Control method, medium and device of air conditioner

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of household appliances, and particularly provides a control method, medium and device of an air conditioner, aiming to at least partly solve the technical problem of reduced refrigeration / heating efficiency and increased energy consumption of the air conditioner under extreme weather conditions. To this end, the control method of the air conditioner comprises: acquiring an outdoor temperature; determining a first time point according to a change trend of the outdoor temperature over time; and determining an operation mode of the air conditioner according to the first time point, wherein determining the operation mode of the air conditioner according to the first time point comprises: if the air conditioner is in a normal mode at the first time point, switching the air conditioner to a discharging mode from the first time point.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of household appliances, and specifically provides a control method, medium and device of an air conditioner. BACKGROUND

[0002] In an extremely high or low temperature environment, the refrigeration and heating efficiency of the compressor of the air conditioner will decrease or even cannot work normally, and the power consumption will increase significantly. Therefore, a new type of air conditioner with cold / heat storage function is proposed. Taking the cold storage function as an example, the energy storage module can store part of the cold energy of the heat exchange medium when the cold energy demand is low (for example, when the outdoor temperature is low), and use the stored cold energy for refrigeration when the cold energy demand is high (for example, when the outdoor temperature is high).

[0003] In the prior art, whether to enter the energy release mode is determined according to a pre-set temperature value or a pre-set time period. However, the range of outdoor temperature changes every day, and the time period when the extreme temperature appears is not fixed. It is difficult to ensure that the air conditioner enters the energy release mode in the time period when the extreme weather appears by using the above method, and thus the technical problem of reducing the refrigeration / heating efficiency and increasing the energy consumption of the air conditioner in the extreme weather cannot be effectively solved.

[0004] Correspondingly, there is a need to provide a new technical solution to solve the above problems. SUMMARY

[0005] In order to at least partially overcome the above-mentioned defects, the present application is proposed. Specifically, the present application provides a control method, medium and device of an air conditioner which can at least partially solve the technical problem of reducing the refrigeration / heating efficiency and increasing the energy consumption of the air conditioner in the extreme weather.

[0006] The first aspect of the present application provides a control method of an air conditioner, the air conditioner comprising a heat exchange module, a compressor and an energy storage module, the operation mode of the air conditioner comprising a normal mode and an energy release mode, in the case that the air conditioner is in the normal mode, the heat exchange medium circulates between the compressor and the heat exchange module, in the case that the air conditioner is in the energy release mode, the heat exchange medium circulates between the energy storage module and the heat exchange module; the method comprising: obtaining the outdoor temperature; determining a first time point according to the change trend of the outdoor temperature over time; determining the operation mode of the air conditioner according to the first time point; wherein the "determining the operation mode of the air conditioner according to the first time point" comprises: if the air conditioner is in the normal mode at the first time point, switching the air conditioner to the energy release mode from the first time point.

[0007] In this embodiment, the time point of entering the energy releasing mode is determined according to the change trend of the outdoor temperature over time, that is, the change of the temperature in each period is comprehensively considered to determine the time point, so that the cold or heat stored in the energy storage module can be relatively accurately used in the coldest or hottest period of a day, the technical problem of reduced refrigeration / heating efficiency and increased energy consumption of the air conditioner under extreme weather is effectively solved, and better refrigeration and heating effects are obtained.

[0008] In one of the technical solutions of the method, the method comprises: if the air conditioner is in the off state at the first time point and an instruction of starting the air conditioner is received within a set time from the first time point, starting the air conditioner and entering the energy releasing mode at the same time or after the instruction is received.

[0009] Through the above configuration, if the user starts the air conditioner within a period of time after the first time point, the energy releasing mode is also entered, so that better use experience is brought to the user.

[0010] In one of the technical solutions of the method, the method comprises: in the step of switching the air conditioner to the energy releasing mode from the first time point if the air conditioner is in the normal mode at the first time point, after the air conditioner is switched to the energy releasing mode, the method comprises: acquiring the temperature of the heat exchange medium entering and flowing out of the energy storage module; and switching the air conditioner to the normal mode if the difference between the temperature of the heat exchange medium entering and flowing out of the energy storage module is less than a set difference.

[0011] Through the above configuration, the energy releasing mode can be automatically exited when the cold or heat stored in the energy storage module is exhausted, and the use experience of the user is ensured.

[0012] In one of the technical solutions of the method, the method comprises: acquiring the outdoor temperature at a plurality of historical time nodes.

