CN105339742A - Air conditioner and thermal image sensor system - Google Patents

Abstract

An air conditioner is used for air conditioning control of a space, and includes a thermal image acquisition unit, a calculation unit, and a control unit. The thermal image acquisition unit acquires a thermal image representing a temperature distribution in space. The calculation part determines the area corresponding to a person in the thermal image acquired by the thermal image acquisition part, and determines the temperature of the person in the space, that is, the body temperature based on the temperature distribution of the area corresponding to the person. The differential value of the ambient temperature obtained from the temperature of the area outside the area can be used to infer the sense of heat and cold of the people in the space. The control unit controls at least one of air volume, air temperature, and air direction of the air conditioner based on the thermal sensations of people in the space estimated by the calculation unit.

Description

Air conditioner and thermal image sensor system

technical field

The present invention mainly relates to an air conditioner equipped with an infrared camera (thermal image acquisition unit) capable of measuring two-dimensional temperature distribution and a thermal image sensor system used in the air conditioner.

Background technique

In recent years, various applications using infrared rays have been developed. Infrared rays in the near-infrared region with a wavelength of 0.7 to 2.5 microns are used in night vision cameras, TV remote controls, and the like. In addition, infrared rays in the mid-infrared region with a wavelength of 2.5 to 4.0 microns are often used for identification of substances. Substance identification is carried out by spectroscopically measuring the transmission spectrum of the measurement object obtained by irradiating the measurement object with infrared rays, and judging from the specific absorption spectrum of the measurement object. Also, infrared rays in the far infrared region with a wavelength of 4.0 to 10 micrometers are used to measure the surface temperature of a substance. Since there is a peak of the black body radiation spectrum near normal temperature, the surface temperature of a substance can be measured in a non-contact manner by detecting infrared rays radiated from the substance. Generally, it is effectively used as an infrared camera to acquire the surface temperature of a substance two-dimensionally. So far, thermal imaging cameras have been mainly used for industrial purposes such as heat distribution analysis in research and development, equipment maintenance in factories, etc., and quality control in production lines. In these applications, thermal imaging cameras with relatively high pixel counts are mostly used.

On the other hand, recently, as in Patent Document 1, there has been a trend of attaching an infrared camera to an air conditioner. In this patent document 1, the position and activity level of a person are estimated from the indoor temperature distribution, and the result of the estimation is fed back to the operation of the air conditioner. In this way, a more comfortable and efficient air conditioner can be realized.

Furthermore, in Patent Document 2, the skin temperature of the face or the like is measured to estimate the amount of heat dissipation and the depth of sleep, and the air conditioner is controlled according to the estimated result. In this way, a comfortable sleep can be provided.

Furthermore, in Patent Document 3, the surface temperature of the human body is detected, and the air conditioner is controlled according to the detected result. In this way, the sense of comfort in the bathroom and the changing room can be further improved, and thermal shock can be alleviated.

prior art literature

patent documents

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-304655

Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-225042

Patent Document 3: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-22240

Contents of the invention

The problem to be solved by the invention

As in Patent Document 2, when an infrared camera is used in an air conditioner as a mechanism for detecting an extremely local temperature of a human body such as a face, an infrared camera with a high number of pixels is required because the measurement target area is narrow. . Therefore, there is a problem that the cost of the air conditioner increases. Moreover, in Patent Document 3, there is no disclosure or suggestion on how to measure the surface temperature of the human body or how to realize a comfortable environment.

This application is mainly intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and is to provide an air conditioner that can realize a comfortable ambient temperature by inferring whether a person feels hot or cold even with an inexpensive thermal imaging camera with a small number of pixels. And a thermal image sensor system for air conditioners.

means of solving problems

In order to achieve the above object, the air conditioner is equipped with: a thermal image acquisition unit that acquires a thermal image representing a temperature distribution in space; ) Determine the temperature of the person in the space, that is, the body temperature based on the temperature distribution of the area corresponding to the person, (iii) estimate based on the difference between the temperature of the human body and the ambient temperature obtained from the temperature of the area other than the area corresponding to the person The thermal sensation of people in the space; and the control unit controls at least one of the air volume, air temperature, and air direction of the air conditioner based on the thermal sensation of the people in the space inferred by the calculation unit.

The effect of the invention

According to the present invention, it is possible to inexpensively provide an air conditioner capable of realizing a comfortable ambient temperature by inferring a person's thermal sensation.

Description of drawings

Fig. 1A is a diagram schematically showing the appearance of an air conditioner 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1B is an example of a thermal image used in air conditioner 100 .

Fig. 2 is a configuration example of the air conditioner 100 according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the set point Tc.

FIG. 4A is a configuration example of an air conditioner 100 related to Modification 1. As shown in FIG.

FIG. 4B shows a configuration example of an air conditioner 100 related to Modification 1. As shown in FIG.

FIG. 4C is a configuration example of an air conditioner 100 related to Modification 1. As shown in FIG.

Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a circadian rhythm.

FIG. 6 shows a configuration example of an air conditioner 100 related to Modification 2. As shown in FIG.

FIG. 7 is an example of a thermal image used in Modification 2. FIG.

FIG. 8A is a configuration example of an air conditioner 100 related to Modification 3. As shown in FIG.

FIG. 8B shows a configuration example of an air conditioner 100 related to Modification 3. As shown in FIG.

FIG. 8C is a configuration example of an air conditioner 100 related to Modification 3. As shown in FIG.

FIG. 9 shows a configuration example of an air conditioner 100 related to Modification 4. As shown in FIG.

FIG. 10 is an example of a thermal image used in Modification 4. FIG.

FIG. 11 is an example of a thermal image used in Modification 4. FIG.

FIG. 12 shows a configuration example of an air conditioner 100 related to Modification 4. As shown in FIG.

FIG. 13 is an example of a thermal image used in Modification 4. FIG.

FIG. 14 shows a configuration example of an air conditioner 100 related to Modification 4. As shown in FIG.

FIG. 15A is a configuration example of an air conditioner 100 related to Modification 5. FIG.

FIG. 15B is a configuration example of an air conditioner 100 related to Modification 6. As shown in FIG.

FIG. 16 shows a configuration example of an air conditioner 100 related to Modification 7. As shown in FIG.

FIG. 17 is an example of a thermal image and temperature distribution used in Modification 7. FIG.

FIG. 18 is an example of thermal images and the like used in Modification 9. FIG.

FIG. 19 is an example of thermal images and the like used in Modification 10. FIG.

FIG. 20A is a configuration example of an air conditioner 100 related to Modification 10. FIG.

FIG. 20B shows a configuration example of an air conditioner 100 related to Modification 10. As shown in FIG.

FIG. 21 is an example of a thermal image used in Modification 11. FIG.

FIG. 22 shows a configuration example of an air conditioner 100 related to Modification 11. As shown in FIG.

FIG. 23 shows a configuration example of an air conditioner 100 related to Modification 12. As shown in FIG.

FIG. 24 is an example of the temperature distribution used in the twelfth modification.

FIG. 25 is an example of thermal images and the like used in Modification 13. FIG.

FIG. 26 shows a configuration example of an air conditioner 100 related to Modification 13. As shown in FIG.

FIG. 27 is an example of thermal images and the like used in Modification 14. FIG.

FIG. 28 shows a configuration example of an air conditioner 100 related to Modification 14. As shown in FIG.

Fig. 29 is a diagram schematically showing the appearance of an air conditioner 200 according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 30 is a configuration example of an air conditioner 200 according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 31 is an example of a screen of a remote controller used in the air conditioner 200 .

Fig. 32 is a configuration example of an air conditioner 200 according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 33 is an example of a screen of a remote controller used in the air conditioner 200 .

Fig. 34 is a configuration example of an air conditioner 200 according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 35 is an example of a screen of a remote controller used in the air conditioner 200 .

FIG. 36 is a configuration example of a thermal image sensor system 300 in an application form of the present invention.

detailed description

<Summary of each aspect of the invention>

An air conditioner in one aspect of the present invention is an air conditioner for performing air-conditioning control in a space, and includes: a thermal image acquisition unit that acquires a thermal image representing a temperature distribution in a space; In the area corresponding to a person in the acquired thermal image, (ii) determine the temperature of the person in the space, that is, the body temperature based on the temperature distribution of the area equivalent to a person, (iii) determine the temperature of the person in the space based on the temperature of the human body and the The difference value of the ambient temperature obtained from the temperature of the area to infer the thermal sensation of the people in the space; and the control unit controls the air volume, wind temperature, At least one of the wind directions. The thermal image acquisition unit and the computing unit may also constitute a thermal image sensor system separate from the air conditioner.

Furthermore, the calculation unit may estimate the thermal sensation of a person based on a difference between a difference value and a predetermined threshold value, and the difference value is a difference value between the human body temperature and the ambient temperature.

Furthermore, when the difference value obtained by subtracting the ambient temperature from the human body temperature is greater than a predetermined threshold, the control unit may control to increase the ambient temperature, and the difference value obtained by subtracting the ambient temperature from the human body temperature may be If it is less than the predetermined threshold value, the control unit performs control to lower the ambient temperature.

Furthermore, the calculation unit may correct the predetermined threshold based on the amount of activity of the person.

Furthermore, the calculation unit may correct the predetermined threshold value based on whether the air conditioner is performing cooling operation or heating operation.

Furthermore, the predetermined threshold may be corrected based on the ambient temperature.

Furthermore, the calculation unit may specify the human body temperature based on the average temperature of all pixels in the area corresponding to the human body in the thermal image.

In addition, the calculation unit may divide the area corresponding to a person into a plurality of human body parts, and weight each of the plurality of human body parts, based on the weighted average temperature of all pixels in the area equivalent to a person to determine body temperature.

Furthermore, the calculation unit may lower the weighting of the human body part where the skin is exposed among the plurality of human body parts than the other human body parts.

In addition, the calculation unit may divide the area corresponding to a person into a plurality of temperature ranges, and perform weighting on each of the plurality of temperature ranges, based on the temperature average value of all pixels in the area corresponding to a person after weighting. to determine body temperature.

In addition, the calculation unit may decrease the weighting of the lower temperature and increase the weighting of the higher temperature in the plurality of temperature ranges.

Furthermore, the calculation unit may specify the human body temperature based on the temperature average value of all pixels in the area corresponding to a person in the thermal image and the temperature maximum value in all pixels.

Furthermore, the calculation unit may specify the ambient temperature based on the mode value of the temperature of pixels in the area other than the area corresponding to a person.

Furthermore, the computing unit may specify a floor area or/and a ceiling area included in the space in the thermal image, and determine the ambient temperature based on the temperature of the floor area or/and the temperature of the ceiling area.

Furthermore, the computing unit may use, as the ambient temperature, a value measured by a temperature sensor worn by a person in the space or attached to a body-worn object.

