Air conditioner and control method thereof

Abstract

The invention provides an air conditioner and a control method thereof.The air conditioner comprises a refrigerant circulation loop, an electronic expansion valve, an indoor draught fan, an outdoor draught fan and a controller, and the controller is configured as follows: when the air conditioner is started and runs, the electronic expansion valve is connected with the indoor draught fan; the accumulated shutdown time and the accumulated running time recorded in the air conditioner from the current starting time of the air conditioner to the last self-cleaning time are obtained, and whether the air conditioner needs to be subjected to self-cleaning or not is preliminarily judged; if not, the air conditioner is controlled to keep the current running state, if yes, the current whole machine running power of the air conditioner is obtained, and whether the air conditioner needs to be self-cleaned or not is judged again according to the whole machine running power and the preset power threshold value; if not, the air conditioner is controlled to be kept in the current running state, and if yes, the air conditioner is controlled to execute the self-cleaning action, so that the filth blockage state of the heat exchanger is accurately and automatically recognized and self-cleaning is conducted under the condition that no device needs to be additionally arranged, the cost of the air conditioner is reduced, and the reliability of the air conditioner and the experience feeling of a user are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of air conditioning, and in particular to an air conditioner and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] With the development of technology in the air-conditioning industry, the factors for evaluating the quality of an air conditioner are no longer just the cooling and heating capabilities. Comfort and intelligence also account for a large proportion, and self-cleaning is considered an important development direction in the future. At present, the principle of self-cleaning of the heat exchanger in the air-conditioning industry is mainly to allow frost to form on the heat exchanger, in which the dust on the heat exchanger will adhere to the frost layer, and then defrost it to allow the frost layer to melt and flow out through the drain pipe with the dust and dirt. However, most of the existing air conditioners enter the self-cleaning mode manually controlled by the user through a remote control, and the user cannot know the dirty and blocked status of the heat exchanger. It is necessary to actually observe the status of the indoor and outdoor heat exchangers to determine whether the self-cleaning function needs to be executed. However, since air conditioners, especially outdoor units, are often installed in difficult-to-reach locations, this is very inconvenient for users.

[0003] In the prior art, on the one hand, some air conditioners detect the dirty or blocked state of the heat exchanger by adding image recognition devices, pressure switches, etc., but this method will greatly increase the cost. On the other hand, some air conditioners judge the degree of dirty or blocked state of the heat exchanger by the fan current and fan torque, but as the air conditioner runs, dust will inevitably accumulate on the fan, which will cause large deviations in the fan current and fan torque.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a technology that can automatically identify the dirty and blocked state of the indoor and outdoor heat exchangers and can automatically determine whether to perform self-cleaning on the air conditioner. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art.

[0006] To this end, one object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner that can, without the need for additional equipment, make multiple judgments on whether the air conditioner should perform self-cleaning, thereby achieving more accurate automatic identification of the dirty and blocked state of the heat exchanger and performing self-cleaning, thereby reducing the cost of the air conditioner and improving the reliability of the air conditioner and the user experience.

[0007] Therefore, a second object of the present invention is to provide a control method for an air conditioner.

[0008] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, an embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention proposes an air conditioner, which includes: a refrigerant circulation circuit, so that the refrigerant performs a refrigeration cycle in a circuit composed of a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, an evaporator and a four-way valve, wherein one of the condenser and the evaporator is an outdoor heat exchanger and the other is an indoor heat exchanger; an electronic expansion valve, which is arranged between the condenser and the evaporator, and the electronic expansion valve is used to increase the flow resistance of the refrigerant passing through the electronic expansion valve when the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve is reduced, and to reduce the flow resistance of the refrigerant passing through the electronic expansion valve when the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve is increased; an indoor fan, which is used to drive indoor air to pass through the indoor heat exchanger by rotation so that the refrigerant and the indoor air can exchange heat; an outdoor fan, which is used to drive outdoor air to pass through the outdoor heat exchanger by rotation, so that the refrigerant and the outdoor air can exchange heat; a controller, wherein the controller is configured to: when the air conditioner is turned on and running, obtain the cumulative shutdown time and the cumulative running time of the air conditioner from the time the last self-cleaning was completed recorded in the air conditioner; preliminarily determine whether the air conditioner needs to be self-cleaned based on the cumulative shutdown time and the cumulative running time; if not, control the air conditioner to maintain the current operating state; if so, obtain the current whole machine operating power of the air conditioner, and determine again whether the air conditioner needs to be self-cleaned based on the whole machine operating power and a preset power threshold; if it is determined again that the air conditioner does not need to be self-cleaned, control the air conditioner to maintain the current operating state; if it is determined again that the air conditioner needs to be self-cleaned, control the air conditioner to perform a self-cleaning action.

[0009] According to the air conditioner of the embodiment of the present invention, after the air conditioner is turned on, the cumulative shutdown time and the cumulative running time of the air conditioner from the current startup to the last self-cleaning completion recorded in the air conditioner can be obtained to determine whether self-cleaning is to be performed. If so, the current whole machine operating power of the air conditioner can be obtained, and whether the air conditioner needs to perform self-cleaning can be judged again based on the whole machine operating power and the preset power threshold. Therefore, without the need for additional equipment, by making multiple judgments on whether the air conditioner performs self-cleaning, more accurate automatic identification of the dirty and blocked state of the heat exchanger can be achieved, and self-cleaning can be performed, thereby reducing the cost of the air conditioner and improving the reliability of the air conditioner and the user experience.

[0010] In some embodiments, when judging again whether the air conditioner needs to perform self-cleaning based on the whole machine operating power and the preset power threshold, the controller is configured as follows: when the whole machine operating power is within the preset power range, judging that the air conditioner does not need to perform self-cleaning, wherein the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the preset power range are determined according to the preset power threshold; when the whole machine operating power is not within the preset power range, judging that the air conditioner needs to perform self-cleaning.

[0011] In some embodiments, before controlling the controller to perform the self-cleaning action, it also includes: determining the current operating mode of the air conditioner; and determining the target heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned according to the whole machine operating power and the current operating mode of the air conditioner.

[0012] In some embodiments, when controlling the air conditioner to perform a self-cleaning action, the controller is configured to: control the air conditioner to clean the target heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned, and / or push reminder information to the user to remind the user to clean the target heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned.

[0013] In some embodiments, when determining the target heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned based on the whole machine operating power and the current operating mode of the air conditioner, the controller is configured as follows: when the whole machine operating power reaches or exceeds the upper limit value of the preset power range and the air conditioner is currently in cooling mode, determining that the target heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned is the outdoor heat exchanger; when the whole machine operating power reaches or exceeds the upper limit value of the preset power range and the air conditioner is currently in heating mode, determining that the target heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned is the indoor heat exchanger.

