JP7112867B2 - Thermo-hygrometer - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to thermohygrometers.

In recent years, thermo-hygrometers have been devised that detect environmental data such as temperature and humidity and report the risk of heat stroke, food poisoning, mites and mold, or influenza based on the detection results (for example, Patent document 1).

Japanese Patent No. 5409496

In an environment where there is a risk of heatstroke, food poisoning, mites or mold, or influenza, it is possible for the user to take appropriate action (for example, change the room temperature setting of the air conditioner). desirable.

However, the thermo-hygrometer as disclosed in Patent Document 1 merely informs the danger of heatstroke, food poisoning, the occurrence of ticks and molds, influenza, etc., and the effect of this notification is maximized. It lacks the point of view of performance.

The present disclosure has been made in view of this situation, and allows users to take appropriate actions in an environment where there is a risk of heat stroke, food poisoning, mites or mold, or influenza. provide a thermo-hygrometer.

(i) In order to solve the above problems, the finger thermohygrometer according to the present disclosure includes a temperature sensor that detects the temperature around the thermohygrometer, a humidity sensor that detects the humidity around the thermohygrometer, a temperature and humidity a storage unit that stores a program for controlling the operation of the meter; a processor that reads and executes the program from the storage unit; and an output unit that outputs the processing result of the processor. The processor uses temperature information detected by the temperature sensor and humidity information detected by the humidity sensor to determine whether the surrounding environment is dangerous. The danger is notified to the user via the output unit in one of a plurality of notification modes.

(ii) In the present embodiment, the processor compares the ambient temperature change after informing the user of the danger with a temperature threshold, and changes the informing mode to another informing mode based on the result of the comparison. change. More specifically, the processor calculates an ambient temperature change slope and a slope onset time after informing the user of danger, and determines whether the ambient temperature change slope is greater than or equal to a threshold associated therewith, or the slope onset Determine if the time is less than or equal to the associated threshold, and change the notification mode to another notification mode based on the result of the determination.

(iii) In the present embodiment, the processor compares the change in ambient humidity after informing the user of the danger with a humidity threshold, and changes the informing mode to another informing mode based on the result of the comparison. change to More specifically, the processor calculates the ambient humidity change slope and the slope start time after informing the user of the danger, and determines whether the ambient humidity change slope is greater than or equal to the threshold associated therewith, or the slope start time is less than or equal to the threshold associated therewith, and changes the notification mode to another notification mode based on the result of the determination.

(iv) In the present embodiment, the processor calculates the heat index based on the ambient temperature information and the ambient humidity information, and changes the heat index after informing the user of the danger and the heat index is compared with a threshold for, and the notification mode is changed to another notification mode based on the result of the comparison. More specifically, the processor calculates the slope of change in the heat index and the slope start time after informing the user of the danger, and determines whether the slope of change in the heat index is greater than or equal to the threshold associated therewith, or the slope start time is less than or equal to the threshold associated therewith, and changes the notification mode to another notification mode based on the result of the determination.

(v) At least one of voice, image, and light can be used as the notification form. For example, in the case of voice notification, polite tone, standard tone, and command tone may be included as different modes.

Further features related to the present disclosure will become apparent from the description of the specification and the accompanying drawings. In addition, the aspects of the present disclosure will be achieved and attained by means of the elements and combinations of various elements and aspects of the detailed description that follows and the claims that follow.
It should be understood that the description herein is merely exemplary and is not intended to limit the scope or application of this disclosure in any way.

According to the thermo-hygrometer of the present disclosure, it is possible for the user to take appropriate action in an environment where there is a risk of heatstroke, food poisoning, mites or mold, or influenza.

1 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration example of a thermo-hygrometer 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining details of risk determination processing and notification processing executed by the thermo-hygrometer 100 according to the present embodiment; It is a figure which shows the environmental change profile example after notifying (calling attention) to a user in each alerting|reporting mode. FIG. 3A shows the temperature change after notification in an environment where heatstroke is possible (temperature of 35° C., humidity of 70%, heat index of 33° C.). FIG. 3B shows changes in humidity after notification under the same environment. FIG. 3C shows changes in the heat index after notification under the same environment.

