Air conditioning system, air conditioning method, and program

Abstract

An air conditioning system (1) that controls the air conditioning of an air conditioning target space comprises an air conditioning unit (80) that air-conditions an air conditioning target space and a control device (50) that controls the air conditioning unit (80). A control unit (53a) in the control device (50) acquires emotion information based on the living body information relating to a user in the air conditioning target space and controls, on the basis of the acquired emotion information, the air conditioning unit (80) at a setting for achieving target emotion information determined in advance.

Description

Air conditioning system, air conditioning method and program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an air conditioning system, an air conditioning 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] Simply adjusting the spatial environment based on the occupants and the ambient temperature does not necessarily ensure a comfortable experience for the user. Furthermore, users have their own daily rhythms, such as concentration or relaxation, depending on the time of day, and these rhythms vary depending on the season and the individual. Therefore, the air conditioner described in Patent Document 1, which aims only to improve comfort, cannot create a spatial environment that is suited to the user's preferences or physical constitution for each time period.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide an air conditioning system, an air conditioning method, and a program that perform air conditioning control that can create a spatial environment that matches the user's preferences or constitution.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, an air conditioning system according to the present disclosure is an air conditioning system that controls the air conditioning of an air-conditioned space, and includes an air conditioning unit and a control unit. The air conditioning unit conditions the air-conditioned space. The control unit controls the air conditioning unit. The control unit includes emotion information acquisition means that acquires emotion information based on biometric information of a user of the air-conditioned space, and control means that controls the air conditioning unit with settings that achieve predetermined target emotion information based on the acquired emotion information. The control means of the control unit may control the air conditioning unit with settings determined based on changes in the user's emotion information when the settings of the air conditioning unit are changed.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, in an air conditioning system, the air conditioning unit is controlled using settings based on emotional information of the user in the air-conditioned space, making it possible to create a spatial environment that matches the user's preferences or constitution.

[0008] 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioning system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure; Schematic diagram showing the layout of an air-conditioned space in which an indoor unit of an air conditioning apparatus according to the first embodiment is arranged; Schematic diagram showing the functional configuration of an air conditioning system according to the first embodiment; Diagrams showing an example of user emotion information stored in a storage unit of an indoor unit control unit; (A) and (B) are diagrams showing an example of the hardware configuration of an outdoor unit control unit and an indoor unit control unit according to the first embodiment; Flowcharts of customization control processing performed by an air conditioning apparatus according to the first embodiment; (A) and (B) are schematic diagrams for explaining wind shield control and wind blow control; Flowchart of customization control processing performed by an air conditioning apparatus according to a second embodiment; Flowchart of customization control processing performed by an air conditioning apparatus according to a modified example of the second embodiment; Diagram showing the functional configuration of an air conditioning system according to a third embodiment; Diagram showing an example of a user schedule stored in a storage unit of an indoor unit control unit; Schematic diagram for explaining customization control processing according to a modified example; Diagrams showing the configuration of an air conditioning system according to a modified example;

[0009] An air conditioning system and an air conditioning method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, 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 conditions an indoor space 71, which is an air-conditioned space, based on emotional information 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 refers to all or some of heating, cooling, dehumidification, humidification, air purification, etc.

[0011] The user's emotional information includes stress level, relaxation level, concentration level, sleepiness level, etc. Emotional information is estimated from biometric information, which is information based on or equivalent to physiological and medical information of a living organism. The biometric information includes pulse or heart rate. Stress level and relaxation level represent the tension state of the autonomic nervous system and can be estimated from pulse fluctuations. A high stress level corresponds to a high tension state, and a high relaxation level corresponds to a low tension state. Furthermore, concentration level and sleepiness level represent the state of brain activity (central nervous system) and can be estimated from pulse waveform fluctuations. A high concentration level corresponds to a state of active brain activity, and a high sleepiness level corresponds to a state of relaxed brain activity. In this embodiment, emotional information includes stress level, relaxation level, concentration level, and sleepiness level.

[0012] 1 , the air conditioning system 1 includes an air conditioner 2, which is equipment for air-conditioning an indoor space 71, and a server 90 connected to the air conditioner 2 via a network NW. When the air conditioner 2 performs air conditioning operation, air conditioning control is performed based on emotional information of a user present in the indoor space 71.

[0013] 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 It is a heat pump type air conditioning system that uses carbon dioxide or HFC (hydrofluorocarbon) as a refrigerant.

[0014] 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.

[0015] 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 emotion information of one user HM present in the indoor space 71. Details will be described later.

[0016] 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.

[0017] 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, an air deflector 34 that adjusts the air direction, and an indoor unit control unit 53 that controls the operation of the indoor unit 13. Hereinafter, mechanisms for controlling the air direction, such as the up-down air deflector and the left-right air deflector, will be collectively referred to as the air deflector 34. The air conditioning device 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 refrigerant piping 61. The refrigerant circuit circulates refrigerant to operate a refrigeration cycle.

[0018] 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.

[0019] 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.

[0020] 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.

[0021] 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.

[0022] 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 and undergoes heat exchange with the refrigerant piping 61. After that, the air direction is adjusted by the air deflector 34 and the air is blown out into the indoor space 71 as conditioned air.

[0023] The indoor heat exchanger 25 also 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. In this manner, the indoor space 71 is air-conditioned.

[0024] 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 air direction panel 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.

[0025] 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 detecting the user's biometric information.

[0026] 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.

[0027] 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 in the indoor space 71. The infrared sensor 44 has a depression angle and rotates left and right around a vertical axis. A thermal image can be created by sequentially obtaining infrared information while rotating the infrared sensor 44.

[0028] The biometric information detection device 43 identifies and outputs biometric information including pulse or heartbeat. The biometric information detection device 43 includes any sensor that detects the pulse or heartbeat of a living body, such as a Doppler sensor using millimeter waves or quasi-millimeter waves, or LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). These sensors are directional and their direction of direction can be controlled using a gimbal mechanism or the like. In other words, by rotating a sensor with a narrowed field of view around two axes using a gimbal mechanism or the like, biometric information in a room can be freely detected. The Doppler sensor irradiates a human body detected by the infrared sensor 44 with sinusoidal radio waves in the millimeter wave band or quasi-millimeter wave band, receives reflected waves from the human body, and detects the human pulse wave. The LiDAR irradiates a laser beam toward the human body detected by the infrared sensor 44 and detects the human pulse wave based on the reflected light from the human body. 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 waveforms of changes in blood vessel movement and waveforms of changes in the body surface.

