Control apparatus, control system, and appliance control device

• US 9,781,810 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2016
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Azbil Corporation (Azbil BioVigilant Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Azbil Corporation (Azbil BioVigilant Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kikuchi, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Philogene, Haissa
• Application Number:
  US15/152,766
• Publication Number:
  US 20160338176A1
• Time in Patent Office: 509 Days
• Field of Search: 700276-278, 700299, 700300, 315307, 315308
• 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 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/65 for selecting an operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 5/0042 characterised by the application of thermo-electric units or the Peltier effect
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/105 in response to determined parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/13 by using passive infrared detectors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A control apparatus includes a sensor and a control circuit. The sensor obtains a thermal pattern formed by a plurality of thermo-elements arranged in an appliance control device, a temperature of heat generated by each of the plurality of thermo-elements being controllable. The control circuit controls an appliance in accordance with the thermal pattern obtained by the sensor.

Claims

1. A control apparatus, comprising:

a sensor configured to detect a thermal pattern formed by a plurality of thermo-elements arranged in an appliance control device, a temperature of heat generated by each of the plurality of thermo-elements in the appliance control device being controllable; and

a control circuit configured to control an appliance in accordance with the thermal pattern detected by the sensor.

2. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of thermo-elements are Peltier elements.

3. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is a thermopile configured to detect the thermal pattern formed by the plurality of thermo-elements as a thermal image.

4. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the appliance is a lighting appliance, and

the control circuit is further configured to control on, off, and dimming of the lighting appliance.

5. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the appliance is an air-conditioning appliance, and

the control circuit is further configured to control on, off, and a set temperature of the air-conditioning appliance.

6. The control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to control the appliance in accordance with a control table stored in a memory, the control table storing thermal patterns in association with corresponding control modes of the appliance.

7. A control system, comprising:

an appliance control device including a plurality of thermo-elements arranged therein, a temperature of heat generated by each of the plurality of thermo-elements being controllable;

a sensor configured to detect a thermal pattern formed by the plurality of thermo-elements arranged in the appliance control device; and

a control circuit configured to control an appliance in accordance with the thermal pattern detected by the sensor.

8. The control system according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of thermo-elements are Peltier elements.

9. The control system according to claim 7, wherein the sensor is a thermopile configured to detect the thermal pattern formed by the plurality of thermo-elements as a thermal image.

10. The control system according to claim 7, wherein

the appliance is a lighting appliance, and

the control circuit is further configured to control on, off, and dimming of the lighting appliance.

11. The control system according to claim 7, wherein

the appliance is an air-conditioning appliance, and

the control circuit is further configured to control on, off, and a set temperature of the air-conditioning appliance.

12. The control system of claim 7, wherein the control circuit is further configured to control the appliance in accordance with a control table stored in a memory, the control table storing thermal patterns in association with corresponding control modes of the appliance.

13. The control system of claim 7, wherein the temperature of heat generated by each of the plurality of thermo-elements is controllable by input from a user.

14. An appliance control device, comprising:

a plurality of thermo-elements that form a plurality of thermal patterns; and

a thermo-element control circuit configured to set the plurality of thermal patterns by controlling a temperature of heat generated by each of the plurality of thermo-elements.

15. The appliance control device of claim 14, further comprising an interface configured to receive an input from the user, the input being used to control the temperature of heat generated by each of the plurality of thermo-elements.

16. The appliance control device of claim 14, wherein the appliance control device is a handheld device.