Air conditioner and method for controlling the same

Abstract

An air conditioner includes: a housing including a plurality of outlets; a heat exchanger disposed in the housing; a compressor connected to the heat exchanger and configured to circulate a refrigerant to allow the refrigerant to pass through the heat exchanger; a plurality of fans configured to blow air to allow the air to pass through the heat exchanger and be discharged to the plurality of outlets; and a controller including at least one processor, comprising processing circuitry, individually and/or collectively, configured to turn on all of the plurality of fans and sequentially turn off the plurality of fans after a cooling operation ends to perform an automatic drying operation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An air conditioner, comprising:
 a housing including a plurality of outlets;   a heat exchanger disposed in the housing;   a compressor connected to the heat exchanger and configured to circulate a refrigerant to allow the refrigerant to pass through the heat exchanger;   a plurality of fans configured to blow air to allow the air to pass through the heat exchanger and be discharged to the plurality of outlets; and   a controller including at least one processor, comprising processing circuitry, individually and/or collectively, configured to turn on all of the plurality of fans and sequentially turn off the plurality of fans after a cooling operation ends to perform an automatic drying operation.   
     
     
         2 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein at least one processor of the controller, individually and/or collectively, is configured to determine whether a first condition is satisfied, and turn off one of the plurality of fans based on whether the first condition is satisfied. 
     
     
         3 . The air conditioner of  claim 2 , wherein at least one processor of the controller, individually and/or collectively, is configured to determine whether a second condition is satisfied, and turn off another of the plurality of fans based on whether the second condition is satisfied. 
     
     
         4 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein at least one processor of the controller, individually and/or collectively, is configured to determine whether a first condition is satisfied, and perform the automatic drying operation based on the first condition being satisfied. 
     
     
         5 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fans comprises:
 a first fan;   a second fan disposed lower than the first fan; and   a third fan disposed lower than the second fan,   wherein at least one processor of the controller, individually and/or collectively, is configured to turn on all of the first fan, the second fan, and the third fan for a first period of time after the cooling operation ends.   
     
     
         6 . The air conditioner of  claim 5 , wherein at least one processor of the controller, individually and/or collectively, is configured to determine whether a first condition is satisfied, based on the first period of time elapsing. 
     
     
         7 . The air conditioner of  claim 6 , wherein the first condition includes an operation time of the compressor being less than a reference time. 
     
     
         8 . The air conditioner of  claim 6 , wherein at least one processor of the controller, individually and/or collectively, is configured to turn off the first fan and turn on the second fan and the third fan for a second period of time, in response to the first condition being satisfied. 
     
     
         9 . The air conditioner of  claim 8 , wherein at least one processor of the controller, individually and/or collectively, is configured to turn off the second fan and the third fan, based on the second period of time elapsing. 
     
     
         10 . The air conditioner of  claim 6 , wherein at least one processor of the controller, individually and/or collectively, is configured to turn off the first fan and turn on the second fan and the third fan for a second period of time, in response to the first condition not being satisfied; and
 determine whether a second condition is satisfied, based the second period of time elapsing.   
     
     
         11 . The air conditioner of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 an indoor temperature sensor configured to detect an indoor temperature;   a heat exchanger temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the heat exchanger; and   a humidity sensor disposed in the housing and configured to detect a humidity of air passing through the heat exchanger,   wherein the second condition includes a difference between the indoor temperature and the temperature of the heat exchanger being less than a reference temperature and the detected humidity being less than a reference humidity.   
     
     
         12 . The air conditioner of  claim 10 , wherein at least one processor of the controller, individually and/or collectively, is configured to turn off the second fan and turn on the third fan for a third period of time, in response to the second condition being satisfied. 
     
     
         13 . The air conditioner of  claim 12 , wherein at least one processor of the controller, individually and/or collectively, is configured to turn off the third fan, based on the third period of time elapsing. 
     
     
         14 . The air conditioner of  claim 10 , wherein at least one processor of the controller, individually and/or collectively, is configured to turn off the second fan and turn on the third fan for a fourth period of time longer than the third period of time, in response to the second condition not being satisfied. 
     
     
         15 . The air conditioner of  claim 14 , wherein at least one processor of the controller. individually and/or collectively, is configured to turn off the third fan, based on the fourth period of time elapsing.