US 12,146,675 B2
Air conditioner and method of controlling the same
Seung Won Oh, Suwon-si (KR); Chi Wook Gu, Suwon-si (KR); Young Hoon Kim, Suwon-si (KR); Tae Woo Kim, Suwon-si (KR); Hyeong Joon Seo, Suwon-si (KR); Sun-Hee Son, Suwon-si (KR); Hae Gyun Shin, Suwon-si (KR); Jeong Kyo Oh, Suwon-si (KR); Hyo-Shin Lee, Suwon-si (KR); Il Yong Cho, Suwon-si (KR); and Hyoung Seo Choi, Suwon-si (KR)
Assigned to SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., Suwon-si (KR)
Filed by SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., Suwon-si (KR)
Filed on Jul. 15, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/376,882.
Application 17/376,882 is a continuation of application No. PCT/KR2020/000508, filed on Jan. 10, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2019-0005089 (KR), filed on Jan. 15, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0341169 A1, Nov. 4, 2021
Int. Cl. F24F 11/77 (2018.01); F24F 1/0014 (2019.01); F24F 1/0018 (2019.01); F24F 1/0033 (2019.01); F24F 1/0083 (2019.01); F24F 11/74 (2018.01); F24F 13/22 (2006.01)
CPC F24F 11/77 (2018.01) [F24F 1/0014 (2013.01); F24F 13/222 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An air conditioner comprising:
a housing having a discharge port and a plurality of holes;
a door configured to open or close the discharge port;
a heat exchanger provided in the housing;
a compressor to be connected to the heat exchanger, the compressor being configured to circulate a refrigerant to pass through the heat exchanger;
a fan configured to move air inside the housing such that the air passes through the heat exchanger and is discharged through at least one of the discharge port and the plurality of holes;
a humidity sensor provided in the housing, the humidity sensor being configured to detect a humidity of the air that passes through the heat exchanger; and
a controller configured to, based on the humidity detected by the humidity sensor while the compressor is stopped:
control the door to open or close the discharge port, and
control a rotation speed of the fan so that the fan rotates at different rotation speeds based on different humidities detected by the humidity sensor inside the housing,
wherein the controller is configured to control the door to open the discharge port and control the rotation speed of the fan so that the fan rotates at a first rotation speed after stopping the compressor, and
wherein, based on the humidity detected by the humidity sensor being less than a first reference humidity while the fan is rotating at the first rotation speed, the controller is configured to control the door to close the discharge port and control the rotation speed of the fan so that the fan rotates at a second rotation speed less than the first rotation speed.
 
6. A method of controlling an air conditioner, the air conditioner including a housing having a discharge port and a plurality of holes, the method comprising:
operating a compressor such that a refrigerant passes through a heat exchanger provided in the housing;
rotating a fan such that air passes through the heat exchanger while the compressor is operating;
stopping the compressor in response to a user input to stop the compressor; and
opening and closing the discharge port and controlling a rotation speed of the fan, by a controller, so that the fan operates at a plurality of rotation speeds based on different humidities, in the air passing through the heat exchanger, that are detected by a humidity sensor in the housing, while the compressor is stopped,
wherein the opening and closing the discharge port and the controlling the rotation speed of the fan comprises:
opening the discharge port and controlling the rotation speed of the fan so that the fan rotates at a first rotation speed after stopping the compressor, and
closing the discharge port and controlling the rotation speed of the fan so that the fan rotates at a second rotation speed less than the first rotation speed based on the humidity detected by the humidity sensor being less than a first reference humidity.
 
10. An air conditioner comprising:
a housing;
a heat exchanger provided in the housing;
a compressor to be connected to the heat exchanger, the compressor being configured to circulate a refrigerant to pass through the heat exchanger;
a fan configured to move air inside the housing such that the air passes through the heat exchanger;
a humidity sensor provided in the housing, the humidity sensor being configured to detect a humidity of the air that passes through the heat exchanger; and
a controller configured to control a rotation speed of the fan so that the fan rotates at different rotation speeds based on different humidities detected by the humidity sensor inside the housing while the compressor is stopped,
wherein the controller is configured to control the rotation speed of the fan so that the fan rotates at a first rotation speed after stopping the compressor, and
wherein, based on the humidity detected by the humidity sensor being less than a first reference humidity while the fan rotates at the first rotation speed, the controller is configured to control the rotation speed of the fan so that the fan rotates at a second rotation speed less than the first rotation speed.