Air conditioner and air conditioning system

Abstract

An air conditioner (1) comprises: an operation control part (271) that controls the operation of an indoor unit (2) and the operation of an outdoor unit (3); a vital sensor (23) that is provided in the indoor unit (2) and that detects an amount indicating biological information of a room occupant who is present in a room; a sleep state determination part (272) that determines whether or not the room occupant is in a sleep state on the basis of a comparison between a detection value which has been detected by the vital sensor (23) and a predetermined first threshold value; a discomfort determination part (273) that determines whether or not the room occupant feels uncomfortable on the basis of a comparison between the detection value which has been detected by the vital sensor (23) and a predetermined second threshold value; and a temperature control part that changes a set temperature when the sleep state determination part (272) has determined that the room occupant is in the sleep state, and the discomfort determination part (273) has determined that the room occupant during sleep feels uncomfortable. The air conditioner (1) makes it possible to provide a high quality sleep environment without imposing a burden on a user.

Description

Air conditioners and air conditioning systems

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an air conditioner and an air conditioning system that automatically controls temperature while a user is sleeping.

[0002] Conventionally, air conditioners have been operated by a remote controller to change the set temperature, humidity, and display brightness of the air conditioner while the user is asleep. However, unlike daytime use of the air conditioner, this type of sleep operation control cannot adjust the set temperature of the air conditioner to a temperature appropriate for the user. This has led to the problem that the user may be woken up by discomfort caused by the indoor temperature while sleeping.

[0003] To solve this problem, a technology has been proposed that acquires information about a user's sleep state, infers the user's sleep state based on the acquired information, and automatically adjusts the set temperature.

[0004] Patent Document 1 describes an air conditioning system that detects humidity in the bed using a humidity sensor installed under the sheets and automatically adjusts the set temperature based on the change over time in the amount of sweating indicated by the detected humidity value in the bed.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-223374

[0006] However, the air conditioning system described in Patent Document 1 requires the user to install a humidity sensor under the sheet in addition to the air conditioner, which places a burden on the user.

[0007] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above, and aims to provide an air conditioner that can provide a high-quality sleeping environment without imposing a burden on the user.

[0008] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objectives, the air conditioner of the present disclosure comprises an indoor unit arranged inside a room which is the space to be air-conditioned, an outdoor unit arranged outside the room, an operation control unit that controls the operation of the indoor unit and the outdoor unit, a vital sensor provided in the indoor unit that detects quantities indicating the biological information of a person in the room, a sleep state determination unit that determines whether the person in the room is asleep based on a comparison between the detection value detected by the vital sensor and a predetermined first threshold value, a discomfort determination unit that determines whether the person in the room is uncomfortable based on a comparison between the detection value detected by the vital sensor and a predetermined second threshold value, and a temperature control unit that changes the set temperature when the sleep state determination unit determines that the person in the room is asleep and the discomfort determination unit determines that the sleeping person is uncomfortable.

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a high-quality sleeping environment without imposing a burden on the user.

[0010] Schematic diagram showing the configuration of the air conditioning system according to the first embodiment. Block diagram showing the functional configuration of an air conditioner provided in the air conditioning system according to the first embodiment. Diagram showing the functional configuration of a remote controller provided in the air conditioning system according to the first embodiment. Flowchart showing the procedure of sleep operation in the air conditioning system according to the first embodiment. Diagram explaining an example of a method for determining whether or not a room occupant is sleeping, in a sleep state determination unit provided in the indoor unit of the air conditioner of the air conditioning system according to the first embodiment. Diagram explaining an example of a determination method, in a discomfort determination unit provided in the indoor unit of the air conditioner of the air conditioning system according to the first embodiment. Diagram explaining the effective range of a vital sensor provided in the indoor unit of the air conditioner of the air conditioning system according to the first embodiment. Diagram showing a configuration in which each function of a control unit according to the first embodiment is realized by hardware. Diagram showing a configuration in which each function of a control unit according to the first embodiment is realized by software.

[0011] An air conditioner and an air conditioning system according to an embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0012] Embodiment 1 Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioning system 100 according to embodiment 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the air conditioning system 100 includes an air conditioner 1 and a remote controller 5. Note that, hereinafter, the remote controller may be simply referred to as a remote control.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1, the air conditioner 1 of embodiment 1 comprises an indoor unit 2 installed indoors, which is the space to be air-conditioned, an outdoor unit 3 installed outdoors, which is the outdoor space, and a refrigerant pipe 4 for circulating a refrigerant between the indoor unit 2 and the outdoor unit 3.

[0014] The air conditioner 1 forms a complete refrigeration cycle with an indoor unit 2 and an outdoor unit 3. The air conditioner 1 uses a refrigerant that circulates between the indoor unit 2 and the outdoor unit 3 through a refrigerant pipe 4 to transfer heat between the air inside the room, which is the space to be air-conditioned, and the air outside the room, thereby realizing air conditioning for the room. That is, the indoor unit 2 and the outdoor unit 3 are connected by the refrigerant pipe 4, and the pressure of the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant pipe 4 is changed by a compressor provided in the outdoor unit 3, thereby performing air conditioning by the refrigerant absorbing and releasing heat.

