KR20150032106A - An Air-Conditioner AND A Controlling Method - Google Patents

Abstract

According to the present invention, an air conditioner and a controlling method for the same can provide a pleasant environment for a user by detecting the sleep state of the users and changing the operation setting of an air conditioner main body in accordance with the sleep state of the user using a plurality of sensors arranged on a terminal as the air conditioner main body transmits and receives data to and from the terminal. Therefore, the air conditioner and a controlling method for the same significantly improve user convenience as the operation setting is changed in accordance with the sleep state of the user without the operation of the user.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an air conditioner and a control method thereof,

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air conditioner and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to an air conditioner for controlling an air conditioner by sensing a user's sleeping state and a control method thereof.

It is general household appliance including air conditioner, washing machine, refrigerator, television, rice cooker, dryer, dehumidifier.

Among them, the air conditioner is installed to provide a comfortable indoor environment to humans by discharging cold air into the room to adjust a room temperature and to purify the room air to create a comfortable indoor environment.

Such an air conditioner is controlled by being separated and controlled by an indoor unit constituted by a heat exchanger, an outdoor unit constituted by a compressor, a heat exchanger and the like, and operated by controlling a power source supplied to a compressor or a heat exchanger. Also, at least one indoor unit may be connected to the outdoor unit of the air conditioner.

When the liquid refrigerant of high temperature and high pressure is supplied from the compressor of the outdoor unit to the indoor unit through the heat exchanger of the outdoor unit during the cooling operation, the refrigerant expands and vaporizes in the heat exchanger of the indoor unit, When the temperature of the air is lowered and the indoor fan is rotated, the cool air is discharged into the room. When the gas refrigerant of high temperature and high pressure is supplied from the compressor of the outdoor unit to the indoor unit during the heating operation, the gas refrigerant of high temperature and high pressure is liquefied in the heat exchanger of the indoor unit The air warmed by the released energy is discharged to the room according to the operation of the indoor fan.

Such an air conditioner can set a sleep mode so that a hot summer user can comfortably take a good night's sleep. Particularly, in recent years, the phenomenon of tropical nights is frequently occurring and its importance is rising.

However, in the past, the sleep mode simply stops operating after a lapse of a predetermined time, which is not so different from designating the driving type time, and the effect is insufficient. Therefore, it is necessary to find a way to provide a pleasant environment even when the user is asleep.

An object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner and a control method thereof that detect a user's sleeping state using a communicatable terminal and change the operation of the air conditioner according to a detection result to provide a comfortable sleeping environment.

An air conditioner according to the present invention includes: an air conditioner body for controlling air to be discharged into a room; And a terminal for transmitting and receiving data to and from the main body of the air conditioner to monitor an operation state of the main body of the air conditioner and transmit a control signal to the main body of the air conditioner, The air conditioner main body senses the movement of the surrounding user, determines the sleep state of the user in response to the sensed movement, and transmits the sleep state to the main body of the air conditioner. Is changed.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control method comprising: Maintaining the set operation mode or switching to a power saving mode in response to sleep state information received from the terminal when the sleep mode is set; Switching to the set operation mode when the sleep state is changed within a predetermined time during the power saving mode change; And stopping the operation when the sleep state is maintained for the predetermined time or more at the time of the power saving mode switching. .

Further, the control method of the present invention includes the steps of setting a weather mode and setting an alarm time; Setting a direct or indirect wind according to the sleep state information received from the terminal before the alarm time arrives; Outputting the set sound effect as an alarm upon reaching an alarm time; And setting the direct wind in the sleep state according to the sleep state information and operating the indirect wind in the case of not sleeping.

The air conditioner and its control method according to the present invention configured as described above can detect a user's sleep state using a plurality of sensors provided in the terminal through a terminal communicating with the main body of the air conditioner, , It is possible to change the operation setting such as the air volume and the wind direction to provide a more comfortable environment for the user so that the user can enjoy a comfortable sleep and a quick and comfortable weather according to the weather So that the convenience of the user can be greatly improved.

