Terminal controller, communication control system, and control method thereof

Abstract

The embodiment of the present application discloses a terminal controller, a communication control system and a control method thereof. The communication control system comprises a first control unit, a second control unit, a terminal controller and a terminal corresponding to the terminal controller. The first control unit and the terminal controller are connected through a first communication mode. The first communication mode comprises a power line communication bus. The second control unit and the terminal are connected through a second communication mode. The first control unit and the second control unit can transmit signals to each other. The terminal controller can send control signaling to the corresponding terminal. Through the embodiment of the present application, the responsiveness of the terminal and the reliability of the system can be improved in the communication control system using the PLC bus.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of electrical technology, and in particular to a terminal controller, a communication control system, and a control method thereof. Background Technology

[0002] Electrical control systems typically include terminal equipment and control equipment. Previously, to enable communication within electrical control systems, a dedicated communication bus or wireless network was required.

[0003] For example, a whole-house electrical control system includes various electrical devices and corresponding control devices. The electrical devices include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: fan coil units, air conditioners, fresh air outlets, water distributors, water collectors, wall-hung boilers, range hoods, and various smart home appliances. The control devices include controllers for controlling the corresponding electrical devices and central controllers for overall control of all devices. The controllers include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: thermostats for controlling the corresponding fan coil units, control panels for controlling the corresponding fresh air outlets, etc.

[0004] In such a whole-house electrical control system, there are numerous types and quantities of equipment, complex network connections, high costs for building the communication network, and low robustness.

[0005] It should be noted that the above introduction to the technical background is only for the purpose of providing a clear and complete explanation of the technical solutions of this application and facilitating understanding by those skilled in the art. It should not be assumed that these technical solutions are known to those skilled in the art simply because they have been described in the background section of this application. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The inventors discovered that power line carrier communication (PLC) technology exists, using power transmission lines as the transmission medium for carrier signals. When applying PLC technology to a whole-house electrical control system, the PLC's power lines are used as the communication bus to enable communication between different devices in the system. In this way, devices only need to be connected to the power lines to achieve interconnection.

[0007] However, the inventors further discovered that in a single-bus scheme that uses only the PLC's power line as the communication bus (hereinafter referred to as the PLC bus), the bus data transmission link and time are too long. For terminal devices with high real-time requirements, such as air conditioners and fan coil units, there is a problem that the corresponding control device cannot respond to the operation in a timely manner, resulting in a poor user experience. In the event of a PLC bus failure and / or power failure of the central controller, all devices can only operate independently. The air conditioning equipment cannot communicate with the controller, the air conditioning system cannot operate, and the cooling and heating regulation functions of the whole house fail.

[0008] In view of the above problems, this application provides a terminal controller, a communication control system and a control method thereof. In a system using a PLC bus, the responsiveness of the terminal can be improved, and the normal operation of the terminal can be ensured even if the control unit connected to the PLC bus fails and / or the terminal cannot be connected to the PLC bus normally.

[0009] The specific technical solutions of the embodiments of this application are as follows.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the first aspect of this application, a communication control system is provided, the communication control system including a first control unit, a second control unit, a terminal controller, and a terminal corresponding to the terminal controller, wherein...

[0011] The first control unit and the terminal controller are connected via a first communication method, which includes a power line communication bus.

[0012] The second control unit and the terminal are connected via a second communication method.

[0013] The first control unit and the second control unit can send and receive signals to each other.

[0014] The terminal controller can send control signaling to the corresponding terminal.

[0015] In one or more embodiments,

[0016] The terminal controller and the terminal are integrated into one unit, and the terminal controller has a first interface that connects to the first control unit through the first communication method.

[0017] In one or more embodiments,

[0018] The terminal has a second interface that connects to the second control unit via the second communication method.

[0019] In one or more embodiments,

[0020] The terminal controller has a first interface and at least one second interface. The first interface is connected to the first control unit through the first communication method, and the second interface is used to communicate with the terminal.

[0021] In one or more embodiments,

[0022] The terminal has a third interface and a fourth interface. The third interface is connected to the second control unit through the second communication method, and the fourth interface is used to communicate with the terminal controller.

[0023] In one or more embodiments,

[0024] The fourth interface communicates with the second interface of the terminal controller via the second communication method.

[0025] In one or more embodiments,

[0026] The number of terminal controllers is one or more, and each terminal controller has at least one terminal corresponding to it.

[0027] In one or more embodiments,

[0028] The first control unit and the second control unit are separately configured.

[0029] The terminal controller connects to the first control unit and the second control unit respectively via the first communication method.

[0030] In one or more embodiments,

[0031] The second communication method includes the 485 bus.

[0032] In one or more embodiments,

[0033] Upon receiving the first operation, the terminal controller sends the control signaling to the corresponding terminal.

[0034] In one or more embodiments,

[0035] Upon receiving the second operation, the terminal controller reports information related to the second operation to the second control unit via the first communication method;

[0036] Upon receiving the information, the second control unit obtains the data from the terminal controller via the second communication method.

[0037] In one or more embodiments,

[0038] In the event that the first control unit malfunctions and / or the first communication method fails to enable the terminal to function properly, the second control unit communicates with the terminal via the second communication method to manage the terminal.

[0039] In one or more embodiments,

[0040] The terminal includes an air conditioning fan coil unit and / or a fresh air outlet.

[0041] According to an embodiment of the second aspect of this application, a control method for a communication control system is provided, comprising a first control unit, a second control unit, a terminal controller, and a terminal corresponding to the terminal controller, wherein the first control unit and the terminal controller are connected via a first communication method, the first communication method being a power line communication bus, the second control unit and the terminal are connected via a second communication method, and the first control unit and the second control unit are capable of sending and receiving signals to each other, the method comprising:

[0042] The terminal controller sends control signaling to the corresponding terminal.

