KR101919825B1 - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

According to an aspect of the present invention, an air conditioner comprises: a control unit controlling the air conditioner in accordance with any one of a plurality of automatic operation modes in correspondence to an automatic operation mode motion command; and a memory storing an initial setting value and a current setting value of the automatic operation modes. The automatic operation mode has a high speed operation section for air-conditioning in accordance with a predetermined setting temperature and another comfortable operation section sequentially increasing an air-conditioning setting temperature based on body adaptation times set in each of a plurality of temperature sections until a target temperature is reached. Therefore, various automatic operation modes are provided, and satisfaction of a user can be improved.

Description

Air conditioner

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air conditioner and an operation method thereof, and more particularly, to an air conditioner and an operation method thereof that can provide various automatic operation modes to increase user satisfaction.

The air conditioner is installed to provide a comfortable indoor environment for humans by discharging cold air to the room to adjust the room temperature and purify the room air to create a pleasant indoor environment.

Generally, the air conditioner includes an indoor unit which is constituted by a heat exchanger and installed in a room, and an outdoor unit which is constituted by a compressor, a heat exchanger and the like and supplies the refrigerant to the indoor unit.

The air conditioner is operated by being controlled separately by an indoor unit constituted by a heat exchanger, an outdoor unit constituted by a compressor, a heat exchanger and the like, and supplied to a compressor or a heat exchanger. Also, at least one indoor unit may be connected to the outdoor unit, and the air conditioner is operated in the cooling or heating mode by supplying the refrigerant to the indoor unit according to the requested operation state.

On the other hand, when the human body is continuously exposed to the same temperature environment, the degree of comfort changes with time. In addition, if the human body stays in a room where a certain temperature is maintained continuously for a long time, the human body becomes compliant with the room temperature, and as a result, the sensation of coldness and discomfort may be felt over time.

Therefore, the cooling system, which is maintained at a constant set temperature, may gradually become uncomfortable to the user as time elapses, and may cause a supercooled room and excessive energy consumption.

Therefore, there is an increasing research on cooling considering the human body adaptation characteristics to the temperature environment.

In addition, since the cooling performance varies depending on the characteristics of the space in which the air conditioner is installed and the load, research on cooling considering the installation environment is increasing.

The air conditioner disclosed in the prior art 1 (Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 10-2006-0002253 (date of publication Jan. 9, 2006)) calculates the on time and off time of the cooling load in accordance with the user's request, The indoor / outdoor environment is determined using the on-time and the off-time of the indoor / outdoor environment.

In the prior art 1, the cooling operation is performed in consideration of the outdoor temperature and the cooling space, and the cooling temperature can be reset according to the cooling operation duration in consideration of the human body compliance.

However, in the prior art 1, since the set time for raising the set temperature for cooling is fixed, the characteristic difference is not reflected for each user. Therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult for various users to obtain the same comfort.

Also, in the prior art 1, the cooling rate is not controlled, and the cooling rate is not constant even in the same space, so that the user can feel uncomfortable.

The present invention relates to a method for controlling a PMV of an air conditioning system, and more particularly, to a method for controlling a PMV of an air conditioning system, which is capable of controlling temperature, average radiation temperature, airflow rate, The PMV (Predicted Mean Vote) is calculated with the wear amount and the set temperature is raised or lowered by comparing with the PMV designated by the user.

The PMV is proposed by Professor Fanger, and is determined by factors such as temperature, airflow, humidity, radiation temperature of the physical environment in the air conditioning environment, and factors of human activity and environmental factors.

However, the PMV is determined by the voting value of the experimental group for the value set in the seventh step, while changing the above factors. Therefore, the feeling of comfort felt by the individual user may be different from that of the PMV, and the difference may be greater for users with different conditions from the experimental group.

In addition, the conventional art 2 has a problem that it is difficult for the user to know the information about the PMV value suitable for the user, and there is insufficient data for calculating the correct PMV value.

Therefore, there is a need for a method which can find an appropriate human adaptation time and cooling rate for a user and provide an automatic operation mode optimized for an individual user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an air conditioner and an operation method thereof that can provide various automatic operation modes to increase a user's satisfaction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an air conditioner and an operation method thereof that can provide comfortable cooling at an appropriate temperature and a cooling rate in consideration of human compliance characteristics with respect to temperature.

An object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner and a method of operating the same that can improve the satisfaction and convenience of a user by implementing a customized human body adaptation by reflecting a human body adaptation time difference for each user.

An object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner and an operation method thereof that are effective in terms of health care and energy consumption by preventing air-cooling and excessive cooling which is a cause of excessive energy consumption.

An object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner and its operating method which can easily ascertain a cooling rate and a cooling performance even by a user who does not have expert knowledge by managing the cooling rate.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an air conditioner and an operating method thereof that can manage a cooling rate and enable a user to easily grasp an abnormal situation such as a target temperature arrival time, a product failure, a load fluctuation and a refrigerant leak.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an air conditioner comprising: a controller for controlling operation in accordance with one of a plurality of automatic operation modes corresponding to an automatic operation mode operation command; And a memory for storing initial set values and current set values of a plurality of automatic operation modes, wherein the plurality of automatic operation modes includes a rapid operation section for cooling according to a predetermined set temperature until a target temperature is reached, A comfortable operation period in which the cooling setting temperature is sequentially increased based on the human body adaptation times set for each temperature interval can be provided, so that various automatic operation modes can be provided and the satisfaction of the user can be increased.

According to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, various automatic operation modes may be provided to increase the satisfaction of the user.

In addition, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to provide pleasant cooling at an appropriate temperature and a cooling rate in consideration of human compliance characteristics with respect to temperature.

Also, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to find an appropriate human adaptation time for a user and to provide optimized cooling for an individual user.

In addition, according to at least one embodiment of the present invention, customized human body adaptation is implemented reflecting the human body adaptation time difference for each user, thereby increasing the satisfaction and convenience of the user.

In addition, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to provide an air conditioner and an operation method thereof, which are effective in terms of health care and energy consumption, by preventing an air conditioner and excessive cooling which cause excessive energy consumption.

Further, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, the cooling rate is managed, so that even a user without expert knowledge can easily grasp the cooling rate and the cooling performance.

Further, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, the user can easily grasp an abnormal situation such as a target temperature arrival time, a product failure, a load fluctuation, or a refrigerant leak.

Meanwhile, various other effects will be directly or implicitly disclosed in the detailed description according to the embodiment of the present invention to be described later.

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are views briefly showing an appearance of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is an internal block diagram illustrating the control relationship between the main components of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 4 is a diagram referred to in explanation of an example of the automatic operation mode.
5 is a diagram referred to the description of the automatic operation mode according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a method of operating an air conditioner according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG.
7 is a flowchart illustrating an operation method of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a view referred to the explanation of the operation method of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a flowchart illustrating an operation method of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
10 to 16 are views referred to the description of an operation method of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and can be modified into various forms.

In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used for the same or similar parts throughout the specification.

The suffix " module " and " part " for components used in the following description are given merely for convenience of description and do not give special significance or role in themselves. Accordingly, the terms " module " and " part " may be used interchangeably.

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are views showing an outline of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing an example of an indoor unit.

3 is an internal block diagram illustrating the control relationship between the main components of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment, the air conditioner 100 is illustrated as being a stand-type air conditioner. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. It is needless to say that, in addition to the stand type air conditioner, an air conditioner such as a wall-mounted type air conditioner or a ceiling type air conditioner can also be applied as the air conditioner 100 of the present invention.

1 to 3, an air conditioner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a memory 150 for storing various data, a controller 140 for controlling overall operation, And a driving unit 180 for controlling the operation of the indoor fan, the heat exchanger, the valve, the wind direction adjusting unit, and the like provided in the main body under the control of the controller 140.

