Environmental control system, environmental control method, and program

Abstract

To enable an environment provided to occupants of a movable body to be maintained easily when disturbance affecting the movable body occurs.SOLUTION: An environment control system 100 includes an acquisition part 11 and a control unit 12. The acquisition part 11 acquires disturbance information indicating disturbance affecting a movable body 1. The control unit 12 controls one or more environment providing devices 2 installed in a space provided in the movable body 1 and including at least one of a lighting load 21 and an acoustic device 22. The control unit 12 controls the one or more environment providing devices 2 so as to provide a specified environment to occupants of the movable body 1 and controls the one or more environment providing devices 2 so as to mask disturbance on the basis of the disturbance information acquired by the acquisition part 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an environment control system, an environment control method, and a program for controlling an environment provided to an occupant of a moving body.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle interior lighting control system for controlling lighting in a vehicle interior of an automobile. This vehicle interior lighting control system includes: a heart rate sensor that measures a heart rate of an occupant; one or more light sources that illuminate the vehicle interior; a seat control device that controls a posture of a seat on which the occupant sits; and a light emission control device that controls a light emission state of the light sources. The light emission control device controls the light emission state of the light sources based on a measurement value of the heart rate sensor when the posture of the seat is changed from a standard state to a reclined state under the control of the seat control device.

Prior Art Literature

Patent Literature

[0003]

Patent Literature 1

Summary of the Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The present invention provides an environment control system, an environment control method, and a program that easily maintain the environment provided to an occupant of a moving body even when a disturbance to the moving body occurs.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0005] An environmental control system according to one aspect of the present invention comprises an acquisition unit and a control unit. The acquisition unit acquires disturbance information indicating disturbances to a moving body. The control unit controls one or more environmental provisioning devices, including at least one of a lighting load and an acoustic device, which are installed in the space of the moving body. The control unit controls the one or more environmental provisioning devices to provide a specific environment to the occupants of the moving body, and controls the one or more environmental provisioning devices to mask the disturbances based on the disturbance information acquired by the acquisition unit.

[0006] In one aspect of the present invention, an environmental control method is provided that disturbance information indicating disturbances to a moving object is acquired, and one or more environmental provisioning devices, including at least one of a lighting load and an acoustic device, installed in the space of the moving object are controlled. In controlling the one or more environmental provisioning devices, the one or more environmental provisioning devices are controlled to provide a specific environment to the occupants of the moving object, and the one or more environmental provisioning devices are controlled to mask the disturbances based on the acquired disturbance information.

[0007] A program according to one aspect of the present invention causes one or more processors to execute the environment control method. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The environmental control system, environmental control method, and program of the present invention have the advantage of making it easier to maintain the environment provided to the occupants of a mobile vehicle even when disturbances occur to the mobile vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the functional configuration of an environmental control system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a disturbance affecting a moving object. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating another example of a disturbance affecting a moving object. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the environmental control system according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a timing chart showing a specific example of the operation of the environmental control system according to the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are all comprehensive or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement positions and connection configurations of components, steps, and the order of steps shown in the following embodiments are examples only and are not intended to limit the present invention. Furthermore, components in the following embodiments that are not described in an independent claim will be described as optional components.

[0011] Please note that each figure is a schematic diagram and not necessarily a strictly accurate representation. Therefore, for example, the scale may not necessarily match in each figure. Also, each figure is a schematic diagram in which emphasis, omission, and ratio adjustments have been made as appropriate to illustrate the present invention, and may differ from the actual shape, positional relationships, and ratios. Furthermore, in each figure, substantially identical components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations may be omitted or simplified.

[0012] Furthermore, in this specification, terms indicating relationships between elements such as "same," as well as numerical values ​​and numerical ranges, are not expressions that represent only strict meanings, but also include substantially equivalent ranges, for example, differences of a few percent (e.g., about 5%). For example, "horizontal" means not only when it is perfectly horizontal, but also includes errors of a few percent, such as 5%, that occur during manufacturing or placement.

[0013] (Embodiment) [1. Structure] The environmental control system 100 according to the embodiment will be described below with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the functional configuration of the environmental control system 100 according to the embodiment. The environmental control system 100 is a system that controls one or more environment providing devices 2 provided by the mobile body 1 in order to provide a specific environment to the occupants of the mobile body 1.

[0014] In this embodiment, the mobile body 1 is an automobile. The automobile may include medium-sized or larger vehicles such as buses or trucks. However, the mobile body 1 may also be something other than an automobile, such as a train, ship, or airplane. Furthermore, the mobile body 1 does not have to have a structure that allows it to move autonomously. For example, the mobile body 1 may be a cabin or the like that can be passively moved by being towed by a trailer or the like.

[0015] In this embodiment, the occupants of the mobile vehicle 1 targeted by the environmental control system 100 are assumed to be occupants seated in seats other than the driver's seat, such as the passenger seat or rear seat, and are not the driver of the mobile vehicle 1. Of course, the occupants of the mobile vehicle 1 targeted by the environmental control system 100 may also be the driver of the mobile vehicle 1. Furthermore, the occupants of the mobile vehicle 1 targeted by the environmental control system 100 may be one person or multiple people.