[0043] In one or more embodiments,

[0044] Upon receiving the first operation, the terminal controller sends the control signaling to the corresponding terminal.

[0045] In one or more embodiments,

[0046] Upon receiving the second operation, the terminal controller reports information related to the second operation to the second control unit via the first communication method.

[0047] Upon receiving the information, the second control unit obtains the data from the terminal controller via the second communication method.

[0048] In one or more embodiments,

[0049] In the event that the first control unit malfunctions and / or the first communication method fails to enable the terminal to function properly, the second control unit communicates with the terminal via the second communication method to manage the terminal.

[0050] According to an embodiment of the third aspect of this application, a terminal controller is provided. The terminal controller has a first interface and at least one second interface. The first interface is connected to a first control unit via a first communication method, the first communication method including a power line communication bus. The second interface is used to communicate with a terminal corresponding to the terminal controller. The terminal is connected to a second control unit via a second communication method.

[0051] In one or more embodiments,

[0052] Upon receiving the first operation, the terminal controller sends a control signaling message to the terminal through the second interface.

[0053] In one or more embodiments,

[0054] Upon receiving the second operation, the terminal controller reports information related to the second operation through the first communication method and sends data from the terminal controller through the second interface.

[0055] In one or more embodiments,

[0056] In the event that the first control unit malfunctions and / or the first communication method fails to enable the terminal to function properly, the terminal controller communicates with the second control unit through the second interface to manage the terminal.

[0057] In one or more embodiments,

[0058] The second communication method includes the 485 bus.

[0059] The solution provided in this application embodiment enables the terminal controller to directly send control signals to the terminal in a communication control system utilizing a PLC bus, thereby improving the terminal's responsiveness. In the event of a failure in the first control unit and / or the terminal's inability to operate normally using the first communication method, the second control unit can manage the terminal through the second communication method, ensuring the terminal's normal operation and improving the system's reliability.

[0060] Specific embodiments of this application are disclosed in detail with reference to the following description and accompanying drawings, indicating how the principles of this application can be adopted. It should be understood that the embodiments of this application are not limited in scope. Those skilled in the art can make many changes, modifications, and equivalent substitutions to the embodiments of this application, which fall within the scope of the principles and spirit of this application. Features described and / or shown for one embodiment can be used in the same or similar manner in one or more other embodiments, combined with features in other embodiments without conflict, or substituted for features in other embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0061] The accompanying drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this application in any way. Furthermore, the shapes and scales of the components in the drawings are merely illustrative to aid in understanding this application and do not specifically limit the shapes and scales of the components. Those skilled in the art, guided by the teachings of this application, can select various possible shapes and scales to implement this application according to specific circumstances.

[0062] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a communication control system according to an embodiment of the first aspect of this application;

[0063] Figure 2 This is yet another schematic diagram of a communication control system according to an embodiment of the first aspect of this application;

[0064] Figure 3 This is a schematic flowchart of a method according to an embodiment of the second aspect of this application;

[0065] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a terminal controller according to an embodiment of the third aspect of this application.

[0066] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0067] 10: First control unit; 20: Second control unit; 30: Terminal controller; 31: First interface; 32: Second interface; 40: Terminal; C1: Central controller; C2: Air conditioning controller; T1, T2, ..., T63, T64: Fan coil units; TC1, TC2, ..., TC63, TC64: Thermostats; QC: Other terminal controllers; QT1, QT2, ..., QTn: Other terminals; S: Cloud server; TE: Client device. Detailed Implementation

[0068] The technical solutions of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are only used to illustrate this application and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. After reading this application, any modifications of this application in various equivalent forms by those skilled in the art fall within the scope defined by the appended claims.

[0069] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used to distinguish different elements by name, but do not indicate the spatial arrangement, chronological order, importance, etc., of these elements, and these elements should not be limited by these terms. The term "and / or" includes any one or more of the terms listed in association and all combinations thereof. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," etc., refer to the presence of the stated features, elements, components, or assemblies, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, or assemblies.

[0070] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used herein in the specification of this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of this application.

[0071] First aspect of the embodiments

[0072] An embodiment of the first aspect of this application provides a communication control system. Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a communication control system according to an embodiment of this application.

[0073] like Figure 1As shown, the communication control system includes: a first control unit 10, a second control unit 20, a terminal controller 30, and a terminal 40 corresponding to the terminal controller 30.

[0074] In the embodiments of this application, the communication control system includes one or more terminal controllers 30, each terminal controller 30 corresponds to one or more terminals 40, and one terminal controller corresponds to at least one terminal 40.

[0075] In this embodiment, the first control unit 10 and the terminal controller 30 are connected through a first communication method, which includes a power line communication bus. That is, the first control unit 10 and the terminal controller 30 use a power line as a communication bus, i.e., they use a PLC bus to transmit data and signals.

[0076] In this embodiment, the second control unit 20 and the terminal 40 are connected via a second communication method, which is different from the first communication method.

[0077] In this embodiment, the first control unit 10 and the second control unit 20 are capable of sending and receiving signals to each other. These signals include data signals and / or signaling signals; that is, the first control unit 10 and the second control unit 20 have a direct communication link. For example, the first control unit 10 and the second control unit 20 are integrated in the same control device, connected by a circuit, or communicate using a bus, such as the bus included in the first communication method, or connected wirelessly.

[0078] In this embodiment, the terminal controller 30 is capable of sending control signaling to the corresponding terminal 40. That is, there is a direct communication link between the terminal controller 30 and the terminal 40.

