JP5967526B2 - Device control device, device control system, program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a device control device used for controlling a cooling / heating device used in a house using a mobile device carried by a user, a device control system for controlling a cooling / heating device using the device control device, and a computer. The present invention relates to a program for operating as the device control apparatus.

  Conventionally, various techniques for monitoring and controlling devices used in a house using mobile devices carried by users have been proposed.

  For example, Patent Document 1 predicts a return time (time until return) using a relationship between a current position of a mobile device (terminal device) having a position detection function and a return route, and predicted return home. A technique for starting the operation of an air conditioner (air conditioner) in advance with respect to time is described. When the technique described in Patent Literature 1 is adopted, the air conditioning equipment is operated until the user returns home, and indoor cooling or heating is performed. Further, Patent Document 1 describes an operation of stopping the operation of the air conditioning equipment when the return time is predicted a plurality of times and the newly predicted return time is earlier than the operation start timing.

JP 2002-267487 A

  In the technique described in Patent Document 1, if the cooling / heating device is stopped by the user changing the moving direction after starting the operation of the cooling / heating device, energy is wasted in the time from the start of operation to the stop. It is consumed.

  Patent Document 1 does not mention the air-conditioning capability at the time of operation of the air-conditioning equipment, and if the air-conditioning capability is maximum at the start of operation, the energy that is wasted as described above increases. The problem arises.

  On the other hand, if the cooling / heating capacity is reduced at the start of operation of the air-conditioning equipment, less energy is wasted, but the time until the desired room temperature is achieved is longer and the return time is longer. Prediction is required. For this reason, the probability that the return time is unpredictable will increase, and as a result, the energy consumed in vain cannot be reduced.

The present invention allows the user to start the operation of the air conditioning equipment before returning home by performing the return home action, and can suppress wasteful energy consumption even when the user behavior changes. An object of the present invention is to provide a device control apparatus, and further to provide a device control system for controlling an air-conditioning apparatus using the device control apparatus, and a program for operating a computer as the device control apparatus. And

An apparatus control apparatus according to the present invention includes a position management unit that acquires a user's position information from a mobile device that is carried when the user goes out and has a positioning function and a communication function, and an apparatus that instructs an air conditioner to operate. A control unit, and an operation determination unit that determines an operation state of the air conditioner, wherein the operation determination unit estimates whether or not the user is on the way home using the position information acquired by the position management unit. And an estimation processing unit that determines an operating state of the air conditioner according to a condition defined for the distance information of the user obtained from the position information when it is estimated that the user is returning home. Based on the condition that the distance is equal to or less than a predetermined distance threshold, start the operation of the air-conditioning equipment, and a section in which the distance information is divided into a plurality of stages within the distance threshold or less To, the section is intended to assign a set temperature of the heating and cooling devices for each of the sections such that the energy consumed in the heating and cooling equipment as is distant from the housing decreases, the after starting the operation of the heating and cooling equipment The air conditioner is stopped on the condition that the change amount per unit time of the position information is not more than a predetermined value until it reaches a predetermined determination time. .

  The device control apparatus further includes a history storage unit that stores the position information acquired by the position management unit and the time information at which the position information is acquired as a history, and the operation determination unit is stored in the history storage unit. It is preferable to determine the operating state of the air conditioning equipment using a change in the position information obtained from the stored history.

In this equipment control apparatus, it is preferable that the estimation processing unit stops the air conditioning equipment after the start of the operation of the air conditioning equipment, on the condition that the distance information exceeds the distance threshold.

  In this device control apparatus, the position management unit intermittently acquires the position information, and the time interval for acquiring the position information from the mobile device may be increased as the moving speed of the user is decreased. preferable.

  In the device control apparatus, the position management unit acquires the position information for each mobile device, and the operation determination unit is configured to select a desired temperature and the distance threshold realized by the air-conditioning device when the user returns home. Is set for each mobile device, and the operation of the air conditioning device is started so that the desired temperature set for the mobile device for which the distance information is initially equal to or less than the distance threshold is realized. It is preferable to make it.

  The device control system according to the present invention includes any one of the device control devices described above, a mobile device that a user carries when going out and has a positioning function and a communication function with the device control device, and the device control device. And an air-conditioning apparatus whose operation state is controlled.

The program according to the present invention directs the operating state to the location management unit that carries the computer when the user goes out and acquires the location information of the user from the mobile device having the positioning function and the communication function, and the air conditioning equipment. An apparatus control unit, and an operation determination unit that determines an operation state of the air conditioner, and the operation determination unit estimates whether or not the user is on the way home using the position information acquired by the position management unit And an estimation processing unit that determines an operating state of the air conditioning equipment according to a condition defined for the distance information of the user obtained from the position information when estimated to return home, the estimation processing unit includes the distance information Based on the condition that the distance is equal to or less than a predetermined distance threshold, the operation of the air conditioning equipment is started, and the distance information is divided into a plurality of stages within a range equal to or less than the distance threshold. Between the said condition, the section is intended to allocate a set temperature of the heating and cooling devices for each of the sections such that the energy consumed in the heating and cooling equipment as is distant from the housing decreases, starts the operation of the heating and cooling equipment After that, the condition that the amount of change per unit time of the position information is less than or equal to a predetermined value is continued until the predetermined determination time is reached. It is.

According to the configuration of the present invention, it is possible for the user to start the operation of the air-conditioning equipment before returning home by performing the return-to-home action, and to suppress wasteful energy consumption even when the user's behavior changes. There is an advantage that it becomes possible to do.

It is a block diagram which shows embodiment. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing same as the above. It is a figure which shows the usage example same as the above. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing same as the above.