[0013] Through the above configuration, an optional way of acquiring the outdoor temperature is provided.

[0014] In one of the methods, the operation mode of the air conditioner includes an energy storage mode, and the energy storage mode includes a first energy storage mode. When the air conditioner is in the first energy storage mode, a part of the heat exchange medium flowing out of the compressor flows to the heat exchange module, and another part flows to the energy storage module. The method further includes: determining a second time point according to the change trend of the outdoor temperature over time when the energy storage amount of the energy storage module is less than a first set value; determining the operation mode of the air conditioner according to the second time point; and if the air conditioner is in the normal mode at the second time point, switching the air conditioner to the first energy storage mode from the second time point.

[0015] In the embodiment, the second time point of entering the energy storage mode is determined according to the change trend of the outdoor temperature over time, so that indoor temperature fluctuation caused by energy storage can be avoided to affect user experience.

[0016] In one of the methods, the energy storage mode includes a second energy storage mode. When the air conditioner is in the second energy storage mode, all of the heat exchange medium flowing out of the compressor flows to the energy storage module. The method further includes: if the air conditioner is in an off state at the second time point, starting the air conditioner and entering the second energy storage mode from the second time point.

[0017] With such a configuration, even if the air conditioner is not used by the user, energy storage can be automatically performed for subsequent use.

[0018] In one of the methods, the method includes: after the air conditioner is switched to the first energy storage mode in the step of “if the air conditioner is in the normal mode at the second time point, switching the air conditioner to the first energy storage mode from the second time point”, the method includes: acquiring the current energy storage amount of the energy storage module; and if the current energy storage amount reaches a second set value, making the air conditioner exit the first energy storage mode.

[0019] With such a configuration, energy storage can be automatically ended when the energy storage module is full of cold or heat, so that energy waste can be avoided.

[0020] In one of the technical solutions of the method, the method comprises: determining a third time point according to a change trend of an outdoor temperature over time when the air conditioner is in the first energy storage mode; determining an operation mode of the air conditioner according to the third time point; and wherein the determining the operation mode of the air conditioner according to the third time point means that if the air conditioner is still in the first energy storage mode at the third time point, the air conditioner is switched to the normal mode from the third time point even if the energy storage amount of the energy storage module has not reached the second set value.

[0021] With the above configuration, the indoor temperature fluctuation caused by energy storage can be avoided, thereby affecting the user experience.

[0022] The second aspect of the embodiment of the present application provides a computer readable storage medium, which is suitable for storing a plurality of program codes, the program codes being suitable for being loaded and run by a processor to execute the control method of the air conditioner according to any one of the technical solutions.

[0023] The third aspect of the embodiment of the present application provides a computer device, which comprises a memory and a processor, the memory being suitable for storing a plurality of program codes, the program codes being capable of realizing the control method of the air conditioner according to any one of the technical solutions when executed by the processor.

[0024] It can be understood that the computer readable storage medium and the computer device both have all the technical effects of the method according to any one of the preceding technical solutions, which will not be described herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0025] The disclosure of the present application will become more apparent from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is readily understood by those skilled in the art that the drawings are merely for the purpose of illustration and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application. In addition, similar numbers in the figures are used to represent similar components, wherein:

[0026] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the working principle of the air conditioner of one embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 2 is a flowchart of the control method of the air conditioner of one embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] Some embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art should understand that these embodiments are only used to explain the technical principles of the present application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application.

[0029] The embodiment of the present application first provides a control method of an air conditioner, which is directed to a kind of air conditioner with cold / heat storage function, and the working principle of the air conditioner will be described first.

[0030] With reference to Figure 1 The air conditioner comprises a heat exchange module 1, a compressor 2 and an energy storage module 3.

[0031] The heat exchange module 1 is usually arranged in the indoor unit of the air conditioner, which usually comprises an evaporator, and a heat exchange medium can flow in the evaporator and exchange heat with indoor air, so as to realize refrigeration or heating.

[0032] The compressor 2 is usually arranged in the outdoor unit of the air conditioner, which can be connected with the heat exchange module 1, for example, in the case of refrigeration, the compressor can compress the gaseous heat exchange medium into high-temperature and high-pressure gas, and send it to the condenser for cooling, and after cooling, it becomes liquid heat exchange medium with medium temperature and high pressure, and after the heat exchange medium with medium temperature and liquid state is throttled and decompressed by the expansion valve, it becomes a gas-liquid mixture with low temperature and low pressure, and is sent to the heat exchange module 1 to exchange heat with air, absorbs heat in the air during heat exchange and vaporizes, and becomes gaseous state, and then returns to the compressor 2 for compression.

