Air conditioner, control method thereof, and dehumidifying method thereof

Abstract

An air conditioner includes an air-conditioning unit to exchange heat between air in an interior space and an exterior space using an exchange medium flowing through the air-conditioning unit and/or to dehumidify the interior space. A control unit controls the air-conditioning unit to dehumidify the interior space using a plurality of dehumidifying temperatures and a plurality of dehumidifying time, where at least one dehumidifying time is preset for a corresponding dehumidifying temperature and when the preset dehumidifying time has expired the corresponding dehumidifying temperature is changed to a next dehumidifying temperature.

1 . An air conditioner comprising:
 an air-conditioning unit to exchange heat between air in an interior space and an exterior space using an exchange medium flowing through the air-conditioning unit and/or to dehumidify the interior space; and   a control unit to control the air-conditioning unit to dehumidify the interior space using a plurality of dehumidifying temperatures and a plurality of dehumidifying time, wherein at least one dehumidifying time is preset for a corresponding dehumidifying temperature and when the preset dehumidifying time has expired the corresponding dehumidifying temperature is changed to a next dehumidifying temperature.   
     
     
         2 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein the control unit sets the next dehumidifying temperature that is higher than a previously set dehumidifying temperature. 
     
     
         3 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein the control unit incrementally increases the dehumidifying temperature after a corresponding dehumidifying time has expired until a preset maximum dehumidifying temperature is reached. 
     
     
         4 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , further comprising an input unit to receive an input that indicates at least a dehumidification mode or a desired temperature. 
     
     
         5 . The air conditioner of  claim 4 , wherein the control unit controls the air-conditioning unit to dehumidify the interior space using the plurality of dehumidifying temperatures starting from the desired temperature. 
     
     
         6 . The air conditioner of  claim 4 , wherein the control unit controls the air-conditioning unit to dehumidify the interior space using the plurality of dehumidifying temperatures starting from a temperature preset in the air conditioner that is different from the desired temperature received at the input unit. 
     
     
         7 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of dehumidifying temperatures is preset. 
     
     
         8 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein at least one dehumidifying time preset of one dehumidifying temperature is different from a dehumidifying time preset for another dehumidifying temperature. 
     
     
         9 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein a preset time for a corresponding dehumidifying temperature becomes longer as a previously set dehumidifying temperature is changed to a next dehumidifying temperature. 
     
     
         10 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein the preset time is selected from a range of time. 
     
     
         11 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein the next dehumidifying temperature is increased higher than a preset dehumidifying temperature if a difference between a temperature of the interior space and a temperature of an exterior space is not within a predetermined degree. 
     
     
         12 . An air conditioner comprising:
 an air-conditioning unit to exchange heat between air in an interior space and an exterior space using an exchange medium flowing through the air-conditioning unit and/or to dehumidify the interior space;   an input unit to receive an input on which a start dehumidifying temperature is based; and   a control unit to control the air-conditioning unit to dehumidify the interior space until the start dehumidifying temperature is reached, the control unit then using a plurality of dehumidifying temperatures and a plurality of dehumidifying time to change the start dehumidifying temperature until a preset maximum dehumidifying temperature is reached, wherein at least one dehumidifying time is preset for a corresponding dehumidifying temperature and when the preset dehumidifying time has expired the corresponding dehumidifying temperature is changed to a next dehumidifying temperature.   
     
     
         13 . The air conditioner of  claim 12 , wherein the control unit incrementally increases the dehumidifying temperature after a corresponding dehumidifying time has expired until the preset maximum dehumidifying temperature is reached. 
     
     
         14 . The air conditioner of  claim 12 , wherein the preset time is selected from a range of time. 
     
     
         15 . The air conditioner of  claim 12 , wherein the next dehumidifying temperature is increased higher than a preset dehumidifying temperature if a difference between a temperature of the interior space and a temperature of an exterior space is not within a predetermined degree. 
     
     
         16 . The air conditioner of  claim 12 , wherein each of the plurality of the dehumidifying time is preset and corresponds to a dehumidifying temperature in the plurality of dehumidifying temperatures that are preset other than the preset maximum temperature which does not have a preset time. 
     
     
         17 . A dehumidifying method comprises:
 determining by a control unit on whether a preset time has passed to dehumidify an interior space at a preset dehumidifying temperature;   changing by the control unit the preset dehumidifying temperature to a next preset dehumidifying temperature if the preset time has passed; and   repeating the determining step and the changing step until a preset maximum dehumidifying temperature is reached.   
     
     
         18 . The dehumidifying method of  claim 17 , further comprises increasing by the control unit the preset time when the preset dehumidifying temperature is changed to the next preset dehumidifying temperature. 
     
     
         19 . The dehumidifying method of  claim 17 , further comprises using by the control unit a preset dehumidifying temperature stored in an air conditioner that is different from a desired temperature selected by the user if the desired temperature is lower than the preset dehumidifying temperature stored in the air conditioner. 
     
     
         20 . The dehumidifying method of  claim 17 , further comprises increasing a next dehumidifying temperature to be higher than the next preset dehumidifying temperature if a difference between a temperature of the interior space and a temperature of an exterior space is not within a predetermined degree.