KR20120070726A - Control method for air conditioning apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A method for controlling an air conditioner is provided to control the operation of the air conditioner using a portable terminal and to widen a remote controlling area using a wireless communication method. CONSTITUTION: An air conditioner controlling method is as follows. An indoor unit or portable terminal receives weather information of a region where a user is through wireless internet communication(S14). The received weather information is displayed on a display unit of the indoor unit or portable terminal. A recommendation operation mode suitable for the received weather information is displayed on the display unit of the indoor unit or portable terminal(S15). The recommendation operation mode is selected so that the operation of the indoor unit is started(S17).

Description

Control method for air conditioning apparatus

The present invention relates to a control method of an air conditioner.

In general, an air conditioner is a home appliance that supplies hot air or cold air to an indoor space by an operation of a refrigerant cycle.

Recently, a portable terminal capable of freely downloading and executing a document or a game program and a document file and the like as well as an internet connection such as a smart phone has been released in large quantities.

In addition, recently, a home network system capable of controlling the operation of electrical appliances including home appliances installed in homes using portable terminals has been widely used in new apartments or general homes.

In this way, it is possible to remotely control at a long distance without directly operating various home appliances including the air conditioner, and the usability is greatly improved.

Hereinafter, an object of the present invention is to provide a control method of an air conditioner that enables remote control of an indoor unit of an air conditioner using a portable terminal such as a smart phone.

In order to achieve the above object, a control method of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: receiving weather information of an area where a user is located by an indoor unit or a portable terminal by wireless Internet communication; Displaying the received weather information on a display unit of the indoor unit or the portable terminal; Displaying a recommended driving mode matching the received weather information on a display unit of the indoor unit or the portable terminal; And selecting the recommended driving mode to start driving the indoor unit.

According to the control method of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention having the above configuration has the following effects.

First, even when the wireless remote controller for inputting the operating condition of the air conditioner is lost or damaged, there is an advantage that the operation control using the portable terminal.

Second, since a wireless communication method such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ZigBee, etc. can be used, there is an advantage that the convenience of use is increased by increasing the remote control range.

Third, there is a low risk of loss due to the characteristics of the portable terminal. That is, when the portable terminal cannot be found, there is an advantage that the position of the portable terminal can be immediately determined by calling the portable terminal.

Fourth, since it is possible to control using a portable terminal, there is an advantage that the inconvenience of having to replace the battery of the remote control periodically.

Fifth, since it can be operated in the most suitable driving conditions according to the outdoor weather conditions, there is an advantage that can provide a more comfortable indoor environment.

1 is a system diagram schematically showing a network system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a portable terminal and an indoor unit capable of wireless communication with each other in a network system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a display screen showing weather information displayed on an air conditioner or a portable terminal by a control method of an air conditioner according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a recommended driving mode selection screen displayed by the control method of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of executing a recommended driving mode corresponding to weather information according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of executing a recommended driving mode corresponding to weather information according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, a configuration and a system operating method of a network system including an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, that is, an air conditioner control method will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and a flowchart.

1 is a system diagram schematically showing a network system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a network system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an indoor unit 10 of an air conditioner for supplying cold or warm air to a room, and a smart phone capable of wireless communication with the indoor unit 10. It includes a portable terminal 20, a wired / wireless router 1 and / or a wireless router 2 to enable internet communication with the portable terminal 20 and the indoor unit 10. Additionally, the wired / wireless router 1 may further include a computer connected by wire or wirelessly.

In detail, the portable terminal 20 and the indoor unit 10 may have a built-in communication module for wireless communication. The communication module may include a Bluetooth module, a Wi-Fi module, a ZigBee module, and the like. The indoor unit 10 may be equipped with a camera 12 for capturing the user's face and a recorder 11 for recording the user's voice. Of course, the portable terminal 20 may have a built-in camera and a recorder.

The portable terminal 20 may have one-to-one communication with the indoor unit 10 through the communication module for wireless communication. Therefore, a user may input driving conditions through the control panel mounted on the indoor unit 10 or input driving conditions through the portable terminal 20. When the driving condition is input through the portable terminal 20, the driving condition is transmitted to the indoor unit 10 through the communication module, and the speed or wind direction of the indoor fan is adjusted according to the transmitted driving condition. The angle of the device 13 is set or changed.

Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a portable terminal and an indoor unit capable of wireless communication with each other in a network system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2, the portable terminal 20 constituting the network system according to an embodiment of the present invention may be a smart phone that is recently released.

In detail, the portable terminal 20 includes a control unit 200, a key input unit 210 for inputting a specific command or information to the control unit 200, a state of the portable terminal 20, or the indoor unit ( 10) a display unit 220 showing the driving state, a voice input unit 230 for inputting the user's voice, a voice output unit 240 for outputting the recorded voice, and the user can take a picture of the face The unit (or imaging device) 250, the angular velocity sensor 260 and the acceleration sensor 270 for detecting the movement of the portable terminal 20, and the communication module 280 for wireless communication with the indoor unit 10. And a GPS module 290 for identifying the location of the portable terminal 20 and a memory 295 for storing various information and data. In addition, the portable terminal 20 includes a recently released smart phone, and includes a portable terminal capable of a call function, an Internet connection, a program download function, and one-to-one wireless communication.

In detail, the key input unit 210 includes an input button or a touch panel provided in the portable terminal 20, the photographing unit 250 includes a camera mounted on the portable terminal 20, and the voice. The input unit 230 includes a recorder mounted on the portable terminal 20, and the voice output unit 230 includes a speaker mounted on the portable terminal 20.

In addition, the angular velocity sensor 260 includes a gyro sensor or a gravity sensor that detects an inclination or rotation angle of the portable terminal 20. In addition, the acceleration sensor 270 is a sensor that detects a speed or acceleration in which the portable terminal 20 linearly moves in a specific direction.

In addition, the communication module 280, as mentioned above, includes Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Zigbee. In addition, the display unit 220 includes a liquid crystal panel provided in the portable terminal 20.

Meanwhile, the indoor unit 10 includes a control unit 100, a key input unit 110, a voice input unit 130, a voice output unit 140, a photographing unit 150, a display unit 120, Communication module 180 and memory 170. In addition, the fan unit 161, the compressor 162, and the wind direction control device 163 mounted to the indoor unit 10 further include a driving unit 160, and the driving unit 160 includes the fan 161. The motor driver may control the amount of current supplied to the driving motor driving the compressor 162 and the wind direction control device 163.

In addition, since the photographing unit 150, the voice input unit 130, the voice output unit 140, the display module 120, and the communication module 180 are the same as those provided in the portable terminal 20, Duplicate explanations are omitted.

As shown, the portable terminal 20 and the indoor unit 10 may independently receive information from the Internet or transmit and receive information from each other through the communication modules 280 and 180 embedded therein. That is, it is possible to download weather information or product information of the indoor unit by accessing the Internet through the communication module 280 of the portable terminal 20. In addition, the indoor unit 10 may also be connected to the Internet through the communication module 180 to download weather information or product information of the indoor unit, and display the same on the display unit 120. By such a configuration, the portable terminal 20 is not only able to access the Internet through Wi-Fi communication via an access point (Access Point) -the wired / wireless router 1 or the wireless router 2, but also the indoor unit. You can exchange information with (10). This is called Infrastructure Structure Networking.

In addition, the portable terminal 20 and the indoor unit 10 may also perform peer-to-peer communication using the communication modules 180 and 280. For example, when the communication modules 180 and 1280 are Wi-Fi modules, direct communication is possible without going through a wireless router using Wi-Fi Direct technology or Ad-Hoc mode (or network). .

In detail, Wi-Fi Direct refers to a technology capable of high-speed communication using a communication standard such as 802.11a, b, g, or n regardless of the installation of a wireless access point (AP). That is, it means that the portable terminal 20 and the indoor unit 10 can wirelessly communicate without passing through a wireless access point (Access Point) (wireless router or wireless router described above). This technology has recently been in the spotlight as a communication technology for wirelessly connecting the indoor unit 10 and the portable terminal 20 to Wi-Fi without the Internet network.

