Air conditioning system

Abstract

The air conditioning system includes a main device and a remote device. The remote device includes at least a computing unit and software for controlling the computing unit, and is connected to the main device via a network. The software of the main device includes: a hardware access layer having a driver group for driving each hardware, a control layer for controlling the hardware group via the driver group, and a main device side function layer for receiving commands to the main device and outputting instructions to the control layer. The software of the remote device includes a remote device side function layer, which receives commands to the main device and outputs instructions to the control layer via the main device side function layer. In addition, at least one of the main device side function layer and the remote device side function layer is configured with a function execution program for executing the function provided by the main device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an air conditioning system. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, air conditioners have provided users with various functions, such as a function of remote control via a network from a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, etc. These functions are implemented by software.

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-289505 Summary of the invention

[0004] In conventional air conditioners, the hardware (compressor, heat exchanger, and air supply fan, etc.) included in the air conditioner and the software for executing various functions are integrated into the air conditioner body. Therefore, there is a problem that since the control of the air conditioner body and the collection of operation information from the air conditioner body basically require access to the air conditioner body, the degree of freedom is limited, making it difficult to provide services such as maintenance services and function additions.

[0005] The present invention is used to solve the above problems, and its purpose is to provide an air conditioning system, which has a platform that can access (control and collect information, etc.) the main body of the air conditioning device from various locations (air conditioning device and cloud, etc.). Here, the platform refers to a functional layer set at various locations.

[0006] In a disclosed form, an air conditioning system includes a main device and a remote device. The main device includes: a hardware group including at least a compressor, a heat exchanger, and an air supply fan, and software for controlling the hardware group. The remote device includes at least a computing unit and software for controlling the computing unit, and is connected to the main device via a network. The software of the main device includes: a hardware access layer having a driver group for driving each hardware; a control layer controlling the hardware group via the driver group; and a main device side function layer receiving commands to the main device and outputting instructions to the control layer. The software of the remote device includes a remote device side function layer, which receives commands to the main device and outputs instructions to the control layer via the main device side function layer. In addition, at least one of the main device side function layer and the remote device side function layer is configured with a function execution program, and the function execution program is used to execute the function provided by the main device.

[0007] The disclosed air conditioning system enables access to the air conditioning device body from various locations. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 It is a diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioning system according to an embodiment.

[0009] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing a unit configuration of software included in the air conditioning system.

[0010] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing the processing sequence of the air conditioning system when the air flow adjustment unit is configured in the cloud and the user changes the air volume or wind direction from a remote terminal.

[0011] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing a processing sequence of the air conditioning system when the air flow adjustment unit is disposed in the indoor unit and the user changes the air volume or air direction using the infrared remote controller.

[0012] Figure 5 This diagram shows the processing sequence of the air conditioning system, focusing on the processing of the functional layer.

[0013] Figure 6 It is a diagram showing a state where the air flow adjustment unit is arranged indoors.

[0014] Figure 7 This is a diagram showing a situation where the airflow adjustment unit receives an event-type response to an air volume change instruction and an air direction change instruction from the air conditioner API processing unit when the airflow adjustment unit is arranged in the cloud. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the air conditioning system disclosed in the present application will be described in detail based on the accompanying drawings. In addition, the air conditioning system disclosed in the present application is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0016] Example

[0017] First, the configuration of an air conditioning system according to the embodiment will be described. Figure 1 2 is a diagram showing the structure of an air conditioning system according to an embodiment. Figure 1 As shown, the air conditioning system 1 involved in the embodiment includes: a GW (Gateway) 2, a remote terminal 4, a cloud 5, an air conditioner 6, a remote controller 6c, a humidifier 7 and other devices 8.

[0018] The GW (gateway) 2 is a device that receives operation instructions from a remote terminal 4 or a cloud 5 via the Internet 3 (network) and controls the air conditioner 6. The GW 2 includes a GW control unit 2a. The GW control unit 2a is used to control the GW 2.

[0019] The remote terminal 4 is a terminal that receives operation instructions from the user and controls the air conditioner 6 through the Internet 3 and the GW 2. The remote terminal 4 is, for example, a smartphone or a tablet. The remote terminal 4 has a terminal control unit 4a. The terminal control unit 4a is used to control the remote terminal 4.

[0020] The cloud 5 is a system for controlling the air conditioner 6 via the Internet 3 and the GW 2. The cloud 5 has a plurality of information processing devices 5a, and controls the air conditioner 6 by executing software on some of the plurality of information processing devices 5a.

[0021] The air conditioner 6 is an air conditioner having cooling and heating functions. The air conditioner 6 includes an outdoor unit 6a and an indoor unit 6b. The outdoor unit 6a and the indoor unit 6b are connected via a liquid pipe 6p and a gas pipe 6q.

[0022] The remote controller 6c communicates wirelessly with the indoor unit 6b. The remote controller 6c is operated by the user and transmits the user's instructions to the indoor unit 6b using wireless communication. The remote controller 6c has a remote controller control unit 6s. The remote controller control unit 6s is used to control the remote controller 6c. The remote controller 6c includes an infrared remote controller and a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy: Bluetooth (registered trademark, hereinafter the same) Low Energy) remote controller. The infrared remote controller communicates with the indoor unit 6b using infrared rays. The BLE remote controller communicates with the indoor unit 6b using Bluetooth.

[0023] The outdoor unit 6a includes a compressor 6d, an outdoor heat exchanger 6e, an outdoor fan 6f, and an outdoor control unit 6g. The outdoor unit 6a uses the outdoor heat exchanger 6e to perform heat exchange between the outdoor air sucked into the outdoor unit 6a and the refrigerant. The outdoor unit 6a uses the outdoor fan 6f to suck air into the outdoor unit 6a. The refrigerant is compressed by the compressor 6d and circulates in the outdoor unit 6a, the liquid pipe 6p, the indoor unit 6b, and the gas pipe 6q. The outdoor control unit 6g is used to control the outdoor unit 6a.

