KR20120065659A - Air conditioning system and control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: An air conditioning device and a control method thereof are provided to change the operation state of an air conditioning device and confirm the operation state by using a portable terminal. CONSTITUTION: An air conditioning device comprises an indoor unit, an outdoor unit(300), a demand side energy management device of an intelligent power net, and a control unit. The demand side energy management device of an intelligent power net is communicated with a portable terminal. The control unit controls the indoor unit and outdoor unit according to the control signals transferred by the demand side energy management device of an intelligent power net or generates control signals for the indoor unit and outdoor unit according to the electric charge information transferred by the demand side energy management device of an intelligent power net and controls the indoor unit and outdoor unit according to the generated signals.

Description

Air Conditioning System and Control Method of Air Conditioning System {AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF}

The present invention relates to an air conditioner and a control method of the air conditioner. More specifically, the present invention relates to an air conditioner and a control method of the air conditioner which can facilitate the user's convenience when checking the operation state of the air conditioner and changing the operation state, and can minimize power waste.

The air conditioner refers to a device for cooling, heating, ventilating or purifying indoor air. In particular, the air conditioner for cooling or heating indoor air may be configured as an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. In general, the air conditioner is controlled by a stationary controller or a remote controller, but in order to accurately monitor the operation of the air conditioner, the information displayed on the display of the stationary controller should be checked whenever necessary. Administrator or user has the inconvenience of having to check the operation state of the air conditioner and change the operation state through the controller whenever necessary. In particular, when the location of the mounted or fixed wall-mounted controller and the working position in the air-conditioning space is far apart, the inconvenience of the administrator or the user may increase.

The present invention aims to solve the problem of providing an air conditioner and a control method of the air conditioner which can facilitate the user's convenience when checking the operation state of the air conditioner and changing the operation state. do.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention controls an indoor unit or an outdoor unit according to a control signal provided from an indoor unit, an outdoor unit connected to the indoor unit, an energy management device of an intelligent power grid capable of communicating with a portable terminal, and a demand-side energy management device of the intelligent power grid. Or, generating a control signal of the indoor unit or the outdoor unit according to the charge information on the unit power provided by the energy management device of the intelligent power grid, and providing an air conditioner including a control unit controlling the indoor unit or the outdoor unit according to the generated control signal. do.

In addition, the energy management device and the portable terminal may include a short-range wireless communication module of the same type.

In this case, the short range wireless communication module may be a Bluetooth communication module or a Zigbee communication module.

The energy management device may transmit, to the portable terminal, driving information related to at least one of charge information per unit power, an operating mode of an indoor unit, an operating temperature of an indoor unit, and an operating air volume of an indoor unit through the short range wireless communication module. have.

Herein, the transmission of the driving information may be performed at a predetermined interval or when there is a transmission request from the portable terminal.

When the control signal of the air conditioner is transmitted from the portable terminal to the energy management device, the controller may control the indoor unit or the outdoor unit according to the transmitted control signal.

When the control unit changes the operation mode, the operation temperature, or the operation air flow amount according to a predetermined condition, the energy management device sends an approval request signal for requesting approval for the change to the portable terminal or a change notification signal for notifying the change. Can transmit

In addition, the predetermined condition may include a change in the charge per unit power or the temperature of the air conditioning space in which the indoor unit is installed.

In this case, the approval request signal or the change notification signal may be displayed as a pop-up window in the display module of the portable terminal.

In addition, a selection menu for selecting the approval of the change or the rejection of the change may be displayed on the pop-up window for the approval request signal.

Here, the energy management apparatus may transmit information related to the power bill peak section to the portable terminal when the power bill peak section in which the power cost exceeds the predetermined cost is expected or enters the power bill peak section.

In addition, the energy management device transmits the information related to the electric power bill peak period to the portable terminal, and when the new control signal related to the operation mode, the operating temperature or the operating air volume of the indoor unit is not received from the portable terminal, the energy. The management device may further transmit information related to the power rate peak section to the portable terminal at a predetermined number of times at a predetermined time interval.

The controller may be configured to operate the outdoor unit and the indoor unit in a power saving mode when a power rate peak period in which a power cost exceeds a predetermined cost is expected or enters a power rate peak period, and operate the indoor unit through the energy management device. Alternatively, information related to the power saving mode operation of the outdoor unit may be transmitted to the portable terminal.

In this case, the power saving mode may be an operation mode in which the deviation between the operating temperature and the room temperature of the indoor unit is reduced.

The power saving mode may be an operation mode in which the operating air volume of the indoor unit is reduced.

Here, the energy management device may search at a predetermined time interval whether a communication application for communication with the energy management device is installed at a short distance and there is a portable terminal capable of wireless communication.

In addition, in order to solve the above problems, in the control method of the air conditioner including the demand-side energy management device of the intelligent power grid, at least one indoor unit and the outdoor unit, the operation information of the air conditioner in the demand-side energy management device Driving information collection step of collecting the driving information, the operation information transmission step of wirelessly transmitting the operation information collected in the driving information collection step from the energy management device to the portable terminal, the energy management device to the control signal of the air conditioner Provided is a control signal receiving step of receiving a control signal from a portable terminal, and an air conditioner controlling step of controlling an air conditioner according to the control signal received in the control signal receiving step.

In addition, the operation information collection step may be repeated at a predetermined interval.

In this case, the driving information transmitting step may be repeated at a predetermined interval or when a request signal is generated in the portable terminal.

The method may further include a portable terminal searching step of searching for a portable terminal capable of wireless transmission of the driving information.

Here, the method may further include a power bill inquiry step of inquiring information on the power bill from the demand-side energy management device of the intelligent power grid.

