.

[0055] Figure 16 shows an example of control when the orientation of the subjects is obtained. Figure 16 shows a view of the target area from the side. Figure 16 shows three subjects a, b, and c on the floor, and shows that air conditioners 200A and 200B are installed on the ceiling. The straight lines extending from air conditioners 200A and 200B to the floor indicate the air conditioning range (the distance that the air can reach). Specifically, the area between the straight lines extending from air conditioner 200A to the floor is the air conditioning range. Similarly, the area between the straight lines extending from air conditioner 200B to the floor is the air conditioning range.

[0056] In Figure 16, subjects a, b, and c are all facing the direction of air conditioner 200A. Subject a is located within the air conditioning range of air conditioner 200A. Air conditioner 200A is located opposite to the direction in which subject a is facing. Subject c is located within the air conditioning range of air conditioner 200B, but air conditioner 200B is not located opposite to the direction in which subject b is facing. Subject b is not within the air conditioning range of either air conditioner 200A or 200B. In this case, at least one of the set temperature, airflow direction, or airflow rate of at least one of either air conditioner 200A, which is facing the direction in which subject b is facing, or air conditioner 200B, which is not facing the direction in which subject b is facing, will be adjusted. More specifically, the airflow of air conditioner 200A facing the person may be stopped or set to a relatively weak airflow. On the other hand, the airflow of air conditioner 200B not facing the person should be set to a relatively strong airflow. In addition to adjusting the airflow, the set temperature may be adjusted to a temperature close to the ambient temperature (ambient temperature ±1 degree, for example) or lower or higher than the target set temperature, depending on the relationship between the multiple air conditioners 200 and the person being controlled. The airflow direction of the air conditioners may also be adjusted. Furthermore, control may be performed by combining the set temperature and airflow adjustments.

[0057] Figure 17 shows the location of a person predicted by the prediction model (hereinafter referred to as the "predicted person") and the control settings. Figure 17 shows a top-down view of the target area. In Figure 17, the squares represent air conditioners 200A, 200B, 200C, 200D, 200E, 200F, 200G, and 200H. The circles indicate the location of the predicted person.

[0058] In Figure 17, there are no individuals to be predicted near air conditioners 200A and 200H. There is one individual to be predicted near air conditioners 200C, 200D, and 200F. There are three individuals to be predicted near air conditioners 200B and 200G. There are four individuals to be predicted near air conditioner 200E.

[0059] In this case, regarding the priority of the air conditioners to be controlled, the air conditioners with the highest priority are air conditioners 200A and 200H. The next highest priority air conditioners are air conditioners 200C, 200D, and 200F. The next highest priority air conditioners are air conditioners 200B and 200G. The next highest priority air conditioner, i.e., the lowest priority air conditioner, is air conditioner 200E. Thus, control may be implemented to give higher priority to air conditioners with fewer nearby predicted users.

[0060] Figure 18 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow of the air conditioner control device 100 according to this embodiment. The flowchart in Figure 18 shows the processing when there is one target person. In Figure 18, the air conditioner control device 100 determines whether or not the target person's position can be obtained (step S101). This can be determined, for example, by whether or not video is being received by the camera 300. If the target person's position cannot be obtained (step S101: NO), the air conditioner control device 100 obtains the target person's position using the prediction model described above (step S106) and proceeds to step S103. On the other hand, if the target person's position can be obtained (step S101: YES), the air conditioner control device 100 obtains the target person's position (step S102) and proceeds to step S103.

[0061] Next, the air conditioner control device 100 acquires the distance between the subject and each air conditioner 200 (step S103). The air conditioner control device 100 performs a control target determination process to determine which air conditioners 200 to be controlled (step S104). Here, among the acquired distances, the air conditioners whose distance from the subject is other than the shortest distance are determined to be controlled. The air conditioner control device 100 performs an adjustment process to adjust at least one of the set temperature, airflow direction, or airflow rate of the air conditioners 200 determined to be controlled (step S105), and then terminates the process.

[0062] An example of the control target determination process in step S104 described above will now be explained. Figure 19 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the control target determination process. The air conditioner control device 100 determines whether or not to control using simple control (step S201). Simple control refers to the control in step S202. In addition, the setting contents for whether or not to control using simple control are stored in the non-volatile memory of the air conditioner control device 100 in advance, and the air conditioner control device 100 can determine this by referring to them.

