AIR-CONDITIONING CONTROL APPARATUS

• US 20110186644A1
• Filed: 01/31/2011
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Sekiguchi, Kazuhiro, Nakasone, Junya, Meguro, Masaaki, Okada, Shigeru, Yamana, Koichi, Gouda, Yoshiaki, Yoshii, Katsuji, Tera, Shigeo
• Granted Patent: US 9,388,997 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 236/46.A
• 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 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy

Abstract

An air-conditioning control apparatus for controlling an air conditioner configured to supply conditioned air into a space to be air-conditioned so that a temperature of a predetermined section in a plurality of sections in the space to be air-conditioned becomes a set temperature, the air-conditioning control apparatus comprising:

• • a detecting device configured to determines the number of people in the predetermined section; and
  • a controller configured to correct the set temperature so as to be decreased if the number of people is increased and so as to be increased if the number of people is decreased.

Claims

1. An air-conditioning control apparatus for controlling an air conditioner configured to supply conditioned air into a space to be air-conditioned so that a temperature of a predetermined section in a plurality of sections in the space to be air-conditioned becomes a set temperature, the air-conditioning control apparatus comprising:

a detecting device configured to determines the number of people in the predetermined section; and

a controller configured to correct the set temperature so as to be decreased if the number of people is increased and so as to be increased if the number of people is decreased.

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

the detecting device determines the number of people per predetermined time, and

the controller controls the air conditioner so that the set temperature is decreased if the number of people which is increased in the predetermined time becomes larger than a first value.

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

the controller controls the air conditioner so that the set temperature is increased if the number of people which is decreased in the predetermined time becomes larger than a second value.

4. The air-conditioning control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a timer configured to count to measure time, wherein

the controller controls the air conditioner so that, if the number of people is increased, the set temperature is decreased only for a first time period on the basis of a time count result of the timer.

5. The air-conditioning control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the controller controls the air conditioner so that, if the number of people is decreased, the set temperature is increased only for a second time period on the basis of the time count result.

6. The air-conditioning control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the controller controls the air conditioner so that, on the basis of information indicating time and date, the set temperature is not changed in a first time zone and changed in accordance with the number of people in a second time zone different from the first time zone.

7. An air-conditioning control apparatus for controlling an air conditioner configured to supply conditioned air into a space to be air-conditioned so that a temperature of a predetermined section in a plurality of sections in the space to be air-conditioned becomes a set temperature, the air-conditioning control apparatus comprising:

a detecting device configured to determine the number of people in the predetermined section; and

a controller configured to control the air conditioner so that a supply amount of the conditioned air is increased if the number of people is increased and the supply amount is decreased if the number of people is decreased.

8. The air-conditioning control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the detecting device determines the number of people per predetermined time, and

the controller controls the air conditioner so that the supply amount is increased if the number of people which is increased in the predetermined time becomes larger than a first value.

9. The air-conditioning control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the controller controls the air conditioner so that the supply amount is decreased if the number of people which is decreased in the predetermined time becomes smaller than a second value.

10. The air-conditioning control apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising

a timer configured to count to measure time, wherein

the controller controls the air conditioner so that, if the number of people is increased, the supply amount is increased only for a first time period on the basis of a time count result of the timer.

11. The air-conditioning control apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the controller controls the air conditioner so that, if the number of people is decreased, the supply amount is decreased only for a second time period on the basis of the time count result.

12. The air-conditioning control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the controller controls the air conditioner so that, on the basis of information indicating time and date, the supply amount is not changed in a first time zone and changed in accordance with the number of people in a second time zone different from the first time zone.

13. An air-conditioning control apparatus of an air-conditioning system including a plurality of air conditioners disposed respectively in a plurality of sections in a space to be air-conditioned in order to set a temperature of each of the plurality of sections at a desired temperature, and a plurality of inlets for sucking air outside of the space to be air-conditioned into the space to be air-conditioned, the air-conditioning control apparatus comprising:

a detecting device configured to detect presence of a person in each of the plurality of sections; and

a controller configured to

control the plurality of air conditioners so that a difference between a temperature of a section where a person is detected among the plurality of sections and an outside temperature outside of the space to be air-conditioned is larger than a difference between a temperature of a section where a person is not detected among the plurality of sections and the outside temperature, and

control a intake amount through the plurality of inlets so that a intake amount through the inlet, which is far from the section where a person is detected, among the plurality of inlets is larger than a intake amount through the inlet, which is close to the section where a person is detected, among the plurality of inlets.

14. The air-conditioning control apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

the detecting device determines the number of people detected in each of the plurality of sections, and

the controller controls the intake amount through each of the plurality of inlets in accordance with the number of people in the section where a person is detected.

15. The air-conditioning control apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

the controller controls the intake amount through the inlet, which is close to the section where a person is detected, so as to becomes zero or substantially zero.

16. The air-conditioning control apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

the controller controls the intake amount through the inlet, which is the farthest from the section where a person is detected, among the plurality of inlets.

17. The air-conditioning control apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising

a plurality of outlets for exhausting air in the space to be air-conditioned to the outside, wherein

the controller controls air exhaust amount through each of the plurality of outlets so that the air exhaust amount through the outlet, which is far from the section where a person is detected, among the plurality of outlets is larger than the air exhaust amount through the outlet, which is close to the section where a person is detected, among the plurality of outlets.

18. The air-conditioning control apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising

a plurality of outlets for exhausting air in the space to be air-conditioned to the outside, wherein

the controller controls air exhaust amount through each of the plurality of outlets so that the air exhaust amount through the outlet, which is far from the section where a person is detected, among the plurality of outlets is larger than the air exhaust amount through the outlet, which is close to the section where a person is detected, among the plurality of outlets.