Air conditioner and method of controlling the same

An air conditioner comprising:

• a compressor which rotates in opposing directions;
• a drive unit which rotates the compressor in a first or second direction;
• a start determining unit which determines whether the compressor has started to rotate in the first direction;
• and
• a control unit which operates the drive unit so as to rotate the compressor in the second direction opposite to the first direction, and then re-start the compressor in the first direction, when the compressor has failed to start,
• wherein the compressor includes a variable capacity rotary compressor, the variable capacity rotary compressor including:
• first and second compression chambers having different interior capacities;
• a motor which rotates a rotating shaft;
• and
• a first eccentric unit which is eccentric from the rotating shaft or released from eccentricity from the rotating shaft, according to a rotating direction of the rotating shaft, executing a compression operation in either of the first and second compression chambers while executing an idle operation in a remaining one of the first and second compression chambers.

A method of controlling an air conditioner, the air conditioner having a compressor which is rotatable in opposing directions, the method comprising:

• starting the compressor to rotate the compressor in a first direction;
• determining whether the compressor has started to rotate in the first direction;
• and
• starting the compressor to rotate in a second direction when a required capacity of the air conditioner has changed;
• re-starting the compressor in the first direction when the compressor has failed to start in the second direction.

A method of controlling an air conditioner, the air conditioner having a compressor which is rotatable in opposing directions, the method comprising:

• starting the compressor to rotate the compressor in a first direction;
• determining whether the compressor has started to rotate in the first direction;
• and
• re-starting the compressor in the first direction after rotating the compressor in a second direction, when the compressor has failed to start,
• wherein the compressor includes a variable capacity rotary compressor, the variable capacity rotary compressor including:
• first and second compression chambers having different interior capacities, a compression operation being executed in either of the first and second compression chambers while an idle operation is executed in a remaining one of the first and second compression chambers, according to a rotating direction of a rotating shaft.

A compressor control device, comprising:

• a compressor which rotates in opposing directions;
• a drive unit which rotates the compressor in a first or second direction depending upon a required capacity of the air conditioner;
• a start determining unit which determines whether the compressor has started to rotate in the first direction;
• and
• a control unit which operates the drive unit so as to rotate the compressor in the second direction opposite to the first direction when the required capacity of the air conditioner changes, and then re-start the compressor in the first direction, when the compressor has failed to start in the second direction.

A compressor control device comprising:

• a compressor which rotates in opposing directions;
• a drive unit which rotates the compressor in a first or second direction;
• a start determining unit which determines whether the compressor has started to rotate in the first direction;
• and
• a control unit which operates the drive unit so as to rotate the compressor in the second direction opposite to the first direction, and then re-start the compressor in the first direction, when the compressor has failed to start,
• wherein the compressor includes a variable capacity rotary compressor, the variable capacity rotary compressor including:
• first and second compression chambers having different interior capacities;
• a motor which rotates a rotating shaft;
• and
• an eccentric unit which is eccentric from the rotating shaft or released from eccentricity from the rotating shaft, according to a rotating direction of the rotating shaft, executing a compression operation in either of the first and second compression chambers while executing an idle operation in a remaining one of the first and second compression chambers.

A method of controlling an air conditioner having a compressor, an eccentric unit, a drive unit, a start determining unit, and a control unit, the method comprising:

• starting the compressor in a first direction by the control unit;
• determining, by the start determining unit, whether the compressor has started in the first direction;
• and
• starting the compressor in a second direction by the control unit when a required capacity of the air conditioner changes;
• stopping the compressor from rotating in the second direction and restarting the compressor in the first direction, when the compressor has failed to start in the second direction.