Air conditioner

By predicting the CO2 concentration and the number of people inside the air conditioner and adjusting the fresh air volume based on user actions, the problem of increased CO2 concentration and energy waste in traditional air conditioners is solved, achieving both comfort and energy-saving control of the air conditioner.

CN121594494APending Publication Date: 2026-03-03HISENSE (SHANDONG) AIR CONDITIONING CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202411141134.5
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-08-19
Publication Date
2026-03-03

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Traditional air conditioners cause indoor CO2 concentration to rise and air quality to deteriorate when they are running. The fresh air intake is slow and cannot be increased instantly. In addition, energy is wasted when users forget to close the windows.

Method used

By comprehensively considering the number of people indoors and CO2 concentration, the system predicts the demand for fresh air in the future and controls the operation of the fresh air fan according to the predicted demand. It also adjusts the operation of the air conditioner in conjunction with the user's actions of opening and closing windows to avoid energy waste.

Benefits of technology

It enables timely fulfillment of indoor fresh air needs, avoids increased CO2 concentration and energy waste, and improves the comfort and energy-saving performance of air conditioners.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The invention discloses an air conditioner, and relates to the technical field of air conditioner control. The air conditioner comprises a fresh air module, a CO2 concentration sensor, a first sensor and a controller. The fresh air module comprises a fresh air fan, and outdoor air is introduced into a room through operation of the fresh air fan; the CO2 concentration sensor is used for detecting the indoor CO2 concentration; the first sensor is used for detecting indoor people; the controller is respectively connected with the CO2 concentration sensor and the first sensor; the controller is configured to record detection information of the CO2 concentration sensor and the first sensor to obtain historical detection data; according to the historical detection data, the predicted demand quantity of indoor fresh air at the next moment is calculated; and controlling the rotating speed of the fresh air fan according to the predicted demand. According to the air conditioner, the demand quantity of the indoor fresh air is predicted according to the number of people indoors and the indoor CO2 concentration, and the fresh air fan is controlled to work according to the predicted demand quantity of the fresh air, so that the introduction quantity of the indoor fresh air can meet the requirement of the demand quantity of the indoor fresh air.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of air conditioning control, and more particularly to an air conditioner. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional air conditioners typically require doors and windows to be closed to prevent cool or warm air from escaping, maintaining a cool or warm indoor environment. However, after prolonged operation, the CO2 concentration in the indoor air increases, deteriorating air quality and potentially causing nausea, dizziness, and lethargy. Currently, with increasing demands for indoor environmental quality, air conditioners with fresh air intake functions are becoming increasingly popular. These systems, built upon traditional air conditioners, introduce fresh outdoor air into the room, reducing CO2 concentration and improving indoor air quality.

[0003] Most fresh air conditioners adjust the amount of fresh air introduced into the room based on the indoor CO2 concentration. Since CO2 concentration is mostly detected by sensors, this information can be lagging. For example, the sensor might only detect a high CO2 concentration after it has already increased, at which point the air conditioner will increase the amount of fresh air introduced, potentially leading to a less comfortable experience for the user. Furthermore, the amount of fresh air introduced cannot increase instantly when CO2 concentration rises; the user still needs to remain in the high-CO2 environment for some time. Therefore, the amount of fresh air introduced also exhibits a lag.

[0004] When a fresh air conditioner is running, if the window is opened, fresh air from outside can also enter the room. When the fresh air conditioner is running and the window is open, the actual demand for fresh air from the air conditioner is zero, and the air conditioner does not need to turn on the fresh air function. Furthermore, if the user forgets that the air conditioner is still running and opens the window, the fresh air function in the current technology usually cannot be turned off automatically, which will undoubtedly lead to energy waste.

[0005] In view of the above, this application is hereby submitted. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the shortcomings of related technologies, this application provides an air conditioner that predicts the future demand for indoor fresh air by comprehensively considering the impact of the number of people indoors and the indoor CO2 concentration on the indoor fresh air volume, and controls the operation of the fresh air fan by controlling the predicted demand for indoor fresh air so that the amount of indoor fresh air introduced can meet the requirements of the indoor fresh air demand.

[0007] This application provides an air conditioner, including:

[0008] The fresh air module includes a fresh air fan, which introduces fresh outdoor air into the room through the operation of the fresh air fan;

[0009] CO2 concentration sensor, used to detect indoor CO2 concentration;

[0010] The first sensor is used to detect the number of people indoors;

[0011] The controller is connected to the CO2 concentration sensor and the first sensor, respectively; the controller is configured as follows:

[0012] Historical detection data is obtained by recording the detection information from the CO2 concentration sensor and the first sensor;

[0013] Calculate the predicted demand for indoor fresh air at the next moment based on historical monitoring data;

[0014] The speed of the fresh air fan is controlled according to the predicted demand.

[0015] This technical solution predicts the future demand for indoor fresh air by comprehensively considering the impact of the number of people indoors and the indoor CO2 concentration on the indoor fresh air volume. The operation of the fresh air fan is controlled by the predicted demand for indoor fresh air so that the amount of fresh air introduced can meet the requirements of the indoor fresh air demand.

[0016] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to: calculate the maximum and minimum predicted values ​​of indoor CO2 concentration for the next time period based on historical CO2 data; and standardize the predicted CO2 concentration values ​​based on the maximum and minimum predicted values ​​of CO2 concentration.

[0017] Calculate the maximum and minimum predicted indoor number of people in the next time period based on historical data; standardize the predicted indoor number of people based on the maximum and minimum predicted indoor number of people.

[0018] The predicted demand for fresh air is adjusted based on the standardized CO2 concentration forecast and the predicted number of people indoors.

