KR102287103B1 - Arcificial intelligence air treating apparatus and the controlling method of the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an air processor, and more particularly, to an air processor that purifies air by treating air or humidifies by supplying moisture to the air.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, a camera unit for generating image information to detect a pet; a calculation unit for detecting a pet through the image information and estimating a living area of the pet; an air processing unit for processing air, including a filter unit for filtering foreign substances from the introduced air; a driving unit for sucking air from the outside, supplying it to the air processing unit, and discharging the air to the outside; In addition, there may be provided an air processor including a processor controlling the driving unit to discharge air toward the living area estimated by the calculating unit to perform a pet mode, and a method for controlling the same.

Description

Artificial intelligence air treating apparatus and the controlling method of the same

The present invention relates to an air processor, and more particularly, to an air processor that purifies air by treating air or humidifies by supplying moisture to the air.

Air handlers include air purifiers to supply clean air by removing foreign substances, odors, dust, or fine dust from the air by processing air within a limited space such as a home or office, and a humidifier that humidifies the air by supplying moisture. can do.

Recently, users' requirements for air quality are very high. That is, an air processor that performs both an air cleaning function and a humidifying function for controlling not only clean air but also proper humidity is provided.

Basically, such an air processor can be said to be a device for supplying the treated air to the outside of the air processor by sucking air from the outside of the air processor, that is, indoors. In this case, various types of filters may be provided to filter fine dust, dust or foreign substances in the air, and a function of purifying the air in various forms through water, electrolysis, or chemical substances may be mounted. In addition, in addition to the filter function, a humidification function for supplying moisture in the air may also be mounted.

Recently, an air processor capable of increasing the air processing intensity and air volume according to the detected dust concentration by mounting a dust sensor has been widely used. That is, by allowing the air processor to operate optimally according to the amount of dust, the user can use the air processor more conveniently and easily.

However, although the filter of the air processor is gradually evolving to detect and process even fine dust, it is not easy to detect relatively large foreign substances such as pet hair.

Recently, the number of users with pets at home is rapidly increasing. Accordingly, there may be a problem in that the filter is clogged due to the pet's hair, so that the optimal air treatment is not performed in the air processor.

An object of the present invention is to provide an air purifier capable of optimally treating air when a user and a pet live together indoors.

An object of the present invention is to provide an air purifier capable of estimating the living area of a pet and providing the air treated to the living area.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, it is an object of the present invention to provide an air processor capable of estimating the motion or activity amount of a pet through a vision sensor, and optimally controlling the air cleaning intensity, air volume and wind direction according to the degree of activity.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an air processor having a pet mode automatically operated by detecting a pet together with an automatic mode operated automatically based on the amount of dust.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an air processor in which a user can easily select an automatic mode and a pet mode according to an environment.

An object of the present invention is to provide an air processor capable of automatically switching a driving mode between an automatic mode and a pet mode.

An object of the present invention is to provide an air handler capable of minimizing the load by minimizing the detection and analysis of pets through an embodiment of the present invention.

In order to implement the above object, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a camera unit for generating image information (vision information) to detect a pet; a calculation unit for detecting a pet through the image information (vision information) and estimating a living area of the pet; an air processing unit for processing air, including a filter unit for filtering foreign substances from the introduced air; a driving unit for sucking air from the outside, supplying it to the air processing unit, and discharging the air to the outside; And it is possible to provide an air processor including a processor that controls the driving unit to discharge air toward the living area estimated by the calculating unit to perform a pet mode, and a method for controlling the same.

The driving unit may include a fan motor capable of generating a flow of air and driving the air volume to be variable.

The driving unit may include a wind direction motor that can be driven to change the air discharge direction (wind direction).

The air processing unit may include an air processing device driven to remove or separate foreign substances, dust, fine dust, or odor molecules from the air by electric driving. The air processing unit may include a humidifier that supplies moisture to the air by electric driving.

The air processor may include a dust sensor that detects a concentration of dust in the air and a control panel that provides a user interface.

The calculator may be provided to estimate an activity amount or a cumulative activity amount of the pet through the image information.

The control panel may include a display unit for visually displaying the detected amount of activity or accumulated activity of the pet.

The control panel may be provided with a display unit for displaying the replacement or cleaning time of the filter unit based on the detected amount of activity or accumulated activity of the pet.

Preferably, the control panel is provided with a driving mode selection unit provided to allow the user to select any one of a plurality of driving modes.

The plurality of driving modes may include the pet mode and an automatic mode in which an air cleaning intensity and an air volume are varied depending on the dust concentration detected by the pet mode and the dust sensor.

In the automatic mode, it is preferable that the discharge direction (wind direction) of the air is continuously or periodically changed.

Preferably, the processor controls the driving unit differently according to the degree of the activity amount when the pet mode is activated.