1 is a view showing an air conditioner and its system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a UE according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a diagram illustrating an example of sensing a sleep state through a terminal of the present invention.
5 is a graph illustrating a sleep state detection through a terminal of the present invention.
6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of detecting a sleep state of a terminal according to the present invention.
7 is a flowchart showing a control method of an indoor unit according to the sleeping state of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a method of inducing a vapor phase of an indoor unit according to a sleep state of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The advantages and features of the present invention and the manner of achieving them will become apparent with reference to the embodiments described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. To fully disclose the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art, and the invention is only defined by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification.

1 is a view showing an air conditioner and its system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, the air conditioner of the present invention includes an air conditioner main body 10 capable of wireless communication and a terminal 20 communicating with the air conditioner. The air conditioner further includes a server 30 that transmits and receives data with the main body 10 and the terminal 20 and provides information.

The main body 10 of the air conditioner includes a case forming an outer appearance, a discharge port for discharging air, and a regulating means for regulating the direction of the discharged wind to control the air discharged into the room.

At this time, the air conditioner main body 10 is an indoor unit.

The indoor unit is provided with an expansion valve (not shown) for expanding the refrigerant supplied from the outdoor unit (not shown) connected thereto, an indoor heat exchanger for exchanging the refrigerant, indoor air introduced into the indoor heat exchanger, (Not shown), a plurality of sensors (not shown), and control means (not shown) for controlling the operation of the indoor unit. The indoor unit controls the rotational speed of the indoor unit fan to control the air sucked and the air to be discharged, thereby regulating the air volume. The indoor unit may further include human body sensing means for sensing a human body present in the indoor space as the case may be.

The outdoor unit operates in a cooling mode or a heating mode in response to a demand of the connected indoor unit or an external control command, and supplies the refrigerant to a plurality of indoor units. The outdoor unit includes at least one compressor (not shown) for compressing the refrigerant introduced therein to discharge high-pressure gas refrigerant, an accumulator (not shown) for separating the gas refrigerant and the liquid refrigerant from the refrigerant, An oil separator for recovering oil from the refrigerant discharged from the compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger (not shown) for condensing or evaporating the refrigerant by heat exchange with the outside air, an outdoor heat exchanger (Not shown) for introducing air into the heat exchanger and discharging the heat-exchanged air to the outside, a four-way valve (not shown) for changing the flow path of the refrigerant according to the operation mode of the outdoor unit, at least one pressure sensor Not shown), at least one temperature sensor (not shown) for measuring the temperature, a controller for controlling the operation of the outdoor unit and performing communication with other units Air includes compositions. The outdoor unit further includes a plurality of sensors, valves, supercooling units and the like, and a description thereof will be omitted below.

The air conditioner main body 10 receives the information on the sleep state received from the terminal 20, stops the operation, starts the operation, and operates by changing at least one operation setting of temperature, air volume and direction .

The terminal 20 is provided with a communication module for communicating with the main body 10 of the air conditioner and includes a plurality of sensors for sensing the movement of the user and transmitting the detected movement to the main body 10 of the air conditioner. At this time, the terminal 20 senses the user's sleep state based on the detected movement of the user, and transmits information about the sleep state to the main body 10 of the air conditioner.

The terminal 20 is provided with an application for controlling the operation of the main body 10 of the air conditioner and receives data on the operating state of the air conditioner and displays the data on the screen to monitor the operation May be provided.

The terminal 20 can access the server 30 to request data on the air conditioner and control the air conditioner main body 10 based on the data received from the server 30, It is possible to transmit data on the tuner to the server 30.

The server 30 may provide an application for controlling the air conditioner to the terminal 20 and perform a registration and authentication procedure for connection to the main body of the air conditioner of the terminal. Further, the data of the air conditioner may be received and accumulated, and the control program in the air conditioner may be updated in some cases.

