Environment control device

Abstract

The present invention is an environment control device, comprising a control unit (100) used to control an environment adjustment unit (A) that controls the thermal environment of a space (I). The control unit (100), on the basis of emotion information for a subject (T) present in the space (I), infers an emotion representing the comfort or discomfort of the subject (T). The control unit, on the basis of the frequencies of occurrence of respective emotions corresponding to thermal index values that are values indicating a thermal index, determines ranges of the thermal index values that indicate comfort or discomfort as emotion regions, and sets a target value for the thermal index of the space (I) on the basis of the emotion regions.

Description

Environmental Control Device

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

[0002] The air conditioning device of Patent Document 1 estimates the emotion of a subject (T) based on the amount of change in body surface temperature detected by an infrared sensor, and performs air conditioning using the estimated emotion data.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-202103

[0004] The air conditioning device described in Patent Document 1 simply estimates emotions by associating changes in body surface temperature with emotions, so the factors that contribute to the estimated emotions include factors other than the thermal environment. If thermal control is performed based on emotions that include various factors, it becomes difficult to provide a thermal environment that is suitable for the subject.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a thermal environment suitable for a subject.

[0006] The first aspect is an environmental control device including a control unit (100) used to control an environmental adjustment unit (A) that controls the thermal environment of a space (I), wherein the control unit (100) estimates an emotion indicating comfort or discomfort of a subject (T) in the space (I) based on emotional information of the subject (T), determines a range of the thermal index values ​​indicating comfort or discomfort as an emotional region based on the frequency of occurrence of each emotion corresponding to a thermal index value, which is a value indicating a thermal index, and sets a target value of the thermal index of the space (I) based on the emotional region.

[0007] In the first aspect, the thermal index value of the space (I) can be set to a target value according to the subject (T). The target value is set based only on the subject (T)'s feelings of comfort or discomfort caused by the thermal environment, excluding feelings caused by things other than the thermal environment of the subject (T). This improves the reliability of the target value of the thermal index.

[0008] A second aspect is the first aspect, wherein the control unit (100) associates the target value with a change over time or with an outside air temperature.

[0009] In the second aspect, the temperature acclimation of the subject (T) due to, for example, seasonal changes can be reflected in the control of the environment adjustment unit (A), thereby realizing a comfortable thermal environment that suits the emotions felt by the subject (T) throughout the year.

[0010] A third aspect is the first or second aspect, wherein the control unit (100) limits the emotion area to a comfort area in which the emotion indicates comfort, and sets the target value to a value within the comfort area.

[0011] In the third mode, the emotional region is limited to the comfort region, so that the thermal index value at which the subject (T) feels comfortable can be set as the target value.

[0012] In a fourth aspect, in any one of the first to third aspects, the control unit (100) determines the emotional area by calculating the duration of the comfortable or uncomfortable feeling, and excluding the thermal index values ​​corresponding to the comfortable or uncomfortable feeling whose duration is shorter than a predetermined time.

[0013] In the fourth aspect, among the emotions expressed by the subject (T) in response to the thermal environment, the thermal index values ​​corresponding to emotions that disappear in a relatively short time are excluded. By eliminating such noise, the reliability of the target thermal index value can be improved.

[0014] A fifth aspect is the third aspect, wherein the control unit (100) excludes one or more thermal index values ​​that cause discomfort from the comfort zone.

[0015] In the fifth aspect, a purer comfort zone can be obtained, which increases the reliability of the target value. For example, even if there are multiple subjects (T) with different thermal sensations in the space (I), it is possible to prevent the thermal index value corresponding to "uncomfortable" from being adopted as the target value.

[0016] A sixth aspect is the third or fifth aspect, wherein the control unit (100) sets the thermal index value in the comfort zone so that the power consumption of the environment adjustment unit (A) during operation is equal to or less than a predetermined value as a target value.

[0017] In the sixth aspect, it is possible to achieve both comfort in the space (I) and energy saving in the environment adjustment unit (A).

[0018] In a seventh aspect, in the first or second aspect, the control unit (100) sets the thermal index value between two comfort zones that indicate comfort among the emotional zones as a neutral thermal index value that indicates thermal neutrality, and determines the target value based on the neutral thermal index value.

[0019] In the seventh aspect, it is possible to reduce the discrepancy between the thermal index value output by the control unit (100) and the emotion shown by the subject (T).

[0020] In an eighth aspect, in the seventh aspect, the control unit (100) determines the duration of the comfortable feeling, and determines the two comfort zones by excluding the thermal index values ​​whose duration is shorter than a predetermined time.

[0021] In the eighth aspect, thermal index values ​​corresponding to comfortable feelings that disappear from the comfort zone in a relatively short time are removed. By removing such noise, the reliability of the target value can be improved.

[0022] A ninth aspect is the seventh or eighth aspect, wherein the thermal index is a predicted mean vote (PMV), and the control unit (100) sets the neutral thermal index value between the two comfort zones with PMV=0.

[0023] In the ninth aspect, the target value can be determined based on the PMV.

[0024] A tenth aspect is any one of the seventh to ninth aspects, wherein the thermal index is a predicted mean vote (PMV), and the control unit (100) sets two discomfort areas indicating discomfort among the emotional areas, and sets PMV=-0.5 for one of the thermal index values ​​between the adjacent comfort area and discomfort area, and sets PMV=+0.5 for the other.

[0025] In the tenth aspect, two comfort zones can be included in the range of -0.5<PMV<+0.5. In this way, the output PMV can be easily corrected based on the PMV. Note that -0.5<PMV<+0.5 is the recommended range for the comfort zone.

[0026] An eleventh aspect is any one of the first to tenth aspects, wherein the control unit (100) controls the environment adjustment unit (A) based on the target value.

[0027] In the eleventh aspect, the space (I) can be made into a thermal environment suitable for the subject (T) based on the target value.

[0028] A twelfth aspect is any one of the first to eleventh aspects, wherein the control unit (100) is communicably connected to a predetermined communication device (80) that displays an operation screen (81) on which operations related to setting the thermal index value can be performed, and transmits setting information indicating the target value to the communication device (80), and receives information indicating the thermal index value set based on the setting information.

[0029] In the twelfth aspect, the subject (T) can grasp the target value through the communication device (80). The subject (T) can control the thermal environment according to his / her preference. This improves the convenience of the environmental control device (E). The subject (T) can grasp the thermal state of the space (I) before and after the control, and can therefore feel the change in the thermal environment.

[0030] A thirteenth aspect is an environment conditioning device including the environment conditioning unit (A) and the control unit (100) of any one of the first to twelfth aspects.

[0031] A fourteenth aspect is an air conditioner including the environment adjustment unit (A) and the control unit (100) of any one of the first to twelfth aspects, wherein the environment adjustment unit (A) is an air conditioning unit (A) that conditions the air in the space (I).

