Relay control method and system, and smart home appliance

Abstract

The present invention discloses a control method and system for a relay, and a smart home appliance. The control method for the relay comprises: obtaining a set number of sequentially generated on-signals during the operation of the relay; calculating duration information corresponding to the set number of on-signals; and when the duration information is less than a first set threshold, controlling the relay to remain closed for a set duration to protect the relay. The present invention provides a control method and system for a relay, and a smart home appliance. When it is determined that the duration information corresponding to the set number of on-signals continuously generated during the operation of the relay is less than a set value, the relay is controlled to remain closed for a set duration, thereby protecting the performance of the relay and the smart home appliance in which it is located. This overcomes the defects of the prior art in that the relay or the device in which it is located is easily damaged and its service life is shortened due to frequent switching during operation, and protects the relay and the smart home appliance in which it is located, and other complete devices in various application scenarios.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of electronic circuits; in particular, to a control method and system for a relay, and a smart home appliance. Background Art

[0002] A relay is an electrical control device that causes a predetermined step change in the controlled variable in an electrical output circuit when the input variable changes to a specified level. This allows a small current to control a large current. Relays typically provide functions such as automatic regulation, safety protection, and switching within circuits. With technological advancements, an increasing number of smart home appliances are incorporating automated control circuits that incorporate relays to implement various control functions. For example, heating loads, such as the heating tubes, in smart appliances like steamers, ovens, and combi steamers all utilize relays to control heating.

[0003] The service life of a relay is limited. For example, its designed service life is 100,000 switching cycles. However, in reality, few relays can actually reach or even reach their designed service life. The reason is that during use, relays are often switched on and off too frequently, which shortens the service life of the relay itself and even the smart home appliance in which they are located. In addition, it can cause arcing of the relay contacts and contact adhesion. Taking a steam-bake combination appliance as an example, when it is heating, the relay usually determines the start and stop of the heating operation based on temperature changes. If the temperature is at the critical point, it may cause the relay to switch frequently. When an error occurs in the control program, it is also easy to cause the relay to switch frequently. All of the above are factors that affect the reduction of the service life of the relay. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the defect in the prior art that the service life of the relay itself and the equipment in which it is located is shortened due to frequent switching, and to provide a control method and system for the relay, and a smart home appliance.

[0005] The present invention solves the above technical problems through the following technical solutions:

[0006] The present invention provides a control method for a relay, the control method comprising:

[0007] Obtaining a set number of sequentially continuous on-off signals of the relay during operation;

[0008] Calculate the duration information corresponding to the set number of start signals;

[0009] When the duration information is less than a first set threshold, the relay is controlled to remain closed for a set duration to protect the relay.

[0010] Preferably, the set number of on-state signals that are continuous in time sequence are two adjacent on-state signals.

[0011] Preferably, after the step of controlling the relay to remain closed for a set time, the method further comprises:

[0012] Accumulate and calculate the number of protection times corresponding to the set time length for controlling the relay to remain closed;

[0013] Adjust the corresponding set duration according to the protection times.

[0014] Preferably, the step of adjusting the corresponding set duration according to the number of protection times includes:

[0015] According to the accumulated protection times, the set duration is increased so that the set duration is positively correlated with the protection times;

[0016] or,

[0017] According to the accumulated protection times, the set duration is reduced so that the set duration is negatively correlated with the protection times.

[0018] Preferably, the step of adjusting the corresponding set duration according to the number of protection times includes:

[0019] The set duration is randomly generated within a preset duration range according to the protection times.

[0020] Preferably, when the protection times reach the set times, the corresponding set duration remains unchanged.

[0021] Preferably, the start signal is a rising edge signal or a falling edge signal in a level signal.

[0022] Preferably, the step of calculating and obtaining the duration information corresponding to the set number of on-signals includes:

[0023] The duration information is calculated based on the level signal period of the relay.

[0024] The present invention also provides a control system for a relay, the control system comprising:

[0025] A signal acquisition module, used to obtain a set number of sequential opening signals of the relay during operation;

[0026] A duration calculation module, configured to calculate the duration information corresponding to the set number of start signals;

[0027] The control module is configured to control the relay to remain closed for a set time period to protect the relay if the time period information is less than a first set threshold value.