[0029] The biological information detection device 43 may include other sensors. For example, it may include a sensor that measures pulse rate from changes in luminance on the body surface using a near-infrared camera, an optical sensor that measures pulse rate from the movement of hemoglobin in the blood, an electrical heart rate sensor that measures cardiac potential, etc. The biological information detection device 43 may be provided in the air conditioning device 2 as shown in FIG. 1 , or may be configured to be located remotely from the air conditioning device 2 and transmit biological information to the air conditioning device 2 via any communication means. For example, biological information measured using a wearable terminal may be transmitted to the air conditioning device 2 via short-range wireless or wireless LAN. Note that when the biological information detection device 43 is located remotely, emotional information calculated from the biological information may be transmitted to the air conditioning device 2 via any communication means. In this embodiment, a case will be described in which the biological information detection device 43 having a Doppler sensor is provided in the air conditioning device 2 and biological information including pulse rate is detected.

[0030] Any known method can be used to derive the stress level, relaxation level, concentration level, and sleepiness level from the pulse rate. For example, the stress level and relaxation level caused by the autonomic nervous system are expressed as indices that quantify pulse rate fluctuations. Specifically, time-series data of heart rate fluctuations is obtained from time-series data of pulse waves, and this is subjected to frequency analysis to extract high-frequency fluctuation components (HF components) corresponding to respiratory fluctuations and low-frequency components (LF components) corresponding to Mayer waves, which are blood pressure fluctuations. The ratio (=LF / (HF+LF)) to the total power (HF+LF) is quantified, thereby expressing the stress level and relaxation level with a single index, the "activity index." That is, a high activity index indicates that the sympathetic nervous system is activated, resulting in excitement and activity and stress. On the other hand, a low activity index indicates that the parasympathetic nervous system is dominant and the person is relaxed.

[0031] Furthermore, the concentration level and sleepiness level caused by the central nervous system are expressed as indices that quantify fluctuations in the pulse waveform, which are correlated with brain activity. Specifically, by performing chaos analysis on the fluctuations in the pulse waveform obtained from time-series data of the pulse wave and converting them into Lyapunov exponents, the concentration level and sleepiness level can be expressed as a single index, the "concentration index." In other words, when the concentration index is high, brain activity is activated and concentration is high in order to perform work, study, etc., while when the concentration index is low, it can be said that work, study, etc. has stopped and the person is resting and feeling increasingly sleepy.

[0032] 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.

[0033] The indoor unit 13 further includes a main body display unit 58. The main body display unit 58 is a display unit for notifying the user of any information such as the operating status and setting information of the air conditioning device 2. The main body display unit 58 displays various information to be notified to the user, including the operating mode of the air conditioning device 2.

[0034] A user issues operational commands to the air conditioning apparatus 2 by operating the remote control 55, by voice input, or by remote control via various networks. In this embodiment, a case where a remote control 55 provided in the indoor space 71 is used will be described. The remote control 55 transmits and receives various signals to and from the indoor unit control unit 53. The remote control 55 includes push buttons, a touch screen, an LCD display, a light-emitting diode (LED), and the like, and functions as a command reception unit that receives various commands from the user and a display unit that displays various information to the user. The user inputs commands to the air conditioning apparatus 2 by operating the remote control 55. The commands include, for example, commands to switch between operation and stop, and commands to switch between the operating mode, set temperature, set humidity, set airflow, set air direction, and timer. Operational modes include manual modes such as cooling, heating, and dehumidification, and automatic modes, and the automatic modes include customized control modes such as centralized mode and quiet mode. The air conditioning apparatus 2 operates according to the input commands.

[0035] The server 90 is, for example, a cloud-type file server, and accumulates and analyzes data received from various devices, including the air conditioning device 2. The server 90 includes a large-capacity storage device, an input / output device, and communication means.

[0036] Next, details of the outdoor unit control unit 51 and indoor unit control unit 53, which are responsible for the control functions of the air conditioner 2, will be described with reference to Fig. 3. The outdoor unit control unit 51 and indoor unit control unit 53 are control units that cooperate to control the entire air conditioning system 1 and perform air conditioning control, and hereinafter these two units will be collectively referred to as the control device 50.

[0037] 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.

[0038] 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 .

[0039] The indoor unit control unit 53 receives user instructions from 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 timer unit 53c that measures time, a calendar unit 53d that measures the date, and a communication unit 53e that serves as a communication interface.

[0040] The control unit 53a receives control information including power on / off, operation mode, set temperature, set humidity, set air volume, timer information, detection data of various sensors, etc. from the remote control 55. The control unit 53a also receives outputs from the sensor group 40. Based on the received information, the control unit 53a transmits a control instruction signal to the outdoor unit control unit 51 and controls the air direction flap 34 and the indoor blower 33 to perform air conditioning processing.

[0041] The control unit 53a also plays a role in displaying information such as the operating status, operating mode, and setting information of the air conditioning apparatus 2 on the main body display unit 58 of the indoor unit 13, thereby informing the user. In addition to the main body display unit 58 of the indoor unit 13, the control unit 53a sends an instruction to the remote control 55 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 unit 55a of the remote control 55. Such a display has the effect of making it easier for the user HM to understand the operating status of the air conditioning apparatus 2, or of guiding the user HM to take action that allows them to concentrate more. The control unit 53a corresponds to an example of an "emotion information acquisition means" and a "control means" in 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 customized for the user HM based on emotional information of the user HM of the indoor space 71, i.e., a customized control program (hereinafter simply referred to as the control program) 531. Functionally, the control program 531 includes an emotion information acquisition processing unit 531a that causes the control unit 53a to execute a process to acquire emotional information, a storage processing unit 531b that causes the control unit 53a to execute a process to associate the settings of the air conditioning unit 80 with the emotional information acquired by the emotion information acquisition processing unit 531a and store the associated information as user emotion information 532, and a control processing unit 531c that executes air conditioning processing in a customized control mode customized for the user HM.

