KR20070030444A - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an air conditioner in which an avatar character having various forms and / or actions is displayed.

Air conditioner according to the present invention, the input means for receiving a command from the user 210; Display means 230 on which an avatar is displayed; Storage means 202 for storing avatar data for a plurality of avatar shapes and / or actions; And control means 200 for reading the avatar data stored in the storage means 202 and displaying the avatar data on the display means 230. The storage means 202 stores avatar setting information on the shape and / or operation of the avatar, and the control means 200 is displayed on the display means 230 based on the avatar setting information. Display and change the shape or motion of the avatar. According to the present invention as described above, there is an advantage that a variety of information is more easily recognized / transferred to the user.

Air Conditioner, Control Means, Display Means, Display, Avatar

Description

Air Conditioner {Air conditioner}

1 is a perspective view of an indoor unit of a separate air conditioner according to the prior art.

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the indoor unit constituting the air conditioner according to the present invention.

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing an open state of the front panel of the indoor unit constituting the air conditioner according to the present invention.

Figure 4 is a front view showing a detailed configuration of a button unit provided on the front panel of the indoor unit constituting an embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a block diagram showing the overall control system configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 6a is an exemplary view showing a state in which a sweaty avatar is displayed on the display means constituting an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 6b is an exemplary view showing that the avatar of the patient state is displayed on the display means constituting an embodiment of the present invention.

6C is an exemplary view showing a state where an avatar wearing a gas mask is displayed on the display unit of the embodiment of the present invention.

6D is an exemplary view showing a state in which an avatar having a pleasant expression is displayed on display means constituting an embodiment of the present invention.

7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of various display modes implemented in the display window of the embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 8 is a flow chart schematically showing a display control method of an embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

100. Indoor unit 110. Front panel

112. Hinged 120. Display Window

130. Button part 132. Run / stop key

134. Temperature Key 135. Volume Key

136. Airflow key 137. Plasma key

138. Left key 139. Right key

140. Remote control receiver 150. Display device

160. USB storage device 170. Air purifier

200. Control means 202. Storage means

210. Input means 220. Compressor

230. Display means 300. Standby mode

302. Screen off mode 304. Clock mode

306. Screen Save Mode 308. User Setting Mode

320. Operation mode 322. Real operation mode

324. User operation mode 326. Character operation mode

340. Function Selection Mode 342. Operation / Additional Functions

344. Album function 360. Popup function

The present invention relates to an air conditioner, and more particularly, to an air conditioner in which an avatar character having various shapes and / or actions is displayed.

In general, an air conditioner is a cooling / heating device installed in a space or a wall of an indoor space such as an office or a home to cool or heat a room, and is composed of a compressor-condenser-expansion valve-evaporator and constitutes a series of refrigeration cycles. .

In particular, the air conditioner is mainly an outdoor unit (sometimes called 'outside' or 'heat sink') installed outdoors, and an indoor unit (sometimes called 'indoor' or 'heat absorbing side') mainly installed inside a building. The outdoor unit is provided with a condenser (outdoor heat exchanger) and a compressor, and the indoor unit is provided with an evaporator (indoor heat exchanger).

And, as is well known, the air conditioner can be broadly divided into a separate type air conditioner in which the outdoor unit and the indoor unit are separately installed, and an integrated air conditioner in which the outdoor unit and the indoor unit are integrally installed.

1 schematically shows an indoor unit appearance of a conventional split type air conditioner according to the prior art.

As shown, the split type air conditioner is separated into an indoor unit 10 and an outdoor unit (not shown), and a refrigerant pipe (not shown) is installed in communication between the indoor unit 10 and the outdoor unit (not shown). do.

The indoor unit 10 has a side and a rear exterior are formed by a cabinet 20 formed vertically long. A base 22 is provided at a lower portion of the cabinet 20, and a front panel 24 is formed at an upper end of the base 22 to form a front exterior.

The central portion of the front panel 24 is provided with a display unit 30 for displaying the operating state of the air conditioner, the side of the display unit 30 is a button unit for forming various buttons for the operation of the air conditioner 32 is provided.