[0016] A specific environment is an environment that allows the occupants of mobile vehicle 1 to spend time comfortably inside mobile vehicle 1, and is, for example, an environment that the occupants of mobile vehicle 1 can choose according to their own preferences. A specific environment is an environment that can affect the occupants of mobile vehicle 1's level of tension, calmness, drowsiness, or emotions. A specific environment may include, for example, an environment that makes it relatively easy for the occupants of mobile vehicle 1 to relax, in other words, an environment that has a relaxing effect on the occupants of mobile vehicle 1. A specific environment may also include, for example, an environment that makes it relatively easy for the occupants of mobile vehicle 1 to fall asleep, in other words, an environment that has a sleep-inducing effect on the occupants of mobile vehicle 1. A specific environment may also include, for example, an environment that makes it relatively easy for the occupants of mobile vehicle 1 to stay awake, in other words, an environment that has a wakefulness-inducing effect on the occupants of mobile vehicle 1.

[0017] The environment providing device 2 is a device capable of providing a specific environment for an occupant of a mobile object 1 in a space inside the mobile object 1. In the embodiment, the one or more environment providing devices 2 include both one or more lighting loads 21 and one or more acoustic devices 22. Note that the one or more environment providing devices 2 may be composed of only the one or more lighting loads 21, or may be composed of only the one or more acoustic devices 22.

[0018] The lighting load 21 is installed in a space inside the mobile object 1. In the embodiment, the lighting load 21 is installed on an inner wall such as a ceiling or a floor inside the mobile object 1, or on a door or the like. In the embodiment, as an example, the lighting load 21 is a base light serving as ambient lighting that uniformly illuminates a target space, and includes a light source having a solid light-emitting element such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode). Note that the solid light-emitting element included in the lighting load 21 is not limited to an LED, and may be an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) element or the like. The lighting load 21 is configured to enable dimming, toning, or both under the control of a control unit 12 described later. Furthermore, the lighting load 21 may be a spotlight serving as task lighting that intensively illuminates a target range.

[0019] The lighting load 21 may include not only a mode of emitting direct light to the occupant of the mobile object 1, but also a mode of emitting indirect light to the occupant of the mobile object 1. The lighting load 21 configured to emit direct light is installed in a place that is normally directly visible to the occupant of the mobile object 1, for example, a ceiling inside the mobile object 1. The lighting load 21 configured to emit indirect light is installed in a place that is normally not directly visible to the occupant of the mobile object 1, for example, below a seat of the mobile object 1. The lighting load 21 configured to emit direct light is used, for example, when providing an environment that provides an awakening effect to the occupant of the mobile object 1. The lighting load 21 configured to emit indirect light is used, for example, when providing an environment that provides a relaxation effect or a sleep-inducing effect to the occupant of the mobile object 1.

[0020] The audio device 22 is installed in the space inside the moving body 1. In the present embodiment, similar to the lighting load 21, the audio device 22 is installed on an inner wall such as a ceiling or a floor, or a door or the like inside the moving body 1. In the present embodiment, the audio device 22 is a non-directional speaker as an example, and reproduces content transmitted from the control unit 12 described later. Note that the audio device 22 may be a directional speaker such as a parametric speaker, a speaker using ultrasonic waves, or a speaker having a horn-structured housing, for example.

[0021] The environment control system 100 is implemented by, for example, a processor or a dedicated circuit. The environment control system 100 implements various functions when hardware such as a processor executes a computer program (software) stored in a memory. Note that the computer program may be stored in a memory included in the hardware, or may be stored in an external storage device provided separately from the hardware. The environment control system 100 may be configured by a module such as an electronic control unit, for example.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, the environment control system 100 includes an acquisition unit 11, a control unit 12, and a storage unit 13. Note that the environment control system 100 only needs to include at least the acquisition unit 11 and the control unit 12, and does not need to include the storage unit 13. Further, in the present embodiment, the detection unit 3 described later is not included as a component of the environment control system 100, but may be included as a component of the environment control system 100.

[0023] The acquisition unit 11 acquires disturbance information indicating disturbance to the moving body 1. Specifically, the acquisition unit 11 acquires the disturbance information by acquiring information detected by the detection unit 3 that detects the state of the moving body 1 or the surrounding conditions of the moving body 1.

[0024] In this embodiment, the detection unit 3 includes an acceleration sensor 31, a microphone 32, and an illuminance sensor 33. The acceleration sensor 31 detects the acceleration of the moving body 1 as a state of the moving body 1. The acceleration sensor 31 is a sensor capable of detecting the acceleration of the moving body 1 in each of the three axes (direction of travel, width direction, and height direction). The microphone 32 detects the sound around the moving body 1 as the surrounding conditions of the moving body 1. The illuminance sensor 33 detects the brightness around the moving body 1 as the surrounding conditions of the moving body 1. Note that the detection unit 3 is not limited to the acceleration sensor 31, microphone 32, and illuminance sensor 33, and may include other sensors.

[0025] Here, disturbance information may include, for example, information resulting from the movement of the moving body 1. Below, an example of a disturbance to the moving body 1 will be explained using Figure 2. Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a disturbance to the moving body 1. As shown in Figure 2, when the moving body 1 moves on a road that is rough and uneven, the moving body 1 vibrates in accordance with the unevenness. This vibration of the moving body 1 corresponds to the movement of the moving body 1. Furthermore, the movement of the moving body 1 may also occur when the road changes, for example, when the moving body 1 approaches a curve or a slope. In addition, the movement of the moving body 1 may also include, for example, deceleration of the moving body 1, acceleration of the moving body 1, or tilting of the moving body 1 due to centrifugal force accompanying the moving body 1 traveling on a curve.

