JPH0629786B2 - Infrared detector for air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial field of application) The present invention controls the air flow direction of the air blown from an air conditioner based on the temperature distribution in an air-conditioned room and the detection result of the position of a person, thereby improving air-conditioning comfort. The present invention relates to an infrared detecting device for an air conditioner, which is used for detecting the above temperature distribution and the position of a person when improving the temperature.

(Prior Art) As a conventional example of an air conditioner equipped with the above-described infrared detecting device for an air conditioner, there is, for example, the device described in JP-A-61-195232. In the air conditioner, the room is divided into a plurality of areas in the front-back and left-right directions from the indoor unit installed on the wall surface, and a plurality of infrared sensors are provided in the indoor unit corresponding to each area. . Then, by the infrared rays coming from each area, the temperature of the floor surface or the like for each area is measured, and based on the measurement result, the blowing direction of the air blown from the indoor unit is controlled to make the indoor temperature distribution uniform. It is done like this.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) By the way, the infrared sensor used for temperature measurement as described above is a relatively expensive component, and the conventional device has a configuration in which a plurality of infrared sensors are provided so as to correspond to partitioned areas in the room. Therefore, there is a problem that the manufacturing cost becomes high. On the other hand, by detecting an infrared ray equivalent to the body temperature emitted from the human body with an infrared sensor, the position of the person inside the room is detected, and by this, the blowing direction of the blowing air can be controlled centering on the person. Further, it is possible to further improve the air conditioning comfort. However, for this reason, when a plurality of human detection infrared sensors are separately provided so as to correspond to the partitioned areas in the room as in the above case, the manufacturing cost is further increased.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object thereof is to measure the temperature distribution in a room and to detect the position of a person with a cheaper configuration, and further detect the temperature and the person throughout the room. An object is to provide an infrared detection device for an air conditioner that can be operated in a shorter time.

(Means for Solving the Problem) Therefore, the infrared detecting device for an air conditioner according to the first aspect of the present invention is a first infrared sensor 4 for detecting the temperature of an infrared radiator such as a floor in an air-conditioned room. And a second infrared sensor 5 sensitive to infrared rays corresponding to the body temperature emitted from the human body, and a plurality of areas corresponding to the areas A to F in the air-conditioned room divided into a plurality of areas A to F. The first and second condensing means 7 and 8 having the polarization parts 7a to 7f and 8a to 8f, respectively, are provided so that the infrared rays from the air-conditioned room are in the respective areas A to F and the first condensing means 7 is provided. The corresponding polarization part 7a ~
The first infrared sensor 4 and the second infrared sensor 5 are configured to collect light via the 7f and the second infrared sensor 5, respectively, via the corresponding polarization units 8a to 8f of the second condensing means 8. , A switching means 9 for moving to the second infrared sensor 4, 5 on the infrared collecting path from each of the areas A to F, and the switching means 9 is provided with each of the first infrared sensor 4 described above. The temperature detecting transmission windows 11 and 12 for transmitting only infrared rays in the paths by arranging them on one path of the light collecting paths for each of the regions A to F, and the above-mentioned second infrared sensor 5 to the second infrared sensor 5. The human detection transmission windows 13 and 14 for transmitting only infrared rays in the paths are formed by arranging on one path of the light collection paths of the respective regions A to F.

Further, the infrared detector for an air conditioner according to the second aspect,
In the device according to the first aspect, the temperature detecting transmission windows 11 and 12 are located on one path of the light collecting paths to the first infrared sensor 4 for each of the regions A to F. When this occurs, the infrared rays collected on the second infrared sensor 5 from the same area as the area that emits infrared rays that pass through the temperature detection transmission windows 11 and 12 are the human detection transmission windows 13 and 1.
4 is configured to pass through.

In addition, in this specification, infrared rays having a wavelength of 1 to 15 μm are targeted, and description will be given by appropriately using vocabulary relating to light in the infrared rays.

