AIR-CONDITIONING MANAGEMENT APPARATUS

• US 20140081467A1
• Filed: 06/14/2011
• Published: 03/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Sato, Yasushi
• Granted Patent: US 9,441,850 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 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• 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 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 3/065 with a plurality of evaporators or condensers
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house

Abstract

An air-conditioning management apparatus is capable of selecting an air-conditioning device that affects an air-conditioning environment at a specific position in an air-conditioned space from a plurality of air-conditioning devices.

An area that is within an air-conditioned space to which a specific position P belongs in an arrangement plan and that is within a predetermined range from the specific position is obtained as a control target range. An air-conditioning device whose installation position in the arrangement plan is included in the control target range is selected as a control target air-conditioning device.

Claims

1. An air-conditioning management apparatus that controls operations of a plurality of air-conditioning devices, the air-conditioning management apparatus comprising:

a storage device configured to store information on an arrangement plan illustrating arrangement of one or a plurality of air-conditioned spaces and air-conditioning device position information indicating installation positions of each of the air-conditioning devices in the arrangement plan;

an input device configured to receive information on any specific position in the arrangement plan;

a display device; and

a controller configured to allow the display device to display the arrangement plan indicating the installation positions of each of the air-conditioning devices on a basis of the information on the arrangement plan and the air-conditioning device position information, and control an operation of an air-conditioning device selected as a control target air-conditioning device from the plurality of air-conditioning devices,

wherein the controller

obtains, as a control target range, an area that is within the air-conditioned space to which the specific position belongs in the arrangement plan and that is within a predetermined range from the specific position, and

selects at least one air-conditioning device whose installation position in the arrangement plan is included in the control target range as the control target air-conditioning device.

2. The air-conditioning management apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the information on the arrangement plan is image information representing the shape of each air-conditioned space and a boundary with another air-conditioned space in color, and

wherein the controller obtains the control target range on a basis of a display color at the specific position in the arrangement plan.

3. The air-conditioning management apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller sets the predetermined range on a basis of a reach of air blown from each air-conditioning device.

4. The air-conditioning management apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the input device receives information on any specific range in the arrangement plan, and

wherein the controller sets the predetermined range on a basis of the specific range received through the input device.

5. The air-conditioning management apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an air-conditioning device management section configured to acquire information on a room temperature detected by each air-conditioning device,

wherein the controller controls an operation of each control target air-conditioning device on a basis of room temperatures detected by the control target air-conditioning devices.

6. The air-conditioning management apparatus of claim 5, wherein the controller controls the operation of each control target air-conditioning device such that an average of room temperatures detected by the control target air-conditioning devices is close to an overall average of room temperatures detected by the plurality of air-conditioning devices.