Air conditioner

Abstract

The invention relates to an air conditioner. An air conditioner according to one embodiment of the present invention may comprise: an outdoor unit; a plurality of indoor units disposed corresponding to each of the plurality of areas; the temperature sensor is used for detecting the indoor temperature of a plurality of areas respectively corresponding to the plurality of indoor units; and a control unit. When there is a first indoor unit in which the indoor temperature of at least one corresponding region among the plurality of indoor units does not reach a target temperature, the control unit can set any one of the first indoor units as a second indoor unit requiring operation assistance on the basis of the difference between the target temperature and the indoor temperature. The control unit can set any one of the indoor units adjacent to the second indoor unit and whose power supply is turned off as a third indoor unit that assists the operation of the second indoor unit, and the control unit can control the operation by turning on the power supply of the third indoor unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an air conditioner, and more particularly to an air conditioner capable of controlling the operation of a plurality of indoor units respectively arranged in a plurality of areas constituting an indoor space. Background Art

[0002] In order to create a comfortable indoor environment, the air conditioner adjusts the indoor temperature by blowing out low-temperature air into the room, and purifies the indoor air to provide a more comfortable indoor environment. Generally, the air conditioner includes an indoor unit composed of a heat exchanger and arranged indoors, and an outdoor unit composed of a compressor and a heat exchanger and supplies refrigerant to the indoor unit.

[0003] The air conditioner operates in cooling or heating mode according to the flow of refrigerant. When operating in cooling mode, the compressor of the outdoor unit supplies high-temperature and high-pressure liquid refrigerant to the indoor unit via the heat exchanger of the outdoor unit. The refrigerant in the heat exchanger of the indoor unit expands and vaporizes, causing the temperature of the surrounding air to drop, and as the indoor fan rotates, cool air is expelled into the room. When operating in heating mode, the compressor of the outdoor unit supplies high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant to the indoor unit. The warmed air is expelled into the room by the energy released by the liquefaction of the high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant in the heat exchanger of the indoor unit as the indoor fan rotates.

[0004] On the other hand, when the air conditioner has a plurality of indoor units, the plurality of indoor units can be used to supply low-temperature air to a plurality of areas of the indoor space. In addition, the low-temperature air discharged from a specific indoor unit can affect not only the area corresponding to the specific indoor unit, but also other adjacent areas. As described above, when a plurality of indoor units are used to cool or heat the indoor space, it is necessary to study a solution for more efficiently controlling the operation of the plurality of indoor units by considering the correlation between the plurality of indoor units. Summary of the invention

[0005] Problem that the invention aims to solve

[0006] The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems and other problems.

[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner capable of controlling auxiliary operation of indoor units adjacent to a predetermined area so that the indoor temperature of the predetermined area quickly reaches a target temperature.

[0008] Still another object is to provide an air conditioner capable of determining an optimal indoor unit to be used to assist operation in a predetermined area.

[0009] Technical solutions to the problem

[0010] In order to achieve the purpose, the air conditioner may include: an outdoor unit; a plurality of indoor units, which are respectively configured to correspond to a plurality of areas; a temperature sensor, which detects the indoor temperatures of a plurality of areas corresponding to the plurality of indoor units; and a control unit; in the case where there is a first indoor unit among the plurality of indoor units whose indoor temperature of at least one corresponding area does not reach a target temperature, the control unit may set any one of the first indoor units as a second indoor unit requiring operation assistance based on the difference between the target temperature and the indoor temperature, the control unit may set any one of the indoor units adjacent to the second indoor unit and whose power is disconnected as a third indoor unit that assists the operation of the second indoor unit, and the control unit may turn on the power of the third indoor unit to control the operation.

[0011] Effects of the Invention

[0012] The effects of the air conditioner of the present invention are described below.

[0013] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the indoor temperature of a predetermined area can be quickly brought to a target temperature by assisting the operation of an indoor unit adjacent to the predetermined area.

[0014] In addition, according to at least one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to determine an optimal indoor unit to be used to assist the operation of a predetermined area.

[0015] The applicable additional scope of the present invention should be clear from the following detailed description. However, it should be understood that those skilled in the art can clearly understand the various changes and modifications within the thought and scope of the present invention, and the detailed description and specific embodiments such as the preferred embodiments of the present invention are provided only as examples. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1a and Figure 1b This is a diagram showing the structure of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a diagram referred to in the description of an air conditioner having a plurality of indoor units according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 3 is a block diagram of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a diagram referred to in explaining the positions of a plurality of indoor units arranged in a room according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a flow chart of an operating method of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figures 6 to 10This is a diagram referred to in the description of the operation of the air conditioner according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, in order to clearly and briefly describe the present invention, the illustration of parts not related to the description is omitted, and the same or particularly similar parts are marked with the same reference numerals throughout the specification.

[0023] The suffixes "module" and "unit" of the constituent elements used in the following description are only given for the convenience of writing the description, and they themselves do not have different meanings or functions. Therefore, the "module" and "unit" can be used interchangeably.

[0024] In this specification, the terms "including" or "having" etc. should be understood as intending to indicate the existence of the features, numbers, steps, actions, structural elements, parts or their combinations disclosed in this specification, but not intending to pre-exclude the existence or additional possibilities of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, structural elements, parts or their combinations.

[0025] In addition, in this specification, in order to explain various elements, the terms such as first and second may be used, but such elements are not limited to such terms. Such terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element.