The air conditioner control step may control the air conditioner in a power saving mode in a power rate peak section in which the power rate inquired in the power rate inquiry step is equal to or greater than a predetermined rate.

And, the control signal of the air conditioner used in the control step of the air conditioner is generated by the control unit of the air conditioner, generated by the demand-side energy management device is transmitted to the air conditioner, or generated in the portable terminal It may be transmitted to the control unit of the air conditioner via the demand-side energy management device.

The present invention can use the portable terminal that the user always carry when checking the operating state of the air conditioner and change the operating state can be facilitated for the user.

In addition, according to the control method of the air conditioner and the air conditioner according to the present invention, the user convenience is improved when the operation state of the air conditioner is checked and the operation state is changed, and the operation state is easy to change, You can reduce the time it takes to change, minimizing unnecessary wasted power consumption.

In addition, since a separate wireless remote control can be replaced with a user's portable terminal, price competitiveness can be secured.

1 is a schematic diagram of a so-called 'smart grid' which is an intelligent or next generation grid.
2 is a schematic diagram showing a power supply network system in a home, which is a major consumer of an intelligent power grid.
3 is a block diagram of a portable terminal related to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a block diagram of an air conditioner according to the present invention.
Figure 5 shows an example of a graphical user interface of the display module of the portable terminal associated with the air conditioner and the control method of the air conditioner according to the present invention.
6 is a block diagram of a control method of an air conditioner according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Prior to this, the terms or words used in this specification and claims should not be interpreted in a conventional or dictionary sense, and the inventors will appropriately define the concept of terms in order to best describe their invention. It should be interpreted as meaning and concept corresponding to the technical idea of the present invention based on the principle that it can. Therefore, the embodiments described in the specification and the drawings shown in the drawings are only the most preferred embodiment of the present invention and do not represent all of the technical idea of the present invention, various modifications that can be replaced at the time of the present application It should be understood that there may be equivalents and variations.

The present invention can monitor or change the operating state of the air conditioner through the portable terminal.

The control method of the air conditioner and the air conditioner according to the present invention checks the change of the operation state of the air conditioner more efficiently and quickly to the user or the manager according to the change of the power rate under the intelligent power grid that the power rate can be changed The invention is for making or requesting or approving a change of operating state.

Therefore, the intelligent power grid is first reviewed.

1 is a schematic diagram of a so-called 'smart grid' which is an intelligent or next generation grid. Referring to FIG. 1, the intelligent power grid may include a power plant that generates power through thermal power generation, nuclear power generation or hydroelectric power generation, a solar power plant using solar or wind power belonging to renewable energy, and a wind power plant.

The thermal power plant, nuclear power plant or hydroelectric power plant may send power to a power plant through a transmission line, and the power plant may supply electricity to a substation and a storage device. In addition, the electricity produced in photovoltaic power plants and wind power plants can be supplied to substations. On the other hand, the electricity transmitted to the substation can be distributed to the office or each home via the power storage device.

On the other hand, in the case of adopting a home electric power network (HAN, home area network (described in detail in FIG. 2)), even in a normal home is installed in a self-solar power generation facility of the general home, or a PHEV (plug in hybrid electric vehicle) The fuel cell can supply its own electricity and the extra electricity can be sold back to the outside. In addition, the office or home may be provided with a so-called 'smart measuring device' that can grasp the power and electricity bills used in each demand in real time. Through the smart measurement device, the user can recognize the amount of electricity and the electricity bill currently used, and can devise a method of reducing the power consumption or the electricity bill according to the situation.

On the other hand, demand sources using the power plants, power stations, storage devices and power described above in the intelligent power grid are capable of bidirectional communication. Therefore, apart from allowing the customer to receive electricity unilaterally, the situation of the customer can be notified to the storage device, the power station, and the power plant so that electricity can be produced and distributed according to the situation of the customer. Therefore, an intelligent power grid requires an energy management system (EMS), which is responsible for real-time power management and real-time prediction of power demand, and an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) that measures power consumption in real time. do. The energy management device and the measurement device may be configured as separate devices, or may be configured to perform the functions of both devices in one device.

Instrumentation under the intelligent power grid is a foundation technology to integrate consumers based on the 'open architecture', allowing consumers to use electricity efficiently, and power suppliers to detect system problems and operate the system efficiently. Provide the ability to Here, unlike the general communication network, 'open architecture' refers to a standard that allows all electric appliances to be connected to each other regardless of the manufacturer of the electric appliance in the intelligent power grid system.

Thus, the instrumentation used in the intelligent grid enables a consumer friendly efficiency concept such as "Prices to Devices". That is, the real-time price information of the power market can be transmitted through the demand-side energy management device (EMS) installed in each home, the demand-side energy management device (EMS) to control and communicate with the electrical appliances provided in each home Can be.

Of course, the demand-side energy management device (EMS) can directly control each electrical product, or can provide only the information related to the electricity bill for each electrical product. In the latter case, the controller of each electrical appliance may control each electrical appliance according to the provided fee information.

In this case, the controller (or controller) of the air conditioner according to the present invention may be connected to the demand side energy management device of the intelligent power grid and controlled by the energy management device.

The controller and the energy management device of the air conditioner may be connected by wire or wirelessly.

Therefore, the user can save power and energy by recognizing the power information of each electric product by the demand side energy management device (EMS) and performing the power information processing such as the amount of power consumption or the electric charge limit setting based on this. . The energy management device (EMS) is information collected by the demand side energy management device (Local EMS) used in the office or home and the demand side energy management device (Local EMS) by bidirectional communication with the local energy management device (EMS). There is a central EMS that handles this.