[0014] In some embodiments, when determining the target heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned based on the whole machine operating power and the current operating mode of the air conditioner, the controller is configured as follows: when the whole machine operating power does not exceed the lower limit value of the preset power range and the air conditioner is currently in cooling mode, determining that the target heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned is the indoor heat exchanger; when the whole machine operating power does not exceed the lower limit value of the preset power range and the air conditioner is currently in heating mode, determining that the target heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned is the outdoor heat exchanger.

[0015] In some embodiments, the air conditioner further includes: an outdoor ambient temperature sensor for detecting the outdoor ambient temperature; an indoor ambient temperature sensor for detecting the indoor ambient temperature; before judging again whether the air conditioner needs to be self-cleaned based on the whole machine operating power and the preset power threshold, the controller is also configured to: obtain the current indoor ambient temperature, the current outdoor ambient temperature, the current compressor operating frequency, the current indoor fan wind speed gear and the current outdoor fan wind speed gear; according to the current indoor ambient temperature, the current outdoor ambient temperature, the current compressor operating frequency, the current indoor fan wind speed gear and the current outdoor fan wind speed gear through The preset power threshold is obtained by querying a pre-stored power threshold calibration table, wherein the power threshold calibration table includes multiple groups of correspondences between indoor ambient temperature, outdoor ambient temperature, compressor operating frequency, indoor fan wind speed gear, outdoor fan wind speed gear and power threshold, wherein the correspondences between multiple groups of indoor ambient temperature, outdoor ambient temperature, compressor operating frequency, indoor fan wind speed gear, outdoor fan wind speed gear and power threshold include at least the correspondence between the current indoor ambient temperature, the current outdoor ambient temperature, the current compressor operating frequency, the current indoor fan wind speed gear, the current outdoor fan wind speed gear and the preset power threshold.

[0016] In some embodiments, when preliminarily judging whether the air conditioner needs to perform self-cleaning based on the cumulative shutdown time and the cumulative running time, the controller is configured to: perform a weighted sum operation based on the cumulative shutdown time and the cumulative running time to obtain a weighted time sum; when the weighted time sum does not reach a preset time threshold, judge that the air conditioner does not need to perform self-cleaning; when the weighted time sum reaches or exceeds the preset time threshold, execute the step of obtaining the current whole-machine operating power of the air conditioner, and again judge whether the air conditioner needs to perform self-cleaning based on the whole-machine operating power and the preset power threshold.

[0017] In some embodiments, before obtaining the cumulative shutdown time and the cumulative running time of the air conditioner recorded in the air conditioner from the time the air conditioner is turned on this time to the time the last self-cleaning is completed, the controller is further configured to: determine whether the air conditioner is turned on and operated for the first time after the last self-cleaning is completed; if so, update the preset power threshold according to the current whole-machine operating power of the air conditioner, otherwise, execute the step of obtaining the cumulative shutdown time and the cumulative running time recorded in the air conditioner from the time the air conditioner is turned on this time to the time the last self-cleaning is completed.

[0018] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, an embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention proposes a method for controlling an air conditioner, the method comprising the following steps: when the air conditioner is turned on and running, obtaining the cumulative shutdown time and the cumulative running time of the air conditioner from the time of the last self-cleaning completion recorded in the air conditioner; preliminarily judging whether the air conditioner needs to perform self-cleaning based on the cumulative shutdown time and the cumulative running time; if not, controlling the air conditioner to maintain the current operating state; if so, obtaining the current whole machine operating power of the air conditioner, and judging again whether the air conditioner needs to perform self-cleaning based on the whole machine operating power and a preset power threshold; if it is judged again that the air conditioner does not need to perform self-cleaning, controlling the air conditioner to maintain the current operating state; if it is judged again that the air conditioner needs to perform self-cleaning, controlling the air conditioner to perform self-cleaning.

[0019] According to the control method of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention, after the air conditioner is turned on, the cumulative shutdown time and the cumulative running time of the air conditioner from the current startup to the last self-cleaning completion recorded in the air conditioner can be obtained to determine whether self-cleaning is to be performed. If so, the current whole machine operating power of the air conditioner can be obtained, and whether the air conditioner needs to perform self-cleaning can be judged again based on the whole machine operating power and the preset power threshold. Therefore, without the need for additional equipment, by making multiple judgments on whether the air conditioner performs self-cleaning, more accurate automatic identification of the dirty and blocked state of the heat exchanger can be achieved, and self-cleaning can be performed, thereby reducing the cost of the air conditioner and improving the reliability of the air conditioner and the user experience.

[0020] Additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will be given in part in the following description and in part will be obvious from the following description, or will be learned through practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and easily understood from the description of the embodiments in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0022] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a refrigeration cycle system of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a controller according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 is a structural schematic diagram of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an overall control flow of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 5is a flow chart of a method for controlling an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 6 It is a flow chart of determining whether the air conditioner needs to be self-cleaned again according to the whole machine operating power and the preset power threshold according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a process for determining a target heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned according to the whole machine operating power and the current operating mode of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a process for determining a target heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned according to the whole machine operating power and the current operating mode of the air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Fig. 9 is a flow chart of preliminarily determining whether the air conditioner needs to be self-cleaned according to the accumulated shutdown time and the accumulated running time according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Fig.10 The present invention is a flowchart of determining whether the air conditioner is started for the first time after the last self-cleaning is completed according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0033] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0034] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0035] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0036] As shown in FIG1 , the air conditioner 1 of the present invention performs a refrigeration cycle of the air conditioner 1 by using a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, an evaporator, and a four-way valve. The refrigeration cycle includes a series of processes involving compression, condensation, expansion, and evaporation, and supplies refrigerant to the conditioned and heat-exchanged air.

[0037] The compressor compresses the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant gas entering from the return pipe and discharges the compressed refrigerant gas through the exhaust pipe. The discharged refrigerant gas flows into the condenser from the condenser inlet pipe. The condenser condenses the compressed refrigerant into a liquid phase, and the heat is released to the surrounding environment through the condensation process.

[0038] The expansion valve expands the high-temperature and high-pressure liquid refrigerant condensed in the condenser and discharged through the condenser outlet pipe into a low-pressure liquid refrigerant. The evaporator evaporates the refrigerant expanded in the expansion valve and returns the refrigerant gas in a low-temperature and low-pressure state to the compressor. The evaporator can achieve a refrigeration effect by utilizing the latent heat of evaporation of the refrigerant to exchange heat with the material to be cooled. In the entire cycle, the air conditioner 1 can adjust the temperature of the indoor space.

[0039] In the embodiment shown in the present application, the air conditioner 1 may include a controller 71, which refers to a device that can generate an operation control signal according to an instruction operation code and a timing signal to instruct the air conditioner 1 to execute a control instruction. For example, in response to a power-on or power-off instruction received from a user, the controller 71 can execute an operation related to the object selected by the power-on or power-off instruction.

