CENTRAL AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM

• US 20110231019A1
• Filed: 03/19/2010
• Published: 09/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Denso PS Corporation (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Denso PS Corporation (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: NANAMI, Tomoyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,369,995 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/277
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25236 Detail, detect presence of operator to wake up system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25289 Energy saving, brown out, standby, sleep, powerdown modus for microcomputer
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2638 Airconditioning

Abstract

A central air-conditioning system conditions a house having a plurality of rooms. When a person is not present in any of the rooms, each room is conditioned in energy-saving conditioning mode having a low load. On the other hand, when the person is detected in any of the rooms, a controller switches an operating mode for conditioning the room, in which the person is detected, from the energy-saving conditioning to rapid conditioning. Air-conditioner ducts respectively connected to the remaining rooms are closed. Therefore, cold air or warm air from an air-conditioning unit is supplied to the room in which the person is detected, while the cold air or warm air is not supplied to the rooms in which the person is not present. As a result, the room that has been switched from energy-saving conditioning to rapid conditioning is conditioned in a concentrated manner.

Claims

1. A central air-conditioning system comprising:

a single air-conditioning unit that generates heat exchange and outputs air generated by the heat exchange;

a plurality of air-conditioning ducts that connect the air-conditioning system and a plurality of rooms of a house and allows the heat-exchanged air to pass therethrough;

a plurality of open/close valves respectively arranged at each of the air-conditioning ducts to selectively open and close each of the air-conditioning ducts;

a plurality of person sensors respectively arranged in each of the rooms to detect whether or not there is a person in each of the rooms;

a plurality of temperature sensors respectively arranged in each of the rooms to detect temperature of each of the rooms; and

a controller that controls the temperature of the rooms, room by room, by selectively opening and closing the open/close valves based on information indicative of both whether or not the person is present in each of the rooms and the temperature of each of the rooms detected by the temperature sensors,

the controller functionally comprises

i) a startup process that starts up the air-conditioning unit;

ii) a startup person detection process that detects that allows the person sensors to detect whether or not there is a person in each of the rooms;

iii) an ordinary conditioning process that sets a first flag ON to perform ordinary conditioning for an occupied room detected by the startup person detection process, the ordinary conditioning being for controlling the temperature of a room at a predetermined ordinary temperature;

iv) an energy-saving conditioning process that performs energy-saving conditioning for an unoccupied room detected startup person detection process, the energy-saving conditioning being for controlling the temperature of a room at a predetermined lower temperature that is lower in an air-conditioning load than the ordinary conditioning; and

v) an individual room conditioning control process that performs either of the individual room conditioning control process and the energy-saving conditioning process such that the temperature of each of the rooms is controlled individually,

wherein the individual room conditioning control process includes

i) a person detecting process that allows the person sensors to detect by turn whether or not there is a person in each of the rooms;

ii) a conditioning mode conforming process that conforms that any of the ordinary conditioning, rapid conditioning, and the energy-saving conditioning is currently in operation in each of targeted rooms, which are detected by the person detecting process, the rapid conditioning requiring intensive conditioning in the targeted rooms, and

iii) a control process that allows an unoccupied-room process to be performed for a targeted room when the person detecting process detects no person in the targeted room;

allows a ordinary conditioning mode process to be performed for a targeted room when the person detecting process detects a person therein and the conditioning mode conforming process conforms that the ordinal conditioning is in operation in the targeted room;

allows a rapid conditioning mode in-progress process to be performed for a targeted room when the person detecting process detects a person therein and the conditioning mode conforming process conforms that the rapid conditioning is in operation in the targeted room; and

allows a rapid conditioning mode transfer process for a targeted room when the person detecting process detects a person therein and the conditioning mode conforming process conforms that the energy-saving conditioning is in operation in the targeted room;

wherein the unoccupied-room process is configured to

perform a presence flag checking process to check whether or not the first flag is made ON to show the presence of the person in the targeted room,

set the first flag OFF when the first flag is currently ON,

set a second flag ON for the room being performed, the second flag indicating that the ordinal conditioning should be performed or not,

set any of the first and second flags OFF when the presence flag checking process checks that the first flag is currently OFF,

determine whether or not a third flag is ON which indicates closing or opening one of the open/close valve, which is arranged at one of the air-conditioning ducts;

close the one of the open/close valves when it is determined that the third flag is ON, and

allow an energy-saving conditioning process to be performed for the energy-saving conditioning process for the targeted room when it is determined that the third flag is OFF;

wherein the conditioning mode conforming process is configured to

determine whether or not the second flag for each of the targeted rooms is ON,

transfer the conditioning mode in a targeted room, to the ordinary conditioning mode process for the ordinary conditioning when it is determined that the second flag is ON,