In addition, since the real-time communication about the power information between the power supplier and the consumer in the intelligent power grid is possible, the response of various consumers according to the power supply, that is, "real-time grid response" is possible. For example, when the price of power varies according to time zones, or when the price of power varies according to a power supply company, the time and amount of use of power by a prisoner may vary accordingly. In addition, the power supplier may adjust the power price or adjust the amount of power supply according to the response of the consumer.

2 is a schematic diagram showing a power supply network system 10 in a home, which is a major consumer of an intelligent power grid.

Referring to FIG. 2, the power supply network system 10 may include a measuring device 20, or a smart meter, which may measure power and / or electricity rates supplied to each home in real time, and the measuring device 20. And an energy management device 30 (demand-side energy management device) connected to a plurality of electrical appliances such as the electrical appliance 100 and controlling their operations. On the other hand, each household's electricity bill is charged at an hourly rate, and the hourly electricity bill is expensive in a time period (power peak period) where the power consumption is rapidly increased, and at the same time as a late night time with relatively low power consumption, Fees can be cheaper. The peak rate of power rates is not fixed and may vary from day to day according to the power reserve rate of the power provider.

The demand-side energy management device 30 is a refrigerator 101, a washing machine and a dryer 102, an indoor unit 200 of an air conditioner, a TV 105 or a cooking appliance through a home network (wired or wireless). It is connected to electrical appliances, such as 104, can communicate with them bidirectionally, and can control each electrical appliance while monitoring the operation information of each electrical appliance.

That is, as described above, the energy management device 30 may transmit only information on an electric charge or the like to the controller of the electrical appliance, or directly control each electrical appliance.

That is, each electric appliance may determine the control method at the peak time of the electricity rate by using the power information provided, or the demand-side energy management device may directly control each electric appliance by using the electricity rate information.

Communication inside the home can be via wireless or wired, such as PLC (power line communication). In addition, each electrical appliance may also be arranged to be connected to other electrical appliances to enable communication.

The wireless communication method inside the home may be Zigbee wireless communication.

The controller and the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the present invention are provided with a wireless communication module, respectively, so that the wireless communication is possible, so that the demand-side energy management device is wirelessly or wired with the controller of the air conditioner according to the present invention. Connected to provide information related to the power bill, or may provide a control signal of the air conditioner.

The controller of the demand-side energy management device and the air conditioner may also be configured to communicate wirelessly by employing a ZigBee wireless communication module.

The air conditioner according to the present invention is an indoor unit or an outdoor unit according to a control signal provided by an indoor unit, an outdoor unit connected to the indoor unit, a demand side energy management device of an intelligent power network capable of communicating with a portable terminal, and a demand side energy management device of the intelligent power network. Or a control unit for generating a control signal of the indoor unit or the outdoor unit according to the charge information on the unit power provided by the energy management device of the intelligent power grid, and controlling the indoor unit or the outdoor unit according to the generated control signal.

Accordingly, the controller, the demand side energy management device, and the portable terminal of the air conditioner may include a wireless communication module of the same kind, and may each be wirelessly communicated through the demand side energy management device.

Of course, the controller and the demand-side energy management device of the air conditioner may use a PLC-based wired communication.

Of course, the control method of the air conditioner according to the present invention can be used a portable terminal to promote the convenience of the user and minimize the power cost irrespective of the intelligent power grid. This will be described later.

That is, the air conditioner may be configured to operate in the saving mode at the discretion of the manager of the air conditioner, and under the intelligent power grid, the air conditioner may be selectively controlled only in a peak section of a predetermined power rate under the aforementioned method. .

Hereinafter, a portable terminal capable of wireless communication with a demand-side energy management device of an air conditioner according to the present invention will be considered.

The suffix "module" and " part "for the components used in the following description are given or mixed in consideration of ease of specification, and do not have their own meaning or role.

The portable terminal described herein may include a mobile phone, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a digital broadcasting terminal, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable multimedia player (PMP), navigation, and the like. However, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the configuration according to the embodiments described herein may also be applied to fixed terminals such as digital TVs, desktop computers, etc., except when applicable only to portable terminals.

3 is a block diagram of a portable terminal related to an embodiment of the present invention.

The portable terminal 100 includes a wireless communication unit 110, an A / V input unit 120, a user input unit 130, a sensing unit 140, an output unit 150, a memory 160, and an interface. The unit 170, the controller 180, and the power supply unit 190 may be included. The components shown in FIG. 1 are not essential, so a portable terminal having more or fewer components may be implemented.

Hereinafter, the components will be described in order.

The wireless communication unit 110 may include one or more modules that enable wireless communication between the mobile terminal 100 and the wireless communication system or between the mobile terminal 100 and a network in which the mobile terminal 100 is located. For example, the wireless communication unit 110 may include a broadcast receiving module 111, a mobile communication module 112, a wireless Internet module 113, a short range communication module 114, and a location information module 115 .

The broadcast receiving module 111 receives a broadcast signal and / or broadcast related information from an external broadcast management server through a broadcast channel.

The broadcast channel may include a satellite channel and a terrestrial channel. The broadcast management server may mean a server that generates and transmits a broadcast signal and / or broadcast related information or a server that receives a previously generated broadcast signal and / or broadcast related information and transmits the same to a terminal. The broadcast signal may include a TV broadcast signal, a radio broadcast signal, a data broadcast signal, and a broadcast signal in which a data broadcast signal is combined with a TV broadcast signal or a radio broadcast signal.

