State distribution calculation device and method

Abstract

This state distribution calculation device acquires a first state distribution indicating a state of an environmental element at each point within a target area for environmental control, receives a designation for environmental control by each user, and calculates a second state distribution indicating a state of an environmental element at each point serving as a target of the environmental control on the basis of the first state distribution and the designation by each user.

Description

State distribution calculation device and method

[0001] The disclosed technology relates to a state distribution calculation device and a state distribution calculation method.

[0002] In offices and stores, air conditioning is controlled by a Building Energy Management System (BEMS). In this case, the temperature of the air conditioning is generally set so that a uniform temperature distribution is achieved in the area that is the target of air conditioning control in the office or store.

[0003] For example, a technology is known in which a model is acquired that selects optimal air conditioning control actions to bring a target space into a target state through reinforcement learning using an environmental simulator of the target space (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this case, the rewards used in the reinforcement learning include the predicted mean vote (PMV), which is an index of human thermal comfort, the amount of energy saved, and the temperature difference between the outside air and the room temperature.

[0004] Patent No. 7014299

[0005] In air conditioning control that provides a uniform temperature distribution, an average temperature is usually set so that multiple users will not be dissatisfied.

[0006] Here, each user has a different comfortable temperature (temperature preference), with some preferring a warmer temperature than usual, others preferring a cooler temperature, etc. If a user is staying in the target area for a short period of time, they may not notice that the temperature is not comfortable, but if they are staying for a long period of time, having the temperature controlled to each user's preference will lead to each user's comfort.

[0007] However, conventional air conditioning control has the problem that it is not possible to achieve a temperature distribution with uneven temperature distribution depending on the location because the control target is set with the aim of uniform temperature control for the target area. In addition to temperature, similar problems arise with the state of environmental factors such as humidity, wind direction, wind force, air pressure, brightness, and sound.

[0008] The disclosed technology has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to calculate an uneven state distribution that reflects a user's preferences for the states of environmental elements.

[0009] A first aspect of the present disclosure is a state distribution calculation device that includes a state acquisition unit that acquires a first state distribution that indicates the state of environmental elements at each point within an area subject to environmental control, a reception unit that receives each user's specifications for environmental control, and a calculation unit that calculates a second state distribution that indicates the state of environmental elements at each point that is a target of environmental control based on the first state distribution and the specifications of each user.

[0010] A second aspect of the present disclosure is a state distribution calculation method executed by a state distribution calculation device including a state acquisition unit, a reception unit, and a calculation unit, wherein the state acquisition unit acquires a first state distribution indicating the state of environmental elements at each point within an area subject to environmental control, the reception unit receives specifications for environmental control from each user, and the calculation unit calculates a second state distribution indicating the state of environmental elements at each point that is the target of environmental control based on the first state distribution and the specifications of each user.

[0011] According to the disclosed technology, it is possible to calculate an uneven state distribution that reflects the user's preferences for the states of environmental elements.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an air-conditioning control system according to first to fourth embodiments. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a temperature distribution calculation device according to first to fourth embodiments. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of a temperature distribution calculation device according to first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a target area. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of temperature distribution in a target area. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a reception screen. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a preference information DB. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a past target distribution DB. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of temperature distribution calculation processing according to first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram of a temperature distribution calculation device according to second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a stay log DB. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of temperature distribution calculation processing according to second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a functional block diagram of a temperature distribution calculation device according to third and fourth embodiments. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a histogram of preferred temperatures. FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining calculation of an ideal temperature distribution along a temperature gradient. FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing an example of temperature distribution calculation processing according to third embodiment. FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing an example of temperature distribution calculation processing according to fourth embodiment.

[0013] An example of an embodiment of the disclosed technology will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that identical or equivalent components and parts in each drawing are given the same reference numerals. Also, the dimensional proportions in the drawings are exaggerated for the sake of explanation and may differ from the actual proportions. Note that in each of the following embodiments, a case will be described in which the environmental factor is temperature and air conditioning control is performed as environmental control.

[0014] First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an air conditioning control system 100 according to a first embodiment. The air conditioning control system 100 includes a temperature distribution calculation device 10, a user terminal 60, a control signal generation device 62, and an air conditioning control device 64. The temperature distribution calculation device 10 and the user terminal 60, the temperature distribution calculation device 10 and the control signal generation device 62, and the control signal generation device 62 and the air conditioning control device 64 are connected via a network. The temperature distribution calculation device 10 is an example of a state distribution calculation device disclosed herein. Note that the number of user terminals 60 and air conditioning control devices 64 included in the air conditioning control system 100 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 1 .

[0015] The user terminal 60 is an information processing terminal used by a user who uses the services provided by the air conditioning control system 100. The user terminal 60 includes an input device for inputting information, a display device for displaying information, a communication function, and the like. The input device and the display device may be integrated into a touch panel display. The user terminal 60 may be, for example, a personal computer, a tablet terminal, a smartphone, or the like. The user terminal 60 transmits instructions (described in detail below) regarding air conditioning control from the user using the user terminal 60 to the temperature distribution calculation device 10.