[0015] The air conditioning system 100 has a function of performing sleep operation control when an occupant in a room where the indoor unit 2 is installed is sleeping, by acquiring biometric information of the user, predicting the user's sleeping state based on the acquired biometric information of the user, and automatically adjusting the set temperature of the air conditioner 1 so that the user can sleep comfortably and soundly. The occupant is a user of the air conditioning system 100 who is in the room and is sleeping in the room where the indoor unit 2 is installed.

[0016] Sleep operation control is operation control of the air conditioner 1 when the user is sleeping, and is control that changes the set temperature of the air conditioner 1 and the display brightness of the display unit of the air conditioner 1 so that the user can sleep comfortably and soundly.

[0017] 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the air conditioner 1 included in the air conditioning system 100 according to embodiment 1. The indoor unit 2 includes an indoor unit air conditioning unit 21, an indoor temperature sensor 22, a vital sign sensor 23, an infrared sensor 24, an indoor unit communication unit 25, an indoor unit storage unit 26, and an indoor unit control unit 27. Information can be exchanged between the components of the indoor unit 2.

[0018] The indoor unit air conditioning section 21 is an air conditioning section in the air conditioner 1 that conditions the air in the room, and has the air conditioning function of a typical indoor unit of an air conditioner. The indoor unit air conditioning section 21 includes components such as an indoor heat exchanger (not shown) that exchanges heat between the air in the room where the indoor unit 2 is located and the refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant circuit, a blower fan (not shown) that sends the conditioned air that has undergone heat exchange in the indoor heat exchanger from the indoor unit 2 into the room, and an air direction adjustment section (not shown) that adjusts the direction in which the conditioned air is sent from the indoor unit 2 into the room. Note that the components included in the indoor unit 2 are not limited to these.

[0019] The indoor temperature sensor 22 is configured using, for example, a thermistor and detects the indoor temperature of the room, which is the space to be air-conditioned, at a predetermined cycle. The indoor temperature sensor 22 transmits the detected indoor temperature data to the indoor unit control unit 27.

[0020] The vital sensor 23 detects the biological information of the occupant, such as body temperature, pulse rate, and heart rate, by non-contactly detecting quantities indicative of the biological information of the occupant under the control of the indoor unit control unit 27. The vital sensor 23 acquires the biological information of the occupant at a predetermined cycle. Note that the biological information acquired by the vital sensor 23 is not limited to body temperature, pulse rate, and heart rate. The vital sensor 23 transmits the detected biological information to the indoor unit control unit 27.

[0021] The infrared sensor 24 detects the temperature of the occupants, i.e., the body temperature of the occupants, under the control of the indoor unit control unit 27. The infrared sensor 24 can detect the surface temperature at a distance and can comprehensively detect the surface temperature of the occupants. The infrared sensor 24 transmits the detected body temperature data of the occupants to the indoor unit control unit 27.

[0022] The indoor unit communication section 25 communicates with the outdoor unit 3 and the remote control 5. The indoor unit communication section 25 is capable of bidirectional communication of information with the outdoor unit 3 via a communication line (not shown).

[0023] The indoor unit storage unit 26 is a storage unit that stores information such as various control setting values ​​and programs for controlling the operation of the air conditioner 1. The indoor unit storage unit 26 stores various information such as various information collected by the indoor unit 2 and control information generated by the indoor unit control unit 27. The various information collected by the indoor unit 2 includes information such as the detection results of the indoor temperature sensor 22, the detection results of the vital sensor 23, and the detection results of the infrared sensor 24. The indoor unit storage unit 26 is a non-volatile storage unit, and is configured from a semiconductor storage medium such as a flash memory.

[0024] The indoor unit control unit 27 controls the operation of the indoor unit 2 and the outdoor unit 3, including the operation of the air conditioning unit, and controls the operation of the entire air conditioning system 100. In other words, the indoor unit control unit 27 functions as an air conditioning control unit that controls the operation of the air conditioning unit. The indoor unit control unit 27 is a control unit that controls the indoor unit 2 and the outdoor unit 3 in response to control commands from the user received via the remote control 5, thereby controlling the air conditioning system 100.

[0025] The indoor unit control unit 27 includes an operation control unit 271, a sleep state determination unit 272, a discomfort determination unit 273, and a sleep operation temperature control unit 274. Information can be exchanged between the above-mentioned components of the indoor unit control unit 27.

[0026] The operation control unit 271 controls the operation of the air conditioner 1, including the operation of the air conditioning unit. The operation control unit 271 controls the operation of the indoor unit 2 and the outdoor unit 3, and controls each operation mode of the air conditioner 1, for example, cooling operation, dehumidifying operation, fan operation, and heating operation.

[0027] Furthermore, the operation control unit 271 controls a sleep operation mode, which is an operation mode in which sleep operation control is performed. When the operation control unit 271 receives a sleep operation command, which is a control command transmitted from the remote controller 5 and is a command instructing operation in the sleep operation mode, the operation control unit 271 performs sleep operation control, which controls operation of the air conditioner 1 in sleep operation.

[0028] In the sleep operation mode, the operation control unit 271 performs control to reduce the display brightness of a display unit (not shown) of the indoor unit 2, control to reduce the wind speed of the air blown into the room from the indoor unit 2, and control to change the set temperature for the sleep operation mode. The operation control unit 271 also starts detecting the biological information of the occupants with the vital sensor 23, and acquires the biological information of the occupants.

