Air conditioning appliance with hazard detection

Abstract

An air conditioner unit includes an indoor portion in fluid communication with an indoor space and a sensor. A method of operating the air conditioner unit includes monitoring an atmospheric condition of indoor air from the indoor space with the sensor. The method also includes detecting a hazard in the indoor space based on the monitored atmospheric condition of the indoor air and providing an emergency notification in response to the detected hazard in the indoor space.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of operating an air conditioner unit, the method comprising: 
 monitoring, by a sensor of the air conditioner unit, an atmospheric condition of indoor air from an indoor space in fluid communication with an indoor portion of the air conditioner unit;   detecting a hazard in the indoor space based on the monitored atmospheric condition of the indoor air; and   providing an emergency notification in response to the detected hazard in the indoor space.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the monitored atmospheric condition is temperature, and wherein the detected hazard is a thermal event in the indoor space. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the air conditioner unit is a first air conditioner unit of a plurality of air conditioner units in a building, further comprising monitoring the atmospheric condition of indoor air from an indoor space in fluid communication with an indoor portion of a second air conditioner unit of the plurality of air conditioner units, and determining a location and spatial extent of the hazard based on the monitored atmospheric condition of the indoor air in fluid communication with the indoor portion of the first air conditioner unit and based on the monitored atmospheric condition of the indoor air in fluid communication with the indoor portion of the second air conditioner unit. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising disabling at least one component of the first air conditioner unit in response to the detected hazard. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein disabling at least one component of the first air conditioner unit in response to the detected hazard comprises disabling a make-up air system of the first air conditioner unit. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising activating a fan of the air conditioner unit to draw the indoor air from the indoor space towards the sensor of the air conditioner unit while monitoring the atmospheric condition of the indoor air. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein detecting the hazard in the indoor space based on the monitored atmospheric condition of the indoor air comprises determining the monitored atmospheric condition is outside of a predefined operating range of the air conditioner unit. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein determining the monitored atmospheric condition is outside of the predefined operating range of the air conditioner unit comprises determining the monitored atmospheric condition is above the predefined operating range by at least a predetermined threshold amount. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a first sensor of the air conditioner unit, further comprising monitoring the atmospheric condition of the indoor air with a second sensor of the air conditioner unit, wherein the hazard is detected based on atmospheric condition data from the first sensor and the second sensor. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising recording an alert in a memory of a controller of the air conditioner unit in response to the detected hazard in the indoor space. 
     
     
         11 . An air conditioner unit, comprising: 
 an indoor portion in fluid communication with an indoor space;    a sensor; and   a controller, the controller configured for: 
 monitoring, with the sensor, an atmospheric condition of indoor air from the indoor space; 
 detecting a hazard in the indoor space based on the monitored atmospheric condition of the indoor air; and 
 providing an emergency notification in response to the detected hazard in the indoor space. 
   
     
     
         12 . The air conditioner unit of  claim 11 , wherein the monitored atmospheric condition is temperature, and wherein the detected hazard is a thermal event in the indoor space. 
     
     
         13 . The air conditioner unit of  claim 11 , wherein the air conditioner unit is a first air conditioner unit of a plurality of air conditioner units in a building, wherein the controller is in communication with a second air conditioner unit of the plurality of air conditioner units, the second air conditioner unit comprising a controller configured to monitor the atmospheric condition of indoor air from an indoor space in fluid communication with an indoor portion of the second air conditioner unit, and wherein the controller is further configured for receiving atmospheric condition data from the second air conditioner and determining a location and spatial extent of the hazard based on the monitored atmospheric condition of the indoor air in fluid communication with the indoor portion of the first air conditioner unit and based on the atmospheric condition data from the second air conditioner. 
     
     
         14 . The air conditioner unit of  claim 13 , wherein the controller is further configured for disabling at least one component of the first air conditioner unit in response to the detected hazard. 
     
     
         15 . The air conditioner unit of  claim 14 , wherein disabling at least one component of the first air conditioner unit in response to the detected hazard comprises disabling a make-up air system of the air conditioner unit. 
     
     
         16 . The air conditioner unit of  claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured for activating a fan of the air conditioner unit to draw the indoor air from the indoor space towards the sensor of the air conditioner unit while monitoring the atmospheric condition of the indoor air. 
     
     
         17 . The air conditioner unit of  claim 11 , wherein detecting the hazard in the indoor space based on the monitored atmospheric condition of the indoor air comprises determining the monitored atmospheric condition is outside of a predefined operating range of the air conditioner unit. 
     
     
         18 . The air conditioner unit of  claim 17 , wherein determining the monitored atmospheric condition is outside of the predefined operating range of the air conditioner unit comprises determining the monitored atmospheric condition is above the predefined operating range by at least a predetermined threshold amount. 
     
     
         19 . The air conditioner unit of  claim 11 , wherein the sensor is a first sensor of the air conditioner unit, further comprising monitoring the atmospheric condition of the indoor air with a second sensor of the air conditioner unit, wherein the hazard is detected based on atmospheric condition data from the first sensor and the second sensor. 
     
     
         20 . The air conditioner unit of  claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured for recording an alert in a memory of the controller of the air conditioner unit in response to the detected hazard in the indoor space.