[0016] The control signal generating device 62 is realized by an information processing device such as a server device, a personal computer, etc. The control signal generating device 62 generates a control signal for controlling the air conditioning control devices 64 based on the target temperature distribution (described in detail below) calculated by the temperature distribution calculation device 10. For example, the control signal generating device 62 generates a control signal for each air conditioning control device 64 using a machine learning model that has been trained to determine the correspondence between the target temperature distribution and the control signal, and outputs the control signal to each air conditioning control device 64.

[0017] The air conditioning control devices 64 are air conditioning devices that affect the temperature of the areas subject to air conditioning control, such as variable air volume (VAV) devices and air handling units (AHU) etc. The multiple air conditioning control devices 64 can be controlled independently, and there are no particular limitations on the type, number, breakdown, etc. of the air conditioning control devices 64.

[0018] Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the temperature distribution calculation apparatus 10. As shown in Fig. 2, the temperature distribution calculation apparatus 10 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 11, a read-only memory (ROM) 12, a random access memory (RAM) 13, a storage 14, an input unit 15, a display unit 16, and a communication interface (I / F) 17. Each component is connected to each other via a bus 19 so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0019] The CPU 11 is a central processing unit that executes various programs, controls each part, etc. That is, the CPU 11 reads a program from the ROM 12 or the storage 14, and executes the program using the RAM 13 as a work area. The CPU 11 controls each of the above components and performs various arithmetic processing in accordance with the program stored in the ROM 12 or the storage 14. In this embodiment, the ROM 12 or the storage 14 stores a state distribution calculation program, which will be described later.

[0020] The ROM 12 stores various programs and various data. The RAM 13 temporarily stores programs or data as a working area. The storage 14 is configured by a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive), and stores various programs including an operating system and various data.

[0021] The input unit 15 includes a pointing device such as a mouse and a keyboard, and is used to input various types of information. The display unit 16 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, and displays various types of information. The display unit 16 may also function as the input unit 15 by employing a touch panel system.

[0022] The communication I / F 17 is an interface for communicating with other devices such as the user terminal 60 and the control signal generating device 62. For this communication, for example, a wired communication standard such as Ethernet (registered trademark) or FDDI, or a wireless communication standard such as 4G, 5G, or Wi-Fi (registered trademark) is used.

[0023] Next, the functional configuration of the temperature distribution calculation device 10 will be described. Fig. 3 is a functional block diagram of the temperature distribution calculation device 10. As shown in Fig. 3, the temperature distribution calculation device 10 includes, as its functional configuration, a state acquisition unit 21, a reception unit 22, a calculation unit 23, and a registration unit 24. Each functional configuration is realized when the CPU 11 reads out a temperature distribution calculation program stored in the ROM 12 or the storage 14, expands it in the RAM 13, and executes it. In addition, a preference information database (DB) 31 and a past target distribution DB 32 are stored in a predetermined storage area of ​​the temperature distribution calculation device 10.

[0024] The state acquisition unit 21 acquires a current temperature distribution indicating the temperature at each point within the target area for air conditioning control. The current temperature distribution is an example of the "first state distribution" of the present disclosure. The upper diagram of FIG. 4 schematically illustrates an example of the target area. Objects such as chairs and desks exist in the target area, and seat positions identified from their arrangement are the points where users are staying. In this embodiment, as shown in the lower diagram of FIG. 4, the target area is divided into multiple areas, and the temperature is acquired for each area. The lower diagram of FIG. 4 shows an example in which the target area is divided into 25 5x5 areas. Hereinafter, when distinguishing between the individual areas of the target area, column numbers A to E and row numbers 1 to 5 are combined and referred to as, for example, "area A1."

[0025] The status acquisition unit 21 acquires temperatures detected by multiple temperature sensors installed within the target area. A temperature sensor may be installed in each region within the target area, or a small number of temperature sensors may be installed at arbitrary positions. In the latter case, the status acquisition unit 21 acquires the temperature of a region where no temperature sensor is installed by interpolating the temperatures detected by temperature sensors installed around that region. The status acquisition unit 21 acquires a temperature distribution by storing the temperature of the region corresponding to each element of a two-dimensional array corresponding to the target area. Figure 5 shows an example of the temperature distribution of the target area. Note that in Figure 5, the elements indicated by diagonal lines correspond to regions including points corresponding to seat positions.

[0026] The reception unit 22 receives each user's specifications for air conditioning control. The specifications from the user include order information and preference information. The order information includes at least one of an instruction to change the temperature at the location where the user is staying, i.e., the seat location where the user is seated, and the user's desired temperature at the location where the user is staying. The preference information is information that indicates each user's preferences for air conditioning control, and includes a preferred temperature, an answer as to whether the temperature at the location where the user is staying is hot or cold, etc.

[0027] The receiving unit 22 also acquires user location information when receiving the order information and the preference information associated with the location. The user location information may be, for example, location information measured using a Global Positioning System (GPS) provided in the user terminal 60 or a beacon system.

