Air conditioner element control device and method, air conditioner, storage medium and program product

Abstract

The invention provides an air conditioner element control device and method, an air conditioner, a storage medium and a computer program product, and the air conditioner element control device comprises a main control chip, a driving device and a voltage conversion device; the driving device is used for receiving the control data sent by the main control chip, converting the control data into a level control signal of the air conditioner element and sending the level control signal to the voltage conversion device; and the voltage conversion device is used for carrying out voltage conversion processing on the level control signal and sending the level control signal subjected to voltage conversion to the air conditioner element. According to the invention, the occupation of the air conditioner element on the port of the main control chip can be reduced, the cost is reduced, and the use efficiency of the main control chip is effectively improved; voltage conversion can be carried out on the level control signal, the voltage requirements of different air conditioner elements can be met, and the compatibility of the control device is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of control technology, and in particular to a control device and method for an air-conditioning element, an air conditioner, a storage medium, and a computer program product. Background Art

[0002] Air conditioners have become one of the indispensable devices in daily life and play an important role in life. A main control chip is usually set in the air conditioner, and the air conditioning components are controlled by the main control chip. The air conditioning components can be of various types, such as electronic expansion valves. Multiple electronic expansion valves can be set in the air conditioner to control the flow of refrigerant, and it is very important to accurately control the coordinated action of multiple electronic expansion valves. At present, when there are a large number of air conditioning components such as electronic expansion valves, it is easy to have insufficient ports on the main control chip, resulting in increased costs. In addition, when some air conditioning components such as electronic expansion valves are in a non-working state, the ports of the main control chip are ineffectively occupied, affecting the efficiency of the main control chip. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present disclosure provides a control device, method, air conditioner, storage medium and computer program product for an air conditioning element, which can convert control data into a level control signal, and perform voltage conversion processing on the level control signal and send it to the air conditioning element, so as to reduce the port occupancy of the main control chip and improve the utilization efficiency of the main control chip.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a control device for an air-conditioning element is provided, comprising: a main control chip, a drive device and a voltage conversion device; the drive device is respectively connected to the main control chip and the voltage conversion device, and is used to receive control data sent by the main control chip, convert the control data into a level control signal of the air-conditioning element, and send the level control signal to the voltage conversion device; the voltage conversion device is respectively connected to the drive device and the air-conditioning element, and is used to perform voltage conversion processing on the level control signal, and send the level control signal after voltage conversion to the air-conditioning element.

[0005] Optionally, the driving device includes: at least one driving chip; the driving chip is connected to the main control chip and the voltage conversion device respectively, and is used to convert the control data into the level control signal and send it to the voltage conversion device.

[0006] Optionally, there are multiple driver chips, and the multiple driver chips form a cascade structure; wherein, the data input port of the first-level driver chip is connected to the main control chip; the data displacement port of the upper-level driver chip is connected to the data input port of the lower-level driver chip; the signal input port of each driver chip is connected to the main control chip.

[0007] Optionally, the signal input port includes: a clock synchronization port and a latch port.

[0008] Optionally, the voltage conversion device includes: at least one voltage conversion chip; the voltage conversion chip is respectively connected to at least one driving chip and at least one air-conditioning component, for performing voltage conversion processing on the received level control signal, and sending the level control signal after voltage conversion to the corresponding air-conditioning component.

[0009] Optionally, the voltage conversion chip converts the first voltage of the level control signal into a second voltage, wherein the second voltage is greater than the first voltage.

[0010] Optionally, the main control chip is connected to the driving device via a bus communication, wherein the bus includes: an SPI bus.

[0011] Optionally, one air-conditioning element corresponds to a plurality of level control signals.

[0012] Optionally, the air conditioning element includes: an electronic throttling element of the air conditioner.

[0013] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, an air conditioner is provided, comprising: the control device for the air conditioner element as described above.

[0014] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a method for controlling an air-conditioning element is provided, comprising: sending control data to a driving device through a main control chip; converting the control data into a level control signal of the air-conditioning element through the driving device, and sending the level control signal to a voltage conversion device; performing voltage conversion processing on the level control signal through the voltage conversion device, and sending the level control signal after voltage conversion to the air-conditioning element.

[0015] Optionally, the driving device includes: at least one driving chip, and the control method includes: converting the control data into the level control signal and sending the signal to the voltage conversion device through the driving chip.