[0032] A fifteenth aspect is an environmental control method including a process of estimating an emotion indicating comfort or discomfort of a subject (T) in the space (I) based on emotional information of the subject (T); a process of determining a range of thermal index values ​​indicating comfort or discomfort as an emotional region based on the frequency of appearance of each emotion corresponding to a thermal index value, which is a value indicating a thermal index; and a process of setting a target value of the thermal index of the space (I) based on the emotional region.

[0033] A sixteenth aspect is a program that causes a computer to execute the following processes: a process of estimating an emotion indicating comfort or discomfort of a subject (T) in a space (I) based on emotional information of the subject (T); a process of determining a range of thermal index values ​​indicating comfort or discomfort as an emotional region based on the frequency of occurrence of each emotion corresponding to a thermal index value, which is a value indicating a thermal index; and a process of setting a target value of the thermal index of the space (I) based on the emotional region.

[0034] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an air conditioning apparatus according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic piping diagram of the air conditioning apparatus. FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing the internal structure of an indoor unit of the air conditioning apparatus. FIG. 4 is a front view of the indoor unit of the air conditioning apparatus. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the main components of the air conditioning apparatus. FIG. 6 is a table showing the relationship between PMV and thermal sensation. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the overall flow of setting a first target PMV. FIG. 8 is a table showing data (first thermal data) correlating emotions, PMV, and durations. FIG. 9 is a graph showing an example of a frequency distribution (first distribution data) showing the relationship between PMV and the frequency of occurrence of emotions. FIG. 9(A) shows first distribution data when the emotion is pleasant. FIG. 9(B) shows second distribution data when the emotion is unpleasant. FIG. 10 is a table showing an example of data (second thermal data) correlating each month with the first target PMV. FIG. 11 is a flowchart of setting a first target PMV. Fig. 12 is a diagram explaining the flow of selecting a first target PMV. Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing the overall flow of setting a second target PMV. Fig. 14 is a graph showing an example of second distribution data (a frequency distribution showing the relationship between PMV (thermal index value) throughout a year and the frequency of occurrence of each emotion). (A) is the second distribution data before correction. (B) is the second distribution data after correction. Fig. 15 is a diagram showing an example of an operation screen displayed on an information terminal.

[0035] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments are essentially preferred examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, its applications, or its uses. Furthermore, each configuration of the embodiments, modifications, other examples, etc. described below can be combined or partially substituted within the scope of the present invention.

[0036] The environmental control device (E) of the present disclosure is applied to an air conditioner (10). The air conditioner (10) is an example of an environmental adjustment device. As shown in FIG. 1 , the air conditioner (10) applies an environmental stimulus to a subject (T) in an indoor space (I), which is a target space. The air conditioner (10) adjusts the environment of the indoor space (I). The air conditioner (10) conditions the air in the indoor space (I). The air conditioner (10) of this embodiment adjusts the temperature of the air in the indoor space (I). The indoor space (I) is an example of the space (I) of the present disclosure.

[0037] (1) Configuration of Air Conditioning Apparatus (1-1) Overall Configuration As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the air conditioner (10) has an outdoor unit (20), an indoor unit (30), a first interconnecting pipe (12), and a second interconnecting pipe (13). The air conditioner (10) is a pair type having one outdoor unit (20) and one indoor unit (30). The first interconnecting pipe (12) is a gas interconnecting pipe, and the second interconnecting pipe (13) is a liquid interconnecting pipe. The outdoor unit (20) and the indoor unit (30) are connected to each other via the first interconnecting pipe (12) and the second interconnecting pipe (13), thereby forming a refrigerant circuit (11). The refrigerant circuit (11) performs a refrigeration cycle by circulating a refrigerant. The refrigerant is, for example, difluoromethane. The air conditioner (10) includes an environment adjustment unit (A) and a control unit (100), which will be described later.

[0038] (1-2) Outdoor Unit The outdoor unit (20) is installed outdoors. The outdoor unit (20) has an outdoor casing (20a), a compressor (21), an outdoor heat exchanger (22), an expansion valve (23), a four-way selector valve (24), and an outdoor fan (25). The outdoor casing (20a) houses the compressor (21), the outdoor heat exchanger (22), the expansion valve (23), the four-way selector valve (24), and the outdoor fan (25).

[0039] The compressor (21) is a rotary compressor such as a swing piston type, rotary type, or scroll type. The outdoor heat exchanger (22) is a fin-and-tube type. The four-way selector valve (24) is switchable between a first state (shown by a solid line in FIG. 2 ) and a second state (shown by a dashed line in FIG. 2 ). In the first state, the four-way selector valve (24) connects the discharge port of the compressor (21) to the gas end of the outdoor heat exchanger (22) and also connects the suction port of the compressor (21) to the first connecting pipe (12). In the second state, the four-way selector valve (24) connects the discharge port of the compressor (21) to the first connecting pipe (12) and also connects the suction port of the compressor (21) to the gas end of the outdoor heat exchanger (22). The outdoor fan (25) is a propeller fan.

[0040] (1-3) Indoor Unit The indoor unit (30) shown in Figures 3 and 4 is installed in the indoor space (I). The indoor unit (30) is a wall-mounted type that is installed on the wall (W) of the indoor space (I). The indoor unit (30) has an indoor casing (30a), an air filter (31), an indoor heat exchanger (32), an indoor fan (33), a drain pan (34), a first flap (35), and a second flap (36).

[0041] The indoor casing (30a) is formed in a horizontally elongated hollow shape. The indoor casing (30a) accommodates an air filter (31), an indoor heat exchanger (32), an indoor fan (33), a drain pan (34), a first flap (35), and a second flap (36). The indoor casing (30a) is formed with an inlet (41) and an outlet (42). The inlet (41) is formed in an upper portion of the indoor casing (30a). The inlet (41) is an opening for drawing air from the indoor space (I). The inlet (41) extends in the longitudinal direction (left-right direction) of the indoor casing (30a). The outlet (42) is formed in a lower portion of the indoor casing (30a) near the front. The outlet (42) extends in the longitudinal direction of the indoor casing (30a). An air passage (43) is formed inside the indoor casing (30a) between the inlet (41) and the outlet (42).

[0042] The air filter (31) is disposed in the air passage (43) upstream of the indoor heat exchanger (32). The air filter (31) is a mesh member formed along the air inlet (41). The air filter (31) collects dust in the air sucked through the air inlet (41).

[0043] The indoor heat exchanger (32) is disposed in the air passage (43) upstream of the indoor fan (33). The indoor heat exchanger (32) is a fin-and-tube heat exchanger. The indoor heat exchanger (32) exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing therethrough and the air transported by the indoor fan (33).

