# US 10,309,674 B2 · Air-conditioning control system, air-conditioning control apparatus, and air-conditioning control method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,309,674 B2 - Document ID: US10309674B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/546,915 - Filed: 2016-01-27 - Published: 2018-02-01 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2015-01-28 - Assignees: KYOCERA Corporation - Applicants: KYOCERA Corporation - Inventors: Ryuta Fujisawa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10309674B2 ## CPC - F24F 11/30: for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring - F24F 11/56: Remote control - F24F 11/62: characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values - F24F 11/89: Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices - G05B 13/021: {in which a variable is automatically adjusted to optimise the performance} - G05B 15/02: electric - F24F 11/63: Electronic processing - F24F 2110/10: Temperature - G05B 2219/2614: HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control - G05B 2219/2638: Airconditioning - G05B 2219/2642: Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house - F24F: AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING (removing dirt or fumes from areas where they are produced B08B15/00; vertical ducts for carrying away waste gases from buildings E04F17/02; tops for chimneys or ventilating shafts, terminals for flues F23L17/02) - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) ## Abstract An air-conditioning control apparatus is configured to group a plurality of environmental sensors into a plurality of groups, based on correlation coefficients between environmental information acquired by the plurality of environmental sensors. The air-conditioning control apparatus is configured to regularly calculate a correlation coefficient between environmental information acquired by one or more environmental sensors in each of the plurality of groups. The air-conditioning control apparatus is configured to reset, in the case where the calculated correlation coefficient is less than a predetermined value, a group associated with an environmental sensor. The air-conditioning control apparatus is configured to control each of a plurality of air conditioners that are each 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An air-conditioning control system provided in an area and comprising an air-conditioning control apparatus configured 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, wherein the air-conditioning control apparatus is 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; regularly calculate a correlation coefficient between environmental information acquired by more than one environmental sensor in each of the plurality of groups; 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; 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The air-conditioning control system according to claim 1, wherein a change of the group associated with the environmental sensor is notified. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The air-conditioning control system according to claim 1, wherein the environmental information is temperature, and environmental sensors corresponding to a correlation coefficient exceeding the first threshold and a temperature difference not exceeding a third threshold are put into a same group, based on correlation coefficients and temperature differences between temperatures acquired by the plurality of environmental sensors. ### Claim 4 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. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The air-conditioning control apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a notification unit configured to notify a change of the group associated with the environmental sensor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The air-conditioning control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the environmental information is a temperature, and environmental sensors corresponding to a correlation coefficient exceeding the first threshold and a temperature difference not exceeding a third threshold are put into a same group, based on correlation coefficients and temperature differences between temperatures acquired by the plurality of environmental sensors. ### Claim 7 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. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The air-conditioning control method according to claim 7, further including notifying a change of the group associated with the one or more environmental sensors caused by the resetting. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The air-conditioning control method according to claim 7, wherein the environmental information is temperature, and in the grouping, environmental sensors corresponding to a correlation coefficient exceeding the first threshold and a temperature difference not exceeding a third threshold are put into a same group, based on correlation coefficients and temperature differences between temperatures acquired by the plurality of environmental sensors. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The air-conditioning control method according to claim 7, wherein in the resetting, for an environmental sensor in a group corresponding to a correlation coefficient not exceeding the first threshold, a correlation coefficient between the environmental sensor and each of other environmental sensors including environmental sensors outside the group is calculated, and the environmental sensor is changed to a group to which another environmental sensor corresponding to a calculated correlation coefficient greater than or equal to a predetermined value belongs. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The air-conditioning control method according to claim 7, wherein in the resetting, for an environmental sensor in a group corresponding to a correlation coefficient not exceeding the first threshold, a correlation coefficient between the environmental sensor and each of other environmental sensors including environmental sensors outside the group is calculated, and the environmental sensor is changed such that it no longer belongs to any group in the case where each calculated correlation coefficient is not greater than or equal to a predetermined value.