[0026] Figure 1a and Figure 1b This is a diagram showing the structure of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Reference Figure 1a and Figure 1b The air conditioner may be provided with an outdoor unit (ODU) and an indoor unit (IDU) connected to each other by refrigerant piping. The air conditioner may also be provided with a remote control unit (RCU). The outdoor unit ODU, the indoor unit IDU and / or the remote control unit RCU may send and receive signals to each other.

[0028] The outdoor unit ODU may be provided with a compressor 1, an oil separator 2, a switching valve 3, an outdoor heat exchanger 4, an outdoor expansion valve E2 and / or a liquid storage tank 6. The indoor unit IDU may be provided with an indoor heat exchanger 5 and an indoor expansion valve E1.

[0029] The compressor 1 can compress the refrigerant flowing from the accumulator 6 into a high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant. For example, the compressor 1 can be an inverter compressor that can control the refrigerant amount and the refrigerant discharge pressure by adjusting the operating frequency. For example, the compressor 1 can be an oil compressor that uses oil as a lubricant.

[0030] The oil separator 2 can recover oil from the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 and supply the oil back to the compressor 1. At this time, the first check valve C1 can be provided in the pipe through which the oil separated from the oil separator 2 flows, thereby limiting the flow direction of the oil to the direction from the oil separator 2 to the compressor 1.

[0031] The switching valve 3 may selectively guide the refrigerant flowing in from the oil separator 2 to the outdoor heat exchanger 4 or the indoor heat exchanger 5. For example, the switching valve 3 may be a four-way valve.

[0032] The outdoor heat exchanger 4 can make the refrigerant exchange heat with the outdoor air. The heat transfer direction between the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger 4 and the outdoor air can be different according to the operation mode of the air conditioner, that is, heating operation or cooling operation. An outdoor fan (not shown) can be set on one side of the outdoor heat exchanger 4 to adjust the amount of air provided to the outdoor heat exchanger 4.

[0033] The indoor heat exchanger 5 can make the refrigerant exchange heat with the indoor air. The heat transfer direction between the refrigerant of the indoor heat exchanger 5 and the indoor air can be different according to the operation mode of the air conditioner, that is, heating operation or cooling operation. An indoor fan (not shown) can be provided on one side of the indoor heat exchanger 5 to adjust the amount of air provided to the indoor heat exchanger 5.

[0034] For example, the indoor heat exchanger 5 may include a plurality of indoor heat exchangers 5a, 5b, and 5c. In this case, the indoor unit IDU may include: a first indoor unit IDUa having a first indoor heat exchanger 5a, a first indoor fan, and a first indoor expansion valve E1a; a second indoor unit IDUb having a second indoor heat exchanger 5b, a second indoor fan, and a second indoor expansion valve E1b; and a third indoor unit IDUc having a third indoor heat exchanger 5c, a third indoor fan, and a third indoor expansion valve E1c. On the other hand, in accordance with the required indoor cooling or heating load, some of the plurality of indoor heat exchangers 5a, 5b, and 5c may be operated, and the remaining may not be operated.

[0035] The expansion valves E1 and E2 may be provided between the outdoor heat exchanger 4 and the indoor heat exchanger 5 to expand the refrigerant passing through the outdoor heat exchanger 4 or the indoor heat exchanger 5. In addition, the expansion valves E1 and E2 may include an outdoor expansion valve E2 adjacent to the outdoor heat exchanger 4 and an indoor expansion valve E1 adjacent to the indoor heat exchanger 5. In this case, the outdoor expansion valve E2 may be used to expand the refrigerant passing through the indoor heat exchanger 5, and the indoor expansion valve E1 may be used to expand the refrigerant passing through the outdoor heat exchanger 4. For example, the expansion valves E1 and E2 may be EEVs (Electronic Expansion Valve) capable of adjusting the opening of the flow path of the refrigerant piping provided with the expansion valves E1 and E2.

[0036] For example, the indoor expansion valve E1 may include: a first indoor expansion valve E1a that expands the refrigerant supplied to the first indoor heat exchanger 5a; a second indoor expansion valve E1b that expands the refrigerant supplied to the second indoor heat exchanger 5b; and a third indoor expansion valve E1c that expands the refrigerant supplied to the third indoor heat exchanger 5c.

[0037] A plurality of sensors (not shown) may measure the temperature and / or pressure of the refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant pipes.

[0038] The control unit (not shown) may be electrically connected to each component of the air conditioner to control the operation of each component of the air conditioner.

[0039] Reference Figure 1a If a heating operation signal is input to the air conditioner, the control unit may execute the heating operation of the air conditioner. For example, the heating operation signal may be a signal arbitrarily input by a user. As another example, the heating operation signal may be a signal provided to the control unit by a thermostat provided in the indoor space when the indoor temperature detected by the indoor temperature sensor is lower than the desired temperature set by the user by a predetermined level or more.

[0040] Specifically, the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant flowing from the accumulator 6 into the compressor 1 can be compressed into a high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant in the compressor 1 and discharged to the oil separator 2. In addition, the refrigerant from which the oil is separated in the oil separator 2 can flow into the second indoor heat exchanger 5b via the switching valve 3 and the first service valve SV1. At this time, the second indoor expansion valve E1b can completely open the flow path of the refrigerant from the second indoor heat exchanger 5b to the outdoor heat exchanger 4. In addition, the first indoor expansion valve E1a and the third indoor expansion valve E1c can close the flow path of the refrigerant from the first indoor heat exchanger 5a and the third indoor heat exchanger 5c to the outdoor heat exchanger 4. In addition, if the required heating load increases, the first indoor expansion valve E1a and / or the third indoor expansion valve E1c can also be opened.