The driving unit 180 controls the rotation of the motor connected to the indoor fan, thereby controlling the amount of air discharged into the room. In addition, the driving unit 180 controls the driving of the heat exchanger to heat-exchange ambient air by evaporating or condensing the refrigerant supplied from the heat exchanger.

The driving unit 190 adjusts the direction of the air discharged into the room in response to a control command of the control unit 140 so that the air discharged at the time of opening the discharge port is changed vertically and horizontally.

The driving unit 180 may include a vane driving unit for driving the vane under the control of the controller 140, and a fan driving unit for driving the fan. The vane driving part may include a spinning mechanism, a left / right vane driving mechanism, an opening / closing mechanism, etc., depending on the model.

The air conditioner 100 of the present embodiment includes a suction body 102 formed with an air inlet (not shown), a heat exchanger (not shown) through which air sucked by the air inlet is passed, air sucked into the air inlet, And a discharge port 107R, 107U, 107D formed to discharge air back into the room.

The louvers (not shown) and / or vanes 161R, 161L, 161U, and 161D, which open / close the discharge ports 107R, 107U, and 107D and adjust the airflow direction of the discharged air, And the direction and direction of the wind direction adjusting means can be switched by driving the motor or the like under the control of the control unit 140. [ Accordingly, the airflow direction of the air discharged through the discharge ports 107R, 107U, and 107D can be adjusted. Further, by controlling the operation of the wind direction adjusting means, it is possible to adjust the blowing direction of the airflow, the blowing range, and the like.

For example, the vanes 161R, 161L, 161U, and 161D may be fixed in either direction so as to blow air in either direction, or an operation in which the direction of the vane continues to change within a set range (Hereinafter referred to as " swinging operation ") is performed so that the blowing operation can be performed over a predetermined range in which the blowing direction is continuously changed within the set range. Further, by adjusting the angle range in which the swing motion of the vanes 161R, 161L, 161U, and 161D is performed, the blowing range can be further narrowed or widened.

Inside the air conditioner, there is provided a fan for controlling the flow of the indoor air sucked into the indoor air through the air outlets 107R, 107U, and 107D to the indoor space. The fan is rotated by the fan driving unit And the operation of the fan driving unit is controlled by the control unit 140. [

Accordingly, the control unit 140 controls the vane driving unit and the fan driving unit to control the direction of the airflow (airflow) discharged from the air conditioner 100. [ The controller 140 controls the speed of the fan motor to control the amount and speed of the airflow, and controls the direction of the airflow by controlling the louver, the vane, and the like.

Meanwhile, the air conditioner 100 may include a plurality of vanes 161R, 161L, 161U, and 161D. Also, at least some of the plurality of vanes 161R, 161L, 161U, and 161D may operate in different ways.

For example, the upper vane 161U can be raised and lowered on the upper portion of the fan, and can be driven to ascend and descend during operation. To this end, the air conditioner 100 may include an elevating mechanism (not shown) for raising and lowering the upper vane 161U.

The upper vane 161U may function as an upper discharging body for discharging at least a part of the air blown by the fan through the air outlet 107U to the room.

The suction body 102 may be installed above the base 101. The suction body 102 together with the base 101 can form the outer surface of the rear side of the air conditioner. The suction body 102 can form the upper surface of the rear surface of the air conditioner. The suction body 102 may constitute a rear case of the air conditioner together with the base 101. The suction body 102 may be a rear upper case of the air conditioner, It may be a rear lower case.

The base 101 may be provided with a control unit 140 for controlling various electric components of the air conditioner. Here, various electric components of the air conditioner may include fans and the like. The base 101 may be provided with a base cover 125 disposed in front of the base 101.

The air conditioner 100 may further include a purifier unit (not shown) for purifying the air. The purifying unit may be disposed in the suction body 102. The purifying unit may be disposed before the heat exchanger in the air flow direction. The purifying unit can be disposed between the suction body 102 and the heat exchanger and can be disposed behind the suction body 102. [ The purifying unit may include a filter for filtering foreign matter in the air. The purifying unit may include an ion generator for generating ions in the air. The purifying unit may include an electrostatic precipitator for discharging foreign matter in the air to collect the dust. The purification unit may include at least one of a filter, an ion generator, and an electrostatic precipitator.

The heat exchanger may be located in front of the air inlet. The heat exchanger can heat-exchange the air sucked into the air inlet with the refrigerant. The heat exchanger may be installed between the air inlet and the fan.

When the compressor installed in the outdoor unit is driven, the air conditioner 100 can pass the low temperature and low pressure refrigerant to the heat exchanger, and the heat exchanger can cool the air that has passed through the air inlet. When the compressor is on, the heat exchanger can cool the air by exchanging heat between the refrigerant and the air, and the air conditioner 100 can function as a cooler.

The fan may be located in front of the heat exchanger. The fan may be constituted by a centrifugal fan that sucks air in the rear and blows air in at least one of the upper, lower, left, and right directions. The fan can consist of a sirocco fan. The fan may be a sirocco fan that blows air in four directions: up, down, left, and right.

The fan may include a plurality of blowing fans. The plurality of blowing fans can be sequentially arranged in the vertical direction. Each of the plurality of blowing fans may be constituted by a sirocco fan.

An upper front air outlet 107U may be formed on the front surface of the upper vane 161U. An air inlet (not shown) may be formed on the lower surface of the upper vane 161U to allow the air blown from the fan upward. The upper vane 161U can guide the air blown upward from the inner fan in the forward direction.

The upper vane 161U may be arranged to be raised and lowered on the upper side of the fan. When the upper vane 161U rises, the upper front air outlet 107U can be raised to discharge air, and the lower front air outlet 107U can be concealed when the vane 161U is lowered.

The air conditioner 100 may further include an elevation guide 208 for guiding the elevation of the upper vane 161U. The elevation guide 208 may be installed above the fan and heat exchanger. The upper vane 161U is located on the upper side of the elevation guide 108 and can discharge air when the upper vane 161U rises and the upper front air outlet 107U is positioned inside the elevation guide 108 And can be concealed.

The elevating mechanism may include a driving source such as a motor and a power transmitting member for moving the upper vane 161U when the driving source is driven. The power transmitting member may include a pinion installed on the drive source and a rack engaged with the pinion.

The lift mechanism can be raised to a different height depending on the operation mode. The control unit 140 may control the elevating mechanism according to the selection of the operation mode of the user.

For example, the control unit 140 raises the upper vane 161U to the maximum opening height at which the upper front air outlet 107U is maximally opened, or only a part of the upper front air outlet 107U is opened The upper vane 161U can be raised.

A side air outlet 107R through which the air blown in the lateral direction from the fan passes may be formed on the side surface of the air conditioner 100. [

Side vanes 161R and 161L can be disposed on the sides of the air conditioner to adjust the direction of the air blown from the fan to the side and to open and close the left air outlet and the right air outlet 107R. The side vanes 161R and 161L may include a left vane 161L and a right vane 161R.

The side vanes 161R and 161L may be rotatably installed. The air conditioner 100 may include a side driving mechanism (not shown) for rotating the side vanes 161R and 161L. The side drive mechanism may include a left vane drive mechanism and a right vane drive mechanism.

The side drive mechanism may include a drive source such as a motor. The side drive mechanism may include at least one power transmitting member, such as a link or a gear, which is connected to the drive source and rotates the side vanes 161R and 161L when the drive source is driven.

The side drive mechanism can be controlled by the control unit 140 to the open mode during the cooling operation. The side drive mechanism can rotate the left vane 161L and the right vane 161R at a predetermined opening angle under the control of the control unit 140. [

Thus, the blowing direction can be controlled, and blowing can be performed in a range set in a manner that continuously changes the blowing direction within the set range by causing the swinging operation to be performed. In addition, by adjusting the angle range in which the swing motion is performed, the range in which the blowing is performed can be further narrowed or broadened.

