Air conditioning device, control method, and program

Abstract

An air conditioning device (2) that controls the air conditioning of a space being air conditioned comprises an air conditioning unit (80) that air conditions the space being air conditioned, and a control device (50) that controls the air conditioning unit (80). A control unit (53a) of the control device (50) acquires the level of sleepiness of a user in the space being air conditioned, as well as the lifestyle pattern of said user, and on the basis of the acquired level of sleepiness and lifestyle pattern, controls the air conditioning unit (80) using a setting that was set in advance such that the user experiences sleepiness that is appropriate for the lifestyle pattern.

Description

Air conditioning device, control method and program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an air conditioning apparatus, a control method, and a program.

[0002] Air conditioners have been developed that adjust the environment of a space that a user is in. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an air conditioner that adjusts the environment of a space based on thermal images of the occupants and the environment.

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6-180139

[0004] It is known that the indoor environment and the drowsiness experienced by a user are closely related. However, it is difficult to induce a user to feel drowsy in an appropriate state by simply adjusting the spatial environment based on the occupants and the ambient temperature, as described in Patent Document 1. For example, since each user has a different lifestyle, uniform air conditioning control to alleviate drowsiness during the daytime hours would cause discomfort to users who work night shifts and spend the daytime hours sleeping, resulting in inappropriate air conditioning control.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide an air conditioning device, a control method, and a program that perform air conditioning control that can provide an environment that induces a user's drowsiness to an appropriate state.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, an air conditioning apparatus according to the present disclosure includes an air conditioning means, a drowsiness level acquisition means, a lifestyle pattern acquisition means, and a control means. The air conditioning means conditions an air-conditioned space. The drowsiness level acquisition means acquires the drowsiness level of a user in the air-conditioned space. The lifestyle pattern acquisition means acquires the user's lifestyle pattern. The control means controls the air conditioning means with predetermined settings based on the acquired drowsiness level and lifestyle pattern so that the user experiences drowsiness appropriate to the lifestyle pattern.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, a user's sleepiness level and lifestyle pattern are acquired, and an air conditioning unit is controlled with a predetermined setting based on the acquired sleepiness level and lifestyle pattern so that the user's sleepiness is appropriate for the lifestyle pattern. This makes it possible to provide an environment that induces the user to have appropriate sleepiness.

[0008] 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioning system according to embodiment 1 of the present disclosure;

[0023] A schematic diagram showing the layout of an air-conditioned space in which an indoor unit of an air conditioning device according to embodiment 1 is arranged;

[0024] A schematic diagram showing the horizontal detectable range of a biological information detection device arranged in an indoor unit of an air conditioning device according to embodiment 1;

[0025] A schematic diagram showing the vertical detectable range of a biological information detection device arranged in an indoor unit of an air conditioning device according to embodiment 1;

[0026] A diagram showing the functional configuration of an air conditioning system according to embodiment 1;

[0027] A diagram showing an example of lifestyle pattern information stored in the memory of the indoor unit control unit shown in FIG. 3;

[0028] A diagram showing an example of a control mode table stored in the memory of the indoor unit control unit shown in FIG. 3;

[0029] A diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an outdoor unit control unit according to embodiment 1;

[0029] A diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an indoor unit control unit according to embodiment 1; 10A is a flowchart of a drowsiness control process executed by an air conditioning apparatus according to a modified example of embodiment 1; FIG. 10B is a schematic diagram showing the layout of an air-conditioned space in which an indoor unit of an air conditioning apparatus according to embodiment 2 is arranged; FIG. 10C is a schematic diagram showing the horizontal detectable range of a biological information detection device arranged in an indoor unit of an air conditioning apparatus according to embodiment 2; FIG. 10D is a schematic diagram showing the vertical detectable range of a biological information detection device arranged in an indoor unit of an air conditioning apparatus according to embodiment 2; FIG. 10E is a diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioning system according to embodiment 3 of the present disclosure; FIG. 10F is a diagram showing an example of a control mode table stored in a memory unit of an indoor unit control unit included in the indoor unit of the air conditioning apparatus shown in FIG. 10A; FIG. 10G is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of history information used in a stress level reduction control process;

[0009] An air conditioning apparatus, a control method, and a program according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or equivalent parts are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0010] (Embodiment 1) [Configuration of Air Conditioning System 1] An air conditioning system 1 according to embodiment 1 of the present disclosure is a system that air-conditions an indoor space 71, which is an air-conditioned space, based on the drowsiness level of a user present in the indoor space 71. Air conditioning refers to adjusting the temperature, humidity, cleanliness, airflow, etc. of the air in the air-conditioned space, and specifically includes heating, cooling, dehumidification, humidification, air purification, etc. Drowsiness level refers to the degree to which the user feels drowsy.

[0011] 1, the air conditioning system 1 includes an air conditioner 2, which is equipment for air-conditioning an indoor space 71, and an information device 90 operated by a user. During air conditioning operation, air conditioning control is performed based on the drowsiness level of a user present in the indoor space 71. The information device 90 and an indoor unit control unit 53 provided in the air conditioner 2 are connected via a network NW.

[0012] As shown in Fig. 1, the air conditioning device 2 is installed in a house 3. The house 3 is, for example, a typical detached house. ２ The house 3 is a heat pump type air conditioning system that uses carbon dioxide (CO₂) or HFC (hydrofluorocarbon) as a refrigerant. The house 3 is not limited to a detached house, but may be an apartment building, condominium, apartment, building, or the like.

[0013] The air conditioning device 2 includes an outdoor unit 11 provided outside the house 3, an indoor unit 13 provided inside the house 3, and a remote controller (hereinafter referred to as remote control) 55 operated by a user. The outdoor unit 11 and the indoor unit 13 are connected via refrigerant piping 61 through which a refrigerant flows and a communication line 63 through which various signals are transferred.

[0014] 2, the indoor unit 13 is installed in a location, for example, on the upper part of a wall, where it can supply conditioned air to the indoor space 71. The indoor space 71 is cooled or heated by the cold air and hot air blown out from the indoor unit 13. In this embodiment, air conditioning control is performed based on the drowsiness level of one user HM present in the indoor space 71. Details will be described later.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1 , the outdoor unit 11 includes a compressor 21 that compresses and circulates the refrigerant, a four-way valve 22 that switches the flow direction of the refrigerant, an outdoor heat exchanger 23 that exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant piping 61 and the air in the external space, an expansion valve 24 that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant piping 61 to expand it, an outdoor blower 31 that sends outdoor air to the outdoor heat exchanger 23, and an outdoor unit control unit 51 that controls the operation of the outdoor unit 11.

[0016] The indoor unit 13 also includes an indoor heat exchanger 25 that exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant piping 61 and the air in the indoor space 71, an indoor blower 33 that sends the air in the indoor space 71 to the indoor heat exchanger 25, vanes 34 that adjust the airflow direction, and an indoor unit control unit 53 that controls the operation of the indoor unit 13. Hereinafter, mechanisms for controlling the airflow direction, such as the vanes and louvers, will be collectively referred to as the vanes 34. The air conditioning apparatus 2 has a refrigerant circuit that is configured by connecting a compressor 21, a four-way valve 22, an outdoor heat exchanger 23, an expansion valve 24, and the indoor heat exchanger 25 via the refrigerant piping 61. The refrigerant circuit circulates the refrigerant to operate a refrigeration cycle.

