JP6522170B2 - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an air conditioner provided with a wake-up function.

  Among conventional air conditioners with a wake-up function, there is one that promotes awakening by setting the room temperature to such a high temperature that the user becomes uncomfortable when the user's scheduled wake-up time comes (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2003-329285 A

  However, in the conventional air conditioner with a wake-up function, from the unpleasant environment to wake up by changing the operation so that the user stops operation by remote control operation or the room temperature the user feels comfortable There was a problem that it could not prevent oversleeping when sleeping twice because it could be easily returned to a comfortable room temperature.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and it is an object of the present invention to obtain an air conditioner that can be operated to significantly reduce the risk of oversleeping of the user.

In order to solve the problems described above and to achieve the object, the present invention detects an operation of a user in a room in which an indoor unit is installed, in an air conditioner provided with an indoor unit and an outdoor unit and having a heating function. A human sensor and a control unit connected to the human sensor and controlling operations of the indoor unit and the outdoor unit are provided. The control unit repeatedly executes the first processing until the first time elapses from the first time which is a time before the scheduled wake-up time set by the user . The first process, a second process of the user to determine whether a sleep state based on the detection result of the human sensor, if the user determines that the sleep state, uncomfortable in humidity of the room A third process of causing the indoor unit and the outdoor unit to execute the heating operation in the unpleasant mode in which the room temperature is targeted to the first temperature at which the index is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold And the fourth process of stopping the heating operation in the unpleasant mode .

  The air conditioner according to the present invention has the effect of enabling operation that significantly reduces the risk of oversleeping by the user.

The figure which shows arrangement | positioning of the air conditioner concerning Embodiment 1 of this invention. Block diagram showing the configuration of the microcomputer according to the first embodiment Explanatory drawing which shows the specification of the software control by the microcomputer concerning Embodiment 1 Flow chart for explaining the operation of the air conditioner according to the first embodiment Timing chart for explaining the operation of the air conditioner according to the first embodiment Explanatory drawing which shows the specification of the software control by the microcomputer concerning Embodiment 2 Timing chart for explaining the operation of the air conditioner according to the third embodiment

  Hereinafter, an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings. The present invention is not limited by the embodiment.

Embodiment 1
FIG. 1 is a view showing the arrangement of an air conditioner 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The air conditioner 10 includes the indoor unit 2 and the outdoor unit 4 and has a heating function. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the user 5 sleeps on the bedding 6 in the room 1 in which the indoor unit 2 is installed. The outdoor unit 4 is installed outside the room 1. Further, the indoor unit 2 is mounted with a human sensor 3 for detecting an operation of the user 5 in the room 1 and a microcomputer 100 which is a control unit. The microcomputer 100 controls the operation of the indoor unit 2 and the outdoor unit 4 based on a program. The microcomputer 100 is connected to the human sensor 3 and acquires from the human sensor 3 data for the microcomputer 100 to determine what action the user 5 is doing in the room of the room 1 be able to. The data of the detection result acquired by the human sensor 3 is used as information for the microcomputer 100 to determine whether the user 5 is in the sleep state or in the wake state. Here, the bedding 6 includes a bed, a futon, and a sofa, and the user 5 sleeps at a place where it can be detected by the human sensor 3. In addition, it is assumed that there is no obstacle between the human sensor 3 and the user 5 such that the human sensor 3 can not detect the user 5.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the microcomputer 100 according to the first embodiment. The microcomputer 100 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 101 that executes computations and control of the air conditioner 10, a random access memory (RAM) 102 that the CPU 101 uses for a work area, and a read only memory (ROM) that stores programs and data. And an I / O (Input / Output) 104, which is hardware for exchanging signals with the human sensor 3, and a peripheral device 105 including an oscillator for generating a clock.

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing the specification of software control by the microcomputer 100 according to the first embodiment. The specification of control by the microcomputer 100 is defined by a program or software stored in the ROM 103 or elsewhere.

  As shown in FIG. 3, when the microcomputer 100 executes a program, based on the setting information 20 by the user, the room temperature and humidity information 13 and the human sensor information 14, it is uncomfortable to create an unpleasant environment by heating operation. A driving mode 15, a timer function 16 for receiving a wakeup timer setting described later including setting of a wakeup time by the user, and a sleep state detection mode 17 for determining a sleep state of the user are realized.

  The setting information 20 by the user is information set by the user 5 via the remote controller (not shown) of the indoor unit 2 and includes a wakeup scheduled time 11 and a duration 12 of the sleep state detection mode. The room temperature and humidity information 13 is information on the room temperature and humidity of the room 1 acquired by the room temperature sensor and the humidity sensor of the indoor unit 2 (not shown). The human detection sensor information 14 is data of the above-described detection result acquired by the human detection sensor 3.

