IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,146,672
Granted Patent B2
US 12,146,672 · App. 17/677,905 · Granted Nov 19, 2024

Air conditioning system and method recognizing a user action and determining whether a terminal is registered to the user

Inventors: Keita Kitagawa (Osaka, JP); Youichi Handa (Osaka, JP)
Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
F24F11/50F24F11/63G05B15/02G06V40/20G10L15/22G10L2015/223
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,146,672
App. No.
17/677,905
Granted
Nov 19, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

An air conditioning system includes an air conditioner, a detector, a transmitter, and a control unit. The air conditioner includes an indoor unit. The detector detects a user action toward the indoor unit. The transmitter transmits first information on the indoor unit to a terminal of the user. The control unit causes the transmitter to transmit the first information to the terminal when the detector detects the user action.

Claims (82)

1. An air conditioning system comprising:

an air conditioner including an indoor unit;

a detector configured to detect a user action performed by a user toward the indoor unit;

a control unit configured to recognize the user action and determine whether a terminal that is registered to the user or activated to a state capable of wireless communication is present; and

a transmitter configured to transmit first information on the indoor unit to the terminal,

the control unit being configured to cause the transmitter to transmit the first information to the terminal upon determining that the detector has detected the user action and the terminal is present.

2. The air conditioning system according to claim 1 , wherein

the first information includes information indicating an operating state of the indoor unit.

3. The air conditioning system according to claim 2 , wherein

the first information includes information for operation of the indoor unit.

4. The air conditioning system according to claim 2 , wherein

the detector includes

a camera, and

an image recognizer configured to recognize the user action in an image captured by the camera.

5. The air conditioning system according to claim 2 , wherein

the detector includes

a sound collector, and

a voice recognizer configured to recognize the user action in voice collected by the sound collector.

6. The air conditioning system according to claim 2 , further comprising:

a storage unit configured to store information on the terminal,

the control unit being configured

to extract terminals disposed around the indoor unit, and

to cause the first information to be transmitted to the terminal stored by the storage unit of the terminals extracted.

7. The air conditioning system according to claim 1 , wherein the first information includes information for operation of the indoor unit.

8. The air conditioning system according to claim 7 , wherein

the detector includes

a camera, and

an image recognizer configured to recognize the user action in an image captured by the camera.

9. The air conditioning system according to claim 7 , wherein

the detector includes

a sound collector, and

a voice recognizer configured to recognize the user action in voice collected by the sound collector.

10. The air conditioning system according to claim 7 , further comprising:

a storage unit configured to store information on the terminal,

the control unit being configured

to extract terminals disposed around the indoor unit, and

to cause the first information to be transmitted to the terminal stored by the storage unit of the terminals extracted.

11. The air conditioning system according to claim 1 , wherein

the detector includes

a camera, and

an image recognizer configured to recognize the user action in an image captured by the camera.

12. The air conditioning system according to claim 11 , further comprising:

a storage unit configured to store a face image of the user in correspondence with the terminal,

the image recognizer being configured to recognize a face of the user in the image captured by the camera,

the control unit being configured to determine whether or not the face recognized by the image recognizer is stored in the storage unit, and

when the face recognized is stored in the storage unit, the control unit being configured

to specify the terminal corresponding to the face image, and

to cause the first information to be transmitted to the terminal thus specified.

13. The air conditioning system according to claim 11 , wherein

the detector includes

a sound collector, and

a voice recognizer configured to recognize the user action in voice collected by the sound collector.

14. The air conditioning system according to claim 11 , further comprising:

a storage unit configured to store information on the terminal,

the control unit being configured

to extract terminals disposed around the indoor unit, and

to cause the first information to be transmitted to the terminal stored by the storage unit of the terminals extracted.

15. The air conditioning system according to claim 1 , wherein

the detector includes

a sound collector, and

a voice recognizer configured to recognize the user action in voice collected by the sound collector.

16. The air conditioning system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a storage unit configured to store information on the terminal,

the control unit being configured

to extract terminals disposed around the indoor unit, and

to cause the first information to be transmitted to the terminal stored by the storage unit of the terminals extracted.

17. The air conditioning system according to claim 1 , wherein

the control unit is configured to cause

the transmitter to transmit the first information to the terminal, and

the first information on the indoor unit to be displayed on a display screen of the terminal.

18. The air conditioning system according to claim 17 , further comprising:

a receiver configured

to receive information transmitted from the terminal, and

to receive operation information on the indoor unit input to the terminal,

the control unit being configured to control the indoor unit in accordance with the operation information received by the receiver.

19. The air conditioning system according to claim 1 , wherein

the indoor unit includes a first indoor unit and a second indoor unit disposed in an identical room provided with the first indoor unit, and

the first information includes information on the first indoor unit and information on the second indoor unit.

20. An information providing method usable with an air conditioning system including an air conditioner having an indoor unit, a detector disposed adjacent to or in the indoor unit, a transmitter configured to transmit information, and a control unit configured to control the detector and the transmitter, the method comprising:

the detector contactlessly detecting a user action;

the controller recognizing the user action and determining whether a terminal that is registered to the user or activated to a state capable of wireless communication is present; and

the control unit causing the transmitter to transmit first information on the indoor unit to the terminal upon determining that the detector has detected the user action and the terminal is present.

Assignments (2)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE CORRECT THE SECOND INVENTOR'S LAST NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 59070 FRAME: 120. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Aug 30, 2024
From: KITAGAWA, KEITA; HANDA, YOUICHI
To: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
Reel/Frame 068937/0046 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 22, 2022
From: KITAGAWA, KEITA; HANEDA, YOUICHI
To: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
Reel/Frame 059070/0120 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2019-153431 · Aug 26, 2019 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2020031650 · Aug 21, 2020
Related Publication 20220178570A1 · Jun 9, 2022