[0079] Thus, in a communication control system utilizing a PLC bus, the terminal controller 30 can directly send control signals to the terminal 40, improving the responsiveness of the terminal 40. Taking the terminal 40 as a fan coil unit and the terminal controller 30 as the corresponding temperature controller controlling the fan coil unit as an example, actual testing revealed that in a communication control system that only includes a PLC bus, the time from the temperature controller receiving the user's operation to the fan coil unit starting to move takes more than 2 seconds. However, in this embodiment, the temperature controller can directly send control signals to the fan coil unit, thereby reducing the time from the temperature controller receiving the user's operation to the fan coil unit starting to move to less than 1 second, significantly improving the user experience. Furthermore, in the event of a failure of the first control unit 10 and / or the inability of the terminal 40 to utilize the first communication method, the second control unit 20 can manage the terminal 40 through the second communication method, ensuring the normal operation of the terminal 40 and improving the reliability of the system.

[0080] In one or more embodiments, the terminal controller 30 and the terminal 40 are integrated into one unit, that is, the terminal controller 30 and the terminal 40 are integrated in the same device or apparatus, and there is a circuit connection between the terminal controller 30 and the terminal 40. The relevant circuit part of the terminal controller 30 for connecting with the terminal 40 can be used as an interface of the terminal 40 or encapsulated as an interface. For example, the terminal controller 30 and the terminal 40 can be the control circuit part and the air conditioner part in a vertical air conditioner, respectively. The control circuit part includes a control panel and / or a signal receiving unit for receiving user operations, thereby enabling the terminal 40 to respond to the control of the terminal controller 30 more promptly.

[0081] In this embodiment of the application, the terminal controller 30 has a first interface that connects to the first control unit 10 through a first communication method. In this way, the terminal controller 30 can receive information from the bus of the first communication method through the first interface and perform corresponding operations on the terminal 40. The terminal controller 30 can also receive information from the terminal 40 and publish the received information to the bus of the first communication method through the first interface.

[0082] In this embodiment, terminal 40 has a second interface that connects to second control unit 20 via a second communication method. Thus, terminal 40 can receive information and perform corresponding operations via the second interface using the second communication method. This information may originate from second control unit 20, or be forwarded from first control unit 10 via second control unit 20. Furthermore, second control unit 20 can also receive information from the second interface of terminal 40 via the second communication method. This information may be sent by terminal 40, or be forwarded from terminal controller 30 via terminal 40. Second control unit 20 can retain the received information or forward it to first control unit 10.

[0083] In this embodiment, the terminal controller 30 and the terminal 40 may not be integrated. For example, the terminal controller 30 and the terminal 40 may communicate via a bus, or they may communicate wirelessly. In one example, the communication method between the terminal controller 30 and the terminal 40 may be the second communication method.

[0084] For example, in one or more embodiments, the terminal controller 30 has a first interface and at least one second interface. The first interface is connected to the first control unit 10 via a first communication method, and the second interface is used to communicate with the terminal 40. For example, the second interface of the terminal controller 30 can communicate with the terminal 40 via a second communication method, but is not limited thereto.

[0085] In this embodiment, the terminal 40 has a third interface and a fourth interface. The third interface is connected to the second control unit 20 through a second communication method, and the fourth interface is used to communicate with the terminal controller 30.

[0086] In one or more embodiments, the fourth interface of terminal 40 communicates with the second interface of terminal controller 30 via a second communication method. However, this application is not limited to this; the fourth interface of terminal 40 may also communicate with the second interface of terminal controller 30 via a method different from both the first and second communication methods, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0087] In one or more embodiments, the first control unit 10 and the second control unit 20 are separately configured, and the terminal controller 30 is connected to the first control unit 10 and the second control unit 20 respectively via a first communication method. In this way, both the first control unit 10 and the second control unit 20 can communicate with the terminal controller 30 via the first communication method.

[0088] However, this application is not limited to this. For example, the first control unit 10 and the second control unit 20 can also be integrated into one unit, and the first control unit 10 and the second control unit 20 can be connected by a circuit.

[0089] In this embodiment, the second control unit 20 can be a dedicated control unit for controlling the corresponding terminal 40. The second control unit 20 can manage one or more terminals 40 of the same type, but is not limited thereto; the second control unit 20 can also be a control unit for managing multiple terminals 40. The first control unit 10 can also be a control unit for managing one or more terminals 40, or the first control unit 10 can be the central controller of the communication control system, i.e., the central controller. In this case, the first control unit 10 can manage all terminals in the communication control system. Thus, if the first control unit 10 cannot connect to the terminal controller 30 via the first communication method due to power failure and / or fault and / or bus network reasons of the first communication method, the communication control system can manage the terminal 40 via the second communication method through the second control unit 20, ensuring that the terminal 40 can work normally.

[0090] In this embodiment, the second control unit 20 managing the terminal 40 via the second communication method can be understood as the second control unit 20 interacting with the terminal 40 through the second communication method. This includes data and / or control signaling interaction between the second control unit 20 and the terminal 40, and data and / or control signaling interaction between the second control unit 20 and the terminal controller 30 via the terminal 40. For example, the second control unit 20 sends data and / or control signaling to the terminal 40 via the second communication method, the terminal 40 sends data to the second control unit 20 via the second communication method, the second control unit 20 sends data and / or control signaling to the terminal 40 via the second communication method and relays it to the terminal controller 30 via the terminal 40, and the terminal controller 30 sends data to the terminal 40 and relays it to the second control unit 20 via the terminal through the second communication method.

