JP4906579B2 - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an air conditioner, and more particularly to an air conditioner that performs air conditioning control by detecting the presence of a human body.

Patent Document 1 is known as an air conditioner capable of detecting an area where a human body exists and performing air conditioning. This is an air conditioner equipped with the detection of the human body and the area where the human body is present, which is shown in the air direction control device of the air conditioner, and is louvered in the direction of the human body and the area where the human body exists by detecting the human body using a pyroelectric infrared sensor. It is possible to control the airflow to direct or avoid the wind direction and to increase or decrease the air volume.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 06-323604

However, since only infrared rays emitted from a moving object such as a human body can be detected, the charge on the surface of the pyroelectric infrared sensor returns to a stable state over time when it is stationary. End up. That is, it is impossible to detect a stationary object, and appropriate louver control and air volume control cannot be performed.
An object of the present invention is to recognize an area where a human body exists in an air-conditioned space even when the human body is stationary, and to perform more appropriate air conditioning.

The air conditioner of the present invention includes a plurality of pyroelectric infrared sensors provided with a light receiving unit that receives infrared rays emitted from a human body, a shielding guide that divides a detection area of each pyroelectric infrared sensor, and the plurality of pyroelectric sensors. A shutter that shields other than one of the plurality of pyroelectric infrared sensors so that the infrared ray is received by only one light-receiving unit of the infrared sensor, and which pyroelectric sensor has the opening of the shutter. A shutter position detecting device that detects whether the infrared sensor is located, a switching device that selects an output from the pyroelectric infrared sensor in which the opening of the shutter is located, and the plurality of pyroelectric infrared sensors An amplifier that amplifies the output from the pyroelectric infrared sensor selected by the switching device, a motor that drives the shutter, and amplifies by the amplifier A calculation unit that compares the outputs of the plurality of pyroelectric infrared rays to determine the presence or absence of a human body, and a control device that outputs a drive signal to an actuator to perform wind direction control based on the output of the calculation unit; And a wind direction plate driven by the actuator, and the wind direction control is performed on the detection area determined to have a human body.

According to the present invention, since the area where the human body exists in the air-conditioned space can be recognized even when the human body is stationary, more appropriate air conditioning can be performed based on this. In addition, the amplifier 14 can have a simple configuration.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

  First, the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a human body and a human body presence area detecting device, FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a pyroelectric infrared sensor unit, and FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a detection area.

  Reference numeral 1 denotes a rotary shutter, 2 denotes a pyroelectric infrared sensor, 3 denotes an amplifier, and 4 denotes an arithmetic unit, all of which are arranged in the indoor unit of the air conditioner. The pyroelectric infrared sensor 2 generates a voltage in accordance with the balance of charges on the element surface when infrared rays emitted from a human body or the like are received on the element surface. By monitoring the change in the generated voltage, it is possible to detect a change such as the presence of a human body. However, if there is no change in the amount of received infrared rays, the balance of charges returns to a stable state over time. For this reason, a stationary object or the like cannot be detected.

  Even a stationary object or the like can be detected by changing the amount of infrared light received by the element of the pyroelectric infrared sensor 2. As a mechanism for this, the rotary shutter 1 shown in FIG. 1 (23 in FIG. 3) is attached to the upper surface of the pyroelectric infrared sensor 2. The rotary shutter 1 is configured to change the amount of infrared light received by each pyroelectric infrared sensor 2.

  That is, when the opening of the rotary shutter 1 comes to the position of the pyroelectric infrared sensor, the amount of infrared rays changes because an infrared ray is received from the outside, and a voltage is generated. Further, when the rotary shutter 1 is closed, since infrared rays are not received, there is no change in the charge on the surface of the element, the state returns to a stable state, and no voltage is generated. By repeatedly opening and closing the rotary shutter 1 in this way, it becomes possible to continuously detect an object or the like in either an operating state or a stationary state. The rotary shutter 1 is attached so as to be rotated by a motor 22 shown in FIG.