[0019] In some embodiments, a second sensor is also included, which is used to acquire the location information of people indoors. The second sensor is connected to a controller. The controller is further configured to: acquire the location information detected by the second sensor, and preliminarily determine whether people indoors have performed the action of opening or closing a window based on the location information detected by the second sensor; if no action of opening or closing a window is performed, control the fresh air fan to continue running; if it is preliminarily determined that the action of opening or closing a window is performed, further determine whether the action of opening or closing a window is performed based on the detection information of the CO2 concentration sensor before and after the action of opening or closing a window; if the action of opening a window is performed, control the fresh air fan to stop running; if the action of closing a window is performed, further determine whether the fresh air fan needs to run.

[0020] This technical solution detects the user's location to determine whether the user has opened or closed a window. During the operation of the air conditioner, the operating status of the air conditioner is adjusted based on the user's window opening and closing actions. When the user opens a window, the air conditioner is controlled to shut off the fresh air function to avoid energy waste and achieve energy-saving control of the air conditioner.

[0021] In some embodiments, a suspicious area is defined indoors, and an indoor window is located within the suspicious area; the controller is further configured to: when the second sensor detects that a person enters the suspicious area, record the time when the person enters the suspicious area and the time when the person leaves the suspicious area, and calculate the time difference between the two as a first difference; if the first difference is greater than a first reference value, it is preliminarily determined that the user has performed the action of opening or closing a window; if the first difference is less than or equal to the first reference value, it is determined that the user has not performed the action of opening or closing a window.

[0022] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to: calculate a second difference value as the difference between the CO2 concentration when entering the suspicious area and the CO2 concentration when leaving the suspicious area; if the second difference value is less than a second reference value and the ratio of the second difference value to the first difference value is less than a third reference value, then it is determined that the user has performed the window opening action; if the second difference value is greater than a fourth reference value and the ratio of the second difference value to the first difference value is greater than a fifth reference value, then it is determined that the user has performed the window closing action; otherwise, it is determined that the user has not performed the window opening / closing action.

[0023] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to: periodically acquire and record the location information detected by the second sensor, initially defining an initial suspicious area; and correct the initial suspicious area based on the determination result of whether to perform the window opening / closing action using the initial suspicious area.

[0024] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to: when the current CO2 concentration sensor detects a value exceeding a preset value, if the fresh air fan is not running, control the fresh air fan to run; when the current CO2 concentration sensor detects a value not exceeding the preset value, control the fresh air fan to run according to the predicted demand for indoor fresh air.

[0025] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to: when it is determined that a window opening / closing action has been performed, record the position of the person inside the room when the window opening action is performed; and correct the suspicious area based on the historical position of the person inside the room when the window opening action is performed.

[0026] In some embodiments, the controller is connected to a cloud server, and the cloud server is connected to a mobile device; the controller is configured to: when it is determined that a window opening action will be performed, upload the determination information to the cloud server, and the cloud server pushes the determination information to the mobile device to prompt whether to turn off the air conditioner.

[0027] This application provides an air conditioner, including:

[0028] An outdoor heat exchanger is used to exchange heat with outdoor air.

[0029] Indoor heat exchanger, used for exchanging heat with indoor air;

[0030] The compressor, together with the indoor heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger, forms a refrigerant circulation loop, in which refrigerant flows.

[0031] A fresh air module includes at least a fresh air fan, which draws outdoor air into the room through its operation.

[0032] CO2 concentration sensor, used to detect indoor CO2 concentration;

[0033] The second sensor is used to detect the location of people indoors;

[0034] A suspicious area exists inside the room, and the interior window is located within the suspicious area.

[0035] The controller is connected to the CO2 concentration sensor and the second sensor respectively; the controller is configured as follows:

[0036] During the operation of the air conditioner, the detection information of the second sensor is acquired to detect whether people in the room have entered a suspicious area;

[0037] Acquire CO2 concentration sensor detection information when indoor personnel enter and leave the suspicious area;

[0038] The difference between the time it takes for people to enter and leave the suspicious area, and the difference between the CO2 concentration sensor readings when people enter and leave the suspicious area, is used to determine whether people have performed the action of opening or closing windows.

[0039] When it is determined that the window opening action has been performed, the fresh air fan is controlled to stop running;

[0040] When the window closing action is determined, the detection information of the current CO2 concentration sensor is further obtained. If the current CO2 concentration sensor detection value exceeds the preset value, the fresh air fan is controlled to run; if the current CO2 concentration sensor detection value does not exceed the preset value, the fresh air fan is controlled to run according to the predicted demand for indoor fresh air.

[0041] This technical solution determines whether the user has opened or closed a window, and adjusts the air conditioner's operation based on the user's window opening and closing actions. When the user opens a window, the air conditioner is controlled to shut off the fresh air function to avoid energy waste and achieve energy-saving control of the air conditioner.

[0042] The aforementioned air conditioner predicts the future demand for fresh air by analyzing the number of people in the room and the indoor CO2 concentration. It then controls the operation of the fresh air fan based on the predicted demand to ensure that the amount of fresh air introduced meets the indoor demand. Furthermore, it determines whether users have opened or closed windows and adjusts the air conditioner's operation accordingly. When a user opens a window, the air conditioner shuts off the fresh air function to avoid energy waste and achieve energy-saving control. Attached Figure Description

[0043] Figure 1 A flowchart illustrating the process of increasing the amount of fresh air introduced into the room in advance according to some embodiments of an air conditioner is shown;

[0044] Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating how an air conditioner determines the fresh air fan speed based on the predicted amount of fresh indoor air, according to some embodiments, is shown.

