KR20080065128A - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

An air conditioner is provided to reduce power consumption for effective operation of a display part by controlling the luminance, color, and blinking states of a backlight unit of the display part according to control command input. An air conditioner includes a display part(2) having a liquid crystal display panel(221) and a backlight unit(222) for emitting light behind the panel, and a control part(240) for controlling the operation of the backlight unit according to input control commands. The control part controls the backlight unit to emit light with a first luminance for a predetermined period immediately after the control command input and with a second luminance after the predetermined period. The first luminance is different from the second one and higher than the same.

Description

Air Conditioner

1 is a perspective view of an air inlet and an air outlet of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention open;

2 is a front view of the air inlet and the air outlet of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention opened;

3 is an embodiment of a display unit according to the present invention;

4 is a block diagram of an air conditioner according to the present invention;

5 is a flowchart of an air conditioner according to the present invention.

The present invention relates to an air conditioner, and more particularly, to an air conditioner capable of reducing power consumption by controlling a backlight driving current of a display unit provided in the air conditioner.

Hereinafter, the problems of the air conditioner and the remote controller according to the related art will be described.

The air conditioner is used to cool the room or purify the air by using a cooling cycle consisting of a compressor, a condenser, an expansion mechanism, and an evaporator to create a more comfortable indoor environment for the user.

The separate type is to install a cooling / heat dissipation device in the indoor unit and a heat dissipation / cooling and compression device in the outdoor unit to connect the indoor unit and the outdoor unit separated by a refrigerant pipe, and the integral type is integrated into the wall of the house by integrating the function of cooling heat dissipation It was installed directly by drilling holes or hanging the device in the window.

In addition, in recent years, air conditioners can be used not only for indoor cooling but also for switching the cooling cycle to enable indoor heating throughout the four seasons, and can also be used as an air purifier.

As such, functions such as cooling, heating, and air purification are diversified, and operation modes in which the wind direction, wind speed, and air volume are set in advance are diversified, so that the ease of button operation and the control status for function control are required. to be.

In particular, the display unit is provided in the main body of the air conditioner recently to make it easy to visually check the control state, the size of the display unit is increased or the color display unit is provided, there is a problem that power consumption due to the display unit is increased.

The present invention has been proposed in order to solve the problems of the prior art as described above, and to provide an air conditioner having a liquid crystal display which can check the control state.

In addition, the display brightness can be efficiently driven by maintaining the backlight brightness of the liquid crystal display part only for a predetermined time after the control command is input and decreasing the brightness after a predetermined time elapses.

The air conditioner of the present invention for solving the above problems is provided in the exterior of the indoor unit main body, the display unit consisting of a liquid crystal panel and a backlight for emitting light from the rear of the liquid crystal panel, and controls the operation according to the input control command And a control unit, wherein the control unit causes the backlight to emit light at the first luminance for a predetermined time immediately after a control command is input, and after the predetermined time elapses, the backlight is a second luminance different from the first luminance. It is characterized in that to perform the brightness control of the backlight to emit light.

Since the first luminance is higher than the second luminance, the first luminance is displayed brightly only after the button input is detected, and the luminance is decreased after a predetermined time elapses.

The control unit turns off immediately without a response of the backlight if the input control command is an indoor unit OFF command.

The controller performs brightness control of the backlight according to a control command input only after the indoor unit is turned on.

The controller may be configured to supply a first driving current to the backlight for a predetermined time immediately after a control command is input, and to supply a second driving current less than the first driving current after the predetermined time elapses. Power consumption can be controlled.

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

1 is a perspective view of an air inlet and an air outlet of an embodiment of an air conditioner according to the present invention is opened, and FIG. 2 is a front view of the air inlet and the air outlet of an embodiment of the air conditioner according to the present invention.

1 and 2, the air conditioner according to the present embodiment, the main body 1 for air conditioning the room, numerical information such as room temperature on the outer surface of the main body 1, operation mode, reservation mode, air volume, And a display unit 2 on which graphical information on the wind speed is displayed.

