Air conditioner and method for controlling same

Abstract

This air conditioner comprises: a motion detection sensor configured to detect movement of an object in a space; a memory that stores instructions; and at least one processor including processing circuitry, wherein the instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor, instruct the at least one processor to: when the motion detection sensor detects the object, determine an amount of activity of the object via the motion detection sensor; if the amount of activity of the object satisfies a first predetermined condition, determine whether a number of second predetermined time intervals during which the object is detected by the motion detection sensor within a first predetermined time interval satisfies a second predetermined condition or whether the amount of activity of the object detected by the motion detection sensor within the first predetermined time interval satisfies a third predetermined condition; and if it is determined that the second predetermined condition or the third predetermined condition is satisfied, determine that the object is present in the space.

Description

Air conditioner and its control method

[0001] Embodiments related to the present disclosure relate to an air conditioner and a control method thereof for controlling an operation error due to a ghost phenomenon of a motion detection sensor.

[0002] As smart air conditioners become more widespread, air conditioners can now directly identify the presence of the user and control their operation.

[0003] Air conditioners can use sensors to detect occupancy. However, these sensors can sometimes mistakenly identify occupancy when the user is not present. Consequently, the air conditioner may continue to operate even when the user is absent, resulting in power waste.

[0004] Additionally, air conditioners can control the wind based on the user's location. However, if the sensor detects a malfunction, it can disrupt the air conditioner's operation.

[0005] Accordingly, the need for a method to more accurately determine whether a user is present and a method to prevent actions based on sensor misdetection has arisen.

[0006] In an air conditioner, the air conditioner comprises a motion detection sensor configured to detect movement of an object in a space, a memory storing instructions, and at least one processor including processing circuitry, wherein the instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to determine an activity of the object through the motion detection sensor when the motion detection sensor detects the object, and if the activity of the object satisfies a first condition, determine whether a number of second time intervals in which the object is detected through the motion detection sensor among first time intervals in which the object satisfies a second condition or whether the activity of the object detected through the motion detection sensor within the first time interval satisfies a third condition, and if it is determined that the second condition or the third condition is satisfied, determine that the object exists in the space.

[0007] The air conditioner may further include a fan configured to blow cooled air outside the air conditioner, and the instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor, may cause the processor to detect a plurality of objects including the object and control a blowing direction of cooled air blown by the fan based on an object closest to the air conditioner among the plurality of objects.

[0008] In addition, the instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor, may cause the processor to identify whether a first object among the plurality of objects is located at a first distance from the air conditioner and a second object is located at a second distance further than the first distance from the air conditioner, and, when the first object and the second object are identified as being located at the first distance and the second distance, respectively, control the blowing direction of the cooled air blown by the fan based on the first object located at the close distance.

[0009] Additionally, the instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor, may cause the processor to blow the cooled air in a floor direction when the blowing mode of the air conditioner is a direct wind mode and the cooled air is blown by a fan based on the first object being located close by, and to blow the cooled air in a ceiling direction when the blowing mode of the air conditioner is an indirect wind mode and the cooled air is blown by a fan based on the first object being located close by.

[0010] Additionally, the instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor, may cause the processor to determine that the object does not exist within the space based on the amount of activity not satisfying the predetermined first condition.

[0011] Additionally, the instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor, may cause the processor to determine the coordinate values ​​of the object through the motion detection sensor, and determine the activity of the object based on determining the moving speed of the object based on the coordinate values ​​of the object.

[0012] Additionally, the instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor, may cause the processor to determine that the activity of the object satisfies a first predetermined condition if the object is determined to have moved for a predetermined amount of time or longer at a movement speed greater than a predetermined size based on the determined movement speed of the object.

[0013] Additionally, the instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor, may cause the processor to determine that the object does not exist within the space based on a number of the second predetermined time intervals not satisfying a second predetermined condition and an amount of activity of the object not satisfying a third predetermined condition.

[0014] Additionally, the motion detection sensor may be a radar sensor.

[0015] In a control method of an air conditioner, the control method according to the present disclosure may include a step of detecting an object using a motion detection sensor, a step of identifying an activity level of the object through the motion detection sensor based on detection of the object through the motion detection sensor, a step of determining whether the activity level of the object satisfies a first preset condition, a step of identifying whether a number of second preset time intervals in which the object is detected through the motion detection sensor among first preset time intervals satisfies a second preset condition or whether the activity level of the object detected through the motion detection sensor within the first time interval satisfies a third preset condition, and a step of determining that the object exists in a space based on determining whether the second preset condition or the third preset condition is satisfied.

[0016] The above control method may further include a step of detecting a plurality of objects including the object, and a step of controlling the blowing direction of the cooled air based on an object closest to the air conditioner among the plurality of objects.

[0017] In addition, the step of controlling the direction of the cooled air blown above is:

[0018] The method may include a step of identifying whether a first object among a plurality of objects is located at a first distance from the air conditioner and a second object is located at a second distance further than the first distance from the air conditioner, and a step of controlling a blowing direction of cooled air blown based on the first object located at the close distance when the first object and the second object are identified as being located at the first distance and the second distance, respectively.

[0019] A step of controlling the direction of the cooled air being blown;

[0020] In addition, when the blowing mode of the air conditioner is a direct wind mode and the cooled air is blown by a fan based on the first object being located at a close distance, the method may include a step of blowing the cooled air in a floor direction, and when the blowing mode of the air conditioner is an indirect wind mode and the cooled air is blown by a fan based on the first object being located at a close distance, the method may include a step of blowing the cooled air in a ceiling direction.

[0021] In addition, the step of determining the activity of the object may include a step of determining a coordinate value of the object, and a step of identifying a moving speed of the object based on the coordinate value of the object to determine the activity of the object.

[0022] In addition, the step of determining that the object exists within the space is:

[0023] A step may include a step of determining whether the object exists within the space based on whether the second preset condition or the third preset condition is satisfied.

[0024] Additionally, the control method may further include a step of identifying that the object does not exist within the space based on the second time interval not satisfying the preset second condition and the activity of the object not satisfying the preset third condition.

[0025] A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing one or more instructions executed by at least one processor of an air conditioner, wherein the at least one processor may include: detecting an object using a motion detection sensor; identifying an amount of activity of the object through the motion detection sensor based on detection of the object through the motion detection sensor; identifying whether a number of preset second time intervals in which the object is detected through the motion detection sensor among preset first time intervals satisfies a preset second condition or whether the amount of activity of the object detected through the motion detection sensor within the first time interval satisfies a preset third condition when the amount of activity of the object satisfies a preset first condition; and determining that the object exists in the space based on determining whether the preset second condition or the preset third condition is satisfied.

[0026] In addition, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may further include a step of causing the at least one processor to detect a plurality of objects including the object, and a step of controlling a blowing direction of cooled air based on an object closest to the air conditioner among the plurality of objects.

[0027] In addition, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may further include: a step of causing the at least one processor to identify whether a first object among a plurality of objects is located at a first distance from the air conditioner and a second object is located at a second distance further than the first distance from the air conditioner; and a step of controlling a blowing direction of cooled air blown based on the first object located at the close distance when the first object and the second object are identified as being located at the first distance and the second distance, respectively.

[0028] The above instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may further include causing the at least one processor to blow the cooled air in a floor direction when the blowing mode of the air conditioner is a direct wind mode and the cooled air is blown by a fan based on the first object being located at a close distance, and to blow the cooled air in a ceiling direction when the blowing mode of the air conditioner is an indirect wind mode and the cooled air is blown by a fan based on the first object being located at a close distance.

[0029] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a situation in which an air conditioner according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure identifies a user.

[0030] FIG. 2 is a drawing for explaining an air conditioner according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an air conditioner according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of an air conditioner according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining a method for controlling an air conditioner according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 are diagrams illustrating a case where a sensor according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure has an incorrect measurement value.

[0035] FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 are tables for determining whether an object is present according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a condition for determining the absence of a user by an air conditioner according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating a process in which multiple processors communicate with a motion detection sensor according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] FIG. 12 is a flowchart for explaining a control method when an air conditioner according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure detects multiple objects.

[0039] FIG. 13 is a drawing for explaining a method for dividing a space by an air conditioner according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] FIG. 14 is a table for explaining the criteria for dividing space by an air conditioner according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] FIG. 15 is a table for explaining near and far distances in a divided space according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0042] It should be understood that the various embodiments of the present disclosure and the terminology used to describe the various embodiments are not intended to limit the technical features described herein to specific embodiments, but rather to encompass various modifications, equivalents, or alternatives of the embodiments.

[0043] In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related components.

[0044] The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of said items, unless the relevant context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0045] In this disclosure, each of the phrases "A or B", "at least one of A and B", "at least one of A or B", "A, B, or C", "at least one of A, B, and C", and "at least one of A, B, or C" may include any one of the items listed together in the corresponding phrase, or all possible combinations thereof.

[0046] The term “and / or” includes any combination of a plurality of related described elements or any one of a plurality of related described elements.

[0047] Terms such as "first," "second," or "first" or "second" may be used simply to distinguish one component from another and do not qualify the components in any other respect (e.g., importance or order).

[0048] When a component (e.g., a first component) is referred to as being "coupled" or "connected" to another component (e.g., a second component), with or without the terms "functionally" or "communicatively," it means that the component can be connected to the other component directly (e.g., wired), wirelessly, or through a third component.