(Embodiment 1)
This embodiment demonstrates the technique which manages the operation state of the air conditioning equipment used in a house using the mobile apparatus which the user who is a resident of a house carries when going out. In the embodiment described below, the term “house” is used assuming a detached house, but the technique of the embodiment described below can be applied to each dwelling unit in an apartment house.

  The air conditioning equipment communicates with an equipment control device provided in the house. The mobile device communicates with the device control device through a communication path including a wireless communication channel, and manages the operating state of the air conditioning equipment through the device control device. In other words, the device control apparatus communicates with each of the mobile device and the air conditioning device and mediates between the mobile device and the air conditioning device, thereby enabling the mobile device to manage the operation state of the air conditioning device. It is desirable that the device control apparatus communicates with the cooling / heating device using a wireless communication path using radio waves as a transmission medium. However, communication may be performed between the device control apparatus and the cooling / heating device using a power line carrier communication technique in which the distribution line is also used as a communication path.

  The device control apparatus described below assumes a case in which a microcomputer and an interface device are realized as dedicated devices using main hardware elements. However, the function of the device control device to communicate with devices inside and outside the home is the same as a controller (hereinafter referred to as “HEMS controller”) used in a HEMS (Home Energy Management System). Therefore, the function of the device control apparatus described below may be a partial function of the HEMS controller. In order to use the HEMS controller as a device control device, a program for realizing the function of the device control device may be added to the program of the HEMS controller. In addition, the general-purpose computer may function as the device control device by executing an appropriate program on the general-purpose computer.

  The mobile device basically has a function of transmitting an instruction for controlling the operation state of the air conditioning device to the device control device. Further, the mobile device may have a function of not only controlling the operation state of the air conditioner but also monitoring the operation of the air conditioner. The mobile device is assumed to be a mobile phone (including a smartphone and a tablet terminal) having a positioning function. However, the mobile device is a device that the user carries when going out, and has only to have a positioning function and a communication function.

  The positioning function of mobile equipment currently assumes that GPS (Global Positioning System) is used, but the positioning error is in the range of about several tens of meters, and it is a mobile equipment carried by the user. A positioning function other than GPS may be employed as long as it is feasible. For example, it is possible to employ a positioning technique that estimates the position of the mobile telephone based on the position of the base station of the mobile telephone, or a positioning technique that uses a quasi-zenith satellite system that becomes available in the near future.

  The communication function of the mobile device only needs to be able to communicate with the device control apparatus through a mobile communication network (which may be for telephone or data). That is, the mobile device forms a wireless communication path using radio waves as a transmission medium with a base station of the mobile communication network, and communicates with the device control device through a communication network provided by a telecommunications carrier that manages the base station. connect.

  The car navigation device has the same function as that of a mobile device, but is generally excluded from the category of mobile devices because it is generally connected to an automobile and cannot be carried by a user. However, even in the case of a car navigation device, the car navigation device can be handled as a mobile device if the user normally removes it from the vehicle and carries it.

  Air-conditioning equipment used in homes is basically equipment that performs convection air-conditioning via air, such as air-conditioning equipment, and assumes equipment that stabilizes room temperature in a relatively short time of about 5 to 10 minutes. ing. However, it is also possible to use a device that performs radiant air conditioning, such as a floor heating device or an oil heater, that stabilizes the room temperature in a relatively long time of about 20 to 30 minutes. Equipment for performing heat-conducting cooling / heating, such as an electric fan or an electric blanket, has a limited use situation, but the technology of this embodiment can also be adopted in these cooling / heating apparatuses. Even if it takes a long time of 1 to 2 hours for the temperature to stabilize after the air-conditioning equipment is activated (the amount of heat generated and the amount of heat released are almost balanced), the technology described below is used with limitations. Is possible.

  As illustrated in FIG. 1, the device control apparatus 10 includes an interface unit 11 having a function of communicating with other apparatuses. The interface unit 11 includes a communication interface unit (hereinafter referred to as “communication I / F”) 111 that communicates with the mobile device 20, and a communication I / F 112 that communicates with the air conditioning device 30. The interface unit 11 preferably includes a communication I // F 113 for connecting an operation device or a display device.

  As the operation device and the display device, a dedicated operation display device 40 having a touch panel may be used, or a device selected from a personal computer, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or the like may be used. The operation unit and the display unit (in the illustrated example, the operation display unit 40) enable instructions and display regarding the operation state of the air conditioning device 30 managed by the device control device 10, and the selection of functions provided by the device control device 10. And make settings possible.

The device control apparatus 10 includes a position management unit 12 that manages position information indicating the position of the mobile device 20 measured by the mobile device 20 using the positioning function. The position management unit 12 includes a device registration unit 121 in which the mobile device 20 from which position information is to be acquired is registered, and a position acquisition unit 122 that acquires position information of the mobile device 20 registered in the device registration unit 121. Is provided. The position acquisition unit 122 acquires the position information of the mobile device 20 intermittently according to conditions described later. The position management unit 12 further includes an information output unit 123 that outputs identification information for distinguishing the mobile device 20 in association with position information and time information. When there is only one mobile device 20 registered in the device registration unit 121, the information output unit 123 may output the position information without associating it with the identification information of the mobile device 20.

  The device control apparatus 10 determines the operating state of the air conditioning device 30 using the history storage unit 13 that stores the history of the position information output from the position acquisition unit 122 and the change in the position information stored in the history storage unit 13. And an operation determining unit 14.

