Shared-Space Thermal Comfort Control Using Pulse Wave Change Rates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing environment control systems fail to accurately estimate the thermal comfort of individuals in shared spaces, leading to uncomfortable conditions due to individual differences in biological responses to temperature and humidity, and are not designed to handle multiple users effectively.
Innovation Solution
An environment control system that acquires time-series biological data, extracts relevant parameters, estimates individual thermal sensations, integrates these estimates to determine overall comfort levels, and adjusts environmental stimuli to maintain comfort, using parameters like pulse wave height maximum value and Lyapunov index to differentiate between thermal sensation states.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If environmental control is based on absolute pulse wave amplitude values, then thermal sensation can be estimated, but individual differences cause inaccurate estimation and discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the estimation approach from using absolute pulse wave amplitude values to using relative change rates (Δhmax and Δλ). This parameter transformation eliminates individual differences in baseline values while preserving the relationship between pulse wave characteristics and thermal sensation. The control system now monitors how pulse wave parameters change over time rather than their absolute magnitudes, enabling accurate thermal sensation estimation across different individuals.
2Ease of operation
If environmental control uses average thermal sensation of multiple users, then a unified control strategy can be implemented, but individual comfort needs are not adequately addressed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the thermal sensation estimation process into individual user assessments. Each user's thermal sensation is independently estimated using their own pulse wave change rate parameters (Δhmax andΔλ). The control system then integrates these individual estimations to determine overall environmental control actions, maintaining both individual accuracy and system-wide coordination without requiring complex averaging procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback by monitoring pulse wave parameters in real-time and adjusting environmental conditions based on detected thermal sensation changes. The control apparatus receives ongoing data from multiple sensors (temperature, humidity, pulse wave) and dynamically adjusts air conditioning operations to maintain comfort for all users, with the feedback loop operating at the individual level rather than through simplified averaging.
3Measurement precision
If environmental control system monitors multiple parameters continuously, then accurate thermal sensation estimation is achieved, but system complexity and data processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential features needed for thermal sensation estimation from the pulse wave signal - specifically the maximum pulse wave height (hmax) and its chaos theory-based Lyapunov index (λ). By focusing on these two key parameters and their change rates, the system avoids the complexity of analyzing entire pulse waveforms or multiple redundant parameters, achieving accurate thermal sensation estimation with minimal necessary data.
Data Source
AI summary
Comfortable sensation of living bodies is estimated, considering individual differences in biological information on the living bodies staying or residing in a common space, and stimulation contents is properly controlled. A stimulation generator generates a stimulation to be applied to users. Biological information acquirers and acquire time-series data of biological information on the users. Parameter extractors and extract a parameter which is changed with a lapse of time by analyzing the time-series data. Thermal sensation estimators and estimate statuses of the users to the stimulation generated by the stimulation generator, based on the parameter extracted by the parameter extractors and. A multi-user thermal sensation processor integrates estimation results on the users estimated by the thermal sensation estimators and into a single estimation result. A stimulation controller controls the stimulation generator based on the integrated estimation result.