  The air conditioner operates with three functions of the sleep state detection mode 17, the timer function 16 and the unpleasant operation mode 15 based on the scheduled wakeup time 11 set by the user 5 and the duration 12 of the sleep state detection mode. 10 can perform the heating operation in the unpleasant mode. The unpleasant operation mode 15 is a mode executed under the sleep state detection mode 17, and the microcomputer 100 controls the air conditioner 10, that is, the indoor unit 2 and the outdoor unit 4 in the unpleasant operation mode 15 to heat the unpleasant mode. Make it drive.

  The discomfort mode is a mode that creates an unpleasant environment that people feel uncomfortable. The unpleasant environment is specifically set by using setting data such as temperature and humidity corresponding to the environment, which derives an environment that the person feels unpleasant based on the discomfort index. The discomfort index is an index that leads the environment in which people feel uncomfortable from two parameters of temperature and humidity, and measuring the humidity of the room 1 can lead to a temperature at which the discomfort index becomes high at the humidity. Here, the unpleasant environment is a room temperature environment where the discomfort index is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value in the humidity of the room 1 measured by the humidity sensor of the indoor unit 2. Then, the heating operation in the unpleasant mode is assumed to be a heating operation aiming at a room temperature that causes an unpleasant environment in the humidity of the room 1.

  People can not easily go to sleep in a hot and humid environment. Therefore, the user 5 maintains the sleep state by raising the room temperature of the room 1 in which the user 5 is sleeping, that is, room temperature, and adjusting the air conditioner 10 to an environment where the user 5 feels uncomfortable It can be difficult to sleep again.

  Next, the operation of the air conditioner 10 according to the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the air conditioner 10 according to the first embodiment. The operation of the microcomputer 100 in this flowchart is executed by the microcomputer 100 executing a program.

  First, the microcomputer 100 receives setting information 20 by the user such as the scheduled wake-up time 11 and the duration 12 of the sleep state detection mode set by the user 5 by operating the remote controller (step S1). The setting of the wakeup scheduled time 11 and the duration 12 of the sleep state detection mode is called wakeup timer setting. That is, in step S1, the wakeup timer setting is accepted. The user 5 sets the wakeup timer before the scheduled wakeup time 11 such as before going to bed. The duration 12 of the sleep state detection mode may be set in advance, and the user 5 may set only the scheduled wakeup time 11 in the wakeup timer setting.

  Then, the microcomputer 100 causes the air conditioner 10 to start the sleep state detection mode 17 a set time before the scheduled wake-up time 11 (step S2). Specifically, the microcomputer 100 starts the operation of the human sensor 3 by the start of the sleep state detection mode 17. The sleep state detection mode 17 is started only a set time before the scheduled wakeup time 11, and as a specific example, the sleep state detection mode 17 is started 5 minutes ago. The sleep state detection mode 17 may be set in advance as to how long a set time before start up scheduled time 11 starts, or may be set by the user 5 operating the remote controller, and may be five minutes Without limitation, it can be 10 minutes or other desired value. In the above, although the wakeup scheduled time 11 is included in the period in the sleep condition detection mode 17, depending on the case, the start of the sleep condition detection mode 17 may be set after the wakeup schedule time 11 .

  Thereafter, the microcomputer 100 determines whether the user 5 is in the sleep state based on the human sensor information 14 acquired by the human sensor 3 (step S3). As a specific example of the determination method, if the human sensor information 14 indicates a state in which the user 5 is lying down, the microcomputer 100 determines that the user 5 is in the sleep state, and the user 5 stands up. If the human sensor information 14 indicates that the user 5 is in the sitting or sitting state, the microcomputer 100 determines that the user 5 is not in the sleep state but in the wake state.

  If it is determined in step S3 that the user 5 is in the sleep state before the above-mentioned set time of the scheduled wakeup time 11 (step S3: Yes), the microcomputer 100 enters the unpleasant operation mode 15, and the air conditioner 10, that is, the indoor unit 2 and the outdoor unit 4 are caused to start the heating operation in the unpleasant mode (step S4), thereby making the room 1 an unpleasant environment in which the user 5 is hard to keep sleeping. Specifically, in the humidity of the room 1 measured by the humidity sensor of the indoor unit 2, the microcomputer 100 sets the indoor unit 2 so that the room temperature of the room 1 becomes a first temperature at which the discomfort index becomes a predetermined threshold. And the outdoor unit 4 is controlled and heating operation is performed.