The embodiment of the present disclosure detects environmental temperature and humidity that are at high risk of heat stroke, heat stroke, influenza, mold/mite outbreak, food poisoning, etc., and notifies temperature and humidity with images, lights, sounds, etc. With regard to the temperature/humidity meter, multiple notification modes (notification patterns) are prepared. Disclosed is a thermo-hygrometer that determines the gradient of humidity change and the time at which the gradient begins, and optimizes the effective notification means and notification mode.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, functionally identical elements may be labeled with the same numbers. Although the attached drawings show specific embodiments and examples of implementation in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure, they are for the purpose of understanding the present disclosure, and are by no means intended to limit the interpretation of the present disclosure. not used.

Although the present embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the present disclosure, other implementations and configurations are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. It is necessary to understand that it is possible to change the composition/structure and replace various elements. Therefore, the following description should not be construed as being limited to this.

<Configuration example of thermo-hygrometer>
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration example of a thermo-hygrometer 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The thermohygrometer 100 includes a processor 101 , a temperature sensor 102 , a humidity sensor 103 , a communication section 104 , a storage section 105 , an input section 106 and an output section 107 .

The processor 101 reads various programs (including programs corresponding to the flowchart of FIG. 2) from the storage unit 105 or another memory (not shown), develops the various programs in an internal memory (not shown), and executes them. .

The temperature sensor 102 measures the ambient temperature (environmental temperature) of the thermo-hygrometer 100 . Measured temperature information is acquired by the processor 101 periodically or as needed. Humidity sensor 103 measures the humidity (environmental temperature) around thermohygrometer 100 . Measured humidity information is acquired by the processor 101 periodically or from time to time. In the present embodiment, only the temperature sensor 102 and the humidity sensor 103 are shown as the types of sensors mounted on the thermo-hygrometer 100, but it is not intended to be limited to these, and another sensor (for example, a light/dark sensor or sound sensor, etc.).
The communication unit 104 is a device that communicates with an external device via a local network or the Internet and acquires predetermined information.

The storage unit 105 stores various programs and various parameters. Also, for example, the storage unit 105 stores information on a heat index (WBGT (Wet Bulb Globe Temperature)) corresponding to the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 102 and the humidity measured by the humidity sensor 103. Stored.

The input unit 106 is configured by any one or a combination of input means such as various switches and buttons, a keyboard (simple keyboard), a touch panel, and a microphone. The output unit 107 is configured by a speaker that outputs audio, a display unit, and the like.

The thermo-hygrometer 100 according to the present embodiment having the above configuration acquires surrounding environmental information (temperature, humidity, etc.) by various sensors, and based on the environmental information, the surrounding environment is susceptible to heatstroke, food poisoning, and influenza. It is determined whether or not the environment is susceptible to infection and/or whether or not the environment is prone to the generation of mites and mold, and if such an environment exists, the user is notified. Further, when the user's reaction (response to action) to the notification of danger is slower than a predetermined standard, the thermo-hygrometer 100 changes the mode for the next notification. As an example of changing the notification mode (synonymous with the notification pattern), the tone of the notification (the tone of reading the message) is changed to a polite tone (Ex: Sorry to trouble you, but I would appreciate it if you could lower the temperature and humidity) → Standard tone (Ex: Please lower the temperature and humidity) → command tone (e.g. lower the temperature and humidity).

<Details of risk judgment and notification processing>
FIG. 2 is a flow chart for explaining the details of the risk determination process and notification process executed by the thermo-hygrometer 100 according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, the processor 101 will be described as an operating entity. Moreover, although only the measurement results of the temperature sensor 102 and the humidity sensor 103 are used in FIG. 2, the measurement results of other sensors may be additionally processed.

(i) Step 201
The processor 101 acquires temperature information measured by the temperature sensor 102 and humidity measured by the humidity sensor 103 . The acquisition timing may be every predetermined interval (for example, 5 minutes), or the temperature and humidity may be constantly monitored.

