# US 10,866,005 B2 · Air-conditioner system and control method, with first and second abnormality diagnosis

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- Number: US 10,866,005 B2
- Document ID: US10866005B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/888,453
- Filed: 2018-02-05
- Published: 2018-08-09
- Granted: 2020-12-15
- Earliest claimed: 2017-02-03
- Assignees: LG Electronics Inc.
- Applicants: LG Electronics Inc.
- Inventors: Seunghwan Jung; Juntae Kim; Myungkyoon Kim
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10866005B2

## CPC

- F24F 11/38: Failure diagnosis
- F24F 11/30: for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
- F24F 11/52: Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
- F24F 11/56: Remote control
- F24F 11/61: using timers
- F24F 11/62: characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
- F24F 11/64: using pre-stored data
- G05B 19/042: using digital processors (G05B19/05 takes precedence)
- G05B 2219/2614: HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
- F24F: AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING (removing dirt or fumes from areas where they are produced B08B15/00; vertical ducts for carrying away waste gases from buildings E04F17/02; tops for chimneys or ventilating shafts, terminals for flues F23L17/02)
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)

## Abstract

The present disclosure provides an air conditioner system that includes a plurality of air-conditioners, and a management server configured to receive air-conditioner data from the plurality of air-conditioners, and to analyze the received air-conditioner data to diagnose a state of the air-conditioners. The management server is configured to perform a first or short term diagnosis of the state of the air-conditioners. The management server to perform a second or long term diagnosis of the state of the air conditioners during a certain period, based on a result of the first diagnosis.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An air conditioner system comprising:
a plurality of air-conditioners;
a management server configured to receive air-conditioner data from the plurality of air-conditioners, to store the received air-conditioner data in a memory of the management server, and to analyze at least a portion of the received air-conditioner data to determine a state of one of the air-conditioners; and
a database configured to store the air-conditioner data,
wherein the management server is configured to analyze the portion of the air-conditioner data to perform a first diagnosis of the one of the air-conditioners, and the management server is configured to perform a second diagnosis of the one of the air conditioners during a first period, based on a result of the first diagnosis,
wherein the management server includes:
a diagnosing unit for analyzing the air-conditioner data to determine whether the portion of the air-conditioner data corresponds to a normal state, an abnormal state, or a failure state,
wherein when the corresponding air conditioner is determined to be in the abnormal state based on the first diagnosis, the diagnosing unit is to provide a first abnormality-event count and determine abnormality or failure, based on the first abnormality-event count, whether abnormality events occur consecutively during a short term, in the first diagnosis,
wherein when the abnormality events are determined to occur consecutively based on the first diagnosis, the diagnosing unit is configured to determine that the corresponding air conditioner is in the failure state,
wherein when a corresponding air conditioner is determined to be in the abnormal state based on the first diagnosis, the diagnosing unit is configured to provide a second abnormality-event count for the second diagnosis and determine abnormality or failure of the air conditioner based on the second abnormality-event count during the first period, in the second diagnosis,
wherein when the second abnormality-event count equals a reference count during the first period, the diagnosing unit determines that the corresponding air conditioner is in the abnormal state.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The air conditioner system of claim 1, wherein the management server includes:
the memory;
a communication device to receive the air-conditioner data; and
a controller to store the air-conditioner data in the memory.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The air conditioner system of claim 1, wherein when a corresponding air conditioner is determined to be in the normal state based on the first diagnosis, the diagnosing unit is configured to initialize the first abnormality-event count.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The air conditioner system of claim 1, wherein when the abnormality events are determined to not occur consecutively in the first diagnosis, the diagnosing unit is configured to determine that the abnormality event is a transient event and to determine that the corresponding air conditioner is in the normal state.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The air conditioner system of claim 1, wherein when the second abnormality-event count increases over periods of the first period, the diagnosing unit determines that the corresponding air conditioner is in the abnormal state.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The air conditioner system of claim 1, wherein the diagnosing unit is configured to perform the second diagnosis based on change of a corresponding air conditioner data when the first period occurs,
wherein when performance degradation of the corresponding air conditioner is determined based on the second diagnosis, the diagnosing unit determines that the corresponding air conditioner is in the abnormal state.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The air conditioner system of claim 1, wherein the diagnosing unit is configured to compare air-conditioner data of each air conditioner with previously stored air-conditioner data, data of other air-conditioner, or data of a same part in each air-conditioner, and the diagnosing unit to determine whether the air-conditioner data of each air-conditioner corresponds to the normal state, the abnormal state, or the failure state.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The air conditioner system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to transmit results for the first diagnosis and the second diagnosis to at least one of a terminal, a service center, and a corresponding air conditioner,
wherein when a portion of the air-conditioner data indicates the abnormal state or the failure state of a corresponding air conditioner, the controller is configured to transmit a repair request of the corresponding air conditioner to the service center via a communication device.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The air conditioner system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:
delete, from the memory, air conditioner data indicative of the normal state based on results of the first diagnosis or the second diagnosis; and
store, in the database, air conditioner data indicative of the abnormal state or the failure state based on results of the first diagnosis or the second diagnosis.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The air conditioner system of claim 1, wherein the management server includes:
a message unit configured to provide a message based on results of the first diagnosis or the second diagnosis,
wherein the message unit is configured to provide the message in a format corresponding to a destination to receive the message, wherein the format includes one of a diagnostic result report, a web page, a text, a short message, and a multimedia message.

### Claim 11

A method for controlling an air-conditioner system, the method comprising:
receiving, at a device, air-conditioner data from a plurality of air-conditioners;
storing the received air-conditioner data in a memory;
performing a first diagnosis of one of the air-conditioners based on a portion of the air-conditioner data;
determining whether the portion of the air-conditioner data corresponds to a normal state, an abnormal state, or a failure state, based on the first diagnosis by analyzing the air-conditioner data;
providing a first abnormality-event count and determining, based on the first abnormality-event count, whether abnormality events occur consecutively, when a corresponding air conditioner is determined to be in an abnormal state based on the first diagnosis;
determining that the corresponding air conditioner is in a failure state when the abnormality events are determined to occur consecutively based on the first diagnosis;
providing a second abnormality-event count for a second diagnosis, when a corresponding air conditioner is determined to be in the abnormality state;
providing a diagnosis result of the first diagnosis;
performing the second diagnosis of one of the air-conditioners by accumulating data for a first period based on the result of the first diagnosis;
determining that the corresponding air conditioner is in an abnormal state when the second abnormality-event count equals a reference count during the first period; and
providing a diagnosis result of the second diagnosis.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein performing the first diagnosis includes:
when a corresponding air conditioner is determined to be in a normal state based on the first diagnosis, initializing the first abnormality-event count.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein performing the first diagnosis includes:
when the abnormality event is determined to not occur consecutively in the first diagnosis, determining that the abnormality event is a transient event and determining that the corresponding air conditioner is in a normal state.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein performing the second diagnosis includes:
when the second abnormality-event count increases over periods of the first period, determining that the corresponding air conditioner is in an abnormal state.