Air conditioner and method for operating air conditioner

Abstract

An air conditioner and a method for operating an air conditioner are provided. The air conditioner may include an indoor unit, an indoor temperature sensor configured to detect an indoor temperature in an indoor space in which the indoor unit is disposed, and a controller configured to monitor the indoor temperature using the indoor temperature sensor. If the indoor temperature changes by a first reference temperature or more, the controller may commence a power-saving operation, and if the indoor temperature changes by a second reference temperature or more while the power-saving operation is performed, the controller may stop the power-saving operation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An air conditioner, comprising:
 an indoor unit disposed in an indoor space;   an indoor temperature sensor configured to detect an indoor temperature of the indoor space; and   a controller configured to monitor the indoor temperature using the indoor temperature sensor, wherein the controller is configured to:
 based on the indoor temperature changing by a first reference temperature or more, commence a power-saving operation, and based on the indoor temperature changing by a second reference temperature or more while the power-saving operation is performed, stop the power-saving operation. 
   
     
     
         2 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 , wherein the air conditioner is configured, in a cooling operation, to cool the indoor space, and wherein the commencing of the power-saving operation includes the controller being configured to switch from a normal operation to the power-saving operation if the indoor temperature increases by the first reference temperature or more in a predetermined period of time, and wherein the stopping of the power-saving operation includes the controller being configured to switch from the power-saving operation to the normal operation if the indoor temperature decreases by the second reference temperature or more while the power-saving operation is being performed; and/or wherein the air conditioner is configured, in a heating operation, to heat the indoor space, and wherein the stopping of the power-saving operation includes the controller being configured to switch from the normal operation to the power-saving operation if the indoor temperature decreases by the first reference temperature or more in a predetermined period of time, and wherein the stopping of the power-saving operation includes the controller being configured to switch from the power-saving operation to the normal operation if the indoor temperature increases by a second reference temperature or more while the power-saving operation is being performed. 
     
     
         3 . The air conditioner according to  claim 2 , wherein the normal operation is an operation using preset parameters for cooling or heating the indoor space from a current indoor temperature to a target indoor temperature set by a user. 
     
     
         4 . The air conditioner according to  claim 2 , wherein based on the indoor temperature increasing by a first temperature or more within the predetermined period of time during the cooling operation or decreasing by a second temperature or more within the predetermined period of time during the heating operation, the controller is configured to determine that the indoor temperature changes by the first reference temperature or more; or
 wherein, based on the indoor temperature increasing by a first temperature or more within the predetermined period of time during the cooling operation or decreasing by a second temperature or more within the predetermined period of time during the heating operation, the controller is configured to determine that the indoor temperature changes by the first reference temperature or more, and wherein the first temperature is less than the second temperature.   
     
     
         5 . The air conditioner according to  claim 4 , wherein, while performing the power-saving operation, based on the indoor temperature decreasing by a third temperature or more during the cooling operation or increasing by a fourth temperature or more during the heating operation, the controller is configured to determine that the indoor temperature changes by the second reference temperature or more; or
 wherein, while performing the power-saving operation, based on the indoor temperature decreasing by a third temperature or more during the cooling operation or increasing by a fourth temperature or more during the heating operation, the controller is configured to determine that the indoor temperature changes by the second reference temperature or more, and wherein the third temperature is less than the fourth temperature.   
     
     
         6 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 , further comprising a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant, wherein, while performing the power-saving operation, the controller is configured to:
 based on a power consumption of the air conditioner exceeding a first power consumption, reducing an operating frequency of the compressor, and based on the power consumption of the air conditioner being less than a second power consumption, increasing the operating frequency of the compressor, and wherein the first power consumption is less than a rated power consumption of the air conditioner and exceeds the second power consumption.   
     
     
         7 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 , wherein the indoor unit is a wall-mounted type indoor unit comprising a case configured to be mounted on a wall defining the indoor space, wherein the wall-mounted type indoor unit comprises:
 a sub-discharge port open at a front side of the case and configured to discharge air in a first discharge direction;   a main discharge port open at a lower side of the case and configured to discharge air in a second discharge direction; and   a main vane configured to open and close the main discharge port, wherein the controller is configured to:
 based on an operation mode being set to a first mode, close the main discharge port by the main vane so that air is discharged through the sub-discharge port, and based on the operation mode being set to a second mode, open the main discharge port so that the air is discharged through the main discharge port and/or the sub-discharge port. 
   
     
     
         8 . The air conditioner according to  claim 7 , wherein the first discharge direction corresponds to a direction ranging from a forward direction to a direction tilted at a predetermined angle in an upward direction with respect to the forward direction, and wherein the second discharge direction corresponds to a direction tilted downward from the forward direction. 
     
     
         9 . The air conditioner according to  claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to:
 when performing the power-saving operation with the operation mode set to the first mode, adjust a discharge target temperature, wherein the discharge target temperature is a target value set by a user for a temperature of air discharged from the indoor unit, and when performing the power-saving operation with the operation mode set to the second mode, adjust an indoor target temperature, wherein the indoor target temperature is a target value set by a user for the indoor temperature of the indoor space.   
     
     
         10 . The air conditioner according to  claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to:
 based on the operation mode being set to the first mode, change the discharge target temperature by a first temperature according to a predetermined period, and based on the operation mode being set to the second mode, changing the indoor target temperature by a second temperature higher than the first temperature according to the predetermined period.   
     
     
         11 . The air conditioner according to  claim 9 , wherein a maximum value of the discharge target temperature set in the power-saving operation is different from a maximum value of the indoor target temperature set in the power-saving operation. 
     
