| Title of Invention | "METHOD FOR SENSING OBJECT DISTANCE FOR AIR CONDITIONERS |
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| Abstract | A method for sensing an object distance by an air conditioner for varying a transmitting time of a sound wave in sound wave sensors such as a sound wave transmitter and a sound wave receiver so as to sense the object distance between the air conditioner and an object is disclosed, including the steps of transmitting a sound wave to an object by the sound wave transmitter for a predetermined time, determining whether, after being reflected against the object, the sound wave transmitted by the sound wave transmitter is received by the sound wave receiver, calculating an object distance by a time when the sound wave is reflected against the object and received to the sound wave receiver mid f i nishlng the, routilne of sensing the, object distance, transmitting a sound wave for a longer time, than, the. Predetermined time by the sound wave t: ransrnitter, and calcolating an object distance by a time when the sound wave of the bigger frequency is reflected against the object and is received by the sound wave receiver and finishing the routine of sensing the object distance. |
| Full Text | The present invention relates to air conditioners and, more particularly, to a method for sensing an object distance for an air conditioner in which intervals of sound wave transmission of a sound wave sensor is varied for sensing a distance to an object. Discussion of the Related Art Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a structure of a general air conditioner, which includes a micron 10 for operation processing, measuring time, functioning as a memory, inputting and outputting digital signals, and controlling the entire system of the air conditioner, a sound wave transmitter 11 for receiving an alternating current of a predetermined frequency generated by the micron 10 and generating a sound wave of a predetermined frequency into a room, an oscillator 12 connected to the sound wave transmitter 11 for driving the sound wave transmitter 11, a sound wave receiver 13 for recognizing the circumstance of the opposite interior of the room and receiving the reflected sound wave , an amplifier 14 for amplifying the reflected sound wave received by the sound wave receiver 13 to have a predetermined level, and a sensor 15 for sensing an object distance by the sound wave received by the sound wave receiver 13. The operation of an air conditioner having the aforementioned structure will be described with reference to Fig. 2. First, the sound wave transmitter 11 transmits a sound wave to the opposite interior of the room under control of the micom 10 (S101) . Next, it is determined whether the sound wave receiver 13 receives the transmitted sound wave reflected against an object (S102). Then, the routine of object distance detection is over after calculating the object distance by the time of transmitting and receiving if the sound wave receiver 13 receives the sound wave of a bigger intensity than a predetermined intensity (S103). In contrast, if the sound wave receiver 13 doesn't receive any sound wave, it is determined whether a predetermined time T has passed by (S104) . If the predetermined time T has passed by, it is determined that an object distance is not sensed and then the routine for sensing an object distance becomes over. In contrast, if the predetermined time T has not passed by, it is determined whether the sound wave of a bigger intensity than a predetermined intensity is received by the sound wave receiver 13. Figs. 3A and 3B show the characteristics of sound wave sensors (sound wave transmitter and sound wave receiver) for sensing an object distance. In case an object is too far from the sound wave sensor, or in case the position direction of the object is too far from that of the sound wave sensors, a sound wave, after being generated by the sound wave transmitter 11 and being reflected against the object, has a lower intensity than a predetermined intensity when it is received by the sound wave receiver 13. As a result, the sound wave cannot be sensed. That is to say, the closer to the sound wave transmitter 11 an object is, the higher the intensity of the sound wave is and the bigger the voltage generated by the sound wave received by the sound wave receiver 13 is. In contrast, the farther from the sound wave sensors an object is, the lower the intensity of the sound wave received by the sound wave receiver 13 is. Accordingly, the closer to the sound wave sensors an object is, the higher the intensity of the sound wave received by the sound wave receiver 14 is, so that the closer to the sound wave sensor the object is, the wider the range of the sensing angle is for sensing the object distance. In summary, the range of a sensing angle is in inverse proportion to the object distance The foregoing conventional air conditioner has problems. Since the range of a sensing angle of sending distance is wide when an object is close to a sound wave sensor, the sound wave sensor senses distances of undesired objects instead of the distance of the desired object on intending to sense the distance of a desired object. In addition, due to the wide range of a sensing angle, direction resolution can be limited. SUMMERY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, the present invention is directed to a method for sensing a object distance by an air conditioner that substantially obviates one or more of problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings. To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, a method for sensing an object distance by an air conditioner having sound wave transmitter and receiver includes the steps of transmitting a sound wave to an object by the sound wave transmitter for a predetermined time, determining whether, after being reflected against the object, the sound wave transmitted by the sound wave transmitter is received by the sound wave receiver, calculating an object distance by a time when the sound wave is reflected against the object and received to the sound wave receiver and finishing the routine of sensing-the object distance, transmitting a s'ound wave for a longer time than the predetermined time by the sound wave transmitter, and calculating an object distance by a time when the sound wave of the bigger frequency is reflected against the object and is received by the sound wave receiver and finishing the routine of sensing the object distance . It is to be to understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. STATEMENT OF INVENTION This invention relates to A method for sensing an object distance for an air conditioner having sound wave transmitter and receiver, comprising the steps of: transmitting a sound wave to an object by the sound wave transmitter for a predetermined time; determining whether, after being reflected against the object, the sound wave transmitted by the sound transmitter is received by the sound wave receiver; calculating an object distance by a time when the sound wave is reflected against the object and received to the sound wave receiver and finishing a routine of sensing the object distance; transmitting a sound wave for a longer time than the predetermined time by the sound wave transmitter; and calculating an object