[0063] If control is performed using simple control (step S201: YES), the air conditioner control device 100 determines the air conditioner 200 that is the second closest in distance to the target (step S202) and terminates the process. On the other hand, if control is not performed using simple control (step S201: NO), the air conditioner control device 100 refers to the air conditioner information 142. Then, among the air conditioners 200 whose distance to the target is other than the shortest distance, the air conditioner control device 100 determines the air conditioner 200 that reaches the target and has the weakest wind speed to be controlled (step S203) and terminates the process.

[0064] Next, an example of the adjustment process in step S105 described above will be explained. Figure 20 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the adjustment process. The air conditioner control device 100 acquires the direction of the target person. Next, the air conditioner control device 100 determines whether or not the air conditioner 200, which has been determined to be the control target in the control target determination process, is located in the direction of the target person (step S302). If it is located in the direction of the target person (step S302: YES), the air conditioner control device 100 sets the airflow of the air conditioner 200 to medium (step S303) and terminates the process. On the other hand, if it is not located in the direction of the target person (step S302: NO), the air conditioner control device 100 sets the airflow of the air conditioner 200 to high (step S304) and terminates the process.

[0065] Next, an embodiment will be described in which the number of people located within a predetermined distance from the air conditioner 200 is acquired, and the airflow is adjusted according to a statistical quantity using the acquired number of people. Figure 21 is a diagram illustrating the adjustment of airflow according to a statistical quantity using the acquired number of people. Figure 21 shows a top view of the target area. In Figure 21, the squares represent the air conditioners 200A, 200B, and 200C. The circles indicate the positions of people.

[0066] In Figure 21, the air conditioner control device 100 acquires the number of people located within a predetermined distance from air conditioner 200A as 2 people. The air conditioner control device 100 acquires the number of people located within a predetermined distance from air conditioner 200B as 5 people. The air conditioner control device 100 acquires the number of people located within a predetermined distance from air conditioner 200C as 6 people. Using the mean as the statistical quantity, (2+5+6) / 3 ≈ 4.3. Then, the air conditioner control device 100 adjusts the airflow to be increased for air conditioner 200A, which has a smaller number of people than the average. In other words, the control of multiple air conditioners installed in the target area is weighted and prioritized based on the total number of people present in the target area and the location of each person, and control is performed accordingly. By doing so, the number of people who feel the draft can be suppressed, making it possible to provide a technology that can suppress overall discomfort.

[0067] The features of the second embodiment described above are added as an appendix. (Note 1) A distance acquisition unit that acquires the distance between a person to be air-conditioned by multiple air conditioners and each of the multiple air conditioners, The adjustment unit adjusts the airflow to be weaker for air conditioners that are closer in distance, as determined by the distance acquisition unit. An air conditioner control device equipped with the following features. (Note 2) The air conditioner control device according to Appendix 1, wherein the adjustment unit adjusts the airflow of at least one of the air conditioners, which is the air conditioner with the shortest distance from the subject among the distances acquired by the distance acquisition unit, and the air conditioner with the second shortest distance from the subject. (Note 3) The system includes a subject location acquisition unit that acquires the location of the subject, The air conditioner control device according to Appendix 1, wherein the distance acquisition unit acquires the distance using the position of the subject acquired by the subject position acquisition unit and the position of each air conditioner. (Note 4) The aforementioned person position acquisition unit acquires the position of the person using a thermal camera or a visible light camera, as described in Appendix 3 of the air conditioner control device. (Note 5) It includes a direction acquisition unit that acquires the orientation of the subject using radio waves from a mobile device carried by the subject, The air conditioner control device according to Appendix 1, wherein the adjustment unit adjusts the airflow rate of the air conditioner located in the direction of the subject, as acquired by the direction acquisition unit, to be less than the airflow rate when the air conditioner is not located in the direction of the subject. (Note 6) It is equipped with a prediction unit that predicts the location of the target person, The air conditioner control device according to Appendix 1, wherein the distance acquisition unit acquires the distance using the position of the subject predicted by the prediction unit. (Note 7) The air conditioner control device described in Appendix 1, wherein the adjustment unit determines an air conditioner to adjust the airflow rate based on the wind speed of the air conditioner or the reach of the blown air. (Note 8) Each air conditioner is equipped with a person-number acquisition unit that acquires the number of people located within a predetermined distance from the air conditioner. An air conditioner control device as described in Appendix 1, which adjusts the airflow according to a statistical quantity using the number of people obtained by the aforementioned person acquisition unit. (Note 9) The air conditioner control device according to any one of the appendices 1 to 8, wherein the adjustment unit further adjusts at least one of the set temperature and the airflow direction. (Note 10) A control method for an air conditioner control device, A distance acquisition step to acquire the distance between a person to be air-conditioned by multiple air conditioners and each of the multiple air conditioners, The adjustment step involves adjusting the airflow so that the air conditioner is closer to the distance acquired in the distance acquisition step is reduced. A control method that includes [a specific feature / method]. (Note 11) On the computer, A distance acquisition step to acquire the distance between a person to be air-conditioned by multiple air conditioners and each of the multiple air conditioners, The adjustment step involves adjusting the airflow so that the air conditioner is closer to the distance acquired in the distance acquisition step is reduced. A program to execute. (Note 12) An air conditioner control system including a plurality of air conditioners and an air conditioner control device that controls the air conditioners, The aforementioned air conditioning control device is A distance acquisition unit that acquires the distance between a person to be air-conditioned by multiple air conditioners and each of the multiple air conditioners, The adjustment unit adjusts the airflow to be weaker for air conditioners that are closer in distance, as determined by the distance acquisition unit. An air conditioning control system equipped with the following features.

