Air conditioning control device, air conditioning control method and program

• US 9,222,688 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2011
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Ishizaka, Taichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Darrin
• Application Number:
  US13/811,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20130123992A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,797 Days
• Field of Search: 700/2, 700/17, 700/100, 700/108, 700/276, 700/277, 700/278
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/65 for selecting an operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 3/065 with a plurality of evaporators or condensers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 5/00 Air-conditioning systems or apparatus not covered by F24F1/00 or F24F3/00 , e.g. using solar heat or combined with household units such as an oven or water heater

Abstract

An air-conditioning control device controls a plurality of air-conditioners (indoor devices) disposed at different locations within a predetermined living room space. A data manager stores location information for each air-conditioner (indoor device). A distance calculator calculates a distance between respective air-conditioners (indoor devices) based on the location information. A control order setter sets, based on the distance between respective air-conditioners (indoor devices) calculated by the distance calculator, a control order of each air-conditioner (indoor device) on which energy-saving control is to be performed in such a way that time spans for performing the energy-saving control that controls respective air-conditioners (indoor devices) for a predetermined time to suppress power consumption in respective sections of the living room space are balanced. The control executer repeatedly executes the energy-saving control on each air-conditioner (indoor device) in accordance with the control order set by the control order setter.

Claims

1. An air-conditioning control device that controls a plurality of air-conditioners disposed at different locations within a predetermined living room space, the air-conditioning control device comprising:

a memory that stores location information for each air-conditioner;

a distance calculator that calculates, among the plurality of air-conditioners, respective distances between an already-set air-conditioner for which a control order has already been set and remaining air-conditioners for which the control order has yet to be set, wherein the control order is for energy-saving control that controls respective air-conditioners for a predetermined time to reduce power consumption and wherein the respective distances are calculated based on the location information stored in the memory;

a control order setter that sets, based on the distances calculated by the distance calculator, the control order for each air-conditioner in such a way that time spans for performing the energy-saving control in respective sections of the living room space are balanced; and

a control executer that repeatedly executes the energy-saving control on each air-conditioner in accordance with the control order set by the control order setter, wherein

the control order setter repeats a process of obtaining a proximity order of the remaining air-conditioners relative to the already-set air-conditioner based on the calculated distances, and selecting, as a next control-target, the air-conditioner with the proximity order corresponding to a predetermined proportion of a number of the remaining air-conditioners until all air-conditioners have been selected as control-targets.

2. The air-conditioning control device according to claim 1, wherein the control order setter calculates the proximity order based on a distance from a last control-target air-conditioner among the already-set air-conditioners.

3. The air-conditioning control device according to claim 2, wherein the control order setter calculates, for the air-conditioners with a same distance from the last control-target air-conditioner, the proximity order in an order of a closer distance to the air-conditioner that is a previous control-target to the last control-target.

4. The air-conditioning control device according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of air-conditioners are put together in several groups with common operation input means,

the distance calculator calculates a distance between respective groups based on location information of each group when a control content of the energy-saving control is operable through the operation input means,

the control order setter sets, based on the distance between respective groups, a control order for performing the energy-saving control on respective groups in such a way that time spans for performing the energy-saving control in respective sections of the living room space are balanced, and

the control executer repeatedly executes the energy-saving control on each group in accordance with the set control order.

5. The air-conditioning control device according to claim 4, wherein the control executer

executes the energy-saving control group by group for the control content of the energy-saving control that is operable through the operation input means, and

executes the energy-saving control device by device for the control content of the energy-saving control that is inoperable through the operation input means.

6. The air-conditioning control device according to claim 5, wherein

when an electrical energy of the plurality of air-conditioners exceeds a predetermined threshold, the control content of the energy-saving control is set to be a control content operable through the operation input means, and

when the electrical energy of the plurality of air-conditioners becomes lower than the predetermined threshold, the control content of the energy-saving control is set to be a control content inoperable through the operation input means.

7. The air-conditioning control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display which displays a plan view of a floor of the living room space and which also displays an icon indicating an operation status of each air conditioner at a location in the plan view corresponding to a location in the living room space where each air-conditioner is disposed; and

an inputter that is capable of adjusting a position of the icon displayed on the display through an operation input, wherein

the memory stores position information of the icon of each air-conditioner, and

the distance calculator calculates the distances based on the position information of the icon of each air-conditioner.

8. The air-conditioning control device according to claim 1, wherein every time information stored in the memory is updated,

the distance calculator calculates the distances based on information on the location stored in the memory, and

the control order setter sets the control order for each air-conditioner.