  The history storage unit 13 stores the identification information of the mobile device 20, the position information acquired by the position acquisition unit 122, and the time information at which the position information is acquired as a history of position information. That is, if the information stored in the history storage unit 13 is used, it is possible to extract a change in position information with time for each mobile device 20.

  The operation determination unit 14 carries the mobile device 20 by using the latest position information of the mobile device 20 acquired by the position management unit 12 and the history of the position information stored in the history storage unit 13. An estimation processing unit 141 is provided for estimating whether the user is on the way home. The operation determination unit 14 includes a rule storage unit 142 that stores a plurality of rules. The estimation processing unit 141 has a function of determining the operating state of the air conditioning equipment 30 including the timing of starting the operation of the air conditioning equipment 30 as well as estimating whether the user is on the way home. The estimation processing unit 141 appropriately uses the plurality of rules stored in the rule storage unit 142 to estimate whether the user is on the way home and determines whether to start the operation of the air conditioning equipment 30. . The rules stored in the rule storage unit 142 will be described later.

  The device control apparatus 10 includes a device control unit 15 that instructs the air conditioning device 30 about the operation state determined by the operation determination unit 14. The device control unit 15 has a function of notifying the air conditioning device 30 of the start and stop of the operation via the communication I / F 112 and further notifying the air conditioning device 30 of the set temperature during the operation of the air conditioning device 30. The set temperature during operation of the air conditioner 30 may be set by the user using the operation indicator 40 or may be automatically set by the device control apparatus 10 as will be described later.

  The air conditioning apparatus 30 includes a temperature sensor in many configurations, and an output (a heat absorption amount or a heat dissipation amount) changes according to a difference between a room temperature detected by the temperature sensor and a set temperature. When such an air conditioner 30 is used, the output may be changed by changing the set temperature intermediately until the room temperature approaches the set temperature that is the final target.

  By the way, the operation start timing of the air conditioner 30 is set so that the temperature at which the user can experience the effect of operating the air conditioner 30 at the time of returning home is reached. The temperature at which the effect of operating the air conditioner 30 can be experienced means that it has reached the set temperature, which is the final target. However, if the room temperature is low enough to get a cool feeling when entering the room if it is cooling, it is effective. If it is heating, if the room temperature is high enough to give a warm feeling when entering the room It can be said that there is an effect. That is, the room temperature when entering the room does not necessarily reach the final set temperature.

  Actually, the temperature at which the coolness and warmth can be obtained by the operation of the air conditioner 30 cannot be uniquely determined because of the influence of the environmental temperature and individual differences. Therefore, in the following, the temperature that is a constant temperature difference with respect to the reference temperature defined for cooling and heating is regarded as a temperature at which the effect of the operation of the cooling and heating device 30 can be experienced. The reference temperature is a set temperature recommended at the time of cooling or heating, and is defined as, for example, 28 ° C. during cooling and 20 ° C. during heating. In addition, the temperature at which the effect of the operation of the air conditioner 30 can be experienced is set by a temperature difference of 2 ° C. with respect to the reference temperature, for example. In other words, in the above-described example, the temperature is 30 ° C. during cooling, 18 ° C. during heating, and the temperature at which the user can experience the effect of operating the air conditioning device 30 when returning home.

  The rule storage unit 142 stores rules that define conditions for determining the timing of starting the operation of the air conditioning equipment 30 so that the effect of operating the air conditioning equipment 30 can be experienced when the user returns home. The estimation processing unit 141 instructs the device control unit 15 to start the operation of the cooling / heating device 30 when a condition that conforms to the rules stored in the rule storage unit 142 is satisfied.

  Hereinafter, the operation determination unit 14 will be described in more detail. The air conditioner 30 is required to be operated when the user returns home. However, if the timing for starting the operation is too early, energy is wasted. Therefore, it is ideal if the time from the start of operation of the air conditioning / heating device 30 until the effect of the operation can be experienced (hereinafter referred to as “rise time”) and the user's return time are known. In this case, the operation of the air conditioner 30 may be started before the start-up time with respect to the return time.

  The start-up time can be obtained by actual measurement or simulation if conditions such as the room temperature, the outside air temperature, and the set temperature when the air-conditioning apparatus 30 is started are known. However, since the start-up time varies depending on the type (operating principle and cooling / heating capacity) of the air-conditioning / heating device 30, the information for determining the operation start time also requires the type of the air-conditioning / heating device 30. Moreover, when the output of the air conditioning equipment 30 is variable, the rise time also changes by changing the output of the air conditioning equipment 30 even under the same environmental conditions. That is, although it depends on the operating principle of the air conditioner 30, the startup time is normally adjustable within the range of the maximum air conditioner capacity of the air conditioner 30.

  From the above, in this embodiment, the startup time is determined by one of the following two methods. The startup time is affected by the type of the air conditioning equipment 30 as described above. Therefore, for example, it is desirable that a coefficient corresponding to the type of the air conditioning equipment 30 is determined in advance, and the startup time is corrected by multiplying the startup time calculated by the following method by the coefficient.

  The start-up time is set as a standard time until reaching the temperature at which the effect of the operation of the air conditioner 30 can be experienced, or a reference associated with the room temperature at the start of the operation of the air conditioner 30 and the final set temperature Defined by time and tolerance time. The start-up time is affected by the room temperature at the start of operation of the air conditioner 30. However, the former method does not consider the room temperature at the start of operation, and the standard time after starting the operation of the air conditioner 30 is increased. It is considered an upper time.