The air conditioner 100 may further include a lower vane 161D having a lower front air outlet 107D formed therein.

The lower vane 161D can discharge the air blown downward from the fan in the forward direction. The lower vane 161D may have a passage through which air flows. A lower front air discharge port 107D for discharging air to the outside may be formed on the front surface of the lower vane 161D.

The air conditioner 100 may further include an opening / closing mechanism for opening / closing the lower front air outlet 107D. The opening and closing mechanism may include a moving kit (not shown) for moving the lower vane 161D to open and close the lower front air outlet 107D. The moving kit may include a driving source such as a motor, a moving kit carrier on which the moving kit is placed, and at least one power transmitting member for moving the moving kit carrier when the driving source is driven.

The lower vane 161D is advanced to cover the lower front air outlet 107D and can be retracted to open the lower front air outlet 107D.

The opening / closing mechanism may be controlled to an open mode in which the lower front air outlet 107D is opened during operation in a predetermined mode.

The air conditioner 100 may further include a blower cover 182 disposed in front of the fan, and the blower cover 182 may form an upper front surface of the air conditioner. The blower cover 182 can be disposed on the upper side of the base cover 125 and can form an outer appearance of the front side of the air conditioner together with the base cover 125. The blower cover 182 can constitute the front cover of the air conditioner together with the base cover 125. The blower cover 182 may be a front upper cover of the air conditioner, and the base cover 125 may be a front lower cover of the air conditioner.

The air conditioner 100 may include one or more microphones 121 and 122 capable of receiving external audio signals and user voice commands.

The air conditioner 100 may be provided with a display 192 for displaying various information. The air conditioner 100 may further include an audio output unit 191 for outputting an audio signal and a speaker of the audio output unit 191 may be disposed on a front surface of the air conditioner or at an appropriate position.

 The air conditioner 100 may include an operation unit 130 having a plurality of buttons for inputting various commands and a camera 110 for photographing a predetermined range around the air conditioner 100.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a front panel 200 is disposed on the front surface of the blower cover 182 or the base cover 125, and a display 192, an audio output unit 191, Speaker, and operation buttons of the operation unit 130 can be disposed.

The air conditioner 100 can operate according to a plurality of operation modes. The control unit 140 can control the driving unit 180 and the like in accordance with the selected operation mode.

For example, in the predetermined operation mode, the control unit 140 can control the plurality of vanes 161R, 161L, 161U, and 161D to open all the discharge ports.

Or in the predetermined operation mode, the control unit 140 can control the specific vane to be closed without opening the discharge port. For example, in the predetermined operation mode, the controller 140 may control the lower vane 161D to be closed.

In addition, the control unit 140 can control the rising height of the upper vane 161U and the opening angle of the left and right vanes 161R and 261L according to the operation mode.

In addition, the control unit 140 can adjust the air volume by controlling the rotation speed of the fan according to the operation mode.

Meanwhile, the appearance and structure of the air conditioner illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 are illustrative, and the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the positions, number, structure, etc. of the microphones 121 and 122, the camera 110, the audio output unit 191, and vanes 161R, 161L, 161U and 161D may vary according to design specifications.

3, an air conditioner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an audio input unit 120 for receiving voice commands of a user, a memory 150 for storing various data, A control unit 140 for controlling the overall operation of the air conditioner 100 and a control unit 140 for controlling indoor fans, heat exchangers, valves, And a driving unit 180 for controlling the operation of the means and the like.

The audio input unit 120 can receive external audio signals and user voice commands. To this end, the audio input unit 120 may include one or more microphones (MICs). In addition, the audio input unit 120 may include a plurality of microphones 121 and 122 to more accurately receive a voice command of the user. The plurality of microphones 121 and 122 can be disposed at different positions and can acquire an external audio signal and process it as an electrical signal.

1 to 3, the audio input unit 120 includes two microphones including a first microphone 221 and a second microphone 222, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

The audio input unit 120 may include a processing unit for converting the analog sound into digital data or may be connected to the processing unit to convert the user input voice command into data to be recognized by the control unit 140 or a predetermined server.

The control unit 140 can process the voice input inputted through the audio input unit 120.

Meanwhile, the audio input unit 120 may use various noise reduction algorithms for eliminating noise generated in the process of receiving a voice command of a user.

The audio input unit 120 may include a filter for removing noise from an audio signal received by each of the microphones 121 and 122, and an amplifier for amplifying and outputting a signal output from the filter. .

The memory 150 records various kinds of information necessary for the operation of the air conditioner 100 and may include a volatile or nonvolatile recording medium. The storage medium stores data that can be read by a microprocessor, and includes a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state disk (SSD), a silicon disk drive (SDD), a ROM, a RAM, a CD- Tape, floppy disk, optical data storage, and the like.

The memory 150 may store various setting information related to the operation of the air conditioner 100 and data for operation of each operation mode. For example, memory 150 may store human adaptation time information, cooling rate, user control input information, and other algorithms.

Meanwhile, the air conditioner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may provide various automatic operation modes.

The control unit 140 may control the operation according to any one of the plurality of automatic operation modes in response to the user's automatic operation mode operation command. The plurality of automatic operation modes are set to a comfortable operation period in which the cooling setting temperature is sequentially increased based on the rapid operation section for cooling according to the predetermined set temperature and the human body adaptation times set for the plurality of temperature sections, . ≪ / RTI >

The memory 150 may store an initial set value and a current set value of a plurality of automatic operation modes.

Meanwhile, the automatic operation modes provided by the air conditioner 100 according to the present invention will be described later in detail with reference to FIG. 4 to FIG.

Meanwhile, the memory 150 may store data for voice recognition, and the controller 140 may process the voice input signal of the user received through the audio input unit 120 and perform a voice recognition process.

Meanwhile, simple speech recognition is performed by the air conditioner 100, and high-level speech recognition such as natural language processing can be performed in the speech recognition server.

For example, when a wake up voice signal including a preset caller is received, the air conditioner 100 can be switched to a state for receiving a voice command. In this case, the air conditioner 100 performs only the voice recognition process up to the voice input of the caller, and voice recognition for the subsequent voice input of the user can be performed through the voice recognition server.

Since the system resources of the air conditioner 100 are limited, complex natural language recognition and processing can be performed through the speech recognition server.

Limited data may be stored in the memory 150. For example, in the memory 150, data for recognizing a wake up voice signal including a preset caller may be stored. In this case, the control unit 140 may recognize a wake-up voice signal including a predetermined caller from the voice input signal received through the audio input unit 120. [

The control unit 140 may control the voice recognition server to transmit the voice command of the user inputted after recognizing the wake up voice signal to the voice recognition server through the communication unit 170. [

The communication unit 170 includes one or more communication modules, and can perform wireless communication with other electronic devices to exchange various signals.

In addition, the control unit 140 can transmit the status information of the air conditioner 100, a voice command of the user, and the like to the voice recognition server or the like through the communication unit 170.

Meanwhile, when a control signal is received through the communication unit 170, the controller 140 may control the air conditioner 100 to operate according to the received control signal.

The air conditioner 100 may include a display 192 for displaying information corresponding to a user's command input, a processing result corresponding to a user's command input, an operation mode, an operation state, an error state, and the like as an image.

According to an embodiment, the display 192 may have a mutual layer structure with a touch pad, and may be configured as a touch screen. In this case, the display 192 may be used as an input device capable of inputting information by a user's touch in addition to the output device.

In addition, the air conditioner 100 may further include an audio output unit 191 for outputting an audio signal. The audio output unit 191 outputs a notification message such as a warning sound, an operation mode, an operation state, an error state, etc., information corresponding to a command input by the user, a processing result corresponding to a command input by the user, Audio can be output. The audio output unit 191 can convert the electrical signal from the control unit 140 into an audio signal and output it. For this purpose, a speaker or the like may be provided.