[0040] The present application also provides a hardware structure diagram of a controller 71, such as Figure 2 As shown, the controller 71 includes a processor 83, and optionally, further includes a memory 82 and a communication interface 84 connected to the processor 83. The processor 83, the memory 82 and the communication interface 84 are connected via a bus 81.

[0041] The processor 83 may be a central processing unit 83 (CPU), a general processor 83, a network processor 83 (NP), a digital signal processor 83 (DSP), a microprocessor 83, a microcontroller 83, a programmable logic device (PLD), or any combination thereof. The processor 83 may also be any other device having a processing function, such as a circuit, a device, or a software module. The processor 83 may also include multiple CPUs, and the processor 83 may be a single-core (singleCPU) processor 83 or a multi-core (multiCPU) processor 83. The processor 83 here may refer to one or more devices, circuits, or processing cores for processing data (such as computer program instructions).

[0042] The memory 82 may be a read-only memory 82 (ROM) or other types of static storage devices that can store static information and instructions, a random access memory 82 (RAM) or other types of dynamic storage devices that can store information and instructions, or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory 82 (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compressed optical disc, laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc, Blu-ray disc, etc.), a magnetic disk storage medium or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store the desired program code in the form of an instruction or data structure and can be accessed by a computer, and the present embodiment of the application does not impose any restrictions on this. The memory 82 may exist independently or be integrated with the processor 83. Among them, the memory 82 may contain a computer program code. The processor 83 is used to execute the computer program code stored in the memory 82, thereby realizing the control method of the air conditioner 1 provided in the embodiment of the present application.

[0043] The communication interface 84 can be used to communicate with other devices or communication networks (such as Ethernet, radio access network (RAN), wireless local area networks (WLAN), etc. The communication interface 84 can be a module, a circuit, a transceiver or any device that can achieve communication.

[0044] The bus 81 may be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus 81 or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus 81, etc. The bus 81 may be divided into an address bus 81, a data bus 81, a control bus 81, etc.

[0045] Combine the following Figure 3-Figure 10 An air conditioner 1 and a control method thereof according to an embodiment of the present invention are described.

[0046] In some embodiments, Figure 3 As shown, the air conditioner 1 includes: a refrigerant circulation circuit 10, which allows the refrigerant to circulate in a circuit composed of a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, an evaporator and a four-way valve.

[0047] In some embodiments, Figure 3 As shown, the air conditioner 1 may include: an electronic expansion valve 20, which is arranged between the condenser and the evaporator. The electronic expansion valve is used to increase the flow resistance of the refrigerant passing through the electronic expansion valve when the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve is reduced, and to reduce the flow resistance of the refrigerant passing through the electronic expansion valve when the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve is increased.

[0048] In some embodiments, Figure 3 As shown, the air conditioner 1 may include: an indoor fan 30, which is used to drive the indoor air to pass through the indoor heat exchanger by rotating, so that the refrigerant and the indoor air perform heat exchange.

[0049] In some embodiments, Figure 3 As shown, the air conditioner 1 may include: an outdoor fan 40, which is used to drive the outdoor air to pass through the outdoor heat exchanger by rotating, so that the refrigerant and the outdoor air can exchange heat.

[0050] In some embodiments, Figure 3 As shown, the air conditioner 1 may include: a controller 71, and the controller 71 is configured to: when the air conditioner 1 is turned on and running, obtain the cumulative shutdown time and the cumulative running time of the air conditioner 1 from the time of the last self-cleaning completion recorded in the air conditioner 1; preliminarily determine whether the air conditioner 1 needs to perform self-cleaning based on the cumulative shutdown time and the cumulative running time; if not, control the air conditioner 1 to maintain the current operating state; if so, obtain the current whole machine operating power of the air conditioner 1, and determine again whether the air conditioner 1 needs to perform self-cleaning based on the whole machine operating power and a preset power threshold; if it is determined again that the air conditioner 1 does not need to perform self-cleaning, control the air conditioner 1 to maintain the current operating state; if it is determined again that the air conditioner 1 needs to perform self-cleaning, control the air conditioner 1 to perform the self-cleaning action.

[0051] Specifically, when the air conditioner 1 is turned on and running, the cumulative shutdown time and the cumulative running time from the current startup to the last self-cleaning completion recorded by the timing system inside the air conditioner 1 can be obtained, that is, the total time that the air conditioner 1 is in the off state and the total time that it is in the running state during the time period from the last self-cleaning completion to the current startup.

[0052] Furthermore, it is possible to preliminarily determine whether the air conditioner 1 needs to perform self-cleaning based on the accumulated shutdown time and the accumulated operating time, including but not limited to comparing by setting a preset time threshold, and determining whether the air conditioner 1 needs to perform self-cleaning based on the comparison result.

[0053] Furthermore, if it is determined that the air conditioner 1 does not need to perform self-cleaning, it means that the time since the last self-cleaning of the air conditioner 1 is not long, and there is no risk of dirty and blocked heat exchanger of the air conditioner 1, then the air conditioner 1 can be controlled to maintain the current operating state, that is, continue to operate according to the set mode and parameters, and the self-cleaning function is not triggered; if it is determined that the air conditioner 1 needs to perform self-cleaning, it means that the time since the last self-cleaning of the air conditioner 1 is a long time, and there is a risk of dirty and blocked heat exchanger of the air conditioner 1, then the current whole machine operating power of the air conditioner 1 can be obtained, and whether the air conditioner 1 needs to perform self-cleaning can be determined again based on the whole machine operating power and the preset power threshold.

[0054] Furthermore, if it is determined that the air conditioner 1 does not need to perform self-cleaning, it means that the heat exchanger of the air conditioner 1 is in good condition during operation, and the air conditioner 1 can maintain relatively good working efficiency. In this case, the air conditioner 1 can be controlled to maintain the current operating state, that is, continue to operate according to the set mode and parameters, and the self-cleaning function is not triggered; if it is determined that the air conditioner 1 needs to perform self-cleaning, it means that the heat exchanger of the air conditioner 1 is dirty and blocked during operation, and the working efficiency of the air conditioner 1 is reduced. At this time, the air conditioner 1 can be controlled to perform self-cleaning action to clean the dirty and blocked heat exchanger to ensure that the air conditioner 1 is in the best operating state.

[0055] According to the air conditioner 1 of the embodiment of the present invention, after the air conditioner 1 is turned on, the cumulative shutdown time and the cumulative running time of the air conditioner 1 from the current startup to the last self-cleaning completion recorded in the air conditioner 1 can be obtained to determine whether self-cleaning is to be performed. If so, the current whole machine operating power of the air conditioner 1 can be obtained, and whether the air conditioner 1 needs to perform self-cleaning can be judged again based on the whole machine operating power and the preset power threshold. Therefore, without the need for additional equipment, by making multiple judgments on whether the air conditioner performs self-cleaning, more accurate automatic identification of the dirty and blocked state of the heat exchanger can be achieved, and self-cleaning can be performed, thereby reducing the cost of the air conditioner 1 and improving the reliability of the air conditioner 1 and the user experience.