[0091] In one or more embodiments, the second communication method includes a 485 bus, that is, the second communication method connecting the second control unit and the terminal has a bus, and the bus transmits data according to the 485 protocol. However, this application is not limited to this, and the second communication method may also include buses of other protocol standards, such as 422 bus, 232 bus, etc.

[0092] It is worth noting that, as described above, terminal 40 is connected to the second control unit 20 via a second communication method, and terminal 40 also has a direct communication link with terminal controller 30. Furthermore, terminal 40 typically also needs to be connected to a power line for power supply; that is, in terms of wiring, terminal 40 is also connected to the PLC bus. In this case, the power line connecting terminal 40 is only used to supply power to terminal 40 and not for information exchange between the first control unit 10 and terminal 40. Of course, terminal 40 can also transmit information via the PLC bus, but this is not necessary.

[0093] In communication control systems, a large number of devices are often connected to the PLC bus. When the communication control system only has a PLC bus, the transmission of signaling and / or data needs to occupy the PLC bus. For example, when the terminal controller receives a user operation, it needs to send the operation-related control signaling to the corresponding terminal through the PLC bus. However, the data frame length in the PLC bus is relatively long, which leads to a long response time for the terminal.

[0094] In one or more embodiments of this application, upon receiving a first operation, the terminal controller 30 sends a control signaling command to the corresponding terminal 40. This enables the terminal 40 to respond promptly to the control of the terminal controller 30. Therefore, compared to a system that transmits information only through a PLC bus, in this application embodiment, the terminal controller 30 can transmit information through a direct communication link with the terminal 40, significantly shortening the response time of the terminal 40 and improving the user experience.

[0095] In this embodiment, the first operation can be an operation performed by the user input terminal controller 30 to control the terminal 40 without the intervention of the first control unit and the second control unit, including turning the terminal on / off, adjusting the terminal operating parameters, etc.

[0096] In one or more embodiments, upon receiving a second operation, the terminal controller 30 reports information related to the second operation to the second control unit 20; upon receiving the information related to the second operation, the second control unit 20 acquires data from the terminal controller 30. Thus, the state of the terminal controller 30 can be quickly synchronized with the control terminal.

[0097] In this embodiment, the second operation can be an operation input by the user to the terminal controller 30 for controlling the terminal 40, requiring the intervention of the first control unit and / or the second control unit. The terminal controller 30 can send information related to the second operation to the PLC bus via frame interpolation, where the interpolated frame can be a frame shorter than the duration of a regular data frame in the PLC bus. After receiving the information related to the second operation via the PLC bus, the first control unit forwards the information to the second control unit; the second control unit communicates with the terminal 40 via a second communication method and obtains data from the terminal controller 30 through the terminal. Thus, compared with information reporting using regular data frames in the PLC bus, frame interpolation can shorten the time required for information reporting and further improve the system's responsiveness.

[0098] In this embodiment, the first operation and the second operation are independent of each other. The terminal controller enables the terminal to perform the action corresponding to the first operation and the terminal controller reports information related to the second operation through the PLC bus. These actions can be performed in parallel or sequentially according to responsiveness requirements. This can further improve the responsiveness of the system.

[0099] In one example, the communication control system may include multiple terminal controllers 30 and multiple terminals 40. The terminal controllers 30 are thermostats, and the terminals are air conditioning fan coil units. Each thermostat 30 controls one air conditioning fan coil unit 40. Furthermore, the first operation can be an "open fan coil unit" operation. Upon receiving the first operation from the thermostat 30, the corresponding air conditioning fan coil unit 40 can open promptly, shortening the response time compared to transmitting signaling via the PLC bus. In practical implementation, the first operation can also be an operation to adjust the terminal's operating parameters, such as "adjusting the fan coil unit opening angle," as long as the relevant control of the fan coil unit for this operation does not require the intervention of the first and second control units. Further, the second operation can be a temperature adjustment operation, such as raising or lowering the temperature; of course, the second operation can also be other operations that require the intervention of the first and / or second control units to control the terminal, which are not listed here.

[0100] When the second communication method includes a 485 bus, under normal circumstances, the second control unit 20 polls multiple terminals 40 corresponding to the second control unit 20 using the 485 bus. When a terminal controller 30 receives a second operation, the terminal controller 30 reports information related to the second operation to the second control unit 20 through frame interpolation. In this case, in response to the information related to the second operation, the second control unit 20 can temporarily stop polling and jump to query the corresponding terminal 40, thereby improving the real-time performance of the status management of the terminal 40. After the jump query, the second control unit 20 can resume the polling mode.

[0101] In this way, by using a network connection method that combines the first communication method (PLC bus) and the second communication method (such as 485 bus) in parallel, and by adopting a combination of frame insertion reporting and jump query, the overall responsiveness of the communication control system can be improved.

[0102] When the first control unit 10 and the second control unit 20 are integrated, information related to the second operation is received by the first control unit 10 from the PLC bus and forwarded to the second control unit 20 via the first control unit 10. When the first control unit 10 and the second control unit 20 are separate, the terminal controller 30 can directly send information related to the second operation to the second control unit 20 via the PLC bus.

[0103] In this embodiment of the application, when the second control unit 20 receives the information related to the second operation, it obtains the data of the terminal controller 30 through the second communication method. For example, the second control unit 20 sends a query command to the terminal 40 to query the terminal controller 30 through the second communication method, and obtains the data of the terminal controller 30 through the terminal 40.

[0104] In this embodiment of the application, the communication control system may also have a server, such as a cloud server. The first control unit 10 and / or the second control unit 20 can establish a communication channel with the cloud server. The user side can communicate with the server through a client device (such as a mobile terminal, including a smartphone) to obtain the operating status of each device in the communication control system. In addition, the user side can also input corresponding instructions to the client device to control the corresponding terminal 40, thereby realizing more intelligent terminal control and improving the user experience.

