KR20080048866A - Air conditioner and method of controlling airflow having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

An air conditioner and a method for controlling airflow of the same are provided to improve energy efficiency by forming a user detecting unit and an airflow control unit. An air conditioner comprises a main body(110), a user detecting unit(120) positioned at the main body, and an airflow control unit. The airflow control unit controls airflow by receiving the detecting information of a user from the user detecting unit. The user detecting unit is a sound detecting sensor, an ultrasonic wave sensor, and plural cameras. The plural cameras include a first camera(121), and a second camera(123) separated from the first camera at a predetermined interval. The airflow control unit consists of an operation part for calculating an optimal controlling module according to the detecting information, and a driving part. The driving part adjusts the number of rotation in a fan motor installed at the main body according to the optimal controlling module, an angle of a rubber, an angle of a guide, or a comp driving part.

Description

Air conditioner and its airflow control method {AIR CONDITIONER AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING AIRFLOW HAVING THE SAME}

1 is a view in which a general air conditioner is disposed in a room where a guest is present to discharge airflow;

FIG. 2 is a view illustrating an air conditioner having a room occupant recognition unit according to an embodiment of the present invention disposed in a room where a room occupant exists to discharge airflow according to information of a room occupant;

3 is a perspective view showing the air conditioner of FIG.

4 is a front view showing the air conditioner of FIG.

5 is a view showing an extract of the first camera, the second camera, the airflow control means of FIG.

6 to 8 are views for explaining the principle of obtaining three-dimensional image information in stereo vision from the first camera, the second camera of FIG.

9 and 10 are flowcharts illustrating a method of controlling the airflow of the air conditioner of FIG. 2.

<Explanation of symbols on main parts of the drawings>

10, 100: air conditioner 110: main body

120: means for recognizing occupants 121: first camera

123: second camera 130: air flow control means

131: calculator 133: driver

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air conditioner, and more particularly, to an air conditioner and an airflow control method thereof for controlling airflow by receiving cognitive information of an occupant.

In general, an air conditioner is a device that cools or heats a room by using an air conditioning cycle of a refrigerant consisting of a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, and an evaporator in order to create a more comfortable indoor environment.

Such a general air conditioner controls the airflow regardless of the occupant's cognitive information, that is, the number of occupants, the number of occupants, or the position and distance of the occupants. Here, the airflow control refers to a manual or automatic adjustment of factors such as wind speed, air volume, temperature, humidity, and direction of the air discharged by the air conditioner. In other words, the factors are adjusted according to the temperature and humidity set by the occupants, or the air conditioners themselves calculate the optimal comfort index felt by the occupants without setting the occupants.

1 is a view in which a general air conditioner is disposed in a room where a living room exists to discharge airflow. The arrow indicates the flow of air discharged from the air conditioner, that is, the air flow. The thickness of the arrow indicates the velocity and amount of air. In FIG. 1, the two arrows have the same thickness. That is, the speed and amount of air are the same.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is one occupant in the indoor area A and four occupants in the indoor area B. In this case, the temperature of the indoor area B is relatively higher than the indoor area A due to the body temperature of the occupants, so in summer, more cold air should be provided to the indoor area B than the indoor area A. In addition, since the indoor area B is farther from the air conditioner 10 than the indoor area A, the cold air should be blown harder to the indoor area B. On the contrary, in winter, the temperature of the indoor area B is higher than that of the indoor area A due to the temperature of the occupants, so that more warm air is provided to the indoor area A than the indoor area B.

However, the general air conditioner 10 described above provides airflow at the same speed and quantity to the indoor areas A and B unilaterally in the direction of the arrow, regardless of whether the occupants are occupant, the number of occupants, or the position and distance of the occupants. Discharge. Of course, the general air conditioner 10 can also control the speed of the air flow to strong, medium, and weak, and the amount of air flow can be adjusted to a large amount and a small amount, but the airflow is the same speed and amount in the indoor areas A and B It must be discharged.

Therefore, the factors such as the wind speed, air volume, temperature, humidity, direction of the air flow can not be properly adjusted according to the cognitive information, and the satisfaction of the cooling and heating felt by the occupants is lowered.

In addition, since the factors such as wind speed, air volume, temperature, humidity, and direction of the discharged air are not properly adjusted, the air is unilaterally discharged, thus reducing the energy efficiency of the air conditioner. there was.

An object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner capable of controlling the airflow according to the cognitive information of the occupant. In addition, another object of the present invention is to provide an airflow control method for an air conditioner for controlling airflow according to cognitive information of a occupant.

Air conditioner according to the present invention for achieving the above object; Resident recognizing means installed in the main body; And airflow control means for controlling the airflow by receiving recognition information of the occupants from the occupant recognition means.