[0017] The compressor 21 compresses the refrigerant and circulates it through the refrigerant pipe 61. Specifically, the compressor 21 compresses a low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant and discharges the high-pressure, high-temperature refrigerant to the four-way valve 22. The compressor 21 is equipped with an inverter circuit that can change its operating capacity in accordance with its drive frequency. The operating capacity is the amount of refrigerant that the compressor 21 delivers per unit time. The compressor 21 changes its operating capacity in accordance with instructions from the outdoor unit control unit 51.

[0018] The four-way valve 22 is installed on the discharge side of the compressor 21. The four-way valve 22 switches the flow direction of the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipe 61 depending on whether the air conditioner 2 is operating in cooling or dehumidifying operation, or in heating operation.

[0019] The outdoor heat exchanger 23 exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant pipe 61 and air in an outdoor space 72 that is outside the space to be air-conditioned, in other words, the air in the external space. The outdoor blower 31 is provided near the outdoor heat exchanger 23 and sends air from the outdoor space 72 to the outdoor heat exchanger 23. The outdoor blower 31 draws in air from the outdoor space 72. The drawn-in air is supplied to the outdoor heat exchanger 23, where it exchanges heat with the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant pipe 61, and is then blown out into the outdoor space 72.

[0020] The expansion valve 24 is installed between the outdoor heat exchanger 23 and the indoor heat exchanger 25, and reduces the pressure of the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant pipe 61 to expand it. The expansion valve 24 is an electronic expansion valve whose opening degree can be controlled. The expansion valve 24 changes its opening degree in accordance with instructions from the outdoor unit control unit 51 to adjust the pressure of the refrigerant.

[0021] The indoor heat exchanger 25 exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant piping 61 and the air in the indoor space 71. The indoor blower 33 is provided near the indoor heat exchanger 25 and sends the air in the indoor space 71 to the indoor heat exchanger 25. The indoor blower 33 draws in air from the indoor space 71. The drawn-in air is supplied to the indoor heat exchanger 25, where it exchanges heat with the refrigerant piping 61. After that, the air direction is adjusted by the vanes 34 and the air is blown into the indoor space 71 as conditioned air. This conditions the indoor space 71. The indoor heat exchanger 25 has a humidifying function and a dehumidifying function. The humidifying method may be evaporative humidification, or steam humidification such as primary steam spray, secondary steam spray, or electric steam generation, and any known method can be used. The dehumidifying method may be weak cooling dehumidification, reheat dehumidification, or any known method.

[0022] Hereinafter, among the parts that air-condition the indoor space 71, the compressor 21, four-way valve 22, outdoor heat exchanger 23, expansion valve 24, and outdoor blower 31 arranged in the outdoor unit 11 will be referred to as the outdoor unit air-conditioning section 81, and the indoor heat exchanger 25, indoor blower 33, and vane 34 arranged in the indoor unit 13 will be referred to as the indoor unit air-conditioning section 82. Furthermore, the outdoor unit air-conditioning section 81 and the indoor unit air-conditioning section 82 will collectively be referred to as the air-conditioning section 80 as the part that performs air-conditioning. The air-conditioning section 80 is an example of an air-conditioning means of the present disclosure.

[0023] The indoor unit 13 further includes a temperature sensor 41 for detecting temperature, a humidity sensor 42 for detecting humidity, an infrared sensor 44 for detecting infrared rays emitted from people, objects, etc., and a biometric information detection device 43 for determining the level of drowsiness of the user HM.

[0024] The temperature sensor 41 includes a resistance temperature detector, a thermistor, a thermocouple, or the like, and detects the room temperature, which is the air temperature in the indoor space 71. The humidity sensor 42 is a sensor of an electrical resistance type, a capacitance type, or the like, and detects the indoor humidity, which is the air humidity in the indoor space 71. The temperature sensor 41 and the humidity sensor 42 are installed at the intake port of the indoor heat exchanger 25, and detect the temperature and humidity of the air drawn into the indoor heat exchanger 25 by the indoor blower 33. By being installed at the intake port of the indoor heat exchanger 25, the temperature sensor 41 and the humidity sensor 42 can accurately detect the temperature and humidity of the air in the indoor space 71.

[0025] The infrared sensor 44 is a pyroelectric, thermopile, or other type of sensor, and detects infrared rays emitted from objects such as people and objects. The infrared sensor 44 can identify the presence and position of objects such as people and objects by detecting infrared rays emitted from the objects present in the indoor space 71. The infrared sensor 44 has directionality, and is configured so that the direction of direction can be controlled by a drive motor, a gimbal mechanism, or the like. The infrared sensor 44 also has multiple infrared elements arranged at a depression angle, and by scanning the indoor space 71, a thermal image of the entire indoor space 71 can be obtained.

[0026] The biometric information detection device 43 detects biometric information and periodically determines the drowsiness level of the user HM. The biometric information detection device 43 includes a Doppler sensor (not shown). The Doppler sensor has directionality and its directionality can be controlled using a gimbal mechanism or the like. The Doppler sensor may be installed in a fixed position. The Doppler sensor emits sinusoidal radio waves in the microwave or quasi-millimeter wave band toward the human body detected by the infrared sensor 44. The Doppler sensor receives reflected waves from the human body and detects the human body's pulse wave. A pulse wave is a waveform that indicates changes in the movement of a person's body surface due to heartbeat, breathing, etc., and includes a waveform of changes in blood vessel movement and a waveform of changes in the body surface. The biometric information detection device 43 periodically analyzes the pulse wave detected by the Doppler sensor and periodically determines the drowsiness level. Any known method can be used to derive the drowsiness level from the pulse wave. For example, the degree of drowsiness can be determined by subjecting fluctuations in the pulse waveform obtained from time-series data of the pulse wave to chaos analysis and converting them into Lyapunov exponents.

[0027] It is also possible to utilize AI (artificial intelligence) such as a neural network to measure drowsiness levels. In this case, teacher data is created by investigating in advance the relationship between a set of input data, such as the user HM's pulse wave and its changes, the user HM's heart rate and its changes, the user HM's brain waves and its changes, the user HM's body temperature and its changes, changes in the user HM's facial muscle movements, changes in the voice quality and volume of the user HM's voice, and the user HM's behavior, and the output drowsiness level. Next, the AI ​​device is made to learn the teacher data. The AI ​​device inputs bioinformation such as pulse waves and brain waves measured by the bioinformation detection device 43, their change rates, their history, etc., and outputs an index indicating the drowsiness level.

[0028] Hereinafter, the temperature sensor 41, humidity sensor 42, infrared sensor 44, and biological information detection device 43 will be collectively referred to as the sensor group 40. Their outputs will be collectively referred to as the output group of the sensor group 40. The output group of the sensor group 40 will be supplied to the indoor unit control unit 53.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 1 , a remote control 55 is disposed in the indoor space 71. The remote control 55 transmits and receives various signals to and from the indoor unit control unit 53. The remote control 55 includes a display unit 55a. The remote control 55 includes push buttons, a touch screen, a liquid crystal display, an LED (Light Emitting Diode), and the like, and functions as a command receiving unit that receives various commands from the user HM and a display unit 55a that displays various information to the user HM. The user HM inputs commands to the air conditioning apparatus 2 by operating the remote control 55. The commands include, for example, a command to switch between operation and stop, and a command to switch the operation mode, set temperature, set humidity, airflow, air direction, timer, and the like. The operating modes include manual modes such as cooling, heating, and dehumidification, as well as a drowsiness management mode, which will be described later. The air conditioning apparatus 2 operates according to the input commands.