[0105] When the terminal controller 30 and terminal 40 are integrated, the query command from the second control unit 20 can be sent to the terminal via the second communication method, and then forwarded to the terminal controller 30 via terminal 40. Correspondingly, data from the terminal controller 30 can be sent to the second control unit 20 via terminal 40 through the second communication method. When the terminal controller 30 and terminal 40 are separate, for example, if the terminal controller 30 and terminal 40 are connected via the second communication method, the query command from the second control unit 20 can be sent directly to the terminal controller 30 via the second communication method or sent to the terminal controller 30 via terminal 40. Correspondingly, data from the terminal controller 30 can be sent directly to the second control unit 20 via the second communication method or forwarded to the second control unit 20 via terminal 40. If the terminal controller 30 and terminal 40 are connected via a method different from the first and second communication methods, such as wireless communication, the query command from the second control unit 20 can be sent to the terminal 40 via the second communication method, and then sent to the terminal controller 30 via wireless communication from terminal 40. Correspondingly, data from the terminal controller 30 can be first sent to the terminal 40 via wireless communication, and then sent to the second control unit 20 from terminal 40 via the second communication method.

[0106] In this embodiment of the application, the data of the terminal controller 30 may be the status data of the terminal 40 corresponding to the terminal controller 30 stored in the terminal controller 30, etc., but this application is not limited to this.

[0107] In one or more embodiments, if the first control unit 10 malfunctions and / or the first communication method fails to enable the terminal 40 to function properly, the second control unit 20 communicates with the terminal 40 via a second communication method to manage the terminal. This improves system reliability.

[0108] In this application embodiment, the inability of the first communication method to enable the terminal 40 to work normally includes at least one of the following situations: the first control unit 10 loses power and cannot communicate with the terminal controller 30 via the PLC bus; the PLC bus is interfered with by other devices (such as high-power devices) connected to the PLC bus in the home, resulting in data transmission failure, such as interference from noise from other devices.

[0109] In one or more embodiments, terminal 40 includes an air conditioning fan coil unit and / or a fresh air outlet. Specifically, one terminal controller 30 corresponds to one type of terminal 40, which can be a fan coil unit or a fresh air outlet; or one terminal controller 30 corresponds to two types of terminals, including a fan coil unit and a fresh air outlet, with two second interfaces of the terminal controller respectively connected to the fan coil unit and the fresh air outlet; or one terminal controller 30 corresponds to three or more types of terminals, with the terminal controller having three or more second interfaces respectively connected to different terminals. In this document, terminal 40 is not limited to the aforementioned fan coil unit and fresh air outlet; terminal 40 can also be other devices or combinations of devices.

[0110] Figure 2 This is another schematic diagram of a communication control system according to an embodiment of the first aspect of this application, illustrating a specific example of a communication control system according to an embodiment of this application.

[0111] exist Figure 2 In the communication control system shown, C1 is the central controller, serving as an example of the first control unit; C2 is the air conditioning controller, serving as an example of the second control unit; T1, T2, ..., T63, T64 are fan coil units, serving as examples of terminals; and TC1, TC2, ..., TC63, TC64 are thermostats corresponding to fan coil units T1, T2, ..., T63, T64, serving as examples of terminal controllers.

[0112] exist Figure 2 In the communication control system shown, C1 is connected to TC1, TC2, ..., TC63, TC64 via a PLC bus as an example; C2 is connected to T1, T2, ..., T63, T64 via a 485 bus as an example; C1 and C2 are connected via a PLC bus as an example; and the fan coil unit and the corresponding temperature controller are connected via a 485 bus as an example, realizing direct communication.

[0113] In this embodiment, the PLC bus can realize encrypted transmission over the PLC network, thereby enhancing the security of data transmission.

[0114] like Figure 2As shown, the communication control system may also include at least one other terminal controller QC, and may also include several other terminals QT1, QT2, ... QTn, such as range hoods, fresh air outlets, smart home appliances, etc. QC and QT1, QT2, ... QTn are connected to C1 via the PLC bus.

[0115] exist Figure 2 In the communication control system shown, when any one of the thermostats TC1, TC2, ..., TC63, TC64 receives a first operation input by the user, for example, when thermostat TC63 receives a user input to turn the corresponding fan coil unit T63 on or off, thermostat TC63 causes the fan coil unit T63 to perform the corresponding action, such as turning it on or off, through its direct communication link with the corresponding fan coil unit T63. This improves the responsiveness of the fan coil unit and enhances the user experience. In actual testing, it was found that in a communication control system that only includes a PLC bus, the time from the thermostat receiving the user operation to the fan coil unit starting to act takes more than 2 seconds. However, in this embodiment, the thermostat can directly send control commands to the fan coil unit, and the response time of the fan coil unit is less than 1 second, which can greatly shorten the response time of the fan coil unit and improve the user experience.

[0116] exist Figure 2 In the communication control system shown, when the thermostat receives a second operation input from the user, such as when thermostat TC63 receives the user's operation to adjust the temperature of the corresponding fan coil unit T63, thermostat T63 reports the information related to the start-up operation to the central controller C1 via frame insertion from the PLC bus. The central controller C1 forwards the received information related to the start-up operation to the air conditioning interlock controller C2. Upon receiving the information related to the start-up operation, the air conditioning interlock controller C2 communicates with the terminal T63 via the 485 bus and obtains the corresponding data from the thermostat TC63 through the terminal T63, thereby synchronizing the status of the corresponding fan coil unit T63 in a timely manner and realizing real-time management of the fan coil unit.