[0049] The terms “include” or “have” are intended to specify the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part or combination thereof described in this document, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof.

[0050] When a component is said to be “connected,” “coupled,” “supported,” or “in contact with” another component, this includes cases where the components are directly connected, coupled, supported, or in contact, and cases where the components are indirectly connected, coupled, supported, or in contact through a third component.

[0051] When we say that a component is “on” another component, this includes not only cases where the component is in contact with the other component, but also cases where there is another component between the two components.

[0052] An air conditioner according to various embodiments is a device that performs functions such as air purification, ventilation, humidity control, cooling or heating in an air-conditioned space (hereinafter referred to as “indoor”), and may mean a device equipped with at least one of these functions.

[0053] In one embodiment, an air conditioner may include a heat pump device to perform a cooling function or a heating function. The heat pump device may include a refrigeration cycle in which a refrigerant circulates along a compressor, a first heat exchanger, an expansion device, and a second heat exchanger. All components of the heat pump device may be housed in a single housing forming the exterior of the air conditioner, such as a window air conditioner or a portable air conditioner. On the other hand, some components of the heat pump device may be housed separately in multiple housings forming a single air conditioner, such as a wall-mounted air conditioner, a stand-alone air conditioner, or a system air conditioner, such as examples of such air conditioners.

[0054] An air conditioner including a plurality of housings may include at least one outdoor unit installed outdoors and at least one indoor unit installed indoors. For example, the air conditioner may be configured such that one outdoor unit and one indoor unit are connected via a refrigerant pipe. For example, the air conditioner may be configured such that one outdoor unit is connected to two or more indoor units via refrigerant pipes. For example, the air conditioner may be configured such that two or more outdoor units and two or more indoor units are connected via a plurality of refrigerant pipes.

[0055] The outdoor unit can be electrically connected to the indoor unit. For example, information (or commands) for controlling the air conditioner can be input through an input interface provided on the outdoor or indoor unit, and the outdoor and indoor units can operate simultaneously or sequentially in response to user input.

[0056] The air conditioner may include an outdoor heat exchanger provided in the outdoor unit, an indoor heat exchanger provided in the indoor unit, and a refrigerant pipe connecting the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger.

[0057] An outdoor heat exchanger can utilize a phase change (e.g., evaporation or condensation) of the refrigerant to exchange heat between the refrigerant and the outdoor air. For example, while the refrigerant condenses in the outdoor heat exchanger, it releases heat to the outdoor air, and while the refrigerant flowing in the outdoor heat exchanger evaporates, it absorbs heat from the outdoor air.

[0058] Indoor units are installed indoors. For example, indoor units can be categorized into ceiling-mounted, stand-alone, and wall-mounted types depending on their placement. For example, ceiling-mounted indoor units can be categorized into four-way, one-way, and duct-type types depending on how air is distributed.

[0059] Similarly, an indoor heat exchanger can utilize the phase change of the refrigerant (e.g., evaporation or condensation) to exchange heat between the refrigerant and indoor air. For example, while the refrigerant evaporates in the indoor unit, the refrigerant can absorb heat from the indoor air. The cooled indoor air can then be blown through the cooled indoor heat exchanger, thereby cooling the room. Furthermore, while the refrigerant condenses in the indoor heat exchanger, the refrigerant can release heat to the indoor air. By blowing the heated indoor air through the high-temperature indoor heat exchanger, the room can be heated.

[0060] That is, the air conditioner performs a cooling or heating function through a phase change process of the refrigerant circulating between the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger. To circulate the refrigerant, the air conditioner may include a compressor that compresses the refrigerant. The compressor can suck in refrigerant gas through the suction port and compress the refrigerant gas. The compressor can discharge the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant gas through the discharge port. The compressor may be placed inside the outdoor unit.

[0061] The refrigerant may circulate through the refrigerant pipe in the order of a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an expansion device, and an indoor heat exchanger, or in the order of a compressor, an indoor heat exchanger, an expansion device, and an outdoor heat exchanger.

[0062] For example, if an air conditioner has one outdoor unit and one indoor unit directly connected through a refrigerant pipe, the refrigerant may be arranged to circulate between one outdoor unit and one indoor unit through the refrigerant pipe.

[0063] For example, in an air conditioner, if one outdoor unit is connected to two or more indoor units via refrigerant pipes, the refrigerant can flow to multiple indoor units via refrigerant pipes branching from the outdoor unit. The refrigerant blown from the multiple indoor units can be combined and circulated to the outdoor unit. For example, multiple indoor units can be directly connected in parallel to a single outdoor unit via separate refrigerant pipes.

[0064] Multiple indoor units can operate independently, each according to a user-defined operating mode. That is, some indoor units can operate in cooling mode, while others operate in heating mode. In this case, the refrigerant can be selectively introduced into each indoor unit at either high or low pressure along a designated circulation path via a flow-through valve, described later, and then circulated to the outdoor unit.

[0065] For example, when an air conditioner has two or more outdoor units and two or more indoor units connected through multiple refrigerant pipes, the refrigerant blown from the multiple outdoor units may join and flow through a single refrigerant pipe before branching off again at some point and flowing into multiple indoor units.

[0066] Multiple outdoor units may all be operated, or at least some may not be operated, depending on the operating load of the multiple indoor units. In this case, the refrigerant may be introduced into the outdoor unit, which is selectively operated, through a flow switching valve and circulated there. The air conditioner may include an expansion device to reduce the pressure of the refrigerant flowing into the heat exchanger. For example, the expansion device may be located within the indoor unit, the outdoor unit, or both.

[0067] An expansion device can, for example, utilize a throttling effect to lower the temperature and pressure of the refrigerant. The expansion device may include an orifice capable of reducing the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path. Refrigerant passing through the orifice may experience a decrease in temperature and pressure.

[0068] The expansion device may be implemented as an electronic expansion valve, for example, capable of controlling the opening ratio (e.g., the ratio of the cross-sectional area of ​​the valve's flow path in a partially open state to the cross-sectional area of ​​the valve's flow path in a fully open state). Depending on the opening ratio of the electronic expansion valve, the amount of refrigerant passing through the expansion device can be controlled.

[0069] The air conditioner may further include a flow diverter valve positioned along the refrigerant circulation path. The flow diverter valve may include, for example, a four-way valve. The flow diverter valve may determine the refrigerant circulation path depending on the indoor unit's operating mode (e.g., cooling operation or heating operation). The flow diverter valve may be connected to the discharge port of the compressor.

[0070] The air conditioner may include an accumulator. The accumulator may be connected to the suction port of the compressor. The accumulator may receive low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant vaporized in an indoor heat exchanger or an outdoor heat exchanger.

[0071] The accumulator can separate the refrigerant liquid from the refrigerant gas when a refrigerant mixture of refrigerant liquid and refrigerant gas is introduced, and provide the refrigerant gas from which the refrigerant liquid has been separated to the compressor.

[0072] An outdoor fan may be installed near the outdoor heat exchanger. The outdoor fan may blow outdoor air to the outdoor heat exchanger to promote heat exchange between the refrigerant and the outdoor air.

[0073] An outdoor unit of an air conditioner may include at least one sensor. For example, the sensor of the outdoor unit may be provided as an environmental sensor. The outdoor unit sensor may be positioned at any location inside or outside the outdoor unit. For example, the outdoor unit sensor may include a temperature sensor for detecting the air temperature around the outdoor unit, a humidity sensor for detecting the air humidity around the outdoor unit, a refrigerant temperature sensor for detecting the refrigerant temperature of a refrigerant pipe passing through the outdoor unit, or a refrigerant pressure sensor for detecting the refrigerant pressure of a refrigerant pipe passing through the outdoor unit.

[0074] An outdoor unit of an air conditioner may include an outdoor unit communication unit. The outdoor unit communication unit may be configured to receive a control signal from a control unit of an indoor unit of the air conditioner, which will be described later. The outdoor unit may control the operation of a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an expansion device, a flow switching valve, an accumulator, or an outdoor fan based on the control signal received through the outdoor unit communication unit. The outdoor unit may transmit a sensing value detected by an outdoor unit sensor to the control unit of the indoor unit through the outdoor unit communication unit.

[0075] The indoor unit of the air conditioner may include a housing, a blower for circulating air into or out of the housing, and an indoor heat exchanger for exchanging heat with air flowing into the interior of the housing.

[0076] The housing may include an intake port through which indoor air may be drawn into the interior of the housing.

[0077] The indoor unit of the air conditioner may include a filter that is provided to filter foreign substances in the air that flows into the housing through the intake port.

[0078] The housing may include an exhaust port. Air flowing within the housing may be discharged to the exterior of the housing through the exhaust port.

[0079] The housing of the indoor unit may be provided with an airflow guide to guide the direction of air discharged through the exhaust port. For example, the airflow guide may include blades positioned above the exhaust port. For example, the airflow guide may include an auxiliary fan to control the exhaust airflow. However, embodiments according to the present disclosure are not limited thereto, and the airflow guide may be omitted.

[0080] An indoor heat exchanger and a blower may be provided inside the housing of the indoor unit, which are arranged on a path connecting the intake and exhaust ports.

[0081] Blowers may include indoor fans and fan motors. For example, indoor fans may include axial fans, diffusion fans, crossflow fans, and centrifugal fans.