[0016] Optionally, there are multiple driver chips, and the multiple driver chips form a cascade structure; the data input port of the first-level driver chip is connected to the main control chip; the data displacement port of the upper-level driver chip is connected to the data input port of the lower-level driver chip; the signal input port of each driver chip is connected to the main control chip; the control method includes: through the main control chip, periodically sending the control data to the first-level driver chip according to a preset control interval time; wherein, when the driver chip receives the control data, this driver chip sends the control data received last time to the data input port of the driver chip at the lower level through the data displacement port.

[0017] Optionally, the signal input port includes a latch port; the control method includes: through the main control chip, after all the control data are sent, sending an enable signal to the latch port of each driver chip; wherein, upon receiving the enable signal, each driver chip converts the most recently received control data into the level control signal, and sends the level control signal to the voltage conversion device.

[0018] Optionally, the voltage conversion device includes: at least one voltage conversion chip; the voltage conversion chip is respectively connected to at least one driver chip and at least one air-conditioning component, and the control method includes: performing voltage conversion processing on the received level control signal through the voltage conversion chip, and sending the level control signal after voltage conversion to the corresponding air-conditioning component.

[0019] Optionally, the voltage conversion chip converts the first voltage of the level control signal into a second voltage, wherein the second voltage is greater than the first voltage.

[0020] Optionally, the main control chip is connected to the driving device via a bus communication; wherein the bus includes: an SPI bus; and the length of the control data is at least one byte.

[0021] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions, and when the instructions are executed by a processor, the control method of the air-conditioning element as described above is implemented.

[0022] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product is provided, wherein the computer program product stores computer instructions, and when the computer instructions are executed by a processor, the control method of the air-conditioning element as described above is implemented.

[0023] The control device, method, air conditioner, storage medium and computer program product of the air-conditioning element disclosed in the present invention convert the control data sent by the main control chip into a level control signal of the air-conditioning element through a driving device, and perform voltage conversion processing on the level control signal through a voltage conversion device and send it to the air-conditioning element. This can reduce the occupation of the port of the main control chip by the air-conditioning element, reduce costs and effectively improve the utilization efficiency of the main control chip; the level control signal can be converted into voltage, which can adapt to the voltage requirements of different air-conditioning elements, improve the compatibility of the control device, and enhance the user experience. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The above and other purposes, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent by describing the embodiments of the present disclosure in more detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the embodiments of the present disclosure, they are used to explain the present disclosure and do not constitute a limitation of the present disclosure. The above and other purposes and advantages of the present disclosure will be further described below in conjunction with specific embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, the same or corresponding technical features or components will be represented by the same or corresponding figure marks.

[0025] Figure 1 Schematic diagrams of some embodiments of control devices for air conditioning elements according to the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 2 Schematic diagrams of other embodiments of the control device for an air conditioning element according to the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 3 Schematic diagrams of further embodiments of the control device for an air conditioning element according to the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 4 is a flowchart of some embodiments of a method for controlling an air-conditioning element according to the present disclosure;

[0029] Figure 5 This is a flow chart of a main control chip sending control information in some embodiments of the control method of an air-conditioning element according to the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. For the sake of clarity and conciseness, not all features of the embodiments are described in the specification. However, it should be understood that many implementation-specific settings must be made in the process of implementing the embodiments in order to achieve the developer's specific goals, such as meeting those restrictions related to equipment and services, and these restrictions may vary depending on the implementation. In addition, it should be understood that although the development work may be very complex and time-consuming, it is only a routine task for those skilled in the art who benefit from the contents of this disclosure.

[0031] It should be noted that the relative arrangement of components and steps, the numerical expressions and numerical values set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present disclosure unless specifically stated otherwise.

[0032] Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first" and "second" in the embodiments of the present disclosure are only used to distinguish different steps, devices or modules, and do not represent any specific technical meanings, nor do they indicate a necessary logical order between them.

[0033] It should also be understood that in the embodiments of the present disclosure, “a plurality of” may refer to two or more than two, and “at least one” may refer to one, two, or more than two.

[0034] It should also be understood that any component, data or structure mentioned in the embodiments of the present disclosure can generally be understood as one or more, unless explicitly limited or otherwise indicated in the context.

[0035] In addition, the term "and / or" in this disclosure is merely a description of the association relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent three situations: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this disclosure generally indicates that the related objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0036] It should also be understood that the description of the various embodiments in this disclosure focuses on the differences between the various embodiments, and the same or similar aspects thereof can be referenced with each other. For the sake of brevity, they will not be described one by one.

