Self-adaptive temperature control method of animal monitoring cabin and animal monitoring cabin

Abstract

The invention provides a self-adaptive temperature control method for an animal monitoring cabin, which comprises the following steps: acquiring a latest temperature control parameter in a temperature stable state, and storing the latest temperature control parameter to replace a previous temperature control parameter. By means of the mode, the temperature control parameters can be updated so that the temperature actually generated by the animal monitoring bin can meet the expectation, then the newest temperature control parameters are stored, and therefore when the animal monitoring bin is opened next time, the newest temperature control parameters stored last time can be directly called, and the animal monitoring bin can accurately and rapidly enter the temperature stable state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of monitoring devices, and particularly to an adaptive temperature control method and an animal monitoring chamber for an animal monitoring chamber. Background Art

[0002] An animal monitoring chamber can provide a suitable environment for animals and is widely used in the post-disease recovery of animals. Among them, how to control the temperature as accurately as possible is a difficult problem. Although the difference between the actual temperature provided by most animal monitoring chambers and the desired temperature is within an acceptable range when they are just out of the factory, the deviation between the actual temperature provided by the animal monitoring chamber and the desired temperature will become larger and larger as the heating device and the refrigeration device age. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In order to solve the above problems, the present application provides an adaptive temperature control method for an animal monitoring chamber, which includes: obtaining the latest temperature control parameters in a temperature stable state, and storing the latest temperature control parameters to replace the previous temperature control parameters.

[0004] The present application also provides an animal monitoring chamber, which includes a processor and a memory. The memory stores program instructions that can be run by the processor. The program instructions are used to implement the adaptive temperature control method. The processor is coupled to the memory to read and execute the program instructions to implement the adaptive temperature control method.

[0005] Generally, the temperature control parameters of an animal monitoring chamber are set in advance. After the refrigeration device and the heating device of the animal monitoring chamber age and the refrigeration and heating capabilities decline, using the original temperature control parameters often results in the actual generated temperature deviating from the expected value. In the present application, the temperature control parameters will be updated so that the actual generated temperature of the animal monitoring chamber meets the expectation. Subsequently, the latest temperature control parameters will be stored, so that the latest temperature control parameters stored last time can be directly called when the animal monitoring chamber is turned on next time, and the temperature stable state can be accurately and quickly entered. Description of the Drawings

[0006] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the modules of the animal monitoring chamber; Figure 2 It is a partial flow schematic diagram of the adaptive temperature control method; Figure 3 It is a sub-flow schematic diagram of step S100; Figure 4 It is a sub-flow schematic diagram of step S22.

[0007] Description of the Reference Numerals: Animal care chamber 1, accommodation space 10, temperature control component 20, heating device 21, refrigeration device 22, temperature sensor 23, first temperature sensor 23a, second temperature sensor 23b, gas circulation component 30, air duct 31, air inlet 311, air outlet 312, circulation fan 32. Detailed implementation

[0008] The present application will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and some embodiments. The following embodiments are mainly used to exemplarily illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, and thus cannot be used to limit the protection scope of the present application.

[0009] Unless otherwise defined, the technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as those commonly understood by those skilled in the technical field to which the present application belongs; the terms used herein are mainly for the purpose of describing specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present application; the terms "including", "having", "containing" and other synonyms with the same or similar meanings in the description of the specification and claims of the present application and the above drawings are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0010] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, technical terms such as "first", "second", etc. mainly play the role of facilitating the distinction of different objects, and cannot be understood as explicitly or implicitly indicating relative importance or implicitly indicating the quantity, specific order or primary-secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the meaning of "multiple" is more than two, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0011] In this article, the specific features, structures or characteristics described in any one embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment or the combination of at least two embodiments of the present application. Those skilled in the art can understand that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments herein or other embodiments outside this article.

[0012] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, technical terms used to indicate the orientation or positional relationship, such as "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., mainly play the role of facilitating the description of the embodiments of the present application and simplifying the description, rather than being considered that the indicated device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation to the present application.

[0013] In various embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, technical terms such as "arrange", "install", "assemble", "connect", "join", "fix", etc. should be understood in a broad sense. Taking connection as an example, it may include fixed connection, detachable connection or integral molding; it may also include at least one of mechanical connection and electrical connection; it may include direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those of ordinary skill in the art can understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present application according to specific circumstances.