[0056] In one embodiment of the present invention, when judging again whether the air conditioner 1 needs to perform self-cleaning based on the whole machine operating power and the preset power threshold, the controller 71 is configured as follows: when the whole machine operating power is within the preset power range, judging that the air conditioner 1 does not need to perform self-cleaning, wherein the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the preset power range are determined according to the preset power threshold; when the whole machine operating power is not within the preset power range, judging that the air conditioner 1 needs to perform self-cleaning.

[0057] Specifically, in the process of judging whether the air conditioner 1 needs to be self-cleaned again according to the whole machine operating power and the preset power threshold, when it is detected that the whole machine operating power of the air conditioner 1 is within the preset power range, that is, the whole machine operating power of the air conditioner 1 is not much different from the preset power, and the air conditioner 1 does not have an abnormal increase or decrease in power due to a dirty or blocked heat exchanger, it means that the heat exchanger of the current air conditioner 1 is relatively clean, and it can be judged that the air conditioner 1 does not need to be self-cleaned. Among them, the upper limit and lower limit of the preset power range can be determined according to the preset power threshold.

[0058] In a specific embodiment, the preset power threshold can be set based on the normal operating parameters and experimental data of the air conditioner 1, and is used to represent the reasonable range of the whole machine operating power of the air conditioner 1 under normal circumstances; the upper limit value of the preset power range includes but is not limited to 0.8*preset power threshold, and the lower limit value of the preset power range includes but is not limited to 1.2*preset power threshold.

[0059] Furthermore, when it is detected that the whole machine operating power of the air conditioner 1 is not within the preset power range, that is, the whole machine operating power of the air conditioner 1 is higher than the upper limit value of the preset power range or lower than the lower limit value of the preset power range, it means that the heat exchanger of the current air conditioner 1 is dirty and blocked, resulting in abnormal whole machine operating power of the current air conditioner 1, and it can be judged that the air conditioner 1 needs to be self-cleaned.

[0060] In one embodiment of the present invention, before controlling the controller 71 to perform the self-cleaning action, it also includes: determining the current operating mode of the air conditioner 1; and determining the target heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned according to the whole machine operating power and the current operating mode of the air conditioner 1.

[0061] Specifically, before the controller 71 performs the self-cleaning action, the current operating mode of the air conditioner 1 can be determined through the buttons on the air conditioner remote control or the indications on the display screen. For example, the cooling mode usually has a snowflake pattern, and the heating mode has a sun pattern.

[0062] Furthermore, after determining the operating mode of the air conditioner 1, the target heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned can be determined based on the operating power of the entire machine and the current operating mode of the air conditioner 1. That is, in different operating modes of the air conditioner 1, the current operating power of the entire machine of the air conditioner 1 is higher than the upper limit value of the preset power range or lower than the lower limit value of the preset power range, corresponding to different heat exchangers becoming dirty and blocked.

[0063] In one embodiment of the present invention, when controlling the air conditioner 1 to perform a self-cleaning action, the controller 71 is configured to: control the air conditioner 1 to clean the target heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned, and / or push reminder information to the user to remind the user to clean the target heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned.

[0064] Specifically, after determining the target heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned, the air conditioner 1 can be controlled to perform a self-cleaning action according to a preset self-cleaning process. Specifically, on the one hand, the air conditioner 1 can be controlled to clean the target heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned, including but not limited to controlling the status of the compressor and the fan. On the other hand, a reminder message can be pushed to the user through the display panel of the air conditioner, a remote control, or a connected smart home system (such as a mobile phone APP), etc. to remind the user to clean the target heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned, so that the target heat exchanger is always kept clean, so that the air conditioner 1 is in a good operating state, thereby improving the user's experience.

[0065] In one embodiment of the present invention, when determining the target heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned based on the operating power of the entire machine and the current operating mode of the air conditioner 1, the controller 71 is configured as follows: when the operating power of the entire machine reaches or exceeds the upper limit value of the preset power range, and the air conditioner 1 is currently in the cooling mode, determining that the target heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned is the outdoor heat exchanger; when the operating power of the entire machine reaches or exceeds the upper limit value of the preset power range, and the air conditioner 1 is currently in the heating mode, determining that the target heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned is the indoor heat exchanger.

[0066] Specifically, in the process of determining the target heat exchanger to be cleaned according to the whole machine operating power and the current operating mode of the air conditioner 1, if the whole machine operating power of the air conditioner 1 reaches or exceeds the upper limit of the preset power range, that is, the whole machine operating power of the air conditioner 1 increases abnormally, it means that the overall load of the air conditioner 1 increases. If the air conditioner 1 is currently in the cooling mode at this time, it can be determined that the target heat exchanger to be cleaned is the outdoor heat exchanger. It can be understood that in the cooling mode, if the outdoor heat exchanger of the air conditioner 1 is dirty and blocked, it means that the wind resistance of the air conditioner 1 increases. Since the fan speed of the air conditioner 1 is fixed, the outdoor air volume of the air conditioner 1 can be reduced, and the heat exchange area of ​​the air conditioner 1 decreases, resulting in a poor heat release effect of the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger, which leads to the accumulation of heat in the air conditioner 1, so that the high-temperature and high-pressure gas inside the condenser cannot be effectively cooled, the gas pressure increases, and the compressor pressure ratio increases, which leads to an abnormal increase in the whole machine operating power of the air conditioner 1.

[0067] Similarly, in the heating mode, if the whole operating power of the air conditioner 1 reaches or exceeds the upper limit of the preset power range, that is, the whole operating power of the air conditioner 1 increases abnormally, it means that the overall load of the air conditioner 1 increases. If the air conditioner 1 is currently in the heating mode at this time, it can be determined that the target heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned is the indoor heat exchanger. It can be understood that in the heating mode, if the indoor heat exchanger of the air conditioner 1 is dirty and blocked, it means that the wind resistance of the air conditioner 1 is reduced. Since the fan speed of the air conditioner 1 is fixed, the indoor air volume of the air conditioner 1 can be increased, and the heat exchange area of ​​the air conditioner 1 increases, resulting in an enhanced heat absorption effect of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger, which leads to the accumulation of heat in the air conditioner 1, so that the high-temperature and high-pressure gas inside the condenser cannot be effectively cooled, the gas pressure increases, and the compressor pressure ratio becomes larger, which leads to an abnormal increase in the whole operating power of the air conditioner 1.

