Air conditioner and operation method thereof
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Air conditioners lack an effective method for storing and transmitting data between units without a remote controller, limiting their ability to utilize statistical data from previous operations.
Innovation Solution
An air conditioner system where outdoor units calculate and transmit power consumption data to a designated storage unit, which accumulatively stores and manages this data, allowing for statistical analysis even without a remote controller.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If air conditioner units are operated without a remote controller, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ability to store and transmit operational data is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The air conditioner units perform data storage and transmission functions autonomously without requiring an external remote controller. The system uses its own communication interfaces and processing units to calculate, store, and exchange operational data among units, making the system self-sufficient for data management tasks.
Solution Approach 2:
The air conditioner units are designed to perform multiple functions: they not only control cooling/heating operations but also calculate power consumption, store operational data in their own memory units, and transmit data to other units. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for a separate remote controller for data management.
2Productivity
If data are transmitted between multiple air conditioner units, then statistical analysis capability is improved, but the communication infrastructure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The data management function is segmented and distributed across multiple air conditioner units rather than being centralized in one controller. Each unit has its own storage and processing capabilities, allowing independent data calculation and selective transmission to relevant units, which simplifies the overall communication infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The air conditioner units use existing communication bus infrastructure as an intermediary for data exchange. The communication bus serves as a shared medium that allows units to transmit data without requiring dedicated communication channels between each pair of units, reducing infrastructure complexity.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
An air conditioner that stores data through communication between a plurality of air conditioner units and an operation method thereof are disclosed. Data regarding power consumption quantities of a plurality of outdoor units are accumulatively stored in a state in which an additional data collecting device or an additional storage device is not connected to the outdoor units and the data regarding power consumption quantities of the outdoor units are transmitted to a device further connected to the outdoor units. Consequently, it is possible to utilize data regarding power consumption of the air conditioner, to set a target value based on the power consumption of the air conditioner, to easily determine a power consumption pattern, and to easily take a measure to save energy.