Air conditioner and method for controlling the same

Abstract

An air conditioner includes: memory storing instructions; and at least one processor configured to execute the instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, cause the air conditioner to: based on whether a parameter related to a change in a refrigerant amount corresponds to a predetermined condition while one or more operations of the air conditioner are performed, assign a score to the parameter at each of a plurality of predetermined times, obtain one or more average scores corresponding to each of the one or more operations based on the score assigned to the parameter at the each of the plurality of predetermined times, obtain a refrigerant amount state score based on the one or more average scores corresponding to the each of the one or more operations, and provide a notification about a refrigerant amount state based on the refrigerant amount state score.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An air conditioner comprising:
 memory storing at least one instruction; and   at least one processor, including processing circuitry, configured to execute the at least one instruction,   wherein the at least one instruction, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, cause the air conditioner to:
 based on whether a parameter related to a change in a refrigerant amount corresponds to a predetermined condition while one or more operations of the air conditioner are performed, assign a score to the parameter at each of a plurality of predetermined times, 
 obtain one or more average scores corresponding to each of the one or more operations based on the score assigned to the parameter at the each of the plurality of predetermined times, 
 obtain a refrigerant amount state score based on the one or more average scores corresponding to the each of the one or more operations, and 
 provide a notification about a refrigerant amount state based on the refrigerant amount state score. 
   
     
     
         2 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an evaporator;   a first refrigerant temperature sensor configured to sense an inlet temperature at an inlet of the evaporator; and   a second refrigerant temperature sensor configured to sense an outlet temperature at an outlet of the evaporator,   wherein the at least one instruction, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor, further causes the air conditioner to:
 identify whether the outlet temperature received from the second refrigerant temperature sensor is higher than the inlet temperature received from the first refrigerant temperature sensor, and 
 based on identifying that the outlet temperature is higher than the inlet temperature, assign a score corresponding to a refrigerant amount insufficiency state. 
   
     
     
         3 . The air conditioner of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a room temperature sensor configured to sense a room temperature,   wherein the at least one instruction, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, further causes the air conditioner to:
 identify whether a temperature difference between the room temperature received from the room temperature sensor and at least one of the inlet temperature received from the first refrigerant temperature sensor or the outlet temperature received from the second refrigerant temperature sensor is less than a predetermined temperature difference, and 
 based on identifying that the temperature difference is less than the predetermined temperature difference, assign a score corresponding to a refrigerant amount insufficiency state. 
   
     
     
         4 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an expansion valve,   wherein the at least one instruction, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, further causes the air conditioner to:
 identify whether a degree of openness of the expansion valve is higher than a predetermined degree of openness, and 
 based on identifying that the degree of openness of the expansion valve is higher than the predetermined degree of openness, assign a score corresponding to a refrigerant amount insufficiency state. 
   
     
     
         5 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one instruction, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, further causes the air conditioner to:
 based on identifying that a protective control signal for the air conditioner has been generated, assign a score corresponding to a refrigerant amount insufficiency state, and   wherein the protective control signal for the air conditioner comprises a control signal for adjusting a frequency of a compressor.   
     
     
         6 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a room temperature sensor configured to sense a room temperature,   wherein the at least one instruction, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, further causes the air conditioner to:
 identify whether the room temperature received from the room temperature sensor is higher than a setting temperature, and 
   based on identifying that the room temperature is higher than the setting temperature, assign a score corresponding to a refrigerant amount insufficiency state.   
     
     
         7 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein for each of the one or more operations, each of the plurality of predetermined times is repeated at a preset interval. 
     
     
         8 . The air conditioner of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one instruction, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, further causes the air conditioner to:
 based on a plurality of parameters respectively corresponding to a plurality of predetermined conditions while at least one operation of the air conditioner is performed, assign scores respectively to the plurality of parameters at the plurality of predetermined times,   obtain a sum of the respective scores of the plurality of parameters, and   obtain an average score of the at least one operation by dividing the sum of the respective scores by a number of the respective scores.   
     
     
         9 . The air conditioner of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one instruction, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, further causes the air conditioner to obtain the refrigerant amount state score by obtaining a moving average of the one or more average score corresponding to the each of the one or more operations. 
     