When the amount of activity is low, the processor may control the pet mode by switching to an automatic mode in which an air cleaning intensity and an air volume are differently controlled based on the dust concentration detected by the dust sensor.

The processor, when the activity amount is low, may stop the operation of the air cleaner and the driving unit. That is, in a state in which power is applied, air circulation and air cleaning functions may be stopped.

When the activity amount is high, the processor may control a wind direction to face the living area in a state where the air cleaning intensity and the air volume are relatively high. For example, when the air cleaning intensity and the air volume are each provided with three levels of intensity, the operation may be performed at a stronger level.

When the activity amount is medium, the processor may control the wind direction to face the living area in a state where the air cleaning intensity and the air volume are relatively low. For example, when the air cleaning intensity and the air volume are provided with three levels of intensity, respectively, the operation may be performed at an intermediate or weak level.

In order to achieve the above object, according to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a dust detection sensor and a processor that operates in an automatic mode for automatically controlling the airflow and air processing intensity according to the dust concentration detected by the dust sensor. An air processor comprising: a camera unit for generating image information to detect a pet; a calculation unit for detecting a pet through the image information and estimating a living area and an activity amount of the pet; an air processing unit for processing air, including a filter unit for filtering foreign substances from the introduced air; and a driving unit for sucking in air from the outside, supplying it to the air processing unit, and discharging the air to the outside, wherein the processor is configured to: An air processor and a control method therefor, characterized in that the operation is performed by switching to a pet mode for discharging air toward the area may be provided.

When driving in the automatic mode, when the estimated amount of activity is smaller than a preset value or is classified as the lowest level, the automatic mode driving may be controlled to continue.

The estimated activity amount may be classified into upper and lower, upper, middle, lower, or 4 or more, and as the classification of the estimated activity increases, the air processing intensity and air volume may be controlled to increase.

When the switching operation to the pet mode ends, it is preferable that the automatic mode operation is resumed.

In the automatic mode, the wind direction is controlled to change continuously or periodically in a changeable maximum range, and in the pet mode, the wind direction is controlled to be fixed or continuously or periodically changed within a range corresponding to the estimated living area. This is preferable.

In the driving in the automatic mode and the pet mode, factors determining the air volume and the air cleaning intensity are different from each other. The automatic mode may use the amount of dust detected by the dust sensor as a factor, and the pet mode may use the detected and estimated amount of activity of the pet as a factor.

In addition, for driving in the automatic mode and the pet mode, wind direction control may be performed differently from each other. In the automatic mode, the wind direction is determined and controlled in all possible areas, and in the pet mode, the wind direction is determined and controlled in a specific area. Therefore, it can be said that the area to which air is directly supplied in the automatic mode is larger than the area to which air is directly supplied in the pet mode.

Features in the above-described embodiments may be implemented in combination in other embodiments unless they are contradictory or mutually exclusive.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide an air purifier capable of providing the air treated to the living area by estimating the living area of the pet.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide an air processor capable of estimating the motion, activity amount, or accumulated activity amount of a pet, and can optimally control the intensity of air cleaning, the air volume, and the wind direction according to the degree of the activity amount.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide an air processor having a pet mode automatically operated by detecting a pet together with an automatic mode operated automatically based on the amount of dust.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide an air processor in which the user can easily select the automatic mode and the pet mode according to the environment.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide an air processor capable of automatically switching a driving mode between an automatic mode and a pet mode.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide an air processor capable of minimizing a load by detecting a pet, detecting a motion or activity amount of a pet, and performing an analysis.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide an air processor capable of estimating the degree of hair loss through the amount of activity and motion detection of the pet, and effectively suggesting a filter cleaning or replacement cycle based on the estimated accumulated activity. there is.

1 shows the external appearance of an air processor applicable to a temporary embodiment of the present invention,
2 shows a control configuration of an air processor according to an embodiment of the present invention;
3 shows a user interface of an air processor according to an embodiment of the present invention;
4 shows a control flow of an air processor according to an embodiment of the present invention;
5 shows a control flow of an air processor according to another embodiment of the present invention;
6 shows an example of a control method in the pet mode in the air processor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 shows an external appearance of an air purifier that can be applied to an embodiment of the present invention as an example of an air processor.

The air processor 10 includes a case 20 forming an external shape, and the case may be formed in various shapes.

For example, an air processor with a small capacity may be provided with either the upper case 22 or the lower case 23 , and the air processor with a large capacity is formed in a form in which the upper case 22 and the lower case 23 are stacked. can be

The case 20 may include a discharge case 21 , and the discharge case 21 may be movably provided in the upper case 22 or the lower case 23 .

