US 12,410,933 B2
Air conditioner and method for operating an air conditioner based on user activity
Yeonkyung Chae, Seoul (KR); Sungyong Kim, Seoul (KR); Dongwoo Han, Seoul (KR); and Taeyup Song, Seoul (KR)
Assigned to LG ELECTRONICS INC., Seoul (KR)
Filed by LG ELECTRONICS INC., Seoul (KR)
Filed on Jul. 21, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/869,971.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2021-0096539 (KR), filed on Jul. 22, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0035576 A1, Feb. 2, 2023
Int. Cl. F24F 11/63 (2018.01); F24F 11/77 (2018.01); F24F 11/79 (2018.01); F24F 13/10 (2006.01); G05B 19/042 (2006.01); F24F 110/10 (2018.01); F24F 120/14 (2018.01)
CPC F24F 11/63 (2018.01) [F24F 11/77 (2018.01); F24F 11/79 (2018.01); F24F 13/10 (2013.01); G05B 19/042 (2013.01); F24F 2110/10 (2018.01); F24F 2120/14 (2018.01); F24F 2221/14 (2013.01); G05B 2219/2614 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An air conditioner, comprising:
a case having a space formed therein and an open bottom;
a panel disposed under the case and having an inlet and a plurality of outlets disposed around a circumference of the inlet;
a fan disposed in the case and configured to generate an airflow from the inlet to the plurality of outlets;
an airflow direction controller disposed at the plurality of outlets and configured to control an airflow direction of air flowing through the plurality of outlets in a plurality of directions;
a camera disposed at one side of the panel and directed toward an indoor space; and
a controller configured to control the airflow direction controller based on images corresponding to the indoor space and captured by the camera, wherein the controller is configured to:
calculate a motion vector for a plurality of pixels constituting an occupant and included in the plurality of images;
determine an activity level of the occupant for each of a plurality of areas of the indoor space;
determine a direction of air discharged from the plurality of outlets based on the determined activity level; and
control the airflow direction controller according to the direction of the air which is determined for the plurality of outlets, wherein the activity level of the occupant is determined based on a value obtained by dividing a sum of magnitudes of motion vectors for the plurality of pixels, which are calculated for the plurality of images, by a number of the pixels.