[0026] The movement of the mobile body 1 referred to here may be within the range that the occupants of the mobile body 1 can anticipate while the mobile body 1 is in motion, but movements that the occupants of the mobile body 1 cannot anticipate, such as sudden braking, sudden acceleration, or driving on sharp curves, can particularly constitute disturbances to the mobile body 1.

[0027] Furthermore, disturbance information may include, for example, information arising from the environment in which the mobile body 1 is located. Disturbances arising from the environment in which the mobile body 1 is located may include, for example, light shining on the mobile body 1 from outside the mobile body 1, or sound emitted from outside the mobile body 1 to the mobile body 1. Below, another example of disturbances to the mobile body 1 will be explained using Figure 3. Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram of another example of disturbances to the mobile body 1. The example shown in Figure 3 represents a situation in which the mobile body 1 is traveling on a road and another mobile body 4 is traveling in the opposite lane. In this situation, the light shining from the headlights of the other mobile body 4 corresponds to light shining on the mobile body 1 from outside the mobile body 1. Also, in this situation, the sound of the other mobile body 4 passing by the mobile body 1 corresponds to sound emitted from outside the mobile body 1 to the mobile body 1.

[0028] Furthermore, sounds emitted from outside the mobile body 1 towards the mobile body 1 may include, for example, horn sounds emitted from other mobile bodies 4 in the same lane as mobile body 1 or in the opposite lane, or noise from the surroundings of mobile body 1. In addition, light shining on mobile body 1 from outside the mobile body 1 may include, for example, sunlight shining on the mobile body 1 that changes depending on whether it is sunny, cloudy, dawn, dusk, or nighttime, or light shining on the mobile body 1 from light sources such as streetlights in the surroundings of mobile body 1.

[0029] The movement of the moving body 1 itself can be obtained, for example, based on the acceleration of the moving body 1 detected by the acceleration sensor 31. The tilt of the moving body 1 due to centrifugal force may be estimated, for example, based on the change in the steering angle of the steering wheel. In this case, the detection unit 3 can detect the steering angle by including a steering angle sensor attached to the steering wheel.

[0030] Furthermore, sounds emitted from outside the mobile body 1 towards the mobile body 1 can be acquired, for example, based on sounds around the mobile body 1 detected by the microphone 32.

[0031] Furthermore, the light irradiated onto the mobile body 1 from outside the mobile body 1 can be acquired, for example, based on the brightness around the mobile body 1 detected by the illuminance sensor 33. The light irradiated onto the mobile body 1 from outside the mobile body 1 may also be estimated based on information provided by external services such as weather forecasts.

[0032] The control unit 12 controls one or more environment-providing devices 2 to provide a specific environment to the occupants of the mobile vehicle 1. Specifically, if the environment-providing device 2 is a lighting load 21, the control unit 12 controls the dimming, color tuning, or both of the lighting load 21 by transmitting a lighting control signal to the lighting load 21. In this way, the control unit 12 provides the occupants of the mobile vehicle 1 with a specific environment using the light emitted by the lighting load 21.

[0033] For example, the control unit 12 provides an environment that awakens the occupants of the mobile vehicle 1 by controlling the lighting load 21 to irradiate the space inside the mobile vehicle 1 with light intended to awaken the occupants of the mobile vehicle 1. The light intended to awaken the occupants of the mobile vehicle 1 is, for example, light with relatively high brightness and relatively high color temperature, which is light that easily makes the sympathetic nervous system of the occupants of the mobile vehicle 1 dominant. As an example, the light intended to awaken the occupants of the mobile vehicle 1 is light that causes the facial illuminance of the occupants of the mobile vehicle 1 to reach 100 lx or more in a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds). The control unit 12 also provides an environment that relaxes the occupants of the mobile vehicle 1 by controlling the lighting load 21 to irradiate the space inside the mobile vehicle 1 with light intended to relax the occupants of the mobile vehicle 1. The light intended to relax the occupants of the mobile vehicle 1 is, for example, light with relatively low brightness and relatively low color temperature, which is light that easily makes the parasympathetic nervous system of the occupants of the mobile vehicle 1 dominant. For example, the light used to relax the occupants of Mobile Unit 1 is such that, when the space inside Mobile Unit 1 is darkened by curtains or the like, the illuminance on the occupants' faces is always less than 50 lux. However, if sunlight enters the space inside Mobile Unit 1, for example, the light used to relax the occupants of Mobile Unit 1 should be such that the illuminance on the occupants' faces is less than the illuminance from the sunlight plus 50 lux. However, if the illuminance on the occupants' faces exceeds 300 lux, the effect of relaxing the occupants of Mobile Unit 1 may be reduced. Therefore, the light used to relax the occupants of Mobile Unit 1 is controlled so that the illuminance on the occupants' faces is less than 300 lux. In addition, the light used to relax the occupants of Mobile Unit 1 may be fluctuating light, such as light that mimics 1 / f fluctuation, where the light output changes over time.