The display unit 30 is generally made of an LED (LED). Therefore, it is on with the operation of the air conditioner to display the operating state of the air conditioner. When the air conditioner is turned off, the display unit 30 is also turned off.

More specifically, as shown, the display unit 30 is configured to display the wind direction and the degree of strength and weakness, the room temperature and the desired temperature is also displayed. That is, the display unit 30 expresses the state of the air conditioner set by the user to the outside by the LED (LED).

However, the above-described prior art has the following problems.

Since the display unit 30 simply turns on / off a screen formed of LEDs to express the current temperature or the driving state statically, the display unit 30 may display an avatar having various forms and / or actions. There is a problem that the character is not implemented.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve the above problems, and to provide an air conditioner in which a background or a character of a desired shape is implemented on a front panel.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner in which an avatar character having various shapes and / or actions is displayed according to an air conditioner or a room and / or a current time.

Air conditioner according to the present invention for achieving the above object,

Input means for receiving a command from a user; Display means for displaying an avatar; Storage means for storing avatar data for a plurality of avatar shapes and / or actions; And control means for reading the avatar data stored in the storage means and displaying the avatar data on the display means.

The storage means stores avatar setting information on a shape and / or an operation of the avatar; The control means may change and display the shape or operation of the avatar displayed on the display means based on the avatar setting information.

The avatar setting information is characterized in that the avatar changes over time.

The control means is provided with one clock number means for calculating the current date and time, the control means is characterized in that for changing the avatar according to the current date and time obtained from the clock number means.

The avatar setting information is characterized in that the avatar is changed according to the state of the air conditioner or the indoor air condition.

The control means may display one or more avatars among a plurality of avatars on the display means according to a user command from the input means.

The control means may obtain a user's command through the input means and change the avatar setting information.

According to the air conditioner according to the present invention having such a configuration, there is an advantage that a variety of information is more easily recognized / transferred to the user.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention as described above will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 2 schematically shows the appearance of the indoor unit constituting the air conditioner according to the present invention.

The air conditioner is composed of an indoor unit 100 and an outdoor unit (not shown) as shown, the front panel 110 is formed long in the front and rear of the indoor unit 100 as shown in Figure 2 to form a front appearance 110 ) Is provided.

In addition, the hinge 112 is provided at the upper and lower ends of the front panel 110 to become a pivot center of the front panel 110. Therefore, the front panel 110 is opened by rotating in the counterclockwise direction (viewed from above) with the right end as the axis.

The display window 120 is formed at the center of the upper half of the front panel 110. The display window 120 is a place where a set avatar is displayed, and preferably comprises an LCD or the like.

The button unit 130 is formed below the display window 120. The button unit 130 is provided with a plurality of operation buttons including a power button so that the user can operate the operation of the air conditioner.

The remote control receiver 140 is further formed below the button unit 130. The remote control receiver 140 is a part that receives a signal of a remote control.

3 illustrates a state in which the front panel 110 is rotated about the hinge 112 and opened.

As shown in the drawing, a display device 150 is provided on the rear surface of the front panel 110. The display apparatus 150 includes a plurality of components for controlling images of various avatars and the like displayed on the display window 120.

In addition, as shown, the display device 150 is provided with a USB mounting portion 152, USB storage means 160 is selectively mounted on the USB mounting portion 152. Therefore, the display device 150 can easily bring external data through the USB storage means 160.

Of course, in addition to the USB storage means 160 as described above it will be possible to transfer data (data) through a variety of mobile storage media, it may be configured to enable data (download) download over the Internet.

For example, in addition to the USB storage means 160 as described above, it is also possible to transfer data through an IEEE 1394 port.

On the other hand, the inner lower portion of the indoor unit 100 as described above is further provided with an air purifier 170 for filtering and purifying foreign matter in the air. The air purifier 170 is provided with a plurality of filters to filter out various foreign matter such as dust or smell in the air.

In addition, although not shown, the indoor unit 100 is further provided with a plurality of parts (heat exchanger, etc.) for air conditioning such as heating or cooling, and the function and configuration of each of these parts are generally known, Description is omitted.

One side of the display device 150 is further provided with a speaker 180. That is, as shown in the rear of the display device 150 is provided a speaker 180 for emitting sound to the outside. The speaker 180 serves to radiate music or sound to the outside.