The broadcast-related information may refer to a broadcast channel, a broadcast program, or information related to a broadcast service provider. The broadcast related information may also be provided through a mobile communication network. In this case, it may be received by the mobile communication module 112.

The broadcast related information may exist in various forms. For example, it may exist in the form of Electronic Program Guide (EPG) of Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) or Electronic Service Guide (ESG) of Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld (DVB-H).

The broadcast receiving module 111 may include, for example, Digital Multimedia Broadcasting-Terrestrial (DMB-T), Digital Multimedia Broadcasting-Satellite (DMB-S), Media Forward Link Only (MediaFLO), and Digital Video Broadcast (DVB-H). Digital broadcast signals can be received using digital broadcasting systems such as Handheld and Integrated Services Digital Broadcast-Terrestrial (ISDB-T). Of course, the broadcast receiving module 111 may be configured to be suitable for not only the above-described digital broadcasting system but also other broadcasting systems.

The broadcast signal and / or broadcast related information received through the broadcast receiving module 111 may be stored in the memory 160.

The mobile communication module 112 transmits and receives radio signals to at least one of a base station, an external terminal, and a server on a mobile communication network. The wireless signal may include various types of data depending on a voice call signal, a video call signal or a text / multimedia message transmission / reception.

The wireless internet module 113 refers to a module for wireless internet access and may be built in or external to the portable terminal 100. Wireless Internet technologies may include Wireless LAN (Wi-Fi), Wireless Broadband (Wibro), World Interoperability for Microwave Access (Wimax), High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), and the like.

The short range communication module 114 refers to a module for short range communication. Bluetooth, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Ultra Wideband (UWB), ZigBee (ZigBee), and the like may be used as a short range communication technology.

In particular, the Zigbee-based wireless communication is useful when the amount of communication data is not large and low power is required, and can be used together with the demand-side energy management device and the portable terminal when controlling the air conditioner according to the present invention. Of course, the type of the wireless communication method and the wireless communication module is not limited thereto, and the above-described various examples may be applied.

The location information module 115 is a module for acquiring a location of a portable terminal, and a representative example thereof is a GPS (Global Position System) module.

Referring to FIG. 1, the A / V input unit 120 is for inputting an audio signal or a video signal, and may include a camera 121 and a microphone 122. The camera 121 processes image frames such as still images or moving images obtained by the image sensor in the video call mode or the photographing mode. The processed image frame can be displayed on the display module 151. [

The image frame processed by the camera 121 may be stored in the memory 160 or transmitted to the outside through the wireless communication unit 110. Two or more cameras 121 may be provided depending on the use environment.

The microphone 122 receives an external sound signal through a microphone in a communication mode, a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, or the like, and processes it as electrical voice data. The processed voice data can be converted into a form that can be transmitted to the mobile communication base station through the mobile communication module 112 when the voice data is in the call mode, and output. Various noise reduction algorithms may be implemented in the microphone 122 to remove noise generated in receiving an external sound signal.

The user input unit 130 generates input data for the user to control the operation of the terminal. The user input unit 130 may include a key pad dome switch, a touch pad (static pressure / capacitance), a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like.

The sensing unit 140 detects the current state of the portable terminal 100 such as the open / closed state of the portable terminal 100, the position of the portable terminal 100, the presence or absence of a user contact, the orientation of the portable terminal, the acceleration / deceleration of the portable terminal, and the like. To generate a sensing signal for controlling the operation of the portable terminal 100. For example, when the portable terminal 100 is in the form of a slide phone, it may sense whether the slide phone is opened or closed. In addition, whether the power supply unit 190 is supplied with power, whether the interface unit 170 is coupled to the external device may be sensed. The sensing unit 140 may include a proximity sensor 141.

The output unit 150 is used to generate an output related to sight, hearing, or tactile sense, and includes a display module 151, a sound output module 152, an alarm module 153, and a haptic module 154. Can be.

The display module 151 displays (outputs) information processed by the portable terminal 100. For example, when the portable terminal is in a call mode, a user interface (UI) or a graphic user interface (GUI) related to a call is displayed. When the portable terminal 100 is in a video call mode or a photographing mode, the mobile terminal 100 displays a photographed and / or received image, a UI, or a GUI.

The energy management device and the portable terminal of the demand side of the air conditioner according to the present invention are wirelessly communicable, and receive information related to an operation state of the air conditioner from the energy management device. The portable terminal provides a change signal or an approval request signal of an operating state of the air conditioner, and the portable terminal may transmit a control signal of the air conditioner to the demand side energy management device.

Such a series of data transmission, confirmation, and change may be performed through a pop-up window on the display module 151 of the portable terminal. That is, the change signal of the air conditioner may be displayed, or the request for approval or the change of the operating condition of the air conditioner may be performed through a pop-up window in which the user may input a signal by a touch method.

The display module 151 includes a liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), and a flexible display (flexible). and at least one of a 3D display.

When the display module 151 and a sensor for detecting a touch motion (hereinafter, referred to as a touch sensor) form a mutual layer structure (hereinafter referred to as a touch screen), the display module 151 may be configured in addition to an output device. Can also be used as an input device. The touch sensor may have the form of, for example, a touch film, a touch sheet, a touch pad, or the like.

The touch sensor may be configured to convert a change in pressure applied to a specific portion of the display module 151 or capacitance generated at a specific portion of the display module 151 into an electrical input signal. The touch sensor can be configured to detect not only the position and area to be touched but also the pressure at the time of touch.

If there is a touch input to the touch sensor, the corresponding signal (s) is sent to the touch controller. The touch controller processes the signal (s) and transmits the corresponding data to the controller 180. Thus, the control unit 180 can know which area of the display module 151 is touched or the like.