When the application is executed in the terminal 20, the server 30 recognizes the connection of the terminal 20 and confirms whether or not the terminal 20 is a registered terminal. In addition, the server 30 may store data on the failure diagnosis of the home appliance.

Although the main body 10 of the air conditioner is described as being an indoor unit, a unit such as a ventilating unit, an air purifying unit, a humidifying unit, a dehumidifying unit and a heater can be operated as the air conditioner main body 10 have. At this time, the main body 10 of the air conditioner controls the operation of the indoor unit in accordance with the received data.

2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2, the main body 10 of the air conditioner includes a communication unit 130, a data unit 120, a driving control unit 170, a sensing unit 160, an input unit 140, a display unit 150, And a control unit 110 for controlling overall operation of the unit.

The communication unit 130 transmits and receives data by connecting the indoor unit and the outdoor unit, which are the main body 10 of the air conditioner, and is connected to another indoor unit or a remote controller (not shown) to transmit and receive data.

The communication unit 130 connects the indoor unit and the outdoor unit to each other, transmits and receives data to each other, and is connected to another indoor unit or a remote controller to transmit and receive data. Also, the communication unit 130 may be connected to an external Internet network. The communication unit 130 may be a wireless communication method as well as a wired network, and a plurality of communication modules may be provided according to the communication method.

For example, the communication unit 120 may include a WiFi communication module, and may perform wireless communication with the terminal 20 to receive information on the sleep state from the terminal.

The drive control unit 170 controls the operation of the indoor unit according to a control command of the control unit 110. [ The drive control unit 180 controls the opening and closing of a valve (not shown) provided in the indoor unit, and controls the indoor unit fan (not shown) to rotate. At this time, the drive control unit 170 may be divided into a fan control unit and a valve control unit.

The sensing unit 160 includes a plurality of sensors that measure data such as temperature, pressure, rotation speed, voltage, current, and the like. The sensing unit 160 measures information of the inside and the outside of the indoor unit through a plurality of sensors and inputs the measured information to the control unit 110. In addition, the sensing unit 160 may further include sensing means for sensing the occupant according to the installed position.

The input unit 140 includes at least one predetermined input means, and inputs a predetermined signal to the control unit 110 as the input means is operated.

The input unit 140 may include a button, a dome switch, a touch pad (static / static), a jog wheel, a jog switch, a finger mouse, a rotary switch, a jog dial, The present invention is applicable to any apparatus that generates predetermined input data by an operation such as an operation.

The display unit 150 displays various information on the operation state and the operation setting of the air conditioner. The display unit 150 may display a connection state when a tag is contacted with the terminal 20 in response to a control command of the controller 110. When the air conditioner is connected to the network according to the set connection information, Can be displayed.

The display unit 150 may be a display device such as an LCD or an LED, and may be configured as a touch screen, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In addition, when the display unit 160 is configured as a touch screen, the touch screen functions as an input unit as well as a display unit. The main body 10 of the air conditioner may include a speaker for outputting a predetermined sound, a lamp for lighting or flickering to output an operation state, a connection state with each device, or a warning.

The data unit 120 stores basic data for the indoor unit and the outdoor unit, control data for operation control, input / output data, and data received through the communication unit 130.

The data portion 120 at this time may also include non-volatile memory such as one or more magnetic disk storage devices, flash memory devices, or other non-volatile solid state memory devices, but may include readable storage media . For example, the memory 220 may include, but is not limited to, Electronically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory (EEP-ROM). In the EEP-ROM, the control unit 210 can write and erase information. The EEP-ROM may be a storage device in which information stored therein is not erased even if the power supply is turned off and the power supply is stopped.

The control unit 110 processes input and output data through the input unit 140 and the display unit 150 and allows the air conditioner and the terminal to transmit and receive data through the communication unit 130. When the air conditioner performs a predetermined operation . The control unit 110 controls the indoor unit and the outdoor unit according to the data measured or sensed through the sensing unit 160, and determines whether the indoor unit and the outdoor unit are operating normally.