[0044] The indoor fan (33) is an example of a blower. The indoor fan (33) is a cross-flow fan. The indoor fan (33) extends in the longitudinal direction of the indoor casing (30a). The indoor fan (33) is rotationally driven by a fan motor (33a). The indoor fan (33) transports air in the air passage (43). When the indoor fan (33) is driven, air in the indoor space (I) is sucked into the air passage (43) and flows through the air passage (43). At the same time, the air in the air passage (43) is blown out through the outlet (42). The indoor fan (33) is configured to be able to adjust the volume of the blown air supplied to the indoor space (I) through the outlet (42). The volume of the blown air is adjusted by adjusting the rotation speed of the fan motor (33a).

[0045] The drain pan (34) is disposed below the indoor heat exchanger (32). The drain pan (34) is a tray that receives water generated in the indoor casing (30a). The drain pan (34) receives condensation water generated on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger (32).

[0046] The first flaps (35) and the second flaps (36) constitute an airflow direction adjustment unit that adjusts the direction of the blown air. The indoor unit (30) has two first flaps (35) and eight second flaps (36), but these numbers are merely exemplary. The first flaps (35) adjust the vertical direction of the blown air. The second flaps (36) adjust the horizontal direction of the blown air. The two first flaps (35) are arranged in the vertical direction. The first flaps (35) extend along the longitudinal direction of the indoor casing (30a). The first flaps (35) rotate up and down by being driven by a first flap motor (35a). The multiple second flaps (36) are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the indoor casing (30a). The second flaps (36) extend along the vertical direction. The second flap (36) rotates left and right when driven by a second flap motor (36a).

[0047] (1-4) Remote Controller As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the air conditioner (10) has a remote controller (50). The remote controller (50) has an operation unit (51) and a display unit (52). The operation unit (51) is used by a user to input various instructions to the air conditioner (10). The operation unit (51) is composed of buttons, switches, a touch panel, or the like. The instructions referred to here include switching the air conditioner (10) on and off, selecting the operation mode of the air conditioner (10), and changing the set temperature of the indoor space (I). The display unit (52) displays information related to the status and operation of the air conditioner (10). This information includes the operation mode and set temperature of the air conditioner (10).

[0048] (1-5) Sensors The air conditioner (10) has a plurality of sensors. The plurality of sensors includes an indoor temperature sensor (55), an infrared sensor (56), a radio wave sensor (57), and an indoor humidity sensor (58). The indoor temperature sensor (55) and the indoor humidity sensor (58) are disposed near the air inlet (41). As shown in FIG. 4 , the infrared sensor (56) and the radio wave sensor (57) are disposed on the front surface of the indoor casing (30a). The infrared sensor (56) and the radio wave sensor (57) are disposed at a central position in the longitudinal direction (left-right direction) on the front surface of the indoor casing (30a).

[0049] The room temperature sensor (55) detects the temperature of the air in the room space (I). The room temperature sensor (55) detects the temperature of the air sucked into the air inlet (41).

[0050] The indoor humidity sensor (58) detects the humidity of the air in the room space (I).The indoor humidity sensor (58) detects the humidity of the air sucked into the inlet (41).

[0051] The infrared sensor (56) detects the temperature distribution of the air in the indoor space (I) and the surface temperature of a person present in the indoor space (I). The infrared sensor (56) is used to divide the indoor space (I) into a plurality of two-dimensional sections and acquire temperature data for each of these sections.

[0052] The radio wave sensor (57) is a sensor for acquiring emotional information of the subject (T). The radio wave sensor (57) is a vital sensor that detects the biosignals of the subject (T) using microwaves. The radio wave sensor (57) is a non-contact vital sensor. In other words, the radio wave sensor (57) can detect the biosignals of the subject (T) without contacting the subject (T). The biosignals include signals derived from the subject's (T) breathing, heart rate, pulse wave, brain wave, body movement, etc.

[0053] (1-6) Control Unit The control unit (100) constitutes an environmental control device (E) that controls the air conditioner (10). Strictly speaking, the control unit (100) controls the air conditioning unit (A). Here, the air conditioning unit (A) refers to a mechanical element required for air conditioning the indoor space (I). The air conditioning unit (A) constitutes an environmental adjustment unit (A) that controls the thermal environment of the indoor space (I). The control unit (100) is used to control the environmental adjustment unit (A).

[0054] As shown in FIG. 5 , the control unit (100) has an indoor control unit (IC), an outdoor control unit (OC), and an operation control unit (RC). The indoor control unit (IC), the outdoor control unit (OC), and the operation control unit (RC) are configured to be able to communicate with each other via wired or wireless communication. Each of the indoor control unit (IC), the outdoor control unit (OC), and the operation control unit (RC) includes an MCU (Micro Control Unit), an electric circuit, and an electronic circuit. The MCU includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory, and a communication interface. The memory stores various programs to be executed by the CPU.

[0055] The outdoor control unit (OC) is provided in the outdoor unit (20). The outdoor control unit (OC) is disposed inside the outdoor casing (20a). The outdoor control unit (OC) controls the compressor (21), the expansion valve (23), the four-way switching valve (24), and the outdoor fan (25). Strictly speaking, the outdoor control unit (OC) controls the operation and stop of the compressor (21), the rotation speed of the compressor (21), the opening degree of the expansion valve (23), the state of the four-way switching valve (24), the operation and stop of the outdoor fan (25), and the rotation speed of the outdoor fan (25).

[0056] The indoor control unit (IC) is provided in the indoor unit (30). The outdoor control unit (OC) is disposed inside the indoor casing (30a). The indoor control unit (IC) controls the indoor fan (33). Specifically, the indoor control unit (IC) controls the operation and stop of the indoor fan (33) and the rotation speed of the fan motor (33a) of the indoor fan (33). The indoor control unit (IC) controls the first flap (35) and the second flap (36). Specifically, the indoor control unit (IC) controls the first flap motor (35a) and the second flap motor (36a) to adjust the angular positions of the first flap (35) and the second flap (36).

[0057] The indoor control unit (IC) receives detection signals from the indoor temperature sensor (55), the infrared sensor (56), and the radio wave sensor (57).

[0058] The operation control section (RC) transmits commands related to the operation mode and the set temperature input by the user via the operation section (51) to the indoor control section (IC), which then transmits these commands to the outdoor control section (OC).

[0059] (2) Basic Operation The air conditioner (10) performs cooling operation and heating operation.

[0060] (2-1) Cooling Operation Cooling operation is an operation in which the air in the indoor space (I) is cooled to approach a set temperature (target temperature). In cooling operation, the four-way selector valve (24) is in the first state. The refrigerant compressed by the compressor (21) dissipates heat in the outdoor heat exchanger (22) and is then decompressed by the expansion valve (23). The decompressed refrigerant evaporates in the indoor heat exchanger (32). The air cooled by the indoor heat exchanger (32) is supplied to the indoor space (I). The refrigerant evaporated in the indoor heat exchanger (32) is sucked into the compressor (21).