[0014] The inventors of the present application have found through research that currently, the temperature control parameters of animal care cabins are usually set before leaving the factory. For example, the temperature of the heating device is set, or if it is PTC heating, the duty cycle of the PTC (that is, the ratio of the PTC heating time to the total time) is usually set. Under normal circumstances, these temperature control parameters can often achieve good performance and can control the actual temperature generated by the animal care cabin to be very close to the expected temperature. However, if the environment changes, such as in high-altitude areas, the pre-set temperature control parameters will also cause the actual temperature generated by the animal care cabin to deviate from the expected value. Also, if the temperature throughout the year (ambient temperature) changes, it is also difficult for existing animal care cabins to adapt to different ambient temperatures. Similarly, the set of temperature control parameters can make the actual temperature generated by the animal care cabin meet the expectations when the animal care cabin just leaves the factory. However, as the product ages, this set of set temperature control parameters will also cause the actual temperature generated by the animal care cabin to deviate from the expected value.

[0015] Therefore, the inventors of the present application provide an adaptive temperature control method, which can update the temperature control parameters so that the product can adapt to different working environments and different aging degrees.

[0016] The following describes the exemplary structure of an animal care cabin through embodiments.

[0017] See Figure 1 , in the present application, the animal care cabin 1 may include a receiving space 10 for accommodating animals, a temperature control component 20 for controlling the temperature of the receiving space, a processor, a memory, etc. Of course, it may also include other components such as a humidity control component and a gas circulation component 30 (including an air duct 31 and a circulation fan 32 arranged in the air duct 31). However, only the temperature control component will be specifically described herein. The temperature control component 20 may include a heating device 21, a refrigeration device 22, and at least one temperature sensor 23.

[0018] The refrigeration device 22 and the heating device 21 of the animal care compartment can be located in the air duct 31, which has an air inlet 311 and an air outlet 312 communicating with the accommodation space 10. The gas in the accommodation space 10 can be driven by the circulation fan 32, enter the air duct 31 through the air inlet 311, and be adjusted to an appropriate temperature under the action of the refrigeration device 22 and the heating device 21, and finally return to the accommodation space 10 again through the air outlet 312.

[0019] The temperature sensor 23 can include a first sensor 23a disposed at the air inlet 311 and a second sensor 23b disposed at the air outlet 312. The purpose of setting two temperature sensors in this application is to improve the temperature control ability and reduce the temperature fluctuation in the animal accommodation space (described later). Of course, in some other examples, the number of temperature sensors can be only one, and the installation position can also be changed. In addition, the temperature distribution in the accommodation space may not be uniform, and considering the gas circulation process in the accommodation space, the temperature at the air inlet is closer to the average temperature in the accommodation space.

[0020] In this application, the animal care compartment includes a refrigeration device operating at a preset refrigeration power and a heating device with adjustable heating power. The refrigeration device operating at a preset power can be a fixed-frequency air conditioner or a variable-frequency air conditioner that refrigerates at a preset power. However, the cost of a fixed-frequency air conditioner is lower. The heating device can be a PTC heater, and its heating power can be adjusted by adjusting the duty cycle of the PTC. Of course, it can also be a resistance wire with adjustable current.

[0021] The memory stores program instructions that can be run by the processor. The program instructions are used to implement the adaptive temperature control method. The processor is coupled to the memory to read and execute the program instructions to implement the adaptive temperature control method. The processor can read the program instructions in the memory and be coupled to the temperature sensor, the heating device, and the refrigeration device to receive the temperature information collected by the temperature sensor and control the working states of the heating device and the refrigeration device.

[0022] The processor can also be called a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processor can be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. The processor can also be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), an image processor (GPU), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components. The general-purpose processor can be a microcontroller unit (MCU), or the processor can also be any conventional processor, etc.

[0023] Regarding the adaptive temperature control method involved above, please refer to the following description.

[0024] See Figure 2 , the adaptive temperature control method involved in this application can be used in the above-mentioned animal care cabin, and it includes: Step S100: Obtain the latest temperature control parameters when the temperature is in a stable state.

[0025] Step S200: Store the latest temperature control parameters to replace the previous temperature control parameters. The temperature control parameters can also be called temperature control parameters.

[0026] Among them, for newly produced animal care cabins, the previous temperature control parameters can be the temperature control parameters preset by the manufacturer. For animal care cabins that have been used several times, the previous temperature control parameters can refer to the previously stored temperature control parameters, which may be the temperature control parameters stored when the device was turned off last time, or the temperature control parameters just stored a few seconds ago. The latest temperature control parameters can be the temperature control parameters stored most recently.

