Online control method, air conditioner, and storage medium

Abstract

The application discloses an online control method, an air conditioner and a storage medium, relates to the technical field of air conditioners, and is applied to an outdoor unit. The outdoor unit is in communication connection with at least one branch box, and the at least one branch box is in communication connection with at least one indoor unit. The method mainly comprises the following steps: acquiring branch box requirements sent by the at least one branch box; determining outdoor unit requirements based on the branch box requirements; and performing online control according to the outdoor unit requirements. The branch box requirements are determined by the at least one branch box according to demand state information of the at least one indoor unit. The demand state information of the indoor unit is judged and processed by the branch box to assist the outdoor unit, and the operation state of the indoor unit does not need to be directly recognized by the outdoor unit. The application provides a perfect and efficient judgment mechanism, can reduce the complexity and / or processing time of the outdoor unit, improves the processing efficiency, and thus improves the regulation and control effect of the multi online air conditioner system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of air conditioning technology, and more particularly to an online control method, an air conditioner, and a storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] A multi-split air conditioning system consists of one or more outdoor units connected to several indoor units of different or the same type and capacity. It can directly provide treated air to one or more areas. If the cooling, dehumidification or heating needs of different indoor units are different, a single-pipe outdoor unit cannot meet the cooling or dehumidification and heating needs at the same time.

[0003] Existing technologies primarily rely on the outdoor unit to determine the cooling, dehumidification, or heating needs of the indoor unit, and this approach is based on a single, preconceived notion. In scenarios with a large number of connected units and / or different communication methods, the outdoor unit faces significant processing difficulties and / or long processing times, lacking a robust and efficient judgment mechanism, which is detrimental to the control of multi-split air conditioning systems.

[0004] The above content is only used to help understand the technical solution of the present invention and does not represent an admission that the above content is prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The main objective of this invention is to provide an online control method, an air conditioner, and a storage medium, aiming to provide a complete and efficient judgment mechanism to improve the control effect of multi-split air conditioning systems.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides an online control method, which is applied to an outdoor unit, wherein the outdoor unit is communicatively connected to at least one branch box, and the at least one branch box is communicatively connected to at least one indoor unit. The online control method includes:

[0007] Obtain the branch box request sent by at least one branch box;

[0008] Based on the requirements of the branch box, the outdoor functional requirements are determined, and online control is performed according to the outdoor functional requirements;

[0009] The branch box requirement is determined by the at least one branch box based on the requirement status information of the at least one indoor unit.

[0010] Optionally, the branch box requirements include at least one of cooling or dehumidification requirements, heating requirements, air supply requirements, shutdown requirements, and zero requirements, and the step of determining the outdoor unit performance requirements based on the branch box requirements includes:

[0011] If the branch box requirements include cooling or dehumidification and / or heating requirements, then the outdoor unit requirements are determined in conjunction with the preset first priority rule.

[0012] If the branch box requirement does not include cooling or dehumidification and heating requirements, but includes air supply requirements, then the outdoor unit is determined to be in standby mode.

[0013] If the branch box requirement is a shutdown requirement, then the outdoor unit is determined to be in standby mode;

[0014] If the demand of the branch box is zero and the four-way valve of the outdoor unit is in cooling mode, then the four-way valve remains in cooling mode and the heating demand of other branch boxes connected to the outdoor unit is stopped.

[0015] If the demand for the branch box is zero and the four-way valve of the outdoor unit is in heating mode, then the four-way valve remains in heating mode, and the cooling or dehumidification demand of other branch boxes connected to the outdoor unit is stopped.

[0016] Optionally, the first priority rule includes at least one of the following: outdoor unit cooling or dehumidification priority mode, outdoor unit heating priority mode, outdoor unit first-in-first-out mode, and outdoor unit setting priority mode. The step of determining the outdoor unit's energy requirement in combination with the preset first priority rule includes:

[0017] In the outdoor unit's cooling or dehumidification priority mode, if the branch box demand includes cooling or dehumidification demand, then the outdoor unit is determined to be in cooling or dehumidification operation; if the branch box demand does not include cooling or dehumidification demand but includes heating demand, then the outdoor unit is determined to be in heating operation.

[0018] In the outdoor unit heating priority mode, if the demand of the branch box includes heating demand, then the outdoor unit is determined to be in heating operation; if the demand of the branch box does not include heating demand but includes cooling or dehumidification demand, then the outdoor unit is determined to be in cooling or dehumidification operation.

