TEMPERATURE CONTROL METHOD AND APPARATUS

• US 20160054021A1
• Filed: 08/24/2015
• Published: 02/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: LEE, Dong Seop, SEO, Sungmok, SONG, Kwanwoo, CHO, Hyejung
• Granted Patent: US 10,436,467 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• 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 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/66 Sleep mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2130/00 Control inputs relating to environmental factors not covered by group F24F2110/00
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2130/10 Weather information or forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for controlling a temperature based on scheduling of an indoor temperature are provided. The apparatus obtains set temperature history information of an air handling unit from previously stored information. The set temperature history information is mapped to weather factor history information about at least one weather factor. The apparatus also obtains weather factor information regarding a scheduling target time. Based on the obtained set temperature history information and the obtained weather factor information, the apparatus schedules a set temperature of the air handling unit with regard to the scheduling target time. The present disclosure relates to a sensor network, Machine Type Communication (MTC), Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication, and technology for Internet of Things (IoT) and may be applied to intelligent services based on the above technologies, such as smart home, smart building, smart city, smart car, connected car, healthcare, digital education, smart retail, and security services.

Claims

1. A temperature control method comprising:

obtaining set temperature history information of an air handling unit from previously stored information, the set temperature history information being mapped to weather factor history information about at least one weather factor;

obtaining weather factor information regarding a scheduling target time; and

scheduling a set temperature of the air handling unit with regard to the scheduling target time, based on the obtained set temperature history information and the obtained weather factor information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining of the set temperature history information comprises obtaining the set temperature history information by considering information associated with indoor equipment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining of the set temperature history information comprises:

receiving information about a time span used for obtaining a set temperature value of the air handling unit mapped to the weather factor history information;

obtaining the set temperature value and the weather factor history information mapped thereto during the time span; and

obtaining the set temperature history information by calculating an average value of the obtained set temperature value mapped to a same weather factor value in the obtained weather factor history information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining of the set temperature history information comprises:

receiving mode setting information; and

obtaining the set temperature history information mapped to the weather factor history information, based on the received mode setting information.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the obtaining of the weather factor information comprises receiving time-based weather factor information regarding the scheduling target time from an external server.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the scheduling of the set temperature of the air handling unit comprises:

obtaining a time-based set temperature average value, based on the obtained set temperature history information and the received time-based weather factor information; and

determining a time-based set temperature for scheduling, based on the obtained time-based set temperature average value of the air handling unit regarding the at least one weather factor.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the determining of the time-based set temperature for scheduling comprises considering a predetermined weight of each weather factor.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the obtaining of the time-based set temperature average value comprises:

retrieving, from the obtained set temperature history information, the weather factor history information which is identical to the obtained weather factor information; and

further retrieving, from the obtained set temperature history information, an average value of the set temperature values mapped to the retrieved weather factor history information.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining equipment setting history information mapped to the weather factor history information; and

scheduling equipment setting, based on the obtained equipment setting history information and the obtained weather factor information.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

adjusting the set temperature of the air handling unit, based on the scheduled equipment setting.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the scheduling of the set temperature of the air handling unit further comprises:

obtaining a permissible distribution range of the set temperature values mapped to the weather factor history information; and

adjusting the scheduled set temperature in view of the obtained permissible distribution range.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the adjusting of the scheduled set temperature comprises:

adjusting, if an indoor temperature value of a specific time in the obtained weather factor information is greater than an average value of the obtained time-based set temperature values at the specific time, the scheduled set temperature by adding the permissible distribution range to the average value at the specific time; and

adjusting, if the indoor temperature value of the specific time in the obtained weather factor information is less than the average value of the obtained time-based set temperature values at the specific time, the scheduled set temperature by subtracting the permissible distribution range from the average value at the specific time.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a presence or absence of users in a specific space; and

switching, in a case of absence of users in the specific space, the scheduling of a set temperature of the air handling unit to a predefined mode.

14. A temperature control apparatus comprising:

a communication unit configured to transmit or receive information to or from a user device and an indoor equipment including an air handling unit; and

a control unit configured to;

obtain set temperature history information of the air handling unit from previously stored information, the set temperature history information being mapped to weather factor history information about at least one weather factor,

obtain weather factor information regarding a scheduling target time, and

schedule a set temperature of the air handling unit with regard to the scheduling target time, based on the obtained set temperature history information and the obtained weather factor information.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the control unit is further configured to obtain the set temperature history information by considering information associated with indoor equipment.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the control unit is further configured to:

receive information about a time span used for obtaining a set temperature value of the air handling unit mapped to the weather factor history information,

obtain the set temperature value and the weather factor history information mapped thereto during the time span, and

obtain the set temperature history information by calculating an average value of the obtained set temperature value mapped to a same weather factor value in the obtained weather factor history information.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the control unit is further configured to:

receive mode setting information, and obtain the set temperature history information mapped to the weather factor history information, based on the received mode setting information.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the control unit is further configured to receive time-based weather factor information regarding the scheduling target time from an external server.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the control unit is further configured to:

obtain a time-based set temperature average value, based on the obtained set temperature history information and the received time-based weather factor information, and

determine a time-based set temperature for scheduling, based on the obtained time-based set temperature average value of the air handling unit regarding the at least one weather factor.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the control unit is further configured to consider a predetermined weight of each weather factor.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the control unit is further configured to:

retrieve, from the obtained set temperature history information, the weather factor history information which is identical to the obtained weather factor information, and

further retrieve, from the obtained set temperature history information, an average value of the set temperature values mapped to the retrieved weather factor history information.

22. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the control unit is further configured to:

obtain equipment setting history information mapped to the weather factor history information, and

schedule equipment setting, based on the obtained equipment setting history information and the obtained weather factor information.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the control unit is further configured to adjust the set temperature of the air handling unit, based on the scheduled equipment setting.

24. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the control unit is further configured to:

obtain a permissible distribution range of the set temperature values mapped to the weather factor history information, and

adjust the scheduled set temperature in view of the obtained permissible distribution range.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the control unit is further configured to:

adjust, if an indoor temperature value of a specific time in the obtained weather factor information is greater than an average value of the obtained time-based set temperature values at the specific time, the scheduled set temperature by adding the permissible distribution range to the average value at the specific time, and

adjust, if the indoor temperature value of the specific time in the obtained weather factor information is less than the average value of the obtained time-based set temperature values at the specific time, the scheduled set temperature by subtracting the permissible distribution range from the average value at the specific time.

26. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the control unit is further configured to:

determine a presence or absence of users in a specific space, and

switch, in a case of absence of users in the specific space, the scheduling of a set temperature of the air handling unit to a predefined mode.