[0041] In the second indoor heat exchanger 5b, as heat energy is transferred from the refrigerant to the indoor air, the refrigerant can be condensed. At this time, the second indoor heat exchanger 5b can function as a condenser. In addition, as the heat exchange between the refrigerant and the indoor air occurs, the indoor space can be heated. The refrigerant condensed by the second indoor heat exchanger 5b can pass through the outdoor expansion valve E2 via the second indoor expansion valve E1b and the second service valve SV2. The refrigerant expanded by the outdoor expansion valve E2 can be distributed to a plurality of positions of the outdoor heat exchanger 4 via the distributor 41.

[0042] In the outdoor heat exchanger 4, as the heat energy of the outdoor air is transferred to the refrigerant, the refrigerant can be evaporated. At this time, the outdoor heat exchanger 4 can function as an evaporator. The refrigerant evaporated by the outdoor heat exchanger 4 can flow into the compressor 1 through the header 42, the switching valve 3 and the accumulator 6 in sequence. In this way, the refrigerant cycle for the heating operation of the above-mentioned air conditioner can be completed.

[0043] Reference Figure 1b If a cooling operation signal is input to the air conditioner, the control unit can execute the cooling operation of the air conditioner. For example, the cooling operation signal can be a signal arbitrarily input by the user. As another example, the cooling operation signal can be a signal provided to the control unit by a thermostat installed in the indoor space when the indoor temperature detected by the indoor temperature sensor is higher than the expected temperature set by the user by a predetermined level or more.

[0044] Specifically, the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant flowing from the accumulator 6 into the compressor 1 can be compressed into a high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant in the compressor 1 and discharged to the oil separator 2. In addition, the refrigerant from which the oil is separated in the oil separator 2 can flow into the outdoor heat exchanger 4 via the switching valve 3 and the header 42.

[0045] In the outdoor heat exchanger 4, the refrigerant can be condensed as heat energy is transferred from the refrigerant to the outdoor air. In this case, the outdoor heat exchanger 4 can function as a condenser.

[0046] The refrigerant condensed by the outdoor heat exchanger 4 can flow into the second indoor expansion valve E1b through the distributor 41, the outdoor expansion valve E2 and the second service valve SV2 in sequence. At this time, the outdoor expansion valve E2 can completely open the flow path. In addition, the refrigerant expanded by the second indoor expansion valve E1b can flow into the second indoor heat exchanger 5b. In addition, if the required cooling load increases, the first indoor expansion valve E1a and / or the third indoor expansion valve E1c can also be opened to a predetermined opening.

[0047] In the second indoor heat exchanger 5b, as the heat energy of the indoor air is transferred to the refrigerant, the refrigerant can be evaporated. At this time, the second indoor heat exchanger 5b can function as an evaporator. In addition, according to the heat exchange between the refrigerant and the indoor air, the indoor space can be cooled. The refrigerant evaporated by the second indoor heat exchanger 5b can flow into the compressor 1 through the first service valve SV1, the switching valve 3 and the accumulator 6 in sequence. Thus, the refrigerant cycle for the cooling operation of the above-mentioned air conditioner can be completed.

[0048] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described by taking an example where the air conditioner performs cooling operation, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the present invention can be applied in the same or similar manner when the air conditioner performs heating operation.

[0049] Figure 2 This is a diagram referred to in the description of an air conditioner provided with a plurality of indoor units according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] Reference Figure 2 , a plurality of indoor units IDUa to IDUn can be connected to at least one outdoor unit ODU by refrigerant piping. A plurality of indoor units IDUa to IDUn can be arranged separately from each other in the indoor space. A plurality of indoor units IDUa to IDUn can respectively occupy a plurality of areas constituting the indoor space. On the other hand, two or more of the plurality of indoor units IDUa to IDUn can occupy one of the plurality of areas constituting the indoor space.

[0051] In the present invention, the indoor unit IDU is described as a ceiling-mounted type, but it is not limited to this. For example, the indoor unit IDU may include: an intake hole 51, which provides indoor air to the indoor heat exchanger 5 of the indoor unit IDU corresponding to the action of the indoor fan; and an exhaust hole 52, which exhausts the air passing through the indoor heat exchanger 5 into the room. The indoor unit IDU may include a vane 53 (vane), which is movably arranged at the exhaust hole 52 to adjust the direction of the air discharged from the exhaust hole 52 into the room. In the present invention, the indoor unit IDU is described as an example having a plurality of vanes 53 corresponding to four directions.

[0052] Figure 3 is a block diagram of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0053] Reference Figure 3 The air conditioner may include a communication unit 310, a sensor unit 320, a memory 330, a fan driving unit 350 for driving a fan 351, and a compressor driving unit 341 ( Figure 1a The compressor 1 in the compressor driving unit 340 and / or the control unit 370.

[0054] The communication unit 310 may include at least one communication module. For example, the communication unit 310 may be respectively provided in the outdoor unit ODU and the indoor unit IDU, and the outdoor unit ODU and the indoor unit IDU may send and receive data to each other. For example, the communication unit 310 may be provided in the remote control unit RCU.

[0055] The communication method of the outdoor unit ODU, indoor unit IDU and / or remote control device RCU can not only be a communication method such as using electric wires, a serial communication method (for example: RS-485 communication), a wired communication method through refrigerant piping, but also a wireless communication method such as wireless fidelity technology (Wi-Fi), Bluetooth, beacon, Zigbee protocol, etc.