[0028] The reception unit 22 displays a reception screen 40, for example, as shown in Fig. 6, on the display device of the user terminal 60, and receives at least one of order information and preference information input by the user. In the example of Fig. 6, the reception screen 40 includes an input area 41 for receiving order information and an input area 42 for receiving preference information.

[0029] The input area 41 includes text boxes 43A and 43B for instructing a change in the temperature at the user's location, and send buttons 44A and 44B that are selected when transmitting the input content to the temperature distribution calculation device 10. The input area 41 also includes a text box 43C for instructing the user's desired temperature at the user's location, and a send button 44C. The input area 42 includes a text box 43D for inputting a desired temperature, and a send button 44D. The input area 42 also includes answer buttons 45A and 45B for answering whether the user thinks the temperature at the user's location is hot or cold.

[0030] The reception unit 22 passes the received order information to the calculation unit 23. The reception unit 22 also associates the received user preference information with the user's identification information (hereinafter referred to as "user ID") and stores the same in the preference information DB 31. The preference information may be input by the user at any time.

[0031] FIG. 7 shows an example of the preference information DB 31. In the example of FIG. 7, the preference information DB 31 includes a "user ID," a "preferred temperature," and a "tendency" of being sensitive to heat or cold. The reception unit 22 stores the preferred temperature received via the reception screen 40 in a "preferred temperature" column. The reception unit 22 also tallies the number of times the answer buttons 45A and 45B are selected within a predetermined period, and stores "sensitive to heat" in the "tendency" column if "hot" is selected more frequently, or stores "sensitive to cold" in the "tendency" column if "cold" is selected more frequently. The reception unit 22 may also determine the tendency of being sensitive to heat or cold based on at least one of the tabulation of order information within a predetermined period and the preferred temperature.

[0032] The calculation unit 23 calculates an ideal temperature distribution indicating the ideal temperature to be achieved at each location by air conditioning control, based on the current temperature distribution acquired by the state acquisition unit 21 and the order information and preference information of each user accepted by the acceptance unit 22. The ideal temperature distribution is an example of a "second state distribution" in the present disclosure. Specifically, the calculation unit 23 calculates the ideal temperature distribution by updating the temperature of a location in the current temperature distribution that corresponds to the user's location information, based on the order information passed from the acceptance unit 22 and the preference information stored in the preference information DB 31.

[0033] For example, suppose the current temperature at a certain point is T, and order information is received to increase or decrease the temperature at that point by x°C within a certain period according to the cycle for calculating the ideal temperature distribution. In this case, the calculation unit 23 calculates the ideal temperature at that point as T+x°C or T-x°C. Furthermore, when order information indicating a desired temperature for a certain point is received, the calculation unit 23 sets the ideal temperature at that point to the desired temperature indicated in the order information.

[0034] Furthermore, for example, for a point for which the ideal temperature has been calculated, the calculation unit 23 updates the temperature of the area including the corresponding point in the current temperature distribution to the ideal temperature. The calculation unit 23 also acquires location information of a user currently staying in the target area and updates the temperature of the area including the user's location information to the user's preferred temperature. The calculation unit 23 may also lower the temperature of the area including the location information of a user who tends to be sensitive to heat by a certain amount, or raise the temperature of the area including the location information of a user who tends to be sensitive to cold by a certain amount.

[0035] If there are multiple ideal temperatures and temperature change ranges based on preference information for one region, the calculation unit 23 may update the temperature of that region in the current temperature distribution with the average value of those ideal temperatures. The calculation unit 23 calculates the ideal temperature distribution by updating the current temperature distribution with the order information and preference information in this way. The calculation unit 23 may also apply a smoothing filter to the temperature distribution after updating to the ideal temperature, and use the smoothed temperature distribution as the ideal temperature distribution.

[0036] Furthermore, the calculation unit 23 extracts, from a history of past target distributions that have been used for air conditioning control in the past (hereinafter referred to as "past target distribution") and that satisfy predetermined conditions related to the control target, the temperature distribution that is most similar to the ideal temperature distribution as the target temperature distribution to be used for air conditioning control. The target temperature distribution is an example of the "third state distribution" of the present disclosure.

[0037] Specifically, the calculation unit 23 normalizes the temperature of each region of the ideal temperature distribution from 0 to 1. The past target distribution DB 32 also stores past target distributions in which the temperature is normalized from 0 to 1. FIG. 8 shows an example of the past target distribution DB 32. In the example of FIG. 8, circles represent controllable flags. The controllable flags indicate that the corresponding regions are regions in which the temperature can be changed by air conditioning control, and are flags for determining whether the past target distribution satisfies the predetermined conditions related to the control targets described above.

[0038] The calculation unit 23 compares the temperatures of corresponding regions between the normalized ideal temperature distribution and each of the past target distributions stored in the past target distribution DB 32. At this time, the calculation unit 23 may compare only the temperatures of regions including each point corresponding to the seat position in the target area. The calculation unit 23 extracts a normalized past target distribution that is most similar to the ideal temperature distribution, from past target distributions in which a controllable flag is assigned to the region including each point. The normalized past target distribution that is most similar to the ideal temperature distribution is the past target distribution with the smallest sum of absolute values ​​of temperature differences between corresponding regions of the ideal temperature distribution.