The driving unit 180 includes a compressor driving unit for driving the compressor in the outdoor unit, an outdoor fan driving unit for operating the outdoor fan for heat exchange, an indoor fan driving unit for operating the indoor fan for heat exchange, and a vane driving unit for controlling the wind direction .

The air conditioner 100 may further include an operation unit 130 for user input and a camera 110 for photographing a predetermined range around the air conditioner 100.

The operation unit 130 may include a plurality of operation buttons, and may transmit a signal corresponding to the input button to the control unit 140.

On the other hand, the air conditioner 100 may operate according to an input through a remote control device.

For example, the air conditioner 100 can receive input from a wired / wireless remote controller or a user's portable terminal, and can perform an operation corresponding to the received input.

The camera 110 photographs the surroundings of the air conditioner 100, the external environment, and the like.

For example, the camera 110 may include at least one optical lens and an image sensor (e.g., an optical sensor) configured to include a plurality of photodiodes (e.g., pixels) that are imaged by light passing through the optical lens. A CMOS image sensor, and a digital signal processor (DSP) that forms an image based on signals output from the photodiodes. The digital signal processor is capable of generating moving images composed of still frames as well as still images.

Meanwhile, the image captured by the camera 110 may be stored in the memory 150.

The control unit 140 can identify the presence or absence of the occupant and the user existing in the predetermined space based on the image captured and obtained by the camera 110. [

In addition, the control unit 140 can control to provide personalized control, service based on the identified user.

The air conditioner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a sensor unit 160 having one or more sensors.

For example, the sensor unit 160 may include at least one temperature sensor for sensing the indoor / outdoor temperature, a humidity sensor for sensing the humidity, and a dust sensor for sensing the air quality.

In addition, the controller 140 can control the operation of the air conditioner 100 based on data sensed by the sensor unit 160.

Meanwhile, the control unit 140 may cout the operation time during a predetermined operation. Alternatively, the air conditioner 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention may further include a separate timer.

Fig. 4 is a diagram referred to an explanation of an example of the automatic operation mode, showing an example of smart care logic.

In this specification, the rapid-mode section or the rapid cooling operation mode may mean an operation mode in which rapid cooling is performed at a predetermined initial temperature.

In the present specification, the term " comfort zone " or " pleasant cooling operation mode " means a zone or a cooling mode in which the predetermined temperature is maintained to change the set temperature after the human body adaptation time has elapsed .

Meanwhile, the rapid cooling operation mode and the pleasant cooling operation mode can be continuously performed. For example, after the air conditioner is operated in the rapid cooling operation mode, the air conditioner can be operated in the comfortable cooling operation mode.

In addition, the predetermined automatic operation mode may include the rapid cooling operation mode and the pleasant cooling operation mode. Hereinafter, an automatic operation mode in which the rapid cooling operation mode and the comfortable cooling operation mode are sequentially performed will be referred to as a SmartCare operation mode.

Referring to Fig. 4, in the fast-speed section of the Smart Care operation mode, the air conditioner can operate in a power wind with a predetermined set temperature and an internal target temperature lower than the set temperature.

 For example, when the set temperature of the air conditioner is set at 25 ° C and the initial target temperature is set at 18 ° C, the cooling is performed at a faster rate up to 25 ° C, which is the set temperature .

That is, the air conditioner recognizes the internal target temperature lower than the presently set temperature as the set temperature, so that the cooling can be performed faster.

The power wind operation not only operates with the set temperature as the minimum temperature, but also the wind power can be set to the maximum. Also, the wind direction can be set to rapidly cool the entire space with a full swing.

On the other hand, when the temperature reaches the set temperature, the air conditioner can enter the comfortable mode. For example, the air conditioner can enter the comfort mode when the set temperature is less than 2 degrees after 20 minutes from the operation of the rapid mode.

The air conditioner can be set to enter the rapid mode again when the set temperature exceeds + 2 ° C for 5 minutes after entering the comfortable mode (ex: entering at 27 ° in case of 25 ° C set temperature).

And operates to maintain a predetermined range based on the preset temperature or the predetermined temperature of the user in the comfort zone.

In the SmartCare operation mode, the rapid section is aimed at achieving the highest cooling rate, and in the SmartCare rapid section, the user who is dissatisfied with the rapid cooling by unconditionally operating at 18 degree power can feel inconvenience.

In addition, when the 18-degree power-wind operation is maximized and the cooling load is great, excessive energy waste may occur.

Therefore, it is necessary to provide a customized control that provides an effective power saving function for a user who wants to save power even during rapid cooling.

On the other hand, customized control considering human adaptation time, which has a variation in individual, is also required in the comfort zone.

In the smart care logic illustrated in Fig. 4, the set temperature control conditions are fixed.

Therefore, individual differences and environmental conditions are not reflected in the control time and temperature, which are key variables of smart care.

In addition, there is a problem that the user can not cope with the pattern for controlling the set temperature and the indoor / outdoor temperature difference information.

Therefore, the present invention proposes a method of finding an appropriate cooling rate and a human body adaptation time for a user based on a user's use history and pattern, and providing an automatic operation mode optimized for an individual user.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating an automatic operation mode according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 illustrates an example of smart care logic provided in accordance with the present invention.

According to the present invention, a plurality of automatic operation modes can be provided.

Each of the plurality of automatic operation modes includes a rapid operation section for cooling according to a predetermined set temperature until reaching a target temperature and a comfortable operation section for sequentially increasing the cooling setting temperature based on human adaptation times set for each of a plurality of temperature sections And may include an operation section. Also, at least one of the set temperature, the wind direction, and the wind amount may be varied in the fast-running section.

The memory 150 may store an initial set value and a current set value of a plurality of automatic operation modes.

The control unit 140 may control the operation according to any one of the plurality of automatic operation modes in response to the user's automatic operation mode operation command.

For example, when a wired or wireless remote control is equipped with a smart care key for inputting an automatic operation mode operation command, if the user presses the smart care key of the remote control, the control unit 140 controls the smart care key, It is possible to control to operate in the automatic operation mode according to the logic.

Further, each time the user presses the Smart Care key, the automatic operation mode can be switched to another automatic operation mode.

According to the present invention, the plurality of automatic operation modes may include a fixed automatic operation mode in which the set values are fixed and a variable automatic operation mode in which the set values are varied according to the usage history.

In addition, a plurality of variable automatic operation modes are also provided, so that the automatic operation mode suitable for the user can be learned faster.

Meanwhile, the fixed automatic operation mode may be an automatic operation mode in which the set values are fixed to default values and are provided as a default. For example, the fixed automatic operation mode may be a fixed operation mode in which the set value of the operation mode according to the smart care logic illustrated in FIG. 5 is fixed. The fixed automatic operation mode is a basic general purpose automatic operation mode and can be named 'smart care'.

5, the fixed automatic operation mode is provided with fixed set values such as Ts, Tsa, Tsb, tc, ta, tb and Sc, and the variable automatic operation mode is provided with Ts, Tsa, Tsb, tc, ta , tb, Sc, and the like are installed and the air conditioner 100 adjusts its own control logic according to the user's preference.

The definition of the factors illustrated in FIG. 5 is as follows.

Ts: Set Temperature

Tsa: set temperature at (ta + Ta)

Tsb: set temperature (Ts + Tb) at tb

Tp: Present Temperature

Sc: Cooling speed (ΔT / Δt) [° C./min]

tc: Comfort zone entry time (set temperature reach time)

ta: 1st human body adaptation time (1st set temperature rise control time)

tb: 2nd human body adaptation time (2nd set temperature rise control time)

That is, the present invention controls a variable automatic operation mode in which a fixed automatic operation mode irrespective of a user's pattern of use of the air conditioner 100 and a usage pattern of the user's air conditioner 100 are learned, .