[0082] An indoor heat exchanger may be positioned between the blower and the exhaust, or between the intake and the blower. The indoor heat exchanger may absorb heat from air drawn in through the intake or transfer heat to the air drawn in through the intake. The indoor heat exchanger may include heat exchange tubes through which refrigerant flows, and heat exchange fins in contact with the heat exchange tubes to increase the heat transfer surface area.

[0083] The indoor unit of the air conditioner may include a drain tray positioned below the indoor heat exchanger to collect condensate generated in the indoor heat exchanger. The condensate collected in the drain tray may be drained to the outside through a drain hose. The drain tray may be provided to support the indoor heat exchanger.

[0084] The indoor unit of the air conditioner may include an input interface. The input interface may include any type of user input means, including buttons, switches, a touch screen, and / or a touch pad. The user can directly input setting data (e.g., desired indoor temperature, operating mode settings for cooling / heating / dehumidification / air purification, air outlet selection settings, and / or air volume settings) through the input interface.

[0085] The input interface may also be connected to an external input device. For example, the input interface may be electrically connected to a wired remote controller. The wired remote controller may be installed at a specific location in an indoor space (e.g., a portion of a wall). A user may input configuration data regarding the operation of the air conditioner by operating the wired remote controller. Electrical signals corresponding to the configuration data obtained through the wired remote controller may be transmitted to the input interface. In addition, the input interface may include an infrared sensor. A user may remotely input configuration data regarding the operation of the air conditioner using a wireless remote controller. The configuration data input through the wireless remote controller may be transmitted to the input interface as an infrared signal.

[0086] Additionally, the input interface may include a microphone. A user's voice command may be acquired through the microphone. The microphone may convert the user's voice command into an electrical signal and transmit the converted electrical signal to an indoor unit control unit. The indoor unit control unit may control components of the air conditioner to execute a function corresponding to the user's voice command. Setting data acquired through the input interface (e.g., desired indoor temperature, operation mode settings for cooling / heating / dehumidification / air purification, vent selection settings, and / or air volume settings) may be transmitted to the indoor unit control unit, which will be described later. In one example, the setting data acquired through the input interface may be transmitted to an external device (e.g., an outdoor unit or a server) through an indoor unit communication unit, which will be described later.

[0087] The indoor unit of the air conditioner may include a power module. The power module may be connected to an external power source to supply power to components of the indoor unit.

[0088] An indoor unit of an air conditioner may include an indoor unit sensor. The indoor unit sensor may be an environmental sensor positioned in a space inside or outside the housing. For example, the indoor unit sensor may include one or more temperature sensors and / or humidity sensors positioned in a predetermined space inside or outside the housing of the indoor unit. For example, the indoor unit sensor may include a refrigerant temperature sensor for detecting a refrigerant temperature of a refrigerant pipe passing through the indoor unit. For example, the indoor unit sensor may include respective refrigerant temperature sensors for detecting the inlet, middle, and / or outlet temperatures of the refrigerant pipe passing through the indoor heat exchanger.

[0089] For example, each environmental information detected by indoor unit sensors can be transmitted to the indoor unit control unit described later or transmitted externally through the indoor unit communication unit described later.

[0090] The indoor unit of the air conditioner may include an indoor unit communication unit. The indoor unit communication unit may include at least one of a short-range communication module and a long-range communication module. The indoor unit communication unit may include at least one antenna for wireless communication with another device. The outdoor unit may include an outdoor unit communication unit. The outdoor unit communication unit may also include at least one of a short-range communication module and a long-range communication module.

[0091] The short-range wireless communication module may include, but is not limited to, a Bluetooth communication module, a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) communication module, a near field communication module, a WLAN (Wi-Fi) communication module, a Zigbee communication module, an infrared (IrDA, infrared Data Association) communication module, a WFD (Wi-Fi Direct) communication module, an UWB (ultrawideband) communication module, an Ant+ communication module, a microwave (uWave) communication module, etc.

[0092] The remote communication module may include a communication module that performs various types of remote communication and may include a mobile communication unit. The mobile communication unit transmits and receives wireless signals with at least one of a base station, an external terminal, and a server on a mobile communication network.

[0093] The indoor unit communication unit can communicate with external devices such as servers, mobile devices, and other home appliances through a nearby access point (AP). The access point (AP) can connect a local area network (LAN) to which the air conditioner or user device is connected to a wide area network (WAN) to which the server is connected. The air conditioner or user device can be connected to the server through the wide area network (WAN). The indoor unit of the air conditioner may include an indoor unit control unit that controls components of the indoor unit, including a blower, etc. The outdoor unit of the air conditioner may include an outdoor unit control unit that controls components of the outdoor unit, including a compressor, etc. The indoor unit control unit can communicate with the outdoor unit control unit through the indoor unit communication unit and the outdoor unit communication unit. The outdoor unit communication unit can transmit control signals generated by the outdoor unit control unit to the indoor unit communication unit, or transmit control signals transmitted from the indoor unit communication unit to the outdoor unit control unit. In other words, the outdoor unit and the indoor unit can communicate bidirectionally. The outdoor unit and the indoor unit can transmit and receive various signals generated during the operation of the air conditioner.

[0094] The outdoor unit control unit can be electrically connected to the components of the outdoor unit and can control the operation of each component. For example: The outdoor unit control unit can adjust the frequency of the compressor and control the flow diverter valve to change the circulation direction of the refrigerant. The outdoor unit control unit can adjust the rotation speed of the outdoor fan. In addition, the outdoor unit control unit can generate a control signal to adjust the opening degree of the expansion valve. Under the control of the outdoor unit control unit, the refrigerant can circulate along a refrigerant circulation circuit including the compressor, the flow diverter valve, the outdoor heat exchanger, the expansion valve, and the indoor heat exchanger.

[0095] The various temperature sensors included in the outdoor and indoor units can transmit electrical signals corresponding to the detected temperatures to the outdoor unit control unit and / or the indoor unit control unit. For example, the humidity sensors included in the outdoor and indoor units can transmit electrical signals corresponding to the detected humidity to the outdoor unit control unit and / or the indoor unit control unit.

[0096] The indoor unit control unit can obtain user input from a user device, including a mobile device, via the indoor unit communication unit, and can obtain user input directly through the input interface or via a remote controller. The indoor unit control unit can control components of the indoor unit, including a blower, in response to the received user input. The indoor unit control unit can transmit information regarding the received user input to the outdoor unit control unit of the outdoor unit.

[0097] The outdoor unit control unit can control the components of the outdoor unit, including the compressor, based on information regarding user input received from the indoor unit. For example, when a control signal corresponding to a user input for selecting an operation mode, such as cooling operation, heating operation, ventilation operation, defrosting operation, or dehumidification operation, is received from the indoor unit, the outdoor unit control unit can control the components of the outdoor unit so that the air conditioner performs an operation corresponding to the selected operation mode.

[0098] The outdoor unit control unit and the indoor unit control unit may each include a processor and a memory. The indoor unit control unit may include at least one first processor and at least one first memory, and the outdoor unit control unit may include at least one second processor and at least one second memory.

[0099] The memory can store / remember various information for the operation of the air conditioner. The memory can store instructions, applications, data, and / or programs for the operation of the air conditioner. For example, the memory can store various programs for the cooling, heating, dehumidifying, and / or defrosting operations of the air conditioner. The memory can include volatile memory, such as Static Random Access Memory (S-RAM) and Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), for temporarily storing data. In addition, the memory can include nonvolatile memory, such as Read Only Memory (ROM), Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EPROM), and Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM), for storing data for a long period of time.

[0100] The processor can generate control signals for controlling the operation of the air conditioner based on instructions, applications, data, and / or programs stored in memory. The processor, as hardware, may include logic circuits and arithmetic circuits. The processor can process data according to programs and / or instructions provided from the memory and generate control signals based on the processing results. The memory and the processor may be implemented as a single control circuit or as multiple circuits.

[0101] An indoor unit of an air conditioner may include an output interface. The output interface is electrically connected to the indoor unit control unit and can output information related to the operation of the air conditioner under the control of the indoor unit control unit. For example, information such as an operating mode selected by a user input, wind direction, wind volume, and temperature may be output. Additionally, the output interface may output sensing information obtained from an indoor unit sensor or an outdoor unit sensor, as well as warning / error messages.

[0102] The output interface may include a display and a speaker. The speaker, as an audio device, can output various sounds. The display may display information input by the user or information provided to the user using various graphic elements. For example, operation information of an air conditioner may be displayed as at least one of an image and text. The display may also include an indicator that provides specific information. The display may include a liquid crystal display panel (LCD), a light emitting diode panel (LED), an organic light emitting diode panel (OLED), a micro LED panel, and / or a plurality of LEDs.

[0103] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a situation in which an air conditioner according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure identifies a user.

[0104] In embodiments of the present disclosure, the air conditioner (100) may include various types of air conditioners equipped with a motion detection sensor (110).

[0105] For example, the air conditioner (100) may include a ceiling-type indoor unit, a stand-type indoor unit, a wall-mounted indoor unit, etc. In addition, although the present disclosure is described based on a 1-way type indoor unit, the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto and a 4-way type indoor unit may also be included.

[0106] After the air conditioner (100) is turned on, it can use the built-in motion detection sensor (110) to identify whether an object (10) and the air conditioner (100) exist in the same space. The object may include a movable object that exists in the space where the air conditioner (100) is located, such as a person or a pet.

[0107] There may be cases where an object (10) is incorrectly identified as existing in a space by the motion detection sensor (110) even though the object (10) does not exist in the space. Therefore, in the comparative example, the accuracy may be low when the air conditioner (100) determines that an object (10) exists in a space only because the object is detected by the motion detection sensor (110).