The upper case 22 and/or the lower case 23 may be provided with an inlet 40 through which air is introduced from the outside, and the discharge port 50 through which air is discharged to the outside is provided in the discharge case 21 . can be provided. In many cases, air may be introduced from the lower portion of the air processor 10 and air may be discharged from the upper portion.

The air introduced into the air processing unit through the inlet 40 is processed through the air processing unit and then discharged through the discharge port 50 . Accordingly, a fan motor for generating a flow of air, a wind direction motor for changing a discharge direction of air, and an air processing unit for processing air may be provided inside the case 20 .

The filter unit, the fan motor, the wind direction motor, and the air processing unit will be described later.

The case 20 may include a control panel 30 for a user interface (UI). 1 shows an example in which the control panel 30 is provided in the discharge case 21 . As described above, since the shape and shape of the case of the air processor can be changed in many ways, the position of the control panel 30 can be changed. However, it will be preferable that the control panel 30 is positioned on the front upper part of the case 20 so that the user's access and operation are easy.

1 shows an air purifier in which the discharge case 21 rotates 360 degrees with respect to the upper case 22 . That is, it can be said that the wind direction variable range is 360 degrees. Of course, when the shape of the case 20 is a rectangle rather than a cylindrical shape, the variable range of the wind direction may be varied by approximately 180 degrees.

The air processor according to the present embodiment may include a camera 110 . The camera 110 may be provided to generate image information by photographing the room. Therefore, the camera is preferably provided on the front of the case (20).

In the case of the cylindrical case 20, it may not be easy to identify the front of the case. In this case, by displaying the manufacturer's logo or the like on the case 20, the front of the case 20 can be identified through this.

1 shows an example in which the camera 110 is provided on the front side of the upper case 110 . The camera 110 may be provided on the control panel 30 or the discharge case 21 . That is, the camera may be provided at any part of the air processor as long as it is a position in front of the air processor where the indoor area can be most effectively photographed.

Hereinafter, a control configuration of the air processor according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 2 .

The camera unit 100 may include the camera 110 and the camera control unit 120 . The camera controller 120 may communicate with the main processor 300 of the air processor and control the operation of the camera 110 . The camera unit 100 provides image information of an indoor photograph to the operation unit 200 .

The calculation unit 200 performs a function of processing and analyzing the image information provided from the camera unit 100 .

The operation unit 200 may include a pet detection unit 210 that detects a pet through image information. That is, it may be provided to detect the pet through the movement, size, and position of the object in the image information.

The operation unit 200 may include a region detection unit 220 that detects the living area of the pet. That is, it may be provided to distinguish a living area and a non-living area through the sensed movement location and path of the pet.

The calculation unit 200 may include an activity amount detection unit 230 that detects the amount of activity of the pet. That is, it may be provided to sense the degree of activity of the pet through the sensed movement speed and movement range of the pet. For example, it is possible to distinguish and detect whether the pet is walking slowly and running, and it is also possible to distinguish and detect the stretching or shaking motion of the pet. In particular, the shaking motion of the pet's body may be referred to as a hair-flipping motion. Accordingly, the degree of hair loss can be estimated by detecting the hair loss motion and estimating the degree and frequency of the hair loss motion. The tracking of the degree of such hair loss can be increased as a cumulative amount of activity.

Here, the pet sensing unit 210 , the area sensing unit 220 , and the activity amount sensing unit 230 may be implemented through separate modules, and may be implemented through any one module.

The pet detection, area detection, and activity detection may be implemented by artificial intelligence logic, and an estimated result is outputted through image information.

The calculator 200 may include a control signal generator 240 that generates the output result of the detectors 210 , 220 , and 230 as a control signal. The control signal generator may generate a control signal according to whether a pet is detected, the estimated area information, and the estimated activity amount information and transmit it to the main processor 300 .

Through such a control signal, the main processor may determine whether a pet is detected, which area the pet's living area corresponds to among the entire area, and the degree of activity of the pet. If the activity amount may include a real-time activity amount, it may include an accumulated activity amount.

The main processor basically controls the operation of the air processor based on a user input through the user interface (UI) 35 . The user interface will be described later.

In order for the air processor to process air, a driving unit for sucking in and discharging external air, that is, the fan motor 60 must be provided. Since suction and discharge of air are simultaneously performed through the driving of the fan motor 60, it may be referred to as a circulation fan motor. As the RPM of the fan motor 60 increases, the amount of air circulation may vary. That is, the discharge amount or air volume of air may vary.

Here, an increase in the air volume may be associated with an air treatment intensity. That is, the greater the amount of air to be sucked in and discharged, the greater the amount of air to be treated. Therefore, if the amount of air to be treated increases, it means that the intensity of air treatment should also be increased.

