Air-conditioning control system

• US 10,451,304 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2015
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Denso PS Corporation (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Denso PS Corporation (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Isono, Taku, Miyajima, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Yang, James J
• Application Number:
  US14/610,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20150219354A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,726 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 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/54 using one central controller connected to several sub-controllers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/65 for selecting an operating mode

Abstract

An air-conditioning control system, which controls a central-type air-conditioning system, includes a plurality of auxiliary controllers set in respective areas of a plurality of areas and a main controller capable of communicating with each auxiliary controller. Each auxiliary controller includes a sound wave receiving unit, which receive sound waves that are outputted from a portable apparatus, and a sound wave strength information transmitting unit which transmits, to the main controller, sound wave strength information indicating sound wave reception strength. B the main controller, when specific sound wave strength information is present among the sound wave strength information received from the auxiliary controllers, a first operating mode is set for the area in which the auxiliary remote controller that is a transmission source of the specific sound wave strength information indicating the highest sound wave strength is set, and a second operating mode is set for all the remaining areas.

Claims

1. An air-conditioning control system for controlling a central-type air-conditioning system capable of performing conditioning in a first operating mode and conditioning in a second operating mode having lower energy consumption than the first operating mode, for each of a plurality of areas of which at least a portion of boundaries is partitioned by an object, the air-conditioning control system comprising:

a plurality of auxiliary controllers that are set in respective areas of the plurality of areas; and

a main controller that is capable of communicating with each of the plurality of auxiliary controllers;

each of the plurality of auxiliary controllers comprising;

a sound wave receiving unit that receives sound waves that are outputted from a portable apparatus that is capable of outputting sound waves;

a sound wave strength information transmitting unit that transmits sound wave strength information to the main controller, the sound wave strength information indicating a reception strength of the sound waves received at the sound wave receiving unit; and

a processor that receives a time synchronization command transmitted from the main controller and sets a time of a clock to be synchronized among the plurality of auxiliary controllers, based on the time synchronization command,

each of the auxiliary controllers repeatedly performing reception of the sound waves by the sound wave receiving unit and transmission of the sound wave strength information to the main controller by the sound wave strength information transmitting unit, at a common timing among the plurality of auxiliary controllers; and

the main controller comprising;

a storage unit that stores therein a predetermined threshold;

a processor that transmits the time synchronization command to each of the plurality of auxiliary controllers; and

an operating mode setting unit that, when at least a single piece of specific sound wave strength information, indicating a sound wave strength that is at the predetermined threshold or higher, is present among pieces of sound wave strength information received from each of the auxiliary controllers, sets the first operating mode for an area in which the auxiliary controller that is a transmission source of the specific sound wave strength information indicating highest sound wave strength is set, and sets the second operating mode for any remaining areas, the operating mode setting unit repeatedly performing setting of an air-conditioning operating mode for each of the plurality of areas.

2. The air-conditioning control system according to claim 1, wherein:

each of the auxiliary controllers includes a storage unit that stores therein an area identifier (ID) that identifies an area in which each of the auxiliary controllers is set; and

the sound wave strength information transmitting unit transmits the sound wave strength information, together with the area ID, to the main controller.

3. The air-conditioning control system according to claim 2, wherein

the portable apparatus is a mobile phone.

4. The air-conditioning control system according to claim 1, wherein:

each of the auxiliary controllers includes a storage unit that stores therein an area identifier (ID) that identifies an area in which each of the auxiliary controllers is set; and

the sound wave strength information transmitting unit transmits the sound wave strength information, together with the area ID, to the main controller.

5. The air-conditioning control system according to claim 1, wherein

the portable apparatus is a mobile phone.

6. An air-conditioning control system for controlling a central-type air-conditioning system capable of performing conditioning in a first operating mode and conditioning in a second operating mode having lower energy consumption than the first operating mode, for each of a plurality of areas of which at least a portion of boundaries is partitioned by an object, the air-conditioning control system comprising:

a plurality of auxiliary controllers that are set in respective areas of the plurality of areas; and

a main controller that is capable of communicating with each of the plurality of auxiliary controllers;

each of the plurality of auxiliary controllers comprising;

a sound wave receiving unit that receives sound waves that are outputted from an apparatus that is carried on a person and is capable of outputting sound waves;

a sound wave strength information transmitting unit that transmits sound wave strength information to the main controller, the sound wave strength information indicating a reception strength of the sound waves received at the sound wave receiving unit; and

a processor that receives a time synchronization command transmitted from the main controller and sets a time of a clock to be synchronized among the plurality of auxiliary controllers, based on the time synchronization command,

each of the auxiliary controllers repeatedly performs reception of the sound waves by the sound wave receiving unit and transmission of the sound wave strength information to the main controller by the sound wave strength information transmitting unit, at a common timing among the plurality of auxiliary controllers;

the main controller comprising;

a storage unit that stores therein a predetermined threshold;

a processor that transmits the time synchronization command to each of the plurality of auxiliary controllers; and

an operating mode setting unit that, when at least a single piece of specific sound wave strength information, indicating a sound wave strength that is at the predetermined threshold or higher, is present among pieces of sound wave strength information received from each of the auxiliary controllers, sets the first operating mode for an area in which the auxiliary controller that is a transmission source of the specific sound wave strength information indicating highest sound wave strength is set, and sets the second operating mode for any remaining areas, the operating mode setting unit repeatedly performs setting of an air-conditioning operating mode for each of the plurality of areas.