Multi-connected air conditioner

Abstract

The embodiment of the application discloses a multi-split air conditioner, which comprises a bus and a plurality of node devices connected to the bus, wherein the plurality of node devices comprise a plurality of indoor units and / or a plurality of outdoor units; each node device comprises a corresponding controller, the interrupt end of each controller and the receiving end of each controller are connected to the sending end of the bus, and the sending end of each controller is connected to the receiving end of the bus; each controller comprises a timer; in the case that the interrupt end of each controller does not detect an interrupt signal within a target time length, target data is sent to other node devices through the bus; wherein the target time length comprises a first target time length and a second target time length, the first target time length of each node device is the same, the second target time length of each node device is different, and the second target time length of each node device is generated by the timer of each controller. The embodiment of the application improves the communication efficiency of the multi-split air conditioner.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of air conditioning technology, and to, but is not limited to, a multi-split air conditioner. Background Technology

[0002] A multi-split air conditioner is an air conditioning system that has multiple indoor units, multiple outdoor units, and possibly other electronic devices installed on a single bus connecting the indoor and outdoor units.

[0003] In the communication process of multi-split air conditioners involving a large number of node devices, the traditional communication method is to set up a master unit and other devices as slave units. The master unit polls each slave unit in a certain order, and the slave unit can only respond to the master unit after being polled.

[0004] However, this communication method is inefficient and can no longer meet the requirements of existing multi-split air conditioners in terms of communication data volume, communication efficiency, and data update speed. Therefore, improving the communication efficiency of multi-split air conditioners has become an urgent technical problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the multi-split air conditioner provided in this application embodiment can solve this technical problem.

[0006] This application provides a multi-split air conditioner, including:

[0007] A bus, and multiple node devices respectively connected to the bus, the multiple node devices including multiple indoor units, and / or multiple outdoor units;

[0008] Each node device includes a corresponding controller, and the interrupt terminal and the receiver terminal of each controller are connected to the transmitter terminal of the bus. The transmitter terminal of each controller is connected to the receiver terminal of the bus.

[0009] Each controller includes a timer;

[0010] The controller is configured to:

[0011] If no interrupt signal is detected at the interrupt terminal within the target duration, the target data is sent to other node devices via the bus.

[0012] The target duration includes a first target duration and a second target duration. The first target duration is the same for each node device, while the second target duration is different for each node device. The second target duration for each node device is generated by the timer of each controller.

[0013] In this embodiment, each node device in a multi-split air conditioner can determine whether the bus is idle by detecting an interrupt signal through the controller's interrupt terminal. That is, each node device can compete for the line when it detects that the bus is idle; once it successfully competes, it can send data. This communication method improves the communication efficiency of the multi-split air conditioner, offers high reliability, has a flexible communication mechanism, and is suitable for multi-split air conditioners with a large number of nodes on the bus. Furthermore, since the second target duration for each node device is different, it effectively prevents multiple node devices from successfully competing for the line simultaneously, thus effectively avoiding data conflicts.

[0014] In some embodiments, the timer is configured with a timing function, and the controller sends target data to other power-saving devices via the bus if no interrupt signal is detected at the interrupt terminal within the target duration.

[0015] When it is determined that the target data will be sent to the other node devices, the timing function of the timer is started, and the timing duration of the timer is the target duration;

[0016] During the timing of the timer, the interrupt signal is detected through the interrupt terminal;

[0017] When the timer expires and no interrupt signal is detected, the target data is sent to the other node devices via the bus.

[0018] In this embodiment, when each node device in the multi-split air conditioner has a data transmission requirement, the timer counting function can be started at the interrupt end while detecting the interrupt signal, and the timer counts according to the corresponding time duration. If the interrupt end still does not detect an interrupt signal when the timer ends, it means that the bus is idle, that is, the line grabbing is successful, and data can be sent directly. This method of detecting whether there is an interrupt signal within the corresponding time duration simplifies the communication line grabbing mechanism and helps to improve communication efficiency.

[0019] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to:

[0020] During the timing of the timer, when the interrupt signal is detected by the interrupt terminal, the timer is reset, and the timing duration of the reset timer is the target duration.

[0021] In this embodiment, during the timer counting process of each node device in the multi-split air conditioner, as long as an interrupt signal is detected indicating that the bus is not idle, the timer will restart according to the corresponding counting duration. This method of resetting the timer when an interrupt signal is detected can dynamically adjust the line-grabbing strategy according to the bus status, and can quickly restart the timer for the node device to grab the line, which helps to improve the timeliness and efficiency of data transmission, as well as further improve the reliability of the communication method.

[0022] In some embodiments, the second target duration of each node device is generated by the timing error of the timer of each controller, the power-on error of each node device, and the initialization completion error of each controller.

[0023] In this embodiment, different timing durations are generated for each node device based on the errors of different hardware components. This method ensures that the timing durations generated for each node device are different, which can effectively prevent multiple node devices from successfully competing for the line at the same time, thus effectively avoiding data conflicts on the bus.

[0024] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to:

[0025] If a data conflict is detected on the bus during the transmission of the target data to other node devices, the transmission of the target data to other node devices is stopped.

[0026] In this embodiment, when a data conflict is detected on the bus, the adverse effects of the data conflict on the multi-split air conditioner can be reduced in a timely manner by stopping data transmission.

[0027] In some embodiments, after the transmission of the target data to the other node devices is stopped, the controller is further configured to:

[0028] The first target duration is changed to a third target duration to obtain a modified target duration, wherein the modified target duration includes the third target duration and the second target duration, and the third target duration is less than the first target duration;

[0029] If the controller does not detect an interrupt signal at the interrupt terminal within the target duration, it is configured to send target data to other node devices via the bus.

[0030] If the interrupt terminal does not detect the interrupt signal within the modified target duration, the target data is sent to other node devices via the bus.

[0031] In this embodiment, when a data conflict is detected on the bus and data transmission is stopped, reducing the first target duration helps improve the success rate of the node device that detected the data conflict in the next communication attempt, thereby reducing the possibility of future conflicts and improving the communication efficiency of the node device.

[0032] In some embodiments, if the interrupt terminal does not detect the interrupt signal within the modified target duration, after sending the target data to other node devices via the bus, the controller is further configured to:

[0033] Change the third target duration to the first target duration.

[0034] In this embodiment, after the node device corresponding to the changed first target duration successfully secures the communication line, the third target duration is restored to the first target duration so that the node device can secure the line according to the original time the next time it secures the line. That is, after the node device successfully sends data, it will no longer affect the communication efficiency of other node devices.

[0035] In some embodiments, the bus includes a transmit channel and a receive channel. When the controller detects a data conflict on the bus during the transmission of target data to other node devices via the bus, it is configured to:

[0036] During the process of sending the target data to the other node devices through the transmission channel, the target data is received through the reception channel to obtain received data;

[0037] Based on the target data and the received data, it is determined whether the bus has encountered at least one of the preset conflict detection rules;

[0038] If the bus matches the preset conflict detection rule, a data conflict is detected on the bus;

[0039] The preset conflict detection rules include at least one of the following: parity check error of the received data, data frame error of the received data, reception time of the target data exceeding a preset time, and inconsistency between the target data and the received data.