  If it is determined that the user 5 is not in the sleep state but in the wake-up state (step S3: No), the microcomputer 100 puts the indoor unit 2 and the outdoor unit 4 in the operation stop state or the operation state set by the user 5 (Step S5). Therefore, if it is determined that the user 5 is in the wake-up state just before the above-mentioned set time of the wake-up scheduled time 11, the microcomputer 100 causes the indoor unit 2 and the outdoor unit 4 to keep the operation stop state or The operating condition set by 5 will be newly started.

  After steps S4 and S5, the microcomputer 100 determines whether the sleep state detection mode 17 has been entered and the duration time 12 of the sleep state detection mode has passed (step S6). Then, as long as the sleep state detection mode 17 is not in the sleep state detection mode continuation time 12 (step S6: No), the determination (step S3) as to whether the user 5 is in the sleep state is repeated.

  As a result, unless the sleep state detection mode 17 is in the sleep state detection mode 17 and the continuation time 12 of the sleep state detection mode has not passed (step S6: No), the heating operation in the unpleasant mode is the indoor unit 2 when the user 5 is in the wake state. The microcomputer 100 continues the determination (step S3: No). In addition, even if it is determined that the user 5 is in the wake state once (Step S3: No) and the unpleasant driving mode 15 is ended, the user 5 is then continued while the sleep state detection mode 17 is continued. If the user sleeps again, the microcomputer 100 determines that the user 5 is in the sleep state based on the human sensor sensor information 14 from the human sensor 3 (step S3: Yes), and the driving is unpleasant. The heating operation in the unpleasant mode (step S4) is started again in the mode 15.

  When the continuation time 12 of the sleep state detection mode is passed after entering the sleep state detection mode 17 (step S6: Yes), the microcomputer 100 stops the operation of the human sensor 3 (step S7) to detect the sleep state. The mode 17 is ended. When the sleep mode detection mode 17 is in the sleep mode detection mode 17 and when the sleep mode detection mode continuation time 12 is passed, the microcomputer 100 detects the sleep mode detection mode 17 as well as in the sleep mode detection mode 17. The air conditioner 10 is released to end the heating operation in the unpleasant mode.

  FIG. 5 is a timing chart for explaining the operation of the air conditioner 10 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, when the user 5 sets 6:00 to be the wakeup scheduled time 11 (step S1 in FIG. 4), the air from 5:55 five minutes before 6:00 which is the wakeup scheduled time 11 When the sleep state detection mode 17 is turned ON (step S2), the conditioner 10 starts the heating operation in the unpleasant mode (step S4). More specifically, when the sleep state detection mode 17 is entered at 5:55 (step S2), it is immediately determined whether the user 5 is in the sleep state (step S3), and the user 5 is still sleeping. The user 5 is determined to be in the sleep state (step S3: Yes), and the sleep state detection determination value becomes a value indicating the sleep state from the undetermined state. As a result, the unpleasant operation mode 15 is set, the operation of the air conditioner 10 is turned on, and the heating operation in the unpleasant mode (step S4) is started from 5:55.

  The room temperature of the room 1 rises at 5:55 when the air conditioner 10 starts the heating operation in the unpleasant mode (step S4), and the room temperature of the room 1 is the first temperature at 6:00 which is the scheduled wakeup time 11 The room 1 becomes an unpleasant environment. If it is determined that the user 5 wakes up because the room 1 in which the user 5 sleeps becomes an unpleasant environment, and the user 5 wakes up at 6:10 (Step S3: No), the air conditioner 10 The heating operation in the unpleasant mode is ended by being in the operation stop state (OFF), or the operation state set by the user 5 is started although not shown in FIG. 5 (step S5).

  However, if it is determined that the user is in the sleep state again by the microcomputer 100 by going to sleep twice at 6:25 (step S3: Yes), the heating operation in the unpleasant mode is performed again (step S4). Will be started. As a result of the second heating operation in the unpleasant mode being performed, when the user 5 gets up and gets up at a point of 6:35 after that, it is determined that the user 5 gets up (step S3: No), the air conditioner 10 The operation is stopped (OFF), and the heating operation in the unpleasant mode ends.

