Control apparatus and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10072864-B2
Application number	US-201314429721-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 19, 2013
Priority date	Oct 24, 2012
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

A comparison unit compares the outside air temperature in outside air temperature information acquired by an outside air temperature acquisition unit with an outside air temperature threshold that has been set by a threshold setting unit. A first information acquisition unit acquires ON operation information. A device control unit performs passive control when the outside air temperature is in a temperature range on a comfortable side with respect to the outside air temperature threshold. Where the outside air temperature is in a temperature range on an uncomfortable side with respect to the outside air temperature threshold, the device control unit performs passive control until an ON operation is performed and performs active control once the ON operation is performed. The passive control involves performing OFF control of the active device and natural environment usage control of a passive device. The active control involves performing ON control of the active device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A control apparatus configured to control an active device and a passive device which change a room temperature in a target space inside a building, the control apparatus comprising:
an outside air temperature acquisition circuit configured to acquire outside air temperature information indicating an outside air temperature outside the building;
a threshold setting circuit configured to set an outside air temperature threshold;
a comparison circuit configured to compare the outside air temperature in the outside air temperature information acquired by the outside air temperature acquisition circuit with the outside air temperature threshold that has been set by the threshold setting circuit;
a device control circuit configured to selectively perform, based on a comparison result of the comparison circuit, first control by which OFF control is performed on the active device and natural environment usage control which changes the room temperature by using at least one of outside air and external light is performed on the passive device, or second control by which ON control is performed on the active device; and
an operation information acquisition circuit configured to acquire ON operation information indicating that an ON operation for setting ON the active device has been performed, wherein
the device control circuit is configured to perform in at least three states including:
a first state in which the device control circuit performs the first control when the outside air temperature is within a temperature range on a comfortable side with respect to the outside air temperature threshold,
a second state in which the device control circuit, when the outside air temperature information indicates the outside air temperature is in a temperature range on an uncomfortable side with respect to the outside air temperature threshold, performs the first control until the ON operation information is acquired by the operation information acquisition circuit and
a third state in which the device control circuit performs the second control upon acquisition of the ON operation information by the operation information acquisition circuit,
the ON operation information corresponding to an ON operation performed by a user with respect to the active device.

2. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the threshold setting circuit is configured to set the outside air temperature threshold based on an environment evaluation value including at least one of a thermal insulation evaluation value, a light utilization evaluation value, and a ventilation evaluation value relating to the building.

3. The control apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the threshold setting circuit is configured to determine the environment evaluation value by using at least one of a heat loss coefficient and an equivalent gap surface area of the building, and sets the outside air temperature threshold based on the environment evaluation value.

4. The control apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the threshold setting circuit is configured to determine the environment evaluation value by using a ratio of a surface area of an opening to a surface area of an outer wall in the building, and set the outside air temperature threshold based on the environment evaluation value.

5. The control apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein when the outside air temperature reaches the temperature range on the comfortable side with respect to the outside air temperature threshold while the second control is performed, the device control circuit is configured to switch from the second control to the first control with a time delay determined according to the environment evaluation value.

6. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when the ON operation is performed while the first control is performed, the device control circuit is configured to switch from the first control to the second control, and return to the first control after a predetermined time elapses since the second control has been started.

7. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the threshold setting circuit is configured to reset the outside air temperature threshold to a temperature on a comfortable side when the ON operation is performed a first specified number of times or more, in a first predetermined period of time while the first control is performed.

8. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the passive device is an automatic window and an external light shielding device installed in an opening of the building, and
the device control circuit is configured to perform opening control on the automatic window and the external light shielding device when a person is present in the target space, but performs closing control on the automatic window and the external light shielding device when a person is not present in the target space, while the first control is performed.

9. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the passive device is an external light shielding device installed in an opening of the building, and
the device control circuit is configured to perform opening-closing control corresponding to a time slot on the external light shielding device in wintertime.

10. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
when the passive device performs an operation, which is different from control contents of the first control, a second specified number of times or more, within a second predetermined period of time while the first control is performed, the device control circuit is configured to stop the control of the passive device with the control contents in a time slot in which the different operation has been performed.

11. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
when the passive device performs an operation, which is different from control contents of the first control, while the first control is performed,
the device control circuit is configured to perform return control for returning to the operation with the control contents after a return time elapses since the different operation has been performed, and
when the passive device performs the different operation a third specified number of times or more, within a third predetermined period of time,
the device control circuit is configured to set the return time such as to include a time slot in which the different operation has been performed.

12. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the active device is configured to change the room temperature by cooling or warming air inside the target space by using energy, and
the passive device is configured to change the room temperature by using at least one of outside air and external light.

13. The control apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein
the active device is configured to change the room temperature by cooling or warming the air inside the target space such that the room temperature becomes a set temperature.

14. The control apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the threshold setting circuit is configured to determine the environment evaluation value by using a ratio of a surface area of an opening to a surface area of an outer wall in the building, and set the outside air temperature threshold based on the environment evaluation value.

15. The control apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein when the outside air temperature reaches the temperature range on the comfortable side with respect to the outside air temperature threshold while the second control is performed, the device control circuit is configured to switch from the second cont

Assignees

• Panasonic Corp

Inventors

• Abe Yuka
• Mise Atsushi

Classifications

• F24F11/62

  characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values · CPC title

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title

• F24F11/30 Primary

  for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring · CPC title

• F24F11/46 Primary

  Improving electric energy efficiency or saving · CPC title

• F24F11/56

  Remote control · CPC title