The main body 1 includes an air conditioner 10 and an air conditioner 10 in which air inlets 3, 4, and air outlets 5, 6, and 7 are formed to suck the indoor air and discharge the air back into the room. It includes a front panel 20 rotatably connected to the air conditioning unit 10 to open or close part or all of the front.

The air conditioner 10 includes a base 30, a cabinet 40, an upper panel 50, and a lower panel 70 and 80, which will be described below with the stand type air conditioner as an example.

The base 30 is disposed so that the front panel 20 is placed side by side on the front side of the air conditioner 10 so that the front panel 20 does not have a large gap between the bottom of the front panel 20 and the floor surface S of the room. The stepped part 32 protrudes from the lower part of 20.

The upper panel 50 has a left air outlet 5 formed at the left side, a right air outlet 6 formed at the right side, and an upper air outlet 7 formed at the upper side thereof.

Here, the air conditioner 10 has a left air outlet 5 formed on the front left side of the upper panel 50, a right air outlet 6 formed on the front right side, and the front panel 20 has an upper panel 50. It is also possible to be arranged to open and close the center of the left, right, center of the left side, the left side air inlet (5) is formed on the left side of the upper panel 50 and the right side air outlet (6) is formed on the right side and the front panel ( 20 may be arranged to open and close the front of the upper panel 50, the left side and the right side may also be formed to be inclined.

Hereinafter, the upper panel 50 is formed with the left side and the right side inclined so that the left air outlet 6 is formed at the inclined left side and the right air outlet 7 is formed at the inclined right side, and the front panel 20 is at the top. The panel 50 will be limited to being arranged to open and close a portion between the inclined left portion and the inclined right portion.

In addition, the air conditioner 10 may have an upper air outlet 7 formed on an upper surface of the upper panel 50, and an upper air outlet 7 may be formed on an upper surface of the upper panel 50. Of course.

Hereinafter, the upper panel 50 will be described by limiting the upper air discharge port 7 formed in the upper surface portion.

On the other hand, in the upper panel 50, a left discharge port vane 51 which opens and closes the left air discharge port 5 and adjusts the wind direction of the air discharged through the left air discharge port 5 is rotatably disposed, and the left air is rotated. A left air discharge port vane motor for rotating the discharge port vane 51 is provided.

The upper panel 50 has a right discharge port vane 52 rotatably disposed to open and close the right air discharge port 6 and to adjust the wind direction of the air discharged through the right air discharge port 6, and the right air discharge vane A right air outlet vane motor for rotating 52 is provided.

The upper panel 50 has an upper discharge port vane 53 rotatably arranged to open and close the upper air discharge port 7 and to adjust the wind direction of the air discharged through the upper air discharge port 7 and the upper air discharge vane An upper air outlet vane motor for rotating the 53 is provided.

The lower panel 70, 80 is disposed between the left side of the upper panel 50 and the base 30 and the left lower panel 70 on which the left air inlet 3 is formed, and the right side of the upper panel 50. And a lower right panel 80 disposed between the base 30 and the right air inlet 4.

In the left lower panel 70, a left air inlet vane 71 for opening and closing the left air inlet 3 is rotatably disposed, and a left air inlet vane motor for rotating the left air inlet vane 71 is installed. A left filter 72 is mounted to purify the air sucked into the left air intake port 3.

In the lower right panel 80, a right air inlet vane 81 for opening and closing the right air inlet 4 is rotatably disposed, and a left air inlet vane motor for rotating the left air inlet vane 81 is installed. A right filter 82 is mounted to purify the air sucked into the air intake 4.

Meanwhile, the display unit 2 of the air conditioner illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is illustrated as a liquid crystal display unit. The liquid crystal display unit includes a panel 221 formed by filling a liquid crystal between two glass plates, and a rear portion of the panel. And a backlight 222 positioned to emit light.