(Operation) In the infrared detecting device for an air conditioner according to the first aspect, the temperature detecting transmission windows 11 and 12 are located on the light collecting paths of the respective regions A to F to the first infrared sensor 4. By moving the switching means 9 so as to be sequentially positioned in the area, the infrared rays focused on the first infrared sensor 4 are sequentially switched to the infrared rays in each of the areas A to F, and therefore each area A
The temperature of the infrared radiator, for example, the floor surface is calculated for each F to F, and the temperature distribution in the room is detected. Further, as the switching means 9 is moved, the human detection transmission windows 13 and 14 are also moved on the light collecting paths to the second infrared sensor 5 for each of the areas A to F. The infrared rays focused on 5 are sequentially switched to the infrared rays in each of the above areas A to F,
The presence of a person in each of the areas A to F is determined from the output of the infrared sensor 5, and the position of the person in the room is detected. As described above, in the above, the measurement of the temperature distribution in the room and the detection of the position of the person are possible with the respective infrared sensors 4 and 5, respectively, and the switching of the temperature and the detection area of the person is the same. Since it is not necessary to provide independent switching means for each of them, it is possible to reduce the number of constituent parts, thereby simplifying the configuration and making the manufacturing cost lower.

In the infrared detecting device for an air conditioner according to the second aspect, the switching means 9 is moved to sequentially switch the infrared rays focused on the first infrared sensor 4 to the infrared rays in each of the areas A to F. When the temperature detection operation for each of the areas A to F is performed, the focused infrared light on the second infrared sensor 5 is sequentially switched to the infrared light for each of the areas A to F, and the output of the second infrared sensor 5 is changed to each. It is possible to determine the presence of a person in each of the areas A to F. Therefore, an operation time for moving the switching means 9 and detecting a person separately from the temperature detection is unnecessary, and as a result, the temperature and the person can be detected in a shorter time.

(Example) Next, a specific example of the infrared detecting device for an air conditioner of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of an infrared detecting device M for an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is installed in a wall-mounted indoor unit of an air conditioner. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a substantially box-shaped casing, and a circuit board 3 is vertically provided from an upper surface 2 inside the casing 1, and the circuit board 3 has a floor surface or the like in a room. A thermoelectric type first infrared sensor (hereinafter, referred to as a first sensor) 4 for detecting a temperature distribution, and a pyroelectric type second infrared sensor (hereinafter, referred to as a first sensor) 4 for detecting a position of a person in a room. Two sensors 5 are arranged side by side vertically with their light receiving surfaces facing the front surface (the surface on the left side in FIG. 1) 6 of the casing 1. A first light collecting plate (first light collecting means) 7 and a second light collecting plate (second light collecting means) 8 are mounted on the front surface 6, and their functions will be described later. Further, a cylindrical drum (switching means) 9 that surrounds the circuit board 3 is provided upright in the casing 1, and a step for rotating the drum 9 at the lower end shaft portion of the drum 9. The motor 10 is connected.

FIG. 4 shows an indoor unit 20 of an air conditioner having the infrared detecting device M installed therein, which is attached to one wall surface.
The floor surface excluding the vicinity immediately below the indoor unit 20 is divided into two areas in the front-rear direction and three areas in the left-right direction from the installation wall surface of the indoor unit 20, and is divided into a total of six areas A to F, and the temperature in each area A to F 2A and 2B are schematic diagrams in the case of performing the detection of 1 and the detection of a person by the infrared detection device M. A suction port 21 is formed on the front panel of the indoor unit 20, and an infrared detection device M is arranged on the side of the suction port 21. A blowout port 22 is formed below the suction port 21, and a horizontal flap 23 and a vertical flap 24 for controlling the blowing direction are provided at the blowout port 22.

As shown in FIG. 2, each of the light collectors 7 and 8 corresponds to the divided areas A to F obtained by dividing the room into six, and a total of six small lens sections (two rows in the upper and lower rows and three rows in the left and right rows). Polarizer) 7a-
It is composed of a Fresnel lens having 7f and 8a to 8f. First, the small lens portion 7a of the first light collecting plate 7 is radiated from the area A in the infrared rays radiated from the floor surface, wall surface, furniture, etc. in the room according to their temperature.
The first sensor 4 has a function of condensing only infrared rays that pass through. The other small lens portion of the first light collector 7
.. have a function of condensing the infrared rays radiated from the regions B, C, ..., And transmitted through the small lens portions 7b, 7c ,. That is, each small lens portion 7a to 7f causes each area A in the room.
The light condensing area is defined for each of F to F, and only the infrared rays that pass through the corresponding small lens portions 7a to 7f from each light condensing area are included in the first sensor 4
Condensing paths for condensing light are respectively configured. Then, in a similar manner to the above, the small lens portions 8a to 8f of the second light collecting plate 8 form a light collecting path from each of the areas A to F in the room to the second sensor 5, and the second sensor 5 includes Each area A,
B, ... from corresponding small lens portions 8a, 8b, ...
It is configured to collect only infrared rays that pass through.