[0045] Figure 3 An exemplary diagram illustrates the workflow of the air conditioner of this application when opening and closing windows indoors;

[0046] Figure 4 An exemplary diagram of the user's trajectory distribution in an indoor unit within the air conditioner of this application is shown;

[0047] Figure 5 An exemplary flowchart illustrates the judgment process of the air conditioner in this application when initially determining whether a user has performed the action of opening or closing a window;

[0048] Figure 6 An exemplary flowchart of the air conditioner of this application is shown when determining whether a user performs a window opening / closing action;

[0049] Figure 7 An exemplary flowchart illustrates the process of correcting suspicious locations in one embodiment of the air conditioner of this application;

[0050] Figure 8 An exemplary flowchart illustrates a process for correcting suspicious locations in another embodiment of the air conditioner of this application;

[0051] Figure 9 An exemplary diagram illustrates the workflow of the fresh air fan in one embodiment of the air conditioner of this application after the user performs the action of closing the window;

[0052] Figure 10 An exemplary diagram illustrates the workflow of the fresh air fan in another embodiment of the air conditioner of this application after the user performs the action of closing the window;

[0053] Figure 11 An exemplary control principle diagram of the air conditioner of this application is shown;

[0054] In the picture,

[0055] 100, Second sensor; 200, Suspicious area. Detailed Implementation

[0056] To make the objectives and implementation methods of this application clearer, the exemplary implementation methods of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the exemplary embodiments of this application. Obviously, the exemplary embodiments described are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments.

[0057] It should be noted that the brief descriptions of terms in this application are only for the convenience of understanding the embodiments described below, and are not intended to limit the embodiments of this application. Unless otherwise stated, these terms should be understood in their ordinary and common meaning.

[0058] The terms "first," "second," "third," etc., used in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar or related objects or entities, and do not necessarily imply a specific order or sequence, unless otherwise specified. It should be understood that such terms are interchangeable where appropriate.

[0059] The terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, are intended to cover but not exclude inclusion, for example, a product or device that includes a range of components is not necessarily limited to all of the components that are clearly listed, but may include other components that are not clearly listed or that are inherent to such product or device.

[0060] The air conditioner provided in this application can have various implementation forms, such as wall-mounted, floor-standing, or ceiling-mounted units.

[0061] An air conditioner includes an indoor unit, which is usually located indoors.

[0062] An air conditioner includes an outdoor unit, which is usually located outdoors. The outdoor unit works in conjunction with the indoor unit to enable the air conditioner to perform its functions.

[0063] The indoor unit includes an indoor heat exchanger, which is used to exchange heat with indoor air, thereby heating or cooling the indoor environment.

[0064] The outdoor unit includes an outdoor heat exchanger, which is used to exchange heat with the outdoor air.

[0065] The outdoor unit includes a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, and an indoor heat exchanger, which together form a refrigerant circulation loop. The compressor is used to compress the refrigerant from a low-pressure state to a high-pressure state and drive the refrigerant to circulate in the refrigerant circulation loop so that the indoor heat exchanger can cool or heat the indoor air.

[0066] When an air conditioner cools the indoor environment, the outdoor heat exchanger acts as a condenser, and the indoor heat exchanger acts as an evaporator. The refrigerant, after being compressed by the compressor, flows into the outdoor heat exchanger to release heat, then flows into the indoor heat exchanger to absorb heat, and finally flows back into the compressor.

[0067] When an air conditioner heats the indoor environment, the outdoor heat exchanger acts as an evaporator, and the indoor heat exchanger acts as a condenser. The refrigerant, after being compressed by the compressor, flows into the indoor heat exchanger to release heat, then flows into the outdoor heat exchanger to absorb heat, and finally flows back into the compressor.

[0068] The indoor unit includes a fresh air module, which introduces outdoor air into the room. The fresh air module enables the air conditioner's fresh air function, while the indoor heat exchanger enables its heat exchange function. When the air conditioner's heat exchange function is activated, the fresh air function can be activated as needed; when the air conditioner's heat exchange function is deactivated, the fresh air function typically cannot be activated independently.

[0069] The fresh air module includes a fresh air fan, which draws outdoor air into the room. The higher the fan speed, the more fresh air is introduced.

[0070] An air conditioner includes a controller, which is connected to the compressor and is used to control the operation of the compressor.

[0071] The controller is connected to the fresh air fan and is used to control the operation of the fresh air fan.

[0072] The air conditioner includes a CO2 concentration sensor, which is located indoors to detect the indoor CO2 concentration. The CO2 concentration sensor is connected to the controller. When the indoor CO2 concentration is high, the fresh air function usually needs to be turned on to introduce fresh outdoor air into the room, thereby reducing the indoor CO2 concentration; when the indoor CO2 concentration is low, the fresh air function usually does not need to be turned on.

[0073] Because there is a lag between the detection information of the CO2 concentration sensor and the introduction of fresh air into the room, that is, when the CO2 concentration sensor detects that the indoor CO2 concentration has increased, outdoor fresh air is introduced, but the amount of fresh air introduced into the room cannot be increased from the current amount to the target amount of indoor fresh air, and the indoor CO2 concentration cannot be reduced to the target concentration immediately. During the process of introducing fresh air, the user still needs to be in an environment with a high CO2 concentration for a period of time.

[0074] In this application, the demand for indoor fresh air is predicted, and the speed of the fresh air fan is controlled according to the predicted demand for indoor fresh air, so as to control the amount of fresh air introduced into the room, thereby ensuring that the amount of fresh air introduced can meet the demand for fresh air and thus avoid the increase of indoor CO2 concentration.

[0075] The controller is configured to calculate the predicted demand for indoor fresh air at the first moment and control the speed of the fresh air fan based on the predicted demand for indoor fresh air at the first moment.