In addition, the computing unit may use, as ambient temperature.

Furthermore, the computing unit may specify, as a region corresponding to a person, a region showing a temperature within a predetermined range in the thermal image.

Furthermore, the computing unit may specify, as regions corresponding to persons, regions in the thermal image that represent a temperature within a predetermined range and that are more than a predetermined number of consecutive regions.

In addition, as another aspect, an air conditioner for air-conditioning control of a space includes: a thermal image acquisition unit that acquires a thermal image representing a temperature distribution in a space; an area corresponding to a person in the image, and infer the thermal sensation of the person in the space in the determined area; and a notification unit that notifies the person in the space of the thermal sensation of the person in the space estimated by the calculation unit .

Furthermore, the notification unit may display images, characters, or symbols representing the thermal sensations of people in the space on a display unit provided on the main body of the air conditioner or on a display unit provided on a remote controller of the air conditioner. Notify people in the space.

Furthermore, the notification unit may notify the people in the space of the thermal sensation of the people in the space by changing the display color of the display unit.

Furthermore, the calculation unit may generate a corrected image in which the calculation unit superimposes characters or symbols representing the thermal sensations of people in the space around the coordinates of an area corresponding to a person in the thermal image. The notification unit notifies the people in the space of the thermal sensation of the people in the space by causing the display unit to display the corrected image.

Furthermore, the notification unit may notify a terminal other than the air conditioner via a network of an instruction to display images, characters, or symbols representing the thermal sensations of people in the space on the display unit of the terminal.

In addition, the notification unit may transmit (i) a thermal image, (ii) information on the coordinates of an area corresponding to a person specified by the calculation unit, (iii) information on the estimated thermal temperature to a terminal other than the air conditioner via the network. Sensitivity information, and (iv) displaying a corrected image in which characters or symbols representing the thermal sensation of a person in the space are superimposed around the coordinates of the area corresponding to a person in the thermal image generated by the calculation unit command from the display unit of the terminal.

In addition, the calculation unit may generate a corrected image in which the calculation unit superimposes characters or symbols indicating the thermal sensation of a person in the space around coordinates of a region corresponding to a person in the thermal image. As a result, the notification unit notifies the terminal other than the air conditioner via the network of an instruction to display the calibration image on the display unit of the terminal.

Furthermore, the computing unit may specify the human body temperature, which is the temperature of the person in the space, based on the temperature distribution of the area corresponding to the human body, and the ambient temperature obtained from the temperature of the human body and the temperature of the area other than the area corresponding to the human body may be used. The differential value of the space can be used to infer the hot and cold feeling of the people in the space.

Furthermore, the air conditioner may further include a correction receiving unit that receives correction of the estimated thermal sensation, and the calculation unit may correct the estimated thermal sensation based on information received by the correction receiving unit.

In addition, the air conditioner may further include a correction accepting unit that receives correction of the estimated thermal sensation, and the computing unit may estimate the thermal sensation of a person based on a difference between a difference value and a predetermined threshold value, the differential value being the temperature of the human body. The difference value with the ambient temperature, and the predetermined threshold value is changed based on the information received by the correction receiving unit.

In addition, as another aspect, an air conditioner for air-conditioning control of a space includes: a thermal image acquisition unit that acquires a thermal image representing a temperature distribution in a space; a temperature sensor that acquires the temperature around the air conditioner; The unit determines an area corresponding to a person in the thermal image acquired by the thermal image acquisition unit when the ambient temperature acquired by the temperature sensor is within a predetermined temperature range, and infers the person's status in the space in the determined area. and the control unit controls the air volume, air temperature, At least one of the wind directions.

Furthermore, when the ambient temperature is not within a predetermined temperature range, the calculation unit may not perform calculations, and if the ambient temperature is not within a predetermined temperature range, the control unit may determine the air volume, The control content of at least one of wind temperature and wind direction is controlled.

In addition, as another aspect, a thermal image sensor system includes: a thermal image acquisition unit that acquires a thermal image representing a temperature distribution in space; and a calculation unit that (i) specifies (ii) determine the temperature of the person in the space based on the temperature distribution of the human-equivalent area, that is, the human body temperature, (iii) obtain the temperature based on the human body temperature and the temperature of the area other than the human-equivalent area The differential value of the surrounding temperature can be used to infer the hot and cold feeling of the people in the space.

In addition, as another method, it is a method of inferring thermal sensations, in which a person's thermal sensations are estimated by a computer based on thermal images acquired by a thermal image sensor that captures thermal images. In this thermal sensation estimation method, the computer determines In the area corresponding to a person in the thermal image, the temperature of the person in the space, that is, the human body temperature is determined based on the temperature distribution of the area equivalent to a person, and the surrounding area obtained based on the temperature of the human body and the temperature of the area other than the area equivalent to a person The differential value of temperature can be used to infer the hot and cold feeling of people in the space.

In addition, as another way, it is a thermal sensation inference program, which infers a person's thermal sensation based on thermal images captured by a thermal image sensor that acquires thermal images. The thermal sensation inference program includes: (i) determining the thermal image In the region corresponding to a person in the thermal image acquired by the acquisition unit, (ii) determine the temperature of the person in the space, that is, the body temperature based on the temperature distribution of the region corresponding to the person, (iii) determine the temperature of the person in the space based on the temperature of the human body and the Calculation processing such as estimating the thermal sensation of people in the space from the difference value of the ambient temperature obtained from the temperature of the area other than the area.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, the same code|symbol is attached|subjected to the same element in some cases, and description is abbreviate|omitted. In addition, in order to facilitate understanding of the drawings, each component is schematically shown as a main body.

In addition, the embodiment described below represents a specific example of the present invention. Numerical values, shapes, components, steps, order of steps, etc. shown in the following embodiments are examples and do not limit the gist of the present invention. In addition, among the constituent elements of the following embodiments, the constituent elements not described in the independent claims representing the highest concept will be described as arbitrary constituent elements. In addition, in all the embodiments, it is also possible to combine the respective contents. In addition, the configurations described in the respective modification examples of the respective embodiments are also the same, and the configurations described in the respective modification examples can be combined respectively.

<Detailed explanation of each aspect of the invention>

[the first embodiment]

The air conditioner 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 2 , the air conditioner 100 of the first embodiment includes a thermal image acquisition unit 110 , a temperature sensor 120 , a calculation unit 130 , a control unit 160 , a shutter 171 , a compressor 172 , and a fan 173 . The calculation unit 130 includes a position determination unit 131 , a human body temperature calculation unit 132 , a temperature difference value calculation unit 133 , a thermal sensation estimation unit 134 , and a set point setting unit 135 . Each configuration of the air conditioner 100 may be arranged in any one of an indoor unit installed indoors and an outdoor unit installed outdoors. In addition, the air conditioner 100 may be provided with a structure other than these structures.

The thermal image acquisition unit 110 is a so-called thermal imaging camera attached to the front of the air conditioner 100 . The thermal image acquisition unit 110 has an angle of view Φ in the left-right direction, and can acquire a two-dimensional thermal image of an object existing in the space in front of the air conditioner 100 . In addition, the thermal image acquisition unit 110 also has an angle of view in the vertical direction, and can recognize the presence of the person 102 in the space in front of the air conditioner 100 . The thermal image acquisition unit 110 has, for example, pixel groups arranged in a two-dimensional matrix, and can acquire a two-dimensional thermal image at one time. In addition to this configuration, the thermal image acquisition unit 110 may have, for example, a one-dimensionally arranged pixel group (line sensor) and scan the pixel group one-dimensionally to obtain a two-dimensional thermal image, or may have More than one pixel, and more than one pixel is scanned two-dimensionally to obtain a two-dimensional thermal image structure. Here, the configuration of the thermal image acquisition unit 110 is not limited.

In this first embodiment, when a person 102 exists in the space of the viewing angle Φ in front of the air conditioner 100 as shown in FIG. 1A , the thermal image acquisition unit 110 can acquire the temperature distribution including the person 102 as shown in FIG. 1B . Thermal image 103a of . Hereinafter, the thermal image 103a will be described.

In the thermal image 103a, the higher the temperature of the object in the space (pixel), the higher the density is displayed. In FIG. 1B , pixels with a higher temperature are displayed in a color closer to black. In addition, the display of thermal images is not limited thereto.

Currently, the person 102 shown in FIG. 1A is wearing a jacket 102a and pants 102b. The surface temperature of the jacket 102a and the trousers 102b is close to the ambient temperature. Therefore, for example, when the ambient temperature is a normal temperature of about 25° C., with regard to the surface temperature of the person 102 detected by the thermal image acquisition unit 110, the parts of the jacket 102 a and the trousers 102 b are more exposed than other parts of the skin (face, head, etc.). hands, feet) low. As a result, the surface temperature of the jacket 102a and the pants 102b are displayed with a relatively lower density (color close to the color of the surrounding pixels) than the surface temperature of the exposed skin. In addition, in the above-mentioned temperature environment, since the ambient temperature is lower than the temperature of the clothing surface, if there is no object below the ambient temperature inside the viewing angle Φ, the density of the area other than the human body in the thermal image 103a becomes lowest. For example, when the room temperature is about 25°C, the skin temperature on the face is about 33°C on average, the temperature of the jacket 102a is about 27°C, the temperature of the hands (exposed parts) is about 30°C, and the temperature of the pants 102b is 28°C. When the temperature of the right and left and both feet (exposed part) is about 29 degreeC, it becomes the temperature distribution shown by the thermal image 103a. However, since the temperature of the clothing surface of the jacket 102a, the trousers 102b, etc. depends on the material, thickness, etc. of the clothing, it may reach a different temperature. In addition, the surface temperature of the skin varies depending on individual differences, activity levels, and the like. In addition, when there is no person 102 and the temperature of the object existing within the viewing angle Φ is uniform, it becomes a uniform distribution as shown in the thermal image 103 b of FIG. 1B .

Next, each configuration and function of the air conditioner 100 will be described.

The temperature distribution acquired by the thermal image acquisition unit 110 is sent to the calculation unit 130 as a thermal image. The temperature sensor 120 is a sensor capable of measuring the temperature of a point in space or a point on the surface of a component, such as a thermistor or a thermocouple. The temperature sensor 120 is disposed, for example, at an air intake port of the air conditioner 100, and measures ambient temperature. In addition, the position of the temperature sensor 120 may be arrange|positioned in places other than an air suction port etc., Here, this position is not limited. The ambient temperature detected by the temperature sensor 120 is sent to the computing unit 130 .

