Air conditioner having power-saving function and air conditioner control method
An air conditioner includes a compressor; an input unit to receive a target temperature and a power saving command including a power saving rate; an indoor temperature detection unit to obtain a room temperature; and a control unit to control so that the operating frequency of the compressor is determined based on the difference between the received target temperature and the obtained room temperature, the operating frequency is changed according to the power saving rate, and the compressor is driven with the changed operating frequency.
1 . An air conditioner comprising:
a compressor;
an inputter configured to receive at least one of a target temperature and a power-saving command from a user, a power-saving command including a plurality of power-saving rates for adjusting an operating frequency of the compressor;
a temperature detector configured to measure a room temperature; and
an integrated controller configured to:
set a normal operating frequency of the compressor based on a difference between the received target temperature and the measured room temperature;
control the compressor to drive at the normal operating frequency;
in response to receiving the power-saving command, adjust the normal operating frequency based on a constant value corresponding to one of the plurality of power-saving rates included in the power-saving command; and
control the compressor to drive at the adjusted operating frequency.
2 . The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the integrated controller is configured to set an absolute frequency based on the difference between the received target temperature and the measured room temperature, and
set the operating frequency by adjusting the absolute frequency based on a driving range of the compressor.
3 . The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the integrated controller is
configured to drive the compressor by applying the one of the plurality of power-saving rates to the operating frequency until the driving of the compressor is interrupted or another power-saving command is input after a driving start time of the compressor.
4 . The air conditioner of claim 1 , further comprising a display,
wherein the integrated controller is configured to measure the room temperature from the temperature detector at preset time intervals from a driving start time of the compressor, and
output, to the display, a guide message to guide a change of the power-saving command, based on a change of the difference between the received target temperature and the measured room temperature, measured after the driving start time.
5 . The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the integrated controller is configured to turn off the driving of the compressor based on the target temperature being higher than the measured room temperature.
6 . The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the integrated controller is
configured to set, based on a another power-saving command input by the user through the inputter after the compressor is driven at the operating frequency, the operating frequency based on the another power-saving command and a difference between the received target temperature and the measured room temperature at a time at which the changed power-saving command is input.
7 . The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the integrated controller is
configured to set, based on an automatic power-saving command input by the user through the inputter, an optimization frequency based on a difference between a changed room temperature and the received target temperature, and
drive the compressor at the set optimization frequency.
8 . The air conditioner of claim 1 , further comprising a display,
wherein the integrated controller is configured to
identify an accumulated driving time of the compressor, and
output an error message to the display based on the accumulated driving time exceeding a preset time.
9 . A method for controlling an air conditioner having a compressor, an integrated controller to control the compressor, and a display, comprising:
receiving at least one of a target temperature and a power-saving command, the power-saving command including a plurality of power-saving rates for adjusting an operating frequency of the compressor;
measuring a room temperature;
setting a normal operating frequency of the compressor based on a difference between the received target temperature and the measured room temperature;
controlling, by the integrated controller, the compressor to drive at the normal operating frequency;
in response to receiving the power-saving command, adjusting the normal operating frequency based on a constant value corresponding to one of the plurality of the power-saving rates included in the power-saving command; and
controlling the compressor to drive at the adjusted operating frequency.
10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising setting an absolute frequency based on the difference between the received target temperature and the measured room temperature,
wherein the setting of the operating frequency of the compressor comprises setting the operating frequency by changing the absolute frequency based on a driving range of the compressor.
11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising driving the compressor by applying the one of the plurality of power-saving rates to the operating frequency until the driving of the compressor is interrupted or another power-saving command is received after a driving start time of the compressor.
12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the measuring of the room temperature comprises measuring the room temperature at preset time intervals from a driving start time of the compressor, and
the method further comprising outputting, to a display of the air conditioner, a guide message to guide a change of the power-saving command, based on a change of a difference between the received target temperature and the measured room temperature measured after the driving start time.
13 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising turning off the driving of the compressor based on the target temperature being higher than the measured room temperature.