[0068] In one embodiment of the present invention, when determining the target heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned based on the operating power of the entire machine and the current operating mode of the air conditioner 1, the controller 71 is configured as follows: when the operating power of the entire machine does not exceed the lower limit value of the preset power range and the air conditioner 1 is currently in the cooling mode, determining that the target heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned is the indoor heat exchanger; when the operating power of the entire machine does not exceed the lower limit value of the preset power range and the air conditioner 1 is currently in the heating mode, determining that the target heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned is the outdoor heat exchanger.

[0069] Specifically, in the process of determining the target heat exchanger to be cleaned according to the whole machine operating power and the current operating mode of the air conditioner 1, if the whole machine operating power of the air conditioner 1 does not exceed the lower limit of the preset power range, that is, the whole machine operating power of the air conditioner 1 decreases abnormally, it means that the overall load of the air conditioner 1 decreases. If the air conditioner 1 is currently in the cooling mode at this time, it can be determined that the target heat exchanger to be cleaned is the indoor heat exchanger. It can be understood that in the cooling mode, if the indoor heat exchanger of the air conditioner 1 is dirty and blocked, it means that the wind resistance of the air conditioner 1 increases. Since the fan speed of the air conditioner 1 is fixed, the indoor air volume of the air conditioner 1 can be reduced, and the heat exchange area of ​​the air conditioner 1 decreases, resulting in a poor heat absorption effect of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger, thereby reducing the amount of heat absorbed by the air conditioner 1 and reducing the evaporator outlet temperature, that is, the compressor suction temperature is reduced, the exhaust temperature is reduced, and the condensation temperature is reduced, and the condensation pressure is reduced, which leads to an abnormal decrease in the whole machine operating power of the air conditioner 1.

[0070] Similarly, in the heating mode, if the whole operating power of the air conditioner 1 does not exceed the lower limit of the preset power range, that is, the whole operating power of the air conditioner 1 drops abnormally, it means that the overall load of the air conditioner 1 is reduced. If the air conditioner 1 is currently in the heating mode at this time, it can be determined that the target heat exchanger to be cleaned is the outdoor heat exchanger. It can be understood that in the heating mode, if the outdoor heat exchanger of the air conditioner 1 is dirty and blocked, it means that the wind resistance of the air conditioner 1 is reduced. Since the fan speed of the air conditioner 1 is fixed, the indoor air volume of the air conditioner 1 can be increased, and the heat exchange area of ​​the air conditioner 1 is increased, resulting in an enhanced heat release effect of the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger, thereby increasing the heat released by the air conditioner 1 and reducing the evaporator outlet temperature, that is, the compressor suction temperature is reduced, the exhaust temperature is reduced, and the condensation temperature is reduced, and the condensation pressure is reduced, which leads to an abnormal decrease in the whole operating power of the air conditioner 1.

[0071] In one embodiment of the present invention, the air conditioner 1 further includes: an outdoor ambient temperature sensor for detecting the outdoor ambient temperature; an indoor ambient temperature sensor for detecting the indoor ambient temperature; before judging again whether the air conditioner 1 needs to be self-cleaned based on the operating power of the whole machine and the preset power threshold, the controller 71 is also configured to: obtain the current indoor ambient temperature, the current outdoor ambient temperature, the current compressor operating frequency, the current indoor fan 30 wind speed gear and the current outdoor fan 40 wind speed gear; based on the current indoor ambient temperature, the current outdoor ambient temperature, the current compressor operating frequency, the current indoor fan 30 wind speed gear and the current outdoor fan 40 wind speed gear A preset power threshold is obtained by querying a pre-stored power threshold calibration table, wherein the power threshold calibration table includes a plurality of groups of correspondences between indoor ambient temperature, outdoor ambient temperature, compressor operating frequency, indoor fan 30 wind speed gear, outdoor fan 40 wind speed gear and power threshold, wherein the correspondences between a plurality of groups of indoor ambient temperature, outdoor ambient temperature, compressor operating frequency, indoor fan 30 wind speed gear, outdoor fan 40 wind speed gear and power threshold include at least the correspondences between the current indoor ambient temperature, the current outdoor ambient temperature, the current compressor operating frequency, the current indoor fan 30 wind speed gear, the current outdoor fan 40 wind speed gear and the preset power threshold.

[0072] Specifically, the air conditioner 1 further includes an outdoor ambient temperature sensor and an indoor ambient temperature sensor, wherein the outdoor ambient temperature sensor is used to detect the outdoor ambient temperature in real time, and the indoor ambient temperature sensor is used to detect the indoor ambient temperature in real time.

[0073] Before determining whether the air conditioner 1 needs self-cleaning again based on the operating power of the entire machine and the preset power threshold, the current indoor ambient temperature, the current outdoor ambient temperature, the current compressor operating frequency, the current indoor fan 30 wind speed gear and the current outdoor fan 40 wind speed gear can be obtained, and the preset power threshold can be obtained by querying the pre-stored power threshold calibration table.

[0074] Among them, the pre-stored power threshold calibration table can be a table or graph designed in advance based on experimental data, etc., which includes the correspondence between multiple groups of indoor ambient temperature, outdoor ambient temperature, compressor operating frequency, indoor fan 30 wind speed gear, outdoor fan 40 wind speed gear and power threshold, that is, different indoor ambient temperature, outdoor ambient temperature, compressor operating frequency, indoor fan 30 wind speed gear, outdoor fan 40 wind speed gear corresponds to different power thresholds.

[0075] Furthermore, the correspondence between multiple groups of indoor ambient temperature, outdoor ambient temperature, compressor operating frequency, indoor fan 30 wind speed gear, outdoor fan 40 wind speed gear and power thresholds includes at least the correspondence between the current indoor ambient temperature, the current outdoor ambient temperature, the current compressor operating frequency, the current indoor fan 30 wind speed gear, the current outdoor fan 40 wind speed gear and the preset power threshold, that is, the preset power threshold under the current working conditions can be determined based on the current indoor ambient temperature, the current outdoor ambient temperature, the current compressor operating frequency, the current indoor fan 30 wind speed gear and the current outdoor fan 40 wind speed gear.

[0076] In one embodiment of the present invention, when preliminarily judging whether the air conditioner 1 needs to perform self-cleaning based on the accumulated shutdown time and the accumulated running time, the controller 71 is configured as follows: performing a weighted summation operation based on the accumulated shutdown time and the accumulated running time to obtain a weighted time sum; when the weighted time sum does not reach a preset time threshold, judging that the air conditioner 1 does not need to perform self-cleaning; when the weighted time sum reaches or exceeds the preset time threshold, executing the step of obtaining the current whole-machine operating power of the air conditioner 1, and judging again whether the air conditioner 1 needs to perform self-cleaning based on the whole-machine operating power and the preset power threshold.

