# US 11,906,179 B2 · Air conditioning control device, air conditioning control method, and program using voice control

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- Number: US 11,906,179 B2
- Document ID: US11906179B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/478,583
- Filed: 2017-03-01
- Published: 2020-02-06
- Granted: 2024-02-20
- Earliest claimed: 2017-03-01
- Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
- Applicants: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
- Inventors: Shuichi Tatei
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11906179B2

## 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 11/58: using Internet communication
- F24F 11/65: for selecting an operating mode
- G05B 19/042: using digital processors (G05B19/05 takes precedence)
- F24F 11/64: using pre-stored data
- G05B 15/02: electric
- G05B 2219/2614: HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
- 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 acquires an audio signal for controlling air conditioners (outdoor units and indoor units) from a mobile terminal via the Internet. The air conditioning control apparatus specifies from among the air conditioners at least one air conditioner to be controlled based on the acquired audio signal. The air conditioning control apparatus generates control commands for controlling the specified air conditioner based on the acquired audio signal. The air conditioning control apparatus transmits the generated control commands to the specified air conditioner.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An air conditioning control apparatus comprising:
a voice acquirer configured to acquire an audio signal for controlling a plurality of air conditioners from a mobile terminal;
a central processing unit configured to
specify the plurality of air conditioners to be controlled based on the acquired audio signal;
store, for each of two or more refrigerant groups, an air conditioner management table in which pieces of identification information on a single outdoor unit and one or more indoor units are registered in association with each other, the one outdoor unit and the one or more indoor units belonging to the refrigerant group;
store an air conditioner specification table that identifies a plurality of people and correlates one of the plurality of indoor units with each of the respective plurality of people;
generate control commands for executing, based on the acquired audio signal, control of the plurality of air conditioners specified by the central processing unit; and
transmit, to the plurality of air conditioners specified by the central processing unit, the control commands generated by the central processing unit,
wherein the plurality of air conditioners to be controlled are selected from a group of indoor units and outdoor units arranged into the two or more refrigerant groups such that each of the two or more refrigerant groups includes a single outdoor unit selected from the group of indoor units and outdoor units and at least one of the indoor units selected from the group of indoor units and outdoor units,
wherein the two or more refrigerant groups are identified by one or more keywords, respectively, such that each of the two or more refrigerant groups is uniquely identified by one of the one or more keywords,
wherein the central processing unit specifies, as the plurality of air conditioners to be controlled, the one or more indoor units associated with a selected refrigerant group from the two or more refrigerant groups identified by a selected keyword contained in the acquired audio signal and the single outdoor unit belonging to the selected refrigerant group,
wherein the central processing unit
identifies a person who is a source of the acquired audio signal,
identifies an indoor unit correlated with the identified person based on the stored air conditioner specification table,
identifies an outdoor unit belonging to an identical refrigerant group to the identified indoor unit based on the air conditioner management table, and
specifies the identified indoor unit and outdoor unit as one of the plurality of air conditioners to be controlled, and
wherein the air conditioner specification table identifies a plurality of people and uniquely correlates one of the plurality of indoor units with each of the respective plurality of people.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The air conditioning control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the command generator generates an outdoor unit control command to be executed in the outdoor unit specified by the central processing unit and an indoor unit control command to be executed in the indoor unit specified by the central processing unit.