  In the latter method, the allowable time means an allowable time width with respect to the reference time, and is usually set equal regardless of whether the rise time is extended or shortened from the reference time. . However, an upper allowable time for extending the rising time from the reference time and a lower allowable time for shortening the rising time from the reference time may be individually determined. In the above-described example, the room temperature at the start of operation and the final set temperature are used as conditions for determining the rise time, but the condition may be only the final set temperature. Alternatively, the room temperature, the set temperature, and the outside temperature at the start of operation, the room temperature, the set temperature, the date and time at the start of operation, and the like may be used as the conditions for determining the rise time. When the date and time are included in the conditions for determining the start-up time, the date and time are used to estimate the outside air temperature.

  In short, the start-up time may be a standard value using a fixed value or a variable value considering environmental conditions detected by a sensor or the like. When determining the startup time in consideration of the environmental conditions, the relationship between the environmental conditions and the startup time is stored in the rule storage unit 142. Hereinafter, the temperature desired by the user when returning home is referred to as “desired temperature”.

  In order to determine the timing for starting the operation of the air conditioning / heating device 30, it is necessary to estimate not only the start-up time but also the return time of the user. In order to estimate the return time, it is necessary to estimate whether or not the user is on the way home and to estimate the scheduled time to return from the current location of the user. Therefore, the action determination unit 14 applies the user's behavior by applying the change in the position information of the user with the passage of time stored in the history storage unit 13 to the condition stored in the rule storage unit 142. presume. The estimation processing unit 141 has not only a function of estimating the user's behavior, but also a function of estimating the user's return time from the current position of the user output from the position acquisition unit 122 and the estimated user's behavior. Have.

  Of the rules stored in the rule storage unit 142, the rule for determining whether or not the user is on the way is basically based on the time change of the relative positional relationship between the position of the house and the position of the user. Judge whether it is halfway. The moving means that the user uses when returning home is selected from trains, buses, walks, bicycles, private cars, taxis, and the like, and a plurality of moving means are often used in combination.

  In the following, as a typical example, as shown in FIG. 3, when returning from his / her workplace or school to his / her house Hm, a combination of a train and a walk, or a combination of a train, a bus and a walk is used as a moving means. A description will be given assuming that it is used. Train ride time is 10 to 60 minutes, bus ride time is 5 to 30 minutes, walk is about 5 to 20 minutes, and there are shops and restaurants where the user may stop around the train station. , “Stop location St”). Moreover, the case where the start-up time of the air conditioning equipment 30 is 10 to 20 minutes is assumed. In FIG. 3, the return route Rt when returning home without standing at the stop location St is indicated by a broken line.

  In the above-described typical example, the operation start timing of the air conditioning / heating device 30 is within the period of getting on the train, the period of moving on foot, the period of getting on the bus, and getting off the train and stopping at St. St. There are 4 types within the period of stay. The state of getting on a train or bus, the state of moving on foot, and the state of staying at the stop location St are each determined by using position information output from the position management unit 12.

  That is, when the position information for each moving means used by the user and the position information of the stop-off place St are stored in the rule storage unit 142 as rule conditions, the estimation processing unit 141 moves based on the position information. It is possible to estimate the type of means or to estimate the stay at the stop location St.

  Here, when the moving means is a train, there may be a plurality of options in the moving route, but basically the moving route does not change. However, when the moving means is a bus, the moving route may change due to road conditions, and when the moving means is walking, the moving route may be changed by the user's intention. Therefore, it is desirable to use the position information of the moving route as a rule condition for a train and the position information of a range including the moving route as a rule condition for a bus or a walk. Further, regarding the determination of the moving means, the position information is a necessary condition, but the reliability is insufficient with only the position information. Therefore, it is desirable to make a determination including the moving speed of the moving means as an auxiliary condition.

  For example, when the moving means is estimated by fitting the position of the user to the position information of the moving means, and the distribution of the moving speed during the period in which the corresponding moving means is estimated to be used, The estimation accuracy of the moving means is increased from the distribution pattern. In other words, the estimation processing unit 141 can determine whether the moving means is a train, a bus, or a walk by using the movement speed distribution pattern and comparing the maximum value of the movement speed, for example.

  The condition that the user is on the way home includes the direction in which the user moves. The rule for determining the direction of movement is that, when the same moving means is used, the position information acquired intermittently at a predetermined time interval is toward the house Hm on the moving route described above. It is determined that the user is on the way home.

  In this example, since a plurality of types of moving means are used on the way home, the order in which the moving means changes can be included in the determination condition as to whether or not the user is on the way home. For example, including the fact that you are on a train, you are on a bus, or you are on foot, or you are on the bus and you are on foot is included in the criteria for judgment on your way home. Is possible. Furthermore, if it is used as a condition that the user stays at the stop location St after getting off the train, it is possible to determine that the vehicle is on the way home but is behind the scheduled home time.

  By the way, when operating the air conditioner 30 so that the room temperature reaches the desired temperature θ (see FIG. 2) at the time of returning home, if the operation of the air conditioner 30 is started before the start-up time starting from the time of returning home, The energy to do is considered to be minimal. However, once it is determined that you are going home, the return time may be delayed from the schedule, such as when you are staying at the stop-off place St or when you notice something that you have forgotten and return, so you can maximize the air conditioning capacity of the air conditioning equipment 30. Driving may waste energy.

  In other words, it may be determined that the return time is later than scheduled after it is determined that the vehicle is going home and the operation of the air conditioner 30 is started. In the above-described operation, energy is wasted in such a case. Therefore, in this embodiment, the rule is set so that the operation is performed in a state where the cooling / heating capacity is small while the certainty of returning home is low.

