KR102399913B1 - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

An air conditioner according to an aspect of the present invention is located between a pair of discharge units and the pair of discharge units, one side faces the outer circumferential surface of any one of the pair of discharge units, and the other side has one Noise during voice recognition can be minimized by including a display assembly facing the outer circumferential surface of the other one of the pair of discharge units, and a center panel assembly positioned below the display assembly and having one or more microphone holes formed therein. .

Description

air conditioner {Air conditioner}

The present invention relates to an air conditioner, and more particularly, to an air conditioner capable of reducing noise during voice recognition.

An air conditioner is a device that sucks in air, changes temperature, humidity, and cleanliness, and then discharges it to the outside.

The air conditioner may be composed of an air conditioner or heater that changes the indoor temperature, a humidifier or dehumidifier that changes indoor humidity, and an air purifier that changes the cleanliness of the room.

The air conditioner may include an air conditioning unit for changing the temperature, humidity, cleanliness, etc. of the air, and a blower for flowing the air to the air conditioning unit.

Prior art 1 (Patent Publication No. 10-11340526) has a problem in that it is not easy to discharge air in multiple directions because one header discharges air into the room.

Accordingly, air conditioners including a discharge unit capable of discharging air in a plurality of directions have been proposed.

Recently, research on a method of controlling an air conditioner using a voice recognition technology is increasing.

For voice recognition, a user's voice input must be received through a microphone (MIC).

However, when the air conditioner is operated, noise and vibration are inevitably generated due to its own operation, and external noise in an environment in which the air conditioner is installed may also occur.

In this case, the amount of incoming noise varies according to the environment in which the microphone is installed, and accordingly, the speech recognition rate may have a significant deviation.

Therefore, it is necessary to arrange the microphone hole and microphone in consideration of the configuration and arrangement position of internal components such as the discharge unit and the external installation environment.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an air conditioner structure capable of reducing internal and external noise during voice recognition.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an air conditioner structure capable of preventing interference with an appliance structure, a connection line failure, and reducing manufacturing cost.

An object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner controlled according to a user's voice command and an operating method thereof.

An object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner capable of improving the accuracy of voice recognition by reducing noise.

In order to achieve the above or other object, the air conditioner 1 according to an aspect of the present invention is located between a pair of discharge units and a pair of discharge units, and one side has one of the pair of discharge units. a display assembly facing the outer circumferential surface of the display assembly, the other side facing the outer circumferential surface of the other one of the pair of discharge units, and a center panel assembly positioned below the display assembly and having one or more microphone holes formed therein. By including, it is possible to minimize noise during voice recognition.

According to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to minimize noise during voice recognition.

In addition, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to provide an air conditioner controlled according to a user's voice command and an operating method thereof.

Also, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, accuracy of voice recognition may be improved by reducing noise.

In addition, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, by optimizing the connection structure of the microphone and the microphone hole, and the microphone and the voice recognition module, it is possible to prevent interference between the mechanical structure and the connection line, and to reduce the manufacturing cost.

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

1 is a front view of an embodiment of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a perspective view in which a discharge assembly and a blower of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention are separated.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 1 .
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB shown in FIG. 1 .
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC shown in FIG. 1 .
6 is an exploded perspective view of a discharge unit and a discharge unit holder of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a display assembly of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is an exploded perspective view of a display assembly of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a perspective view of a base assembly of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
10 is an exploded perspective view of a voice recognition module of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
11 is an exploded perspective view of a center panel assembly of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
12 is an exploded perspective view of the microphone and speaker integrated module of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
13 is a diagram referenced in the description of the microphone hole position of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
14 is a diagram illustrating an example of an internal block diagram of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
15 is a diagram illustrating another example of an internal block diagram of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
16 is an example of a voice recognition server system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
17 is an example of a voice recognition server system 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 goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and may be modified in various forms.

In the drawings, in order to clearly and briefly describe the present invention, the illustration of parts irrelevant to the description is omitted, and the same reference numerals are used for the same or extremely similar parts throughout the specification.

On the other hand, the suffixes "module" and "part" for the components used in the following description are given simply in consideration of the ease of writing the present specification, and do not give a particularly important meaning or role by themselves. Accordingly, the terms “module” and “unit” may be used interchangeably.

1 is a front view of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view in which a discharge assembly and a blower are separated according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. It is an exploded perspective view of the discharge unit and the discharge unit holder of the air conditioner.

The air conditioner 1 is located below a pair of discharging units 2 and 3, a display assembly 10A positioned between the pair of discharging units 2 and 3, and the display assembly 10A, It may include a center panel assembly 10B in which one or more microphone holes 75 are formed.

In addition, the air conditioner 1 may further include a discharge unit holder 6 for supporting the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 to be spaced apart from each other.

The pair of discharging units 2 and 3 may be horizontally spaced apart from each other by the discharging unit holder 6 , and the display assembly 10A is vertically disposed between the pair of discharging units 2 and 3 . It can be placed long. The display assembly 10A may cover the gap between the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 invisibly from the front of the air conditioner.

The pair of discharge units 2 and 3, the discharge unit holder 6 and the display assembly 10A may constitute the discharge assembly D for discharging the air conditioned in the air conditioner to the outside.

The discharge assembly (D) may be installed in an air purifier having a blower (5) and a purification unit (17), and the air purified by the purification unit (17) passes through a pair of discharge units (2, 3) to the outside. can be dispersedly discharged. In this case, the air conditioner 1 may be an air purifier that purifies indoor air. Here, the purification unit 17 includes a filter that filters out foreign substances in the air, an electric dust collector that charges and collects foreign substances such as dust using electricity, and a humidifying filter that absorbs foreign substances and absorbs moisture as air passes through, It may be an ion generator that generates ions into the air, or the like.

The discharge assembly (D) may be installed in a cooler, a heater, or a dehumidifier having a blower (5) and a heat exchanger (18), and the air heat-exchanged with the heat exchanger (18) forms a pair of discharge units (2, 3) It can be dispersedly discharged to the outside through the In this case, the air conditioner 1 may be an air conditioner, a heater, or a dehumidifier that changes the temperature or humidity of the room.

The air conditioner (1) includes a body unit, a discharge assembly (D), and a connection duct connecting the body unit and the discharge assembly (D), and the body unit includes a heat exchanger (18) and a purification unit (17). It is possible for at least one and a blower 5 to be installed. In this case, the discharge assembly (D) may be installed to be spaced apart from the body unit, and air supplied from the body unit to the connection duct flows from the connection duct to the pair of discharge units 2 and 3, and the pair of discharge units (2,3) It can be distributed and discharged to the outside.

The pair of discharge units (2, 3) guide the discharge of the air blown by the blower (5) to the outside, and the air blown by the blower (5) is arranged in parallel with each other by the discharge unit holder (6). can be distributed and discharged to the outside.

The pair of discharging units 2 and 3 may have the same structure and may have different positions. Each of the pair of discharging units 2 and 3 may have an inlet through which air is introduced. Each of the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 may have an air discharge port through which air is discharged. An internal flow path for guiding the air introduced into the suction port to the air discharge port may be formed inside each of the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 .

Each of the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 may have an air discharge port formed in a portion of the circumference of the upper and lower portions and the circumference. Each of the pair of discharging units 2 and 3 may have a suction port through which air is introduced into any one of the upper part, the lower part, and the periphery.

When the inlet is formed in the lower part of each of the pair of discharge units (2, 3), the air blown by the blower (5) can be introduced into the internal flow path through the lower part of each of the pair of discharge units (2, 3). and may be discharged to the outside through an air discharge port formed in a portion of the circumference of each of the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 .

When the inlet is formed at the upper portion of each of the pair of discharge units (2, 3), the air blown by the blower (5) can be introduced into the internal flow path through the upper portion of each of the pair of discharge units (2, 3) and may be discharged to the outside through an air discharge port formed in a portion of the circumference of each of the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 .

When the suction port is formed on the periphery of each of the pair of discharging units 2 and 3, the suction port may be formed at a portion spaced apart from the air discharging port of the periphery. In this case, the pair of discharging units 2 and 3 may have a shape in which an upper surface and a lower surface are blocked, respectively. The air blown by the blower 5 may be introduced into the internal flow path through an inlet formed on the circumference of each of the pair of discharge units 2 and 3, and the circumference of each of the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 It can be discharged to the outside through the air outlet formed in the.

Any one of the pair of discharging units 2 and 3 may be a left discharging unit located on the left with respect to the center line F of the air conditioner, and the other of the pair of discharging units 2 and 3 may be It may be a right discharge unit located on the right side with respect to the center line (F) of the air conditioner.

The left discharge unit may discharge air from the left direction of the air conditioner to the front direction of the air conditioner, and the right discharge unit may discharge air from the right direction of the air conditioner to the front direction of the air conditioner.

The left air discharge unit and the right air discharge unit may discharge air in opposite directions. The left discharge unit may discharge air in a left direction of the air conditioner, and the right discharge unit may discharge air in a right direction of the air conditioner.

The left discharge unit may discharge air in a first inclined direction in front of the left side of the air conditioner, and the right discharge unit may discharge air in a second inclined direction in the right front of the air conditioner.

Also, the left discharge unit may discharge air in a forward direction of the air conditioner, and the right discharge unit may discharge air in a forward direction of the air conditioner. In this case, the left air discharge unit and the right air discharge unit may discharge air in parallel directions, and two front airflows may be formed in front of the air conditioner.

The air conditioner 1 may further include a casing 4 forming an exterior. The air conditioner 1 may further include a blower 5 for blowing air to the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 .

The air conditioner 1 may be configured as a stand-type air conditioner installed on the floor of a room, or may be configured as a wall-mounted air conditioner installed on a wall.

Hereinafter, a stand-type air conditioner will be described as an example.

