Back to results
US 11,536,480 B2Granted
Air conditioner, sensor system, and thermal sensation estimation method
AssigneePanasonic Holdings Corporation
InventorsShinichi Shikii, Koichi Kusukame, Hiroko Kubo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The air conditioner includes a thermal image acquirer that acquires a thermal image indicating a temperature distribution inside the air-conditioned space, and a thermal sensation estimator that estimates the thermal sensation of a person in the air-conditioned space based on the thermal image obtained from the thermal image acquirer and a parameter set in the air conditioner, the parameter prescribing at least one of a wind direction, a wind speed, and a wind temperature of wind emitted from the air conditioner.
Claims20
An air conditioner comprising:
- at least one of an infrared detector or a thermal camera to acquire a thermal image at a direction of wind emitted from the air conditioner,
- (i) wherein the infrared detector is configured to detect a temperature within an air-conditioned space to acquire, as the thermal image, a first thermal image including pixels indicating a temperature distribution inside the air-conditioned space, wherein each of the pixels is associated with the infrared detector, or
- (ii) wherein the thermal camera is configured to capture the air-conditioned space to acquire, as the thermal image, a second thermal image indicating the temperature distribution inside the air-conditioned space;
- a processor that estimates a human body thermal emission of a person in the air-conditioned space based on at least (i) the thermal image including the person in the air-conditioned space and (ii) a wind speed of the wind emitted from the air conditioner with respect to a location of the person in the air-conditioned space;
- estimates a thermal sensation of the person in the air-conditioned space based on the estimated human body thermal emission of the person in the air-conditioned space;
- and
- a controller that conducts air conditioning control of the air-conditioned space controlling at least one of a compressor, a fan and a louver of the air conditioner to control at least one of a wind temperature, the wind speed and the wind direction to produce hot or cold air emitted from the air conditioner based on the thermal sensation of the person in the air-conditioned space.
4 more elements
A thermal sensation estimation method of an air conditioner, comprising:
- acquiring, as a thermal image at a direction of wind emitted from the air conditioner,
- (i) a first thermal image including pixels indicating a temperature distribution inside an air-conditioned space with an infrared detector that detects a temperature within the air-conditioned space, wherein each of the pixels is associated with the infrared detector, or (ii) a second thermal image indicating the temperature distribution inside the air-conditioned space with a thermal camera that captures the air-conditioned space;
- performing thermal emission estimation, by a processor included in the air conditioner, for estimating a human body thermal emission of a person in the air-conditioned space based on at least (i) the acquired thermal image including the person in the air-conditioned space and (ii) a wind speed of the wind emitted from the air conditioner with respect to a location of the person in the air-conditioned space;
- performing thermal sensation estimation, by the processor included in the air conditioner, for estimating a thermal sensation of the person in the air-conditioned space based on the estimated human body thermal emission of the person in the air-conditioned space;
- and
- controlling, by a controller included in the air conditioner, air conditioning of the air-conditioned space by controlling at least one of a compressor, a fan and a louver of the air conditioner to control at least one of a wind temperature, the wind speed and the wind direction to produce hot or cold air emitted from the air conditioner based on the thermal sensation of the person in the air-conditioned space.
3 more elements
A sensor system installed on board an air conditioner that conducts air conditioning control of an air-conditioned space based on a thermal sensation of a person in the air-conditioned space, the sensor system comprising:
- at least one of an infrared detector or a thermal camera to acquire a thermal image at a direction of wind emitted from the air conditioner, (i) wherein the infrared detector is configured to detect a temperature within an air-conditioned space to acquire, as the thermal image, a first thermal image including pixels indicating a temperature distribution inside the air-conditioned space, wherein each of the pixels is associated with the infrared detector, or (ii) wherein the thermal camera is configured to capture the air-conditioned space to acquire, as the thermal image, a second thermal image indicating the temperature distribution inside the air-conditioned space;
- a processor that estimates a human body thermal emission of the person in the air-conditioned space based on at least (i) the thermal image including the person in the air-conditioned space and (ii) a wind speed of the wind emitted from the air conditioner with respect to a location of the person in the air-conditioned space;
- that estimates a thermal sensation of the person in the air-conditioned space based on the estimated human body thermal emission of the person in the air-conditioned space;
- and
- a controller that conducts air conditioning control of the air-conditioned space by controlling at least one of a compressor, a fan and a louver of the air conditioner to control at least one of a wind temperature, the wind speed and the wind direction to produce hot or cold air emitted from the air conditioner based on the thermal sensation of the person in the air-conditioned space.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.