4 illustrates the configuration of the button unit 130 in detail, and each key provided in the button unit 130 may be configured in various ways such as a button method or a touch method.

As shown, the center portion of the button unit 130 is provided with a run / stop key 132.

The run / stop key 132 is a run / stop button for performing or stopping an air conditioning function. That is, the operation / stop key 132 operates as a key used for driving when the air conditioning function of the air conditioner is stopped, and during operation (when the air conditioning function is being performed). It operates as a key for stop (run off).

On the other hand, the air conditioner such as the present invention is further provided with additional functions such as an air cleaning function, in general, since the air conditioner is the air conditioning function to perform the cooling or heating of the indoor space through heat exchange, The case where such an air conditioning function is performed will be referred to as 'operation' of the air conditioner, and the case where the air conditioning function is not performed will be referred to as 'stop' of the air conditioner.

Temperature keys 134 are provided above and below the operation / stop key 132.

The temperature key 134 is a button for setting a temperature state, the upper button is a button for increasing the temperature, the lower button is a button for decreasing the temperature.

The temperature key 134 is not operated while the air conditioner is stopped. Also, during operation, it operates as a key to increase or decrease the temperature in the operation mode (especially, 'character operation mode') described below, but in the function selection mode (especially, 'album function'), it moves up and down. Also used as a moving key.

On the other hand, the volume keys 135 located on the left and right of the operation / stop key 132 are for adjusting the volume of sound. That is, to adjust the sound generated from the speaker 180 provided in the indoor unit 100 of the air conditioner, the button on the left is a button for reducing the sound, the button on the right is a button for increasing the sound. . The volume key 135 may also be used as a movement key for moving in the left and right directions as the temperature key 134.

The air volume key 136 is provided at the lower left portion of the button unit 130. The air volume key 136 is a key for setting the amount of wind discharged and operates only when the air conditioner is in operation, and does not operate in a stopped state.

The plasma key 137 is provided at the lower right side of the button unit 130. The plasma key 137 is a key for operating the air purifier 170 built in the air conditioner, and is configured to be operable even during operation of the air conditioner or stop of the air conditioner.

Therefore, the air purifier 170 may purify the air operated together with the air conditioner function of the air conditioner, and may operate alone to purify the indoor air even when the air conditioner is stopped.

The left upper part of the button unit 130 is provided with a left key 138, and the right upper part is provided with a right key 139.

The left key 138 and the right key 139 do not operate when the air conditioner is in a stopped state, and are used to select various menus in the function selection mode described below when the air conditioner is in operation. .

5 shows a block diagram of an overall control system of the air conditioner according to the present invention.

As shown in the figure, the air conditioner is provided with control means 200 for controlling the overall operation, and the control means 200 is configured so that various components are connected to each other to transmit and receive various data.

The control means 200 is composed of a micro controller unit (MCU), which refers to a processor for controlling a system, and may be a device including a storage means 202 to be described below, or a processor having a central processing function. It may also be a device containing only. Here, in order to explain that various data such as avatars are stored in the storage means 202 to be described below, the storage means 202 is made of a component (element) separate from the control means 200. Explain.

Looking in more detail, the control means 200 not only controls the overall operation of the air conditioner, but also controls the image displayed on the display means 230 to be described below. That is, it also has a function of reading the avatar data stored in the storage means 202 to be described below and displaying it on the display means 230.

The control means 200 is connected to the storage means 202 is installed. The storage means 202 is a storage medium basically built in the air conditioner, and various data are stored therein.

In addition, the storage means 202 stores various materials (Avatars such as pictures or characters) displayed through the display apparatus 150. That is, data about a plurality of avatar shapes or avatar operations is stored.

In addition, the storage means 202 also stores the avatar setting information on the shape and / or operation of the avatar, that is, the setting information set by the user is stored in the storage means 202. Data stored in the storage means 202 is displayed on the display means 230 to be described below for each situation.

In more detail, the control means 200 stores the setting information for changing the avatar displayed on the display means 230 to be described below according to the state of the air conditioner or the indoor air condition. The control means 200 reads the information and controls the avatar displayed on the display means 230 to be described below.