[0040] In this embodiment, each node device receives its own data while sending data through the bus's transmit and receive channels. Based on the transmitted and received data, and combined with preset conflict detection rules, it determines whether there is a data conflict on the bus. This approach helps improve the efficiency and accuracy of data conflict detection.

[0041] In some embodiments, the controller determines to send the target data to the other node devices, and is configured to:

[0042] The target data to be sent to the other node devices is determined from multiple data types according to a preset sending priority. The multiple data types include at least one of change type data, periodic collection type data, and broadcast type data, and the priority of change type data, periodic collection type data, and broadcast type data decreases in that order.

[0043] In this embodiment, the data type of each transmission is determined by a preset transmission priority. This ensures that more important data is sent first, and also avoids the data transmission delay and reduced data transmission stability of multi-split air conditioners caused by sending a large amount of data at the same time.

[0044] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to:

[0045] Receive response data sent by the other node devices, wherein the response data is sent by the other node devices after they have received the target data and after a preset waiting time has elapsed, wherein the preset waiting time is less than the target time.

[0046] The response data is used to indicate whether the other node devices correctly received the target data or incorrectly received the target data.

[0047] In this embodiment, after receiving data sent by a node device, the receiver does not need to check whether the bus is idle. It can directly send response data within a short preset waiting time, which helps the sender to quickly confirm whether the data has been successfully received, thereby improving the communication efficiency when the sender determines the reliability of data transmission. Attached Figure Description

[0048] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the specification, serve to explain the technical solutions of this application.

[0049] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the communication system of the multi-split air conditioner disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0050] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the controller architecture disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0051] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating a communication control method for a multi-split air conditioner disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0052] Figure 4 This is a timing diagram of node device communication disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0053] Figure 5This is a flowchart illustrating another communication control method for a multi-split air conditioner disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0054] Figure 6 This is a timing diagram of multiple node devices simultaneously competing for communication lines, as disclosed in the embodiments of this application.

[0055] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating another communication control method for a multi-split air conditioner disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0056] Figure 8 This is a timing diagram of multiple node devices simultaneously competing for communication again after a data conflict, as disclosed in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0057] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the specific technical solutions of this application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of this application. The following embodiments are used to illustrate this application, but are not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0058] 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 is for the purpose of describing embodiments of this application only and is not intended to limit this application.

[0059] In the following description, references are made to “some embodiments,” which describe a subset of all possible embodiments. However, it is understood that “some embodiments” may be the same subset or different subsets of all possible embodiments and may be combined with each other without conflict.

[0060] It should be noted that the terms "first, second, third" used in the embodiments of this application are used to distinguish similar or different objects and do not represent a specific order of objects. It can be understood that "first, second, third" can be interchanged in a specific order or sequence where permitted, so that the embodiments of this application described herein can be implemented in an order other than that illustrated or described herein.

[0061] Modern home appliances, due to the rapid development of intelligent and control technologies, have placed higher demands on communication data volume, communication efficiency, and data update speed. This is especially true for multi-split air conditioners, which are air conditioning systems with multiple indoor and outdoor units connected to a single bus, and may also include other electronic equipment.

[0062] In the communication process of multi-split air conditioners involving a large number of node devices, traditional multi-split air conditioners adopt a master-slave structure and use a polling method where the master polls and the slaves respond. That is, all node devices are configured as one master and multiple slaves. For example, in the communication process of a multi-split air conditioner, the outdoor unit is generally used as the master, and the other indoor units or node devices are used as slaves. The master initiates communication commands to each slave in a certain order, and the slaves can only respond to the master after being queried. This communication method is typically suitable for multi-split air conditioners with a small number of bus-connected node devices (less than 32 node devices) and low requirements for real-time data interaction.

[0063] However, when dealing with complex multi-split air conditioning systems with a large number of node devices (for example, some multi-split air conditioning buses currently have as many as 256 nodes), this communication method suffers from long polling times, low communication efficiency, and an inability to achieve rapid data exchange. Furthermore, when a node device needs to send data, the host must poll that node device before it can send data. For example, when 180 node devices are connected to the bus, if the communication interval between the host and each slave device is 1 second, one round of communication takes 3 minutes. This means that the host's communication command takes 3 minutes to reach the furthest node device in this system, which is clearly very inefficient.

[0064] Therefore, it is evident that traditional communication methods are significantly insufficient in terms of communication efficiency in complex multi-split air conditioning communication systems. They cannot meet the requirements of existing multi-split air conditioning systems in terms of communication data volume, efficiency, and update speed, severely impacting their operational efficiency and making them unsuitable for multi-split air conditioning systems with a large number of node devices. Therefore, improving the communication efficiency of multi-split air conditioning systems has become an urgent technical problem to be solved.

[0065] In view of this, this application provides a multi-split air conditioner, including: a bus and multiple node devices respectively connected to the bus. Each node device includes a corresponding controller. The interrupt terminal and the receiving terminal of each controller are connected to the transmitting terminal of the bus, and the transmitting terminal of each controller is connected to the receiving terminal of the bus. If no interrupt signal is detected by the interrupt terminal of each controller within a target duration, target data is sent to other node devices through the bus. In the multi-split air conditioner proposed in this application, when each node device has a data transmission requirement, it can determine whether the bus is idle by detecting the interrupt signal through the interrupt terminal of the controller. That is, each node device can compete for the line when it detects that the bus is idle. Once the line is successfully competed for, data can be sent. This communication method improves the communication efficiency of the multi-split air conditioner, has high reliability, flexible communication mechanism, and is suitable for multi-split air conditioners with a large number of nodes on the bus. Furthermore, since the second target duration corresponding to each node device is different, it can effectively avoid multiple node devices successfully competing for the line at the same time, effectively avoiding data conflicts.

[0066] To make the purpose and technical solution of this application clearer and more intuitive, the multi-split air conditioner disclosed in this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0067] The multi-split air conditioner provided in this application includes a bus and multiple node devices connected to the bus. These multiple node devices can be composed of various types of devices; for example, they may include multiple indoor units and / or multiple outdoor units.

[0068] It should be noted that the multi-split air conditioner provided in this application embodiment does not have a main unit and slave units.

[0069] In some embodiments, the multiple node devices connected to the bus may also include other types of devices such as humidifiers and dehumidifiers to form a multi-split air conditioning system including indoor units, outdoor units, and other types of devices. This application does not limit this. The multi-split air conditioning system of this solution will be described in detail below using a multi-split air conditioning system composed of multiple indoor units and / or multiple outdoor units connected to the bus as an example.

[0070] In the multi-split air conditioner provided in this application embodiment, the bus is used to connect multiple node devices, so that data can be transmitted between the node devices through the bus.

[0071] In the multi-split air conditioner provided in this application embodiment, each node device includes a corresponding controller. The controller is the control center of each node device, and connects various parts of each node device using various interfaces and lines.