The casing 4 may include a base assembly 11 . The base assembly 11 may have a three-dimensional shape with open front and upper surfaces. The base assembly 11 may include a lower frame 12 and a thick plate 13A formed in the lower frame 12 . The rear plate portion 13A may be formed perpendicular to the rear portion of the lower frame 12 .

In addition, the base assembly 11 may further include an inner plate 13B formed on the lower frame 12 . The inner plate 13B may reinforce the rigidity of the base assembly 11 .

In addition, the inner plate 13B may form an accommodation space in which the inner part is accommodated. For example, the voice recognition module 60 may be mounted in the accommodation space created by the inner plate 13B.

The casing 4 may further include a front cover 15 . The front cover 15 may be installed to cover the front of the blower 5 . The lower end of the front cover 15 may be mounted on the lower frame 12 of the base assembly 11 . The front cover 15 may be installed on the lower frame 12 to shield a portion of the lower frame 12 .

The casing 4 may include a suction body 16 through which air passes to be sucked into the air conditioner. The suction body 16 may be installed on the upper side of the base assembly 11 . The suction body 16 may be installed above the back plate 13A of the base assembly 11 . The suction body 16 may be vertically disposed on the upper side of the back plate 13A of the base assembly 11 . An air inlet 16A through which air outside the air conditioner passes to be sucked into the air conditioner may be formed in the suction body 16 .

The air conditioner 1 may include a purification unit 17 for purifying air. The purification unit 17 may be installed in the suction body 16 , and the air sucked into the air conditioner may be purified by the purification unit 17 . The purification unit 17 may include at least one of a filter through which foreign substances are filtered while air passes, an electric dust collector that charges and collects dust in the air, and an ion generator that generates ions in the air.

The air conditioner 1 may include a heat exchanger 18 installed inside the casing 4 to heat exchange air with a refrigerant. The heat exchanger 18 may be positioned between the suction body 16 and the blower 5 in the air flow direction.

The blower 5 may be installed inside the casing 4 . The blower 5 may be installed to face a part of the heat exchanger 18 . The blower 5 may be installed to be positioned in front of the heat exchanger 18 . The blower 5 may suck the rear air and blow it in any one of the upper direction and the lower direction.

The blower 5 includes a first discharge unit 22 that blows air into any one of the plurality of discharge units 2 and 3, and the other one of the plurality of discharge units 2 and 3 (3). and a second discharge unit 24 for blowing air into the interior. The blower 5 may disperse and discharge the air sucked through one suction unit to the first discharge unit 22 and the second discharge unit 24 . The blower 5 may include a plurality of suction units 21 and 23 , and after sucking air into the first suction unit 21 among the plurality of suction units 21 and 23 , the first discharge unit 22 . can be blown, and after sucking air through the second suction unit 23 among the plurality of suction units 21 and 23 , the air may be blown through the second discharge unit 24 . When the blower 5 includes a plurality of suction units 21 and 23 , a first blowing path through which air is sucked into the first suction unit 21 and then discharged through the second discharge unit 22 , and the air It may include a second air flow path that is sucked into the second suction unit 23 and discharged through the second discharge unit 24 . When the blower 5 includes a plurality of suction units 21 and 23 , the first blower 25 rotates in the first air flow passage, and the first fan motor 26 rotates the first blower 25 . may include, and may further include a second blower 27 rotated in the second blower passage, and a second fan motor 28 configured to rotate the second blower 27 .

The blower 5 includes a first fan housing 31 on which a first fan motor 26 is mounted and surrounding the first blower 25 , and the first fan housing 31 coupled with the first blower 25 . It may include a first orifice 32 in which a first suction part 21 for guiding air is formed.

The blower 5 includes a second fan housing 33 on which a second fan motor 28 is mounted and surrounding the second blower 27 , and the second fan housing 33 coupled to the second blower 27 . It may include a second orifice 34 in which a second suction part 23 for guiding air is formed.

The second fan housing 33 may be integrally formed with an upper portion of the first orifice 32 . The second orifice 34 may be coupled to the rear of the second fan housing 33 , and the first fan housing 31 may be coupled to the front of the first orifice 32 .

The blower 5 is positioned below the discharge assembly D to blow air to the discharge assembly D. The blower 5 is positioned above the discharge assembly D to blow air to the discharge assembly D. The blower 5 is positioned at the rear of the discharge assembly D to blow air to the discharge assembly D.

When the blower 5 is located below the discharge assembly D, each of the first discharge unit 22 and the second discharge unit 24 may be located above the blower 5 , each of which is located on the upper side of the blower 5 . It is possible to guide the discharge of air in the direction.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the first discharge unit 22 may be formed by the first fan housing 31 and the second fan housing 33 . The first fan housing 31 may be disposed in the front part of the second fan housing 33 by protruding upwardly from the first front duct part 35 having the rear and upper surfaces open, and the second fan housing 33 ) may include a first rear duct portion 36 positioned at the rear of the first front duct portion 35 . The first rear duct part 36 may have an open front and an upper surface, and may be formed in a shape that is recessed rearwardly in the second fan housing 33 . The first front duct part 35 and the first rear duct part 36 may guide the air blown by the first blower 25 to the left discharge unit. When the first fan housing 31 and the second fan housing 33 are coupled such that the first front duct part 35 is positioned in front of the first rear duct part 36, the first front duct part 35 and the second fan housing One rear duct part 36 may constitute a hollow cylindrical duct part.

As shown in FIG. 4 , the second discharge part 24 may be formed by the second fan housing 33 and the second orifice 34 . The second fan housing 31 may be disposed in front of a portion of the second orifice 34 by protruding in the forward direction of the second front duct part 37 having the rear and upper surfaces thereof open. In addition, the second orifice 34 may include a second rear duct portion 38 positioned at the rear of the second front duct portion 37 . The front and upper surfaces of the second rear duct part 38 may be opened. The second front duct part 37 and the second rear duct part 38 may guide the air blown by the second blower 27 to the right discharge unit. When the second fan housing 33 and the second orifice 34 are coupled such that the second front duct part 37 is positioned in front of the second rear duct part 38, the second front duct part 37 and the second The rear duct portion 38 may include a duct portion having a hollow cylindrical shape.

Hereinafter, an example in which a suction port is formed in a lower portion of each of the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 and an air discharge port is formed in a portion of the periphery will be described.

Any one (2) of the pair of discharge units (2, 3) includes a first suction port 41 through which air blown from the blower 5 is introduced, and a first suction port through which air passing through the first suction port 41 is guided. It may include one internal flow path 42 and a first air discharge port 43 through which the air guided to the first internal flow path 42 is discharged to the outside, and a first suction port 41 and a first internal flow path ( 42 ) and the first air discharge port 43 may constitute the first discharge flow path 44 of any one ( 2 ) of the pair of discharge units ( 2 , 3 ).

A first wind direction control vane 45 for controlling a wind direction of the air passing through the first discharge passage 44 may be disposed on any one of the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 . The first wind direction control vane 45 may be rotatably disposed inside any one of the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 . The first wind direction control vane 45 may be installed to be positioned in the first internal flow path 42 , and a tip thereof may be installed to face the first air outlet 43 .

The first suction port 41 may be formed to penetrate in the vertical direction at the lower portion of any one of the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 . The first internal flow path 42 may be elongated in the vertical direction inside any one of the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 . The first air discharge port 43 may be formed on the periphery of any one of the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 . Any one (2) of the pair of discharge units (2, 3) may have a shape in which the upper surface is blocked, and the first air outlet (43) is a It may be formed on the periphery of the upper plate portion and the periphery. The first air outlet 43 may be formed to pass through the circumference of any one of the pair of air outlets 2 and 3 in the horizontal direction. The first air discharge port 43 may be formed to be elongated in the vertical direction at the circumference of any one of the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 . An opening direction of the first suction port 41 and an opening direction of the first air discharge port 43 may be orthogonal to each other. After air is sucked into any one of the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 through the first suction port 41 , the flow direction is changed inside, and the horizontal direction through the first air discharge port 43 . can be discharged as

Any one (2) of the pair of discharge units (2, 3) may be composed of a combination of a plurality of members. Any one (2) of the pair of discharging units (2, 3) includes a first discharging body 46 having a first discharging passage 44 formed thereon, and a first top body installed on an upper portion of the first discharging body 46 . (47) and a first lower ring (48) coupled to the lower portion of the first discharge body (46) may be included.

The first discharge body 46 may have a closed upper surface, an open lower surface, and a cylindrical shape. The first suction port 41, the first internal flow path 42, and the first air discharge port 43 shown in FIG. 3 may be formed in the first discharge body 46, and the first air discharge port 43 may be formed on a portion of the periphery of the first discharge body 46 .

Meanwhile, the first wind direction control vane 45 shown in FIG. 3 may be rotatably disposed on the first discharge body 46 . A first wind direction control motor (not shown) for generating a driving force for rotating the first wind direction control vane 45 may be installed on the first discharge body 46 . The first wind direction control motor may be directly connected to the first wind direction control vane 45 or may be connected to the first wind direction control vane 45 through a power transmission member such as a link.

The first discharging body 46 may be composed of a combination of a plurality of members, and a first outer body 46A forming an exterior of the first discharging body 46 and installed inside the first outer body 46A A first inner guide 46B may be included. The first discharging body 46 may have a first rotating protrusion 46C constituting the central axis of rotation of any one of the pair of discharging units 2 and 3 protruding therefrom.

The first outer body 46A may have a hollow cylindrical shape. An upper surface and a lower surface of the first outer body 46A may be opened, respectively, and a space in which the first inner guide 46B is accommodated may be formed. In the first outer body 46A, a plurality of outer bodies having an arc-shaped cross-section may be coupled to each other in a hollow cylindrical shape, and a first air outlet 43 may be formed in any one of the plurality of outer bodies. The first discharge grill may be formed to be positioned in the first air discharge port 43 .