Here, the occupant recognition means is preferably any one of a voice recognition sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a plurality of cameras.

Here, the air flow control means, the calculation unit for calculating the optimal comfort index (PMV) according to the acquired recognition information; And a driving unit for adjusting the rotational speed of the fan motor or the angle of the louver or the angle of the guide or the comp driving unit according to the optimum comfort index.

In addition, the object is an operation mode selection step; Receiving cognitive information of the occupants; And controlling the airflow according to the acquired recognition information.

Here, the step of receiving recognition information of the occupant may include receiving a signal from a pair of cameras; And a stereo vision step of acquiring position and distance information of the occupant from the signal.

The controlling the airflow may include calculating an optimum comfort index; And adjusting the rotational speed of the fan motor or the angle of the louver or the angle of the guide or the comp driving unit according to the optimum comfort index.

Hereinafter, an air conditioner and an airflow control method thereof according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 2 is a view illustrating an air conditioner having an occupant recognition unit according to an embodiment of the present invention disposed in a room where an occupant is present to discharge airflow according to recognition information of an occupant, and FIG. 3 is an air conditioner of FIG. 4 is a front view showing the air conditioner of FIG. 2, and FIG. 5 is a view showing an extract of the first camera, the second camera, and the airflow control means of FIG.

Referring to FIG. 2, the air conditioner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention appropriately adjusts the airflow according to the recognition information of the occupants, that is, the number or position or distance of the occupants. That is, in the summer season, four occupants are present to blow the cold air more strongly in the zone B, which is relatively high in temperature, and weakly blow the cold air to the A zone in which one occupant is present. Here, the arrow of FIG. 2 indicates the flow of air discharged from the air conditioner, that is, the air flow, and the thickness of the arrow indicates the speed and amount of air. That is, the speed and amount of cold air blowing into the area A where four occupants are present is greater than the speed and amount of cold air blowing into the area B where one occupant exists.

3 to 5, the air conditioner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention in order for the air conditioner 100 to properly adjust the airflow according to the recognition information of the occupant. ; Re-patient recognition means 120 installed in the main body 110; And airflow control means 130 which receives the recognition information of the occupants from the occupant recognition means 120 and controls the airflow.

An inlet 111 is formed on the lower front surface of the main body 110, and an outlet 112 through which air is discharged is formed on the upper front surface of the main body 110. The discharge port 112 is provided with a louver 113 that can adjust the opening and closing of the discharge port 112 and the wind direction of the air flow up and down. In addition, an inside of the discharge port 112 is provided with a separate guide (not shown) that can adjust the wind direction of the air flow in the left and right directions. An operation panel 115 for operating the air conditioner 100 is installed at the center of the front surface of the main body 110.

A fan motor (not shown) is installed inside the main body 110 to adjust the amount and speed of airflow discharged through the discharge port 112. In addition, an air conditioning cycle (not shown) including a compressor, a condenser, an expansion mechanism, and an evaporator is provided. Of course, such an air conditioning cycle, the installation position may vary depending on whether the type of the air conditioner is separate or integrated. That is, the separate type installs the indoor unit of cooling / heating function on the indoor side and the outdoor unit of heat dissipation / cooling and compression function on the outdoor side and connects the two separated devices by refrigerant pipe, and the integrated type functions the cooling heat dissipation compression. Integrate. This embodiment is an example of an integrated type air conditioner, in which case the air conditioning cycle (not shown) are all installed in the main body 110.

The occupant recognition means 120 collects occupant recognition information such as whether there are occupants, the number of occupants, the location and distance of the occupants. The occupant recognition unit 120 may be a voice recognition sensor or an ultrasonic sensor or a plurality of cameras. Of course, if the cognitive information of the occupants can be collected in addition, any of the occupants cognition means 120 may be used.

The voice recognition sensor converts the voice of the occupant into an electrical signal, and determines whether the occupant is present, the number of occupants, the position and distance of the occupant from the converted electrical signal. On the other hand, the ultrasonic sensor detects the presence of the occupants, the number of occupants, the position and distance of the occupants from the reflected ultrasonic waves.

In this embodiment, a plurality of cameras are used as the occupant recognition means 120.

4 and 5, the occupant recognition unit 120 includes a first camera 121 and a second camera 123 spaced apart from the first camera 121 by a predetermined distance (L).