The controller 110 controls the drive controller 170 according to the set operation mode to analyze the data received from the terminal 20 while driving to judge the sleep state of the user and to variably control the operation. At this time, the controller 110 compares the sleep state data of the terminal with the reference data, and determines whether the user is awake or in a deep sleep state.

In particular, when the tropical night mode is set in the sleep mode, the control unit 110 controls the operation of the apparatus in the power cooling mode, and confirms the sleep state and varies the operation according to the user's sleep state. If the user is in a deep sleep state, the control unit 110 switches to the power saving mode. At this time, the power cooling is an example and a specific mode according to the user setting can be executed.

The controller 110 checks the sleep state of the user even after switching to the power saving mode to release the power saving mode if the user is not in the deep sleep state and stops the operation when the deep sleep state is maintained for a certain time.

The control unit 110 transmits a notification message to the terminal 20 in response to the operation state of the main body 10 of the air conditioner.

Meanwhile, when the alarm mode is set, the controller 110 starts the operation before the alarm time to allow the user who is sleeping to reach the cold wind to induce the user's quick and pleasant weather. At this time, the controller 110 receives information about the sleeping state from the terminal 20, determines whether the user is awake, and controls the operation so that the operation is changed accordingly.

3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a UE according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3, the terminal 20 includes a communication unit 230, a display unit 250, an input unit 240, a memory 220, and a terminal control unit 210 for controlling overall operation of the terminal. In addition, the terminal includes a sensor unit 260 composed of a plurality of sensors, for example.

The sensor unit 260 includes an acceleration sensor 261 for measuring acceleration, a gravity sensor 262, and a position sensor (not shown). The sensor unit 260 further includes a plurality of other sensors, but a description thereof will be omitted below.

The input unit 240 includes at least one button or touch input means, and may include both a button and a touch input means as the case may be. The input unit applies a user command to the terminal control unit 210 according to the operation of the input means.

The display unit 250 may be an LCD or an LED as a predetermined display means for outputting numbers, characters, special characters or images, and may be configured as a touch screen in which a touch pad is layered.

The display unit 250 displays a user command inputted through the input unit 240 on the screen or a predetermined menu screen corresponding to the input user command. Also, the display unit 250 can display data received from the air conditioner main body 10 in response to the control command to the terminal control unit 210. [ In particular, when an application for controlling the air conditioner is provided in the terminal 20, a monitoring screen is output based on the received data and a control menu for operation setting of the air conditioner is displayed.

In addition, the display unit 250 may output at least one of an image, a character, a message, and a special character in accordance with the data received from the air conditioner main body 10.

The terminal 20 further includes a speaker (not shown) for outputting a predetermined sound effect or a warning sound in addition to the display unit 250. The speaker outputs a predetermined sound effect or a warning sound in a specific situation, such as when the operation starts, when the operation is terminated, when an abnormality occurs, or when there is an input by the user.

In the memory 220, setting data input through the input unit 240, control data for controlling the operation of the terminal, and data of the air conditioner received through the communication unit 230 are stored.

The memory 220 stores data measured or sensed by a plurality of sensors of the sensor unit 260.

In the memory 220, a program for controlling the air conditioner is stored as an application (API). At this time, the air conditioner control application can be downloaded from the server 30 or downloaded from another application dedicated server.

The communication unit 230 includes a plurality of communication modules for transmitting and receiving data according to a wired or wireless communication system. For example, the communication unit 240 may include a wireless communication module (not shown) such as WiFi, a short distance communication module (not shown), and a mobile communication module 243.

The terminal 20 communicates with the main body 10 of the air conditioner as well as the server 30 using the WiFi. In addition, the terminal 20 can access the mobile communication network through the mobile communication module 243 according to its form, and can use services such as voice as well as data transmission and reception.

The terminal control unit 210 stores data transmitted and received through the communication unit 230 in the memory 220 and controls input and output of data. The terminal control unit 210 may control the operation of the terminal according to the data input through the communication unit 230 and the input unit 240 or may control the operation setting of the air conditioner through the application.