[0108] An air conditioner (100) according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure can determine whether an object (10) exists within a space by considering the number of time intervals during which the object (10) is not detected within a preset time period and the speed of the object (10) when the object (10) is detected. Accordingly, the accuracy of object (10) recognition by the air conditioner (100) can be improved.

[0109] In the following description, a state in which an object (10) and an air conditioner (100) exist in the same space is expressed as an occupied state, and a state in which an object (10) and an air conditioner (100) do not exist in the same space is expressed as an absent state.

[0110] Additionally, the air conditioner (100) may detect multiple objects.

[0111] If an object is identified as existing within a space and a plurality of objects are detected within a first time interval through a motion detection sensor (110), the air conditioner (100) can control the blowing direction of air blown by the fan based on the object located at the closest distance from the air conditioner (100). A detailed description thereof is provided below.

[0112] Accordingly, malfunction of the air conditioner (100) due to false detection of the motion detection sensor (110) can be prevented.

[0113] FIG. 2 is a drawing for explaining an air conditioner according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0114] Referring to FIG. 2, an air conditioner (e.g., air conditioner (100)) may include an indoor unit (300) and an outdoor unit (200). In this case, the air conditioner may be located in various locations, such as a home, office, store, restaurant, etc.

[0115] Additionally, the indoor unit (300) and the outdoor unit (200) can be connected through a pipe. And, the refrigerant can circulate between the indoor unit (300) and the outdoor unit (200) through the pipe.

[0116] The indoor unit (300) can blow air. To this end, the indoor unit (300) may include a heat exchanger for heat-exchanging air sucked into the indoor unit (300) through an intake port with a refrigerant, a fan for blowing the heat-exchanged air through an exhaust port, and the like. The outdoor unit (200) may include a compressor for compressing a refrigerant, a heat exchanger for heat-exchanging the refrigerant with outdoor air, and a fan for introducing outdoor air into the heat exchanger and blowing the heat-exchanged air to the outside.

[0117] Meanwhile, the air conditioner (100) may further include an expansion valve for expanding the refrigerant. In this case, the expansion valve may be placed in the indoor unit (300) or the outdoor unit (200).

[0118] Accordingly, when the indoor unit (300) is in cooling operation, it vaporizes the refrigerant supplied from the outdoor unit (200) and blows the air with the lowered temperature to the outside, thereby controlling the temperature of the space where the indoor unit is located.

[0119] Additionally, the indoor unit (300) can communicate with the outdoor unit (200). For example, the indoor unit (300) can transmit a signal to the outdoor unit (200) for controlling the outdoor unit (200). In addition, the outdoor unit (200) can control various operations of components of the outdoor unit (200) based on the signal received from the indoor unit (300).

[0120] The configuration of the indoor unit (300) and outdoor unit (200) described above is merely an example for explaining the operation of the indoor unit (300) and outdoor unit (200). That is, in addition to the configuration described above, the indoor unit (300) and outdoor unit (200) may further include various configurations for performing a cooling function, and may provide cold air through various methods.

[0121] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an air conditioner according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0122] Referring to FIG. 3, an air conditioner (100) according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a motion detection sensor (110), a memory (120), and at least one processor (130).

[0123] The motion detection sensor (110) can detect an object. For example, the motion detection sensor (110) detecting an object may include detecting the presence of the object and the speed of the object. For example, the motion detection sensor (110) may be positioned outside the housing of the air conditioner (100), or may be positioned inside the housing and exposed to the outside of the housing.

[0124] The motion detection sensor (110) may be implemented as an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a microwave sensor, an image sensor, a radar sensor, a lidar sensor, or the like. Hereinafter, a description will be provided assuming that the motion detection sensor (110) according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is a radar sensor.

[0125] The motion detection sensor (110) can detect an object based on the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).

[0126] The motion detection sensor (110) may include multiple transmitting and receiving antennas. For example, the motion detection sensor (110) may include one transmitting antenna and multiple receiving antennas. However, embodiments according to the present disclosure are not limited thereto, and the number of transmitting antennas and receiving antennas may have various values. The motion detection sensor (110) may transmit a signal to the outside of the air conditioner (100) using the transmitting antenna. The motion detection sensor (110) may transmit a radar signal in a range of 120° left and right and 160° up and down. The range in which the motion detection sensor (110) transmits the radar signal is not limited thereto, and may have more diverse values.

[0127] The motion detection sensor (110) can calculate the ratio of the intensity of the received signal to the intensity of noise (e.g., signal-to-noise ratio) when a signal transmitted from a transmitting antenna is reflected by an object and received by a receiving antenna. Specifically, the motion detection sensor (110) can identify that an object has been detected if the ratio of the intensity of the signal to the intensity of the noise is greater than or equal to a preset value. On the other hand, the signal transmitted by the motion detection sensor (110) may undergo phenomena such as reflection, refraction, transmission, and diffraction due to external radio waves. The signal generated by reflection, refraction, or transmission may have a lower intensity than the signal reflected from an object that actually exists. Therefore, when the signal transmitted by the motion detection sensor (110) is reflected, refracted, or transmitted, the SNR (Signal to Noise Ratio) value may be calculated to be less than a preset value. The processor (130) can identify that an object does not exist if the SNR value is less than the preset value. The motion detection sensor (110) can identify that an object (10) has not been detected if the ratio of the signal intensity to the noise intensity is less than a preset value.

[0128] However, the SNR value may be a relative value that varies depending on the surrounding noise level. That is, the motion detection sensor (110) detects objects based on the signal-to-noise ratio, but depending on the intensity of the noise, it may incorrectly detect the presence of an object even though the object does not actually exist. A detailed explanation of this is provided below.

[0129] The memory (120) can store data and programs for controlling the operation of the air conditioner (100). For example, the memory (120) may be implemented as a memory embedded in the air conditioner (100) (e.g., volatile memory, non-volatile memory, hard drive, solid state drive, etc.) depending on the purpose of data storage, or may be implemented as a memory that can be attached or detached to the air conditioner (100) (e.g., memory card, external memory, etc.).

[0130] For example, the memory (120) may include permanent memory (e.g., non-volatile memory) such as a hard drive, flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), semi-permanent memory (e.g., volatile memory) such as random access memory (RAM), any other suitable type of storage (or storage assembly), or any combination thereof.

[0131] In addition, one or more instructions may be stored in the memory (120). In this case, one or more processors (130) may execute one or more instructions stored in the memory (120) to perform the operation of the air conditioner (100) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In addition, the memory (120) may store programs and data for driving the air conditioner (100). In addition, various software programs and various applications for operating the air conditioner (100) may be stored in the memory (120).

[0132] At least one processor (130) can control the overall operations of the air conditioner (100). For example, at least one processor (130) can detect an object using a motion detection sensor (110) by executing one or more instructions stored in a memory (120) of the air conditioner (100), and based on the detection of the object, identify a second time interval during which the object is not detected among the first time intervals through the motion detection sensor (110), identify the activity level of the object (10) through the motion detection sensor (110) based on the second time interval satisfying a preset first condition, and identify the absence of the object (10) within the space based on the activity level of the object (10) satisfying a preset second condition.

[0133] At least one processor (130) may include one or more of a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), an Accelerated Processing Unit (APU), a Many Integrated Core (MIC), a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), a Neural Processing Unit (NPU), a hardware accelerator, and a machine learning accelerator. The at least one processor (130) may control one or any combination of other components of the air conditioner (100), and may perform operations related to communication or data processing. The at least one processor (130) may execute one or more programs or instructions stored in the memory (120) of the air conditioner (100). For example, the at least one processor (130) may perform a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure by executing one or more instructions stored in the memory (120) of the air conditioner (100).

[0134] When a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes multiple operations, the multiple operations may be performed by one processor or by multiple processors. For example, when a first operation, a second operation, and a third operation are performed by a method according to an embodiment, the first operation, the second operation, and the third operation may all be performed by the first processor, or the first operation and the second operation may be performed by the first processor (e.g., a general-purpose processor) and the third operation may be performed by the second processor (e.g., an artificial intelligence-specific processor).

[0135] At least one processor (130) may be implemented as a single core processor including one core, or may be implemented as one or more multicore processors including multiple cores (e.g., homogeneous multicores or heterogeneous multicores). When at least one processor (130) is implemented as a multicore processor, each of the multiple cores included in the multicore processor may include an internal processor memory, such as a cache memory or an on-chip memory, and a common cache shared by the multiple cores may be included in the multicore processor. In addition, each of the multiple cores (or some of the multiple cores) included in the multicore processor may independently read and execute a program instruction for implementing a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, or all (or some) of the multiple cores may be linked to read and execute a program instruction for implementing a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0136] When a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a plurality of operations, the plurality of operations may be performed by one core among the plurality of cores included in a multi-core processor, or may be performed by the plurality of cores. For example, when a first operation, a second operation, and a third operation are performed by a method according to an embodiment, the first operation, the second operation, and the third operation may all be performed by a first core included in the multi-core processor, or the first operation and the second operation may be performed by a first core included in the multi-core processor, and the third operation may be performed by a second core included in the multi-core processor.

[0137] In embodiments of the present disclosure, at least one processor (130) may include a system on a chip (SoC) in which one or more processors and other electronic components are integrated, a single-core processor, a multi-core processor, or a core included in a single-core processor or a multi-core processor, wherein the core may be implemented as a CPU, a GPU, an APU, a MIC, a DSP, an NPU, a hardware accelerator, or a machine learning accelerator, but embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto. In the following description, at least one processor (130) may be described as a processor.