[0037] At the same time, it should be understood that for the convenience of description, the sizes of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn according to the actual proportional relationship.

[0038] The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the present disclosure, its application, or uses.

[0039] Technologies, methods, and equipment known to ordinary technicians in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, the technologies, methods, and equipment should be considered part of the specification.

[0040] It should be noted that like reference numerals and letters refer to like items in the following figures, and therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it need not be further discussed in subsequent figures.

[0041] In addition, in order to avoid obscuring the present disclosure with unnecessary details, only the processing steps and / or device structures that are closely related to at least the solution according to the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, while other details that are not closely related to the present disclosure are omitted. It should also be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the drawings indicate similar items, and therefore once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be discussed again for subsequent drawings.

[0042] In some embodiments, as Figure 1 As shown, the present disclosure provides a control device for an air conditioner component, including a main control chip 01, a drive device 02, and a voltage conversion device 03. Main control chip 01 can be the main control chip of an air conditioner, etc. The air conditioner can be of various types, such as wall-mounted air conditioners and central air conditioners. Main control chip 01 can be of various types, such as an MCU (Microcontroller Unit).

[0043] The driving device 02 can be implemented in multiple ways. The driving device 02 is connected to the main control chip 01 and the voltage conversion device 03 respectively; the driving device 02 receives the control data sent by the main control chip 01, converts the control data into a level control signal of the air-conditioning component, and sends the level control signal to the voltage conversion device, wherein the control data can be multiple data.

[0044] The voltage conversion device 03 can be implemented in multiple ways. The voltage conversion device 03 is connected to the driving device 02 and the air-conditioning element 04 respectively. The voltage conversion device 03 performs voltage conversion processing on the level control signal sent by the driving device 02, and sends the level control signal after voltage conversion to the air-conditioning element 04.

[0045] The control device of the air-conditioning element disclosed in the present invention converts the control data sent by the main control chip into a level control signal of the air-conditioning element through a driving device, and performs voltage conversion processing on the level control signal through a voltage conversion device and sends it to the air-conditioning element. This can reduce the occupation of the port of the main control chip by the air-conditioning element, reduce costs and effectively improve the utilization efficiency of the main control chip; it can convert the level control signal into voltage, can adapt to the voltage requirements of different air-conditioning elements, can control multiple air-conditioning elements, and improve the compatibility of the control device.

[0046] The air-conditioning element 04 can be of various types, such as an electronic throttling element of an air conditioner, other level-driven solenoid valves, etc.; the electronic throttling element can be an electronic expansion valve, etc.; the number of air-conditioning elements 04 can be one or more, and the level control signals corresponding to one air-conditioning element may be multiple. For example, four control signals are required to control the electronic expansion valve, that is, the number of level control signals corresponding to the electronic expansion valve is four.

[0047] Using the control device disclosed in the present invention to control air-conditioning components with multiple level control signals can reduce the occupation of the ports of the main control chip by the air-conditioning components, reduce costs and effectively improve the utilization efficiency of the main control chip. In addition, it can realize the expansion function and adapt to the control expansion of the unit's multiple devices.

[0048] In some embodiments, the main control chip 01 and the driving device 02 can be connected via a bus communication, such as an SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) bus. Communicating between the main control chip 01 and the driving device 02 via the SPI bus can achieve high-speed data transmission with strong real-time performance and high reliability.

[0049] The driving device 02 may include at least one driving chip, which may be a variety of chips. The driving chips are connected to the main control chip 01 and the voltage conversion device 03 respectively, and are used to convert the control data sent by the main control chip 01 into a level control signal and send it to the voltage conversion device.

[0050] By converting the control data into the level control signal of the air-conditioning component through the driver chip, the air-conditioning component can reduce the occupancy of the main control chip, effectively improve the utilization efficiency of the main control chip, reduce costs, and improve the scalability of the driving device.

[0051] The voltage conversion device 02 may include at least one voltage conversion chip, which may be a variety of chips; the voltage conversion chip may be connected to at least one driver chip and at least one air-conditioning component respectively, for performing voltage conversion processing on the level control signal sent by the driver chip, and sending the level control signal after voltage conversion to the corresponding air-conditioning component.

[0052] By converting the level control signal into voltage through the voltage conversion chip, it can adapt to the voltage requirements of different air-conditioning components, can control multiple air-conditioning components, improve the compatibility and stability of the control device, and can improve the scalability of the voltage conversion device.