[0019] In the outdoor unit first-in-first-out mode, if a cooling or dehumidification demand is received first, the outdoor unit is determined to operate in cooling or dehumidification mode; if a heating demand is received first, the outdoor unit is determined to operate in heating mode; if a ventilation demand is received first, the outdoor unit is determined to operate in ventilation mode.

[0020] In the outdoor unit priority setting mode, if a cooling or dehumidification request is received from the first priority branch box in the at least one branch box, it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in cooling or dehumidification mode; if a heating request is received from the first priority branch box in the at least one branch box, it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in heating mode; if a ventilation request is received from the first priority branch box in the at least one branch box, it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in ventilation mode; if a shutdown request is received from the first priority branch box in the at least one branch box, the outdoor unit needs to operate according to the priority order of the remaining branch boxes in the at least one branch box, and / or, the outdoor unit needs to operate according to the first-in-first-out mode.

[0021] Optionally, the step of performing online control based on the outdoor unit's function includes:

[0022] In the outdoor unit's cooling or dehumidification priority mode, if it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in cooling or dehumidification mode, a mode conflict report is sent to the branch box that sends the heating demand; if it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in heating mode, a mode conflict report is sent to the branch box that sends the air supply demand.

[0023] In the outdoor unit heating priority mode, if it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in heating mode, a mode conflict report is sent to the divergence box that sends the cooling or dehumidification or air supply demand.

[0024] In the outdoor unit first-in-first-out mode, if it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in cooling or dehumidification mode, a mode conflict is reported to the branch box that sent the heating demand; if it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in heating mode, a mode conflict is reported to the branch box that sent the cooling, dehumidification, or air supply demand; if it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in air supply mode, a mode conflict is reported to the branch box that sent the new heating demand; if it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in air supply mode and then a cooling or dehumidification demand is received, then it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in cooling or dehumidification mode.

[0025] In the outdoor unit priority setting mode, if it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in cooling, dehumidification, or ventilation mode, a mode conflict is reported to the branch box that sent the heating request; if it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in heating mode, a mode conflict is reported to the branch box that sent the cooling, dehumidification, or ventilation request; if it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in ventilation mode, and if a cooling or dehumidification request is received from the other branch boxes in the at least one branch box, then it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in cooling or dehumidification mode.

[0026] Furthermore, to achieve the above objectives, the present invention also provides an online control method, wherein the online control method is applied to at least one branch box, the at least one branch box being communicatively connected to an outdoor unit, and the at least one branch box also being communicatively connected to at least one indoor unit, the online control method comprising:

[0027] Obtain the required status information of at least one indoor unit;

[0028] Determine the branch box requirements based on the aforementioned demand status information;

[0029] The branch box requirements are sent to the outdoor unit so that the outdoor unit can determine its own performance requirements based on the branch box requirements and perform online control according to the outdoor unit's performance requirements.

[0030] Optionally, the demand status information includes at least one of cooling or dehumidification energy demand, heating energy demand, air supply status, shutdown status, and temperature-reached shutdown status. The step of determining the branch box demand based on the demand status information includes:

[0031] If the demand status information includes at least one of cooling or dehumidification energy demand, heating energy demand, and temperature-reached shutdown status, then the branch box demand is determined in conjunction with the preset second priority rule.

[0032] If the demand status information does not include cooling or dehumidification energy demand and heating energy demand, and at least one indoor unit is in the air supply state, then the branch box demand is determined to be the air supply demand.

[0033] If the required status information is in the shutdown state, then the branch box requirement is determined to be a shutdown requirement.

[0034] Optionally, the second priority rule includes at least one of the following: branch box cooling or dehumidification priority mode, branch box heating priority mode, branch box first-in-first-out mode, and branch box setting priority mode. The step of determining the branch box requirements in combination with the preset second priority rule includes:

[0035] In the branch box cooling or dehumidification priority mode, if the demand status information includes cooling or dehumidification energy demand, then the branch box demand is determined to be cooling or dehumidification demand; if the demand status information does not include cooling or dehumidification energy demand but includes heating energy demand, then the branch box demand is determined to be heating demand.

[0036] In the branch box heating priority mode, if the demand status information includes heating energy demand, then the branch box demand is determined to be heating demand; if the demand status information does not include heating energy demand but includes cooling or dehumidification energy demand, then the branch box demand is determined to be cooling or dehumidification demand.