[0027] In the animal care cabin involved in this application, the temperature control parameters will be updated to make the actual temperature generated by the animal care cabin meet the expectations, and then the latest temperature control parameters will be stored, so that the latest temperature control parameters stored last time can be directly called when the animal care cabin is turned on next time, and the temperature stable state can be entered accurately and quickly.

[0028] Correspondingly, the latest temperature control parameters include thermal power parameters used to characterize the heating power. For example, the thermal power parameters can be the current of the heating wire or the duty cycle of the heating power.

[0029] In step S100, after the animal care cabin is in a temperature stable state, the latest temperature control parameters are obtained every preset time. For example, the preset time can be set to 10 minutes.

[0030] The animal care cabin has multiple temperature ranges, and each temperature range has a corresponding latest temperature control parameter. For example, the multiple temperature ranges can be [15, 17.5), [17.5, 22.5), [22.5, 27.5), [27.5, 32.5), [32.5, 37.5), [37.5, 40). Each range has a corresponding latest temperature control parameter, which can meet the needs of different animals. For example, taking the PTC duty cycle as an example, the latest temperature control parameters corresponding to the above six ranges are 55%, 60%, 61%, 61%, 65% and 70% respectively. Of course, the temperature ranges can also be changed according to needs.

[0031] The adaptive temperature control method further includes: obtaining the target temperature input by the user, judging the temperature range corresponding to the target temperature, and obtaining the latest temperature control parameter corresponding to this temperature range.

[0032] Among them, the target temperature refers to the temperature value that the user expects the animal care chamber to reach after the temperature stabilizes. The user can input this target temperature through an interaction device (such as a touch screen or a keyboard).

[0033] For example, when the user inputs 30 degrees, it can be determined that it belongs to the temperature range of [27.5, 32.5), and the latest temperature control parameter, that is, a duty cycle of 61%, is correspondingly called. If the user inputs 20 degrees, it can be determined that it belongs to the temperature range of [17.5, 22.5), and the latest temperature parameter, that is, a duty cycle of 60%, can be called accordingly.

[0034] The adaptive temperature control method may further include: See Figure 3 , step S10: When the animal care chamber in the rapid temperature control stage meets the preset conditions, it is determined that the animal care chamber enters the temperature stable state.

[0035] In step S10, the rapid temperature control stage may include rapid cooling and rapid heating. Whether the animal care chamber is in the state of rapid cooling or rapid heating depends on the target temperature of the animal care chamber. For example, it can be determined whether the actual inlet air temperature is greater than the target temperature. If so, rapid cooling is performed; if not, rapid heating is performed. Rapid cooling may mean turning off the heating device and only operating the cooling device. Rapid heating may mean operating the heating device at the maximum power (maximum current or maximum duty cycle). Of course, rapid cooling may also operate the heating device at a certain lower power. Rapid heating may also operate the heating device at a certain higher power.

[0036] In step S10, the preset conditions may include: the difference between the actual inlet air temperature and the target temperature, or the difference between the actual outlet air temperature and the target temperature is within a preset range. The preset range may be 1 degree or 1.5 degrees. Among them, the actual outlet air temperature is the temperature at the outlet position, and the actual inlet air temperature is the temperature at the inlet position.

[0037] That is to say, when the actual inlet air temperature or the actual outlet air temperature is close to the target temperature, the above-mentioned rapid temperature control stage can be exited. The temperature control parameters when the pet care chamber switches to the temperature stable state already have a certain reference value. If more accurate temperature control parameters are needed, further dynamic adjustment or fine-tuning of the temperature control parameters is required.

[0038] In step S10, it may include obtaining the actual inlet air temperature collected by the first temperature sensor, or it may include obtaining the actual outlet air temperature of the second temperature sensor. The actual outlet air temperature may be the temperature at the outlet position. The actual inlet air temperature may be the temperature at the inlet position.

[0039] See Figure 3 , after step S10, the following steps may further be included: Step S20: Obtain the target outlet air temperature.

[0040] Step S21: Determine whether the difference between the actual outlet air temperature and the target outlet air temperature is greater than a first threshold.

[0041] If the judgment result is yes, then execute Step S22: Fine-tune the previous temperature control parameter to obtain the latest temperature control parameter, and control the heating device to operate with the latest temperature control parameter.