[0053] The voltage conversion chip can convert the first voltage of the level control signal into a second voltage, where the second voltage is greater than the first voltage, or the second voltage is less than or equal to the first voltage. For example, the voltage conversion chip converts the first voltage of the level control signal, 3.3V, into a second voltage, 12V, or the voltage conversion chip converts the first voltage of the level control signal, 3.3V, into a second voltage, 1.5V, etc.

[0054] By increasing the voltage of the level control signal through the voltage conversion chip, it can adapt to the high voltage of different air-conditioning components and improve the compatibility of air-conditioning component control.

[0055] In some embodiments, the number of driver chips can be one or more, and each driver chip can be independently connected to the main control chip; or, the number of driver chips can be multiple, and multiple driver chips form a cascade structure; wherein, the data input port of the first-level driver chip is connected to the main control chip; the data displacement port of the upper-level driver chip is connected to the data input port of the next-level driver chip; and the signal input port of each driver chip is connected to the main control chip.

[0056] By forming a cascade structure with multiple driver chips, there is no need to occupy new ports of the main control chip. The data input port of the first-level driver chip is connected to the main control chip, and the data displacement port of the upper-level driver chip is connected to the data input port of the next-level driver chip. When it is necessary to add driver chips and air-conditioning components, there is no need to increase the port occupancy of the main control chip. Only the driver chips need to be added to form a cascade, which effectively improves the utilization efficiency of the main control chip and improves the scalability of the drive device.

[0057] The driver chip's signal input ports include clock synchronization and latch ports. By connecting these ports to the main control chip, the driver chips can be controlled to perform simultaneous conversions, ensuring synchronized control of multiple air conditioning components and improving real-time control and accuracy.

[0058] In some embodiments, the air-conditioning elements in various air conditioners such as variable-frequency air conditioners include electronic expansion valves, etc. There are a large number of electronic expansion valves, and a synchronous control method is usually required for multiple electronic expansion valves. If each electronic expansion valve is directly connected to the main control chip, a large number of ports of the main control chip are occupied, which affects the utilization efficiency of the main control chip.

[0059] like Figure 2 As shown, the control device of the air-conditioning element includes: a main control chip 01, a driving device and a voltage conversion device, etc., wherein the driving device includes a driving chip 021 and a driving chip 022, etc., and the voltage conversion device includes a voltage conversion chip 031 and a voltage conversion chip 032, etc.

[0060] The air conditioning components include air conditioning component 041, air conditioning component 042, air conditioning component 043, air conditioning component 044, etc. Air conditioning components 041-044 are all electronic expansion valves, and each electronic expansion valve corresponds to four level control signals.

[0061] The driver chip 021 and the driver chip 022 form a cascade structure. The data input port of the first-level driver chip 021 is connected to the main control chip 01; the data displacement port DATA of the upper-level driver chip 021 is connected to the data input port of the next-level driver chip 022; the signal input ports of the driver chip 021 and the driver chip 022 are connected to the main control chip 01, and the signal input ports of the driver chip 021 and the driver chip 022 include a clock synchronization port and a latch port.

[0062] The main control chip 01 can connect to the driver chips 021 and 022 using a three-wire SPI communication method. High-speed communication can be configured, with the main control chip 01 acting as the master device and set to SPI master mode, and the driver chips 021 and 022 acting as slave devices and set to slave mode. Driver chips 021 and 022 can be a variety of chips, such as HC595 chips.

[0063] In the three-wire SPI communication mode, the SCK, STCP, and MOSI signal lines are required. SCK (Serial Clock) is a clock signal line generated by the master control chip 01 and used to synchronize data transmission between the master control chip 01 and the driver chips 021 and 022. STCP (Storage Clock Pulse, or RCLK) is a storage clock pulse line used to latch data in the shift register into the output register and trigger the parallel output of the data. MOSI (Master Out Slave In) is the master device output and slave device input line, with data transmission from the master device to the slave device.

[0064] The chip's ports can consist of one or more pins. The data input port of the first-stage driver chip 021 is connected to the main control chip 01 via the MOSI signal line. The data shift port DATA of the previous-stage driver chip 021 is connected to the data input port of the next-stage driver chip 022. The clock synchronization port and latch port of driver chips 021 and 022 can be connected to the main control chip 01 via the SCK and Stcp signal lines.