[0028] Preferably, the set number of on-state signals that are continuous in time sequence are two adjacent on-state signals.

[0029] Preferably, the control system further comprises:

[0030] A statistics module, used for accumulating and calculating the number of protection times corresponding to the set time length for controlling the relay to remain closed;

[0031] The adjustment module is used to adjust the corresponding set duration according to the number of protection times.

[0032] Preferably, the adjustment module is specifically configured to increase the set duration according to the accumulated number of protection times, so that the set duration is positively correlated with the number of protection times;

[0033] or,

[0034] According to the accumulated protection times, the set duration is reduced so that the set duration is negatively correlated with the protection times.

[0035] Preferably, the adjustment module is specifically configured to randomly generate the set duration within a preset duration range according to the number of protection times.

[0036] Preferably, the adjustment module is specifically configured to set the corresponding set duration to remain unchanged when the protection times reach a set number.

[0037] Preferably, the start signal is a rising edge signal or a falling edge signal in a level signal.

[0038] Preferably, the duration calculation module is specifically configured to obtain the duration information by calculating according to a period of the level signal of the relay.

[0039] The present invention also provides a smart home appliance including the control system of the relay.

[0040] The positive progressive effect of the present invention lies in that, by providing a control method and system for a relay, and a smart home appliance, when it is determined that the duration information corresponding to a set number of open signals continuously issued during the operation of the relay is less than a set value, the relay is controlled to remain closed for the set time, thereby protecting the performance of the relay and the smart home appliance in which it is located. This can overcome the defects in the prior art that the relay itself or the equipment in which it is located is easily damaged and its service life is shortened due to frequent switching during operation, and protect the relay and the smart home appliance and other complete equipment in various application scenarios. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the flow of the relay control method according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of detecting three consecutive turn-on signals in embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0043] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of detecting two consecutive turn-on signals according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 4 This is a module diagram of a control system of a relay according to embodiment 2 of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] The present invention is further described below by way of examples, but the present invention is not limited to the scope of the examples.

[0046] Example 1

[0047] See also Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment provides a method for controlling a relay, comprising the steps of:

[0048] S1. Obtain a set number of continuous on-time signals during the operation of the relay.

[0049] S2. Calculate and obtain the duration information corresponding to the set number of on-signals.

[0050] S3. When the duration information is less than the first set threshold, the relay is controlled to remain closed for the set duration to protect the relay.

[0051] In this embodiment, the "on signal" refers to a signal generated by a relay during operation, triggering the corresponding function of the device in which it is located. For example, in a smart appliance such as an oven that utilizes a relay to control heating, upon sensing a temperature change, the relay triggers an on signal, causing the corresponding heating element in the oven to switch on and begin heating. Of course, those skilled in the art will appreciate that implementations of this embodiment include, but are not limited to, the oven and heating control described above, and are also applicable to other smart appliances that rely on controlled heating. The principles are similar, and therefore, will not be further elaborated here.

[0052] In step S1, sequentially continuous start signals of the relay during operation are obtained. In step S2, duration information of the obtained start signals is obtained. The duration information can be understood as the time interval from the first start signal to the last start signal.

[0053] See also Figure 2 As shown, when step S1 obtains three consecutive on signals, the duration information is the time interval between the first and third on signals. When N consecutive on signals (N ≥ 3) are obtained, abnormal situations where the relay is operating in an abnormal state due to abnormal factors can be avoided, thereby improving the accuracy of detecting whether the relay is frequently disconnected and more effectively improving the protection of the relay.

[0054] As a preferred embodiment, the set number of start signals that are continuous in time sequence are two adjacent start signals. Preferably, the start signal is a rising edge signal or a falling edge signal in the level signal. Taking the start signal as a rising edge signal as an example, that is, the moment when the level signal changes from a low level 0 to a high level 1 is a rising edge signal. The rising edge trigger is a switching action when the signal has a rising edge. When the potential changes from low to high and triggers the output change, it is called a rising edge trigger. Compared with level triggering, setting edge triggering, that is, the start signal as a rising edge signal or a falling edge signal, is simpler and more intuitive, and is easy to read and perform targeted control.