  As described above, while the sleep state detection mode 17 continues, the user 5 is controlled by the air conditioner 10 so as to repeat the heating operation in the unpleasant mode no matter how often the user 5 sleeps. Create an environment where you can not get a comfortable sleep. In order to end the heating operation in the unpleasant mode, it is necessary for the user 5 to wake up and keep acting or to cancel the wakeup timer setting by operating the remote controller. By setting up the remote controller so that the wakeup timer setting can not be changed unless the button is operated by a single button, the user 5 cancels the wakeup timer setting in the sleep state or half sleep state Make it difficult. As a result, the unpleasant environment continues until the user 5 reliably wakes up, and it is possible to significantly reduce the risk of the user 5 going to sleep by sleeping twice.

  As described above, it is assumed that the user 5 wants to go to sleep again after the user 5 wakes up once the air conditioner 10 performs the heating operation in the unpleasant mode at the scheduled wake-up time 11 that the user 5 wants to wake up. It can create an unpleasant environment like no. In addition, even if the user 5 has gone to sleep, by making the room 1 again an unpleasant environment, it is possible to maintain a state where the user 5 can not sleep deeply. This makes it possible to prevent the user 5 from having a significant oversleep at the scheduled wake-up time 11. Furthermore, since the microcomputer 100 of the indoor unit 2 has a function of determining the wake-up of the user, it is possible to release the unpleasant operation mode 15.

Second Embodiment
The arrangement of the air conditioner 10 according to the second embodiment is the same as that of FIG. 1, and the configuration of the microcomputer 100 according to the second embodiment is the same as that of FIG. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a specification of software control by the microcomputer 100 according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 6, a weekly timer function 18 which can be set so that the timer function 16 works at a predetermined time for each day of the week is added to FIG. The weekly timer function 18 is realized by the microcomputer 100 executing the program. The configuration other than the weekly timer function 18 is the same as that of FIG. 3 described in the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof is omitted. The air conditioner 10 according to the second embodiment can cope with the case where the user 5 gets up at a predetermined time for each day of the week.

  As shown in FIG. 6, by implementing the weekly timer function 18, the user 5 can set the wakeup scheduled time 11 for each day of the week. If user 5 sets the wakeup scheduled time 11 for each day of the week and the duration 12 of the sleep state detection mode once by using the weekly timer function 18, the wakeup scheduled time for each day of week can be set even without setting the wakeup timer every day When it becomes 11, it becomes possible to make the air conditioner 10 perform the heating operation in the unpleasant mode. Therefore, in the operation of the air conditioner 10 according to the second embodiment, once step S1 of FIG. 4 is performed using the weekly timer function 18, it becomes unnecessary to execute step S1 every night, and the step of FIG. S2 to S7 are executed daily based on the wakeup timer setting for each day of the week.

  In the air conditioner 10 according to the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the user 5 wakes up, or the sleep condition detection mode 17 is entered after the duration 12 of the sleep condition detection mode. The air conditioner 10 can stop the heating operation in the unpleasant mode. Therefore, once the wakeup timer setting for each day of the week is set using the weekly timer function 18, there is no need to change the setting. As a result, by forgetting the wakeup timer setting before the user 5 sleeps, it is possible to prevent the user 5 from oversleeping without performing the heating operation in the unpleasant mode.

Third Embodiment
Although in the first and second embodiments, only one unpleasant environment to be realized in the room 1 is set by the heating operation in the unpleasant mode, the air conditioner 10 according to the third embodiment provides a plurality of unpleasant environments. That is, by providing a plurality of unpleasant environments in which the room temperature is changed, the user 5 can more easily get up by setting the stage of the unpleasant environment and providing the unpleasant environment more unpleasant than the first unpleasant environment. The flow chart for explaining the operation of the air conditioner 10 according to the third embodiment is basically the same as FIG. 4, but the transition from the first unpleasant environment to the unpleasant one is added as described below. Be done.

  Below, in the humidity of the room 1 measured by the humidity sensor of the indoor unit 2, the room having the discomfort index becomes the discomfort index 1 makes the environment of the first temperature the unpleasant environment 1, and the discomfort index becomes the discomfort index 2 Room temperature makes the environment of 2nd temperature the unpleasant environment 2. The discomfort index 2 is larger than the discomfort index 1, and both are thresholds of the predetermined discomfort index. The unpleasant environment 1 is the unpleasant environment at the wakeup scheduled time 11.

  FIG. 7 is a timing chart for explaining the operation of the air conditioner 10 according to the third embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, when the user 5 sets 6:00 as the wakeup scheduled time 11 (step S1 in FIG. 4), the user sleeps 5:55 five minutes before 6:00 which is the wakeup scheduled time 11. When the state detection mode 17 is entered (step S2), it is immediately determined whether the user 5 is in the sleep state (step S3). If the user 5 is still sleeping, it is determined that the user 5 is in the sleep state And the sleep state detection determination value becomes a value indicating the sleep state from the undecided state. As a result, the unpleasant operation mode 15 is set, the operation of the air conditioner 10 is turned on, and the heating operation in the unpleasant mode (step S4) is started from 5:55.