  That is, the operation determination unit 14 starts the operation of the air conditioning equipment 30 before the start-up time from the return time, and sets the set temperature so that the room temperature approaches the desired temperature θ as the certainty of return increases. Change in steps. In short, when the operation of the air-conditioning equipment 30 is started, the temperature difference of the set temperature is increased with respect to the desired temperature θ to be reached at the time of returning home, and the temperature difference is stepped as the certainty of returning home increases. To make it smaller. Needless to say, a temperature lower than the desired temperature θ is selected as the set temperature during heating, and a temperature higher than the desired temperature θ is selected as the set temperature during cooling.

  In order to change the set temperature in a stepwise manner according to the distance information to the mobile device 20 after the operation of the air conditioning device 30, the rule storage unit 142 defines a section in which the distance information is divided into a plurality of stages. Each set temperature is assigned. The estimation processing unit 141 obtains distance information from the position information of the mobile device 20. Furthermore, the estimation processing unit 141 extracts the set temperature assigned to the section to which the obtained distance information belongs, and instructs the air conditioning equipment 30 to have the extracted set temperature.

  When the temperature difference of the set temperature with respect to the desired temperature θ is large, the cooling / heating capacity is suppressed, so that the consumed energy is relatively small. Low confidence in returning home means that the estimated return time is likely to be later than estimated. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the energy consumed when the actual return time is delayed with respect to the estimated return time by reducing the energy consumed during the period when the certainty of return is low. If the certainty of returning home is increased, the probability of the risk of being delayed from the estimated time of returning home is reduced. Therefore, the air conditioning capability of the air conditioning equipment 30 is increased to approach the desired temperature θ, and the convenience of the user is achieved. .

  In the present embodiment, the degree of certainty about returning home is substituted with distance information from the house Hm. As the distance information, there are a case where a straight line distance (shortest distance) is used and a case where a distance along the moving route at the time of returning home (path) is used. When the distance along the movement route is used for the distance information, it is easy to determine whether or not the user is going home even if the movement route at home is meandering. In either case, the smaller the distance, the higher the certainty of returning home. In short, it is determined that the closer the user is to the house Hm, the higher the probability that the user will return home. For this reason, the rule storage unit 142 stores a plurality of sets of information in which distance ranges on the travel route when returning home and temperature differences are associated with each other.

  FIG. 2A is an example of a rule indicating the relationship between the distance and the temperature difference during heating set in the rule storage unit 142. The estimation processing unit 141 collates the distance information obtained from the user position information output from the position management unit 12 with the rule storage unit 142, and sets the temperature difference obtained according to the distance information to the desired temperature θ when returning home. By applying, the set temperature corresponding to the distance information is determined. Therefore, when the rule shown in FIG. 2A is applied, during heating, as shown in FIG. 2B, the set temperature increases stepwise as the user approaches the house Hm. At the time of cooling, contrary to FIG.2 (b), preset temperature falls in steps, so that a user approaches the house Hm. In short, in the return route Rt (see FIG. 3), the set temperature of the air conditioner 30 is set for each of the sections P1 to P4 so that the energy consumed by the air conditioner 30 decreases as the sections P1 to P4 are further away from the house Hm. Determined.

  In order to remove components unnecessary for the determination of returning home, the estimation processing unit 141 stores the moving average of the distance information acquired at appropriate time intervals (for example, 30 seconds, 1 minute, 2 minutes, etc.) in the rule storage unit 142. You may collate. If the moving average of the distance information is used, the tendency of whether or not the user is moving in the direction of returning home can be determined. Therefore, the estimation processing unit 141 can perform the determination of returning home with higher accuracy. The time interval for acquiring the distance information may be constant, but may be changed according to the distance between the user and the house Hm. For example, you may shorten the time interval which acquires distance information, so that a user approaches the house Hm. It is desirable that the time interval for acquiring the distance information is set to be relatively short during the period in which the user is moving, and set to be relatively long during the period in which the user is staying at the stop location St.

  As described above, the set temperature is changed according to the distance information because the consumption energy increases even when the user's return time after the start of the operation of the air conditioning device 30 is delayed from the estimated time. It is for suppressing. Therefore, it is desirable that the operation determining unit 14 stops the operation of the air conditioner 30 when the distance of the user becomes larger than the distance at the time when the operation of the air conditioner 30 is started. In addition, when the user stays at the stop location St after the operation of the air conditioner 30 is started, the operation determination unit 14 predicts the time that the user stays for each stop location St, and based on the predicted stay time. To correct the return time. In this case, the timing for starting the operation of the air conditioner 30 is determined based on the corrected return home time.

  The timing for starting the operation of the air conditioner 30 can be determined by the time based on the return time. However, since the set temperature to be changed step by step is related to the distance information, the operation start timing is also related to the distance information. It is desirable to set them. That is, the timing for starting the operation of the air conditioning equipment 30 is determined using the distance information obtained from the position information of the mobile device 20 acquired by the estimation processing unit 141. Below, in order to demonstrate the method to determine the timing which starts the driving | operation of the air conditioning equipment 30 by distance information, the method to determine the driving start timing of the air conditioning equipment 30 by time first is demonstrated.

  Now, let Tr be the time from the start of operation of the air-conditioning equipment 30 until the room temperature reaches the desired temperature θ, and let tb be the estimated return home time, the time to start the operation of the air-conditioning equipment 30 is before (tb-Tr). There must be. Here, the time Tr until the room temperature reaches the desired temperature θ from the start of operation of the air conditioner 30 represents the time when the set temperature of the air conditioner 30 is changed stepwise. Therefore, ideally, if the operation of the air conditioner 30 is started at a timing when the time required for the user to go home coincides with the time Tr, the room temperature reaches the desired temperature θ at the user's home time. It will be. However, since there is an error in the time required for the user to go home and the home return time, in order to ensure that the room temperature reaches the desired temperature θ at the home return time, the timing for starting the operation of the air conditioning equipment 30 is set to the time ( It is necessary to set an appropriate margin before tb-Tr).