(ii) step 202
The processor 101 compares the temperature obtained from the temperature sensor 102 with a predetermined temperature threshold, and compares the humidity obtained from the humidity sensor 103 with a predetermined humidity threshold. Further, the processor 101 refers to a heat index table (not shown; a table showing heat indices corresponding to temperature and humidity) stored in the storage unit 105 to refer to the heat index table corresponding to the obtained temperature and humidity. A heat index is obtained, and the heat index is compared with a predetermined heat index threshold. Then, the processor 101 evaluates (determines) whether the surrounding environment is in a dangerous state, that is, whether the environment is susceptible to heatstroke, food poisoning, or influenza, and/or whether the environment is susceptible to the generation of mites and mold. )do. Whether or not the surrounding environment is in a dangerous state is judged to be dangerous when, for example, any one of the temperature, humidity, and heat index is greater than (or may be greater than) a predetermined threshold for each. Alternatively, it may be determined to be dangerous when two or more of the three factors are greater than (or may be greater than) the threshold.

If the surrounding environment is determined to be in a dangerous state, the process proceeds to step 203 . On the other hand, if it is determined that the surrounding environment is not in a dangerous state, the process proceeds to step 201 and returns to the environment monitoring state by each sensor.

(iii) Step 203
The processor 101 notifies in a predetermined notification mode using sound and/or display to adjust the temperature. Here, the predetermined modes are, for example, a polite tone mode, a standard tone mode, and a command tone mode. The initial setting is, for example, a polite tone mode. If there is a risk of heat stroke, for example, a notification that urges you to turn on the air conditioner or lower the temperature setting. do. In cases where there is a risk of food poisoning, for example, it is recommended to check the food or put the food in the refrigerator instead of placing it on the table (e.g., put the food in the refrigerator properly ( standard tone)). If there is a risk of influenza, for example, make a notification that encourages preventive actions (eg, gargle and wash your hands properly (instructive voice)). If the environment is such that mites and mold are likely to grow, for example, an announcement that encourages taking measures to remove moisture (e.g., please return air or dehumidify (standard tone)). do.

(iv) Step 204
The processor 101 acquires the time when the ambient environment temperature started to change (the start time of the ambient temperature change), and calculates the time interval from the notification to the start of the temperature change based on the notification time and the start time of the ambient temperature change. (Tilting start time (elapsed time)) and the gradient of ambient temperature change (temperature difference/elapsed time) are calculated. Here, the control using the gradient of temperature change and the start time of inclination is described, but the gradient of change and the start time of inclination may be similarly calculated for humidity and heat index.

(v) Step 205
The processor 101 determines whether the currently used notification mode will be used at the next notification timing. Specifically, the processor 101 determines whether the change gradient of the ambient temperature is greater than or equal to the threshold (whether the gradient is steeper than the threshold) and whether the tilt start time is less than or equal to the threshold (the tilt start time interval is shorter than the threshold). If the change gradient of the ambient temperature is equal to or greater than the threshold and the start time of the gradient is equal to or less than the threshold (continue the current notification mode: YES in step 205), the process proceeds to step 206. If at least one of the change gradient of the ambient temperature and the start time of the inclination does not satisfy the comparison condition with the threshold value (change current notification mode: NO in step 205 ), the process proceeds to step 207 . Here, if both the gradient of change in the ambient temperature and the time to start the gradient meet the conditions for comparison with the threshold, the process proceeds to step 207, and at least one of the gradient of change in the ambient temperature and the time to start the gradient meets the threshold. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and if one of the elements (one of the change gradient or the slope start time) satisfies the comparison condition with the threshold, step 206 , and if none of the conditions for comparison with the threshold is satisfied, the process may proceed to step 207 .

(vi) step 206
The processor 101 determines that the current notification mode is appropriate (has a notification effect), and sets the current notification mode to be used at the next notification timing as well.

(vii) step 207
The processor 101 determines that the current notification mode is inappropriate (there is no notification effect), and uses another notification mode (for example, a more severe tone than the current notification mode) at the next notification timing. set.

In FIG. 2, the notification mode is changed when it is determined that the notification is not effective even once. You may make it change a mode. Also, FIG. 2 shows that the notification mode is changed when there is no effect of the notification. If the ambient temperature gradient change is equal to or less than the above threshold (continuously or cumulatively), the notification mode may be changed to the standard mode. Further, for example, even if a certain effect cannot be obtained for the user unless the command tone is used at first, the user's awareness gradually increases, and an equivalent effect can be expected even with the standard tone. Therefore, control may be performed to try to return to the standard tone after announcing in a command tone to some extent.