In the computing unit 130 , the position determination unit 131 analyzes the thermal image sent from the thermal image acquisition unit 110 to determine the position of the person 102 in the space. A method of specifying the position of the person will be described later. The human body temperature calculation unit 132 analyzes the thermal image transmitted from the thermal image acquisition unit 110 , and determines an area estimated to correspond to the person 102 . Then, the human body temperature calculation unit 132 cuts out the determined regions, and specifies (calculates) the average temperature of the cut regions as the human body temperature. The method of specifying the human zone and the method of calculating the average value of temperature will be described later. The temperature difference calculation unit 133 acquires the human body temperature (A value) calculated by the human body temperature calculation unit 132 and the ambient temperature (B value) detected by the temperature sensor 120, and obtains the temperature difference value (C value) between them ( That is, C=A-B).

The thermal sensation estimation unit 134 acquires the temperature difference value (C value) calculated by the temperature difference value calculation unit 133 . In addition, the thermal sensation estimation unit 134 acquires the set point Tc set by the set point setting unit 135 . Then, the thermal sensation estimation unit 134 judges whether the person 102 feels hot or cold by comparing the temperature difference value (C value) with the set point Tc (hereinafter referred to as thermal sensation).

Here, the set point Tc set by the set point setting unit 135 refers to the temperature difference value (C value) when a person feels neither hot nor cold [=human body temperature (A value)−ambient temperature (B value)]. That is, as shown in FIG. 3 , if the difference value is smaller than the set point Tc, in other words, if the ambient temperature rises relative to the human body temperature, the human will feel warm and hot according to the amount of the rise. On the other hand, if the difference value is larger than the set point Tc, in other words, the ambient temperature drops relative to the human body temperature, the person feels cool or cold according to the amount of the drop. The value of the set point Tc can be obtained by experiments, for example, or can be calculated by simulation.

In this manner, the calculation unit 130 can estimate the position and thermal sensation of the person 102 within the viewing angle Φ. The estimated position and thermal sensation of the person 102 are input to the control unit 160 . The control unit 160 controls the shutters 171 , the compressor 172 , and the fan 173 based on the thermal sensation determined by the thermal sensation estimation unit 134 of the computing unit 130 . For example, when it is determined that the person 102 is feeling hot, the control unit 160 controls the louvers 171 to face the direction where the person 102 is, and operates the compressor 172 and the fan 173 to generate cool air. In this way, since the temperature around the person 102 drops, the person 102 no longer feels hot, but can be comfortable.

In this way, by calculating the temperature difference (C value) between the human body temperature (A value), which is the average temperature of the area corresponding to the person 102, and the ambient temperature (B value) of the person 102, the thermal sensation is estimated as follows. Effect.

Usually, although the room temperature can be set by an air conditioner, it cannot be set for the amount of clothing of a person. For example, in summer, even at the same set temperature, people feel cool if they wear thin clothes, and feel hot if they wear thick clothes. For example, in winter, even if the set temperature is the same, people feel cold if they wear thin clothes, and warm if they wear thick clothes. That is, if the amount of clothing is different, people's sense of heat and cold will be different even if the ambient temperature is the same. Therefore, just by maintaining the ambient temperature at the same temperature, the sense of cooling and heating will also vary depending on the amount of clothing, and it is necessary to change the set temperature of the air conditioner.

As in the present embodiment, the temperature difference value (C value) corresponding to the average temperature of the area of the person 102 including the clothing area, that is, the human body temperature (A value) and the ambient temperature (B value) of the person 102 is obtained. ), it is the extrapolation of heat dissipation from the body that also takes clothing into account. Usually, since the energy intake of a person is approximately the same level every day, it is preferable to also maintain approximately constant heat dissipation from the body. In this way, the thermal sensation can be estimated by comparing the temperature difference value (C value), which is an index of the amount of heat radiation from the body, with the predetermined set point Tc based on the ideal heat radiation amount. If the thermal sensation can be estimated, even if the amount of clothing is changed, the computing unit 130 can continue to estimate the thermal sensation with high accuracy without, for example, the person 102 deliberately notifying the amount of clothing. As a result, there is an effect that a comfortable space can be provided without changing the set temperature one by one regardless of the amount of clothing.

As other effects, the following effects can be expected. In the present embodiment, the average value of the region corresponding to the person 102 is obtained as a value extracted from the thermal image 103a. Therefore, a case where there is no problem even with a low-resolution image is enumerated. For example, if the temperature of the nose is to be measured in order to estimate the sensation of heat and cold, the resolution of the thermal image corresponding to the resolution of an area of several square centimeters in the room is required. However, according to the present embodiment, since it is only necessary to obtain the average value of the area corresponding to the person 102, such a high resolution is not required. Thereby, there is an effect that the temperature sensation of the person 102 can be estimated sufficiently even with the low-resolution and inexpensive thermal image acquisition unit 110 .

Of course, the driving amount of the shutter 171, the compressor 172, and the fan 173 by the control unit 160 may be constant regardless of the amount of deviation of the temperature difference value (C value) corresponding to the set point Tc, or may be equal to the amount of deviation. Vary accordingly. For example, when the offset is large, the driving amounts of the compressor 172 and the fan 173 can be increased, and when the offset is small, the driving amounts of the compressor 172 and the fan 173 can be decreased.

In addition, several modified examples will be further described below.

(Modification 1)

In Modification 1, the set point Tc is varied according to time based on the fact that the deep body temperature of a person fluctuates within a day (generally called "circadian rhythm").

FIG. 4A is a diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioner 100 related to Modification 1. FIG. The computing unit 130 in the modified example shown in FIG. 4A further includes a circadian rhythm storage unit 136 and a clock 137 . In the circadian rhythm storage unit 136 , for example, a typical circadian rhythm (deep body temperature of a person fluctuating throughout the day) and the like shown in FIG. 5( a ) are stored in the form of a table, for example. The clock 137 is an internal clock of the air conditioner 100 , and provides the set point setting unit 135 with information about the time. The set point setting unit 135 refers to the time of the clock 137 and sets the set point Tc corrected according to the time based on the deep body temperature stored in the circadian rhythm storage unit 136 . As in this modified example, by estimating the thermal sensation based on the set point Tc corrected by the set point setting unit 108, it is possible to maintain the consistency with the way a person feels the surrounding temperature in a day according to the circadian rhythm. Comfortable environment for change correspondence.

In addition, since the deep body temperature is generally higher in the afternoon than in the morning, it can be seen that even if it is the same temperature, it is relatively warmer in the afternoon than in the morning. Therefore, it is only necessary to set the set point Tc higher in the afternoon, and to correct the set point Tc in proportion to the body temperature fluctuation amount of the circadian rhythm.

In addition, FIG. 4B is a diagram showing another configuration of the air conditioner 100 according to Modification 1. As shown in FIG. The modified example shown in FIG. 4B is a configuration in which the internal clock 137 is replaced with the external clock 190 . In this modified example, the time of the clock 190 (for example, an alarm clock) possessed by the person is considered instead of the clock possessed by the air conditioner 100 , considering that the wake-up time and the bedtime differ from person to person. For example, the reference position of the circadian rhythm stored in the circadian rhythm storage unit 136 can be changed based on the wake-up time set in the clock 190 . The clock 190 may be lighting in a bedroom, a sleep meter, or the like other than an alarm clock. A sleep monitor is a measuring instrument that can estimate the time of falling asleep, the time of waking up, the time of sleep, the depth of sleep, etc. based on the physical activity of a person. That is, the time to wake up and the time to go to bed can be estimated from the time when the lighting in the bedroom is turned on/off and the value of the sleep meter. Like this modified example, it is possible to provide a comfortable air conditioner optimized for each person.

In addition, FIG. 4C is a figure which shows still another structure of the air conditioner 100 concerning the modification 1. As shown in FIG. The modified example shown in FIG. 4C is a configuration in which a plurality of circadian rhythms are stored in the circadian rhythm storage unit 136 and a circadian rhythm determination unit 138 is further provided. In terms of circadian rhythm, people with regular life have larger temperature fluctuations, and people with irregular life have smaller temperature fluctuations. For example, as shown in FIG. 5( b ), the circadian rhythm (rhythm 1 ) of a regular person and the circadian rhythm (rhythm 2 ) of an irregular person are stored in the circadian rhythm storage unit 136 . The circadian rhythm determination unit 138 determines whether it is regular or irregular based on the wake-up and bedtime times obtained from the clock 190 , and notifies the set point setting unit 135 of the determination result. The set point setting unit 135 selects either the rhythm 1 or the rhythm 2 based on the determination notified by the circadian rhythm determination unit 138 , and sets the set point Tc. According to this modified example, it is possible to provide a comfortable air conditioner optimized for each individual according to whether the living habits of a person are regular or irregular.

In addition, here, as an example, the circadian rhythm is divided into two categories of regularity and irregularity, and it is of course possible to further refine it. In addition, the circadian rhythm shown in FIG. 5 is only a schematic example, and the body temperature fluctuation range and the like may be set arbitrarily, and it is not limited here.

(Modification 2)

In Modification 2, the set point Tc is changed according to the amount of activity based on the fact that the body feels warmer than when it is at rest when the heat dissipation from the body increases due to exercise.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioner 100 according to Modification 2. As shown in FIG. In the modified example shown in FIG. 6 , the calculation unit 130 further includes an active mass calculation unit 139 and a buffer 140 . For example, in FIG. 7 , the thermal image 103c is assumed to be a thermal image at time T1, and the thermal image 103d is assumed to be a thermal image at time T2 later than time T1 by a predetermined time. At this time, the position determination unit 131 determines the position of the person 102 at the time T1 based on the thermal image 103c, or determines the position of the person 102 at the time T2 based on the thermal image 103d. The buffer 140 stores the positions of persons identified at various times by the position identifying unit 131 . The active mass calculation unit 139 estimates the active mass of the person 102 from the fluctuation amount of the person's position stored in the buffer 140 , and sends it to the set point setting unit 135 . The set point setting unit 135 corrects the set point Tc based on the active mass estimated by the active mass calculating unit 139 . According to this modified example, it is possible to estimate the thermal sensation corresponding to the amount of activity of the person. The control unit 160 can control the compressor 172 and the fan 173 according to the amount of activity of the person based on the thermal sensation obtained by estimation. Thereby, it is possible to provide a comfortable surrounding environment even in activities.

In addition, when the amount of activity is large, the amount of heat dissipation generally increases, so that the set point Tc is often raised in accordance with the amount of activity. In addition, here, the active mass is estimated focusing on the change in the position of the person, but the active mass may be estimated by monitoring the position of a high-temperature part such as a hand other than the position of the human being. In this way, even when performing work on the seat, such as during ironing, since the amount of activity can be estimated, it is possible to provide a more comfortable air conditioner.

In addition, in this modification 2, as an example of estimating the amount of activity, a method using a change in the position of a person in a thermal image has been described. However, as long as the amount of activity can be estimated, methods other than the method using thermal images may be used, and the method of estimating the amount of activity is not particularly limited.

(Modification 3)

In Modification 3, the set point Tc is changed according to the season, based on the fact that summer and winter feel differently even at the same temperature.