The first inner guide 46B may have a hollow cylindrical body shape with an open lower surface and a closed upper surface, a first suction port 41 may be formed at a lower portion thereof, and a first discharge passage 42 may be formed therein. can The first wind direction control vane 45 may be rotatably connected to the first inner guide 46B.

The first top body 47 may be a wire guide for guiding a first wire (not shown) connected to the first wind direction control motor, and a wire through hole 47A through which the first wire passes may be formed.

The first top body 47 may be mounted by being fitted on the upper portion of the first discharge body 46 or may be mounted with a fastening member such as a screw.

In the first top body 47 , a first boss portion 47B surrounding the first rotation protrusion 46C may be formed to protrude upward. The first boss portion 47B may constitute a rotational center axis of any one of the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 together with the first rotation protrusion 46C. The first boss part 47B may be positioned between the first support part 142 and the first rotation protrusion 46C of the top cover 140 , and may be supported by the first support part 142 . That is, any one of the pair of discharging units 2 and 3 may be rotatably maintained on the top cover 140 by the first rotating protrusion 46C and the first boss portion 47B.

The first lower ring 48 may be coupled to a lower portion of the first discharge body 46 , and may rotate together with the first discharge body 46 . The first lower ring 48 may be coupled to the first discharge body 46 by a fastening member such as a screw. A fastening member through-hole through which a fastening member such as a screw passes may be formed in the first lower ring 48 .

The first lower ring 48 may be seated on the lower body 100 and may rub against the lower body 100 . The first lower ring 48 may be made of a metal material, and may prevent abrasion of the first discharge body 46 as well as reinforce the strength of the first discharge body 46 .

The other one (3) of the pair of discharge units (2, 3) has a second suction port (51) through which air blown from the blower (5) is introduced, and a second suction port (51) through which the air passing through the second suction port (51) is guided. It may include two internal flow paths 52 and a second air discharge port 53 through which the air guided to the second internal flow path 52 is discharged to the outside, and a second suction port 51 and a second internal flow path ( 52 ) and the second air discharge port 53 may constitute the second discharge passage 54 of the other one ( 3 ) of the pair of discharge units ( 2 , 3 ).

A second wind direction control vane 55 for adjusting the wind direction of the air passing through the second discharge passage 54 may be disposed on the other 3 of the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 . The second wind direction control vane 55 may be rotatably disposed inside the other one 3 among the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 . The second wind direction control vane 55 may be installed to be positioned in the second internal flow path 52 , and its tip may be installed to face the second air outlet 53 .

The second suction port 51 may be formed to penetrate in the vertical direction under the other one 3 among the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 . The second internal flow path 52 may be elongated in the vertical direction inside the other one 3 among the pair of discharging units 2 and 3 . The second air outlet 53 may be formed on the periphery of the other one of the pair of air outlets 2 and 3 . The other one (3) of the pair of discharge units (2, 3) may have a shape in which the upper surface is blocked, and the second air discharge port (53) is the other one (3) of the pair of discharge units (2, 3). It may be formed on the periphery of the upper plate portion and the periphery. The second air outlet 53 may be formed to pass through the circumference of the other one 3 among the pair of air outlet units 2 and 3 in the horizontal direction. The second air outlet 53 may be formed to be elongated in the vertical direction on the circumference of the other one 3 among the pair of discharging units 2 and 3 . An opening direction of the second suction port 51 and an opening direction of the second air discharge port 53 may be orthogonal to each other. After the air is sucked into the other one (3) of the pair of discharge units (2,3) through the second suction port (51), the flow direction is changed inside, and the horizontal direction through the second air discharge port (53) can be discharged as

The other one (3) of the pair of discharge units (2, 3) may be composed of a combination of a plurality of members. The other one (3) of the pair of discharging units (2,3) includes a second discharging body 56 having a second discharging passage 54 formed thereon, and a second top body installed on the second discharging body 56 . 57 , and a second lower ring 58 coupled to the lower portion of the second discharge body 56 .

Like the first discharging body 46 , the second discharging body 56 may have a closed upper surface, an open lower surface, and a cylindrical shape. The second suction port 51, the second internal flow path 52, and the second air discharge port 53 shown in FIG. 4 may be formed in the second discharge body 56, and the second air discharge port 53 may be formed on a portion of the periphery of the second discharge body 56 .

Meanwhile, the second wind direction control vane 55 may be rotatably disposed on the second discharge body 56 . A second wind direction control motor (not shown) that generates a driving force for rotating the second wind direction control vane 55 may be installed in the second discharge body 56 . The second wind direction control motor may be directly connected to the second wind direction control vane 55 or may be connected to the second wind direction control vane 55 through a power transmission member such as a link.

The second discharging body 56 may be composed of a combination of a plurality of members, and a second outer body 56A forming an exterior of the second discharging body 56 and installed inside the first outer body 56A A second inner guide 56B may be included. The second discharging body 56 may have a second rotating protrusion 56C constituting the central axis of rotation of the other one of the pair of discharging units 2 and 3 protruding therefrom.

The second outer body 56A may be formed in a hollow cylindrical shape as a whole. The upper and lower surfaces of the second outer body 56A may be opened, respectively, and a space in which the second inner guide 56B is accommodated may be formed. In the second outer body 56A, a plurality of outer bodies having arc-shaped cross-sections may be coupled to each other in a hollow cylindrical shape, and a second air outlet 53 may be formed in any one of the plurality of outer bodies. 2 It may be formed so that the second discharge grill is located in the air discharge port (53).

The second inner guide 26B may have a hollow cylindrical body shape with an open lower surface and a closed upper surface, a second suction port 51 may be formed at a lower portion thereof, and a second discharge passage 52 may be formed therein. can The second wind direction control vane 55 may be rotatably connected to the second inner guide 56B.

The second top body 57 may be a wire guide for guiding a second wire (not shown) connected to the second wind direction control motor, and a wire through hole 57A through which the second wire passes may be formed.

The second top body 57 may be mounted by being fitted on the upper portion of the second discharging body 56 or may be mounted with a fastening member such as a screw.

In the second top body 57 , a second boss portion 57B surrounding the second rotation protrusion 56C may be formed to protrude upward. The second boss portion 57B may constitute a rotation center axis of the other one (3) of the pair of discharge units (2,3) together with the second rotation protrusion (56C). The second boss part 57B may be positioned between the second support part 144 and the second rotation protrusion 56C of the top cover 140 , and may be supported by the second support part 144 . That is, the second discharging unit 5 may be rotatably maintained on the top cover 140 by the second rotating protrusion 56C and the second boss unit 57B.

The second lower ring 58 may be coupled to a lower portion of the second discharge body 56 , and may be rotated together with the second discharge body 56 . The second lower ring 58 may be coupled to the second discharge body 56 by a fastening member such as a screw. A fastening member through-hole through which a fastening member such as a screw passes may be formed in the second lower ring 58 .

The second lower ring 58 may be seated on the lower body 100 and may rub against the lower body 100 . The second lower ring 58 may be made of a metal material, and may prevent abrasion of the second discharge body 56 as well as reinforce the strength of the second discharge body 56 .

The discharge unit holder 6 may include a lower body 100 on which a pair of discharge units 2 and 3 are mounted. The discharge unit holder 6 may include at least a part of the rear body 120 positioned at the rear of the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 . The discharge unit holder 6 may include a top cover 140 positioned above the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 .

The discharge unit holder 6 may be configured in a '┏' shape as a whole by disposing the rear body 120 under the top cover 140 .

The discharge unit holder 6 has the rear body 120 disposed on the upper portion of the lower body 140 , so it is possible to be configured in a 'L' shape as a whole.

In the discharge unit holder 6, the top cover 140 and the lower body 140 are vertically spaced apart, and the rear body 120 is disposed between the top cover 140 and the lower body 140, so that the overall 'c' ' It is possible to be composed of a shape.

The lower body 100 may rotatably support the lower portions of each of the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 . The pair of discharge units 2 and 3 may be seated spaced apart on the lower body 100 , and the load of the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 may be distributed and applied to the lower body 100 . The lower body 100 may constitute a lower portion of the discharge unit holder 6 .

The lower body 100 includes a ring-shaped first seating part 101 , a ring-shaped second seating part 102 , and a lower plate part connecting the first seating part 101 and the second seating part 102 . (103).

It is possible that any one (2) of the pair of discharge units (2, 3) is rotatably seated on the first seating part 101, and is rotatably seated on a first fixing ring 104 to be described later. It is possible. And, the other one (3) of the pair of discharging units (2, 3) can be rotatably seated on the second seating part 102, and rotatably seated on a second fixing ring 105 to be described later. it is possible to be

The lower plate part 103 may be integrally formed with the first seating part 101 and the second seating part 102 . The lower plate part 103 is to be positioned between the first seating part 101 and the second seating part 102 , and at the rear part of the first seating part 101 and the rear part of the second seating part 102 . can

The lower body 100 may be composed of a combination of a plurality of members, and is installed on the first seating part 101 and the first one (2) of the pair of discharge units (2,3) is rotatably seated. The fixing ring 104 and the second fixing ring 105 installed on the second seating portion 102 and on which the other one (3) of the pair of discharge units (2, 3) is rotatably mounted may be further included. can

The first fixing ring 104 and the first lower ring 48 may be made of a metal material, and the first lower ring 48 may be seated on the first fixing ring 104 .

The second fixing ring 105 and the second lower ring 48 may be made of a metal material, and the second lower ring 58 may be seated on the second fixing ring 105 .