[0077] Specifically, in the process of preliminarily judging whether the air conditioner 1 needs self-cleaning based on the cumulative shutdown time and the cumulative running time, a weighted summation operation can be performed based on the cumulative shutdown time and the cumulative running time to obtain the weighted time sum, that is, by multiplying the cumulative shutdown time and the cumulative running time by the corresponding weighting coefficients respectively, and then adding the two results to obtain the weighted time sum.

[0078] Furthermore, after obtaining the weighted time sum, it can be compared with the preset time threshold, and whether the air conditioner 1 needs to perform self-cleaning can be determined based on the comparison result. Specifically, when the weighted time sum does not reach the preset time threshold, it means that the air conditioner 1 is not far from the last self-cleaning time, and there is no risk of dirty heat exchanger blockage in the air conditioner 1, then the air conditioner 1 can be controlled to maintain the current operating state, that is, continue to operate according to the set mode and parameters, and the self-cleaning function is not triggered; when the weighted time sum reaches or exceeds the preset time threshold, it means that the air conditioner 1 is far from the last self-cleaning time, and there is a risk of dirty heat exchanger blockage in the air conditioner 1, then the current whole machine operating power of the air conditioner 1 can be obtained, and whether the air conditioner 1 needs to perform self-cleaning can be determined again based on the whole machine operating power and the preset power threshold.

[0079] In a specific embodiment, the corresponding weighting coefficient of the accumulated operating time includes but is not limited to 10, and the preset time threshold includes but is not limited to 720 hours.

[0080] In one embodiment of the present invention, before obtaining the cumulative shutdown time and the cumulative running time recorded in the air conditioner 1 from the time the air conditioner 1 is turned on this time to the time the last self-cleaning is completed, the controller 71 is also configured to: determine whether the air conditioner 1 is turned on and operated for the first time after the last self-cleaning is completed; if so, update the preset power threshold according to the current whole machine operating power of the air conditioner 1, otherwise, execute the step of obtaining the cumulative shutdown time and the cumulative running time recorded in the air conditioner 1 from the time the air conditioner 1 is turned on this time to the time the last self-cleaning is completed.

[0081] Specifically, before obtaining the cumulative shutdown time and cumulative running time recorded in the air conditioner 1 from the time the last self-cleaning was completed, it can be determined whether the air conditioner 1 is turned on for the first time after the last self-cleaning was completed, that is, whether the air conditioner 1 has been in the shutdown state since the last self-cleaning was completed.

[0082] Furthermore, since the losses of the compressor, indoor and outdoor motors, etc. will affect the operating power of the air conditioner 1, if it is determined that the air conditioner 1 is turned on for the first time after the last self-cleaning was completed, it means that the heat exchanger of the air conditioner 1 is in a clean state at this time. The preset power threshold can be updated according to the current operating power of the air conditioner 1 to eliminate errors caused by power changes of the compressor, etc., thereby ensuring that the updated preset power threshold can reflect the performance of the air conditioner 1 in the latest state.

[0083] Furthermore, if it is determined that the air conditioner 1 is not turned on for the first time after the last self-cleaning was completed, the step of obtaining the cumulative shutdown time and the cumulative running time of the air conditioner 1 from the time the last self-cleaning was completed recorded in the air conditioner 1 is executed, that is, a preliminarily judgment is made on whether the air conditioner 1 needs to perform self-cleaning based on the cumulative shutdown time and the cumulative running time; if not, the air conditioner 1 is controlled to maintain the current operating state; if so, the current whole machine operating power of the air conditioner 1 is obtained, and whether the air conditioner 1 needs to perform self-cleaning is judged again based on the whole machine operating power and the preset power threshold; if it is judged again that the air conditioner 1 does not need to perform self-cleaning, the air conditioner 1 is controlled to maintain the current operating state; if it is judged again that the air conditioner 1 needs to perform self-cleaning, the air conditioner 1 is controlled to perform the self-cleaning action.

[0084] As a specific embodiment, the following Figure 4 The overall control process of the air conditioner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is described by way of example.

[0085] In this embodiment, if Figure 4 As shown, the overall control process of the air conditioner has the following steps:

[0086] The air conditioner is on and in cooling / heating mode.

[0087] Determine whether this is the first time the air conditioner is turned on and operated after self-cleaning is completed. If so, update the preset power threshold according to the current operating power of the air conditioner; if not, obtain the cumulative shutdown time and cumulative operating time from the last self-cleaning completion recorded by the timing system inside the air conditioner.

[0088] When preliminarily judging whether the air conditioner needs to be self-cleaned based on the accumulated shutdown time and the accumulated running time, a weighted sum operation can be performed based on the accumulated shutdown time and the accumulated running time to obtain a weighted time sum.

[0089] It is determined whether the weighted time sum reaches a preset time threshold. If so, the whole operating power of the air conditioner is obtained; if not, the air conditioner does not need to perform self-cleaning and maintains normal operation.

[0090] In the process of judging whether the air conditioner needs self-cleaning again based on the overall operating power of the air conditioner and the preset power threshold, when the overall operating power of the air conditioner reaches or exceeds the upper limit of the preset power range, if the air conditioner is in cooling mode, the outdoor heat exchanger is cleaned; if the air conditioner is in heating mode, the indoor heat exchanger is cleaned.

[0091] When the whole operating power of the air conditioner is within the preset power range, the air conditioner does not need to perform self-cleaning and maintains normal operation.

[0092] When the whole operating power of the air conditioner does not exceed the upper limit of the preset power range, if the air conditioner is in cooling mode, the indoor heat exchanger is cleaned, and if the air conditioner is in heating mode, the outdoor heat exchanger is cleaned.

[0093] According to the air conditioner 1 of the embodiment of the present invention, after the air conditioner 1 is turned on, the cumulative shutdown time and the cumulative running time of the air conditioner 1 from the current startup to the last self-cleaning completion recorded in the air conditioner 1 can be obtained to determine whether self-cleaning is to be performed. If so, the current whole machine operating power of the air conditioner 1 can be obtained, and whether the air conditioner 1 needs to perform self-cleaning can be judged again based on the whole machine operating power and the preset power threshold. Therefore, without the need for additional equipment, by making multiple judgments on whether the air conditioner 1 performs self-cleaning, more accurate automatic identification of the dirty and blocked state of the heat exchanger can be achieved, and self-cleaning can be performed, thereby reducing the cost of the air conditioner 1 and improving the reliability of the air conditioner 1 and the user experience.

[0094] Furthermore, by obtaining the operating power of the entire machine and the current operating mode of the air conditioner 1, the target heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned can be accurately determined, and the target heat exchanger can be self-cleaned to keep the target heat exchanger clean at all times, thereby keeping the air conditioner 1 in a good operating state, thereby further improving the reliability of the air conditioner 1 and the user's experience.

[0095] Reference below Figure 5 A method for controlling an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention is described.