[0043] The storage unit 53b further stores user emotion information 532, which is data used when executing the control program 531. The user emotion information 532 is information that associates the settings of the air conditioning unit 80 with emotion information of the user HM when the air conditioning unit 80 is operated using those settings.

[0044] 4 is a diagram showing an example of user emotion information 532 during cooling operation. As shown in Fig. 4, the user emotion information 532 stores setting values ​​for the temperature, humidity, air volume, and air direction of the air conditioning unit 80, as well as actual values ​​of emotion information of the user HM when operating at those setting values. The user emotion information 532 may store initial values ​​input in advance.

[0045] The clock unit 53c shown in Figure 3 is a unit that measures time, and the calendar unit 53d is a unit that measures the date. The clock unit 53c is equipped with an RTC and is a timing device that continues to measure time even when the air conditioning apparatus 2 is powered off. The calendar unit 53d calculates the date based on the time output of the clock unit 53c. Note that the clock unit 53c and the calendar unit 53d may have a function to periodically obtain and correct time and date information from an external source via the network NW.

[0046] The communication unit 53e communicates with the outdoor unit control unit 51, and also communicates with the server 90 via the external network NW.

[0047] A part or all of the user emotion information 532 is transferred from the indoor unit control unit 53 to the server 90 and stored therein. In addition, the user emotion information 532 stored in the server 90 or setting information based on the user emotion information 532 is transferred to the indoor unit control unit 53 in response to a request from the indoor unit control unit 53.

[0048] 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. 5(A) and 5(B).

[0049] The outdoor unit control unit 51 is composed of a computer such as a microcontroller, and includes, for example, a processor 1001 that executes a control program for the outdoor unit 11, 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 each other via a bus 1000, as shown in FIG. 5(A).

[0050] 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.

[0051] The memory 1002 is a main storage device, such as a RAM, and 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.

[0052] The secondary storage device 1003 is, for example, a ROM, 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.

[0053] The I / O interface 1004 is, for example, 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.

[0054] The communication module 1005 is a network interface that realizes communication between the processor 1001 and the indoor unit control unit 53 .

[0055] For example, the processor 1001 and the I / O interface 1004 function as the control unit 51a and the timer unit 51c, the memory 1002 and the secondary storage device 1003 function as the storage unit 51b, and the communication module 1005 functions as the communication unit 51d.

[0056] 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 for the indoor unit 13, 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. 5(B). The bus 1010, the processor 1011, the memory 1012, the secondary storage device 1013, the I / O interface 1014, and the communication module 1015 have the same configurations and functions as the bus 1000, the processor 1001, the memory 1002, the secondary storage device 1003, the I / O interface 1004, and the communication module 1005 that constitute the outdoor unit control unit 51 shown in Fig. 5(A). However, the secondary storage device 1013 also stores a control program 531 and user emotion information 532 used in customization control, and the I / O interface 1014 is connected to the sensor group 40, the remote control 55, the main body display unit 58, and the drive mechanisms of the indoor blower 33 and the air direction vane 34 of the indoor unit air conditioning unit 82. In addition, the communication module 1015 is connected to the outdoor unit control unit 51 and the network NW.

[0057] For example, the processor 1011 and the I / O interface 1014 function as the control unit 53a, the timekeeping unit 53c, and the calendar unit 53d, the memory 1012 and the secondary storage device 1013 function as the storage unit 53b, and the communication module 1015 functions as the communication unit 53e.

[0058] 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 customized control mode, it executes customized control processing based on the user's emotional information. For ease of understanding, the customized control processing executed by the air conditioning device 2 in the usage environment illustrated in FIG. 2 will be described below.

[0059] When the user selects a customized control mode such as "concentration mode" or "rest mode" using the remote control 55, the selection is recognized by the control unit 53a, which then starts executing the control program 531. The control unit 53a first identifies the presence of the user HM using the infrared sensor 44, and sends an instruction to the biometric information detection device 43 to detect the biometric information of the user HM.

[0060] The control unit 53a then starts the customization control process shown in Fig. 6. First, the control unit 53a acquires emotion information calculated based on the biometric information of the user HM detected by the biometric information detection device 43 (step S101). The control unit 53a associates the acquired emotion information with the current setting of the air conditioning unit 80 and stores it as user emotion information 532 (step S102).

[0061] Next, control section 53a determines the target emotion information corresponding to the mode selected with remote control 55 (step S103). For example, in "concentration mode", the target emotion information is determined to be a high activity index (high stress level) and a high concentration index (high concentration level). In addition, in "rest mode", the target emotion information is determined to be a low activity index (high relaxation level) and a low concentration index (high sleepiness level).

[0062] The control unit 53a then references the user emotion information 532 stored in the storage unit 53b and derives setting information for the air conditioning unit 80 that will realize the target emotion information (step S104). Specifically, setting information associated with the value of the target emotion information is extracted from the user emotion information 532. Here, if there is more than one piece of setting information for the air conditioning unit 80 that corresponds to the target emotion information, an average value of the multiple pieces of setting information may be obtained. On the other hand, if there is not enough information in the user emotion information 532, the settings are periodically changed, mainly based on the remote control setting values, and user emotion information is acquired and accumulated. At this time, the priority of setting changes may be determined in advance, such as giving priority to changing settings that are likely to affect emotional changes, such as airflow direction and air volume.

[0063] Steps S103 and S104 will be described below by taking an example in which the user emotion information 532 during cooling operation shown in Fig. 4 is stored in the storage unit 53b. When the user HM selects the concentration mode with the remote control 55, the target emotion information is determined in step S103 to be, for example, both or either one of an activity index of 80% and a concentration index of 80%. Then, in step S104, the control unit 53a refers to the user emotion information 532 in Fig. 4 and determines the lower temperature T Ｌ , humidity H Ｌ And strong airflow F Ｈ In this case, the actual setting of the air conditioning unit 80 is set to a low temperature T Ｌ , humidity H Ｌ The basic setting is F, and the wind volume and direction are set to a strong F. Ｈ The air exposure may be carried out periodically, or may be carried out for a certain period of time after the target emotion information has changed.