For example, when the air conditioner is overloaded, when the avatar sweating is set to be displayed, when the load exceeds the set load, the control means 200 sweats the avatar as shown in FIG. 6A among the avatars stored in the storage means 202. An image (including a video) is sent to the display means 230 to be described below to be displayed to the outside.

In the case where the air conditioner has an error (when an error occurs), if the avatar that is sick and moans is set to be displayed, the avatar of the sick patient will be displayed as shown in FIG. 6B. .

As another example, if the indoor air is polluted by measuring the air pollution level of the room detected by the sensor unit 212 to be described below, the avatar wearing the gas mask as shown in FIG. 6C is set or displayed. If the indoor air is comfortable, as shown in FIG. 6D, the avatar may be set to display a state in which the avatar is open and looking up at the sky.

The avatar setting information may be set as default by the manufacturer, in addition to being arbitrarily set by the user. That is, when the product is released, various avatars and avatar setting information are previously stored by default in the storage means 202. When the user does not change the avatar data or setting information, the avatar is displayed according to the default information. (display)

The control means 200 determines the shape or operation of the avatar to be displayed on the display means 230 to be described below on the basis of the avatar setting information, and displays the avatar content displayed on the display means 230. Will change.

In addition, the control means 200 may cause the avatar displayed on the display means 230 to be described below to change with time. That is, the control means 200 receives the current date and time from the one-hour number means 214 which will be described below to control the shape or operation of the avatar displayed on the display means 230 according to time.

For example, if the user is set to display avatars wearing summer clothes in summer (June, July, August), and the avatars wearing autumn clothes in autumn (September, October, November), September 1 When the work is done, the avatar dressed in summer clothes is changed to the avatar dressed in autumn clothes and displayed.

The control means 200 is connected to the input means 210, the sensor unit 212, the one-hour clock means 214, the indoor motor 216, the outdoor motor 218, and the compressor 220, respectively.

The input means 210 is a part that receives a command from a user. That is, the user inputs a signal for the operation of the air conditioner through the button unit 130 or the like, and the input signal through the input means 210 is transmitted to the control means 200.

In addition, the input unit 210 may be made of a remote control (remote control) in addition to the button unit 130. That is, when a user inputs a command through a remote control, the command is input through the remote control receiver 140. In addition, the input unit 210 may have a structure capable of inputting data (signal) by computer (including the Internet) or wireless communication in addition to the button unit 130 or the remote control.

The sensor unit 212 is provided with various sensors installed in the air conditioner, in particular, a plurality of sensors such as a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a dust sensor, and a gas sensor, and is a part for measuring the air condition and pollution degree. Therefore, the measured value detected by the sensor unit 212 is transmitted to the control means 200.

The one clock number means 214 is a means for calculating a current date and time. In other words, by calculating the current year, month, and / or time, the one clockwork means 214 provides the control means 200 with the current date and time when the control means 200 requests it.

The indoor motor 216 is provided in the indoor unit 100 of the air conditioner to rotate the fan, and is operated by receiving a signal from the control means 200. For example, when an input of the operation / stop key 132 is transmitted from the input means 210 to the control means 200, the control means 200 operates the indoor motor 216.

In addition, the control means 200 may be configured to control the rotational speed of the indoor motor 216 according to the pollution value of the air delivered from the sensor unit 212.

The compressor 220 and the outdoor motor 218 are operated by the control means 200. That is, when the driving / stop key 132 is input from the input means 210 or the driving command is input from the remote control receiver 140, such as the indoor motor 216, the control means 200 controls the compressor. The 220 and the outdoor motor 218 are operated to switch the air conditioner from the stopped state to the operating state.

On the other hand, the control means 200 is also connected to the additional device, such as the air purification device 170 and the sound output unit 222.

The air purifier 170 is a device for filtering and purifying foreign matter in the air, as described above, and the control means 200 controls the air purifier according to a signal input by the input means 210. Control the operation of 170. That is, as described above, the air purifier 170 is operated by the input of the plasma key 137 of the button unit 130.