[0076] In some embodiments of this application, by ensuring that the amount of fresh air introduced into the room meets the predicted demand for fresh air in advance, the amount of fresh air introduced at the first moment can fully meet the demand for fresh air, thereby avoiding the indoor CO2 concentration from exceeding the set concentration at the first moment and thus ensuring the performance of the air conditioner.

[0077] Specifically, such as Figure 1 As shown, the controller is configured to: calculate the predicted demand for indoor fresh air at a first moment, calculate the target speed of the fresh air fan based on the predicted demand for indoor fresh air at the first moment, and control the fresh air fan to run at the target speed in advance at a second moment; wherein the second moment occurs before the first moment.

[0078] By operating the fresh air fan at the target speed at the second moment, outdoor fresh air is introduced in advance, thereby ensuring that the amount of indoor fresh air introduced at the first moment meets the indoor fresh air demand.

[0079] Assuming a constant initial indoor CO2 concentration and other conditions remain unchanged, over time, the more people in the room, the higher the indoor CO2 concentration, and the greater the demand for fresh air. Therefore, indoor CO2 concentration and the number of people in the room are important factors affecting the demand for fresh air. Correspondingly, the predicted demand for fresh air is related to the predicted indoor CO2 concentration and the predicted number of people in the room.

[0080] In this application, the predicted demand for indoor fresh air Q satisfies the following relationship: Q=K1 N+K2P, where K1 and K2 are variable coefficients, N is the predicted number of people indoors, and P is the predicted indoor CO2 concentration.

[0081] The air conditioner includes a first sensor for detecting the number of people in the room. The first sensor is connected to a controller, which determines the number of people in the room based on the detection information from the first sensor.

[0082] It should be noted that the first sensor can be a radar sensor, or other sensors or devices that can be used to detect the number of people.

[0083] In practical applications, changes in indoor CO2 concentration and the number of people indoors exhibit strong diurnal cyclical characteristics. Taking an air conditioner installed in a user's home as an example, the number of people indoors is usually fixed, and the time users spend indoors is also relatively fixed. Therefore, changes in indoor CO2 concentration usually do not vary much.

[0084] This application predicts indoor CO2 concentration based on historical detection information from a CO2 concentration sensor and predicts the number of people indoors based on historical detection information from a first sensor.

[0085] Specifically, the controller is configured to periodically acquire and record the detection information from the CO2 concentration sensor, and calculate the predicted value of the indoor CO2 concentration at a certain moment based on the historically acquired detection information from the CO2 concentration sensor.

[0086] The controller is configured to periodically acquire and record the detection information of the first sensor, and calculate the predicted number of people indoors at a certain moment based on the historically acquired detection information of the first sensor.

[0087] In some embodiments of this application, the SARIMA model is used to calculate and solve the predicted values ​​of CO2 concentration and indoor number of people.

[0088] The SARIMA model is a statistical model used for time series forecasting. SARIMA is an abbreviation for Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average. This model combines the characteristics of ARIMA and seasonal models, and can handle the non-stationarity and seasonality of time series. The parameters of the SARIMA model include factors such as seasonality, trend, and noise, and can be used to predict future time series data.

[0089] It should be noted that the models used to calculate the predicted CO2 concentration based on historical CO2 concentration sensor detection information and the predicted number of people indoors based on historical first sensor data include, but are not limited to, the SARIMA model. The prediction of CO2 concentration based on historical CO2 concentration sensor detection information and the predicted number of people indoors based on historical first sensor data can be achieved using existing data prediction models. Using data prediction models to predict data is a conventional technique in this field and will not be elaborated here.

[0090] To reduce the error in the predicted indoor CO2 concentration, the predicted indoor CO2 concentration was standardized when calculating the predicted demand Q for fresh air, thereby increasing the accuracy of the predicted demand for fresh air.

[0091] In this application, the predicted value of indoor CO2 concentration at the first moment is standardized by comprehensively considering the predicted value of indoor CO2 concentration at the first moment and the maximum and minimum values ​​of predicted CO2 concentration within the first time period; wherein, the first moment occurs within the first time period.

[0092] In this embodiment, the predicted value of the indoor CO2 concentration at time ti is p.i The maximum predicted CO2 concentration within q hours is p. max The minimum value of predicted CO2 concentration p min The time ti is included within the hour q, meaning that the start time of the time period within the hour q is no later than the time ti, and the end time of the time period within the hour q is no earlier than the time ti.

[0093] The predicted value of the indoor CO2 concentration after standardization at time ti is C. i C i Satisfying the relation:

[0094]

[0095] Similarly, in order to reduce the prediction error of the number of people indoors, the predicted number of people indoors was standardized when solving for the predicted demand Q of indoor fresh air.

[0096] In this application, the predicted number of people indoors is standardized by comprehensively considering the predicted value of the number of people indoors at the first moment and the maximum and minimum values ​​of the predicted number of people indoors within the first time period. The first moment occurs within the first time period.

[0097] In this embodiment, the predicted number of people indoors at time ti is n. i The maximum value of the predicted number of people indoors within q hours is n. max The minimum value n of the predicted number of people indoors min The predicted number of people indoors after standardization at time ti is V. i V i Satisfying the relation:

[0098]

[0099] That is, the predicted demand Q for indoor fresh air at time ti. i Satisfying the relation: Q i =K1V i +K2C i .

[0100] It should be noted that the predicted demand for indoor fresh air may differ from the actual demand. When the predicted demand for indoor fresh air differs significantly from the actual demand, for example, when the predicted demand for indoor fresh air is low at the first moment, the air conditioner does not need to turn on the fresh air function. However, when the indoor CO2 concentration is high at the first moment, the controller controls the air conditioner to turn on the fresh air function based on the current indoor CO2 concentration.