Ad-hoc mode (or ad-hoc network) is a network that is composed of only mobile hosts without a fixed wired network. This is it. That is, even without the WLAN access point (AP) enables the wireless communication between terminals. Therefore, in the ad hoc mode, the portable terminal 20 and the indoor unit 10 can wirelessly communicate without the wireless LAN access device.

Bluetooth communication is a well-known short-range wireless communication method, and when the Bluetooth module built in the portable terminal 20 and the Bluetooth module built in the indoor unit 10 undergo a pairing process, the wireless communication is performed within a specific range. This is possible.

Hereinafter, a control method for operating the indoor unit in the most suitable driving mode, the so-called recommended driving mode according to the weather conditions of the area where the indoor unit is installed, will be described in detail with reference to a flowchart.

3 is a display screen showing weather information displayed on an air conditioner or a portable terminal by a control method of an air conditioner according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, when the weather information confirmation command is input, the display unit 220 of the indoor unit 10 or the display unit 220 of the portable terminal 20 according to the control method of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention. ), Weather information is displayed.

In detail, the weather information output to the display unit 220 includes today's weather by time zone, weather of day before and next, or daytime weather, and weather information by region. The weather information may display a minimum / maximum temperature, humidity, weather state, etc. using an image including letters, numbers, emoticons, or avatars.

4 is a recommended driving mode selection screen displayed by the control method of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, when the user selects a recommended driving mode selection function according to the weather by pressing a button or a touch panel provided on the control panel of the indoor unit 10, or executes the indoor unit control application downloaded to the portable terminal 20, The recommended driving information corresponding to the weather information is displayed. In addition, a touch button for selecting a recommended driving mode is provided at the bottom of the screen.

The user may automatically set the indoor unit to run in the recommended driving mode when the recommended driving mode selection function or the indoor unit control application is executed in the setting menu.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of executing a recommended driving mode corresponding to weather information according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, the recommended driving mode according to the weather information may be performed through the control panel provided in the indoor unit 10.

First, the indoor unit is turned on by the user (S11), and a command for checking weather information is input (S12). Here, the command input for checking the weather information may be used by using a key input unit or by voice input.

Then, when a command for checking weather information is input, it is connected to the Internet through a wireless communication module built in the indoor unit 10, for example, a Wi-Fi module (S13). Then, accessing the weather information providing site through the Internet, and receives the weather information of the day to the control unit 100 of the indoor unit 10, and outputs it to the display unit 120 (S14). That is, the weather information API (Application Programming Interface) is downloaded from the Meteorological Agency site.

On the other hand, after displaying the weather information of the day, the optimum driving conditions, that is, the recommended driving mode for the weather is displayed (S15). Then, the touch mode selection button provided on one side of the screen is touched or the selection button provided on the control panel is pressed to select the recommended driving mode (S16). Then, operation of the indoor unit is started in the selected driving mode (S17).

Here, the recommended driving mode may be determined based only on weather information received from a site providing weather information, such as the meteorological office site, and another variable may be further added.

For example, when a smart meter is installed indoors that detects the amount of power supplied to a room and power rate information per watt for each time period and displays the information, the smart meter is It may be communicatively connected to the indoor unit. In this case, in addition to the weather information of the region where the user is located, the most economical power usage form may be identified at the present time to be a factor or variable in determining the recommended driving mode.

Specifically, based on the current weather information, suppose that the recommended driving mode is that the air volume is 100CMH (Cubic Meter per Hour) and the dehumidification function is performed. In addition, according to the information provided from the smart meter at the present time, if the amount of power consumption is close to or exceeds the peak value, or if the power charge per unit watt is the most expensive at the present time, it is necessary to modify the recommended driving mode. There will be. For example, it is possible to set a new recommended driving mode to add the information provided from the smart meter to lower the air flow to 60CMH and not perform the dehumidification function.

In addition, it may be possible to display the recommended driving mode based on the weather information only and the recommended driving mode considering the weather information and the power information, respectively, and select one by the user.