The discharge unit holder 6 may further include a lower cover 110 installed on the lower body 100 . The lower cover 110 may be fastened to a lower portion of the lower body 100 . The lower cover 110 may be fastened to the upper portion of the blower 5 . The lower cover 110 may function as a discharge unit holder mounter for mounting the discharge unit holder 6 to the blower 5 .

The air conditioner 1 may include a discharge unit rotating mechanism for rotating the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 . The discharging unit rotating mechanism includes a first discharging unit rotating mechanism 8 for rotating any one of the pair of discharging units 2 and 3, and the other one 3 of the pair of discharging units 2 and 3 ) may include a second discharging unit rotating mechanism 9 for rotating.

The first discharging unit rotating mechanism 8 is meshed with the first gear 82 and the first gear 82 disposed on any one of the pair of discharging units 2 and 3 and the first gear 82 ) may include a first driving gear 85 for rotating the first driving gear 85 and a first motor 86 for rotating the first body driving gear 85 .

The first gear 82 may be a first driven gear rotated by the first driving gear 85 . The first gear 82 may be configured as a ring-shaped body formed in a ring shape. The ring-shaped body may be formed with gear teeth meshing with the first driving gear 85 on a portion of the outer periphery. The ring-shaped body may be fastened to at least one of the first lower ring 48 of any one of the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 and the first discharge body 46 with a fastening member such as a screw. A fastening member through-hole through which a fastening member such as a screw passes may be formed in the ring-shaped body.

The first driving gear 85 may be formed to be smaller in size than the first gear 82 . The first driving gear 85 may be positioned around the first gear 82 , and may rotate the first gear 82 around the first gear 82 .

The first motor 86 may be installed on the lower cover 110 .

The second discharging unit rotating mechanism 9 is meshed with the second gear 92 and the second gear 92 disposed on the other one of the pair of discharging units 2 and 3 to rotate the second gear 92 . It may include a second driving gear 95 and a second motor 96 for rotating the second driving gear 95 .

The second gear 92 may be a second driven gear rotated by the second driving gear 95 . The second gear 92 may be configured as a ring-shaped body formed in a ring shape. The ring-shaped body may be formed with gear teeth meshing with the second driving gear 95 on a part of the outer periphery. The ring-shaped body may be fastened to at least one of the second lower ring 58 and the second discharging body 56 of the second discharging unit 5 with a fastening member such as a screw. A fastening member through-hole through which a fastening member such as a screw passes may be formed in the ring-shaped body.

The second driving gear 95 may be formed to be smaller in size than the second gear 92 . The second driving gear 95 may be positioned around the second gear 92 , and may rotate the second gear 92 around the second gear 92 .

The second motor 96 may be installed on the lower cover 110 .

A first motor accommodating part 112 into which the first motor 86 is inserted and accommodated and a second motor accommodating part 114 into which the second motor 96 is inserted may be formed in the lower cover 110 . there is. The lower cover 110 may include a plurality of coupling parts 115 and 116 coupled to the blower 5 and a coupling member such as a screw. The lower cover 110 may include at least one lower body fastening part 118 that is fastened to the lower body 100 with a fastening member such as a screw.

The rear body 120 may be formed perpendicular to the lower body 100 and accommodate at least a portion of each of the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 . The rear body 120 may rotatably accommodate the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 . The rear body 120 may be integrally formed with the lower body 100 at the rear portion of the lower body 100 . Of course, the rear body 120 may be formed separately from the lower body 100 and then coupled to the rear portion of the lower body 100 by a fastening member such as a screw or a fastening part such as a hook. The rear body 120 may be formed to be larger than the gap between the pair of discharge units 2 and 3, and the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 at a rear position of the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 The gap between them can be covered.

The rear body 120 may have a protrusion 126 protruding toward a gap between the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 . The protrusion 126 has a side portion 126A facing any one of the pair of discharge units 2 and 3, and the other side 3 of the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 facing each other. The other side portion 126B may be included. The protrusion 126 may further include a front plate portion 126C connecting the front end of the one side portion 126A and the front end of the other side portion 126B. The protrusion 126 may have a shape in which the front, left, and right sides are closed, and may have an open rear surface.

The air conditioner 1 may further include a back cover 130 coupled to the rear body 120 . The back cover 130 may cover the rear surface of the rear body 120 to protect the rear body 120 . The back cover 130 may be disposed on the upper side of the suction body 16 to cover the upper side of the suction body 16 .

The top cover 140 may cover between the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 from the upper side of the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 .

The top cover 140 may cover a gap between the upper portion of the display assembly 10A and the upper portion of the protrusion 126 .

The top cover 140 may be coupled to the rear body 120 . The top cover 140 may hold the upper portions of the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 .

The top cover 140 includes a first support part 142 that rotatably supports an upper portion of any one of the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 and the other of the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 . A second support portion 144 that rotatably supports the upper portion of one (3) may be formed. The first support part 142 may be a support hole that rotatably supports the central axis of any one of the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 . The second support part 144 may be a support hole for rotatably supporting the central axis of rotation of the other one of the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 . The top cover 140 may be fastened to an upper portion of the rear body 120 by a fastening member such as a screw or a hook portion such as a hook.

In the display assembly 10A, one side 161 may face the outer circumferential surface of any one of the pair of discharging units 2 and 3, and the other side 162 may have a pair of discharging units ( 2, 3) of the other one (3) can face the outer circumferential surface. The front surface 163 of the display assembly 10A may be discharged to the outside.

The display assembly 10A may be configured as a combination of a plurality of members. The display assembly 10A may function as a control panel for operating the air conditioner and as a display for displaying information on the air conditioner. The display assembly 10A may function as a control panel combined with a display.

The display assembly 10A may be smaller in size than each of the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 . The width of the display assembly 10A in the left and right directions may increase toward the front.

The left-right width L1 of the tip of the display assembly 10A may be greater than the left-right width L2 of the tip of the protrusion 126 .

The display assembly 10A may be disposed above the lower body 100 . The display assembly 10A may be positioned above the lower plate part 103 of the lower body 100 . A portion of the display assembly 10A may be located below the top cover 140 , and the display assembly 10A is disposed between the lower body 100 and the top cover 140 and between the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 . gaps can be covered. The display assembly 10A may partition left and right between the lower body 100 and the top cover 140 .

The discharge unit holder 6 may have a shape in which the left side, the right side, and the front side thereof are respectively opened.

The discharge unit holder 6 may be a frame for maintaining the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 in parallel, and the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 are spaced apart from the left and right on the discharge unit holder 6 . can be placed so

The display assembly 10A may be installed on the discharge unit holder 6 to divide the discharge unit holder 6 into left and right. The air conditioner 1 may be opened between the left end of the display assembly 10A and the left end of the rear body 120 , and between the right end of the display assembly 10A and the right end of the rear body 120 may be opened. there is. Any one (2) of the pair of discharge units (2, 3) may be installed so that a part is positioned between the left side of the display assembly (10A) and the left end of the rear body (120). A part of the other 3 of the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 may be installed to be positioned between the right side of the display assembly 10A and the right end of the rear body 120 . The pair of discharge units 2 and 3 may be protected by the display assembly 10A and the discharge unit holder 6 .

Each of the pair of discharging units 2 and 3 may have a cylindrical shape, and a gap therebetween may gradually increase in a forward direction with respect to the middle, and a gap therebetween may gradually increase in a rearward direction.

The display assembly 10A may be located at a front part of the rear part and the front part of the discharge unit holder 6 . The display assembly 10A may be located at the center of the front part of the left side of the front part, the center of the front part, and the right part of the front part of the discharge unit holder 6 . The discharge unit holder 6 may have a left side, a right side, a front left side, and a front right side open. The front center of the discharge unit holder 6 may be shielded by the display assembly 10A.

7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a display assembly of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the display assembly of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The display assembly 10A is located between the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 and includes a display case 160 with an open front and a display cover 170 and a display cover 170 disposed in front of the display case 160 . It may include a PCB (PCB) assembly 180 for irradiating light toward. In addition, a rear coupling part 164 coupled to the protrusion part 126 may be formed in the display assembly 10A.

The display case 160 may have a closed-back shape, and the left side 161 may face the outer circumferential surface of any one of the pair of discharge units 2 and 3, and the right side 162 . The outer circumferential surface of the other one (3) of the pair of discharge units (2, 3) may face, and the front surface may be opened.

The display case 160 may be coupled to the protrusion 126 and may increase in width in the left and right direction toward the front. The rear coupling part 164 may be formed in the display case 160 . The rear coupling part 164 may include a pair of ribs formed on the display case 160 and fitted to the protrusion part 126 . Each of the pair of ribs may protrude from the rear plate portion of the display case 160 in the rear direction, and a portion of the protrusion 126 may be inserted between the pair of ribs to be fitted into the pair of ribs.

The display case 160 may include a rear plate part, a left plate part formed on the left side of the back plate part, a right plate part formed on the right side of the back plate part, an upper plate part formed on the upper part of the back plate part, and a lower plate part formed on the lower part of the back plate part, and the left plate part and the right plate portion may be formed to gradually increase a distance from each other toward the front.

The display case 160 may be formed to be transparent or translucent. The display case 160 may further include a light diffusion unit through which light is diffused.

The display cover 170 may be formed to be larger than the display case 160 . The display cover 170 may cover the open front of the display case 160 . The display cover 170 may include a front body 172 coupled to the display case 160 and a front cover 174 disposed on the front of the front cover 172 .

The front body 172 may have a light transmission hole 173 through which the light of the PCB assembly 180 passes.

The front cover 174 may be a display window on which information of the air conditioner is displayed, and the display assembly 150 may function as a display. The front cover 174 may be a touch input unit that a user touches to operate the air conditioner, and the display assembly 150 may function as a control panel.