[0101] Specifically, the controller is configured to: when the CO2 concentration sensor detects a value exceeding a preset value, if the fresh air fan is not running, then control the fresh air fan to run; when the CO2 concentration sensor detects a value not exceeding the preset value, then control the fresh air fan to run according to the predicted demand for indoor fresh air.

[0102] In some embodiments of this application, the fresh air fan has multiple speed settings, and the controller has preset trigger conditions corresponding to each speed setting. When the predicted demand for indoor fresh air meets a certain trigger condition, the controller controls the fresh air fan to turn on the corresponding speed setting.

[0103] In this embodiment, the fresh air fan has five speed settings, which correspond to five rotation speeds of the fresh air fan. The higher the speed setting, the greater the rotation speed of the fresh air fan.

[0104] like Figure 2 As shown, the controller is configured to: if the predicted demand for indoor fresh air is less than a first set value, control the fresh air fan to turn on at the first setting; if the predicted demand for indoor fresh air is greater than or equal to the first set value and less than a second set value, control the fresh air fan to turn on at the second setting; if the predicted demand for indoor fresh air is greater than or equal to the second set value and less than a third set value, control the fresh air fan to turn on at the third setting; if the predicted demand for indoor fresh air is greater than or equal to the third set value and less than a fourth set value, control the fresh air fan to turn on at the fourth setting; if the predicted demand for indoor fresh air is greater than or equal to the fourth set value, control the fresh air fan to turn on at the fifth setting; wherein the first set value is less than or equal to the second set value, the second set value is less than or equal to the third set value, and the third set value is less than or equal to the fourth set value.

[0105] If a window is open while the air conditioner is running, fresh outdoor air can enter the room through the window without needing to go through the fresh air module. The air conditioner's fresh air function and the window are open at the same time, which can easily lead to a waste of resources.

[0106] The air conditioner includes a second sensor 100, which is used to acquire the location information of people in the room. By judging the location information of people in the room, it is determined whether people in the room have performed the action of opening or closing windows, thereby determining whether the air conditioner needs to turn on the fresh air function.

[0107] like Figure 3 As shown, the controller is configured to: when it is determined that an indoor person has opened a window, the fresh air fan stops running and the air conditioner shuts off the fresh air function; when it is determined that an indoor person has closed a window, it further determines whether the fresh air fan needs to run.

[0108] It should be noted that the second sensor 100 is a radar sensor, but it can also be other sensors or devices that can detect personnel location information.

[0109] It should also be noted that in this embodiment, the second sensor 100 is a radar sensor. In some embodiments, to simplify the overall structure, the first sensor is also a radar sensor, and the first sensor and the second sensor 100 are the same radar sensor.

[0110] The second sensor 100 is typically installed on the side of the air conditioner facing the user so that the second sensor 100 can cover the indoor area.

[0111] like Figure 4 As shown in the figure, the black dots represent the trajectory points of the user's activities in the room within a certain period of time. By analyzing the trajectory points, it can be determined whether the user has moved to a position near the window.

[0112] In this application, a suspicious area 200 is defined indoors, with windows located within this area. Users must enter the suspicious area 200 to open or close the window. It should be noted that this application only considers the scenario of manually opening and closing the window, and does not consider the scenario of opening and closing the window using remote control.

[0113] like Figure 5 As shown, the controller is configured to: when the second sensor 100 detects that a person has entered the suspicious area 200, record the time when the person enters the suspicious area 200 and the time when the person leaves the suspicious area 200, and calculate the time difference between the time when the person leaves the suspicious area 200 and the time when the person enters the suspicious area 200 as a first difference value; if the first difference value is greater than a first reference value, it is preliminarily determined that the user has performed the window opening / closing action; if the first difference value is less than or equal to the first reference value, it is determined that the user has not performed the window opening / closing action.

[0114] When the first difference is less than or equal to the first reference value, the user's time in the suspicious area 200 is too short to complete the window opening / closing action. Therefore, it is determined that the user did not perform the window opening / closing action.

[0115] When the first difference is greater than the first reference value, the user has enough time to complete the window opening / closing action. However, it can only determine that the user may have performed the window opening / closing action, but it cannot determine for sure whether the user performed the window opening / closing action or the window opening / closing action. Therefore, further judgment is required.

[0116] In this application, after initially determining that the user has performed the action of opening or closing the window, the change in indoor CO2 concentration before and after the user may have performed the action of opening or closing the window is judged to determine whether the user has actually performed the action of opening or closing the window or has not performed the action of opening or closing the window.

[0117] like Figure 6As shown, the controller is further configured to: calculate the difference between the CO2 concentration when entering the suspicious area and the CO2 concentration when leaving the suspicious area as a second difference value; if the second difference value is less than a second reference value and the ratio of the second difference value to the first difference value is less than a third reference value, then it is determined that the user has performed the window opening action; if the second difference value is greater than a fourth reference value and the ratio of the second difference value to the first difference value is greater than a fifth reference value, then it is determined that the user has performed the window closing action; otherwise, it is determined that the user has not performed the window opening / closing action.

[0118] When people in the room have just opened or closed the window, the indoor CO2 concentration does not change much. In order to increase the accuracy of the judgment, in some embodiments, the detection information of the CO2 concentration sensor is obtained after the people in the room have left the suspected area for a period of time.