[0029] The sleep state determination unit 272 performs sleep determination processing to determine whether or not the occupant is asleep based on the biological information of the occupant acquired by the vital sensor 23. The sleep state determination unit 272 determines whether or not the occupant is asleep by comparing the detected value of the biological information, which is an amount indicating the biological information of the occupant detected by the vital sensor 23, with a predetermined first threshold value. The sleep state determination unit 272 transmits the determination result of whether or not the occupant is asleep to the indoor unit control unit 27.

[0030] The first threshold value is a reference value of the biometric information of the occupant, which the sleep state determination unit 272 uses to determine whether the occupant is asleep by comparing it with the detection value of the biometric information, which is a quantity indicating the biometric information of the occupant detected by the vital sensor 23.

[0031] The discomfort determination unit 273 performs discomfort determination processing to determine whether the sleeping occupant is uncomfortable based on the biological information of the sleeping occupant acquired by the vital sensor 23. The discomfort determination unit 273 determines whether the sleeping occupant is uncomfortable by comparing the detected value of the biological information, which is an amount indicating the biological information detected by the vital sensor 23, with a predetermined second threshold value. The discomfort determination unit 273 transmits the determination result of whether the sleeping occupant is uncomfortable to the sleep operation temperature control unit 274.

[0032] The second threshold value is a reference value of the biological information of the sleeping occupant, which the discomfort determination unit 273 uses to determine whether the sleeping occupant is uncomfortable by comparing it with the detection value of the biological information, which is a quantity indicating the biological information of the sleeping occupant detected by the vital sensor 23.

[0033] Furthermore, the discomfort determination unit 273 performs a comfort determination process to determine whether the sleeping occupant is comfortable based on the biological information of the sleeping occupant acquired by the vital sensor 23. The discomfort determination unit 273 determines whether the sleeping occupant is comfortable by comparing a detection value of the biological information, which is an amount indicating the biological information detected by the vital sensor 23, with a predetermined third threshold value. The discomfort determination unit 273 transmits the determination result of whether the sleeping occupant is comfortable to the sleep operation temperature control unit 274.

[0034] The third threshold is a reference value of the biological information of the sleeping occupant, which is used by the discomfort determination unit 273 to determine whether the sleeping occupant is comfortable by comparing it with a detected value of the biological information, which is an amount indicating the biological information of the sleeping occupant detected by the vital sensor 23. The third threshold is a value smaller than the second threshold.

[0035] The sleep operation temperature control unit 274 is a temperature control unit that changes the set temperature of the air conditioner 1 when the sleep state determination unit 272 determines that the occupant is asleep and the discomfort determination unit 273 determines that the sleeping occupant is uncomfortable. In other words, the sleep operation temperature control unit 274 changes the set temperature of the air conditioner 1 when it is determined that the occupant is asleep based on the detection value of the biological information detected by the vital sensor 23 and when it is determined that the sleeping occupant is uncomfortable based on the detection value of the biological information detected by the vital sensor 23.

[0036] When the sleep state determination unit 272 determines that the occupant is asleep and the discomfort determination unit 273 determines that the sleeping occupant is uncomfortable, the sleep operation temperature control unit 274 changes and sets the set temperature of the air conditioner 1 to the sleep operation set temperature, which is the set temperature in the sleep operation mode, as control in the sleep operation mode.

[0037] The sleep operation set temperature is a set temperature that allows a sleeping user to sleep comfortably and soundly. The sleep operation set temperature is set in advance by the user using the remote control 5 and stored in the operation control unit 271. The sleep operation set temperature may also be stored in the indoor unit storage unit 26. The sleep operation set temperature is preferably set to a temperature lower than the normal set temperature before switching to the sleep operation mode, which is the set temperature normally used by occupants, so that the set temperature of the air conditioner 1 is lowered when the sleep operation mode is started, for example. In this case, the core body temperature of the occupants is lowered, which has the effect of allowing the occupants to fall asleep more easily.

[0038] The outdoor unit 3 includes an outdoor unit air conditioning unit 31, an outdoor unit communication unit 32, an outdoor unit storage unit 33, and an outdoor unit control unit 34. Information can be exchanged between the above-described components of the outdoor unit 3.

[0039] The outdoor unit air conditioning section 31 is an air conditioning section that conditions the air indoors in the air conditioner 1, and has the functions of a general outdoor unit of an air conditioner. The indoor unit air conditioning section 21 of the indoor unit 2 and the outdoor unit air conditioning section 31 of the outdoor unit 3 constitute the air conditioning section of the air conditioner 1, which is a component that conditions the air indoors in the air conditioner 1.

[0040] The outdoor unit air conditioning unit 31 includes a compressor (not shown) that compresses the refrigerant, a four-way valve (not shown) that switches the refrigerant flow path, an outdoor heat exchanger (not shown) that exchanges heat between outdoor air and the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant circuit, and an expansion valve (not shown) that adjusts the flow rate of the refrigerant. A refrigeration cycle is formed by connecting the components of the outdoor unit air conditioning unit 31 and the components of the indoor unit air conditioning unit 21 in a ring shape with a refrigerant pipe 4. The outdoor heat exchanger is also provided with an outdoor blower fan (not shown) that supplies air to the outdoor heat exchanger. The configuration of the outdoor unit air conditioning unit 31 is not limited to these.