The proximity sensor may be disposed in the inner region of the portable terminal or by the touch screen, which is covered by the touch screen. The proximity sensor refers to a sensor that detects the presence or absence of an object approaching a predetermined detection surface or an object present in the vicinity without using a mechanical contact by using an electromagnetic force or infrared rays. Proximity sensors have a longer life and higher utilization than touch sensors.

The sound output module 152 may be a speaker capable of outputting audio data received from the wireless communication unit 110 or stored in the memory 160 in a call signal reception, a call mode or a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, a broadcast reception mode, and the like. . The sound output module 152 may also output a sound signal related to a function (eg, a call signal reception sound, a message reception sound, etc.) performed by the portable terminal 100. The sound output module 152 may further include a receiver, a buzzer, and the like.

When data is received from the demand-side energy management device through the sound output module 152 and a pop-up window is displayed on the display, a sound notification signal may be generated.

The alarm module 153 outputs a signal for notifying occurrence of an event of the portable terminal 100. Examples of events occurring in the portable terminal include call signal reception, message reception, key signal input, and touch input. The alarm module 153 may output a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event in a form other than a video signal or an audio signal, for example, vibration. The video signal or the audio signal may also be output through the display module 151 or the sound output module 152, so that they 151 and 152 may be classified as part of the alarm module 153.

The haptic module 154 generates various tactile effects that the user can feel. A representative example of the tactile effect generated by the haptic module 154 is vibration. The intensity and pattern of vibration generated by the haptic module 154 can be controlled. For example, different vibrations may be synthesized and output or sequentially output.

In addition to vibration, the haptic module 154 may be configured to provide a pin array that vertically moves with respect to the contact skin surface, a jetting force or suction force of air through an injection or inlet port, grazing to the skin surface, contact of an electrode, electrostatic force, and the like. Various tactile effects can be generated, such as effects by the endothermic and the reproduction of a sense of cold using the elements capable of endotherm or heat generation.

The haptic module 154 can be implemented not only to transmit the tactile effect through the direct contact but also to allow the user to feel the tactile effect through the muscular sensation of the finger or arm. The haptic module 154 may include two or more haptic modules 154 according to the configuration of the portable terminal 100.

When data is received from the demand-side energy management device through the haptic module 154 and a pop-up window is displayed on the display, a vibration notification signal may be generated.

The memory 160 may store a program for the operation of the controller 180 and temporarily store input / output data (e.g., a phone book, a message, a still image, a moving picture, etc.). The memory 160 may store data relating to various patterns of vibration and sound output when a touch input on the touch screen is performed.

The interface unit 170 serves as a path with all external devices connected to the portable terminal 100. The interface unit 170 receives data from an external device, receives power, transfers the power to each component inside the portable terminal 100, or transmits the data inside the portable terminal 100 to an external device. For example, a wired / wireless headset port, an external charger port, a wired / wireless data port, a memory card port, a port for connecting a device having an identification module, an audio I / O port, A video input / output (I / O) port, an earphone port, and the like may be included in the interface unit 170.

The interface unit 170 will be described in detail later, but a docking unit for docking with a docking station or a cable terminal unit for inserting a data or power cable may be provided.

When the portable terminal 100 is connected to an external docking station or a cradle, the interface unit may be a passage for supplying power from the docking station to the mobile terminal 100 or may be input by the user from the docking station. It may be a passage through which a command signal is transmitted to the portable terminal. Various command signals or power input from the docking station may be operated as signals for recognizing that the portable terminal is correctly mounted in the docking station.

The controller 180 typically controls the overall operation of the portable terminal. For example, perform related control and processing for voice calls, data communications, video calls, and the like. The controller 180 may include a multimedia module 181 for playing multimedia. The multimedia module 181 may be implemented in the control unit 180 or may be implemented separately from the control unit 180. [

The controller 180 may perform a pattern recognition process for recognizing handwriting input or drawing input performed on the touch screen as characters and images, respectively.

The power supply unit 190 receives an external power source and an internal power source under the control of the controller 180 to supply power for operation of each component.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the air conditioner controlled by the demand-side energy management device or provided with information related to the electric charge will be considered.

4 is a block diagram of an air conditioner according to the present invention.

The block diagram of the air conditioner which concerns on this invention is shown. Indoor unit according to the present invention, the indoor unit 200, the outdoor unit 300 connected to the indoor unit, the demand-side energy management device 30 of the intelligent power grid that can communicate with the portable terminal 100, the demand-side energy management device of the intelligent power grid ( Control the indoor unit or the outdoor unit according to the control signal provided in 30), or generate a control signal of the indoor unit or outdoor unit according to the charge information for the unit power provided by the energy management device 30 of the intelligent power grid, and to the generated control signal And a control unit for controlling the indoor unit or the outdoor unit.

At least one indoor unit 200 may be provided to cool or heat a room. The indoor unit 200 may be connected to the outdoor unit, and may include a heat exchanger for exchanging refrigerant and indoor air or outdoor air, and a blower fan blown to each heat exchanger side for heat exchange in each heat exchanger.

Conventionally, a structure in which one indoor unit 200 and an outdoor unit are integrally formed or one outdoor unit and one indoor unit 200 are connected, but recently, a plurality of indoor units 200 are connected to one outdoor unit. Air conditioners are widely used.

In addition, the indoor unit 200 may be configured to cool or heat the room, and further includes an air cleaning function to purify the indoor air, a ventilation function to circulate the outside air and the indoor air, and a humidification function to humidify the air. can do.

