Air conditioning system, vehicle, control device, and control method

A control device to control an air conditioner to regulate a state of air in a room, the control device comprising:

• a first acquisition unit to acquire, from a sensor device including at least one detector to detect an amount of an odor-causing substance included in the air in the room, a detected value of each of the at least one detector at a first timing;
• a second acquisition unit to acquire, from the sensor device, a detected value of each of the at least one detector at a second timing later than the first timing;
• a difference calculator to calculate a difference between the detected value of each of the at least one detector at the first timing and the detected value of each of the at least one detector at the second timing;
• and
• an instruction unit to control operation of the air conditioner based on the difference,
• wherein the control device determines whether a person is present in the room, and causes the first acquisition unit to acquire the detected value at the first timing in response to a determination that the person is present in the room.

A control method of controlling an air conditioner to regulate a state of air in a room, the method comprising:

• determining whether a person is present in the room;
• acquiring, from a sensor device including at least one detector to detect an amount of an odor-causing substance included in the air in the room, a detected value of each of the at least one detector at a first timing in response to a determination that the person is present in the room;
• acquiring, from the sensor device, a detected value of each of the at least one detector at a second timing later than the first timing;
• calculating a difference between the detected value of each of the at least one detector at the first timing and the detected value of each of the at least one detector at the second timing;
• and
• controlling operation of the air conditioner based on the difference.

An air conditioning system comprising:

• an air conditioner to regulate a state of air in a room;
• a sensor device including at least one detector to detect an amount of an odor-causing substance included in the air in the room;
• and
• a control device to control operation of the air conditioner,
• the control device including:
• a first acquisition unit to acquire, from the sensor device, a detected value of each of the at least one detector at a first timing when a person is present in the room;
• a second acquisition unit to acquire, from the sensor device, a detected value of each of the at least one detector at a second timing later than the first timing;
• a difference calculator to calculate a difference between the detected value of each of the at least one detector at the first timing and the detected value of each of the at least one detector at the second timing;
• an instruction unit to control operation of the air conditioner based on the difference;
• a determination unit to determine an intensity of an odor of the air in the room based on the difference;
• and
• a pattern storage unit to store one or more reference patterns in association with different kinds of odors, wherein
• the instruction unit causes the air conditioner to start ventilation or cleaning of the air in the room when the determined intensity of the odor is greater than a predetermined first threshold,
• each of the reference patterns indicates a detected value of each of the at least one detector indicating an amount of an odor-causing substance included in air having a corresponding odor, and
• the determination unit determines an intensity of an odor by matching a differential pattern with the reference patterns, the differential pattern indicating a difference between the detected value of each of the at least one detector at the first timing and the detected value of each of the at least one detector at the second timing.

A control device to control an air conditioner to regulate a state of air in a room, the control device comprising:

• a first acquisition unit to acquire, from a sensor device including at least one detector to detect an amount of an odor-causing substance included in the air in the room, a detected value of each of the at least one detector at a first timing when a person is present in the room;
• a second acquisition unit to acquire, from the sensor device, a detected value of each of the at least one detector at a second timing later than the first timing;
• a difference calculator to calculate a difference between the detected value of each of the at least one detector at the first timing and the detected value of each of the at least one detector at the second timing;
• an instruction unit to control operation of the air conditioner based on the difference;
• a determination unit to determine an intensity of an odor of the air in the room based on the difference;
• and
• a pattern storage unit to store one or more reference patterns in association with different kinds of odors, wherein
• the instruction unit causes the air conditioner to start ventilation or cleaning of the air in the room when the determined intensity of the odor is greater than a predetermined first threshold,
• each of the reference patterns indicates a detected value of each of the at least one detector indicating an amount of an odor-causing substance included in air having a corresponding odor, and
• the determination unit determines an intensity of an odor by matching a differential pattern with the reference patterns, the differential pattern indicating a difference between the detected value of each of the at least one detector at the first timing and the detected value of each of the at least one detector at the second timing.

A control method of controlling an air conditioner to regulate a state of air in a room, the method comprising:

• acquiring, from a sensor device including at least one detector to detect an amount of an odor-causing substance included in the air in the room, a detected value of each of the at least one detector at a first timing when a person is present in the room;
• acquiring, from the sensor device, a detected value of each of the at least one detector at a second timing later than the first timing;
• calculating a difference between the detected value of each of the at least one detector at the first timing and the detected value of each of the at least one detector at the second timing;
• controlling operation of the air conditioner based on the difference;
• determining an intensity of an odor of the air in the room based on the difference;
• and
• storing one or more reference patterns in association with different kinds of odors, wherein
• the controlling includes causing the air conditioner to start ventilation or cleaning of the air in the room when the determined intensity of the odor is greater than a predetermined first threshold,
• each of the reference patterns indicates a detected value of each of the at least one detector indicating an amount of an odor-causing substance included in air having a corresponding odor, and
• the determining includes determining an intensity of an odor by matching a differential pattern with the reference patterns, the differential pattern indicating a difference between the detected value of each of the at least one detector at the first timing and the detected value of each of the at least one detector at the second timing.