[0030] The indoor unit 13 further includes a main body display unit 58. The main body display unit 58 is, for example, an LCD monitor, a lamp, or the like, and is a display unit for notifying the user HM of any information such as the operating status and setting information of the air conditioning apparatus 2. The main body display unit 58 displays various information to be notified to the user HM, including the operating mode of the air conditioning apparatus 2.

[0031] The information device 90 is a device owned by the user HM, including a smartphone, tablet, etc. The information device 90 has a display unit 90a. Various information is displayed on the display unit 90a. An application for the air conditioning device is installed on the information device 90, which enables the operation of the air conditioning device 2 via the network NW.

[0032] Next, the placement of the indoor unit 13 will be described. In the first embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2A, the indoor unit 13 is installed in a location where it can supply conditioned air to the indoor space 71, for example, on the upper part of a wall. The indoor space 71 is cooled or heated by the cool air and warm air blown out from the indoor unit 13. The indoor unit 13 detects the drowsiness level of one user HM present in the indoor space 71 using the biological information detection device 43, and performs air conditioning control based on the lifestyle pattern and drowsiness level of the user HM.

[0033] In the following explanation, an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system is set, with the width direction of the interior space 71 shown in Figure 2A as the X-axis direction, the height direction as the Z-axis direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X-axis and Z-axis directions as the Y-axis direction, and this coordinate system will be referred to as appropriate. Also, the direction of each arrow shown in Figure 2A is referred to as the + direction, and the direction opposite to the arrow direction is referred to as the - direction.

[0034] The biological information detection device 43 attached to the indoor unit 13 is capable of detection in both the horizontal and vertical directions with itself as the center. Schematic diagrams of the detectable range SA of the biological information detection device 43 are shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C. FIG. 2B shows the horizontal detectable range SAH of the biological information detection device 43 in the horizontal direction. The horizontal detectable range SAH is a semicircle with a radius N centered on the biological information detection device 43. For example, in FIG. 2B, the dotted line connecting point A in the -X direction to point A' in the +X direction and the dotted arc line form the horizontal detectable range SAH.

[0035] 2C is a diagram showing a vertical detectable range SAV in the vertical direction of the biological information detection device 43. The vertical detectable range SAV is a semicircle with a radius N centered on the biological information detection device 43. For example, in FIG. 2C, the dotted line connecting point B in the -Z direction to point B' in the +Z direction and the dotted arc line form the vertical detectable range SAV. Note that, hereinafter, the horizontal detectable range SAH and the vertical detectable range SAV are collectively referred to as the detectable range SA.

[0036] The biological information detection device 43 can detect the biological information of the user HM present within the detectable range SA. Therefore, it is desirable that the size of the indoor space 71 where the user HM is present be within the detectable range SA of the biological information detection device 43. Furthermore, the detectable range SA of the biological information detection device 43 may be set according to the size of the indoor space 71 where the user HM is present.

[0037] Next, the outdoor unit control unit 51, which is responsible for the control functions of the air conditioner 2, and the indoor unit control unit 53, which controls the operation of the indoor unit 13, will be described in detail with reference to Figure 3. The outdoor unit control unit 51 and the indoor unit control unit 53 are control units that work together to control the entire air conditioning system 1 and perform air conditioning control, and hereinafter, both are collectively referred to as the control device 50.

[0038] The outdoor unit control unit 51 controls the operation of the outdoor unit 11. The outdoor unit control unit 51 includes a control unit 51a that controls the entire outdoor unit 11, a memory unit 51b that stores data necessary for control, a timer unit 51c that measures time, and a communication unit 51d that serves as a communication interface.

[0039] The control unit 51a receives control instruction signals from the indoor unit control unit 53 via the communication line 63, including power on / off, operating mode, set temperature, set humidity, set airflow, timer information, and detection data from various sensors. In response to the control instruction signals, the control unit 51a controls the entire outdoor unit 11, particularly the outdoor unit air conditioning unit 81, including, for example, control of the operating frequency of the compressor 21, control of switching of the four-way valve 22, control of the rotation speed of the outdoor blower 31, and control of the opening degree of the expansion valve 24. The storage unit 51b is composed of memories such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory) and stores data necessary for control. The timer unit 51c measures time. The timer unit 51c is equipped with a real time clock (RTC) and is a timing device that continues to measure time even when the air conditioning apparatus 2 is powered off. The control unit 51a references the time measured by the timer unit 51c to start and stop the timer. The communication unit 51 d is an interface for the control unit 51 a to communicate with the indoor unit control unit 53 via the communication line 63 .

[0040] The indoor unit control unit 53 receives instructions from the user HM via the remote control 55, supplies control instruction information to the outdoor unit control unit 51 via the communication line 63, and controls the operation of the indoor unit 13. The indoor unit control unit 53 includes a control unit 53a that controls the entire indoor unit 13, a memory unit 53b that stores data necessary for control, a timing unit 53c that measures time, and a communication unit 53d that serves as a communication interface.

[0041] The control unit 53a receives control information from the remote control 55, including power on / off, operating mode, set temperature, set humidity, set airflow, timer information, and detection data from various sensors. The control unit 53a also receives outputs from the sensors 40. Based on the received information, the control unit 53a transmits control instruction signals to the outdoor unit control unit 51 and controls the vanes 34 and the indoor blower 33 to perform air conditioning processing. The control unit 53a also displays information such as the operating status, operating mode, and setting information of the air conditioning apparatus 2 on the main body display 58 of the indoor unit 13, thereby notifying the user HM. In addition to the main body display 58 of the indoor unit 13, the control unit 53a also sends instructions to the remote control 55 and the information device 90 to display the operating status of the air conditioning apparatus 2. As a result, the operating status of the air conditioning apparatus 2 is displayed on the display 55a of the remote control 55 and the display 90a of the information device 90. Such a display has the effect of making it easier for the user HM to understand the operating status of the air conditioning device 2, or of guiding the user HM to take actions that enable them to concentrate better or fall asleep. The control unit 53a corresponds to an example of the "sleepiness level acquisition means," "lifestyle pattern acquisition means," and "control means" of the present disclosure.

[0042] The storage unit 53b is composed of memories such as RAM and ROM, and stores programs and data necessary for control. Specifically, the storage unit 53b stores general air conditioning control programs such as those for cooling control, heating control, and dehumidification control, as well as a control program that causes the control unit 53a to execute air conditioning control in accordance with the drowsiness level of the user HM in the indoor space 71, i.e., the drowsiness control program 54. The drowsiness control program 54 functionally includes a drowsiness level acquisition processing unit 54a that causes the control unit 53a to execute a process for acquiring a drowsiness level, a determination processing unit 54b that causes the control unit 53a to execute a process for determining whether the acquired drowsiness level is greater than a threshold, and a control processing unit 54c that causes the control unit 53a to execute air conditioning processing in a drowsiness management mode.

[0043] The storage unit 53b further stores life pattern information 54d and a control mode table 54e for controlling drowsiness, which are data used when the drowsiness control program 54 is executed.

[0044] The lifestyle pattern information 54d is information indicating the typical daily behavior patterns of the user HM. The lifestyle pattern information 54d is information representing the lifestyle rhythm of the user HM. FIG. 4 shows an example of the lifestyle pattern information 54d. As shown in FIG. 4, the lifestyle pattern information 54d includes attributes corresponding to the lifestyle pattern, such as the season and whether it is a holiday or weekday, and a schedule indicating the time of each activity of the user HM throughout the day. Note that a detailed schedule such as that shown in FIG. 4 is not necessarily required; it is sufficient if it includes at least the wake-up time and bedtime. Furthermore, while FIG. 4 shows lifestyle pattern information 54d with the attribute summer weekday, lifestyle pattern information 54d with other attributes is also stored in the storage unit 53b.

