Air conditioner

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an air conditioner. An air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include: an outdoor unit; a plurality of indoor units disposed to correspond to a plurality of regions, respectively; temperature sensors sensing indoor temperatures for the plurality of regions corresponding to the plurality of indoor units, respectively; and a controller, and the controller may set, when there is at least one first indoor unit in which an indoor temperature of a corresponding region is lower than a target temperature among the plurality of indoor units, any one of the first indoor units to a second indoor unit requiring an operation support, based on a difference between the target temperature and the indoor temperature, set any one of indoor units which are adjacent to the second indoor unit, and of which powers are off to a third indoor unit that supports an operation of the second indoor unit, and control the operation by turning on a power of the third indoor unit. Various other embodiments are possible.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An air conditioner comprising:
 an outdoor unit;   a plurality of indoor units disposed to correspond to a plurality of regions, respectively;   temperature sensors sensing indoor temperatures for the plurality of regions corresponding to the plurality of indoor units, respectively; and   a controller configured to:   set, when there is at least one first indoor unit in which an indoor temperature of a corresponding region is lower than a target temperature among the plurality of indoor units, any one of the first indoor units to a second indoor unit requiring an operation support, based on a difference between the target temperature and the indoor temperature,   set any one of indoor units which are adjacent to the second indoor unit, and of which powers are off to a third indoor unit that supports an operation of the second indoor unit, and   control the operation by turning on a power of the third indoor unit.   
     
     
         2 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein when there are a plurality of first indoor units, the controller is configured to determine a fourth indoor unit in which the difference between the target temperature and the indoor temperature is the largest to the second indoor unit among the plurality of first indoor units. 
     
     
         3 . The air conditioner of  claim 2 , wherein when there are a plurality of fourth indoor units, the controller is configured to determine, as the second indoor unit, an indoor unit having the smallest number of indoor units in operation therearound among the plurality of fourth indoor units. 
     
     
         4 . The air conditioner of  claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to:
 perform a cooling operation, and determine, when there are a plurality of fourth indoor units, as the second indoor unit, an indoor unit in which the target temperature is the lowest among the plurality of fourth indoor units, and   perform a heating operation, and determine, when there are a plurality of fourth indoor units, as the second indoor unit, an indoor unit in which the target temperature is the highest among the plurality of fourth indoor units.   
     
     
         5 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein when there are a plurality of indoor units which are adjacent to the second indoor unit, and of which powers are off, the controller is configured to determine, as the third indoor unit, a fifth indoor unit having a largest capacity among the plurality of indoor units which are adjacent to the second indoor unit, and of which powers are off. 
     
     
         6 . The air conditioner of  claim 5 , wherein when there are a plurality of fifth indoor units, the controller is configured to determine, as the third indoor unit, an indoor unit having the largest number of indoor units in operation therearound among the plurality of fifth indoor units. 
     
     
         7 . The air conditioner of  claim 5 , wherein when there are a plurality of fifth indoor units, the controller is configured to determine, as the third indoor unit, an indoor unit having the largest number of adjacent regions among the plurality of fifth indoor units. 
     
     
         8 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein a target temperature of the third indoor unit is lower than the target temperature of the second indoor unit corresponding thereto during a cooling operation, and
 the target temperature of the third indoor unit is higher than the target temperature of the second indoor unit corresponding thereto during a heating operation.   
     
     
         9 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
 control an operation of the third indoor unit during a predetermined control cycle,   determine a change degree of an indoor temperature of a region corresponding to the second indoor unit for the control cycle when the control cycle elapses, and   set any one of indoor units which are adjacent to the second indoor unit, and of which powers are off to a sixth indoor unit that additionally supports the operation of the second indoor unit when the change degree is less than a predetermined reference.   
     
     
         10 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
 release the setting for the second indoor unit when an indoor temperature of a predetermined region corresponding to the second indoor unit reaches the target temperature of the second indoor unit, and   turn off a power of the third indoor unit.