It is preferable that the discharge direction of the air is variable. That is, it is preferable that not only the left-right variable but also the up-down variable is performed. This can be said to supply uniformly treated air to the room. To this end, a wind direction motor 70 may be provided. The wind direction motor 70 may change the position of the discharge port itself, or may change the discharge direction (wind direction) by moving the discharge grill.

The air processor may include an air processing unit 80 . The air processing unit 80 may basically include a filter 81 . The filter may be provided in the form of a mesh, and may be provided to physically filter dust or fine dust in the air to pass the filtered air. In general, since the filter 81 is provided to filter when air passes by itself in a physical configuration, it may not be a separate electric configuration.

The filter 81 can be said to be the most basic configuration of air treatment. If the mesh is in a state in which a lot of contaminants are filtered, the filtering efficiency may be significantly reduced. Therefore, it is necessary to replace or clean the filter periodically or periodically.

The replacement or cleaning time of the filter 81 in a general use environment may be suggested or guided by the manufacturer. For example, it may be suggested to replace or clean the filter every 2-3 months in a continuous use environment.

However, such a use environment is based on a general indoor environment, and does not specifically assume a use environment with a lot of pet hair. It can be said that pet hair is relatively larger than the dust or fine dust to be filtered. Therefore, in a state in which the pet's hair is caught in the filter, the efficiency of the filter is inevitably reduced. Therefore, in an environment living indoors with pets, there is a need for a method for effectively managing the replacement or replacement time of the filter. In this embodiment, it is possible to propose a method for effectively managing the replacement or replacement time of the filter through the pet mode. This will be described later.

The air processing unit 80 may include an air cleaning unit 82 . An air cleaning unit for effectively filtering or removing odor molecules, dust, or fine dust in the air through electrolysis or water circulation may be provided.

The air purifier 82 may be configured to purify air through electric driving. Accordingly, whether or not driving, that is, the intensity of air cleaning, may be controlled to be variable through the control of the processor 300 directly.

When the amount of dust is large through the dust sensor 400, the air cleaning intensity is preferably increased. That is, it is to clean the air by effectively removing a lot of dust in a short time. Conversely, when the amount of dust is small, the air cleaning intensity is preferably lowered. This is because the air cleaning efficiency is inevitably reduced. Here, as described above, the dust sensor 400 generally does not detect bulky contaminants such as pet hair. Accordingly, since the dust sensor 400 does not detect whether or not the pet's fur is increased or decreased, a separate countermeasure for this is required. In the present embodiment, it is possible to provide an air processor capable of actively responding to pet hair that is not detected by the dust sensor and driving through the camera unit and the calculating unit. This will be described later.

The air processing unit 80 may include a humidifying unit 83 . The humidifier 83 may generate moisture through ultrasonic vibration or heating. In addition, the humidifying unit 83 may forcibly humidify the water and air by increasing the contact area. Accordingly, the humidification unit 83 may also be said to be an electric configuration in which driving is actively controlled through the processor 300 .

The air processor according to the present embodiment may be a humidifier provided with the humidifier 83 and not provided with the air cleaner 82 . The air processor according to the present embodiment may be an air purifier provided with the air cleaner 82 without the humidifier 83 . The air processor according to the present embodiment may be a humidifier and air purifier in which both the humidifying unit 83 and the air cleaning unit 82 are provided.

Hereinafter, a user interface (UI) of the air processor according to the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 3 . For convenience, since the UI is provided in the control panel, the control panel and the UI are described with the same reference numeral 35. The illustrated UI can be said to be the UI of the air purifier to which the humidification function is not applied. The illustrated UI may be appropriately deformed as the detailed configuration of the air processing unit 80 changes as described above.

The user interface 30 may include a power input 38 . The power input unit 38 may be selected by a user to input power of the air processor, and when power is input, the air processor may be operated in a basically set operation mode. Of course, the air processor may be operated by the user selecting an operation mode after power is input. The power input unit 38 may be provided in the form of a button.

The user interface 30 may include various input units 39 .

The input unit 39 may include an operation mode input unit 39a. A plurality of operation modes may be provided, and the current operation mode may be changed according to selection of the operation mode input unit. The operation mode input unit 39a may be provided in the form of a button. Operation mode display units 33 and 34 for displaying the operation mode input through the operation mode input unit 39a may be provided.

As described above, the control factors in the air processing unit may be air processing intensity, wind direction, and air volume in the air processing unit 80 . A driving mode may be referred to as a driving mode in which these control factors are automatically controlled irrespective of a user's input. And the user can manually select these control factors. That is, it may be possible to select an option. Accordingly, a plurality of option selection units 39b, 39c, and 39d may be provided for the user to select for each control factor. For example, a selection unit 39b capable of changing the intensity of air cleaning, a selection unit 39c capable of changing the strength of air volume, and a selection unit 39d capable of changing the wind direction may be provided.