In this way, it is also possible to receive not only the weather information but also the power consumption or power rate information provided from the smart meter, and in consideration of this, the optimal recommended driving mode may be displayed and executed.

In the above description, the recommended driving mode is displayed and can be selected only when the user executes the recommended driving mode selection function according to the weather information, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, it is noted that when the indoor unit is turned on, weather information is automatically received and the recommended driving mode can be displayed in a selectable state.

6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of executing a recommended driving mode corresponding to weather information according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, in the present embodiment, a recommended driving mode is selected by executing an application provided in the portable terminal 20.

First, the portable terminal 20 is connected to the indoor unit 10 in a wireless communication possible state (S21). As described above, a method of allowing a bilateral wireless communication to be connected may include Bluetooth pairing, Wi-Fi Direct, or ad hoc mode setting.

When the portable terminal 20 and the indoor unit 10 become in a state of one-to-one wireless communication, the indoor unit control application installed in the portable terminal 20 is executed (S22). When the application is executed, it is connected to the Internet by a communication module 280, for example, a Wi-Fi module built in the portable terminal 20 (S23). In addition, the GPS module 290 embedded in the portable terminal 20 operates (S24), and as a result, the current position of the portable terminal 20 is confirmed (S25).

In addition, when the portable terminal 20 is accessible to the Internet, the portable terminal 20 accesses the Internet to receive weather information and displays it on the screen (S26). Since the method of receiving the weather information has already been described in the first embodiment, it will be omitted.

In addition, after displaying the weather information, the recommended driving mode suitable for the current weather is displayed (S27), and a selection button for selecting the recommended driving mode is activated on one side of the screen. When the user touches the selection button, the recommended driving mode is selected (S28). The driving condition corresponding to the selected recommended driving mode is transmitted to the controller 100 of the indoor unit 10 (S29). Then, the driving of the indoor unit 10 is started according to the transmitted driving condition (S30).

Here, the driving condition corresponding to the selected recommended driving mode may be converted into an electric signal in the portable terminal 20, and then the converted electric signal may be transmitted to the controller of the indoor unit 10. Alternatively, the driving condition corresponding to the recommended driving mode may be transmitted to the controller of the indoor unit 10, and the operation of converting the electric signal into the electric signal may be performed by the controller of the indoor unit 10.

Meanwhile, the optimal recommended driving mode suitable for the received weather information may be set as follows. In detail, data in the form of a look-up table in which the indoor unit operating conditions corresponding to the weather information is matched may be stored in the memory 170 of the indoor unit 10 or the memory of the portable terminal 20.

When the weather information is received, the controller of the indoor unit 10 or the portable terminal 20 uploads the lookup table, and the driving condition corresponding to the weather information (outdoor temperature, humidity, wind strength, weather phenomenon, etc.) Room temperature, humidity, fan air flow, etc.). Through such a matching operation, an optimal recommended operating condition may be selected.

In addition to the method of detecting the weather information checking region by the operation of the GPS module 290 embedded in the portable terminal 20, the indoor unit 10 in the indoor setting mode of the indoor unit 10 or the portable terminal 20. ) Is determined in advance, so that only the weather information of the determined area is displayed and the recommended driving mode can be selected accordingly.

Of course, a method of setting an optimal recommended driving mode in consideration of the information provided from the smart meter described above may also be applied in this embodiment. Specifically, it is possible to allow the information provided from the smart meter to be received by the portable terminal 20 so that the portable terminal 20 sets the recommended driving mode using weather information and power consumption information as variables.

