AIR-CONDITIONING CONTROL APPARATUS, AIR-CONDITIONING APPARATUS, AIR-CONDITIONING CONTROL METHOD, AIR-CONDITIONING CONTROL SYSTEM, AND NON-TRANSITORY RECORDING MEDIUM

• US 20170021693A1
• Filed: 06/14/2016
• Published: 01/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: MOCHIZUKI, MAKOTO, ARAI, YUKO
• Application Number:
  US15/181,579
• Publication Number:
  US 20170021693A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: B60H 1/00757 by the input of sound, e.g. by using a voice synthesizer
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00814 Control systems or circuits characterised by their output, for controlling particular components of the heating, cooling or ventilating installation
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00828 Ventilators, e.g. speed control B60H1/00864 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00871 Air directing means, e.g. blades in an air outlet construction of nozzles or air diffusers B60H1/34
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00985 Control systems or circuits characterised by display or indicating devices, e.g. voice simulators characterised by the input of sound using a voice synthesizer B60H1/00757; B60H1/00978 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 3/02 Moistening ; Devices influencing humidity levels, i.e. humidity control B60H1/3202, B60H1/3207 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/146 Instrument input by gesture
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/148 Instrument input by voice
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/146 Input by gesture
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/148 Input by voice
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 37/06 of controls, e.g. controls knobs
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials

Abstract

In an air-conditioning control apparatus, an input unit receives a detection signal from a sensor that detects the presence of an object at an air-supply port of an air-conditioning apparatus, and receives a recognition result from a recognition device that recognizes a change request for changing setting of the air-conditioning apparatus by a user. In a case where wind from the air-supply port is set at a first flow rate and the input unit receives the detection signal, the control unit outputs a first control signal for changing the first flow rate to a second flow rate different from the first flow rate for a predetermined time and then setting the wind from the air-supply port at the first flow rate again. In a case where the change request is issued, the control unit outputs a second control signal for causing the air-conditioning apparatus to adjust a property of wind from the air-supply port, based on the recognition result received by the input unit.

Claims

1. An air-conditioning control apparatus comprising:

a receiver, which in operation, receives a detection signal from a sensor for detecting a presence of an object at an air-supply port of an air-conditioning apparatus and that receives a recognition result from a recognition device for recognizing a change request for changing setting of the air-conditioning apparatus by a user; and

a controller, which in operation, controls the air-conditioning apparatus based on the detection signal, wherein

in a case where wind from the air-supply port is set at a first flow rate and the input unit receives the detection signal, the controller outputs a first control signal for causing the air-conditioning apparatus to change the first flow rate to a second flow rate different from the first flow rate for a predetermined time and then setting the wind from the air-supply port at the first flow rate again, and

in a case where the change request is issued, the control unit outputs a second control signal for causing the air-conditioning apparatus to adjust a property of wind from the air-supply port, based on the recognition result received by the receiver,

wherein at least one of the receiver and the controller is included in a processor.

2. The air-conditioning control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the sensor is an image sensor that acquires a gesture image of the user and outputs the gesture image to the recognition device, and

the recognition device performs an image recognition process on the gesture image received from the sensor to recognize a gesture operation, and recognizes the change request based on a database storing correspondences between change requests for changing setting of the air-conditioning apparatus and gesture operations and based on the gesture operation recognized from the gesture image received from the sensor.

3. The air-conditioning control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the recognition device is a voice recognition device that converts voice data acquired with a microphone to text data, and

the recognition device also recognizes the change request for changing setting of the air-conditioning apparatus, based on a database concerning the change request and the text data obtained by the conversion.

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

the recognition device includes a measurement unit that measures an approach speed of the object toward the sensor, and

as the approach speed increases, the second flow rate increases and the predetermined time decreases.

5. The air-conditioning control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

if the first flow rate is less than a threshold, the second flow rate is higher than the first flow rate, and

if the first flow rate is greater than or equal to the threshold, the second flow rate is lower than the first flow rate.

6. The air-conditioning control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the property of wind from the air-supply port is at least one of a flow rate, a direction, a humidity, or a temperature of the wind.

