KR20090091527A - Air conditioner and controlling method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

An air-conditioner and a control method are provided to an environment fitting for the status of a person inside by performing air-conditioning operation according to the status of a person. An air-conditioner comprises a thermal image camera unit(110), a controller(120), and a driving unit(130). The thermal image camera unit takes a picture of the thermal image. The controller analyzes the thermal image photographed through the thermal image camera unit and detects the temperature of man. According to the body temperature of the indoor man, the controller detects the other state data. The controller generates the control signal. The driving unit performs the air conditioning operation based on air conditioning configuration data corresponding to the control signal of controller.

Description

Air conditioner and controlling method

The present invention relates to an air conditioner and a control method thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to an air conditioner and a control method thereof, by which a physical image of an occupant is easily understood using a thermal imaging camera.

In general, an air conditioner is a home appliance for maintaining indoor air in a state most suitable for use and purpose. For example, in summer, the room is cooled to a cool state, in winter, the room is heated to a warm state, and also the humidity of the room, and the air in the room to a clean state of clean. As life convenience products such as air conditioners are gradually expanded and used, consumers are demanding high energy use efficiency, performance improvement and convenience products.

Such an air conditioner includes a separate air conditioner in which an indoor unit and an outdoor unit are separately separated, an integrated air conditioner in which the indoor unit and the outdoor unit are combined into one device, a wall-mounted air conditioner and a frame type air conditioner configured to be mounted on a wall, and a living room. A slim air conditioner configured to stand, a single air conditioner configured to be used in a small place such as a house, and a large air capacity configured to be used in a company or a restaurant. It is divided into an air conditioner and a multi type air conditioner having a capacity capable of sufficiently driving a plurality of indoor units.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner and a method of controlling the same, which allow the thermal imaging camera to grasp the physical condition of the occupant and control the air conditioning operation accordingly.

The air conditioner of the present invention is a thermal imaging unit for capturing a thermal image, the thermal image captured by the thermal camera unit to read the image of the occupant, the air conditioning operation according to the state of the occupant And a driving unit for performing an air conditioning operation according to the control signal for issuing a control signal to perform the control signal issued from the control unit. The apparatus may further include a memory configured to store state data according to the temperature of the occupant and air conditioning setting data corresponding to the state data.

In this case, the thermal imaging camera unit captures the thermal image in real time or at predetermined time intervals.

In addition, the controller detects the location of the occupant from the thermal image. The controller detects the temperature of the occupant from the thermal image, detects state data corresponding to the detected temperature of the occupant among the state data stored in the memory, and detects the detected condition among the air conditioning setting data stored in the memory. The air conditioning setting data corresponding to the state data is detected.

On the other hand, the control method of the air conditioner according to the present invention, the step of taking a thermal image using a thermal imaging camera, reading the taken thermal image to detect the state data according to the temperature of the occupant, the Detecting air conditioning setting data corresponding to the state data, and performing an air conditioning operation according to the detected air conditioning setting data.

The air conditioner and the control method according to the present invention has an advantage that it is easy to grasp the condition according to the body temperature of the occupant by detecting the occupant using the thermal imaging camera, and the air corresponding to the body condition of the occupant By performing the harmonic operation has the advantage that can provide a comfortable environment for the current state of the occupants.

An embodiment of the air conditioner and control method thereof according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a perspective view when the air conditioner according to the first embodiment of the present invention is stopped, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view when the air conditioner shown in FIG. 1 is in operation.

1 and 2, the air conditioner of the present invention is provided with air inlets 4 and 6 through which air in the room is sucked, and air sucked through the air inlets 4 and 6. Air discharge ports 8 and 10 through which air-conditioned air, such as heated, cooled, or purified, are discharged inside the main body 2 are formed.

The main body 2 may be applied to any case such as a stand-type air conditioner, a wall-mounted air conditioner, or a ceiling-type air conditioner, but will be described below by taking a stand-type air conditioner as an example. Hereinafter, the main body 2 has air inlets 4 and 6 formed at a lower portion thereof, and air discharge holes 8 and 10 formed at an upper portion thereof. And a flow path through which air is discharged through the air discharge portions 8 and 10.