[0117] In this embodiment, the thermostat causes the fan coil unit T63 to perform the first operation and the thermostat reports information related to the second operation to the air conditioning controller C2, which can be performed in parallel or sequentially according to responsiveness requirements. This can further improve the responsiveness of the system.

[0118] exist Figure 2In the communication control system shown, if the central controller C1 malfunctions and / or the PLC bus fails to enable the fan coil units T1, T2, ..., T63, T64 to operate normally, such as when the central controller C1 loses power or the PLC bus contains noise from other devices (such as QC and at least one of QT1, QT2, ..., QTn), the air conditioning inter-controller C2 communicates with the fan coil units T1, T2, ..., T63, T64 via the 485 bus to manage them. This ensures normal cooling and heating within the home and improves system reliability.

[0119] In this embodiment, under normal circumstances, the air conditioning controller C2 polls multiple fan coil units T1, T2, ..., T63, T64 using the 485 bus. When the thermostat TC63 receives an operation to adjust the temperature of fan coil unit T63, the thermostat TC63 reports information related to the operation to the PLC bus via frame insertion. In response to this information, the air conditioning controller C2 can temporarily stop polling (e.g., if the air conditioning controller C2 is polling fan coil unit T64) and jump to query the corresponding fan coil unit T63, thereby improving the real-time performance of the status management of fan coil unit T63. After the jump query, the air conditioning controller C2 can resume the polling mode.

[0120] In this way, by using a network connection method that combines the PLC bus and the 485 bus in parallel communication, and by adopting a combination of frame insertion reporting and jump query, the overall responsiveness of the communication control system can be improved.

[0121] exist Figure 2 In the communication control system shown, the communication control system may also include a cloud server S. As an example of a server, the central controller C1 establishes a communication channel with the cloud server, such as through a 2G channel or a WIFI channel, but not limited to these. Other communication channels, such as a 5G channel, can also be used. The user side can communicate with the cloud server S through a client device TE (such as a mobile terminal, including a smartphone) to obtain the operating status of each device in the communication control system. For example, the user can query the operating status of each device through an application APP installed on the terminal device. In addition, the user device can also input corresponding commands to the client device TE to control the corresponding device, such as a fan, thereby realizing more intelligent terminal control and improving the user experience.

[0122] In this embodiment of the application, in the communication control system utilizing the PLC bus, the terminal controller 30 can directly send control signals to the terminal 40, which can improve the responsiveness of the terminal 40 and greatly improve the user experience. In addition, in the event of a failure of the first control unit 10 and / or the inability of the terminal 40 to utilize the first communication method, the second control unit 20 can manage the terminal 40 through the second communication method to ensure the normal operation of the terminal 40 and improve the reliability of the system.

[0123] Second aspect of the embodiments

[0124] The second aspect of this application provides a control method for a communication control system, which includes a first control unit, a second control unit, a terminal controller, and a terminal corresponding to the terminal controller. The communication control system is the same as that described in the first aspect of this application, and the contents that are the same as those in the first aspect will not be repeated.

[0125] In this embodiment, the first control unit and the terminal controller are connected via a first communication method, which includes a power line communication bus. The second control unit and the terminal are connected via a second communication method. The first control unit and the second control unit can send and receive signals to each other.

[0126] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating a method according to an embodiment of the second aspect of this application, as shown below. Figure 3 As shown, the method in this embodiment includes:

[0127] Step 301: The terminal controller sends control signaling to the corresponding terminal.

[0128] In this way, in a communication control system utilizing a PLC bus, the terminal controller can directly send control signals to the terminal, which can improve the terminal's responsiveness and greatly enhance the user experience. Furthermore, in the event of a failure of the first control unit and / or the terminal being unable to utilize the first communication method, the second control unit 20 can manage the terminal through the second communication method, ensuring the normal operation of the terminal and improving the reliability of the system.

[0129] In one or more embodiments, in step 301 above, the terminal controller sends a control signaling to the corresponding terminal upon receiving the first operation.

[0130] In this embodiment, the first operation can be an operation performed by the user input terminal controller 30 to control the terminal 40 without the intervention of the first control unit and the second control unit, including turning the terminal on / off, adjusting the terminal operating parameters, etc.

[0131] This enables the terminal to respond to user operations in a timely manner, thereby improving the user experience.

[0132] In one or more embodiments, the method further includes:

[0133] Step 302: Upon receiving the second operation, the terminal controller reports information related to the second operation to the second control unit via the first communication method; and

[0134] Step 303: Upon receiving the information related to the second operation, the second control unit obtains data from the terminal controller via the second communication method.

[0135] Therefore, the state of the terminal controller can be synchronized with the control side in a timely manner.

[0136] In this embodiment, the second operation can be an operation input by the user to the terminal controller 30 for controlling the terminal 40, requiring the intervention of the first control unit and / or the second control unit. The terminal controller can send information related to the second operation to the PLC bus via frame interpolation, where the interpolated frame can be a frame shorter than the duration of a regular data frame in the PLC bus. After receiving the information related to the second operation via the PLC bus, the first control unit forwards the information to the second control unit; the second control unit communicates with the terminal 40 via a second communication method and obtains data from the terminal controller 30 through the terminal. Thus, compared with information reporting using regular data frames in the PLC bus, frame interpolation can shorten the time required for information reporting and further improve the system's responsiveness.

[0137] In this embodiment, the first operation and the second operation are independent of each other. The terminal controller enables the terminal to perform the action corresponding to the first operation and the terminal controller reports information related to the second operation through the PLC bus. These actions can be performed in parallel or sequentially according to responsiveness requirements. This can further improve the responsiveness of the system.