[0065] The main control chip 01 sends two control data for controlling the air-conditioning components 041-044. Each control data is 8-bit SPI data (one byte in length). Each bit of the 8-bit SPI data represents a level, 1 represents a high level, and 0 represents a low level. The length of the two control data is two bytes.

[0066] Voltage conversion chip 031 and voltage conversion chip 032 can be a variety of chips, used for voltage conversion. Voltage conversion chip 031 is connected to air conditioning element 041 and air conditioning element 042 respectively, and voltage conversion chip 031 is connected to driver chip 021; air conditioning element 041 and air conditioning element 042 respectively correspond to four level control signals.

[0067] Main control chip 01 and driver chip 021 use a 3.3V power supply as their operating power source, while voltage conversion chip 031 uses a 12V power supply as its operating power source. Voltage conversion chip 031 converts the eight 3.3V level control signals sent by driver chip 021 into eight 12V level control signals, and then sends the four 12V level control signals to air conditioning components 041 and 042, respectively.

[0068] Voltage conversion chip 032 is connected to air conditioning element 043 and air conditioning element 044, respectively, and is also connected to driver chip 022. Air conditioning element 043 and air conditioning element 044 each respond to the four level control signals sent by driver chip 022. Voltage conversion chip 032 converts the eight 3.3V level control signals sent by driver chip 022 into eight 12V level control signals, and sends the four 12V level control signals to air conditioning element 043 and air conditioning element 044, respectively.

[0069] Driver chip 021's port 10 is a clock synchronization port, port 11 is a latch port, port 12 is a data input port, and port 9 is a data shift port (DATA). Driver chip 022's port configuration is identical to that of driver chip 021. The data shift ports (DATA) of driver chips 021 and 022 are data signal synchronization ports.

[0070] The main control chip 01 periodically sends control data to the first-level driver chip 021 according to the preset control interval time. The control interval time can be set, for example, to 1ms; when the driver chip 021 receives the control data, the driver chip 021 sends the last received control data to the data input port of the driver chip at the next level through the data shift port DATA.

[0071] If there is a next-stage driver chip of the driver chip 022 in the cascade structure, when the driver chip 022 receives control data, the driver chip 022 sends the last received control data to the data input port of the next-stage driver chip of the driver chip 022 through the data shift port DATA.

[0072] For example, the preset control interval is 1ms, and the control data is DATA1 (corresponding to air conditioning components 043-044) and DATA2 (corresponding to air conditioning components 041-042). The length of DATA1 and DATA2 is 1 byte. The control data corresponding to air conditioning component 043 can be 0001, the control data corresponding to air conditioning component 044 can be 0010, the control data corresponding to air conditioning component 041 can be 0100, and the control data corresponding to air conditioning component 042 can be 1000. Therefore, the control data DATA1 and DATA2 are 8 bits (1 byte), and each bit in DATA1 and DATA2 represents a level control signal.

[0073] The main control chip 01 periodically sends control data DATA1 and DATA2 to the first-level driver chip 021 according to the preset control interval time 1ms; when the main control chip 01 sends control data DATA1, the driver chip 021 receives the control data DATA1, and the driver chip 021 does not send the control data that it did not receive last time.

[0074] The main control chip 01 sends control data DATA2 after an interval of 1ms. When the driver chip 021 receives the control data DATA2, the driver chip 021 sends the control data DATA1 received last time to the data input port of the driver chip 022 at the next level through the data shift port DATA, and synchronizes the control data DATA1 to the driver chip 022.

[0075] The latch ports of the driver chip 021 and the driver chip 022 are used to prevent the voltage levels of the output ports of the driver chip 021 and the driver chip 022 from unstable changes when the main control chip 01 sends control data.

[0076] After the main control chip 01 sends the control data DATA1 and the control data DATA2, the main control chip 01 sends an enable signal to the latch ports of the driver chip 021 and the driver chip 022 through the STCP signal line to control the driver chip 021 and the driver chip 022 to perform conversion synchronously.

[0077] When the driver chip 021 and the driver chip 022 receive the enable signal, the driver chip 021 converts the newly received control data DATA2 into eight level control signals and sends the eight level control signals to the voltage conversion chip 031; the driver chip 022 converts the newly received control data DATA1 into eight level control signals and sends the eight level control signals to the voltage conversion chip 032.