[0064] On the other hand, when the user HM selects the rest mode with the remote controller 55, the target emotion information is determined in step S103 to be, for example, an activity index of 30% and / or a concentration index of 30%. Then, in step S104, the control unit 53a refers to the user emotion information 532 in FIG. 4 and determines the standard temperature T Ｎ , humidity H Ｎ And weak airflow F Ｌ and derives setting information that the wind direction is windbreak.

[0065] Here, with regard to the wind direction, the position of the user HM is identified by the infrared sensor 44, and wind protection or wind direction control is performed for the position of the user HM. Wind protection control is a method of controlling the wind direction so that the wind does not directly hit the user HM, as schematically shown in Fig. 7(A), and wind direction control is a method of controlling the wind direction so that the wind directly hits the user HM, as schematically shown in Fig. 7(B).

[0066] The wind deflection or wind protection can be controlled by changing the vertical or horizontal wind deflector angle of the wind direction vane 34. For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 7A and 7B , a control may be performed to shift a predetermined angle θ relative to the direction toward the user HM. If the user HM tends to feel more relaxed when not exposed to cool air during cooling operation, wind protection control is performed to deflect the wind from the user when the rest mode is selected. When the concentration mode is selected, wind deflection control is performed to blow cool air toward the user periodically or based on the user's emotional information. Here, because preferences for wind deflection or wind protection vary from person to person, wind deflection may be set when the rest mode is selected, or wind protection may be set when the concentration mode is selected. Furthermore, the wind direction appropriate for the user is set during heating and fan operation by referring to the user's emotional information 532.

[0067] Using the setting information derived in this way, the control unit 53a operates the air conditioning unit 80 (step S105). The control unit 53a transmits a control instruction signal including information such as whether the operation mode is heating or cooling, the set temperature, and the set humidity to the outdoor unit control unit 51 via the communication unit 53e.

[0068] The control unit 51a of the outdoor unit control unit 51 receives a control instruction signal sent from the control unit 53a via the communication unit 51d, and controls the outdoor unit air conditioning unit 81 while referring to the timing in the timing unit 51c so as to change the temperature and humidity to the set temperature and humidity.

[0069] Similarly, the control unit 53a of the indoor unit control unit 53 controls the indoor unit air conditioning unit 82, i.e., the air volume of the indoor blower 33, the direction of the air deflector 34, etc., while referring to the timing of the timing unit 53c, so as to change the air volume and air direction to the set air volume and air direction.

[0070] When each controlled object such as temperature reaches a set value, the control units 51a and 53a thereafter control the object to be controlled so as to maintain the target value.

[0071] Next, the control unit 53a determines whether the customized control mode has been stopped (step S107). If it is determined that the customized control mode has been stopped (step S107: Yes), the control unit 53a ends the customized 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.

[0072] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S107 that the customized control mode has not been stopped (step S107: No), the process of step S101 is executed again after a certain time has elapsed. Note that stopping of the customized control mode includes when an instruction to end the "concentration mode", "rest mode", etc. is given via the remote control 55, or when an instruction to stop operation of the air conditioning device 2 is given, etc.

[0073] Note that while operation in the customized control mode is being performed, the control unit 53a displays information indicating the control mode on the main body display unit 58 of the indoor unit 13. Specifically, the control unit 53a causes the main body display unit 58 of the indoor unit 13 to display information indicating the operation mode, such as the concentration mode or the quiet mode, the control target, and the control content, as information to be notified to the user HM. The control unit 53a may send an instruction to the remote control 55 to display information indicating the operation mode, such as the concentration mode or the quiet mode, the control target, and the control content, as information to be notified to the user HM, on the display unit 55a of the remote control 55. Furthermore, the control unit 53a may notify the information indicating the control mode by voice during operation in the customized control mode. For example, the control unit 53a may notify the information by a speaker provided in the indoor unit 13.

[0074] In this way, by executing the customization control process, the settings of the air conditioner 80 are derived based on the user emotion information 532, and the air conditioner 80 is controlled using these settings.

[0075] As explained above, the air conditioning system 1 according to Embodiment 1 derives settings that realize target emotion information based on user emotion information 532 associated with the settings of the air conditioning unit 80, and controls the air conditioning unit 80 using those settings. This makes it possible to create a spatial environment that matches the user's preferences or physical constitution.

[0076] (Modifications of the First Embodiment) The first embodiment can be modified in various ways.

[0077] In the first embodiment, the memory unit 53b stores, as user emotion information 532, the settings of the air conditioning unit 80 that correspond to each other and the user's emotion information when the air conditioning is used, and based on the user emotion information 532, derives the settings of the air conditioning unit 80 that will achieve the target emotion information, and uses these settings to control the air conditioning unit 80. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the server 90 may store and analyze all or part of the user emotion information 532, and the server 90 may output the settings of the air conditioning unit 80 in response to a request from the control unit 53a.

[0078] It is also possible to utilize AI (Artificial Intelligence) technology to derive the settings for the air conditioning unit 80. In this case, the indoor unit control unit 53 of the air conditioning apparatus 2 or the server 90 is equipped with an AI device. The AI ​​device, for example, creates training data by investigating in advance the relationship between the settings for the air conditioning unit 80 included in the user emotion information 532 and the corresponding emotion information. Next, the AI ​​device learns the training data. Using a trained model obtained by learning, the AI ​​device outputs the settings for the air conditioning unit 80 when target emotion information is input.

[0079] (Embodiment 2) Similar to embodiment 1, an air conditioning system 1 according to embodiment 2 of the present disclosure is a system that air-conditions an indoor space 71, which is an air-conditioned space, based on emotional information of a user HM present in the indoor space 71, and the hardware configuration of this embodiment is similar to embodiment 1. The content of the customization control process executed by the control unit 53a of the indoor unit control unit 53 differs from embodiment 1.

[0080] The air conditioning system 1 according to this embodiment gradually changes the settings of the air conditioning unit 80 in a direction that improves the emotion information when the target emotion information has not been reached. The customization control process of this embodiment will be explained using the example of FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is an example of a flowchart showing the customization control process for a "concentration mode" that is selected in the morning when it is desired to reduce drowsiness and increase concentration. For ease of understanding, the example of FIG. 8 shows a process for changing the temperature setting, which is one of the settings of the air conditioning unit 80, based on the drowsiness level, which is one of the emotion information.