[0061] (2-2) Heating Operation Heating operation is an operation in which the air in the indoor space (I) is heated to approach a set temperature (target temperature). In heating operation, the four-way selector valve (24) is in the second state. In heating operation, the refrigerant compressed by the compressor (21) dissipates heat in the indoor heat exchanger (32) and is then decompressed by the expansion valve (23). The air heated by the indoor heat exchanger (32) is supplied to the indoor space (I). The decompressed refrigerant evaporates in the outdoor heat exchanger (22) and is then sucked into the compressor (21).

[0062] (3) Comfortable Operation The air conditioner (10) performs a comfort operation in which the air conditioner (10) is controlled so that the indoor space (I) becomes a thermal environment suitable for the subject (T). To perform the comfort operation, the control unit (100) sets a target value for the thermal index based on data indicating the estimated emotion of the subject (T) and the value of the thermal index of the indoor space (I) corresponding to the emotion. The control unit (100) controls the air conditioner (10) so that the value indicating the thermal index of the indoor space (I) becomes the target value.

[0063] The thermal index in this embodiment is a predicted mean vote (PMV), which is an index indicating the thermal environment. PMV is an index determined based on four physical factors, namely, temperature, mean radiant temperature, relative humidity, and airflow, and two human factors, namely, the amount of clothing worn and the amount of work done. A value indicating a thermal index may be referred to as a thermal index value or simply as a PMV. A target value for the thermal index may be referred to as a target PMV.

[0064] 6, the PMV (thermal index value) classifies the degree of comfort or discomfort within a range of −3≦PMV≦+3. The control unit (100) of the present embodiment determines the PMV of the indoor space (I) based on the room temperature, relative humidity, airflow, and the activity level of the subject (T).

[0065] The target PMV has two types of target PMV (first target PMV and second target PMV) that are set by different methods. The comfortable operation has a first operation mode in which the air conditioner (10) is operated based on the first target PMV, and a second operation mode in which the air conditioner (10) is operated based on the second target PMV. The first operation mode and the second operation mode are selected by the subject (T). The first target PMV and the second target PMV will be specifically described.

[0066] (4) First Target PMV The control unit (100) sets the first target PMV based on the PMV (thermal index value) corresponding to the feeling of "comfort" indicated by the subject (T). The operation of setting the first target PMV by the control unit (100) will be described below with reference to FIGS. 7 to 10.

[0067] In step S11, the control unit (100) estimates the emotion of the subject (T) in the indoor space (I), indicating comfort or discomfort, based on emotion information of the subject (T). The emotion information is a biosignal detected by the radio wave sensor (57). The control unit (100) estimates the emotion of the subject (T) based on the emotional valence of comfort or discomfort acquired from the biosignal of the subject (T).

[0068] The emotional valence of "pleasant" or "unpleasant" can be estimated based on an index showing the state of the autonomic nervous system. Here, such parameters include the autonomic nervous system balance (LF / HF) and the autonomic nervous system activity (SDNN). Both of these parameters can be obtained based on the heart rate component extracted from the biosignal detected by the radio wave sensor (57).

[0069] LF / HF is an index of the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves of the subject (T). The emotion estimation unit (60) performs frequency analysis of, for example, heartbeat intervals to obtain low-frequency components (LF) in the range of 0.05 Hz to 0.20 Hz and high-frequency components (HF) of 0.20 Hz or higher, and obtains the ratio of these components as LF / HF. HF increases when the parasympathetic nerve is dominant over the sympathetic nerve, and LH increases when the sympathetic nerve is dominant over the parasympathetic nerve. Therefore, when the subject (T) is uncomfortable and stressed, LF / HF increases. Conversely, when the subject (T) is comfortable and stressed, LF / HF decreases.

[0070] SDNN is an index that represents the fluctuation of heartbeat intervals. SDNN is, for example, the standard deviation of heartbeat intervals over a five-minute period. SDNN increases when the parasympathetic nervous system is dominant over the sympathetic nervous system, and decreases when the sympathetic nervous system is dominant over the parasympathetic nervous system. Therefore, when the subject (T) is uncomfortable and stressed, SDNN decreases. Conversely, when the subject (T) is comfortable and stressed, SDNN increases.

[0071] In step S12, the control unit (100) determines, based on the frequency of occurrence of each emotion corresponding to the PMV (thermal index value), a PMV range indicating comfort as a comfort zone and a PMV range indicating discomfort as an discomfort zone. The comfort zone and the discomfort zone correspond to the emotion zones of the present disclosure. The emotion zones will be described in detail.

[0072] 8, the control unit (100) stores the estimated emotion (comfortable or uncomfortable) of the subject (T) as data (hereinafter referred to as "emotion data") in association with the PMV at the time the emotion was estimated and the duration for which the emotion continued. The control unit (100) acquires the first thermal data by continuously accumulating the emotion data for a predetermined period (e.g., one year).

[0073] As shown in Fig. 9, the control unit (100) generates first distribution data indicating a distribution (frequency distribution) of the frequency of occurrence of each of "comfortable" and "uncomfortable" based on the first thermal data. The control unit (100) generates a frequency distribution for each month of the year. Fig. 9 shows an example of distribution data for a certain month. In this way, the control unit (100) sets a comfort zone and an discomfort zone based on the first distribution data.

[0074] In step S13, the control unit (100) limits the emotional zone obtained in step S12 to a comfort zone indicating comfort, and sets the PMV (thermal index value) within the comfort zone to a first target PMV. In this way, the control unit (100) sets a target value of the thermal index for the indoor space (I) based on the emotional zone.

[0075] In step S14, the control unit (100) determines the first target PMV obtained in step S13 for each month throughout the year. The control unit (100) acquires second thermal data that associates the first target PMV with each month (FIG. 10). In this way, the control unit (100) associates the target value with changes over time.

[0076] As described above, in the first operation mode, the control section (100) sets a first target PMV for each month and controls the air conditioner (10) so that the PMV of the indoor space (I) becomes the first target PMV.

[0077] (4-1) Details of First Target PMV The setting of the first target PMV in step S13 above will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12.

[0078] In step S21, if the duration of the "comfortable" feeling that has appeared is shorter than a predetermined time, the control unit (100) sets a comfort zone by excluding the PMV corresponding to the "comfortable" feeling. Specifically, the control unit (100) obtains a new comfort zone (FIG. 12(B)) by excluding the PMV corresponding to the "comfortable" feeling whose duration is shorter than the predetermined time from the comfort zone (FIG. 12(A)) obtained in step S12. The predetermined time may be a relatively short time, e.g., 10 seconds. The predetermined time can be determined, for example, based on the degree of separation between the distribution of the duration of the subject's (T) feelings of comfort due to the thermal environment and the distribution of the duration of the subject's (T) feelings of comfort that are not due to the thermal environment (e.g., due to conversation, watching television, etc.). Since the duration of the subject's (T) feelings of comfort due to the thermal environment and the duration of the feelings of comfort that are not due to the thermal environment partially overlap, by extracting a portion of the two distributions where the degree of separation is relatively high, the duration of the feelings of comfort that are not due to the thermal environment can be excluded and the duration of the feelings of comfort that are due to the thermal environment can be determined. In this way, PMVs that indicate temporary "comfortable" feelings are excluded.