[0055] Preferably, step S2 calculates the duration information based on the relay's level signal cycle. It can be appreciated that when the on-state signal is a number of sequentially continuous level signals, the duration information can be calculated based on a set number of these signals combined with the level signal cycle. For example, if the on-state signal is a rising edge signal, the duration information = level signal cycle * set number.

[0056] See also Figure 3 As shown in FIG, two consecutive open signals with too short intervals can often represent an abnormal working state of a relay, for example, the critical value of its control bit causes frequent switching. Therefore, in this embodiment, the sequential open signals are set to be two adjacent open signals, which is conducive to more accurately distinguishing the abnormal switching of the relay. Figure 3 In step S1, two consecutive start signals are obtained, and the time interval between them is the duration information in step S2.

[0057] Step S3 judges the duration information. When the duration information is less than the first set threshold, the relay is controlled to remain closed for the set duration to protect the relay. Figure 2 、 Figure 3 As shown in FIG, the first set threshold value t is 3s. When the time interval between the first open signal and the last open signal is less than 3s, the control relay is kept closed for the set time, thereby effectively preventing the relay from continuing to switch to an abnormal state. Figure 2 and Figure 3 The set shutdown time shown in the figure is 5s, but those skilled in the art will appreciate that both the first set threshold t and the shutdown time can be flexibly set according to actual needs and application scenarios, and are not limited to the above-mentioned values.

[0058] As a preferred embodiment, step S3 further includes:

[0059] S4. Accumulate and calculate the number of protection times corresponding to the set time for the control relay to remain closed;

[0060] S5. Adjust the corresponding set duration according to the number of protection times.

[0061] Regarding step S3, which sets the off-time protection relay, it is important to consider that if the relay continues to toggle too frequently after the off-time expires and the on-time signal is re-triggered, it can be assumed that the relay trigger control bit may still be at a certain threshold after the previously set time has elapsed, and a method must be employed to avoid this threshold. Therefore, in this embodiment, steps S4 and S5 respectively cumulatively calculate the number of protection times corresponding to the set off-time control relay duration, and adjust the corresponding set time duration based on the increase in the number of protection times.

[0062] As an optional implementation, step S5 increases the set duration according to the accumulated protection times, so that the set duration is positively correlated with the protection times.

[0063] As another optional implementation, step S5 reduces the set duration according to the accumulated protection times, so that the set duration and the protection times are negatively correlated.

[0064] As another optional implementation, step S5 randomly generates a set duration within a preset duration range according to the number of protection times.

[0065] The above three implementations respectively adopt different ways of resetting the duration. Of course, those skilled in the art will appreciate that resetting the duration is not limited to the above three ways.

[0066] In the first and second embodiments, the set duration is positively correlated and negatively correlated with the number of protection times, respectively. The above method can effectively avoid situations such as the relay control bit is triggered in a cyclic mode, and the interval of the cyclic mode is the same as or an integer multiple of the closing time, which causes the relay to still jump abnormally after being turned on again.

[0067] For example, still using the oven as an example, if the relay's on signal is derived from temperature, and the sensed (triggered on) temperature received by the relay cycles at 2.5s, 5s, or 15s, it can be understood that when the off time is 5s, turning the relay on again will still fall within (for 2.5s, 5s) or will soon fall within (for 15s) the previous abnormal jump range. By staggering this cycle, the approach of this embodiment effectively avoids the situation where the relay control bit remains at a critical value after being off for the same set time, thus causing frequent switching.

[0068] Similarly, by randomly generating a set duration, we can not only avoid the aforementioned loop state, but also effectively prevent the situation where most critical values change according to time rules. For example, the critical value of the control bit itself increases or decreases regularly over time.