Claims (26)

Receiving weather information of an area where the user is located by the indoor unit or the portable terminal by wireless Internet communication;
Displaying the received weather information on a display unit of the indoor unit or the portable terminal;
Displaying a recommended driving mode matching the received weather information on a display unit of the indoor unit or the portable terminal; And
And selecting the recommended driving mode to start the operation of the indoor unit. The method of claim 1,
Receiving weather information to the indoor unit,
Wirelessly connecting to the Internet by a wireless communication module including a Wi-Fi module provided in the indoor unit; And
And receiving weather information from a weather information providing site connected to the Internet to a controller of the indoor unit. The method of claim 2,
And when the indoor unit is powered on, operating the wireless communication module so that the weather information is automatically received by the control unit of the indoor unit. The method of claim 2,
When the indoor unit is powered on and a command for checking weather information is input, the weather information is received by the controller of the indoor unit. The method of claim 4, wherein
The command input for checking the weather information is
A control method of an air conditioner, characterized by inputting a voice command or operating an input unit provided in the indoor unit. The method of claim 2,
And the recommended driving mode is executed only when there is a selection command input by a user. The method of claim 2,
And the recommended driving mode is automatically executed regardless of the selection by the user. The method of claim 2,
The indoor unit is a control method of the air conditioner, characterized in that the operating conditions according to the weather is stored as look-up table data. The method of claim 8,
The recommended driving mode is
And a driving condition is selected by matching the received weather information and the lookup table data. The method of claim 1,
Receiving weather information to the portable terminal,
Wirelessly connecting to the Internet by a wireless communication module including a Wi-Fi module provided in the portable terminal; And
And receiving weather information from the weather information providing site connected to the internet to the controller of the portable terminal. 11. The method of claim 10,
The control method of the air conditioner, characterized in that the weather information is received by the execution of the indoor unit control application installed in the portable terminal. The method of claim 11,
Before the indoor unit control application, the portable terminal and the indoor unit is a control method of the air conditioner, characterized in that the wireless communication with each other. The method of claim 12,
The portable terminal and the indoor unit, the control method of the air conditioner, characterized in that the wireless communication is enabled by any one of the communication of the Wi-Fi communication, Bluetooth communication, Zigbee communication. The method of claim 12,
The portable terminal and the indoor unit, the control method of the air conditioner, characterized in that the one-to-one wireless communication is enabled by the Wi-Fi direct mode, ad-hoc mode or Bluetooth pairing. The method of claim 11,
When the indoor unit control application is executed, the control method of the air conditioner, characterized in that the current position of the portable terminal is confirmed by operating the GPS module built in the portable terminal. The method of claim 11,
In the setting mode of the indoor unit control application, the installation area or position of the indoor unit is fixed in advance,
The control method of the air conditioner, characterized in that for displaying the weather information of the fixed area and the recommended driving mode accordingly. The method of claim 11,
And after the indoor unit control application is executed, a command input for checking the weather information is performed through a voice input or an operation of an input unit. The method of claim 11,
When the recommended driving mode is selected, a corresponding driving condition is transmitted to the controller of the indoor unit,
And the indoor unit is driven according to the transmitted operating conditions. The method of claim 18,
Driving conditions corresponding to the recommended driving mode is converted into an electrical signal in the portable terminal,
The converted electric signal is transmitted to the control unit of the indoor unit control method of the air conditioner. The method of claim 18,
Driving conditions corresponding to the recommended driving mode is transmitted to the control unit of the indoor unit,
The control method of the air conditioner, characterized in that the operating condition is converted into an electrical signal in the control unit of the indoor unit. The method of claim 11,
The portable terminal, the control method of the air conditioner, characterized in that the operating conditions according to the weather is stored as look-up table data. 22. The method of claim 21,
The recommended driving mode is
And a driving condition is selected by matching the received weather information and the lookup table data. The method of claim 1,
And receiving and / or displaying, by the indoor unit or the portable terminal, power information including at least one of a power consumption amount and a power rate per unit watt from a smart meter installed indoors. The method of claim 23,
The indoor unit and / or the portable terminal, the control method of the air conditioner, characterized in that for receiving the power information by wireless or wired communication with the smart meter. The method of claim 23,
The recommended driving mode based only on the received weather information and the recommended driving mode based on weather information and power information are respectively displayed.
A control method of an air conditioner, characterized in that the user can select any one mode. The method of claim 23,
One recommended driving mode is displayed based on the received weather information and power information received from the smart meter,
The control method of the air conditioner, characterized in that when the user is selected by the indoor unit is driven in the recommended driving mode, or the indoor unit is automatically driven in the set recommended driving mode.

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