[0037] In the first-in, first-out (FIFO) mode, if a cooling or dehumidification energy demand is received first, the demand of the FIFO is determined to be a cooling or dehumidification demand; if a heating energy demand is received first, the demand of the FIFO is determined to be a heating demand; if a ventilation state is received first, the demand of the FIFO is determined to be a ventilation demand; if a heating temperature-reached shutdown state is received first, the demand of the FIFO is determined to be zero, and the processing of cooling or dehumidification energy demands of other indoor units connected to at least one FIFO is stopped; if a cooling temperature-reached shutdown state is received first, the demand of the FIFO is determined to be zero, and the processing of heating energy demands of other indoor units connected to at least one FIFO is stopped.

[0038] In the branch box priority setting mode, if a cooling or dehumidifying energy demand is received from the first priority indoor unit connected to the at least one branch box, the branch box demand is determined to be a cooling or dehumidifying demand; if a heating energy demand is received from the first priority indoor unit connected to the at least one branch box, the branch box demand is determined to be a heating demand; if a ventilation status is received from the first priority indoor unit connected to the at least one branch box, the branch box demand is determined to be a ventilation demand; if the first priority indoor unit connected to the at least one branch box is in a shutdown state, the branch box demand is determined according to the priority order of the other indoor units connected to the at least one branch box, and / or, according to a first-in-first-out mode; if the first priority indoor unit connected to the at least one branch box is in a heating-reach-temperature-stop state, the branch box demand is determined to be zero demand, and the processing of cooling or dehumidifying energy demands from the other indoor units connected to the at least one branch box is stopped; if the first priority indoor unit connected to the at least one branch box is in a cooling-reach-temperature-stop state, the branch box demand is determined to be zero demand, and the processing of heating energy demands from the other indoor units connected to the at least one branch box is stopped.

[0039] Optionally, after the step of determining the branch box demand based on the demand status information, the method further includes:

[0040] In the branch box cooling or dehumidification priority mode, if the branch box demand is determined to be cooling or dehumidification demand, then the indoor unit sending the heating energy demand will report a mode conflict; if the branch box demand is determined to be heating demand, then the indoor unit sending the air supply status will report a mode conflict.

[0041] In the branch box heating priority mode, if the branch box demand is determined to be a heating demand, a mode conflict will be reported to the indoor unit that sends the cooling or dehumidification energy demand or air supply status.

[0042] In the first-in, first-out mode of the branch box, if it is determined that the branch box demand is a cooling or dehumidification demand, a mode conflict is reported to the indoor unit that sent the heating energy demand; if it is determined that the branch box demand is a heating demand, a mode conflict is reported to the indoor unit that sent the cooling or dehumidification energy demand or the air supply status; if it is determined that the branch box demand is an air supply demand, a mode conflict is reported to the indoor unit that newly sent the heating energy demand; if a cooling or dehumidification energy demand is received after it is determined that the branch box demand is an air supply demand, then the branch box demand is determined to be a cooling or dehumidification demand.

[0043] In the branch box priority setting mode, if it is determined that the branch box demand is a cooling, dehumidification, or air supply demand, a mode conflict is reported to the indoor unit that sent the heating energy demand; if it is determined that the branch box demand is a heating demand, a mode conflict is reported to the indoor unit that sent the cooling, dehumidification, or air supply demand; if it is determined that the branch box demand is an air supply demand, and a cooling or dehumidification energy demand is received from other indoor units connected to the at least one branch box, then the branch box demand is determined to be a cooling or dehumidification demand.

[0044] If a mode conflict is received from the outdoor unit, the mode conflict will be sent to the corresponding indoor unit.

[0045] In addition, to achieve the above objectives, the present invention also provides an air conditioner, the air conditioner including a memory, a processor and an online control program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the online control program, when executed by the processor, implements the steps of the online control method as described above.

[0046] In addition, to achieve the above objectives, the present invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing an online control program, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the online control method as described above.

[0047] This invention proposes an online control method, an air conditioner, and a storage medium. The online control method is applied to an outdoor unit, which is communicatively connected to at least one branch box. The at least one branch box is communicatively connected to at least one indoor unit. The method mainly obtains the branch box requirements sent by the at least one branch box; determines the outdoor unit's energy requirements based on the branch box requirements; and performs online control according to the outdoor unit's energy requirements. The branch box requirements are determined by the at least one branch box based on the demand status information of the at least one indoor unit. By using the branch box to assist the outdoor unit in judging and processing the demand status information of the indoor units, the outdoor unit does not need to directly identify the operating status of the indoor units. This provides a complete and efficient judgment mechanism, which can reduce the complexity and / or processing time of the outdoor unit, improve processing efficiency, and thus improve the control effect of multi-split air conditioning systems. Attached Figure Description

[0048] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the functional modules of the air conditioner belonging to the online control device of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the online control method of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the system principle in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0051] Figure 4 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the specific process of step S20 in the embodiment;

[0052] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the first control flow in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0053] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating another exemplary embodiment of the online control method of the present invention;

[0054] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the connection method in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0055] Figure 8 for Figure 6 A detailed flowchart of step A20 in the embodiment;

[0056] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the second control flow in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0057] The realization of the objective, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0058] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention.