     
         10 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an output interface,   wherein the at least one instruction, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, further causes the air conditioner to:
 based on the refrigerant amount state score being equal to or greater than a threshold score, provide a user with a notification about a refrigerant amount insufficiency state via the output interface. 
   
     
     
         11 . A method of controlling an air conditioner, the method comprising:
 based on whether a parameter related to a change in a refrigerant amount corresponds to a predetermined condition while one or more operations of the air conditioner are performed, assign a score to the parameter at each of a plurality of predetermined times;   obtaining one or more average scores corresponding to each of the one or more operations based on the score assigned to the parameter at the each of the plurality of predetermined times;   obtaining a refrigerant amount state score based on the one or more average scores corresponding to the each of the one or more operations; and   providing a notification about a refrigerant amount state, based on the refrigerant amount state score.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the assigning the score to the parameter comprises:
 identifying whether an outlet temperature received from a second refrigerant temperature sensor of the air conditioner configured to sense the outlet temperature of an evaporator of the air conditioner is higher than an inlet temperature received from a first refrigerant temperature sensor of the air conditioner configured to sense the inlet temperature of the evaporator; and   based on identifying that the outlet temperature is higher than the inlet temperature, assigning a score corresponding to a refrigerant amount insufficiency state.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the assigning the score to the parameter comprises:
 identifying whether a degree of openness of an expansion valve of the air conditioner is higher than a predetermined degree of openness; and   based on identifying that the degree of openness of the expansion valve is higher than the predetermined degree of openness, assigning a score corresponding to a refrigerant amount insufficiency state.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the assigning the score to the parameter comprises:
 based on identifying a protective control signal for the air conditioner being generated, assigning a score corresponding to a refrigerant amount insufficiency state, and   wherein the protective control signal for the air conditioner comprises a control signal for adjusting a frequency of a compressor.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the assigning the score to the parameter comprises:
 identifying whether a room temperature received from a room temperature sensor, of the air conditioner, configured to sense the room temperature is higher than a setting temperature; and   based on identifying that the room temperature is higher than the setting temperature, assigning a score corresponding to a refrigerant amount insufficiency state.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein for each of the one or more operations, each of the plurality of predetermined times is repeated at a preset interval. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the assigning the score to the parameter comprises, based on a plurality of parameters respectively corresponding to a plurality of predetermined conditions while at least one operation of the air conditioner is performed, assigning scores respectively to the plurality of parameters at the plurality of predetermined times; and
 wherein the obtaining the one or more average scores comprises:
 obtaining a sum of the respective scores of the plurality of parameters; and 
 obtaining an average score of the at least one operation by dividing the sum of the respective scores by a number of the respective scores. 
   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the obtaining the refrigerant amount state score based on the one or more average scores corresponding to the each of the one or more operations, comprises obtaining the refrigerant amount state score by obtaining a moving average of the one or more average scores corresponding to the each of the one or more operations. 
     
     
         19 . A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed individually or collectively by at least one processor cause the at least one processor to execute a method of controlling an air conditioner, the method comprising:
 based on whether a parameter related to a change in a refrigerant amount corresponds to a predetermined condition while one or more operations of the air conditioner are performed, assign a score to the parameter at each of a plurality of predetermined times;   obtaining one or more average scores corresponding to each of the one or more operations based on the score assigned to the parameter at the each of the plurality of predetermined times;   obtaining a refrigerant amount state score based on the one or more average scores corresponding to the each of the one or more operations; and   providing a notification about a refrigerant amount state, based on the refrigerant amount state score.   
     
     
         20 . An air conditioner comprising:
 memory storing at least one instruction; and   at least one processor configured to execute the at least one instruction,   wherein the at least one instruction, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the air conditioner to:
 based on a parameter related to a change in a refrigerant amount corresponding to a predetermined condition while an operation of the air conditioner is performed, assign a score to the parameter at a plurality of predetermined times, 
 obtain an average score based on each score assigned to the parameter at each of the plurality of predetermined times, 
 obtain a refrigerant amount state score based on the average score, and 
 provide a notification about a refrigerant amount state based on the refrigerant amount state score.