Air conditioner and air conditioning system

Abstract

An air conditioner includes a human detection sensor and a controller, when the human detection sensor detects that no human is present during execution of the air conditioning operation, is configured to select whether to make a switch to the second power-saving operation after the first power saving operation is performed from the air conditioning operation based on results of detection by the human detection sensor at and after a time at which it is detected that no human is present and the presence/non-presence information at and after the time at which it is detected that no human is present.

1 . An air conditioner comprising:
 a human detection sensor that detects whether a human is present in an air conditioning space; and   a controller that is configured to predict whether a human will be present in the air conditioning space and, using presence/non-presence information that is results of predicting whether a human is present, make a switch from an air conditioning operation to a power-saving operation of which power consumption is smaller than the power consumption of the air conditioning operation,   wherein the power-saving operation includes a first power-saving operation in which a set temperature in the air conditioning operation before the switch to the power-saving operation is changed 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 in which the air conditioning operation is stopped, and   when the human detection sensor detects that no human is present during execution of the air conditioning operation, the controller is configured to select whether to make a switch to the second power-saving operation after the first power saving operation is performed from the air conditioning operation based on results of detection by the human detection sensor at and after a time at which it is detected that no human is present and the presence/non-presence information at and after the time at which it is detected that no human is present.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein, using the presence/non-presence information obtained from results of detection by the human detection sensor during execution of the air conditioning operation, 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.   
     
     
         4 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller:
 is configured to predict, using a plurality of presence/non-presence patterns representing a tendency of presence and non-presence of the user in the air conditioning space, whether a human will be present in the air conditioning space;   refer to a length of time in which no human is present from the presence/non-presence information that is results of predicting whether a human will be present and, based on the length of time in which no human will be present, make a switch from the air conditioning operation to any one of the first power-saving operation and the second power-saving operation.   
     
     
         5 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the controller   is configured to predict, using a plurality of presence/non-presence patterns representing a tendency of presence and non-presence of the user in the air conditioning space, whether a human will be present in the air conditioning space;   refer to a length of time in which no human will be present from the presence/non-presence information containing results of detection by the human detection sensor and results of predicting whether a human will be present and, based on the length of time in which no human will be present, make a switch from the air conditioning operation to any one of the first power-saving operation and the second power-saving operation.   
     
     
         6 . The air conditioner according to  claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to refer to the results of prediction 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 prediction indicate that no human will be present, make a switch from the air conditioning operation to the second power-saving operation. 
     
     
         7 . The air conditioner according to  claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to refer to the results of prediction on the first given time during execution of the air conditioning operation and, when the results of prediction indicate that a human will be present, keep the air conditioning operation. 
     
     
         8 . The air conditioner according to  claim 7 , wherein, when the air conditioning operation is kept and it is kept detected 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, the controller is configured to make a switch from the air conditioning operation to the second power-saving operation. 
     
     
         9 . The air conditioner according to  claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to refer to the results of prediction on the first given time during execution of the air conditioning operation and, when presence of a human 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. 
     
     
         10 . The air conditioner according to  claim 9 , wherein, when it is kept detected that no human is preset during a third given time from the time at which the 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. 
     
     
         11 . 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 current 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, using presence/non-presence information that is results of predicting whether a human is present, is configured to make a switch from an air conditioning operation to a power-saving operation of which power consumption is smaller than the power consumption of the air conditioning operation; and   wherein the power-saving operation includes a first power-saving operation in which a set temperature in the air conditioning operation before the switch to the power-saving operation is changed 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 in which the air conditioning operation is stopped, and   when the human detection sensor detects that no human is present during execution of the air conditioning operation, the controller is configured to select whether to make a switch to the second power-saving operation after the first power saving operation is performed from the air conditioning operation based on results of detection by the human detection sensor at and after a time at which it is detected that no human is present and the presence/non-presence information at and after the time at which it is detected that no human is present.   
     
     
         12 . The air conditioning system according to  claim 11 , wherein
 the presence/non-presence predictor is in the server device, and   the controller is in the air conditioner.   
     
     
         13 . The air conditioning system according to  claim 11 , wherein
 the presence/non-presence predictor is in the communication adapter, and   the controller is in the air conditioner.