The indoor unit 200 and the outdoor unit may be connected by a refrigerant pipe, a communication line, or the like, and may be controlled by a controller or the like. The operating state of the air conditioner may be displayed or input of a control signal to the controller may be performed through the controller 400 provided separately from the indoor unit 200 or provided in the indoor unit 200.

The controller may be provided inside the controller 400 or may be provided inside the indoor unit 200 or the outdoor unit 300.

Through the controller 400, a user may input a control signal for changing the operation of each indoor unit 200, an operation mode, an operating air volume, an operating temperature, and the like, and the control input through the controller 400. According to the signal, the controller may control each component constituting the air conditioner.

The controller 400 may be communicatively connected to the demand-side energy management device 30 of the intelligent power grid by wire or wirelessly.

The demand-side energy management device 30 of the intelligent power grid may receive information on a variable power bill from the intelligent power grid, and thus may provide the fee information to the controller of the air conditioner.

Of course, the energy management device may receive information related to the electric charge, generate the control signal of the air conditioner directly, and directly transmit the control signal of the air conditioner to the controller of the air conditioner.

That is, the demand-side energy management device 30 receives the operation information related to at least one of the charge information per unit power, the operating mode of the indoor unit, the operating temperature of the indoor unit and the operating air volume of the indoor unit through the short range wireless communication module. Can be sent to the portable terminal. In addition, the transmission of the driving information may be performed at a predetermined interval or when there is a transmission request (for example, when a user inquires) from the portable terminal.

 That is, the control unit may control the indoor unit 200 or the outdoor unit according to the control signal provided from the demand-side energy management device 30 of the intelligent power grid, the control unit for the unit power provided by the energy management device of the intelligent power grid The control signal of the indoor unit 200 or the outdoor unit may be generated according to the fee information, and the indoor unit 200 or the outdoor unit may be controlled according to the generated control signal.

In addition, the energy management device may be communicatively connected to the portable terminal 100. The portable terminal 100 and the demand-side energy management device 30 are provided with the same short-range wireless communication module, and the portable terminal 100 reads the information provided by the energy management device and returns to the energy management device. In order to transmit various control signals, an operating program (application for monitoring or controlling the air conditioner) provided by the manufacturer of the air conditioner may be installed.

The wireless communication module may be a Zigbee communication module or a Bluetooth communication module.

The energy management device and the portable terminal 100 may include the same type of short-range wireless communication module to transmit the operation state or operation information of the air conditioner through the wireless communication module, and the operation state of the transmitted air conditioner or The driving information may be viewed by a user carrying the portable terminal 100.

In addition, the user who views the operation state or the operation information of the air conditioner does not only read the information, but also sends the control signal of the air conditioner via the demand side energy management device 30 and the controller 400, Transmission to the control unit of the air conditioner, and may be transmitted to the control unit of the air conditioner.

As described above, the energy management device operates information related to at least one of fee information per unit power, operation of each indoor unit 200, operation mode, operating air volume or operating temperature through the short range wireless communication module. May be transmitted to the portable terminal 100.

The transmission of the driving information by the energy management device may be performed at a predetermined interval or when there is a transmission request from the portable terminal.

Of course, the control unit of the air conditioner may not receive the control signal of the air conditioner directly from the energy management device, and may generate the control signal of the air conditioner according to a predetermined condition in the control unit of the air conditioner.

In this case, when the control unit changes the operation mode, the operating temperature, or the operating air volume according to a predetermined condition, the portable terminal requests an approval request signal for requesting approval for the change or a change notification signal for notifying the change. Can be transmitted.

Figure 5 shows an example of a graphical user interface of the display module of the portable terminal associated with the air conditioner and the control method of the air conditioner according to the present invention.

In detail, FIG. 5A illustrates a state in which the energy management device transmits a change notification signal informing of the change to the portable terminal when the controller changes the operation mode, the operating temperature, or the air flow amount according to a predetermined condition. 5 (b) shows that the energy management device requests the portable terminal to approve the change to the portable terminal when the controller intends to change the operation mode, the operating temperature or the air flow amount according to a predetermined condition. 5 (c) shows the air conditioner or the indoor unit 200 in relation to the power rate peak section after the energy management device receives the power rate related information from the intelligent power grid. The pop-up window for guiding whether to change the operating state of the illustrated state is shown, Figure 5 (d) is a user air conditioning device or If desired, a change in the indoor unit operation state, there is shown a case in which the setting window for changing the operating state of the air conditioner is activated.

The demand-side energy management device 30, if the control unit of the air conditioner changes the operation mode, the operating temperature or the amount of air flow according to a predetermined condition, the approval request signal or change requesting approval for the change to the portable terminal The change notification signal may be transmitted. The predetermined condition may include a change of a charge per unit power or a temperature of an air conditioning space in which an indoor unit is installed. The approval request signal or the change notification signal may be displayed as a pop-up window in the display module of the portable terminal. Specifically, it is as follows.

Figure 5 (a) shows a state of simply monitoring the operating state of the air conditioner through a portable terminal.

The control unit of the air conditioner is expected to the power bill peak section of which the power cost exceeds a predetermined cost, or when entering the power bill peak section, and operates the outdoor unit and the indoor unit in a power saving mode, and through the energy management device Information related to the power saving mode operation (change mode operation signal, etc.) of the indoor unit or the outdoor unit may be transmitted to the portable terminal.

In this case, the power saving mode may be an operation mode in which the deviation between the operating temperature and the indoor temperature of the indoor unit of the air conditioner is reduced, or may be an operation mode in which the operating air volume of the indoor unit is reduced.

