REMOTE CONTROL DEVICE AND AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM

• US 20130307862A1
• Filed: 01/28/2011
• Published: 11/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Gyota, Tomoaki, Nakata, Masanori
• Application Number:
  US13/981,632
• Publication Number:
  US 20130307862A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/589
• 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 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 27/00 Control arrangements or safety devices specially adapted for heat-exchange or heat-transfer apparatus control arrangements in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/00 2D [Two Dimensional] image generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/40 Filling a planar surface by adding surface attributes, e.g. colour or texture

Abstract

An image indicating a space to be air-conditioned in an office building is formed by rectangular pattern images having fill patterns which differ according to an air-conditioning status, and a frame image overlapping the pattern images. In this case, when an air-conditioning status such as the temperature or humidity of each area as a space to be air-conditioned changes, the rectangular pattern images have only to be redrawn with their display colors being changed, regardless of the shape of each area. Accordingly, the amount of information to be handled when updating the image according to a change in the air-conditioning status is reduced, and the image can be updated accurately in a short period of time.

Claims

1. A remote control device with a display screen, comprising:

first storage that stores control information for controlling an air conditioner disposed in a space to be air-conditioned;

second storage that stores first information regarding a first image representing an air-conditioning status of the space to be air-conditioned, and second information regarding a second image representing a structure defining the space to be air-conditioned; and

a graphics engine that draws the first image on display and fills the first image with a pattern defined by the control information based on the first information, and draws the second image over the first image on display based on the second information.

2. The remote control device according to claim 1, wherein the graphics engine fills the first image with a color defined by the control information.

3. The remote control device according to claim 1, wherein the graphics engine draws a tile image filled with a color defined by the control information over the first image to fill the first image.

4. The remote control device according to claim 1, wherein the graphics engine fills the first image with a mesh pattern defined by the control information.

5. The remote control device according to claim 4, wherein the first image is displayed on a first layer or a second layer overlapping the first layer,

third storage is included to store information on a mesh pattern to fill the first image to be displayed on the first layer, and information on a mesh pattern to fill the first image to be displayed on the second layer, and

the graphics engine fills the first images displayed on the first layer and the second layer based on the information stored in the third storage.

6. The remote control device according to claim 5, wherein the mesh pattern to fill the first image to be displayed on the second layer is rougher than the mesh pattern to fill the first image to be displayed on the first layer.

7. The remote control device according to claim 1, wherein when the control information is updated,

the graphics engine draws the first image filled with a pattern defined by the updated control information on display based on the first information, and overwrites a partial image of the second image which overlaps the first image on display based on the second information.

8. The remote control device according to claim 1, wherein the first information and the second information are information compressed in a predetermined format, and

the graphics engine expands the compressed first information and second information, and draws the first image on the display based on the expanded first information, and draws the second image on the display based on the expanded second information.

9. The remote control device according to claim 1, wherein the first image and the second image are polygons or circles.

10. The remote control device according to claim 1, comprising a controller that extracts predetermined information from the storage, and outputs the predetermined information to the graphics engine,

wherein upon reception of the predetermined information from the controller, the graphics engine draws the first image and the second image independently of the controller.

11. The remote control device according to claim 1, wherein the first image is filled with a pattern corresponding to a temperature of the space to be air-conditioned or a pattern corresponding to a temperature of air-conditioned air which is output from the air conditioner.

12. An air-conditioning system comprising:

the remote control device recited in claim 1; and

the air conditioner that air-conditions the space to be air-conditioned based on a command input via the remote control device.