The first camera 121 and the second camera 123 are installed in front of the main body 110 to secure a wide field of view. In addition, in order to secure a wide field of view, the first camera 121 and the second camera 123 are disposed symmetrically with respect to the center line V of the main body 110. Here, the lens of the first camera 121 and the second camera 123 is preferably used a fisheye lens that can put the subject of the entire hemisphere in one circle in order to secure a wide field of view. In addition, on the basis of two independent image information obtained from the first camera 121 and the second camera 123, the first camera 121 and the second camera ( 123 lies in a straight line on the horizontal line (H).

Stereo vision is a process of reconstructing two two-dimensional images in three dimensions. It is a method of generating a three-dimensional model in consideration of the fact that the human eye uses the visual difference between both eyes when recognizing the depth of the object. From the left and right input images, the predicted variation, which is matching information between two images, is extracted, and a part of the model to be generated is extracted. The final three-dimensional model is generated by assigning the variation information predicted to the extracted feature as the depth information. In general, the geometric model of a camera in stereo vision has a structure in which two cameras look at a single object and show various shapes depending on the application. When two two-dimensional images are reconstructed in three dimensions by stereo vision, the position and distance of the occupants can be accurately known, and thus more accurate recognition of the occupants can be obtained.

Hereinafter, the principle of acquiring three-dimensional image information from the first camera 121 and the second camera 123 by stereo vision will be described. The stereo vision step may include a correction step of determining positions of each of the first camera 121 and the second camera 123; And obtaining three-dimensional image information based on two independent image information obtained from the first camera 121 and the second camera.

6 to 8 are diagrams for explaining a principle of obtaining 3D image information in stereo vision from the first and second cameras of FIG. 3, and FIGS. 9 and 10 are air flow control of the air conditioner of FIG. 2. Flow charts showing the method.

6 and 7, the first camera 121 and the second camera 123 incline and view the subject p at a predetermined angle θ. Here, p1 is a subject p formed on the CCD of the first camera 121, and p2 is a subject p formed on the CCD of the second camera 123. XYZ represents the world coordinate system and O represents the origin of the world coordinate system. xyz represents the relative coordinate system of the first camera 121 and the second camera 123, O1 represents the center of the first camera 121, O2 represents the center of the second camera 123, respectively.

The position of the first camera 121 can be obtained as a position vector from the zero point of the absolute coordinate system to the center 01 of the first camera 121, and the position of the second camera 123 is from the zero point of the absolute coordinate system. Each can be obtained as a position vector up to the center 02 of the second camera 123. By doing so, the correction step of determining the positions of the first camera 121 and the second camera 123 is completed.

Next, referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the image information of the subject p1 formed on the CCD of the first camera 121 is obtained based on the origin 01 of the relative coordinate system, and the CCD of the second camera 123 is obtained. The image information of the bound object p2 is obtained based on the origin 02 of the relative coordinate system. That is, the subject p1 and the subject p2 are represented by dots as many as the number of pixels of the CCD, and the coordinates of each of these dots are obtained based on the origin 01 and 02 of the relative coordinate system, and thus the subject p1. And independent image information of each of the subjects p2 are obtained.

Using the method of edge or vertex detection, which is image processing, or cross-correlation or generic algorithm, two independent image information of the subject (p1) and the subject (p2) thus obtained are obtained. 3D image information of the final object p is obtained using a method such as a fuzzy algorithm.

Through the three-dimensional image information obtained in this way it is possible to determine the cognitive information of the occupants, that is, whether there are occupants, the number of occupants, the location and distance of the occupants.

Referring to FIG. 5, the airflow control unit 130 controls the airflow according to the occupant recognition information obtained as described above, and for this purpose, the airflow control unit 130 calculates an optimal comfort index. ; And a driving unit 133 for adjusting the rotation speed of the fan motor (not shown), the up and down rotation of the louver 113, the left and right rotation of the guide (not shown), and the comp driving unit according to the optimum comfort index. Include. The air flow control means 130 may be configured as a separate dedicated microcomputer, or may be integrated into the control unit of the air conditioner (100).

Hereinafter, the airflow control method of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

9 and 10 are flowcharts illustrating a air flow control method of the air conditioner of FIG. 2.

2, 5, 9 and 10, the airflow control method of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an operation mode selection step (S10); Receiving recognition information of the occupants (S20); And controlling the airflow according to the acquired recognition information (S30).

The operation mode selection step (S10) is a step in which the occupant sets the operation of the air conditioner 100 to the manual mode or the automatic mode by a button or a voice.

That is, in the manual mode, airflow can be unilaterally controlled according to the taste of the occupants regardless of the presence of the occupants, the number of occupants, the position and distance of the occupants. Alternatively, the acquired acknowledgment information of the occupants is automatically received, and accordingly, the airflow can be controlled according to the tastes of the occupants. Of course, various other algorithms can be considered.