[0033] The energy storage module 3 can comprise a container 31 storing energy storage medium and a heat exchange pipeline 32 arranged in the container. The energy storage medium used for cold storage and heat storage is different, for example, the energy storage medium used for cold storage can be water storage or ethanol solution, and the energy storage medium used for heat storage can be water solution with freezing point of 40-60 degrees Celsius, such as sodium acetate aqueous solution, and therefore, the container 31 can be provided with an opening 33, so that the user can replace the energy storage medium according to the actual use demand through the opening 33, for example, replace the energy storage medium with cold storage medium in summer and replace the energy storage medium with heat storage medium in winter. Further, the wall of the container 31 can be provided with a heat preservation layer 34, so as to reduce the loss of the cold and heat stored by the energy storage medium.

[0034] The heat exchange pipeline 32 can be connected in parallel on the circulating path between the heat exchange module 1 and the compressor 2, so that the heat exchange medium can exchange heat with the energy storage medium through the heat exchange pipeline 32. The heat exchange pipeline 32 can extend in a serpentine shape inside the container 31, so as to increase the heat exchange area between the heat exchange medium in the heat exchange pipeline 32 and the energy storage medium.

[0035] A first stop valve 41 and a second stop valve 42 can be arranged on the circulation passage between the energy storage module 3 and the heat exchange module 1, and a third stop valve 43 and a fourth stop valve 44 can be arranged on the circulation passage between the heat exchange module 1 and the compressor 2. A three-way valve 45 can be arranged at the parallel connection of the two passages, and three openings of the three-way valve 45 correspond to the heat exchange module 1, the compressor 2 and the energy storage module 3 respectively. Meanwhile, a pump 46 can be arranged on the circulation passage of the energy storage module 3.

[0036] The operation modes of the air conditioner in the embodiment mainly involve three modes, i.e., a normal mode, a discharging mode and an energy storage mode. The energy storage mode can include a first energy storage mode and a second energy storage mode. The operation modes of the air conditioner in the above modes will be described below by taking the energy storage mode as an example.

[0037] When the air conditioner is in the discharging mode, the heat exchange module 1 performs refrigeration by means of the cold energy stored in the energy storage module 3. In this case, the first stop valve 41, the second stop valve 42, the pump 46 and two openings of the three-way valve 45 corresponding to the heat exchange module 1 and the energy storage module 2 are in an open state, the compressor 2, the third stop valve 43, the fourth stop valve 44 and the opening of the three-way valve 45 corresponding to the compressor 2 are in a closed state, and the heat exchange medium will circulate between the energy storage module 3 and the heat exchange module 1 under the drive of the pump 46. The heat exchange medium flowing to the energy storage module 3 will exchange heat with the energy storage medium and be cooled, and then exchange heat with air in the heat exchange module 1 to achieve refrigeration.

[0038] When the air conditioner is in the first energy storage mode, the four stop valves, the three openings of the three-way valve 45 and the pump 46 are all in an open state. At this time, part of the heat exchange medium flowing out of the compressor 2 will exchange heat with air in the heat exchange module 1 and then return to the compressor 2, and the other part will exchange heat with the energy storage medium in the energy storage module 3 and then return to the compressor 2, so as to simultaneously achieve refrigeration / heating and energy storage.

[0039] When the air conditioner is in the second energy storage mode, the heat exchange module 1 is in a closed state, the compressor 2 is in an operating state, the four stop valves, the openings of the three-way valve 25 corresponding to the compressor 2 and the energy storage module 3 and the pump 46 are in an open state, and the opening of the three-way valve 25 corresponding to the heat exchange module 1 is in a closed state. At this time, all the heat exchange medium flowing out of the compressor 2 will exchange heat with the energy storage medium in the energy storage module 3 and then return to the compressor 2, so as to achieve energy storage alone.

[0040] In the case that the air conditioner is in the normal mode, the air conditioner only performs refrigeration by means of the compressor 2, without the need of storing cold energy, and also without the need of storing cold energy by means of the energy storage module 3. At this time, the heat exchange module 1 and the compressor 2 are both in the running state, the first stop valve 31, the second stop valve 42 and the pump 46 are in the closed state, and the third stop valve 43 and the fourth stop valve 44 are in the open state. In this case, the heat exchange medium will only circulate between the compressor 2 and the heat exchange module 1.