     
         12 . A method for operating an air conditioner, the air conditioner comprising an indoor unit disposed in an indoor space, the method comprising:
 commencing a power-saving operation when an indoor temperature of the indoor space, detected by an indoor temperature sensor, changes by a first reference temperature or more; and   stopping the power-saving operation when the indoor temperature, detected by the indoor temperature sensor, changes by a second reference temperature or more while performing the power-saving operation.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein when the air conditioner is in a cooling operation in which it is cooling the indoor space, the commencing of the power-saving operation includes switching from a normal operation to the power-saving operation if the indoor temperature increases by the first reference temperature or more in a predetermined period of time, and the stopping of the power-saving operation includes switching from the power-saving operation to the normal operation or a standby operation if the indoor temperature decreases by the second reference temperature or more while the power-saving operation is being performed; and/or
 wherein when the air conditioner is in a heating operation in which it is heating the indoor space, the stopping of the power-saving operation includes switching from a normal operation to the power-saving operation if the indoor temperature decreases by the first reference temperature or more in a predetermined period of time, and the stopping of the power-saving operation includes switching from the power-saving operation to the normal operation or a standby operation if the indoor temperature increases by a second reference temperature or more while the power-saving operation is being performed.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the normal operation is an operation using preset parameters for cooling or heating the indoor space from a current indoor temperature to a target indoor temperature set by user. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the commencing of the power-saving operation comprises determining that the indoor temperature changes by the first reference temperature or more when the indoor temperature increases by a first temperature or more within a predetermined period of time during the cooling operation or decreases by a second temperature or more within the predetermined period of time during the heating operation, the first temperature being less than the second temperature; and
 wherein the stopping of the power-saving operation comprises determining that the indoor temperature changes by the second reference temperature or more when the indoor temperature decreases by a third temperature or more during the cooling operation or increases by a fourth temperature or more during the heating operation while performing the power-saving operation, the third temperature being less than the fourth temperature.   
     
     
         16 . The method according to any  claim 13 , wherein the performing of the power-saving operation comprises:
 reducing an operating frequency of a compressor of the air conditioner when power consumption of the air conditioner exceeds a first power consumption; and   increasing the operating frequency of the compressor when the power consumption of the air conditioner is less than a second power consumption, and   wherein the first power consumption is less than a rated power consumption of the air conditioner and exceeds the second power consumption.   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the air conditioner comprises:
 a sub-discharge port open at a front side of a case of an indoor unit and configured to discharge air in a first discharge direction corresponding to a direction ranging from a forward direction to a direction tilted at a predetermined angle in an upward direction with respect to the forward direction;   a main discharge port open at a lower side of the case and configured to discharge air in a second discharge direction corresponding to a direction tilted downward from the forward direction;   a main vane configured to open and close the main discharge port, and wherein the performing of the power-saving operation comprises:
 adjusting a discharge target temperature, the discharge target temperature being a target value set by a user for a temperature of air discharged from the indoor unit, when performing the power-saving operation with an operation mode set to a first mode in which the main discharge port is closed so that air is discharged through the sub-discharge port; and 
 adjusting an indoor target temperature, the indoor target temperature being a target value set by a user for the indoor temperature, when performing the power-saving operation with the operation mode set to a second mode in which the main discharge port is open so that the air is discharged through the main discharge port and/or the sub-discharge port. 
   
     
     
         18 . An air conditioner, comprising:
 an indoor unit disposed in an indoor space;   an indoor temperature sensor configured to detect an indoor temperature of the indoor space; and   a controller configured to monitor the indoor temperature using the indoor temperature sensor, wherein the controller is configured to operate the air conditioner in a normal mode or a power-saving mode, wherein the normal operation is an operation using preset parameters for cooling or heating the indoor space from a current indoor temperature to a target indoor temperature set by a user, and wherein the controller is configured to:
 based on the indoor temperature changing by a first reference temperature or more, commence the power-saving operation, and based on the indoor temperature changing by a second reference temperature or more while the power-saving operation is performed, stop the power-saving operation. 
   
     
     
         19 . The air conditioner according to  claim 18  wherein the air conditioner is configured, in a cooling operation, to cool the indoor space, and wherein the commencing of the power-saving operation includes the controller being configured to switch from the normal operation to the power-saving operation if the indoor temperature increases by the first reference temperature or more in a predetermined period of time, and wherein the stopping of the power-saving operation includes the controller being configured to switch from the power-saving operation to the normal operation if the indoor temperature decreases by the second reference temperature or more while the power-saving operation is being performed; and/or wherein the air conditioner is configured, in a heating operation, to heat the indoor space, and wherein the stopping of the power-saving operation includes the controller being configured to switch from the normal operation to the power-saving operation if the indoor temperature decreases by the first reference temperature or more in a predetermined period of time, and wherein the stopping of the power-saving operation includes the controller being configured to switch from the power-saving operation to the normal operation if the indoor temperature increases by a second reference temperature or more while the power-saving operation is being performed. 
     
     
         20 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 , wherein the indoor unit is a wall-mounted type indoor unit comprising a case configured to be mounted on a wall defining the indoor space, wherein the wall-mounted type indoor unit comprises:
 a sub-discharge port open at a front side of the case and configured to discharge air in a first discharge direction;   a main discharge port open at a lower side of the case and configured to discharge air in a second discharge direction; and   a main vane configured to open and close the main discharge port, wherein the controller is configured to:
 based on an operation mode being set to a first mode, close the main discharge port by the main vane so that air is discharged through the sub-discharge port, and based on the operation mode being set to a second mode, open the main discharge port so that the air is discharged through the main discharge port and/or the sub-discharge port.