Method for controlling air conditioner by recognizing zone on basis of artificial intelligence, server and air conditioner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11421906-B2
Application number	US-201917058420-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2019
Priority date	May 24, 2018
Publication date	Aug 23, 2022
Grant date	Aug 23, 2022

Abstract

An air conditioner is controlled according to one or more zones determined by artificial intelligence. The air conditioner includes a controller for generating first space classification data for dividing a space into two or more blowing zones based on human body sensing data generated by a vision module and an image, and a communication unit for transmitting the human body sensing data to a server and receiving second space classification data from the server. The controller is configured to control operation of the air conditioner based on comparing the first space classification data to the second space classification data and dividing the space into a concentrated blowing zone and a non-concentrated blowing zone.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air conditioner, comprising:
a camera configured to capture an image of a space in which the air conditioner is located; and
a controller configured to generate human body sensing data from the image captured by the camera and to generate first space classification data for classifying the space into two or more blowing zones based on the human body sensing data and the image,
wherein the air conditioner is configured to transmit the human body sensing data to a server and to receive second space classification data from the server,
wherein the controller is configured to, based on comparing the first space classification data with the second space classification data, determine a first blowing zone and a second blowing zone of the space and control operation of the air conditioner according to the first blowing zone and the second blowing zone,
wherein the air conditioner further comprises an interface configured to receive an initialization instruction for deleting (i) the human body sensing data, the first space classification data, or the second space classification data that are stored in the air conditioner, and (ii) the human body sensing data or the second space classification data that are stored in the server,
wherein the controller is configured to, in response to the initialization instruction, delete the human body sensing data, the first space classification data, or the second space classification data that are stored in the air conditioner, and
wherein the air conditioner is configured to, in response to the initialization instruction, transmit a message for requesting deletion of the human body sensing data or the second space classification data that are stored in the server.

2. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the air conditioner is configured to:
accumulate and store the human body sensing data generated by the controller; and
based on an amount of the accumulated human body sensing data in the air conditioner being equal to a unit data amount for data transmission determined by the server, transmit the accumulated human body sensing data to the server.

3. The air conditioner of claim 2 , wherein the air conditioner is configured to receive a value corresponding to the unit data amount for data transmission unit from the server, the value being determined by the server based on a number of air conditioners that access the server and transmit human body sensing data to the server.

4. The air conditioner of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to, based on an amount of data transmitted by the air conditioner to the server being less than a server determination threshold, determine the first blowing zone and the second blowing zone using the first space classification data.

5. The air conditioner of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to:
based on an amount of data transmitted by the air conditioner to the server being greater than or equal to a server determination threshold, compare the first space classification data with the second space classification data; and
based on a difference between the first space classification data and the second space classification data being less than or equal to a predetermined level, determine the first blowing zone and the second blowing zone using the second space classification data.

6. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
accumulate the human body sensing data; and
based on an amount of the accumulated human body sensing data being greater than or equal to a self-determination threshold, determine the first blowing zone and the second blowing zone using the first space classification data.

7. A server, comprising:
a controller configured to generate space classification data for classifying a space, in which each of a plurality of air conditioners is located, into two or more blowing zones based on the server receiving human body sensing data from the plurality of air conditioners; and
a storage configured to store the human body sensing data or the space classification data,
wherein the communication unitserver is configured to transmit the space classification data to the plurality of air conditioners, wherein the server is further configured to receive the human body sensing data from the plurality of air conditioners based on an amount of the human body sensing data being equal to a unit data amount for data transmission determined by the server, and
wherein the controller is configured to, (i) based on an air conditioner among the plurality of air conditioners receiving an initialization instruction for deleting the human body sensing data or the space classification data that are stored in the server, and (ii) based on the server receiving a message from the air conditioner for requesting deletion of the human body sensing data or the space classification data that are stored in the server, delete the stored data corresponding to the air conditioner from the storage.

8. The server of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to determine a value corresponding to the unit data amount for data transmission based on a number of the plurality of air conditioners that transmit the human body sensing data to the server, and
wherein the server is configured to transmit the value corresponding to the unit data amount for data transmission to the plurality of air conditioners based on predetermined intervals or based on an increase or a decrease of the number of the plurality of air conditioners that transmit the human body sensing data to the server.

9. The server of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to, based on an amount of data received by the server from an air conditioner among the plurality of air conditioners being greater than or equal to a server determination threshold, generate the space classification data corresponding to the air conditioner.

10. A method for controlling an air conditioner, comprising:
generating human body sensing data from an image captured by a camera that is configured to capture one or more images of a space in which the air conditioner is located;
a generating, by a controller of the air conditioner, first space classification data for classifying the space into two or more blowing zones based on the human body sensing data and the image;
transmitting, by the air conditioner, the human body sensing data to a server, and receiving second space classification data from the server;
comparing, by the controller, the first space classification data with the second space classification data;
based on comparison of the first space classification data with the second space classification data, determining a first blowing zone and a second blowing zone of the space, and controlling operation of the air conditioner according to the first blowing zone and the second blowing zone;
receiving , by an interface, an initialization instruction for deleting (i) the human body sensing data, the first space classification data, or the second space classification data that are stored in the air conditioner, and (ii) the human body sensing data or the second space classification data that are stored in the server;
in response to the initialization instruction, deleting, by the controller, the human body sensing data, the first space classification data, or the second space classification data that are stored in the air conditioner; and
in response to the initialization instruction, transmitting, from the air conditioner, a message for requesting deletion of the human body sensing data or the second space classification data that are stored in the server.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comp

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Han Dongwoo
• Song Taeyup

Classifications

• F24F11/58 Primary

  using Internet communication · CPC title

• F24F11/64 Primary

  using pre-stored data · CPC title

• F24F11/79

  for controlling the direction of the supplied air · CPC title

• F24F11/30

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

• F24F2120/12

  Position of occupants · CPC title