METHOD AND DEVICE FOR OPERATING AIR CONDITIONER

• US 20160348931A1
• Filed: 01/30/2015
• Published: 12/01/2016
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 10,030,881 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 11/56 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 comprising an expected leaving time of the terminal based on first information of a terminal comprising information about a time in which the terminal has previously stayed in the zone; and

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

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

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

calculating an 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 comprises the count in which the terminal has stayed in the zone, and

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

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

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the air conditioner periodically detects a carbon dioxide density of the zone,

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

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

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

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining, 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, an operation mode and operation time of the air conditioner based on an exceeded stay time.

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

determining an operation mode and operation time corresponding to each terminal based on the exceeded stay time of each terminal;

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

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

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

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the entering time and 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 communication unit that receives first information of a terminal comprising information about a time in which the terminal has previously stayed in a zone from the terminal staying in the zone; and

a controller that determines second information of the terminal comprising an expected leaving time of the terminal based on the first information of the terminal and that determines an operation mode and operation time of the air conditioner based on the second information of the terminal.

12. The air conditioner of claim 11, wherein the controller calculates an expected staying time of the terminal based on the first information of the terminal and calculates an 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 comprises the count in which the terminal has stayed in the zone, and

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

14. The air conditioner of claim 13, wherein the controller calculates the expected leaving time of the terminal based on an average value of times in which the terminal has previously stayed in the zone, if the count is 2 or more.

15. The air conditioner of claim 13, further comprising a detection unit that periodically detects a carbon dioxide density of the zone,

wherein the controller determines an occupying rate of a terminal in which the expected staying time is calculated among the terminals staying in the zone, and determines an operation mode and operation time of the air conditioner based on the carbon dioxide density, if the occupying rate is smaller than a second reference value or if the carbon dioxide density is smaller than a third reference value.

16. The air conditioner of claim 15, wherein the controller determines an operation mode and operation time of the air conditioner based on an exceeded stay time, 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.

17. The air conditioner of claim 16, wherein the controller determines an operation mode and operation time corresponding to each terminal based on the exceeded stay time of each terminal, determines an operation mode having a highest occupying rate among the determined operation modes corresponding to each terminal to an operation mode of the air conditioner, and determines a minimum value of operation times corresponding to an operation mode determined to an operation mode of the air conditioner to an operation time of the air conditioner.

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

19. The air conditioner of claim 18, wherein the controller determines an entering time and 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 unit that stores the second information of the terminal.