### Claim 3

An air conditioner control method comprising:
specifying a plurality of air conditioners to be controlled based on an acquired audio signal;
storing, for a plurality of refrigerant groups, an air conditioner management table in which pieces of identification information on one or more outdoor units and a plurality of indoor units are registered in association with each other, the one or more outdoor units and the plurality of indoor units belonging to the plurality of refrigerant groups;
storing an air conditioner specification table that identifies a plurality of people and correlates one of the plurality of indoor units with each of the respective plurality of people;
acquiring an audio signal for controlling a plurality of air conditioners from a mobile terminal;
identifying a person who is a source of the acquired audio signal;
identifying an indoor unit correlated with the identified person based on the stored air conditioner specification table;
identifying an outdoor unit belonging to an identical refrigerant group to the identified indoor unit based on the air conditioner management table,
specifying the identified indoor unit and outdoor unit as one of the plurality of air conditioners to be controlled
specifying an air conditioner correlated with the identified person as one of the plurality of air conditioners to be controlled based on the stored air conditioner specification table,
specifying, as the plurality of air conditioners to be controlled, the one or more indoor units associated with a selected refrigerant group from the two or more refrigerant groups identified by a selected keyword contained in the acquired audio signal and the single outdoor unit belonging to the selected refrigerant group,
generating control commands for executing, based on the acquired audio signal, control of the plurality of specified air conditioners; and
transmitting, to the plurality of specified air conditioners, the control commands generated by the central processing unit,
wherein the plurality of air conditioners to be controlled are selected from a group of indoor units and outdoor units arranged into the two or more refrigerant groups such that each of the two or more refrigerant groups includes a single outdoor unit selected from the group of indoor units and outdoor units and at least one of the indoor units selected from the group of indoor units and outdoor units,
wherein the two or more refrigerant groups are identified by one or more keywords, respectively, such that each of the two or more refrigerant groups is uniquely identified by one of the one or more keywords,
wherein the air conditioner specification table identifies a plurality of people and uniquely correlates one of the plurality of indoor units with each of the respective plurality of people.

### Claim 4

A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as:
a voice acquirer configured to acquire an audio signal from a mobile terminal;
a storage configured to
store, for a group of indoor units and outdoor units arranged into two or more refrigerant groups such that each of the two or more refrigerant groups includes a single outdoor unit selected from the group of indoor units and outdoor units and at least one of the indoor units selected from the group of indoor units and outdoor units, an air conditioner management table in which pieces of identification information on the plurality of indoor units and outdoor units are registered in association with each other, and
store an air conditioner specification table that identifies a plurality of people and correlates one of the plurality of indoor units with each of the respective plurality of people;
an air conditioner specifier configured to specify a plurality of air conditioners to be controlled based on the acquired audio signal;
a command generator configured to generate control commands for executing control of the plurality of air conditioners specified by the air conditioner specifier based on the acquired audio signal;
a command transmitter configured to transmit, to the plurality of air conditioners specified by the air conditioner specifier, the control commands generated by the command generator; and
an identifier that identifies a person who is a source of the acquired audio signal, identifies an indoor unit correlated with the identified person based on the stored air conditioner specification table, and identifies an outdoor unit belonging to an identical refrigerant group to the identified indoor unit based on the air conditioner management table,
wherein the plurality of air conditioners to be controlled are selected from the group of indoor units and outdoor units arranged into the two or more refrigerant groups such that each of the two or more refrigerant groups includes a single outdoor unit selected from the group of indoor units and outdoor units and at least one of the indoor units selected from the group of indoor units and outdoor units, and
wherein the air conditioner specifier identifies a person who is a source of the acquired audio signal and specifies an air conditioner correlated with the identified person as one of the plurality of air conditioners to be controlled based on the stored air conditioner specification table,
wherein the two or more refrigerant groups are identified by one or more keywords, respectively, such that each of the two or more refrigerant groups is uniquely identified by one of the one or more keywords,
wherein the air conditioner specifier specifies, as the plurality of air conditioners to be controlled, the one or more indoor units associated with a selected refrigerant group from the two or more refrigerant groups identified by a selected keyword contained in the acquired audio signal and the single outdoor unit belonging to the selected refrigerant group,
wherein the air conditioner specifier specifies the identified indoor unit and outdoor unit as one of the plurality of air conditioners to be controlled, and
wherein the air conditioner specification table identifies a plurality of people and uniquely correlates one of the plurality of indoor units with each of the respective plurality of people.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The air conditioning control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the central processing unit is configured to identify the person who is the source of the acquired audio signal based on a voice print of the audio signal.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 4, wherein
the air conditioner specifier identifies the person who is the source of the acquired audio signal based on a voice print of the audio signal.

### Claim 7 (depends on 3)

The air conditioner control method according to claim 3, wherein
the identifying of the person who is the source of the acquired audio signal is accomplished based on a voice print of the audio signal.