Therefore, the user of the portable terminal can simply read the operating state of the air conditioner. For example, if the cooling operation temperature of the indoor unit was 23 degrees Celsius, but the control unit of the air conditioner changes the cooling operation temperature of the indoor unit to 25 degrees Celsius based on the power rate information related to the electricity rate in the energy management device. Assume a case of informing the user of the change signal 501.

In this case, the controller of the air conditioner may input a setting of a user related to a power rate peak section through the controller 400 or the like.

That is, a power saving mode associated with the peak power period is provided, and the cooling temperature in the power saving mode can be set by the user.

In addition, in FIG. 5B, when the controller of the air conditioner attempts to change the operating temperature of the air conditioner according to a predetermined condition, the charge fee is not simply transmitted to the portable terminal through the energy management device. When a variable such as a peak section is generated, a confirmation signal 502 for acknowledging a change in the operating state by the controller of the air conditioner is transmitted.

In addition, a selection menu (or a selection icon) for selecting the approval of the change or the rejection of the change may be displayed on the pop-up window for the approval request signal.

Therefore, when the user touches the approval icon 502a in the pop-up window in FIG. 5 (b), the portable terminal transmits the approval signal to the energy management device, and the energy management device sends the approval signal to the controller of the air conditioner. And, the transmitted approval signal is changed to a control signal of the air conditioner to be able to control the air conditioner.

When the reject icon 502b is touched, the operation state of the air conditioner may be maintained without changing the operation state of the air conditioner.

And, in connection with the intelligent power grid, the energy management device is expected to be a power bill peak section of which the power cost exceeds a predetermined cost, or when entering the power bill peak section, the mobile terminal 100 and the power bill peak section Related information can be transmitted.

In addition, when the demand-side energy management device transmits the information related to the peak power charge interval to the portable terminal, if a new control signal related to the operation mode, the operating temperature or the operating air volume of the indoor unit is not received from the portable terminal, The energy management device may further transmit the information related to the power rate peak section to the portable terminal a predetermined number of times at a predetermined time interval. This is to induce a new control signal to save the power bill to the user.

5 (c) and FIG. 5 (d) show an active change of the operation state of the air conditioner when the user enters or is expected to enter a section in which the power rate received from the energy management device exceeds the predetermined power rate. If the user checks whether the user wants to actively change the operating condition of the air conditioner, and selects the approval icon 503a that accepts the detailed setting window 504 of the air conditioner as shown in FIG. 5 (d). ) Can be configured to pop up.

Specifically, the setting window of the air conditioner shown in FIG. 5 (d) includes an operation mode change icon 504a, an operation wind direction change icon 504b, an operation temperature change icon 504c, and an operation air volume change icon 504d, and air cleaning. It may include a selection icon 504e, a power saving mode selection icon 504f, a defrost operation selection icon 504g, and the like.

When the user wants to change the operation state of the air conditioner according to the guidance of the electric power peak period, the operation mode change icon 504a, the operation direction change icon 504a, the operation temperature change icon 504c, and the operation air volume change respectively. It is also possible to change the operating state directly through the icon 504d, or simply enter the power saving mode by touching the power saving mode selection icon 504f.

In order to determine the existence of the communicable portable terminal, the energy management device may search for a predetermined time interval whether a portable application capable of wireless communication is installed and a communication application for communication with the energy management apparatus is installed at a short distance. Can be.

6 is a block diagram of a control method of an air conditioner according to the present invention.

The control method of the air conditioner according to the present invention is a control method of an air conditioner including a demand-side energy management device 30, at least one indoor unit and an outdoor unit of an intelligent power grid, the air in the demand-side energy management device Driving information collection step (S300) for collecting the driving information of the harmonic device, driving information transmission step (S400) for wirelessly transmitting the driving information collected in the driving information collection step (S300) to the portable terminal, The air conditioner controls the air conditioner according to the control signal received in the control signal receiving step (S500) and the control signal receiving step (S500) of the energy management device to receive the control signal of the air conditioner from the portable terminal. It may include the device control step (S600).

In the operation information collection step S300, since an operation state of the air conditioner may vary, the operation information may be repeated at predetermined intervals to update the operation information.

On the other hand, the operation information transmission step (S400) of transmitting the operation information of the air conditioner to the portable terminal may be set to be performed at a predetermined interval or when a request signal is generated in the portable terminal. If the user does not want to send the driving information unnecessarily so as not to interfere with the user through the portable terminal.

The method may further include a portable terminal searching step of searching for a portable terminal capable of wireless transmission of the driving information.

This is because the operation information of the air conditioner is changed during operation of the air conditioner, or the operation state of the air conditioner is required to be notified or approved by the user.

In addition, since the energy management device and the portable terminal according to the present invention communicate using short-range communication means, it is assumed that the portable terminal is located at a distance communicable with the energy management apparatus.

Therefore, when there is no portable terminal that is wirelessly connected (pairing), the energy management device may perform a search step (S100) of the portable terminal at a predetermined interval.

The control method of the air conditioner according to the present invention may further include a power rate inquiry step of inquiring information on the power rate by the demand-side energy management device of the intelligent power grid.

The result of the inquiry of the power rate is to allow the user to change the operation state of the air conditioner according to the user's judgment or setting when the power rate is within the peak period.

If, in the power rate peak period, the power rate inquired in the power rate inquiry step is greater than or equal to a predetermined rate, the air conditioner control step may control the air conditioner in a power saving mode, and FIGS. 5C and 5. As shown in (d), the user's intention is to change the operating state of the air conditioner.