[0119] Specifically, the controller is further configured to: acquire the detection information of the CO2 concentration sensor when a person enters the suspicious area 200; acquire the detection information of the CO2 concentration sensor at a third moment; calculate a second difference between the detection value of the CO2 concentration sensor at the third moment and the detection value of the CO2 concentration sensor when the person enters the suspicious area 200; if the second difference is less than a second reference value and the ratio of the second difference to the first difference is less than a third reference value, then it is determined that the user has performed a window opening action; if the second difference is greater than a fourth reference value and the ratio of the second difference to the first difference is greater than a fifth reference value, then it is determined that the user has performed a window closing action. The third moment occurs after the user leaves the suspicious area 200.

[0120] In other embodiments, the third moment occurs long after the user has left the suspicious area.

[0121] The first reference value is T0, and the second reference value is C. Δ关 The third reference value is k3, and the fourth reference value is C. Δ开 Taking the fifth reference value, k4, as an example, we will explain in detail the principle of determining whether to perform the window opening / closing action.

[0122] After the radar detects a person entering suspicious area 200, it records the time t0 when the person enters suspicious area 200 and the time t1 when the person leaves suspicious area 200. When t1-t0>T0, the controller determines that the user may have performed a window opening / closing action and records the CO2 sensor detection value C at time t0. t0 The CO2 concentration was continuously monitored until time t2, and the CO2 sensor reading at time t2 was recorded as C. t2 The time between time t2 and time t0 is T1, where T1 >> T0. Since the indoor CO2 concentration changes significantly after the user opens and closes the window, the user's window opening and closing behavior can be identified by combining the user's location and the change in CO2 concentration.

[0123] Window opening behavior recognition: And C t2 -C t0 <C Δ关 ;

[0124] Window closing behavior recognition: And C t2 -C t0 >C Δ开 ;

[0125] Among them, C Δ关 Indoor CO2 when windows are closed 2 The concentration value, C Δ开 Indoor CO2 when windows are open 2 The concentration value.

[0126] In practical applications, the location of the air conditioner varies, and thus the suspected area 200 also differs. In this application, the suspected area 200 is defined based on the actual installation location and actual operation of the air conditioner, and the location of the suspected area 200 is variable.

[0127] After the air conditioner is installed, the coordinates of indoor occupants detected by the second sensor 100 are analyzed to define a suspicious area 200 based on the specific installation location of the air conditioner. When the air conditioner is first used, the suspicious area 200 is the initial suspicious area. Because the amount of data collected by the second sensor 100 is small at this initial stage, the judgment error is relatively large when using the initial suspicious area 200 to determine whether to open or close the window. During subsequent uses of the air conditioner, the position of the initial suspicious area 200 is continuously corrected based on the judgment results, thereby reducing the judgment error of opening and closing the window.

[0128] In this application, during the use of the air conditioner, as the number of window opening and closing actions is increased and the amount of data collected by the second sensor 100 increases, the suspicious area 200 is continuously corrected, making the position of the suspicious area 200 more and more accurate and the judgment error of the window opening and closing actions smaller and smaller.

[0129] In some embodiments of this application, such as Figure 7 As shown, the controller is configured to: periodically acquire and record the location information detected by the second sensor, initially defining an initial suspicious area 200; correct the initial suspicious area 200 based on the judgment result of using the initial suspicious area 200 to determine whether to execute the window opening and closing; if the judgment result is correct, the initial suspicious area remains unchanged; if the judgment result is incorrect, the suspicious area 200 is corrected.

[0130] It should be noted that after the controller determines the result, it controls the air conditioner to work according to the determination result. If the controller's determination result is incorrect, the user will usually input instructions to the controller through the remote control or mobile phone to correct the air conditioner's operating status. Therefore, in some embodiments, the controller's determination result is judged to be correct by whether the user corrects the air conditioner's operating status.

[0131] In other embodiments of this application, such as Figure 8 As shown, the controller is configured to: periodically acquire and record the location information detected by the second sensor, initially defining a suspicious area 200; use the suspicious area 200 to determine whether a window opening / closing action has been performed; if it is determined that a window opening / closing action has been performed, record the location of the user when performing the window opening / closing action; and correct the suspicious area 200 based on the recorded results, selecting the location of the user when performing the window opening / closing action to define a new suspicious area 200.

[0132] It should be noted that the area where the user is located when performing the window opening and closing action is usually fixed. During the use of the air conditioner, by repeatedly recording the location of the user when performing the window opening and closing action, the locations in the initially defined suspicious area 200 where the window opening and closing action cannot be performed are filtered out, so as to correct the suspicious area 200.

[0133] In this embodiment, the second sensor 100 can cover all indoor areas, and when a user is active indoors, the second sensor 100 can detect the location information of the person.

[0134] In some embodiments of this application, such as Figure 9 As shown, the controller is further configured to: when it is determined that the indoor personnel have performed the action of closing the window, if fresh air needs to be introduced, the controller controls the fresh air fan to work according to the predicted demand for fresh air in the room; if fresh air does not need to be introduced, the controller controls the fresh air fan to stop running.

[0135] If it's determined that someone inside closed the window, it means the window was previously open, and the air conditioner may have run for a period of time with the window open. During this time, outdoor air enters the room through the window. After the window is closed, the indoor CO2 concentration is usually low, and there's no need to introduce fresh air for a short period. The fresh air fan may not need to work for a while. However, it's also possible that the air conditioner had just started running when the user noticed the window was open and closed it, resulting in no fresh air being introduced. In this case, whether the air conditioner needs to activate the fresh air function depends on the predicted indoor fresh air demand.

[0136] In some other embodiments of this application, after determining that the person in the room has performed the action of closing the window, the fresh air fan is determined to run by obtaining the current indoor CO2 concentration.