That is, the molecular structure of the liquid crystal is changed by supplying a voltage by connecting an electrode to each cell constituting the panel, and is displayed by adjusting the amount of light coming from the backlight.

In this case, the liquid crystal display 2 may be divided into a positive type and a negative type by passing or blocking light of the backlight by using polarized light. The light of the backlight is supplied by supplying a voltage to an electrode. In the positive way of blocking, the background is bright and letters or numbers are black.

On the other hand, if the surface of the polarizing plate adhered to the liquid crystal panel is changed, it can be displayed in a negative manner through which the light of the backlight passes. In this case, the background is dark and letters or numbers are displayed brightly. 3 illustrates what is displayed in the negative manner.

When displayed in a negative manner, numbers, icons, menus, etc. including information to be delivered to the user are clearly contrasted and visually clearly recognized compared to a dark background, so it is easier to check the distance than in the positive manner.

In general, the indoor unit is disposed at the periphery rather than the center of the room, so that the information on the current room temperature or operation status can be checked at a long distance, such a negative liquid crystal display can be used more efficiently, especially at night when the ambient light is dark. It's easier to see numbers, icons, and menus in your time zone.

The operation of the liquid crystal display 2 is controlled by the controller 240, which will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

Referring to the block diagram of FIG. 4, the input unit 12 includes at least one button, and separately from the display unit, a button is provided as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, or is integrally formed with the display unit. Method may be a soft button.

The buttons provided in the input unit 12 include a shortcut button for performing a predetermined control operation, a first button for selecting and loading an upper menu, and a second button for selecting and loading a lower menu dependent on the upper menu. Separated by.

The direct operation button includes an operation start / stop button for starting or stopping an air conditioning operation, an air cleaning button for operating an air cleaning mode in the case of an air conditioner equipped with an air cleaning function, and quickly cooling the room. There is a power cooling button to change, the wind direction button to change the direction of the discharged wind up / down or left / right, and the setting button to notify the completion of the setting and to terminate the menu currently being operated.

The first button may include a wind strength button for loading a wind strength setting mode, an operation selection button for loading at least one driving mode selection menu, and a reservation button for selecting at least one reservation mode. There is a temperature control button to adjust the desired temperature, time, numbers, direction buttons that are operated to move to other menus. The liquid crystal display unit 2 displays numbers, letters, graphics, icons, and the like by operating the shortcut buttons and the first and second buttons.

The controller 240 controls the operation to be performed according to the control command input through the input unit 12, and allows the control state to be displayed through the display unit 2.

In addition, the control unit 240 is connected to the communication unit 250, so that the operation is performed according to the control signal transmitted from the remote controller through the communication unit. The communication unit exemplifies based on infrared communication, but in addition, a communication modem using a frequency band such as Bluetooth or WLAN may be used.

The power supply unit 260 is provided to drive the input unit 12, the display unit 2, the control unit 240, and the communication unit 250, and the power supply unit supplies a predetermined voltage level required by each electronic device or circuit. .

Herein, the control unit 240 of the present invention causes the backlight to emit light at the first luminance for a predetermined time immediately after detecting the control command input from the input unit 12 or the remote controller, and after the predetermined time has elapsed. Luminance control is performed such that the backlight emits light with a second luminance lower than the first luminance.

The controller 240 causes the backlight 222 to be turned off immediately if the input control command is an indoor unit OFF command. That is, when the indoor unit is turned off, the backlight is not driven even if any button operation except for the indoor unit ON button is detected.

As a result, the controller 240 controls the brightness of the backlight immediately after the corresponding input is detected only for the control command input after the indoor unit is turned on.

When the first luminance is 100%, power consumption can be reduced by maintaining the backlight so that the second luminance is only 50%. Of course, the ratio of the luminance can be applied differently by the designer.

In addition, the predetermined time for maintaining the first brightness is illustrated as 10 seconds, but may also be differently applied by the designer.