[0041] The working principle of the air conditioner with the energy storage module is described above by taking the cold storage function as an example. The principle of heat storage is the same, and will not be described here. It can be understood that the structure described above is only an exemplary description, and those skilled in the art can also set the above modules into any other suitable structure form according to the actual use requirements, and the specific structure of other parts of the air conditioner can refer to the air conditioner provided in the related art, which is not limited.

[0042] The method provided by the embodiment of the present application will be described below. Referring to Figure 2 , the control method of the air conditioner provided by the embodiment of the present application comprises:

[0043] Step S201: acquiring the outdoor temperature.

[0044] Step S202: determining a first time point according to the change trend of the outdoor temperature over time.

[0045] Step S203: determining the operation mode of the air conditioner according to the first time point. Specifically, in this step, determining the operation mode of the air conditioner according to the first time point can include: if the air conditioner is in the normal mode at the first time point, switching the air conditioner to the energy release mode from the first time point.

[0046] It can be understood that the cold energy or heat energy stored in the energy storage module is limited, which can only meet the refrigeration and heating demand for a short period of time. Therefore, refrigeration and heating by means of the cold energy or heat energy stored in the energy storage module should be performed as much as possible in the coldest or hottest period of the day, so as to fully play its advantages and obtain better refrigeration and heating effect.

[0047] As described above, the prior art usually selects to enter the energy release mode when the outdoor temperature reaches a certain set value, or in a certain period of time. However, the outdoor temperature changes in different ranges every day, and the coldest or hottest period of the day is not fixed. Therefore, the above two methods cannot accurately enter the energy release mode in the coldest or hottest period of the day, and thus cannot effectively solve the technical problems of reduced refrigeration / heating efficiency and increased energy consumption of the air conditioner in extreme weather.

[0048] In the embodiment, the time point of entering the energy releasing mode is determined according to the change trend of the outdoor temperature over time, that is, the change of the outdoor temperature in each period is considered to determine the time point, so that the energy releasing mode can be entered in the coldest or hottest period of a day, the technical problem of the reduced refrigeration / heating efficiency and increased energy consumption of the air conditioner in extreme weather is effectively solved, and better refrigeration / heating effect is obtained.

[0049] The specific implementation of the above steps will be described below.

[0050] In step S201, the outdoor temperature needs to be obtained, which can be obtained by communicating with the outdoor temperature sensor configured to the air conditioner to obtain the outdoor temperature recorded at the historical time nodes, or the outdoor temperature at the future time nodes predicted in the weather forecast can be obtained through the Internet, or both of them can be obtained.

[0051] Further, since the first time point needs to be determined according to the change trend of the outdoor temperature over time in step S202, the outdoor temperature obtained in step S201 should include the outdoor temperature at multiple time nodes, such as the outdoor temperature at multiple historical time nodes and / or the outdoor temperature at multiple future time nodes.

[0052] Since the first time point is a future time point, in order to accurately determine the first time point, the change trend of the outdoor temperature over time should be as close as possible to the change trend of the outdoor temperature at the future time nodes, therefore, when obtaining the outdoor temperature at multiple historical time nodes, the multiple historical time nodes should be limited within a short time range forward from the current time node, for example, limited within the past 24 hours, or limited within the past two days, three days, etc. Similarly, when obtaining the outdoor temperature at multiple future time nodes, in order to ensure its accuracy, the multiple future time nodes should also be limited within a short time range backward from the current time node, for example, limited within the next 24 hours.

[0053] Further, the time length between the multiple historical time nodes and / or the multiple future time nodes can be the same, such as obtaining the outdoor temperature at each hour in the past 24 hours, obviously, the time length between the multiple historical time nodes and / or the multiple future time nodes can also be different.

[0054] After obtaining the outdoor temperature, the change trend of the outdoor temperature over time can be further obtained, specifically, the obtained outdoor temperature can be sorted in time sequence, and then the change trend of the outdoor temperature over time is obtained, obviously, any other suitable way can also be used by those skilled in the art to analyze the obtained outdoor temperature, and then the change trend of the outdoor temperature over time is determined.