The terminal control unit 210 displays a menu screen for inputting a user command on the display unit 250 and transmits the menu screen to the server 30 or the air conditioner main body 10 via the communication unit 230, Transmits data, or receives data.

When the sensing mode is set, the terminal control unit 210 drives the sensor unit 260 and detects movement of the user through the sensor unit, in particular, the magnetic flux sensor 261 and the gravity sensor 262. At this time, the terminal control unit 210 may execute a predetermined application and sense the sleep state of the user through the sensor unit 260. [

The terminal control unit 210 determines the sleep state of the user in response to the detected movement of the user and transmits information on the sleep state to the air conditioner unit 10 through the communication unit 230. [

When the notification message or predetermined data is received from the air conditioner unit 10 through the communication unit 230, the terminal control unit 210 cancels the sensing mode corresponding to the received value.

When the weather mode is set, the terminal control unit 210 can set the detection mode to detect the movement of the user and guide the user to the fast weather. In this case, the terminal control unit 210 can determine that the user has woken up so that it can be detected much when there is little movement. Therefore, the user can determine the sleep state (or the wakeup state) send.

4 is a diagram illustrating an example of sensing a sleep state through a terminal of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, the terminal 20 senses the movement of the user and determines the sleep state.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the terminal 20 senses the movement of a user who is located at one side of the bed and takes a sleeping surface.

At this time, the acceleration sensor 261 detects the degree of the user's movement, and the gravity sensor 262 detects the upward / downward movement due to the user's movement.

As shown in FIG. 4B, the terminal 20 is preferably located at a position where it can sense the user's sleeping posture and the user's motion. If you are too far away, there is a limit to detecting motion. Even if an obstacle is placed, motion can not be detected. The user can sense the movement of the user by the acceleration sensor when the user is located in the vicinity of the bed, but it is preferable to be located at the corner of the bed in order to detect the movement of the user on the bed,

The sensor unit 260 inputs sensed data to the terminal control unit 210, and the terminal control unit 210 cumulatively stores data input from the sensor unit to determine the sleep state of the user.

At this time, the terminal control unit 210 detects the movement of the user when the user detection mode is set, and the sensor unit 260 does not detect the movement of the user when the detection mode is released. In addition, when the operation of the air conditioner is stopped, the terminal control unit 210 cancels the detection mode.

Meanwhile, when the comfortable alarm mode is set in the awake mode, the terminal control unit 210 determines the sleep state of the user and transmits the sleep state to the main body 10 of the air conditioner. Accordingly, the main body 10 of the air conditioner determines whether the user is awake or still in the sleep state.

5 is a graph illustrating a sleep state detection through a terminal of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, the terminal control unit 210 may calculate a graph of movement based on data input from the sensor unit 260 as shown in FIG.

At this time, the terminal control unit 210 can determine the sleep state as one of deep sleep state, sleep state, and awake state by dividing the movement stage into three stages.

The terminal control unit 210 judges that the greater the movement is, the more awake, and the smaller the movement, the deeper the sleep state.

The terminal control unit 210 can receive data from the server 30 as a reference for determining the sleep state.

The air conditioner main body 10 changes the operation setting in accordance with the sleep state data received from the terminal 20. [

The controller 110 switches to the power saving mode when the sleep state data is in the deep sleep state and stops the operation when the sleep state is maintained for a predetermined time or longer.

In the comfort alarm mode, when the sleep state is in a deep sleep state based on the sleep state data a predetermined time before the alarm time set in advance, the control unit 110 starts operation to allow the user to reach the cold air, In this case, it is possible to induce the user's weather by setting the indirect wind.

6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of detecting a sleep state of a terminal according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, when the sensing mode is set through the input unit 240 (S310), the terminal control unit 210 operates the sensor unit 260 to detect the movement of the user. At this time, the detection mode can be set through an application that detects the user's sleep state.

