Environmental apparatus control system

• US 8,020,778 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2006
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nagoya University, Panasonic Electric Works Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Miyake, Toshiyuki, Oobayashi, Fumiaki, Murakami, Yoshifumi, Harada, Masayuki, Kuno, Satoru, Terano, Masaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tyler; Cheryl J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bradford; Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US11/883,524
• Publication Number:
  US 20080116287A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,059 Days
• Field of Search: 236/1.C, 165/201, 700/276, 700/277, 700/278, 700/299, 700/291, 705/10
• US Class Current: 236/1.00C
• 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 11/62 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 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/60 Energy consumption

Abstract

An environmental apparatus control system for a comfortable residential environment based upon demands from the residents. The system includes a project composer which relies upon a first reference (R1) and a second reference (R2) to determine a control project based upon the demands. The references are each determined by a first proportion of the count of the temperature lowering demands in the total number of the residents, and a second proportion of the count of the temperature raising demands in the total number of the resident. A first proportion of the count of the first demands in the number of the residents, and a second proportion of the count of the second demands in the number of the residents are obtained to give a current demand ratio which is compared with first and second references for determination of the control project. The first and second references and are defined respectively as different ratios of the first proportion to the second proportion.

Claims

1. An environmental apparatus control system comprising:

an apparatus configured to a residential environment;

a demand collector configured to collect demands of changing said residential environments from residents present in said residential environment and to collect the total number of residents present in said residential environment on a regular basis, said demand including a first demand and a second demand which are opposed to each other;

a project composer configured to determine a control project of controlling said apparatus based upon said demands;

said control project including a first project of controlling said apparatus to change said residential environment in one direction, a second project of controlling said apparatus to change said residential environments in the opposite direction, and a neutral project of controlling said apparatus to maintain said residential environments; and

an apparatus controller configured to control said apparatus in accordance with said control project;

wherein said project composer is configured

to have a first reference and a second reference each determined by a first proportion of a count of the first demands in said total number of the residents and a second proportion of a count of said second demand in said total number of the resident, said first reference and said second reference being different from each other,

to obtain a current first proportion of the collected count of the first demands in said total number of the residents, and a current second proportion of the collected count of the second demands in said total number of the residents so as to give a current demand ratio, wherein said current demand ratio is a coordinate relationship of said current first proportion and said current second proportion, and

to compare said current demand ratio with said first and second references so as to select one of said first, second, and neutral projects in accordance with a comparison result,

wherein said first reference is defined by a predetermined first ratio, said predetermined first ratio being a coordinate relationship of the first proportion and the second proportion, and said second reference is defined by a predetermined second ratio, said predetermined second ratio being a coordinate relationship of the first proportion and the second proportion, and

wherein said project composer is configured to select said first project when said current demand ratio is above said first reference, second project when said current demand ratio is below said second reference, and said neutral project when said current demand ratio is between said first reference and said second reference.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said project composer is configured to determine a target parameter based upon the selected one of said first, second, and neutral projects, said target parameter being referred to by said apparatus controller for controlling said apparatus to adjust said residential environment in match with said target parameter, said target parameter being recorded in a control history table,

said project composer is configured to shift at least one of said first reference and said second reference in a direction of reducing a chance of selecting said first project in a next step when the current target parameter is higher than the previous one, and of reducing a chance of selecting said second project in the next step when the current target parameter is lower than said previous one.

3. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said project composer is configured to have a third reference (R3) which is defined by a predetermined first lower limit (L1) of said first proportion (P1) and a predetermined second lower limit (L2) of said second proportion (P2),

said project composer is configured to rely on said third reference (R3) to select said neutral project (S0) when said current first proportion (P1) is lower than said first limit (L1) and at the same time said current second proportion (P2) is lower than said second limit (L2).

4. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said project composer is configured to have a third reference which is defined by one of a predetermined first lower limit of said first proportion and a predetermined second lower limit of said second proportion,

said project composer is configured to rely on said third reference to select said second project when said current first proportion is lower than said first limit or to select said first project when said current second proportion is lower than said second limit.

5. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said project composer is configured to provide a temporary proportion set composed of a temporary first proportion and a temporary second proportion each time one of said first and second projects is selected,

said temporary first proportion being defined to be equal to the previous first proportion and said temporary second proportion being defined to be equal to said previous first proportion when said second project is selected,

said temporary first proportion being defined to be equal to the previous second proportion and said temporary second proportion being defined to be equal to said previous second proportion when said first project is selected,

said project composer is configured to compare the current first proportion and the current second proportion respectively with those of the corresponding temporary proportion set, and to give a modified proportion set which is a combination of a greater one of the current first proportion and said temporary first proportion, and a greater one of the current second proportion and said temporary second proportion, said modified proportion set being relied upon for selecting one of said first, second, and neutral projects,

said project composer is configured to decrement said the temporary first and second proportions in said temporary proportion set towards zero each time said project composer selects the project.