The body 2 includes a base 12, a cabinet 20, and a lower and upper panel (not shown).

The base 12 forms an outer appearance of the bottom of the main body 2 and supports the cabinet 20 and the lower panel.

The cabinet 20 forms the exterior of the rear part of the main body 2 and is installed to be located above the rear part of the base 12.

The lower panel consists of a left lower panel (not shown) with a left air inlet 4 and a right lower panel (not shown) with a right air inlet 6.

The lower left panel is disposed to be disposed on the front left side of the base 12, which is the lower front position of the cabinet 20, and the left air inlet 4 is formed to be open in the left and right directions or open in the left front direction.

The lower right panel is installed to be disposed on the right side of the front part of the base 12, which is the lower front position of the cabinet 20, and the right air inlet 8 is formed to be open in the left and right directions or open in the right front direction.

The upper panel is disposed in the upper front of the cabinet 20, and the left air discharge port 8 is formed in the left discharge part (not shown) in the left and right directions or is formed in the left front direction. Here, the left discharge part is recessed in the inner direction of the main body 2 so that the left wind direction adjusting part 24 provided to protrude on the left vane 22 is inserted and received when the left vane 22 is closed.

In addition, the upper panel has a right discharge part (not shown), and the right air discharge port 10 is formed in the right discharge part in the left and right directions or is formed in the right front direction. Here, the right discharge part is formed to be recessed inwardly of the main body 2 so that the right wind direction adjusting unit 28 protruding from the right vane 26 is inserted and received when the right vane 26 is closed.

In addition, the front panel 30 is connected to the front of the main body 2 to be rotated to the center to one side of the left and right. The front panel 30 forms a front side appearance of the air conditioner, and may be fixedly mounted to at least one of the base 12 and the lower left panel, the lower right panel and the upper panel, and Of course, it is also possible to be rotatably connected to at least one of the left and right sides of the base 12 and the left lower panel, the right lower panel and the upper panel to open and close the space between the right lower panel.

And inside the main body 2, a blower (not shown) for generating a blowing force to suck the air in the room into the main body 2 and to be discharged to the outside of the main body 2, and the air blown from the blower refrigerant And a heat exchanger (not shown) to heat exchange with.

On the other hand, the main body 2 is provided with vanes 22 and 26 for guiding air while opening and closing at least one of the air intake ports 4 and 6 and the air discharge ports 8 and 10. Hereinafter, the vanes 22 and 26 simultaneously open and close the air intake ports 4 and 6 and the air discharge ports 8 and 10 together to guide both the intake air and the discharge air, and are formed to be long in the vertical direction as a whole.

The main body 2 is formed with a discharge port unit 40 having an air discharge port 42 formed therein, and the discharge port unit 40 is lifted above the main body 2 at the inner upper portion of the main body 2 and the main body from above the main body 2. It has a discharge part structure descending inward of (2).

Here, the main body 2 has an opening surface whose entire upper surface is opened in the up and down direction, or an opening is formed in the upper surface and is opened in the upper and lower direction, and the discharge port unit 40 is configured to open the opening surface or the opening of the main body 2. Driven up and down.

The main body 2 is equipped with a thermal imaging camera unit 110 in the upper portion of the discharge port unit 40, to shoot the indoor thermal image in real time or at regular intervals during operation of the air conditioner.

In the above, the thermal imaging camera unit 110 is formed on the upper portion of the discharge port unit 40, but the embodiment is not limited thereto, and the thermal imaging camera unit 110 may be formed on another portion of the main body.

3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3, the air conditioner of the present invention includes a thermal imaging camera unit 110, a control unit 120, a driver 130, a memory 140, and an output unit 150.

Here, the driving unit 130 includes an indoor fan (not shown), an indoor heat exchanger (not shown), a valve control unit (not shown), and a wind direction control unit, and the input / output and operation control of each of the above components is the control unit 120. By the control command.

The indoor fan is a device for discharging the cold and hot air generated in the indoor heat exchanger into the room, and is provided on one side of the indoor heat exchanger. At this time, the indoor fan is connected to the motor, is rotated by the rotational force of the motor to generate wind. At this time, the indoor fan is a means for adjusting the amount of air discharged into the room because the amount of air discharged into the room is variable according to the rotational speed of the motor. The indoor heat exchanger generates cold or warm air by heat-exchanging ambient air by evaporating or condensing the refrigerant supplied from the outdoor unit.