[0079] In step S22, the control unit (100) excludes, from the comfort zone obtained in step S21, PMVs in which the number of times (frequency of appearance) of the emotion “comfortable” is equal to or less than a predetermined number (FIG. 12C). In this way, PMVs in which the emotion “comfortable” rarely appears are excluded.

[0080] In step S23, the control unit (100) excludes one or more PMVs in which an unpleasant emotion appears from the comfort zone obtained in step S21 ( FIG. 12(D) ). Specifically, in addition to a pleasant emotion, an unpleasant emotion may appear in the comfort zone. In this embodiment, the control unit (100) excludes, from the comfort zone obtained in step S21, a PMV in which an unpleasant emotion appears a predetermined number of times or more.

[0081] In step S24, the control unit (100) determines whether or not the energy saving mode has been selected. The energy saving mode is an operation that reduces the amount of power consumed by the air conditioner (10) during operation. Whether or not to execute the energy saving mode is selected by the subject (T). If the energy saving mode has been selected (YES in step S24), step S24 is executed. If the energy saving mode has not been selected (NO in step S24), step S25 is executed.

[0082] In step S25, the control unit (100) excludes, from among the PMVs within the comfort zone set in step S23, those PMVs for which the power consumption of the air conditioner (10) during operation is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (FIG. 12(E)).

[0083] In step S26, the control unit (100) determines the PMV with the highest number of occurrences of "comfortable" from the comfort zone set in step S24 as the first target PMV. In this way, when the energy-saving mode is selected in step S25, the control unit (100) sets a target value within the comfort zone that keeps the power consumption of the air conditioner (A) during operation at or below a predetermined value.

[0084] (5) Second Target PMV The control unit (100) sets the PMV (thermal index value) between two comfort zones that indicate comfort among the emotional zones to PMV=0, which indicates thermal neutrality, and determines the second target PMV based on PMV=0. PMV=0 corresponds to the neutral thermal index value of the present disclosure. The operation of setting the second target PMV by the control unit (100) will be described below with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14.

[0085] In step S31, the control unit (100) creates second distribution data indicating the relationship between PMV and the frequency of occurrence of each emotion based on the first thermal data. The first temperature data is created in the same manner as in steps S11 and S12. Specifically, the control unit (100) estimates the emotion indicating comfort or discomfort of the subject (T) in the indoor space (I) based on the emotion information of the subject (T). Thereafter, the control unit (100) determines, based on the frequency of occurrence of each emotion corresponding to the PMV (thermal index value), a PMV range indicating comfort as a comfort zone and a PMV range indicating discomfort as an discomfort zone. The second distribution data is created based on emotion data for, for example, one year. The second distribution data will be described below.

[0086] As shown in Figure 14 (A), in the second distribution data, the first discomfort region where the subject (T) feels cold appears in a region with a relatively low PMV (region a). The second discomfort region where the subject (T) feels hot appears in a region with a relatively high PMV (region d). The first comfort region where the subject (T) feels comfortable during cooling operation appears adjacent to the first discomfort region and has a higher PMV than the first discomfort region (region b). The second comfort region where the subject (T) feels comfortable during heating operation appears adjacent to the second discomfort region and has a lower PMV than the second discomfort region (region c).

[0087] In step S32, the control unit (100) determines two comfort zones (a first comfort zone and a second comfort zone) by excluding PMVs in which the duration of the "comfortable" feeling that appears is shorter than a predetermined time. The predetermined time may be a relatively short time, for example, 10 seconds. The predetermined time can be determined by the method described in step S21 above, excluding the duration of the comfortable feeling that is not attributable to the thermal environment, and determining the duration of the comfortable feeling that is attributable to the thermal environment.

[0088] As shown in FIG. 14(B), in step S33, the PMV value of the second distribution data is corrected so as to correspond to each emotion of the subject (T) in which the PMV appears. Specifically, the control unit (100) sets PMV=0 between two comfort zones (first comfort zone and second comfort zone). Furthermore, the control unit (100) sets PMV=-0.5 for one of the thermal index values ​​between adjacent comfort zones and discomfort zones, and PMV=+0.5 for the other. That is, the control unit (100) sets PMV=-0.5 between the first comfort zone and the first discomfort zone, and PMV=+0.5 between the second comfort zone and the second discomfort zone. In this way, the PMV of the second distribution data initially output ( FIG. 14(A)) is corrected, whereby corrected second distribution data indicating PMVs corresponding to each emotion of the subject (T) is generated ( FIG. 14(B)).

[0089] In step S34, the control unit (100) sets a second target PMV based on the second distribution data corrected in step S33. For example, the second target PMV may be PMV=0. The control unit (100) may also associate the second target PMV with a change over time. For example, during cooling operation in summer, the second target PMV may be set within a range of -0.5<PMV<0. During heating operation in winter, the second target PMV may be set within a range of 0<PMV<+0.5. In this way, the control unit (100) sets a target value of the thermal index of the indoor space (I) based on the emotional area.

[0090] (5-1) Details of Correction Process An example of the correction of PMV in step S33 will be described in detail. The PMV between the first comfort zone (PMV that feels comfortable during cooling operation) and the second comfort zone (PMV that feels comfortable during heating operation) is a thermally neutral condition that feels neither hot nor cold. Therefore, the control unit (100) horizontally shifts PMV=0 by k (k>0) in the positive direction so that PMV=0 is located between the first comfort zone and the second comfort zone.

[0091] Furthermore, the control unit (100) multiplies the PMV output value by a correction coefficient α1 so that PMV=+0.5 is located between the second comfort zone and the second discomfort zone. Specifically, when the corrected positive PMV is the first corrected PMV, the control unit (100) calculates the first corrected PMV=α1×(PMV output value+k). Furthermore, the control unit (100) multiplies the PMV output value in the third data by a correction coefficient α2 so that PMV=−0.5 is located between the first comfort zone and the first discomfort zone. Specifically, when the corrected negative PMV is the second corrected PMV, the control unit (100) calculates the second corrected PMV=α2×(PMV output value+k).

[0092] (6) Control method for comfortable driving As described above, the control method of the present disclosure includes the processes described in (3), (4), (4-1), (5), (5-1), and Figures 7 to 14.