On the other hand, on the cylindrical surface of the drum 9 where a part of the cylindrical surface is located between the sensors 4 and 5 and the light collecting plates 7 and 8, as shown in FIG. 3, first to fourth openings 11 to 11 are formed. 14 are drilled at different positions in the vertical direction. The first on the upper side,
The second openings 11 and 12 are formed as temperature detecting transmission windows, and the first opening 11 at the uppermost position is the first light collecting plate 7 when the drum 9 is rotated.
Is formed at a position crossing each condensing path from each small lens portion 7a, 7b, 7c on the upper stage side to the first sensor 4, and at the position below the first opening 11 in the circumferential direction. The opening 12 is formed by the small lens portions 7d, 7e on the lower side of the first light collector 7,
It is formed at a position crossing each condensing path from 7f to the first sensor 4.

The third and fourth openings 13 and 14 formed below the second opening 12 are formed as transmission windows for human detection, and the third opening 13 is the first opening 1 described above.
1 and the fourth opening are formed at substantially the same circumferential position as the second opening 12, and first, the third opening 13 is formed.
Is at a position that traverses each condensing path from each small lens portion 8a, 8b, 8c on the upper stage side of the second condensing plate 8 to the second sensor 5, and the fourth opening 14 at the lowermost position is the second concentrator. It is formed at a position crossing each condensing path from each small lens portion 8d, 8e, 8f on the lower side of the light plate 8 to the second sensor 5.

The drum 9 in which the openings 11 to 14 are formed is rotated to, for example, the first opening 11 to the small lens portion of the first light collector 7.
When located on the light collecting path from 7a to the first sensor 4,
Only the infrared rays condensed through the small lens portion 7a, that is, the infrared rays from the area A are incident on the first sensor 4 through the first opening 11. And at this time, at the same time, the third
The opening 13 is located on the light collecting path from the small lens portion 8a of the second light collector 8 to the second sensor 5, so that only the infrared rays from the area A are incident on the second sensor 5. As a result, at this rotational position of the drum 9, the infrared rays from the area A are
The signals are incident on the sensor 4 and the second sensor 5, respectively, and therefore, the signals corresponding to the incident infrared rays from the area A are output from both the sensors 4 and 5, and the area A is output by the output from the first sensor 4 as described later. Whether or not a person is present in this area A is determined based on the temperature of the floor surface in Fig. 1 and the output from the second temperature sensor 5.

Then, the drum 9 was rotated counterclockwise from the above position in FIG. 3, and the first opening 11 was positioned on the light collecting path from the small lens portion 7b of the first light collecting plate 7 to the first sensor 4. At the same time, the third opening 13 is located on the light collecting path from the small lens portion 8b of the second light collector 8 to the second sensor 5, and the first opening 11 is formed on the small lens portion 7c of the first light collector 7. From the small lens portion 8c of the second light collecting plate 8 to the second sensor 5 when the third opening 13 is positioned on the light collecting path from the second sensor 5 to the first sensor 4.
The infrared rays from the regions B and C are sequentially switched to be incident on the first sensor 4 and the second sensor 5 at each position.

Further, the drum 9 is rotated to rotate the first opening 11 and the third opening 11.
When the opening 13 reaches the position beyond the light collecting path from the region C, the second opening 12 and the fourth opening 12 which are formed at positions separated from the first and third openings 11 and 13 in the circumferential direction. 1
4 is the first lens 4 and the second sensor 5 from the small lens portions 7d and 8d on the lower side of the first light collector 7 and the second light collector 8, respectively.
Since they are positioned on the paths for collecting light at the same time, and are further rotated, the incident light on the first sensor 4 and the second sensor 5 is sequentially emitted to the infrared rays from the areas D, E, and F in the same manner as described above. It is designed to switch.