[0039] The calculation unit 23 calculates the target temperature distribution by inverse normalizing the extracted past target distribution. More specifically, the calculation unit 23 calculates the maximum temperature of the ideal temperature distribution as TI ｍａｘ , the minimum temperature is TI ｍｉｎ In this case, the normalized value X on the past target distribution is inversely normalized by the following equation (1): ｍａｘ -T.I. ｍｉｎ ) * X + TI ｍｉｎ (1)

[0040] Depending on the location of the air conditioning control device 64, there may be areas that cannot be controlled to the temperature indicated by the target temperature distribution, and air conditioning control based on the target temperature distribution may not be possible. In this embodiment, the target temperature distribution is determined by extracting a past target distribution that is most similar to the ideal temperature distribution from past target distributions in which a controllable flag is set for an area including each point, thereby increasing the feasibility of air conditioning control based on the target temperature distribution. Note that if there is no past target distribution in which the sum of the absolute values ​​of the temperature differences between areas corresponding to the ideal temperature distribution satisfies a predetermined threshold, the calculation unit 23 may use the ideal temperature distribution as the target temperature distribution. The calculation unit 23 transfers the calculated target temperature distribution to the registration unit 24 and outputs it to the control signal generation device 62.

[0041] The registration unit 24 acquires the temperature distribution after implementation of air conditioning control acquired by the status acquisition unit 21 a predetermined time after the target temperature distribution is output from the calculation unit 23, i.e., after air conditioning control is performed by the air conditioning control device 64. The registration unit 24 compares the temperatures of the regions in the target temperature distribution passed from the calculation unit 23 with the temperature distribution after implementation. In this case, the registration unit 24 may compare only the temperatures of the regions including each point corresponding to the seat position within the target area. The registration unit 24 assigns a controllable flag to regions in the target temperature distribution where the absolute value of the temperature difference between the regions corresponding to the temperature distribution after implementation is less than a threshold, and registers the target temperature distribution in the past target distribution DB 32.

[0042] Next, the operation of the air conditioning control system 100 according to the first embodiment will be described.

[0043] The user inputs preference information at any timing via the reception screen 40 displayed on the user terminal 60, and the user terminal 60 transmits the input preference information to the temperature distribution calculation device 10. Furthermore, while the user is staying at each location (seat position) within the target area, the user inputs order information as needed via the reception screen 40 displayed on the user terminal 60, and the user terminal 60 transmits the input order information to the temperature distribution calculation device 10.

[0044] The temperature distribution calculation device 10 executes a temperature distribution calculation process at a predetermined cycle (for example, every 10 minutes), calculates a target temperature distribution, and outputs it to the control signal generation device 62. The control signal generation device 62 generates a control signal for controlling the air conditioning control devices 64 based on the target temperature distribution calculated by the temperature distribution calculation device 10, and outputs it to each air conditioning control device 64.

[0045] 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a temperature distribution calculation process performed by the temperature distribution calculation device 10. The CPU 11 reads a temperature distribution calculation program from the ROM 12 or the storage 14, loads it into the RAM 13, and executes it, thereby performing the temperature distribution calculation process.

[0046] In step S11, the CPU 11 acquires the current temperature distribution of the target area as the status acquisition unit 21. Next, in step S12, the CPU 11 calculates the ideal temperature of the corresponding point as the calculation unit 23 based on the order information for each point received within a certain period corresponding to the cycle for executing the temperature distribution calculation process.

[0047] Next, in step S13, for a point for which an ideal temperature has been calculated, the CPU 11, as the calculation unit 23, updates the temperature of the area including the corresponding point in the current temperature distribution to the ideal temperature. The CPU 11, as the calculation unit 23, also acquires location information of a user currently staying in the target area and acquires the user's preferred temperature from the preference information DB 31. The CPU 11, as the calculation unit 23, then updates the temperature of the area including the user's location information based on the user's preferred temperature, and calculates the ideal temperature distribution.

[0048] Next, in step S14, the CPU 11, functioning as the calculation unit 23, normalizes the temperature of each region of the ideal temperature distribution from 0 to 1. The CPU 11, functioning as the calculation unit 23, also extracts, from the past target distribution DB 32, a normalized past target distribution in which a controllable flag is set in the region including each point, which is most similar to the normalized ideal temperature distribution. The CPU 11, functioning as the calculation unit 23, then inversely normalizes the extracted past target distribution to calculate a target temperature distribution, and passes the calculated target temperature distribution to the registration unit 24 and outputs it to the control signal generation device 62.

[0049] Next, in step S15, the CPU 11, functioning as the registration unit 24, acquires the temperature distribution after implementation of air conditioning control acquired by the status acquisition unit 21 a predetermined time after the target temperature distribution was output, i.e., after air conditioning control is performed by the air conditioning control device 64. The CPU 11, functioning as the registration unit 24, also assigns a controllable flag to regions of the output target temperature distribution where the absolute value of the temperature difference between regions corresponding to the post-implementation temperature distribution is less than a threshold, and registers the target temperature distribution in the past target distribution DB 32. The temperature distribution calculation process then ends.