determine whether or not the temperature of the targeted room, which is detected by one of the temperature sensors, is within an allowed temperature control range which is set to the predetermined ordinary temperature when the second flag is OFF which shows that the ordinary conditioning is not in operation in the targeted room,

set ON the second flag for the targeted room and set OFF a fourth flag therefor when it is determined that the temperature of the targeted room is within the allowed temperature control range, the fourth flag showing whether or not the rapid conditioning should be performed,

perform, after making the fourth flag OFF, a duct restoring process which allows remaining open/close valves among the open/close valves to be opened, the remaining open/close valves being arranged at, of the air-conditioning ducts, remaining air-conditioning ducts connected to remaining rooms other than the targeted room among the plurality of rooms,

transfer the conditioning mode in the targeted room to the ordinary conditioning mode process,

determine whether or not the fourth flag for the targeted room is ON when it is determined that the temperature thereof is out of the allowed temperature control range,

transfer the conditioning mode in the targeted room to a rapid conditioning mode in-progress process permitting the rapid conditioning being continued, when it is determined that the fourth flag therefor is ON, and

transfer the conditioning mode in the targeted room to the rapid conditioning mode transfer process when it is determined that the fourth flag therefor is OFF;

wherein the rapid conditioning mode transfer process is configured to

set ON the first flag for a room among the targeted rooms and set ON the fourth flag for the targeted room when it is detected that a person has entered the room,

determine whether or not the third flag for an open/close valve among the open/close valves, which is for the targeted room, is made ON,

set OFF the third flag for the targeted room if it is determined that the third flag therefor is OFF,

keep the third flag for the targeted room OFF when it is determine that third flag therefor is OFF,

perform a presence checking process for checking whether or not the person is preset in the non-targeted rooms among the plurality of rooms, and

fully open the open/close valve arranged at the air-conditioning duct connected to the targeted room, before transfer to the conditioning control for the non-targeted rooms;

wherein the rapid conditioning mode in-progress process is configured to

perform the presence conforming process after the conditioning mode conforming process, before transfer to the conditioning control for the non-targeted rooms;

wherein the ordinary conditioning mode process is configured to

detect the temperature of the targeted room using one of the temperature sensors which is arranged in the room therefor, after the conditioning mode conforming process, and

control the temperature of the targeted room based on the detected temperature and the predetermined ordinary temperature, before the transfer to the conditioning control for the non-targeted rooms;

wherein the energy-saving conditioning process is configured to

detect the temperature of the targeted room using one of the temperature sensors which is arranged in the room therefor when the third flag therefor is OFF during the unoccupied-room process is in operation, and

perform the conditioning control the temperature of the targeted room, based on both the detected temperature and the unoccupied-room set temperature, before the transfer to the conditioning control for the non-targeted rooms;

wherein the presence checking process include a flag setting process configured to

determine whether or not the first flag for each of the non-targeted rooms is ON, and

set ON the third flag for each of the air-conditioning ducts connected to the non-targeted rooms when the first flag for each of the non-targeted rooms is OFF; and

wherein the duct restoring process includes a flag unsetting process configured to

determine whether or not whether or not open/close valves among the plurality of open/close valves arranged at the air-conditioning ducts connected to the non-targeted rooms are closed, and

set OFF the third flag for the non-targeted rooms when it is determined that the open/close valves among the plurality of open/close valves are closed.

2. The central air-conditioning system of claim 1, wherein

the unoccupied-room process is configured to set the first flag ON and set OFF for both the second and fourth flags for the targeted room, when the first flag is OFF;

and

the presence checking process is configured to determine whether or not the first flag for each of the non-targeted rooms is ON, and to perform both a third flag setting process which sets ON the third flag, room by room, for the non-targeted rooms and a duct closing process which closes the open/close valve dependent on making the third flag ON, when it is determined that the first flag for each of the non-targeted rooms is OFF.

3. A central air-conditioning system comprising:

a single air-conditioning unit that generates heat exchange and outputs air generated by the heat exchange;

a plurality of air-conditioning ducts that connect the air-conditioning system and a plurality of rooms of a house and allows the heat-exchanged air to pass therethrough;

a plurality of open/close valves respectively arranged at each of the air-conditioning ducts to selectively open and close each of the air-conditioning ducts;

a plurality of person sensors respectively arranged in each of the rooms to detect whether or not there is a person in each of the rooms;

a plurality of temperature sensors respectively arranged in each of the rooms to detect temperature of each of the rooms; and

a controller that controls the temperature of the rooms, room by room, by selectively opening and closing the open/close valves based on information indicative of both whether or not the person is present in each of the rooms and the temperature of each of the rooms detected by the temperature sensors,

the controller functionally comprises

i) a startup process that starts up the air-conditioning unit;