Meanwhile, the variable automatic operation mode may include a plurality of variable automatic operation modes having different initial set values. That is, the air conditioner 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention provides a plurality of variable automatic operation modes having different initial set values, and each variable automatic operation modes learns a usage pattern of a user, Lt; / RTI >

In the variable automatic operation modes, the setting values related to the human body adaptation time and / or the cooling rate may be updated according to the usage pattern of the user.

The variable automatic operation mode may include a first variable automatic operation mode in which a set value of the cooling rate is initially set to a maximum value in the fast operation section.

The first variable automatic operation mode may be named 'Cooling Smart' or 'Cooling Smart Auto Operation' because the set value of the cooling rate is initially set to the maximum value in the fast operation section and the cooling performance is important.

In the first variable automatic operation mode, the set values of the human adaptation times in the comfortable driving interval may be initially set to the longest time in the temperature interval.

Also, the first variable automatic operation mode may reduce the human adaptation times based on the cooling-enhanced input of the user, and the decrease interval of the human adaptation time may be set to be smaller than the decrease interval in the other variable automatic operation modes have.

The setting change of the cooling rate in each variable automatic operation mode will be described later in detail with reference to Figs. 6 and 7, and the setting change of the human adaptation time in each variable automatic operation mode will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 8 and 9 Will be described later.

The variable automatic operation mode may include a second variable automatic operation mode in which the set value of the cooling rate is initially set to a maximum value in the fast operation section. In the second variable automatic operation mode, the set temperature in the rapid operation section can be gradually increased at every operation.

In the second variable automatic operation mode, although the set value of the cooling rate is initially set to the maximum value in the fast operation section, the set temperature is gradually changed every time the automatic operation is performed, It is possible. Accordingly, the second variable automatic operation mode may be named 'customized smart' or 'customized smart automatic operation'.

Also, the comfortable driving interval in the second variable automatic driving mode may be initialized in the same manner as the fixed automatic driving mode.

In the second variable automatic operation mode, the human body adaptation times may be reduced based on the cooling-enhanced input of the user, and the rising interval of the cooling set temperature may be set to a minimum value. For example, the stepwise temperature rise in the comfort zone may be limited to one degree.

The variable automatic operation mode may include a third variable automatic operation mode in which the predetermined set temperature is initially set to a temperature higher than the fixed automatic operation mode in the fast operation section.

That is, the third variable automatic operation mode is an automatic operation mode in which the set temperature in the fast-speed section is higher than the other automatic operation modes and induces power saving. Accordingly, the third variable automatic operation mode can be named 'power saving smart' or 'power saving smart automatic operation'.

In the third variable automatic operation mode, the human adaptation times may be initially set to a minimum value in the comfortable driving interval.

In the third variable automatic operation mode, the human body adaptation times may be decreased based on the cooling intensifying input of the user, and the rising interval of the cooling preset temperature may be set to a maximum value. For example, the stepwise temperature rise according to human body adaptation in the comfort zone may be set to 2 degrees.

Each time the user presses the smart care key provided on the wired or wireless remote controller, the controller 140 turns off the automatic operation function (off), the smart care mode, the cooling mode smart mode, the customized smart mode, And the automatic operation function is turned off.

The control unit 140 may control to initialize the set values of the plurality of automatic operation modes to the initial set values stored in the memory 150 when the initialization command is received.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide automatic operation modes that automatically perform a comfortable operation in an indirect wind when the target temperature is reached after performing a rapid operation in direct wind.

The existing automatic operation logic has fixed logic and it is impossible to actively respond to the installation environment and user characteristics. Therefore, we need a structure that can change the logic according to the basic personal tendencies.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, customized human body adaptation logic and cooling rate control logic can be combined with the automatic operation function, and the fixed logic and the variable logic can be selected and used by the user.

The variable logic of the variable automatic operation modes can be divided into power save, custom (comfort) and cooling. The power saving smart starts the cooling speed and the human adaptation variable with the condition of the lowest power saving, Lt; / RTI > can be set to vary from the standard value of < RTI ID = Cooling Smart also allows human adaptation to operate in the slowest conditions in smart care logic in the fixed auto-run mode.

Depending on the use of the air conditioner, the main factors of the automatic driving logic may be varied and become increasingly personalized, resulting in higher user satisfaction.

On the other hand, the variable logic of the variable automatic operation modes is required to shorten the learning time by a structure in which learning is required although it is used a lot.

Accordingly, the variable automatic operation modes of the present invention can be divided into power saving, personal comfort (comfort), and cooling, and an initial set value for starting learning can be set differently by the user.

That is, it is possible to shorten the learning time by allowing the air conditioner 100 to select an initial value suitable for the user's preference in order to avoid a long time for learning the usage pattern.

On the other hand, the user can initialize each logic when it is judged that the learned logic is inappropriate, or when the user moves or the number of users increases.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation method of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an operation method of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the setting change of the cooling rate in each variable automatic operation mode will be described with reference to Figs. 6 and 7. Fig.

In the variable automatic operation modes according to the present invention, it is possible to control the cooling rate in the rapid cooling section to control the cooling rate in accordance with the installation environment load.

The air conditioner 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention can learn the normal operation state by learning the cooling rate under the installed condition.

Referring to FIG. 6, the air conditioner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention can learn the reference cooling rate Sc under the installation condition by learning the average cooling rate in a comfortable driving period.

The air conditioner 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention can adjust the speed by increasing the internal target temperature for power saving when the cooling rate is faster than the reference cooling rate Sc at the time of the following comfortable operation .

Also, the air conditioner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention can request the user to check the indoor load such as opening the door when the cooling rate is slower than the reference cooling rate Sc at the time of the comfortable operation.

In addition, the air conditioner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention can ascertain the cooling rate by raising the internal target temperature for power saving, and automatically change the internal target temperature if there is no difference from the reference speed.

According to the present invention, power saving can be realized by adjusting the set temperature in a range where a constant cooling rate is maintained.

In addition, according to the present invention, the user can always maintain a constant cooling characteristic environment by adjusting the cooling speed, and the air conditioner 100 can manage the cooling speed without any control.

On the other hand, in the cooling smart and the custom smart, the initial setting in the fast speed section can be set to maximize the cooling speed, and in the power saving smart, the initial set temperature in the fast speed section is set to perform cooling on the basis of the user set temperature .

Referring to FIG. 7, the controller 140 may control the air conditioner 100 to enter the rapid cooling operation mode based on the user's predetermined automatic operation command (S710).

The control unit 140 can determine the initial temperature condition based on the data sensed by the sensor unit 160 (S715), and control to start the rapid cooling operation (S720).

 For example, the control unit 140 checks the room temperature / outdoor temperature at the time of entering the rapid cooling operation (S715), and if the reference cooling rate value corresponding to the temperature condition does not exist at the time of the rapid cooling operation (S720) , The cooling rate can be measured at regular intervals (S731).

In the cooling smart and the custom smart, the initial setting in the fast speed section can be set to maximize the cooling speed. In the power saving smart, the initial set temperature in the fast speed section is set to perform cooling on the basis of the user set temperature .

For example, in a cooling smart and custom smart, the cooling rate in an installation environment can be measured while cooling the lowest temperature to 18 degrees (S731).

In this case, each time the rapid cooling operation mode is performed in the customized smart, the set temperature can be slightly increased, and the temperature can be raised slightly to the comfortable set temperature. For example, it is possible to operate at 18 degrees in this rapid cooling operation and at 19 degrees in the next rapid cooling operation.

In addition, in the power save smart, the cooling speed in the installation environment can be measured while performing the cooling based on the user set temperature (S731).

Meanwhile, the controller 140 calculates an average value of the cooling rates measured in a plurality of sections (S732), and stores the average value in the memory 150 in correspondence with the initial temperature condition (S733).

If the number of collected data is equal to or larger than the reference value N (S734) The calculated average value can be determined and stored at the reference cooling rate (S735).

