Air conditioner and method for operating an air conditioner based on user activity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air conditioners require manual operation of airflow direction control, which can be inconvenient for users, especially when they are away from the device or have lost the remote control, and existing methods for determining occupant activity levels are inaccurate due to noise interference or misinterpretation of movement intensity.
Innovation Solution
An air conditioner system with an airflow direction control unit that adjusts airflow direction automatically based on sensor data, including an image sensor to detect occupant activity levels and control airflow direction to optimize comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual operation of airflow direction control means is required, then user control precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The air conditioner automatically detects occupant position and activity level using sensors (camera, microphone, infrared) and autonomously adjusts airflow direction and temperature without requiring manual operation. The system serves itself by making control decisions based on sensed environmental data and occupant characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical control (remote control or hand operation) with an automated sensing and control system. Cameras, microphones, and infrared sensors detect occupant status, and the controller automatically adjusts airflow parameters, substituting mechanical user interaction with electronic sensing and automated decision-making.
2Adaptability or versatility
If microphone is used to detect sound, then activity level detection capability is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to noise interference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sensing modalities (camera for visual activity detection, microphone for audio detection, infrared sensor for thermal detection) to comprehensively determine occupant activity level. By merging multiple detection methods, the system overcomes the limitations of single-sensor approaches and achieves more accurate activity assessment despite noise interference.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller acts as an intermediary that processes and integrates data from multiple sensors (camera, microphone, infrared). It filters and analyzes signals to distinguish actual occupant activity from background noise, using algorithmic processing to extract meaningful activity level information from noisy sensor inputs.
3Adaptability or versatility
If moving distance is used to determine activity level, then detection capability is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to misinterpretation of movement intensity
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges multiple detection approaches (visual activity detection from camera images, audio detection from microphone, thermal detection from infrared sensor) to determine activity level. This multi-modal sensing allows the system to distinguish between different types of movement and accurately assess activity intensity without relying solely on moving distance calculations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameters used for activity level determination from simple moving distance to a comprehensive set of parameters including visual activity patterns, audio characteristics, and thermal signatures. By changing the detection parameters and using multiple parameters simultaneously, the system achieves more accurate activity level assessment that reflects actual physiological activity rather than just displacement.
Data Source
AI summary
An air conditioner and a method for operating an air conditioner are provided. The air conditioner may include a case having a space formed therein and an open bottom; a panel disposed under the case and having an inlet and a plurality of outlets disposed around a circumference of the inlet; a fan disposed in the case and configured to generate an airflow from the inlet to the plurality of outlets; an airflow direction controller disposed at the plurality of outlets and configured to control an airflow direction of air flowing through the plurality of outlets in a plurality of directions; a camera disposed at one side of the panel and directed toward an indoor space; and a controller configured to control the airflow direction controller based on images corresponding to the indoor space and captured by the camera. The controller may be configured to determine an activity level of an occupant for each of a plurality of areas of the indoor space based on a plurality of images corresponding to the indoor space; determine a direction of air discharged from the plurality of outlets based on the determined activity level; and control the airflow direction controller according to the direction of the air which is determined for the plurality of outlets.