ii) a startup person detection process that detects that allows the person sensors to detect whether or not there is a person in each of the rooms;

iii) an ordinary conditioning process that sets a first flag ON to perform ordinary conditioning for an occupied room detected by the startup person detection process, the ordinary conditioning being for controlling the temperature of a room at a predetermined ordinary temperature;

iv) an energy-saving conditioning process that performs energy-saving conditioning for an unoccupied room detected startup person detection process, the energy-saving conditioning being for controlling the temperature of a room at a predetermined lower temperature that is lower in an air-conditioning load than the ordinary conditioning; and

v) an individual room conditioning control process that performs either of the individual room conditioning control process and the energy-saving conditioning process such that the temperature of each of the rooms is controlled individually,

wherein the individual room conditioning control process includes

i) a person detecting process that allows the person sensors to detect by turn whether or not there is a person in each of the rooms;

ii) a conditioning mode conforming process that conforms that any of the ordinary conditioning, rapid conditioning, and the energy-saving conditioning is currently in operation in each of targeted rooms, which are detected by the person detecting process, the rapid conditioning requiring intensive conditioning in the targeted rooms, and

iii) a control process that allows an unoccupied-room process to be performed for a targeted room when the person detecting process detects no person in the targeted room;

allows an ordinary conditioning mode process to be performed for a targeted room when the person detecting process detects a person therein and the conditioning mode conforming process conforms that the ordinal conditioning is in operation in the targeted room;

maintains the rapid conditioning for a targeted room when the person detecting process detects a person therein and the conditioning mode conforming process conforms that the rapid conditioning is in operation in the targeted room; and

allows a rapid conditioning mode transfer process for a targeted room when the person detecting process detects a person therein and the conditioning mode conforming process conforms that the energy-saving conditioning is in operation in the targeted room;

wherein the unoccupied-room process is configured to

perform a presence flag checking process to check whether or not the first flag is made ON to show the presence of the person in the targeted room, and

perform an energy-saving conditioning process in which the first flag is made OFF when the presence flag checking process checks that the first flag is currently ON, a second flag is made ON for the room being performed, the second flag indicating that the ordinal conditioning should be performed or not, any of the first and second flags is made OFF when the presence flag checking process checks that the first flag is currently OFF, it is determined whether or not a fourth flag is ON, the fourth flag indicating whether or not the rapid conditioning should be performed in any of non-targeted rooms other than the targeted room among the plurality of rooms, the close/open valve arranged at the air-conditioning duct for the targeted room is closed when it is determined that the fifth flag is ON, and the energy-saving conditioning is performed for the targeted room when it is determined that the fifth flag is OFF;

wherein the conditioning mode conforming process is configured to

determine whether or not the second flag for each of the is targeted rooms is ON,

transfer the conditioning mode in a targeted room, to the ordinary conditioning mode process for the ordinary conditioning when it is determined that the second flag is ON,

determine whether or not the temperature in the targeted room, which is detected by one of the temperature sensors, is within an allowed temperature control range which is set to the predetermined ordinary temperature when the second flag is OFF which shows that the ordinary conditioning is not in operation in the targeted room,

transfer the conditioning mode for the targeted room to the ordinary conditioning mode after making ON the second flag for the targeted room and making OFF the fourth flag therefor, when it is determined that the temperature of the targeted room is within the allowed temperature control range,

determine whether or not the fourth flag for the targeted room is ON when it is determined that the temperature thereof is out of the allowed temperature control range,

transfer the conditioning to the conditioning control for the non-targeted rooms when it is determined that the fourth flag for the targeted room is ON, and

transfer the conditioning mode to the rapid conditioning mode transfer process when it is determined that the fourth flag for the targeted room is OFF;

wherein the rapid conditioning mode transfer process is configured to

set ON the first flag for a room among the targeted rooms and set ON the fourth flag for the targeted room when it is detected that a person has entered the room, and

fully open the open/close valve arranged at the air-conditioning duct connected to the targeted room, before transfer to the conditioning control for the non-targeted rooms;

wherein the ordinary conditioning mode process is configured to

detect the temperature of the targeted room using one of the temperature sensors which is arranged in the room therefor, after performing the conditioning mode conforming process, and

control the temperature of the targeted room based on the detected temperature and the predetermined ordinary temperature, before the transfer to the conditioning control for the non-targeted rooms; and

wherein the energy-saving conditioning process is configured to

detect the temperature of the targeted room using one of the temperature sensors which is arranged in the room therefor when the third flag therefor is OFF during the unoccupied-room process is in operation, and

perform the conditioning control the temperature of the targeted room, based on both the detected temperature and the unoccupied-room set temperature, before the transfer to the conditioning control for the non-targeted rooms.