[0069] Of course, due to the working requirements of the equipment where the relay is located, such as an oven, the set time cannot be too long to affect its operation, nor too short to result in an insignificant effect. Therefore, the set time is controlled within a preset time range. The preset time range is obtained based on actual needs or experience valuation, and the method is not limited to this.

[0070] Finally, the above-mentioned methods of setting the duration, as well as other possible methods, can be switched from one to another as the number of protection times increases, thereby attempting to effectively avoid the critical value of the relay control bit and achieve the purpose of normal operation of the relay.

[0071] As a preferred embodiment, when the protection frequency reaches the set number, the corresponding set duration remains unchanged. If the relay frequently switches after the activation signal is still on when the protection frequency reaches the upper limit, the relay may be faulty or the critical value of the control bit may be relatively stable. If the relay cannot be restored to normal operation by changing the set duration, the set duration can be kept unchanged. Of course, preferably, a corresponding alarm message can be triggered at this time to prompt the user, such as checking the device where the relay is located or the environment where the device is located.

[0072] The control method of the relay in this embodiment controls the relay to remain closed for the set time when it determines that the time information corresponding to the set number of open signals continuously issued during the operation of the relay is less than the set value, thereby protecting the performance of the relay and the smart home appliance in which it is located. This can overcome the defects in the prior art that the relay itself or the equipment in which it is located is easily damaged and its service life is shortened due to frequent switching during operation, and protect the relay and the smart home appliance and other complete equipment in various application scenarios.

[0073] Example 2

[0074] See also Figure 4 As shown, this embodiment specifically provides a control system for a relay, including:

[0075] Signal acquisition module 1, used to obtain a set number of continuous on-time signals of the relay during operation;

[0076] Duration calculation module 2, used to calculate the duration information corresponding to a set number of start signals;

[0077] The control module 3 is configured to control the relay to remain closed for a set time period to protect the relay if the time period information is less than a first set threshold value.

[0078] In this embodiment, the "on signal" refers to a signal generated by a relay during operation, triggering the corresponding function of the device in which it is located. For example, in a smart appliance such as an oven that utilizes a relay to control heating, upon sensing a temperature change, the relay triggers an on signal, causing the corresponding heating element in the oven to switch on and begin heating. Of course, those skilled in the art will appreciate that implementations of this embodiment include, but are not limited to, the oven and heating control described above, and are also applicable to other smart appliances that rely on controlled heating. The principles are similar, and therefore, will not be further elaborated here.

[0079] The signal acquisition module 1 obtains the sequential start signals of the relay during operation, and the duration calculation module 2 obtains the duration information of the several start signals obtained above. The duration information can be understood as the time interval from the first start signal to the last start signal.

[0080] See also Figure 2 As shown, when the signal acquisition module 1 acquires three consecutive on signals, the duration information is the time interval between the first and third on signals. When N consecutive on signals (N ≥ 3) are acquired, abnormal conditions where the relay is operating in an abnormal state due to abnormal factors can be avoided, thereby improving the accuracy of detecting whether the relay is frequently disconnected and more effectively improving the protection of the relay.

[0081] As a preferred embodiment, the set number of start signals that are continuous in time sequence are two adjacent start signals. Preferably, the start signal is a rising edge signal or a falling edge signal in the level signal. Taking the start signal as a rising edge signal as an example, that is, the moment when the level signal changes from a low level 0 to a high level 1 is a rising edge signal. The rising edge trigger is a switching action when the signal has a rising edge. When the potential changes from low to high and triggers the output change, it is called a rising edge trigger. Compared with level triggering, setting edge triggering, that is, the start signal as a rising edge signal or a falling edge signal, is simpler and more intuitive, and is easy to read and perform targeted control.

[0082] Preferably, the duration calculation module 2 calculates the duration information based on the relay's level signal period. It can be seen that when the start signal is a number of sequential level signals, the duration information can be calculated based on a set number of these signals combined with the level signal period. For example, if the start signal is a rising edge signal, the duration information = level signal period * set number.