[0138] The processor (130) may be implemented as one or more IC (integrated circuit (or circuitry)) chips and may perform various data processing. The processor (130) may include at least one electrical circuit and may individually or collectively perform distributed processing of instructions (or programs, data, etc.) stored in the memory (120). The processor (130) may include a processor assembly including one or more processing circuits. The processor (130) may include any processing circuit operative to control the performance and operations of one or more components of the air conditioner (100) (e.g., the motion detection sensor (110) and / or the memory (120)). For example, the processor (130) (e.g., the application processor (AP)) may be implemented as a system on chip (SoC) (e.g., a single chip or chipset). For example, the processor (130) may be implemented with multiple cores (or at least one core circuit), multiple chips, or multiple chipsets. For example, the processor (130) may include one or more processing circuits. For example, the processor (130) may include one or more processing circuits configured to individually and / or collectively perform various functions of the embodiments of the present disclosure. As a non-limiting example, at least a portion of the processor (130) may be included in a first chip of an electronic device (e.g., an outdoor unit (200)), and at least another portion of the processor (130) may be included in a second chip of an electronic device (e.g., an outdoor unit (200)) that is different from the first chip of the electronic device (e.g., an outdoor unit (200)).

[0139] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of an air conditioner according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0140] Referring to FIG. 4, the air conditioner (100) may include a motion detection sensor (110), a memory (120), at least one processor (130), a temperature sensor (140), a fan (150), a communication interface (160), an input interface (170), and an output interface (180). However, such a configuration is exemplary, and it is obvious that embodiments of the present disclosure and new configurations may be added or some configurations may be omitted. Meanwhile, among the configurations illustrated in FIG. 4, a detailed description of the configurations that overlap with the configuration illustrated in FIG. 4 will be omitted.

[0141] The temperature sensor (140) can detect temperature. The temperature sensor (140) can detect the temperature of the space where the air conditioner (100) is located.

[0142] In addition, the temperature detected by the temperature sensor (140) can be compared with a set temperature and used to control the temperature of the space where the air conditioner (100) is located. In this case, the set temperature can be set by the user (e.g., desired temperature) or can be set to a preset temperature depending on the mode of the air conditioner.

[0143] A fan (150) can blow air. For this purpose, as shown in Fig. 3, a blower may be provided on the front of the air conditioner (100).

[0144] Here, the air outlet may be an opening for blowing cooled air from the air conditioner (100) out of the air conditioner (100). That is, when air is sucked into the air conditioner (100) through the intake port provided at the rear of the air conditioner (100), the sucked air may be cooled by the heat exchanger of the air conditioner (100). Then, the cooled air may be blown through the air outlet by the driving of the fan (150). Meanwhile, the air outlet may be formed in a circular shape. However, this is only an example, and the air outlet may be implemented in various shapes. In addition, the expression “blowing air” may be used instead of the expression “discharging air.”

[0145] In at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, a plurality of fans (150) may be arranged. The plurality of fans (150) may be driven simultaneously or individually.

[0146] The communication interface (160) may include circuitry and may communicate with an external device (e.g., a server device and / or an external device). The processor (130) may receive various data or information from an external device connected via the communication interface (160) and may transmit various data or information to the external device.

[0147] The communication interface (160) can communicate with external devices through a surrounding access point (AP). The access point (AP) can connect a local area network (LAN) to which the air conditioner (100) is connected to a wide area network (WAN) to which external devices are connected. The air conditioner (100) can be connected to an external device through a network (WAN). In addition, the communication interface (160) can perform device-to-device (D2D) communication with the external device. For example, the communication interface (160) can perform short-range communication with the external device without going through the access point.

[0148] The communication interface (160) can communicate with an external device using various types of communication methods. For example, the communication interface (160) may include a LAN communication module such as an Ethernet module. The communication interface (160) may include a wireless communication module such as Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth, BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), Zigbee, NFC, Z-Wave, or infrared communication. The communication interface (160) may include a cellular communication module such as 3G (3rd Generation), 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project), LTE (Long Term Evoloution), or 5G. The communication interface (161) may include a communication module such as HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface), USB (Universal Serial Bus), or the like.

[0149] The input interface (170) may include circuitry. The input interface (170) may receive user input and transmit the user input to the processor (130). For example, the input interface (170) may receive various user inputs for setting or selecting various functions supported by the air conditioner (100).

[0150] The input interface (170) may include various types of input devices.

[0151] In one example, the input interface (170) may include a physical button. The physical button may include a function key or a dial button. The physical button may also be implemented as one or more keys.

[0152] In one example, the input interface (170) can receive user input using a touch method. For example, the input interface (170) can be implemented as a touch screen capable of performing the function of a display (181).

[0153] According to an example, the input interface (170) can receive a user's voice via a microphone of the input interface (170). The processor (130) can perform a function corresponding to the user's voice using voice recognition. For example, the processor (130) can convert the user's voice into text data using an STT (Speech To Text) function, obtain control command data based on the text data, and perform a function corresponding to the user's voice based on the control command data. Depending on the embodiment, the STT function may be performed by an external server.

[0154] The output interface (180) may include a display (181) and a speaker (182).

[0155] The display (181) can display various screens. The processor (130) can display various notifications, messages, information, etc. related to the operation of the air conditioner (100) on the display (181).

[0156] The display (181) may be implemented as a display including a self-luminous element or a display including a non-luminous element and a backlight. For example, the display (181) may be implemented as various types of displays such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diodes) display, an LED (Light Emitting Diodes) display, a micro LED display, a Mini LED display, a QLED (Quantum dot light-emitting diodes) display, etc.

[0157] The speaker (182) can output audio signals. The processor (130) can output warning sounds, notification messages, response messages corresponding to user input, etc. related to the operation of the air conditioner (100) through the speaker (182).

[0158] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling an air conditioner according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. When instructions are executed individually or collectively, the processor (130) can perform the operations of FIG. 5.

[0159] In operation S510, the processor (130) can detect an object using a motion detection sensor (110).

[0160] A signal directly reflected by a moving object may exhibit a SNR value higher than the reference value. In this case, the motion detection sensor (110) can identify that an object has been detected. In addition, a signal weakened by movement, reflection, transmission, etc. at a location further than the measurement distance may exhibit a SNR value lower than the reference value. In this case, the motion detection sensor (110) can identify that an object has not been detected.

[0161] Specifically, the motion detection sensor (110) can compare the ratio of the intensity of the received signal and the intensity of noise when a signal transmitted from the transmitting antenna as described above is reflected by an object and received by the receiving antenna. The intensity of the signal and the intensity of the noise may be the average power of each radio wave. At this time, the motion detection sensor (110) can identify that an object is detected if the ratio of the intensity of the signal and the intensity of the noise is greater than or equal to a preset value. On the other hand, the motion detection sensor (110) can identify that an object is not detected if the ratio of the intensity of the signal and the intensity of the noise is less than a preset value. The preset value is the value obtained by dividing the intensity of the signal by the intensity of the noise. For example, the motion detection sensor (110) may have a value that divides the intensity of the signal by the intensity of the noise. If this is the case, the object is identified as detected, If it is less than , the object can be identified as not detected. The preset value is It is not limited to and can have various values.

[0162] FIGS. 6 and 7 are diagrams illustrating a case in which a sensor generates false detection according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. The examples of FIGS. 6 and 7 assume a case in which an object does not exist in space.

[0163] Referring to FIG. 6, a signal transmitted from a motion detection sensor (110) may be weakly reflected and received by the motion detection sensor (110).

[0164] The value obtained by dividing the intensity of the signal acquired from the motion detection sensor (110) by the intensity of the noise may be lower than a preset value. In this case, the motion detection sensor (110) may identify that an object has not been detected. The motion detection sensor (110) may generate a signal indicating that an object has not been detected. The generated signal may be provided to the processor (130).

[0165] On the other hand, referring to FIG. 7, if the noise value is excessively lower than the normal case, the value obtained by dividing the intensity of the signal acquired from the motion detection sensor (110) by the intensity of the noise may be greater than a preset value. In this case, although the object does not actually exist, the motion detection sensor (110) may generate a signal indicating that the object has been detected. The generated signal may be provided to the processor (130). This phenomenon may be referred to as a ghost phenomenon. The ghost phenomenon may be a phenomenon in which the motion detection sensor (110) detects that an object exists even though the object does not exist.

[0166] Because of this ghost phenomenon in the comparative examples, the processor (130) may have low accuracy in determining that an object (10) exists in space simply by detecting the object by the motion detection sensor (110).

[0167] Accordingly, the processor (130) does not determine that an object (10) exists in a space simply by detecting the object by the motion detection sensor (110), but can identify whether the object is actually present by considering the number of time intervals in which the object is detected and the amount of activity of the detected object. A detailed description thereof is provided based on operations S520 to S560.

[0168] In operation S510-(if “YES”), at S520, the processor (130) can identify the amount of activity of the object through the motion detection sensor (110) (e.g., based on detection by the motion detection sensor (110)).

[0169] When an object is detected, the processor (130) can identify the activity of the object. For example, the activity of the object may include the object's moving speed.