[0093] Specifically, the control method includes a process of estimating an emotion indicating comfort or discomfort of a subject (T) in an indoor space (I) based on emotional information of the subject (T), a process of determining a range of thermal index values ​​indicating comfort or discomfort as an emotional area based on the frequency of occurrence of each emotion corresponding to the thermal index value, and a process of setting a target value of the thermal index of the indoor space (I) based on the emotional area.

[0094] The control method of the present disclosure may include processes described in each of the modified examples and other embodiments, the details of which will be described later.

[0095] (7) Program The storage unit of the control unit (100) stores a program for causing a computer to execute the above-mentioned control method for comfortable driving. The control method here includes all the processes described in the above (6) "Control method for comfortable driving."

[0096] (8) Effects of the Embodiment (8-1) The control unit (100) of the embodiment estimates the subject (T)'s (T) feelings of comfort and discomfort based on the emotional information of the subject (T) in the indoor space (I), and determines a range of PMV (thermal index value) indicating comfort or discomfort as an emotional region based on the frequency of appearance of each emotion corresponding to the PMV (thermal index value, which is a value indicating a thermal index). The control unit (100) sets a target PMV (target value of the thermal environment) for the indoor space (I) based on the emotional region.

[0097] The occurrence frequency of each emotion (comfortable and uncomfortable) corresponding to the PMV of the indoor space (I) is derived from the thermal environment of the indoor space (I). This eliminates emotions of the subject (T) that are derived from factors other than the thermal environment, and allows the target PMV to be set based only on the subject (T)'s emotions that indicate comfort or discomfort due to the thermal environment, thereby improving the reliability of the target PMV.

[0098] In addition, since the target PMV is set based on the emotion shown by the subject (T), the thermal environment of the indoor space (I) can be optimized for the subject (T).

[0099] In addition, since the emotion of the subject (T) is automatically estimated, the subject (T) does not have to go to the trouble of declaring whether he / she is comfortable or uncomfortable. For example, by estimating the emotion of the subject (T) every second while he / she is present in a room, the amount of emotion data that can be obtained increases, and the reliability of the obtained target PMV is further improved.

[0100] (8-2) The control unit (100) of the embodiment associates the target PMV with each month (predetermined period) of the year.

[0101] The temperature acclimation of the subject (T) according to the seasonal changes can be reflected in the control of the air conditioner (10), thereby realizing a comfortable thermal environment suitable for the subject (T) throughout the year.

[0102] (8-3) In the embodiment, the control unit limits the emotional region to a comfort region where the subject (T) feels comfortable, and sets the target PMV to a value within the comfort region. The control unit can set a first target PMV based on the PMV within the comfort region.

[0103] (8-4) The control unit (100) of the embodiment determines the duration for which a pleasant or unpleasant emotion continues, and sets the emotion region by excluding PMVs whose duration is shorter than a predetermined time.

[0104] This eliminates emotion data having PMVs corresponding to emotions that disappear in a relatively short time among emotions expressed by the subject (T) in response to the thermal environment. By eliminating such noise, the reliability of the target PMV can be improved.

[0105] (8-5) The control unit (100) of the embodiment excludes one or more PMVs that include discomfort feelings from the comfort zone.

[0106] Although "unpleasant" feelings may occur even within the comfort zone, excluding multiple PMVs that contain a relatively large number of such "unpleasant" feelings improves the reliability of the comfort zone and also increases the reliability of the target PMV.

[0107] An example of a case where "uncomfortable" feelings occur within the comfort zone is when there are multiple subjects (T) with different thermal sensations in an indoor space (I). In such a case, a PMV that is comfortable for all of the multiple subjects (T) can be set as the target PMV. In other words, even if there are multiple subjects (T) in the indoor space (I), a thermal environment suitable for all can be realized.

[0108] (8-6) The control unit (100) of the embodiment adopts, as the target PMV, the PMV within the comfort zone that minimizes the amount of power consumed by the air conditioner (10) during operation.

[0109] This makes it possible to achieve both comfort in the indoor space (I) and energy conservation in the air conditioner (10).

[0110] (8-7) In the embodiment, the control unit (100) sets a thermal index value between two comfort zones indicating comfort among the emotional zones as a neutral thermal index value indicating thermal neutrality, and the target value is set based on the neutral thermal index value.

[0111] The International Organization for Standardization (ISO-7730) recommends that PMV = 0 be thermally neutral (i.e., neither hot nor cold) and that the comfort zone be -0.5 < PMV < +0.5. However, due to certain factors, the first comfort zone and the second comfort zone of the output second distribution data may not satisfy -0.5 < PMV < +0.5. Examples of certain factors include an error in the detected values ​​of the sensors (room temperature sensor (55) and room humidity sensor (58)) that detect the thermal environment, or a bias in the thermal sensation of the subject (T). In such cases, the output value of the PMV calculated by the control unit (100) does not match the thermal sensation of the subject (T).

[0112] Therefore, in this embodiment, by selecting the second operation mode of the comfort operation, the thermal index value (PMV) between the first comfort zone and the second comfort zone appearing in the output second distribution data is set to a neutral thermal index value (neutral thermal index value) at which the subject (T) feels neither cold nor hot, thereby making it possible to match the output value of the PMV calculated by the control unit (100) with the thermal sensation of the subject (T).

[0113] In addition, even if the detected values ​​of various sensors contain errors, calibration of the sensors is not required, which leads to cost reduction.

[0114] In addition, since the PMV is corrected based on the distribution of emotions that appear, air conditioning control that always matches the thermal sensation of the subject (T) can be achieved.

[0115] (8-8) The control unit (100) of this embodiment determines the duration for which the comfortable feeling continues, and sets the first comfort zone and the second comfort zone by excluding PMVs whose duration is shorter than a predetermined time.

[0116] This eliminates thermal index values ​​corresponding to emotions that disappear in a relatively short time among emotions expressed by the subject (T) in response to the thermal environment. By eliminating such noise, the reliability of the first target PMV and the second target PMV can be improved.

[0117] (8-9) In this embodiment, the thermal index is a predicted mean vote (PMV), and the control unit (100) sets the neutral thermal index value between the two comfort zones, with PMV=0.

[0118] In this embodiment, the comfort zone during cooling operation is defined as the first comfort zone, and the comfort zone during heating operation is defined as the second comfort zone. Because the thermal environment between the first comfort zone and the second comfort zone is thermally neutral, correcting this position to PMV = 0 allows for easy correction to an appropriate PMV corresponding to each emotion that has appeared.

[0119] (8-10) The control unit (100) of this embodiment sets two discomfort zones indicating discomfort among the emotional zones, and sets PMV=-0.5 for one of the thermal index values ​​between the adjacent comfort zone and discomfort zone, and PMV=+0.5 for the other.

[0120] This allows the first and second comfort zones to be set in the range of −0.5<PMV<+0.5, making it possible to easily correct the PMV to an appropriate value corresponding to each emotion that has appeared.

