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US 9,810,467 B2Granted
Controlling air conditioner modes
AssigneeLennox Industries Inc.
InventorsYi Qu, Pete Hrejsa, Eric Berg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In various implementations, a request for operation of an air conditioner may be received. The air conditioner may include a cooling mode and/or a dehumidifying mode. In some implementations, a compressor speed for a compressor of the air conditioner may be determined, and which mode(s) of the air conditioner to allow may be determined based at least partially on the determined compressor speed.
Claims12
A method of controlling an air conditioner, the method comprising:
- receiving a request for operation of the air conditioner comprising at least two modes, wherein the at least two modes comprise a cooling mode and a dehumidifying mode;
- determining a compressor speed for a compressor of the air conditioner;
- and
- determining, in response to the request for operation and the determined compressor speed, which one or more of the at least two modes of the air conditioner to allow, wherein determining which one or more of the at least two modes to allow comprises:
- allowing the cooling mode if the determined compressor speed is greater than a predetermined first speed;
- allowing the cooling mode and the dehumidifying mode if the determined compressor speed is less than the predetermined first speed and if the determined compressor speed is greater than a predetermined second speed;
- and
- allowing only the dehumidifying mode if the determined compressor speed is less than the predetermined second speed and a relative humidity is greater than a predetermined relative humidity value;
- and
- allowing the cooling mode if the determined compressor speed is less than the predetermined second speed and the relative humidity is less than or equal to the predetermined relative humidity value;
- wherein the predetermined first speed is greater than the predetermined second speed.
8 more elements
An article comprising machine-readable medium storing instructions for managing an air conditioner, the instructions operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:
- receiving a request for operation of the air conditioner comprising at least two modes, wherein the at least two modes comprise a cooling mode and a dehumidifying mode;
- determining a compressor speed for a compressor of the air conditioner;
- determining, in response to the request and the determined compressor speed, which one or more of the modes of the air conditioner to allow, wherein determining which one or more of the at least two modes to allow comprises:
- allowing the cooling mode if the determined compressor speed is greater than a predetermined first speed;
- allowing the cooling mode and the dehumidifying mode if the determined compressor speed is less than the predetermined first speed and if the determined compressor speed is greater than a predetermined second speed;
- and
- allowing only the dehumidifying mode if the determined compressor speed is less than the predetermined second speed and a relative humidity is greater than a predetermined relative humidity value;
- and
- allowing the cooling mode if the determined compressor speed is less than the predetermined second speed and the relative humidity is less than or equal to the predetermined relative humidity value;
- wherein the predetermined first speed is greater than the predetermined second speed.
7 more elements
An air conditioner comprising:
- a compressor comprising at least two speeds;
- an evaporator fan;
- wherein the air conditioner comprises at least two operating modes, and wherein the at least two of the operating modes comprise a cooling mode and a dehumidifying mode;
- and
- a controller comprising one or more modules, wherein at least one of the modules comprises a priority module, and wherein the priority module is adapted to:
- determine a compressor speed for a compressor of the air conditioner;
- determine, in response to a request for operation and the determined compressor speed, which one or more of the at least two operating modes of the air conditioner to allow based at least partially on the determined compressor speed;
- wherein determining which one or more of the at least two operating modes to allow comprises:
- allowing the cooling mode if the determined compressor speed is greater than a predetermined first speed;
- allowing the cooling mode and the dehumidifying mode if the determined compressor speed is less than the predetermined first speed and if the compressor speed is greater than a predetermined second speed;
- and
- allowing only the dehumidifying mode if the determined compressor speed is less than the predetermined second speed and a relative humidity is greater than a predetermined relative humidity value;
- and
- allowing the cooling mode if the determined compressor speed is less than the predetermined second speed and the relative humidity is less than or equal to the predetermined relative humidity value;
- wherein the predetermined first speed is greater than the predetermined second speed.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.