[0096] like Figure 5 As shown, the air conditioner control method according to the embodiment of the present invention at least includes steps S1 to S3.

[0097] Step S1, when the air conditioner is turned on and running, the accumulated shutdown time and accumulated running time of the air conditioner recorded in the air conditioner from the current startup to the last self-cleaning completion are obtained.

[0098] Step S2, preliminarily determining whether the air conditioner needs to be self-cleaned based on the accumulated shutdown time and the accumulated running time.

[0099] Step S3, if not, control the air conditioner to maintain the current operating state, if so, obtain the current whole machine operating power of the air conditioner, and determine again whether the air conditioner needs to be self-cleaned based on the whole machine operating power and the preset power threshold.

[0100] Step S4: If it is determined again that the air conditioner does not need to perform self-cleaning, the air conditioner is controlled to maintain the current operating state; if it is determined again that the air conditioner needs to perform self-cleaning, the air conditioner is controlled to perform the self-cleaning action.

[0101] In some embodiments, Figure 6 As shown, when judging again whether the air conditioner needs to perform self-cleaning based on the whole machine operating power and the preset power threshold, it specifically includes: when the whole machine operating power is within the preset power range, judging that the air conditioner does not need to perform self-cleaning, wherein the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the preset power range are determined according to the preset power threshold; when the whole machine operating power is not within the preset power range, judging that the air conditioner needs to perform self-cleaning.

[0102] In some embodiments, before controlling the controller to perform the self-cleaning action, it also includes: determining the current operating mode of the air conditioner; and determining the target heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned according to the whole machine operating power and the current operating mode of the air conditioner.

[0103] In some embodiments, when controlling the air conditioner to perform a self-cleaning action, it specifically includes: controlling the air conditioner to clean the target heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned, and / or pushing reminder information to the user to remind the user to clean the target heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned.

[0104] In some embodiments, Figure 7As shown, when determining the target heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned according to the whole machine operating power and the current operating mode of the air conditioner, it specifically includes: when the whole machine operating power reaches or exceeds the upper limit value of the preset power range, and the air conditioner is currently in cooling mode, determining that the target heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned is the outdoor heat exchanger; when the whole machine operating power reaches or exceeds the upper limit value of the preset power range, and the air conditioner is currently in heating mode, determining that the target heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned is the indoor heat exchanger.

[0105] In some embodiments, Figure 8 As shown, when determining the target heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned according to the whole machine operating power and the current operating mode of the air conditioner, it specifically includes: when the whole machine operating power does not exceed the lower limit value of the preset power range, and the air conditioner is currently in the cooling mode, determining that the target heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned is the indoor heat exchanger; when the whole machine operating power does not exceed the lower limit value of the preset power range, and the air conditioner is currently in the heating mode, determining that the target heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned is the outdoor heat exchanger.

[0106] In some embodiments, the air conditioner further includes: an outdoor ambient temperature sensor for detecting the outdoor ambient temperature; an indoor ambient temperature sensor for detecting the indoor ambient temperature; before judging again whether the air conditioner needs to be self-cleaned based on the operating power of the whole machine and the preset power threshold, it also includes: obtaining the current indoor ambient temperature, the current outdoor ambient temperature, the current compressor operating frequency, the current indoor fan wind speed gear and the current outdoor fan wind speed gear; according to the current indoor ambient temperature, the current outdoor ambient temperature, the current compressor operating frequency, the current indoor fan wind speed gear and the current outdoor fan wind speed gear, querying the pre-stored The preset power threshold is obtained from the power threshold calibration table, wherein the power threshold calibration table includes multiple groups of correspondences between indoor ambient temperature, outdoor ambient temperature, compressor operating frequency, indoor fan wind speed gear, outdoor fan wind speed gear and power threshold, wherein the correspondences between multiple groups of indoor ambient temperature, outdoor ambient temperature, compressor operating frequency, indoor fan wind speed gear, outdoor fan wind speed gear and power threshold include at least the correspondence between the current indoor ambient temperature, the current outdoor ambient temperature, the current compressor operating frequency, the current indoor fan wind speed gear, the current outdoor fan wind speed gear and the preset power threshold.

[0107] In some embodiments, Fig. 9As shown, when preliminarily judging whether the air conditioner needs to perform self-cleaning based on the accumulated shutdown time and the accumulated running time, it specifically includes: performing a weighted sum operation based on the accumulated shutdown time and the accumulated running time to obtain a weighted time sum; when the weighted time sum does not reach a preset time threshold, judging that the air conditioner does not need to perform self-cleaning; when the weighted time sum reaches or exceeds the preset time threshold, executing the step of obtaining the current whole machine operating power of the air conditioner, and judging again whether the air conditioner needs to perform self-cleaning based on the whole machine operating power and the preset power threshold.

[0108] In some embodiments, Fig.10 As shown, before obtaining the cumulative shutdown time and the cumulative running time of the air conditioner recorded in the air conditioner from the time the air conditioner is turned on this time to the time the last self-cleaning is completed, it also includes: determining whether the air conditioner is turned on and operated for the first time after the last self-cleaning is completed; if so, updating the preset power threshold according to the current whole-machine operating power of the air conditioner, otherwise, executing the step of obtaining the cumulative shutdown time and the cumulative running time recorded in the air conditioner from the time the air conditioner is turned on this time to the time the last self-cleaning is completed.

[0109] It should be noted that when controlling the air conditioner, its specific implementation method is similar to the specific implementation method of the air conditioner in any one of the above-mentioned embodiments of the present invention. Therefore, for a detailed exemplary description of the control process of the air conditioner, please refer to the aforementioned relevant description part about the air conditioner. In order to reduce redundancy, it will not be repeated here.

[0110] According to the control method of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention, after the air conditioner is turned on, the cumulative shutdown time and the cumulative running time of the air conditioner from the current startup to the last self-cleaning completion recorded in the air conditioner can be obtained to determine whether self-cleaning is to be performed. If so, the current whole machine operating power of the air conditioner can be obtained, and whether the air conditioner needs to perform self-cleaning can be judged again based on the whole machine operating power and the preset power threshold. Therefore, without the need for additional equipment, by making multiple judgments on whether the air conditioner performs self-cleaning, more accurate automatic identification of the dirty and blocked state of the heat exchanger can be achieved, and self-cleaning can be performed, thereby reducing the cost of the air conditioner and improving the reliability of the air conditioner and the user experience.

[0111] Furthermore, by obtaining the operating power of the entire machine and the current operating mode of the air conditioner, the target heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned can be accurately determined, and self-cleaning operations can be performed on the target heat exchanger to keep the target heat exchanger clean at all times, thereby keeping the air conditioner in a good operating state, thereby further improving the reliability of the air conditioner and the user experience.

[0112] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "illustrative embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example.

