Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Jong Won Bak

Hyeong Joon Seo

Suk Ho Lee

Yong Hee Jang

Byoung Guk Lim

Chang Yong Lee

Min Gu Chang

Tae Il Kim

Jae Hun Hur

Dong-Il Jung

Dong Hyun Goh

Dong Il Jung

Hyeong Seok Lim

Dae Chui Han

Byoung Guk Lee

An air conditioner includes an outdoor unit, a plurality of mode change devices including at least one mode changer including a branch duct and a changing valve, and configured to receive a control signal from the outdoor unit to control an operation of the at least one mode changer. A plurality of indoor units are connected to the outdoor unit or the plurality of mode change devices. The outdoor unit may determine an operation mode to operate the plurality of mode change devices a plurality of times. Each of the plurality of indoor units may detect a temperature change of an indoor heat exchanger in response to the operation of the mode change devices, to determine the number of connected mode changers and a connectable mode changer candidate group based on the temperature change of the indoor heat exchanger.

Air conditioner and method of controlling the same

Disclosed herein is an air conditioner and control method of determining duration to be maintained at a reference temperature of a mode change based on an outdoor temperature. The air conditioner includes a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an indoor heat exchanger, a four-way valve configured to guide refrigerant compressed in the compressor to either the outdoor heat exchanger or the indoor heat exchanger according to a cooling mode or a heating mode, and a controller configured to determine duration corresponding to a measured outdoor temperature, change the heating mode to the cooling mode when the measured indoor temperature is maintained at a first reference indoor temperature or greater for the determined duration, and change the cooling mode to the heating mode when a measured indoor temperature is maintained at a second reference indoor temperature or less for the determined duration.

Air conditioner and control method to change an operating mode based on a duration of time determined based on an outdoor temperature

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Suwon-si, South Korea

Jong Won Bak