When a user selects a specific driving mode and selects the option selection unit, the option selected by the option selection unit may be reflected in the specific driving mode and driving may be performed.

The driving mode may include an automatic mode. The automatic mode may be a mode in which the air processor automatically operates based on the amount of dust detected by the dust sensor 400 . That is, it can be said that it is a mode in which the air volume, wind direction, and air processing intensity are automatically set and operated. For example, when the amount of dust increases, the air volume and the air treatment intensity are set to increase, and when the dust amount decreases, the air volume and the air treatment intensity are set and operated to decrease.

The wind direction in automatic mode can be varied continuously or periodically over a maximum variable range. In the air processor that is variable by 360 degrees left and right, the wind direction motor 70 may be driven and controlled so that the wind direction is changed by 360 degrees. In the air processor that is variable by 180 degrees left and right, the wind direction motor 70 may be driven and controlled so that the wind direction is changed by 180 degrees. In the automatic mode, since the indoor air must be uniformly cleaned, it is preferable that the wind direction is variable in the maximum variable range.

When the air cleaning intensity is strongly selected through the option selection unit 39b in the automatic mode (auto mode), the high air cleaning intensity may always be operated during the automatic mode operation. Likewise, the wind direction and air volume can be set differently by the option selector.

The user interface 30 may include a selection unit 39e for checking the dust state and a selection unit 39f for setting a reservation.

When the user presses the dust selection unit 39e, the current amount of dust detected by the dust sensor may be displayed through the dust display unit 31. 32). Whether dust or fine dust and their amount (number) can be displayed, respectively. Whether or not odor particles are detected may also be displayed.

When the user selects the dust selection unit 39e, the current air condition can be intuitively and easily grasped through the information displayed on the dust display unit 31 .

The user may set a bedtime as an example of a specific time through the reservation selection unit 39f. When a reservation time is selected, the operation of the air purifier can be controlled to minimize operating noise during this time period.

The display unit may include mode display units 33 and 34 for displaying the currently selected driving mode.

The display unit may include a cleanliness display unit 35 that displays the current air cleanliness intensity in stages and/or displays whether the cleanliness level is automatically operated.

The display unit may include an activity amount display unit 36 that displays the level of the pet's activity amount or accumulated activity in stages. The activity amount display unit 36 may display the current or real-time activity amount of the pet when driving in the pet mode. In addition, the activity amount display unit 36 may display the accumulated activity amount of the pet when driving in a mode other than the pet mode driving or when the driving is stopped (in a state in which power is applied).

Here, the accumulated activity amount of the pet may be related to a filter replacement or cleaning time. That is, when the cumulative amount of activity of the pet is large for a short period of time, it may mean that a lot of pet hair is hung inside the filter. Therefore, when the level of the accumulated activity amount is displayed as high, it can be said that the time to replace or clean the filter has arrived.

Accordingly, the user can intuitively and easily grasp the filter replacement time through the display of the display unit, in particular, the activity amount display unit 36 of the pet.

When the filter is removed from the case 20, the accumulation of the activity amount can be initialized. Accordingly, when the filter is removed and then reinstalled to replace or clean the filter, the accumulated activity amount may be initialized and displayed, so that the user can intuitively and easily check whether the filter replacement and cleaning have been completed.

The plurality of driving modes may include an automatic mode and a pet mode distinguished from the automatic mode. In addition, it may include a strong mode in which the air cleaning intensity and air volume are strongly driven and a normal mode in which the air cleaning intensity and air volume are weakly operated. These strong mode and normal mode can be said to be automatically operated through a certain pattern or setting logic regardless of the amount of dust detected by the dust sensor.

As described above, the automatic mode may be referred to as a mode in which the air volume and the cleaning intensity are automatically variably controlled based on the amount of dust detected through the fine dust sensor when no option selection is made by the option selection unit. At this time, the wind direction will be changed continuously or periodically to supply air in a variable maximum range. That is, it will not be controlled to supply air to a specific area or to a specific range within the maximum range.

Of course, even in the strong mode and the normal mode, if there is no option selection in the option selection unit, the wind direction will be continuously or periodically changed to supply air in a variable maximum range.

However, it is preferable that the wind direction is actively controlled in the pet mode in the air processor according to the present embodiment. That is, the driving of the wind direction motor 70 may be actively controlled so that air is supplied to the detected activity area of the pet.

Here, the detected or estimated active area may be covered without changing the wind direction. In this case, in the pet mode, the processor may control the driving of the wind direction motor 60 so that the wind direction is not changed. Of course, the driving of the wind direction motor may be controlled so that the wind direction first faces the active area, and then the driving of the wind direction motor may be controlled so that the wind direction is maintained.

