Air-conditioning-apparatus system including memory storing temperature information and processing circuit forming thermal image
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current air-conditioning systems cannot display a wide-angle thermal image of an entire room using an infrared sensor with a small number of pixels due to the need for a larger sensor and housing, which increases costs.
Innovation Solution
An air-conditioning system with an infrared sensor and a drive control unit that acquires temperature information from multiple locations, combined with a remote-operation centralized control apparatus to form and transmit thermal images, allowing for wide-angle image formation without increasing the sensor's pixel count or apparatus size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the number of pixels of the infrared sensor is increased to display a wide-angle thermal image of the entire room, then the thermal image coverage is improved, but the sensor size and housing size must be increased, leading to higher cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the room into multiple measurement locations and uses a single infrared sensor to sequentially measure temperature at each location. The drive actuator moves the infrared sensor between these locations, and the control unit synthesizes the temperature data from all locations to generate a comprehensive thermal image of the entire room, effectively segmenting the measurement task spatially and temporally
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a drive actuator that dynamically moves the infrared sensor between multiple predetermined locations within the room. This dynamic positioning allows a single sensor to cover a wider area over time, transforming a static measurement system into a dynamic one that achieves wide-angle coverage without requiring a larger sensor array
2Measurement precision
If the number of pixels of the infrared sensor is increased to display a wide-angle thermal image, then the thermal image resolution is improved, but the cost of the infrared sensor is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the thermal imaging task into multiple sequential measurements at different locations using a single low-pixel sensor. By dividing the room into multiple measurement zones and collecting temperature data from each zone sequentially, the system achieves comprehensive room coverage without requiring a high-pixel sensor that would be expensive
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates multiple virtual measurement positions by physically moving the sensor to different locations and synthesizing the data. Instead of using one expensive high-pixel sensor to capture the entire room simultaneously, the system uses a cheap low-pixel sensor multiple times at different positions, effectively copying the measurement process to achieve the same informational outcome
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the display of a wide-angle thermal image on an operation terminal using a small-pixel infrared sensor, reducing the need for larger or more expensive sensors and apparatus, while maintaining effective temperature information acquisition.
Implementation Method 1
an infrared sensor including a drive actuator and being capable of acquiring temperature information on a location of one part of a room
Data Source
AI summary
An air-conditioning-apparatus system includes an air-conditioning apparatus and a remote-operation centralized control apparatus connected with the air-conditioning apparatus via a network. The air-conditioning apparatus includes an infrared sensor and a drive control unit. The infrared sensor includes a drive actuator and is capable of acquiring temperature information on a location of one part of a room. The drive control unit controls the drive actuator to acquire temperature information on a plurality of locations in the room. The air-conditioning apparatus or the remote-operation centralized control apparatus includes: a storage unit that stores the temperature information on the locations in the room that is acquired by the infrared sensor under a control by the drive control unit; and a thermal image forming unit that forms a thermal image of the room based on the temperature information on the locations in the room that is stored in the storage unit.