7. An air-conditioning control apparatus comprising:

an input unit that receives a detection signal from a sensor for detecting a presence of an object at an air-supply port of an air-conditioning apparatus; and

a control unit that controls the air-conditioning apparatus based on the detection signal, wherein

in a case where wind from the air-supply port is set at a first flow rate and the input unit receives the detection signal, the control unit outputs a first control signal for causing the air-conditioning apparatus to change the first flow rate to a second flow rate different from the first flow rate and then setting the wind from the air-supply port at the first flow rate again, and

in a case where when a change request for changing setting of the air-conditioning apparatus by a user is issued, the control unit causes the air-conditioning apparatus to accept the change request.

8. An air-conditioning apparatus comprising:

an input unit that receives a detection signal from a sensor for detecting a presence of an object at an air-supply port of an air-conditioning apparatus and that receives a recognition result from a recognition device for recognizing a change request for changing setting of the air-conditioning apparatus by a user;

a control unit that controls the air-conditioning apparatus based on the detection signal;

an air-conditioning unit that performs air-conditioning for adjusting a flow rate based on a control signal from the control unit; and

an air-supply port from which wind at a flow rate adjusted by the air-conditioning is supplied, wherein

in a case where wind from the air-supply port is set at a first flow rate and the input unit receives the detection signal, the control unit outputs a first control signal for causing the air-conditioning apparatus to change the first flow rate to a second flow rate different from the first flow rate for a predetermined time and then setting the wind from the air-supply port at the first flow rate again, and

in a case where the change request is issued, the control unit outputs a second control signal for causing the air-conditioning unit to adjust a property of wind from the air-supply port, based on the recognition result received by the input unit.

9. An air-conditioning control method comprising:

receiving a detection signal from a sensor for detecting a presence of an object at an air-supply port of an air-conditioning apparatus, receiving a recognition result from a recognition device for recognizing a change request for changing setting of the air-conditioning apparatus by a user, and controlling the air-conditioning apparatus based on the detection signal;

in a case where wind from the air-supply port is set at a first flow rate and the input unit receives the detection signal, outputting a first control signal for causing the air-conditioning apparatus to change the first flow rate to a second flow rate different from the first flow rate for a predetermined time and then setting the wind from the air-supply port at the first flow rate again; and

in a case where the change request is issued, outputting a second control signal for causing the air-conditioning apparatus to adjust a property of wind from the air-supply port, based on the recognition result received by the input unit.

10. An air-conditioning control system comprising:

a sensor that detects a presence of an object at an air-supply port of an air-conditioning apparatus;

a recognition device that recognizes a change request for changing setting of the air-conditioning apparatus by a user;

an input unit that receives a detection signal from the sensor and receives a recognition result from the recognition device; and

a control unit that controls the air-conditioning apparatus based on the detection signal, wherein

in a case where wind from the air-supply port is set at a first flow rate and the input unit receives the detection signal, the control unit outputs a first control signal for causing the air-conditioning apparatus to change the first flow rate to a second flow rate different from the first flow rate for a predetermined time and then setting the wind from the air-supply port at the first flow rate again, and

in a case where the change request is issued, the control unit outputs a second control signal for causing the air-conditioning apparatus to adjust a property of wind from the air-supply port, based on the recognition result received by the input unit.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing an air-conditioning control program to be executed by a computer of an air-conditioning control apparatus, the air-conditioning control apparatus including an input unit that receives a detection signal from a sensor for detecting a presence of an object at an air-supply port of an air-conditioning apparatus, and a control unit that controls the air-conditioning apparatus based on the detection signal,

the program causing the computer of the air-conditioning control apparatus to execute:

a process of, in a case where wind from the air-supply port is set at a first flow rate and the input unit receives the detection signal, outputting a first control signal for causing the air-conditioning apparatus to change the first flow rate to a second flow rate different from the first flow rate for a predetermined time and then setting the wind from the air-supply port at the first flow rate again, the control signal including a signal for changing wind from the air-supply port from the first flow rate to the second flow rate for a predetermined time, and then setting the wind from the air-supply port at the first flow rate again, and

a process of, in a case where the change request is issued, outputting a second control signal for causing the air-conditioning apparatus to adjust a property of wind from the air-supply port, based on the recognition result received by the input unit.