Air Conditioner Display Lamp Luminance Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Air conditioning systems face challenges in maintaining optimal visibility of display lamps, as existing methods rely solely on time-based luminance adjustments, leading to visibility issues both during nighttime when lighting is off and when a person is awake at night.

Innovation Solution

A control system that incorporates a human detection sensor to calculate activity levels and adjust display lamp luminance based on day and night information, using correspondence information to fine-tune luminance settings, thereby improving visibility without requiring additional sensors or devices.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If the luminance of the display lamp is set high during day time, then the visibility during day is improved, but the visibility during night deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay lamp luminanceVSAvoidvisibility of display lamp
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The display lamp luminance is made dynamically adjustable based on detected human activity levels. The control unit changes the luminance between first and second levels according to whether human movement is detected, allowing the system to adapt to different usage scenarios rather than using a fixed luminance setting

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses a sensor to detect human movement and provides feedback to the control unit, which then adjusts the display lamp luminance accordingly. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables the system to respond to actual usage conditions and optimize visibility appropriately

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Use of energy by moving object

If the luminance of the display lamp is set low during night time, then power consumption is reduced, but the visibility when lighting is on deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower consumption of display lampVSAvoidvisibility of display lamp
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The display lamp luminance is made dynamically adjustable based on detected human activity levels. The control unit changes the luminance between first and second levels according to whether human movement is detected, allowing the system to adapt to different usage scenarios rather than using a fixed luminance setting

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses a sensor to detect human movement and provides feedback to the control unit, which then adjusts the display lamp luminance accordingly. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables the system to respond to actual usage conditions and optimize visibility appropriately

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Loss of energy

If the luminance is adjusted based on time slots, then energy saving is achieved, but the visibility deteriorates when the setting does not match the actual situation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy consumption of display lampVSAvoidvisibility of display lamp
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses a sensor to detect human movement and provides feedback to the control unit, which then adjusts the display lamp luminance accordingly. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables the system to respond to actual usage conditions and optimize visibility appropriately

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system automatically detects human presence and adjusts display lamp luminance without requiring manual user input. The sensor and control unit work together to autonomously optimize the display visibility based on actual usage conditions, eliminating the need for user intervention

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP3062587B1Control system, air conditioning system including the same, control method, and control program
Publication Date: 2018.08.22 MITSUBISHI HEAVY IND THERMAL SYST
  • EP3062587B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3062587B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3062587B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

To improve the visibility of a display lamp in an indoor unit, a control system includes a display unit (24) provided in an indoor unit (2) for emitting light, a human detection sensor (21) for detecting movement of a person in a predetermined region, a calculation unit (41) for calculating an amount of activity of the person detected by the human detection sensor (21) within a predetermined period, correspondence information (45) representing a correspondence between a time slot and day and night information serving as identification information for distinguishing between day and night, and a control unit (43) for acquiring current time information and controlling the luminance of the display unit (24) based on the day and night information corresponding to the current time read out of the correspondence information (45) and the amount of activity.