[0024] The indoor unit 6b includes an indoor heat exchanger 6h, an indoor fan 6i, a wind direction plate 6j, and an indoor control unit 6k. The indoor unit 6b uses the indoor heat exchanger 6h to perform heat exchange between the indoor air sucked into the indoor unit 6b and the refrigerant. The indoor unit 6b uses the indoor fan 6i to suck air into the indoor unit 6b and blow the air that has undergone heat exchange with the refrigerant into the room. The wind direction plate 6j is used to change the direction of the air blown out from the indoor fan 6i. The indoor control unit 6k is used to control the indoor unit 6b.

[0025] The humidifier 7 operates in cooperation with the air conditioner 6. For example, when the air conditioner 6 starts the heating operation and the cooperation function is set, the humidifier 7 also starts to operate.

[0026] If the cooperation function is set for the other device 8, it will cooperate with the air conditioner 6. The other device 8 is, for example, a home appliance such as a heating device and a lighting device. Figure 1 Although only one other device 8 is shown in the figure, the air conditioning system 1 may also have a plurality of other devices 8 .

[0027] The GW control unit 2a, the terminal control unit 4a, the outdoor control unit 6g, the indoor control unit 6k, and the remote control unit 6s implement control functions using software. The GW control unit 2a, the terminal control unit 4a, the outdoor control unit 6g, the indoor control unit 6k, and the remote control unit 6s all have CPUs (Central Processing Units) 2b, 4b, 61b, 62b, and 63b as arithmetic processing units and memories 2c, 4c, 61c, 62c, and 63c. And these control units implement control functions by executing programs stored in memories 2c, 4c, 61c, 62c, and 63c, respectively, by the CPUs 2b, 4b, 61b, 62b, and 63b.

[0028] The information processing device 5a includes a CPU 5b as a calculation processing unit and a memory 5c, and controls the air conditioner 6 by the CPU 5b executing a program stored in the memory 5c.

[0029] Next, the unit configuration of the software included in the air-conditioning system 1 will be described. Figure 2 1 is a diagram showing a unit structure of software included in the air conditioning system 1. Figure 2 As shown, the software of the air conditioning system 1 according to the embodiment has a layered structure, which includes a driver layer 10 , a hardware abstraction layer 20 , a control layer 30 and a function layer 40 .

[0030] The driver layer 10 is a hardware access layer for accessing the hardware 9. The hardware 9 includes: an indoor heat exchanger 6h, an indoor fan 6i, a wind vane 6j, a compressor 6d, an outdoor heat exchanger 6e, and an outdoor fan 6f. The units included in the driver layer 10 control the hardware 9 based on the instructions of the units included in the hardware abstraction layer 20, and return the response from the hardware 9 to the hardware abstraction layer 20.

[0031] The drive layer 10 includes as units: a fan motor drive 11, a stepper motor drive 12, an outdoor unit drive 13, an infrared communication module driver 14, a wired communication driver 15, a communication module driver corresponding to the Wi-Fi specification (hereinafter referred to as a WiFi module driver 16), and a BLE module driver 17.

[0032] The fan motor driver 11, the stepper motor driver 12, and the outdoor unit driver 13 are configured in the indoor unit of the air conditioner 6. The infrared communication module driver 14, the wired communication driver 15, the WiFi module driver 16, and the BLE module driver 17 are configured in the indoor unit of the air conditioner 6 and are remotely configured. Among them, the remote configuration is a configuration configured in a location far away from the indoor unit 6b, such as the cloud 5, GW2, the remote terminal 4, and the remote controller 6c. The cloud 5 is a system having multiple information processing devices 5a, but here, the cloud 5 is regarded as one device.

[0033] The fan motor driver 11 controls the fan motor that rotates the indoor fan 6i. The stepper motor driver 12 controls the stepper motor that operates the wind direction plate 6j, for example. The outdoor unit driver 13 controls, for example, the compressor 6d included in the outdoor unit 6a through communication with the outdoor unit 6a.

[0034] The infrared communication module driver 14 controls the infrared communication module that uses infrared for wireless communication. The wired communication driver 15 controls the communication module that communicates through a wired network. The WiFi module driver 16 controls the WiFi module that performs wireless communication corresponding to the Wi-Fi specification. The BLE module driver 17 controls the Bluetooth module that uses Bluetooth for wireless communication.

[0035] The unit included in the hardware abstraction layer 20 instructs the unit included in the driver layer 10 to control the hardware 9 based on the instruction of the unit included in the control layer 30, and returns a response signal for conveying that the instruction from the control layer 30 has been received to the control layer 30. The unit included in the driver layer 10 instructs the control of the hardware based on the instruction of the unit included in the hardware abstraction layer 20. At this time, when the hardware is controlled by what is generally called feedback control (control that compares the numerical value of the control amount with the target value and performs a corrective action to make the numerical value of the control amount consistent with the target value), the hardware outputs a response signal (feedback signal) to the instruction to the driver layer 10. The unit of the driver layer 10 outputs a feedback signal to the unit of the hardware abstraction layer 20 based on the feedback signal from the hardware. The unit of the hardware abstraction layer 20 that receives the feedback signal issues an instruction to add control to the lower layer (via the hardware of the driver layer 10) based on the received feedback signal.

[0036] The hardware abstraction layer 20 includes as units: a fan control unit 21, a wind direction plate control unit 22, an outdoor unit control unit 23, an infrared communication control unit 24, a wired communication control unit 25, a WiFi communication control unit 26, and a BLE communication control unit 27. The fan control unit 21, the wind direction plate control unit 22, and the outdoor unit control unit 23 are configured in the indoor unit. The infrared communication control unit 24, the wired communication control unit 25, the WiFi communication control unit 26, and the BLE communication control unit 27 are configured in the indoor unit and are remotely configured at the same time.

[0037] The fan control unit 21 controls the indoor fan 6i using the fan motor driver 11. The wind direction plate control unit 22 controls the wind direction plate 6j using the stepping motor driver 12. The outdoor unit control unit 23 controls, for example, the compressor 6d included in the outdoor unit 6a using the outdoor unit driver 13.