[0083] See also Figure 3 As shown in FIG, two consecutive open signals with too short intervals can often represent an abnormal working state of a relay, for example, the critical value of its control bit causes frequent switching. Therefore, in this embodiment, the sequential open signals are set to be two adjacent open signals, which is conducive to more accurately distinguishing the abnormal switching of the relay. Figure 3 In the example, the signal acquisition module 1 obtains two consecutive on signals, and the time interval between them is the duration information obtained by the duration calculation module 2.

[0084] The control module 3 judges the duration information, and when the duration information is less than the first set threshold, the control relay is kept closed for the set duration to protect the relay. Figure 2 、 Figure 3 As shown in FIG, the first set threshold value t is 3s. When the time interval between the first open signal and the last open signal is less than 3s, the control relay is kept closed for the set time, thereby effectively preventing the relay from continuing to switch to an abnormal state. Figure 2 and Figure 3 The set shutdown time shown in the figure is 5s, but those skilled in the art will appreciate that both the first set threshold t and the shutdown time can be flexibly set according to actual needs and application scenarios, and are not limited to the above-mentioned values.

[0085] As a preferred implementation, the control system of this embodiment further includes:

[0086] Statistics module 4, used for accumulating and calculating the number of protection times corresponding to the set time length for the control relay to remain closed;

[0087] The adjustment module 5 is used to adjust the corresponding set duration according to the number of protection times.

[0088] Control module 3 protects the relay by setting a closed time. However, if the relay continues to toggle too frequently after the closed time expires and the open signal is re-triggered, it can be assumed that the relay's trigger control bit may still be at a certain threshold after the previously set time has elapsed, and a method must be employed to avoid this threshold. Therefore, in this embodiment, statistics module 4 and adjustment module 5 each cumulatively calculate the number of times the relay remains closed for the set time, and adjust the corresponding set time as the number of times increases.

[0089] As an optional implementation, the adjustment module 5 increases the set duration according to the accumulated protection times, so that the set duration is positively correlated with the protection times.

[0090] As another optional implementation, the adjustment module 5 reduces the set duration according to the accumulated protection times, so that the set duration and the protection times are negatively correlated.

[0091] As another optional implementation, the adjustment module 5 randomly generates a set duration within a preset duration range according to the number of protection times.

[0092] The above three implementations respectively adopt different ways of resetting the duration. Of course, those skilled in the art will appreciate that resetting the duration is not limited to the above three ways.

[0093] In the first and second embodiments, the set duration is positively correlated and negatively correlated with the number of protection times, respectively. The above method can effectively avoid situations such as the relay control bit is triggered in a cyclic mode, and the interval of the cyclic mode is the same as or an integer multiple of the closing time, which causes the relay to still jump abnormally after being turned on again.

[0094] For example, still using the oven as an example, if the relay's on signal is derived from temperature, and the sensed (triggered on) temperature received by the relay cycles at 2.5s, 5s, or 15s, it can be understood that when the off time is 5s, turning the relay on again will still fall within (for 2.5s, 5s) or will soon fall within (for 15s) the previous abnormal jump range. By staggering this cycle, the approach of this embodiment effectively avoids the situation where the relay control bit remains at a critical value after being off for the same set time, thus causing frequent switching.

[0095] Similarly, by randomly generating a set duration, we can not only avoid the aforementioned loop state, but also effectively prevent the situation where most critical values change according to time rules. For example, the critical value of the control bit itself increases or decreases regularly over time.

[0096] Of course, due to the working requirements of the equipment where the relay is located, such as an oven, the set time cannot be too long to affect its operation, nor too short to result in an insignificant effect. Therefore, the set time is controlled within a preset time range. The preset time range is obtained based on actual needs or experience valuation, and the method is not limited to this.

[0097] Finally, the above-mentioned methods of setting the duration, as well as other possible methods, can be switched from one to another as the number of protection times increases, thereby attempting to effectively avoid the critical value of the relay control bit and achieve the purpose of normal operation of the relay.