In addition, the control signal of the air conditioner used in the control step (S600) of the air conditioner may be generated directly from the control unit of the air conditioner, or generated by the demand-side energy management device to the control unit of the air conditioner It may be transmitted or may be transmitted from the portable terminal and transmitted to the controller of the air conditioner via the demand side energy management device.

That is, the place where the control signal of the air conditioner is generated by processing the power charge related information may be any one of a control unit, an energy management device, and a portable terminal of the air conditioner, so that the generated control signal is a control unit of the air conditioner. It can be delivered to control the air conditioner.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims. . It is therefore to be understood that the modified embodiments are included in the technical scope of the present invention if they basically include elements of the claims of the present invention.

100: portable terminal
200: indoor unit
300: outdoor unit
400: controller

Claims (23)

Indoor unit;
An outdoor unit connected to the indoor unit;
An energy management device on demand side of an intelligent power network capable of communicating with a portable terminal;
Control the indoor unit or the outdoor unit according to the control signal provided by the demand-side energy management device of the intelligent power grid, or generate a control signal of the indoor unit or the outdoor unit according to the charge information on the unit power provided by the demand-side energy management device of the intelligent power grid; And a controller for controlling the indoor unit or the outdoor unit according to the generated control signal. The method of claim 1,
The demand-side energy management device and the portable terminal is an air conditioner, characterized in that it comprises a short-range wireless communication module of the same type. The method of claim 2,
The short range wireless communication module may be a Bluetooth communication module or a Zigbee communication module. The method of claim 2,
The demand-side energy management device transmits, to the portable terminal, driving information related to at least one of charge information per unit power, an operating mode of an indoor unit, an operating temperature of an indoor unit, and an operating air volume of an indoor unit through the short range wireless communication module. Air conditioner, characterized in that. The method of claim 4, wherein
And transmitting the driving information at a predetermined interval or when there is a transmission request from the portable terminal. The method of claim 1,
And when the control signal of the air conditioner is transmitted from the portable terminal to the energy management device, the controller controls the indoor unit or the outdoor unit according to the transmitted control signal. The method of claim 1,
When the control unit changes the operation mode, the operating temperature or the air flow amount according to a predetermined condition, the energy management device transmits a change request signal for requesting approval for the change or a change notification signal for notifying the change to the portable terminal. Air conditioner, characterized in that. The method of claim 7, wherein
The predetermined condition is an air conditioner, characterized in that the change of the charge per unit power or the temperature of the air conditioning space in which the indoor unit is installed. The method of claim 7, wherein
The approval request signal or the change notification signal is an air conditioner, characterized in that displayed in the pop-up window in the portable terminal. 10. The method of claim 9,
And a selection menu for selecting the approval of the change or the rejection of the change is displayed on the pop-up window for the approval request signal. The method of claim 1,
The energy management device is expected to have a power bill peak section whose power cost exceeds a predetermined cost, or when entering the power bill peak section, the air conditioning, characterized in that for transmitting information related to the power bill peak section to the portable terminal Device. The method of claim 11,
The energy management device transmits the information related to the electric power price peak period to the portable terminal, and when the new control signal related to the operating mode, operating temperature or operating air volume of the indoor unit is not received from the portable terminal, the demand-side energy. And the management device further transmits, to the portable terminal, information related to the peak price range of electricity rates at a predetermined number of time intervals. The method of claim 11,
The controller may be configured to operate the outdoor unit and the indoor unit in a power saving mode when a power rate peak section in which a power cost exceeds a predetermined cost or enters a power rate peak section, and operate the indoor unit or the indoor unit through the energy management device. An air conditioner, characterized in that for transmitting information related to the power saving mode operation of the outdoor unit to the portable terminal. The method of claim 13,
The power saving mode is an air conditioner, characterized in that the operating mode of the deviation of the operating temperature and room temperature of the indoor unit is small. The method of claim 13,
The power saving mode is an air conditioner, characterized in that the operation mode in which the operating air volume of the indoor unit is reduced. The method of claim 1,
The energy management device, characterized in that for retrieving at a predetermined time interval whether there is a portable terminal capable of wireless communication and the communication application for the communication with the energy management device is installed at a short distance. In the control method of the air conditioner including the demand-side energy management device of the intelligent power grid, at least one indoor unit and outdoor unit,
A driving information collecting step of collecting driving information of an air conditioner in the demand-side energy management device;
A driving information transmission step of wirelessly transmitting the driving information collected in the driving information collection step from the energy management device to a portable terminal;
A control signal receiving step of the energy management device receiving a control signal of the air conditioner from the portable terminal;
And an air conditioner controlling step of controlling an air conditioner in accordance with the control signal received in the control signal receiving step. 18. The method of claim 17,
The operation information collecting step is a control method of the air conditioner, characterized in that repeated at a predetermined interval. 18. The method of claim 17,
And transmitting the driving information at a predetermined interval or when the request signal is generated in the portable terminal. 18. The method of claim 17,
And a portable terminal searching step of searching for a portable terminal capable of wireless transmission of the driving information. 18. The method of claim 17,
The control method of the air conditioner further comprises a power bill inquiry step of inquiring information on the power bill from the demand-side energy management device of the intelligent power grid. The method of claim 21,
The control method of the air conditioner, characterized in that the air conditioner control step controls the air conditioner in the power saving mode in the power rate peak period in which the power rate inquired in the power rate inquiry step is more than a predetermined rate. The method of claim 22,
The control signal of the air conditioner used in the control step of the air conditioner is generated by the control unit of the air conditioner, generated by the demand side energy management device and transmitted to the air conditioner, or generated by the portable terminal and the demand The control method of the air conditioner, characterized in that transmitted to the control unit of the air conditioner via the side energy management device.

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