[0113] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, and that the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An air conditioner, characterized in that: include: A refrigerant circulation loop, wherein the refrigerant performs a refrigeration cycle in a loop composed of a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, an evaporator and a four-way valve, wherein one of the condenser and the evaporator is an outdoor heat exchanger and the other is an indoor heat exchanger; an electronic expansion valve, disposed between the condenser and the evaporator, the electronic expansion valve being used to increase the flow resistance of the refrigerant passing through the electronic expansion valve when the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve is reduced, and to reduce the flow resistance of the refrigerant passing through the electronic expansion valve when the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve is increased; An indoor fan, used to drive the indoor air to pass through the indoor heat exchanger by rotating, so that the refrigerant and the indoor air can exchange heat; An outdoor fan is used to drive outdoor air to pass through the outdoor heat exchanger by rotating so that the refrigerant and the outdoor air can exchange heat; A controller, the controller being configured to: When the air conditioner is turned on and running, obtaining the accumulated shutdown time and accumulated running time of the air conditioner recorded in the air conditioner from the current startup to the last self-cleaning completion; Preliminarily determining whether the air conditioner needs to be self-cleaned based on the accumulated shutdown time and the accumulated running time; If not, the air conditioner is controlled to maintain the current operating state; if so, the current whole machine operating power of the air conditioner is obtained, and whether the air conditioner needs to be self-cleaned is determined again according to the whole machine operating power and a preset power threshold; If it is determined again that the air conditioner does not need to perform self-cleaning, the air conditioner is controlled to maintain the current operating state; if it is determined again that the air conditioner needs to perform self-cleaning, the air conditioner is controlled to perform the self-cleaning action.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that: When determining again whether the air conditioner needs to be self-cleaned according to the whole machine operating power and the preset power threshold, the controller is configured as follows: When the whole machine operating power is within a preset power range, it is determined that the air conditioner does not need to be self-cleaned, wherein the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the preset power range are determined according to the preset power threshold value; When the whole machine operating power is not within the preset power range, it is determined that the air conditioner needs to be self-cleaned.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 2, characterized in that: Before controlling the controller to perform the self-cleaning action, the method further includes: determining a current operating mode of the air conditioner; The target heat exchanger to be cleaned is determined according to the whole machine operating power and the current operating mode of the air conditioner.

4. The air conditioner according to claim 3, characterized in that: When controlling the air conditioner to perform a self-cleaning action, the controller is configured to: The air conditioner is controlled to clean the target heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned, and / or a reminder message is pushed to a user to remind the user to clean the target heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned.

5. The air conditioner according to claim 3, characterized in that: When determining the target heat exchanger to be cleaned according to the whole machine operating power and the current operating mode of the air conditioner, the controller is configured to: When the whole machine operating power reaches or exceeds the upper limit of the preset power range and the air conditioner is currently in cooling mode, determining that the target heat exchanger to be cleaned is the outdoor heat exchanger; When the whole machine operating power reaches or exceeds the upper limit value of the preset power range and the air conditioner is currently in a heating mode, it is determined that the target heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned is the indoor heat exchanger.

6. The air conditioner according to claim 3, characterized in that: When determining the target heat exchanger to be cleaned according to the whole machine operating power and the current operating mode of the air conditioner, the controller is configured to: When the whole machine operating power does not exceed the lower limit of the preset power range and the air conditioner is currently in cooling mode, determining that the target heat exchanger to be cleaned is the indoor heat exchanger; When the whole machine operating power does not exceed the lower limit of the preset power range and the air conditioner is currently in a heating mode, it is determined that the target heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned is the outdoor heat exchanger.

7. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: Outdoor ambient temperature sensor, used to detect outdoor ambient temperature; Indoor ambient temperature sensor, used to detect indoor ambient temperature; Before determining again whether the air conditioner needs to be self-cleaned according to the whole machine operating power and the preset power threshold, the controller is further configured to: Get the current indoor ambient temperature, the current outdoor ambient temperature, the current compressor operating frequency, the current indoor fan speed gear and the current outdoor fan speed gear; The preset power threshold is obtained by querying a pre-stored power threshold calibration table according to the current indoor ambient temperature, the current outdoor ambient temperature, the current compressor operating frequency, the current indoor fan wind speed gear and the current outdoor fan wind speed gear, wherein the power threshold calibration table includes multiple groups of correspondences between indoor ambient temperature, outdoor ambient temperature, compressor operating frequency, indoor fan wind speed gear, outdoor fan wind speed gear and power thresholds, wherein the correspondences between multiple groups of indoor ambient temperature, outdoor ambient temperature, compressor operating frequency, indoor fan wind speed gear, outdoor fan wind speed gear and power thresholds include at least the correspondence between the current indoor ambient temperature, the current outdoor ambient temperature, the current compressor operating frequency, the current indoor fan wind speed gear, the current outdoor fan wind speed gear and the preset power threshold.

8. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that: When preliminarily determining whether the air conditioner needs to be self-cleaned according to the accumulated shutdown time and the accumulated running time, the controller is configured to: Performing a weighted sum operation according to the accumulated shutdown time and the accumulated running time to obtain a weighted time sum; When the weighted time sum does not reach the preset time threshold, determining that the air conditioner does not need to perform self-cleaning; When the weighted time sum reaches or exceeds the preset time threshold, the step of obtaining the current whole-machine operating power of the air conditioner is executed, and determining again whether the air conditioner needs to perform self-cleaning based on the whole-machine operating power and the preset power threshold.

9. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that: Before obtaining the accumulated shutdown time and accumulated running time of the air conditioner recorded in the air conditioner from the current startup to the last self-cleaning completion, the controller is further configured to: Determining whether the air conditioner is started for the first time after the last self-cleaning is completed; If so, the preset power threshold is updated according to the current whole-machine operating power of the air conditioner; otherwise, the step of obtaining the cumulative shutdown time and cumulative operating time of the air conditioner recorded in the air conditioner from the time the air conditioner is turned on this time to the time when the last self-cleaning is completed is executed.

10. A method for controlling an air conditioner, characterized in that: For the air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 9, the method comprises the following steps: When the air conditioner is turned on and running, obtaining the accumulated shutdown time and accumulated running time of the air conditioner recorded in the air conditioner from the current startup to the last self-cleaning completion; Preliminarily determining whether the air conditioner needs to be self-cleaned based on the accumulated shutdown time and the accumulated running time; If not, the air conditioner is controlled to maintain the current operating state; if so, the current whole machine operating power of the air conditioner is obtained, and whether the air conditioner needs to be self-cleaned is determined again according to the whole machine operating power and a preset power threshold; If it is determined again that the air conditioner does not need to perform self-cleaning, the air conditioner is controlled to maintain the current operating state; if it is determined again that the air conditioner needs to perform self-cleaning, the air conditioner is controlled to perform the self-cleaning action.

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