Air conditioner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019309978-A1
Application number	US-201916380547-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 10, 2019
Priority date	Apr 10, 2018
Publication date	Oct 10, 2019
Grant date	—

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;
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 relative to the air conditioner;
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.

2 . The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
using the at least one machine-learning network to identify a presence of the occupant in the at least one image acquired by the at least one camera; using the at least one machine-learning network to determine the distance and the direction of the occupant relative to the air conditioner based on the at least one image; and using the at least one machine-learning network to identify 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.

3 . The air conditioner of claim 2 , wherein the at least one machine-learning network comprises at least one artificial neural network that is pre-learned through machine learning, and
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
using the at least one artificial neural network to process 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:
using the at least one machine-learning network to classify the non-intensive air blowing area into an intermittent air blowing area and an non-air blowing area.

5 . The air conditioner of claim 1 , 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.

6 . The air conditioner of claim 5 , 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.

7 . The air conditioner of claim 5 , 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.

8 . The air conditioner of claim 5 , wherein the operations further comprise:
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.

9 . The air conditioner of claim 5 , 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.

10 . The air conditioner of claim 5 , 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.

11 . 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.

12 . 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 ope

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Song Taeyup
• Han Dongwoo

Classifications

• F24F11/64 Primary

  using pre-stored data · CPC title

• F24F11/56

  Remote control · CPC title

• F24F11/65 Primary

  for selecting an operating mode · CPC title

• F24F2120/12

  Position of occupants · CPC title

• F24F2140/60

  Energy consumption · CPC title