Method and device for operating air conditioner

• US 10,030,881 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2015
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lim, Hunjung, Cho, Hyejung
• Primary Examiner(s): Jonaitis, Justin
• Application Number:
  US15/111,323
• Publication Number:
  US 20160348931A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,271 Days
• Field of Search: 165237
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/61 using timers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/65 for selecting an operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/74 for controlling air flow rate or air velocity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/70 Carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

An air conditioner, according to one embodiment of the present invention, comprises: a communication unit for receiving, from a terminal staying in a zone, first information of the terminal, including information on a previous staying time of the terminal in the zone; and a control unit for determining second information of the terminal, which contains an expected leaving time of the terminal, on the basis of the first information of the terminal and determining an operating mode and an operating time of the air conditioner on the basis of the second information of the terminal, and thus energy can be saved while minimizing a decline in the sensation of comfort felt by an occupant.

Claims

1. A method of operating an air conditioner, the method comprising:

determining second information of a terminal staying in a zone, the second information including an expected leaving time of the terminal based on first information of the terminal, the first information including information about a length of time in which the terminal had previously stayed in the zone; and

determining an operation mode and an operation time of the air conditioner based on the second information of the terminal,

wherein the expected leaving time is determined based on a result of comparing a number of times in which the terminal had previously stayed in the zone and a first reference value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the second information of the terminal comprises:

determining an expected staying time of the terminal based on the first information of the terminal; and

determining the expected leaving time of the terminal based on a latest entering time of the terminal and the expected staying time of the terminal.

3. The method of claim 2,

wherein the first information of the terminal includes a count based on a number of times in which the terminal had previously stayed in the zone, and

wherein, if the count is equal to or greater than a first reference value, the expected staying time is determined.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, if the count is 2 or more, the expected leaving time of the terminal is determined based on an average value of times in which the terminal had previously stayed in the zone.

5. The method of claim 3,

wherein the air conditioner periodically detects a carbon dioxide density of the zone, and

wherein the determining of the operation mode and the operation time of the air conditioner comprises:

determining an occupying rate of the terminal in which the expected staying time is determined among terminals staying in the zone; and

if the occupying rate is smaller than a second reference value or if the carbon dioxide density is smaller than a third reference value, determining the operation mode and the operation time of the air conditioner based on the carbon dioxide density.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising, if the occupying rate is equal to or greater than a second reference value and if the carbon dioxide density is equal to or greater than a third reference value, determining the operation mode and the operation time of the air conditioner based on an exceeded stay time.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the determining of the operation mode and the operation time of the air conditioner based on the exceeded stay time comprises:

determining operation modes and operation times corresponding to each terminal based on the exceeded stay time of each terminal;

determining a first operation mode having a highest occupying rate among the determined operation modes corresponding to each terminal to the operation mode of the air conditioner; and

determining a minimum value of the operation times corresponding to the first operation mode of the air conditioner to the operation time of the air conditioner.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the information about the length of time in which the terminal had previously stayed in the zone includes an entering time and a leaving time of the terminal.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the entering time and the leaving time of the terminal are determined according to whether a wireless signal that receives from the terminal exists.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the second information of the terminal.

11. An air conditioner, comprising:

a transceiver configured to receive first information of a terminal, the first information including information about a length of time in which the terminal had previously stayed in a zone from the terminal staying in the zone; and

at least one processor configured to;

determine second information of the terminal, the second information including an expected leaving time of the terminal based on the first information of the terminal, and

determine an operation mode and an operation time of the air conditioner based on the second information of the terminal,

wherein the expected leaving time is determined based on a result of comparing a number of times in which the terminal had previously stayed in the zone and a first reference value.

12. The air conditioner of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine an expected staying time of the terminal based on the first information of the terminal, and

determine the expected leaving time of the terminal based on a latest entering time and the expected staying time of the terminal.

13. The air conditioner of claim 12,

wherein the first information of the terminal includes a count based on a number of times in which the terminal had previously stayed in the zone, and

wherein, if the count is equal to or greater than a first reference value, the at least one processor is further configured to determine the expected staying time.

14. The air conditioner of claim 13, wherein, if the count is 2 or more, the at least one processor is further configured to determine the expected leaving time of the terminal based on an average value of times in which the terminal had previously stayed in the zone.

15. The air conditioner of claim 13, further comprising:

a detector configured to periodically detect a carbon dioxide density of the zone,

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to;

determine an occupying rate of the terminal in which the expected staying time is determined among the terminals staying in the zone, and

if the occupying rate is smaller than a second reference value or if the carbon dioxide density is smaller than a third reference value, determine the operation mode and the operation time of the air conditioner based on the carbon dioxide density.

16. The air conditioner of claim 15, wherein, if the occupying rate is equal to or greater than the second reference value and if the carbon dioxide density is equal to or greater than the third reference value, the at least one processor is further configured to determine the operation mode and the operation time of the air conditioner based on an exceeded stay time.

17. The air conditioner of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine operation modes and operation times corresponding to each terminal based on the exceeded stay time of each terminal,

determine a first operation mode having a highest occupying rate among the determined operation modes corresponding to each terminal to the operation mode of the air conditioner, and

determine a minimum value of the operation times corresponding to the first operation mode of the air conditioner to the operation time of the air conditioner.

18. The air conditioner of claim 11, wherein the information about the length of time in which the terminal had previously stayed in the zone includes an entering time and a leaving time of the terminal.

19. The air conditioner of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine the entering time and the leaving time of the terminal according to whether a wireless signal that receives from the terminal exists.

20. The air conditioner of claim 11, further comprising a storage configured to store the second information of the terminal.