Positioning system, air conditioning system, and lighting system

• US 8,323,081 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2008
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Koizumi, Yoshiaki, Higuma, Toshiyasu, Kushiro, Noriyuki, Hibara, Naoyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Issing, Gregory C
• Application Number:
  US12/677,940
• Publication Number:
  US 20100225540A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,779 Days
• Field of Search: 454/258, 454/358, 236/49.3, 342/458, 342/463, 342/464
• US Class Current: 454/258
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/12 Position of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/01 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0063 of measured values, i.e. measurement on base station and position calculation on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0081 Transmission between base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission

Abstract

To provide a positioning system that clearly defines a disposition of a base station for identifying a position of a radio set. While a wireless base station 1 that transmits and receives a distance-measuring signal to and from a terminal 2 to be measured by wireless communication is disposed at each corner forming an equilateral triangular, the length of each side of the equilateral triangle is made to be a maximum communication distance of the wireless base station 1.

Claims

1. An air-conditioning system, comprising:

an air conditioner,

a terminal to be measured provided with a wireless communication function, and

at least three wireless base stations that transmit and receive a distance-measuring signal to and from the terminal to be measured by wireless communication, wherein

each of the wireless base stations measures a distance to the terminal to be measured and transmits measured distance data to the air-conditioner,

the air-conditioner includes an operation part that controls the air-conditioner and that calculates the position of the terminal to be measured on the basis of the measured distance data and positional information of each of the wireless base stations, and calculates a position of the terminal to be measured to adjust a wind direction to the calculated position of the terminal to be measured with the operation part,

the air-conditioner integrally includes a sensor that measures a predetermined physical quantity and that is capable of controlling a measuring direction to a desired direction,

the sensor notifies a measurement result of the sensor at the position of the terminal to be measured to the operation part,

the air-conditioner adjusts the physical quantity at the position of the terminal to be measured based on the measurement result of the sensor, and

each of the at least three wireless base stations is disposed at each corner of an isosceles triangle having only two equal sides that is formed within the air-conditioned space by the air-conditioner while height from a base of the isosceles triangle to an apex thereof and length of a base of the isosceles triangle are equal to a maximum communication distance of the wireless base stations.

2. The air-conditioning system of claim 1, wherein

the wireless base station calculates a position of the terminal to be measured based on measured distance data to obtain a coordinate value thereof to set the coordinate value as an address of the terminal to be measured.

3. The air-conditioning system of claim 2, wherein

the wireless base station combines the coordinate value of the terminal to be measured and an identification number given to the terminal to be measured to set as the address of the terminal to be measured.

4. The air-conditioning system of claim 2, wherein

when a space in a building is partitioned with resolution of a predetermined distance to set a lattice coordinate space, and when the position of the terminal to be measured does not match that of a lattice point,

the wireless base station sets the coordinate value of the lattice point nearest to the terminal to be measured as the address of the terminal to be measured.

5. The air-conditioning system of claim 2, wherein

when the terminal to be measured is a mobile terminal,

the terminal to be measured transmits a signal for setting the address of the terminal to be measured to the wireless base station, and

the wireless base station obtains coordinate value of the position of the terminal to be measured to set the coordinate value as the address of the terminal to be measured when receiving the signal.

6. The air-conditioning system of claim 5, wherein

the wireless base station sets an average of coordinate values of the position of the terminal to be measured obtained at predetermined time intervals for a certain time range as the address of the terminal to be measured.

7. The air-conditioning system of claim 1, wherein

a plurality of the isosceles triangles are formed in an air-conditioning space by the air-conditioner,

each bottom side and each equal side of adjoining isosceles triangles of the isosceles triangles overlap respectively, and

each of the wireless base stations is disposed at each corner of the plurality of isosceles triangles.

8. An air-conditioning system, comprising;

an air-conditioner,

a terminal to be measured provided with a wireless communication function, and

at least three wireless base stations that transmit and receive a distance-measuring signal to and from the terminal to be measured by wireless communication, wherein

each of the wireless base stations measures a distance to the terminal to be measured and transmits measured distance data to the air-conditioner,

the air-conditioner includes an operation part that controls the air-conditioner and that calculates a position of the terminal to be measured based on the measured distance data and position information of each of the wireless base stations, and calculates a position of the terminal to be measured to adjust a wind direction to the calculated position of the terminal to be measured with the operation part, wherein

the terminal to be measured has a sensor for measuring a predetermined physical quantity at the position of the terminal to be measured to notify a measurement result of the sensor to the air-conditioner,

the air-conditioner adjusts the physical quantity at the position of the terminal to be measured based on a measurement result of the sensor,

each of at least three wireless base stations is disposed at each corner of the isosceles triangle having only two equal sides formed within air-conditioned space by the air-conditioner while height from a base of the isosceles triangle to an apex thereof and length of the base of the isosceles triangle are equal to a maximum communication distance of the wireless base stations.

9. The air-conditioning system of claim 8, wherein

the terminal to be measured transmits the measurement result of the sensor to the air-conditioner through any one of the wireless base stations.

10. The air-conditioning system of claim 8, wherein

a plurality of the isosceles triangles are formed in an air-conditioning space by the air-conditioner,

each bottom side and each equal side of adjoining isosceles triangles of the isosceles triangles overlap respectively, and

each of the wireless base stations is disposed at each corner of the plurality of isosceles triangles.