[0038] The infrared communication control unit 24 controls infrared communication using the infrared communication module driver 14. The wired communication control unit 25 controls communication via a wired network using the wired communication driver 15. The WiFi communication control unit 26 controls WiFi communication using the WiFi module driver 16. The BLE communication control unit 27 controls wireless communication using Bluetooth communication using the BLE module driver 17.

[0039] The hardware abstraction layer 20 provides the control layer 30 with a method for controlling the abstracted hardware 9. For example, the fan control unit 21 provides the air volume control unit 31 of the control layer 30 with a fan control method that is independent of the type of fan motor and the type of fan.

[0040] The unit included in the control layer 30 instructs the unit included in the hardware abstraction layer 20 to control the abstracted hardware 9 based on the instruction of the functional unit included in the functional layer 40, and returns the response from the hardware abstraction layer 20 to the functional layer 40. The control layer 30 includes an air volume control unit 31, an air direction control unit 32, a compressor control unit 33, a communication control unit 34, and a protection control unit 35 as units. The air volume control unit 31, the air direction control unit 32, the compressor control unit 33, and the protection control unit 35 are arranged in the indoor unit. The communication control unit 34 is arranged in the indoor unit and is also arranged remotely.

[0041] The air volume control unit 31 controls the amount of air output by the indoor fan 6i using the fan control unit 21. The wind direction control unit 32 controls the direction of air output by the indoor fan 6i using the wind direction plate control unit 22. The compressor control unit 33 controls the compressor 6d provided in the outdoor unit 6a through the outdoor unit driver 13.

[0042] The communication control unit 34 uses the infrared communication control unit 24, the wired communication control unit 25, the WiFi communication control unit 26, or the BLE communication control unit 27 to control the communication between the indoor unit 6b and the GW2, the indoor unit 6b and the remote terminal 4, and the indoor unit 6b and the cloud 5, which are arranged at different locations (remote devices). The communication control unit 34 selects a communication protocol suitable for the communication between the indoor unit 6b and the remote device from MQTT (Message Queue Telemetry Transport), CoAP (Constrained Application Protocol), REST (Representational State Transfer), and BLE Service Profile.

[0043] The protection control unit 35 performs control related to the protection of the hardware 9. For example, the protection control unit 35 controls the rotation speed of the indoor fan 6i so as not to become too high.

[0044] The control layer 30 provides methods for realizing the functions included in the functional layer 40. For example, the air volume control unit 31 and the air direction control unit 32 realize airflow adjustment by controlling the air volume and the air direction, respectively.

[0045] The functional unit included in the functional layer 40 performs processing to realize the functions provided by the air conditioning system 1 to the user. Based on the user's request (change of setting), the functional unit included in the functional layer 40 performs processing to realize the function by the functional unit realizing the user's request. The functional layer 40 includes, for example, an airflow adjustment unit 41, a room temperature adjustment unit 42, a remote operation unit 43, a comfort airflow unit 44, an automatic operation unit 45, an air conditioner-humidifier coordination unit 46, and other equipment coordination units 47a, 47b, 47c, etc.

[0046] The airflow adjustment unit 41 uses the air volume control unit 31 and the wind direction control unit 32 to adjust the air volume and wind direction of the indoor unit 6b based on the user's setting. The room temperature adjustment unit 42 uses the compressor control unit 33 to adjust the capacity required of the compressor 6d of the outdoor unit 6a based on the temperature difference between the set temperature and the room temperature and the time change of the room temperature. The remote operation unit 43 uses an infrared remote controller, a BLE remote controller, and the remote terminal 4 to transmit the user's requirements set by remote operation to the corresponding functional unit.

[0047] The comfort airflow unit 44 detects the floor temperature and the like, and uses the air volume control unit 31 to automatically adjust the air volume of the indoor unit 6b to eliminate the uneven temperature in the room. The automatic operation unit 45 automatically selects the operation mode (cooling, drying, air supply, heating) based on the indoor temperature and the outdoor temperature, and operates according to the selected operation mode. The air conditioner-humidifier coordination unit 46 coordinates the operation of the air conditioner 6 with the operation of the humidifier 7. The other equipment coordination units 47a, 47b, 47c... coordinate the operation of the air conditioner 6 with the operation of other equipment 8. As other equipment 8, for example, there are curtains and lighting equipment not shown. The control signal from, for example, the other equipment coordination unit 47a, 47b, 47c... is sent to the other equipment 8 via the air conditioner API processing unit, thereby enabling the air conditioner 6 to work in coordination with the other equipment 8. By providing the other equipment coordination unit, even if the sensor required to control other equipment (such as a brightness sensor, etc.) is not installed on the air conditioner side, it is possible to work in coordination with other equipment.

[0048] The functional units included in the functional layer 40 may be arranged in the indoor unit 6b, or in remote devices such as the GW2, the remote terminal 4, the cloud 5, and the remote controller 6c. In addition, the functional units included in the functional layer 40 are implemented by CPUs 2b, 4b, 5b, 61b, 62b, and 63b executing function execution programs written for each function.

[0049] The function layer 40 includes an air conditioner data unit 51, an air conditioner API (Application Programming Interface) processing unit 52, and an air conditioner inter-function coordination unit 53. The air conditioner data unit 51, the air conditioner API processing unit 52, and the air conditioner inter-function coordination unit 53 are arranged at the indoor unit 6b, GW2, remote terminal 4, cloud 5, etc., where the function unit is arranged.

[0050] The air conditioner data unit 51 manages the data shared by the functional units configured in different devices. When data is updated on one side of the remotely configured device, the updated content is also updated on the other side (synchronizing data), thereby maintaining data consistency. The air conditioner data unit 51 synchronizes the data stored in the physical memories such as GW2, remote terminal 4, cloud 5, and remote controller 6c, thereby maintaining data consistency in the air conditioner system as a whole. The data managed by the air conditioner data unit 51 is used for competition control and coordination between the functional units. As a result, the air conditioner system can virtually have a memory (integrated memory 50) that is integrated as a whole system.

[0051] That is, the integrated memory 50 is a conceptual memory obtained by virtually integrating physical memories such as the GW 2 , the remote terminal 4 , the cloud 5 , and the remote controller 6 c .