[0050] As described above, in the air conditioning control system according to the first embodiment, the temperature distribution calculation device acquires the current temperature distribution at each point within the area subject to air conditioning control, and also receives order information and preference information for air conditioning control from each user. The temperature distribution calculation device then calculates an ideal temperature distribution based on the current temperature distribution and the order information and preference information of each user. This makes it possible to calculate an uneven temperature distribution that reflects the user's temperature preferences.

[0051] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, components similar to those in the air conditioning control system 100 according to the first embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof will be omitted. Furthermore, components having some of the same functions will be assigned reference numerals having the same last two digits and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 1 , the air conditioning control system 200 according to the second embodiment includes a temperature distribution calculation device 210 , a user terminal 60 , a control signal generation device 62 , and an air conditioning control device 64 .

[0053] 10 is a functional block diagram of a temperature distribution calculation device 210 according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 10, the temperature distribution calculation device 210 includes, as functional components, a status acquisition unit 21, a schedule acquisition unit 225, a reception unit 22, a calculation unit 223, and a registration unit 24. Each functional component is realized by the CPU 11 reading out a temperature distribution calculation program stored in the ROM 12 or the storage 14, and expanding and executing the program in the RAM 13. In addition, a stay log DB 233, a preference information DB 31, and a past target distribution DB 32 are stored in a predetermined storage area of ​​the temperature distribution calculation device 210.

[0054] The schedule acquisition unit 225 acquires each user's stay plan for one of the locations based on the stay log DB 233. The stay log DB 233 stores a history of the user's stay time at each location. For example, if the target area is an office, the stay log DB 233 may be an office attendance log that stores the times of arrival and departure from work. FIG. 11 shows an example of the stay log DB 233. In the example of FIG. 11, the stay log DB 233 stores a "user ID," a "stay area" that indicates an area including the location where the user stayed, and a "stay time period" at that location.

[0055] Specifically, the schedule acquisition unit 225 acquires the stay schedule by predicting which users will stay in each area within the target area during a predetermined period corresponding to the next cycle, based on the stay log DB 233. The schedule acquisition unit 225 may also acquire the stay schedule based on a predetermined schedule or a declaration from the user. The predetermined schedule may be a work schedule if the target area is an office, or a reservation list for each seat if the target area is a rental space or the like.

[0056] When calculating the ideal temperature distribution reflecting the user's preference information, the calculation unit 223 reflects not only the user's preference information currently staying in the target area but also the user's preference information based on the planned stay acquired by the schedule acquisition unit 225. Specifically, the calculation unit 223 acquires the preferred temperatures of users predicted to stay in each area within the target area during a predetermined period corresponding to the next cycle from the preference information DB 31. Then, the calculation unit 223 updates the temperatures of the areas where the users plan to stay in the ideal temperature distribution based on the preferred temperatures.

[0057] The hardware configuration of the temperature distribution calculation device 210 is similar to the hardware configuration of the temperature distribution calculation device 10 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0058] Next, the operation of the air conditioning control system 200 according to the second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, the temperature distribution calculation process shown in Fig. 12 is executed by the temperature distribution calculation device 210. Note that in the temperature distribution calculation process according to the second embodiment, the same steps as those in the temperature distribution calculation process according to the first embodiment are assigned the same step numbers, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0059] In step S211, the CPU 11, as the schedule acquisition unit 225, acquires stay plans by predicting users who will stay in each area within the target area during a specified period corresponding to the next cycle based on the stay log DB 233.

[0060] In step S213, the CPU 11, functioning as the calculation unit 223, acquires the location information of users currently staying in the target area and users who plan to stay there, and also acquires the temperatures preferred by those users from the preference information DB 31. Then, the CPU 11, functioning as the calculation unit 223, updates the temperature of the area including the user's location information based on the user's preferred temperature, and calculates the ideal temperature distribution.

[0061] As described above, according to the air-conditioning control system of the second embodiment, the temperature distribution calculation device calculates an ideal temperature distribution that also reflects the preference information of users who plan to stay in the target area in the future. This makes it possible to calculate an uneven temperature distribution that enables comfortable air-conditioning control not only for users currently staying in the target area but also for users who plan to stay in the future.

[0062] Third Embodiment Next, a third embodiment will be described. In the third embodiment, components similar to those in the air conditioning control system 200 according to the second embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof will be omitted. Furthermore, components having some of the same functions will be assigned reference numerals having the same last two digits and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 1 , the air conditioning control system 300 according to the third embodiment includes a temperature distribution calculation device 310 , a user terminal 60 , a control signal generation device 62 , and an air conditioning control device 64 .