The terminal control unit 210 controls the acceleration sensor 261 and the gravity sensor 262 of the sensor unit 260 to detect the movement of the user. At this time, it is preferable that the terminal 20 is located at any part of the bed as shown in FIG.

In some cases, the terminal control unit 210 can set the detection mode when motion detection or sleep state information is requested from the main body 10 of the air conditioner through the communication unit 230. In this case, the terminal control unit 210 displays a guide message indicating that the detection mode is set through the display unit 250, and displays an image guiding the position of the terminal 20 together with the guide message.

The sensor unit 260 senses the movement of the user, senses the movement of the user according to the movement, detects the movement of the user, and inputs the movement to the terminal control unit 210 at step S320.

The terminal control unit 210 analyzes the sleep state of the user corresponding to the movement of the user input from the sensor unit 260 (S330).

The terminal control unit 210 determines that the user is awake if there is a lot of movement with respect to the user's sleep state and determines that the user is in a deep sleep state when there is little or little movement. Also, it can be judged as a normal sleep state.

The terminal control unit 210 transmits the counter information to the air conditioner main body 10 in a sleep state (S340). At this time, the communication unit 230 is connected to the main body 10 of the air conditioner according to a control command of the terminal control unit 210 and transmits sleep state information. The communication unit 230 communicates with the main body 10 of the air conditioner through WiFi wireless communication and may select a communication method that is different according to the type of communication module provided in the main body 10 of the air conditioner. In addition, the sleep state information can be transmitted to the air conditioner main body 10 through the server 30 as the case may be.

The communication unit 230 receives data from the air conditioner main body 10 and applies the data to the terminal control unit 210. The terminal control unit 210 receives data from the air conditioner main body 10, The operation information is displayed on the screen of the display unit 250. [

The terminal control unit 210 detects the movement of the user through the sensing unit 260 until the indoor unit as the main body 10 of the air conditioner 10 stops operating (S350) (S320 to S350).

At this time, when data on the operation stop of the main body 10 of the air conditioner is received (S350), the terminal control unit 210 cancels the sensing mode of sensing the user's movement (S360).

7 is a flowchart showing a control method of an indoor unit according to the sleeping state of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7, when the indoor day mode of the sleep mode is set through the input unit 140 or the remote controller (not shown) in the air conditioner main body 10 at step S370, the controller 110 performs power cooling ). At this time, the power cooling may be changed according to the setting.

In some cases, the controller 110 can request motion detection or sleep state information to the terminal 20 through the communication unit 130 when a tropical night mode is set.

If the sleep state information is received from the terminal 20 (S390), the controller 110 analyzes the received information to determine whether the sleep state of the user is deep (S400).

If the user is in a deep sleep state, the controller 110 cancels the power cooling and switches to the power saving mode (S410). In addition, the controller 110 receives sleep state information from the terminal 20 through the communication unit 130 at predetermined time intervals (S420), and analyzes the sleep state information.

The control unit 110 determines whether the sleep state is maintained for a predetermined time or longer based on the sleep state information received after the power saving mode is switched (S430). For example, if a deep sleep state is maintained for more than 30 minutes, the user may be judged to be asleep. The time can be changed according to the setting.

If the deep sleep state is not maintained for a predetermined period of time after the power saving mode is switched to the normal sleep state or awake state, the control unit 110 cancels the power saving mode and switches the power cooling mode (S380). Accordingly, the drive control unit 170 controls the indoor fan (not shown) to maximize the air volume and change the wind direction to the full swing. The outdoor unit also increases the operating frequency of the compressor as the power cooling is set.

If the sleep state is a deep sleep state corresponding to the received sleep state information, power cooling is released again and the power saving mode is switched to determine whether the deep sleep state is maintained for a predetermined time (S390 to S430).

If the deep sleep state is maintained for a predetermined time, the control unit 110 transmits a notification message to the terminal 20 via the communication unit 130 to stop the operation of the air conditioner (S440) and stops the operation (S450) .