The control unit 140 repeats the cooling rate measurement (S731), the average value calculation (S732), and the average value storage (S733), and if the collected data number is the reference value N or more (S734). The average value of the collected data can be determined as the reference cooling rate (S735).

According to the present invention, the cooling rate can be classified and statistically processed on the basis of the temperature conditions such as the external temperature and the room temperature, thereby deriving the average cooling rate for each condition.

If the reference cooling rate value corresponding to the temperature condition exists (S730), the controller 140 measures the cooling rate at regular intervals (S740), and if the measured cooling rate is lower than the predetermined reference cooling rate It can be determined whether or not it is included in the generated reference cooling rate range (S750).

On the other hand, the control unit 140 can control to operate as it is if the measured cooling rate is within the reference speed range.

When the measured cooling rate is faster than the reference speed range (S751), the control unit 140 can raise the target temperature (S753). For example, the control unit 140 can control the outdoor unit by raising the set temperature by one degree. Accordingly, it is possible to adjust the set temperature of the power wind based on the reference cooling rate so as to maintain a constant cooling speed range.

If the measured cooling rate is slower than the reference speed range (S751), the control unit 140 may provide a notification to the user for checking the indoor load (S755). That is, if the cooling rate is remarkably slow, a warning notice can be provided to the user.

 If the measured cooling rate is within the reference cooling rate range (S750), the control unit 140 may calculate the target temperature arrival time (S760) and provide the information to the user (S770).

The user of the room can know when the target temperature is reached, and can reduce concerns and distrust about the cooling performance.

In addition, when the user turns on the air conditioner 100 in advance from the outside, the target temperature reaching time can be confirmed through the portable terminal, and it is convenient to set a reservation so as to reach the target temperature in accordance with the expected arrival time.

On the other hand, when the target temperature is reached (S775), the controller 140 can calculate the cooling rate during the corresponding operation (S780), and reflects the calculated cooling rate during the corresponding operation to the reference cooling rate, The reference cooling rate can be updated (S790).

For example, when the target temperature is reached, the controller 140 may update the reference cooling rate by calculating the cooling rate during the operation and adding the cooling rate to the existing cooling rate within a certain range.

According to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, the cooling rate is managed, so that a user without expert knowledge can easily grasp the cooling rate and the cooling performance.

According to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to increase the satisfaction and convenience of the user by controlling to maintain a constant cooling rate.

Further, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, the user can easily grasp an abnormal situation such as a target temperature arrival time, a product failure, a load fluctuation, or a refrigerant leak.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an operation method of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an operation method of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the setting change of the human body adaptation time in each variable automatic operation mode will be described with reference to Figs. 8 and 9. Fig.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, the air conditioner 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention enters a comfort zone in which the cooling set temperature is sequentially increased based on human adaptation times set for a plurality of temperature intervals (S905).

The control unit 140 can control to enter the comfort zone after a predetermined operation.

That is, the control unit 140 may control the cooling unit to enter the comfort zone after a predetermined time elapses after performing the cooling operation at the predetermined target temperature in the rapid cooling operation mode or the other operation mode.

In this specification, the temperature interval in the comfort zone may refer to a period in which a specific temperature is maintained for a corresponding human adaptation time. According to an embodiment, the temperature interval may be set with a predetermined margin based on the specific temperature. For example, a temperature interval of 22 degrees (占 폚) may correspond to a temperature between 21.7 degrees and 22 degrees.

Referring to FIG. 9, the control unit 140 can determine the first human body adaptation time of the first temperature interval corresponding to the current set temperature (S910) according to the comfortable interval entry (S905).

For example, in a case where the current set temperature is a temperature range of 22 degrees, the human body adaptation time set corresponding to the 22 degree temperature interval can be determined (S910).

According to an embodiment, the first human body adaptation time may be generated by decreasing the human body adaptation time set in the first temperature interval for a predetermined time in the previous human body adaptive operation.

For example, if the human body adaptation time set in the first temperature interval in the previous human body adaptation operation is 28 minutes, the human body adaptation time set in the first temperature interval in the current human body adaptation mode operation may be 23 minutes.

Accordingly, the human body adaptation time at each temperature interval can be shortened, and the set temperature can be adjusted upward at a faster rate, thereby saving power.

In addition, the user's control input can be derived while shortening the human body adaptation time prior to derivation of the optimized human adaptation time.

Meanwhile, the first human body adaptation time may be different for each variable automatic operation mode.

For example, in a cooling smart, the human body adaptation time may be initially set to the longest time for each temperature interval (step). Thus, the cooling time of the lower temperature section may be prolonged by proceeding to the higher temperature section later than the other modes.

In the custom smart, the human body adaptation time can be set to the same standard time as the fixed automatic operation mode.

In the power saving smart, the human body adaptation time can be initialized to the longest time for each temperature interval (step). Accordingly, the temperature can be shifted to the higher temperature section faster than the other modes.

Meanwhile, if the control unit 140 receives a user input before reaching the first human body adaptation time (S920) (S930), the control unit 140 may control the first human body adaptive time to vary based on the user input (S940).

That is, the control unit 140 may control the user to change the human body adaptation time by reflecting the control input of the user. Also, the control unit 140 can learn the individual characteristic information on the human body conforming condition.

Referring to FIG. 6, the air conditioner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention can derive the variable time? T based on a time point at which the user inputs control and input to the human body adaptation time tc.

Also, the control unit 140 may reduce or increase the human body adaptation time tc according to the type of the user's control input.

For example, the control unit 140 may increase the second human adaptation time of the second temperature interval corresponding to a temperature lower than the first temperature interval, when the user input is an input for enhancing cooling.

That is, if the user performs the cooling intention input by lowering the set temperature by itself, by controlling the wind direction to operate directly or by increasing the air amount, the user may be a user sensitive to heat or a user who emphasizes cooling performance .

Accordingly, the updated second human adaptation time can be stored by increasing the second human adaptation time of the second temperature interval corresponding to the lower temperature, which is the human adaptation step of the previous stage, rather than the current first human adaptation time , And then a new second human adaptation time can be applied to the human adaptation time in the corresponding temperature interval.

In the present embodiment, for a user who is not satisfied with the cooling performance in the current set temperature interval Ta, by increasing the second human adaptation time corresponding to the temperature lower than the current set temperature interval, It is possible to set the temperature lower than the set temperature interval for a longer time.

In addition, the control unit 140 may increase the first human body adaptation time when the user input is an input for weakening the cooling.

That is, if the user makes a cooling input to increase the set temperature by itself, control the wind direction to operate indirectly, or reduce the air amount, the user may be a user sensitive to temperature change or cooling, .

Therefore, the control unit 140 can store the updated first human body adaptation time tc +? T by increasing the current first human body adaptation time tc by the variable time? T, A new first human body adaptation time tc +? T can be applied as the human body adaptation time in the first human body adaptation time.

In the present embodiment, it is effective that the first human body adaptation time is applied to an embodiment in which human body adaptation time set in the first temperature interval in the previous human body adaptive operation is reduced by a predetermined time.

For example, if the human body adaptation time set in the first temperature interval in the previous human body adaptation operation is 28 minutes, the human body adaptation time set in the first temperature interval in the current human body adaptation mode operation may be 23 minutes.

In this case, if the cooling is weakened before the user lapses for 23 minutes, it is determined that the change in the adaptation time of the human body is indicated as a rejection, and the human adaptation time can be increased again.

Alternatively, the control unit 140 may store the updated new first human body adaptation time tc -? T by reducing the current first human body adaptation time tc by the variable time? T, A new first human adaptation time (tc -? T) can be applied as the human adaptation time in the first human body adaptation time.

In this embodiment, the first human body adaptation time corresponding to the current set temperature interval Ta is shortened for the user who feels cold in the current set temperature interval Ta, so that in the subsequent human body adaptive operation mode, Up to a higher set temperature.