[0137] like Figure 10 As shown, the controller is further configured to: after an indoor person performs the action of closing the window, obtain the detection information of the current indoor CO2 sensor; if the detection value of the indoor CO2 sensor exceeds the preset value, it is determined that the fresh air fan needs to be run; if the detection value of the indoor CO2 sensor does not exceed the preset value, the fresh air fan is controlled to run according to the predicted demand of indoor fresh air.

[0138] It should be noted that after people indoors close the windows, the methods for determining whether the fresh air fan is running include, but are not limited to, determining whether the indoor CO2 concentration exceeds the preset value, which will not be elaborated here.

[0139] In practical applications, users may forget that the air conditioner is still running when they open a window. Based on the consideration of saving resources, in some embodiments, when the controller determines that the user has performed the action of opening a window, the air conditioner stops running and turns off the fresh air function and heat exchange function to prevent waste of resources.

[0140] The controller is connected to a cloud server, which in turn is connected to a mobile app. The controller is configured to upload the determination information to the cloud server when it detects that a window opening action has been performed. The cloud server then pushes the determination information to the mobile app, prompting the user to turn off the air conditioner.

[0141] If users do not wish to turn off the air conditioner, they can control its operation via their mobile phones. If the user does not respond within a certain period of time, the air conditioner will turn off to save resources.

[0142] In some embodiments of this application, the second sensor 100 is connected to a cloud server, and the second sensor 100 uploads the acquired personnel location information to the cloud server, which then determines whether to perform the window opening / closing action.

[0143] When the controller determines that someone indoors has opened a window and stops the fresh air fan, the user can manually control the fan to continue running via remote control or mobile app. This prevents the controller from making incorrect judgments and allows the user to control the fan according to their preferences. It should be noted that user control of the fresh air fan via remote control or mobile app is achievable using existing technology in this field and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0144] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the suspicious area 200 is continuously corrected through learning. In some embodiments, the operation of the air conditioner can be controlled through learning, for example, by learning the user's preference for cooling or heating to automatically control the operation of the air conditioner.

[0145] The control principle of the air conditioner is explained in detail below. The first moment is included in the first time period, the second moment occurs before the first moment, and the third moment occurs 200 after the user leaves the suspicious area.

[0146] like Figure 11 As shown, the controller is configured to: periodically acquire and record the detection information of the CO2 concentration sensor; calculate the predicted value of the indoor CO2 concentration at the first moment and the maximum and minimum values ​​of the predicted CO2 concentration within the first time period based on the historically acquired detection information of the CO2 concentration sensor; and standardize the predicted value of the indoor CO2 concentration at the first moment based on the predicted value of the indoor CO2 concentration at the first moment and the maximum and minimum values ​​of the predicted CO2 concentration within the first time period to obtain the standardized predicted value of the indoor CO2 concentration.

[0147] The controller is configured to: periodically acquire and record the detection information of the first sensor; calculate the predicted value of the number of people indoors at the first moment and the maximum and minimum values ​​of the predicted value of the number of people indoors within the first time period based on the historically acquired detection information of the first sensor; and standardize the predicted value of the number of people indoors at the first moment based on the predicted value of the number of people indoors at the first moment and the maximum and minimum values ​​of the predicted value of the number of people indoors within the first time period to obtain the standardized predicted value of the number of people indoors.

[0148] The controller is further configured to calculate the predicted demand for indoor fresh air at the first moment based on the predicted value of the standardized indoor CO2 concentration and the predicted value of the standardized number of people in the room.

[0149] The controller is further configured to: periodically acquire and record the location information detected by the second sensor 100; when the second sensor 100 detects a person entering the suspicious area 200, record the time when the person enters the suspicious area 200 and the time when the person leaves the suspicious area 200, and calculate the time difference between the time when the person leaves the suspicious area 200 and the time when the person enters the suspicious area 200 as a first difference value; if the first difference value is greater than a first reference value, it is preliminarily determined that the user has performed the window opening / closing action; if the first difference value is less than or equal to the first reference value, it is determined that the user has not performed the window opening / closing action.

[0150] The controller is further configured to: when a window opening / closing action is determined to have been performed, acquire the detection information of the CO2 concentration sensor when the person enters the suspicious area 200; acquire the detection information of the CO2 concentration sensor at a third moment; calculate a second difference between the detection value of the CO2 concentration sensor at the third moment and the detection value of the CO2 concentration sensor when the person enters the suspicious area 200; if the second difference is less than a second reference value and the ratio of the second difference to the first difference is less than a third reference value, then it is determined that the user has performed a window opening action; if the second difference is greater than a fourth reference value and the ratio of the second difference to the first difference is greater than a fifth reference value, then it is determined that the user has performed a window closing action. The third moment occurs after the user leaves the suspicious area 200.

[0151] The controller is further configured to: when it is determined that the user has performed the action of opening a window, control the fresh air fan to stop running; when it is determined that the user has performed the action of closing a window, acquire the detection information of the current CO2 concentration sensor; if the current CO2 concentration sensor detection value does not exceed the preset value, control the fresh air fan to run according to the predicted demand for indoor fresh air at the first moment; if the current CO2 concentration sensor detection value exceeds the preset value, further determine whether the fresh air fan is running; if the fresh air fan is running, control the fresh air fan to run according to the predicted demand for indoor fresh air at the first moment; if the fresh air fan is not running, control the fresh air fan to run according to the current detection value of the indoor CO2 concentration sensor.

[0152] The aforementioned air conditioner predicts the future demand for fresh air by measuring the number of people in the room and the indoor CO2 concentration, and adjusts the air conditioner's operating status based on whether the user has opened or closed the windows, thereby achieving energy-saving control of the air conditioner.