distance by a time when the sound wave of a big frequency is reflected against the object and is received by the sound wave receiver and finishing a routine of sensing the object distance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and various other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily understood with reference to the following detailed description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. lis a bfock diagram of a general air conditioner; Fig. 2 is a flow chart of a method for sensing an object distance by sound wave sensors in a conventional air conditioner; Fig. 3A illustrates intensities of received sound waves according to object distance and direction of sound waves sensors in a general air conditioner; Fig. 3B is a graph showing angles sensing an object distance according to distance and direction of sound wave sensor in a general air conditioner; Fig. 4 is a flow chart of a method for sensing an object distance by sound wave sensors in an air conditioner according to the present invention; and Fig. 5 is a graph showing angles sensing an object distance according to distance and direction of sound wave sensor in an air conditioner according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Fig. 4 is a flow chart of a method for sensing an object distance by sound wave sensors in an air conditioner according to the present invention. First, a sound wave transmitter 11 transmits a sound wave to an opposite interior of the room under control of a micom 10 (S201). Next, it is determined whether, after the transmitted sound wave is reflected against an object, a sound wave of a bigger intensity than a predetermined intensity is received by the sound wave receiver 13 (S202). If the sound wave of a bigger intensity than the predetermined intensity is received by the sound wave receiver 13, the object distance is calculated by a time of transmitting and receiving and the routine of sensing the object distance is finished (S203) . If a predetermined time Tl has not passed by when it is determined whether the sound wave of a bigger intensity than a predetermined intensity is received by the sound wave receiver 1.4 for the predetermined time Tl (S204) , it is again determined whether the sound wave is received and then a sound wave is transmitted by the sound wave transmitter 11fa predetermined time Tl has passed by (S205) . Thereafter, it is determined whether the sound wave transmitted for a predetermined time is reflected against an object, so that the sound wave of a bigger intensity than a predetermined intensity is received (S206). If the sound wave of a bigger intensity than the predetermined intensity is received by the sound wave receiver 13, an object distance is calculated by a time of transmitting and receiving and the routine of sensing the object distance is finished. Subsequently, it is determined whether the sound wave of a bigger intensity than a predetermined intensity is received by the sound wave receiver 13 (S207), and then if the predetermined time T2 has not passed by, the step S206 restarts. In contrast, if the predetermined time T2 has passed by, it is determined that the object distance is not sensed and the routine of sensing the object distance is finished. In the method for sensing an object distance by sound wave sensors in an air conditioner, the time of transmitting a sound wave by sound wave sensors is variable to sense the object distance. That is to say, if the time of transmitting a sound wave is short, the range of an angle of sensing an object distance is relatively narrow in comparison with the case the time is long. Referring to Fig. 5, since in the first step of sensing an object distance, it is checked whether a receiving pulse is inputted for a predetermined time Tl, the distance sensing range includes a distance Dl corresponding to the time Tl of transmitting and receiving. Since, in the second step, after delay for a predetermined time Tl of transmitting and receiving, it is checked whether a receiving pulse is inputted for a predetermined time T2 of transmitting and receiving, the distance-sensing range includes a distance D2 corresponding to the time T2 of transmitting and receiving. Accordingly/ the range of the object distance sensing angle is manifested as a solid line shown in Fig. 5. Thus, on measuring an object distance in every direction with sound wave sensors of an air conditioner rotating from right to left and vide versa, the range of the object distance sensing angle becomes narrow regardless of the object distance between the sound wave sensors and the object, thereby increasing the directional resolution. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modification and variations can be made in the method of an air conditioner for sensing an object distance of the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventions. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. We claim: 1. A method for sensing an object distance for an air conditioner having sound wave transmitter and receiver comprising the steps of: transmitting a sound wave to an object by the sound wave transmitter for a predetermined time; determining whether, after being reflected against the object, the sound wave transmitted by the sound transmitter is received by the sound wave receiver; calculating an object distance by a time when the sound wave is reflected against the object and received to the sound wave receiver and finishing a routine of sensing the object distance; transmitting a sound wave for a longer time than the predetermined time by the sound wave transmitter; and calculating an object distance by a time when the sound wave of a big frequency is reflected against the object and is received by the sound wave receiver and finishing a routine of sensing the object distance. 2. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising the step of: calculating the object distance by the time when the sound wave is received by the sound wave receiver if the sound wave transmitted by the sound wave transmitter is received by the sound wave receiver, and finishing the routine of sensing the object distance. 3. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising the step of: determining that any object is not sensed if the sound wave of the big frequency is not received by the sound wave receiver, and finishing the routine of sensing the object distance. |
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1200-del-1997-correspondence-others.pdf
1200-del-1997-correspondence-po.pdf
1200-del-1997-description (complete).pdf
| Patent Number | 256827 | |||||||||
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| Indian Patent Application Number | 1200/DEL/1997 | |||||||||
| PG Journal Number | 31/2013 | |||||||||
| Publication Date | 02-Aug-2013 | |||||||||
| Grant Date | 31-Jul-2013 | |||||||||
| Date of Filing | 08-May-1997 | |||||||||
| Name of Patentee | LG ELECTRONICS INC., | |||||||||
| Applicant Address | 20,YOIDO-DONG YOUNGDUNGPO-GU,SEOUL,KOREA | |||||||||
Inventors:
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| PCT International Classification Number | F24F 11/02 | |||||||||
| PCT International Application Number | N/A | |||||||||
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PCT Conventions:
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