[0052] In the case where the functional unit is physically arranged in any one of the cloud 5, GW2, remote terminal 4, and remote controller 6c, the air conditioner API processing unit 52 can also use the same functional unit regardless of the arrangement position by providing a general API to the functional unit (making the functional unit general). The air conditioner API processing unit 52 switches communication via the air conditioner data unit 51 and instructs the control layer 30 from the functional layer 40. The air conditioner API processing unit 52 grasps the arrangement positions of the functional units arranged in multiple devices and each unit of the control layer, and controls the control signal and the response signal to be able to communicate appropriately.

[0053] The air conditioner function coordination unit 53 coordinates and controls the remotely located function units. For example, the air conditioner function coordination unit 53 changes the settings of the remotely located function units (for example, whether to activate the airflow adjustment function of the airflow adjustment unit).

[0054] Next, take airflow adjustment as an example, use Figures 3 to 6 The processing sequence of the air conditioning system 1 is described. Figures 3 to 6 In the embodiment, the air conditioner data unit 51a, the air conditioner API processing unit 52a, the air conditioner function coordination unit 53a, the remote operation unit 43a, the communication control unit 34a, the WiFi communication control unit 26a, the WiFi module driver 16a, the infrared communication control unit 24a, and the infrared communication module driver 14a operate in the indoor unit 6b. The air conditioner data unit 51b, the air conditioner API processing unit 52b, and the air conditioner function coordination unit 53b operate on the cloud 5. In addition, the physical memory 50a is a physical memory in the virtual memory, that is, the integrated memory 50, which is configured in the indoor unit 6b, and the physical memory 50b is a physical memory in the virtual memory, that is, the integrated memory 50, which is configured on the cloud 5.

[0055] First, a case will be described in which the airflow adjustment unit 41 b is disposed in the cloud 5 and the user changes the air volume or wind direction from the remote terminal 4 . Figure 3 4 is a diagram showing the processing sequence of the air conditioning system 1 when the air flow adjustment unit 41b is configured in the cloud 5 and the user changes the air volume or wind direction from the remote terminal 4. Figure 3 As shown, the airflow adjustment unit 41b configured in the cloud 5 receives an air volume change instruction from the remote terminal 4 (S1). Here, the situation of changing the air volume is first explained. Regardless of where the airflow adjustment unit 41b is configured, it outputs a control signal requesting a change in the air volume or wind direction setting. Specifically, the airflow adjustment unit 41b outputs an air volume change control signal to the air conditioner API processing unit 52b. Since the air conditioner API processing unit 52b knows that the air volume control unit 31 and the wind direction control unit 32 as units of the control layer are located in the main device, the air volume change control signal is converted into communication data (WiFi signal) with the main device and sent to the main device via the Internet (S2). Here, the main device is the air conditioner 6.

[0056] In addition, the air conditioner API processing unit 52b sends the communication data to the main device via the air conditioner data unit 51b, and the air conditioner data unit 51b changes the setting of the air volume and saves it in the physical memory 50b. The air conditioner data unit 51b is synchronized with the air conditioner data unit 51a of the indoor unit 6b to maintain the consistency of the integrated memory 50. Thus, the air conditioner data unit 51a can obtain the changed air volume setting from the physical memory 50a of the indoor unit 6b.

[0057] The WiFi module driver 16a of the driver layer 10 of the main device receives data sent from the cloud 5 via the Internet, and outputs it to the WiFi communication control unit 26a of the hardware abstraction layer 20. The WiFi communication control unit 26a confirms whether the data received from the WiFi module driver 16a is standard received data, and if it is standard received data, it outputs the received data to the communication control unit 34a of the control layer 30.

[0058] The communication control unit 34a performs signal analysis on the data (received data) sent from the air conditioner API processing unit 52b. If it is an air volume change control signal from the air flow adjustment unit 41b on the cloud 5 side, the air volume change control signal is sent to the air conditioner API processing unit 52a on the main body side (S3).

[0059] Since the air conditioner API processing unit 52a knows the location of the air volume control unit 31 that should receive the air volume change control signal, it can output the air volume change control signal to the air volume control unit 31 (S4). The air conditioner API processing unit 52a also records the air volume change instruction in the air conditioner data unit 51a.

[0060] The air volume control unit 31 determines the changed target fan speed according to the air volume change instruction, and outputs the target fan speed as a control signal to the fan control unit 21 of the hardware abstraction layer 20. When the fan control unit 21 receives the air volume change instruction from the air volume control unit 31, it outputs a response signal to the air volume control unit 31 indicating that the instruction has been received, and at the same time calculates the control amount of the fan motor according to the speed difference between the current actual working fan speed and the changed target fan speed, thereby outputting the fan motor control amount as a control signal to the fan motor driver 11 of the driver layer 10. The fan motor driver 11 outputs a signal to the fan motor driver circuit according to the fan motor control amount, thereby controlling the fan motor (S5).

[0061] Afterwards, the fan motor driver 11 of the driver layer 10 inputs the feedback signal (pulse signal) of the actual working fan speed after the fan motor control amount is changed as a response signal (S6) through the fan motor speed feedback circuit of the hardware 9. The fan motor driver 11 outputs the time interval of the feedback signal input (the time interval of the pulse signal) as a response signal to the fan control unit 21 of the hardware abstraction layer 20. The fan control unit 21 calculates the speed of the fan motor from the time interval of the feedback signal input (the time interval of the pulse signal), and issues an instruction to the fan motor driver 11 to increase the command voltage value (the on time of the PWM signal) until it reaches the preset speed. In addition, the fan control unit 21 outputs a response signal of receiving the instruction to the air volume control unit 31 at the moment of receiving the air volume change instruction from the air volume control unit 31, and the air volume control unit 31 that receives the response signal of receiving the instruction outputs a response signal to the air conditioner API processing unit 52a of the functional layer 40 (S7).

[0062] The air conditioner API processing unit 52a converts the response signal data into a response signal that is compatible with the control signal sent by the airflow adjustment unit 41b of the functional layer 40 configured in the cloud 5, and outputs the response signal to the communication control unit 34a of the control layer 30 (S8).