[0056] The communication unit 310 can transmit and receive data with an external device. For example, the communication unit 310 can access a server connected to an external network to transmit and receive data.

[0057] The sensor part 320 may have at least one sensor, and may transmit data of a value detected by the sensor to the control part 370 .

[0058] The sensor unit 320 may include a heat exchanger temperature sensor (not shown). For example, the heat exchanger temperature sensor may be disposed inside the indoor heat exchanger 5 to detect the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 5 .

[0059] The sensor unit 320 may have a pipe temperature sensor (not shown). The pipe temperature sensor may detect the temperature of the refrigerant flowing through each pipe of the air conditioner. For example, the pipe temperature sensor may be arranged on the inlet side pipe of the indoor unit IDU and / or the outlet side pipe of the indoor unit IDU to detect the temperature of the refrigerant flowing through the pipe. For example, the pipe temperature sensor may be arranged on the pipe connected to the compressor 341 to detect the temperature of the refrigerant flowing into the compressor 341 (hereinafter, the suction temperature) and / or the temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 341 (hereinafter, the discharge temperature).

[0060] The sensor unit 320 may include a pressure sensor (not shown). The pressure sensor (not shown) may detect the pressure of the gas refrigerant flowing through each pipe of the air conditioner. For example, the pressure sensor may be disposed in a pipe connected to the compressor 341 to detect the pressure of the refrigerant flowing into the compressor 341 (hereinafter, suction pressure) and / or the pressure of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 341 (hereinafter, discharge pressure).

[0061] The sensor unit 320 may include an indoor temperature sensor (not shown) for detecting indoor temperature and / or an outdoor temperature sensor (not shown) for detecting outdoor temperature.

[0062] The sensor unit 320 may include an indoor humidity sensor (not shown) for detecting indoor humidity and / or an outdoor humidity sensor (not shown) for detecting outdoor humidity.

[0063] The memory 330 may store data of reference values ​​related to the operation of each component provided in the air conditioner.

[0064] The memory 330 can store programs for various signal processing and control in the control unit 370, and can store data to be processed and data to be processed. For example, the memory 330 can store a plurality of application programs designed for the purpose of performing various tasks that can be processed by the control unit 370, and when the control unit 370 requests, the memory 330 can selectively provide a part of the stored plurality of application programs.

[0065] The memory 330 may include, for example, at least one of a volatile memory (eg, DRAM, SRAM, SDRAM, etc.) or a non-volatile memory (eg, flash memory, hard disk drive (HDD), solid-state drive (SSD), etc.).

[0066] The fan driving unit 350 may drive a fan 351 provided in the air conditioner. For example, the fan 351 may include an outdoor fan and / or an indoor fan.

[0067] The fan driving unit 350 may include a rectifier (not shown), a DC-end capacitor (not shown), an inverter (not shown) and / or at least one motor, wherein the rectifier rectifies the AC power supply into a DC power supply and outputs it, the DC-end capacitor stores the pulsating voltage from the rectifier, the inverter is provided with a plurality of switching devices, converts the smooth DC power supply into a three-phase AC power supply of a specified frequency and outputs it, and the motor drives the fan 351 according to the three-phase AC power supply output from the inverter.

[0068] On the other hand, the fan driving unit 350 may separately set the components for driving the outdoor fan and the indoor fan. For example, the air conditioner may include a first fan driving unit for driving the outdoor fan and a second fan driving unit for driving the indoor fan.

[0069] The compressor driving unit 340 can drive the compressor 341. The compressor driving unit 340 may include a rectifier (not shown), a DC terminal capacitor (not shown), an inverter (not shown), and / or a compressor motor 102b, wherein the rectifier rectifies the AC power supply into a DC power supply and outputs it, the DC terminal capacitor stores the pulsating voltage from the rectifier, the inverter is provided with a plurality of switching devices, converts the smooth DC power supply into a three-phase AC power supply of a specified frequency and outputs it, and the compressor motor 102b drives the compressor 341 according to the three-phase AC power supply output from the inverter.

[0070] The control unit 370 can control the overall operation of the air conditioner. The control unit 370 can be connected to each component provided in the air conditioner, and can control the overall operation of each component by sending and / or receiving signals between each component.

[0071] The control unit 370 can change the rotation speed of the fan 351 by controlling the operation of the fan driving unit 350. For example, the fan driving unit 350 can change the frequency of the three-phase AC power output to the outdoor fan motor according to the control of the control unit 370, thereby changing the rotation speed of the outdoor fan. For example, the fan driving unit 350 can change the frequency of the three-phase AC power output to the indoor fan motor according to the control of the control unit 370, thereby changing the rotation speed of the indoor fan.

[0072] The controller 370 can change the operating frequency of the compressor 341 by controlling the operation of the compressor driver 340. For example, the compressor driver 340 can change the frequency of the three-phase AC power output to the compressor motor 102b under the control of the controller 370, thereby changing the operating frequency of the compressor 341.

[0073] The control unit 370 may be provided not only in the outdoor unit ODU but also in the indoor unit IDU, the outdoor unit ODU and / or the remote control unit RCU and the like.

[0074] The control unit 370 may include at least one processor, and may use the included processor to control the overall operation of the air conditioner. Here, the processor may be a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (central processing unit). Of course, the processor may also be a dedicated device such as an ASIC or other hardware-based processor.

[0075] The control unit 370 may acquire data related to each component provided in the air conditioner. At this time, the control unit 370 may acquire data related to each component provided in the air conditioner at predetermined time intervals according to a predetermined cycle in consideration of the computation load.

