Air conditioner and controlling method therefor

Abstract

An air conditioner is provided. The air conditioner includes an indoor unit including an indoor heat exchanger, an outdoor unit including a compressor configured to supply a refrigerant to the indoor heat exchanger, an indoor heat exchanger temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the indoor heat exchanger, an indoor humidity sensor configured to detect an indoor humidity, an indoor temperature sensor configured to detect an indoor temperature, memory storing instructions, and one or more processors, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the air conditioner to determine whether to perform a comfort operation to maintain the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger to be less than or equal to a dew point temperature, based on the indoor humidity and the indoor temperature during a dehumidifying operation, and adjust a frequency of the compressor based on the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger and the dew point temperature during the comfort operation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An air conditioner, comprising:
 an indoor unit including an indoor heat exchanger;   an outdoor unit including a compressor configured to supply a refrigerant to the indoor heat exchanger;   an indoor heat exchanger temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the indoor heat exchanger;   an indoor humidity sensor configured to detect an indoor humidity;   an indoor temperature sensor configured to detect an indoor temperature;   memory storing instructions; and   one or more processors,   wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the air conditioner to:
 determine whether to perform a comfort operation to maintain the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger to be less than or equal to a dew point temperature, based on the indoor humidity and the indoor temperature during a dehumidifying operation, and 
 adjust a frequency of the compressor, based on the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger and the dew point temperature during the comfort operation. 
   
     
     
         2 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, further cause the air conditioner to:
 start the comfort operation based on the indoor temperature being maintained to be less than or equal to a first defined threshold temperature and a desired temperature set by a user, and the indoor humidity being maintained to be less than or equal to a defined threshold humidity for a first defined time during the dehumidifying operation.   
     
     
         3 . The air conditioner of  claim 2 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, further cause the air conditioner to:
 stop the comfort operation based on the indoor temperature being maintained to be greater than or equal to a second defined threshold temperature higher than the first defined threshold temperature, or the indoor humidity being maintained to be greater than or equal to the defined threshold humidity for a second defined time during the comfort operation.   
     
     
         4 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, further cause the air conditioner to:
 calculate the dew point temperature from the indoor humidity and the indoor temperature during the comfort operation, and   determine an increase in the frequency of the compressor or a decrease in the frequency of the compressor, based on a difference value between the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger and the dew point temperature, and a temperature change value of the indoor heat exchanger.   
     
     
         5 . The air conditioner of  claim 4 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, further cause the air conditioner to:
 determine an increase value of the frequency of the compressor or a decrease value of the frequency of the compressor corresponding to the difference value between the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger and the dew point temperature, and the temperature change value of the indoor heat exchanger, from a fuzzy table stored in the memory.   
     
     
         6 . The air conditioner of  claim 4 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, further cause the air conditioner to:
 in response to the increase in the frequency of the compressor, increase a rotation speed of an outdoor fan included in the outdoor unit and increase an opening degree of an expansion valve included in the indoor unit, or   in response to the decrease in the frequency of the compressor, decrease the rotation speed of the outdoor fan and decrease the opening degree of the expansion valve.   
     
     
         7 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, further cause the air conditioner to:
 adjust a first rotation speed of the compressor during the comfort operation to be slower than a second rotation speed of the compressor during the dehumidifying operation, and   adjust a third rotation speed of an outdoor fan included in the outdoor unit during the comfort operation to be slower than a fourth rotation speed of the outdoor fan during the dehumidifying operation.   
     
     
         8 . A method performed by an air conditioner comprising an indoor unit including an indoor heat exchanger and an outdoor unit including a compressor configured to supply a refrigerant to the indoor heat exchanger, the method comprising:
 detecting an indoor humidity using an indoor humidity sensor included in the indoor unit during a dehumidifying operation;   detecting an indoor temperature using an indoor temperature sensor included in the indoor unit during the dehumidifying operation;   determining whether to perform a comfort operation for maintaining a temperature of the indoor heat exchanger to be less than or equal to a dew point temperature, based on the indoor humidity and the indoor temperature during the dehumidifying operation; and   adjusting a frequency of the compressor based on the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger and the dew point temperature during the comfort operation.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 starting the comfort operation based on the indoor temperature being maintained to be less than or equal to a first defined threshold temperature and a desired temperature set by a user, and the indoor humidity being maintained to be less than or equal to a defined threshold humidity for a first defined time during the dehumidifying operation.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 stopping the comfort operation based on the indoor temperature being maintained to be greater than or equal to a second defined threshold temperature higher than the first defined threshold temperature, or the indoor humidity being maintained to be greater than or equal to the defined threshold humidity for a second defined time during the comfort operation.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the adjusting of the frequency of the compressor includes:
 calculating the dew point temperature from the indoor humidity and the indoor temperature; and   determining an increase in the frequency of the compressor or a decrease in the frequency of the compressor, based on a difference value between the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger and the dew point temperature, and a temperature change value of the indoor heat exchanger.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the adjusting of the frequency of the compressor includes determining an increase value of the frequency of the compressor or a decrease value of the frequency of the compressor corresponding to the difference value between the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger and the dew point temperature, and the temperature change value of the indoor heat exchanger, from a fuzzy table stored in memory. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 in response to the increase in the frequency of the compressor, increasing a rotation speed of an outdoor fan included in the outdoor unit and increasing an opening degree of an expansion valve included in the indoor unit; or   in response to the decrease in the frequency of the compressor, decreasing the rotation speed of the outdoor fan and decreasing the opening degree of the expansion valve.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 ,
 wherein a first rotation speed of the compressor during the comfort operation is adjusted to be slower than a second rotation speed of the compressor during the dehumidifying operation, and   wherein a third rotation speed of an outdoor fan included in the outdoor unit during the comfort operation is adjusted to be slower than a fourth rotation speed of the outdoor fan during the dehumidifying operation.