[0068] As described above, this embodiment provides a technology that can suppress discomfort caused to the subject.

[0069] While embodiments of this invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments and includes designs and the like that do not depart from the spirit of this invention. [Industrial applicability]

[0070] This invention is applicable to systems operated by multiple air conditioners. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0071] 10. Air Conditioning Control System 100 Air conditioner control unit 110 Operation section 111 Display section 112 Communications Department 120 Control Unit 121 Distance acquisition part 122 Adjustment section 123 Target Person Location Acquisition Unit 124 Direction acquisition part 125 Prediction Section 126 Number of people acquisition part 140 Storage section 141 Application Programs 142 Air conditioner information 143 Location prediction model information 200 Air conditioner 300 Cameras 400 access points

Claims

1. A distance acquisition unit that acquires the distance between a person to be air-conditioned by multiple air conditioners and each of the multiple air conditioners, An adjustment unit adjusts at least one of the set temperature, airflow direction, or airflow volume of the air conditioner closest to the distance acquired by the distance acquisition unit so as not to cause a draft sensation to the subject, Equipped with, If one of the subjects is not the subject closest to the first air conditioner, nor is the subject closest to the second air conditioner, and the distance from the first air conditioner and the distance from the second air conditioner are the same, the adjustment unit adjusts the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner to reduce the airflow to the subject. Air conditioner control unit.

2. The air conditioner control device according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment unit adjusts the air conditioner corresponding to the larger of the number of target persons located within a predetermined distance from the first air conditioner and the number of target persons located within a predetermined distance from the second air conditioner, so that the airflow to the first target person is 0.

3. A control method for an air conditioner control device, A distance acquisition step to acquire the distance between a person to be air-conditioned by multiple air conditioners and each of the multiple air conditioners, An adjustment step in which the set temperature, airflow direction, or airflow volume of the air conditioner closest to the distance obtained in the distance acquisition step is adjusted so as not to cause a draft sensation to the subject, Equipped with, If one of the subjects is not the subject closest to the first air conditioner, and is not the subject closest to the second air conditioner, and is the subject whose distance from the first air conditioner and the distance from the second air conditioner are the same, the adjustment step is to adjust the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner to reduce the airflow to the subject. Control method.

4. On the computer, A distance acquisition step to acquire the distance between a person to be air-conditioned by multiple air conditioners and each of the multiple air conditioners, An adjustment step in which the set temperature, airflow direction, or airflow volume of the air conditioner closest to the distance obtained in the distance acquisition step is adjusted so as not to cause a draft sensation to the subject, A program to execute, If one of the subjects is not the subject closest to the first air conditioner, and is not the subject closest to the second air conditioner, and is the subject whose distance from the first air conditioner and the distance from the second air conditioner are the same, the adjustment step is to adjust the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner to reduce the airflow to the subject. program.

5. An air conditioner control system including a plurality of air conditioners and an air conditioner control device that controls the air conditioners, The aforementioned air conditioning control device is A distance acquisition unit that acquires the distance between a person to be air-conditioned by multiple air conditioners and each of the multiple air conditioners, An adjustment unit adjusts at least one of the set temperature, airflow direction, or airflow volume of the air conditioner closest to the distance acquired by the distance acquisition unit so as not to cause a draft sensation to the subject, Equipped with, If one of the subjects is not the subject closest to the first air conditioner, nor is the subject closest to the second air conditioner, and the distance from the first air conditioner and the distance from the second air conditioner are the same, the adjustment unit adjusts the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner to reduce the airflow to the subject. Air conditioning control system.

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