ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL APPARATUS, ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL SYSTEM, ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL METHOD, AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL PROGRAM

• US 20130282185A1
• Filed: 06/24/2013
• Published: 10/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daikin Industries Ltd
• Original Assignee: Daikin Industries Ltd
• Inventors: NISHIMURA, Masaya
• Granted Patent: US 10,310,524 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/276
• 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 11/56 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 11/65 for selecting an operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/50 Air quality properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/20 Feedback from users
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1919 characterised by the type of controller
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

An environmental control apparatus that is installed in a room and is portable includes an input unit, a setting unit, a determination unit, and a recommendation unit. The input unit is input a fact that a room air environment is comfortable. The setting unit sets a range of a comfort zone. The determination unit determines whether the air environment of the room is within the range of the comfort zone. The recommendation unit recommend an improving method of improving the air environment of the room based on at least information about a determination result of the determination unit so that the air environment of the room falls within the range of the comfort zone.

Claims

1. An environmental control apparatus that is installed in a room and is portable, comprising:

an input unit configured to be input a fact that an air environment of the room is comfortable, the fact that the air environment of the room is comfortable being input by a user if the user determines that the air environment of the room is comfortable;

a setting unit configured to set a range of a comfort zone based on the fact that the air environment of the room is comfortable and an air environmental factor of the air environment of the room sensed with a sensor unit;

a determination unit configured to determine whether the air environment of the room is within the range of the comfort zone; and

a recommendation unit configured to recommend an improving method of improving the air environment of the room based on at least information about a determination result of the determination unit so that the air environment of the room falls within the range of the comfort zone.

2. The environmental control apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising

a vocalization unit configured to report the improving method by using speech based on information about the improving method that was recommended by the recommendation unit.

3. The environmental control apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising

a display unit configured to display the improving method on a screen based on information about the improving method that was recommended by the recommendation unit.

4. The environmental control apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein

the air environmental factor of the room includes at least one of temperature, dew point temperature differential, humidity, atmospheric pressure, airflow, toxic substance concentration, dust concentration, and negative ion concentration of the room.

5. The environmental control apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein

the air environmental factor of the room includes at least two of temperature, dew point temperature differential, humidity, atmospheric pressure, airflow, toxic substance concentration, dust concentration, and negative ion concentration of the room, and

the determination unit assigns a priority order to the air environmental factor of the room, and determines whether the air environment of the room is within the range of the comfort zone based on information about the air environmental factor of the room.

6. The environmental control apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein

the air environmental factor of the room includes at least two of temperature, dew point temperature differential, humidity, atmospheric pressure, airflow, toxic substance concentration, dust concentration, and negative ion concentration of the room, and

the recommendation unit assigns a priority order to the air environmental factor of the room, and recommends, based on at least the information about the determination result of the determination unit, a method of improving the air environment of the room so that it falls within the range of the comfort zone.

7. The environmental control apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein

the improving method includes at least one of a ventilation method and an operation method of an air conditioner that conditions the air environment of the room.

8. The environmental control apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein

the operation method of the air conditioner is an improving method for at least one of an operation mode, a set temperature, a set humidity, a set airflow, a set wind direction, an amount of dehumidification, an amount of humidification, an amount of ventilation, and an air cleaning performance of the air conditioner.

9. The environmental control apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising

a storage unit configured to store the comfort zone that was set by the setting unit.

10. The environmental control apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein

the setting unit sets the range of the comfort zone for each of the users,

the storage unit stores the comfort zone set with the setting unit for each of the users.

11. The environmental control apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein

the fact that the air environment of the room is comfortable is input to the input unit before the air environmental factor of the air environment of the room is sensed with the sensor unit.

12. The environmental control apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein

the recommendation unit recommends the improving method for the user.

13. An environmental control system, comprising:

the environmental control apparatus as recited in claim 1; and

an air conditioner configured to condition the air environment of the room based on information received from the environmental control apparatus so that the air environment of the room falls within the range of the comfort zone.

14. An environmental control method wherein an apparatus, which is installed in a room and is portable, controls an air environment of the room, comprising:

sensing the air environment of the room;

inputting a fact that an air environment of the room is comfortable, the fact that the air environment of the room is comfortable being input by a user if the user determines that the air environment of the room is comfortable;

setting a range of a comfort zone based on the fact that the air environment of the room is comfortable and an air environmental factor of the air environment of the room;

determining whether the air environment of the room is within the range of the comfort zone; and

recommending an improving method of improving the air environment of the room based on at least information about a determination result of the determination unit so that the air environment of the room falls within the range of the comfort zone.

15. A computer readable medium with an environmental control program stored thereon that causes an apparatus, which is installed in a room and is portable, to control an air environment of the room, comprising instructions for performing:

sensing the air environment of the room;

inputting a fact that an air environment of the room is comfortable, the fact that the air environment of the room is comfortable being input by a user if the user determines that the air environment of the room is comfortable;

setting a range of a comfort zone based on the fact that the air environment of the room is comfortable and an air environmental factor of the air environment of the room;

determining whether the air environment of the room is within the range of the comfort zone; and

recommending an improving method of improving the air environment of the room based on at least information about a determination result of the determination unit so that the air environment of the room falls within the range of the comfort zone.