[0078] Voltage conversion chip 031 converts the eight-level control signals sent by driver chip 021 into eight 12V-level control signals, and sends four 12V-level control signals to air conditioning components 041 and 042, respectively. Voltage conversion chip 032 converts the eight-level control signals sent by driver chip 022 into eight 12V-level control signals, and sends four 12V-level control signals to air conditioning components 043 and 044, respectively.

[0079] If an additional driver chip is needed based on the number of air conditioning components, the data input port of the newly added driver chip is connected to the data shift port DATA of driver chip 022, and the clock synchronization port and latch port of the newly added driver chip are connected to main control chip 01. This means that the connection between the newly added driver chip, main control chip 01, and driver chip 022 is similar to the connection between driver chip 022, main control chip 01, and driver chip 021, forming a new cascade structure. A new voltage conversion chip can also be added, connected to the newly added voltage conversion chip, and connected to the newly added air conditioning components in the same manner as the connection between driver chip 022 and voltage conversion chip 032. The newly added driver chip converts the received control data into a voltage level control signal for the air conditioning component and sends it to the newly added voltage conversion chip. Using the same method, further expansion of driver chips, voltage conversion chips, and air conditioning components can be achieved.

[0080] In some embodiments, a corresponding voltage conversion chip can be provided for each air conditioning component. Figure 3 As shown, the control device for the air conditioning element includes a main control chip 01, a drive device, and a voltage conversion device. The drive device includes driver chips 021 and 022. The voltage conversion device includes voltage conversion chips 033-036. The air conditioning elements include air conditioning elements 041, 042, 043, and 044.

[0081] Driver chip 021 and driver chip 022 form a cascaded structure. Voltage conversion chips 033-036 are connected one-to-one with air conditioning components 041-044, respectively. Voltage conversion chips 033-034 are connected to driver chip 021; voltage conversion chips 035-036 are connected to driver chip 022. Air conditioning components 041-044 are all electronic expansion valves, each corresponding to four level control signals.

[0082] The control device for the air-conditioning element of the above-mentioned embodiment can reduce the occupation of the ports of the main control chip by the air-conditioning elements, reduce costs and effectively improve the utilization efficiency of the main control chip; it can perform voltage conversion on the level control signal, can adapt to the voltage requirements of different air-conditioning elements, can control multiple air-conditioning elements, and improve the compatibility and scalability of the control device; it can control the driving chip in a cascade manner to perform conversion processing at the same time, ensure synchronous control of multiple air-conditioning elements, and improve the real-time and accuracy of the control.

[0083] In some embodiments, the present invention provides an air conditioner, comprising a control device for an air conditioner element as described in any of the above embodiments. The air conditioner can be of various types, such as a wall-mounted air conditioner, a central air conditioner, and the like.

[0084] Figure 4 is a flow chart of some embodiments of the control method of the air conditioning element according to the present disclosure, such as Figure 4 As shown:

[0085] Step S401: Send control data to the driving device via the main control chip.

[0086] In step S402 , the control data is converted into a level control signal of the air-conditioning element through the driving device, and the level control signal is sent to the voltage conversion device.

[0087] In step S403, the voltage conversion device performs voltage conversion processing on the level control signal, and sends the voltage-converted level control signal to the air-conditioning component.

[0088] The control method of the air-conditioning element disclosed in the present invention can reduce the occupation of the ports of the main control chip by the air-conditioning element, reduce costs and effectively improve the utilization efficiency of the main control chip; it can convert the level control signal into voltage, can adapt to the voltage requirements of different air-conditioning elements, and can control multiple air-conditioning elements.

[0089] In some embodiments, the driving device includes at least one driving chip; the driving chip converts the control data into a level control signal and sends the signal to the voltage conversion device.

[0090] By converting the level control signal through the driver chip, the occupation of the main control chip by the air-conditioning components can be reduced, the utilization efficiency of the main control chip can be effectively improved, and the scalability of the driving device can be improved.

[0091] In some embodiments, there are multiple driver chips, and the multiple driver chips form a cascade structure; the data input port of the first-level driver chip is connected to the main control chip, the data shift port of the upper-level driver chip is connected to the data input port of the next-level driver chip, and the signal input port of each driver chip is connected to the main control chip; the signal input port includes a latch port, etc.

[0092] Figure 5 This is a flow chart of the main control chip sending control information in some embodiments of the control method of the air-conditioning element according to the present disclosure, such as Figure 5 As shown:

[0093] Step S501 : The main control chip periodically sends control data to the primary driver chip according to a preset control interval.

