Patent ID: 6922613

Claim:
A method for operating an air conditioner having an outdoor unit, a distributor, and a plurality of indoor units, the method comprising: calculating a total heating load of the indoor units that are to carry out heating, and a total cooling load of the indoor units that are to carry out cooling; operating the indoor units according to an operation pattern of the outdoor unit determined by comparing the total cooling load and the total heating load; recalculating the total heating load and the total cooling load of the indoor units when an operation temperature of the indoor units is changed; and further operating the indoor units according to a changed operation pattern of the outdoor unit associated with the recalculating of the total heating load and the total cooling load of the indoor units, wherein the recalculated total cooling load is calculated by adding the total cooling load of the indoor units before the change of the operation temperature and an additional cooling load required following the change of the operation temperature, and wherein the recalculated total heating load is calculated by adding the total heating load of the indoor units before the change of the operation temperature and an additional heating load required following the change of the operation temperature.