In particular, since the temperature difference between the four seasons in Japan is clearly noticeable, it can be seen that summer and winter feel differently even at the same temperature. Usually, in hot seasons such as summer, the body feels comfortable even if the ambient temperature is high (for example, 28° C.) because the body is used to the heat. On the contrary, in cold seasons such as winter, because the body is used to the cold, even if the surrounding temperature is low (for example, 20°C), the temperature will be comfortable. Therefore, in summer, even if the temperature difference between the ambient temperature and the average human temperature is smaller than that in other seasons, you will feel comfortable, and in winter, you will feel comfortable when the temperature difference between the ambient temperature and the average human temperature is larger than in other seasons. .

FIG. 8A is a diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioner 100 according to Modification 3. FIG. In the modified example shown in FIG. 8A , the calculation unit 130 further includes a heating/cooling determination unit 141 . The heating/cooling determination unit 141 determines whether the air conditioner 100 is in a control mode such as a heating operation or a cooling operation. The set point setting unit 135 corrects the set point Tc based on the determination result of the control mode in the heating/cooling determination unit 141 . For example, if the control mode is cooling operation, the set point Tc is set to 3.0°C, and if the control mode is heating operation, the set point Tc is set to 4.0°C. In this way, it is possible to provide a comfortable air conditioner that also adapts to the body's thermal sensations depending on the season.

In addition, FIG. 8B is a diagram showing another configuration of the air conditioner 100 according to Modification 3. As shown in FIG. In the modified example shown in FIG. 8B , the heating/cooling determination unit 141 is not included, and the ambient temperature detected by the temperature sensor 120 is input to the set point setting unit 135 . The set point setting unit 135 estimates the current season from the ambient temperature detected by the temperature sensor 120 (the temperature before the air conditioner makes the room comfortable), and corrects the set point Tc. Of course, the set point setting unit 135 may directly correct the set point Tc based on the ambient temperature detected by the temperature sensor 120 instead of estimating the season. In addition, the ambient temperature may be an ambient temperature estimated by the thermal sensation estimation unit 134 from a thermal image (described later in Modification 7).

Furthermore, FIG. 8C is a diagram showing still another configuration of the air conditioner 100 according to Modification 3. As shown in FIG. In the modified example shown in FIG. 8C , computing unit 130 further includes a configuration of calendar unit 142 . The calendar unit 142 has date information. The set point setting unit 135 estimates the current season from the date obtained from the calendar unit 142, and corrects the set point Tc. In this way, it is possible to provide a comfortable air conditioner that also adapts to the adaptation of the body to the sense of heat and cold depending on the season.

(Modification 4)

In Modification 4, the set point Tc is varied individually based on the fact that there are individual differences in the sensations of heat and cold experienced by people even in the same environment.

As a method of identifying a person from a thermal image, for example, height can be detected. For example, a thermal image 103e of X and a thermal image 103f of Y are shown in FIG. 10 . The height of a person can be easily obtained by calculation from the standing position and the height of the person on the image. That is, the distance between the person and the air conditioner 100 can be known based on whether the standing position on the image is up or down, and the height of the person can be calculated based on the obtained height of the person. With respect to X in the thermal image 103e and Y in the thermal image 103f, individuals can be identified based on differences in height.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioner 100 according to Modification 4. As shown in FIG. In the modified example shown in FIG. 9 , the calculation unit 130 further includes a configuration of a human identification unit 143 and a buffer 144 . The person identification part 143 analyzes the thermal image acquired by the thermal image acquisition part 110, and identifies an individual by height as mentioned above. The buffer 144 stores in advance the set points Tc for each person (X and Y in this example). The buffer 144 receives an individual identification result from the individual identification unit 143 , and sends the set point Tc stored for the individual to the set point setting unit 135 .

Here, the set point Tc for each individual can be determined as follows. For example, a person is made to stand at a position where a thermal image can be acquired by the thermal image acquisition unit 110 , and the air conditioner 100 is operated while changing the temperature. Then, when feeling neither hot nor cold, the individual inputs a specific signal to the air conditioner 100 (for example, transmits it by a remote controller not shown). The air conditioner 100 calculates a set point based on the ambient temperature obtained by the temperature sensor 120 and the human body temperature determined by the human body temperature calculation unit 132 when a specific signal is input, and compares the set point with the temperature obtained by the human identification unit 143 Individual height information is also stored in the buffer 144 . In addition, when setting the set point Tc for each individual, information notified by the individual (fear of cold, heat, cold syndrome (Japanese: 冷え问, English: sensitivity to cold, etc.)) may be added. For example, the set point of Y who notifies himself of being cold is set low. By setting in this way, since it functions so that the heat radiation amount may be controlled in the direction which falls relatively, there exists an effect that it is hard to feel cold even if you are suffering from cold.

In this way, the set point setting unit 135 acquires from the buffer 144 and sets the set point Tc of the individual identified by the person identifying unit 143 . Then, the thermal sensation estimation unit 134 judges the thermal sensation based on the individual's set point Tc. Thereby, it is possible to realize an air conditioner capable of realizing an ambient temperature optimized for an individual.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the height is calculated from the thermal image obtained by the thermal image acquisition unit 110 to perform individual identification. However, the method of personal identification is not limited to this method, and other methods may be used. For example, individuals may be identified based on differences in temperature distribution, or individuals may be identified based on images from a separately installed CCD camera or the like.

[Determination method of human body temperature (A value)]

Next, a calculation method of the human body temperature (A value), which is the average temperature of the area corresponding to the person 102 in the calculation unit 130, will be described with reference to FIG. 11 .

For example, as mentioned above, when the room temperature is about 25°C, the skin temperature of the face is about 33°C on average, the temperature of the jacket 102a is about 27°C, the temperature of the hands (exposed parts) is about 30°C, and the temperature of the pants 102b is about 33°C. The temperature of the body is about 28°C, and the temperature of both feet (exposed part) is about 29°C. Accordingly, an area having a predetermined temperature or higher compared with the ambient temperature detected by the temperature sensor 120 can be regarded as an area corresponding to the person 102 . In this way, the computing unit 130 calculates the area of the person used for calculating the body temperature (A value), and outputs the information on the position of the person 102 to the control unit 160 .

For example, in this case, if the pixel portion higher than the ambient temperature (25° C.) by 1° C. or more is estimated to be the person 102 , the region surrounded by the thick line shown in FIG. 11( a ) can be regarded as the region corresponding to the person. In this way, it is also possible to specify a predetermined or larger pixel portion as an area corresponding to a person. In addition, it is also possible to add, as a condition for specifying the area of a person, that a predetermined number or more of pixel portions with a temperature of 26° C. or higher are continuous. For example, as shown in FIG. 11( b ), areas such as lighting fixtures that generate heat at 26° C. or higher during lighting may be included in the thermal image. In this case, for example, as long as an area of 10 pixels or more with pixels at 26° C. or higher is recognized as a person, heat-generating objects such as these lighting fixtures will not be detected as a person. As a result, a person can be detected with high precision, and thus the thermal sensation can be reliably estimated, thereby providing a comfortable surrounding environment.

Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the area corresponding to the ambient temperature of 1° C. or higher is set as the area corresponding to a person, but it is also possible to set not only the lower limit temperature but also the upper limit temperature. For example, it is also possible to set the upper limit temperature to 40° C., and not to set a region higher than 40° C. as a human-equivalent region. In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 11( c ), it is assumed that there is an object that generates heat due to factors other than the metabolism of the human body, such as a smartphone, in the chest pocket, and the area is higher than 40° C., It is also possible to remove the area from the area corresponding to a person. In this way, it is possible to accurately predict the amount of heat dissipation due to human metabolism, so it is possible to estimate thermal sensations with higher accuracy and provide a more comfortable surrounding environment.

Also, in this embodiment, the area corresponding to a person is set based on whether the temperature is 1° C. or more higher than the ambient temperature as a threshold value, but of course it can be determined to be 26° C. regardless of the ambient temperature, which can be freely set. In addition, as the number of continuous pixels, 10 pixels are used as an example here, but of course it is not limited to 10 pixels, and may be appropriately set in accordance with the specifications of the thermal image acquisition means to be used. In addition, although 40 degreeC was set as an upper limit temperature, this is of course only an example, and it is also possible to set it as another temperature, and it is not limited to 40 degreeC. In addition, it is also possible to compare the thermal images acquired in time series, and use the moving part as the region corresponding to the person 102 , but the method is not limited here.

In addition, here, as an optimal configuration, the average temperature of the area corresponding to the person 102 is determined (obtained) as the body temperature (A value) from the thermal image inside the calculation unit 130, and the coldness of the person 102 is estimated. heat. However, any other value may be used as the human body temperature as long as the amount of heat radiation including clothing can be estimated by acquiring a difference value from the ambient temperature. For example, it may be the integral value of the temperature in the area corresponding to the person 102, and may also be the maximum value, or other mode value, median, etc., which are not limited here.

In addition, so far, it has been described that the ambient temperature is about 25°C. However, when the ambient temperature is as high as about 33°C, the average skin temperature relative to the face is about 33°C, and the temperature of the jacket 102a and trousers 102b is almost the same as the ambient temperature, both reaching about 33°C. In addition, since the temperatures of both hands (exposed parts) and both feet are also equal to the ambient temperature, it is difficult to detect the region of the person 102 on the thermal image.

However, in general, if the ambient temperature is about 33° C., there is no heat radiation from the skin or the like, and the body feels stuffy. Therefore, at this time, the control unit 160 may directly determine the ambient temperature and start the cooling operation without the calculation unit 130 judging (computing) the thermal sensation and the position of the person. The configuration at this time is shown in FIG. 12 . In this way, when the ambient temperature is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature, cooling is started regardless of the feeling of cooling or heating, and the ambient temperature is reduced to the predetermined temperature (for example, 33° C.) or lower. If the ambient temperature is below a predetermined temperature (predetermined temperature range), the area of the person can be identified, so the computing unit 130 can estimate the thermal sensation and provide a comfortable surrounding environment.

In addition, although the predetermined temperature was demonstrated as 33 degreeC here, it is not limited to this. The predetermined temperature may be set lower as long as it is lower than the surface temperature of exposed parts such as a human face, and the temperature and range thereof are not limited here. The process of controlling the control unit 160 by estimating the thermal sensation by the thermal sensation estimation unit 134 described so far is performed regardless of the ambient temperature (the temperature range is not limited). However, for example, when the surrounding environment is 10°C, everyone feels cold, and when the surrounding environment is 30°C, everyone feels hot. Therefore, the control unit 160 may be controlled by estimating the thermal sensation by the thermal sensation estimation unit 134 limited to the case where the ambient temperature measured by the temperature sensor 120 is within a predetermined range. In addition, in the case of an ambient temperature below the predetermined range, it is assumed that everyone feels cold, and heating operation can be performed without performing the estimation of the feeling of cold or heat. Anyone can feel hot, so it is possible to perform cooling operation instead of inferring hot and cold sensations. In this way, it is possible to reduce the calculation load on the calculation unit 130 and provide an air conditioner that consumes less power. In addition, here, the range of ambient temperature for thermal sensation estimation is set as 10° C. to 30° C., but this range is of course not limited, and can be freely set within a range that does not deviate from the gist. In addition, it is needless to mention that the above-mentioned effect of performing thermal sensation estimation within a predetermined temperature range does not depend on the thermal sensation estimation method, even if it is a method other than the thermal sensation estimation method described in this embodiment. has the same effect.