The luminance control is not only applied immediately after the control command input is sensed, but may also be performed according to the current time set in the indoor unit. That is, the luminance of the first mode is driven lower than that of the second mode by dividing the light into a first mode in which the room is dark and a second mode in which the room is dark according to the present time. As a result, power consumption due to backlight driving can be reduced, and the control state can be easily checked through the display unit 2 even under room lighting that is difficult to secure a view.

In addition to such brightness control, a control for reducing power consumption due to backlight driving will be described below.

The controller 240 allows the first driving current to be supplied to the backlight for a predetermined time immediately after the control command is input, and after the predetermined time elapses, the second driving current lower than the first driving current is supplied. do.

Of course, since the first driving current supplied to the backlight is high, it is natural that the brightness of the backlight is increased during the time immediately after the control command is input.

However, if the letter color of the display unit 2 is A color, if more current amount is to be supplied than the case of B color, it is possible to change the letter color without being limited to the luminance through the current amount control.

That is, the letter A color is displayed by supplying the first driving current for a predetermined time immediately after the control command is input, and after the predetermined time elapses, the letter B color is displayed by supplying the second drive current with less. It is.

Similarly, the first driving current is supplied for a predetermined time immediately after the input of the control command so that the blinking is repeated several times, and after the predetermined time has elapsed, the second driving current is supplied with less to maintain the light emission without the repeated blinking. .

Briefly referring to Figure 5 of the operation method of the air conditioner of the present invention configured as described above, whether the control command input is detected in the state that the indoor unit is turned on first (S1, S2).

Immediately after the control command is input, the backlight is driven to display brighter at a first brightness, and after a predetermined time elapses, the backlight is driven at a second brightness lower than the first brightness to lower power consumption. (S3, S4, S5)

While performing the corresponding operation according to the input control command, when the indoor unit OFF command is input, the indoor unit immediately turns off without controlling the brightness of the backlight. (S6, S7, S8)

As described above with reference to the drawings illustrated with respect to the air conditioner of the present invention, the present invention is not limited by the embodiments and drawings disclosed herein, it can be applied within the scope of the technical spirit of the present invention is protected. have.

The air conditioner of the present invention configured as described above reduces power consumption through backlight brightness control as a control command input is sensed, and enables an efficient display unit to be driven.

In addition, since the backlight is driven to control not only the brightness of the backlight but also the brightness, color, and blinking state, it is possible to visually check the control state through the display unit more easily.

Claims (8)

It is provided on the exterior of the indoor unit main body, and comprises a display unit consisting of a liquid crystal panel and a backlight for emitting light from the rear of the liquid crystal panel, and a control unit for controlling the operation according to the input control command, The control unit causes the backlight to emit light at a first brightness for a predetermined time immediately after a control command is input, and after the predetermined time elapses, the backlight emits light at a second brightness different from the first brightness. An air conditioner, characterized in that to perform brightness control. In claim 1, And the first luminance is higher than the second luminance. In claim 1, And the control unit controls the backlight to turn off immediately if the input control command is an indoor unit OFF command. In claim 1, And the controller performs brightness control of the backlight according to a control command input only after an indoor unit is turned on. In claim 1, The control command is an air conditioner, characterized in that input by the button operation provided in the button or the remote controller provided in the indoor unit main body. In claim 1, The display unit is characterized in that the light is blocked by the backlight is dark, the light is transmitted in the negative manner is driven in a negative manner to display the characters or graphics bright. It is provided on the exterior of the indoor unit main body, and comprises a display unit consisting of a liquid crystal panel and a backlight for emitting light from the rear of the liquid crystal panel, and a control unit for controlling the operation according to the input control command, The controller may be configured to supply a first driving current to the backlight for a predetermined time immediately after a control command is input, and to supply a second driving current less than the first driving current after the predetermined time elapses. Air conditioner characterized by. In claim 7, And the controller controls the backlight to turn off immediately if the input control command is an indoor unit OFF command.

Images