In addition, the air cleaning device 170 may be automatically adjusted to the strength and weakness by the control means 200. That is, the control means 200 detects the degree of contamination (dust, gas, etc.) in the air measured by the sensor unit 212 according to the setting of the user, and then the air purifier 170 according to the degree of contamination. It can be configured to automatically adjust the intensity of.

The sound output means 222 is a part for outputting sound, and the speaker 180 is an example, and is configured to output various sounds such as a buzzer, a melody, and music. For example, depending on the operation status of each part of the air conditioner, a buzzer may sound when an error occurs, or various melodies may be output depending on the image of each avatar, or music may be output depending on the execution of the music file.

In addition, the control means 200 also controls the display device 150. That is, the display screen suitable for the operation of the air conditioner is implemented by an air conditioner operation signal such as the operation / stop key 132 of the input means 210 transmitted to the control means 200.

In addition, a signal input through the input means 210 is transmitted to the control means 200 to output the sound through the sound output unit 222.

The control means 200 also controls the content displayed on the outside through the display window 120. In addition, the control means 200 is connected to the display means 230 and the like. Accordingly, as described above, the control means 200 controls the avatar stored in the storage means 202 to be displayed on the display means 230.

The input means 210 is composed of a button unit 130, a remote control (remote control) and the like, through the input means 210 is also input a signal for the operation of the display device 150. In addition, since the display window 120 of the front panel 110 described above is configured as a touch screen, a control command may be input by the touch of the display window 120.

The display means 230 is a part for displaying an avatar such as various pictures, videos, or characters to the outside according to the command of the control means 200. The avatar displayed through the display means 230 may be one avatar, or may be a plurality of avatars. That is, it may be possible to set the display means 230 to display two or more avatars at the same time.

On the other hand, the input means 210 is connected to a removable storage device such as the USB storage means 160 described above, it is configured to be able to input data (signal) from the outside through such a removable storage device. That is, a photo or an image displayed on the display window 120, an avatar data, or a music file (including an MP3 file) to be output through the sound output unit 222 is input through the removable storage device.

In addition, the user may set or change the avatar displayed on the display means 230 through the input means 210. That is, as described above, the control means 200 takes preset data from the storage means 202 and displays it on the display means 230 according to a situation. The setting may be changed through the input unit 210 so that different data is displayed depending on the situation.

In more detail, various avatars are previously input to the storage means 202 by default, and these avatars are set in advance so as to be displayed on the display means 230 according to each situation. However, the user can change the data and the processor set as the default.

For example, as described above, various avatars are downloaded from a portable storage device or an external device such as the Internet, and such various new data (avatars) are displayed on the display means 230 according to each situation. It may also be configured to enable changing the display settings of the avatar to be displayed.

FIG. 7 schematically illustrates various types of display modes displayed on the display window 120 by the control means 200.

As shown, the display mode implemented by the display means 230 is a standby mode 300 depicting a waiting state before the air conditioning function is largely executed, and an operation mode indicating that the air conditioning function is being performed. And a function selection mode 340 for selecting various functions.

The standby mode 300 includes a screen off mode 302 in which nothing is displayed on the screen, a clock mode 304 for displaying a current time, a screen save mode 306 in which a screen saver program is executed, and a user set It is common for at least one of the user setting modes 308 in which any image is displayed to be configured to be displayed.

That is, one of the above screen off mode 302, clock mode 304, screen protect mode 306, and user setting mode 308 is generally set when the air conditioner is released. Therefore, when the user applies power to the air conditioner, the set standby mode 300 is booted and displayed.

Of course, the standby mode 300 may be changed by a user. That is, the user selects a desired mode from the screen off mode 302, the clock mode 304, the screen saver mode 306, and the user setting mode 308 to display the display device 230 when booting. It is also possible to be implemented in the display window 120 through.

In more detail, the screen off mode 302 means that the display window 120 remains off.

In the watch mode 304, the current time is displayed on the display window 120. The watch mode 304 is displayed by the control of the control means 200. The control means 200 receives a current date and time from the one clock number means 214 and controls the current time to be displayed on the display window 120. In this case, values (temperature and humidity) measured by a temperature sensor or a humidity sensor may be simultaneously displayed on the display window 120.