[0076] The control unit 370 can perform various calculations based on the acquired data, and control the overall operation of each component provided in the air conditioner according to the calculation results.

[0077] The data related to each component installed in the air conditioner may include, for example, the operating frequency of the compressor 341, the suction temperature, discharge temperature, suction pressure, discharge pressure of the compressor 341, the inlet side piping temperature of the indoor unit IDU, the outlet side piping temperature of the indoor unit IDU, the indoor temperature, the outdoor temperature, the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve (EEV), etc.

[0078] On the other hand, the air conditioner may further include an input device (not shown) that can receive user input. For example, when receiving user input through the input device (eg, a touch panel, a key, etc.), the air conditioner may perform an action corresponding to the received user input.

[0079] The air conditioner may further include an output device (not shown) for outputting a message of the operating status of the air conditioner. For example, the output device may include a display device such as a display or a light emitting diode (LED) and / or an audio device such as a speaker or a buzzer.

[0080] Figure 4 This is a diagram referred to in explaining the positions of a plurality of indoor units arranged in a room according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0081] Reference Figure 4 , a plurality of indoor units IDU11 to IDU44 may be arranged in the indoor space 400. The plurality of indoor units IDU11 to IDU44 may respectively correspond to the plurality of areas 411 to 444 constituting the indoor space 400. The plurality of areas 411 to 444 constituting the indoor space 400 may be connected to each other.

[0082] The operation of the plurality of indoor units IDU11 to IDU44 may affect the adjacent areas. For example, when the first indoor unit IDU11 is in operation, if the air conditioner performs cooling operation, the first indoor unit IDU11 may discharge cold air to the first area 411. At this time, the temperature of the first area 411 may be reduced by the cold air discharged from the first indoor unit IDU11. On the other hand, as the temperature of the first area 411 decreases, the temperatures of the second area 412 and the fifth area 421 adjacent to the first area 411 may be reduced.

[0083] Each of the plurality of indoor units IDU11 to IDU44 may acquire data of a corresponding area among the plurality of areas 411 to 444. For example, each of the plurality of indoor units IDU11 to IDU44 may detect indoor temperature and / or indoor humidity of a corresponding area among the plurality of areas 411 to 444.

[0084] The air conditioner may store location information of a plurality of indoor units IDU11 to IDU44. The location information of a plurality of indoor units IDU11 to IDU44 may be coordinates. The location information of a plurality of indoor units IDU11 to IDU44 may be registered by a user. For example, the user may input the location information of a plurality of indoor units IDU11 to IDU44 through an input device included in a remote control unit RCU.

[0085] The location information of the plurality of indoor units IDU11 to IDU44 may be transmitted to the plurality of indoor units IDU11 to IDU44, respectively. Each of the plurality of indoor units IDU11 to IDU44 may obtain data of adjacent indoor units based on the location information of the plurality of indoor units IDU11 to IDU44. For example, the indoor units adjacent to the first indoor unit IDU11 may be the second indoor unit IDU12 and the fifth indoor unit IDU21. For example, the indoor units adjacent to the sixth indoor unit IDU22 may be the second indoor unit IDU12, the fifth indoor unit IDU21, the seventh indoor unit IDU23, and the tenth indoor unit IDU32.

[0086] According to one embodiment, each of the plurality of indoor units IDU11 to IDU44 may collect data of another indoor unit using a depth-first search (DFS) algorithm. For example, each of the plurality of indoor units IDU11 to IDU44 may obtain the operating status of another indoor unit, the indoor temperature of the area corresponding to the other indoor unit, and the like. To this end, the air conditioner may include an indoor temperature sensor for detecting the indoor temperature of a plurality of areas 411 to 444 corresponding to each of the plurality of indoor units IDU11 to IDU44. The indoor temperature sensor may be configured in each of the plurality of indoor units IDU11 to IDU44.

[0087] On the other hand, the remote control unit RCU may acquire data of the plurality of indoor units IDU11 to IDU44 based on the position information of the plurality of indoor units IDU11 to IDU44.

[0088] Figure 5 FIG. 1 is a flow chart of an operating method of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figures 1a to 4 The detailed description of the contents described in will be omitted.

[0089] Reference Figure 5In operation S510, the air conditioner may register the location information of the plurality of indoor unit IDUs. For example, the air conditioner may register the location information of the plurality of indoor unit IDUs based on the coordinates corresponding to each of the plurality of indoor unit IDUs received through the remote control unit RCU.

[0090] In operation S520, the air conditioner may confirm whether the power of at least one indoor unit IDU among the plurality of indoor unit IDUs is turned on.

[0091] In action S530, the air conditioner can determine whether there is an indoor unit IDU that needs operation assistance when the power of more than one indoor unit IDU is turned on. The air conditioner can determine whether there is an indoor unit IDU that needs operation assistance based on the indoor temperature of the corresponding area of ​​each of the plurality of indoor unit IDUs and the set target temperature. For example, the air conditioner can determine the indoor unit IDU whose indoor temperature of the corresponding area among the plurality of indoor unit IDUs does not reach the target temperature as the indoor unit IDU that needs operation assistance.

[0092] In operation S540 , when there is no indoor unit IDU that requires operation assistance, the air conditioner may perform the operation of each of the plurality of indoor unit IDUs according to the settings of each indoor unit IDU.

[0093] In operation S550, when there are indoor unit IDUs requiring operation assistance, the air conditioner may determine at least one indoor unit among the indoor unit IDUs requiring operation assistance as an indoor unit to be assisted in operation (hereinafter, referred to as a target indoor unit).