[0045] The lifestyle pattern information 54d may be created by input operations by the user HM via the remote control 55, the information device 90, or the like, or may be created by the control unit 53a based on the status and presence / absence history of the user HM in the indoor space 71 measured by the sensor group 40. For example, the location of the user HM in the indoor space 71 can be identified from a thermal image acquired by the infrared sensor 44, and the user HM's wake-up time, bedtime, and absence time can be estimated from the location history. Furthermore, if it is possible to determine whether the user HM is sleeping based on the detection value of the biological information detection device 43, the wake-up time and bedtime can also be estimated from the history of the determination results. The user HM may modify the lifestyle pattern information 54d created by the control unit 53a based on the measurement results of the sensor group 40. If the indoor space 71 is divided into multiple rooms by partitions or the like, each room may be identified based on the position of a heat source and the movement of air currents in the thermal image acquired by the infrared sensor 44, and the user HM's stay time and the like may be determined for each room to create the lifestyle pattern information 54d.

[0046] The control mode table 54e stores various information referenced in the drowsiness control process described later. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5 , the control mode table 54e stores a drowsiness level determination threshold Thd for determining whether to start the drowsiness elimination operation and information indicating the control content of the drowsiness elimination operation. For example, the control content of the drowsiness elimination operation during heating is to increase the set temperature by Td1 to the upper limit value Tdp, decrease the set humidity by Hd1, increase the airflow volume by Fd1, and direct the airflow directly toward the user HM. The control content of the drowsiness elimination operation during cooling is to decrease the set temperature by Td2 to the lower limit value Tdm, decrease the set humidity by Hd2, increase the airflow volume by Fd2, and direct the airflow toward the user HM.

[0047] The control mode table 54e also stores a drowsiness level determination threshold Thi for determining whether to start the drowsiness-increasing operation and information indicating the control content of the drowsiness-increasing operation. For example, the control content of the drowsiness-increasing operation during heating is to reduce the set temperature by Ti1 using the lower limit value Tim as the lower limit, increase the set humidity by Hi1, decrease the airflow volume by Fi1, and change the airflow direction to a windshield that does not direct the airflow toward the user HM. The control content of the drowsiness-increasing operation during cooling is to increase the set temperature by Ti2 using the upper limit value Tip as the upper limit, increase the set humidity by Hi2, decrease the airflow volume by Fi2, and change the airflow direction to a windshield.

[0048] The timer unit 53c shown in Fig. 3 is a part that measures time. The timer unit 53c is equipped with an RTC and is a timing device that continues to measure time even when the power to the air conditioning apparatus 2 is turned off.

[0049] The communication unit 53d communicates with the outdoor unit control unit 51 and also communicates with the information equipment 90 via the network NW.

[0050] Next, an example of the hardware configuration of the outdoor unit control unit 51 and the indoor unit control unit 53 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6A and 6B.

[0051] The outdoor unit control unit 51 is composed of a computer such as a microcontroller, and includes, for example, as shown in FIG. 6A, a processor 1001 that executes a control program, a memory 1002 that functions as a main storage area, a secondary storage device 1003 that stores the control program, an I / O (Input / Output) interface 1004 that inputs and outputs signals, and a communication module 1005 that performs communication, all of which are connected to one another via a bus 1000.

[0052] The processor 1001 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and loads a control program stored in a secondary storage device 1003 into a memory 1002 and executes the program.

[0053] The memory 1002 is a main storage device configured by, for example, a RAM. The memory 1002 functions as a work memory for the processor 1001 and stores the control program that the processor 1001 reads from the secondary storage device 1003.

[0054] The secondary storage device 1003 is configured by a flash memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), etc. The secondary storage device 1003 stores the control program executed by the processor 1001, fixed data, etc.

[0055] The I / O interface 1004 is configured by a serial port, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port interface, etc. The I / O interface 1004 transmits control signals to the outdoor unit air conditioning section 81 in the outdoor unit 11, such as the compressor 21, the four-way valve 22, the expansion valve 24, the outdoor blower 31, etc., to enable control by the processor 1001.

[0056] The communication module 1005 is composed of a network interface and the like, and realizes communication between the processor 1001 and the indoor unit control unit 53 .

[0057] The control unit 51a and the timer unit 51c are each composed of, for example, a processor 1001 and an I / O interface 1004. The storage unit 51b is composed of a memory 1002 and a secondary storage device 1003. The communication unit 51d is composed of, for example, a communication module 1005.

[0058] On the other hand, the indoor unit control unit 53 is composed of a computer such as a microcontroller, and includes, for example, a processor 1011 that executes a control program, a memory 1012 that functions as a main storage area, a secondary storage device 1013 that stores the control program, an I / O interface 1014 that inputs and outputs signals, and a communication module 1015 that performs communications, all of which are connected to one another via a bus 1010, as shown in Fig. 6B. The processor 1011, memory 1012, secondary storage device 1013, I / O interface 1014, and communication module 1015 have the same configurations and functions as the bus 1000, processor 1001, memory 1002, secondary storage device 1003, I / O interface 1004, and communication module 1005 that constitute the outdoor unit control unit 51 shown in Fig. 6A. However, the secondary storage device 1013 stores the drowsiness control program 54, and the I / O interface 1014 is connected to the sensor group 40, the remote controller 55, the main body display unit 58, and the indoor unit air conditioning unit 82, for example, the drive mechanism of the vane 34. In addition, the communication module 1015 is connected to the outdoor unit control unit 51 and the network NW.

[0059] So far, the configuration of the air conditioning system 1 has been described. Next, its operation will be described. The air conditioning device 2 normally performs air conditioning operation in a general normal mode, but when it switches to air conditioning operation in the drowsiness management mode, it executes drowsiness control processing that controls the drowsiness level of the user HM to an appropriate state. For ease of understanding, the drowsiness control processing executed by the air conditioning device 2 in the usage environment illustrated in FIG. 2 will be described below.

[0060] When the user HM selects the "sleepiness management mode" using the remote control 55, the control unit 53a determines the selection and starts executing the drowsiness control program 54. As a result, the control unit 53a first identifies the presence of the user HM using the infrared sensor 44 and sends an instruction to the biological information detection device 43 to acquire the drowsiness level of the user HM. Then, the control unit 53a starts the drowsiness control process shown in FIG. 7.

[0061] When the drowsiness control process is started, first, the control unit 53a acquires the drowsiness level of the user HM from the biological information detection device 43 (step S101).

[0062] Next, the control unit 53a refers to the lifestyle pattern information 54d that matches the current attribute and determines whether the time period is an active time period or an inactive time period of the user HM (step S102). Specifically, the control unit 53a may perform the above determination by determining the time period from the wake-up time to the bedtime specified in the schedule indicated by the lifestyle pattern information 54d as the active time period. Note that various methods can be used to identify the active time period from the schedule, and the active time period may be determined to be the time period from the wake-up time to the bedtime, excluding meal times, bath times, the hour before bed, etc.