[0081] When the user selects the "concentration mode" of the customized control mode using the remote control 55, the selection is recognized by the control unit 53a, and the control unit 53a starts executing the control program 531. The control unit 53a first identifies the presence of the user HM using the infrared sensor 44, and sends an instruction to the biometric information detection device 43 to detect the biometric information of the user HM. Thereafter, the control unit 53a starts the customized control process shown in FIG. 8.

[0082] First, the control unit 53a acquires emotional information based on the biometric information of the user HM detected by the biometric information detection device 43 (step S201). The method of acquiring emotional information is the same as in embodiment 1. The control unit 53a determines whether the concentration index in the acquired emotional information is low and the drowsiness level is equal to or greater than a threshold (step S202). Here, the threshold is a value set based on the target emotional information. If the drowsiness level is lower than the threshold (step S202: No), it is determined that the environment is one in which concentration is sufficient, and the process proceeds to step S204.

[0083] In step S202, if the drowsiness level is equal to or higher than the threshold value (step S202: Yes), the control unit 53a corrects the set temperature in a direction predetermined by the user. For example, during heating operation, the set temperature is corrected to increase or decrease the room temperature, and during cooling operation, the set temperature is corrected to increase or decrease the room temperature (step S203). In other words, the control unit 53a changes the setting in a direction that decreases the user's drowsiness level.

[0084] Next, the control unit 53a determines whether the customized control mode has been stopped (step S204). If it is determined that the customized control mode has been stopped (step S204: Yes), the control unit 53a ends the customized 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.

[0085] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S204 that the customized control mode has not been stopped (step S204: No), the process of step S201 is executed again after a certain time has elapsed. Note that stopping of the customized control mode also includes cases where an instruction to end the "intensive mode" is given via the remote control 55, an instruction to stop operation of the air conditioning device 2, etc.

[0086] In this way, when the drowsiness level is equal to or higher than the threshold, temperature control is performed that can increase the concentration index. Note that, although the present embodiment has described control based on drowsiness level, the same applies to other emotional information as well. When the user's emotional information has not reached the target emotional information, the settings of air conditioning unit 80 are changed to temperature, humidity, air volume, and air direction that can improve the emotional information.

[0087] As described above, the air conditioning system 1 according to embodiment 2 changes the settings of the air conditioning unit 80 to temperature, humidity, air volume, and air direction that can improve the user's emotional information when the user's emotional information has not reached the target emotional information. This makes it possible to control the air conditioning unit 80 so that the user's emotional information is appropriate.

[0088] (Modifications of the Second Embodiment) The second embodiment can be modified in various ways.

[0089] In the second embodiment, when the user's emotional information has not reached the target emotional information, the settings of air conditioning unit 80 are changed to temperature, humidity, air volume, and air direction that can improve the user's emotional information, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, when repeated control is performed, control may be performed that reflects changes in the user's emotional information due to the previous change in settings.

[0090] The customization control process of this modified example will be described using the example of Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing the customization control process of this modified example, which changes the temperature setting to reduce drowsiness and increase concentration.

[0091] First, the control unit 53a acquires emotional information based on the biometric information of the user HM detected by the biometric information detection device 43 (step S211). The control unit 53a determines whether the concentration index in the acquired emotional information is low and whether the drowsiness level is equal to or greater than a threshold (step S212). Here, the threshold is a value set based on the target emotional information. If the drowsiness level is lower than the threshold (step S212: No), it is determined that the environment is one in which concentration is sufficient, and the process proceeds to step S219.

[0092] In step S212, if the drowsiness level is equal to or greater than the threshold (step S212: Yes), the drowsiness level is compared with the previous drowsiness level (step S213). If it is the first time (step S213: first time), a correction direction is selected (step S214): increase or decrease the room temperature during heating operation, or increase or decrease the room temperature during cooling operation. Then, the set temperature is corrected by one step in the selected correction direction (step S215). The correction amount at this time is a predetermined temperature difference.

[0093] Next, the control unit 53a determines whether the customized control mode has been stopped (step S219). If it is determined that the customized control mode has been stopped (step S219: Yes), the control unit 53a ends the customization control process. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S219 that the customized control mode has not been stopped (step S219: No), the control unit 53a re-executes the process of step S211 after a certain period of time has elapsed.

[0094] If the drowsiness level obtained in step S211 is equal to or greater than the threshold (step S212: Yes), the drowsiness level is compared with the previous drowsiness level (step S213). If the drowsiness level has worsened compared to the previous drowsiness level in step S213 (step S213: Worsened), the temperature correction direction is reversed from the previous correction direction (step S216). Then, the set temperature is corrected by one step in the reversed correction direction (step S217).

[0095] On the other hand, if the drowsiness level has improved compared to the previous time in step S213 (step S213: improved), the set temperature is corrected by one step in the same direction as the previous temperature correction direction (step S218). Here, the corrected temperatures in steps S215, S217, and S218 may be limited to temperatures within a predetermined range.

[0096] Thereafter, the control unit 53a checks whether the customized control mode has been stopped (step S219), and continues or stops the processing.

[0097] In this way, when the set temperature is changed because 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 due to the previous change. This makes it possible to control the air conditioning unit 80 in a way that reflects the characteristics of changes in the user's emotions in response to changes in the setting, thereby realizing a space environment that is more suited to the user.

[0098] In the above-described modified example, the direction of correction of the settings of the air conditioning unit 80 is determined based on changes in emotional information resulting from the previous change, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, user emotional change information, which is information on changes in the user's emotional information when the settings of the air conditioning unit 80 were changed in the past, may be recorded in the storage unit 53b, and the stored user emotional change information may be referenced to determine the direction of correction to improve the emotional information.

[0099] Furthermore, in step S202 of Fig. 8 and step S212 of Fig. 9, the settings are changed when the drowsiness level is equal to or greater than a threshold, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, in step S202 of Fig. 8 and step S212 of Fig. 9, if the change in emotional information when the settings are changed is within a certain value, the user emotional change information stored in storage unit 53b may be referenced and the settings may be changed to change the emotional information to a value greater than the certain value.