[0138] In one or more embodiments, the method further includes:

[0139] Step 304: In the event of a malfunction in the first control unit and / or the inability of the first communication method to enable the terminal to function properly, the second control unit communicates with the terminal via a second communication method to manage the terminal. This improves system reliability.

[0140] In this application embodiment, the inability of the first communication method to enable the terminal 40 to work normally includes at least one of the following situations: the first control unit 10 loses power and cannot communicate with the terminal controller 30 via the PLC bus; the PLC bus is interfered with by other devices (such as high-power devices) connected to the PLC bus in the home, resulting in data transmission failure, such as interference from noise from other devices.

[0141] It is worth noting that this application does not limit the execution order of the steps in the above method. For example, when the first operation and the second operation are applied to the terminal controller at the same time, the above steps 301 and 302 can be executed in parallel or sequentially. When the first operation and the second operation are not applied at the same time, the above steps 301 and 302 can be executed in parallel or sequentially. This application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0142] The units and methods described above in this application can be implemented in hardware or in combination with software. This application relates to a computer-readable program that, when executed by a logic component, enables the logic component to implement the aforementioned apparatus or constituent parts, or to implement the various methods or steps described above. This application also relates to storage media for storing the above programs, such as hard disks, magnetic disks, optical disks, DVDs, flash memory, etc.

[0143] The methods described in conjunction with the embodiments of this application can be directly embodied in hardware, software modules executed by a processor, or a combination of both. These hardware modules can, for example, be implemented by embedding these software modules using a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). The present application has been described above with reference to specific embodiments; however, those skilled in the art should understand that these descriptions are exemplary and not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this application based on the spirit and principles of this application, and these modifications and variations are also within the scope of this application.

[0144] Third aspect of the embodiments

[0145] The third aspect of this application provides a terminal controller, which is the same as the terminal controller 30 described in the first aspect of this application. The contents that are the same as those in the first aspect will not be repeated.

[0146] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a terminal controller according to an embodiment of the third aspect of this application.

[0147] In the embodiments of this application, such as Figure 4 As shown, the terminal controller 30 has a first interface 31 and at least one second interface 32. For example, one terminal controller 30 corresponds to one type of terminal 40, which can be a fan coil unit or a fresh air outlet. The terminal controller 30 includes one second interface 32 corresponding to this type of terminal 40; or one terminal controller 30 corresponds to two types of terminals, including a fan coil unit and a fresh air outlet. The terminal controller 30 includes two second interfaces 32 respectively corresponding to the fan coil unit and the fresh air outlet; or one terminal controller 30 corresponds to three or more types of terminals. The terminal controller has three or more second interfaces, each connected to a different type of terminal. In this document, the terminal 40 is not limited to the aforementioned fan coil unit and fresh air outlet; the terminal 40 can also be other devices or combinations of devices.

[0148] In this embodiment, the first interface 31 is connected to the first control unit via a first communication method, which includes a power line communication bus. The second interface 32 is used to communicate with the terminal of the corresponding terminal controller 30. The terminal is connected to the second control unit via a second communication method. The first control unit, the second control unit, the first communication method, the second communication method, the terminal, the first interface, and the second interface are as described in the embodiment of the first aspect above, and their contents are incorporated herein by reference and will not be repeated here.

[0149] As can be seen from the above embodiments, in the communication control system utilizing the PLC bus, the terminal controller 30 can directly send control signals to the terminal through the second interface, which can improve the responsiveness of the terminal and enhance the user experience.

[0150] In one or more embodiments, upon receiving a first operation, the terminal controller 30 sends a control signaling command to the terminal via a second interface. The first operation can be an operation input by the user to the terminal controller 30 for controlling the terminal 40, without the intervention of the first and second control units, including turning the terminal on / off, adjusting terminal operating parameters, etc. This enables the terminal to respond promptly to user operations, improving the user experience.

[0151] In one or more embodiments, upon receiving a second operation, the terminal controller 30 reports information related to the second operation via a first communication method and sends data from the terminal controller 30 via the second interface 32. Thus, the state of the terminal controller can be synchronized with the control side in a timely manner.

[0152] In this embodiment, the second operation can be an operation input by the user to the terminal controller 30 for controlling the terminal 40, requiring the intervention of the first control unit and / or the second control unit. The terminal controller can send information related to the second operation to the PLC bus via frame interpolation, where the interpolated frame can be a frame shorter than the duration of a regular data frame in the PLC bus. After receiving the information related to the second operation via the PLC bus, the first control unit forwards the information to the second control unit; the second control unit communicates with the terminal 40 via a second communication method and obtains data from the terminal controller 30 through the terminal. Thus, compared with information reporting using regular data frames in the PLC bus, frame interpolation can shorten the time required for information reporting and further improve the system's responsiveness.

[0153] In this embodiment, the first operation and the second operation are independent of each other. The terminal controller enables the terminal to perform the action corresponding to the first operation and the terminal controller reports information related to the second operation through the PLC bus. These actions can be performed in parallel or sequentially according to responsiveness requirements. This can further improve the responsiveness of the system.

[0154] In one or more embodiments, the second communication method includes a 485 bus. However, this application is not limited to this, and the second communication method may also include buses of other protocol standards, such as a 422 bus, a 232 bus, etc.

[0155] In this embodiment, when the second communication bus includes a 485 bus, the second control unit 20 typically polls multiple terminals 40 corresponding to it using the 485 bus. When a terminal controller 30 receives a second operation, it reports information related to the second operation to the second control unit 20 via frame interpolation. In response to this information, the second control unit 20 can temporarily stop polling and jump to query the corresponding terminal 40, thereby improving the real-time performance of the terminal 40's state management. After the jump query, the second control unit 20 can resume polling.