In the screen save mode 306, a preset screen save program is executed, which means that a screen saver, also called a screen save, is operated. Therefore, the screen saver mode 306 is the same as the screen on which the screen saver widely used in the computer is executed.

The user setting mode 308 allows the user to display an image which has been arbitrarily preset. That is, the user arbitrarily presets a picture of himself or his family or his character, and this set image is displayed when the power is applied.

The operation mode 320 refers to a state of an image implemented through the display means 230 when the air conditioner is operated by inputting the operation / stop key 132 in the standby mode 300. The driving mode 320 is divided into a live driving mode 322, a user driving mode 324, and a character driving mode 326.

Therefore, when the air conditioner operates, any one of the real operation mode 322, the user operation mode 324, and the character operation mode 326 constituting the operation mode 320 is executed. That is, any one mode preset by the user is executed.

In the live action mode 322, a real image (photo) pre-stored in the storage means 202 is displayed. The real image may be a still image or a moving image.

The user driving mode 324 uploads an image or video desired by the user to the storage means 202, and then selects the uploaded image or video when the user operates the air conditioner. It is to be displayed on the display window 120.

The character driving mode 326 is a mode in which a character (avatar) stored in advance is displayed. The character (avatar) may be composed of a still image or a dynamic character (avatar).

For example, when the character driving mode 326 is executed, the display window 120 may implement a skier character (avatar), and such a character (avatar) is preferably displayed as a video. Do.

On the other hand, the operation mode 320 as described above is continuously operated unless a separate key (Key) for executing another command is input. When the air conditioner is stopped in the operation mode 320, the air conditioner returns to the standby mode 300. At this time, the automatic cleaning 310 may be performed. However, this automatic cleaning 310 function is executed only when the function is set in advance.

In addition, the driving mode 320 may be configured to switch to the screen protection mode 306 according to the user's setting. That is, after the operation mode 320 is executed, if no execution key is input by a predetermined time, a pre-stored screen saver program is executed to switch to the screen saver mode 306.

In the screen protection mode 306 as described above, when an arbitrary key is inputted, the screen protection mode 306 is automatically terminated and returned to its original state. That is, the operation returns to the operation mode 320 again.

The function selection mode 340 is a mode for allowing a user to select or set various functions of the air conditioner.

The function selection mode 340 includes a driving / additional function 342 and an album function 344.

The operation / additional function 342 is to set an operation state and an additional function of the air conditioner, and the album function 344 allows to store and edit various pictures.

In the operation function, it is possible to select a state of use of an air conditioner such as cooling or dehumidification and to adjust the air volume. In addition, the operation / additional function 342 may be provided with a help function described below.

Meanwhile, the pop-up function 360 may be additionally performed during each of the above modes. The pop-up function 360 means that various pop-up windows are displayed on the display window 120 so that a user can visually easily recognize an error state of an air conditioner or an operation state of an input key while executing each mode. .

The function selection mode 340 may also be configured to switch to the screen protection mode 306 as in the operation mode 320 according to the user's setting. That is, after the function selection mode 340 is executed, if no execution key is input by the preset time, the pre-stored screen save program is executed to switch to the screen save mode 306.

8 is a flowchart illustrating a schematic flow of the standby mode 300, the operation mode 320, and the function selection mode 340.

As shown, first the control means 200 determines whether power is supplied (S400). When the power is supplied, the standby mode 300 is executed (S410), and if no power is supplied, no action is taken.

Next, it is determined whether the operation / stop key 132 is input (S420). In this case, when the operation / stop key 132 is input, the signal is transmitted to the control means 200 to operate the air conditioner (S421). That is, the air conditioning parts such as the indoor motor 216 and the outdoor motor 218 are operated in the control means 200 to perform air conditioning of the indoor space (S421).

On the other hand, when the operation / stop key 132 is not input, it is also determined whether the plasma key 137 is input again (S430). If the plasma key 137 is input, the input signal is transmitted to the control means 200 to operate the air purifier 170. Therefore, the air cleaning function is executed (S432).