[0041] The outdoor unit communication unit 32 communicates with the indoor unit communication unit 25 of the indoor unit 2. The outdoor unit communication unit 32 is capable of two-way communication of information with the indoor unit communication unit 25 of the indoor unit 2.

[0042] The outdoor unit storage unit 33 is a storage unit that stores information such as various control setting values ​​and programs for controlling the operation of the outdoor unit 3. The outdoor unit storage unit 33 is a non-volatile storage unit, and is configured with a semiconductor storage medium such as a flash memory.

[0043] The outdoor unit control unit 34 controls the operation of the outdoor unit 3 under the control of the indoor unit control unit 27 .

[0044] 3 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the remote controller 5 provided in the air conditioning system 100 according to embodiment 1. The remote controller 5 communicates with the indoor unit 2 and transmits control information for remotely controlling the operation of the air conditioner 1 to the indoor unit 2. The remote controller 5 also communicates with the indoor unit 2 and receives and displays information related to the operation of the air conditioner 1.

[0045] The remote control 5 includes a remote controller operation unit 51, a remote controller display unit 52, a remote controller storage unit 53, a remote controller communication unit 54, and a remote controller control unit 55. Information can be exchanged between the above-described components of the remote control 5.

[0046] The remote control operation unit 51 accepts operations from the user. When the remote control operation unit 51 accepts an operation from the user, it transmits information corresponding to the user operation as an operation signal to the remote control control unit 55. The remote control operation unit 51 accepts operations to instruct an operation, such as an operation from the user to instruct cooling operation, an operation from the user to instruct dehumidification operation, an operation from the user to instruct fan operation, an operation from the user to instruct heating operation, and an operation from the user to instruct sleep operation. The remote control operation unit 51 also accepts an operation from the user to instruct to stop operation when the air conditioner 1 is performing cooling operation, dehumidification operation, fan operation, heating operation, or sleep operation.

[0047] The remote control display unit 52 is a display unit that displays various information. The remote control display unit 52 displays information and status required for air conditioning by the air conditioner 1, such as the set temperature and operation mode of the air conditioner 1, and switches and displays screens corresponding to operations on the remote control operation unit 51.

[0048] The remote control storage unit 53 stores various types of information necessary for air conditioning in the air conditioner 1. The remote control storage unit 53 temporarily or long-term stores the settings to be displayed on the remote control display unit 52 and image data related to the settings. The remote control storage unit 53 is a non-volatile storage unit, and is configured using a semiconductor storage medium such as a flash memory.

[0049] The remote control communication unit 54 is capable of bidirectional communication of information with the indoor unit communication unit 25 of the indoor unit 2. The connection between the indoor unit communication unit 25 of the indoor unit 2 and the remote control communication unit 54 may be either a wireless connection or a wired connection. In other words, the communication between the indoor unit communication unit 25 of the indoor unit 2 and the remote control communication unit 54 may be wireless communication, infrared communication, or wired communication.

[0050] The remote control control unit 55 controls the operation of the remote control 5. The remote control control unit 55 controls the remote control 5 based on an operation signal transmitted from the remote control operation unit 51. The remote control control unit 55 remotely controls the operation of the air conditioner 1. Based on the operation signal transmitted from the remote control operation unit 51, the remote control control unit 55 transmits control information for remotely controlling the operation of the air conditioner 1 to the indoor unit 2.

[0051] Next, the operation of the sleep operation in the air conditioning system 100 according to the embodiment 1 will be described. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the sleep operation in the air conditioning system 100 according to the embodiment 1. Below, the operation of the air conditioning system 100 when the sleep operation is performed from a state in which the air conditioning system 100 is performing cooling operation will be described.

[0052] In step S110, the air conditioner 1 of the air conditioning system 100 starts cooling operation. Then, the process proceeds to step S120.

[0053] In step S120, the vital sensor 23 of the indoor unit 2 of the air conditioner 1 starts detecting the biological information of the occupants and starts communication with the indoor unit control unit 27 of the indoor unit 2, and transmits the acquired biological information of the occupants to the indoor unit control unit 27 at predetermined intervals. Then, the process proceeds to step S130.

[0054] In step S130, the operation control unit 271 of the indoor unit control unit 27 of the indoor unit 2 determines whether or not it has received a sleep operation command, which is a signal instructing the implementation of sleep operation. Specifically, the operation control unit 271 determines whether or not it has received a sleep operation command instructing the implementation of sleep operation while the air conditioner 1 is performing cooling operation. When a user operation is performed to instruct the implementation of sleep operation, the remote control 5 transmits a sleep operation command, which is a signal instructing the implementation of sleep operation, to the operation control unit 271 of the indoor unit control unit 27 in response to that operation.

[0055] If it is determined that the drowsy driving command has been received, the answer is Yes in step S130, and the process proceeds to step S140. If it is determined that the drowsy driving command has not been received, the answer is No in step S130, and the process returns to step S130.

[0056] In step S140, the operation control unit 271 transitions the operation mode of the air conditioner 1 to the sleep operation mode, and as control in the sleep operation mode, controls to reduce the display brightness of the display unit (not shown) of the indoor unit 2 and controls to reduce the wind speed of the air blown into the room from the indoor unit 2 in cooling operation. Then, the process proceeds to step S150.

