Air conditioner and air conditioning system

Abstract

An air conditioner includes a human detection sensor that detects whether a human is present in an air conditioning space and a presence/non-presence predictor that predicts whether a human will be present in the air conditioning space. The air conditioner further includes a controller that, using results of detection by the human detection sensor and results of prediction by the presence/non-presence predictor, makes a switch from an air conditioning operation to a power-saving operation of which power consumption is smaller than that of the air conditioning operation. As a result, it is possible to realize an appropriate power-saving operation.

1 . An air conditioner comprising:
 a human detection sensor that detects whether a human is present in an air conditioning space;   a presence/non-presence predictor that predicts whether a human will be present in the air conditioning space;   a controller that, using results of detection by the human detection sensor and results of prediction by the presence/non-presence predictor, makes a switch from an air conditioning operation to a power-saving operation of which power consumption is smaller than that of the air conditioning operation.   
     
     
         2 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller restarts the air-conditioning operation when the human detection sensor detects that a human is present during execution of the power-saving operation. 
     
     
         3 . The air conditioner according to  claim 2 , wherein the controller refers to results of prediction by the presence/non-presence predictor from a time at which the human detection sensor detects that no human is present during execution of the air-conditioning operation and, when the results of the prediction indicate that a human is present, keeps the air conditioning operation. 
     
     
         4 . The air conditioner according to  claim 2 , wherein the controller refers to results of prediction by the presence/non-presence predictor on a given time from a time at which the human detection sensor detects that no human is present during execution of the air conditioning operation and, when the results of detection indicate that the human is present, keeps the air conditioning operation. 
     
     
         5 . The air conditioner according to  claim 2 , wherein the controller refers to results of prediction by the presence/non-presence predictor from a time at which the human detection sensor detects that no human is present during execution of the air-conditioning operation and, when the results of the prediction indicate that no human is present, makes a switch from the air conditioning operation to the power-saving operation. 
     
     
         6 . The air conditioner according to  claim 2 , wherein the controller refers to results of prediction by the presence/non-presence predictor on a given time from a time at which the human detection sensor detects that no human is present during execution of the air conditioning operation and, when the results of detection indicate that no human is present, makes a switch from the air conditioning operation to the power-saving operation. 
     
     
         7 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 , wherein the power-saving operation includes
 a first power-saving operation of changing a set temperature in the air conditioning operation before the switch to the power-saving operation and of which power consumption is smaller than that of the air-conditioning operation before the switch to the power-saving operation; and   a second power-saving operation of stopping the air-conditioning operation.   
     
     
         8 . The air conditioner according to  claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to make a switch from the air conditioning operation to any one of the first power-saving operation and the second power-saving operation based on a length of time in which no human is present that is obtained from the results of prediction by the presence/non-presence predictor. 
     
     
         9 . The air conditioner according to  claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to refer to results of prediction by the presence/non-presence predictor on a first given time from a time at which the human detection sensor detects that no human is present during execution of the air conditioning operation and, when the results of detection indicate that no human is present, make a switch from the air conditioning operation to the second power-saving operation. 
     
     
         10 . The air conditioner according to  claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to refer to results of prediction by the presence/non-presence predictor on the first given time during execution of the air conditioning operation and, when the results of detection indicate that a human is present, keep the air conditioning operation. 
     
     
         11 . The air conditioner according to  claim 10 , wherein, when the human detection sensor keeps detecting that no human is present during a second given time from the time at which the human detection sensor detects that no human is present when the air conditioning operation is kept, the controller is configured to make a switch from the air conditioning operation to the second power-saving operation. 
     
     
         12 . The air conditioner according to  claim 9 , wherein, the controller is configured to refer to results of prediction by the presence/non-presence predictor on the first given time during execution of the air conditioning operation and, when presence and non-presence of a human are mixed in the results of prediction, make a switch from the air-conditioning operation to the first power-saving operation. 
     
     
         13 . The air conditioner according to  claim 12 , wherein, when it is kept detected that no human is preset during a third given time from the time at which the human detection sensor detects that no human is present during execution of the first power-saving operation, the controller is configured to make a switch from the first power-saving operation to the second power-saving operation. 
     
     
         14 . An air conditioning system comprising an air conditioner including a human detection sensor that detects whether a human is present in an air conditioning space; a server device that generates a plurality of presence/non-presence patterns that are generated using results of detection by the human detection sensor in the past and that represents a tendency of presence and non-presence of a user in the air conditioning space; and a communication adapter that makes communication between the air conditioner and the server device,
 wherein the air conditioning system comprises:   a presence/non-presence predictor that selects a presence/non-presence pattern from the presence/non-presence patterns using results of detection by the human detection sensor and that predicts whether a human will be present in the air conditioning space using the selected presence/non-presence pattern; and   a controller that makes a switch from an air conditioning operation to a power-saving operation of which power consumption is smaller than that of the air conditioning operation using results of detection by the human detection sensor and results of prediction by the presence/non-presence predictor.   
     
     
         15 . The air conditioning system according to  claim 14 , wherein
 the presence/non-presence predictor is in the server device, and   the controller is in the air conditioner.   
     
     
         16 . The air conditioning system according to  claim 14 , wherein
 the presence/non-presence predictor is in the communication adapter, and   the controller is in the air conditioner.