[0063] If the current time is within the active time period (step S102; active time period), the control unit 53a determines whether the acquired drowsiness level is equal to or greater than a determination threshold Thd for drowsiness relief driving stored in the control mode table 54e (step S103). The determination threshold Thd is an example of a first determination threshold of the present disclosure. If the drowsiness level is not equal to or greater than the determination threshold Thd (step S103; No), the user HM does not feel drowsy and therefore does not need to perform drowsiness relief driving, and the process proceeds to step S107.

[0064] On the other hand, if the drowsiness level is equal to or greater than the determination threshold Thd (step S103; Yes), the user HM is feeling drowsy despite being in an active time zone, so the control unit 53a refers to the control mode table 54e and executes drowsiness relief driving (step S104).Then, the process proceeds to step S107.

[0065] 5 is stored in the control mode table 54e, the control unit 53a decreases the set temperature by Td2, decreases the set humidity by Hd2, increases the airflow rate by Fd2, and changes the airflow direction to direct air during the cooling operation of the drowsiness relief operation. As a result, during the cooling operation, a strong, dry air that is cooler than normal is blown directly onto the user HM, thereby eliminating drowsiness of the user HM.

[0066] On the other hand, if the current time is the inactive time period (step S102; inactive time period), the control unit 53a determines whether the acquired drowsiness level is equal to or less than the determination threshold Thi for drowsiness-increasing driving stored in the control mode table 54e (step S105). The determination threshold Thi is an example of a second determination threshold of the present disclosure. If the drowsiness level is not equal to or less than the determination threshold Thi (step S103; No), the user HM feels sufficiently drowsy and therefore does not need to perform drowsiness-increasing driving, and the process proceeds to step S107.

[0067] On the other hand, if the drowsiness level is equal to or lower than the determination threshold Thi (step S105; Yes), the user HM is not feeling drowsy despite being in an inactive time period, so the control unit 53a refers to the control mode table 54e and executes the drowsiness-increasing driving (step S106).Then, the process proceeds to step S107.

[0068] 5 is stored in the control mode table 54e, the control unit 53a increases the set temperature by Ti2, increases the set humidity by Hi2, decreases the airflow by Fi2, and sets the airflow direction to windshield during cooling operation in the drowsiness-increasing operation. This causes weaker air that is warmer and more humid than normal to be blown out during cooling operation so as not to hit the user HM, thereby increasing the drowsiness of the user HM. Then, the process proceeds to step S107.

[0069] In step S107, the control unit 53a determines whether the drowsiness management mode has been stopped. If it is determined that the drowsiness management mode has been stopped (step S107; Yes), the control unit 53a ends the drowsiness control process. At this time, the operation of the air conditioning system 1 may be restored to the normal mode, or the operation of the air conditioning system 1 may be stopped.

[0070] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S107 that the drowsiness management mode has not been stopped (step S107; No), the control unit 53a re-executes the processing of step S101 after a certain time has elapsed. Note that stopping of the drowsiness management mode includes a case where an instruction to end the "drowsiness management mode" is given via the remote control 55, a case where an instruction to stop operation of the air conditioning device 2 is given, etc.

[0071] In this way, the air conditioning system 1 according to the first embodiment acquires the sleepiness level and lifestyle pattern of the user HM, and controls the air conditioning unit 80 according to predetermined settings so that the user HM experiences sleepiness appropriate to the lifestyle pattern acquired by the user HM. Specifically, the air conditioning system 1 according to the first embodiment determines whether the current time is an active time slot or an inactive time slot based on the lifestyle pattern information 54d of the user HM, and performs different sleepiness control depending on the determination result. This makes it possible to provide an environment that induces the user HM to experience sleepiness in an appropriate state.

[0072] (Modifications of the First Embodiment) The first embodiment can be modified in various ways.

[0073] In the first embodiment, when the drowsiness level of the user HM during the active time period is equal to or greater than the determination threshold Thd (step S103; Yes), the drowsiness elimination operation whose control content is defined in the control mode table 54e is executed (step S104). However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, when repeating control, the drowsiness elimination operation may be executed in which a change in the drowsiness level of the user HM due to a previous change in the setting is reflected.

[0074] The drowsiness control process in this case will be described using the example of Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the drowsiness control process that changes the temperature setting to eliminate drowsiness. Unlike Fig. 7, Fig. 8 omits the drowsiness-increasing operation that is performed during the user HM's inactive time period.

[0075] First, the control unit 53a acquires the sleepiness level of the user HM detected by the biological information detection device 43 (step S201). Then, the control unit 53a refers to the schedule of the lifestyle pattern information 54d and determines whether the current time is a time period during which the user HM is active (step S202). If the current time is not a time period during which the user HM is active (step S202; No), the process proceeds to step S210.

[0076] On the other hand, if it is in the active time period (step S202; Yes), the control unit 53a determines whether the acquired drowsiness level is equal to or higher than the determination threshold Thd (step S203). If the drowsiness level is lower than the determination threshold Thd (step S203; No), the user HM does not feel drowsy, and the process proceeds to step S210.

[0077] On the other hand, if the drowsiness level is equal to or greater than the determination threshold Thd (step S203; Yes), the control unit 53a compares the drowsiness level acquired this time with the drowsiness level acquired previously (step S204). If this is the first time and there is no previously acquired drowsiness level (step S204; first time), the control unit 53a selects a correction direction to increase the room temperature during heating operation and to decrease the room temperature during cooling operation (step S205). Note that the correction direction is adjusted as appropriate in the process described below, so the opposite correction direction may also be selected. Then, the control unit 53a corrects the set temperature by one step in the selected correction direction (step S206). The correction width at this time is a preset temperature difference. The process then proceeds to step S210.

[0078] On the other hand, if the drowsiness level has increased compared to the previous time and worsened in step S204 (step S204; worsening), the control unit 53a reverses the temperature correction direction from the previous correction direction (step S207).Then, the control unit 53a corrects the set temperature by one step in the reversed correction direction (step S208).Then, the process proceeds to step S210.

[0079] On the other hand, if the drowsiness level is lower than the previous level and has improved in step S204 (step S204; improved), the control unit 53a corrects the set temperature by one step in the same direction as the previous temperature correction direction (step S209). Here, the temperature after correction in steps S206, S208, and S209 may be limited to a temperature within a predetermined range. Then, the process proceeds to step S210.

[0080] In step S210, the control unit 53a determines whether the drowsiness management mode has been stopped. If it is determined that the drowsiness management mode has been stopped (step S210; Yes), the control unit 53a ends the drowsiness control process. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S210 that the drowsiness management mode has not been stopped (step S210; No), the control unit 53a re-executes the process of step S201 after a certain time has elapsed.

[0081] In this way, when the drowsiness level is equal to or greater than the threshold, the direction of temperature correction is determined based on the change in drowsiness level resulting from the previous change when changing the set temperature. This enables control of the air conditioning unit 80 that reflects the characteristics of changes in the user HM's drowsiness level in response to changes in the setting, thereby realizing a space environment that is more suited to the user HM. In this case, the drowsiness control process can be executed simply by storing only the determination threshold in the control mode table 54e. Note that similar repeated control can also be performed for the drowsiness level increase control executed during the user HM's inactive time slot.

[0082] Furthermore, energy-saving control may be enabled in the first embodiment. For example, although the drowsiness relief operation is performed in step S104 and the drowsiness increase operation is performed in step S106 in Fig. 7, when an energy-saving setting is made, the air conditioning unit 80 may be controlled within a setting range that reduces power consumption while providing a slightly lower drowsiness relief effect and a lower drowsiness increase effect than the normal drowsiness relief operation and the normal drowsiness increase operation.