[0100] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, an energy-saving setting may be enabled. For example, in step S202 of Fig. 8 and step S212 of Fig. 9, the set temperature is changed depending on whether the drowsiness level is equal to or greater than a threshold value or whether the change is within a certain value. However, an energy-saving range may be further set, and control may be performed to select a setting with lower power consumption when the emotion information is within the range during the energy-saving setting.

[0101] Furthermore, when energy-saving settings are made, a range of change in emotion information is set, and if the emotion information acquired in step S201 of FIG. 8 and step S211 of FIG. 9 has changed from the previously acquired emotion information within this range, the setting with the lower power consumption may be selected from the settings before and after the change.

[0102] (Embodiment 3) Similar to Embodiments 1 and 2, an air conditioning system 4 according to Embodiment 3 of the present disclosure is a system that air-conditions an indoor space 71, which is an air-conditioned space, based on emotion information of a user HM present in the indoor space 71, and the hardware configuration of this embodiment is the same as that of Embodiment 1. This embodiment differs from Embodiment 1 in that, as shown in FIG. 10 , a user schedule 533 is further stored in the storage unit 53b of the indoor unit control unit 53, and customization control processing is performed in accordance with the user schedule 533.

[0103] The user schedule 533 shows the user HM's desired emotion information for each time period of the day, each day of the week, or each month. Fig. 11 shows an example of a summer user schedule 533 for a user who works from home during the day. As shown in Fig. 11, preferred emotion information for each time period of the day is set as target emotion information in the user schedule 533. The air conditioning setting column in Fig. 11 shows the air conditioning settings stored in association with the target emotion information in the user emotion information 532.

[0104] Next, the operation of the air conditioning system 4 according to the present embodiment will be described. The air conditioning devices 2 of the air conditioning system 4 normally perform air conditioning operation in a general normal mode, but when switched to air conditioning operation in customized control mode, they perform customized control processing based on the user's emotional information in accordance with the user schedule 533.

[0105] When the user selects the "automatic mode," which is a customization control mode, using the remote control 55, the control unit 53a determines the selection and starts executing the control program 531. The control unit 53a first identifies the presence of the user HM using the infrared sensor 44 and sends an instruction to the biometric information detection device 43 to detect the biometric information of the user HM. Thereafter, the control unit 53a starts the customization control process shown in FIG. 6.

[0106] First, the control unit 53a acquires emotion information based on the biometric information of the user HM detected by the biometric information detection device 43 (step S101). The control unit 53a associates the acquired emotion information with the current setting of the air conditioning unit 80 and stores it as user emotion information 532 (step S102).

[0107] Next, control unit 53a refers to user schedule 533, and obtains and determines target emotion information for the current month (season), day of the week, and time using timekeeping unit 53c and calendar unit 53d (step S103).

[0108] Thereafter, the control unit 53a refers to the user emotion information 532 stored in the storage unit 53b, and derives setting information for the air conditioning unit 80 that will realize the target emotion information acquired in step S103 (step S104). The method of deriving the setting information is the same as in the first embodiment.

[0109] Steps S103 and S104 will be explained using the example of Fig. 11. If the user HM of the air conditioning apparatus 2 has a lifestyle rhythm in which they work from home during the day in summer, they will live according to the schedule shown in the example of Fig. 11. Because it is desirable for the user to be relaxed and sleepy from midnight to 6am, which is bedtime, the control unit 53a obtains an activity index of 30% and a concentration index of 30% as target emotion information from the user schedule 533. Then, setting information that realizes this target emotion information is derived from the user emotion information 532. In other words, the standard temperature T Ｎ , humidity H Ｎ And weak airflow F Ｌ and derives setting information that the wind direction is windbreak.

[0110] Since the user will be working from 6:00 to 12:00, it is desirable to activate the brain and concentrate, so control unit 53a acquires an activity index of 80% and a concentration index of 80% as target emotion information from user schedule 533. Then, a low temperature T Ｌ , humidity H Ｌ And strong airflow F Ｈ In this case, the actual setting of the air conditioning unit 80 is set to a low temperature T Ｌ , humidity H Ｌ The basic setting is F, and the wind volume and direction are set to a strong F. Ｈ The air exposure may be carried out periodically, or may be carried out for a certain period of time after the target emotion information has changed.

[0111] Since it is desirable to relax and slightly lower the concentration level from 12:00 to 14:00, which is a break, control unit 53a obtains an activity index of 50% and a concentration index of 50% as target emotion information from user schedule 533. Then, the standard temperature T Ｎ , humidity H Ｎ , air volume F Ｎ and derives setting information that the wind direction is windbreak.

[0112] Since it is desirable to activate the brain again and concentrate from 2 pm to 6 pm when the user is at work, control unit 53 a acquires an activity index of 80% and a concentration index of 80% from user schedule 533 as target emotion information, and sets a low temperature T Ｌ , humidity H Ｌ And strong airflow F Ｈ Here, the actual setting of the air conditioning unit 80 is set to a low temperature T Ｌ , humidity H Ｌ The basic setting is F, and the wind volume and direction are set to a strong F. Ｈ The air exposure may be carried out periodically, or may be carried out for a certain period of time after the target emotion information has changed.

[0113] Since it is desirable to relax and sufficiently reduce the concentration level in preparation for bedtime between 18:00 and 24:00, control unit 53a acquires an activity index of 30% and a concentration index of 30% from user schedule 533 as target emotion information, and sets the standard temperature T Ｎ , humidity H Ｎ And weak airflow F Ｌ and derives setting information that the wind direction is windbreak.

[0114] The processing from step S105 onwards after deriving the setting information is the same as in embodiment 1. Note that Fig. 11 shows an example of air conditioning settings for a specific user HM, and since preferences for air deflection or air protection vary from person to person, the air deflection setting may be used when the rest mode is selected, and the air protection setting may be used when the concentration mode is selected. Furthermore, when heating or blowing air, the air direction is set to suit the user by referring to user emotion information 532.

[0115] As explained above, the air conditioning system 4 according to the third embodiment derives setting information for realizing target emotion information for each time period, day of the week, or month obtained from the user schedule 533 based on the user emotion information 532, and controls the air conditioning unit 80 using this setting information. This makes it possible to create a spatial environment that suits the user's lifestyle rhythm.

