Air conditioning device and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11460210-B2
Application number	US-202017114992-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2020
Priority date	Dec 12, 2019
Publication date	Oct 4, 2022
Grant date	Oct 4, 2022

Abstract

An air conditioning device is provided. The air conditioning device includes an image sensor, and a processor configured to identify an object based on edge information included in an image acquired through the image sensor, and control an operation of the air conditioning device based on the type information of the identified object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air conditioning device comprising:
an image sensor; and
a processor configured to:
identify an object based on edge information included in an image obtained by the image sensor,
identify type information indicating that a type of the identified object is a person or an animal,
identify size information of the identified object, and
control an air conditioning mode and a strength of air conditioning of the air conditioning device based on the type information of the identified object and the size information of the identified object,

wherein the air conditioning mode and the strength of air conditioning are changed based on the type information of the identified object and the size information of the identified object, and
wherein the processor is further configured to control an angle of a wind for a cooling mode or a heating mode based on the type information of the identified object and the size information of the identified object.

2. The air conditioning device of claim 1 ,
wherein the air conditioning device is implemented as an air conditioner, and
wherein the processor is further configured to:
control at least one of the cooling mode or the heating mode, a strength of wind for the cooling mode or the heating mode, a location of wind for the cooling mode or the heating mode based on the type information of the identified object and the size information of the identified object.

3. The air conditioning device of claim 1 , wherein the image sensor comprises a sensor that detects an edge area by identifying a movement of the identified object based on a light reflected from the identified object.

4. The air conditioning device of claim 3 , wherein the image sensor further comprises a dynamic vision sensor (DVS) detecting the edge area.

5. The air conditioning device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a memory storing a neural network model trained to identify a type of the identified object based on an input image,
wherein the processor is further configured to:
input the input image into the neural network model, and
control the air conditioning mode and the strength of air conditioning of the air conditioning device based on the type information of the identified object and the size information of the identified object output from the neural network model.

6. The air conditioning device of claim 1 ,
wherein the identified object is at least one of a number of objects, and
wherein the processor is further configured to:
obtain additional information for the at least one of the number of objects, sizes of the at least one of the number of objects, an amount of activity of the at least one of the number of objects, or locations of the at least one of the number of objects based on the obtained image, and
control the air conditioning mode and the strength of air conditioning of the air conditioning device based on the type information and the size information of the at least one of the number of objects and the additional information.

7. The air conditioning device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a speaker,
wherein the processor is further configured to:
based on the identified object not being identified during a threshold time and then the object being identified, control the speaker to output indoor environment information including at least one of a temperature, a humidity, or a cleanliness, and
perform the air conditioning mode and the strength of air conditioning of the air conditioning device based on the indoor environment information.

8. The air conditioning device of claim 1 ,
wherein the type information of the identified object comprises a first type and a second type having different priorities, and
wherein the processor is further configured to:
based on the identified object of the first type and the identified object of the second type being identified in the image, control the air conditioning mode and the strength of air conditioning of the air conditioning device based on the first type having a relatively higher priority.

9. The air conditioning device of claim 1 , wherein the image is a binary image.

10. The air conditioning device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
detect an edge area in an image obtained by the image sensor, and
obtain the edge information based on the detected edge area.

11. A control method of an air conditioning device, the method comprising:
identifying an object based on edge information included in an image obtained by an image sensor;
identifying type information indicating that a type of the identified object is a person or an animal;
identifying size information of the identified object; and
controlling an air conditioning mode and a strength of air conditioning of the air conditioning device based on the type information of the identified object and the size information of the identified object,
wherein the air conditioning mode and the strength of air conditioning are changed based on the type information of the identified object and the size information of the identified object, and
wherein the controlling comprises controlling an angle of a wind for a cooling mode or a heating mode based on the type information of the identified object and the size information of the identified object.

12. The control method of claim 11 , wherein the controlling comprises:
controlling at least one of the cooling mode or the heating mode, a strength of wind for the cooling mode or the heating mode, a location of the wind for the cooling mode or the heating mode based on the type information of the identified object and the size information of the identified object.

13. The control method of claim 11 , wherein the image sensor comprises a sensor configures to detect an edge area by identifying a movement of the identified object based on a light reflected from the identified object.

14. The control method of claim 13 , wherein the image sensor comprises a dynamic vision sensor (DVS) detecting the edge area.

15. The control method of claim 11 , wherein the controlling comprises:
inputting the obtained image into a prestored neural network model trained to identify a type of an object based on an input image, and
controlling the air conditioning mode and the strength of air conditioning of the air conditioning device based on the type information of the identified object and the size information of the identified object output from the prestored neural network model.

16. The control method of claim 11 ,
wherein the identified object is at least one of a number of objects, and
wherein the controlling comprises:
obtaining additional information for at least one of a number of objects, sizes of the at least one of the number of objects, an amount of activity of the at least one of the number of objects, or locations of the at least one of the number of objects based on the obtained image; and
controlling the air conditioning mode and the strength of air conditioning of the air conditioning device based on the type information and the size information of the at least one of the number of objects and the additional information.

17. The control method of claim 11 , further comprising:
based on the identified object not being identified during a threshold time and then the identified object being identified, outputting indoor environment information including at least one of a temperature, a humidity, or a cleanliness; and
performing the air conditioning mode and the strength of air conditioning of the air conditioning device

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Oh Seungwon
• Hwang Jun
• Kim Younghoon
• Seo Hyeongjoon
• Son Sunhee
• Joo Youngju
• Choi Hyoungseo
• Ha Jongkweon
• Hwang Soonhoon

Classifications

• F24F11/74 Primary

  for controlling air flow rate or air velocity · CPC title

• F24F2120/10

  Occupancy · CPC title

• F24F2120/14

  Activity of occupants · CPC title

• F24F11/67

  Switching between heating and cooling modes · CPC title

• F24F11/79 Primary

  for controlling the direction of the supplied air · CPC title