Air-conditioning control system, air-conditioning control apparatus, and air-conditioning control method

An air-conditioning control apparatus provided in an area to control a plurality of environmental sensors which acquire environmental information in the area and a plurality of air conditioners which air-condition the area based on the environmental information acquired by the plurality of environmental sensors, the air-conditioning control apparatus comprising:

• a group generator configured to group the plurality of environmental sensors into a plurality of groups, based on correlation coefficients between environmental information acquired by the plurality of environmental sensors;
• a correlation coefficient calculator configured to regularly calculate a correlation coefficient between environmental information acquired by more than one environmental sensor in each of the plurality of groups;
• a group reset unit configured to reset, in the case where the calculated correlation coefficient does not exceed a first threshold, a group associated with the more than one environmental sensor;
• and
• an air conditioner controller configured to
• associate each of the plurality of air conditioners with one of the plurality of groups based on the response time required for a temperature detected by each of the plurality of environmental sensors to exceed a second threshold in response to the operation of each of the plurality of air conditioners, and
• control an air conditioner in the plurality of air conditioners that is associated with any of the plurality of groups, based on environmental information acquired by each environmental sensor in the group associated with the air conditioner.

An air-conditioning control method used in an area to control a plurality of environmental sensors which acquire environmental information in the area and a plurality of air conditioners which air-condition the area, the air-conditioning control method including:

• grouping the plurality of environmental sensors into a plurality of groups, based on correlation coefficients between environmental information acquired by the plurality of environmental sensors;
• regularly calculating a correlation coefficient between environmental information acquired by more than one environmental sensor in each of the plurality of groups;
• resetting, in the case where the calculated correlation coefficient does not exceed a first threshold, a group associated with the more than one environmental sensor;
• associating each of the plurality of air conditioners with one of the plurality of groups based on the response time required for a temperature detected by each of the plurality of environmental sensors to exceed a second threshold in response to the operation of each of the plurality of air conditioners;
• and
• controlling an air conditioner in the plurality of air conditioners that is associated with any of the plurality of groups, based on environmental information acquired by each environmental sensor in the group associated with the air conditioner.