In addition, the thermal image (reference thermal image) when no person exists in the range of the viewing angle Φ is obtained in advance, and the difference value between the actually obtained thermal image and the reference thermal image is obtained in the calculation unit 130, so that the value as The temperature difference value (C value) of the difference value between the human body temperature (A value) and the ambient temperature (B value). This will be described using FIGS. 13 and 14 . The thermal image 103g shown in FIG. 13( a ) is a reference thermal image acquired when the person 102 does not exist within the angle of view Φ. Since the lighting fixture exists within the angle of view Φ, there is a region of high temperature in the region of the lighting fixture. In the configuration shown in FIG. 14 , this reference thermal image is stored in the background data buffer 145 . Next, a thermal image 103h shown in FIG. 13(b) is a thermal image acquired when the person 102 exists within the angle of view Φ. The thermal image 103h is output to the difference value processing unit 146 . The differential value processing unit 146 acquires the differential value between the thermal image 103h and the thermal image 103g stored in the background data buffer 145 . This image becomes the thermal image 103i shown in FIG.13(c). Since the thermal image has been subtracted from the ambient temperature, it is not necessary to perform subtraction processing in the computing unit 130 to obtain the C value as in the configuration of FIG. 2 . For the obtained thermal image 103i, the temperature difference value (C value) can be calculated|required by setting the area|region of predetermined temperature or more as the area|region corresponding to the person 102, and acquiring the average value of each pixel. Then, the thermal sensation can be estimated in the thermal sensation estimation unit 134 based on the obtained temperature difference value (C value).

In this way, since the temperature sensor 120 is no longer necessary, there is an effect that the air conditioner can be configured at a lower cost. In addition, even if there is a heat-generating object such as a lighting fixture, it is possible to reliably detect a region corresponding to a person by acquiring a difference value. In addition, here, regarding whether there is a person within the viewing angle Φ, the acquired thermal images may also be compared in time series, and it may be determined that there is no person if there is no change over a predetermined period of time. The predetermined time is preferably about 5 minutes, for example, and may be appropriately set according to specifications, or may be adjustable.

In addition, the air conditioner 100 is usually present at a position higher than the position of the person 102, and generally, the temperature at a higher position becomes a higher temperature. Therefore, a value lower by a certain temperature than the value measured by the temperature sensor 120 may be set as the ambient temperature (B value). In addition, the value measured by the temperature sensor 120 may be set as the ambient temperature (B value) by shifting a certain temperature according to the height, position, and other conditions where the air conditioner 100 is installed.

In addition, modification examples are further described below.

Here, the air conditioner 100 further includes a receiver 180 . In the above-mentioned embodiment, the temperature sensor 120 attached to the air conditioner 100 was used as the temperature sensor. Here, a case where measurement is performed using a temperature sensor provided separately from the air conditioner 100 will be described.

(Modification 5)

FIG. 15A is a diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioner 100 according to Modification 5. FIG. The modified example shown in FIG. 15A is a configuration in which a remote controller 191 is provided separately from the air conditioner 100 . The remote controller 191 includes a temperature sensor 193 and a transmitter 194 . Usually, the remote controller 191 is used to turn on and off the operation of the air conditioner 100 , adjust the wind direction, air volume, and temperature.

The ambient temperature measured by the temperature sensor 193 is output to the transmitter 194 , and wirelessly transmitted from there to the receiver 180 inside the air conditioner 100 . The subsequent operations are the same as those described above. Usually, the remote controller 191 is located closer to the person in the room than the main body of the air conditioner 100 , so the temperature measured by the remote controller 191 is closer to the ambient temperature of the person in the room. As a result, the accuracy of the thermal sensation estimated by the calculation unit 130 is further improved, and a more comfortable surrounding environment can be provided.

(Modification 6)

FIG. 15B is a diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioner 100 according to Modification 6. As shown in FIG.

The modified example shown in FIG. 15B is a configuration in which a wearable terminal 192 is provided separately from the air conditioner 100 . Like the remote control 191 , the wearable terminal 192 has a temperature sensor 193 and a transmitter 194 . The wearable terminal 192 is worn by people indoors. As the wearable terminal 192, for example, various terminals such as a wristband-type activity meter (active amount meter), etc., in addition, it may be a smart phone, a watch-type smart watch, etc., or other devices such as smart glasses. terminal. The ambient temperature measured by the temperature sensor 193 attached to such a body-worn device is transmitted from the transmitter 194 to the receiver 180 of the air conditioner 100 . Subsequent operations are the same as those described above.

In this way, since the ambient temperature measured by a device worn around the body such as the wearable terminal 192 directly measures the ambient temperature of a person, the accuracy of the thermal sensation estimated in the calculation unit 130 is further improved, and a more comfortable ambient temperature can be provided. environment.

(Modification 7)

A case where the ambient temperature is estimated from a thermal image instead of a temperature sensor will be described. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioner 100 according to Modification 7. As shown in FIG. The configuration of FIG. 16 differs from the configuration of FIG. 2 in that an ambient temperature estimation unit 147 is provided instead of the temperature sensor 120 . The ambient temperature estimation unit 147 receives the thermal image from the thermal image acquisition unit 110 and calculates the ambient temperature (B value). Here, the processing in the ambient temperature estimation unit 147 will be described.

Fig. 17(a) is a thermal image 103j captured by the thermal image acquisition unit 110, and is assumed to include an area corresponding to the person 102 and the lighting fixture. In addition, assume that the ambient temperature is about 23°C, the average skin temperature of the face is about 33°C, the temperature of the jacket 102a is about 27°C, the temperature of the hands (exposed parts) is about 30°C, and the temperature of the pants 102b is about 28°C. , the temperature of both feet (exposed part) is about 29°C.

A histogram (histogram: histogram, histogram) of the thermal image 103 j is calculated in the ambient temperature estimation unit 147 . This statistical graph is shown in Fig. 17(b). As in the example described above, it is considered that 26° C. to 40° C. are set as the area corresponding to a person, and the rest are set as the indoor background area. Then, 23° C., which is a mode value other than the one corresponding to the person 102 , is detected as the ambient temperature (B value). In this thermal image 103j, there are also areas corresponding to lighting fixtures in areas other than those corresponding to people, but generally speaking, the proportion of heat generating bodies other than people in the room is small, so by obtaining The ambient temperature can be obtained with high precision by using the multiplicity value in the area outside of people. In this way, since the temperature sensor 120 can be omitted, a cheaper air conditioner can be provided.

(Modification 8)

The histogram calculation may also be applied to the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 120 (for example, the configuration of FIG. 2 ) attached to the air conditioner 100 . For example, when the temperature accuracy of the temperature sensor 120 is ±2°C, and the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 120 is, for example, 24°C as shown in FIG. The mode value (23° C. in FIG. 17( c )) in the histogram of is taken as the ambient temperature (B value). In this way, the ambient temperature (B value) can be estimated with higher accuracy. In addition, since an air conditioner is generally installed at a high position indoors, the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 120 is often higher than the ambient temperature of a person. Accordingly, a range in which a measurement deviation or the like is added to a temperature lower than the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 120 by a predetermined temperature may be defined as the range in which the ambient temperature (B value) exists.

(Modification 9)

Describes other methods for inferring ambient temperature from thermal images. FIG. 18( a ) shows a state where the air conditioner 100 is installed on an indoor wall surface, and the thermal image acquisition unit 110 has a viewing angle θ in the vertical direction. The thermal image acquisition part 110 is arrange|positioned so that the indoor ceiling 104 and the floor 105 may be included in this vertical field angle θ. In addition, indoors, the person 102 stands and enters the inside of the thermal image acquisition unit 110 at the vertical angle of view θ. The thermal image acquired by the thermal image acquisition part 110 in this state is schematically shown in FIG.18(b) as a thermal image 103k. In the thermal image 103k, in addition to the area corresponding to the person 102, both the area corresponding to the ceiling 104 and the area corresponding to the floor 105 also exist. Here, the temperature of the region corresponding to the floor 105 and the temperature of the region corresponding to the ceiling 104 may be obtained, and the average value may be used as the ambient temperature of the person 102 . Typically, the ceiling is warmer than the floor as warm air rises. Since the area around the person's location is approximately midway between the ceiling and the floor, the ambient temperature can be estimated with high accuracy by obtaining the average value of the temperature of the area corresponding to the ceiling 104 and the temperature of the area corresponding to the floor 105 . In this way, since the temperature sensor 120 can be omitted, a cheaper air conditioner can be provided.

In addition, the area corresponding to the floor 105 can also be used as the temperature near the standing position of the person 102, and the temperature of the area corresponding to the ceiling 104 can also be extracted from the uppermost pixel of the thermal image 103k, and the selection method is not limited. . In addition, here, the average value of the temperature of the region corresponding to the ceiling 104 and the temperature of the region corresponding to the floor 105 is used, but it may be a value other than the average value. For example, it may be estimated that the lower position The calculation method is not limited by increasing the ratio of the temperature of the region corresponding to the floor 105 in the case of the temperature of the upper position, and conversely increasing the ratio of the temperature of the region corresponding to the ceiling 104 in the case of estimating the temperature of the higher position.

(Modification 10)

So far, the general frontal thermal image for the person 102 and the actual indoor situation have been described, and various other situations are also considered. Here, as other situations, the calculation method of the calculation unit related to the situation of facing backward and the situation of just entering and exiting a cold place will be described.

A thermal image 103m of FIG. 19( a ) is a thermal image of the person 102 facing the front. A thermal image 103n of FIG. 19(b) is a thermal image of the person 102 facing backward. Thermal image 103p of FIG. 19(c) is a thermal image of person 102 facing the front just after entering the room from a cold place. FIG. 20A is a diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioner 100 according to Modification 10. FIG. In the modified example shown in FIG. 20A , the configuration of the human body temperature calculation unit 148 of the calculation unit 130 is different from that of FIG. 2 .