[0156] In this way, by using a network connection method that combines the first communication mode PLC bus and the second communication mode bus (such as 485 bus) in parallel communication, and by adopting a combination of frame insertion reporting and jump query, the overall responsiveness of the communication control system can be improved.

[0157] In one or more embodiments, in the event of a failure of the first control unit and / or the inability of the first communication method to enable the terminal to function properly, the terminal controller 30 communicates with the second control unit via the second interface 32 to manage the terminal. This improves system reliability.

[0158] The present application has been described above with reference to specific embodiments. However, those skilled in the art should understand that these descriptions are exemplary and not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application. Similar parts between the various embodiments described above can be referred to interchangeably, and each embodiment focuses on its differences from other embodiments. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to the present application based on its spirit and principles, and these modifications and variations are also within the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A communication control system, the communication control system comprising a first control unit, a second control unit, a terminal controller, and a terminal corresponding to the terminal controller, characterized in that, The first control unit and the terminal controller are connected via a first communication method, which includes a power line communication bus. The second control unit and the terminal are connected via a second communication method, which includes bus communication. The first control unit and the second control unit can send and receive signals to each other. The terminal controller can send control signaling to the corresponding terminal. The second control unit is configured to poll multiple terminals corresponding to the second control unit via the second communication method; Upon receiving the second operation, the terminal controller reports information related to the second operation to the second control unit via the first communication method using frame insertion. The inserted frame is a frame shorter than the duration of a regular data frame in the power line communication bus. The second operation is an operation input by the user to the terminal controller for controlling the terminal, which requires the intervention of the first control unit and / or the second control unit. Upon receiving the information, the second control unit temporarily stops the polling and jumps to query the terminal corresponding to the terminal controller in order to obtain the data of the terminal controller through the second communication method.

2. The communication control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The terminal controller and the terminal are integrated into one unit, and the terminal controller has a first interface that connects to the first control unit through the first communication method.

3. The communication control system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The terminal has a second interface that connects to the second control unit via the second communication method.

4. The communication control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The terminal controller has a first interface and at least one second interface. The first interface is connected to the first control unit through the first communication method, and the second interface is used to communicate with the terminal.

5. The communication control system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The terminal has a third interface and a fourth interface. The third interface is connected to the second control unit through the second communication method, and the fourth interface is used to communicate with the terminal controller.

6. The communication control system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The fourth interface communicates with the second interface of the terminal controller via the second communication method.

7. The communication control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of terminal controllers is one or more, and each terminal controller has at least one terminal corresponding to it.

8. The communication control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first control unit and the second control unit are separately configured. The terminal controller connects to the first control unit and the second control unit respectively via the first communication method.

9. The communication control system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The second communication method includes the 485 bus.

10. The communication control system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, Upon receiving the first operation, the terminal controller sends the control signaling to the corresponding terminal.

11. The communication control system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, In the event that the first control unit malfunctions and / or the first communication method fails to enable the terminal to function properly, the second control unit communicates with the terminal via the second communication method to manage the terminal.

12. The communication control system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The terminal includes an air conditioning fan coil unit and / or a fresh air outlet.

13. A control method for a communication control system, used in a communication control system comprising a first control unit, a second control unit, a terminal controller, and a terminal corresponding to the terminal controller, characterized in that, The first control unit and the terminal controller are connected via a first communication method, which is a power line communication bus. The second control unit and the terminal are connected via a second communication method, which includes bus communication. The first control unit and the second control unit are capable of sending and receiving signals to each other. The method includes: The terminal controller sends control signaling to the corresponding terminal. The second control unit is configured to poll multiple terminals corresponding to the second control unit via the second communication method; Upon receiving the second operation, the terminal controller reports information related to the second operation to the second control unit via the first communication method using frame insertion. The inserted frame is a frame shorter than the duration of a regular data frame in the power line communication bus. The second operation is an operation input by the user to the terminal controller for controlling the terminal, which requires the intervention of the first control unit and / or the second control unit. Upon receiving the information, the second control unit temporarily stops the polling and jumps to query the terminal corresponding to the terminal controller in order to obtain the data of the terminal controller through the second communication method.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, Upon receiving the first operation, the terminal controller sends the control signaling to the corresponding terminal.

15. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The method further includes: In the event that the first control unit malfunctions and / or the first communication method fails to enable the terminal to function properly, the second control unit communicates with the terminal via the second communication method to manage the terminal.

16. A terminal controller, characterized in that, The terminal controller has a first interface and at least one second interface. The first interface is connected to a first control unit via a first communication method, which includes a power line communication bus. The second interface is used to communicate with a terminal corresponding to the terminal controller. The terminal is connected to a second control unit via a second communication method, which includes bus communication. Upon receiving the second operation, the terminal controller reports information related to the second operation to the second control unit via the first communication method using frame insertion, and sends data from the terminal controller through the second interface. The inserted frame is a frame shorter than the duration of a regular data frame in the power line communication bus. The second operation is an operation input by the user to the terminal controller for controlling the terminal, which requires the intervention of the first control unit and / or the second control unit.

17. The terminal controller according to claim 16, characterized in that, Upon receiving the first operation, the terminal controller sends a control signaling message to the terminal through the second interface.

18. The terminal controller according to claim 16, characterized in that, In the event that the first control unit malfunctions and / or the first communication method fails to enable the terminal to function properly, the terminal controller communicates with the second control unit through the second interface to manage the terminal.

19. The terminal controller according to any one of claims 16 to 18, characterized in that, The second communication method includes the 485 bus.

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