[0059] The main solution of this invention is as follows: the online control method is applied to an outdoor unit, which is communicatively connected to at least one branch box, and the at least one branch box is communicatively connected to at least one indoor unit. The method mainly obtains the branch box requirements sent by the at least one branch box; determines the outdoor unit's energy requirements based on the branch box requirements; and performs online control according to the outdoor unit's energy requirements. The branch box requirements are determined by the at least one branch box based on the demand status information of the at least one indoor unit. By using the branch box to assist the outdoor unit in judging and processing the indoor unit's demand status information, the outdoor unit does not need to directly identify the indoor unit's operating status. This provides a complete and efficient judgment mechanism, which can reduce the complexity and / or processing time of the outdoor unit, improve processing efficiency, and thus improve the control effect of the multi-split air conditioning system.

[0060] In existing technologies, the energy demand of different indoor units is determined by the outdoor unit. In the case of a branch box, the branch box is simply treated as an indoor unit, receiving data from indoor units with different communication methods. If all data is processed by the outdoor unit, the processing time of the outdoor unit will be too long in scenarios with a large number of connected units and different communication methods. Furthermore, there is no priority judgment during the processing, and a first-come, first-served control method is forcibly adopted. The judgment basis is singular, and there is a lack of a sound and efficient judgment mechanism, which is not conducive to the control of multi-split air conditioning systems.

[0061] This invention provides a solution by automatically setting priority rules between the branch box and the outdoor unit during installation via an engineering mode. The branch box assists the outdoor unit in judging and processing the cooling, dehumidification, or heating needs of the indoor units, and employs multiple priority rules for judgment, providing a complete and efficient judgment mechanism. The priority selection of the branch box is limited by the priority of the outdoor unit, which can prevent operable indoor units from being in a mode conflict state when information is transmitted across multiple layers. Due to the complexity of the communication method, the outdoor unit does not need to directly identify the status of all indoor units; it can make judgments through the branch box, which can reduce the complexity and / or processing time of the outdoor unit, improve processing efficiency, and thus improve the control effect of the multi-split air conditioning system.

[0062] Specifically, refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the functional modules of the air conditioner to which the online control device of the present invention belongs. The online control device can be an independent device capable of online control, separate from the air conditioner, and can be implemented on the air conditioner in hardware or software form. The air conditioner can be controlled by a smart mobile terminal with data processing capabilities, such as a mobile phone or tablet computer, or it can be a directly functional air conditioner with data processing capabilities.

[0063] In this embodiment, the air conditioner belonging to the online control device includes at least an output module 110, a processor 120, a memory 130, and a communication module 140.

[0064] The memory 130 stores the operating system and online control program. The online control device can store information such as the branch box request sent by at least one branch box in the memory 130. The output module 110 can be a display screen, etc. The communication module 140 can include a WIFI module, a mobile communication module, and a Bluetooth module, etc., and communicates with external devices or servers through the communication module 140.

[0065] When the online control program in memory 130 is executed by the processor, it performs the following steps:

[0066] Obtain the branch box request sent by at least one branch box;

[0067] Based on the requirements of the branch box, the outdoor functional requirements are determined, and online control is performed according to the outdoor functional requirements;

[0068] The branch box requirement is determined by the at least one branch box based on the requirement status information of the at least one indoor unit.

[0069] Furthermore, when the online control program in memory 130 is executed by the processor, it also performs the following steps:

[0070] If the branch box requirements include cooling or dehumidification and / or heating requirements, then the outdoor unit requirements are determined in conjunction with the preset first priority rule.

[0071] If the branch box requirement does not include cooling or dehumidification and heating requirements, but includes air supply requirements, then the outdoor unit is determined to be in standby mode.

[0072] If the branch box requirement is a shutdown requirement, then the outdoor unit is determined to be in standby mode;

[0073] If the demand of the branch box is zero and the four-way valve of the outdoor unit is in cooling mode, then the four-way valve remains in cooling mode and the heating demand of other branch boxes connected to the outdoor unit is stopped.