The human body temperature calculation unit 148 analyzes the thermal image sent from the thermal image acquisition unit 110 , and obtains the average temperature (A value) of the region corresponding to the person 102 . In addition, the human body temperature calculation unit 148 obtains the maximum value (D value) of the temperature of the region corresponding to the person 102 . Then, in the human body temperature calculation unit 148 , the current state of the person 102 in the thermal image is identified based on the average temperature (A value) and the maximum temperature (D value). For example, when the average temperature (A value) is not within a predetermined range (for example, 25°C±3°C) but below 22°C, it is determined that the person has just entered the room from a cold place and the whole body is cold. Similarly, when it is 28° C. or higher, it is judged that the room has just been entered from a hot place. When the average value (A value) of the temperature is in the range of 25°C±3°C and the maximum value (D value) of the temperature is, for example, 31°C or less, it is determined to be facing backward. This is because, generally, the temperature of the face is about 33° C., and if the temperature is lower than this, it is considered that the temperature of the face cannot be measured, so it is judged to be facing backward.

In this way, by combining the average value (A value) and the maximum value (D value) of the temperature, it is possible to estimate what state the person 102 is in. Thus, for the thermal image 103p shown in FIG. 19(c), as shown in FIG. 19(d), the average value (A value) of the temperature is outside the range of 25°C±3°C, so it is judged to be from a cold place. The state of the burglary of the place. In the thermal image 103n, the average value (A value) of the temperature is within the range of 25°C±3°C, but since the maximum value (D value) of the temperature is 31°C or less, it is judged to be not in a transitional state but toward the rear . In the thermal image 103m, the average temperature (A value) is in the range of 25°C±3°C, and the maximum temperature (D value) is also 31°C or higher, so it is determined that it is not in a transitional state but is facing the front.

For the thermal image 103m determined to be facing the front, the average temperature (A value) may be used as the calculation result in the human body temperature calculation unit 148, that is, the human body temperature (E value). On the other hand, when it is determined that the person has entered the room from a cold place as in the thermal image 103p, it is only necessary to directly issue a command to the control unit 160 to warm the person 102 without performing thermal sensation estimation. In addition, when it is judged to face backward like thermal image 103n, what is necessary is just to use the correction value which is the constant times of the predetermined value of the average value (A value) of temperature as human body temperature (E value). The temperature difference value (C value) is obtained by obtaining the difference value between the human body temperature (E value) set in this way and the ambient temperature (B value) obtained from the temperature sensor 120, and the thermal sensation estimation unit 134 estimates the thermal sensation. And control. In this way, even in the transitional state of the person and the state of not facing the front, it is possible to perform control corresponding to the person's sense of heat and cold.

In addition, it is only necessary to have the human body state judgment unit 149 capable of judging the state of the human body as in the configuration of FIG. 20B , and the human body temperature calculation unit 148 does not need to correct the average value (A value) of the temperature. In other words, when it is judged by the human body state judging unit 149 that the person 102 is facing backward, the thermal sensation can be estimated by correcting the value of the set point Tc by the set point setting unit 135. When the place is in the state of entering the room, it is also possible to directly send an instruction to the control unit 160 to warm the person 102 without inferring the thermal sensation.

In addition, in the above, as a reference for judging the state of a person based on the average value (A value) and the maximum value (D value) of the temperature in the human body temperature calculation part 148 and the human body state judgment part 149, it is shown that the temperature range is 25 ℃±3℃, and the maximum value is 31℃. However, these temperatures are of course an example and other values may also be used.

In addition, when the human body state determination unit 149 determines that the person 102 continues to face backward for more than a predetermined period (for example, about 10 minutes), the thermal image acquisition unit 110 of the air conditioner 100 may be warned that the person 102 is facing toward the air conditioner 100 by a warning mechanism not shown. direction. In this way, the thermal sensation can be accurately estimated without changing the set point Tc or correcting the average value (A value) of the temperature, so that a comfortable surrounding environment can be provided. In addition, as a warning mechanism, in addition to guidance by voice, it is possible to light an indicator lamp (not shown) mounted on the main body, or to display the meaning of a remote controller, or other mechanisms. Here, The organization is not limited. In addition, the prescribed period for issuing the warning may be longer or shorter than 10 minutes.

(Modification 11)

So far, the entire human-corresponding region in the thermal image has been collectively processed. In this modified example, an example is described in which the human-corresponding region is divided into a plurality of human body parts and processed. FIG. 22 is a diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioner 100 according to Modification 11. As shown in FIG. In the modified example shown in FIG. 22 , the calculation unit 130 includes a site identification unit 150 and a weighted addition unit 151 .

For example, in people with cold syndrome, the temperature of hands and feet is easily affected by the surrounding temperature, and the temperature becomes close to the surrounding temperature. In this case, since the temperature difference between the hands and feet and the ambient temperature becomes small, it is judged that the heat dissipation amount is small in this case. Therefore, in this modified example, weighting is applied to each body part. For example, as shown in FIG. 21 , the part identification unit 150 identifies the head, body, hands, legs, and feet in the area corresponding to the person 102, and classifies them into five human body parts. Then, the part identification unit 150 calculates an average value of temperature for each of the plurality of divided human body parts. The weighted addition unit 151 inputs the average temperature of each human body part calculated by the part identification unit 150, and assigns weight to the average temperature of each human body part. The temperature difference value calculation unit 133 obtains a temperature difference value (C value) from the weighted average value of the temperatures (F value) and ambient temperature (B value). In addition, instead of calculating the average temperature for each human body part, weighting may be applied to the temperatures of all the pixels included in each human body part, and as a result, the same average temperature (F value) can also be obtained.

Here, when the weight of the exposed body parts (exposed parts) of the hands and feet is reduced, the human's thermal sensation can be more accurately reflected, and the thermal sensation can be estimated with high accuracy. In addition, here, five human body parts are used as head, trunk, hand, leg, and foot, but the identification of these five human body parts is not limited, and more human body parts can be identified. , and can also discriminate fewer human body parts. Furthermore, the weighting for each body part may be performed in combination with the person discrimination unit 143 as shown in FIG. 9 . That is, a weighting for each human body part discriminated by the human discriminating unit 143 that differs from person to person may be given. At this time, the buffer 144 may have weighted coefficients.

(Modification 12)

FIG. 23 is a diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioner 100 according to Modification 12. As shown in FIG.

In the modified example shown in FIG. 23 , the calculation unit 130 includes a weighted addition unit 151 and a temperature range division unit 152 .

The temperature range dividing unit 152 divides the region corresponding to the person 102 in the acquired thermal image into a plurality of (six in FIG. 24 ) temperature ranges as shown in FIG. 24 . Furthermore, the temperature range dividing unit 152 analyzes how many pixels there are in the number of pixels in each temperature range. The weighted addition unit 151 assigns a weight to each range divided by the temperature range division unit 152 . For example, among the divided temperature ranges, the weighting of relatively low temperature ranges close to the outside air temperature may be reduced. Then, the weighted addition unit 151 calculates the weighted average value of each temperature range as the human body temperature (F value). The temperature difference calculation unit 133 calculates a temperature difference value (C value) from the human body temperature (F value) calculated by the weighted addition unit 151 and the ambient temperature (B value). Thereby, even when the hands and feet are cold, it is possible to more accurately estimate the sense of heat and cold.

In addition, here, as a countermeasure against cold symptoms, the weighting on the low temperature side is reduced in the region corresponding to the person 102 . However, the weighting coefficient can be changed arbitrarily according to the purpose, and the coefficient and the number of divisions are not limited here.

(Modification 13)

Next, processing when the person 102 sits behind the table 106 will be described. FIG. 26 is a diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioner 100 according to Modification 13. As shown in FIG. In the modified example shown in FIG. 26 , the calculating unit 130 has a layout estimating unit 153 .

In a room such as a living room, furniture such as a table and a shelf is arranged, and therefore, in the thermal image captured by the thermal image acquisition unit 110 , a part of the body may be blocked and captured. For example, if a thermal image is taken when the lower body of the person 102 is covered by the table 106 as shown in FIG. 25( a ), the lower body is still covered as shown in the thermal image 103 r of FIG. 25( b ). In addition, the dotted line in FIG. 25(b) is supplemented to show the arrangement of the table 106, and does not show temperature information. Therefore, the layout inference unit 153 infers the layout of the room from the thermal image obtained from the thermal image acquisition unit 110, and infers from the inferred layout whether the obtained surface temperature information of the person 102 is the temperature information of the whole body or the temperature of a part of the body. information. In the case of an image of only the upper body of the body like the thermal image 103r, in the region determined to be the person 102, the proportion of the face region with a relatively high temperature becomes larger, so the average value of the surface temperature of the person 102 is higher than that of the body. The average value of the surface temperature of the whole body is high. Accordingly, when the layout estimation unit 153 estimates that the thermal image 103 r is only an image of the upper body of the body, the set point Tc set in the set point setting unit 135 is increased. Accordingly, even in a case where furniture such as the table 106 or a shelf is arranged, it is possible to accurately estimate the thermal sensation. Thereby, control of the air conditioner in an actual state can be realized.

In addition, it is possible to predict the lowermost position of the region identified as a person in the thermal image as a foot. Thus, for example, the layout inference unit 153 continues to plot the position on the lowermost side of the area identified as a person in the thermal image acquired by the thermal image acquisition unit 110 (in other words, obtains the trajectory of the person walking), and maps the area The area not plotted in the interior is learned as an area in which furniture such as a table is arranged, so that the layout can be inferred. Of course, the method of estimation is not limited to this method, and it is also possible to capture images with a CCD camera (not shown) and perform image recognition for estimation, but this method is not limited here.

(Modification 14)

Next, estimation of thermal sensation of a person facing sideways will be described. FIG. 28 is a diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioner 100 according to Modification 14. As shown in FIG. In the modified example shown in FIG. 28 , the calculation unit 130 has a human orientation estimation unit 154 .

When the person faces sideways, the ratio of the relatively high-temperature facial region decreases compared to when the person faces the front, so the average value of the person's surface temperature obtained from the thermal image decreases. Therefore, the person orientation estimation unit 154 estimates the orientation of the person from the thermal image obtained from the thermal image acquisition unit 110 . For example, when it is inferred from the thermal image 103s that the person 102 is facing the right, the person orientation estimation unit 154 assumes that the average value of the surface temperature calculated from the thermal image 103s is calculated to be low, and the set point is set lower. The set point Tc set in section 108. Accordingly, even when the person is not facing the front, it is possible to accurately estimate the thermal sensation. Thereby, control of the air conditioner in an actual state can be realized.