Alternatively, when control for weakening the cooling is entered, the control unit 140 can draw and store the human body adaptation time to the vicinity of the control point, even though the human body adaptation time has not been reached.

That is, when control for weakening cooling is entered although the human body adaptation time has not been reached, the controller 140 may store the time reflecting the predetermined margin (+ x) at the control time as the human body adaptation time.

On the other hand, the variable time? T may be different for each variable automatic operation mode.

For example, in the cooling smart, the variable time? T may be set shorter than the other modes.

Meanwhile, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the customizable variable temperature T can be derived based on human adaptation time learning for each set temperature Ta.

That is, the temperature difference (ΔT) between the current human body adaptation step and the next human body step can be set based on the user's control input.

Also, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the controller 140 may change the time / temperature setting in the human body adaptive operation mode based on the user control point, the indoor / outdoor temperature, and the set temperature data.

The air conditioner 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention can be learned to operate automatically in accordance with the installation environment and the cooling characteristics of the user.

Further, the operation of the air conditioner 100 in the direction of reducing the human adaptation time as much as possible can induce power saving.

Also, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the fitting condition can be found based on the control input without knowing precisely the individual temperature compliance characteristic.

Meanwhile, when the user input is an input for enhancing or weakening the cooling, the controller 140 may release the human body adaptive operation mode and control the operation corresponding to the user input (S950).

Since the user directly inputs the control command for directly enhancing or weakening the cooling, it is highly likely that the user performs the corresponding operation with the control input prior to the user's intention. Therefore, it is preferable to release the human body adaptive operation mode and perform cooling in response to the user's input.

Meanwhile, when the first human body adaptation time is reached without the user's input (S920), the control unit 140 decreases the first human body adaptation time and stores the shortened human body adaptation time in the memory (S960). ≪ / RTI >

That is, if the user does not react to the human adaptation time, the user can maintain the temperature only for a shorter time in the human adaptation mode operation afterwards, and raise the set temperature to induce the power saving.

If there is no control by the user, the control unit 140 can pull the set temperature upward point and control the upward range to a large extent.

If the first human body adaptation time is reached (S920), the control unit 140 sets the set temperature to the first temperature range in the first temperature interval, (S990).

Thereafter, the above-described process can be performed in the same manner.

Meanwhile, the temperature difference between the first temperature interval and the next temperature interval may be set differently for each variable automatic operation mode.

For example, in the power saving smart, the temperature rise width due to human body adaptation can be set to 2 degrees, and in other modes, the temperature rise width due to human body adaptation can be set to 1 degree.

On the other hand, when the first human body adaptation time is the minimum value that can not be further shortened, the control unit 140 determines that the set temperature is higher than the second rising temperature in the first temperature interval, (S990). ≪ / RTI >

In this case, the second rising temperature may have a value greater than the first rising temperature.

In the present embodiment, when the human body adaptation time can not be shortened further, the power increase can be induced by further changing the temperature rise width. Also in this case, the temperature rise width can be set differently for each variable automatic operation mode. For example, in a custom smart, the temperature rise can be limited to 1 degree.

On the other hand, when the present set temperature is the maximum cooling maximum temperature (max) at which the temperature can no longer be raised, the control unit 140 can control to maintain the maximum cooling temperature without further increasing the temperature (S980 ).

Conventional human adaptation logic does not reflect spatial and personal characteristics because human adaptation time is fixed by temperature interval.

In addition, it is impossible for the user to request control of the air conditioner in accordance with the load conditions such as the correct comfort indicator and the size of the space.

Therefore, in the case of a person who adapts to a cold space with a narrow space, the energy can be wasted due to the supercooling, and the risk of air-cooling can be increased.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the initial human body adaptation time may be set with a margin, and then the human body adaptive mode operation may be performed in a short time.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the user operates the remote controller such as switching the cooling mode or lowering the set temperature while decreasing the human body adaptation time, it is determined that adaptation is less and the human body adaptation time can be returned to the previous human body adaptation time.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the user does not reach the human adaptation time but controls the user to raise the set temperature or lower the cooling performance, it is determined that the human body is adapted and the current human body adaptation time can be shortened.

In this case, the human body adaptation time may be shortened to the vicinity of the control point regardless of the current human body adaptation time.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the human body adaptation time reaches the shortest time limit, the rising temperature width is further increased to induce additional power saving.

On the other hand, the controller 140 can control the comfortable operation section such that at least one of the set temperature, the wind direction, and the wind amount in the rapid operation section is variable.

For example, the controller 140 may perform a full swing in the left and right direction, a standard angle in the up and down direction, and a cooling mode in the power wind (strong wind) Can be controlled.

In this case, the controller 140 can perform control such that the temperature is set at a set temperature, the wind direction is full swing in the left and right direction, the upward angle in the vertical direction, and the air flow is made in the weak wind .

In addition, the air conditioner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention can identify a space and perform cooling according to the identified space.

For example, the control unit 140 can control the cooling unit 140 to perform cooling in the residence area in the left and right direction, the standard angle in the vertical direction, and the air amount in the power wind (strong wind) .

In this case, the control unit 140 can control the cooling unit 140 to perform cooling with a temperature set in a comfortable temperature range, a wind direction in a living area in the left and right direction, an upward angle in the up and down direction, and an air flow rate.

10 to 16 are views referred to the description of an operation method of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

10, an air conditioner 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention photographs an indoor space through a camera 110 to acquire an image, and determines whether there is an occupant 1010 or 1020 in the acquired image, The position can be recognized.

 At this time, the position information of the recognized occupant 1010 and 1020 may include angle information. The control unit 140 accumulates occupant recognition results to generate a histogram, and can perform the living area classification when the occupant recognition result is equal to or greater than the reference number.

The control unit 140 can classify the living space into the resident living area, the moving living area, and the living area in the order of the number of times the occupant is detected.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 12, the air conditioner 100 can perform airflow control based on the separated living area. For example, the air conditioner 100 can control the airflow differently depending on the residential living area, the moving living area, the living area, and the area. In addition, the air flow can be controlled so that the resident living area is first cooled.

The air conditioner according to the present invention can perform the self-controlled airflow control by the living environment and the space by itself. It is possible to reduce the energy consumption by eliminating the air flow loss and to improve the cooling efficiency for the living space by performing the self-operation according to the environment and concentrating only the living area.

FIGS. 11 to 16 illustrate examples in which the airflow is controlled with respect to an area divided mainly by the swing motion.

Referring to FIG. 11, the object indoor space has a straight line distance in the plane direction with respect to the air conditioner 100 with the position separated by the range angle in the plane direction centering on the air conditioner 100 as the X axis. And a Y-axis is defined as a position separated by the Y-axis.

Alternatively, the target indoor space may be divided into a plurality of areas by a range angle in the plane direction with the air conditioner 100 as a center point. For example, the target indoor space may be divided into a plurality of areas in units of 5 degrees.

The air conditioner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be configured to control the operation of the air conditioner 100 in accordance with the frequency with which the occupant is recognized, that is, the number of times a person is detected per unit time, B) and the living area (C).

According to the embodiment, each of the areas divided into the living areas A and B can be divided into the resident living area A and the moving living area B depending on the number of times or the number of times the occupant is continuously sensed.

On the other hand, the air conditioner 100 can control the airflow according to the divided regions. The control unit 140 may control the driving unit 180 to control the intensity, direction, and range of the airflow.

 Referring to FIG. 12, in the rapid section, the direction of the air flow can be controlled so that the airflow is transmitted only toward the resident living area A.

In such a rapid section, airflow is not transmitted to other areas except for the resident living area A, that is, the living area C and the moving living area B, and only the airflow is transmitted toward the resident living area A Since air is blown, intensive cooling can be performed only for the area in which the person actually resides.

