Air condition control apparatus

• US 5,291,748 A
• Filed: 10/16/1992
• Issued: 03/08/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ueda, Matsuei
• Primary Examiner(s): Wayner, William E.
• Application Number:
  US07/962,109
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: 236/91 C-91 X, 236/78 D, 62/179, 395/21 X
• US Class Current: 62/179
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00742 by detection of the vehicle occupants' presence; by detection of conditions relating to the body of occupants, e.g. using radiant heat detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/20 with sensing elements having variation of electric or magnetic properties with change of temperature G05D23/13 takes precedence

Abstract

An air condition control apparatus includes: a thermal sensation estimating device for estimating an actual thermal sensation on the basis of the history of a thermal sensation information in a predetermined period output from an indirect thermal sensation information detecting device for detecting information relating to a thermal sensation in the vicinity of a human in a room; a control pattern storage device for storing a predetermined thermal sensation control pattern for achieving a target thermal sensation; a control value determining device for determining control values of air to be supplied into the room so that the thermal sensation output from the thermal sensation estimating device coincides with the stored thermal sensation control pattern; an air condition control device for controlling the temperature of the air to be supplied into the room, on the basis of the control value output from the control value determining device; and an air blower for supplying the temperature-controlled air into the room in accordance with the control value determined by the control value determining device. The apparatus adequately controls the air conditioning irrespective of the position and direction of an occupant'"'"'s face.

Claims

1. An air condition control apparatus comprising:

indirect thermal sensation information detecting means for detecting information relating to a thermal sensation in the vicinity of an occupant in a room;

thermal sensation estimating means for estimating an actual thermal sensation on a basis of the history of a thermal sensation information in a predetermined period, said thermal sensation information being output from said indirect thermal sensation information detecting means;

control pattern storage means for storing a predetermined thermal sensation control pattern for achieving a target thermal sensation;

control value determining means for determining control values of air to be supplied into said room so that a thermal sensation output from said thermal sensation estimating means coincides with a thermal sensation control pattern stored in said storage means;

air condition control means for controlling a temperature of said air to be supplied into said room, on a basis of said control value output from said control value determining means; and

an air blower for supplying said temperature-controlled air into said room in accordance with said control value determined by said control value determining means.

2. An air condition control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said indirect thermal sensation information detecting means includes a neural network.

3. An air condition control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of sensors for detecting environment information;

thermal sensation storage means for storing thermal sensation previously estimated in said indirect thermal sensation information detecting means; and

translation table storage means for storing a translation table for estimating the thermal sensation of said occupant, said translation table storage means being connected to said thermal sensation storage means, wherein;

said indirect thermal sensation information detecting means estimates a change of thermal sensation information on a basis of initial thermal sensation information output from said thermal sensation storage means and said environment information output from said sensors and applies said change of thermal sensation information into said thermal sensation estimating means.

4. An air condition control apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said sensors detect a temperature, humidity, wind velocity and volume of solar radiation.

5. An air condition control apparatus as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

environment information calculating means for converting said environment information detected by said sensors into environment information in the vicinity of said occupant.

6. An air condition control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

direct thermal sensation information detecting means for detecting information relating to an actual thermal sensation of said occupant in a room, said direct thermal sensation information detecting means outputting said actual thermal sensation information to said thermal sensation estimating means.

7. An air condition control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of sensors for detecting environment information;

thermal sensation storage means for storing thermal sensation previously estimated in said indirect thermal sensation information detecting means; and

translation table storage means for storing a translation table for estimating the thermal sensation of said occupant, said translation table storage means being connected to said thermal sensation storage means, wherein;

said thermal sensation storage means stores a skin temperature, and said translation table storage means stores a translation table for estimating a skin temperature of said occupant.

8. An air condition control apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said translation table storage means stores a translation table for converting a thermal sensation information output from a thermal sensation button into a skin temperature of said occupant.

9. An air condition control apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said translation table storage means stores a translation table for estimating a skin temperature of said occupant from an exterior temperature and a volume of solar radiation.

10. An air condition control apparatus comprising:

indirect thermal sensation information detecting means for detecting information relating to a thermal sensation in vicinity of an occupant in a room;

thermal sensation estimating means for estimating an actual thermal sensation on a basis of the history of a thermal sensation information in a predetermined period, said thermal sensation information being output from said indirect thermal sensation information detecting means;

target thermal sensation setting means for setting a target thermal sensation;

control value determining means for determining control values of air to be supplied into said room so that a thermal sensation output from said thermal sensation estimating means coincides with said target thermal sensation set in said target thermal sensation setting means;

air condition control means for controlling a temperature of said air to be supplied into said room, on a basis of said control value output from said control value determining means; and

an air blower for supplying said temperature-controlled air into said room in accordance with said control value determined by said control value determining means.

11. An air condition control apparatus as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

a plurality of sensors for detecting environment information;

thermal sensation storage means for storing thermal sensation previously estimated in said indirect thermal sensation information detecting means; and

translation table storage means for storing a translation table for estimating the thermal sensation of said occupant, said translation table storage means being connected to said thermal sensation storage means, wherein;

said indirect thermal sensation information detecting means estimates a change of thermal sensation information on a basis of initial thermal sensation information output from said thermal sensation storage means and said environment information output from said sensors and applies said change of thermal sensation information into said thermal sensation estimating means.

12. An air condition control apparatus as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

a plurality of sensors for detecting environment information;

thermal sensation storage means for storing thermal sensation previously estimated in said indirect thermal sensation information detecting means; and

translation table storage means for storing a translation table for estimating the thermal sensation of said occupant, said translation table storage means being connected to said thermal sensation storage means, wherein;

said thermal sensation storage means stores a skin temperature, and said translation table storage means stores a translation table for estimating a skin temperature of said occupant.

13. An air condition control apparatus as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

environment information calculating means for converting said environment information detected by said sensors into environment information in the vicinity of said occupant.

14. An air condition control apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said translation table storage means stores a translation table for estimating a skin temperature of said occupant from an exterior temperature and a volume of solar radiation.