Environmental equipment control apparatus and environmental equipment control system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional environmental equipment control systems rely on temperature differences between set and vehicle indoor temperatures to assess user sleepiness, which is not always accurate in determining the user's sleepy state.
Innovation Solution
An environmental equipment control apparatus that includes a grasping unit to collect physical and mental state information, such as drowsiness scales, heartbeats, and brain waves, to adjust environmental conditions like temperature, humidity, air direction, and aroma to relieve user sleepiness, with a focus on minimizing discomfort and adapting to outdoor temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If temperature difference between set temperature and vehicle indoor temperature is used to estimate user sleepiness, then the control system is simple, but the accuracy of sleepiness detection is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from using a single temperature parameter to monitoring multiple physiological parameters (heart rate, respiration rate, skin temperature, galvanic skin response) to accurately detect sleepiness states. This multi-parameter approach replaces the insufficient temperature-difference-based detection with a comprehensive physiological state monitoring system.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system is designed to handle multiple types of physiological data from various sensors (heart rate sensor, respiration sensor, temperature sensor, GSR sensor) and process them uniformly to determine sleepiness. This multi-functional approach allows the system to detect sleepiness through multiple physiological indicators rather than relying on a single temperature parameter.
2Reliability
If environmental equipment control state is changed to relieve sleepiness, then user sleepiness is relieved, but user uncomfortableness may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic control state changes where the air conditioning apparatus alternates between different operational modes (e.g., blowing air to the lower body, then to the upper body, then stopping) over predetermined time intervals. This periodic action provides sleepiness relief through varied environmental stimulation while preventing continuous exposure to potentially uncomfortable conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system directs conditioned air to different body regions (lower body vs. upper body) based on the detected sleepiness state, rather than uniformly adjusting the entire cabin environment. This localized approach targets specific areas to relieve sleepiness while minimizing overall environmental changes that could cause discomfort.
3Reliability
If set temperature is decreased to relieve sleepiness, then sleepiness relief is achieved, but temperature adaptation time is required which causes discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic temperature adjustments where the set temperature is temporarily decreased to relieve sleepiness, then restored to the original value after a predetermined time period. This cycling approach provides sleepiness relief without requiring the user to adapt to a permanently changed temperature, thereby minimizing discomfort from temperature adaptation time.
Solution Approach 2:
The control apparatus temporarily changes the temperature setting in advance for a predetermined duration to achieve sleepiness relief, then automatically restores it. This preliminary action allows the system to proactively address sleepiness before it becomes severe, and the automatic restoration prevents prolonged exposure to uncomfortable temperature conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
An environmental equipment control apparatus controls environmental equipment. The environmental equipment control apparatus includes a grasping unit that grasps physical-and-mental-state information about a physical and mental state of a user, and a control unit that changes a control state of the environmental equipment in a case in which the physical-and-mental-state information satisfies a predetermined state condition.