Control method for air conditioner, air conditioning control system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air conditioning device control methods fail to effectively manage room temperature for multiple users arriving at different times, often resulting in inappropriate temperatures when users come home, especially considering traffic delays and the need for remote control from away from home.
Innovation Solution
An air conditioning control system that uses navigation devices to estimate the arrival time of the earliest user and transmit a reservation instruction to the air conditioning device to set the room temperature to a predetermined target temperature, allowing for automatic adjustment based on changed arrival times and user preferences, without requiring manual operation from each user.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If air conditioning operation is stopped during navigation to destination, then power consumption is reduced, but indoor temperature cannot be maintained within comfortable range
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary cooling or heating before the user departs, storing thermal energy in the building structure (walls, floors, furniture). This allows the air conditioner to be turned off during navigation while maintaining comfortable temperatures through the stored thermal energy, thus reducing power consumption without compromising temperature comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the air conditioning operation based on the navigation duration and destination. It calculates the optimal stop time by considering outdoor temperature, navigation time, and thermal characteristics of the building, thereby optimizing the balance between power consumption and temperature maintenance.
2Temperature
If air conditioner operates continuously to maintain temperature, then temperature comfort is ensured, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-cools or pre-heats the building before departure, storing thermal energy in the building structure. This eliminates the need for continuous air conditioner operation, significantly reducing power consumption while maintaining temperature comfort during the user's absence.
Solution Approach 2:
The building structure itself serves as a thermal storage medium, using its thermal mass to maintain comfortable temperatures without active cooling or heating during the navigation period. The walls, floors, and furniture naturally retain or release heat to regulate indoor temperature.
3Use of energy by moving object
If air conditioner is stopped early to save power, then power consumption is reduced, but temperature may drop below comfortable range upon user return
Solution Approach 1:
The system calculates the optimal stop time by considering the building's thermal characteristics, outdoor temperature, and navigation duration. It pre-cools or pre-heats the building structure to store sufficient thermal energy, ensuring that the temperature remains comfortable upon user return without needing to operate the air conditioner continuously.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses historical data and environmental information to predict the optimal air conditioning stop time, adjusting the operation schedule based on thermal response feedback to maintain comfortable temperatures while minimizing power consumption.
Data Source
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Figure 3
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AI summary
A navigation device (100) estimates a time when a user utilizing the navigation device (100) comes home, and transmits the estimated expected arrival time to a control device (203) in association with the user identifier of the user. In response to receiving the expected arrival times from a plurality of the navigation devices (100), the control device (203) transmits, to an air conditioner (201), a reservation instruction for setting the room temperature at the home to a predetermined target temperature by the estimated arrival time of the earliest user who is supposed to come home earliest. The air conditioner (201) is turned on in accordance with the transmitted reservation instruction among the users.