[0094] When the driver chip receives the control data, the driver chip sends the control data received last time to the data input port of the driver chip at the next stage through the data shift port.

[0095] By arranging multiple driver chips into a cascade structure, that is, forming a hierarchical expansion architecture through multiple driver chips, there is no need to increase the port occupancy of the main control chip, which effectively improves the utilization efficiency of the main control chip and can synchronously control multiple air-conditioning components.

[0096] Step S502 : After all control data are sent, the main control chip sends an enable signal to the latch port of each driver chip.

[0097] When receiving the enable signal, each driver chip converts the latest received control data into a level control signal and sends the level control signal to the voltage conversion device.

[0098] By sending an enable signal, multiple air-conditioning components can be controlled synchronously, which can ensure the synchronous control of multiple air-conditioning components and improve the real-time and accuracy of the control.

[0099] In some embodiments, the voltage conversion device includes at least one voltage conversion chip; the voltage conversion chip is respectively connected to at least one driver chip and at least one air-conditioning element; the received level control signal is voltage-converted through the voltage conversion chip, and the level control signal after voltage conversion is sent to the corresponding air-conditioning element, which can adapt to the voltage requirements of different air-conditioning elements, can control multiple air-conditioning elements, and improve the reliability of control.

[0100] The first voltage of the level control signal is converted into a second voltage through a voltage conversion chip, wherein the second voltage is greater than the first voltage, and can adapt to the high voltages of different air-conditioning components, thereby improving the compatibility of air-conditioning component control.

[0101] The main control chip and the drive device are connected via bus communication; the bus includes an SPI bus, etc.; the length of the control data is at least one byte; communication connection via the bus can achieve high-speed data transmission, strong real-time performance and high reliability.

[0102] In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions. When the instructions are executed by a processor, the control method of the air-conditioning element in any of the above embodiments is implemented.

[0103] Computer readable storage media can adopt any combination of one or more readable media. The readable medium can be a readable signal medium or a readable storage medium. The readable storage medium can, for example, include but is not limited to a system, device or component of electricity, magnetism, light, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor, or any combination thereof. More specific examples (non-exhaustive enumeration) of readable storage media can include: an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0104] The embodiments of the present disclosure may also be a computer program product, which includes computer program instructions. When the computer program instructions are executed by a processor, the processor executes the steps of the method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure described in the above “Exemplary Method” section of this specification.

[0105] The control device, method, air conditioner, storage medium and computer program product of the air-conditioning element in the above-mentioned embodiments can reduce the occupation of the port of the main control chip by the air-conditioning element, reduce costs and effectively improve the utilization efficiency of the main control chip, can adapt to the voltage requirements of different air-conditioning elements, and improve the compatibility and scalability of the control device; can synchronously control multiple air-conditioning elements, improve the real-time and accuracy of the control; and improve user satisfaction.

[0106] The basic principles of the present disclosure have been described above in conjunction with specific embodiments. However, it should be noted that the advantages, strengths, and effects mentioned in this disclosure are merely illustrative and not restrictive, and should not be construed as necessarily possessed by each embodiment of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the specific details disclosed above are provided for illustrative purposes and to facilitate understanding, rather than as limitations. These details do not limit the present disclosure to necessarily being implemented using these specific details.

[0107] Each embodiment in this specification is described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on its differences from the other embodiments. References to the same or similar parts between the various embodiments are sufficient. For system embodiments, since they largely correspond to method embodiments, their description is relatively simple. For relevant parts, references to the description of the method embodiments are sufficient.

[0108] The block diagrams of the devices, devices, equipment, and systems involved in this disclosure are merely illustrative examples and are not intended to require or imply that they must be connected, arranged, or configured in the manner shown in the block diagrams. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, these devices, devices, equipment, and systems can be connected, arranged, or configured in any manner. Words such as "include," "comprise," "have," and the like are open-ended words, meaning "including but not limited to," and can be used interchangeably therewith. The words "or" and "and" used herein refer to the words "and / or" and can be used interchangeably therewith, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The word "such as" used herein refers to the phrase "such as but not limited to," and can be used interchangeably therewith.

[0109] It should also be noted that in the apparatus, device, and method of the present disclosure, each component or each step can be decomposed and / or recombined. Such decomposition and / or recombination should be regarded as equivalent solutions of the present disclosure.