[0063] In order to communicate with the cloud 5, the communication control unit 34a selects WiFi communication and outputs a response signal to the WiFi communication control unit 26a of the hardware abstraction layer 20. The WiFi communication control unit 26a converts the input response signal into a UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver / Transmitter) signal and outputs it to the WiFi module driver 16a of the driver layer 10. The WiFi module driver 16a sends the response signal to the cloud 5 via the communication circuit (S9).

[0064] Like this, the fan motor drive 11, the fan control unit 21, the air volume control unit 31 and the air conditioner API processing unit 52a convert the response signal of the previous layer into a suitable form and output it to the next layer in turn, so that the air conditioning system 1 can send the response signal from the hardware 9 to the cloud 5. In addition, regardless of the configuration position of the airflow adjustment unit 41, the air volume control unit 31 responds. Specifically, the air volume control unit 31 responds to the air conditioner API processing unit 52a, and the air conditioner API processing unit 52a responds to the communication control unit 34a. In addition, event-type responses will be described in detail later. The air conditioner API processing unit 52a can also respond asynchronously via the integrated memory or by polling.

[0065] The air conditioner API processing unit 52b of the functional layer 40 of the cloud 5 receives the signal sent from the main device via the Internet as a response signal, converts the input response signal, and outputs it to the air flow adjustment unit 41b. The air volume change process is completed as described above.

[0066] Next, the change of wind direction is explained. Figure 3 As shown, the airflow adjustment unit 41b configured in the cloud 5 receives the wind direction change instruction from the remote terminal 4 (S1). Therefore, the airflow adjustment unit 41b outputs the wind direction change control signal to the air conditioner API processing unit 52b regardless of where it is configured. Since the air conditioner API processing unit 52b knows that the wind direction control unit 32 as a unit of the control layer is located in the main device, it converts the wind direction change control signal into communication data (WiFi signal) with the main device and sends it to the main device via the Internet (S2).

[0067] In addition, the air conditioner API processing unit 52b sends the communication data to the main device via the air conditioner data unit 51b, and the air conditioner data unit 51b changes the setting of the wind direction and saves it in the physical memory 50b. The air conditioner data unit 51b is synchronized with the air conditioner data unit 51a to maintain the consistency of the integrated memory 50. Thus, the air conditioner data unit 51a can obtain the changed wind direction setting from the physical memory 50a of the indoor unit 6b.

[0068] The WiFi module driver 16a of the driver layer 10 of the main device receives data sent from the cloud 5 via the Internet, and outputs it to the WiFi communication control unit 26a of the hardware abstraction layer 20. The WiFi communication control unit 26a confirms whether the data received from the WiFi module driver 16a is standard received data, and if it is standard received data, it outputs the received data to the communication control unit 34a of the control layer 30.

[0069] The communication control unit 34a performs signal analysis on the data (received data) sent from the air conditioner API processing unit 52b. If it is a wind direction change control signal from the air flow adjustment unit 41b on the cloud 5 side, the wind direction change control signal is sent to the air conditioner API processing unit 52a on the main body side (S3).

[0070] Since the air conditioner API processing unit 52a knows the location of the wind direction control unit 32 that needs to receive the wind direction change control signal, it can output the wind direction change control signal to the wind direction control unit 32 (S10). The air conditioner API processing unit 52a also records the wind direction change instruction in the air conditioner data unit 51a.

[0071] The wind direction control unit 32 determines the target wind direction position pulse number after the change according to the wind direction change instruction, and outputs the target wind direction position pulse number as a control signal to the wind direction plate control unit 22 of the hardware abstraction layer 20. At the moment when the wind direction plate control unit 22 receives the wind direction change instruction from the wind direction control unit 32, it outputs a response signal of receiving the instruction to the wind direction control unit 32, and at the same time determines the driving direction of the stepper motor by the current actual working wind direction position pulse number and the target wind direction position pulse number after the change, thereby outputting the stepper motor control amount as a control signal to the stepper motor driver 12 of the driver layer 10. The stepper motor driver 12 drives the stepper motor by outputting a signal to the stepper motor drive circuit at the moment according to the stepper motor control amount, thereby controlling the wind direction position (S11).

[0072] Since the stepper motor for controlling the wind direction vane does not have a hardware circuit for detecting the wind direction position, there is no input of a response signal from the lower layer to the stepper motor driver 12 of the driver layer 10 and the wind direction vane control unit 22 of the hardware abstraction layer 20. When the wind direction vane control unit 22 completes receiving the wind direction change instruction from the wind direction control unit 32 of the control layer 30, it outputs a response signal of receiving the instruction to the wind direction control unit 32. The wind direction control unit 32 outputs a response signal to the air conditioner API processing unit 52a of the function layer 40 (S12).

[0073] The air conditioner API processing unit 52a converts the response signal data into a response signal that is compatible with the control signal sent by the airflow adjustment unit 41b of the functional layer 40 configured in the cloud 5, and outputs the response signal to the communication control unit 34a of the control layer 30 (S8).

[0074] In order to communicate with the cloud 5, the communication control unit 34a selects WiFi communication and outputs a response signal to the WiFi communication control unit 26a of the hardware abstraction layer 20. The WiFi communication control unit 26a converts the input response signal into a UART signal and outputs it to the WiFi module driver 16a of the driver layer 10. The WiFi module driver 16a sends the response signal to the cloud 5 via the communication circuit (S9).

[0075] The air conditioner API processing unit 52b of the functional layer 40 of the cloud 5 receives the signal sent from the main device via the Internet as a response signal, converts the input response signal, and outputs it to the airflow adjustment unit 41b. The wind direction change process is completed.

[0076] Next, a description will be given of a case where the airflow adjustment unit 41a is disposed in the indoor unit 6b and the user changes the air volume or air direction using an infrared remote controller. Figure 44 is a diagram showing the processing sequence of the air conditioning system 1 when the air flow adjustment unit 41a is disposed in the indoor unit 6b and the user changes the air volume or wind direction using the infrared remote controller. Figure 4 As shown, the infrared communication module driver 14a of the driving layer 10 of the indoor unit 6b receives an instruction to change the air volume based on the user's operation from the infrared remote controller (S21). Thereby, the infrared communication module driver 14a outputs a received signal to the infrared communication control unit 24a.