[0055] Next, the first time point can be determined according to the change trend of the outdoor temperature over time. The first time point here is taken as the time point of entering the energy releasing mode in step S203, which can be, as an example, the starting time point of the highest or lowest one time period of the outdoor temperature determined according to the change trend described above, and the length of the time period can be determined according to the approximate length of time that the cold or heat stored in the energy storage module 3 can support the use of the heat exchange module 1. Taking cold storage as an example, assuming that the cold stored in the energy storage module 3 can be used for about two hours in the ideal state, then the two hours with the highest temperature in a day can be determined according to the change trend of the outdoor temperature over time, assuming that it is determined to be from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm, then the first time point can be determined to be 1:30 pm.

[0056] Obviously, the determination method of the first time point is not limited to this, such as the first time point can also be the time point near the extreme value of the outdoor temperature indicated by the change trend of the outdoor temperature over time, assuming that the change trend indicates that the highest temperature occurs at 1:30 pm, then the first time point can be determined to be 12:30 pm, 1:00 pm, 1:15 pm, etc. Those skilled in the art can determine the determination rule of the first time point according to the actual situation, as long as it can guarantee that the time period from the first time point to the depletion of the cold or heat stored in the energy storage module 3 is the time period with the highest (in the case of cold storage) or lowest (in the case of heat storage) outdoor temperature in a day.

[0057] After the first time point is determined, in step S203, the operation mode of the air conditioner can be determined according to the first time point. Specifically, if the air conditioner is in the normal mode at the first time point, that is, the user is using the air conditioner for cooling / heating, in this case, the air conditioner can be made to enter the energy releasing mode from the first time point, so as to perform cooling / heating by means of the cold / heat stored in the energy storage module 3. It should be noted that the energy releasing mode is obviously entered on the premise that there is energy stored in the energy storage module 3, if there is no energy storage, then the energy releasing mode should not be entered.

[0058] It can be understood that since the weather changes every day, the above change trend and the first time point are time-effective, and the above steps S201 and S202 should be performed periodically or irregularly, so as to update the above change trend and update the first time point according to the change trend. Preferably, in the season when the energy storage module 3 needs to be used, such as in winter or summer, the update can be performed in a 24-hour cycle, for example, the above steps S201 and S202 are performed once every morning at 8 o'clock. Obviously, those skilled in the art can use other update cycles and update frequencies to update the above change trend and the first time point according to the actual use requirements, which is not limited.

[0059] Further, it can be understood that the energy storage module 3 is mainly used to solve the problems of performance degradation and energy consumption increase of the compressor 2 under extreme weather, and therefore, after obtaining the change trend of the outdoor temperature over time in step S201, whether there is a demand to enter the energy release mode can be determined according to the extreme value of the outdoor temperature in the change trend, and if there is a demand to enter the energy release mode, step S202 is executed again, and if there is no demand to enter the energy release mode, step S202 can not be executed. Obviously, those skilled in the art can also choose to execute the above steps S201 and S202 in summer and winter, and this is not limited.

[0060] In a possible use scenario, for example, the user may not use the air conditioner at a first time point, and start to use the air conditioner at a time point after the first time point. At this time, the outdoor temperature can still be high, i.e., there can still be a demand to perform refrigeration by means of the cold energy stored in the energy storage module 3.

[0061] Therefore, in a possible implementation, the determination of the operation mode of the air conditioner according to the first time point in step S203 can include: if the air conditioner is in an off state at the first time point, but an instruction to turn on the air conditioner is received within a set time from the first time point, the air conditioner can be turned on and enter the energy release mode at the same time or after receiving the instruction (depending on the reaction speed of the processor). The set time can be determined according to the change trend of the temperature over time, for example, the change trend of the temperature over time indicates that high temperature will continue to occur within two hours from the first time point, and the temperature decreases to normal temperature after two hours, and the set time can be determined as two hours. The set time can also be a fixed value, and those skilled in the art can determine it according to the actual situation.

[0062] Obviously, those skilled in the art can also choose other ways to determine whether the air conditioner needs to enter the energy release mode after being turned on in this case, for example, the outdoor temperature after receiving the instruction, the indoor and outdoor temperature difference, etc. can be used for determination. Alternatively, those skilled in the art can also choose to directly enter the normal mode without entering the energy release mode in this case.

[0063] In a possible implementation, after the air conditioner is switched to the energy release mode in step S203, the temperature difference of the heat exchange medium entering and flowing out of the energy storage module can be obtained, and in the case that the temperature difference is less than a set difference, the air conditioner can be switched to the normal mode.