In addition, the human orientation estimating unit 154 finds that, for example, when the human is oriented laterally, the temperature distribution of the upper portion of the human 102 recognized as in the thermal image 103 s is not bilaterally symmetrical. Thereby, the orientation of the person can be estimated from the temperature distribution in the upper part of the image. In addition, here, the case of facing the lateral side has been described, but of course it may also be the case of facing the rear. For example, although the temperature of the human face is usually around 33°C, if the maximum value of the temperature distribution in the upper part of the area corresponding to a person is significantly lower than 33°C, it is presumed that the temperature is caused by the influence of hair. are measured lower. Therefore, in this case, it can be estimated that it is facing backward. Of course, other methods are also available for estimating the orientation of the person. For example, it is also possible to use an unshown CCD camera or the like to capture images, recognize the target position, etc., and infer from image recognition. Here, this method is not limited.

[the second embodiment]

The air conditioner 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention has a configuration in which the notification unit 210 is attached at a position that can be visually recognized by the person 102 in the air conditioner 100 shown in the first embodiment.

Fig. 29 is a diagram schematically showing the appearance of an air conditioner 200 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 29 , an air conditioner 200 includes a thermal image acquisition unit 110 installed on the front surface of a casing, a calculation unit 230 installed inside, and a control unit 160 . The thermal image acquisition unit 110 has the same configuration as that described in the first embodiment, has a left-right field of view Φ, and can measure a two-dimensional thermal image of an object present in the space in front of the air conditioner 200 . The thermal images that can be acquired are the same as those described in the first embodiment, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted here.

Next, the configuration and functions of the air conditioner 200 will be described using FIG. 30 . The thermal image including the temperature distribution of the person acquired by the thermal image acquisition unit 110 is sent to the calculation unit 230 . The calculation unit 230 specifies the position of the person 102 based on the thermal image input from the thermal image acquisition unit 110 , and estimates the thermal sensation. The calculation unit 230 can estimate the thermal sensation based on the difference between the human body temperature and the surrounding temperature as in the first embodiment, but as another method, it can also be based on the human hand, In addition, it does not have to be inferred from the thermal image, and the method is not limited here.

The control unit 160 controls the shutters 171 , the compressor 172 , and the fan 173 based on the thermal sensation and position of the person 102 estimated by the calculation unit 230 , and operates to keep the ambient temperature of the person 102 comfortably. In addition, in the present embodiment, the temperature sensation of the person 102 estimated by the calculation unit 230 is given to the notification unit 210 . Notification unit 210 includes a display unit provided on the main body of air conditioner 200 , for example, an LED. The LED changes the color of light emitted based on the temperature sensation of the person 102 estimated by the computing unit 230 . For example, the calculation unit 230 emits light in green if it is estimated that the person 102 is comfortable, emits light in warm colors such as red and orange if it is estimated to be hot, and emits light in cool colors such as blue or water when it is estimated that it is cold.

In this way, the person 102 can immediately judge how the air conditioner 200 is inferring his own sense of coolness or heat. Thereby, it is possible to predict whether the air conditioning will be performed more strongly after that, or whether the air conditioning will be weakened after that because it is close to being almost comfortable, so there is an effect of reducing anxiety.

In addition, if there is a difference between the thermal sensation displayed on the notification unit 210 and the thermal sensation currently felt by oneself, for example, the remote controller 291 shown in FIG. The set point Tc (correction of thermal sensation) set by the point setting unit 135 . For example, when the notification unit 210 is emitting green light (inferred to be comfortable), but the person 102 feels hot, it is possible to press the "heat" button of the remote controller 291 to instruct correction. The signal transmitted from the remote controller 291 in response to the push of the button is received by the receiver 280 shown in the configuration of FIG. Section 135. For example, when the thermal sensation is estimated based on the difference between the human body temperature and the ambient temperature as shown in the first embodiment, the set point Tc serving as the threshold may be set (changed) slightly larger. In this way, the control unit 160 lowers the temperature of the compressor 172 to lower the ambient temperature of the person 102 and make it possible to feel comfortable.

As described above, by using the remote control 291 or the like to make the set point setting unit 135 in the air conditioner 200 recognize the current feeling of heat and cold, it is possible to provide a comfortable surrounding environment optimized for each person. In addition, at this time, as shown in FIG. 9 of the first embodiment, the setting individual may be specified and the setting of the thermal sensation may be stored in the buffer 144, thereby achieving the realization of the individual used. Optimized comfortable air conditioner.

In addition, in the above, three colors are used as the color of light emission, but of course, the color of light emission may be changed in analogy according to the amount of shift from the set point Tc, and other colors may also be used.

In addition, in the above-mentioned example, the notification of the thermal sensation of a person is described using the LED provided in the notification unit 210 , but it may be displayed in characters or the like on, for example, a display unit provided in the remote controller 291 . That is, as shown in FIG. 34 , the temperature sensation estimated by the calculation unit 230 may be transmitted from the transmitter 294 to the remote controller 291, and the received remote controller 291 may display the received result on the screen of the display unit as shown in FIG. 33 . . In this way, the person 102 can immediately judge how the air conditioner 200 is currently performing inference. Thereby, it is possible to predict whether the air conditioning will be performed more strongly after that, or whether the air conditioning will be weakened after that because it is close to being almost comfortable, so there is an effect of reducing anxiety. In addition, of course, as shown in FIG. 35 , it is also possible to display in such a manner that the thermal sensations of multiple people can be known based on the acquired thermal image. In addition, here, the remote controller as the notification unit 210 displays the thermal sensation in characters, and the air conditioner displays the thermal sensation in the color of the LED, but the notification mechanism may be other mechanisms, such as a smart phone, Tablet PCs, etc., are not limited here.

For example, the calculation unit 230 may generate a corrected image in which the calculation unit superimposes characters or symbols representing the thermal sensations of people in the space around the coordinates of an area corresponding to a person in the thermal image. In addition, the notification unit 210 displays the corrected image on the display unit, thereby notifying the people in the space of their thermal sensations. Thereby, it is possible to display the thermal sensation estimation result of the person in a small display area such as a display unit of a remote controller. Also, for example, even a user who does not know that the function of estimating thermal sensation is installed in the system can recognize that the display is the result of the system's estimation of his thermal sensation.

In addition, the notification unit 210 may notify a terminal other than the air conditioner 200 via the network of an instruction to display images, characters, or symbols representing the thermal sensations of people in the space on the display unit of the terminal. Here, terminals other than the air conditioner 200 may be terminals having a display function and a communication function, such as a smartphone or a handwriting panel. As a result, the user can grasp the current hot and cold sensation estimation status with the smartphone or the like that he or she always carries without intentionally holding the remote controller.

In addition, the notification unit 210 may transmit the thermal image, the information related to the coordinates of the human-equivalent area specified by the calculation unit 230 to a terminal other than the air conditioner 200 via the network, and the information to be included in the thermal image generated by the calculation unit 230 . An instruction to display, on the display unit of the terminal, a corrected image in which characters or symbols representing thermal sensations of people in the space are superimposed around the coordinates of an area corresponding to a person. That is, the air conditioner 200 generates and displays the corrected image on the external terminal only by sending necessary information to the external terminal. As a result, important processing such as generating a corrected image by the air conditioner 200 is not performed, thereby reducing the amount of processing on the air conditioner 200 side.

In addition, the calculation unit 230 may generate a corrected image in which the calculation unit superimposes characters or symbols representing the thermal sensations of people in the space around coordinates of an area corresponding to a person in the thermal image. Yes, the notification unit 210 notifies a terminal other than the air conditioner 200 via the network of a command to display the calibration image on the display unit of the terminal. That is, the air conditioner 200 generates a necessary correction image, and the external terminal only performs processing for displaying the correction image. Accordingly, the user can grasp the current state of thermal sensation estimation without requiring an external terminal to store a special algorithm (algorithm) for generating the corrected image.

Furthermore, the computing unit 230 may specify the human body temperature, which is the temperature of the person in the space, based on the temperature distribution of the region corresponding to the person, and determine the temperature based on the temperature of the human body and the ambient temperature obtained from the temperature of the region other than the region corresponding to the person. The difference value is used to infer the hot and cold feeling of people in the space.

In addition, in the above-mentioned first and second embodiments, an example in which the position specifying unit 131 specifies the position of a person based on the thermal image acquired by the thermal image acquiring unit 110 has been described. However, the method of specifying the position of a person is not limited to this method, and other methods may be used. For example, the position of the person may be specified based on information of sensors (pyroelectric sensors, cameras, millimeter-wave radar, etc.) provided separately from the air conditioners 100 and 200 and the like.

In addition, in the first and second embodiments described above, the information on the position of the person identified by the position identification unit 131 may be output to the human body temperature calculation unit 132 . Thereby, the process of "analyzing the thermal image and determining the region estimated to correspond to the person 102" performed by the human body temperature calculation unit 132 can be reduced or omitted.

[Application method]

In the first and second embodiments described above, the air conditioner incorporating the configuration for acquiring a thermal image and/or the configuration for estimating a person's thermal sensation has been described. However, the configuration for acquiring a thermal image and/or the configuration for estimating a person's thermal sensation can also be modularized to form a separate configuration.

For example, as shown in FIG. 36, the thermal image acquisition unit 110, the human body temperature calculation unit 132, the temperature difference value calculation unit 133, the thermal sensation estimation unit 134, and the set point setting unit 135 can be modularized to form a General purpose thermal image sensor system 300 . If modularized in this way, size reduction and cost reduction of the air conditioner equipped with the thermal image sensor system 300 can be expected. In such a versatile thermal image sensor system 300, the air conditioner may supply the required ambient temperature to the temperature difference value calculation unit 133 from the temperature sensor of the air conditioner itself or the remote controller, or may include, for example, the ambient temperature in the configuration. The temperature estimation unit 147 estimates the ambient temperature required by the temperature difference value calculation unit 133 from the thermal image acquired by the thermal image acquisition unit 110 . By modularizing and forming a separate structure in this way, the thermal image sensor system 300 can be installed in devices other than air conditioners. Devices other than the air conditioner are, for example, cameras, lighting equipment, or mobile terminals such as smartphones, and are not particularly limited.

In addition, it is also possible to form a separate configuration (not shown) by using a configuration for estimating a person's thermal sensation as software. That is, it may also be a recording medium (including a magnetic disk, an external disk) in which the processes (programs) related to the human body temperature calculation unit 132, the temperature difference value calculation unit 133, the thermal sensation estimation unit 134, and the set point setting unit 135 are written. storage, etc.). In addition, providing the processing (program) of the human body temperature calculation unit 132 , the temperature difference value calculation unit 133 , the thermal sensation estimation unit 134 , and the set point setting unit 135 via the network is also included. In this case, the main body that processes the software may be a computing unit installed in the air conditioner, a computing unit included in a PC (personal computer), a smart phone, etc., or a cloud server or the like may be used for processing via a network. In this case, it is sufficient to acquire information about the thermal image from outside.

The example of modularizing or forming a separate configuration as software described here is not limited to the example described above, as long as a part of the configuration included in the computing unit 130 or computing unit 230 is modularized or a separate configuration is formed as software. Just make up.