[0072] In the multi-split air conditioner provided in this application embodiment, the bus includes a bus transmitter and a bus receiver, and each controller includes a controller transmitter, a controller receiver, and a controller interrupt terminal. The way each node device connects to the bus can be as follows: each controller transmitter is connected to the bus receiver, each controller receiver is connected to the bus transmitter, and each controller interrupt terminal is connected to the bus transmitter; that is, both the interrupt terminal and the receiver of each controller are connected to the bus transmitter.

[0073] In the multi-split air conditioner provided in this application embodiment, each node device is connected to the bus receiver through the transmitter of each controller, and the receiver of each controller is connected to the transmitter of the bus, forming a bus data transmission channel. The bus data transmission channel includes a transmitter channel and a receiver channel.

[0074] In the multi-split air conditioner provided in this application embodiment, data transmission between various node devices via a bus includes: data transmission and data reception between various node devices via a bus transmission channel and a reception channel.

[0075] In the multi-split air conditioner provided in this application embodiment, the interrupt terminal of each controller is used to detect whether there is data transmission on the bus, that is, the interrupt terminal of each controller is used to detect whether other node devices transmit data through the bus.

[0076] In the multi-split air conditioner provided in this application embodiment, the interrupt terminal of each controller detects whether data transmission exists on the bus by detecting an interrupt signal. Specifically, when the interrupt terminal of each controller detects an interrupt signal, it indicates that data transmission exists on the bus and the bus is in a non-idle state; when the interrupt terminal of each controller does not detect an interrupt signal, it indicates that there is no data transmission on the bus and the bus is in an idle state.

[0077] In some implementations, the bus includes multiple communication ICs, each corresponding one-to-one with the controller of a plurality of node devices. Each communication IC is connected to the controller of its corresponding node device, enabling data transmission between the node devices via the bus.

[0078] In some implementations, the controller corresponding to each node device in a multi-split air conditioner can be a microcontroller (MCU). It should be understood that in the multi-split air conditioner provided in this application embodiment, the MCU of each node device can be connected to a corresponding communication IC, enabling data transmission between the various node devices through the corresponding MCU and the corresponding communication IC.

[0079] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the communication system of the multi-split air conditioner disclosed in an embodiment of this application. Figure 1 The multi-split air conditioner shown includes a bus AB and node devices 1 to 6 connected to the bus AB. The bus AB corresponds to multiple communication ICs. The controllers corresponding to node devices 1 to 6 can be MCUs. Each MCU includes an MCU transmitter, an MCU receiver, and an MCU interrupt terminal. Each communication IC includes a transmitter (OUT) and a receiver (IN).

[0080] like Figure 1 In the communication system of the multi-split air conditioner shown, node devices 1 to 6 are connected to the bus AB via their respective MCUs and corresponding communication ICs, enabling data transmission between node devices 1 to 6. Specifically, node devices 1 to 6 are connected to bus AB as follows: the transmitting end of each node device 1 to 6 is connected to the receiving end (IN) of the corresponding communication IC; the receiving end of each node device 1 to 6 is connected to the transmitting end (OUT) of the corresponding communication IC; and the interrupt end of each node device 1 to 6 is connected to the transmitting end (OUT) of the corresponding communication IC. This connection method enables node devices 1 to 6 to access bus AB.

[0081] For example, when node device 1 sends data to node device 2, node device 1 transmits the data to bus AB through its MCU transmitter and the corresponding communication IC receiver IN. Node device 2's corresponding communication IC transmits the data to node device 2 through its transmitter OUT and the corresponding MCU receiver, allowing node device 2 to receive the data sent by node device 1. This completes the data transmission process from node device 1 to node device 2. When node device 1 sends data to node device 2, the interrupt signal is detected by the MCU interrupt terminal of each node device other than node device 1.

[0082] The above schematic diagram of the communication system of a multi-split air conditioner provides a convenient understanding of the communication system structure of the multi-split air conditioner disclosed in this application embodiment. The focus of this application embodiment is on how the controller of each node device controls the corresponding node device to communicate within the multi-split air conditioner. The communication control method of the multi-split air conditioner provided in this application embodiment will be described in detail later; further details will not be provided here. To further understand the working logic of the controller corresponding to each node device in the multi-split air conditioner provided in this application embodiment, the controller architecture will be further described below to fully understand how the various components in the controller work collaboratively.

[0083] Please see Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the controller architecture disclosed in an embodiment of this application, as shown below. Figure 2The controller 200 shown may include, but is not limited to, components such as processor 201, memory 202, communication interface 203, and timer 204.

[0084] The processor 201 is used to call executable program code stored in the memory 202 and execute any communication control method of the multi-split air conditioner corresponding to the executable program code. Optionally, the processor 201 may include one or more processing units; preferably, the processor 201 may include an application processor and a modem processor, etc.

[0085] It should be understood that, in the embodiments of this application, the processor 201 may be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0086] The memory 202 is used to execute program code, which is executed by the processor 201 to implement any of the communication control methods for multi-split air conditioners disclosed in the embodiments of this application. The memory 202 may include a program storage area and a data storage area, wherein the program storage area may store at least one executable program code required for a function; the data storage area may store various types of data generated during the operation of the node device. Optionally, the memory 202 may include high-speed random access memory, and may also include non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device, flash memory device, or other volatile solid-state storage device.

[0087] The communication interface 203 is used to connect and communicate with the bus, other node devices, or servers according to various communication protocol types. Optionally, the controller corresponding to each node device can establish a communication connection with the bus and other node devices through the communication interface 203, so that the controller corresponding to each node device can send data to other node devices through the communication interface 203 to achieve communication.

[0088] Timer 204 is used to detect information such as the runtime of the node device, the time of the node device at each working node, the working duration of each component of the node device, and the time of each component of the node device at each working node. Optionally, timer 204 can be used to record the power-on time of each node device, the initialization completion time of each controller, and the duration of each controller from power-on to initialization completion.

[0089] It should be noted that the power-on time of each node device indicates the specific point in time when each node device is connected to the power supply and begins operation. Recording the power-on time of each node device allows us to understand when each node device starts working.

[0090] It should be noted that the initialization completion time for each controller represents the specific time from the power-on of the node device to the completion of controller initialization. The initialization process includes self-testing, register configuration, and communication setup. Recording the initialization completion time of each controller allows us to understand when the controller on each node device is ready.

[0091] It should be noted that the time from power-on to initialization completion for each controller represents the total time elapsed from the node device powering on to the controller completing initialization. Recording the time from power-on to initialization completion for each controller allows us to understand the time required for each node device's controller to be ready, which can be used to evaluate the controller's startup speed.

[0092] Understandable Figure 2 The controller architecture illustrated does not constitute a specific limitation on the air conditioner. The controller architecture may include more or fewer components than illustrated, or combine some components, or separate some components, or have different component arrangements. The components illustrated may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of both.

[0093] By introducing the controller architecture, we can understand the functions of each component of the controller in each node device. Building on this, the following section will further describe how the controller of each node device in the multi-split air conditioner provided in this application's embodiments controls the corresponding node devices to communicate within the multi-split air conditioner.

[0094] Please see Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating a communication control method for a multi-split air conditioner disclosed in an embodiment of this application. Figure 3 The method shown is applied to the controller corresponding to each node device and may include the following steps:

[0095] Step 301: Detect the interrupt signal through the interrupt terminal within the target duration.

