Occupancy based control of air conditioning system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10088191-B2
Application number	US-201414912358-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2014
Priority date	Sep 24, 2013
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

False determination in the presence or absence of a person in a in a room is limited. An air conditioner suspends an air conditioning operation if a room is vacant. If at least one of motion detectors, each provided to one of the indoor units, starts to detect the presence of a person during suspension of the air conditioning operation, an indoor controller of an indoor unit sums, for each of the motion detectors, time periods in which the presence of the person is detected to obtain a detection time period sum. If any one of detection time period sums, each for one of the motion detectors, reaches a reference value within a predetermined time period, the outdoor controller causes the air conditioner to resume the air conditioning operation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An air conditioning system comprising:
an air conditioner including an outdoor unit and a plurality of indoor units belonging to a common control system, the plurality of indoor units being installed in a common room and each having an indoor unit controller;
a plurality of motion detectors, each motion detector being provided at an associated one of the plurality of indoor units, and configured to detect presence of a person in the room; and
a parent indoor unit controller configured to cause the air conditioning system to suspend an air conditioning operation if the room is vacant, wherein
each of the indoor unit controllers is configured to continuously receive motion detection signals from a respective one of the plurality of motion detectors at a first predefined time interval and transmit, to the parent indoor unit controller, a detection result signal including a corresponding identification number;
if, while the air conditioning operation is suspended, at least one of the detection result signals indicates the presence of a person, the parent indoor unit controller:
obtains a detection time period sum for two or more of the plurality of indoor unit controllers by summing, for a second predetermined time period, time periods in which the detection result signal indicates presence of the person; and
causes the air conditioner to resume the air conditioning operation if the detection time period sum obtained from any one of the two or more plurality of indoor unit controllers reaches a reference value within the second predetermined time period.

2. The air conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein
each indoor unit further includes:
an indoor casing having an outlet from which air is blown into the room;
a flap placed to, and capable of opening and closing, the outlet; and
an indoor fan creating a flow of the air blown from the outlet, and

the indoor unit controller of a respective indoor unit closes the flap and stops the indoor fan during the suspension of the air conditioning operation.

3. The air conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein
the outdoor unit includes a controller and a compressor, and
the outdoor unit controller stops the compressor included in the outdoor unit, during the suspension of the air conditioning operation.

4. The air conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein the parent indoor unit controller causes the air conditioning system to suspend the air conditioning operation, if determining for all the indoor units that the room is vacant.

5. The air conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein
the parent indoor unit controller is configured to
obtain, during a first mode, the detection time period sum for each of the plurality of indoor unit controllers; and
obtain, during a second mode, the detection time period sum for at least two of the indoor unit controllers; and

the air conditioning system further comprises
a receiver configured to be capable of selectively receiving selection of one of the first mode or the second mode.

6. The air conditioning system of claim 5 , wherein in the second mode, the receiver is further capable of receiving a setting to rule out a motion detector, of a predetermined one of the indoor units, from among targets for obtaining the detection time period sum, the ruled out motion detector being included in the motion detectors.

7. The air conditioning system of claim 2 , wherein
the parent indoor unit controller is configured to
obtain, during a first mode, the detection time period sum for each of the plurality of indoor unit controllers; and
obtain, during a second mode, the detection time period sum for at least two of the indoor unit controllers; and

the air conditioning system further comprises
a receiver configured to be capable of selectively receiving selection of one of the first mode or the second mode.

8. The air conditioning system of claim 3 , wherein
the parent indoor unit controller is configured to
obtain, during a first mode, the detection time period sum for each of the plurality of indoor unit controllers; and
obtain, during a second mode, the detection time period sum for at least two of the motion indoor unit controllers; and

the air conditioning system further comprises
a receiver configured to be capable of selectively receiving selection of one of the first mode or the second mode.

9. The air conditioning system of claim 4 , wherein
the parent indoor unit controller is configured to
obtain, during a first mode, the detection time period sum for each of the plurality of indoor unit controllers; and
obtain, during a second mode, the detection time period sum for at least two of the indoor unit controllers; and

the air conditioning system further comprises
a receiver configured to be capable of selectively receiving selection of one of the first mode or the second mode.

10. The air conditioning system of claim 7 , wherein in the second mode, the receiver is further capable of receiving a setting to rule out a motion detector, of a predetermined one of the indoor units, from among targets for obtaining the detection time period sum, the ruled out motion detector being included in the motion detectors.

11. The air conditioning system of claim 8 , wherein in the second mode, the receiver is further capable of receiving a setting to rule out a motion detector, of a predetermined one of the indoor units, from among targets for obtaining the detection time period sum, the ruled out motion detector being included in the motion detectors.

12. The air conditioning system of claim 9 , wherein in the second mode, the receiver is further capable of receiving a setting to rule out a motion detector, of a predetermined one of the indoor units, from among targets for obtaining the detection time period sum, the ruled out motion detector being included in the motion detectors.

Assignees

• Daikin Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Suhara Ryouta
• Yamamoto Takayoshi
• Yokomizo Tsuyoshi
• Masuda Tomoo

Classifications

• F24F11/46

  Improving electric energy efficiency or saving · CPC title

• F25B2600/0251

  with on-off operation · CPC title

• F24F3/044

  Systems in which all treatment is given in the central station, i.e. all-air systems · CPC title

• F24F11/30 Primary

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

• F24F3/065

  with a plurality of evaporators or condensers · CPC title