[0057] In step S150, the operation control unit 271 changes and sets the set temperature of the air conditioner 1 to the sleep operation set temperature, which is the set temperature in the sleep operation mode, as control in the sleep operation mode. Then, the process proceeds to step S160.

[0058] In step S160, the sleep state determination unit 272 performs a sleep determination process to determine whether the occupant is asleep. Specifically, the sleep state determination unit 272 determines whether the occupant is asleep based on the biological information of the occupant detected by the vital sensor 23. That is, the sleep state determination unit 272 determines whether the occupant is asleep or awake based on the biological information of the occupant detected by the vital sensor 23.

[0059] 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method for determining whether an occupant is asleep, performed by the sleep state determination unit 272 provided in the indoor unit 2 of the air conditioner 1 in the air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1. The first data D1 shown in FIG. 5 is pulse data of the occupant's biological information detected by the vital sensor 23.

[0060] The sleep state determination unit 272 determines that the occupant is asleep, i.e., asleep, when the first data D1 is equal to or greater than the threshold V_sleep. The sleep state determination unit 272 determines that the occupant is awake, i.e., awake, when the first data D1 is less than the threshold V_sleep.

[0061] The threshold value V_sleep is a reference value of the first data D1 for the sleep state determination unit 272 to determine whether the occupant is asleep by comparing it with the first data D1, which is pulse data of the occupant's biological information detected by the vital sensor 23. The threshold value V_sleep corresponds to the first threshold value described above.

[0062] In addition, the sleep state determination unit 272 may determine whether the occupant is sleeping based on the shape of the pulse waveform or fluctuations in the pulse waveform of the occupant's biological information detected by the vital sensor 23.

[0063] If it is determined that the occupant is asleep, the answer in step S160 is Yes, and the process proceeds to step S170. If it is determined that the occupant is not asleep, the answer in step S160 is No, and the process returns to step S160.

[0064] In step S170, the discomfort determination unit 273 performs discomfort determination processing to determine whether the sleeping occupant is uncomfortable. Specifically, the discomfort determination unit 273 determines whether the sleeping occupant is uncomfortable based on the biological information of the sleeping occupant detected by the vital sensor 23. That is, the discomfort determination unit 273 determines whether the sleeping occupant is uncomfortable, having difficulty sleeping, and is likely to wake up based on the biological information of the sleeping occupant detected by the vital sensor 23.

[0065] 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a determination method used by the discomfort determination unit 273 included in the indoor unit 2 of the air conditioner 1 in the air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1. The second data D2 shown in FIG. 6 is, for example, pulse rate data of the biological information of a sleeping occupant detected by the vital sensor 23.

[0066] When the second data D2 is equal to or greater than the threshold value V_stress, the discomfort determination unit 273 determines that the sleeping occupant is feeling stressed, i.e., is uncomfortable. After determining in step S160 that the occupant is asleep, i.e., is sleeping, the air conditioner 1 determines whether the sleeping occupant is uncomfortable. Therefore, when the second data D2 is equal to or greater than the threshold value V_stress, the sleeping occupant is having difficulty sleeping.

[0067] The threshold value V_stress is a reference value of the second data D2 for the discomfort determination unit 273 to determine whether the sleeping occupant is uncomfortable by comparing it with the second data D2, which is pulse data of the biological information of the sleeping occupant detected by the vital sensor 23. The threshold value V_stress corresponds to the second threshold value described above.

[0068] In addition, the discomfort determination unit 273 may determine whether the sleeping occupant is uncomfortable based on the shape of the pulse waveform or fluctuations in the pulse waveform of the biological information of the sleeping occupant detected by the vital sensor 23.

[0069] If it is determined that the sleeping occupant is uncomfortable, the answer in step S170 is Yes, and the process proceeds to step S180. If it is determined that the sleeping occupant is not uncomfortable, the answer in step S170 is No, and the process returns to step S160.

[0070] In step S180, the sleep operation temperature control unit 274 corrects and sets the sleep operation set temperature as control in the sleep operation mode. Specifically, the sleep operation temperature control unit 274 corrects the sleep operation set temperature, which is the set temperature in the sleep operation mode set in step S150, and generates a corrected sleep operation set temperature, which is the set temperature in the sleep operation mode after the correction. Then, the sleep operation temperature control unit 274 changes the set temperature of the air conditioner 1 in the sleep operation mode to the corrected sleep operation set temperature.

[0071] That is, when the sleep state determination unit 272 determines that the occupant is asleep and the discomfort determination unit 273 determines that the sleeping occupant is uncomfortable, the sleep operation temperature control unit 274 changes and sets the set temperature of the air conditioner 1 to the sleep operation set temperature, which is the set temperature in the sleep operation mode. Then, the process proceeds to step S190.

[0072] The state in which a sleeping occupant feels uncomfortable is assumed to be either a state in which the sleeping occupant feels uncomfortable because of heat and stress, or a state in which the sleeping occupant feels uncomfortable because of cold and stress. Therefore, when it is determined in step S170 that the sleeping occupant feels uncomfortable, i.e., that the sleeping occupant feels uncomfortable, the correction made to the sleep operation set temperature is not constant.