  The output of each pyroelectric infrared sensor 2 when the rotary shutter 1 is opened is sent to each amplifier 3. The amplifier 3 amplifies the output of the pyroelectric infrared sensor 2. The arithmetic unit 4 is a part that processes the amplified output. As a means of processing in the calculation unit 4, the calculation unit 4 uses an infrared amount (hereinafter referred to as a stored value) corresponding to a human body stored in advance and an output of the pyroelectric infrared sensor 2 sent from the amplifier 3. It is determined whether or not the infrared ray amount is equivalent to the human body by comparing with a base value (hereinafter referred to as an actual value). For example, the ratio of the peak value of the analog output, which is an actual value, and the ratio of the width is compared with that of the stored value, and it is determined whether or not the infrared ray amount corresponds to the human body. Then, it is determined whether or not a human body exists in the area detected by the pyroelectric infrared sensor 2.

  Alternatively, the output of the pyroelectric infrared sensor 2 is amplified by the amplifier 3, the amplified outputs of the pyroelectric infrared sensor 2 are compared with each other by the arithmetic unit 4, and the element with the highest output, or for a certain period of time The area that is detected by the element that shows the largest number of changes in output is determined as the area where the human body exists.

  Note that the area detected by the pyroelectric infrared sensor 2 is the schematic detection area shown in FIG. In order to divide the detection area of the pyroelectric infrared sensor 2 in this way, a shielding guide 21 shown in FIG. 3 is provided. This narrows the viewing angle of the sensor. The lower diagram of FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the pyroelectric infrared sensor unit, and four pyroelectric infrared sensors constitute a unit. Corresponding to this, four “2” s are shown in FIG.

  First, the wind direction control will be described. When the arithmetic unit 4 determines that a human body exists, each actuator is controlled to blow out in a desired wind direction to the area detected by the pyroelectric infrared sensor 2 that is determined to have a human body. Here, 6 is a louver driving means composed of an up / down wind direction plate (up / down louver), a left / right wind direction plate (left / right louver), and a motor and a gear for driving these wind direction plates (louvers). Reference numeral 5 denotes a louver control device that controls the number of rotations, the direction of rotation, and the like of a motor that drives the wind direction plates (louvers). Accordingly, the calculation unit 4 sends the calculation result to the louver control device 5, and the louver control device 5 sends a control command to the louver driving means 6 to control the louver so that the desired wind direction is obtained.

  Next, the air volume control will be described. When the calculation unit 4 determines that a human body exists, each actuator is controlled to blow out with a desired air volume to an area detected by the pyroelectric infrared sensor 2 that is determined to have a human body. Here, 9 is a once-through fan that is a blower fan of the indoor unit. Reference numeral 8 denotes a fan motor which is an air volume varying device for driving the blower fan 9. Reference numeral 7 denotes air volume variable control means for changing the rotation speed of the air volume variable device 8. Therefore, the calculation unit 4 sends the calculation result to the air volume variable control means 7, and the air volume variable control means 7 sends a control command to the air volume variable device 8 (fan motor), so that the air volume variable device 8 ( Fan motor) rotates the cross-flow fan 9.

  In addition, regarding the wind direction control, it is possible to control each actuator so as to avoid blowing air to an area detected by the pyroelectric infrared sensor 2 that is determined to have a human body.

  As described above, the pyroelectric infrared sensor 2 provided with the rotary shutter 1 is mounted on the air conditioner, so that the human body can be placed in the target area regardless of the state of the human body existing in the air-conditioned space (operation or stationary). It is possible to detect whether or not there exists. By using a plurality of pyroelectric infrared sensors, the presence or absence of a human body is detected in a plurality of areas, and the output of each pyroelectric infrared sensor is used to obtain a desired area for the area where the human body exists. Wind direction control (including avoiding blowing) and air volume control can be performed.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram 2 of the human body and the human body presence area detecting device.