[0096] In this embodiment, each node device's controller includes an interrupt terminal, and the interrupt terminal of each controller is connected to the bus's transmitting terminal. Before each node device sends target data to other node devices via the bus, it needs to determine the target state of the bus, which includes an idle state or a non-idle state.

[0097] It should be noted that when multiple node devices have data transmission needs at the same time, determining the target state of the bus can effectively prevent data conflicts from occurring on the bus communication line caused by each node device directly transmitting data. Data conflict means that multiple node devices transmit data at the same time or within the same time period.

[0098] It should be noted that an idle bus indicates that there is no data transmission on the bus of the multi-split air conditioner, and data can be sent in this state; a non-idle bus indicates that there is data transmission on the bus of the multi-split air conditioner, and data cannot be sent in this state.

[0099] In this embodiment, determining the target state of the bus includes: detecting an interrupt signal through an interrupt terminal within a target duration, obtaining a detection result, the detection result including detecting an interrupt signal within the target duration or not detecting an interrupt signal within the target duration, the target duration corresponding to each node device being different; determining the target state of the bus based on the detection result; wherein, if the detection result is that an interrupt signal is detected within the target duration, the target state of the bus is determined to be a non-idle state; if the detection result is that no interrupt signal is detected within the target duration, the target state of the bus is determined to be an idle state.

[0100] It should be noted that the purpose of the controller corresponding to each node device detecting the interrupt signal according to its own target duration is to prevent data conflicts from occurring on the bus when multiple node devices have data transmission needs at the same time, after each node device determines the target state of the bus at the same time. This is to ensure that each node device can send data in an orderly communication mechanism.

[0101] In this embodiment, the node device with the shorter target duration indicates which node device can determine the target state of the bus the fastest and send data first. It is understandable that when multiple node devices have data transmission needs at the same time, the node device with the shorter target duration has the highest probability of successfully securing the bus connection, meaning it can send data first after successfully securing the connection.

[0102] For example, suppose that node device 1 and node device 2 both have data transmission needs at the same time. The first target duration of node device 1 and node device 2 is 100ms. The second target duration of node device 1 is 10ms and the second target duration of node device 2 is 20ms. Then, node device 1 and node device 2 simultaneously check for interrupt signals within 100ms through the interrupt terminal. When no interrupt signal is detected within 100ms, node device 1 and node device 2 simultaneously check for interrupt signals within the corresponding second target durations of 10ms and 20ms, respectively. Since the second target duration of node device 1 is less than the second target duration of node device 2, node device 1 will first determine that the bus is in an idle state. At this time, node device 1 will start transmitting data first. Meanwhile, when node device 1 sends data, node device 2 will detect an interrupt signal through its corresponding interrupt terminal. The interrupt terminal of node device 2 will not detect the interrupt signal until node device 1 has completed the data transmission and the bus is in an idle state. At this time, the interrupt terminal of node device 2 will continue to detect the interrupt signal according to the corresponding first target duration of 100ms and second target duration of 20ms. When node device 2 does not detect the interrupt signal for a continuous period of 100ms and 20ms, it is determined that the bus is in an idle state, and only then can node device 2 send data.

[0103] It should be understood that since the multi-split air conditioner provided in this application embodiment does not have a master and slave unit, each node device can compete for the line when it has a data transmission requirement, and can send data once the line is successfully competed for.

[0104] In this embodiment of the application, the target duration corresponding to each node device includes a first target duration and a second target duration. The first target duration is the same for each node device, and the second target duration is different for each node device. The second target duration of each node device is generated by the timer of each controller.

[0105] The first target duration represents the fixed time each node device needs to wait for the bus to be idle. The second target duration represents the delay time after each node device's controller fails to detect an interrupt signal within the first target duration, at which point the controller needs to re-detect the bus. If the controller's interrupt terminal still fails to detect an interrupt signal within the second target duration, the bus is considered to be idle.

[0106] It should be noted that the first target duration can be set by those skilled in the art according to actual needs, and this application does not limit the specific value of the first target duration.

[0107] In some implementations, the second target duration for each node device is generated by a timer of each controller, including: acquiring the errors of different components in the controller through the timer; generating different random numbers based on the errors of different components; and generating the second target duration based on the different random numbers. Optionally, a random number generator can be used to generate different random numbers based on the errors of different components.

[0108] It should be noted that due to errors in the operating timing and accuracy of different components within the controller of each node device, each node device's timer can generate a different second target duration for each node device based on the errors of different components. This different second target duration for each node device prevents data conflicts from occurring when multiple node devices have data transmission needs at the same time, as each node device might determine that the bus is idle at the same moment and simultaneously send data.

[0109] Step 302: If no interrupt signal is detected at the interrupt terminal within the target duration, the target data is sent to other node devices via the bus.

[0110] In this embodiment, if no interrupt signal is detected at the interrupt terminal within the target duration, it indicates that the bus is in an idle state within the target duration and data can be sent.

[0111] For example, please see Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a timing diagram of node device communication disclosed in an embodiment of this application. When node device 1 is transmitting data from time a to time b, during the period from time a to time b, the interrupt terminal of the controller of node device 2 can detect an interrupt signal, determine that the bus is in a non-idle state, and does not transmit data. After node device 1 completes data transmission at time b, the interrupt terminal of the controller of node device 2 detects an interrupt signal according to the target duration T2 of node device 2. Within the target duration T2, that is, during the period from time b to time c, node device 2 does not detect an interrupt signal, and determines that the bus is in an idle state during the period from time b to time c. Node device 2 can then transmit data, that is, node device 2 transmits data during the period from time c to time d.

[0112] In some implementations, the bus data transmission channel includes a transmit channel and a receive channel. Sending target data to other node devices via the bus when no interrupt signal is detected at the interrupt terminal within the target duration includes: sending target data to other node devices via the bus transmit channel when no interrupt signal is detected at the interrupt terminal within the target duration.

[0113] In some implementations, sending target data to other node devices via a bus includes: sending target data to other node devices via a bus for a preset transmission duration, wherein the preset transmission duration is used to send a type of target data.

[0114] It should be noted that the preset transmission duration can be set by those skilled in the art according to actual needs, and this application does not limit the specific value of the preset transmission duration.

[0115] In some implementations, if no interrupt signal is detected by the interrupt terminal within the target duration, after sending the target data to other node devices via the bus, the step of detecting the interrupt signal by the interrupt terminal within the target duration and sending the target data to other node devices via the bus if no interrupt signal is detected by the interrupt terminal within the target duration is re-executed.

[0116] It should be noted that re-executing the step of detecting the interrupt signal through the interrupt terminal within the target duration means that when a node device completes a data transmission and wants to transmit data again, it needs to detect the interrupt signal through the interrupt terminal again. Only after confirming that the bus is idle again can it be determined that the connection has been successfully seized again and data can be transmitted again.

[0117] For example, please see Figure 4 If node device 2 has a data transmission requirement after completing data transmission between time c and time d, it will detect the interrupt signal at time d according to the target duration T2 of node device 2. If node device 2 does not detect the interrupt signal within the target duration T2, that is, between time d and time e, it is determined that the bus is in an idle state between time d and time e, and node device 2 can transmit data again, that is, node device 2 transmits data again between time e and time f.