In addition, the detected or estimated active area may be covered by some degree of wind direction change. Of course, the activity area will be limited to some range smaller than the maximum wind direction range. In this case, in the pet mode, the processor may control the wind direction motor 60 to vary the wind direction so that the air volume is periodically or continuously varied in a range corresponding to the active area.

Here, it is preferable to focus the wind direction on the detected or estimated activity area of the pet for the following reasons.

In the pet's activity area, it can be said that the pet's hair scatters a lot. Also, it can be said to be an area where there is a lot of dust scattering due to the activities of pets.

Accordingly, by concentrating the air supply to the active area, the scattered dust can flow and flow into the air handler. In this way, air treatment can be performed more efficiently.

In addition, pet fur is heavier and bulkier than dust. Therefore, concentrating the air supply to the active area increases the distance from the air handler while concentrating the pet's fur to the corner of the room. That is, it is possible to prevent the pet's hair from entering the air processor to some extent. It may also make it easier for the user to clean the pet's fur by allowing the pet's fur to be concentrated in some corners of the active area.

The air processor according to the present embodiment may detect an activity amount as well as an activity area of the pet. That is, the degree of the activity amount can be detected. It can be said that as the amount of activity increases, dust scattering and hair scattering increase. Accordingly, it is possible to increase the air cleaning intensity and the air volume intensity according to the degree of activity. This means that more air is supplied to the active area. Therefore, it is possible to effectively solve the problem of air pollution and hair scattering caused by pets by controlling the wind volume and the degree of air cleaning intensity differently as well as controlling the wind direction.

Meanwhile, the pet mode and the automatic mode may be exclusively selected through the driving mode selection unit 39a as driving modes that are distinct from each other. Alternatively, the pet mode may be performed during automatic mode driving.

That is, the pet mode is not provided for the user to select through the driving mode selection unit 39a, but may be automatically performed.

For example, when an automatic mode is selected and a pet is detected while driving, driving may be switched from the automatic mode to the pet mode. In particular, when the detected amount of activity of the pet is equal to or greater than a set value, driving may be switched to the pet mode.

After driving for a set period of time in pet mode, it can be switched back to automatic mode and driven. Pet mode If no more pets are detected while driving, it can be switched back to automatic mode to drive.

In this case, even if the user does not manually select the pet mode, the pet mode can be automatically performed, so that it is more convenient to use. However, in this case, it is preferable to allow the user to understand that the pet mode is performed when necessary. For this purpose, as described above, it may be desirable to indicate to the user that the air processor is operating in the pet mode through the activity amount display unit 36 or through another display unit.

Hereinafter, a method for controlling an air processor according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 4 .

In the present embodiment, the pet mode may be individually provided in the air processor, and may be provided separately from other driving modes among a plurality of driving modes.

When power is applied and the pet mode is selected or activation is determined (S20), image information or vision information is generated and acquired (S30) through the camera unit 100 may be performed. The main processor 300 may control camera driving through the camera controller 120 . The camera 110 generates image information or vision information by photographing an indoor space.

The generated and acquired image information or vision information may be analyzed ( S40 ) through the operation unit 200 .

The analysis step (S40) may include a step of recognizing or sensing a pet, and such recognition or sensing may evolve through learning.

The analyzing step (S40) may include analyzing the detected location information of the pet. That is, the step of estimating the activity area of the pet from the entire area recognized through the image information or the vision information may be performed.

This analysis step (S40) may include a step of analyzing the activity amount information of the pet. That is, the step of estimating information such as the behavior of the pet, the degree of movement, and the speed of the movement through the image information or the vision information may be performed. Through this, the degree of activity can be estimated. In addition, it is possible to estimate the degree of the cumulative activity amount.

After the analysis step (S40) is completed, the operation (S50) of the air processor may be performed based on the analyzed information.

A detailed driving logic in the pet mode will be described later.

While driving in the pet mode, a step S60 of notifying the user of information about filter replacement or cleaning based on the analyzed information may be performed.

The pet mode may be continuously performed before changing to another driving mode and as long as the power is not released.

Meanwhile, the air processor may be communicatively connected to an external server. For example, communication may be connected to an external server through Wi-Fi.

The air processor may transmit the acquired image information or vision information to the external server. The external server can identify the type of pet based on the information provided. This kind of pet identification can be performed through artificial intelligence learning through vision information.

If the artificial intelligence module is mounted on the air processor, the type of pet can be identified through the vision information from the air processor itself. Of course, even in this case, the type of pet may be more accurately identified by the artificial intelligence module mounted on the server.

It can be said that the identification of the type of pet is related to the molting time information. The operation of the air processor can be performed more effectively by using information about a specific pet and its moulting time.