10 is a rotary shutter, 11 is a shutter position detector, 12 is a pyroelectric infrared sensor,
Reference numeral 13 denotes a switching device, 14 denotes an amplifier, and 15 denotes a calculation unit, both of which are arranged in the indoor unit of the air conditioner. Except for the shutter position detection device 11 and the switching device 13, the description is omitted because it is the same as the embodiment.

  The shutter position detection device 11 is provided to determine which pyroelectric infrared sensor 12 is the output of the pyroelectric infrared sensor unit when the rotary shutter 10 is opened. By sending the opening position of the rotary shutter 10 to the computing unit 15, it is possible to easily determine which area is being detected.

The switching device 13 rotates the rotary shutter 10 based on the output of the calculation unit 15 to switch which pyroelectric infrared sensor 12 passes the output from the amplifier. As described above, since the area detected by the pyroelectric infrared sensor 12 can be grasped by the calculation unit 15, the output of the calculation unit 15 is used to change the area to be detected. Information input to the amplifier 14 through the switching device 13 is amplified and output to the calculation unit 15. Thereafter, the calculation unit 15 outputs to the louver control device 16 and the air volume variable control means 18. In FIG. 2, the same control as that in the first embodiment is performed on the right side of the calculation unit 15.

  By configuring as in the second embodiment, the amplifier 14 can be configured simply. Compared with the first embodiment in which the amplified signal flows in four places, in the second embodiment, the amplified signal needs to flow only in one place.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram 1 of a human body and a human body presence area detection device. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram 2 of a human body and a human body presence area detection device. The figure showing a pyroelectric infrared sensor unit. Detecting area schematic diagram.

Claims (7)

A plurality of pyroelectric infrared sensors provided with a light receiving portion for receiving infrared rays emitted from the human body;
A shielding guide that divides the detection area of each pyroelectric infrared sensor;
A shutter that shields all but one light receiving part of the plurality of pyroelectric infrared sensors so as to receive the infrared light only by one light receiving part of the plurality of pyroelectric infrared sensors ;
A shutter position detecting device for detecting which position of the pyroelectric infrared sensor the opening of the shutter is located;
A switching device for selecting an output from the pyroelectric infrared sensor in which the opening of the shutter is located;
An amplifier that is common to the plurality of pyroelectric infrared sensors and that amplifies the output from the pyroelectric infrared sensor selected by the switching device;
A motor for driving the shutter;
An arithmetic unit that determines the presence or absence of a human body by comparing the outputs from the plurality of pyroelectric infrared amplified by the amplifier ;
A control device that outputs a drive signal to the actuator to perform wind direction control based on the output of the arithmetic unit;
A wind direction plate driven by the actuator;
Have
An air conditioner that performs the wind direction control on the detection area that is determined to have a human body. In claim 1,
In the air conditioner, the air direction control blows air toward the detection area. In claim 1,
In the air conditioner, the air direction control blows out air avoiding the detection area. In claim 1,
A control device that outputs a drive signal to an actuator to perform air volume control based on the output of the arithmetic unit;
A blower fan driven by the actuator;
Have
An air conditioner that performs the air volume control on the detection area determined to have a human body. In claim 1,
An air conditioner, wherein an output from the shutter position detection device is input to the calculation unit, and the switching device is controlled based on the output from the calculation unit. In claim 1,
As a means for detecting an area where a human body exists with the pyroelectric infrared sensor, the human body existing in the detection area is calculated by the calculation unit from the ratio of the peak value and width of the analog output of each pyroelectric infrared sensor. An air conditioner that detects the presence or absence of air. In claim 1,
The air conditioner is compared with the area detected by the pyroelectric infrared sensor having the highest output by comparing the outputs of the plurality of locations obtained from the outputs of the plurality of pyroelectric infrared sensors with the calculation unit. An air conditioner characterized in that the air volume is increased or decreased by an air volume variable device or an air volume variable control means that blows or avoids air from the louver drive means and louver control means.

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