[0083] Furthermore, during the drowsiness-increasing operation in step S106 of Fig. 7, the control unit 53a may not only adjust the set temperature, humidity, airflow volume, airflow direction, etc., but may also perform control such as reducing the dimming of the display on the main body display unit 58 and lowering the volume of the sound output from the air conditioner 2. In this way, the visual and auditory stimuli emitted from the air conditioner 2 are reduced, further enhancing the effect of increasing drowsiness. Note that when the drowsiness-increasing operation ends and normal operation is resumed, the control unit 53a may perform processing to adjust the dimming of the display on the main body display unit 58 and return the volume of the sound output from the air conditioner 2 to their original levels.

[0084] In the first embodiment, the drowsiness control process controls the air conditioning unit 80 to reduce the drowsiness level when the user HM is in an active time period (sleepiness elimination operation), and controls the air conditioning unit 80 to increase the drowsiness level when the user HM is in an inactive time period (sleepiness increasing operation). However, air conditioning control may be performed to adjust the drowsiness level according to more specific time periods, rather than just the active time period and the inactive time period. For example, during the user HM's lunch break, the air conditioning unit 80 may be controlled to a setting intermediate between the setting for the drowsiness elimination operation and the setting for the drowsiness increasing operation.

[0085] The control unit 53a may change one or more of the temperature, humidity, air volume, and air direction according to the drowsiness level of the user HM. The control unit 53a may determine whether to raise or lower the room temperature according to the current operation mode. The control unit 53a may switch the operation mode of heating and cooling. Furthermore, the control unit 53a may control the operation according to conditions previously set by the user HM.

[0086] Furthermore, the control content of the drowsiness reduction operation in step S104 and the control content of the drowsiness increasing operation in step S106 of FIG. 7 may be determined using machine learning technology. In this case, the control unit 53a includes a machine learning device. The machine learning device learns, for example, the relationship between the drowsiness level and each set value, such as temperature, humidity, air volume, and wind direction. During the drowsiness reduction operation in step S104, the control unit 53a may cause the machine learning device to output a combination of set values, such as temperature, humidity, air volume, and wind direction, that can minimize the drowsiness level, control the indoor unit air conditioning unit 82 according to the output set values, and further control the outdoor unit air conditioning unit 81 via the control unit 51a. During the drowsiness increasing operation in step S106, the control unit 53a may cause the machine learning device to output a combination of set values, such as temperature, humidity, air volume, and wind direction, that can maximize the drowsiness level, control the indoor unit air conditioning unit 82 according to the output set values, and further control the outdoor unit air conditioning unit 81 via the control unit 51a.

[0087] In step S103 of Fig. 7 or step S203 of Fig. 8, it is determined whether the acquired drowsiness level is equal to or greater than the determination threshold Thd, but instead it may be determined whether the time-series change in the acquired drowsiness level increases by a predetermined rate or more. Also, in step S105 of Fig. 7, it is determined whether the acquired drowsiness level is equal to or less than the determination threshold Thi, but instead it may be determined whether the time-series change in the acquired drowsiness level decreases by a predetermined rate or more.

[0088] (Embodiment 2) In the above-described embodiment 1, a case has been described in which one user HM is present in the indoor space 71. However, there may be cases in which multiple users HM are present in the indoor space 71. For example, as shown in FIG. 9A , it is assumed that a first user HM1 and a second user HM2 are present in the indoor space 71. Then, similar to embodiment 1, the detectable range SA of the biometric information detection device 43 is a semicircular range in the horizontal and vertical directions centered on the biometric information detection device 43, as shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C .

[0089] In this case, the biological information detection device 43 acquires a pulse wave that is a composite of the pulse waves of the first user HM1 and the second user HM2, both of whom are present within the detectable range SA. When the pulse waves of multiple users are combined, it is possible to separate the pulse waves of each user using known techniques such as Fourier transform, but this complicates the processing. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the detectable range SA of the biological information detection device 43 is narrowed and the device is rotated by the rotating unit 430, thereby enabling the first user HM1 and the second user HM2 present within the indoor space 71 to be individually detected.

[0090] 9A , the indoor unit 13 is installed in a location, for example, on the upper part of a wall, from which it can supply conditioned air to the indoor space 71. The indoor unit 13 is equipped with a biological information detection device 43A and a rotation unit 430 that can rotate the biological information detection device 43A.

[0091] 9B and 9C are schematic diagrams of the detectable range SA of the biometric information detection device 43A in the second embodiment. First, FIG. 9B shows the horizontal detectable range SAH of the biometric information detection device 43A in the horizontal direction. The horizontal detectable range SAH is a sector-shaped range with a radius N and an angle θ centered on the biometric information detection device 43A. The rotation unit 430 moves the horizontal detectable range SAH in both directions of the dotted arrow by rotating the biometric information detection device 43A. This allows the biometric information detection device 43A to detect the user HM within the range of the dotted arrow connecting point A in the -X direction to point A' in the +X direction and the dotted arrow of the arc.

[0092] FIG. 9C shows the vertical detectable range SAV of the biometric information detection device 43A in the vertical direction. The vertical detectable range SAV is a sector-shaped range with a radius N and an angle θ centered on the biometric information detection device 43A. The rotation unit 430 rotates the biometric information detection device 43A to move the vertical detectable range SAV in both directions indicated by the dashed arrow. This allows the biometric information detection device 43A to detect the user HM within the range of the dashed dotted line connecting point B in the -Z direction to point B' in the +Z direction and the dashed dotted line on the arc. Note that, hereinafter, the horizontal detectable range SAH and the vertical detectable range SAV are collectively referred to as the detectable range SA.

[0093] The biometric information detection device 43A can individually detect the biometric information of the first user HM1 and the second user HM2 who are present within the detectable range SA. Therefore, it is desirable that the angle θ between the horizontal detectable range SAH and the vertical detectable range SAV be an angle that ensures that the detectable range SA fits within the body width of the user HM.

[0094] If multiple users HM are present in the indoor space 71, the air conditioning device 2 executes drowsiness control processing for each user HM when switching from a general normal mode to air conditioning operation in the drowsiness management mode. In this case, the lifestyle pattern information 54d shown in FIG. 4 must be set for each user HM. For example, when the first user HM1 or the second user HM2 shown in FIG. 9A selects the "drowsiness management mode" using the remote control 55, the selection is input to the control unit 53a. The control unit 53a starts executing the drowsiness control program 54. The control unit 53a first executes the drowsiness control processing shown in FIG. 7 for the first user HM1. Then, the control unit 53a executes the drowsiness control processing shown in FIG. 7 for the second user HM2. This allows the drowsiness levels of the first user HM1 and the second user HM2 to be individually determined and the temperature, humidity, air volume, air direction, and the like to be controlled so that the drowsiness levels match each person's lifestyle pattern.

[0095] (Variation of Embodiment 2) In the above-described embodiment 2, the drowsiness level is determined individually for the first user HM1 and the second user HM2, and the temperature, humidity, air volume, wind direction, etc. are controlled so that the drowsiness level matches the lifestyle pattern of each person. This is not limiting, and the temperature, humidity, air volume, wind direction, etc. may be controlled to a state that reduces the drowsiness level of the user HM who is most drowsy during the active time period among the users. Furthermore, the set values ​​for the temperature, humidity, air volume, wind direction, etc. may be the average values ​​of the set values ​​for all users.