[0074] If the demand for the branch box is zero and the four-way valve of the outdoor unit is in heating mode, then the four-way valve remains in heating mode, and the cooling or dehumidification demand of other branch boxes connected to the outdoor unit is stopped.

[0075] Furthermore, when the online control program in memory 130 is executed by the processor, it also performs the following steps:

[0076] In the outdoor unit's cooling or dehumidification priority mode, if the branch box demand includes cooling or dehumidification demand, then the outdoor unit is determined to be in cooling or dehumidification operation; if the branch box demand does not include cooling or dehumidification demand but includes heating demand, then the outdoor unit is determined to be in heating operation.

[0077] In the outdoor unit heating priority mode, if the demand of the branch box includes heating demand, then the outdoor unit is determined to be in heating operation; if the demand of the branch box does not include heating demand but includes cooling or dehumidification demand, then the outdoor unit is determined to be in cooling or dehumidification operation.

[0078] In the outdoor unit first-in-first-out mode, if a cooling or dehumidification demand is received first, the outdoor unit is determined to operate in cooling or dehumidification mode; if a heating demand is received first, the outdoor unit is determined to operate in heating mode; if a ventilation demand is received first, the outdoor unit is determined to operate in ventilation mode.

[0079] In the outdoor unit priority setting mode, if a cooling or dehumidification request is received from the first priority branch box in the at least one branch box, it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in cooling or dehumidification mode; if a heating request is received from the first priority branch box in the at least one branch box, it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in heating mode; if a ventilation request is received from the first priority branch box in the at least one branch box, it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in ventilation mode; if a shutdown request is received from the first priority branch box in the at least one branch box, the outdoor unit needs to operate according to the priority order of the remaining branch boxes in the at least one branch box, and / or, the outdoor unit needs to operate according to the first-in-first-out mode.

[0080] Furthermore, when the online control program in memory 130 is executed by the processor, it also performs the following steps:

[0081] In the outdoor unit's cooling or dehumidification priority mode, if it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in cooling or dehumidification mode, a mode conflict report is sent to the branch box that sends the heating demand; if it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in heating mode, a mode conflict report is sent to the branch box that sends the air supply demand.

[0082] In the outdoor unit heating priority mode, if it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in heating mode, a mode conflict report is sent to the divergence box that sends the cooling or dehumidification or air supply demand.

[0083] In the outdoor unit first-in-first-out mode, if it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in cooling or dehumidification mode, a mode conflict is reported to the branch box that sent the heating demand; if it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in heating mode, a mode conflict is reported to the branch box that sent the cooling, dehumidification, or air supply demand; if it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in air supply mode, a mode conflict is reported to the branch box that sent the new heating demand; if it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in air supply mode and then a cooling or dehumidification demand is received, then it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in cooling or dehumidification mode.

[0084] In the outdoor unit priority setting mode, if it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in cooling, dehumidification, or ventilation mode, a mode conflict is reported to the branch box that sent the heating request; if it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in heating mode, a mode conflict is reported to the branch box that sent the cooling, dehumidification, or ventilation request; if it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in ventilation mode, and if a cooling or dehumidification request is received from the other branch boxes in the at least one branch box, then it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in cooling or dehumidification mode.

[0085] Furthermore, when the online control program in memory 130 is executed by the processor, it also performs the following steps:

[0086] Obtain the required status information of at least one indoor unit;

[0087] Determine the branch box requirements based on the aforementioned demand status information;

[0088] The branch box requirements are sent to the outdoor unit so that the outdoor unit can determine its own performance requirements based on the branch box requirements and perform online control according to the outdoor unit's performance requirements.

[0089] Furthermore, when the online control program in memory 130 is executed by the processor, it also performs the following steps:

[0090] If the demand status information includes cooling or dehumidification energy demand and / or heating energy demand, then the branch box demand is determined in conjunction with the preset second priority rule;

[0091] If the demand status information does not include cooling or dehumidification energy demand and heating energy demand, and at least one indoor unit is in the air supply state, then the branch box demand is determined to be the air supply demand.

[0092] If the required status information is in the shutdown state, then the branch box requirement is determined to be a shutdown requirement;

[0093] If at least one indoor unit is in a heating-to-temperature-reach-and-shutdown state, then the demand for the distribution box is determined to be zero, and the cooling or dehumidification energy demand of other indoor units connected to the at least one distribution box is stopped.