[0073] In the air conditioner 1, for example, the infrared sensor 24 detects the body temperature of a sleeping occupant. The sleep operation temperature control unit 274 acquires data on the body temperature of the sleeping occupant detected by the infrared sensor 24, and determines, based on the body temperature data, whether the sleeping occupant is too hot to sleep comfortably or too cold to sleep comfortably.

[0074] Then, when it is determined that the sleeping occupant is too hot and uncomfortable to sleep, the sleep operation temperature control unit 274 makes a "negative" correction to the sleep operation set temperature in the direction of decreasing the temperature, and generates a corrected sleep operation set temperature, which is the set temperature after the correction. On the other hand, when it is determined that the sleeping occupant is too cold and uncomfortable to sleep, the sleep operation temperature control unit 274 makes a "positive" correction to the sleep operation set temperature in the direction of increasing the temperature, and generates a corrected sleep operation set temperature, which is the set temperature after the correction.

[0075] In step S190, the discomfort determination unit 273 performs a comfort determination process to determine whether the sleeping occupant is comfortable. Specifically, the discomfort determination unit 273 determines whether the sleeping occupant is comfortable based on the biological information of the sleeping occupant detected by the vital sensor 23. That is, the discomfort determination unit 273 determines whether the sleeping occupant is in a comfortable state and sleeping soundly based on the biological information of the sleeping occupant detected by the vital sensor 23.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 6, when the second data D2 is less than the threshold V_comfortable, the discomfort determination unit 273 determines that the sleeping occupant is in a comfortable state, that is, the occupant is sleeping soundly.

[0077] The threshold value V_comfortable is a reference value of the second data D2, which is pulse data of the biological information of the sleeping occupant detected by the vital sensor 23, and is used by the discomfort determination unit 273 to determine whether the sleeping occupant is comfortable by comparing the second data D2 with the pulse data. The threshold value V_comfortable corresponds to the third threshold value described above. The threshold value V_comfortable is a value smaller than the threshold value V_stress.

[0078] In addition, the discomfort determination unit 273 may determine whether the sleeping occupant is comfortable or not based on the shape of the pulse waveform or fluctuations in the pulse waveform of the biological information of the sleeping occupant detected by the vital sensor 23.

[0079] If it is determined that the sleeping occupant is comfortable, the answer in step S190 is Yes and the process proceeds to step S200. If it is determined that the sleeping occupant is not comfortable, the answer in step S190 is No and the process returns to step S160.

[0080] In step S200, the sleep operation temperature control unit 274 cancels the correction of the sleep operation set temperature and sets the sleep operation set temperature as control in the sleep operation mode. Specifically, the sleep operation temperature control unit 274 cancels the correction of the sleep operation set temperature performed in step S180 and sets the sleep operation set temperature before the correction in step S180 as the set temperature in the sleep operation mode. Then, the process proceeds to step S210.

[0081] In step S210, the operation control unit 271 of the indoor unit control unit 27 of the indoor unit 2 determines whether or not it has received a sleep operation cancellation command, which is a signal instructing cancellation of sleep operation. When a user operation is performed to instruct cancellation of sleep operation, the remote control 5 transmits the sleep operation cancellation command, which is a signal instructing cancellation of sleep operation, to the operation control unit 271 of the indoor unit control unit 27 in response to the operation.

[0082] If it is determined that the drowsy driving cancellation command has been received, the answer is Yes in step S210, and the process proceeds to step S220. If it is determined that the drowsy driving cancellation command has not been received, the answer is No in step S210, and the process returns to step S160.

[0083] In step S220, the operation control unit 271 cancels the sleep operation mode and switches the operation mode of the air conditioner 1 to cooling operation. The operation control unit 271 then controls the display brightness of the display unit (not shown) of the indoor unit 2 to return to normal, controls the wind speed of the air blown into the room from the indoor unit 2 during cooling operation to the state before the switch to sleep operation mode, and controls the set temperature to the state before the switch to sleep operation mode. By performing the above processes, the series of processes for sleep operation is completed.

[0084] While the above describes the operation of the air conditioning system 100 when the sleep operation is implemented from a state in which the air conditioning system 100 is performing cooling operation, the operation of the air conditioning system 100 when the sleep operation is implemented from a state in which the air conditioning system 100 is performing heating operation is also similar to the above. In this case, "cooling operation" is replaced with "heating operation" in the above description of the operation.

[0085] Next, we will explain the effective range of the vital sensor 23. Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating the effective range of the vital sensor 23 provided in the indoor unit 2 of the air conditioner 1 of the air conditioning system 100 according to embodiment 1. In the air conditioner 1, it is assumed that the user will be sleeping within the effective range of the vital sensor 23.

[0086] Vital sensor 23 arranged inside indoor unit 2 has a semicircular effective range with a radius of 4 m centered on vital sensor 23 in the in-plane direction of the bedroom floor. That is, vital sensor 23 has an effective range 23a with a radius of 4 m from vital sensor 23 in the in-plane direction of the bedroom floor. Vital sensor 23 also has an effective range 23b of 180° extending from the side to the front of indoor unit 2 in the in-plane direction of the bedroom floor.

[0087] The output of vital sensor 23, i.e., the detection result of vital sensor 23, is added up as one person's output even if multiple people are present within the effective range of vital sensor 23. In other words, the output of vital sensor 23 is not output for each person, but rather the average value of the biological information of people present within the effective range of vital sensor 23. Therefore, when multiple people are present in a room, vital sensor 23 detects the average value of the biological information of the multiple people as the detection value.

