INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING MULTI-TYPE AIR CONDITIONERS

• US 20080185447A1
• Filed: 11/27/2007
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: YOUN, Sang-Chul, KIM, Jun-Tae, JEON, Duck-Gu
• Granted Patent: US 7,831,339 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 236/51
• 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 11/54 using one central controller connected to several sub-controllers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• 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

Abstract

An integrated management system for controlling multi-type air conditioners can reduce a communication load by transmitting only changed operation state information among operation state information related to at least one air conditioner system which is disposed in a room or office and is being operated.

Claims

1. An integrated management system for controlling multi-type air conditioners, comprising:

one or more air conditioner systems having one or more air conditioner groups provided with a local controller connected to multi-type air conditioners via a gateway, and configured to detect changes in operation state information related to the one or more air conditioner groups and convert the changed operation state information based on the detected result into operation state information data according to a remote communication protocol for transmission; and

a remote integrated management system configured to receive the operation state information data based on the remote communication protocol from the one or more air conditioner systems and remotely control the one or more air conditioner systems based on the received operation state information data.

2. The integrated management system of claim 1, wherein the local controller comprises:

a collecting module configured to collect operation state information at specific intervals;

an analyzing module configured to analyze the operation state information collected by the collecting module and detect changes in the operation state information; and

a transmitting module, configured to convert the changed operation state information based on the detected result of the analyzing module into operation state information data according to the remote communication protocol for transmission.

3. The integrated management system of claim 2, wherein the collecting module includes a FIFO buffer which stores the operation state information in a first-in, first-out manner.

4. The integrated management system of claim 2, wherein the transmitting module compresses and transmits the changed operation state information.

5. The integrated management system of claim 1, wherein the remote integrated management system is provided with an application server which receives the changed operation state information, stores the received operation state information in a database server, and converts the changed operation state information into operation control data according to a remote communication protocol for transmission.

6. An integrated management method for controlling multi-type air conditioners, comprising:

collecting operation information related to one or more air conditioners;

analyzing the collected operation state information; and

if a change in the operation state information is detected according to the analysis result, compressing and transmitting the changed operation state information.

7. The integrated management method of claim 6, further comprising;

analyzing the changed operation state information, and based on the analysis result, generating and transmitting operation control data.

8. The integrated management method of claim 6, wherein the step of collecting the operation state information further comprises:

storing the changed operation state information in a database.

9. The integrated management method of claim 6, further comprising;

storing the collected operation state information in a first-in, first-out manner.