[0094] If at least one indoor unit is in a cooling-to-temperature-stop-stop state, the demand for the distribution box is determined to be zero, and the heating energy demand of other indoor units connected to the at least one distribution box is stopped.

[0095] Furthermore, when the online control program in memory 130 is executed by the processor, it also performs the following steps:

[0096] In the branch box cooling or dehumidification priority mode, if the demand status information includes cooling or dehumidification energy demand, then the branch box demand is determined to be cooling or dehumidification demand; if the demand status information does not include cooling or dehumidification energy demand but includes heating energy demand, then the branch box demand is determined to be heating demand.

[0097] In the branch box heating priority mode, if the demand status information includes heating energy demand, then the branch box demand is determined to be heating demand; if the demand status information does not include heating energy demand but includes cooling or dehumidification energy demand, then the branch box demand is determined to be cooling or dehumidification demand.

[0098] In the first-in, first-out (FIFO) mode, if a cooling or dehumidification energy demand is received first, the demand of the FIFO is determined to be a cooling or dehumidification demand; if a heating energy demand is received first, the demand of the FIFO is determined to be a heating demand; if a ventilation state is received first, the demand of the FIFO is determined to be a ventilation demand; if a heating temperature-reached shutdown state is received first, the demand of the FIFO is determined to be zero, and the processing of cooling or dehumidification energy demands of other indoor units connected to at least one FIFO is stopped; if a cooling temperature-reached shutdown state is received first, the demand of the FIFO is determined to be zero, and the processing of heating energy demands of other indoor units connected to at least one FIFO is stopped.

[0099] In the branch box priority setting mode, if a cooling or dehumidifying energy demand is received from the first priority indoor unit connected to the at least one branch box, the branch box demand is determined to be a cooling or dehumidifying demand; if a heating energy demand is received from the first priority indoor unit connected to the at least one branch box, the branch box demand is determined to be a heating demand; if a ventilation status is received from the first priority indoor unit connected to the at least one branch box, the branch box demand is determined to be a ventilation demand; if the first priority indoor unit connected to the at least one branch box is in a shutdown state, the branch box demand is determined according to the priority order of the other indoor units connected to the at least one branch box, and / or, according to a first-in-first-out mode; if the first priority indoor unit connected to the at least one branch box is in a heating-reach-temperature-stop state, the branch box demand is determined to be zero demand, and the processing of cooling or dehumidifying energy demands from the other indoor units connected to the at least one branch box is stopped; if the first priority indoor unit connected to the at least one branch box is in a cooling-reach-temperature-stop state, the branch box demand is determined to be zero demand, and the processing of heating energy demands from the other indoor units connected to the at least one branch box is stopped.

[0100] Furthermore, when the online control program in memory 130 is executed by the processor, it also performs the following steps:

[0101] In the branch box cooling or dehumidification priority mode, if the branch box demand is determined to be cooling or dehumidification demand, then the indoor unit sending the heating energy demand will report a mode conflict; if the branch box demand is determined to be heating demand, then the indoor unit sending the air supply status will report a mode conflict.

[0102] In the branch box heating priority mode, if the branch box demand is determined to be a heating demand, a mode conflict will be reported to the indoor unit that sends the cooling or dehumidification energy demand or air supply status.

[0103] In the first-in, first-out mode of the branch box, if it is determined that the branch box demand is a cooling or dehumidification demand, a mode conflict is reported to the indoor unit that sent the heating energy demand; if it is determined that the branch box demand is a heating demand, a mode conflict is reported to the indoor unit that sent the cooling or dehumidification energy demand or the air supply status; if it is determined that the branch box demand is an air supply demand, a mode conflict is reported to the indoor unit that newly sent the heating energy demand; if a cooling or dehumidification energy demand is received after it is determined that the branch box demand is an air supply demand, then the branch box demand is determined to be a cooling or dehumidification demand.

[0104] In the branch box priority setting mode, if it is determined that the branch box demand is a cooling, dehumidification, or air supply demand, a mode conflict is reported to the indoor unit that sent the heating energy demand; if it is determined that the branch box demand is a heating demand, a mode conflict is reported to the indoor unit that sent the cooling, dehumidification, or air supply demand; if it is determined that the branch box demand is an air supply demand, and a cooling or dehumidification energy demand is received from other indoor units connected to the at least one branch box, then the branch box demand is determined to be a cooling or dehumidification demand.

[0105] If a mode conflict is received from the outdoor unit, the mode conflict will be sent to the corresponding indoor unit.