[0118] As can be seen, by implementing the embodiments of this application, each node device in a multi-split air conditioner can determine whether the bus is idle by detecting the interrupt signal at the interrupt terminal of the controller. That is, each node device can compete for the line when it detects that the bus is idle, and can send data once it successfully competes for the line. This communication method improves the communication efficiency of the multi-split air conditioner, has high reliability, flexible communication mechanism, and is suitable for multi-split air conditioners with a large number of nodes on the bus. In addition, since the second target duration corresponding to each node device is different, it can effectively avoid multiple node devices successfully competing for the line at the same time, thus effectively avoiding data conflicts.

[0119] Through the above steps, we can understand the execution steps of the communication control method for a multi-split air conditioner provided in this application embodiment. The following will further describe in detail the steps of the communication control method for a multi-split air conditioner provided in this application embodiment.

[0120] Please see Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating another communication control method for a multi-split air conditioner disclosed in an embodiment of this application. Figure 5 The method shown is applied to the controller corresponding to each node device and may include the following steps:

[0121] Step 501: When it is determined that target data will be sent to other node devices, the timing function of the timer is started, and the timing duration of the timer is the target duration.

[0122] In this embodiment of the application, each node device needs to determine the target data to be sent to other node devices before detecting the interrupt signal through the interrupt terminal within the target duration.

[0123] As an optional implementation, determining the target data to be sent to other node devices includes: determining the target data to be sent to other node devices from data of multiple data types according to a preset sending priority, wherein the multiple data types include at least one of change type data, periodic collection type data, and broadcast type data, and the priority of change type data, periodic collection type data, and broadcast type data decreases in that order.

[0124] It should be noted that, in order to improve the communication efficiency of multi-split air conditioners, each node device only sends one type of target data after successfully securing a connection. Therefore, the data from each node device needs to be categorized into multiple data types according to a preset transmission priority. When it is determined whether to send target data to other node devices, the target data can be selected from the multiple data types.

[0125] Among them, change type data has the highest priority for transmission, meaning it is sent immediately after each successful line acquisition. Change type data includes user-defined command data and system protection parameters. User-defined command data refers to user-defined commands for equipment temperature, fan speed, heating, cooling, and air supply, while system protection parameters refer to overcurrent protection, overvoltage protection, and overload protection data for each node device.

[0126] Among them, the data of the periodic acquisition type has the second highest priority. That is, after each successful line grab, if the node device has not changed the data type, then the data of the periodic acquisition type will be sent. The data of the periodic acquisition type includes the ambient temperature of the node device, operating parameters (compressor operating frequency, fan speed, etc.), gas pipe temperature of the node device, liquid pipe temperature of the node device, etc.

[0127] Among these, broadcast data has the lowest transmission priority. That is, after each successful connection acquisition, if a node device has no data of the changed type or periodically collected type, it will send broadcast data. Broadcast data refers to data that a node device needs to send to all other node devices.

[0128] In this implementation, the data type of each transmission is determined by a preset transmission priority. This ensures that more important data is sent first, and also avoids data transmission delays and reduced data transmission stability caused by sending a large amount of data at the same time.

[0129] In this embodiment, each node device has a timer with a timing function. When it is determined that target data will be sent to other node devices, the timer's timing function is activated, and the timer's duration is the target duration.

[0130] It should be noted that when each node device determines to send target data to other node devices, it needs to start the timing function of the corresponding timer. The timing function of the timer of each node device starts timing according to the set target duration, and the data can be sent immediately only when the timing function of the timer continuously decreases from the target duration to 0 during the timing process.

[0131] For example, if node device 1 determines that it needs to send target data to other node devices, it starts the timing function of the timer on node device 1. The timing function of the timer on node device 1 is set with a target duration of 110ms, which includes a first target duration of 100ms and a second target duration of 10ms. When the timing function of the timer on node device 1 is started, the target duration of the timer is decremented by 1 every 1ms.

[0132] In this embodiment of the application, the second target duration of each node device is generated by the timing error of the timer of each controller, the power-on error of each node device, and the error of the initialization completion time of each controller.

[0133] It should be noted that due to differences in the timing accuracy of each controller's timer, the power-on time of each node device, and the initialization completion time of each controller, the timing error of each controller's timer, the power-on time error of each node device, and the initialization completion time error of each controller can be obtained through timers. Based on these timer errors, the power-on time errors, and the initialization completion time errors, a second target duration for each node device can be generated.

[0134] In this embodiment, different timing durations are generated for each node device based on the errors of different hardware components. This method ensures that the timing durations generated for each node device are different, which can effectively prevent multiple node devices from successfully competing for the line at the same time, thus effectively avoiding data conflicts on the bus.

[0135] As an optional implementation, the controller obtains a first random number, a second random number, and a third random number through a timer. The first random number is generated based on the timing error of the timer, the second random number is generated based on the power-on error of the corresponding node device, and the third random number is generated based on the error of the controller initialization completion time. The controller calculates the first random number, the second random number, and the third random number according to a preset formula through the timer to generate the second target duration for each node device.

[0136] Optionally, the preset formula includes summing the first random number, the second random number, and the third random number.

[0137] Optionally, the preset formula includes the following: Second target duration = (First random number + Second random number + Third random number) modulo maximum random time. The preset formula means that by adding the first random number, the second random number, and the third random number and taking the modulo, a random time value within the maximum random time range is obtained.

[0138] The maximum random time is a value set by those skilled in the art as needed, so that the second target duration of each node device is within a preset time range. For example, the maximum random time can be any value within the range of 0 to 70 ms, and based on this maximum random time, the second target duration of each node device generated by the timer is within the range of 0 to 70 ms.

[0139] Optionally, a first random number can be generated based on the timing error of the timer, a second random number can be generated based on the power-on time error of the corresponding node device, and a third random number can be generated based on the initialization completion time error of the corresponding controller.

[0140] Step 502: During the timer's timing process, the interrupt signal is detected through the interrupt terminal.

[0141] Step 503: When the timer finishes counting down and no interrupt signal is detected, send the target data to other node devices via the bus.

[0142] In this embodiment of the application, when a node device determines to send target data to other node devices and starts the timing function of the timer, the timer starts timing according to the corresponding target duration. During the timing process of the timer, the interrupt signal is continuously detected through the interrupt terminal. If no interrupt signal is detected until the timing ends, it means that the bus is in an idle state and data can be sent.

[0143] For example, the target duration of node device 1 is 110ms, which includes a first target duration of 100ms and a second target duration of 10ms. After the timer function of node device 1 is started, if no interrupt signal is detected when the target duration is continuously reduced from 110ms to 0, it indicates that no data is being transmitted on the bus within the target duration, the bus is in an idle state, and node device 1 can immediately send data.

[0144] As an optional implementation, after the timer expires and no interrupt signal is detected, the target data can be sent to other node devices via the bus, and then the response data sent by other node devices can be received. The response data is sent by other node devices after receiving the target data and after a preset waiting time has elapsed, where the preset waiting time is less than the target time. The response data is used to indicate whether other node devices have correctly received the target data or have received the target data incorrectly.