On the other hand, in the automatic mode, the air conditioner 100 automatically adjusts factors such as wind speed, air volume, temperature, humidity, and direction by calculating the optimal comfort index according to the cognitive information of the occupants. do.

Receiving the recognition information of the occupant (S20) may include receiving a signal from a pair of cameras (121, 123) (S21); And a stereo vision step (S23) of acquiring cognitive information of the occupants, such as whether there are occupants, the number of occupants, the position and distance information of the occupants, from the signal.

The presence of one occupant in the indoor area A and the four occupants in the indoor area B are transmitted from the cameras 121 and 123 to the calculation unit 131 of the airflow control means 130 in a signal form. The calculating unit 131 calculates the presence of the occupants, the number of the occupants, the position and distance of the occupants using the stereo vision. In addition, the calculation unit 131 calculates the optimum comfort index from the calculated position and distance of the occupants.

The stereo vision step (S23), a correction step (S23a) for determining the position of the cameras (121, 123); And obtaining three-dimensional image information based on two independent image information obtained from the cameras 121 and 123 (S23b). Detailed description thereof is as described above and will be omitted.

The controlling the air flow (S30) may include calculating an optimal comfort index (S31); And adjusting the rotation speed of the fan motor (not shown), the angle of the louver 113, the angle of the guide (not shown), or the comp driving part (not shown) according to the optimum comfort index (S33). .

When the temperature of the indoor zone B is relatively higher than the indoor zone A due to the temperature of the occupants, and in summer, more cold air should be provided to the indoor zone B than the indoor zone A. In addition, since the indoor area B is farther from the air conditioner 100 than the indoor area A, the cold air should be blown harder to the indoor area B.

Therefore, the driving unit 133 adjusts the angle of the louver 113 upward so that the cool air falls from the top to the bottom, and adjusts the angle of the guide (not shown) to the room area B direction, and the fan motor (not shown). Increase the number of revolutions to allow more cold air to be provided to room zone B. On the contrary, in winter, the temperature of the indoor area B becomes higher than the indoor area A due to the temperature of the occupants, so that the hot air rises from the bottom up to provide more warm air to the indoor area A than the indoor area B. ), The angle of the guide downwards, the angle of the guide (not shown) is adjusted toward the interior area A, and the rotation speed of the fan motor (not shown) is increased to provide more warm air to the interior area A.

As described above, the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, the occupant recognition means for acquiring the recognition information such as the presence or absence of the occupants or the number and location of the occupants; And airflow control means capable of appropriately adjusting factors such as wind speed, air volume, temperature, humidity, direction of the air actively discharged according to the cognitive information. In addition, the airflow control method of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention proposes a control method of the airflow using the occupant recognition means and the airflow control means. Therefore, there is an effect of improving the satisfaction with the heating and cooling that the occupants feel. In addition, factors such as wind speed, air volume, temperature, humidity, and direction of the discharged air can be appropriately adjusted according to the cognitive information of the occupants so that energy is compared with general air conditioners that unilaterally discharge air without consideration of cognitive information. The efficiency is improved.

Claims (13)

main body; Resident recognizing means installed in the main body; And And airflow control means for receiving the recognition information of the occupants from the occupant recognition means to control the airflow. The method of claim 1, The occupant recognition means is an air conditioner. The method of claim 1, The occupant recognition means is an air conditioner. The method of claim 1, The occupant recognition means is a plurality of cameras. The method of claim 4, wherein the cameras, A first camera; And And a second camera spaced apart from the first camera by a predetermined distance. The method of claim 4, wherein the cameras, A first camera; And And a second camera located in line with the first camera. The air conditioner of claim 5, wherein the first camera and the second camera are symmetrically disposed with respect to a center line of the main body. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 7, The air conditioner for receiving a signal from the first camera and the second camera to determine the position and distance of the occupants in the stereo vision. The air flow control means of claim 1, A calculator for calculating an optimal comfort index according to the acquired cognitive information; And And a driving unit for adjusting the rotational speed of the fan motor or the angle of the louver or the angle of the guide or the comp driving unit according to the optimum comfort index. Selecting an operation mode; Receiving cognitive information of the occupants; And And controlling the airflow according to the acquired recognition information. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of receiving recognition information of the occupant, Receiving a signal from a pair of cameras; And And a stereo vision step of acquiring cognitive information of the occupants from the signal. The method of claim 11, wherein the stereo vision step, A correction step of determining the positions of the cameras; And And obtaining three-dimensional image information based on two independent image information obtained from the cameras. The method of claim 10, wherein controlling the airflow Calculating an optimal comfort index; And And adjusting the rotational speed of the fan motor or the angle of the louver or the angle of the guide or the comp driving unit according to the optimum comfort index.

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