[0116] In this embodiment as well, as in the modified example of embodiment 1, all or part of the user emotion information 532 may be stored in the server 90, and the server 90 may output the settings of the air conditioning unit 80 in response to a request from the control unit 53a. Furthermore, the indoor unit control unit 53 or the server 90 may derive the setting information for the air conditioning unit 80 using AI technology.

[0117] Furthermore, in the second embodiment as well, control for changing the air conditioning settings may be performed using a threshold determined based on the target emotion information acquired from the user schedule 533, as in the present embodiment.

[0118] (Modifications of Embodiments 1-3) Various modifications are possible to the above-described Embodiments 1-3.

[0119] In the above embodiment, control using the user emotion information 532 or the user schedule 533 for one user HM has been described, but it is also possible to store the user emotion information 532 or the user schedule 533 for multiple users HM in the storage unit 53b, identify the user HM located in the air-conditioned space, and perform control based on the user emotion information 532 or the user schedule 533 of that user HM.

[0120] The method for identifying the user HM may be any conventional method. For example, the user HM may be identified based on the difference in height using the infrared sensor 44. Alternatively, the user HM may be identified based on the pulse waveform detected by the biological information detection device 43. Alternatively, the user HM may be determined to be located in the air-conditioned space based on location information of a mobile device carried by the user HM.

[0121] 12, different controls may be performed on multiple users HM1, HM2 located within the air-conditioned space. Specifically, an infrared sensor 44 functioning as a human presence sensor detects the positions of multiple users HM1, HM2, and a Doppler sensor of a biological information detection device 43, which has directionality relative to the detected positions, is used to acquire the pulse waves of each user HM1, HM2. Emotional information for each user HM1, HM2 is then calculated from the pulse waves, and the air conditioning unit 80 is controlled using settings derived based on the emotion information. In this case, multiple airflows F1, F2 are generated by controlling the airflow direction using the airflow direction vane 34, and control is performed to achieve target emotion information for each user HM1, HM2.

[0122] In the above embodiment, the customization control process is started by the user HM selecting the automatic mode, the concentration mode, the quiet mode, or the like using the remote control 55, but the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the process can be started or ended in any manner. For example, the infrared sensor 44 or the CO ２ When a user HM is detected in the indoor space 71 by a detection signal from a human presence sensor or the like, the power may be turned on and the customization control process may be automatically started, and when the user HM is no longer detected, the process may be ended and the power may be turned off.

[0123] Furthermore, when the temperature of the indoor space 71 becomes high and the emotional information of the user HM who is in the room at that time indicates an abnormal value, the cooling operation may be started. For example, when the stress level rises and exceeds a threshold, the risk of heat stroke increases, so the cooling operation may be started by the customized control process. In this case, a CO ２ By using the sensor, it is possible to obtain biometric information even from a user HM who is outside the detection range of the infrared sensor 44.

[0124] where CO ２ If there is no human presence for a long period of time, the sensor output will be approximately 400 ppm, the same as the outside air, due to the ventilation function or gaps in the house. When a person enters the room, the CO concentration will be higher than the outside air, although this will vary depending on the number of people at the time and the size of the room. ２ A high proportion of exhaled air is expelled from the human body, so CO ２On the other hand, since the capacity range of the air conditioning device 2 is determined to some extent mainly by the size of the room, the CO ２ It is possible to set an increase threshold value and determine that a human body is present when the change exceeds the threshold value.

[0125] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the air conditioning apparatus 2 is equipped with the control device 50 inside, but the control device 50 may also be arranged external to the air conditioning apparatus 2. In this case, the control device 50 may be connected to the air conditioning apparatus 2 via a network NW, for example, as shown in FIG. 13 . 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.

[0126] In the above embodiment, temperature, humidity, air volume, and air direction are controlled. However, other parameters may be controlled in place of some of these controlled parameters, or in addition to these controlled parameters. For example, control may be performed to change the temperature control timing from that during normal operation. Here, the temperature control timing refers to the timing at which the temperature control is turned on or off. Here, "temperature control off" means stopping the compressor 21 of the outdoor unit 11 to stop "cooling" or "heating," and "temperature control on" means operating the compressor 21 of the outdoor unit 11 to perform "cooling" or "heating." The "temperature control off" timing is set when the temperature difference ΔTR between the room temperature TR and the set temperature TS reaches ΔToff°C, and the "temperature control on" timing is set when the temperature difference ΔTR between the room temperature TR and the set temperature TS reaches ΔTon°C. For example, assume that in normal cooling mode, the set temperature is 28°C, the temperature control off timing ΔToff is set to -2°C, and the temperature control on timing is set to a temperature difference ΔTon = 0°C. In this case, when the room temperature TR drops to the set temperature of 26°C and the temperature difference ΔTR becomes -2°C, the compressor 21 is stopped and "cooling" is stopped. After that, when the room temperature TR rises to 28°C and the temperature difference ΔTR becomes 0°C, the compressor 21 is operated and "cooling" is resumed.

[0127] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, only the air conditioning of the air conditioner 2 was controlled based on the emotion information of the user HM. However, other devices used by the user HM may also be controlled. In addition to the air conditioner 2, as illustrated in FIG. 14A , external devices connected to the outdoor unit 11 or the indoor unit 13 directly or via the network NW, such as lighting equipment 91, electric fans 92, water heaters, air purifiers, ventilation fans, heating equipment, video output devices, and audio equipment, may also be controlled based on the emotion information. These external devices are located in the house 3 and are installed and used in a manner that may affect the emotions of the user HM located in the indoor space 71. Control signals are transmitted from the air conditioner 2 to the external devices via wired communication or wireless communication such as short-range wireless communication, wireless LAN, or infrared communication, and the external devices are controlled based on the control signals.