[0145] Optionally, when a node device sends target data to other node devices via the bus, the target data will carry the address of the sending device and the address of the receiving device. When the receiving device receives the target data sent by the sending device, the receiving device can send back response data to the sending device according to the address of the receiving device.

[0146] Optionally, the receiving device can send response data back to the sending device based on its address. Specifically, after a preset waiting time has elapsed, the receiving device can send response data back to the sending device based on its address. The response data includes an acknowledgment character (ACK) or a negative acknowledgment character (NACK). ACK indicates that the receiving device has correctly received the target data, while NACK indicates that the receiving device has incorrectly received the target data.

[0147] It should be noted that the receiving device does not need to detect the interrupt signal through the interrupt terminal when sending response data back to the sending device based on the address of the receiving device. It only needs to send response data back immediately after the preset waiting time has expired.

[0148] It should be noted that the preset waiting time can be set by those skilled in the art according to actual needs, and this application does not limit the specific value of the preset waiting time. For example, the preset waiting time can be set to 5ms.

[0149] In this implementation, after receiving data sent by a node device, the receiver does not need to check whether the bus is idle. It can directly send response data within a short preset waiting time, which helps the sender to quickly confirm whether the data has been successfully received, thereby improving the communication efficiency when the sender determines the reliability of data transmission.

[0150] Other implementation methods for steps 502 to 503 can be referred to the content of steps 301 to 302 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0151] Step 504: During the timer's timing process, when an interrupt signal is detected by the interrupt terminal, the timer is reset, and the timing duration of the reset timer is the target duration.

[0152] In this embodiment of the application, during the timer's timing according to the corresponding target duration, the interrupt signal is continuously detected by the interrupt terminal. When the interrupt terminal detects the interrupt signal, it indicates that other node devices on the bus are transmitting data and the bus is in a non-idle state and cannot send data. At the same time, the timer is reset so that the timer starts timing again according to the target duration.

[0153] For example, please see Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a timing diagram of multiple node devices simultaneously competing for communication lines, as disclosed in the embodiments of this application. Figure 6 The system includes node device 1, node device 2, and node device 3. After node device 1 completes data transmission at time b, the interrupt terminals of node devices 2 and 3 simultaneously detect no interrupt signal. Therefore, starting from time b, the timers of node device 2 and node device 3 begin counting according to their respective target durations, in milliseconds (ms). The target duration of the timer is decremented by 1 every 1ms. The target duration for node device 2 is T2, and the target duration for node device 3 is T3. For example... Figure 6As shown, the target duration T2 of node device 2 is less than the target duration T3 of node device 3. At time c, the target duration T2 of node device 2's timer is the first to decrease to 0, so node device 2 successfully acquires the connection first and can immediately send data. However, at time c, since node device 2 starts sending data, the interrupt terminal of node device 3 will detect an interrupt signal, indicating that the connection acquisition has failed, and will reset the timer of node device 3. Since node device 2 continues to send data from time c to time d, the timer of node device 3 will be continuously reset until node device 2 finishes sending data at time d. When the interrupt terminal of node device 3 no longer detects an interrupt signal, the timer of node device 3 will then start counting down to the target duration T3. Figure 6 As shown, from time d to time e, the target duration T3 of the timer of node device 3 continuously decreases to 0, indicating that no interrupt signal was detected at the interrupt terminal of node device 3 from time d to time e, indicating that the bus is in an idle state. Node device 3 successfully grabs the line at time e and can immediately send data. Time e to time f is the time for node device 3 to send data.

[0154] As can be seen, by implementing the embodiments of this application, each node device in a multi-split air conditioner can determine whether the bus is idle by detecting an interrupt signal at the interrupt terminal of the controller. That is, each node device can compete for the line when it detects that the bus is idle; if it successfully competes, it can send data. This communication method improves the communication efficiency of the multi-split air conditioner, has high reliability, a flexible communication mechanism, and is suitable for multi-split air conditioners with a large number of nodes on the bus. Furthermore, since the second target duration for each node device is different, it effectively avoids multiple node devices successfully competing for the line simultaneously, effectively preventing data conflicts. Also, when each node device in the multi-split air conditioner has a data transmission requirement, it can start the timer's counting function while detecting the interrupt signal at the interrupt terminal, and count according to the corresponding timing duration. If no interrupt signal is detected at the interrupt terminal after the timing ends, it indicates that the bus is idle, i.e., the line competition is successful, and data can be sent directly. This method of detecting the existence of an interrupt signal within the corresponding timing duration simplifies the communication line-competing mechanism and helps improve communication efficiency. Furthermore, in a multi-split air conditioner, if an interrupt signal is detected during the timer operation of each node device, indicating that the bus is not idle, the timer will restart according to the corresponding timing duration. This method of resetting the timer when an interrupt signal is detected can dynamically adjust the line-grabbing strategy according to the bus status, and can quickly restart the timing for the node device to grab the line, which helps to improve the timeliness and efficiency of data transmission, as well as further improve the reliability of the communication method.

[0155] Based on the above steps, the communication control method for a multi-split air conditioner provided in this application has been understood in detail. However, if a node device incorrectly detects that there is no data transmission on the bus and simultaneously sends data to other node devices while other node devices are sending data, a data conflict will occur on the bus. Please refer to... Figure 7 , Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating another communication control method for a multi-split air conditioner disclosed in an embodiment of this application. Figure 7 The method shown is applied to the controller corresponding to each node device and may include the following steps:

[0156] Step 701: Detect the interrupt signal through the interrupt terminal within the target duration.

[0157] Step 702: If no interrupt signal is detected at the interrupt terminal within the target duration, the target data is sent to other node devices via the bus.

[0158] The implementation methods for steps 701 to 702 can be referred to the contents of steps 301 to 302 and steps 501 to 504 mentioned above, and will not be repeated here.

[0159] Step 703: When a data conflict is detected on the bus during the process of sending target data to other node devices via the bus, the sending of target data to other node devices is stopped.

[0160] In this embodiment of the application, during the process of sending target data to other node devices via the bus, it is possible to detect whether there is a data conflict on the bus, so as to determine whether to continue sending target data to other node devices based on the conflict detection result.

[0161] Optionally, if a data conflict is detected on the bus while sending target data to other node devices via the bus, the sending of target data to other node devices shall be stopped immediately.

[0162] Optionally, if no data conflict is detected on the bus while sending target data to other node devices via the bus, the target data can continue to be sent to other node devices.

[0163] It should be noted that a data conflict on the bus means that at least two node devices are sending data at the same time. In this case, the data sent by each node device will be incorrect, thus causing a data conflict on the bus.

[0164] For example, please see Figure 8 , Figure 8 This is a timing diagram of multiple node devices simultaneously competing for communication again after a data conflict, as disclosed in the embodiments of this application. Figure 8During times b and c, both node device 1 and node device 2 are transmitting data; therefore, times b and c represent the period when data collisions occur on the bus. When node device 1 and / or node device 2 detects a data collision on the bus at time c, both node device 1 and node device 2 simultaneously stop transmitting the target data.