It can be seen that in this embodiment, generation and acquisition of image information or vision information through the camera unit, and analysis of information can be performed only when the user selects the pet mode. Accordingly, by allowing these steps to be performed only when necessary, unnecessary load on the air processor can be minimized.

Hereinafter, a method for controlling an air processor according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 5 . It is similar to the above-described embodiment, except that the relationship between the automatic mode and the pet mode is different.

In the present embodiment, the pet mode is not a mode that the user selects separately, but a mode that is automatically performed when necessary. For example, it may be said that the pet mode is performed only when necessary while performing the automatic mode.

This is because the automatic mode is the most frequently selected driving mode by users, and it is necessary to automatically operate the air handler not only for the degree of dust but also for the influence of pets.

First, when power is applied and the air processor starts to operate ( S100 ), it may be determined whether the air processor is in an automatic mode ( S110 ).

In the automatic mode, the air volume and air cleaning intensity are automatically adjusted and operated based on the amount of dust detected by the dust sensor. In addition, the wind direction can be controlled to vary in the maximum variable range. Detailed driving logic in the automatic mode may be the same as described above.

During the automatic mode driving, image information acquisition (S130) step and pet location analysis (S130) may be performed. These steps may be the same as in the above-described embodiment.

Based on the information analyzed or estimated in the analysis step, it is possible to determine whether pet mode driving is necessary. That is, it may be determined whether driving is switched from the automatic mode to the pet mode. When switching is unnecessary, driving continues in automatic mode, and when switching is required, driving is switched to pet mode and performed.

When driving is switched to the pet mode, driving is controlled in the pet mode (S160). This may be the same control as in the above-described operation control ( S50 ). Similarly, the filter notification (S170) step is also the same.

Pet mode can be performed for a set time. After the set time has elapsed, the pet mode can be switched back to the automatic mode.

It can be seen that in this embodiment, generation and acquisition of image information or vision information through the camera unit, and analysis of information can be performed only when the user selects an automatic mode and the automatic mode is performed. Accordingly, unnecessary load on the air processor can be minimized by allowing these steps to be performed only when necessary.

Meanwhile, in the present embodiment, the pet mode may be performed regardless of the user and selection. Accordingly, the user can more easily use the air processor. However, it would be preferable to perform a notification step to the user through the display unit so that the user can more easily understand the replacement or replacement time of the filter through the performance of the pet mode and the performance of the pet mode.

An operation of the air processor in the pet mode will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 6 .

As shown, in the pet mode, the air processor may be operated to have different intensities according to the estimated amount of activity of the pet.

The level of activity may be determined by being divided into a plurality of stages, and may be divided into two stages, three stages, or four or more stages. 6 shows an example in which the degree of activity is divided into three stages for convenience.

The air cleaning intensity and the air volume intensity may be set and operated to increase as the activity amount increases.

In pet mode, the air handler may not work at the stage with the least activity. That is, although the pet is continuously detected, the fan motor, the wind direction motor, and the air processing unit may be stopped.

As described above, the difference between the pet mode and the automatic mode is the control of the wind direction. In the stage with the smallest activity amount in the pet mode, it may be switched to the auto mode to control the operation of the air processor. Of course, the step of continuously detecting the pet animal while being switched to the auto mode while driving may be performed.

In this case, the air volume, air volume, and air cleaning intensity may be controlled to vary based on the amount of dust detected by the dust sensor. After all, in this case, the air processor may be operated in a pet mode or in an automatic mode substantially.

It is preferable to control the wind direction to the pet activity area in the stage where the activity amount is greater than the smallest stage. In addition, it is preferable to increase the intensity of the air cleaning intensity and the intensity of the air volume as the amount of activity increases.

Here, in the pet mode, the step of detecting the pet may be continuously or repeatedly performed in a step with the smallest amount of activity (including a step in which no activity is detected). However, in order to prevent an increase in the load of the air handler, it is preferable that these steps are performed at predetermined time intervals.

However, in the pet mode, it is preferable to continuously detect the pet in a stage where the amount of activity is greater than the smallest stage. This is because, in this case, it is more necessary to effectively deal with the effects of pets than to increase the load on the air handler.

Hereinafter, a method of detecting a pet and estimating a living area through image information or vision information will be described in detail.

Through the acquired image information or vision information, it is possible to detect a moving pet. That is, the pet can be detected by changing the position of the object. In addition, it is possible to estimate the behavior of the pet and the amount of activity through the degree of location change.

First, through image information or vision information, the air processor can distinguish distance steps such as short-range, medium-distance, and long-distance, and through this, the size and movement distance of the object can be calculated. In addition, it is possible to calculate the left and right positions as well as the far and near positions of the object in the entire area. The cumulative result of such object detection can be input into a well-known deep neural network (DNN)-based spatial detection algorithm. These algorithms are being used as core models of deep learning.