On the other hand, the valve control unit includes a plurality of valves, in accordance with the control command of the control unit 120, by adjusting the opening amount of the valve connected to the refrigerant pipe, thereby controlling the type and amount of the refrigerant flowing into the indoor heat exchanger, or indoors The refrigerant is expanded and supplied to the heat exchanger. The wind direction control unit is a device for adjusting the direction of the air discharged into the room, is provided in the discharge port of the case of the indoor unit, so that the discharged air is changed up, down, left and right. At this time, the wind direction control unit includes a louver, vanes provided in the indoor unit discharge port.

The memory 140 stores state data of the human body according to temperature, and also stores air conditioning setting data according to the state of the human body. In this case, the memory 140 may provide state data of the human body or air conditioning setting data corresponding thereto at the request of the controller 120 when performing the air conditioning operation.

The output unit includes a display unit (not shown) for displaying predetermined data on the screen and an alarm output unit (not shown) for outputting a predetermined alarm sound.

The thermal imaging camera unit 110 captures an image within a predetermined range and transmits the captured image to the controller 120. In this case, the thermal imaging camera unit 110 detects a heat of the image to be photographed, and photographs the image to be photographed according to the sensed temperature of at least one different color.

The controller 120 analyzes an image photographed by the thermal camera unit 110 to detect a heat distribution of the photographed image, and check the occupants according to the detected heat distribution. Here, the controller 120 may analyze the pixel distribution of the photographed image and detect the occupant using the pixel difference.

At this time, the control unit 120 checks the temperature of the occupant, and detects the state data according to the checked temperature of the occupant among the state data of the human body stored in the memory 140. In addition, the controller 120 detects setting data corresponding to the detected state data of the occupant of the air conditioning setting data stored in the memory 140. On the other hand, the control unit 120 may control to display the state data according to the temperature of the occupant detected according to the setting and the air conditioning setting data corresponding thereto through the display means (not shown). Of course, the detected information may be stored in the memory 140.

In this case, the thermal imaging camera unit 110 photographs the indoor thermal imaging image at a real time or at a predetermined time interval, and the controller 120 analyzes an image photographed at the real time or at a predetermined time interval through the thermal imaging camera unit 110. In addition, the condition of the occupants is continuously monitored while the air conditioner is on. Therefore, even if the state of the occupant changes rapidly, the operation of the driving unit 130 is controlled according to the air conditioning setting data corresponding thereto.

In other words, the operation of the indoor fan, the indoor heat exchanger, the valve control unit, and the wind direction control unit is controlled according to the air conditioning setting data corresponding to the condition of the occupant, so as to perform an appropriate air conditioning operation according to the condition of the occupant. .

4 and 5 are views for explaining the operation of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, Figure 4 is an exemplary view showing an image captured by the thermal imaging camera unit. Referring to FIG. 4, the thermal imaging camera unit 110 allows the images photographed according to temperature to have different colors. In other words, the hot spots should be close to white, and the cold spots will be near black. Therefore, the controller 120 analyzes each pixel of the thermal image photographed as shown in FIG. 4, classifies the occupants by the pixel difference according to the analysis result, and checks the temperature of the occupants.

5 is a view showing state data according to temperature and air conditioning setting data corresponding thereto. Referring to FIG. 5, when the temperature of the occupant is confirmed from the thermal image photographed as shown in FIG. 4, the controller 120 detects data corresponding to the checked temperature among the data stored in the memory 140, and accordingly Perform the air conditioning operation.

That is, when the confirmed occupant's temperature is (A): 'd <= t', the controller 120 detects that the occupant is in a high temperature state, changes the operation setting to 'strong cooling', and outputs an alarm signal. do. In addition, when the checked temperature of the occupant is (B): 'c <= t <d', the controller 120 detects that the occupant is in a state of high activity, such as when he is vigorously exercising or just finished exercising. And change the operation setting to 'strong cooling' to provide a strong cold air to the occupants.

