Air-conditioning system and zonal air-conditioning control method
AssigneeMitsubishi Electric Corporation
InventorKazuyoshi Shinozaki
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In an air-conditioning system that divides a room to be air-conditioned into a plurality of areas and controls air-conditioning of each of the plurality of areas, a set temperature of an occupied area in which somebody is present is determined as a target temperature of the occupied area. Target temperatures of unoccupied areas in which nobody is present are determined such that the air-conditioning mode set for the occupied area weakens stepwise from an adjacent area located next to the occupied area toward a distal area located farthest from the occupied area.
Claims10
An air-conditioning system that divides a room to be air-conditioned into a plurality of areas and controls air-conditioning of each of the plurality of areas, the air-conditioning system comprising:
- a plurality of presence/absence sensors provided in respective ones of the plurality of areas and adapted to detect whether or not anyone is present in the respective areas;
- a plurality of temperature sensors provided in respective ones of the plurality of areas and adapted to detect respective room temperatures;
- a plurality of indoor units provided in respective ones of the plurality of areas;
- and
- a controller adapted to control the plurality of indoor units based on detection results produced by the plurality of presence/absence sensors and detection results produced by the plurality of temperature sensors,
- wherein the controller is configured to
- create a presence/absence map showing a relative positional relationship between an occupied area in which somebody is present and unoccupied areas in which nobody is present, based on the detection results produced by the plurality of presence/absence sensors,
- determine target temperatures of the respective room temperatures of the occupied area and the unoccupied areas based on the presence/absence map created, and
- control the respective indoor units of the occupied area and the unoccupied areas such that the respective room temperatures of the occupied area and the unoccupied areas conform to the target temperatures determined, and
- in determining the target temperature
- designate a temperature set for a set air-conditioning mode as the target temperature of the occupied area, and
- determine the target temperatures of the unoccupied areas such that the air-conditioning mode set for the occupied area weakens stepwise from an adjacent area located next to the occupied area toward a distal area located farthest from the occupied area in the room, and
- when a plurality of the occupied areas exist in the room and there is any of the unoccupied areas, of which a plurality of the target temperatures is set according to respective distances from the plurality of occupied areas, select the target temperature that most strengthens the air-conditioning mode from the plurality of the target temperatures.
A zonal air-conditioning control method that divides a room to be air-conditioned into a plurality of areas, allocates, in the plurality of areas, respective presence/absence sensors adapted to detect whether or not anyone is present, respective temperature sensors adapted to detect room temperatures, and respective indoor units, and controls air-conditioning of the plurality of areas based on detection results produced by the presence/absence sensors and the temperature sensors, the zonal air-conditioning control method comprising:
- acquiring respective pieces of information on human presence/absence in the plurality of areas based on the detection results produced by the presence/absence sensors,
- creating a presence/absence map showing a relative positional relationship between an occupied area in which somebody is present and unoccupied areas in which nobody is present, based on the presence/absence information acquired and a relative positional relationship between the presence/absence sensors and the temperature sensors in the room,
- determining target temperatures of room temperatures of the occupied area and the unoccupied areas based on the presence/absence map created, and
- operating the indoor units of the occupied area and the unoccupied areas such that the room temperatures conform to the target temperatures determined,
- wherein in determining the target temperature,
- a temperature set for the occupied area is designated as the target temperature of the occupied area,
- the target temperatures of the unoccupied areas are determined such that an air-conditioning mode set for the occupied area weakens stepwise from an adjacent area located next to the occupied area toward a distal area located farthest from the occupied area in the room, and
- when a plurality of the occupied areas exist in the room and there is any of the unoccupied areas, of which a plurality of the target temperatures is set according to respective distances from the plurality of occupied areas, the target temperature that most strengthens the air-conditioning mode is selected from the plurality of the target temperatures of the unoccupied areas.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.