Sensor mounting device

• US 10,371,402 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2017
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Shikii, Shinichi, Kusukame, Koichi, Silawan, Nawatt, Itoh, Tatsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Fennema, Robert E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Monty, Marzia T
• Application Number:
  US15/782,361
• Publication Number:
  US 20180045428A1
• Time in Patent Office: 663 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/77 by controlling the speed of ventilators
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/79 for controlling the direction of the supplied air
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/89 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/12 Position of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/30 Supports specially adapted for an instrument; Supports specially adapted for a set of instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

A sensor mounting device (100) of the present disclosure includes: a power supply unit (110) configured to generate power that is to be supplied to the device; a sensor (120) configured to acquire information of the environment around of the device; a first control unit (130) configured to give an instruction based on the information acquired by the sensor (120); and a second control unit (150) configured to control the device in accordance with the instruction of the first control unit (130). Power to the sensor (120) and the first control unit (130) is directly supplied from the power supply unit (110). Power to the second control unit (150) is supplied from the power supply unit (110) via a switching unit (140) whose ON/OFF state is controlled by the first control unit (130).

Claims

1. An air conditioning appliance equipped with a sensor, the air conditioning appliance comprising:

the sensor configured to acquire information regarding temperature distribution of a space in which the air conditioning appliance is provided; and

a controller (i) configured to detect whether or not a person in the space is in a sleeping state from the information, (ii) configured to, when it has been detected that the person is in a sleeping state, control the air conditioning appliance such that an operation sound indicating that the air conditioning application is starting up or shutting down generated when starting up or shutting down the air conditioning appliance is not produced, and (iii) configured to, when it has been detected that the person is not in the sleeping state, control the air conditioning appliance such that the operation sound indicating that the air conditioning application is starting up or shutting down generated when starting up or shutting down the air conditioning appliance is produced.

2. The air conditioning appliance according to claim 1, wherein

the sensor is a thermal image sensor, and the information is a thermal image acquired by the thermal image sensor.

3. The air conditioning appliance according to claim 2, wherein

the controller measures, based on the information regarding the temperature distribution, an amount of body movement which is an amount by which the person has moved, and detects whether or not the person is in a sleeping state by use of the amount of body movement.

4. The air conditioning appliance according to claim 2, wherein

the controller measures a body surface temperature of the person from the information regarding the temperature distribution, and detects whether or not the person is in a sleeping state from the body surface temperature.

5. The air conditioning appliance according to claim 1, wherein

the controller measures, based on the information regarding the temperature distribution, an amount of body movement which is an amount by which the person has moved, and detects whether or not the person is in a sleeping state by use of the amount of body movement.

6. The air conditioning appliance according to claim 1, wherein

the controller measures a body surface temperature of the person from the information regarding the temperature distribution, and detects whether or not the person is in a sleeping state from the body surface temperature.

7. The air conditioning appliance according to claim 6, wherein

the body surface temperature of the person is a skin temperature of a nose part, a cheek part, or a hand of the person.

8. The air conditioning appliance according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is further configured to, when it has been detected that the person is in the sleeping state, control the air conditioning appliance such that generation of noise is reduced by moderating the operation of a compressor, a louver, or a fan.

9. A method for controlling an air conditioning appliance equipped with a sensor, the method comprising:

acquiring, by the sensor, information regarding temperature distribution of a space in which the air conditioning appliance is provided;

detecting whether or not a person in the space is in a sleeping state from the information regarding the temperature distribution;

performing, when it has been detected that the person is in a sleeping state, controlling of the air conditioning appliance such that an operation sound indicating that the air conditioning application is starting up or shutting down generated when starting up or shutting down the air conditioning appliance is not produced; and

performing, when it has been detected that the person is not in the sleeping state, controlling of the air conditioning appliance such that the operation sound indicating that the air conditioning application is starting up or shutting down generated when starting up or shutting down the air conditioning appliance is produced.