On the other hand, if the temperature of the confirmed occupant is (C): 'b <= t <c', the controller 120 detects that the occupant is in a light exercise or a state of low activity such as a rest state. By changing the operation setting to 'weak cooling', we provide a weak cooling air to the occupants. In addition, when the confirmed temperature of the occupant is (D): 'a <= t <b', the controller 120 detects that the occupant is in a stable state with little activity, such as sleeping or taking a rest. By changing the operation setting to 'ventilation' or 'weak heating', it is possible to provide indoor conditions for the occupants to be stable.

If the confirmed occupant's temperature is (E): 'T <A', the control unit 120 detects that the occupant is in a low temperature state, changes the operation setting to 'strong heating', and outputs an alarm signal. do.

Of course, the embodiment of Figure 5 shows an embodiment of its state data and corresponding setting data according to the body temperature of the occupant, this is not limited to any one, can be changed arbitrarily according to the setting.

6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation flow of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 6, during the indoor unit ON operation (S100), the controller 120 controls the thermal imaging camera unit 110 to be operated together (S110). In this case, when the thermal image is captured by the thermal camera unit 110, the controller 120 reads the captured thermal image to detect a temperature distribution of the thermal image (S120). In this case, the controller 120 checks the occupant location according to the temperature distribution of the thermal image (S130). In addition, the control unit 120 detects the body temperature of the occupant according to the temperature distribution identified through the thermal image (S140), and at this time, detects the state data of the occupant by detecting the state data according to the temperature stored in the memory 140. (S150).

Meanwhile, the control unit 120 detects air conditioning setting data corresponding to the state of the occupant of the setting data stored in the memory 140 (S160), and controls the operation of the driving unit 130 according to the detected air conditioning setting data. The harmonic operation is performed (S170). In this case, when a separate end command is not authorized, the processes of 'S110' to 'S70' are repeatedly performed until a separate end command is applied.

On the other hand, when a separate end command is applied when performing the air conditioning operation according to the temperature of the occupant (S180), the controller 120 turns off the indoor unit according to the applied control command to terminate the air conditioning operation (S190).

As described above, the air conditioner and the control method according to the present invention have been described with reference to the illustrated drawings, but the present invention is not limited by the embodiments and drawings disclosed herein, and the technical concept of the present invention is protected. It can be easily applied by those skilled in the art within the scope.

1 and 2 are perspective views showing an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a block diagram referred to explain the configuration of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention;

4 and 5 are referred to in the description of the operation of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, and

6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation flow of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols on main parts of the drawings>

110: thermal imaging camera unit 120: control unit

130: driving unit 140: memory

150: output unit

Claims (8)

A thermal imaging camera unit for photographing a thermal image; A controller which analyzes the thermal image captured by the thermal camera unit to sense a temperature of a room occupant, detects different state data according to the body temperature of the room, and issues a control signal corresponding thereto; And And a driving unit configured to perform an air conditioning operation based on air conditioning setting data corresponding to a control signal issued from the controller. The method of claim 1, And the thermal imaging camera unit captures the thermal image in real time or at predetermined time intervals. The method of claim 1, When the body temperature of the occupant of the occupant detected from the thermal image changes after the control signal for controlling the operation of the driving unit is changed, the controller detects other state data corresponding thereto and issues a control signal corresponding thereto. Air conditioner. The method of claim 1, The driving unit, according to the control command of the control unit, the previous air conditioning operation, characterized in that to perform another air conditioning operation. The method of claim 1, And a memory configured to store different state data according to the body temperature of the occupant, and to store air conditioning setting data corresponding to the different state data, respectively. Photographing a thermal image using a thermal camera; Analyzing the thermal image photographed to identify the location of the occupants and detecting the body temperature of the confirmed occupants; Detecting different state data according to the body temperature of the occupant; And And performing an air conditioning operation according to the air conditioning setting data corresponding to the state data. The method of claim 6, The taking of the thermal image, the control method of the air conditioner, characterized in that performed in real time or at a predetermined time interval. The method of claim 6, Detecting other state data corresponding to the changed body temperature when the body temperature of the occupant is changed; And And performing an air conditioning operation corresponding to the detected other state data.

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