At this time, the terminal 20 releases the detection mode in response to the notification message of the operation stop received from the main body 10 of the air conditioner.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a method of inducing a vapor phase of an indoor unit according to a sleep state of the present invention.

8, a pleasant alarm mode is set in the air conditioner main body 10 and the terminal 20 in step S510, and when the alarm time is set in step S520, the control unit 110 and the terminal control unit 210 Save the alarm time and wait.

At this time, the main body 10 of the air conditioner remains in the standby state only in the operation stop state or some functions in accordance with the alarm setting. In addition, when the comfort alarm mode is set, the terminal 20 can display the detection mode and the position information of the terminal through the display unit 250.

The terminal control unit 210 sets the detection mode and activates the sensor unit 260 to detect the movement of the user before a predetermined time, for example, 30 minutes before reaching the alarm time. The terminal control unit 210 analyzes the user's motion and analyzes the sleep state of the user.

The control unit 110 of the main body of the air conditioner may request the terminal 20 for motion detection or sleep state information through the communication unit 130. [ At this time, the terminal 20 senses the movement of the user at the request of the main body 10 of the air conditioner, analyzes the sleep state, and transmits the sleep state information to the main body 10 of the air conditioner.

In response to the user's sleep state, the controller 110 of the air conditioner main body 10 determines whether it is in a deep sleep state (S560).

In the case of a deep sleep state corresponding to the sleep state information, the controller 110 sets the direct wind to start the operation, and operates in direct wind. At this time, the direct wind is to induce the weather by discharging air to the position of the user.

On the other hand, when the vehicle is not in the deep sleep state, the control unit 110 sets the indirect wind to start the operation and operates indirectly. In this case, the indirect air blows air around the user based on the position of the user.

The terminal control unit 210 may transmit a direct or indirect air control signal to the main body 10 of the air conditioner in response to the sleep state information. Accordingly, the main body 10 of the air conditioner operates directly or indirectly in response to the control signal.

When the set alarm time is reached (S590), the control unit 110 or the terminal control unit 210 outputs a predetermined sound effect through a speaker (not shown) or a buzzer (not shown) (S600). At this time, an alarm may be output from both the terminal 20 and the main body 10 of the air conditioner, or may be outputted from either side.

The controller 110 of the air conditioner main body 10 determines the sleep state of the user in response to the sleep state information received from the terminal 20 (S610). If the user is still in the general sleep state or deep sleep state , Direct air is set so that air is discharged to the user. In addition, an effect sound can be output at predetermined time intervals according to the alarm setting.

In response to the sleep state information received from the terminal 20, the controller 110 determines that the user is awake (S610), and sets indirect wind (S620).

The terminal control unit 210 determines whether or not the user is awake in accordance with the sleep state of the user and transmits a control signal to the main body 10 of the air conditioner so that the main body 10 of the air conditioner can change or maintain the operation.

Accordingly, the air conditioner and its control method provide a pleasant sleeping environment to the user by sensing the movement of the user using the sensor of the terminal and changing the operation setting of the air conditioner through data communication between the terminal and the main body of the air conditioner can do.

Also, it is possible to induce the user's weather by operating the air conditioner directly or indirectly in accordance with the sleep state of the user detected through the terminal.

Accordingly, the air conditioner and its control method according to the present invention provide a pleasant indoor environment to the user, so that the air conditioner is automatically operated according to the user's sleep state, And can provide a more pleasant environment.

While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the invention.