  The room temperature of the room 1 rises at 5:55 when the air conditioner 10 starts the heating operation in the unpleasant mode (step S4), and the room temperature of the room 1 is the first temperature at 6:00 which is the scheduled wakeup time 11 The room 1 becomes an unpleasant environment 1. However, the user 5 does not get up and continues to determine the sleep state even if it becomes 6:10 after a certain time has passed since the air conditioner 10 started the heating operation in the unpleasant mode after entering the unpleasant operation mode 15 thereafter. (Step S3: Yes), the microcomputer 100 sets the target setting room temperature for the heating operation in the unpleasant mode to the second temperature so as to become the unpleasant environment 2 one stage higher, which is an environment where the discomfort index is large. Raise it. That is, the microcomputer 100 raises the target room temperature of the heating operation in the unpleasant mode to a second temperature which is several degrees higher than the first temperature of the unpleasant environment 1. As described above, when the microcomputer 100 determines that the user 5 does not get up and the period of being in the sleeping state continues to be a predetermined time or more, the second temperature is changed such that the discomfort index becomes the discomfort index 2 Change to room temperature target for heating mode operation. The predetermined time may be set in advance by the user 5 or may be set in the program of the microcomputer 100. And, after a while from 6:10, the room 1 becomes an unpleasant environment 2 and the environment is maintained. As a result, it is determined that the user 5 is in the rising state at 6:35 (step S3: No), so the air conditioner 10 is turned off (OFF) and the heating operation in the unpleasant mode is ended Or, although not shown in FIG. 7, the operation state set by the user 5 is started (step S5).

  As described above, the air conditioner 10 according to the third embodiment gradually changes the room 1 to a higher room temperature unpleasant environment as time goes by than the scheduled rising time 11, thereby causing the room 1 to become more uncomfortable than the scheduled rising time 11. As time goes by, it becomes an environment that is uncomfortable for the user 5 and it is difficult for him to sleep asleep and it is difficult for him to get up. As a result, according to the first and second embodiments, the risk of oversleeping of the user 5 can be further reduced.

  In the above description, the stage of the unpleasant environment has been described as two stages of the unpleasant environment 1 and the unpleasant environment 2. However, if the threshold of the discomfort index is set to 3 or more, the unpleasant environment can be defined accordingly in 3 or more stages. The stage of the unpleasant environment may be three or more.

  The configuration shown in the above embodiment shows an example of the contents of the present invention, and can be combined with another known technique, and one of the configurations is possible within the scope of the present invention. Parts can be omitted or changed.

  1 room, 2 indoor units, 3 sensors, 4 outdoor units, 5 users, 6 bedding, 10 air conditioners, 11 wake up scheduled times, 12 duration of sleep state detection mode, 13 room temperature and humidity information, 14 people feeling Sensor information, 15 unpleasant operation modes, 16 timer functions, 17 sleep state detection modes, 18 weekly timer functions, 20 user setting information, 100 microcomputers, 101 CPUs, 102 RAMs, 103 ROMs, 104 I / Os, 105 peripheral devices .

Claims (4)

In an air conditioner provided with an indoor unit and an outdoor unit and having a heating function,
A human sensor for detecting a user's operation in a room in which the indoor unit is installed;
A control unit connected to the human sensor to control the operation of the indoor unit and the outdoor unit;
Equipped with
The control unit repeatedly executes the first processing for a period until a first time elapses from a first time which is a time before the scheduled wake-up time set by the user .
The first process is
A second process of the user based on a detection result of the human sensor to determine whether a sleep state,
When said user is determined to be in the sleep state, the heating operation of discomfort mode to room temperature target first temperature such that the discomfort index is a predetermined threshold or more in the humidity of the room the indoor unit and the A third process to be performed by the outdoor unit ;
A fourth process of stopping the heating operation in the unpleasant mode when it is determined that the user is not in the sleep state;
An air conditioner characterized by including . Wherein, when the user period is sleep state has become the first time shorter than the second time or more, the second temperature such that the discomfort index is greater than the threshold value RT The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the indoor unit and the outdoor unit execute the heating operation in the target discomfort mode. The air conditioning according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein, in the fourth process , the indoor unit and the outdoor unit are put into operation stop or set operation state after stopping the heating operation in the unpleasant mode. Machine. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a weekly timer function that allows the user to set the scheduled wake-up time for each day of the week.

Images