<Example of environment change profile after notification>
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an environmental change profile after notifying (calling attention to) the user in each notification mode. For example, in FIGS. 3A to 3C, temperature change after notification (FIG. 3A) and humidity change after notification in an environment where there is a possibility of heat stroke (temperature 35 ° C., humidity 70%, heat index 33 ° C.) (Fig. 3B), and post-notification heat index change (Fig. 3C). Here, how quickly the user took action to lower the temperature is shown, but the same is true when raising the temperature or lowering the humidity. 3A to 3C, for example, notification pattern (notification mode) 1 indicates a polite voice message, notification pattern (notification mode) 2 indicates a standard tone voice message, and notification pattern (notification mode) 3 indicates a command voice message. Furthermore, here, it is assumed that after informing (calling attention to) the user, the action taken by the user is to operate the air conditioning or to perform ventilation/dehumidification.

As shown in FIGS. 3A to 3C, for all of the ambient temperature, humidity, and heat index, the user takes action more quickly in the case of notification pattern 3 (notification mode 3: notification by command tone). , temperature, humidity and heat index change gradients are steep. In other words, in the notification mode 1 (polite tone), the temperature/humidity starts to decrease slowly, so the notification effect is low. In addition, the temperature and humidity decreased from the same time in notification mode 3 (command tone) and notification mode 2 (standard tone), but since the gradient was greater in notification mode 3 (command tone), Command tone) started the air conditioner with a lower temperature setting or with a stronger wind setting, and it can be judged that the effect of the notification was high.

<Modification>
(i) For example, as shown in the graphs (see FIGS. 3A to 3C) when notification is made in notification mode 3 (command tone), when temperature, humidity, etc. are rapidly returning to proper values, that is, temperature and humidity If the change gradient of humidity, etc. is steep, it is assumed that the user has already taken appropriate action (setting the air conditioner to a low temperature, starting and operating in a strong wind, setting it to a rapid cooling mode, etc.). Before returning to the appropriate value, that is, when the temperature and humidity are at risk of heat stroke, the notification prompting the user to turn on the air conditioner or lower the set temperature may be stopped.

(ii) In the present embodiment, variations of voice messages are used as examples of notification modes, but light (flashing, colors, etc.) or images (characters, icons) may be used. Further, even in the same notification mode, variations such as increasing the volume, speeding up the blinking, and gradually changing to a command tone are conceivable. Furthermore, a learning function may be used to compare which form of notification among sound, light, and image is effective. Also, the most effective combination may be determined. For example, if the effect of notifying by sound and light is equivalent to that of notifying by sound alone, it is preferable not to use light for notifying in consideration of power consumption.

(iii) Since the temperature and humidity cannot be returned to the appropriate values when the user is absent, it is desirable to have means for determining whether or not the user is absent. Methods such as a camera, a motion sensor, and an illuminance sensor are available as means for determining whether or not a person is absent.

(iv) Using the communication unit 104 of the thermo-hygrometer 100, the contents of the notification message and the update information of the notification mode may be updated/added by wire or wirelessly. Assuming that the number of notification means (images, sounds, etc.) increases, it is possible to automatically determine whether the information is of high value to the user and incorporate it into the notification. For example, in a thermo-hygrometer of a given animation, if the product initially displays only the image of character 1, and then updates and adds the image of character 2, which character is character 1 or character 2? It is possible to make the notification effect more effective for the user by determining whether the notification effect is high for the user and controlling which one appears more (mainly) and notifies.

(v) For example, even if a certain effect cannot be obtained without a command tone at first, the user's awareness will gradually increase, and an equivalent effect can be expected even with a standard tone. Therefore, it is preferable to carry out control to attempt to return to the standard tone after announcing in a command tone to some extent.

(vi) Areas with high temperature/humidity risks of heat stroke, influenza, mold/mite outbreak, and food poisoning may be determined in advance according to predetermined criteria, and the content of the notification may be changed for each area.

(vii) In the above-described embodiment, an example was explained in which the notification mode was a command tone, a standard tone, and a polite tone, but other notification modes may be adopted.

(vii-1) Examples of sounds Sounds may be changed in the notification mode. For example, high-volume notification mode ~ low-volume notification mode, high-pitched tone notification mode ~ low-pitched tone notification mode, notification mode by voice type (male voice and female voice) (users themselves after purchase) It may be the voice added in ). Moreover, you may change the content of alerting|reporting. For example, there is a notification mode for outputting a voice saying "Let's raise the humidity to prevent the flu" and a mode for outputting a voice saying "Let's raise the humidity to keep the skin lustrous".

