Skin Temperature HVAC Control With Adaptive Comfort Mapping

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional air-conditioning control systems fail to reflect individual user preferences for thermal environments, as they rely on fixed correspondence between skin temperature and set temperature, making it difficult to adjust settings without user intervention.

Innovation Solution

An apparatus control device that uses a skin temperature measurement device to adjust the heating-cooling combination apparatus settings based on a stored correspondence table, allowing for updates to reduce over- or under-control by recognizing user preferences and adapting control widths based on comfort range deviations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If a fixed correspondence relationship between skin temperature and set temperature is used, then the control of the air-conditioning apparatus can be automated without remote controller operation, but the user's individual thermal preference cannot be reflected in the control

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomation of air-conditioning controlVSAvoidadaptation to user thermal preference
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The correspondence relationship between skin temperature and set temperature is made dynamic rather than fixed. The system automatically updates this relationship based on user feedback (comfort/uncomfort judgments) to adapt to individual user preferences. This allows the automation to maintain itself while becoming personalized to each user's thermal comfort characteristics.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where the user's comfort judgment is used to update the correspondence relationship. When the user judges the thermal environment as uncomfortable, the system adjusts the set temperature and learns from this feedback to refine the skin temperature-to-set temperature mapping, thereby adapting to the user's individual preferences.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Ease of operation

If the set temperature is adjusted based on skin temperature using a fixed formula, then remote controller operation becomes unnecessary, but the control may result in over-control or under-control that does not match user comfort needs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveelimination of remote controller operationVSAvoidaccuracy of thermal comfort control
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses user comfort feedback to continuously refine the control accuracy. When the user indicates discomfort, the system adjusts the set temperature and uses this information to update the correspondence relationship, thereby improving the reliability of future control actions and reducing over-control or under-control situations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs self-adjustment and self-learning without requiring manual intervention. It automatically updates the correspondence relationship based on user feedback, making the control both easy to operate (no remote controller needed) and reliable (adapts to actual user needs).

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP2833076B1Apparatus control device, apparatus control system, and program
Publication Date: 2018.05.23 PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO LTD
  • EP2833076B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2833076B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2833076B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An apparatus control system includes a skin temperature measurement device configured to measure a skin temperature, and an apparatus control device that controls a heating-cooling combination apparatus. In the apparatus control device, a storage unit stores a correspondence table (correspondence relationship) between skin temperatures and control contents of the heating-cooling combination apparatus. The apparatus control unit controls the heating-cooling combination apparatus according to a control content stored in the storage unit in association with a first skin temperature that is inputted to an input unit. Thereafter, if a second skin temperature that is newly inputted to the input unit is not included in a comfortable temperature range, the update unit updates the correspondence table stored in the storage unit. In this case, the update unit changes the control content in the correspondence table such that over-control or under-control according to the control content is reduced.