[0064] 13 is a functional block diagram of a temperature distribution calculation device 310 according to the third embodiment. As shown in FIG. 13 , the temperature distribution calculation device 310 includes, as functional components, a status acquisition unit 321, a schedule acquisition unit 225, a reception unit 322, a calculation unit 323, and a registration unit 24. Each functional component is realized by the CPU 11 reading out a temperature distribution calculation program stored in the ROM 12 or the storage 14, and expanding and executing the program in the RAM 13. Furthermore, a distribution history DB 333, a stay log DB 233, a preference information DB 31, and a past target distribution DB 32 are stored in a predetermined storage area of ​​the temperature distribution calculation device 310.

[0065] The distribution history DB 333 stores the history of past temperature distributions acquired by the status acquisition unit 321 .

[0066] The state acquisition unit 321 acquires, as a characteristic temperature distribution indicating the characteristics of the target area, a temperature distribution obtained by averaging the temperature distributions of the target area over a predetermined period of time in the past, which are stored in the distribution history DB 333. The characteristic temperature distribution is an example of a "first state distribution" in the present disclosure. Furthermore, the state acquisition unit 321 acquires, as a temperature gradient direction, the direction from the maximum temperature region to the minimum temperature region in the characteristic temperature distribution.

[0067] The receiving unit 322 differs from the receiving unit 22 of the first and second embodiments in that it receives preference information as a designation received from the user, but does not necessarily receive order information.

[0068] The calculation unit 323 calculates the ideal temperature distribution by setting the temperature of each region according to the proportion of each user's preferred temperature along the temperature gradient direction acquired by the state acquisition unit 321. Specifically, the calculation unit 323 acquires the preferred temperatures of users currently staying in the target area and users who are scheduled to stay as predicted by the schedule acquisition unit 225 from the preference information DB 31. The calculation unit 323 obtains a histogram in which the acquired preferred temperatures are voted for for each temperature, as shown in FIG. 14 . The calculation unit 323 calculates the ideal temperature distribution by mapping the preferred temperatures to each region of the target area along the temperature gradient direction using the proportion of the frequency distribution of the preferred temperatures obtained from the histogram, as shown in FIG. 15 .

[0069] The hardware configuration of the temperature distribution calculation device 310 is similar to the hardware configuration of the temperature distribution calculation device 10 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0070] Next, the operation of the air conditioning control system 300 according to the third embodiment will be described. In the third embodiment, a temperature distribution calculation process shown in Fig. 16 is executed by a temperature distribution calculation device 310. Note that in the temperature distribution calculation process according to the third embodiment, processes that are similar to the temperature distribution calculation processes according to the first and second embodiments are assigned the same step numbers, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0071] In step S311, the CPU 11, functioning as the status acquisition unit 321, acquires, as a characteristic temperature distribution indicating the characteristics of the target area, a temperature distribution obtained by averaging the temperature distributions of the target area over a predetermined period of time in the past, which are stored in the distribution history DB 333. Then, the CPU 11, functioning as the status acquisition unit 321, acquires, as the temperature gradient direction, the direction from the maximum temperature region to the minimum temperature region in the characteristic temperature distribution.

[0072] In step S312, the CPU 11, functioning as the calculation unit 323, acquires the preferred temperatures of users currently staying or planning to stay in the target area from the preference information DB 31. The CPU 11, functioning as the calculation unit 323, also obtains a histogram of the preferred temperatures and calculates an ideal temperature distribution by mapping the preferred temperatures to each region of the target area along the temperature gradient direction using the frequency distribution ratio of the preferred temperatures obtained from the histogram.

[0073] As described above, in the air-conditioning control system according to the third embodiment, the temperature distribution calculation device acquires the temperature gradient direction based on the characteristics of the target area, and calculates an ideal temperature distribution by mapping the temperatures preferred by users along the temperature gradient direction. As a result, when air-conditioning control is performed according to the target temperature distribution calculated from the ideal temperature distribution, it is possible to reflect the temperatures preferred by multiple users and reduce energy consumption.

[0074] It is also possible to obtain a characteristic temperature distribution for each weather and temperature, and use different temperature gradient directions depending on these. This makes it possible to calculate an ideal temperature distribution that consumes less energy.

[0075] <Fourth embodiment> Next, a fourth embodiment will be described. In the fourth embodiment, components similar to those in the air conditioning control system 300 according to the third embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof will be omitted. Furthermore, components having some of the same functions will be assigned reference numerals having the same last two digits and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 1 , the air conditioning control system 400 according to the fourth embodiment includes a temperature distribution calculation device 410 , a user terminal 60 , a control signal generation device 62 , and an air conditioning control device 64 .

[0077] 13 is a functional block diagram of a temperature distribution calculation device 410 according to the fourth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 13, the temperature distribution calculation device 410 includes, as functional components, a status acquisition unit 321, a schedule acquisition unit 225, a reception unit 22, a calculation unit 423, and a registration unit 24. Each functional component is realized by the CPU 11 reading out a temperature distribution calculation program stored in the ROM 12 or the storage 14, and expanding and executing the program in the RAM 13. In addition, a distribution history DB 333, a stay log DB 233, a preference information DB 31, and a past target distribution DB 32 are stored in a predetermined storage area of ​​the temperature distribution calculation device 410.