(vii-2) Example of light In the notification mode, the light may be changed. For example, notification mode emitting bright light to notification mode emitting dark light, notification mode of high-speed blinking notification mode of medium-speed blinking to low-speed blinking, notification mode emitting red light to notification mode emitting blue light, etc. is.

(vii-3) Examples of images In the notification mode in which the first image is displayed to the notification mode in which the second image is displayed (the image may be downloaded from the network by the user himself or read), The image displayed on the output unit (display unit) 107 may be changed.
Further, the image displayed on the output unit (display unit) 107 may be changed between the notification mode for displaying a large image and the notification mode for displaying a small image.

<Summary>
In the thermo-hygrometer according to the present embodiment, not only does the notification content change depending on the time and the degree of deviation from the proper value, but also the time and gradient when it starts to return to the proper value (the proper value of temperature and humidity) is measured. Then, control may be performed to change the content of notification based on the time and gradient. If the user becomes accustomed to the fixed notification content or notification method, the result of the notification (whether the user takes appropriate action after the notification) deteriorates. For this reason, by changing the content of notification and the method of notification, it is possible to prevent the user from getting used to it and getting tired of it.

100 thermohygrometer 101 processor 102 temperature sensor 103 humidity sensor 104 communication unit 105 storage unit 106 input unit 107 output unit

Claims (5)

a temperature sensor for detecting the ambient temperature of the thermo-hygrometer;
a humidity sensor that detects the humidity around the thermohygrometer;
a storage unit that stores a program for controlling the operation of the thermohygrometer;
a processor that reads and executes the program from the storage unit;
and an output unit that outputs a result of processing by the processor,
The processor uses the information on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor and the information on the humidity detected by the humidity sensor to determine whether the surrounding environment is in danger. Notifying the user of the danger through the output unit by any one of a plurality of prepared notification modes ,
The processor calculates a slope of change in the ambient temperature and a slope onset time after informing the user of the danger, and determines whether the slope of the ambient temperature change is greater than or equal to a threshold associated therewith or the slope onset. A thermo-hygrometer that determines if time is less than or equal to a threshold associated therewith and changes the notification mode to another notification mode based on the result of that determination . a temperature sensor for detecting the ambient temperature of the thermo-hygrometer;
a humidity sensor that detects the humidity around the thermohygrometer;
a storage unit that stores a program for controlling the operation of the thermohygrometer;
a processor that reads and executes the program from the storage unit;
and an output unit that outputs a result of processing by the processor,
The processor uses the information on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor and the information on the humidity detected by the humidity sensor to determine whether the surrounding environment is in danger. Notifying the user of the danger through the output unit by any one of a plurality of prepared notification modes,
The processor calculates a slope of change in the ambient humidity and a slope onset time after informing the user of the danger, and determines whether the slope of change in the ambient humidity is greater than or equal to a threshold associated therewith or the slope onset. A thermo-hygrometer that determines if time is less than or equal to a threshold associated therewith and changes the notification mode to another notification mode based on the result of that determination. a temperature sensor for detecting the ambient temperature of the thermo-hygrometer;
a humidity sensor that detects the humidity around the thermohygrometer;
a storage unit that stores a program for controlling the operation of the thermohygrometer;
a processor that reads and executes the program from the storage unit;
and an output unit that outputs a result of processing by the processor,
The processor uses the information on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor and the information on the humidity detected by the humidity sensor to determine whether the surrounding environment is in danger. Notifying the user of the danger through the output unit by any one of a plurality of prepared notification modes,
The processor calculates a heat index based on the information on the ambient temperature and the information on the ambient humidity, and calculates a change gradient and a slope start time of the heat index after informing the user of the danger. and determining whether the gradient of change in the heat index is greater than or equal to the threshold value and whether the slope start time is less than or equal to the threshold value, and switching the notification mode to another notification based on the result of the determination The thermo -hygrometer changing mode . In any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
The thermohygrometer, wherein the processor notifies the user of danger via the output using at least one of sound, image, and light. In any one of claims 1 to 4 ,
The thermo-hygrometer, wherein the plurality of notification modes prepared in advance relate to notification by voice and include polite tone, standard tone, and command tone as different modes.

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