[0170] As described above, a signal transmitted from the transmitting antenna of the motion detection sensor (110) may be reflected by an object and received by the receiving antenna. The motion detection sensor (110) may detect an object based on a signal-to-noise ratio of the received signal. At this time, the processor (130) may identify the distance between the electronic device (100) and the object based on the difference between the time at which the motion detection sensor (110) transmitted the signal and the time at which the transmitted signal was reflected by the object and received. The processor (130) may identify the coordinate values ​​of the object using trigonometric ratios based on the angles of the signals received by the plurality of receiving antennas and the distance and angle between the electronic device (100) and the object (10). At this time, the coordinate values ​​may be identified based on the distance from the air conditioner (100) to the object and the angle of the received signal, with the air conditioner (100) as the origin. In addition, the coordinate values ​​may use centimeters (cm). Therefore, the coordinate value can express in centimeters how far an object is located from the air conditioner (100).

[0171] In addition, the processor (130) can identify the moving speed of the object based on the coordinate values. Specifically, the processor (130) can identify the moving speed of the object by calculating the amount of change in the coordinate values ​​of the object, thereby identifying the amount of activity of the object.

[0172] In operation S530, the processor (130) can identify whether the activity of the object satisfies a preset first condition.

[0173] The preset first condition may include a condition in which the object moves at a speed greater than or equal to a preset size for a preset period of time. Accordingly, if the processor (130) identifies that the object has moved at a speed greater than or equal to a preset size for a preset period of time based on the object's movement speed, the processor (130) may determine (e.g., identify) that the object's activity level satisfies the preset first condition.

[0174] At this time, the preset time may be 3 seconds, and the preset object's movement speed may be 15 cm / 1.5 sec. However, the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto, and the preset time and movement speed may have various values.

[0175] For example, if the movement time of the detected object is 3 seconds or longer and the object is detected to be moving at a speed of 15 cm / 1.5 sec or longer, the processor (130) may determine (e.g., identify) that the activity of the object satisfies the first condition.

[0176] Additionally, if the detected object (10) moves at a speed greater than a preset size, but the movement time is detected to be less than the preset time, it can be determined (e.g., identified) that the activity of the object does not satisfy the first condition.

[0177] For example, if the processor (130) detects that the detected object (10) moves at a speed of 15 cm / 1.5 sec or more, but the movement time is detected to be less than 3 sec, the processor (130) may determine (e.g., identify) that the activity of the object does not satisfy the first condition.

[0178] In addition, if the movement time of the detected object (10) is detected to be longer than a preset time, but the movement speed is detected to be less than a preset size, it can be identified that the activity of the object does not satisfy the first condition.

[0179] For example, if the movement time of the detected object is detected to be 3 seconds or longer, but the movement speed of the object is less than 15 cm / 1.5 sec, the processor (130) may determine (e.g., identify) that the activity of the object does not satisfy the first condition.

[0180] The processor (130) may determine (e.g., identify) that an object does not exist in the area where the air conditioner (100) is located based on the fact that the activity of the object does not satisfy a preset first condition (e.g., “YES” in operation S530).

[0181] In operation S540, the processor (130) can identify a second time interval in which an object is detected among the first time intervals through the motion detection sensor (110) (e.g., based on detection by the motion detection sensor (110)).

[0182] According to one embodiment, the processor (130) may divide the first time interval into a plurality of time intervals based on the length of the preset second time interval. For example, assume that the length of the first time interval is 100 seconds and the length of the preset time interval is 10 seconds. In this case, the first time interval having a length of 100 seconds may be divided into 10 time intervals each having a length of 10 seconds. The processor (130) may identify one or more second time intervals among the plurality of time intervals. The second time interval may be a time interval in which an object is detected by the motion detection sensor (110). If an object is detected by the motion detection sensor (110) even once within the time interval, the corresponding time interval (e.g., the second time interval) may be a time interval in which the object is detected. And, if the object is not continuously detected by the motion detection sensor (110) during the time interval, the time interval (e.g., the second time interval) may be a time interval in which the object is not detected.

[0183] For example, referring to FIG. 8, an object may be detected by a motion detection sensor (110) only in the 0 to 10 second, 20 to 30 second, 30 to 40 second, 50 to 60 second, and 60 to 70 second sections among 10 time sections, and no object may be detected in the remaining sections. In this case, the processor (130) may identify the 0 to 10 second, 20 to 30 second, 30 to 40 second, 50 to 60 second, and 60 to 70 second sections among the 10 time sections as time sections in which an object is detected (e.g., the second time section).

[0184] In operation S550, the processor (130) may determine (e.g., identify) whether a second time interval in which an object is detected satisfies a preset second condition or whether the activity of the object satisfies a third condition.

[0185] The second preset condition may include a condition that the number of second time intervals in which an object is detected during the first time interval is greater than or equal to a preset number.

[0186] Referring to FIG. 10, in operations S1010 and S1020, if the processor (130) identifies that a second time interval having a preset length is detected a preset number of times within a first time interval, the processor (130) may identify that the second time interval satisfies a preset second condition. For example, if the number of times the second time interval having a preset length is detected within the first time interval is identified as being greater than the preset number of times, the processor (130) may identify that the second time interval satisfies a preset second condition.

[0187] For example, the preset number of times may be 5, but is not limited thereto and may be set to various values. In the example of Fig. 8, out of 10 time intervals, there are 5 time intervals in which objects are detected. In this case, the number of time intervals (e.g., second time intervals) in which objects are detected (e.g., 5) may be greater than or equal to the preset number. In this case, the processor (130) may identify that the second time intervals (e.g., the number of second time intervals) satisfy the preset second condition.

[0188] On the other hand, referring to FIG. 9, among the 10 sections of the first time interval, objects may be detected in the 20-30 second, 50-60 second, and 60-70 second sections, and no objects may be detected in the remaining sections. In this case, the number of time intervals (e.g., the second time interval) in which objects are detected (e.g., 3) may be less than a preset number. In this case, the processor (130) may determine (e.g., identify) that the second time interval does not satisfy the preset second condition.

[0189] The third preset condition may include a condition in which the activity of the object is such that the object moves for a preset amount of time or longer at a speed greater than or equal to a preset size.

[0190] Since the judgment method of the preset third condition may be the same as that of the preset first condition, duplicate description of the judgment method is omitted.

[0191] The processor (130) can determine (e.g., identify) whether a preset third condition is satisfied within a first time interval, similarly to determining (e.g., identify) whether a preset second condition is satisfied.

[0192] If the processor (130) determines (e.g., identifies) that the object does not satisfy the preset second condition during the first time interval, the processor (130) may delete the measurement data from the starting point (e.g., the starting point) of the first time interval to the time corresponding to the second time interval (e.g., the first detected second time interval).

[0193] Additionally, the processor (130) can measure data from the time point at which the measurement data is deleted to a period corresponding to the first time interval, and identify whether the object satisfies a preset second condition and whether the activity of the object satisfies a preset third condition.

[0194] For example, assume that the first time interval is 100 seconds long (i.e., the initial first time interval is from 0 to 100 seconds) and the second time interval starts at 10 seconds.

[0195] The processor (130) may delete the first 10 seconds of measurement data if the object does not satisfy the preset second condition for the first 100 seconds. At this time, the processor (130) may acquire data from 10 seconds after the start of detecting the presence of the object to the next 100 seconds (e.g., data from 10 seconds after the start of measurement to 110 seconds). Based on the acquired data, the processor (130) may determine (e.g., determine) whether the object satisfies the preset second condition and whether the activity of the object satisfies the preset third condition.

[0196] In operation S560, the processor (130) may determine (e.g., identify) that an object exists within a space based on satisfying a second condition or a third condition preset for the object. The space may refer to a space in which an air conditioner (100) is located. Accordingly, if the processor (130) identifies that the object satisfies the first and second conditions or the first and third conditions preset for the object, the processor (130) may determine (e.g., identify) that the object (10) exists within the space.

[0197] Specifically, the processor (130) can determine (e.g., identify) that an object exists in space if a second time interval in which the object is detected satisfies a preset second condition based on the activity of the object satisfying a first condition.

[0198] For example, the processor (130) can identify that an object exists in space if the object moves at a speed greater than a preset size for a preset time or longer, and the number of second time intervals in which the object is detected within a first time interval is greater than a preset number of times.

[0199] Additionally, even if the number of second time intervals in which the object is detected does not satisfy the preset second condition, the processor (130) can identify that the object exists in the space if the object's activity satisfies the third condition based on the object's activity satisfying the first condition.

[0200] For example, the processor (130) can identify that an object exists in space if the object moves at a speed greater than or equal to a preset size for a preset time or longer, and if the object moves further at a speed greater than or equal to the preset size for a preset time or longer within a first time interval.

[0201] On the other hand, the processor (130) can identify that no object exists in the area where the air conditioner (100) is located based on the fact that the number of objects in the second time interval does not satisfy the preset second condition and the activity of the object does not satisfy the preset third condition (e.g., “NO” in operation S550).

[0202] The operation of the aforementioned processor (130) can be performed by multiple processors (130). FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating a process in which multiple processors communicate with a motion detection sensor according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0203] Referring to Fig. 11, a motion detection sensor (110) and a sub-processor (131) may be attached to a panel (101) of an air conditioner (100). In addition, a main processor (132) may be attached to the inside of the main body (102) of the air conditioner (100).

[0204] The motion detection sensor (110), sub-processor (131), and main processor (132) are each connected by wires to enable wired communication.