[0064] The setting difference value can be determined by those skilled in the art according to actual needs, such as 2℃, and when the temperature difference is less than the setting difference value, it indicates that the cold and heat stored in the energy storage module 3 has been exhausted, and therefore the use of the energy storage module 3 can be stopped. Obviously, in addition to this way, those skilled in the art can also use other suitable ways to determine the appropriate stop using the energy storage module 3, for example, the energy storage module 3 can be turned off after being turned on for a certain time.

[0065] Further, still taking cold storage as an example, there can be a situation that the outdoor temperature has decreased to the normal temperature but the cold in the energy storage module 3 has not been exhausted, in which case, it can be selected to continue to exhaust the cold in the energy storage module 3, or it can be selected not to use the cold in the energy storage module 3, but to be used at the next time of starting the energy release mode. Those skilled in the art can make a selection according to actual needs.

[0066] In a possible implementation, the method can further include: in a case that the energy storage amount of the energy storage module is less than a first setting value, determining a second time point according to the change trend of the outdoor temperature over time, and determining the operation mode of the air conditioner according to the second time point.

[0067] Specifically, determining the operation mode of the air conditioner according to the second time point can include: if the air conditioner is in the normal mode at the second time point, switching the air conditioner to the first energy storage mode from the second time point. The energy storage amount can be obtained by a sensor arranged inside the energy storage module 3, such as the temperature and phase state of the energy storage medium inside the energy storage module 3, so as to determine the energy storage amount of the energy storage module 3. The first setting value can be the maximum value of the energy storage amount of the energy storage module 3, or a value determined according to the maximum value, such as 90%, 80%, 70% of the maximum value, etc. Those skilled in the art can make a selection according to actual needs.

[0068] In this embodiment, the second time point of entering the energy storage mode is determined according to the change trend of the outdoor temperature over time, so that the indoor temperature fluctuation caused by energy storage can be avoided to affect the user experience.

[0069] Taking cold storage as an example, the second time point can be the start point of a time period with relatively low temperature indicated by the change trend, and the operating load of the heat exchange module 1 is low in this time period, and therefore entering the first energy storage mode from the second time point will not affect the normal use of the heat exchange module 1, so as not to cause the indoor temperature fluctuation. The specific determination method of the second time point can refer to the determination method of the first time point, which will not be described here.

[0070] It can be understood that, unlike the discharging mode, the charging mode has lower accuracy requirements for the opening time point, as long as the charging does not affect the normal use of the user, so the skilled in the art can not determine the second time point, but use other ways to determine when to open the charging mode, for example, a fixed period of time can be opened, such as in the summer night period, or in the winter noon, afternoon period, etc.

[0071] It can be understood that, in the above charging mode, part of the heat exchange medium flowing out of the compressor 2 is used for refrigeration or heating, and another part of the heat exchange medium is used for charging. If the amount of heat exchange medium used for charging is too much, it may cause the indoor temperature to fluctuate greatly, affecting the user's experience. Therefore, in some embodiments, the flow rate of the heat exchange medium used for charging in the first charging mode (i.e. the flow rate of the heat exchange medium circulating between the compressor 2 and the charging module 3) can be determined according to the operating load of the heat exchange module 1. If the operating load is large, the flow rate can be appropriately reduced, and if the operating load is small, the flow rate can be appropriately increased, thereby avoiding fluctuations in indoor temperature during charging.

[0072] Further, it can be understood that a possible situation is that there is a charging demand, but the user does not use the air conditioner during the charging time period (a period of time from the above-mentioned second time point), which will cause the charging amount in the charging module 3 to be insufficient when the subsequent extreme weather occurs and the discharging mode cannot be entered. Therefore, in one possible embodiment, determining the operating mode of the air conditioner according to the second time point can include: if the air conditioner is in an off state at the second time point, the air conditioner can be turned on and enter the second charging mode from the second time point, that is, the compressor 2 is turned on alone to charge the charging module 3, thereby avoiding the above-mentioned situation.

[0073] Obviously, in the above-mentioned case, the skilled in the art can also choose to perform charging after the user turns on the air conditioner, for example, if the user turns on the air conditioner after the second time point, the indoor and outdoor temperature difference can be detected, and if the temperature difference is less than a certain set difference, the first charging mode can be entered. Or, if the user turns on the air conditioner within a set period of time after the second time point, the first charging mode can be directly entered.