10: home appliance 20: terminal
110: control unit 130: communication unit
140: Input unit
210: terminal control unit 230:
260:

Claims (20)

An air conditioner main body for controlling air discharged into the room; And
A terminal for transmitting and receiving data to and from the main body of the air conditioner to monitor an operation state of the main body of the air conditioner and transmitting a control signal to the main body of the air conditioner; / RTI >
The terminal senses the movement of the peripheral user through a plurality of sensors provided therein, determines the sleep state of the user corresponding to the sensed movement, and transmits the state to the main body of the air conditioner,
Wherein the main body of the air conditioner changes an operation setting in accordance with sleep state information received from the terminal. The method according to claim 1,
When the air conditioner main body is set in the tropical night mode during the sleep mode,
Wherein when the sleep state information received from the terminal is a deep sleep state, the predetermined operation mode is canceled and the power saving mode is switched to the sleep mode, and when the sleep state information is not in the deep sleep state, the set operation mode is maintained. 3. The method of claim 2,
The main body of the air conditioner stops the operation when the deep sleep state is maintained for a predetermined time or longer after switching to the power saving mode,
Wherein when the sleep state is changed within the predetermined time after switching to the power saving mode, the power saving mode is canceled and the operation mode is switched to the set operation mode. The method of claim 3,
Wherein the main body of the air conditioner transmits a notification message to the terminal upon stopping the operation of the air conditioner. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the main body of the air conditioner is operated while stopping the operation, setting the operation mode to a tropical night mode during the sleep mode, and operating the set operation mode to power cooling. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the air conditioner main body sets the direct air or indirect air in accordance with the sleep state information received from the terminal when the comfortable alarm mode is set. The method according to claim 6,
Wherein the main body of the air conditioner sets direct wind when the sleep state information is in a deep sleep state and indirect wind when the sleep state is not deep before reaching a set alarm time. The method according to claim 6,
The main body of the air conditioner outputs a predetermined sound effect when a predetermined alarm time is reached,
An indirect wind is set when the sleep state information is awake,
Wherein the direct air is set in a deep sleep state or a general sleep state. 9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the terminal outputs a predetermined sound effect when a predetermined alarm time is reached. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the terminal divides the degree of movement into at least three stages and determines that the sleep state is one of a deep sleep state, a general sleep state, and a wake state, and transmits the sleep state to the main body of the air conditioner . The method according to claim 1,
The terminal includes a sensor unit having an acceleration sensor or a gravity sensor to detect a user's movement and vertical movement;
A communication unit for communicating with the terminal; And
And a terminal control unit for analyzing the motion data input from the sensor unit at predetermined time intervals to generate the sleep state information and to transmit the sleep state information to the main body of the air conditioner through the communication unit. 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the terminal further comprises a display unit for displaying a guide to the position of the terminal in a combination of at least one of letters, numbers and images when the sensing mode or the pleasant alarm mode is set. 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the terminal control unit releases the sensing mode when a notification message of an operation stop is received from the main body of the air conditioner. Operating in a set operation mode;
Maintaining the set operation mode or switching to a power saving mode in response to sleep state information received from the terminal when the sleep mode is set;
Switching to the set operation mode when the sleep state is changed within a predetermined time during the power saving mode change; And
Stopping the operation when the sleep state is maintained for the predetermined time or more during the power saving mode switching; And controlling the operation of the air conditioner. 15. The method of claim 14,
During operation in the set operation mode,
Wherein the controller is configured to maintain the set operation mode when the sleep state information is not in a deep sleep state, and to switch to a power saving mode if the sleep state is in a deep sleep state. 15. The method of claim 14,
Wherein when the indoor heat mode is set during the sleep mode, the set operation mode is operated with power cooling. 15. The method of claim 14,
Further comprising the step of transmitting a notification message to the terminal upon stopping the operation of the air conditioner. Setting a weather mode and setting an alarm time;
Setting a direct or indirect wind according to the sleep state information received from the terminal before the alarm time arrives;
Outputting the set sound effect as an alarm upon reaching an alarm time; And
Setting direct wind in the sleep state according to the sleep state information, and indirectly operating the wind in the non-sleep state. 19. The method of claim 18,
Wherein the direct wind is set when the sleep state information is in a deep sleep state before reaching the alarm time and indirect wind is set when the sleep state is not in a deep sleep state. 19. The method of claim 18,
Wherein when the sleep state information indicates a deep sleep state or a general sleep state after the alarm time arrives, the direct wind is set, and if the sleep state is not awake, How it works.

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