[0096] (Embodiment 3) In the above-described Embodiments 1 and 2, the air conditioning of only the air conditioner 2 is controlled based on the drowsiness level and lifestyle pattern of the user HM, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In addition to the air conditioner 2, as illustrated in FIG. 10A , external devices such as a lighting device 91, an air purifier 92, and an electric fan 93 connected to the network NW may be controlled. These external devices may be operated via a wired signal or a wireless signal such as an infrared signal from the air conditioner 2, or via a cloud server. These external devices are placed in the indoor space 71, and are installed and used in a manner that may affect the drowsiness level of the user HM located in the indoor space 71.

[0097] In this case, a control mode table 54e shown in Fig. 10B instead of Fig. 5 is stored in the storage unit 53b of the indoor unit control unit 53. In this control mode table 54e, identification information of external devices to be controlled during drowsiness relief operation and their control modes, and identification information of external devices to be controlled during drowsiness enhancement operation and their control modes are registered.

[0098] In the present embodiment, when performing drowsiness relief operation in step S104 of the drowsiness control process shown in Fig. 7, the control unit 53a transmits commands corresponding to each of the lighting device 91, the air purifier 92, and the electric fan 93 via the network NW in accordance with the settings of the control mode table 54e in Fig. 10B. As a result, the lighting device 91 is controlled to emit light at a dimming level of 100%, the air purifier 92 is controlled to operate at maximum output, and the electric fan 93 is controlled to perform swing operation at a "high" output. The operation of these external devices is expected to have the effect of further reducing the drowsiness level of the user HM.

[0099] Similarly, when performing drowsiness-increasing operation in step S106 of the drowsiness control process shown in Fig. 7, the control unit 53a transmits commands corresponding to each of the lighting device 91, the air purifier 92, and the electric fan 93 via the network NW in accordance with the settings in the control mode table 54e of Fig. 10B. As a result, the lighting device 91 is controlled to emit light at a dimming level of 40%, the air purifier is controlled to operate in silent mode, and the electric fan is controlled to operate in a gentle breeze mode. The operation of these external devices is expected to have the effect of further increasing the drowsiness level of the user HM.

[0100] (Modifications) Various modifications are possible to the above first to third embodiments.

[0101] In the above-described first to third embodiments, for example, as illustrated in FIG. 11A , history information including the implementation date and time of the driving control for adjusting the drowsiness level, weather, temperature, driving behavior, and changes in drowsiness level may be generated and stored in the memory unit 53 b or an external storage device. The history information may be fed back to the next and subsequent driving control for adjusting the drowsiness level. For example, drowsiness reduction driving with different driving behaviors may be performed multiple times in advance and the driving history may be recorded in the memory unit 53 b. Then, the driving behavior with the highest drowsiness reduction rate may be identified from the recorded driving behaviors, and control identical to or similar to that driving behavior may be performed in step S104 of FIG. 7. Furthermore, a temperature setting value that can reduce drowsiness level may be determined from the relationship between the temporal change in drowsiness level recorded in the history information and the changes in temperature and humidity, and used for driving control.

[0102] Furthermore, if multiple users HM exist in the interior space 71, each user HM may be identified, and history information for each user HM may be created, as shown in Fig. 11B. In this case, during the drowsiness relief driving in step S104 of Fig. 7, the user HM in the interior space 71 is identified, and based on the history information of the identified user HM, for example, the driving behavior when the drowsiness level was lowest is reproduced. This is expected to effectively reduce the drowsiness level.

[0103] In the first to third embodiments, the air conditioning apparatus 2 is equipped with the control device 50 inside. However, this is not limited to this, and the control device 50 may be arranged external to the air conditioning apparatus 2. In this case, the control device 50 is connected to the air conditioning apparatus 2 via a network NW, for example, as shown in FIG. 12 . In this case, the air conditioning apparatus 2 is equipped with, for example, a communication device 56 that communicates with an external device. The communication device 56 enables communication between the outdoor unit control unit 51 of the externally arranged control device 50 and the outdoor unit air conditioning unit 81, and enables communication between the indoor unit control unit 53 of the externally arranged control device 50 and the sensor group 40, the remote control 55, and the indoor unit air conditioning unit 82.

[0104] Furthermore, for example, the control device 50 may be configured as a server device 57 connected to the network NW. In this case, for example, a control program for executing the control processes executed by the outdoor unit control unit 51 and the indoor unit control unit 53 may be installed in the server device 57, and the outdoor unit control function and the indoor unit control function may be established on the server device 57. Note that the server device 57 may be realized by a personal computer.

[0105] Furthermore, in the above-described first to third embodiments, the air conditioning apparatus 2 is equipped with the biological information detection device 43, but the biological information detection device 43 may be located outside the air conditioning apparatus 2. For example, the biological information detection device 43 may be placed on the ceiling, wall, floor, etc. that form the indoor space 71. Alternatively, a wearable biological information detection device may be used. In this case, it is desirable to connect the wearable biological information detection device and the indoor unit control unit 53 via wireless communication or wired communication.

[0106] Furthermore, some recent portable information terminals have the function of measuring and analyzing various biological information. Using this type of portable information terminal as a sensor, for example, in the configuration shown in FIG. 3 , the information device 90 and the indoor unit control unit 53 may be directly connected by wire or wirelessly or via a network NW, and the portable information terminal may acquire the biological information, analyze it to determine the drowsiness level, and notify the indoor unit control unit 53. Alternatively, the portable information terminal may acquire the biological information and transmit it to the indoor unit control unit 53, which may then analyze the biological information to determine the drowsiness level. For example, the biological information detection device 43 may simply receive a Doppler signal, and the indoor unit control unit 53 may analyze the Doppler signal to extract a pulse wave, and further analyze the pulse wave to determine the drowsiness level.

[0107] In the first and second embodiments, the drowsiness control process is started when the user HM selects the drowsiness management mode using the remote control 55. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. The start and end of the process can be set in any manner. For example, the drowsiness control process may be automatically started when a human presence sensor such as the infrared sensor 44 detects a person in the indoor space 71, and may be ended when the person is no longer detected.

[0108] In addition, when the infrared sensor 44 detects the user HM, the air conditioner may be automatically set to drowsiness management mode and drowsiness control processing may be initiated, and when the infrared sensor 44 no longer detects the user HM, the air conditioning operation in drowsiness management mode may be stopped.

[0109] In addition, by referring to the user HM's lifestyle pattern information 54d, the air conditioner may be automatically set to drowsiness management mode and drowsiness control processing may be started each time the time when it is estimated that the user HM will start a new activity has passed.

[0110] Furthermore, in the above-described first to third embodiments, an infrared sensor 44 and a Doppler sensor are provided. The infrared sensor 44 identifies the position of a person, and the Doppler sensor detects the pulse waves of the human body, and the two act as sensors in cooperation with each other. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. The air conditioning device 2 may be provided with only a Doppler sensor, and the Doppler sensor may not only detect the pulse waves of the human body but also identify the position of the person. Furthermore, the detection by the infrared sensor 44 and the detection by the Doppler sensor may be combined to increase reliability.

[0111] Furthermore, in the above-described first to third embodiments, the pulse wave of the human body is detected using a Doppler sensor. However, the pulse wave may be detected using any type of sensor. For example, the pulse wave of the human body may be detected using a 24 GHz to 79 GHz FMCW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave Radar) sensor. Alternatively, the pulse wave may be measured by irradiating a living body with light of infrared, red, or green wavelengths, and measuring the light reflected within or transmitted through the living body with a light-receiving element. Furthermore, the sensor is not limited to a non-contact type, and a contact type sensor that detects by contacting the human body may also be used. For example, an electrocardiogram may be used on the human body, and the pulse wave may be extracted from the electrocardiogram.