[0088] By using the vital sensor 23, the air conditioner 1 can control sleep operation based on the average value of the biological information of multiple people present in the room, which is the air-conditioned space, within the effective range of the vital sensor 23. Therefore, the air conditioner 1 can automatically adjust the set temperature for sleep operation based on the sleep state and discomfort state of the occupants so that they can sleep comfortably and soundly, without having to install a dedicated sensor for each person.

[0089] According to the air conditioning system 100 of the above-described first embodiment, an air conditioner is realized which includes an indoor unit arranged inside a room which is the space to be air-conditioned, an outdoor unit arranged outside the room, an operation control unit which controls the operation of the indoor unit and the outdoor unit, a vital sensor provided in the indoor unit which detects quantities indicating the biometric information of a person in the room, a sleep state determination unit which determines whether the person in the room is asleep based on a comparison between the detection value detected by the vital sensor and a predetermined first threshold value, a discomfort determination unit which determines whether the person in the room is uncomfortable based on a comparison between the detection value detected by the vital sensor and a predetermined second threshold value, and a temperature control unit which changes the set temperature when the sleep state determination unit determines that the person in the room is asleep and the discomfort determination unit determines that the sleeping person is uncomfortable.

[0090] As described above, in the air conditioning system 100 according to the first embodiment, when the operation control unit 271 provided in the indoor unit 2 of the air conditioner 1 receives from the remote control 5 a sleep operation command instructing the implementation of sleep operation during control of cooling operation or heating operation, the operation control unit 271 performs control in sleep operation mode to reduce the display brightness of a display unit (not shown) of the indoor unit 2 and to reduce the wind speed of the air blown into the room from the indoor unit 2. Furthermore, when the operation control unit 271 receives the sleep operation command from the remote control 5, it performs control to change the set temperature of the air conditioner 1 to the sleep operation set temperature set in advance by the user.

[0091] Thereafter, the sleep state determination unit 272 of the operation control unit 271 performs a sleep determination process to determine whether the occupant is sleeping based on the biological information of the occupant acquired by the vital sensor 23. Furthermore, when it is determined that the occupant is sleeping, the discomfort determination unit 273 of the operation control unit 271 performs a discomfort determination process to determine whether the sleeping occupant is uncomfortable based on the biological information of the sleeping occupant acquired by the vital sensor 23. Then, when it is determined that the occupant is sleeping by the sleep state determination unit 272 and the discomfort determination unit 273 determines that the sleeping occupant is uncomfortable, the sleep operation temperature control unit 274 provided in the indoor unit 2 changes the set temperature of the air conditioner 1 to a corrected sleep operation set temperature obtained by correcting the sleep operation set temperature. Furthermore, the operation control unit 271 performs a comfort determination process to determine whether the sleeping occupant is comfortable based on the biological information of the sleeping occupant acquired by the vital sensor 23. Furthermore, when it is determined that the sleeping occupant is comfortable, the operation control unit 271 cancels the correction of the sleep operation set temperature.

[0092] As a result, the air conditioning system 100 can predict the sleep state of the occupants when they fall asleep and automatically adjust the temperature setting of the air conditioner 1 so that they can fall asleep comfortably. Furthermore, even after the occupants have fallen asleep, the air conditioning system 100 can predict the sleep state of the occupants and automatically adjust the temperature setting of the air conditioner 1 so that they can sleep comfortably and soundly.

[0093] Furthermore, in the air conditioning system 100, the vital signs of the occupants are detected by a vital sensor 23 provided in the indoor unit 2 of the air conditioner 1, and it is determined based on the vital signs whether the occupants are asleep and whether they are uncomfortable. As a result, in the air conditioning system 100, there is no need to install dedicated sensors for detecting information such as the room temperature, room humidity, and the occupants' vibrations under the sheets, between the mattress and the bed base, near the occupants' heads, etc., in order to perform sleep operation control. In other words, the air conditioning system 100 does not require the occupants to take the trouble of installing a sensor separate from the air conditioner 1 in order to perform sleep operation control, and it has the effect of determining the occupants' sleep state and discomfort level and implementing sleep operation control without imposing a burden on the occupants.

[0094] In addition, the air conditioning system 100 can estimate the sleeping state of the occupants from their biometric information and adjust the set temperature of the air conditioner 1, thereby preventing the occupants from waking up due to discomfort.

[0095] Furthermore, the air conditioning system 100 can lower the set temperature of the air conditioner 1 when the sleep operation starts using the sleep operation set temperature, thereby lowering the core body temperature of the occupants, which has the effect of allowing the occupants to fall asleep more easily.

[0096] Therefore, the air conditioning system 100 according to the first embodiment has the effect of being able to provide a high-quality sleeping environment without imposing a burden on the user.

[0097] Next, the hardware configuration of each of the control units 80 according to the first embodiment will be described. The control unit 80 according to the first embodiment corresponds to each of the indoor unit control unit 27 in the indoor unit 2 of the air conditioner 1, the outdoor unit control unit 34 in the outdoor unit 3 of the air conditioner 1, and the remote control control unit 55 in the remote control 5. Each function of the control unit 80 according to the first embodiment is realized by a processing circuit. The processing circuit may be dedicated hardware, or may be a processing device that executes a program stored in a storage device.