The left-right width L1 of the display cover 170 may be greater than the left-right width L2 of the tip of the protrusion 126 .

The PCB assembly 180 may radiate light toward the display cover 170 . The PCB assembly 180 may include a display PCB 182 that is fastened to the display case 160 with a fastening member such as a screw, and a display component 184 installed on the display PCB 182 .

The display component 184 may include a display LED 185 installed on the display PCB 182 and irradiating light toward the rear surface of the PCB cover 170 . The display component 184 may further include a light guide 186 for guiding the light emitted from the display LED 185 to the PCB cover 170 . The light guide 186 may be installed on the display PCB 182 to be positioned between the display cover 170 and the display PCB 182 .

The PCB assembly 180 may include a touch switch 187 that is switched when the front cover 174 is in contact. The touch switch 178 may be installed on the display PCB 182 so that its tip is in contact with the display cover 170 .

The PCB assembly 180 may further include a switch guide 188 for protecting the touch switch. The switch guide 188 may be installed on the display PCB 182 to be positioned between the display cover 170 and the display PCB 182 .

The display assembly 10A may further include a lighting device 190 irradiating light to the display case 160 .

The lighting device 190 includes a PCB 192 installed inside the display case 160, and a left light source 194 installed closer to any one of the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 to the PCB 192. and a right light source 196 installed closer to the other 3 of the pair of discharging units 2 and 3 in the PCB 192 . Each of the left light source 194 and the right light source 194 may include at least one LED.

A plurality of LEDs constituting the left light source 194 may be installed in the PCB 192 to be vertically spaced apart from each other. A plurality of LEDs constituting the right light source 194 may be installed to be spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction on the PCB 192 .

Hereinafter, the operation of the present invention configured as described above will be described as follows.

First, during operation of the air conditioner, the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 may discharge air to the outside while being spaced apart from each other.

During operation of the air conditioner, the blower 5 may be driven, and the air outside the air conditioner passes through the suction body 16 and is sucked into the air conditioner, and the purification unit 17 and the heat exchanger 18 ) can pass. The air that has passed through the heat exchanger 18 may be sucked into the blower 5 , and may be blown by the blower 5 to the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 .

Some of the air blown by the blower (5) may be blown to any one (2) of the pair of discharge units (2, 3), and the remainder of the air blown by the blower (5) is the pair of discharge units ( 2, 3) can be blown to the other one (3). The air may be dispersed to the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 by the blower 5, and the air dispersed to the pair of discharge units 2, 3 is distributed to the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 It can be dispersedly discharged into the room through

The display assembly 10A may display operation information of the air conditioner in a state of blocking a gap between the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 .

The display assembly 10A can prevent a user's hand or device from being introduced between the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 from the front of the air conditioner, and the user's hand between the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 However, safety accidents that occur when equipment is introduced can be prevented in advance.

In addition, the air conditioner 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may receive and process a user's voice command. To this end, the air conditioner 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a microphone for receiving a user's voice input, a voice recognition module for processing the user's voice input, and the like.

For example, the voice recognition module may be mounted in an accommodation space formed in the base assembly 11 .

9 is a perspective view of a base assembly of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the voice recognition module 60 of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

11 is an exploded perspective view of a center panel assembly of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of a microphone and speaker integrated module of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

9 to 12 , the base assembly 11 may include a lower frame 12 and a heavy plate portion 13A formed on the lower frame 12 . The rear plate portion 13A may be formed perpendicular to the rear portion of the lower frame 12 .

In addition, the base assembly 11 may further include an inner plate 13B formed on the lower frame 12 . The inner plate 13B may reinforce the rigidity of the base assembly 11 .

The lower end of the front cover 15 may be raised on the lower frame 12 of the base assembly 11 . The front cover 15 may be installed on the lower frame 12 to shield a portion of the lower frame 12 . The front cover 15 may be installed to cover the front of the blower 5 .

In addition, the inner plate 13B may form an accommodation space in which the inner part is accommodated. For example, the voice recognition module 60 may be mounted in the accommodation space created by the inner plate 13B.

The voice recognition module 60 includes a case 62 with an open front, a cover 63 disposed in front of the case 62 , and circuit components of the voice recognition module 60 . It may include an assembly 61 . The PCB assembly 61 may be fastened to the case 62 by a fastening member such as a screw.

The air conditioner 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a center panel assembly 10B disposed below the display assembly 10A.

The center panel assembly 10B is positioned between the left and right front covers 15 and has the same width as the display assembly 10A, thereby forming a consistent aesthetic feeling with the display assembly 10A.

One or more microphone holes 75 may be formed in the center panel assembly 10B.

Meanwhile, the air conditioner 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include one or more microphones 81 for receiving a voice input through the microphone hole 75 .

The microphone 81 may be attached to the inner surface of the center panel assembly 10B and may be disposed in contact with or adjacent to the microphone hole 75 .

Meanwhile, the air conditioner 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a speaker 82 for outputting an audio signal, and the speaker 82 may output various sound effects and voice guidance messages. there is.

In some embodiments, the microphone 81 and the speaker 82 may be configured as an integrated module 80 . The integrated module 80 may include the microphone 81 , the speaker 82 , the support member 83 , and the case 84 .

The center panel assembly 10B may include a front panel 70 and a microphone/speaker integrated module 80 , and the microphone hole 75 may be formed in the front panel 70 .

Since the microphone 81 and the speaker 82 are configured as an integrated module 80, an audio signal such as a voice signal can be processed through a single connection line. In addition, since the voice input and voice guidance message are processed at almost the same location, in the process of voice input and voice guidance, the user does not have to care about other parts of the air conditioner 1, and feels like talking with a specific location or module can be received, the emotional quality can be increased.

The voice recognition module 60 may be connected to at least the microphone 81 by wire. The voice recognition module 60 may receive and process data corresponding to the user's voice input from the microphone 81 .

According to an embodiment of the present invention, by optimizing the connection structure of the microphone 81 and the microphone hole 75, the microphone 81 and the voice recognition module 60 to a short distance, the interference of the mechanism structure and the connection line obstruction are prevented and Manufacturing cost can be reduced.

On the other hand, the voice recognition module 60, a processor for processing data corresponding to the voice input received from the microphone 81 (see 260 of FIG. 15 ), transmits the data processed by the processor to the voice recognition server system and a communication unit (refer to 270 of FIG. 15 ).

According to an embodiment, the voice recognition module 60 may further include the microphone 81 and the speaker 82 . That is, the voice recognition module 60 may be configured as an integrated module that processes input/output related to voice and audio.

Meanwhile, the voice recognition and the operation of the voice recognition module 60 will be described later in detail with reference to FIGS. 14 to 17 .

Meanwhile, in order to increase the accuracy of voice recognition, it is important to secure voice data with reduced noise.

In addition, in order to secure voice data with reduced noise, the microphone hole 75 needs to be disposed at an optimal position.

Preferably, the microphone hole 75 may be formed between the center point and the lowermost end of the center panel assembly 10B in the longitudinal direction.

In addition, a blower 5 located at the lower side of the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 and blowing air to the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 may be disposed inside the casing 4 .

The blower 5 may be disposed at the rear of the center panel assembly 10B, the blower 5 may be disposed at the rear of the upper end of the center panel assembly 10B, and the base assembly 11 may be disposed at the rear of the center panel It may be disposed behind the bottom of the assembly 10B.

In this case, the microphone hole 75 may be formed to be spaced a predetermined distance downward from the lowermost end of the blower 5 .

13 is a diagram referenced in the description of the microphone hole position of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 13 , a microphone hole may be formed at a first position P1 of the display assembly 10A. However, since the display assembly 10A is located between the pair of discharge units 2 and 3 , it may be vulnerable to noise generated during the operation of the air conditioner 1 . In particular, the voice recognition rate may be lowered by wind noise, and the operation of the microphone 81 may be affected when moisture is generated due to a temperature difference.

When the air conditioner 1 is operating in a strong wind and left and right rotation in a noise 55db environment due to ambient noise, when a microphone hole is formed in the first position P1, as a result of the experiment, the voice recognition rate was 64.4%.

In addition, there is a disadvantage in that there is insufficient space at the rear of the display assembly 10A to accommodate parts related to voice recognition, such as the voice recognition module 60 , the microphone, and the speaker module 80 . Accordingly, the extension of the connecting wire and the shield wire is inevitable, and manufacturing cost may increase.

Referring to FIG. 13 , a microphone hole may be formed at predetermined positions P2 , P3 , and P4 of the center panel assembly 10B.

If the microphone hole is formed at the fourth position P4, it may be vulnerable to floor noise. Accordingly, the microphone hole needs to be disposed above by an appropriate distance from the lowermost end of the air conditioner 1 .

When the air conditioner 1 is operating in a strong wind and left and right rotation in a noise 55db environment due to ambient noise, when a microphone hole is formed in the fourth position P4, as a result of the experiment, the voice recognition rate was 66.1%.

For example, the microphone hole 75 is located at a third position P3 raised by a first height D1 from the lowermost end of the center panel assembly 10B, and a second height (P3) from the lowermost end of the center panel assembly 10B. It may be formed at the second position P2 raised by D2).

When the air conditioner (1) is operating with strong wind and left and right rotation in a noise 55db environment due to ambient noise, when a microphone hole is formed in the second position (P2), the test result shows that the voice recognition rate is 78.9%, and the third position ( When the microphone hole was formed in P3), the test result showed that the voice recognition rate was 80.6%. For reference, the second position (P2) used in the above experiment was set to a height of 80 cm from the bottom, and the third position (P3) was set to a height of 45 cm from the bottom.

That is, in the same installation environment and noise environment, the case in which the microphone hole is formed at the second position P2 and the third position P3 is lower than the case where the microphone hole is formed at the first position P1 and the fourth position P4. The recognition rate was high.