Through such deep learning, it is possible to estimate the activity area in the entire area. That is, deep learning may be performed using pet detection data as an input factor and an activity area (living area) as an output factor. By concentrating the wind direction to this estimated activity area, it is possible to effectively minimize the influence of pets and perform air treatment effectively. In other words, according to the air processor according to the present embodiment, the activity area of the pet is estimated and output through an artificial intelligence algorithm, and based on this, the wind direction is concentrated in the activity area to minimize the influence of the pet and effectively Air treatment can be performed.

10: air handler 20: case
30: user interface (control panel) 40: suction unit
50: discharge unit 110: camera

Claims (17)

a camera unit generating image information to detect a pet;
a calculation unit for detecting a pet through the image information and estimating a living area of the pet;
an air processing unit for processing air, including a filter unit for filtering foreign substances from the introduced air, and an air cleaning unit for filtering or removing foreign substances from the introduced air;
a driving unit for sucking air from the outside, supplying it to the air processing unit, and discharging the air to the outside; and
By controlling the driving unit, the air is discharged toward the living area estimated by the calculating unit to supply air to the air processing unit, but the pet's hair is concentrated in the estimated living area, so that the pet's hair and the air An air processor comprising a processor that performs a pet mode to increase the distance between the processing unit. The method of claim 1,
An air handler comprising a dust sensor for detecting the concentration of dust in the air and a control panel providing a user interface. 3. The method of claim 2,
and the calculating unit is provided to estimate the amount of activity or the accumulated activity of the pet through the image information. 4. The method of claim 3,
The air processor, characterized in that the control panel is provided with a display unit for visually displaying the detected amount of activity or accumulated activity of the pet. 4. The method of claim 3,
The air processor according to claim 1, wherein the control panel is provided with a display unit for displaying the replacement or cleaning time of the filter unit based on the detected amount of activity or accumulated activity of the pet. 6. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 5,
The air processor according to claim 1, wherein the control panel is provided with an operation mode selection unit provided to allow a user to select any one of a plurality of operation modes. 7. The method of claim 6,
and the plurality of operation modes include the pet mode and an automatic mode in which an air cleaning intensity and an air volume are variable according to the dust concentration detected by the dust sensor. 8. The method of claim 7,
In the automatic mode, the air discharging direction (wind direction) is continuously or periodically changed. 6. The method according to any one of claims 3 to 5,
and the processor, when the pet mode is activated, differently controls the driving unit according to an amount of activity of the pet or a degree of accumulated activity. 10. The method of claim 9,
When the activity amount or accumulated activity amount of the pet is low, the processor switches the pet mode to an automatic mode that controls the air cleaning intensity and the air volume differently based on the dust concentration detected by the dust sensor to control air conditioner with 10. The method of claim 9,
The processor, when the activity amount or the accumulated activity amount of the pet is low, the air processing unit, characterized in that to stop the operation of the air cleaner and the driving unit. 10. The method of claim 9,
and the processor, when the activity amount or accumulated activity amount of the pet is high, controls the wind direction to face the living area in a state where the air cleaning intensity and air volume are strong. 10. The method of claim 9,
and the processor controls the wind direction toward the living area in a state where the air cleaning intensity and air volume are weak when the activity amount or accumulated activity amount of the pet is medium. An air processor comprising: a dust sensor; and a processor configured to operate in an automatic mode for automatically controlling an air volume and an air treatment intensity according to the dust concentration detected by the dust sensor,
a camera unit generating image information to detect a pet;
a calculation unit for detecting a pet through the image information and estimating a living area and an activity amount of the pet;
An air processing unit for processing (cleaning/humidifying) air, including a filter unit for filtering foreign substances from the introduced air; And
and a driving unit for sucking air from the outside, supplying it to the air processing unit, and discharging the air to the outside,
The processor, when driving in the automatic mode, when the amount of activity of the pet estimated by the operation unit is equal to or greater than a preset value, switches to the pet mode for discharging air toward the living area of the pet estimated by the operation unit, and the The air processor according to claim 1, wherein air is supplied to the air processing unit, and an operation is performed to increase the distance between the pet's hair and the air processing unit by concentrating the fur of the pet into the estimated living area. 15. The method of claim 14,
The estimated activity amount of the pet is classified into upper and lower, upper, middle, lower, or 4 or more, and the air treatment intensity and air volume of the air processing unit are controlled to increase as the classification of the estimated activity amount of the pet increases. 16. The method of claim 15,
When the conversion operation to the pet mode ends, the automatic mode operation is resumed. 16. The method of claim 15,
In the automatic mode, the wind direction is controlled to change continuously or periodically in the maximum range that can be changed,
In the pet mode, the wind direction is fixed within a range corresponding to the estimated living area of the pet, or controlled to be continuously or periodically changed.

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