AIR CONDITIONER AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME

• US 20120023976A1
• Filed: 07/28/2010
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kwon, Namwoo, Kim, Younggeul, Lim, Jeonghyun, Kang, Suyoung, Min, Juyoung
• Granted Patent: US 9,031,706 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/89
• 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 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/47 Responding to energy costs
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• 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 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/77 by controlling the speed of ventilators
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/60 Energy consumption

Abstract

An air conditioner and control method thereof is provided which may be controlled to adapt operation to changes in power rates. The method may include receiving electric power related information, determining whether a current power rate included in the received information is higher than a preset reference value, determining occupancy of a space to be air conditioned if the current power rate is higher than the preset reference value, and controlling a flow rate of air supplied to the space based on the determined occupancy.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an air conditioner, the method comprising:

determining whether a current power rate is greater than a preset reference power rate;

determining an occupancy of a space to be air conditioned if the current power rate is greater than the preset reference power rate; and

controlling a flow rate of air supplied to the space based on the determined occupancy.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a temperature difference between a current temperature in the space and a target temperature for the space.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein controlling a flow rate of air supplied to the space based on the determined occupancy comprises controlling the flow rate of air supplied to the space based on the determined occupancy and the determined temperature difference.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining whether the temperature difference is greater than a preset reference temperature difference;

supplying air at a high flow rate if the occupancy is greater than a preset reference occupancy value and the temperature difference is greater than the preset reference temperature difference;

supplying air at a medium flow rate if the occupancy is greater than the preset reference occupancy value and the temperature difference is less than the preset reference temperature difference;

supplying air at the medium flow rate if the occupancy is less than the preset reference occupancy value and the temperature difference is greater than the preset reference temperature difference; and

supplying air at a low flow rate if the occupancy is less than the preset reference occupancy value and the temperature difference is less than the preset reference temperature difference.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining whether the temperature difference is greater than a preset reference temperature difference;

increasing the flow rate from a reference flow rate if the occupancy is greater than a preset reference occupancy value and the temperature difference is greater than the preset reference temperature difference;

maintaining the flow rate at the reference flow rate if the occupancy is greater than the preset reference occupancy value and the temperature difference is less than the preset reference temperature difference;

maintaining the flow rate at the reference flow rate if the occupancy is less than the preset reference occupancy value and the temperature difference is greater than the preset reference temperature difference; and

decreasing the flow rate from the reference flow rate if the occupancy is less than the preset reference occupancy value and the temperature difference is less than the preset reference temperature difference.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein increasing flow rate comprises increasing a rotational speed of one or more fans of an indoor unit of the air conditioner that direct air into and out of the space, and decreasing flow rate comprises decreasing the rotational speed of one or more fans of the indoor unit.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining whether the temperature difference is greater than a preset reference temperature difference;

allowing a flow rate which is higher than a reference flow rate if the occupancy is greater than a preset reference occupancy value and the temperature difference is greater than the preset reference temperature difference; and

allowing a flow rate which is less than a reference flow rate if the occupancy is less than the preset reference occupancy value and the temperature difference is less than the preset reference temperature difference;

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving electric power information from an external power supply source; and

obtaining the current power rate from the received electric power information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving electric power information from an external source comprises receiving the electric power information in real time, or retrieving the electric power information from a table including the electric power information for a preset predetermined time period.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining an occupancy of a space comprises receiving a user input indicating a number of persons in the space.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining an occupancy of a space comprises sensing and determining a number of persons in the space using a sensor of the air conditioner.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein determining an occupancy of a space comprises:

sensing movement of persons in the space using an infrared sensor, and determining the occupancy of the space based on the sensed movement;

or

obtaining an image of persons in the space using a camera, and analyzing the image to determine the occupancy of the space;

or

sensing a number of heat sources in the space using a heat sensor, and determining the occupancy of the space based on the number of heat sources sensed in the space.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising stopping an air conditioning operation if it is determined that the space is unoccupied.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling a flow rate of air supplied to the space based on the determined occupancy comprises:

supplying air at a high flow rate if the occupancy is greater than a preset reference occupancy value; and

supplying air at a low flow rate if the occupancy is less than the preset reference occupancy value.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling a flow rate of air supplied to the space based on the determined occupancy comprises:

increasing the flow rate from a reference flow rate if the occupancy is greater than a preset reference occupancy value; and

decreasing the flow rate from the reference flow rate if the occupancy is less than the preset reference occupancy value.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein increasing flow rate comprises increasing a rotational speed of one or more fans of an indoor unit of the air conditioner that direct air into and out of the space, and decreasing flow rate comprises decreasing the rotational speed of one or more fans of the indoor unit.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling a flow rate of air supplied to the space based on the determined occupancy comprises:

allowing a flow rate which is higher than a reference flow rate if the occupancy is greater than a preset reference occupancy value; and

allowing a flow rate which is less than a reference flow rate if the occupancy is less than the preset reference occupancy value.

18. An air conditioner, comprising:

an outdoor unit including a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger and an expander provided in a housing;

at least one indoor unit connected to the outdoor unit so as to heat or cool a corresponding space; and

a controller that controls a flow rate of air to the space based on an occupancy of the space if a current power rate is greater than a preset reference value.

19. The air conditioner of claim 18, wherein the controller is configured to determine the occupancy of the space based on a user input indicating a number of persons in the space.

20. The air conditioner of claim 18, further comprising:

an infrared sensor that senses movement of persons in the space to determine the occupancy of the space;

or

a camera that obtains an image of persons in the space to determine the occupancy of the space;

or

a heat sensor that senses a number of heat sources in the space to determine the occupancy of the space.

21. The air conditioner of claim 18, wherein the controller is configured to increase flow rate from a reference flow rate if the occupancy is greater than a preset reference occupancy value and a difference between a target space temperature and an actual space temperature is greater than a preset reference temperature difference.

22. The air conditioner of claim 21, wherein the controller is configure to maintain the flow rate at the reference flow rate if the occupancy is greater than the preset reference occupancy value and the temperature difference is less than the preset reference temperature difference, or if the occupancy is less than the preset reference occupancy value and the temperature difference is greater than the preset reference temperature difference.

23. The air conditioner of claim 21, wherein the controller is configured to decrease flow rate from the reference flow rate if the occupancy is less than the preset reference occupancy value and the temperature difference is less than the preset reference temperature difference.

24. The air conditioner of claim 18, wherein the controller is configured to increase a rotational speed of one or more fans of the indoor unit that direct air into and out of the space if the occupancy is greater than a preset reference occupancy value and a difference between a target space temperature and an actual space temperature is greater than a preset reference temperature difference.

25. The air conditioner of claim 24, wherein the controller is configured to decrease the rotational speed of one or more fans of the indoor unit if the occupancy is less than the preset reference occupancy value and the temperature difference is less than the preset reference temperature difference.

26. A controller for an electric appliance, comprising:

means for receiving electric power information;

means for determining whether current power rates included in the received electric power information are greater than a preset reference value;

means for determining an occupancy of a space; and

means for controlling an air flow rate into the space based on the occupancy of the space.