METHOD FOR ESTIMATING THERMAL SENSATION, THERMAL SENSATION ESTIMATION APPARATUS, AIR CONDITIONER, AND RECORDING MEDIUM

• US 20170368907A1
• Filed: 06/19/2017
• Published: 12/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: YONEDA, AKI, KUSUKAME, KOICHI, KUBO, HIROKO
• Granted Patent: US 10,266,033 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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: G01J 2005/0077 Imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0025 Living bodies ear thermometers G01J5/0011; detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/026 Control of working procedures of a pyrometer, other than calibration; Bandwidth calculation; Gain control
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/143 Sensing or illuminating at different wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/597 Recognising the driver's state or behaviour, e.g. attention or drowsiness

Abstract

In a method for estimating thermal sensation, thermal environment information at least regarding a thermal environment of or around a person is obtained, (1) a method for estimating a first thermal sensation, (2) a method for estimating a second thermal sensation, or (3) both the method for estimating the first thermal sensation and the method for estimating the second thermal sensation is selected as a method for estimating thermal sensation, which indicates a degree of warmth or coldness of the person, on the basis of the thermal environment information, and the thermal sensation is estimated using the selected method.

Claims

1. A method used by a thermal sensation estimation apparatus, the method comprising:

obtaining thermal environment information at least regarding a thermal environment of or around a person;

selecting (1) a method for estimating a first thermal sensation, (2) a method for estimating a second thermal sensation, or (3) both the method for estimating the first thermal sensation and the method for estimating the second thermal sensation as the method for estimating thermal sensation, which indicates a degree of warmth or coldness of the person, on the basis of the thermal environment information; and

estimating the thermal sensation using the selected method.

2. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the method for estimating the first thermal sensation is a method for estimating thermal sensation based on an amount of heat lost from the person, and

wherein the method for estimating the second thermal sensation is a method for estimating thermal sensation based on a surface temperature of the person.

3. The method according to claim 2,

wherein the thermal environment information is a difference between a temperature outside a room in which the person stays and a temperature inside the room.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

determining whether the difference is equal to or larger than a first threshold; and

selecting, if the difference is equal to or larger than the first threshold, the method for estimating the second thermal sensation until a certain period of time elapses after the person enters the room and then selecting the method for estimating the first thermal sensation when the certain period of time elapses.

5. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

determining whether the difference is equal to or larger than a first threshold;

further determining, if the difference is equal to or larger than the first threshold, whether a difference between the surface temperature of the person and the temperature inside the room is equal to or larger than a second threshold; and

selecting, if the difference between the surface temperature of the person and the temperature inside the room is equal to or larger than the second threshold, the method for estimating the second thermal sensation or selecting, if the difference between the surface temperature of the person and the temperature inside the room is smaller than the second threshold, the method for estimating the first thermal sensation.

6. The method according to claim 2,

wherein the thermal environment information is a surface temperature of the person'"'"'s feet,

wherein whether the surface temperature of the person'"'"'s feet is equal to or higher than a third threshold is determined, and

wherein, if the surface temperature of the person'"'"'s feet is equal to or higher than the third threshold, the method for estimating the first thermal sensation is selected, and if the surface temperature of the person'"'"'s feet is lower than the third threshold, the method for estimating the second thermal sensation is selected.

7. The method according to claim 2,

wherein the thermal environment information is a temperature around the person'"'"'s feet,

wherein whether the temperature around the person'"'"'s feet is equal to or higher than a fourth threshold is determined, and

wherein, if the temperature around the person'"'"'s feet is equal to or higher than the fourth threshold, the method for estimating the first thermal sensation is selected, and if the temperature around the person'"'"'s feet is lower than the fourth threshold, the method for estimating the second thermal sensation is selected.

8. The method according to claim 2,

wherein the thermal environment information is a surface temperature of the person'"'"'s hands,

wherein whether the surface temperature of the person'"'"'s hands is equal to or higher than a fifth threshold is determined, and

wherein, if the surface temperature of the person'"'"'s hands is equal to or higher than the fifth threshold, the method for estimating the first thermal sensation is selected, and if the surface temperature of the person'"'"'s hands is lower than the fifth threshold, the method for estimating the second thermal sensation is selected.

9. The method according to claim 2,

wherein the method for estimating the first thermal sensation is performed by calculating a difference between a surface temperature of a human body area, which at least includes a part of the person'"'"'s body exposed and a part of the person'"'"'s clothes, and a temperature around the person, calculating an amount of heat lost from the person by multiplying the difference by a certain value, and estimating the thermal sensation on the basis of the amount of heat lost from the person.

10. The method according to claim 9,

wherein the surface temperature of the human body area is calculated using a thermal image of an area including the person captured by a thermal camera.

11. The method according to claim 2,

wherein the method for estimating the second thermal sensation is performed by obtaining a surface temperature of a human body area, which at least includes a part of the person'"'"'s body exposed and a part of the person'"'"'s clothes, and estimating the thermal sensation on the basis of a result of a comparison between the surface temperature of the human body area and a sixth threshold.

12. The method according to claim 11,

wherein the surface temperature of the human body area is calculated using a thermal image of an area including the person captured by a thermal camera.

13. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the person is inside a vehicle, and the thermal environment around the person is at least either an outside or an inside of the vehicle.

14. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the estimation of the thermal sensation using both the method for estimating the first thermal sensation and the method for estimating the second thermal sensation is performed by weight-averaging a result of estimation of thermal sensation by the method for estimating the first thermal sensation and a result of estimation of thermal sensation by the method for estimating the second thermal sensation using a certain value.

15. The method according to claim 1,

wherein instruction information for controlling air volume, air temperature, or wind direction of an air conditioner is output to the air conditioner on the basis of the estimated thermal sensation.

16. A thermal sensation estimation apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores a computer program,

wherein the program causes the processor to perform operations including;

obtaining thermal environment information at least regarding a thermal environment of or around a person;

selecting (1) a method for estimating a first thermal sensation, (2) a method for estimating a second thermal sensation, or (3) both the method for estimating the first thermal sensation and the method for estimating the second thermal sensation as the method for estimating thermal sensation, which indicates a degree of warmth or coldness of the person, on the basis of the thermal environment information; and

estimating the thermal sensation using the selected method.

17. An air conditioner comprising:

the thermal sensation estimation apparatus according to claim 16,

wherein air volume, air temperature, or wind direction is controlled on the basis of thermal sensation estimated by the thermal sensation estimation apparatus.

18. A non-transitory recording medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as a thermal sensation estimation apparatus, the program causing the computer to perform operations comprising:

obtaining thermal environment information at least regarding a thermal environment of or around a person;

selecting (1) a method for estimating a first thermal sensation, (2) a method for estimating a second thermal sensation, or (3) both the method for estimating the first thermal sensation and the method for estimating the second thermal sensation as the method for estimating thermal sensation, which indicates a degree of warmth or coldness of the person, on the basis of the thermal environment information; and

estimating the thermal sensation using the selected method.