[0153] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

[0154] For ease of explanation, the above description has been provided in conjunction with specific embodiments. However, the above exemplary discussion is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the specific forms disclosed above. Various modifications and variations can be obtained based on the above teachings. The selection and description of the above embodiments are for the purpose of better explaining the principles and practical applications, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to better utilize the described embodiments and various different variations of embodiments suitable for specific use considerations.

Claims

1. An air conditioner, characterized in that, include: The fresh air module includes a fresh air fan, which, when operated, introduces fresh outdoor air into the room; CO2 concentration sensor, used to detect indoor CO2 concentration; The first sensor is used to detect the number of people indoors; The controller is connected to the CO2 concentration sensor and the first sensor, respectively; the controller is configured as follows: Historical detection data is obtained by recording the detection information of the CO2 concentration sensor and the first sensor; The predicted demand for indoor fresh air at the next moment is calculated based on the historical monitoring data. The speed of the fresh air fan is controlled according to the predicted demand.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that, The controller is further configured to: calculate the maximum and minimum predicted values ​​of indoor CO2 concentration in the next time period based on historical CO2 data; and standardize the predicted CO2 concentration based on the maximum and minimum predicted values ​​of CO2 concentration. Calculate the maximum and minimum predicted indoor number of people in the next time period based on historical data; standardize the predicted indoor number of people based on the maximum and minimum predicted indoor number of people. The predicted demand for fresh air is adjusted based on the standardized CO2 concentration forecast and the predicted number of people indoors.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a second sensor, which is used to acquire the location information of people indoors; the second sensor is connected to the controller; the controller is further configured to: acquire the location information detected by the second sensor, and preliminarily determine whether people indoors have performed the action of opening or closing windows based on the location information detected by the second sensor; if no action of opening or closing windows is performed, control the fresh air fan to continue running; if it is preliminarily determined that the action of opening or closing windows is performed, further determine whether the action of opening or closing windows is performed based on the detection information of the CO2 concentration sensor before and after the action of opening or closing windows; if the action of opening windows is performed, control the fresh air fan to stop running; if the action of closing windows is performed, further determine whether the fresh air fan needs to run.

4. The air conditioner according to claim 3, characterized in that, An indoor area is defined as a suspicious area, and an indoor window is located within the suspicious area. The controller is further configured to: when the second sensor detects that a person has entered the suspicious area, record the time when the person enters the suspicious area and the time when the person leaves the suspicious area, and calculate the time difference between the two as a first difference value; if the first difference value is greater than a first reference value, it is preliminarily determined that the user has performed the action of opening and closing a window. If the first difference is less than or equal to the first reference value, it is determined that the user has not performed the window opening / closing action.

5. The air conditioner according to claim 4, characterized in that, The controller is further configured to: calculate the difference between the CO2 concentration when entering the suspicious area and the CO2 concentration when leaving the suspicious area as a second difference value; if the second difference value is less than a second reference value and the ratio of the second difference value to the first difference value is less than a third reference value, then it is determined that the user has performed the window opening action; if the second difference value is greater than a fourth reference value and the ratio of the second difference value to the first difference value is greater than a fifth reference value, then it is determined that the user has performed the window closing action; otherwise, it is determined that the user has not performed the window opening / closing action.

6. The air conditioner according to claim 4, characterized in that, The controller is further configured to: periodically acquire and record the location information detected by the second sensor, initially define an initial suspicious area; and correct the initial suspicious area based on the determination result of whether to perform the window opening / closing action using the initial suspicious area.

7. The air conditioner according to claim 5, characterized in that, The controller is further configured to: when it is determined that a window opening / closing action has been performed, record the position of the person inside the room when performing the window opening action; and correct the suspicious area based on the historical position of the person inside the room when performing the window opening action.

8. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that, The controller is further configured to: when the current CO2 concentration sensor detects a value exceeding a preset value, if the fresh air fan is not running, then control the fresh air fan to run; when the current CO2 concentration sensor detects a value not exceeding the preset value, then control the fresh air fan to run according to the predicted demand for indoor fresh air.

9. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that, The controller is connected to a cloud server, and the cloud server is connected to a mobile phone. The controller is configured to upload the determination information to the cloud server when it determines that a window opening action is to be performed, and the cloud server pushes the determination information to the mobile phone to prompt whether to turn off the air conditioner.

10. An air conditioner, characterized in that, include: An outdoor heat exchanger is used to exchange heat with outdoor air. Indoor heat exchanger, used for exchanging heat with indoor air; The compressor, together with the indoor heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger, forms a refrigerant circulation loop, in which refrigerant flows; A fresh air module includes at least a fresh air fan, through which outdoor air is introduced into the room; CO2 concentration sensor, used to detect indoor CO2 concentration; The second sensor is used to detect the location of people indoors; A suspicious area exists inside the room, and the interior window is located within the suspicious area. The controller is connected to the CO2 concentration sensor and the second sensor respectively; the controller is configured to: During the operation of the air conditioner, the detection information of the second sensor is acquired to detect whether indoor personnel have entered the suspicious area; The CO2 concentration sensor acquires detection information when indoor personnel enter and leave the suspected area; The determination of whether the person inside the room performed the action of opening or closing the window is based on the time difference between when the person enters the suspicious area and when they leave the suspicious area, and the difference between the detection values ​​of the CO2 concentration sensor when the person enters the suspicious area and when they leave the suspicious area. When it is determined that the window opening action has been performed, the fresh air fan is controlled to stop running; When it is determined that the window closing action has been performed, the detection information of the current CO2 concentration sensor is further obtained. If the detection value of the current CO2 concentration sensor exceeds the preset value, the fresh air fan is controlled to run. If the detection value of the current CO2 concentration sensor does not exceed the preset value, the fresh air fan is controlled to run according to the predicted demand for indoor fresh air.

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