[0205] In addition to detecting an object, the motion detection sensor (110) can identify the coordinate values ​​of the object based on the distance from the air conditioner (100) to the object and the reception angle of the reflected radar signal.

[0206] In addition to detecting objects, the motion detection sensor (110) can transmit the identified information to the subprocessor (131) at a preset first time interval. The preset first time interval may be 0.15 seconds, but is not limited thereto and may have various values.

[0207] Specifically, the motion detection sensor (110) can transmit whether an object is detected to the subprocessor (131). In addition, the motion detection sensor (110) can transmit the coordinate values ​​of the object and the distance value from the air conditioner (100) to the object to the subprocessor (131). The motion detection sensor (110) can detect up to three objects and transmit the coordinate values ​​and distance values ​​of each object to the subprocessor (131). The maximum number of objects that the motion detection sensor (110) can detect is not limited thereto, and three or more objects can be detected.

[0208] The subprocessor (131) can determine the speed of an object based on information received from the motion detection sensor (110) and determine whether the object is in a resident state.

[0209] Specifically, the subprocessor (131) can receive information on whether an object is detected from the motion detection sensor (110) at a preset first time interval.

[0210] The subprocessor (131) can identify that an object exists if, when information on whether an object is detected is received from the motion detection sensor (110) a first preset number of times, the number of times the object is detected is a second preset number or more among the first preset number of times.

[0211] For example, assume that the first preset number of times is 10 times and the second preset number of times is 8 times.

[0212] The subprocessor (131) can receive information on whether an object is detected 10 times at 0.15 second intervals from the motion detection sensor (110).

[0213] The subprocessor (131) can identify that an object exists if the number of times an object is detected is 8 or more among the 10 pieces of information received.

[0214] On the other hand, the subprocessor (131) can identify that the object does not exist if the number of times the object is detected among the first preset number of times is less than the second preset number of times.

[0215] For example, the subprocessor (131) can identify that an object does not exist if the number of times an object is detected is less than 8 among the 10 pieces of information received.

[0216] In addition, since the subprocessor (131) receives information on whether an object has been detected a first time interval and a first preset number of times, it can identify that an object exists for a time period equal to the product of the first time interval and the first preset number of times.

[0217] For example, the subprocessor (131) receives information on whether an object is detected 10 times at 0.15 second intervals from the motion detection sensor (110), and assumes that the object is detected 8 or more times.

[0218] At this time, the subprocessor (131) can identify that the object exists for 1.5 seconds (10 x 0.15).

[0219] In operation S540 of FIG. 5, the object being detected once may mean that the object is identified for a time equal to the product of the first preset number of times in the first preset time interval.

[0220] The subprocessor (131) can increase the accuracy of object detection by identifying whether an object exists based on a plurality of pieces of information transmitted by the motion detection sensor (110) to the subprocessor (131).

[0221] However, according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, it is possible to identify whether an object actually exists in the manner described above with reference to FIG. 5 despite the ghosting phenomenon.

[0222] The subprocessor (131) can identify the presence of an object and transmit information to the main processor (132) at preset second intervals.

[0223] The preset second time may be, but is not limited to, one second, and the preset second time may be any value. The information may also include the number of identified objects and an average value for the speed of the objects.

[0224] Additionally, the average value for the speed of the object may be the average value for the speed of the object transmitted by the motion detection sensor (110) to the sub-processor (131) a preset first number of times.

[0225] For example, the subprocessor (131) can transmit information to the main processor (132) every second.

[0226] Additionally, the subprocessor (131) can calculate the average speed of the object up to the product of the first preset time interval and the first preset number of times and transmit the result to the main processor (132).

[0227] Accordingly, the sub-processor (131) can transmit information about the average speed and the number of identified objects up to the time equal to the product of the first preset time interval and the first preset number of times of the object every second to the main processor (132).

[0228] The main processor (132) can control the air conditioner (100) based on commands from the subprocessor (131).

[0229] Specifically, the main processor (132) can control the fan (150) included in the air conditioner (100) to blow air when the object is identified as being in a occupied state.

[0230] In the present disclosure, when an object is in a resident state, a state in which the main processor (132) can control the fan (150) to blow air can be expressed as a resident mode.

[0231] On the other hand, if the main processor (132) identifies that the object is absent, the main processor (132) can control the fan (150) included in the air conditioner (100) to not blow air or to blow less air (e.g., a lesser amount than when the fan (150) is controlled to blow air during the occupancy mode). In the present disclosure, a state in which the main processor (132) controls the fan (150) to not blow air or to blow less air when the object is absent can be expressed as an absent mode.

[0232] The main processor (132) can control the fan (150) to blow air based on the location of the object when an object is detected in the absent mode and changed to the present mode.

[0233] Additionally, in the example described above, there may be multiple motion detection sensors (110). When multiple motion detection sensors (110) are attached to an electronic device (100), the blind spot that may occur when there is only one motion detection sensor (110) can be eliminated, thereby improving the accuracy of identification.

[0234] The processor (130) can control the direction of the wind of the air conditioner (100) based on the location of the object, based on the object being identified within the space.

[0235] Even in this case, ghosting can be a problem, as in the comparative example. Specifically, a phenomenon where the motion detection sensor (110) detects multiple objects, but some of the detected objects do not exist, can be problematic. A control method for the air conditioner (100) for this purpose will be described below based on FIG. 12.

[0236] Referring to operation S1210 of FIG. 12, the processor (130) can identify whether there are multiple objects detected within the first time interval through the motion detection sensor (110) based on the identification that an object exists within the space.

[0237] As described above, the motion detection sensor (110) can detect multiple objects.

[0238] Specifically, the subprocessor (131) may receive information that multiple objects are detected from the motion detection sensor (110). At this time, when the information on the multiple objects is received a first preset number of times, the subprocessor (131) may identify that multiple objects exist if, among the first preset number of times, the number of times the objects are detected is a second preset number or more.

[0239] The processor (130) can divide the space where the air conditioner (100) is located into a plurality of regions and determine (e.g., identify) in which region among the divided regions an object within the space is located.

[0240] FIG. 13 is a drawing for explaining a method for dividing a space by an air conditioner according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0241] Referring to FIG. 13, the processor (130) can divide the space where the air conditioner (100) is located into an upper region and a lower region based on the location of the air conditioner, and can divide the upper region and the lower region into a left region, a middle region, and a right region, respectively.

[0242] For example, the multiple regions may include an upper region (e.g., regions 91, 92, and 93), a lower region (e.g., regions 94, 95, and 96), a left region (e.g., regions 91 and 94), a middle region (e.g., regions 92 and 95), and a right region (e.g., regions 93 and 96).

[0243] Also, FIG. 14 is a table for explaining the criteria for dividing space by an air conditioner according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0244] Referring to FIG. 14, a plurality of reference values ​​for dividing the space where the air conditioner (100) is located into a plurality of areas may be stored in the memory (120).

[0245] Additionally, the plurality of reference values ​​may vary depending on the capacity of the air conditioner (100). The capacity of the air conditioner (100) is an indicator of how much heat the air conditioner (100) can remove in one hour, and may primarily refer to cooling capacity. Therefore, since the larger the capacity of the air conditioner (100), the more heat it can remove in one hour, the larger the capacity of the air conditioner (100) is, which is advantageous in removing heat from a larger space.

[0246] For example, an air conditioner of the first capacity can identify an area that is more than +250 cm in the Y-axis direction from the air conditioner as an upper area (e.g., areas 91, 92, and 93), and an area that is less than +250 cm in the Y-axis direction as a lower area (e.g., areas 94, 95, and 96), with the point where the air conditioner is located as the origin.

[0247] Additionally, an area less than -6 cm in the X-axis direction from the air conditioner can be identified as a left area (e.g., areas 91 and 94), an area greater than or equal to -6 cm and less than or equal to 114 cm in the X-axis direction can be identified as a middle area (e.g., areas 92 and 95), and an area greater than 114 cm in the X-axis direction can be identified as a right area (e.g., areas 93 and 96).

[0248] Since the second capacity air conditioner is generally used in a larger space than the first capacity air conditioner, the value of the standard for dividing the space may be larger than that of the first capacity air conditioner (100).

[0249] For example, a second capacity air conditioner can identify the point where the air conditioner is located, the area that is more than +350 cm in the Y-axis direction from the air conditioner as the upper area (e.g., areas 91, 92, and 93), and the area that is less than +350 cm in the Y-axis direction as the lower area (e.g., areas 94, 95, and 96).

[0250] Additionally, an area less than -6 cm in the X-axis direction from the air conditioner can be identified as a left area (e.g., areas 91 and 94), an area greater than or equal to -6 cm and less than or equal to 135 cm in the X-axis direction can be identified as a middle area (e.g., areas 92 and 95), and an area greater than 135 cm in the X-axis direction can be identified as a right area (e.g., areas 93 and 96).

[0251] Additionally, the processor (130) can identify whether one of the plurality of objects is located close to the air conditioner (100) and another object is located far from the air conditioner (100).

[0252] Referring to FIG. 15, the processor (130) can divide a plurality of regions located in the upper region into a long-distance region, and a plurality of regions located in the lower region into a short-distance region.

[0253] The processor (130) can identify cases where multiple objects exist and where the multiple objects are located both at a long distance and a short distance.

[0254] The processor (130) can control the direction of the wind of the air conditioner (100) based on the location of the object, based on the object being identified within the space.

[0255] When the processor (130) identifies that an object and another object are located at a close range and a long range, the processor (130) can control the blowing direction of air blown by the fan based on the object located at a close range.