As shown in the experimental results, when the microphone hole is formed in the second position P2 , the wind direction noise may be reduced, and the voice recognition rate may be increased according to the wind direction noise reduction. However, the blower 5 may be located at the rear of the second position P2, and accordingly, an increase in manufacturing cost due to the extension of the connecting line and the shield line, and interference with the mechanism structure due to a lack of internal space may occur.

More preferably, the microphone hole 75 may be formed to be spaced a predetermined distance downward from the lowermost end of the blower 5, as in the third position P3.

As shown in the experimental results, when the microphone hole is formed at the third position P3 , the wind direction noise may be reduced, and the voice recognition rate may be increased according to the wind direction noise reduction. In addition, since there is room in the internal space, the installation of the voice recognition module 60 is easy, and since the connection line between the voice recognition module 60 and the microphone 81 is shortened, there is an advantage that cost can be reduced.

Accordingly, the microphone hole 75 is preferably formed between the center point in the longitudinal direction of the center panel assembly 10B and the lowermost end, like the third position P3 .

Meanwhile, the first height D1 of the third position P3 may be equal to or smaller than the height of the base assembly 11 .

Accordingly, the distance between the voice recognition module 60 and the microphone hole 75 disposed in the receiving space of the base assembly 11 and the distance between the voice recognition module 60 and the microphone 81 may be minimized. In addition, since the microphone hole 75 is disposed downward by a predetermined distance from the blower 5 located on the upper side of the base assembly 11, the effect of noise and vibration due to the operation of the air conditioner 1 can be minimized. can

On the other hand, if a microphone hole is formed in a position spaced a predetermined distance to the side of the third position P3, for example, in a gap between the center panel assembly 10B and the front cover 15, the wind direction noise can be reduced, Since a voice signal is not accurately introduced into the microphone 81 , the overall voice recognition rate may be lowered. In this case, as a result of the experiment in the same environment as the above-described experimental environment, the speech recognition rate was lowered back to 65.6%.

Accordingly, the microphone hole is preferably formed on the front surface of the center panel assembly 10B.

14 is a diagram illustrating an example of an internal block diagram of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 14 , the air conditioner 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a sensor unit 215 including one or more sensors for sensing various data, and an audio input unit 220 for receiving a user's voice command. ), a memory 250 for storing various data, a communication unit 270 for wireless communication with other electronic devices, a display 292 for displaying predetermined information as an image, an audio output unit 291 for outputting predetermined information as audio, And, the control unit 240 for controlling the overall operation, and, according to the control of the control unit 240, the driving unit 280 for controlling the operation of the indoor fan, heat exchanger, valve, wind direction control means, etc. provided in the main body according to the control. may include

The audio input unit 220 may receive an external audio signal or a user voice command. To this end, the audio input unit 220 may include one or more microphones (MIC). Also, in order to more accurately receive a user's voice command, the audio input unit 220 may include a plurality of microphones 221 and 222 . The plurality of microphones 221 and 222 may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other, and may obtain an external audio signal and process it as an electrical signal.

14 illustrates an example in which the audio input unit 220 includes two microphones, a first microphone 221 and a second microphone 222 , but the present invention is not limited thereto.

The audio input unit 220 may include a processing unit that converts analog sound into digital data or may be connected to the processing unit to convert a user input voice command into data so that the control unit 240 or a predetermined server can recognize it.

Meanwhile, the audio input unit 220 may use various noise removal algorithms for removing noise generated in the process of receiving a user's voice command.

In addition, the audio input unit 220 may include components for processing audio signals, such as a filter for removing noise from the audio signal received from the microphones 221 and 222 , and an amplifier for amplifying and outputting a signal output from the filter. .

The memory 250 records various types of information necessary for the operation of the air conditioner 1 , and may include a volatile or nonvolatile recording medium. A recording medium stores data that can be read by a microprocessor, such as HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Disk), SDD (Silicon Disk Drive), ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic may include tapes, floppy disks, optical data storage devices, and the like.

According to an embodiment, a sound source file of a voice command input by a user may be stored in the memory 250 , and the stored sound source file may be transmitted to the voice recognition server system through the communication unit 270 . In addition, the stored sound source file may be deleted after a preset time elapses or a preset operation is performed.

Meanwhile, data for voice recognition may be stored in the memory 250 , and the controller 240 may process a user's voice input signal received through the audio input unit 220 and perform a voice recognition process.

Alternatively, according to an embodiment, the air conditioner 1 may include a voice recognition module (not shown), and the voice recognition module may perform simple voice recognition such as call word recognition. An embodiment including the voice recognition module will be described later in detail with reference to FIG. 15 .

Also, a calling word determination algorithm for determining whether the voice signal includes a calling word may be stored in the memory 250 . ,

The control unit 240 and the voice recognition module may determine whether the call word is included in the voice signal based on the call word determination algorithm.

On the other hand, simple voice recognition may be performed by the air conditioner 1, and high-level voice recognition such as natural language processing may be performed by a voice recognition server system.

For example, when a wake up voice signal including a preset call word is received, the air conditioner 1 may be switched to a state for receiving a voice command. In this case, the air conditioner 1 may only perform a voice recognition process up to whether or not the call word is inputted, and subsequent voice recognition for the user's voice input may be performed through the voice recognition server system.

Since system resources of the air conditioner 1 are limited, complex natural language recognition and processing may be performed through a voice recognition server system.

Alternatively, the determination of whether a call word is inputted may be performed dually in the air conditioner 1 and the voice recognition server system. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce erroneous recognition of the calling word voice input determination and increase the recognition rate.

Limited data may be stored in the memory 250 . For example, data for recognizing a wake-up voice signal including a preset call word may be stored in the memory 250 . In this case, the controller 240 may recognize a wake up voice signal including a preset call word from the user's voice input signal received through the audio input unit 220 .

Meanwhile, the call word may be set by the manufacturer. For example, "LG Whisen" may be set as the calling word. In addition, the setting of the call word can be changed by the user.

The controller 240 may control to transmit a user's voice command input after recognition of a wake up voice signal to the voice recognition server system through the communication unit 270 .

The communication unit 270 may include one or more communication modules, perform wireless communication with other electronic devices according to a predetermined communication method, and transmit/receive various signals.

Here, the predetermined communication method may be a Wi-Fi communication method. Correspondingly, the communication module provided in the air conditioner 1 may be a Wi-Fi communication module, but the present invention is not limited to the communication method.

Alternatively, the air conditioner 1 may include different types of communication modules or a plurality of communication modules. For example, the air conditioner 1 may include an NFC module, a Zigbee communication module, a Bluetooth™ communication module, and the like.

The air conditioner 1 can be connected to a server included in the voice recognition server system or an external predetermined server, a user's mobile terminal, etc. through a Wi-Fi communication module, etc., and provides smart functions such as remote monitoring and remote control. can support

The user may check information about the air conditioner 1 or control the air conditioner 1 through the portable terminal.

Also, the communication unit 270 may communicate with an access point (AP) device and communicate with other devices by accessing a wireless Internet network through the access point device.

In addition, the control unit 240 may transmit the state information of the air conditioner 1, the user's voice command, etc. to the voice recognition server system, etc. through the communication unit 270 .

Meanwhile, when a control signal is received through the communication unit 270 , the control unit 240 may control the air conditioner 1 to operate according to the received control signal.

The display 292 may display information corresponding to a user's command input, a processing result corresponding to the 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 292 may be configured as a touch screen by forming a layer structure with the touch pad. In this case, the display 292 may be used as an input device capable of inputting information by a user's touch in addition to an output device.

In addition, the audio output unit 291, according to the control of the control unit 240, a notification message such as a warning sound, an operation mode, an operation state, an error state, information corresponding to the user's command input, processing corresponding to the user's command input Results can be output as audio.

Meanwhile, the audio output unit 291 may convert the electrical signal from the control unit 240 into an audio signal and output it. For this, a speaker or the like may be provided.

The control unit 240 controls the audio output unit 291 and the display 292 to provide predetermined information to the user through visual/auditory means in response to each step of the voice recognition process and the air conditioner 1 control process. can

The driving unit 280 controls the amount of air discharged into the room by controlling the rotation of the motor connected to the indoor fan. In addition, the driving unit 280 controls the operation of the heat exchanger so that the refrigerant supplied to the heat exchanger is evaporated or condensed to exchange heat with the surrounding air.

The driving unit 280 is a device for adjusting the direction of the air discharged into the room in response to the control command of the control unit 240 , and allows the air discharged when the discharge port is opened to change up, down, left and right.

The driving unit 280 may include a vane driving unit for driving a vane under the control of the controller 240 , a fan driving unit for driving a fan, and the like.

Meanwhile, the driving unit 280 may include a motor driving unit, and may include an inverter or the like to drive the motor.

Meanwhile, the air conditioner 1 may further include a manipulation unit 230 for user input and a camera 210 capable of photographing a predetermined range around the air conditioner 1 .

The manipulation unit 230 may include a plurality of manipulation buttons to transmit a signal corresponding to the input button to the control unit 240 .

The camera 210 is to photograph the surroundings of the air conditioner 1, the external environment, etc., and several such cameras may be installed for each part for photographing efficiency.

For example, the camera 210 includes at least one optical lens and an image sensor (for example, CMOS image sensor) and a digital signal processor (DSP) configured to form an image based on signals output from the photodiodes. The digital signal processor may generate a still image as well as a moving picture composed of frames composed of still images.

Meanwhile, an image obtained by photographing by the camera 210 may be stored in the memory 250 .

The air conditioner 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a sensor unit 215 including one or more sensors.

For example, the sensor unit 215 may include one or more temperature sensors for sensing indoor and outdoor temperature, a humidity sensor for sensing humidity, a dust sensor for sensing air quality, and the like.