Next, the wind direction control in the air conditioner including the infrared detecting device M having the above configuration will be described. FIG. 5 shows a control block diagram thereof. As shown in the figure, on the circuit board 3 of the infrared detection device M, the rotation control of the drum 9 as described above and the incidence on the sensors 4 and 5 are performed. From infrared to each area A
~ Control circuit unit 3 for detecting the temperature of the floor surface and the person for each F
0 is configured. In the control circuit unit 30, the output from the first sensor 4 is the amplification circuit 31 and the correction calculation unit 3
After the signal amplification and correction are performed in 2, the temperature conversion unit 33 converts the signal into a temperature signal according to the amount of incident infrared rays, and the temperature signal is input to the sequence processing unit 34 including a control IC having a microcomputer function. In the correction calculation unit 32, in addition to the emissivity correction circuit 35 and the temperature correction circuit 36 depending on the ambient temperature of the sensor 4, the incident angle of incident infrared rays on the light receiving surface of the sensor 4 is different for each of the areas A to F. An infrared incident energy correction circuit 37 for correcting the above is provided, and a distance / area correction circuit 38 for correcting that the distance to the floor surface and the light-collecting area defined by the small lens portion are different for each of the areas A to F. There is. To the infrared incident energy correction circuit 37 and the distance / area correction circuit 38, a correction constant corresponding to the region to be detected is input from the sequence processing unit 34 at the start of the detection operation for each of the regions A to F. .

On the other hand, the output from the second sensor 5 is input to the sequence processing unit 34 after the signal is amplified by the amplifier circuit 39. The second sensor 5 is configured to be sensitive to infrared rays corresponding to the body temperature from the human body, and to output a pulsed voltage signal when the amount of incident infrared rays changes. Therefore, a person is present in the detection area. In this case, the voltage signal is output according to the change in the amount of infrared rays incident on the second sensor 5 due to the movement of the person, and this voltage signal is input to the sequence processing unit 34 as a person detection signal.

The sequence processing unit 34 outputs a sequential operation signal to the motor drive unit 41 to control the rotation angle position of the drum 9 thereby, and the temperature of each of the areas A to F from the output signals of the sensors 4 and 5. It has a function of performing a detection operation between a person and a person and storing the result in the storage unit 42. Hereinafter, the control in the sequence processing unit 34 will be described with reference to the control flowchart of FIG.

Step S1 in FIG. 6 is a step of switching the detection area, which outputs an operation signal to the motor drive section 41, whereby the step motor 10 is operated, and the drum 9 is moved to the above-mentioned first or first step. The three openings 11 and 13 are rotated until they are located on the light collecting path from the area A. Then step S2
In step S3, the correction constant corresponding to the area A is output to the correction calculator 32, and then in step S3, the timer tm1 starts counting time. A detection operation time t1 (for example, 3 seconds) per area is set in the timer tm1. Next, step S4 is a step of determining whether or not a person detection signal is generated by the second sensor 5, and this determination is made until the time measured by the timer tm1 reaches the set time t1 (step S4).
5) Continue. During this period, if it is determined that the human detection signal is generated, the above steps S4 to S6.
Then, in this step, the determination signal indicating the presence of a person is stored in the person detection memory corresponding to the area A in the storage unit 42, and the procedure proceeds to step S8 described later.

On the other hand, if the time detected by the timer tm1 reaches the set time t1 without discriminating the human detection signal in step S4,
Subsequently, in step S7, a confirmation signal indicating absence of a person is stored in the person detection memory, and subsequently, the process of step S8 is performed.

This step S8 is a step of reading the temperature signal input from the first sensor 4 through the temperature conversion unit 33, and stores this temperature in the temperature memory corresponding to the region A in the storage unit 42 and stores it in the region A. Ends the detection operation for. The next step S9 is a step of determining whether or not the detection operation for the area F has been completed, and the processing returning to step S1 is performed until the detection operation for the area F is completed. Therefore, in step S1, the switching operation for changing the detection area to the next area B, that is, the rotation of the drum 9 is performed so that the infrared rays from the area B are incident on the first and second sensors 4 and 5, and thereafter step S9 is reached. By repeating the process, the presence / absence of a person and the temperature in region B are detected in the same manner as described above. Subsequently, similar operations are sequentially repeated in the order of areas C, D, E, and F, and when the detection operation for the area F is completed, the process proceeds from step S9 to step S10 to control the operation of the entire air conditioner. The temperature and the person discrimination result for each area stored in the storage unit 42 are transmitted to the air conditioning operation control device 45. After that, the process of returning to step S1 is performed again, and thereafter, the detection operation from the area A to F is repeated, and every time the operation up to the area F is completed, the detection result at that time is sent to the air conditioning operation control device 45. It is transmitted sequentially.