[0094] According to one embodiment, the air conditioner may determine the target indoor unit based on the difference between the target temperature and the indoor temperature. For example, the air conditioner may determine the indoor unit IDU with the largest difference between the target temperature and the indoor temperature among the indoor unit IDUs requiring operation assistance as the target indoor unit. At this time, if the indoor unit IDU with the largest difference between the target temperature and the indoor temperature among the indoor unit IDUs requiring operation assistance has been pre-set as the target indoor unit, the indoor unit IDU with the second largest difference between the target temperature and the indoor temperature may be determined as the target indoor unit.

[0095] According to an embodiment, the air conditioner may determine the target indoor unit based on the number of operating adjacent indoor units for the indoor unit IDU requiring operation assistance. For example, when the number of indoor unit IDUs requiring operation assistance having the largest difference between the target temperature and the indoor temperature is plural, the air conditioner may determine the indoor unit IDU having the largest difference between the target temperature and the indoor temperature and having a smaller number of operating adjacent indoor units as the target indoor unit.

[0096] According to one embodiment, the air conditioner may determine the target indoor unit based on the target temperature. For example, when there are multiple indoor unit IDUs that need operation assistance and have the same difference between the target temperature and the indoor temperature and the same number of adjacent indoor units in operation, the air conditioner may determine the indoor unit IDU with a lower target temperature as the target indoor unit.

[0097] On the other hand, when a plurality of conditions of the indoor unit IDUs requiring operation assistance are all the same, the air conditioner may determine all the indoor unit IDUs requiring operation assistance as target indoor units.

[0098] In operation S560, the air conditioner may determine an indoor unit that assists the operation of the target indoor unit (hereinafter, the assisting indoor unit). For example, the air conditioner may determine any one of the indoor units adjacent to the target indoor unit whose power supply is turned off as the assisting indoor unit.

[0099] At this time, when at least one of the plurality of indoor units adjacent to the target indoor unit is pre-set as an auxiliary indoor unit, the air conditioner can additionally determine the auxiliary indoor unit from the indoor units whose power supply is disconnected according to the specified conditions. For example, when the change in the indoor temperature of the area corresponding to the target indoor unit during the pre-set control cycle is less than the reference, the air conditioner can additionally determine the auxiliary indoor unit. For example, when the change in the indoor temperature of the area corresponding to the target indoor unit during the pre-set control cycle is greater than the reference, the air conditioner can omit the additional determination of the auxiliary indoor unit.

[0100] According to one embodiment, the air conditioner may determine the auxiliary indoor unit based on the capacity of the indoor unit. For example, the air conditioner may determine the indoor unit with the largest capacity among the plurality of indoor units adjacent to the target indoor unit as the auxiliary indoor unit. At this time, when there are two or more indoor units with the largest capacity, the air conditioner may determine the indoor unit with the largest number of adjacent indoor units in operation as the auxiliary indoor unit. On the other hand, the air conditioner may also determine the indoor unit with the largest number of adjacent areas among the indoor units with the largest capacity as the auxiliary indoor unit.

[0101] In action S570, the air conditioner may perform the operation of the auxiliary indoor unit to assist the operation of the target indoor unit. At this time, during the cooling operation, the target temperature of the auxiliary indoor unit may be lower than the target temperature of the target indoor unit. For example, the target temperature of the auxiliary indoor unit may be 2°C lower than the target temperature of the target indoor unit. On the other hand, during the heating operation, the target temperature of the auxiliary indoor unit may be higher than the target temperature of the target indoor unit.

[0102] In action S580, the air conditioner may determine whether a preset control cycle has passed. The control cycle may be changed according to the user's setting. For example, the control cycle may be set to thirty minutes, one hour, two hours, etc. The air conditioner may add and / or remove the setting of the target indoor unit when the preset control cycle has passed.

[0103] In operation S590, the air conditioner may confirm whether all the indoor unit IDUs are powered off. If at least one of the indoor unit IDUs is powered on, the air conditioner may continuously control the operation of the indoor unit IDUs.

[0104] Figures 6 to 10 FIG. 1 is a diagram for reference in explaining the operation of the air conditioner according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figures 6 to 10 In the display, the cooling target temperature of each zone can be displayed on the left, and the indoor temperature can be displayed on the right.

[0105] Reference Figure 6 Among the multiple indoor unit IDUs configured in the multiple areas constituting the indoor space 400, the power of the second indoor unit IDU12, the third indoor unit IDU13, the fifth indoor unit IDU21, the eighth indoor unit IDU24, the twelfth indoor unit IDU34, the fifteenth indoor unit IDU43 and the sixteenth indoor unit IDU44 can be turned on.

[0106] Reference Figure 7 In 701, among the indoor unit IDUs whose power is turned on, the second indoor unit IDU12, the third indoor unit IDU13, the fifth indoor unit IDU21 and the fifteenth indoor unit IDU43 may be indoor unit IDUs that require operation assistance. At this time, the fifth indoor unit IDU21, which has the largest difference of 4°C between the target temperature and the indoor temperature among the indoor unit IDUs that require operation assistance, may be determined as the target indoor unit.

[0107] Reference Figure 7 In 702, when the power supplies of the three indoor units IDU adjacent to the fifth indoor unit IDU21 are disconnected, the air conditioner can determine the ninth indoor unit IDU31 with the largest capacity of 13k BTU as the auxiliary indoor unit of the fifth indoor unit IDU21.