[0112] Furthermore, biological information other than pulse waves may be used as long as it can provide a drowsiness level. For example, i) blood flow may be measured using a blood flow sensor, and drowsiness level may be determined from the blood flow, ii) brain waves may be measured using an electroencephalogram sensor, and drowsiness level may be determined from the intensity of α waves, or iii) cerebral blood flow may be determined using a technique such as near-infrared spectroscopy, and drowsiness level may be determined from the cerebral blood flow, or iv) a surface electromyogram may be obtained using an electromyogram sensor attached to the skin, and drowsiness level may be determined from the surface electromyogram.

[0113] The biometric information detection device 43 may also be configured to acquire not only the user HM's drowsiness level but also the depth of the user HM's sleep from the biometric information. In this case, it is possible to control the air conditioning so that the depth of sleep is appropriate for the user HM's lifestyle pattern. For example, the biometric information detection device 43 may acquire the depth of the user HM's sleep 15 minutes before the wake-up time specified in the user HM's schedule indicated by the lifestyle pattern information 54d. If the depth is equal to or greater than a threshold, the air conditioning unit 80 may be controlled to increase the airflow rate and blow air to promote a good awakening. Alternatively, the biometric information detection device 43 may monitor the depth of the user HM's sleep from the bedtime specified in the schedule indicated by the lifestyle pattern information 54d to 15 minutes before the wake-up time. If the depth of sleep is detected to be equal to or less than the threshold, the air conditioning unit 80 may be controlled to increase the set temperature or reduce the airflow rate to promote a deep sleep.

[0114] In the first to third embodiments, the infrared sensor 44 identifies the presence or absence of the user HM and the positions of multiple people, but instead, the positions of multiple people may be identified by the biological information detection device 43 (Doppler sensor). Specifically, the biological information detection device 43 irradiates light while changing the irradiation angle to identify the positions of people.

[0115] In the first to third embodiments, the indoor unit 13 is provided with the vane 34 including the vane and the louver, but may be provided with any wind direction adjusting mechanism as long as it can change the wind direction.

[0116] In the first to third embodiments, the indoor unit control unit 53 receives instructions from the user HM from the remote control 55, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The indoor unit control unit 53 may also receive instructions from the user HM from an information device 90 in which an application for the air conditioning apparatus 2 is installed.

[0117] In the first and second embodiments, the indoor space 71 is not limited to a room, but may be a closed space, a semi-closed space with a part open, or a substantially closed space or semi-closed space separated by an air curtain or the like.

[0118] Furthermore, a computer capable of realizing each of the above-described functions may be configured by storing and distributing a program for realizing each of the above-described functions on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory) or a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc Read Only Memory), and installing this program on the computer. If each function is realized by sharing the work between an OS (Operating System) and an application, or by cooperation between an OS and an application, only the application may be stored on the recording medium.

[0119] The present disclosure allows various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are intended to explain the present disclosure and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. In other words, the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims, not the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and within the meaning of the disclosure equivalent thereto are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0120] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Air conditioning system, 2 Air conditioning device, 3 House, 11 Outdoor unit, 13 Indoor unit, 21 Compressor, 22 Four-way valve, 23 Outdoor heat exchanger, 24 Expansion valve, 25 Indoor heat exchanger, 31 Outdoor blower, 33 Indoor blower, 34 Vane, 40 Sensor group, 41 Temperature sensor, 42 Humidity sensor, 43, 43A Biometric information detection device, 430 Rotating unit, 44 Infrared sensor, 50 Control device, 51 Outdoor unit control unit, 51a Control unit, 51b Memory unit, 51c Timekeeping unit, 51d Communication unit, 53 Indoor unit control unit, 53a Control unit, 53b Memory unit, 53c Timekeeping unit, 53d Communication unit, 54 Drowsiness control program, 54a Drowsiness level acquisition processing unit, 54b Determination processing unit, 54c Control processing unit, 54d Lifestyle pattern information, 54e control mode table, 55 remote controller (remote control), 55a display unit, 56 communication device, 57 server device, 58 main body display unit, 61 refrigerant piping, 63 communication line, 71 indoor space, 72 outdoor space, 80 air conditioning unit, 81 outdoor unit air conditioning unit, 82 indoor unit air conditioning unit, 90 information equipment, 90a display unit, 91 lighting equipment, 92 air purifier, 93 electric fan, 1000, 1010 bus, 1001, 1011 processor, 1002, 1012 memory, 1003, 1013 secondary storage device, 1004, 1014 I / O interface, 1005, 1015 communication module, NW network, HM user, HM1 first user, HM2 second user

Claims

1. An air conditioning means for conditioning a space to be air-conditioned; A drowsiness level acquisition means for acquiring a drowsiness level of a user in the air-conditioned space; A life pattern acquisition means for acquiring a life pattern of the user; and a control means for repeatedly controlling the air conditioning means at a predetermined setting based on the acquired drowsiness level and the lifestyle pattern so that the user has a drowsiness level suitable for the lifestyle pattern. The control means determines the content of the current control based on a change in the user's drowsiness level after the previous control. Air conditioning units.

2. The control means determining whether the current time is a time period during which the user is active based on the lifestyle pattern; When it is determined that the time period is the active time period, if the acquired drowsiness level is equal to or greater than a first determination threshold, control of the air conditioning means is executed to reduce the drowsiness level. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The control means determining whether a current time is a non-active time period of the user based on the lifestyle pattern; When it is determined that the time period is the inactive time period, if the acquired drowsiness level is equal to or lower than a second determination threshold, control of the air conditioning means is executed to increase the drowsiness level.

3. An air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The control means controls the air conditioning means to adjust at least one of a temperature, a humidity, a wind direction, and an air volume of the air-conditioned space.

3. An air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

5. When there are multiple users in the air-conditioned space, The drowsiness level acquisition means acquires the drowsiness levels of all of the plurality of users, The control means controls the air conditioning means in accordance with the drowsiness levels of the respective users.

3. An air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

6. a rotation unit that rotates the drowsiness level acquisition means in a horizontal or vertical direction, The drowsiness level acquisition means acquires the drowsiness level of the user in the air-conditioned space by rotating the rotating unit in a horizontal direction or a vertical direction.

3. An air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

7. The control means further controls an external device to optimize the drowsiness level of the user.

3. An air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

8. A drowsiness level acquisition step of acquiring a drowsiness level of a user in the air-conditioned space; A life pattern acquisition step of acquiring a life pattern of the user; and a control step of repeatedly performing air conditioning control with a predetermined setting based on the drowsiness level acquired in the drowsiness level acquisition step and the lifestyle pattern acquired in the lifestyle pattern acquisition step so that the user has a drowsiness appropriate for the lifestyle pattern, In the control step, content of the current air conditioning control is determined based on a change in the user's drowsiness level after the previous air conditioning control. Control methods.

9. On the computer, A drowsiness level acquisition process for acquiring a drowsiness level of a user in an air-conditioned space; A life pattern acquisition process for acquiring a life pattern of the user; an air conditioning control process for repeatedly performing air conditioning control with a predetermined setting based on the acquired drowsiness level and the lifestyle pattern so that the user has a drowsiness level appropriate for the lifestyle pattern; Run the command, In the air conditioning control process, content of the current air conditioning control is determined based on a change in the user's drowsiness level after the previous air conditioning control. program.