[0106] This embodiment, through the above-described scheme, specifically obtains the branch box requirements sent by at least one branch box; determines the outdoor unit's functional requirements based on the branch box requirements; and performs online control according to the outdoor unit's functional requirements. The branch box requirements are determined by the at least one branch box based on the demand status information of the at least one indoor unit. By using the branch box to assist the outdoor unit in judging and processing the indoor unit's demand status information, the outdoor unit does not need to directly identify the indoor unit's operating status. This provides a complete and efficient judgment mechanism, which can reduce the complexity and / or processing time of the outdoor unit, improve processing efficiency, and thus improve the control effect of the multi-split air conditioning system.

[0107] Based on, but not limited to, the above-described air conditioning architecture, embodiments of the present invention are proposed.

[0108] The subject executing the method in this embodiment can be an online control device or an air conditioner, etc. This embodiment takes an online control device as an example.

[0109] Reference Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the online control method of the present invention. The online control method is applied to an outdoor unit, which is communicatively connected to at least one branch box, and the at least one branch box is communicatively connected to at least one indoor unit. The online control method includes:

[0110] Step S10: Obtain the branch box requirement sent by the at least one branch box, wherein the branch box requirement is determined by the at least one branch box based on the requirement status information of the at least one indoor unit.

[0111] Specifically, a branch box is a key component installed in a multi-split air conditioning system. Its main function is to combine the air outlets of multiple main units into a large outlet to meet the temperature control needs of different areas indoors. Through the branch box, indoor temperature can be better controlled, reducing temperature fluctuations and thus improving comfort. At the same time, it can also reduce indoor temperature waste and save energy. In the piping installation of a multi-split air conditioning system, the branch box plays the role of distributing refrigerant to the indoor units. It is a refrigerant storage box; all indoor refrigerant pipes are connected to this box, and the branch box distributes the refrigerant according to the size of each indoor unit and the required amount of refrigerant.

[0112] Reference Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the system principle in an embodiment of the present invention, such as... Figure 3 As shown, the outdoor unit includes components such as a compressor, a four-way valve, a gas-liquid separator, and an outdoor fan. The outdoor unit is connected to at least one branch box. In this embodiment of the invention, three branch boxes are used as an example. Each branch box can be connected to at least one indoor unit. For example, branch box 1 is connected to five indoor units, branch box 2 is connected to three indoor units, and branch box 3 is connected to two indoor units. In this embodiment of the invention, the number of branch boxes connected to the outdoor unit and the number of indoor units connected to the branch boxes are not specifically limited.

[0113] Optionally, the demand status information of at least one indoor unit includes at least one of the following: cooling or dehumidification energy demand, heating energy demand, air supply status, shutdown status, and temperature-reached shutdown status.

[0114] Optionally, after collecting the demand status information of the indoor units connected to it, the branch box can determine the branch box demand based on the second priority rule. The branch box demand includes at least one of the following: cooling or dehumidification demand, heating demand, air supply demand, shutdown demand, and zero demand. The determined branch box demand is then sent to the outdoor unit for further judgment.

[0115] Step S20: Determine the outdoor functional requirements based on the branch box requirements, and perform online control according to the outdoor functional requirements.

[0116] Furthermore, after the outdoor unit receives the branch box request sent by at least one branch box, it can determine the outdoor unit's functional requirements based on the branch box request and perform online control based on the outdoor unit's functional requirements.

[0117] Optionally, if the branch box requirements include cooling or dehumidification and / or heating requirements, the outdoor unit performance requirements can be determined by combining preset first priority rules.

[0118] Optionally, the first priority rule includes at least one of the following: outdoor unit cooling or dehumidification priority mode, outdoor unit heating priority mode, outdoor unit first-in-first-out mode, and outdoor unit setting priority mode.

[0119] Optionally, due to the special nature of the branch box, the communication method between the indoor unit and the branch box is often completely different from the communication between the branch box and the outdoor unit. If the outdoor unit directly identifies the operating status of the indoor unit, the process would be quite complex. In this embodiment, when there is a conflict in the setting modes between different indoor units, a two-level judgment is set up. The first judgment is made through the branch box, and the second judgment is made through the outdoor unit. This allows for judgment based on different priority rules, and the priority selection of the branch box is limited by the priority of the outdoor unit. When there is a conflict in the setting modes between different indoor units, an accurate judgment is made according to the priority rules, and the outdoor unit reports the mode conflict to the corresponding branch box, which in turn reports the mode conflict to the corresponding indoor unit, thereby improving the control effect of the multi-split air conditioning system.