[0034] Furthermore, if the environment providing device 2 is the sound device 22, the control unit 12 controls the sound device 22 to play content by transmitting an audio control signal (including the content to be played) to the sound device 22. In this way, the control unit 12 provides the occupants of the mobile body 1 with a specific environment based on the content played by the sound device 22. The content may be stored in the memory of the control unit 12, in the memory of the sound device 22, or in the storage unit 13. The content may be stored in an electronic data medium such as WAV or MP3 format. In this embodiment, the content is stored in the storage unit 13.

[0035] For example, the control unit 12 controls the sound device 22 to play content that relaxes the occupants of the mobile vehicle 1, thereby providing an environment that promotes relaxation for the occupants of the mobile vehicle 1. The content that relaxes the occupants of the mobile vehicle 1 may include music classified as jazz or classical, which is likely to promote the dominance of the parasympathetic nervous system in the occupants of the mobile vehicle 1. The content that relaxes the occupants of the mobile vehicle 1 may also include natural environmental sounds. Natural environmental sounds include sounds other than voices and music that are normally emitted in the natural environment, such as the sound of wind, waves, thunder, animal sounds, or insect sounds, which are likely to promote the dominance of the parasympathetic nervous system in the occupants of the mobile vehicle 1.

[0036] In this embodiment, as already described, one or more environment-providing devices 2 include both a lighting load 21 and an acoustic device 22. The control unit 12 controls the lighting load 21 and the acoustic device 22 to be synchronized. This control has the advantage that, compared to the case where the lighting load 21 and the acoustic device 22 are controlled independently of each other, a synergistic effect can be expected between the effect on the occupants of the mobile body 1 caused by the control of the lighting load 21 and the effect on the occupants of the mobile body 1 caused by the control of the acoustic device 22. However, the control unit 12 may also control the lighting load 21 and the acoustic device 22 independently of each other.

[0037] Furthermore, the control unit 12 performs masking control, which controls one or more environment-providing devices 2 to mask disturbances based on disturbance information acquired by the acquisition unit 11. Here, masking disturbances means making the disturbances relatively less noticeable to the occupants of the mobile body 1. For example, masking control may increase the volume of sound output by the sound device 22 in response to disturbances, increase the fluctuation of light emitted by the lighting load 21 in response to disturbances, or increase the output of light emitted by the lighting load 21 in response to disturbances. As a result, the occupants of the mobile body 1 will perceive the disturbances as relatively smaller compared to when masking control is not performed. Masking disturbances may also include guiding the occupants of the mobile body 1 to visually or aurally divert their attention from the disturbances. In the following, masking disturbances basically means making the disturbances relatively less noticeable to the occupants of the mobile body 1, but may further include guiding the occupants of the mobile body 1 to visually or aurally divert their attention from the disturbances.

[0038] As a concrete example, let's assume that a disturbance occurs to the mobile body 1 while an environment providing a relaxing effect to the occupants of the mobile body 1 is being provided. In this case, if the environment providing device 2 is a lighting load 21, the control unit 12 will increase the light output of the lighting load 21, change the interval between flickering lights, etc., to make the disturbance relatively less noticeable to the occupants of the mobile body 1, or to guide the occupants of the mobile body 1 to visually divert their attention from the disturbance. Also, if the environment providing device 2 is an audio device 22, the control unit 12 will increase the volume of the audio device 22, change the content played by the audio device 22, etc., to make the disturbance relatively less noticeable to the occupants of the mobile body 1, or to guide the occupants of the mobile body 1 to auditorily divert their attention from the disturbance.

[0039] In this embodiment, the control unit 12 controls one or more environment-providing devices 2 to increase the stimulation to the occupants of the mobile body 1 by one or more environment-providing devices 2 in response to the increase in stimulation to the occupants of the mobile body 1 due to disturbances to the mobile body 1. Hereinafter, this control will also be referred to as the "first control".

[0040] For example, if the environment provisioning device 2 is a lighting load 21, the control unit 12 increases the light output of the lighting load 21 or raises the color temperature of the light in accordance with the magnitude of the disturbance causing the disturbance to the occupants of the mobile body 1, thereby increasing the light stimulation to the occupants of the mobile body 1. This makes it easier to mask the disturbance.

[0041] Furthermore, for example, if the environment provision device 2 is a lighting load 21, the control unit 12 may guide the occupants of the mobile body 1 to be distracted from the disturbance by irradiating them with fluctuating light from the lighting load 21 on the side of the mobile body 1 opposite to the side of the mobile body 1 that is experiencing the disturbance. For example, if a disturbance occurs on the right side when viewed from the direction of travel of the mobile body 1, irradiating the occupants of the mobile body 1 with fluctuating light from the left side when viewed from the direction of travel of the mobile body 1 makes it easier to distract the occupants of the mobile body 1 from the disturbance.

[0042] Furthermore, for example, if the environment provision device 2 is an acoustic device 22, the control unit 12 increases the volume of the acoustic device 22, speeds up the playback tempo of the content, emphasizes the frequency components of the sound that are being suppressed by the disturbance, or changes the type of content, in accordance with the magnitude of the disturbance causing the disturbance to the occupants of the mobile body 1, thereby increasing the auditory stimulation to the occupants of the mobile body 1. This makes it easier to mask the disturbance.