Also, the controller 240 may control the operation of the air conditioner 1 based on the data sensed by the sensor unit 215 .

15 is a view showing another example of an internal block diagram of the air conditioner 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 15 , the air conditioner 1 includes a camera 210 , a sensor unit 215 for sensing various data, an audio input unit 220 for receiving a user's voice command, a manipulation unit 230 , and various data A memory 250 for storing, a communication unit 270 for wireless communication with other electronic devices, a driving unit 280 for performing an operation implemented in the air conditioner 1, a display 292 for displaying predetermined information as an image, It may include an audio output unit 291 for outputting predetermined information as audio, and a controller 240 and a processor 260 for controlling overall operations.

An internal block diagram of the air conditioner 1 of FIG. 15 is similar to FIG. 14 , but a processor 260 is further provided, and an audio input unit 220 , an audio output unit 291 , a communication unit 270 , and a camera ( 210 ) and the processor 260 are provided in one single module, the voice recognition module 205 .

Also, the voice recognition module 205 may be the voice recognition module 60 described with reference to FIG. 9 .

According to an embodiment, the voice recognition module 205 may include a communication unit 270 and a processor 260 , and the audio input unit 220 and the audio output unit 291 are separate integrated modules. can be configured.

For example, the voice recognition module 205 may be the voice recognition module 60 described with reference to FIG. 9 , and the integrated module including the audio input unit 220 and the audio output unit 291 includes, It may be the integrated module 80 described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12 . In this case, the audio input unit 220 may include a microphone 81 , and the audio output unit 291 may include a speaker 82 .

Meanwhile, the processor 260 may control the audio input unit 220 , the audio output unit 291 , the communication unit 270 , the camera 210 , and the like.

Hereinafter, the difference from FIG. 14 will be mainly described.

The processor 260 may process a user's voice input signal received through the audio input unit 220 and perform a voice recognition process.

For example, when a wake up voice signal including a preset call word is received, the processor 260 may be switched to a state for receiving a voice command. In this case, the processor 260 may only perform a voice recognition process up to whether or not the calling word is inputted, and subsequent voice recognition for the user's voice input may be performed through the voice recognition server system.

The processor 260 may control a user's voice command input after recognition of a wake up voice signal to be transmitted to the voice recognition server system through the communication unit 270 .

In addition, the processor 260 may transmit state information of the air conditioner 1, a user's voice command, and the like, to a voice recognition server system or the like through the communication unit 270 .

Meanwhile, when a control signal is received through the communication unit 270 , the processor 260 transmits the control signal to the control unit 240 , and the control unit 240 operates the air conditioner 1 to operate according to the received control signal. can be controlled

As a result, through the voice recognition module 205 , it is possible to obtain voice data, communicate with the server system 100 , and output a corresponding sound.

Meanwhile, the voice recognition module 205 may be attached to various electronic devices in addition to the air conditioner 1 . Alternatively, it may be used as a separate device without being attached to another electronic device.

The air conditioner 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may receive a user's voice input, and the voice recognition server system may control the air conditioner 1 by recognizing and analyzing the user's voice input. .

Accordingly, the user can control the air conditioner 1 without operating the portable terminal or the remote control device.

Meanwhile, at least some of the servers included in the voice recognition server system may be a server operated by a home appliance manufacturing company or a sales company, or a server operated by a company entrusted with a service by the manufacturing company or the sales company.

16 shows an example of the air conditioner 1 and the voice recognition server system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 16 , the voice recognition server system according to an embodiment of the present invention receives voice data from the air conditioner 1 and analyzes the received voice data to determine a voice command. A voice server 1100 ( 1100 ) may include

The voice server 1100 may receive voice data from the air conditioner 1 , convert the received voice data into text data, and analyze the text data to determine a voice command.

Also, the voice server 1100 may transmit a signal corresponding to the determined voice command to a predetermined server.

For example, the voice recognition server system according to an embodiment of the present invention receives a signal corresponding to the determined voice command from the voice server 1100 and generates a request signal corresponding to the determined voice command. The cooperative service server 1120 and the home appliance control server 1130 for transmitting a control signal based on a request signal received from the cooperative service server 1120 to the air conditioner 1 may include.

The air conditioner 1 may receive a voice command input uttered by a user and transmit voice data based on the received voice command input to the voice server 1100 .

The voice server 1100 receives voice data from the air conditioner 1 and converts the received voice data into text data. An Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) server 1111, the Natural language for receiving the text data from the automatic voice recognition server 1111, analyzing the received text data to determine a voice command, and transmitting a response signal based on the determined voice command to the air conditioner 1 Receives a signal including text corresponding to the response signal from a Natural Language Processing (NLP) server 1112 and the air conditioner 1 , and converts text included in the received signal into voice data and a text-to-speech (TTS) server 1113 for transmitting to the air conditioner 1 .

The automatic voice recognition server 1111 may perform voice recognition on the voice data received from the air conditioner 1 to generate text data and transmit it to the natural language processing server 1112 .

The natural language processing server 1112 may analyze the text data received from the automatic speech recognition server 1111 according to a natural language processing algorithm to determine a voice command.

The natural language processing server 1112 may process a natural language, which is a language used by humans on a daily basis, according to a natural language processing algorithm, and may analyze a user's intent. The natural language processing server 1112 may perform natural language processing on the text data received from the automatic speech recognition server 1111 to determine a voice command that meets the user's intention.

Accordingly, the natural language processing server 1112 may determine a voice command that meets the user's intention even if the user inputs a voice command in a language used in daily life.

The natural language processing server 1112 may transmit a signal corresponding to the natural language processing result, that is, a signal corresponding to the determined voice command to the linked service server 1120 .

The linked service server 1120 may receive a signal corresponding to the determined voice command from the natural language processing server 1112 .

If the determined voice command is related to the air conditioner 1, the linked service server 1120 may communicate with the home appliance control server 1130 to perform a corresponding operation.

Alternatively, if the determined voice command is not related to the air conditioner 1, the linked service server 1120 may communicate with an external external service 1121 to perform a corresponding operation.

For example, if the determined voice command is a command for requesting information such as weather, stocks, news, etc., the linked service server 1120 may request and receive the information from a server that provides a service corresponding to the requested information. can

In addition, the linked service server 1120 may transmit the received information to the voice server 1100 , and the natural language processing server 1112 may transmit the received information to the air conditioner 1 .

When the determined voice command relates to the air conditioner 1 , the linked service server 1120 may generate a request signal corresponding to the determined voice command and transmit it to the home appliance control server 1130 .

The home appliance control server 1130 may transmit a control signal based on a request signal received from the linked service server 1120 to the air conditioner 1 .

For example, when a request for changing the set temperature of the air conditioner 1 is received, the home appliance control server 1130 may transmit a control signal for changing the set temperature to the air conditioner 1 .

Meanwhile, the air conditioner 1 may perform a corresponding operation according to a control signal received from the home appliance control server 1130 .

In addition, the air conditioner 1 may transmit a signal indicating that the operation has been performed after performing the requested operation to the home appliance control server 1130 .

In addition, the home appliance control server 1130 receives a response signal to the control signal from the air conditioner 1, and transmits processing result information corresponding to the response signal to the linked service server 1120. can

The voice server 1100 may transmit a response signal including the processing result information to the air conditioner 1 .

In addition, the voice server 1100 receives a signal including an output text text corresponding to the processing result information from the air conditioner 1, converts the received output text text into voice data, It can be transmitted to the conditioner (1).

In this case, the response signal based on the determined voice command transmitted from the natural language processing server 1112 to the air conditioner 1 may include the processing result information.

Meanwhile, the air conditioner 1 may receive a response signal based on the determined voice command from the natural language processing server 1112 . Here, the response signal may include text data of a response corresponding to the determined voice command.

For example, when the user inputs a voice command for changing the set temperature of the air conditioner, the response signal may include text data indicating that the set temperature has been changed.

Meanwhile, the air conditioner 1 may transmit a signal including text corresponding to the received response signal to the text-to-speech conversion server 1113 . Here, the signal including the text corresponding to the response signal may include the output phrase text corresponding to the processing result information.

Meanwhile, the text-to-speech server 1113 may convert text included in the received signal into voice data and transmit it to the air conditioner 1 . Here, the converted voice data may include a sound source file.

The air conditioner 1 may output a voice guidance message based on voice data received through a speaker.

On the other hand, the linked service server 1120 requests the status information of the air conditioner 1 to the home appliance control server 1130 based on a signal corresponding to the determined voice command, and the home appliance control server ( 1130 , the state information of the air conditioner 1 may be transmitted to the linked service server 1120 . When the state information of the air conditioner 1 is not secured, the home appliance control server 1130 may request and receive the state information from the air conditioner 1 .

On the other hand, the linked service server 1120, if it is possible to support the voice command determined based on the state information of the air conditioner 1, the home appliance control server 1130 to the determined voice command A corresponding request signal may be transmitted.

Alternatively, the linked service server 1120 is, when it is impossible to support the voice command determined based on the state information of the air conditioner 1, the natural language processing server 1112 is not supported in the current state. It can transmit a signal indicating that it is a function.

Even in this case, the air conditioner 1 may request and receive voice data from the text-to-speech server 1113 and output a voice guidance message indicating that the function is not supported in the current state.

According to an embodiment, the voice server 1100 may determine whether the determined voice command can be supported. For example, the natural language processing server 1112 analyzing the intention of the user's voice command may determine whether the determined voice command can be supported.

In this case, when the determined voice command includes a command that cannot be supported, the response signal based on the determined voice command transmitted by the natural language processing server 1112 is that the determined voice command is the air conditioner. (1) may be a signal indicating that the function is not supported.