[0074] Further, another possible situation is that the air conditioner receives an instruction to turn off the air conditioner while in the first charging mode. In this case, the air conditioner can be directly turned off, or the air conditioner can be switched from the first charging mode to the second charging mode until the charging is completed. Similarly, if the air conditioner receives an instruction to turn on the air conditioner while in the second charging mode, the air conditioner can be switched to the first charging mode, or to the normal mode.

[0075] Further, in a possible implementation, after the air conditioner switches to the first energy storage mode or enters the second energy storage mode, the current energy storage amount of the energy storage module can be obtained, and in the case where the current energy storage amount of the energy storage module reaches a second set value, the air conditioner can be caused to exit the first energy storage mode or the second energy storage mode, thereby avoiding resource waste. The second set value herein can be the maximum energy storage amount of the energy storage module, or can be a value determined according to the maximum energy storage amount, for example, 95% or 90% of the maximum energy storage amount, etc.

[0076] Obviously, in addition to the energy storage amount, one skilled in the art can also select other ways to determine when to end energy storage, for example, the energy storage can be automatically ended after a period of time in the first energy storage mode or the second energy storage mode.

[0077] Further, in the above implementation, in the case where the air conditioner is in the first energy storage mode, a third time point can be determined according to the change trend of the outdoor temperature over time, and the operation mode of the air conditioner is determined according to the third time point. Specifically, determining the operation mode of the air conditioner according to the third time point can include: if the air conditioner is still in the first energy storage mode at the third time point, the air conditioner is switched to the normal mode from the third time point even in the case where the energy storage amount of the energy storage module has not reached the second set value.

[0078] It can be understood that when the operating load of the heat exchange module 1 increases to a certain extent, continuing energy storage can cause fluctuations in indoor temperature, thereby affecting user experience. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the third time point is further determined according to the change trend of the outdoor temperature over time, and if the air conditioner is in the first operation mode at the third time point, it means that energy storage has not been completed, and the user has a demand to use the air conditioner, in which case, even if energy storage has not been completed (the energy storage amount has not reached the maximum value), energy storage should be ended and the normal mode should be entered, thereby ensuring user experience. If the air conditioner is in the second energy storage mode, it means that the user does not have a demand to use the air conditioner at this time, and therefore the second energy storage mode can be maintained until energy storage is completed.

[0079] Taking cold accumulation as an example, the third time point can be the time point at which the outdoor temperature rises to a relatively high temperature (at which temperature and higher, the operating load of the heat exchange module 1 increases, and continuing cold accumulation can cause fluctuations in indoor temperature), and one skilled in the art can consider the actual refrigeration / heating demand and the refrigeration / heating capacity of the compressor to specifically formulate the determination method of the third time point without affecting the indoor temperature, which is not limited.

[0080] Obviously, in some other embodiments, the skilled in the art can also determine whether to exit the energy storage mode according to the real-time detected operation load of the heat exchange module 1, or set a time point for exiting the first energy storage mode in advance for both the cold storage and heat storage cases.

[0081] The embodiment of the present application further provides a computer readable storage medium which is suitable for storing a plurality of program codes, the program codes being suitable for being loaded and run by a processor to execute the control method of the air conditioner as described in any of the above embodiments.

[0082] Those skilled in the art can understand that all or part of the processes in the method of the present application can be completed by instructing relevant hardware through a computer program, and the computer program can be stored in a computer readable storage medium, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of each method embodiment described above can be implemented. The computer program includes computer program codes, and it can be understood that the program codes include but are not limited to the program codes for executing the above method. For the convenience of description, only the parts related to the present application are shown. The computer program codes can be in the form of source code, object code, executable file or some intermediate form, etc. The computer readable storage medium can include any entity or device, medium, U disk, mobile hard disk, magnetic disk, optical disk, computer memory, read-only memory, random access memory, electrical carrier signal, telecommunication signal and software distribution medium, etc. that can carry the computer program codes. It should be noted that the contents included in the computer readable storage medium can be appropriately increased or decreased according to the requirements of legislation and patent practice in the jurisdiction, for example, in some jurisdictions, according to the legislation and patent practice, the computer readable storage medium does not include electrical carrier signals and telecommunication signals.

[0083] The embodiment of the present application further provides a computer device which can include a memory and a processor, the memory being suitable for storing a plurality of program codes, the program codes being executed by the processor to implement the control method of the air conditioner as described in any of the above embodiments.