[0043] For example, if the disturbance to the mobile body 1 is ambient noise, and the noise is relatively loud, the control unit 12 may control the sound device 22 to reproduce, for example, ambient sounds. By reproducing ambient sounds, sounds of a certain volume or higher are continuously reproduced, making it easier to direct the attention of the occupants of the mobile body 1 to the sounds reproduced by the sound device 22. Alternatively, if the noise is relatively loud, the control unit 12 may control the sound device 22 to reproduce, for example, jazz or classical music. These types of music are not jarring to the ears of the occupants of the mobile body 1 and are more tolerable, even if the volume of the sound device 22 is increased to mask the disturbance.

[0044] Furthermore, as an example, if the disturbance to the mobile body 1 is ambient noise around the mobile body 1 and the noise is relatively low, the control unit 12 may control the sound device 22 to play natural ambient sounds or healing music, which contain a relatively small variety of sounds.

[0045] Furthermore, for example, if the mobile body 1 is equipped with multiple sound devices 22, the control unit 12 may guide the occupants of the mobile body 1 to distract from disturbances by changing which sound device 22 is playing the content. For example, if the sound device 22 on the left side as viewed from the direction of travel of the mobile body 1 is playing content, playing the content from the sound device 22 on the right side as viewed from the direction of travel of the mobile body 1 makes it easier to distract the occupants of the mobile body 1 from disturbances.

[0046] As described above, by controlling the lighting load 21 or sound device 22 to emphasize the light or sound that is being obstructed by the disturbance affecting the mobile body 1, the occupants of the mobile body 1 can once again perceive the light or sound that they had lost the ability to perceive due to the disturbance, making it easier to divert the occupants' attention from the disturbance.

[0047] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control unit 12 controls one or more environment-providing devices 2 to change the content of the masking control if the disturbance to the moving body 1 continues for a predetermined time or longer. Hereinafter, this control will also be referred to as the "second control".

[0048] For example, if the environment providing device 2 is a lighting load 21, the control unit 12 will increase the light output of the lighting load 21, change the color temperature of the light, extend the light irradiation time, narrow the interval between fluctuating lights if they are fluctuating lights, or increase the number of lighting loads 21 emitting fluctuating lights if the disturbance to the mobile body 1 continues for a predetermined time or longer. This makes it possible to visually guide the attention of the occupants of the mobile body 1 towards the light emitted by the lighting load 21.

[0049] Furthermore, for example, if the environment provision device 2 is an acoustic device 22, the control unit 12 will, if the disturbance to the mobile body 1 continues for a predetermined time or longer, change the content played by the acoustic device 22 to content that cancels or makes less noticeable the noise around the mobile body 1, change the direction of the sound output by the acoustic device 22, increase the number of acoustic devices 22 playing content, or distribute the acoustic devices 22 playing content. This makes it possible to auditorily guide the attention of the occupants of the mobile body 1 to the content played by the acoustic device 22.

[0050] Furthermore, the control unit 12 may, for example, execute the second control after executing the first control described above. This makes it possible to guide the consciousness of the occupant of the mobile unit 1 to a specific environment while diverting their attention from external disturbances, thereby making it easier to maintain the specific environment.

[0051] The memory unit 13 is a storage device that stores information (such as computer programs) necessary for the control unit 12 to perform control. The memory unit 13 is implemented by, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), but may also be implemented by semiconductor memory, and is not particularly limited to any known means of electronic information storage that can be used.

[0052] [2. Operation] The operation of the environmental control system 100 according to the embodiment will be described below. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the environmental control system 100 according to the embodiment.

[0053] First, the control unit 12 controls one or more environment-providing devices 2 so that the space inside the mobile body 1 becomes a specific environment, in other words, so that a specific environment is provided to the occupants of the mobile body 1 (S1).

[0054] Next, if the acquisition unit 11 acquires disturbance information (S2: Yes), the control unit 12 performs masking control to control one or more environment-providing devices 2 to mask the disturbance based on the disturbance information acquired by the acquisition unit 11 (S3). On the other hand, if the acquisition unit 11 does not acquire disturbance information (S2: No), the control unit 12 maintains the current control, that is, maintains the control of one or more environment-providing devices 2 so that the space inside the mobile body 1 becomes a specific environment (S4). Thereafter, the control unit 12 repeats the processes of steps S2 to S4 until control is terminated, such as by stopping the operation of the mobile body 1.

[0055] The operation of the environmental control system 100 according to the embodiment will be described below with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5 is a timing chart showing a specific example of the operation of the environmental control system 100 according to the embodiment. In the example shown in Figure 5, the control unit 12 provides a specific environment (for example, an environment that gives the occupants of the mobile body 1 a relaxing effect) to the occupants of the mobile body 1 by controlling one or more environment providing devices 2, namely the lighting load 21 and the sound device 22.

[0056] In the example shown in Figure 5, vibration occurs in the mobile body 1 as a disturbance between time t1 and time t2. When the control unit 12 acquires the vibration of the mobile body 1 that occurred at time t1 as disturbance information from the acquisition unit 11, it performs masking control to mask the vibration of the mobile body 1 by switching the content played by the sound device 22 and by emitting fluctuating light from the lighting load 21. This masking control is stopped at time t2 when the vibration of the mobile body 1 ends and the acquisition unit 11 no longer acquires disturbance information.