[0077] The infrared communication control unit 24a analyzes the received signal, determines that the received signal is an air volume change instruction, and outputs the air volume change instruction to the communication control unit 34a of the control layer 30. The communication control unit 34a determines the priority of the air volume change instruction and the instructions input by other communication units, and if there is no problem, outputs the air volume change instruction to the air conditioner API processing unit 52a of the functional layer 40. At this time, since the air conditioner API processing unit 52a knows that the remote operation unit 43a as a functional unit is configured in the functional layer on the main body side, the air volume change instruction is sent to the remote operation unit 43a (S22). The remote operation unit 43a directly outputs the air volume change instruction to the air flow adjustment unit 41a of the functional layer 40 in the main device (S23). The air flow adjustment unit 41a of the functional layer 40 that receives the air volume change instruction outputs the air volume change control signal to the air conditioner API processing unit 52a regardless of where it is configured. Since the control signal comes from the airflow adjustment unit 41a in the same device, the air conditioner API processing unit 52a can directly output the air volume change control signal to the air volume control unit 31 of the control layer 30 without converting the data into communication data (S24).

[0078] The air volume control unit 31 determines the changed target fan speed according to the air volume change instruction, and outputs the target fan speed as a control signal to the fan control unit 21 of the hardware abstraction layer 20. The fan control unit 21 calculates the control amount of the fan motor from the speed difference between the current actual operating fan speed and the changed target fan speed, and outputs the fan motor control amount as a control signal to the fan motor driver 11 of the driver layer 10. The fan motor driver 11 outputs a signal to the fan motor drive circuit at the time according to the fan motor control amount, thereby controlling the fan motor (S25).

[0079] Afterwards, the fan motor driver 11 of the driver layer 10 inputs the feedback signal of the actual working fan speed after the fan motor control amount is changed as a response signal through the fan motor speed feedback circuit of the hardware 9 (S26). The fan motor driver 11 outputs the time interval of the feedback signal input as a response signal to the fan control unit 21 of the hardware abstraction layer 20. At the moment when the fan control unit 21 completes receiving the air volume change instruction from the air volume control unit 31 of the control layer 30, it outputs a response signal of receiving the instruction to the air volume control unit 31. Regardless of where the air flow adjustment unit 41 is configured, the air volume control unit 31 outputs a response signal to the air conditioner API processing unit 52a of the functional layer 40 (S27).

[0080] Since the airflow adjustment unit 41a is located in the same device, the air conditioner API processing unit 52a can directly output a response signal to the airflow adjustment unit 41a without performing data conversion. The above steps complete the air volume change process.

[0081] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, no matter where the airflow adjustment unit 41 is configured between the cloud 5 and the indoor unit 6b, when receiving the air volume change instruction, regardless of its own configuration position, it outputs the air volume change control signal to the air conditioner API processing unit 52. In addition, when configured in the cloud 5, since the air conditioner API processing unit 52 knows that the air volume control unit 31 is configured in the main device, it converts the air volume change control signal into communication data with the main device and sends it to the main device. As a result, the airflow adjustment unit 41b can control the air volume of the indoor unit 6b from the cloud 5 with the same processing as when it is configured in the indoor unit 6b. Therefore, in the air conditioning system 1, the airflow adjustment unit 41 can be configured in either the indoor unit 6b or the cloud 5.

[0082] Next, the change of wind direction is explained. Figure 4 As shown, the infrared communication module driver 14a of the driving layer 10 of the indoor unit 6b receives an instruction to change the wind direction based on the user's operation from the infrared remote controller (S21). Thereby, the infrared communication module driver 14a outputs a received signal to the infrared communication control unit 24a.

[0083] The infrared communication control unit 24a analyzes the received signal, determines that the received signal is a wind direction change instruction, and outputs the wind direction change instruction to the communication control unit 34a of the control layer 30. The communication control unit 34a determines the priority of the wind direction change instruction and the instructions input by other communication units, and if there is no problem, outputs the wind direction change instruction to the air conditioner API processing unit 52a of the functional layer 40. At this time, since the air conditioner API processing unit 52a knows that the remote operation unit 43a as a functional unit is configured in the functional layer on the main body side, the wind direction change instruction is sent to the remote operation unit 43a (S22). The remote operation unit 43a directly outputs the wind direction change instruction to the air flow adjustment unit 41a of the functional layer 40 in the main device (S23). The air flow adjustment unit 41a of the functional layer 40 that receives the wind direction change instruction can output the wind direction change control signal to the air conditioner API processing unit 52a without identifying its own configuration position. Since the control signal comes from the airflow adjustment unit 41a in the same device, the air conditioner API processing unit 52a can directly output the wind direction change control signal to the wind direction control unit 32 of the control layer 30 without converting the data into communication data (S28).

[0084] The wind direction control unit 32 determines the target wind direction position and the target wind direction position pulse number after the change according to the wind direction change indication, and outputs the target wind direction position pulse number as a control signal to the wind vane control unit 22 of the hardware abstraction layer 20. The wind vane control unit 22 determines the driving direction of the stepper motor based on the current actual working wind direction position pulse number and the target wind direction position pulse number after the change. In addition, the wind vane control unit 22 outputs the stepper motor driving signal as a control signal to the stepper motor driver 12 of the driving layer 10 until the target wind direction position pulse number is reached. The stepper motor driver 12 drives the stepper motor by outputting a signal to the stepper motor driving circuit, thereby controlling the wind direction position (S29).

[0085] Since the stepper motor controlling the wind direction vane does not have a hardware circuit for detecting the wind direction position, there is no input of a response signal from the lower layer to the stepper motor driver 12 of the driver layer 10 and the wind direction vane control unit 22 of the hardware abstraction layer 20. The wind direction vane control unit 22 outputs a response signal of receiving the instruction of changing the air volume to the wind direction control unit 32 of the control layer 30. Similarly, the wind direction control unit 32 outputs a response signal to the air conditioner API processing unit 52a (S30) when it completes receiving the instruction of changing the wind direction from the air conditioner API processing unit 52a of the function layer 40, regardless of where the air flow adjustment unit 41 is arranged.