[0084] So far, the technical solutions of the present application have been described in combination with the preferred embodiments shown in the drawings, but those skilled in the art can easily understand that the protection scope of the present application is obviously not limited to these specific embodiments. Those skilled in the art can make equivalent changes or replacements to the related technical features without departing from the principles of the present application, and the technical solutions after the changes or replacements will all fall within the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A control method of an air conditioner, characterized by, The air conditioner comprises a heat exchange module, a compressor and an energy storage module, and the operation modes of the air conditioner include a normal mode and a discharging mode; when the air conditioner is in the normal mode, a heat exchange medium circulates between the compressor and the heat exchange module; and when the air conditioner is in the discharging mode, the heat exchange medium circulates between the energy storage module and the heat exchange module; The method comprises: acquiring an outdoor temperature; determining a first time point according to a change trend of the outdoor temperature over time; determining an operation mode of the air conditioner according to the first time point; wherein the "determining an operation mode of the air conditioner according to the first time point" comprises: if the air conditioner is in the normal mode at the first time point, switching the air conditioner to the discharging mode from the first time point; wherein the first time point is determined according to a starting time point of a time period with the highest or lowest outdoor temperature according to the change trend, and the length of the time period is determined according to the length of time that the cold or heat stored in the energy storage module can support the use of the heat exchange module.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The "determining an operation mode of the air conditioner according to the first time point" comprises: if the air conditioner is in an off state at the first time point and receives an instruction to turn on the air conditioner within a set time from the first time point, turning on the air conditioner and entering the discharging mode at the same time or after receiving the instruction.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, The method comprises: in the step of "if the air conditioner is in the normal mode at the first time point, switching the air conditioner to the discharging mode from the first time point", after switching the air conditioner to the discharging mode, the method comprises: acquiring the temperatures of the heat exchange medium entering and flowing out of the energy storage module; if the difference between the temperatures of the heat exchange medium entering and flowing out of the energy storage module is less than a set difference, switching the air conditioner to the normal mode.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, The "acquiring an outdoor temperature" comprises: acquiring the outdoor temperatures of a plurality of historical time nodes.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, The operation modes of the air conditioner include an energy storage mode, and the energy storage mode includes a first energy storage mode; when the air conditioner is in the first energy storage mode, a part of the heat exchange medium flowing out of the compressor flows to the heat exchange module, and another part flows to the energy storage module, The method further comprises: if the energy storage amount of the energy storage module is less than a first set value, determining a second time point according to a change trend of the outdoor temperature over time; determining an operation mode of the air conditioner according to the second time point; wherein the "determining an operation mode of the air conditioner according to the second time point" comprises: if the air conditioner is in the normal mode at the second time point, switching the air conditioner to the first energy storage mode from the second time point; In the case of cold storage, the second time point is the start of a period of relatively low temperature indicated by the change trend, in which the operating load of the heat exchange module is low, and thus the entering of the first energy storage mode from the second time point will not affect the normal use of the heat exchange module, and thus will not cause fluctuations in the indoor temperature.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, The energy storage mode includes a second energy storage mode, in which the heat exchange medium flowing out of the compressor is entirely directed to the energy storage module, The "determining the operating mode of the air conditioner according to the second time point" includes: If the air conditioner is in the off state at the second time point, the air conditioner is turned on and enters the second energy storage mode from the second time point.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein, The method includes: In the step of "if the air conditioner is in the normal mode at the second time point, switching the air conditioner to the first energy storage mode from the second time point", after switching the air conditioner to the first energy storage mode, the method includes: obtaining the current energy storage amount of the energy storage module; in the case where the current energy storage amount reaches a second set value, the air conditioner is caused to exit the first energy storage mode.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, The method includes: In the case where the air conditioner is in the first energy storage mode, a third time point is determined according to the change trend of the outdoor temperature over time; determining the operating mode of the air conditioner according to the third time point; The "determining the operating mode of the air conditioner according to the third time point" includes: If the air conditioner is still in the first energy storage mode at the third time point, the air conditioner is switched to the normal mode from the third time point even in the case where the energy storage amount of the energy storage module has not reached the second set value; In the case of cold storage, the third time point is the time point at which the outdoor temperature rises to a relatively high temperature, at which the operating load of the heat exchange module increases, and continued cold storage will cause fluctuations in the indoor temperature.

9. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium is adapted to store a plurality of program codes, which are adapted to be loaded and run by the processor to perform the control method of the air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A computer device, comprising: The computer device includes a memory and a processor, the memory is adapted to store a plurality of program codes, and the program codes are executed by the processor to implement the control method of the air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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