The air purifier 170 is operated to determine whether an end key is input while the air cleaning function is performed (S434), and when the end key is input, such a signal is transmitted to the control means 200 to purify the air purifier. 170 is stopped (S436). In this case, the end key means an input of the plasma key 137. That is, when the plasma key 137 is pressed once, the air purifier 170 is operated, and when the plasma key 137 is pressed again in this state, the air purifier 170 is stopped.

When the air conditioning function is executed as described above (S421), the operation mode 320 is executed on the display window 120 (S440). As described above, when the driving mode 320 is executed, various avatars are displayed on the display means 230 according to the setting information stored in the storage means 202. Is controlled by the control means 200.

When the driving mode is executed (S440), the storage means 202 sets a time. That is, the time 'T = 0' is set (S460). In addition, it is determined whether a function key such as the left key 138 or the right key 139 is input through the button unit 130.

As a result of the determination, when the function key is input (S462), the function selection mode 340 is executed (S480). Otherwise, it is determined whether the operation / stop key 132 is input again (S464). .

If the operation / stop key 132 is not input, the time value T stored in the storage means 202 is read (S466). Then, it is determined whether the time value T is equal to or greater than the time set value (eg, 5 minutes) set in the above environment setting (S468).

If it is determined that the time value T is equal to or greater than the time set value, the screen protection mode 306 is executed (S470). The screen protection mode 306 ends when an arbitrary key is input (S472).

When the function selection mode is executed (S480), the storage means 202 resets the time. That is, time is set to 'T = 0' (S530). Then, it is determined whether the right key 139 (here, used as a function closing key) is input through the button unit 130 (S532).

When the 'function close key', that is, the right key 139 is input, the screen returns to the operation mode execution screen, and when it is not input, it is determined whether the operation / stop key 132 is input again. (S534).

At this time, when the operation / stop key 132 is not input, the time value T stored in the storage means 202 is read (S536). Then, it is determined whether the time value T is equal to or greater than the time set value (eg, 5 minutes) set in the above environment setting (S538).

If it is determined that the time value T is equal to or greater than the time setting value, the screen protection mode 306 is executed (S540). The screen protection mode 306 determines whether an arbitrary key is input (S542), and when the key is input, the screen protection mode 306 ends (S544).

On the other hand, when it is determined whether the operation / stop key 132 is input in steps S464 and S534, the control means 200 stops the air conditioner when the operation / stop key 132 is input. Let's do it. That is, execution of the air conditioning function is stopped (S550).

Then, the air conditioner is stopped and at the same time automatic cleaning is performed (S552). Of course, this function is performed when it is set in advance.

Then, it is determined whether the power is cut off (S560), and when the power is cut off, all display executions are terminated (S570).

The scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-exemplified embodiments, and many other modifications based on the present invention will be possible to those skilled in the art within the above technical scope.

As described above, the air conditioner according to the present invention includes input means for receiving a command from a user, and control means for reading and displaying the avatar data stored in the storage means on the display means.

Therefore, the avatar displayed on the display means varies according to time (seasonal), or changes in various ways depending on the condition of the air conditioner or the air condition in the room. There is an advantage you can get.

That is, since the user can easily visually recognize the operating state or various information (seasonal, indoor pollution degree, etc.) of the air conditioner, the ease of use is improved and the product purchase desire is expected to be improved.

Claims (7)

Input means for receiving a command from a user; Display means for displaying an avatar; Storage means for storing avatar data for a plurality of avatar shapes and / or actions; And a control means for reading the avatar data stored in the storage means and displaying the avatar data on the display means. The method of claim 1, The storage means stores avatar setting information on a shape and / or an operation of the avatar; And the control means changes and displays a shape or an operation of the avatar displayed on the display means based on the avatar setting information. The method of claim 2, And the avatar setting information is configured to change the avatar according to time. The method according to claim 2 or 3, The control means is provided with a one-hour clock means for calculating the current date and time, And the control means changes the avatar according to a current date and time obtained from the one-hour clock means. The method of claim 2, The avatar setting information is characterized in that the avatar is changed according to the state of the air conditioner or the indoor air condition. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The control means, And one or more avatars among a plurality of avatars are displayed on the display means according to a user command from the input means. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The control means, And obtaining a user's command through the input means to change the avatar setting information.

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