[0078] The calculation unit 423 calculates a histogram of preferred temperatures, similar to the calculation unit 323 in the third embodiment. At this time, the calculation unit 423 votes for the preferred temperatures of users currently staying in each region of the target area and users who plan to stay in each region of the target area during a predetermined period corresponding to the next cycle. The calculation unit 423 also votes for the ideal temperatures calculated from order information received during the period after the start of the current cycle to create a histogram.

[0079] The hardware configuration of the temperature distribution calculation device 410 is similar to the hardware configuration of the temperature distribution calculation device 10 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0080] Next, the operation of the air conditioning control system 400 according to the fourth embodiment will be described. In the fourth embodiment, a temperature distribution calculation process shown in Fig. 17 is executed by a temperature distribution calculation device 410. Note that in the temperature distribution calculation process according to the fourth embodiment, processes that are the same as those in the temperature distribution calculation processes according to the first to third embodiments are assigned the same step numbers and will not be described again.

[0081] In step S412, the CPU 11, functioning as the calculation unit 423, acquires the preferred temperatures of users currently staying or planning to stay in the target area from the preference information DB 31. The CPU 11, functioning as the calculation unit 423, also obtains a histogram of the ideal temperatures calculated in step S12 and the acquired preferred temperatures. The CPU 11, functioning as the calculation unit 423, then calculates the ideal temperature distribution by mapping the preferred temperatures to each region of the target area along the temperature gradient direction using the frequency distribution ratio of the preferred temperatures obtained from the histogram.

[0082] As described above, in the air-conditioning control system according to the fourth embodiment, the temperature distribution calculation device calculates an ideal temperature distribution by mapping the ideal temperature based on the order information and the temperature preferred by the user along the temperature gradient direction of the target area. As a result, when air-conditioning control is performed according to the target temperature distribution calculated from the ideal temperature distribution, it is possible to reflect the temperatures preferred by multiple users and reduce energy consumption.

[0083] In the above embodiment, the case where temperature is controlled as an example of an environmental element has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the environmental element may be humidity, wind direction, wind force, air pressure, brightness, sound, or a combination thereof. The air conditioning control device may be a humidifier, a dehumidifier, a fan, or the like. The environmental control is not limited to air conditioning control. For example, if the environmental element is brightness, the environmental control may be control of the illuminance of a lighting fixture or control of the angle or opening degree of blinds. If the environmental element is sound, the environmental control may be control of the volume when music, broadcasts, etc. are output from speakers, or control of the silencing area or output when a noise canceling device cancels out noise.

[0084] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the temperature distribution calculation device and the control signal generation device are implemented by separate computers, but the two devices may be implemented by a single computer.

[0085] Furthermore, the temperature distribution calculation process executed by the CPU in each of the above embodiments by reading software (programs) may be executed by various processors other than the CPU. Examples of processors in this case include programmable logic devices (PLDs) (such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs)) whose circuit configuration can be changed after manufacture, and dedicated electrical circuits, such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), which are processors having circuit configurations designed specifically to execute specific processes. The temperature distribution calculation process may be executed by one of these various processors, or by a combination of two or more processors of the same or different types (e.g., multiple FPGAs, or a combination of a CPU and an FPGA). The hardware structure of these various processors is, more specifically, an electrical circuit that combines circuit elements such as semiconductor elements.

[0086] In addition, in each of the above embodiments, the temperature distribution calculation program is described as being pre-stored (installed) in the storage 14, but this is not limiting. The program may be provided in a form stored on a non-transitory storage medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory), a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disk Read Only Memory), or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory. The program may also be downloaded from an external device via a network.

[0087] The following additional notes are provided regarding the above-described embodiments.

[0088] (Supplementary Item 1) A state distribution calculation device including: a state acquisition unit that acquires a first state distribution that indicates the state of environmental elements at each point within an area subject to environmental control; a reception unit that receives specifications for environmental control from each user; and a calculation unit that calculates a second state distribution that indicates the state of environmental elements at each point that is a target of environmental control based on the first state distribution and the specifications of each user.

[0089] (Supplementary Item 2) The state distribution calculation device according to Supplementary Item 1, wherein the reception unit receives at least one of an instruction to change the state at a point where the user is staying, the user's wishes regarding the state at the point where the user is staying, and the user's preferences regarding environmental control.

[0090] (Supplementary Item 3) The state distribution calculation device described in Supplementary Item 1 or Supplementary Item 2, wherein the calculation unit extracts and outputs as a third state distribution a state distribution that is most similar to the second state distribution from a history of state distributions that have been used for environmental control in the past and that satisfy predetermined conditions related to a control target.

[0091] (Supplementary Item 4) The state distribution calculation device according to Supplementary Item 3, wherein the state distribution history is a history of state distribution in which values ​​indicating the state of each point are normalized from 0 to 1, and the calculation unit normalizes the values ​​indicating the state of each point of the second state distribution from 0 to 1, and extracts, from the state distribution history, a normalized state distribution that is most similar to the normalized second state distribution as the third state distribution.