[0108] Reference Figure 8 In 801, after the control cycle, the air conditioner can add a target indoor unit from the indoor unit IDUs that need operation assistance. At this time, the difference between the target temperature and the indoor temperature in the second indoor unit IDU12, the third indoor unit IDU13 and the fifteenth indoor unit IDU43 is 3°C, and the largest third indoor unit IDU13 is added to the target indoor unit.

[0109] Reference Figure 8 In 802, since the change in the indoor temperature of the fifth area 421 during the previous control cycle is less than the reference, the air conditioner can add an auxiliary indoor unit of the fifth indoor unit IDU21. At this time, since the first indoor unit IDU11 and the sixth indoor unit IDU22 have the same capacity and the area adjacent to the sixth indoor unit IDU22 is more than the area adjacent to the first indoor unit IDU11, the air conditioner can add the sixth indoor unit IDU22 as an auxiliary indoor unit of the fifth indoor unit IDU21.

[0110] On the other hand, when the power of the two indoor units IDU adjacent to the third indoor unit IDU13 is disconnected, since the capacities of the fourth indoor unit IDU14 and the seventh indoor unit IDU23 are the same and the area adjacent to the seventh indoor unit IDU23 is larger than the area adjacent to the fourth indoor unit IDU14, the air conditioner can determine the seventh indoor unit IDU23 as an auxiliary indoor unit of the third indoor unit IDU13.

[0111] Reference Fig. 9 In step 901, when the control cycle has elapsed, the air conditioner may additionally determine the fifteenth indoor unit IDU43 among the indoor unit IDUs requiring operation assistance as a target indoor unit.

[0112] Reference Fig. 9 In 902, since the indoor temperature of the third area 413 corresponding to the third indoor unit IDU13 is the same as the target temperature, the third indoor unit IDU13 can be removed from the target indoor unit. In addition, as the third indoor unit IDU13 is removed from the target indoor unit, the power supply of the seventh indoor unit IDU23, which is the auxiliary indoor unit of the third indoor unit IDU13, can be disconnected.

[0113] On the other hand, since the change in the indoor temperature of the fifth area 421 during the previous control cycle is greater than the reference, the air conditioner may maintain the number of auxiliary indoor units of the fifth indoor unit IDU21.

[0114] On the other hand, when the power of the two indoor unit IDUs adjacent to the fifteenth indoor unit IDU43 is disconnected, since the capacities of the eleventh indoor unit IDU33 and the fourteenth indoor unit IDU42 are the same and the area adjacent to the eleventh indoor unit IDU33 is larger than the area adjacent to the fourteenth indoor unit IDU42, the air conditioner can determine the eleventh indoor unit IDU33 as an auxiliary indoor unit of the fifteenth indoor unit IDU43.

[0115] Reference Fig.10 In step 1001, when the control cycle has elapsed, since all the indoor unit IDUs that require operation assistance are set to the state of the target indoor units, the air conditioner can omit the addition of the target indoor units.

[0116] Reference Fig.10 In 1002, since the indoor temperature of the fifth area 421 corresponding to the fifth indoor unit IDU21 is the same as the target temperature, the fifth indoor unit IDU21 can be removed from the target indoor unit. In addition, as the fifth indoor unit IDU21 is removed from the target indoor unit, the power supplies of the sixth indoor unit IDU22 and the ninth indoor unit IDU31, which are auxiliary indoor units of the fifth indoor unit IDU21, can be disconnected.

[0117] On the other hand, since the change in the indoor temperature of the fifteenth area 443 during the previous control cycle is greater than the reference, the air conditioner can maintain the number of auxiliary indoor units of the fifteenth indoor unit IDU43.

[0118] As described above, according to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the indoor temperature of the predetermined area can quickly reach the target temperature through the auxiliary operation of the indoor unit IDU adjacent to the predetermined area.

[0119] Furthermore, according to at least one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to determine an optimal indoor unit IDU to be used to assist the operation of a predetermined area.

[0120] Reference Figures 1a to 10 An air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention may include: an outdoor unit; a plurality of indoor units, which are respectively configured to correspond to a plurality of areas; a temperature sensor, which detects the indoor temperatures of a plurality of areas respectively corresponding to the plurality of indoor units; and a control unit; in the case where there is a first indoor unit among the plurality of indoor units whose indoor temperature of at least one corresponding area does not reach a target temperature, the control unit may set any one of the first indoor units as a second indoor unit requiring operation assistance based on the difference between the target temperature and the indoor temperature, the control unit may set any one of the indoor units adjacent to the second indoor unit and whose power is disconnected as a third indoor unit for assisting the operation of the second indoor unit, and the control unit may turn on the power of the third indoor unit to control the operation.

[0121] In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, when there are plural first indoor units, the control unit may determine the fourth indoor unit having the largest difference between the target temperature and the indoor temperature among the plural first indoor units as the second indoor unit.

[0122] In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, when there are plural fourth indoor units, the control unit may determine the indoor unit having the least number of operating adjacent indoor units among the plural fourth indoor units as the second indoor unit.

[0123] In addition, according to one embodiment of the present invention, when a cooling operation is performed and the number of the fourth indoor units is plural, the control unit may determine the indoor unit with the lowest target temperature among the plurality of the fourth indoor units as the second indoor unit; when a heating operation is performed and the number of the fourth indoor units is plural, the control unit may determine the indoor unit with the highest target temperature among the plurality of the fourth indoor units as the second indoor unit.