[0057] Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 5, between time t3 and time t4, a vibration greater than the vibration that occurred between time t1 and time t2 occurs in the mobile body 1 as a disturbance to the mobile body 1. When the control unit 12 acquires the vibration of the mobile body 1 that occurred at time t3 as disturbance information from the acquisition unit 11, it performs masking control to mask the vibration of the mobile body 1, which includes switching the content played by the sound device 22 and controlling the lighting load 21 to emit fluctuating light. This masking control increases the stimulus to the occupants of the mobile body 1 more than the masking control performed between time t1 and time t2. For example, the control unit 12 increases the volume of the content played by the sound device 22, or plays faster-tempo content to the sound device 22, thereby increasing the auditory stimulus to the occupants of the mobile body 1. Furthermore, for example, the control unit 12 increases the light stimulation to the occupants of the mobile body 1 by increasing the output of the light emitted by the lighting load 21 or by narrowing the interval between fluctuating lights. This masking control is stopped when the vibration of the mobile body 1 ends at time t4 and the acquisition unit 11 stops acquiring disturbance information.

[0058] As described above, the control unit 12 performs masking control during periods when disturbances occur to the mobile unit 1, thereby making the disturbances relatively less noticeable to the occupants of the mobile unit 1, or guiding the occupants of the mobile unit 1 to be distracted from the disturbances visually or aurally. This makes it easier for the occupants of the mobile unit 1 to become immersed in the specific environment provided to them.

[0059] [3. Advantages] The advantages of the environmental control system 100 according to the embodiment will be explained below, along with a comparison to the environmental control system of the comparative example. The environmental control system of the comparative example differs from the environmental control system 100 according to the embodiment in that the control unit does not perform masking control. In the environmental control system of the comparative example, when the control unit is providing a specific environment to the occupants of a mobile vehicle, if a disturbance occurs to the mobile vehicle, the occupants of the mobile vehicle will focus their attention on this disturbance, and the effect that the specific environment has on the occupants of the mobile vehicle will be reduced. For example, if a specific environment is provided to give the occupants of a mobile vehicle a relaxing effect, if a disturbance occurs to the mobile vehicle, the relaxing effect on the occupants of the mobile vehicle will be reduced.

[0060] In the vehicle interior lighting control system described in Patent Document 1, the emission state of one or more light sources illuminating the vehicle interior is controlled based on the measurement value of a heart rate sensor that measures the heart rate of the occupant of the moving vehicle. In this vehicle interior lighting control system, for example, if a disturbance occurs to the moving vehicle and causes a change in the heart rate of the occupant of the moving vehicle, it is possible to control one or more light sources in accordance with the heart rate of the occupant of the moving vehicle. However, in this vehicle interior lighting control system, if there is no change in the heart rate of the occupant of the moving vehicle, it is not possible to control one or more light sources in accordance with the heart rate. In other words, in this vehicle interior lighting control system, control in accordance with the heart rate is only performed when there is an effect on the heart rate of the occupant of the moving vehicle, and there is a problem that immediate control in response to disturbances on the moving vehicle is not possible.

[0061] In contrast, the environmental control system 100 according to this embodiment controls one or more environment providing devices 2 to mask the disturbance when a disturbance occurs to the mobile body 1. As a result, for example, the disturbance can be made relatively less noticeable to the occupants of the mobile body 1, or the occupants of the mobile body 1 can be guided to be distracted from the disturbance visually or audibly, making it easier for the occupants of the mobile body 1 to become engrossed in the specific environment provided to them. Therefore, even when a disturbance occurs to the mobile body 1, there is an advantage in that it is easier to maintain the environment provided to the occupants of the mobile body 1. For example, if a specific environment that provides a relaxing effect to the occupants of the mobile body 1 is provided, it is easier to maintain the relaxing effect on the occupants of the mobile body 1 even when a disturbance occurs to the mobile body 1.

[0062] Furthermore, unlike the vehicle interior lighting control system described in Patent Document 1, the environmental control system 100 according to this embodiment acquires disturbance information indicating disturbances to the moving body 1, making it possible to perform masking control before the occupants of the moving body 1 are affected by the disturbances. For this reason, the environmental control system 100 according to this embodiment has the advantage of being able to perform immediate control in response to disturbances to the moving body 1, unlike the vehicle interior lighting control system described in Patent Document 1.

[0063] (modified version) Although embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Modifications of the embodiments are listed below. The modifications described below may be combined as appropriate.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the control unit 12 may have a selection function. The selection function stores in advance multiple control patterns for one or more environment providing devices 2 for a specific environment in the storage unit 13 or the like, and allows the occupant of the mobile body 1 to select one of the multiple control patterns. The control unit 12 provides the specific environment to the occupant of the mobile body 1 by controlling one or more environment providing devices 2 according to the selected control pattern. If one or more environment providing devices 2 are equipped with a lighting load 21, the multiple control patterns will differ in terms of the brightness of the lighting load 21, the interval of the flickering light, etc. Also, if one or more environment providing devices 2 are equipped with an audio device 22, the multiple control patterns will differ in terms of the volume of the audio device 22, the type of content played by the audio device 22, etc. The selection of a control pattern by the occupant of the mobile body 1 may be made, for example, using a controller installed in the mobile body 1, or using an information terminal such as a smartphone carried by the occupant of the mobile body 1.

