Air conditioner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11301779-B2
Application number	US-201916380547-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2019
Priority date	Apr 10, 2018
Publication date	Apr 12, 2022
Grant date	Apr 12, 2022

Abstract

A method of operating an air conditioner, including: obtaining an image acquired by a camera; determining a distance and a direction of an occupant relative to the air conditioner, based on the image; using at least one machine-learning network to classify an air-blowable space of the air conditioner into an intensive air blowing area and a non-intensive air blowing area, based on the distance and the direction of the occupant; controlling the air conditioner to operate in an intensive operation mode with respect to the intensive air blowing area; and controlling the air conditioner to operate in a non-intensive operation mode with respect to the intensive air blowing area and the non-intensive air blowing area based on completion of the intensive operation mode. A time duration of the intensive operation mode is smaller than a time duration of the non-intensive operation mode.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. An air conditioner comprising:
at least one camera;
at least one processor; and
at least one computer memory operably connectable to the at least one processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, perform operations comprising:
obtaining at least one image acquired by the at least one camera;
determining a distance and a direction of an occupant relative to the air conditioner, based on the at least one image;
classifying an air-blowable space of the air conditioner into an intensive air blowing area and a non-intensive air blowing area, based on the distance and the direction of the occupant relative to the air conditioner through machine learning;
controlling the air conditioner to operate in an intensive operation mode with respect to the intensive air blowing area; and
controlling the air conditioner to operate in a non-intensive operation mode with respect to the intensive air blowing area and the non-intensive air blowing area based on completion of the intensive operation mode,
wherein a time duration associated with the intensive operation mode is smaller than a time duration associated with the non-intensive operation mode,
wherein the air conditioner further comprises an air blowing unit comprising a left vane and a right vane, and
wherein the operations further comprise:
independently controlling the left vane and the right vane of the air blowing unit to supply air with respect to the intensive air blowing area and the non-intensive air blowing area:
based on a determination that an angle at which the left vane or the right vane rotates with respect to the intensive air blowing area or the non-intensive air blowing area is less than a threshold angle: fixing the left vane or the right vane toward the intensive air blowing area or the non-intensive air blowing area, and
based on a determination that there is no intensive air blowing area in the air- blowable space of the air conditioner: controlling the left vane and the right vane to swing.

2. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
identifying a presence of the occupant in the at least one image acquired by the at least one camera through machine learning;
determining the distance and the direction of the occupant relative to the air conditioner based on the at least one image through machine learning; and
identifying an activity area with respect to a plurality of areas based on the distance and the direction of the occupant relative to the air conditioner through machine learning.

3. The air conditioner of claim 2 , wherein the operations further comprise:
generating histogram values corresponding to the plurality of areas by accumulating a result of the distance and the direction of the occupant; and
processing the histogram values as input data to classify the air-blowable space into the intensive air blowing area and the non-intensive air blowing area.

4. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
classifying the non-intensive air blowing area into an intermittent air blowing area and an non-air blowing area through machine learning.

5. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
based on a determination that there is no intensive air blowing area in the air-blowable space, controlling the air conditioner to operate in an intensive operation mode in which the left vane and the right vane operate in a state of being fixed toward a central direction of the air conditioner.

6. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
based on a determination that the intensive air blowing area comprises a left intensive air blowing area and a right intensive air blowing area, and that the left intensive air blowing area and the right intensive air blowing area are not continuous:
controlling the left vane to blow air to the left intensive air blowing area, and controlling the right vane to blow air to the right intensive air blowing area.

7. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein independently controlling the left vane and the right vane comprises:
controlling the left vane to blow air to a left area, and controlling the right vane to blow area to a right area; and
based on a determination that any one of the left area or the right area is not included in the intensive air blowing area: controlling the any one of the left vane or the right vane to be fixed toward a central direction of the air conditioner.

8. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein independently controlling the left vane and the right vane comprises:
determining that the intensive air blowing area comprises (i) a left intensive air blowing area in which a first wind direction is determined by control of the left vane, and (ii) a right intensive blowing area in which a second wind direction is determined by control of the right vane; and
controlling a left wind direction by adjusting the left vane toward the left intensive air blowing area, and controlling a right wind direction by adjusting the right vane toward the right intensive air blowing area.

9. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
based on a determination of the intensive air blowing area, controlling the air conditioner to operate in the intensive operation mode, with respect to the intensive air blowing area, for a first period of time; and
based on termination of the intensive operation mode, controlling the air conditioner to operate in the non-intensive operation mode with respect to the non-intensive air blowing area and the intensive air blowing area,
wherein a first amount of energy consumed per unit time during the intensive operation mode is greater than a second amount of energy consumed per unit time during the non-intensive operation mode.

10. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the air conditioner further comprises a sensing unit configured to sense a change in a temperature or a humidity of the air blowing area, and
wherein the operations further comprise:
generating a parameter corresponding to at least one of (i) locations and areas of the non-intensive air blowing area and the intensive air blowing area, (ii) an initial indoor temperature at a start time of a section in which the air conditioner operates in the intensive operation mode, (iii) a target setup temperature of the section, (iv) a temperature change rate of a predetermined initial section of the section, (v) a temperature change rate of the section, or (vi) a time scale between a start time point and an end time point of the section;
controlling the air conditioner to operate in the intensive operation mode for a predetermined period of time with respect to the intensive air blowing area based on an activation time point, wherein the activation time point is at least one of (i) a turn-on time of the air conditioner, or (ii) a starting time of an automatic operation mode of air-conditioner without user control; and
controlling the air conditioner to operate in the non-intensive operation mode with respect to the non-intensive air blowing area and the intensive air blowing area based on the intensive operation mode being terminated.

11. A cloud server configured to implement an area-selective operation of an air conditioner, the cloud server comprising:
a communication unit configured to transmit and receive information to and from the air conditioner;
at least one processor; and
at least one computer memory operably connectable to the at least one processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, perform operations comprising:
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Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Song Taeyup
• Han Dongwoo

Classifications

• Y02B30/70

  Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating · CPC title

• F24F2110/20

  Humidity · CPC title

• G06Q50/10

  Services · CPC title

• F24F11/46 Primary

  Improving electric energy efficiency or saving · CPC title

• F24F11/30 Primary

  for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring · CPC title