[0110] The above description of the disclosed aspects is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present disclosure. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but rather to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0111] The above description has been provided for the purpose of illustration and description. In addition, this description is not intended to limit the embodiments of the present disclosure to the forms disclosed herein. Although a number of example aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the above embodiments are merely illustrative and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the above embodiments may be combined, modified, or replaced without departing from the scope and essence of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A control device for an air conditioning element, comprising: Main control chip, drive device and voltage conversion device; The driving device is connected to the main control chip and the voltage conversion device respectively, and is used to receive control data sent by the main control chip, convert the control data into a level control signal of the air conditioning element, and send the level control signal to the voltage conversion device; The voltage conversion device is connected to the driving device and the air conditioning element respectively, and is used to perform voltage conversion processing on the level control signal and send the level control signal after voltage conversion to the air conditioning element.

2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein: The driving device includes: at least one driving chip; The driving chip is connected to the main control chip and the voltage conversion device respectively, and is used to convert the control data into the level control signal and send it to the voltage conversion device.

3. The control device according to claim 2, wherein: There are multiple driver chips, and the multiple driver chips form a cascade structure; Among them, the data input port of the first-level driver chip is connected to the main control chip; the data displacement port of the previous-level driver chip is connected to the data input port of the next-level driver chip; and the signal input ports of each driver chip are connected to the main control chip.

4. The control device according to claim 3, wherein: The signal input port includes a clock synchronization port and a latch port.

5. The control device according to claim 2, wherein: The voltage conversion device includes: at least one voltage conversion chip; The voltage conversion chip is connected to at least one driving chip and at least one air conditioning component respectively, and is used to perform voltage conversion processing on the received level control signal and send the level control signal after voltage conversion to the corresponding air conditioning component.

6. The control device according to claim 5, wherein: The voltage conversion chip converts a first voltage of the level control signal into a second voltage, wherein the second voltage is greater than the first voltage.

7. The control device according to claim 1, wherein: The main control chip is connected to the driving device via a bus communication, wherein the bus includes an SPI bus.

8. The control device according to claim 1, wherein: One air conditioning element corresponds to a plurality of level control signals.

9. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The air conditioning element includes: an electronic throttling element of the air conditioner.

10. An air conditioner comprising: A control device for an air conditioning element according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A method for controlling an air conditioning element, comprising: Send control data to the drive device through the main control chip; The control data is converted into a level control signal of the air conditioning element by the driving device, and the level control signal is sent to the voltage conversion device; The voltage conversion device performs voltage conversion processing on the level control signal, and sends the level control signal after voltage conversion to the air conditioning component.

12. The control method according to claim 11, wherein: The driving device comprises: At least one driver chip, the control method includes: The control data is converted into the level control signal by the driving chip and sent to the voltage conversion device.

13. The control method according to claim 11, wherein: There are multiple driver chips, and the multiple driver chips form a cascade structure; the data input port of the first-level driver chip is connected to the main control chip; The data shift port of the upper-level driver chip is connected to the data input port of the lower-level driver chip; the signal input port of each driver chip is connected to the main control chip; the control method includes: The main control chip periodically sends the control data to the primary driver chip according to a preset control interval; When the driver chip receives the control data, the driver chip sends the control data received last time to the data input port of the driver chip at the next level through the data shift port.

14. The control method according to claim 13, wherein: The signal input port includes a latch port; the control method includes: After all the control data are sent, the main control chip sends an enable signal to the latch port of each driver chip; When receiving the enable signal, each driver chip converts the most recently received control data into the level control signal, and sends the level control signal to the voltage conversion device.

15. The control method according to claim 11, wherein: The voltage conversion device includes: at least one voltage conversion chip; the voltage conversion chip is respectively connected to at least one driver chip and at least one air conditioning element, and the control method includes: The voltage conversion chip performs voltage conversion processing on the received level control signal, and sends the level control signal after voltage conversion to the corresponding air-conditioning component.

16. The control method according to claim 15, wherein: The voltage conversion chip converts the first voltage of the level control signal into a second voltage, wherein the second voltage is greater than the first voltage.

17. The control method according to any one of claims 11 to 16, wherein: The main control chip is connected to the driving device via bus communication; Wherein, the bus includes: an SPI bus; and the length of the control data is at least one byte. 18 . A computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions, wherein the instructions are executed by a processor to implement the control method of the air-conditioning element according to claim 11 .

19. A computer program product, wherein the computer program product stores computer instructions, and when the computer instructions are executed by a processor, the method for controlling an air conditioning element according to any one of claims 11 to 17 is implemented.

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