[0256] The method of blowing air may include direct air blowing and indirect air blowing.

[0257] Direct airflow can be a method in which the air is blown directly to the location where the object is located. Alternatively, indirect airflow can be a method in which the air is not blown directly to the location where the object is located. Specifically, indirect airflow can be a method in which the air is blown so that it reflects off a wall or ceiling, avoiding the object.

[0258] The processor (130) can blow air toward the ceiling by adjusting the upper and lower blades of the air conditioner (100) when the air blowing method is direct air and the object is located at a long distance. In addition, the processor (130) can blow air toward the floor (e.g., downward) by adjusting the upper and lower blades of the air conditioner (100) when the air blowing method is direct air and the object is located at a short distance.

[0259] On the other hand, when the air blowing method is an indirect air blowing method and the object is located at a long distance, the processor (130) can control the upper and lower blades of the air conditioner (100) to blow air in the direction of the floor (e.g., downward direction). In addition, when the air blowing method is an indirect air blowing method and the object is located at a short distance, the processor (130) can control the upper and lower blades of the air conditioner (100) to blow air in the direction of the ceiling (e.g., upward direction).

[0260] For example, if the air blowing method is a direct air blowing method, the processor (130) may blow air to the left, center, and right regions, respectively, if an object is located in the left, center, and right regions. In addition, the processor (130) may blow air to the center region if an object is detected in the left and center regions, or the center and right regions, simultaneously. In addition, the processor (130) may blow air alternately to the left and right regions if an object is detected in the left and right regions simultaneously. The processor (130) may blow air to the center region if an object is detected in the left, center, and right regions simultaneously.

[0261] In addition, if the air blowing method is an indirect air blowing method, the processor (130) can blow air to the center area respectively if the object is located in the left, center, and right areas.

[0262] Additionally, the processor (130) may blow air to the right area if an object is detected in both the left and center areas simultaneously. Additionally, the processor (130) may blow air to the left area if an object is detected in both the center and right areas simultaneously. The processor (130) may blow air to the center area if an object is detected in both the left and right areas simultaneously, or in all of the left, center, and right areas.

[0263] When the motion detection sensor (110) detects multiple objects, some of the multiple objects may not actually exist due to the ghost phenomenon.

[0264] Therefore, the processor (130) can control the air blowing based on the distance between the air conditioner (100) and the object to prevent malfunction of the air conditioner (100) due to the ghost phenomenon.

[0265] In operation S1220, the processor (130) can control the blowing direction of air based on the object closest to the air conditioner among a plurality of objects.

[0266] Specifically, the processor (130) detects that multiple objects have been identified, but some of the objects may not exist. In the case of a ghost phenomenon, the processor (130) may identify the objects as being located at a distance because the received signal is weak.

[0267] Therefore, when the processor (130) detects multiple objects, the object identified as being located at the furthest distance may actually be an object that does not exist.

[0268] On the other hand, if an actual object exists, the processor (130) can identify that the object is located at a relatively close distance because the received signal is strongly detected.

[0269] Therefore, when multiple objects are detected simultaneously at close range and at a long range, the processor (130) can control the direction of air blowing based on the object located at a close range, since the object identified as located at a long range may not actually exist.

[0270] For example, assume that multiple objects are detected simultaneously at close range and at long range, and that the air blowing method is direct air.

[0271] At this time, the processor (130) can blow air downward based on an object located at a close distance.

[0272] Additionally, it is assumed that the air blowing method is indirect.

[0273] At this time, the processor (130) can blow air toward the ceiling based on an object located at a close distance.

[0274] Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the air conditioner (100) from malfunctioning due to the ghost phenomenon.

[0275] Meanwhile, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented within a readable recording medium, such as a computer or similar device, using software, hardware, or a combination thereof. In some cases, the embodiments described herein may be implemented within the processor itself. In a software implementation, embodiments, such as the procedures and functions described herein, may be implemented as separate software modules. Each of the software modules may perform one or more functions and operations described herein.

[0276] Meanwhile, computer instructions for performing processing operations of the air conditioner (100) according to the various embodiments of the present disclosure described above may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium. When the computer instructions stored in such a non-transitory computer-readable medium are executed by a processor of a specific device, they cause the specific device to perform processing operations in the air conditioner (100) according to the various embodiments described above.

[0277] A non-transitory computer-readable medium refers to a medium that permanently stores data and can be read by a device, rather than a medium that stores data for a short period of time, such as registers and caches. Specific examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include CDs, DVDs, hard disks, Blu-ray discs, USBs, memory cards, and ROMs.

[0278] Non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the aforementioned embodiments and / or drawings. It should be clearly understood that modifications and variations of the embodiments of the present disclosure that would be apparent to those skilled in the art are within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. In air conditioners, A motion detection sensor configured to detect the movement of an object in space; memory that stores instructions; and At least one processor including processing circuitry; wherein the instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to: When the motion detection sensor detects the object using the motion detection sensor, the amount of activity of the object is determined through the motion detection sensor, If the activity of the object satisfies a preset first condition, it is determined whether the number of preset second time intervals in which the object is detected through the motion detection sensor among the preset first time intervals satisfies a preset second condition, or whether the activity of the object detected through the motion detection sensor within the preset first time interval satisfies a preset third condition. An air conditioner that determines that the object exists within the space when the second or third preset condition is identified as being satisfied.

2. In paragraph 1, further comprising a fan configured to blow cooled air outside the air conditioner; The above instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor, cause the processor to Detect multiple objects including the above object, An air conditioner that controls the blowing direction of cooled air blown by the fan based on the object closest to the air conditioner among the plurality of objects.

3. In paragraph 2, The above instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor, cause the processor to: Identifying whether a first object among the plurality of objects is located at a first distance from the air conditioner and a second object is located at a second distance further than the first distance from the air conditioner, An air conditioner that controls the blowing direction of cooled air blown by the fan based on the first object located at a close distance when the first object and the second object are identified as being located at the first distance and the second distance, respectively.

4. In paragraph 3, The above instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor, cause the processor to: The above cooled air is blown in direct or indirect wind mode, When the blowing mode of the above air conditioner is a direct wind mode and the cooled air is blown by a fan based on the first object being located at a close distance, the cooled air is blown in the direction of the floor, An air conditioner that blows the cooled air toward the ceiling when the blowing mode of the air conditioner is an indirect wind mode and the cooled air is blown by a fan based on the first object being located at a close distance.

5. In paragraph 1, An air conditioner, wherein the instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor, cause the processor to determine that the object does not exist within the space based on the activity not satisfying the first predetermined condition.

6. In paragraph 1, The above instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor, cause the processor to determine the coordinate values ​​of the object through the motion detection sensor, An air conditioner that determines the activity level of an object based on the determination of the moving speed of the object based on the coordinate values ​​of the object.

7. In paragraph 6, An air conditioner, wherein the instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor, cause the processor to determine that the activity of the object satisfies a first predetermined condition if the object is determined to have moved at a speed greater than or equal to a predetermined size for a predetermined time based on the determined movement speed of the object.

8. In paragraph 1, An air conditioner, wherein the instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor, cause the processor to determine that the object does not exist in the space based on the number of the second preset time intervals not satisfying a second preset condition and the amount of activity of the object not satisfying a third preset condition.

9. In paragraph 1, The above motion detection sensor is an air conditioner, which is a radar sensor.

10. In the method of controlling an air conditioner, A step of detecting an object using a motion detection sensor; A step of identifying the amount of activity of the object through the motion detection sensor based on detecting the object through the motion detection sensor; A step of determining whether the activity of the above object satisfies a preset first condition; If the activity of the object satisfies the first preset condition, a step of identifying whether the number of second preset time intervals in which the object is detected through the motion detection sensor among the first preset time intervals satisfies the second preset condition or whether the activity of the object detected through the motion detection sensor within the first time interval satisfies the third preset condition; and A control method comprising a step of determining that the object exists within a space based on determining whether the second preset condition or the third preset condition is satisfied.

11. In paragraph 10, A step of detecting a plurality of objects including the above object; and A control method further comprising a step of controlling the blowing direction of cooled air based on the object closest to the air conditioner among the plurality of objects.

12. In paragraph 11, The step of controlling the direction of the cooled air blown above is: A step of identifying whether a first object among a plurality of objects is located at a first distance from the air conditioner and a second object is located at a second distance further than the first distance from the air conditioner; and A control method comprising the step of controlling the blowing direction of cooled air based on the first object located at a close distance when the first object and the second object are identified as being located at the first distance and the second distance, respectively.

13. In paragraph 12, A step of controlling the direction of the cooled air being blown; A step of blowing the cooled air in the direction of the floor when the blowing mode of the air conditioner is a direct wind mode and the cooled air is blown by a fan based on the first object being located at a close distance; and A control method comprising a step of blowing the cooled air toward the ceiling when the blowing mode of the air conditioner is an indirect wind mode and the cooled air is blown by a fan based on the first object being located at a close distance.

14. In paragraph 10, The step of determining the activity of the above object is: A step of determining the coordinate values ​​of the above object; and, A control method comprising a step of identifying the movement speed of the object based on the coordinate values ​​of the object and determining the amount of activity of the object.

15. In paragraph 10, The step of determining that the object exists within the space is: A control method comprising a step of determining whether the object exists within the space based on whether the second preset condition or the third preset condition is satisfied.

Images