[0065] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the control unit 12 may also have a preview function. The preview function is a function in which, when the occupant of the mobile body 1 selects one control pattern from among a plurality of control patterns for a specific environment using the selection function, the control unit 12 controls one or more environment providing devices 2 to temporarily provide the occupant of the mobile body 1 with a specific environment according to the selected control pattern. By using the preview function, the occupant of the mobile body 1 can check the specific environment in advance, making it easier to select a control pattern that suits their preferences.

[0066] In the above embodiment, one or more environment-providing devices 2 are not included as components of the environmental control system 100, but the system is not limited to this. For example, the environmental control system 100 may further include one or more environment-providing devices 2. In this embodiment, for example, a system mounted on a mobile body 1 and one or more environment-providing devices 2, which are the controlled objects of the system and are installed on the mobile body 1, can be distributed to the market as a set.

[0067] Furthermore, for example, in the above embodiment, the environmental control system 100 was implemented by a single device, but it may also be implemented by multiple devices. When the environmental control system 100 is implemented by multiple devices, the components of the environmental control system 100 may be distributed among the multiple devices in any way.

[0068] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, each component may be realized by executing a software program suitable for each component. Each component may also be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU or processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or semiconductor memory.

[0069] Furthermore, each component may be implemented by hardware. For example, each component may be a circuit (or integrated circuit). These circuits may form a single circuit as a whole, or they may be separate circuits. Also, each of these circuits may be a general-purpose circuit or a dedicated circuit.

[0070] Furthermore, general or specific embodiments of the present invention may be implemented as a system, apparatus, method, integrated circuit, computer program, or recording medium such as a computer-readable CD-ROM. Alternatively, they may be implemented as any combination of a system, apparatus, method, integrated circuit, computer program, and recording medium.

[0071] For example, the present invention may be implemented as a control method executed by a computer such as an environmental control system 100, as a program for causing a computer to execute such a control method, or as a computer-readable non-temporary recording medium on which such a program is recorded.

[0072] Furthermore, the present invention also includes forms obtained by applying various modifications to each embodiment that a person skilled in the art could conceive, or forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions of each embodiment without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0073] (summary) As described above, the environmental control system 100 according to the first embodiment comprises an acquisition unit 11 and a control unit 12. The acquisition unit 11 acquires disturbance information indicating disturbances to the mobile body 1. The control unit 12 controls one or more environmental provision devices 2, which are installed in the space of the mobile body 1 and include at least one of a lighting load 21 and an acoustic device 22. The control unit 12 controls one or more environmental provision devices 2 to provide a specific environment to the occupants of the mobile body 1, and controls one or more environmental provision devices 2 to mask disturbances based on the disturbance information acquired by the acquisition unit 11.

[0074] Such an environmental control system 100 can, for example, make disturbances relatively less noticeable to the occupants of the mobile vehicle 1, or guide the occupants of the mobile vehicle 1 to be distracted from disturbances visually or audibly, making it easier for the occupants of the mobile vehicle 1 to become immersed in the specific environment provided to them. Therefore, even when disturbances occur to the mobile vehicle 1, there is an advantage in that it is easier to maintain the environment provided to the occupants of the mobile vehicle 1.

[0075] Furthermore, in the environmental control system 100 according to the second embodiment, the disturbance information includes information resulting from the movement of the moving body 1, as in the first embodiment.

[0076] Such an environmental control system 100 has the advantage of making it easier to maintain the environment provided to the occupants of the mobile vehicle 1, even when the mobile vehicle 1 moves in a way that the occupants of the mobile vehicle 1 could not have anticipated, such as sudden braking or sudden acceleration.

[0077] Furthermore, in the environmental control system 100 according to the third embodiment, in the first or second embodiment, the disturbance information includes information caused by the environment in which the mobile body 1 is placed.

[0078] Such an environmental control system 100 has the advantage of making it easier to maintain the environment provided to the occupants of the mobile body 1, even if, for example, light shining onto the mobile body 1 from outside the mobile body 1, or sound emitted onto the mobile body 1 from outside the mobile body 1, could affect the occupants of the mobile body 1.

[0079] Furthermore, in the environmental control system 100 according to the fourth embodiment, in any one of the first to third embodiments, one or more environmental providing devices 2 include a lighting load 21. The control unit 12 controls the lighting load 21 so that it emits light to wake or relax the occupants.

[0080] Such an environmental control system 100 has the advantage that the light emitted by the lighting load 21 can stimulate the occupants of the mobile vehicle 1 to become alert or relaxed.

[0081] Furthermore, in the fifth embodiment of the environmental control system 100, in any one of the first to fourth embodiments, one or more environmental providing devices 2 include a lighting load 21 that irradiates the space with indirect light.

[0082] According to such an environmental control system 100, compared to the case where light is directly shone on the occupants of the mobile body 1, the light stimulation given to the occupants of the mobile body 1 can be weakened, which has the advantage of making it easier to induce relaxation or sleep in the occupants of the mobile body 1.

[0083] Furthermore, in the environmental control system 100 according to the sixth embodiment, in any one of the first to fifth embodiments, one or more environmental providing devices 2 include both a lighting load 21 and an acoustic device 22. The control unit 12 controls the lighting load 21 and the acoustic device 22 to be synchronized.