  As described above, the operation start timing of the air conditioner 30 can be determined by the time. However, since the distance information is used when the set temperature is changed in a stepwise manner after the operation of the air-conditioning apparatus 30 is started, there is a problem that the operation start timing and the set temperature change timing do not match. Therefore, when the start time for operating the air conditioner 30 is determined, the position information of the user at this start time is used, and the distance information from the house Hm to the user is taken into account by taking the moving means from that position until returning home. calculate. Further, if there are a plurality of types of moving means, distance information calculated for each moving means and the combined distance information is the distance threshold Lb that is the operation start timing of the air conditioning equipment 30 (see FIGS. 2 and 3). Used as

  The operation determination unit 14 calculates distance information from the position information of the user, and starts the operation of the air conditioner 30 when the distance information becomes equal to or less than the distance threshold Lb. That is, the sections P1 to P4 that are set stepwise with respect to the distance information described above are provided only in a range that is equal to or less than the distance threshold Lb.

Since the distance information may fluctuate before and after the distance threshold Lb, after the distance information becomes equal to or less than the distance threshold Lb, the operation of the air conditioning equipment 30 is performed even if the distance information slightly exceeds the same distance threshold Lb. It is desirable that hysteresis is given to the distance threshold Lb so as to continue. In other words, the operation determination unit 14 sets the two-level magnitude threshold Lb, and starts the operation of the air conditioning equipment 30 when the distance information is equal to or smaller than the smaller distance threshold Lb, and the distance threshold Lb with the larger distance information. If it exceeds, air-conditioning equipment 30 will be stopped.

  By the way, although the time for which a user stays at the stop location St is not constant, it is considered that the stay time range for each stop location St falls within a relatively small error range depending on the habit of the user. For example, for a certain user, if the stop location St is a restaurant, the stay time is about 30 to 120 minutes, and if the stop location St is a bookstore, the stay time is about 10 to 60 minutes. Therefore, the action determining unit 14 uses the fact that the user has a habit of staying time at the stop location St, and learns the stay time of the user for each stop location St. It is possible to estimate the time during which the user stays and use it to predict the return time. If the user learns the time for staying at the stop location St, the time at which the user leaves the stop location St can be estimated. Therefore, the motion determination unit 14 considers the time from the stop location St to the house Hm. It becomes possible to estimate the return time. However, since the estimated return time includes a relatively large error, it is desirable that the earliest time in the estimated return time range is regarded as the return time.

  Next, a technique for estimating the return time will be described. The estimation processing unit 141 basically estimates the return time using distance information acquired at appropriate time intervals. That is, since the time interval for acquiring the user's position is known, the estimation processing unit 141 calculates the user's moving speed using the position and the time interval, so that the user is determined from the time when the position is obtained. It becomes possible to ask for the time to go home. That is, the estimation processing unit 141 can estimate the user's return time. Here, when calculating the moving speed, it is desirable to use a distance (distance) along the moving path instead of a linear distance.

  In addition, the walking movement speed is either a configuration in which the user registers in the rule storage unit 142 in advance or a configuration in which the estimation processing unit 141 registers a value learned from a plurality of measurement values in the rule storage unit 142. It may be adopted. As described above, when the walking movement speed is registered in the rule storage unit 142, the correction value can be calculated by using the registered movement speed as a standard value and comparing the measured movement speed with the standard value. Good. This correction value is used to correct the return time estimated from the position of the user and the standard value of the moving speed so as to correspond to the measured moving speed.

  By the way, if the operation of acquiring the user location information is always performed, power is wasted and communication traffic increases. Therefore, it is desirable to determine a time range including the return time in advance and acquire the user's position information within this time range. For example, when the user's normal return time is in the time range of 18: 00 to 22:00, this time range is set in the location management unit 12 and acquisition of location information starts at 18:00. To do. As described above, when the time range of the return time is fixed, it is not necessary to acquire position information wastefully, and increase in power consumption and communication traffic can be suppressed.

  In addition, when the position information detects that the user is located at the stop location St, a period (minimum period or average period) in which the user stays at the stop location St by using the stay time predicted for each stop location St. ) Is estimated. Since the user does not move during this period, the time interval for acquiring the position information may be set longer during this period than during the movement. If such an operation is performed, increase in power consumption and communication traffic is suppressed.

  In some cases, the return time may deviate from the specified time range, so the location information is periodically acquired even outside the specified time range, and the location information is acquired within the specified time range. You may make it raise the frequency to do.

  In order to use the device control apparatus 10 described above, information such as information for identifying a user, a normal movement route when returning home, and a room temperature (that is, a desired temperature θ) that the cooling / heating device 30 should achieve when returning home. Is set using an operating device and a display. The identification information of the mobile device 20 may be used as the information for identifying the user. Further, the travel route when returning home is associated with the moving means used for returning home. It is desirable that the information set in the device control apparatus 10 includes the time range of the return time. As described above, the operation device and the display device are selected from a personal computer, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, and the like in addition to the dedicated operation display device 40.

  When such information is registered in the device control apparatus 10, the device control apparatus 10 estimates the return time based on the position information of the user acquired from the mobile device 20. Furthermore, the device control apparatus 10 calculates the distance information calculated using the distance threshold Lb defined in consideration of the estimated return time and the registered moving means when returning home, and the position information acquired from the mobile device 20. And compare. When the distance information is equal to or less than the distance threshold Lb, the device control apparatus 10 starts the operation of the air conditioning device 30 and then the air conditioning device 30 according to which section P1 to P4 (see FIG. 2) the distance information belongs to. Change the set temperature.

