Environment control device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air conditioners struggle to accurately adjust the thermal environment to match the comfort or discomfort sensations of individuals within a space, leading to inefficiencies and potential discomfort.
Innovation Solution
An environment control device that estimates a target person's sensation based on biological signals, determines a thermal index value range for comfort or discomfort, and sets a target value to optimize the thermal environment, excluding transient sensations and adjusting for power consumption and sensor errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If air conditioners adjust thermal environment based on simple temperature sensing, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision of thermal sensation is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an infrared sensor as an intermediary device to detect body surface temperature, which serves as a mediator between the air conditioner and the occupant's thermal sensation. This allows the system to indirectly measure thermal sensation without requiring direct neural or physiological sensors, thus improving measurement precision while keeping device complexity manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical temperature sensors that only measure ambient temperature with an infrared sensing system that optically detects body surface temperature. This substitution enables the system to directly sense thermal sensation related parameters (body surface temperature) rather than inferring from ambient conditions, significantly improving measurement precision.
2Measurement precision
If air conditioners use body surface temperature from infrared sensors to estimate sensation, then measurement precision of thermal sensation is improved, but reliability of sensation estimation is reduced due to transient sensations and sensor errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary filtering of infrared sensor data by establishing valid detection conditions (occupant presence detection, appropriate detection timing relative to air conditioner operation). This preliminary action prevents transient sensations and sensor errors from corrupting the sensation estimation, thereby improving reliability before the actual measurement is taken.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses feedback mechanisms where the air conditioner monitors its own operation status and adjusts the timing and conditions of infrared sensing accordingly. The system feedbacks whether the detected body surface temperature corresponds to a stable thermal state, and only uses measurements that meet predetermined criteria for sensation estimation, thus improving reliability.
3Reliability
If air conditioners continuously adjust thermal environment to match estimated sensation, then comfort of occupants is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by adjusting the thermal environment only to the extent necessary to achieve comfortable sensation, rather than continuously maximizing comfort adjustment. The system determines appropriate sensation ranges and adjusts within those ranges, avoiding excessive energy consumption while maintaining adequate comfort levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic sensing and adjustment cycles rather than continuous operation. The infrared sensor measures body surface temperature at specific intervals, and the air conditioner adjusts the thermal environment in discrete steps based on these periodic measurements, reducing energy consumption compared to continuous adjustment while maintaining comfort matching accuracy.
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
The device enhances thermal environment adjustment by improving reliability and matching the thermal sensation of individuals, optimizing comfort and reducing energy consumption while accounting for seasonal adaptations and multiple occupants.
Implementation Method 1
an infrared sensor (56) that measures a body surface temperature of the target person (T)
Data Source
AI summary
An environment control device includes a control unit usable to control an environment adjustment portion that controls a thermal environment of a space. The control unit estimates a sensation indicating comfort or discomfort of a target person based on sensation information about the target person in the space. The control unit determines, based on an appearance frequency of each sensation corresponding to a thermal index value as a value of thermal index, a range of the thermal index value indicating comfort or discomfort as a sensation region. The control unit sets a target value of the thermal index in the space based on the sensation region. The control unit determines a duration of comfort or discomfort sensation. The control unit determines the sensation region by excluding the thermal index value where the duration of the comfort or discomfort sensation is shorter than a predetermined time.