[0098] When the processing circuit is dedicated hardware, the processing circuit may be a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, or a combination thereof. Figure 8 is a diagram showing a configuration in which each function of the control unit 80 according to the first embodiment is realized by hardware. The processing circuit 81 incorporates a logic circuit 81a that realizes the functions of the control unit 80.

[0099] When the processing circuit 81 is a processing device, the functions of the control unit 80 are realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware.

[0100] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a configuration in which the functions of the control unit 80 according to the first embodiment are implemented by software. The processing circuit 81 includes a processor 811 that executes a program 81b, a random access memory 812 that the processor 811 uses as a work area, and a storage device 813 that stores the program 81b. The processor 811 deploys the program 81b stored in the storage device 813 on the random access memory 812 and executes it, thereby realizing the functions of the control unit 80. The software or firmware is written in a programming language and stored in the storage device 813. The processor 811 may be, but is not limited to, a central processing unit. The storage device 813 may be a semiconductor memory such as a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a flash memory, an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM). The semiconductor memory may be either a non-volatile memory or a volatile memory. In addition to semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk, a flexible disk, an optical disk, a compact disk, a mini disk, or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) can be used as the storage device 813. The processor 811 may output data such as calculation results to the storage device 813 for storage, or may store the data in an auxiliary storage device (not shown) via the random access memory 812. By integrating the processor 811, the random access memory 812, and the storage device 813 on a single chip, the functions of the control unit 80 can be realized by a microcomputer.

[0101] The processing circuitry 81 reads and executes the program 81b stored in the storage device 813 to realize the functions of the control unit 80. It can also be said that the program 81b causes the computer to execute the procedures and methods for realizing the functions of the control unit 80.

[0102] The processing circuit 81 may be configured so that some of the functions of the control unit 80 are realized by dedicated hardware, and some of the functions of the control unit 80 are realized by software or firmware.

[0103] In this way, the processing circuitry 81 can realize each of the above-described functions by hardware, software, firmware, or a combination of these.

[0104] The configurations shown in the above embodiments are merely examples, and may be combined with other known technologies, and parts of the configurations may be omitted or modified without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0105] 1 Air conditioner, 2 Indoor unit, 3 Outdoor unit, 4 Refrigerant pipe, 5 Remote controller, 21 Indoor unit air conditioning unit, 22 Indoor temperature sensor, 23 Vital sensor, 23a, 23b Effective range, 24 Infrared sensor, 25 Indoor unit communication unit, 26 Indoor unit memory unit, 27 Indoor unit control unit, 31 Outdoor unit air conditioning unit, 32 Outdoor unit communication unit, 33 Outdoor unit memory unit, 34 Outdoor unit control unit, 51 Remote controller operation unit, 52 Remote controller display unit, 53 Remote controller memory unit, 54 Remote controller communication unit, 55 Remote controller control unit, 80 Control unit, 81 Processing circuit, 81a Logic circuit, 81b Program, 100 Air conditioning system, 271 Operation control unit, 272 Sleep state determination unit, 273 Discomfort determination unit, 274 Sleep operation temperature control unit, 811 Processor, 812 Random access memory, 813 storage device.

Claims

1. An air conditioner comprising: an indoor unit arranged inside a room which is a space to be air-conditioned; an outdoor unit arranged outside the room; an operation control unit which controls the operation of the indoor unit and the operation of the outdoor unit; a vital sensor provided in the indoor unit which detects quantities indicating the biological information of an occupant in the room; a sleep state determination unit which determines whether the occupant is asleep based on a comparison between the detection value detected by the vital sensor and a predetermined first threshold; a discomfort determination unit which determines whether the occupant is uncomfortable based on a comparison between the detection value detected by the vital sensor and a predetermined second threshold; and a temperature control unit which changes the set temperature when the sleep state determination unit determines that the occupant is asleep and the discomfort determination unit determines that the sleeping occupant is uncomfortable.

2. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the operation control unit changes the set temperature to a predetermined set temperature for sleep operation when controlling a sleep operation mode, which is an operation mode when the user is asleep, and the temperature control unit changes the set temperature to a corrected set temperature for sleep operation when the sleep state determination unit determines that the occupant is asleep and the discomfort determination unit determines that the sleeping occupant is uncomfortable while sleeping, while the operation control unit is controlling the sleep operation mode.

3. The air conditioner described in claim 2, wherein the discomfort determination unit determines whether the occupant is comfortable or not based on a comparison between the detection value detected by the vital sensor and a predetermined third threshold value after the set temperature is changed to the corrected sleep operation set temperature, and the temperature control unit changes the set temperature to the sleep operation set temperature if the discomfort determination unit determines that the sleeping occupant is comfortable after the set temperature is changed to the corrected sleep operation set temperature.

4. The air conditioner according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the sleep operation set temperature is lower than the set temperature before the sleep operation set temperature was set.

5. An air conditioner as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein when there are multiple occupants in the room, the vital sensor detects the average value of the biological information of the multiple occupants as the detected value.

6. An air conditioning system comprising: an air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 5; and a remote controller that communicates with the air conditioner and transmits control information to the air conditioner for remotely controlling the operation of the air conditioner.

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