  An example of the operation of this embodiment is shown in FIG. The position management unit 12 intermittently receives position information from the mobile device 20 (S11). The distance information is obtained using the received position information, and if the distance information is equal to or smaller than the distance threshold Lb (S12: Yes), the operation of the air conditioner 30 is started (S13). Regardless of whether the operation of the air conditioner 30 is started, the position information is associated with the reception time and stored in the history storage unit 13 (S14). The operation determination unit 14 determines whether or not the vehicle is moving in the return direction based on the position information (S15). If the vehicle is moving in the return direction, the operation determination unit 14 continues the operation of the air-conditioning apparatus 30, and the intervals P1 to P1 are determined based on the distance information. P4 is determined and the set temperature is changed stepwise according to the intervals P1 to P4. On the other hand, when it is not progressing in the direction of returning home (S15: No), the air conditioner 30 is stopped (S16). If it is determined that the user is staying at the stop location St (S17: Yes), the time interval for acquiring the position information from the mobile device 20 is lengthened according to the learned staying time (S18).

As described above, when the device control apparatus 10 determines that the user is on the way home based on the position information of the mobile device 20, the device control device 10 automatically starts the operation of the air conditioning device 30, and further The set temperature is controlled so that the room temperature reaches the desired temperature θ at the time of returning home. That is, the user need not be aware of the operating state of the cooling and heating device 30, only by performing a return home action, which air-conditioning device 30 operated automatically, and the time of coming home at the room temperature is in the desired temperature theta.

  In addition, the set temperature is changed for each of the sections P1 to P4 according to the distance information, and the operation in which the energy consumption is small in the section where the user cannot be determined to return to the house Hm, the probability of returning to the section closer to the house Hm. Therefore, the set temperature is brought close to the desired temperature θ. By this operation, even when the user turns back on the way home or stops at the stop-off place St, wasteful energy consumption of the air conditioner 30 is suppressed.

(Embodiment 2)
Although Embodiment 1 assumes the case where a user is one person, this embodiment demonstrates the case where several people live in one house Hm. In this case, it is generally considered that the return time is different for each user, and the room in which the air conditioner 30 is used may differ depending on the user.

  Therefore, the device control apparatus 10 of the present embodiment includes a user registration unit 16 that registers information for identifying a user, as indicated by a broken line in FIG. The information for identifying the user includes the identification information of the mobile device 20, and information (name or name) identifying the user is associated with the identification information of the mobile device 20 as necessary. The identification information of the mobile device 20 is based on an address used for communication with the mobile device 20, but any information or system unique to the mobile device 20 can be used as long as the mobile device 20 can be identified. You may use the information that you set in The information for identifying these users can also be used in the first embodiment.

  In the user registration unit 16, in addition to the identification information of the mobile device 20, the identification information of the cooling / heating device 30 desired by the user who uses the mobile device 20 is registered. That is, when there are a plurality of air conditioning devices 30 in the house Hm, the air conditioning devices 30 are associated with each user based on the information registered in the user registration unit 16. The relationship between the user and the air conditioner 30 is not necessarily one-to-one, and may be a one-to-one, one-to-many, or many-to-many relationship. In other words, when multiple users who return home use the same room, when one user who returns home uses multiple rooms, or when multiple rooms where multiple users return home use multiple rooms Can also be supported.

  When the user and the air conditioning equipment 30 are associated one-to-one or one-to-many, the operation may be performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment. Even when the user and the air conditioning equipment 30 are associated in a many-to-one or many-to-many manner, the air conditioning equipment 30 can be operated in the same manner as in the first embodiment for the user who first returns home. However, if the user and the air conditioning equipment 30 are associated in many-to-one or many-to-many, a user who uses the same air conditioning equipment 30 for the second time or later is a room in which the air conditioning equipment 30 is already in operation. It is possible to enter the room.

  Based on the above, this embodiment controls the operation state of the air conditioning equipment 30 in the following procedures. That is, the estimation processing unit 141 first acquires position information for each mobile device 20 and estimates a return time for each user. Next, the estimation processing unit 141 operates for each air conditioner 30 using the correspondence relationship with each air conditioner 30 registered in the user registration unit 16 and the return time estimated for each user. Find the start timing. The technique for estimating the timing at which the estimation processing unit 141 estimates the return time for each user and starts the operation of the air conditioning equipment 30 is the same as in the first embodiment.

  Here, when the operation determination unit 14 of the present embodiment determines the operation start timing for each air conditioning device 30, the operation determination unit determines whether or not the same air conditioning device 30 is in operation at the determined timing. 143. That is, the operation determination unit 143 determines whether or not the air conditioning device 30 is in operation when the operation start timing of the air conditioning device 30 determined based on the position information of the user is reached. If it is present, the operation is started. If the operation is in progress, the operation is continued. The operation determination unit 143 enables a single air conditioning device 30 to be used by a plurality of users through such simple determination and control.