[0042] In Step S20, the target outlet air temperature can be obtained through the target temperature input by the user and the average difference between the actual outlet air temperature and the actual inlet air temperature within a preset past time range. For example, the target outlet air temperature can be the target temperature plus the average difference between the actual outlet air temperature and the actual inlet air temperature within a preset past time range. Since the target temperature is close to the actual inlet air temperature, the difference between the actual outlet air temperature and the actual inlet air temperature and the difference between the actual outlet air temperature and the target temperature are close. Adding this difference to the target temperature can approximately calculate the outlet air temperature (i.e., the target outlet air temperature) required when the average temperature in the accommodation space reaches the target temperature. At different temperatures and in different environments, there may be some differences in the average difference between the actual inlet air temperature and the actual outlet air temperature. Therefore, the preset time range can be within the past 10 minutes, so that relatively immediate data can be collected.

[0043] The inventors of the present application have found through research that using the actual outlet air temperature and the target outlet air temperature as feedback signals can significantly reduce the temperature fluctuations during the temperature adjustment process. However, using the general inlet air temperature and the target temperature as feedback signals will generate huge temperature fluctuations. This may be because the target outlet air temperature is more affected by the heating device and the cooling device and is easier to control, while the inlet air temperature is affected not only by the heating device and the cooling device but also by the volume of the accommodation space, the environmental temperature, and the volume and physiological state of the animals in the accommodation space.

[0044] In Step S21, the first threshold can be 0.5 degrees or other set temperatures. In addition, Step S21 can be judged once every other period of time, for example, judged once every 2 minutes, so that the judgment can be made after the temperature control parameter is slightly stable.

[0045] That is to say, when the temperature difference between the actual outlet air temperature and the target outlet air temperature exceeds 0.5 degrees, the power of the PTC can be adjusted slightly, thereby reducing the temperature fluctuations.

[0046] Of course, after Step S21, if the judgment result is no, the previous temperature control parameter can be not adjusted.

[0047] See Figure 3, after step S10, the following steps may further be included: Step S30: Obtain the actual inlet air temperature and the target temperature input by the user.

[0048] Step S31: Determine whether the difference between the actual inlet air temperature and the target temperature is greater than a second threshold.

[0049] If the determination result is yes, then execute step S32: Adjust the previous temperature control parameter with a preset adjustment range to obtain the latest temperature control parameter, and control the heating device to switch to the fast temperature control stage.

[0050] In step S31, the second threshold may be 4 degrees or other set temperatures.

[0051] In step S32, the preset adjustment range may be 5%. For example, when the heating device includes a PTC heater, the preset adjustment range may be a duty cycle of 5%.

[0052] That is to say, in some cases (such as when part of the heating device or the refrigeration device fails, or when a large animal with a high heat production is just placed in the accommodation space), when the actual inlet air temperature (close to the average temperature in the accommodation space) and the target temperature input by the user are large, it may take a long time to finely adjust the temperature control parameter to make the temperature in the accommodation space close to the target temperature. Therefore, the heating device can be controlled to switch to the fast temperature control stage to greatly reduce or increase the heating efficiency, so that the temperature in the accommodation space can be quickly adjusted to the target temperature. At the same time, if the previous temperature control parameter is not adjusted with the preset adjustment range, after the animal care compartment is in a temperature stable state, the difference between the actual inlet air temperature and the target temperature may exceed 4 degrees again, resulting in an increase in the temperature fluctuation in the accommodation space. Therefore, when controlling the heating device to switch to the fast temperature control stage, the temperature control parameter can be updated in advance for use when the animal care compartment enters the temperature stable state again.

[0053] See Figure 4 , in some embodiments, in step S22, it may include: Step S221: Determine whether the temperature fast adjustment condition is satisfied.

[0054] If the determination result is yes, then execute step S222: Adjust the previous temperature control parameter with a first adjustment range not greater than the preset adjustment range to obtain the latest temperature control parameter.

[0055] If the determination result is no, then execute step S232: Adjust the previous temperature control parameter with a second adjustment range smaller than the first adjustment range to obtain the latest temperature control parameter.

[0056] In step S221, the conditions for rapid temperature adjustment include that at least one of the following is satisfied: the difference between the actual inlet air temperature and the target temperature is greater than a third threshold value, and the difference between the actual outlet air temperature and the target temperature is greater than a fourth threshold value, where the third threshold value is less than the second threshold value and the fourth threshold value is greater than the first threshold value. The third threshold value can be 1 - 3 degrees, and the fourth threshold value can be 3 degrees.

[0057] In step S222, the first adjustment amplitude can be 5% or 3%. When the heating device includes a PTC heater, the first adjustment amplitude can be a duty cycle of 5% or 3%.

[0058] In step S223, the second adjustment amplitude can be 3% or 2%. When the heating device includes a PTC heater, the second adjustment amplitude can be a duty cycle of 3% or 2%.