[0084] This environmental control system 100 has the advantage of being able to achieve a synergistic effect between the effect on the occupants of the mobile vehicle 1 by controlling the lighting load 21 and the effect on the occupants of the mobile vehicle 1 by controlling the sound device 22, compared to the case where the lighting load 21 and the sound device 22 are controlled independently of each other.

[0085] Furthermore, in the environmental control system 100 according to the seventh embodiment, in any one of the first to sixth embodiments, the control unit 12 controls one or more environmental providing devices 2 to increase the stimulation to the occupants by one or more environmental providing devices 2 in response to the increase in stimulation to the occupants due to disturbances.

[0086] Such an environmental control system 100 has the advantage of making relatively large disturbances less noticeable to the occupants of the mobile unit 1, or guiding the occupants of the mobile unit 1 to distract from the disturbances, even when they occur.

[0087] Furthermore, in the environmental control system 100 according to the eighth embodiment, in any one of the first to seventh embodiments, the mobile body 1 is an automobile.

[0088] Such an environmental control system 100 has the advantage of making it easier to maintain the environment provided to the occupants of the vehicle even when disturbances occur to the vehicle.

[0089] Furthermore, the environmental control system 100 according to the ninth embodiment further comprises one or more environmental provisioning devices 2 in any one of the first to eighth embodiments.

[0090] Such an environmental control system 100 has the advantage that, for example, it is possible to distribute a system mounted on a mobile body 1 and one or more environmental provisioning devices 2, which are the targets of the system's control and are installed on the mobile body 1, as a set to the market.

[0091] Furthermore, in the environment control method according to the tenth embodiment, disturbance information indicating disturbances to the mobile body 1 is acquired, and one or more environment providing devices 2, which include at least one of a lighting load 21 and an acoustic device 22 and are installed in the space of the mobile body 1, are controlled. In controlling the one or more environment providing devices 2, the one or more environment providing devices 2 are controlled to provide a specific environment to the occupants of the mobile body 1, and the one or more environment providing devices 2 are controlled to mask disturbances based on the acquired disturbance information.

[0092] Such environmental control methods make disturbances less noticeable to the occupants of the mobile unit 1, for example, or guide the occupants of the mobile unit 1 to be distracted from disturbances visually or audibly, making it easier for the occupants of the mobile unit 1 to become immersed in the specific environment provided to them. Therefore, even when disturbances occur to the mobile unit 1, there is an advantage in that the environment provided to the occupants of the mobile unit 1 can be easily maintained.

[0093] Furthermore, the program according to the 11th embodiment causes one or more processors to execute the environment control method according to the 10th embodiment.

[0094] Such a program can, for example, make disturbances less noticeable to the occupants of mobile 1, or guide the occupants of mobile 1 to be distracted from disturbances visually or aurally, making it easier for the occupants of mobile 1 to become immersed in the specific environment provided to them. Therefore, even when disturbances occur to mobile 1, there is the advantage of being able to easily maintain the environment provided to the occupants of mobile 1. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0095] 100 Environmental Control Systems 11 Acquisition Department 12 Control Unit 1 Mobile Unit 2 Environment provision device 21 Lighting load 22 Sound equipment

Claims

1. An acquisition unit that acquires disturbance information indicating disturbances to a moving object while it is in motion, The mobile body comprises a control unit that controls two or more environmental provisioning devices, including a lighting load and an acoustic device, which are installed in the space of the mobile body. The control unit, The two or more environment-providing devices are controlled to provide a specific environment to the occupants of the mobile vehicle, and Based on the disturbance information acquired by the acquisition unit, the system coordinates the control of the light emitted by the lighting load and the control of the content played by the sound device in order to mask the disturbance. Environmental control system.

2. The disturbance information includes information caused by the movement of the moving body. The environmental control system according to claim 1.

3. The disturbance information includes information arising from the environment in which the moving object is located. The environmental control system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The two or more environmental provision devices include the lighting load, The control unit controls the lighting load so that it emits light to wake or relax the occupant. The environmental control system according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The two or more environmental provision devices include the lighting load that irradiates the space with indirect light. The environmental control system according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The control unit controls the lighting load and the sound device to be synchronized. The environmental control system according to claim 1 or 2.

7. The control unit controls the two or more environmental devices to increase the stimulation to the occupants in response to the increase in stimulation to the occupants due to the disturbance. The environmental control system according to claim 1 or 2.

8. The aforementioned mobile entity is an automobile. The environmental control system according to claim 1 or 2.

9. The following further comprises two or more of the aforementioned environment-providing devices. The environmental control system according to claim 1 or 2.

10. We acquire disturbance information indicating disturbances to a moving object while it is in motion. The mobile body controls two or more environment-providing devices, including a lighting load and an audio device, which are installed in the space it occupies. In controlling the two or more environment-providing devices, The two or more environment-providing devices are controlled to provide a specific environment to the occupants of the mobile vehicle, and Based on the acquired disturbance information, the control of the light emitted by the lighting load and the control of the content played by the sound device are performed in conjunction to mask the disturbance. Environmental control methods.

11. One or more processors, The environmental control method described in claim 10 is to be executed. program.

Images