In the air-conditioning operation control device 45, the horizontal and vertical flaps 23 and 24 provided at the air outlet 22 of the indoor unit 20 are operated to control the air outlet direction from the human detection position and the temperature of each area as described above. . For example, after starting the heating operation, the outlet temperature is 40
When starting up to ℃, prevent blowout wind from hitting people and prevent cold draft, and when the blowing temperature exceeds 40 ℃, set the horizontal flaps 13 right below to warm the floor surface, and then warm the room temperature to 15 ℃. When the temperature rises above ℃, the blowing angle is changed in such a way that hot air is blown directly on the person, and the person's surroundings are rapidly warmed. In this case, if there is a low-temperature area in the room, sufficient warmth cannot be obtained due to cold radiation from this area. The wind direction is controlled to improve the distribution and give a warmer feeling. By such control, a more comfortable air conditioning state can be achieved.

The specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above,
The above embodiment is not intended to limit the present invention and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the cylindrical drum 9 constitutes the switching means, but each sensor 4, It is possible to configure the switching means by a plate-shaped member or a belt-shaped member that reciprocates on the light collecting path to 5.
It is also possible to construct each of the light converging means 7 and 8 by assembling a plurality of divided small lens concave mirrors. Further, in the above description, an example in which the room is divided into six sections has been described, but any number of sections can be used. The present invention can be applied and configured to be compatible.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, in the infrared detector for an air conditioner according to the first aspect of the present invention, the temperature distribution in the room divided into a plurality of regions and the detection of the position of the person are respectively performed. A single infrared sensor can be provided, and the detection areas for temperature and person can be switched by the same switching means, and it is not necessary to provide independent switching means for each, so the number of constituent parts is small. As a result, the structure can be simplified and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

Further, in the infrared detector for an air conditioner according to the second aspect, temperature detection for each area in the room and person detection are performed at the same time, and the switching means is moved separately from the temperature detection to detect a person. Since the operation time for detecting is unnecessary, it is possible to detect the temperature and the person in a shorter time.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an infrared detector for an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention which is installed in a wall-mounted indoor unit of an air conditioner, and FIG. 2 is a view taken along the line II-II in FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a drum in the above apparatus, FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a room in which an indoor unit of an air conditioner having the above apparatus is installed, and FIG. 5 is a control block diagram of the air conditioner. FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the control performed by the sequence processing unit in the infrared detection device. 4 ... 1st infrared sensor, 5 ... 2nd infrared sensor, 7
...... First light collecting plate (first light collecting means), 8 ...... Second light collecting plate (second light collecting means), 9 ...... Drum (switching means), 11 ...
... 1st opening (transparent window for temperature detection), 12 ... 2nd opening (transparent window for temperature detection), 13 ... 3rd opening (transparent window for human detection), 14 ... 4th opening (for human detection) Transparent window), 7a-7
f, 8a to 8f ... small lens part (polarizing part), A to F ... area.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A first infrared sensor (4) for detecting the temperature of an infrared radiation object such as a floor surface in an air-conditioned room, and a second infrared sensor (5) sensitive to infrared radiation equivalent to body temperature emitted from a human body. And a plurality of areas (A
First to second light collecting means (7) (7a) each having a plurality of polarization parts (7a to 7f) (8a to 8f) corresponding to the respective areas (A to F) in the air-conditioned room divided into 8) is provided, and the infrared ray from the air-conditioned room is provided to each of the regions (A to F) through the corresponding polarization unit (7a to 7f) of the first condensing means (7) to the first infrared sensor. (4) and the second infrared ray sensor (5) via the corresponding polarization units (8a to 8f) of the second light condensing means (8) respectively. A switching means (9) for moving the infrared ray from each of the areas (A to F) to the second infrared sensor (4) (5) is provided, and the switching means (9) is provided with 1 Infrared ray in this path by locating it on one path of each focusing path for each area (A to F) to the infrared sensor (4) A temperature detecting transmission window (11) (12) for transmitting only light and a position on one path of the light collection paths for each of the areas (A to F) to the second infrared sensor (5). An infrared detecting device for an air conditioner, characterized in that a transparent window (13) (14) for detecting a person, which transmits only infrared rays in this path, is formed. 2. The temperature detecting transmission windows (11) (12) are provided on one path of the light collecting paths to the first infrared sensor (4) for each of the regions (A to F). When positioned, condensed infrared rays from the same area as the area that emits infrared rays that pass through the temperature detection transmission windows (11) (12) to the second infrared sensor (5) are transmitted by the person detection. Windows (13) (1
The infrared detecting device for an air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the infrared detecting device is configured to pass through 4).