[0059] In a specific embodiment, when the difference between the actual inlet air temperature and the target temperature is greater than 2 degrees, it may mean that there is a partial failure in the heating device or the refrigeration device, or that an animal with a relatively low heat generation capacity has just been placed in the pet accommodation box. At this time, the previous temperature control parameters can also be adjusted by an amplitude of 3% or 5% so that the temperature in the accommodation space can quickly return to the target temperature.

[0060] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are mainly used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, and should not be construed as a limitation of the present application; the above embodiments have been described in detail and specifically by way of example, and those of ordinary skill in the art can modify the technical solutions described in the above embodiments, or replace some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not make the corresponding technical solutions and the technical solutions of the present application constitute different inventions, and thus should all be covered within the scope of the claims and the specification of the present application. In particular, in the case of no structural conflict or combination obstacle, the technical features mentioned in each embodiment can be combined in any way, and the technical solutions formed after such combination should not be considered as departing from the scope of the technical solutions of the present application in essence.

Claims

1. An adaptive temperature control method for an animal care chamber, characterized in that: include: Get the latest temperature control parameters when the temperature is stable. The latest temperature control parameters are stored to replace previous temperature control parameters.

2. The adaptive temperature control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The animal care warehouse includes a refrigeration device operating with a preset refrigeration power and a heating device with adjustable heating power. The latest temperature control parameters include thermal power parameters for characterizing heating power.

3. The adaptive temperature control method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The animal care chamber has a plurality of temperature levels, and each temperature level has a corresponding latest temperature control parameter.

4. The adaptive temperature control method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The adaptive temperature control method further includes: obtaining a target temperature input by a user, determining a temperature level corresponding to the target temperature, and obtaining a latest temperature control parameter corresponding to the temperature level.

5. The adaptive temperature control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The adaptive temperature control method further includes: When the animal care chamber in the rapid temperature control stage meets the preset conditions, it is determined that the animal care chamber enters a temperature stable state. The preset condition includes: the difference between the actual air inlet temperature and the target temperature, or the difference between the actual air outlet temperature and the target temperature is within a preset range, wherein the actual air outlet temperature is the temperature at the air outlet position, and the actual air inlet temperature is the temperature at the air inlet position.

6. The adaptive temperature control method according to claim 5, characterized in that: After the animal care chamber enters a temperature stable state, the method further comprises: Get the target air outlet temperature. Determine whether the difference between the actual air outlet temperature and the target air outlet temperature is greater than a first threshold, If the judgment result is yes, the previous temperature control parameters are fine-tuned to obtain the latest temperature control parameters, and the heating device is controlled to work with the latest temperature control parameters. The target air outlet temperature is obtained by the target temperature input by the user and the average difference between the actual air outlet temperature and the actual air inlet temperature within a preset time range in the past.

7. The adaptive temperature control method according to claim 6, characterized in that: After the animal care chamber enters a temperature stable state, the method further comprises: Get the actual air inlet temperature and the target temperature entered by the user. Determine whether the difference between the actual air inlet temperature and the target temperature is greater than a second threshold, If the judgment result is yes, the previous temperature control parameters are adjusted with a preset adjustment range to obtain the latest temperature control parameters, and the heating device is controlled to switch to the rapid temperature control stage.

8. The adaptive temperature control method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The fine-tuning of the previous temperature control parameters to obtain the latest temperature control parameters includes: Determine whether the temperature is full and adjust the conditions quickly. If the judgment result is yes, the previous temperature control parameter is adjusted with a first adjustment range that is not greater than the preset adjustment range to obtain the latest temperature control parameter. If the judgment result is no, the previous temperature control parameter is adjusted with a second adjustment amplitude smaller than the first adjustment amplitude to obtain the latest temperature control parameter. The temperature rapid adjustment condition includes: the difference between the actual air inlet temperature and the target temperature is greater than a third threshold, and the difference between the actual air outlet temperature and the target temperature is greater than at least one of a fourth threshold, wherein the third threshold is less than the second threshold, and the fourth threshold is greater than the first threshold.

9. The adaptive temperature control method according to claim 1, 5, 6, 7 or 8, characterized in that: The latest temperature control parameters when obtaining the temperature stable state include: After the animal care chamber is in the temperature stable state, the latest temperature control parameters are obtained at preset time intervals.

10. An animal care chamber, characterized in that: It includes a processor and a memory, the memory stores program instructions that can be executed by the processor, the program instructions are used to implement the adaptive temperature control method described in any one of claims 1 to 9, and the processor is coupled to the memory to read and execute the program instructions to implement the adaptive temperature control method described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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