Air conditioning system

Abstract

An air conditioning system is provided that may include a control apparatus that provides easy access to data for an air conditioner to determine and control an operation state of the air conditioner visually. The air conditioning system may store and manage data received from the air conditioner, and display visually a change in the operation state of the air conditioner with time, enabling a user to easily determine a state of the air conditioner and to instantly recognize a problem with the air conditioner and to easily determine a flow on a whole structure and general operation of the air conditioner, thereby to significantly improving user convenience.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An air conditioning system, comprising:
 a plurality of component devices connected to one another to form a network; and   a control apparatus in communication with at least one of the plurality of component devices to monitor and control the plurality of component devices, wherein the control apparatus receives detailed cycle data which enables problem diagnosis for the plurality of component devices from the at least one of the plurality of component devices, in real time, and displays the cycle data on the plurality of component devices in a frame on an output, in real time, and carries out a control to determine whether any of the plurality of component devices has a problem with it, a position of the problem, and a cause of the problem according to a change in the cycle data.   
     
     
         2 . The air conditioning system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the control apparatus includes:
 an input;   the output that displays the cycle data;   a communication device connected to the at least one of the plurality of component devices to transmit and receive the data to and from the plurality of component devices;   a processor to analyze the data, compute raw data on the plurality of component devices, change the raw data to data a user may recognize, and forward the data to the output; and   a memory to store settings data for the plurality of component devices.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus for controlling an air conditioner as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the memory stores the cycle data, periodically or upon request by a user. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus for controlling an air conditioner as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the control apparatus further comprises a timer. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus for controlling an air conditioner as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the output comprises a touch screen. 
     
     
         6 . The air conditioning system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the control apparatus stores a history of the data changing with time at a time of storage of the data for the plurality of component devices, and if the data thus stored is retrieved, displays the data changed with time corresponding to temporal information on the data thus stored. 
     
     
         7 . The air conditioning system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the control apparatus analyzes the data received from the plurality of component devices to diagnose a problem or a state of the plurality of component devices, and produces a warning to the frame if a problem occurs. 
     
     
         8 . The air conditioning system as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the control apparatus derives and displays a help or a solution for the at least one of the plurality of component devices having a problem based on data previously stored. 
     
     
         9 . The air conditioning system as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein if the warning is displayed on the frame, the control apparatus carries out diagnosis on the at least one of the plurality of component devices having a problem with it. 
     
     
         10 . The air conditioning system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the control apparatus controls operations of the plurality of component devices, changes settings for the plurality of component devices corresponding to the data being received, and receives and displays the cycle data changed by the operation control in real time. 
     
     
         11 . The air conditioning system as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the control apparatus controls at least one of the plurality of component devices to stop or start operation, and searches the plurality of component devices for the at least one of the plurality of component devices having a problem with it. 
     
     
         12 . The air conditioning system as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the control apparatus determines whether the data being received has an error, disregards data received if the data thus received has an error, and produces a warning on the error thus received. 
     
     
         13 . The air conditioning system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the control apparatus sorts the cycle data received from the at least one of the plurality of component devices according to a kind of data, a kind of the component device, and data characteristics, and displays the data thus sorted, respectively. 
     
     
         14 . The air conditioning system as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the control apparatus divides the frame into a plurality of regions and displays the data sorted in the plurality of regions, respectively. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus for controlling an air conditioner as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the processor displays the cycle data in the frame corresponding to a connection structure and an installation structure of the plurality of component devices. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus for controlling an air conditioner as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein if a warning is displayed on the frame and selected by a user, the control apparatus performs a problem diagnosis operation on a component device associated with the warning. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus for controlling an air conditioner as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of component devices comprises at least one outdoor device and a plurality of indoor devices connected to the at least one outdoor device. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus for controlling an air conditioner as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the control apparatus is configured to receive the cycle data from at least one of the at least one outdoor device or one the plurality of indoor devices connected to the at least one outdoor device. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus for controlling an air conditioner as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the control apparatus is configured to be connected to at least one of the at least one outdoor device, one of the plurality of indoor devices, or a communication line connecting the at least one outdoor device and the plurality of indoor devices. 
     
     
         20 . An air conditioning system, comprising:
 a plurality of component devices of an air conditioner, the plurality of component devices including at least one outdoor device and a plurality of indoor devices connected to the at least one outdoor device, the plurality of component devices being connected to one another to form a network; and   a control apparatus in communication with at least one of the plurality of component devices to monitor and control the plurality of component devices, wherein the control apparatus receives detailed cycle data which enables problem diagnosis for the plurality of component devices from the at least one of the plurality of component devices, in real time, and displays the cycle data on the plurality of component devices in a frame on an output, in real time, and carries out a control to determine whether any of the plurality of component devices has a problem with it, a position of the problem, and a cause of the problem according to a change in the cycle data.   
     
     
         21 . The air conditioning system as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the control apparatus includes:
 an input;   the output that displays the cycle data;   a communication device connected to the at least one of the plurality of component devices to transmit and receive the data to and from the plurality of component devices;   a processor to analyze the data, compute raw data on the plurality of component devices, change the raw data to data a user may recognize, and forward the data to the output; and   a memory to store settings data for the plurality of component devices.   
     
     
         22 . The apparatus for controlling an air conditioner as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the output comprises a touch screen. 
     
     
         23 . The air conditioning system as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the control apparatus stores a history of the data changing with time at a time of storage of the data for the plurality of component devices, and if the data thus stored is retrieved, displays the data changed with time corresponding to temporal information on the data thus stored. 
     
     
         24 . The air conditioning system as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the control apparatus analyzes the data received from the plurality of component devices to diagnose a problem or a state of the plurality of component devices, and produces a warning to the frame if a problem occurs. 
     
     
         25 . The air conditioning system as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein the control apparatus derives and displays a help or a solution for the at least one of the plurality of component devices having a problem based on data previously stored. 
     
     
         26 . The air conditioning system as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein if the warning is displayed on the frame, the control apparatus carries out diagnosis on the at least one of the plurality of component devices having a problem with it. 
     
     
         27 . The air conditioning system as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the control apparatus sorts the cycle data received from the at least one of the plurality of component devices according to a kind of data, a kind of the component device, and data characteristics, and displays the data thus sorted, respectively. 
     
     
         28 . The air conditioning system as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein the control apparatus divides the frame into a plurality of regions and displays the data sorted in the plurality of regions, respectively. 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus for controlling an air conditioner as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the control apparatus is configured to receive the cycle data from at least one of the at least one outdoor device or one the plurality of indoor devices connected to the at least one outdoor device. 
     
     
         30 . The apparatus for controlling an air conditioner as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the control apparatus is configured to be connected to at least one of the at least one outdoor device, one of the plurality of indoor devices, or a communication line connecting the at least one outdoor device and the plurality of indoor devices.