[0165] As an optional implementation, the bus includes a transmit channel and a receive channel. During the transmission of target data to other node devices via the bus, if a data collision is detected, it includes:

[0166] During the process of sending target data to other node devices through the sending channel, the target data is received through the receiving channel to obtain the received data;

[0167] Based on the target data and the received data, determine whether the bus has hit at least one of the preset conflict detection rules;

[0168] If the bus meets the preset conflict detection rules, a data conflict is detected on the bus;

[0169] The preset conflict detection rules include at least one of the following: parity check error of received data, data frame error of received data, reception time of target data exceeding preset time, and inconsistency between target data and received data.

[0170] It should be noted that parity error refers to checking the integrity of received data by adding an extra odd or even bit to the target data transmission; the number of "1"s in the data determines the setting of the odd or even bit. Data frame error refers to checking whether the start bit, length, etc., of each frame of received data and target data are the same.

[0171] It should be noted that those skilled in the art can set various preset conflict detection rules according to actual needs, and this application does not limit them.

[0172] In this implementation, each node device receives its own data while sending data through the bus's transmit and receive channels. Based on the transmitted and received data, and combined with preset conflict detection rules, it determines whether there is a data conflict on the bus. This approach helps improve the efficiency and accuracy of data conflict detection.

[0173] Step 704: Change the first target duration to the third target duration to obtain the changed target duration. The changed target duration includes the third target duration and the second target duration, wherein the third target duration is less than the first target duration.

[0174] In this embodiment, because a data conflict on the bus prevents a node device from sending target data to other node devices, in order to enable the node device to successfully re-establish connection and send the target data as quickly as possible, the success rate of re-establishing connection and sending the target data can be improved by reducing the first target duration of the node device, thereby improving the communication efficiency of the node device.

[0175] It should be noted that the method of reducing the first target duration of node devices is for node devices that detect data conflicts. That is, which node devices passively stop sending target data to other node devices when they detect data conflicts, and the first target duration of these node devices is reduced.

[0176] For example, if the node devices that detect data conflicts include node device 1 and node device 2, and the first target duration for node device 1 and node device 2 is 100ms, the second target duration for node device 1 is 60ms, and the second target duration for node device 2 is 20ms, then the first target duration for node device 1 and node device 2 can be changed from 100ms to 10ms. The changed target duration for node device 1 is the sum of the first target duration of 10ms and the second target duration of 60ms, resulting in a changed target duration of 70ms. The changed target duration for node device 2 is the sum of the first target duration of 10ms and the second target duration of 20ms, resulting in a changed target duration of 30ms.

[0177] Understandably, if the second target duration generated by the timer for each node device is pre-set to be within the range of 0 to 70 ms, then after the timer function is activated, the timing interval for the second target duration of each node device will be 100 ms to 170 ms. Therefore, after changing the first target duration from 100 ms to 10 ms, the timing interval for the second target duration will be 10 ms to 80 ms.

[0178] Step 705: Detect the interrupt signal via the interrupt terminal within the modified target duration.

[0179] For the specific implementation of step 705, please refer to the content of steps 301 and 502 mentioned above, which will not be repeated here.

[0180] Step 706: If no interrupt signal is detected at the interrupt terminal within the modified target duration, the target data is sent to other node devices via the bus.

[0181] In this embodiment of the application, after obtaining the modified target duration, the interrupt terminal continues to detect the interrupt signal according to the modified target duration until the interrupt terminal continuously does not detect the interrupt signal within the modified target duration, and then the target data is sent to other node devices again through the bus.

[0182] For example, please see Figure 8 , Figure 8 This is a timing diagram of multiple node devices simultaneously competing for communication again after a data conflict, as disclosed in the embodiments of this application. Figure 8 At time c, node device 1 and node device 2 simultaneously stop sending target data and simultaneously change the first target duration of node device 1 and node device 2 to the third target duration, resulting in the target duration of node device 1 after modification being T1' and the target duration of node device 2 after modification being T2'.

[0183] like Figure 8 As shown, since both node device 1 and node device 2 stopped sending data at time c, the bus is idle at time c. Both node device 1 and node device 2 start their timers simultaneously from time c. Node device 1's timer starts counting according to the modified target duration T1', and node device 2's timer starts counting according to the modified target duration T2'. Since node device 2's second target duration is less than that of node device 1, node device 2's modified target duration T2' is less than that of node device 1. Therefore, at time d, node device 2's modified target duration T2' is the first to decrease to 0, indicating that the bus was idle from time c to time d. At time d, node device 2 successfully acquires the line first, while node device 1 fails to acquire the line. Node device 2 can immediately resend data at time d.

[0184] like Figure 8 As shown, after node device 1 fails to secure the connection at time d, its timer is reset. Since node device 2 has been continuously sending data from time d to time e, the interrupt terminal of node device 1 will continuously detect interrupt signals from time d to time e, and the timer of node device 1 will be continuously reset until node device 2 completes data transmission at time e. After that, the interrupt terminal of node device 1 will no longer detect interrupt signals, and the timer of node device 1 will start counting according to the modified target duration T1', continuously detecting interrupt signals through the interrupt terminal. Figure 8 As shown, from time e to time f, the target duration T1' of the timer of node device 1 is continuously reduced to 0, indicating that no interrupt signal is detected at the interrupt terminal of node device 1 from time e to time f, the bus is in an idle state, node device 1 successfully grabs the line at time f and can immediately send data, and time f to time g is the time for node device 1 to send data again.

[0185] As an optional implementation, if no interrupt signal is detected at the interrupt terminal within the modified target duration, the third target duration is changed to the first target duration after the target data is sent to other node devices via the bus.

[0186] It should be noted that after a node device that changed the first target duration successfully seizes the line and completes data transmission, in order to ensure the communication efficiency of other node devices that have not changed the target duration, the third target duration of the node device that changed the first target duration needs to be restored to the first target duration.

[0187] like Figure 8 As shown, after node device 1 completes data transmission between time f and time g, the target duration T1' of node device 1 is changed to the target duration T1. Similarly, after node device 2 completes data transmission between time d and time e, the target duration T2' of node device 2 is changed to the target duration T2 (not shown in the figure). When node device 1 needs to transmit data again after completing data transmission between time f and time g, the timer of node device 1 starts from time g and continuously detects the interrupt signal within the target duration T1 through the interrupt terminal until time h. At this time, the target duration T1 of the timer of node device 1 continuously decreases to 0, indicating that the interrupt terminal of node device 1 did not detect the interrupt signal between time g and time h, indicating that the bus is in an idle state. Node device 1 successfully acquires the line at time h and can immediately transmit data. Time h to time i is the time for node device 1 to transmit data again.

[0188] In this implementation, after the node device corresponding to the changed first target duration successfully secures the communication line, the third target duration is restored to the first target duration so that the node device can secure the line according to the original time the next time it secures the line. That is, after the node device successfully sends data, it will no longer affect the communication efficiency of other node devices.