The voice server 1100 and the voice recognition server system including the same according to an embodiment of the present invention can be used by organically connecting servers that play various roles for natural language voice processing.

The air conditioner 1 may perform operations up to reception and pre-processing of a voice command, and transmission to a server, and the voice server 1100 may perform natural language processing such as voice/text conversion, intention analysis, and command identification.

Since the voice server 1100 performs natural language processing, it is possible to reduce the load on the CPU and memory of the embedded module inside the home appliance.

Meanwhile, the linked service server 1120 may communicate with the external service and home appliance control server 1130 to perform an operation based on a user's voice command.

Meanwhile, the air conditioner 1 may receive voice data including a sound source file from the voice server 1100 and output a voice guidance message as audio, thereby responding to the user's voice input with auditory feedback.

The air conditioner 1 may receive a voice file from the voice server 1100 as streaming and reproduce and output a voice guidance message to the user. Accordingly, the air conditioner 1 does not need to store various sound source files.

Meanwhile, through the linked service server 1120, it is possible to link with various external services without colliding with other servers. In addition, it is possible to increase the success rate of intention analysis by reflecting external information during intention analysis through an external service interworking server.

The voice recognition server system according to an embodiment of the present invention secures compatibility and connectivity through a plurality of servers, and the final control command utilizes the home appliance control server 1130, so that the voice recognition process and the home appliance control server 1130 are used. ), it is possible to prevent a collision between controlling home appliances using Wi-Fi communication and a collision between controlling home appliances through a mobile terminal and controlling home appliances by voice input through the air conditioner 1 .

The voice recognition server system according to an embodiment of the present invention can reduce the load on a specific server depending on one server through an organic connection between the servers, and the role of each server is different, so there is a problem in the specific server When there is a problem, it is possible to easily respond by linking with other servers that play the same role.

In addition, a plurality of servers can be independently updated frequently, which is advantageous for performance improvement.

17 is an example of a voice recognition server system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The voice recognition server system illustrated in FIG. 17 improves the process in which the voice recognition server system illustrated in FIG. 16 transmits voice data for outputting a voice guidance message to the air conditioner 1 to improve the voice control response time. will be.

Accordingly, the voice recognition server system illustrated in FIGS. 16 and 17 may perform substantially the same operations except for the above differences, and the same parts will be briefly described below.

Referring to FIG. 17 , the voice recognition server system according to an embodiment of the present invention receives voice data from the air conditioner 1 and analyzes the received voice data to determine a voice command voice server 1100 may include

In addition, the voice recognition server system according to an embodiment of the present invention receives a signal corresponding to the determined voice command from the voice server 1100, and generates a request signal corresponding to the determined voice command. It may further include a home appliance control server 1130 that transmits a control signal based on a request signal received from the service server 1120 and the linked service server 1120 to the air conditioner 1 .

In the voice recognition server system illustrated in FIG. 17 , the voice server 1100 transmits voice data including processing result information based on the voice command to the air conditioner 1 without a request from the air conditioner 1 . can be sent to

The voice server 1100 includes an automatic voice recognition server 1111 that receives voice data from the air conditioner 1 and converts the received voice data into text data, the automatic voice recognition server 1111 A natural language processing server 1112 that receives the text data from and analyzes the received text data to determine a voice command, and the air conditioner 1 by converting a response signal based on the voice command into voice data It may include a text-to-speech server 1113 to transmit to.

Also in this embodiment, the home appliance control server 1130 receives a response signal to the control signal from the air conditioner 1, and transmits processing result information corresponding to the response signal to the linked service server 1120 can be sent to

The linked service server 1120 may transmit the processing result information to the voice server 1100 , more specifically, the natural language processing server 1112 .

In this case, the voice data transmitted by the text-to-speech server 1113 to the air conditioner 1 may include the processing result information.

In addition, the linked service server 1120 requests the status information of the air conditioner 1 to the home appliance control server based on a signal corresponding to the determined voice command, and the home appliance control server The state information of the harmonizer 1 may be transmitted to the linked service server 1120 .

In addition, the linked service server 1120 responds to the determined voice command with the home appliance control server 1130 when support of the determined voice command is possible based on the state information of the air conditioner 1 . A corresponding request signal may be transmitted.

Alternatively, when the linked service server 1120 cannot support the voice command determined based on the state information of the air conditioner 1, the function not supported in the current state as the voice server 1100 It can transmit a signal indicating that

For example, the linked service server 1120 may transmit a signal indicating that the function is not supported in the current state to the natural language processing server 1112 .

In addition, the natural language processing server 1112 transmits a signal notifying that the function is not supported in the current state to the text-to-speech conversion server 1113, and the text-to-speech server 1113 generates corresponding voice data It can transmit to the harmonizer 1 .

The air conditioner 1 may receive voice data from the text-to-speech server 1113 and output a voice guidance message indicating that the function is not supported in the current state.

According to an embodiment, the voice server 1100 may determine whether the determined voice command can be supported. For example, the natural language processing server 1112 analyzing the intention of the user's voice command may determine whether the determined voice command can be supported.

In this case, when the determined voice command includes a command that cannot be supported, the response signal based on the determined voice command transmitted by the natural language processing server 1112 is that the determined voice command is the air conditioner. (1) may be a signal indicating that the function is not supported.

After the air conditioner 1 operates, when a text-to-speech conversion server 1113 for voice guidance finally requests a guide for the corresponding operation, a time difference may occur between the operation and the guide.

However, according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the intention analysis is completed and the operation request is transmitted from the natural language processing server 1112 , information may be provided to the text-to-speech conversion server 1113 at the same time.

In addition, it is possible to provide a guide from the text-to-speech server 1113 to the air conditioner 1 according to the time when the home appliance control server 1130 gives a control command to the air conditioner 1 .

Accordingly, the guidance message may be ignited simultaneously with or immediately after the operation of the air conditioner 1 .

According to this embodiment, by directly connecting the natural language processing server 1112 and the text-to-speech server 1113, it is possible to minimize the time difference between the control command and the announcement through the home appliance control server 1130.

Meanwhile, according to one side of the present invention, unlike FIGS. 16 and 17 , the automatic voice recognition server 1111 , the natural language processing server 1112 , and the text-to-speech server 1113 for voice recognition and processing are integrated into one It can be configured as a server.

In addition, depending on the embodiment, the linked service server 1120 and the home appliance control server 1130 may be configured as one integrated server.

According to the present invention, since the air conditioner 1 operates according to a voice input, the user does not need to operate a remote control device such as a remote control, a portable terminal, etc., and thus user convenience can be increased.

In addition, as described with reference to FIGS. 16 and 17, the present invention uses a plurality of servers to recognize a user's natural language voice command and perform a corresponding control operation, thereby providing a home appliance and system resource of each server. It can recognize and process natural language efficiently without limitation.

According to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to minimize noise during voice recognition.

In addition, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to provide an air conditioner controlled according to a user's voice command and an operating method thereof.

Also, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, accuracy of voice recognition may be improved by reducing noise.

In addition, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, by optimizing the connection structure of the microphone and the microphone hole, and the microphone and the voice recognition module, it is possible to prevent interference between the mechanical structure and the connection line, and to reduce the manufacturing cost.

In the voice server, voice recognition server system and air conditioner 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the configuration and method of the embodiments described above are not limitedly applicable, but the embodiments are variously modified. All or part of each of the embodiments may be selectively combined and configured to achieve this.

Meanwhile, the operation method of the voice server, the voice recognition server system, and the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention can be implemented as processor-readable codes on a processor-readable recording medium. The processor-readable recording medium includes all types of recording devices in which data readable by the processor is stored. Examples of the processor-readable recording medium include ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, optical data storage device, etc., and also includes those implemented in the form of carrier waves such as transmission over the Internet. . In addition, the processor-readable recording medium is distributed in a computer system connected to a network, so that the processor-readable code can be stored and executed in a distributed manner.

In addition, although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described above, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and the technical field to which the present invention belongs without departing from the gist of the present invention as claimed in the claims In addition, various modifications are possible by those of ordinary skill in the art, and these modifications should not be individually understood from the technical spirit or perspective of the present invention.

1: Air conditioner
2,3: discharge unit
4: casing
5: blower
6: Discharge unit holder
10A: display assembly
10B: Center panel assembly
11: base assembly
60: speech recognition module
75: microphone hall
81: microphone
82: speaker

Claims (10)

a pair of discharging units;
Located between the pair of discharging units, one side facing the outer circumferential surface of any one of the pair of discharging units, the other side facing the outer circumferential surface of the other of the pair of discharging units display assembly;
a center panel assembly positioned on a lower front side of the display assembly and having a pair of microphone holes formed therein; and
a pair of microphones disposed on the inner surface of the center panel assembly; and
a speaker outputting an audio signal;
Further comprising; a voice recognition module for receiving data corresponding to the voice input received from the microphone;
The voice recognition module is connected to the microphone by wire,
The microphone and the speaker are composed of an integrated module,
The integrated module is an air conditioner including the microphone, the speaker, a material member, and a case.
delete delete According to claim 1,
The microphone is attached to an inner surface of the center panel assembly and is in contact with the microphone hole. delete According to claim 1,
The air conditioner further comprising a; base assembly on which the voice recognition module is mounted. According to claim 1,
The voice recognition module,
and a processor for processing data corresponding to the voice input received from the microphone, and a communication unit for transmitting the data processed by the processor to a voice recognition server system.
delete According to claim 1,
The microphone hole is formed between a central point and a lowermost end of the center panel assembly in the longitudinal direction. According to claim 1,
It further includes; a blower located on the lower side of the pair of discharge units, and blows air to the pair of discharge units,
The microphone hole is an air conditioner, characterized in that formed to be spaced a predetermined distance downward from the bottom end of the blower.

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