[0092] (Supplementary Item 5) The state distribution calculation device according to any one of Supplementary Items 1 to 4, wherein the state acquisition unit acquires a first state distribution indicating the state at each current point; the reception unit receives the specification along with user location information; and the calculation unit calculates the second state distribution by updating a value indicating the state of a point corresponding to the user's location information in the first state distribution to a value indicated by the specification.

[0093] (Supplementary Item 6) The state distribution calculation device according to Supplementary Item 5 further includes a schedule acquisition unit that acquires each user's planned stay at any of the locations, and the calculation unit updates state information of a location in the first state distribution where the user plans to stay based on the planned stay, in accordance with a specification by the user.

[0094] (Supplementary Item 7) The state distribution calculation device according to any one of Supplementary Items 1 to 4, wherein the state acquisition unit acquires, as the first state distribution, a state distribution obtained by averaging state distributions in the target area over a predetermined period of time in the past, and the calculation unit calculates the second state distribution by setting a value indicating the state according to a proportion of each value indicating a state according to the specification of each user along a gradient direction of the state within the target area calculated based on the first state distribution.

[0095] (Supplementary Item 8) The state distribution calculation device according to Supplementary Item 7 further includes a schedule acquisition unit that acquires each user's planned stay at any of the locations, wherein the calculation unit uses a ratio of each value indicating the state of each user staying in the target area and each user who plans to stay in the target area according to the specification.

[0096] (Supplementary Item 9) The state distribution calculation device according to Supplementary Item 1, wherein the state acquisition unit acquires values ​​indicating the state at each point based on sensor values ​​detected by a plurality of sensors installed within the target area for detecting the state of the environmental elements.

[0097] (Supplementary Item 10) The state distribution calculation device according to Supplementary Item 9, wherein the state acquisition unit acquires a value indicating a state of a point where the sensor is not installed by interpolating sensor values ​​of the sensors installed in the vicinity of the point.

[0098] (Supplementary Item 11) A state distribution calculation method executed by a state distribution calculation device including a state acquisition unit, a reception unit, and a calculation unit, wherein the state acquisition unit acquires a first state distribution indicating the state of environmental elements at each point within an area subject to environmental control, the reception unit receives specifications for environmental control from each user, and the calculation unit calculates a second state distribution indicating the state of environmental elements at each point that is a target of environmental control, based on the first state distribution and the specifications from each user.

[0099] (Supplementary Item 12) A state distribution calculation program for causing a computer to function as each part of the state distribution calculation device according to any one of Supplementary Items 1 to 10.

[0100] (Supplementary Item 13) A state distribution calculation device including: a memory; and at least one processor connected to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to: acquire a first state distribution indicating the state of environmental elements at each point within an area subject to environmental control; accept specifications for environmental control from each user; and calculate a second state distribution indicating the state of environmental elements at each point that is a target of environmental control based on the first state distribution and the specifications from each user.

[0101] (Addendum 14) A non-transitory storage medium storing a program executable by a computer to execute a state distribution calculation process, wherein the state distribution calculation process: acquires a first state distribution indicating the state of environmental elements at each point within an area subject to environmental control; accepts specifications for environmental control from each user; and calculates a second state distribution indicating the state of environmental elements at each point that is the target of environmental control based on the first state distribution and the specifications from each user.

[0102] 100, 200, 300, 400 Air conditioning control system 10, 210, 310, 410 Temperature distribution calculation device 11 CPU 12 ROM 13 RAM 14 Storage 15 Input unit 16 Display unit 17 Communication I / F 19 Bus 21 Status acquisition unit 22, 322 Reception unit 23, 223, 423 Calculation unit 24 Registration unit 225 Schedule acquisition unit 31 Preference information DB 32 Past target distribution DB 233 Stay log DB 333 Distribution history DB 40 Reception screen 41, 42 Input area 60 User terminal 62 Control signal generation device 64 Air conditioning control device

Claims

1. A state distribution calculation device including: a state acquisition unit that acquires a first state distribution that indicates the state of environmental elements at each point within an area subject to environmental control; a reception unit that receives each user's specifications for environmental control; and a calculation unit that calculates a second state distribution that indicates the state of environmental elements at each point that is the target of environmental control based on the first state distribution and the specifications of each user.

2. The state distribution calculation device according to claim 1, wherein the reception unit receives at least one of an instruction to change the state at the point where the user is staying, the user's wishes regarding the state at the point where the user is staying, and the user's preferences regarding environmental control.

3. A state distribution calculation device as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the calculation unit extracts and outputs as a third state distribution the state distribution that is most similar to the second state distribution from a history of state distributions that have been used for environmental control in the past and that satisfy predetermined conditions related to the control target.

4. A state distribution calculation method executed by a state distribution calculation device including a state acquisition unit, a reception unit, and a calculation unit, wherein the state acquisition unit acquires a first state distribution indicating the state of environmental elements at each point within an area subject to environmental control, the reception unit receives specifications for environmental control from each user, and the calculation unit calculates a second state distribution indicating the state of environmental elements at each point that is the target of environmental control based on the first state distribution and the specifications from each user.

Images