Thus, intensive cooling of the resident living area A in which the person actually resides can be performed, and the temperature of the corresponding area can be lowered very quickly.

Referring to FIG. 13, the airflow can be controlled so that the airflow is transmitted toward the living areas A and B in the comfort zone.

In this comfort zone, the entire living area A including the residential living area A and the living area A including the movable living area B is blown while blowing is not performed only to the living area C.

In the case of cooling performed by the rapid section, since the airflow is made only in a direct wind form concentrated in the direction toward the residential living area A, that is, in the direction directly facing the person, when a person is exposed to such a state for a long time, There is a fear that the result may be lowered.

On the other hand, in the comfort zone, the air is blown to the entire living area (A, B) including the resident living area (A) and the moving living area (B), so that direct air- So that it is possible to increase the comfort of the user while reducing the frequency with which the person is directly exposed to the cold air.

In addition, in the comfort zone, the air current is not transmitted to the living area C, but air is blown to the living areas A and B so that unnecessary cooling is not performed for the area where the person does not live And cooling can be performed for the area where the person actually lives.

As a result, unnecessary waste of energy can be reduced, and the temperature of the area in which a person actually lives can be rapidly lowered. Therefore, it is possible to provide an effect of increasing the satisfaction of the user while maintaining energy efficiency.

Meanwhile, as another example of the rapid-motion section, the control unit 140 controls the swing motion of the vane so that the air current is transmitted to the entire living area A and the swinging motion of the vane is transmitted to the resident living area A, Or the like.

As shown in FIG. 14, the controller 140 controls the residential living area B and the residential living area B so that the airflow is transmitted toward the residential living area A, It is possible to control the air flow so as to alternately perform the cooling operation in the mobile living area that allows the airflow to be transmitted to the outside.

As another example of the above-described airflow control, the controller 140 may be configured to perform a living area cooling operation for allowing an airflow to be transmitted toward the entire living area as shown in Fig. 15, So that the residential living area cooling operation is alternately performed.

In such a mode in which the living area cooling operation and the resident living area cooling operation are alternately performed, air is blown to the entire living area A and B to cool the entire living area A and B, The more air is blown to the air conditioner A, the temperature of the area in which the person actually resides can be lowered more quickly, so that the comfort that the person actually feels can be improved more quickly.

In addition, in the comfort zone, as shown in Fig. 16, the air flow is controlled so as to perform the indirect cooling operation in which the airflow is transmitted only toward the living area C and the living living area B except for the resident living area A, Can be controlled.

At this time, the indirect cooling operation can be performed by controlling the operation of the vane so that the swing motion of the vane is performed so that the airflow is transmitted only toward the living area (C) and the moving living area (B).

In the comfort zone in which the indirect cooling operation is performed, only air is blown to the living area (C) and the living area (B) while blowing air to the residential living area (A) The airflow is controlled so that the airflow of the cold air discharged by the air conditioner 100 is not directly exposed to a person.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, in the case of the variable logic, it is possible to provide logic for each characteristic such as cooling, fit (comfort), power saving, and the like. For example, the power saving logic may start with the cooling rate and human compliance variables as the most conservative conditions, and the comfort logic may be set to vary from the standard value. The cooling logic may also be configured to operate human compliance in the slowest conditions in existing smart care logic.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide logic that allows a user to determine an initial value of the automatic operation mode in accordance with the tendencies for cooling, comfort (comfort), and power saving. Thus, the learning time can be shortened compared with learning in the standard logic.

Also, since initialization is possible for each mode, if the inclination condition is changed, the initial setting value or the final learning value for the previous tendency is stored and can be reused.

According to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, various automatic operation modes may be provided to increase the satisfaction of the user.

In addition, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to provide pleasant cooling at an appropriate temperature and a cooling rate in consideration of human compliance characteristics with respect to temperature.

Also, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to find an appropriate human adaptation time for a user and to provide optimized cooling for an individual user.

In addition, according to at least one embodiment of the present invention, customized human body adaptation is implemented reflecting the human body adaptation time difference for each user, thereby increasing the satisfaction and convenience of the user.

In addition, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to provide an air conditioner and an operation method thereof, which are effective in terms of health care and energy consumption, by preventing an air conditioner and excessive cooling which cause excessive energy consumption.

Further, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, the cooling rate is managed, so that even a user without expert knowledge can easily grasp the cooling rate and the cooling performance.

Further, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, the user can easily grasp an abnormal situation such as a target temperature arrival time, a product failure, a load fluctuation, or a refrigerant leak.

The air conditioner according to the present invention is not limited to the configuration and method of the embodiments described above, but the embodiments may be modified so that all or some of the embodiments are selectively combined .

Meanwhile, the operation method of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention can be implemented as a code that can be read by a processor on a recording medium readable by the processor. The processor-readable recording medium includes all kinds of recording apparatuses in which data that can be read by the processor is stored. Examples of the recording medium that can be read by the processor include a ROM, a RAM, a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, an optical data storage device, and the like, and may also be implemented in the form of a carrier wave such as transmission over the Internet . In addition, the processor-readable recording medium may be distributed over network-connected computer systems so that code readable by the processor in a distributed fashion can be stored and executed.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments, but, on the contrary, It should be understood that various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Camera: 110
Control section: 140
Memory: 150
Driving part: 180

Claims (15)

A control unit operable to control operation in accordance with any one of a plurality of automatic operation modes in response to an automatic operation mode operation command; And
And a memory for storing initial set values and current set values of the plurality of automatic operation modes,
Wherein the plurality of automatic operation modes includes a rapid operation section for cooling according to a predetermined set temperature and a comfortable operation for sequentially increasing a cooling setting temperature based on human adaptation times set for a plurality of temperature sections until the target temperature is reached ≪ / RTI >
Wherein the plurality of automatic operation modes include:
And a variable automatic operation mode in which the set values are varied according to a usage history,
In the variable automatic operation mode,
And a first variable automatic operation mode in which a set value of a cooling rate is initially set to a maximum value in the rapid operation section,
In the first variable automatic operation mode,
Wherein the set values of the human body adaptation times in the comfortable driving section are initially set to the longest time in the temperature section. delete The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the variable automatic operation mode includes a plurality of variable automatic operation modes having different initial set values. delete delete The method according to claim 1,
In the first variable automatic operation mode,
Wherein the human adaptation times are reduced based on a user's cooling intensifying input, and the decrease interval of the human body adaptation time is set to be smaller than the decrease interval in the other variable automatic operation modes. The method according to claim 1,
In the variable automatic operation mode,
And a second variable automatic operation mode in which a set value of a cooling rate is initially set to a maximum value in the fast operation section. 8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the comfortable operation period of the second variable automatic operation mode is initially set in the same manner as the fixed automatic operation mode. 8. The method of claim 7,
In the second variable automatic operation mode,
Wherein the controller is configured to gradually increase the set temperature in the rapid-motion operation section at every operation of the air conditioner. 8. The method of claim 7,
In the second variable automatic operation mode,
Wherein the human adaptation times are decreased based on a user's cooling intensifying input, and the rising interval of the cooling setting temperature is set to a minimum value. The method according to claim 1,
In the variable automatic operation mode,
And a third variable automatic operation mode in which the predetermined set temperature is initially set to a temperature higher than the fixed automatic operation mode in the fast operation section. 12. The method of claim 11,
In the third variable automatic operation mode,
Wherein the human adaptation times are initially set to minimum values in the comfortable driving interval. 12. The method of claim 11,
In the third variable automatic operation mode,
Wherein the human adaptation times are decreased based on a cooling-enhanced input of the user, and a rising interval of the cooling-set temperature is set to a maximum value. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein at least one of the set temperature, the wind direction, and the wind amount in the rapid-motion driving section is variable in the comfortable driving section. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the control unit controls to initialize the set values of the plurality of automatic operation modes to an initial set value stored in the memory when an initialization command is received.

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