[0086] Since the airflow adjustment unit 41a is located in the same device, the air conditioner API processing unit 52a can directly output a response signal to the airflow adjustment unit 41a without data conversion. The above completes the wind direction change process.

[0087] Next, a description will be given of a case where the airflow adjustment unit 41 b is disposed in the cloud 5 and the user changes the air volume or air direction using an infrared remote controller. Figure 5 The airflow adjustment unit 41b is disposed in the cloud 5. Figure 3 The same, but different in that the user changes the air volume or wind direction using an infrared remote control. Figure 5 This diagram shows the processing sequence of the air-conditioning system 1 , focusing on the processing in the functional layer 40 .

[0088] like Figure 5 As shown, the user changes the air volume and wind direction through the infrared remote control (1). The remote operation unit 43a receives the change instruction (2) and saves the changed content of the setting (air volume = x, wind direction = y) in the physical memory 50a of the indoor unit 6b (3). The air conditioner data unit 51a of the indoor unit 6b and the air conditioner data unit 51b of the cloud 5 cooperate to synchronize the content between the physical memory 50a of the indoor unit 6b and the physical memory 50b of the cloud 5 (4). The air conditioner data unit 51a of the indoor unit 6b and the air conditioner data unit 51b of the cloud 5 synchronize the content between the physical memory 50a and the physical memory 50b by copying the content of the physical memory 50a to the physical memory 50b. After the setting is changed, the air flow adjustment unit 41b of the cloud 5 refers to the changed content of the setting in the physical memory 50b (5), and requests the air conditioner API processing unit 52b to change the setting of the air volume and wind direction by function call (6). The air conditioner API processing unit 52b converts the setting change request into communication data and transmits it to the indoor unit 6b (7).

[0089] The air conditioner API processing unit 52b of the indoor unit 6b receives the setting change request and converts it into a setting change request for the air volume and a setting change request for the wind direction (function call) (8). Then, based on the setting change request for the air volume and the setting change request for the wind direction, the air volume and the wind direction are changed (9).

[0090] Figure 6 4a is shown in FIG. 4. The airflow adjustment unit 41a is disposed in the indoor unit 6b. Figure 6 As shown, the user changes the air volume and wind direction by infrared remote control (11). The remote operation unit 43a receives the change instruction (12) and stores the changed contents of the setting (air volume = x, wind direction = y) in the physical memory 50a of the indoor unit 6b (13).

[0091] After the setting is changed, the air flow adjustment unit 41a of the indoor unit 6b refers to the setting change content in the physical memory 50a (14), and requests the air conditioner API processing unit 52a to change the setting of the air volume and the wind direction by function call (15). The air conditioner API processing unit 52a requests the air volume control unit 31 to change the setting of the air volume, and requests the wind direction control unit 32 to change the setting of the wind direction. Then, the air volume and the wind direction are changed (16).

[0092] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, no matter whether the airflow adjustment unit 41 is configured in the cloud 5 or the indoor unit 6b, when the setting in the integrated memory 50 is changed, the airflow adjustment unit 41 requests the air conditioner API processing unit 52 to change the setting of the air volume and wind direction. And, if the air conditioner API processing unit 52 is configured in the cloud 5, the setting change request is converted into communication data and sent to the indoor unit 6b. As a result, the airflow adjustment unit 41b can control the air volume and wind direction of the indoor unit 6b from the cloud 5 in the same processing as when it is configured in the indoor unit 6b. Therefore, in the air conditioning system 1, the airflow adjustment unit 41 can be configured in either the indoor unit 6b or the cloud 5.

[0093] Next, an event-type response for processing a response signal when an event (reception of a response signal) occurs will be described in detail. Figure 7 This shows the case where the airflow adjustment unit 41b is arranged on the cloud 5 (i.e. Figure 3 and Figure 5 In the embodiment shown in the figure) the air flow adjustment unit 41b receives an event-type response to the air volume change instruction and the wind direction change instruction from the air conditioner API processing unit 52a. In addition, Figure 7 As an example, the MQTT protocol is adopted and the publish / subscribe mode is applied, that is, when a response signal is published (Publish) to the MQTT server, a response signal is sent to the subscribed (Subscribe) terminal.

[0094] like Figure 7 As shown, the airflow adjustment unit 41b registers a callback function for waiting for a response to the air volume change and wind direction change from the indoor unit side in the air conditioner API processing unit 52b (21). That is, the airflow adjustment unit 41b associates the air volume callback function and the wind direction callback function with the air volume control and wind direction control, respectively, and registers them in the air conditioner API processing unit 52b.

[0095] The air conditioner API processing unit 52b associates the callback function with the event and stores it (22). That is, the air conditioner API processing unit 52b stores {wind direction callback function, wind direction control event} and {wind volume callback function, wind volume control event}. In addition, the air conditioner API processing unit 52b registers the wind volume control event and wind direction control event on the indoor unit side as subscription messages from the communication control unit 34b to the MQTT server 54.

[0096] When an event (receipt of a response to a wind volume change signal or a response of a wind direction change signal) occurs, the control unit (air volume control unit 31 or wind direction control unit 32) of the indoor unit 6b transmits the event to the air conditioner API processing unit 52a (23). In order to transmit the event information to the cloud side, the air conditioner API processing unit 52a publishes the event (24) that occurred. That is, when a response to a wind volume change signal occurs as an event, the air conditioner API processing unit 52a publishes an air volume control event, and when a response to a wind direction change signal occurs as an event, the air conditioner API processing unit 52a publishes a wind direction control event. The published event is transmitted from the communication control unit 34a to the cloud side as a message via the MQTT server.