[0128] In this case, the storage unit 53b of the indoor unit control unit 53 stores a control mode table for the customized control mode, as shown in FIG. 14B. This table registers control targets, including external devices, to be controlled to achieve the target emotion information, and the control details. For example, when performing a process to improve drowsiness, in step S105 of the flowchart in FIG. 6, the indoor unit control unit 53 sends a command to the lighting device 91 in accordance with the settings in the control mode table for the customized control mode, instructing it to reduce the dimming level to 60% and setting the fan power of the fan 92 to level "2." Furthermore, for example, if the fan 92 has a rhythm wind mode function that blows a natural breeze, the indoor unit control unit 53 switches the operation mode to rhythm wind mode. Furthermore, if the external device is a water heater, the indoor unit control unit 53 sets the set temperature higher. If the external device is an air purifier, the indoor unit control unit 53 switches the setting to a quieter setting so that the operating noise is not distracting. Furthermore, if the external device is a ventilation fan, the indoor unit control unit 53 operates the ventilation fan to reduce the carbon dioxide concentration in the room and improve drowsiness. If the external device is a video output device or audio equipment, it outputs video or music that has a relaxing effect. By controlling external devices in addition to the air conditioning device 2, further improvement in drowsiness can be achieved.

[0129] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, 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 receive instructions from the user HM from an information device in which an application for the air conditioning apparatus 2 is installed. Furthermore, the information device may receive information indicating the control mode of the air conditioning apparatus 2 from the indoor unit control unit 53 and display the information on the display unit of the information device.

[0130] Furthermore, a computer capable of realizing each function may be configured by distributing a program for executing the operation of the control device 50 of the above-described embodiment on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read-Only Memory), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), an MO (Magneto Optical Disc), or a memory card, and installing the program on the computer. When each function is realized by sharing the work between an OS (Operating System) and an application, or by cooperation between the OS and an application, only the parts other than the OS may be stored on the recording medium.

[0131] 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 the meaning of equivalent disclosures are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0132] 1, 4 Air conditioning system, 2 Air conditioner, 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 Wind direction vane, 40 Sensor group, 41 Temperature sensor, 42 Humidity sensor, 43 Biometric information detection device, 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 Calendar unit, 53e Communication unit, 55 Remote control, 55a Display unit, 56 Communication device, 58 Main unit display unit, 61 Refrigerant piping, 63 Communication line, 71 indoor space, 72 outdoor space, 80 air conditioning unit, 81 outdoor air conditioning unit, 82 indoor air conditioning unit, 90 server, 91 lighting equipment, 92 electric fan, 531 customized control program, 531a emotion information acquisition processing unit, 531b storage processing unit, 531c control processing unit, 532 user emotion information, 533 user schedule, 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, HM1, HM2 user

Claims

1. An air conditioning system that controls air conditioning of an air-conditioned space, An air conditioning unit that conditions the air-conditioned space; A control device for controlling the air conditioning unit, The control device includes emotion information acquisition means for acquiring emotion information based on biological information of a user of the air-conditioned space; a storage unit that stores user emotion information that associates a setting of the air conditioning unit with emotion information of a user when the air conditioning unit is operated using the setting; and a control means for controlling the air conditioning unit with a setting that realizes predetermined target emotion information of a user of the air-conditioned space based on the user emotion information. Air conditioning system.

2. An air conditioning system that controls air conditioning of an air-conditioned space, An air conditioning unit that conditions the air-conditioned space; A control device for controlling the air conditioning unit, The control device includes emotion information acquisition means for acquiring emotion information based on biological information of a user of the air-conditioned space; a storage unit that stores user emotion change information that associates a change in the setting of the air conditioning unit with a change in the emotion information of the user when the vehicle is driven using the setting; A control means for controlling the air conditioning unit by changing emotion information of a user of the air-conditioned space based on the user emotion change information. Air conditioning system.

3. A biological information detection device that outputs the biological information of a user present in the air-conditioned space, The biological information includes a pulse or a heart rate of the user, The emotion information includes at least one of a stress level, a relaxation level, a concentration level, and a sleepiness level, which are calculated based on the biological information.

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

4. the storage unit further stores a user schedule indicating target emotion information for each time period of a day, each day of the week, or each month of the user; the control means controls the air conditioning unit with settings that realize the target emotion information for each time period, each day of the week, or each month based on the user schedule. The air conditioning system of claim 1 .

5. The setting of the air conditioning unit includes at least one setting of temperature, humidity, air volume, and air direction. The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. the control means transmits a control signal for realizing target emotion information of a user based on emotion information of the user of the air-conditioned space to at least one of an external lighting device, an electric fan, a water heater, an air purifier, a ventilation fan, a heating device, a video output device, and an audio device; The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

7. Further comprising a human presence sensor for detecting a user in the air-conditioned space, The control means starts or stops control of the air conditioning unit based on a detection signal of the human presence sensor. The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

8. Further comprising a human presence sensor for detecting the positions of one or more users in the air-conditioned space, The control means executes air conditioning control having directionality toward each user based on the emotion information of each user. The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

9. the control means, during an energy saving setting, selects a setting with low power consumption when the emotion information is within a predetermined range or when an amount of change in the emotion information since the previous acquisition is within a predetermined range. The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

10. Control the air conditioning in the space to be air-conditioned, acquiring emotion information based on biological information of a user of the air-conditioned space; performing air conditioning control with settings that realize predetermined target emotion information of a user of the air-conditioned space based on user emotion information that corresponds the pre-stored air-conditioning control settings to the emotion information of the user when the user drives using the pre-stored settings; Air conditioning methods.

11. Control the air conditioning in the space to be air-conditioned, acquiring emotion information based on biological information of a user of the air-conditioned space; and performing air conditioning control with a setting that changes the emotional information of a user of the air-conditioned space based on user emotion change information that associates a change in the pre-stored air-conditioning control setting with a change in the emotional information of the user when driving using the setting. Air conditioning methods.

12. On the computer, A process for controlling air conditioning in a space to be air-conditioned; A process of acquiring emotion information based on biological information of a user of the air-conditioned space; A process of storing user emotion information in which the air conditioning control settings are associated with the emotion information of the user when driving using the settings; A process of performing air conditioning control with settings that realize predetermined target emotion information of a user of the air conditioned space based on the user emotion information; A program that executes the following.

13. On the computer, A process for controlling air conditioning in a space to be air-conditioned; A process of acquiring emotion information based on biological information of a user of the air-conditioned space; A process of storing user emotion change information that associates a change in the air conditioning control setting with a change in the emotion information of the user when driving using the setting; A process of performing air conditioning control with settings that change emotion information of a user of the air conditioned space based on the user emotion change information; A program that executes the following.