9. An air-conditioning control method that controls a plurality of air-conditioners disposed at different locations within a predetermined living room space, the air-conditioning control method comprising:

a distance calculating step for calculating, among the plurality of air-conditioners, respective distances between an already-set air-conditioner for which a control order has already been set and remaining air-conditioners for which the control order has yet to be set, wherein the control order is for energy-saving control that controls respective air-conditioners for a predetermined time to reduce power consumption, and wherein the respective distances are calculated based on information on a location for each air-conditioner stored in a memory;

a control order setting step for setting, based on the distances calculated in the distance calculating step, the control order for each air-conditioner in such a way that time spans for performing the energy-saving control in respective sections of the living room space are balanced; and

a control executing step for repeatedly executing the energy-saving control on each air-conditioner in accordance with the control order set through the control order setting step, wherein

the control order setting step comprises repeating a process of obtaining a proximity order of the remaining air-conditioners relative to the already-set air-conditioner based on the calculated distances, and selecting, as a next control-target, the air-conditioner with the proximity order corresponding to a predetermined proportion of a number of the remaining air-conditioners until all air-conditioners have been selected as control-targets.

11. The air-conditioning control method according to claim 9, wherein the control order setting step calculates the proximity order based on a distance from a last control-target air-conditioner among the already-set air-conditioners.

12. The air-conditioning control method according to claim 11, wherein the control order setting steps calculates, for the air-conditioners with a same distance from the last control-target air-conditioner, the proximity order in an order of a closer distance to the air-conditioner that is a previous control-target to the last control-target.

13. The air-conditioning control method according to claim 9, wherein

the plurality of air-conditioners are put together in several groups with common operation input means,

the distance calculating step calculates a distance between respective groups based on location information of each group when a control content of the energy-saving control is operable through the operation input means,

the control order setting step sets, based on the distance between respective groups, a control order for performing the energy-saving control on respective groups in such a way that time spans for performing the energy-saving control in respective sections of the living room space are balanced,

the control executing step repeatedly executes the energy-saving control on each group in accordance with the set control order,

wherein the control executing step

executes the energy-saving control group by group for the control content of the energy-saving control that is operable through the operation input means, and

executes the energy-saving control device by device for the control content of the energy-saving control that is inoperable through the operation input means,

when an electrical energy of the plurality of air-conditioners exceeds a predetermined threshold, the control content of the energy-saving control is set to be a control content operable through the operation input means, and

when the electrical energy of the plurality of air-conditioners becomes lower than the predetermined threshold, the control content of the energy-saving control is set to be a control content inoperable through the operation input means.

10. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium on which is recorded a program that allows a computer which controls a plurality of air-conditioners disposed at different locations in a predetermined living room space to function as:

a distance calculating unit for calculating, among the plurality of air-conditioners, respective distances between an already-set air-conditioner for which a control order has already been set and remaining air-conditioners for which the control order has yet to be set, wherein the control order is for energy-saving control that controls respective air-conditioners for a predetermined time to reduce power consumption, and wherein the respective distances are calculated based on information on a location for each air-conditioner stored in a memory;

a control order setting unit for setting, based on the distance calculated by the distance calculating unit, the control order for each air-conditioner in such a way that time spans for performing the energy-saving control in respective sections of the living room space are balanced; and

a control executing unit for repeatedly executing the energy-saving control on each air-conditioner in accordance with the control order set by the control order setting unit, wherein

the control order setting unit repeats a process of obtaining a proximity order of the remaining air-conditioners relative to the already-set air-conditioner based on the calculated distances, and selecting, as a next control-target, the air-conditioner with the proximity order corresponding to a predetermined proportion of a number of the remaining air-conditioners until all air-conditioners have been selected as control-targets.

14. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 10, wherein the control order setting unit calculates the proximity order based on a distance from a last control-target air-conditioner among the already-set air-conditioners.

15. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 14, wherein the control order setting unit calculates, for the air-conditioners with a same distance from the last control-target air-conditioner, the proximity order in an order of a closer distance to the air-conditioner that is a previous control-target to the last control-target.

16. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 10, wherein

the plurality of air-conditioners are put together in several groups with common operation input means,

the distance calculating unit calculates a distance between respective groups based on location information of each group when a control content of the energy-saving control is operable through the operation input means,

the control order setting unit sets, based on the distance between respective groups, a control order for performing the energy-saving control on respective groups in such a way that time spans for performing the energy-saving control in respective sections of the living room space are balanced,

the control executing unit repeatedly executes the energy-saving control on each group in accordance with the set control order,

wherein the control executing unit

executes the energy-saving control group by group for the control content of the energy-saving control that is operable through the operation input means, and

executes the energy-saving control device by device for the control content of the energy-saving control that is inoperable through the operation input means,

when an electrical energy of the plurality of air-conditioners exceeds a predetermined threshold, the control content of the energy-saving control is set to be a control content operable through the operation input means, and

when the electrical energy of the plurality of air-conditioners becomes lower than the predetermined threshold, the control content of the energy-saving control is set to be a control content inoperable through the operation input means.