[0097] The air conditioner API processing unit 52b of the cloud 5 receives the event distributed from the communication control unit 34a via the MQTT server, and starts the callback function (25) associated with the received event. That is, if the event published is an air volume control event, the air conditioner API processing unit 52b starts the air volume callback function, and if the event published is a wind direction control event, the air conditioner API processing unit 52b starts the wind direction callback function.

[0098] In this way, the airflow adjustment unit 41b registers the callback function in the air conditioner API processing unit 52b. In addition, the air conditioner API processing unit 52b associates and maintains the callback function with the event, and when the event is issued, the callback function associated with the issued event is started. Therefore, the airflow adjustment unit 41b can receive a response to the instruction.

[0099] As described above, the air conditioning system 1 includes an air conditioning API processing unit 52a in the indoor unit 6b, and an air conditioning API processing unit 52b in the cloud 5 as an example of a remote device. In addition, the functional unit configured in the cloud 5 is processed by the air conditioning API processing unit 52b and the air conditioning API processing unit 52a. In other words, the air conditioning API processing unit 52a and the air conditioning API processing unit 52b function as a platform (platform API) that can access (control and collect information, etc.) the air conditioning device body from various locations (air conditioning device and cloud, etc.). Therefore, in the air conditioning system 1, the functional unit can be remotely configured.

[0100] In addition, in the embodiment, the functional unit included in the functional layer 40 performs the same processing regardless of whether it is configured in the indoor unit 6b or the remote device. Therefore, the air conditioning system 1 can develop a general functional unit that does not depend on the configuration position, which can make the development of the functional unit easy. For example, there is no need to set up communication processing as a processing of the functional unit, and the air conditioner API processing unit 52 communicates via the communication control unit 34 when necessary. Therefore, the air conditioning system 1 can develop a general functional unit that does not depend on the configuration position, which can make the development of the functional unit easy.

[0101] Furthermore, in the embodiment, when the functional unit is configured in the cloud 5, the air conditioner API processing unit 52b converts the instruction from the functional unit into a form suitable for communication and sends it to the air conditioner API processing unit 52a. Furthermore, the air conditioner API processing unit 52a converts the instruction received from the air conditioner API processing unit 52b into a form suitable for the control layer 30 and outputs it to the unit of the control layer 30. Furthermore, the unit of the control layer 30 converts the instruction received from the air conditioner API processing unit 52a into a form suitable for the hardware abstraction layer 20 and outputs it to the unit of the hardware abstraction layer 20. Furthermore, the unit of the hardware abstraction layer 20 converts the instruction received from the unit of the control layer 30 into a form suitable for the driver layer 10 and outputs it to the unit of the driver layer 10. Therefore, the air conditioning system 1 can develop the functional unit and the unit based only on the interface with the next layer, which can make the development of the functional unit and the unit easy.

[0102] Furthermore, in the embodiment, the remotely configured functional section receives a response to an instruction issued to the indoor unit 6 b based on the publish / subscribe / pattern, and thus can confirm that the indoor unit 6 b has executed the instruction.

[0103] Furthermore, in the embodiment, the functional unit can share data with other functional units through the virtual integrated memory 50 regardless of the configuration position, and can easily receive and transmit data with other functional units. Furthermore, in the embodiment, the air conditioner data unit 51 maintains the consistency of data between the functional units through the virtual integrated memory 50. Therefore, the hardware 9 of the indoor unit 6b does not receive contradictory instructions from the same functional unit configured at different positions, and can operate stably.

[0104] Explanation of symbols

[0105] 1 Air conditioning system

[0106] 2 GW

[0107] 2b, 4b, 5b, 61b, 62b, 63b CPU

[0108] 4 Remote Terminal

[0109] 5. Cloud

[0110] 6 Air conditioner

[0111] 6a Outdoor unit

[0112] 6b Indoor unit

[0113] 6c Remote Control

[0114] 10 Driver Layer

[0115] 20 Hardware Abstraction Layer

[0116] 30 Control Layer

[0117] 40 Functional Layer

[0118] 50 Integrated Memory

[0119] 51, 51a, 51b Air conditioner data unit

[0120] 52, 52a, 52b Air conditioner API processing unit

[0121] 53, 53a, 53b Air conditioner function coordination unit

Claims

1. An air conditioning system comprising: A main device comprising a hardware group including at least a compressor, a heat exchanger, and an air supply fan, and software for controlling the hardware group; and The remote device at least comprises a processing unit and software for controlling the processing unit, and is connected to the main device via a network. The air conditioning system is characterized in that: The software of the main device has: A hardware access layer having a driver group for driving various hardware; A control layer that controls the hardware group via the driver group; and a main device side functional layer, which receives commands to the main device and outputs instructions to the control layer, The software of the remote device has: a remote device side functional layer, which receives commands to the main device and outputs instructions to the control layer via the main device side functional layer, The main device side function layer and the remote device side function layer are configured with a function execution program, and the function execution program is used to execute the function provided by the main device. The software of the remote device further includes an inter-functional coordination unit that performs coordinated control between the function execution programs configured in the main device side functional layer and the remote device side functional layer.

2. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The function execution program is a program written separately according to each function provided by the main device to the user.

3. The air conditioning system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: In the case where the function execution program is configured in the remote device side function layer, The command input to the remote device side functional layer is converted in the remote device side functional layer into a form suitable for input to the main device side functional layer via the network, and is input from the remote device side functional layer to the main device side functional layer; The command input to the main device side functional layer is converted into a form suitable for the control layer in the main device side functional layer and input from the main device side functional layer to the control layer; The command input to the control layer is converted into a form suitable for the hardware access layer in the control layer and input from the control layer to the hardware access layer; The command input to the hardware access layer is converted into a form suitable for hardware in the hardware access layer, and is input from the hardware access layer to the hardware.

4. The air conditioning system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The response signal sent back by the hardware in response to the command input to the hardware is converted into a suitable form in the hardware access layer, the control layer, the main device side function layer and the remote device side function layer in sequence and input into each layer.

5. The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1, 2 and 4, characterized in that: The physical memory of the main device and the physical memory of the remote device are integrated as a virtual integrated memory capable of maintaining consistency. The function execution program uses the integrated memory to receive and transmit data with other function execution programs.

Images