[0189] Other implementations of step 706 can be found in steps 302 and 503 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0190] As can be seen, by implementing the embodiments of this application, each node device in a multi-split air conditioner can determine whether the bus is idle by detecting the interrupt signal at the interrupt terminal of the controller. That is, each node device can compete for the line when it detects that the bus is idle. Once the line is successfully competed for, data can be sent. This communication method improves the communication efficiency of the multi-split air conditioner, has high reliability, flexible communication mechanism, and is suitable for multi-split air conditioners with a large number of nodes on the bus. Furthermore, since the second target duration for each node device is different, it can effectively prevent multiple node devices from successfully competing for the line simultaneously, effectively avoiding data conflicts. Also, when a data conflict is detected on the bus, stopping data transmission can promptly reduce the adverse effects of the data conflict on the multi-split air conditioner. And, after a data conflict is detected on the bus and data transmission is stopped, reducing the first target duration helps improve the success rate of the node device that detected the data conflict in the next communication line competition, thereby reducing the possibility of future conflicts and improving the communication efficiency of that node device.

[0191] It should be understood that although the steps in the above flowcharts are shown sequentially according to the arrows, these steps are not necessarily executed in the order indicated by the arrows. Unless explicitly stated herein, there is no strict order restriction on the execution of these steps, and they can be executed in other orders. Moreover, at least some steps in the above flowcharts may include multiple sub-steps or multiple stages. These sub-steps or stages are not necessarily completed at the same time, but can be executed at different times. The execution order of these sub-steps or stages is not necessarily sequential, but can be performed alternately or in turn with other steps or at least some of the sub-steps or stages of other steps. In addition, the above embodiments can be implemented independently or in combination with each other, without limitation.

[0192] It should be understood that the phrases "one embodiment," "an embodiment," or "some embodiments" mentioned throughout the specification mean that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic related to an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of this application. Therefore, "in one embodiment," "in one embodiment," or "in some embodiments" appearing throughout the specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, these specific features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. It should be understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the sequence numbers of the above-described processes do not imply a sequential order of execution; the execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application. The sequence numbers of the above-described embodiments are merely for descriptive purposes and do not represent the superiority or inferiority of the embodiments. The descriptions of the various embodiments above tend to emphasize the differences between the various embodiments; their similarities or commonalities can be referred to mutually, and for the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0193] In this article, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three kinds of relationships. For example, object A and / or object B can represent three situations: object A exists alone, object A and object B exist simultaneously, and object B exists alone.

[0194] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element.

[0195] In implementation, each step of the above method can be completed by integrated logic circuits in the processor's hardware or by instructions in software. The steps of the method disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly manifested as execution by a hardware processor, or as a combination of hardware and software modules within the processor. The software modules can reside in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, or other mature storage media in the art. This storage medium is located in memory, and the processor executes the instructions in the memory, combining them with its hardware to complete the steps of the above method. To avoid repetition, detailed descriptions are omitted here.

[0196] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0197] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed products and methods can be implemented in other ways. The embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the division of modules is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as: multiple modules or components can be combined, or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the coupling, direct coupling, or communication connection between the various components shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or modules, and can be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0198] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0199] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0200] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to related technologies, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0201] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A multi-split air conditioner, characterized in that, include: A bus, and multiple node devices respectively connected to the bus, the multiple node devices including multiple indoor units, and / or multiple outdoor units; Each node device includes a corresponding controller, and the interrupt terminal and the receiver terminal of each controller are connected to the transmitter terminal of the bus. The transmitter terminal of each controller is connected to the receiver terminal of the bus. Each controller includes a timer; The controller is configured to: If no interrupt signal is detected at the interrupt terminal within the target duration, the target data is sent to other node devices via the bus. The target duration includes a first target duration and a second target duration. The first target duration is the same for each node device, but the second target duration is different for each node device. The second target duration for each node device is generated by the timer of each controller. The first target duration represents the fixed time during which each node device needs to wait for the bus to be in an idle state; the second target duration represents the delay time during which the controller of each node device needs to detect the interrupt signal again after the interrupt terminal does not detect the interrupt signal within the first target duration. When the interrupt terminal does not detect the interrupt signal within the second target duration, it indicates that the bus is in the idle state.

2. The multi-split air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that, The timer is configured with a timing function. If the controller does not detect an interrupt signal within the target duration, it sends target data to other power-saving devices via the bus. When it is determined that the target data will be sent to the other node devices, the timing function of the timer is started, and the timing duration of the timer is the target duration; During the timing of the timer, the interrupt signal is detected through the interrupt terminal; When the timer expires and no interrupt signal is detected, the target data is sent to the other node devices via the bus.

3. The multi-split air conditioner according to claim 2, characterized in that, The controller is also configured to: During the timing of the timer, when the interrupt signal is detected by the interrupt terminal, the timer is reset, and the timing duration of the reset timer is the target duration.

4. The multi-split air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second target duration for each node device is generated by the timing error of the timer of each controller, the power-on error of each node device, and the initialization completion error of each controller.

5. The multi-split air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The controller is also configured to: If a data conflict is detected on the bus during the transmission of the target data to other node devices, the transmission of the target data to other node devices is stopped.

6. The multi-split air conditioner according to claim 5, characterized in that, After ceasing the transmission of the target data to the other node devices, the controller is further configured to: The first target duration is changed to a third target duration to obtain a modified target duration, wherein the modified target duration includes the third target duration and the second target duration, and the third target duration is less than the first target duration; If the controller does not detect an interrupt signal at the interrupt terminal within the target duration, it is configured to send target data to other node devices via the bus. If the interrupt terminal does not detect the interrupt signal within the modified target duration, the target data is sent to other node devices via the bus.

7. The multi-split air conditioner according to claim 6, characterized in that, If the interrupt terminal does not detect the interrupt signal within the modified target duration, after sending the target data to other node devices via the bus, the controller is further configured to: Change the third target duration to the first target duration.

8. The multi-split air conditioner according to claim 5, characterized in that, The bus includes a transmit channel and a receive channel. When the controller detects a data conflict on the bus while transmitting the target data to other node devices via the bus, it is configured to: During the process of sending the target data to the other node devices through the transmission channel, the target data is received through the reception channel to obtain the received data; Based on the target data and the received data, it is determined whether the bus has encountered at least one of the preset conflict detection rules; If the bus matches the preset conflict detection rule, a data conflict is detected on the bus. The preset conflict detection rules include at least one of the following: parity check error of the received data, data frame error of the received data, reception time of the target data exceeding a preset time, and inconsistency between the target data and the received data.

9. The multi-split air conditioner according to claim 2, characterized in that, The controller determines to send the target data to the other node devices and is configured as follows: The target data to be sent to the other node devices is determined from multiple data types according to a preset sending priority. The multiple data types include at least one of change type data, periodic collection type data, and broadcast type data, and the priority of change type data, periodic collection type data, and broadcast type data decreases in that order.

10. The multi-split air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that, The controller is also configured to: Receive response data sent by the other node devices, wherein the response data is sent by the other node devices after they have received the target data and after a preset waiting time has elapsed, wherein the preset waiting time is less than the target time. The response data is used to indicate whether the other node devices correctly received the target data or incorrectly received the target data.

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