[0121] (8-11) The control unit (100) of the embodiment controls the air conditioner (10) based on the target PMV.

[0122] Based on the first target PMV or the second target PMV, the indoor space (I) can be made into a thermal environment that is comfortable for the subject (T).

[0123] (9) Modifications The above-described embodiment may be modified as follows: The following describes the differences from the above-described embodiment.

[0124] The control unit (100) of the modified example transmits and receives predetermined information to and from an information terminal (80) having a predetermined display screen, such as a smartphone or a tablet. The information terminal (80) is an example of the communication device (80) of the present disclosure. When a predetermined application is installed on the information terminal (80), the information terminal (80) becomes capable of communicating with the control unit (100) and executes a predetermined program that can instruct the control unit (100) to change the thermal index value.

[0125] The control unit (100) of the modified example controls the air conditioner (10) based on the thermal index value set by the information terminal (80).

[0126] Specifically, the control unit (100) transmits predetermined setting information including a target value of the thermal index to the information terminal. As shown in FIG. 15 , the information terminal (80) that has received the setting information displays an operation screen (81) on which operations related to setting the thermal index value can be performed. As an example, the operation screen (81) displays information indicating the current thermal environment (temperature and humidity), the current thermal index value, the target value, and a setting screen for setting the thermal index value. The target value of the thermal index displayed here may be the first target PMV or the second target PMV in the above embodiment. Based on the displayed content, the subject (T) sets the thermal index value to a desired thermal index value. The set thermal index value is set as the set thermal index value. The operation screen may also be a screen for adjusting temperature, humidity, wind direction, etc. This allows the thermal index value to be changed indirectly.

[0127] The control unit (100) controls the air conditioner (10) based on the set thermal index value received from the information terminal. Specifically, the control unit (100) controls the air conditioner (10) so that the thermal index value of the indoor space (I) becomes the set thermal index value.

[0128] As described above, in the first embodiment, the subject (T) can grasp the target value using the information terminal (80). The subject (T) can control the thermal environment to suit his / her preferences based on the target value. This improves the convenience of the environmental control device (E). Furthermore, the subject (T) can grasp the thermal state of the space (I) before and after the control, and can therefore feel the change in the thermal environment.

[0129] (10) Other Embodiments The above embodiment may be configured as follows.

[0130] (10-1) Other Examples of Environmental Conditioning Devices The environmental conditioning device of the above embodiment is an air conditioner (10) having an air conditioning unit (A). However, the environmental conditioning device may be any other device as long as it has an environmental conditioning unit that can provide environmental stimuli to the subject (T). The environmental conditioning device may be, for example, a floor heating device, a bathtub water temperature adjusting device, a sauna device, or a sound generating device.

[0131] The floor heating device has an environmental adjustment unit that adjusts the temperature of the floor surface to provide a thermal stimulus to the subject (T). The bathtub water temperature adjustment device has an environmental adjustment unit that adjusts the water temperature in the bathtub in which the subject (T) is present to provide a thermal stimulus to the subject (T). The sauna device has an environmental adjustment unit that adjusts the temperature of the sauna space in which the subject (T) is present to provide a thermal stimulus to the subject (T). The sound generating device has an environmental adjustment unit that emits sound to provide a sound stimulus to the subject (T).

[0132] (10-2) Other Examples of Infrared Sensor The infrared sensor (56) constitutes a position detection unit for identifying the position of the subject (T). The position detection unit may be, for example, an imaging device that captures still images or videos of the subject (T). In this case, the imaging device may be a thermal camera.

[0133] (10-3) Other Examples of Air Conditioning Apparatus The air conditioner (10) is a pair type having one indoor unit (30) and one outdoor unit (20). However, the air conditioner (10) may be an indoor multi-type having two or more indoor units (30) or an outdoor multi-type having two or more outdoor units (20).

[0134] The air conditioner (10) may be a ventilation device that ventilates air, an air purification device that purifies air, or a humidity control device that humidifies or dehumidifies air. In other words, the term "air conditioning" as used herein means not only adjusting the temperature of air, but also ventilation, purification, and humidity control of air.

[0135] (10-4) Examples of Thermal Indices The thermal index is not limited to PMV. The thermal index may be SET* (Stand New Effective Temperature), THI (Temperature-humidity index), WBGT (Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature), HSI (Heat Stress Index), ET (Effective Temperature), or OT (Operative Temperature). The thermal index may be room temperature.

[0136] (10-5) Other Examples of Environmental Control Device The environmental control device (E) is not limited to a device that controls the air conditioner (10) as long as it includes a control unit (100) used to control the air conditioner (10). For example, the environmental control device (E) may be a device that outputs a target value of a thermal index or information related to the target value to the control unit (100) that controls the air conditioner (10). In this case, the environmental control device (E) may be a cloud device that is wirelessly connected to the air conditioner (10) via a predetermined server, or may be a monitoring device that monitors the thermal environment of the indoor space (I). The monitoring device is connected to a server to which the air conditioner (10) and the cloud device are connected.

[0137] The environmental control device (E) may also be a management device capable of communicating with the air conditioner (10). The management device may be, for example, a server device, a centralized management device, or a terminal device. The terminal device may be a smartphone or a tablet device owned by a user.

[0138] The environmental control device (E) may have an emotion estimation unit (not shown). The emotion estimation unit includes a radio wave sensor (57) and a predetermined arithmetic processing unit (not shown). The arithmetic processing unit performs arithmetic processing to estimate an emotion based on a biosignal from the control unit. The emotion estimation unit may have another sensor instead of the radio wave sensor (57). The other sensor may be a contact type. The contact type sensor may be, for example, an acceleration sensor or an electrocardiograph. The other sensor may be a non-contact type. The non-contact type sensor may be, for example, a tube-type pressure-sensitive sensor or a millimeter-wave radar.

[0139] The arithmetic processing unit of the emotion estimation unit may be configured separately from the control unit (100). Specifically, for example, the emotion estimation unit may be a unit having the above-described sensor and the arithmetic processing unit, and may be configured to output the emotion of the subject (T) estimated by the emotion estimation unit to the control unit (100). In this case, the control unit (100) controls the environment adjustment unit based on the emotion of the subject (T) received from the unit.

[0140] (10-6) Other Examples The control unit 100 may include a storage unit (not shown). The storage unit stores the first thermal data, the second thermal data, the first distribution data, or the second distribution data.

[0141] When the control unit (100) associates the first target PMV or the second target PMV with a change over time, the change over time may be seasonal or weekly. The control unit (100) may also associate the first target PMV or the second target PMV with an outside air temperature. In this case, the control unit (100) may set the first target PMV or the second target PMV for each certain range of outside air temperatures. Furthermore, the control unit (100) may associate the first target PMV or the second target PMV with a change over time and the outside air temperature.

[0142] The control section (100) may determine the first target PMV based only on the emotion data indicating "comfortable" from the first thermal data, in which case no discomfort region is created in step S12.