In addition, the structure shown by the above-mentioned embodiment is an example, It goes without saying that various modifications can be added in the range which does not deviate from the summary of invention. In addition, it is needless to say that each of the above-described embodiments or inventions obtained by modifying them can be used in combination.

Industrial availability

The air conditioner in the present invention can provide a comfortable surrounding environment without operating it by estimating a person's thermal sensation with high precision with an inexpensive configuration, and is practical.

Explanation of reference signs

100, 200 air conditioners

102 people

102a top

102b pants

103a～103s thermal image

104 ceiling

105 floor

106 tables

110 thermal image acquisition department

120, 193 temperature sensor

130, 230 computing department

131 Location Determination Division

132, 148 Human Body Temperature Calculation Department

133 Temperature difference calculation unit

134 Thermal Sensation Deduction Department

135 set point setting section

136 Circadian Rhythm Storage Division

137, 190 clocks

138 Circadian Rhythm Judgment Department

139 Activity Calculation Department

140, 144 buffer

141 Heating/Cooling Judgment Department

142 Calendar Department

143 People Identification Department

145 background data buffers

146 differential value processing unit

147 Ambient Temperature Estimation Department

149 Human Body State Judgment Department

150 Part Identification Department

151 Weighted Addition Division

152 temperature range separation section

153 Layout Inference Department

160 Control Department

171 Shutters

172 compressor

173 fans

180, 280 receiver

191, 291 remote control

192 wearable terminal

194, 294 transmitters

210 Notification Division

300 thermal image sensor system

Claims (33)

1. An air conditioner, used for air conditioning control of space, the air conditioner has: a thermal image acquisition unit that acquires a thermal image representing the temperature distribution in the space; The computing unit (i) specifies a region corresponding to a person in the thermal image acquired by the thermal image obtaining unit, and (ii) determines the temperature of the person in the space, that is, the human body, based on the temperature distribution of the region corresponding to a person. temperature, (iii) inferring the sense of heat and cold of the person in the above-mentioned space based on the difference value between the temperature of the above-mentioned human body and the ambient temperature obtained from the temperature of the area other than the above-mentioned area corresponding to the person; and The control unit controls at least one of air volume, air temperature, and air direction of the air conditioner based on the thermal sensations of people in the space estimated by the calculation unit. 2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, The calculation unit estimates the thermal sensation of the person based on a difference between the difference value between the human body temperature and the ambient temperature and a predetermined threshold value. 3. The air conditioner according to claim 2, When the difference obtained by subtracting the ambient temperature from the human body temperature is greater than the predetermined threshold value, the control unit controls to increase the ambient temperature, and the difference obtained by subtracting the ambient temperature from the human body temperature When the value is smaller than the predetermined threshold value, the control unit performs control to lower the ambient temperature. 4. The air conditioner according to claim 2, The computing unit corrects the predetermined threshold based on the amount of activity of the person. 5. The air conditioner according to claim 2, The calculation unit corrects the predetermined threshold value based on whether the air conditioner is performing a cooling operation or a heating operation. 6. The air conditioner according to claim 2, The calculation unit corrects the predetermined threshold value based on the ambient temperature. 7. The air conditioner according to claim 1, The calculation unit specifies the temperature of the human body based on an average temperature of all pixels in a region corresponding to a person in the thermal image. 8. The air conditioner according to claim 1, The calculation unit divides the human-equivalent area into a plurality of human body parts, weights each of the plurality of human body parts, and determines the above-mentioned body temperature. 9. The air conditioner according to claim 8, The calculation unit may lower the weight of a human body part where skin is exposed among the plurality of human body parts than other human body parts. 10. The air conditioner according to claim 1, The calculation unit divides the human-equivalent region into a plurality of temperature ranges, weights each of the plurality of temperature ranges, and determines the above-mentioned body temperature. 11. The air conditioner according to claim 10, The calculation unit decreases the weight of the lower temperature and increases the weight of the higher temperature in the plurality of temperature ranges. 12. The air conditioner according to claim 1, The calculation unit specifies the temperature of the human body based on an average temperature of all pixels in a region corresponding to a person in the thermal image and a temperature maximum value in all the pixels. 13. The air conditioner according to claim 1, The calculation unit determines the ambient temperature based on a mode value of the temperature of pixels in an area other than the area corresponding to a person. 14. The air conditioner according to claim 1, The calculation unit specifies a floor area or/and a ceiling area included in the space in the thermal image, and determines the ambient temperature based on the temperature of the floor area or/and the temperature of the ceiling area. 15. The air conditioner according to claim 1, The calculation unit uses, as the ambient temperature, a value measured by a temperature sensor worn by a person in the space or attached to an article worn on the body. 16. The air conditioner according to claim 1, The calculation unit uses, as the ambient temperature, a value measured by a temperature sensor installed in the air conditioner to obtain a temperature around the air conditioner, or a value measured by a temperature sensor attached to a remote controller capable of remotely operating the air conditioner. . 17. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 2 to 16, The computing unit specifies, as the human-corresponding region, a region showing a temperature within a predetermined range in the thermal image. 18. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 2 to 16, The computing unit specifies, as the human-corresponding regions, a predetermined number or more of consecutive regions in the thermal image showing temperatures within a predetermined range. 19. An air conditioner, used for air conditioning control of a space, the air conditioner has: a thermal image acquisition unit that acquires a thermal image representing the temperature distribution in the space; a calculation unit that determines a region corresponding to a person in the thermal image acquired by the thermal image acquisition unit, and infers the thermal sensation of the person in the space in the determined region; and The notification unit notifies the person in the space of the temperature sensation of the person in the space estimated by the calculation unit. 20. The air conditioner according to claim 19, The notification unit notifies the user by displaying images, characters, or symbols representing the thermal sensations of people in the space on a display unit provided on the main body of the air conditioner or a display unit provided on a remote controller of the air conditioner. people in the space above. 21. The air conditioner according to claim 20, The said notification part notifies the person in the said space of the thermal sensation of the person in the said space by changing the display color of the said display part. 22. The air conditioner according to claim 20, The computing unit generates a corrected image in which characters or symbols representing thermal sensations of people in the space are superimposed around the coordinates of the area corresponding to the person in the thermal image, The notification unit notifies the people in the space of the thermal sensation of the people in the space by causing the display unit to display the correction image. 23. The air conditioner according to claim 19, The notification unit notifies a terminal other than the air conditioner via a network of an instruction to display an image, a character, or a symbol indicating a temperature sensation of a person in the space on a display unit of the terminal. 24. The air conditioner according to claim 19, The notification unit transmits (i) the thermal image, (ii) information on the coordinates of the human-equivalent area identified by the calculation unit, and (iii) the estimated temperature and temperature information to terminals other than the air conditioner via a network. Sensitivity information, and (iv) correction in which characters or symbols representing the thermal sensation of a person in the space are superimposed around the coordinates of the area corresponding to a person in the thermal image generated by the calculation unit An instruction to display an image on the display unit of the terminal. 25. The air conditioner according to claim 19, The computing unit generates a corrected image in which characters or symbols representing thermal sensations of people in the space are superimposed around the coordinates of the area corresponding to the person in the thermal image, The notification unit notifies a terminal other than the air conditioner via a network of an instruction to display the calibration image on a display unit of the terminal. 26. An air conditioner as claimed in any one of claims 19 to 25, The calculation unit determines the temperature of the human body in the space based on the temperature distribution of the human-equivalent area, that is, the human body temperature, and determines the ambient temperature based on the human body temperature and the temperature of the area other than the human-equivalent area. The differential value of the above-mentioned space can be used to infer the sense of heat and cold of the people in the above-mentioned space. 27. The air conditioner according to claim 26, The above-mentioned air conditioner further includes a correction receiving unit that receives correction of the estimated thermal sensation, The computing unit corrects the estimated thermal sensation based on the information received by the correction accepting unit. 28. The air conditioner according to claim 26, The above-mentioned air conditioner further includes a correction receiving unit that receives correction of the estimated thermal sensation, The calculation unit estimates the temperature sensation of the person based on the difference between the difference value and a predetermined threshold value. The difference value is a difference value between the body temperature and the ambient temperature, and is based on information received by the correction receiving unit. Change the threshold value specified above. 29. An air conditioner, used for air conditioning control of a space, the air conditioner has: a thermal image acquisition unit that acquires a thermal image representing the temperature distribution in the space; A temperature sensor for obtaining the surrounding temperature of the air conditioner; The calculation unit specifies an area corresponding to a person in the thermal image acquired by the thermal image acquisition unit when the ambient temperature acquired by the temperature sensor is within a predetermined temperature range, and infers the area in the identified area. the warmth and coldness of people in the space; and The control unit controls the air volume, air temperature, and air direction of the air conditioner based on the sense of heat and cold of people in the space estimated by the calculation unit when the ambient temperature acquired by the temperature sensor is within a predetermined temperature range. at least one of . 30. The air conditioner according to claim 29, When the ambient temperature is not within a predetermined temperature range, the calculation unit does not perform calculations, When the ambient temperature is not within a predetermined temperature range, the control unit determines control content of at least one of air volume, air temperature, and air direction of the air conditioner according to the ambient temperature, and performs control. 31. A thermal image sensor system comprising: a thermal image acquisition unit that acquires a thermal image representing a temperature distribution in space; and The computing unit (i) specifies a region corresponding to a person in the thermal image acquired by the thermal image obtaining unit, and (ii) determines the temperature of the person in the space, that is, the human body, based on the temperature distribution of the region corresponding to a person. Temperature, (iii) Estimate the sense of heat and cold of the person in the space based on the difference between the human body temperature and the ambient temperature obtained from the temperature of the region other than the region corresponding to the person. 32. A method for inferring hot and cold sensations, using a computer to infer a person's hot and cold sensations based on thermal images acquired by a thermal image sensor that acquires thermal images, in the method for inferring hot and cold sensations, said computer determining a region within said thermal image corresponding to a person, The temperature of the person in the space, that is, the human body temperature is determined based on the temperature distribution of the above-mentioned area corresponding to a person, and based on the difference between the above-mentioned human body temperature and the ambient temperature obtained from the temperature of the area other than the above-mentioned area corresponding to a person, Infer the sense of heat and cold of the people in the above space. 33. A program for inferring thermal sensations, inferring a person's thermal sensations based on thermal images acquired by a thermal image sensor that acquires thermal images, the thermal sensation inference program includes the following calculations: (i) determining the area corresponding to a person in the above-mentioned thermal image acquired by the thermal image acquisition unit; (ii) Determine the temperature of the person in the space, that is, the body temperature, based on the temperature distribution of the above-mentioned area equivalent to a person; (iii) Based on the difference between the human body temperature and the surrounding temperature obtained from the temperature of the area other than the area corresponding to the human body, the thermal sensation of the person in the space is estimated.