[0098] As a preferred embodiment, when the protection frequency reaches the set number, the corresponding set duration remains unchanged. If the relay frequently switches after the activation signal is still on when the protection frequency reaches the upper limit, the relay may be faulty or the critical value of the control bit may be relatively stable. If the relay cannot be restored to normal operation by changing the set duration, the set duration can be kept unchanged. Of course, preferably, a corresponding alarm message can be triggered at this time to prompt the user, such as checking the device where the relay is located or the environment where the device is located.

[0099] When the control system of the relay of this embodiment determines that the duration information corresponding to the set number of open signals continuously issued during the operation of the relay is less than the set value, the relay controls the relay to remain closed for the set time, thereby protecting the performance of the relay and the smart home appliance in which it is located. This can overcome the defects in the prior art that the relay itself or the equipment in which it is located is easily damaged and its service life is shortened due to frequent switching during operation, and protect the relay and the smart home appliance and other complete equipment in various application scenarios.

[0100] Example 3

[0101] This embodiment specifically provides a smart home appliance that incorporates the relay control system described in Example 2. This effectively controls the relays in the smart home appliance, preventing damage to the relays or even the smart home appliance itself due to frequent switching. The implementation principles have been described in Example 2 and will not be further elaborated here.

[0102] When the smart home appliance of this embodiment determines that the time information corresponding to the set number of open signals continuously sent during the operation of the relay is less than the set value, it controls the relay to remain closed for the set time, thereby protecting the performance of the relay and the smart home appliance in which it is located. This can overcome the defects in the prior art that the relay itself or the equipment in which it is located is easily damaged and its service life is shortened due to frequent switching during operation, and protect the relay and the smart home appliance and other complete equipment in various application scenarios.

[0103] Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, those skilled in the art will appreciate that these are merely illustrative and that the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims. Those skilled in the art may make various changes or modifications to these embodiments without departing from the principles and essence of the present invention, and such changes and modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a relay, characterized in that: The control method includes: Obtaining a set number of sequentially continuous on-off signals of the relay during operation; Calculate and obtain the duration information corresponding to the set number of start signals; If the duration information is less than a first set threshold, controlling the relay to remain closed for a set duration to protect the relay; After the step of controlling the relay to remain closed for a set time, the following step is further included: Accumulate and calculate the number of protection times corresponding to the set time length for controlling the relay to remain closed; Adjust the corresponding set duration according to the number of protection times; The step of adjusting the corresponding set duration according to the number of protection times includes: According to the accumulated protection times, the set duration is increased so that the set duration is positively correlated with the protection times; or, According to the accumulated protection times, the set duration is reduced so that the set duration is negatively correlated with the protection times.

2. The method for controlling a relay according to claim 1, wherein: The set number of on-state signals that are continuous in time sequence are two adjacent on-state signals.

3. The method for controlling a relay according to claim 1, wherein: The step of adjusting the corresponding set duration according to the number of protection times includes: The set duration is randomly generated within a preset duration range according to the number of protection times.

4. The method for controlling a relay according to claim 1, wherein: When the protection times reach the set times, the corresponding set duration remains unchanged.

5. The method for controlling a relay according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The start signal is a rising edge signal or a falling edge signal in a level signal.

6. The method for controlling a relay according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The step of calculating and obtaining the duration information corresponding to the set number of start signals includes: The duration information is calculated based on the level signal period of the relay.

7. A control system for a relay, characterized in that: The control system includes: A signal acquisition module, used to obtain a set number of sequential opening signals of the relay during operation; A duration calculation module, configured to calculate the duration information corresponding to the set number of start signals; a control module, configured to control the relay to remain closed for a set time period to protect the relay if the time period information is less than a first set threshold; The control system further comprises: A statistics module, used for accumulating and calculating the number of protection times corresponding to the set time length for controlling the relay to remain closed; An adjustment module, configured to adjust a corresponding set duration according to the number of protection times; The adjustment module is specifically configured to increase the set duration according to the accumulated protection times, so that the set duration is positively correlated with the protection times; or, According to the accumulated protection times, the set duration is reduced so that the set duration is negatively correlated with the protection times.

8. A smart home appliance, characterized in that: The smart home appliance includes the control system of the relay according to claim 7.

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