[0143] The control unit (100) may determine the first target PMV based only on emotion data indicating "uncomfortable" from the first thermal data. In this case, the first target PMV is determined based on a thermal index value at which the frequency of occurrence of "uncomfortable" is equal to or less than a predetermined value.

[0144] In step S21, the control unit (100) may set the comfort zone by excluding emotion data in which the duration of “comfortable” is shorter than a predetermined time from the first data obtained in step S12. The control unit (100) may set the discomfort zone by excluding emotion data in which the duration of “uncomfortable” is shorter than a predetermined time from the first data.

[0145] In step S21 or step S32, the control unit (100) does not have to exclude thermal index values ​​within the comfort zone for which the duration of comfort is shorter than a predetermined time.

[0146] In step S21, when determining the first target PMV, the control section (100) does not need to exclude thermal index values ​​in the discomfort region where the duration of discomfort is shorter than a predetermined time.

[0147] In step S22, the control section (100) does not need to exclude thermal index values ​​for which the number of times "comfortable" appears is equal to or less than a predetermined number.

[0148] In step S23, the control section (100) does not have to exclude the thermal index value that caused the appearance of discomfort from the comfort zone.

[0149] In step S25 or step S34, the first target PMV or the second target PMV may be selected by the subject (T).

[0150] In the operation of setting the second target PMV, the second distribution data after correction (step S33) may be directly output without outputting the second distribution data in step S31.

[0151] In step S33, either a correction may be performed in which PMV=0 is set between two comfort zones (the first comfort zone and the second comfort zone), or a correction may be performed in which PMV=-0.5 is set for one of the thermal index values ​​between adjacent comfort zones and discomfort zones, and PMV=+0.5 is set for the other.

[0152] The communication device (80) of the first modification may be a remote controller (50).

[0153] The PMV may be calculated based on at least one of temperature and other conditions (humidity, airflow, radiation, amount of clothing, amount of activity, etc.).

[0154] Although the embodiments and modifications have been described above, it will be understood that various modifications in form and detail are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims. Furthermore, the above embodiments and modifications may be combined or substituted as appropriate as long as the functionality of the subject matter of the present disclosure is not impaired. The terms "first," "second," etc., described above, are used to distinguish the terms to which these terms are attached, and do not limit the number or order of the terms.

[0155] As described above, the present disclosure is useful for an environmental control device, an environmental adjustment device, an air conditioner, a control method, and a program.

[0156] 10 Air conditioning device (environmental adjustment device) 80 Communication device (information terminal) 81 Operation screen 100 Control unit A Air conditioning unit (environmental adjustment unit) E Environmental control device I Indoor space (space) T Target person

Claims

1. An environmental control device including a control unit (100) used to control an environmental adjustment unit (A) that controls the thermal environment of a space (I), The control unit (100) Estimating an emotion indicating comfort or discomfort of a subject (T) based on emotion information of the subject (T) in the space (I); determining a range of thermal index values ​​indicating comfort or discomfort as an emotional region based on the frequency of occurrence of each emotion corresponding to the thermal index value, which is a value indicating a thermal index; Based on the emotional area, a target value of the thermal index of the space (I) is set; Find the duration of the pleasant or unpleasant feeling. The emotional zone is determined by excluding the thermal index values ​​corresponding to comfort or discomfort whose duration is shorter than a predetermined time. Environmental control equipment.

2. The control unit (100) associates the target value with a change over time or with an outside air temperature. The environmental control device according to claim 1 .

3. The control unit (100) Limiting the emotional area to a comfort area in which the emotion indicates comfort; Set the target value to a value within the comfort zone. The environmental control device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The control unit (100) excludes one or more thermal index values ​​that cause discomfort from the comfort zone. The environmental control device according to claim 3 .

5. The control unit (100) sets the thermal index value in the comfort zone such that the power consumption of the environment adjustment unit (A) during operation is equal to or less than a predetermined value to the target value. The environmental control device according to claim 3 .

6. An environmental control device including a control unit (100) used to control an environmental adjustment unit (A) that controls the thermal environment of a space (I), The control unit (100) Estimating an emotion indicating comfort or discomfort of a subject (T) based on emotion information of the subject (T) in the space (I); determining a range of thermal index values ​​indicating comfort or discomfort as an emotional region based on the frequency of occurrence of each emotion corresponding to the thermal index value, which is a value indicating a thermal index; Based on the emotional area, a target value of the thermal index of the space (I) is set; The thermal index value between two comfort zones indicating comfort among the emotional zones is set as a neutral thermal index value indicating thermal neutrality; determining the target value based on the neutral thermal index value; Environmental control equipment.

7. The control unit (100) Seeking a sustained period of comfortable feelings, The two comfort zones are determined by excluding the thermal index values ​​whose duration is shorter than a predetermined time. The environmental control device according to claim 6 .

8. The thermal index is a predicted mean vote (PMV), The control unit (100) sets the neutral thermal index value between the two comfort zones with PMV=0. The environmental control device according to claim 6 .

9. The thermal index is a predicted mean vote (PMV), The control unit (100) Two discomfort areas indicating discomfort are set among the emotion areas; Set PMV=-0.5 for one of the thermal index values ​​between the adjacent comfort zone and discomfort zone, and set PMV=+0.5 for the other. The environmental control device according to claim 6 .

10. The control unit (100) controls the environment adjustment unit (A) based on the target value. The environmental control device according to claim 1 or 2.

11. The control unit (100) a predetermined communication device (80) that displays an operation screen (81) on which an operation related to setting of the thermal index value can be performed; transmitting setting information indicating the target value to the communication device (80), and receiving information indicating the thermal index value set based on the setting information; The environmental control device according to claim 1 or 2.

12. An environment conditioning device comprising the environment conditioning unit (A) and the control unit (100) according to claim 1 or 2.

13. The environmental adjustment unit (A) and the control unit (100) according to claim 1 or 2 are provided, The environmental adjustment unit (A) is an air conditioning unit (A) that conditions the air in the space (I).

14. A process of estimating an emotion indicating comfort or discomfort of a subject (T) in a space (I) based on emotion information of the subject (T); determining a range of thermal index values ​​indicating comfort or discomfort as an emotional region based on the frequency of appearance of each emotion corresponding to the thermal index value, which is a value indicating a thermal index; and a process of setting a target value of a thermal index of the space (I) based on the emotional area. Control method.

15. A process of estimating an emotion indicating comfort or discomfort of a subject (T) in a space (I) based on emotion information of the subject (T); determining a range of thermal index values ​​indicating comfort or discomfort as an emotional region based on the frequency of appearance of each emotion corresponding to the thermal index value, which is a value indicating a thermal index; A process of setting a target value of a thermal index of the space (I) based on the emotional area; A program that causes a computer to execute the following.