Sensor mounting device

• US 9,841,202 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2014
• Issued: 12/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Shikii, Shinichi, Kusukame, Koichi, Silawan, Nawatt, Itoh, Tatsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Fennema, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Monty, Marzia T
• Application Number:
  US14/414,191
• Publication Number:
  US 20150233598A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,309 Days
• 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 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/77 by controlling the speed of ventilators
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/79 for controlling the direction of the supplied air
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/89 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/12 Position of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/30 Supports specially adapted for an instrument; Supports specially adapted for a set of instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

A sensor mounting device (100) of the present disclosure includes: a power supply unit (110) configured to generate power that is to be supplied to the device; a sensor (120) configured to acquire information of the environment around of the device; a first control unit (130) configured to give an instruction based on the information acquired by the sensor (120); and a second control unit (150) configured to control the device in accordance with the instruction of the first control unit (130). Power to the sensor (120) and the first control unit (130) is directly supplied from the power supply unit (110). Power to the second control unit (150) is supplied from the power supply unit (110) via a switching unit (140) whose ON/OFF state is controlled by the first control unit (130).

Claims

1. An air conditioning appliance equipped with a sensor, the air conditioning appliance comprising:

a sensor configured to acquire a thermal image regarding temperature distribution in a space where the air conditioning appliance is located;

a louver configured to control a direction of wind that is blown out from the air conditioning appliance to the space; and

a control unit configured to

(1) extract a position where a person exists from the thermal image regarding the temperature distribution in the space, the thermal image being acquired by the sensor,

(2) determine a timing in which the wind blown out from the louver does not hit the position where the person exists, and

(3) measure, at the determined timing, temperature distribution of the person by using the thermal image acquired by the sensor; and

(4) control the air conditioning appliance based on the temperature distribution of the person.

2. The air conditioning appliance according to claim 1, further comprising a power supply unit configured to generate power to be supplied to the air conditioning appliance, wherein:

the control unit includes a first control unit configured to provide an instruction based on the thermal image acquired by the sensor, and a second control unit configured to control the air conditioning appliance in accordance with the instruction of the first control unit; and

power to the sensor and the first control unit is directly supplied from the power supply unit, and power to the second control unit is supplied from the power supply unit via a switching unit whose ON/OFF state is controlled by the first control unit.

3. The air conditioning appliance according to claim 1, wherein the control unit transmits, externally from the air conditioning appliance, an instruction based on the thermal image acquired by the sensor.

4. The air conditioning appliance according to claim 1, wherein the sensor includes at least one of a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor.

5. The air conditioning appliance according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls, based on the thermal image acquired by the sensor, at least one of blowing/stopping, direction, intensity, temperature, and humidity of the wind.