In addition, when using the one air conditioning apparatus 30 by a some user, it is possible that the preset temperature of the air conditioning apparatus 30 differs according to a user. When the set temperature varies depending on the user, the set temperature may be determined according to the following rules. For example, the set temperature is a set temperature corresponding to the earliest user, a set temperature corresponding to the latest user, or an average value / maximum value of set temperatures corresponding to a plurality of users who use the same air conditioning equipment 30.・ Select from minimum values and use. Or you may set the priority according to an arrival order or a user's characteristic according to the time of cooling or heating. Other configurations and operations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

  In each of the embodiments described above, the user's action is estimated by fitting the user's position information to the rule. However, the user's action is determined from the user's position information using a neural network or fuzzy inference. May be estimated.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Device control apparatus 11 Interface part 12 Location management part 13 History memory | storage part 14 Operation | movement determination part 15 Equipment control part 20 Mobile body apparatus 30 Air-conditioning / heating apparatus 40 Operation display 141 Estimation processing part Hm Residential Rt Return path St Stop by place

Claims (10)

A location management unit for acquiring location information of the user from a mobile device that the user carries when going out and has a positioning function and a communication function;
A device control unit for instructing an air conditioner to operate,
An operation determining unit for determining an operation state of the air conditioning equipment,
The operation determining unit estimates whether or not the user is on the way home using the position information acquired by the position management unit, and about the distance information of the user obtained from the position information when estimating that the user is on the way home Including an estimation processing unit that determines an operating state of the air-conditioning apparatus according to a specified condition;
The estimation processing unit starts the operation of the air-conditioning equipment on the condition that the distance information is equal to or less than a predetermined distance threshold, and classifies the distance information into a plurality of stages within the range equal to or less than the distance threshold. With the section as the condition, the set temperature of the air-conditioning equipment is assigned to each section so that the energy consumed by the air-conditioning equipment decreases as the section is farther from the house , and the operation of the air-conditioning equipment is started. After the control, the air conditioner is stopped under the condition that the state in which the amount of change per unit time of the position information is less than or equal to a predetermined value continues until a predetermined determination time is reached. apparatus. A history storage unit that stores the position information acquired by the position management unit and the time information at which the position information is acquired as a history;
The apparatus control device according to claim 1, wherein the operation determination unit determines an operation state of the air-conditioning apparatus using a change in the position information obtained from a history stored in the history storage unit. The said estimation process part stops the said air conditioning equipment on the said conditions that the said distance information exceeded the said distance threshold value after starting the driving | operation of the said air conditioning equipment. Equipment control equipment. The said position management part acquires the said positional information intermittently, and the time interval which acquires the said positional information from the said mobile device is lengthened, so that the said user's moving speed is small. The apparatus control apparatus of any one of -3. The location management unit acquires the location information for each mobile device,
The operation determining unit sets a desired temperature and the distance threshold realized by the air-conditioning device at the time when the user returns home for each mobile device, and the distance information is initially equal to or less than the distance threshold. The apparatus control apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the operation of the air conditioning apparatus is started so that the desired temperature set for the mobile apparatus is realized . The device control apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
A mobile device that the user carries when going out and has a positioning function and a communication function with the device control device;
And an air conditioning device whose operation state is controlled by the device control device.
A device control system characterized by that. Computer
A location management unit for acquiring location information of the user from a mobile device that the user carries when going out and has a positioning function and a communication function;
A device control unit for instructing an air conditioner to operate,
An operation determining unit for determining an operation state of the air conditioning equipment,
The operation determining unit estimates whether or not the user is on the way home using the position information acquired by the position management unit, and about the distance information of the user obtained from the position information when estimating that the user is on the way home Including an estimation processing unit that determines an operating state of the air-conditioning apparatus according to a specified condition;
The estimation processing unit starts the operation of the air conditioner under the condition that the distance information is equal to or less than a predetermined distance threshold, and the distance information is divided into a plurality of stages in a range equal to or less than the distance threshold As a condition, the set temperature of the air conditioner is assigned to each section so that the energy consumed by the air conditioner decreases as the section is farther from the house, and the operation of the air conditioner is started. After that, the air conditioner is stopped on the condition that the state where the amount of change in the position information per unit time is equal to or less than a predetermined value continues until a predetermined determination time is reached.
A program that functions as a device control device. A location management unit for acquiring location information of the user from a mobile device that the user carries when going out and has a positioning function and a communication function;
A device control unit for instructing an air conditioner to operate,
The position information obtained by the position management unit is used to estimate whether or not the user is on the way home, and when it is estimated that the user is on the way home, according to the distance information of the user obtained from the position information, An estimation processing unit for determining an operating state,
When the distance information is equal to or less than a predetermined distance threshold, the estimation processing unit starts operation of the air conditioning equipment,
In a range that is less than or equal to the distance threshold at which the operation is started, the operation is performed at a set temperature that is assigned so that the energy consumed by the air-conditioning device decreases as the distance from the house to the mobile device increases, and the position information equipment control device you characterized in that stops the operation if the state amount of change per unit time is equal to or less than a predetermined value has continued for a predetermined time. The device control apparatus according to claim 8 ,
A mobile device that the user carries when going out and has a positioning function and a communication function with the device control device;
A device control system comprising: an air conditioning device whose operation state is controlled by the device control device. Computer
A location management unit for acquiring location information of the user from a mobile device that the user carries when going out and has a positioning function and a communication function;
A device control unit for instructing an air conditioner to operate ,
The user estimates whether way home using the location information before Symbol position management unit has acquired, wherein depending on the user of the distance information obtained from the position information for estimating the way home heating and cooling An estimation processing unit that determines the operating state of the device,
The estimation processing unit, when the distance information is below a predetermined distance threshold, to initiate the operation of the pre-Symbol air conditioning equipment,
The distance threshold following range that initiated the operation, is operated at a set temperature energy consumption as the heating and cooling equipment distance from housing to said mobile device is large is allocated to be smaller, and the position information A program that functions as a device control device that stops operation when a state in which the amount of change per unit time is less than or equal to a predetermined value continues for a predetermined time .

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