[0124] In addition, according to one embodiment of the present invention, when there are multiple indoor units adjacent to the second indoor unit and whose power is disconnected, the control unit can determine the fifth indoor unit with the largest capacity among the multiple indoor units adjacent to the second indoor unit and whose power is disconnected as the third indoor unit.

[0125] In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, when there are plural fifth indoor units, the control unit may determine the indoor unit having the largest number of operating adjacent indoor units among the plural fifth indoor units as the third indoor unit.

[0126] In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, when there are plural fifth indoor units, the control unit may determine the indoor unit having the largest number of adjacent areas among the plural fifth indoor units as the third indoor unit.

[0127] In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, during cooling operation, the target temperature of the third indoor unit may be lower than the target temperature of the corresponding second indoor unit; during heating operation, the target temperature of the third indoor unit may exceed the target temperature of the corresponding second indoor unit.

[0128] In addition, according to one embodiment of the present invention, during a preset control cycle, the control unit can control the operation of the third indoor unit; when the control cycle has passed, the control unit can determine the degree of change in the indoor temperature of the area corresponding to the second indoor unit during the control cycle; when the degree of change is less than a specified benchmark, the control unit can determine any one of the indoor units adjacent to the second indoor unit and with the power supply disconnected as the sixth indoor unit to supplement and assist the operation of the second indoor unit.

[0129] In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the indoor temperature of a specified area corresponding to the second indoor unit reaches the target temperature of the second indoor unit, the control unit may cancel the setting of the second indoor unit and turn off the power supply of the third indoor unit.

[0130] It should be understood that the drawings are only used to easily understand the embodiments described in this specification, and the technical ideas disclosed in this specification are not limited to the drawings, and include all changes, equivalents or substitutes within the ideas and technical scope of the present invention.

[0131] On the other hand, the method of the present invention can be implemented as a processor-readable code on a processor-readable recording medium. The processor-readable recording medium includes all kinds of recording devices that store processor-readable data. Examples of processor-readable recording media include ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic disk, floppy disk, optical data storage device, etc., and also include implementation in the form of carrier waves using transmission over the Internet. In addition, the processor-readable recording medium can be distributed to computer systems connected by a network, and the processor-readable code can be stored and executed in a distributed manner.

[0132] In addition, although the preferred embodiments of the present invention are illustrated and described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned specific embodiments, and various modifications can be implemented by ordinary technicians in the technical field to which the corresponding invention belongs without departing from the gist of the present invention required in the scope of the claims, and such modified implementation should not be understood solely from the technical idea or prospect of the present invention.

Claims

1. An air conditioner, characterized in that: include: Outdoor unit; A plurality of indoor units are arranged corresponding to the plurality of zones respectively; a temperature sensor for detecting indoor temperatures of a plurality of areas corresponding to the plurality of indoor units; and Control Department; When there is a first indoor unit among the plurality of indoor units whose indoor temperature in at least one corresponding area does not reach a target temperature, the control unit sets any one of the first indoor units as a second indoor unit requiring operation assistance based on a difference between the target temperature and the indoor temperature; The control unit sets any one of the indoor units adjacent to the second indoor unit and whose power supply is turned off as a third indoor unit that assists the operation of the second indoor unit; The control unit turns on the power of the third indoor unit to control the operation.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that: When there are a plurality of the first indoor units, the control unit determines, as the second indoor unit, a fourth indoor unit having the largest difference between the target temperature and the indoor temperature among the plurality of the first indoor units.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 2, characterized in that: When there are a plurality of the fourth indoor units, the control unit determines, as the second indoor unit, an indoor unit having the fewest number of operating adjacent indoor units among the plurality of the fourth indoor units.

4. The air conditioner according to claim 2, characterized in that: When the cooling operation is performed and the number of the fourth indoor units is plural, the control unit determines the indoor unit having the lowest target temperature among the plural fourth indoor units as the second indoor unit; When the heating operation is performed and the number of the fourth indoor units is plural, the control unit determines the indoor unit having the highest target temperature among the plural fourth indoor units as the second indoor unit.

5. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that: When there are a plurality of indoor units adjacent to the second indoor unit and powered off, the control unit determines a fifth indoor unit having the largest capacity among the plurality of indoor units adjacent to the second indoor unit and powered off as the third indoor unit.

6. The air conditioner according to claim 5, characterized in that When there are a plurality of the fifth indoor units, the control unit determines, as the third indoor unit, an indoor unit having the largest number of operating adjacent indoor units among the plurality of the fifth indoor units.

7. The air conditioner according to claim 5, characterized in that: When there are plural fifth indoor units, the control unit determines an indoor unit having the largest number of adjacent zones among the plural fifth indoor units as the third indoor unit.

8. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that: In cooling operation, the target temperature of the third indoor unit is lower than the target temperature of the corresponding second indoor unit; During the heating operation, the target temperature of the third indoor unit exceeds the target temperature of the corresponding second indoor unit.

9. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that: During a preset control period, the control unit controls the operation of the third indoor unit; When the control cycle has elapsed, the control unit determines a degree of change in the indoor temperature of the area corresponding to the second indoor unit during the control cycle; When the degree of change is smaller than a predetermined reference, the control unit determines any one of the indoor units adjacent to the second indoor unit and whose power supply is turned off as a sixth indoor unit to additionally assist the operation of the second indoor unit.

10. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that The control unit cancels the setting of the second indoor unit and turns off the power supply of the third indoor unit when the indoor temperature of the predetermined area corresponding to the second indoor unit reaches the target temperature of the second indoor unit.

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