[0120] In this embodiment, the branch box requirements sent by at least one branch box are obtained; the outdoor unit's energy requirements are determined based on the branch box requirements; and online control is performed according to the outdoor unit's energy requirements. The branch box requirements are determined by the at least one branch box based on the energy status information of the at least one indoor unit. The branch box assists the outdoor unit in judging and processing the energy status information of the indoor unit, eliminating the need for the outdoor unit to directly identify the operating status of the indoor unit. This provides a complete and efficient judgment mechanism, reducing the complexity and / or processing time of the outdoor unit, improving processing efficiency, and thus improving the control effect of the multi-split air conditioning system.

[0121] Reference Figure 4 , Figure 4 for Figure 2 A schematic flowchart of step S20 in this embodiment. This embodiment is based on the above. Figure 2 In the embodiment shown, step S20 includes:

[0122] Step S201, determining the outdoor unit's performance requirements based on the branch box requirements, specifically includes:

[0123] If the branch box requirements include cooling or dehumidification and / or heating requirements, then the outdoor unit requirements are determined in conjunction with the preset first priority rule.

[0124] If the branch box requirement does not include cooling or dehumidification and heating requirements, but includes air supply requirements, then the outdoor unit is determined to be in standby mode.

[0125] If the branch box requirement is a shutdown requirement, then the outdoor unit is determined to be in standby mode;

[0126] If the demand of the branch box is zero and the four-way valve of the outdoor unit is in cooling mode, then the four-way valve remains in cooling mode and the heating demand of other branch boxes connected to the outdoor unit is stopped.

[0127] If the demand for the branch box is zero and the four-way valve of the outdoor unit is in heating mode, then the four-way valve remains in heating mode, and the cooling or dehumidification demand of other branch boxes connected to the outdoor unit is stopped.

[0128] Optionally, the first priority rule includes at least one of the following: outdoor unit cooling or dehumidification priority mode, outdoor unit heating priority mode, outdoor unit first-in-first-out mode, and outdoor unit setting priority mode.

[0129] Optionally, the step of determining the outdoor function requirements based on a preset first priority rule includes:

[0130] In the outdoor unit's cooling or dehumidification priority mode, if the branch box demand includes cooling or dehumidification demand, then the outdoor unit is determined to be in cooling or dehumidification operation; if the branch box demand does not include cooling or dehumidification demand but includes heating demand, then the outdoor unit is determined to be in heating operation.

[0131] In the outdoor unit heating priority mode, if the demand of the branch box includes heating demand, then the outdoor unit is determined to be in heating operation; if the demand of the branch box does not include heating demand but includes cooling or dehumidification demand, then the outdoor unit is determined to be in cooling or dehumidification operation.

[0132] In the outdoor unit first-in-first-out mode, if a cooling or dehumidification demand is received first, the outdoor unit is determined to operate in cooling or dehumidification mode; if a heating demand is received first, the outdoor unit is determined to operate in heating mode; if a ventilation demand is received first, the outdoor unit is determined to operate in ventilation mode.

[0133] In the outdoor unit priority setting mode, if a cooling or dehumidification request is received from the first priority branch box in the at least one branch box, it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in cooling or dehumidification mode; if a heating request is received from the first priority branch box in the at least one branch box, it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in heating mode; if a ventilation request is received from the first priority branch box in the at least one branch box, it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in ventilation mode; if a shutdown request is received from the first priority branch box in the at least one branch box, the outdoor unit needs to operate according to the priority order of the remaining branch boxes in the at least one branch box, and / or, the outdoor unit needs to operate according to the first-in-first-out mode.

[0134] Reference Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the first control flow in an embodiment of the present invention, such as... Figure 5As shown, the outdoor unit can collect the branch box requirements corresponding to each connected branch box. Optionally, the branch box requirements include at least one of the following: cooling or dehumidification requirements, heating requirements, air supply requirements, shutdown requirements, and zero requirements. Optionally, the first priority rule includes at least one of the following: outdoor unit cooling or dehumidification priority mode, outdoor unit heating priority mode, outdoor unit first-in-first-out mode, and outdoor unit set priority mode. Optionally, the first priority rule of the outdoor unit can be set by the user through engineering mode during installation.

[0135] Step S202, according to the outdoor unit's functional requirements, requires online control, specifically including:

[0136] In the outdoor unit's cooling or dehumidification priority mode, if it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in cooling or dehumidification mode, a mode conflict report is sent to the branch box that sends the heating demand; if it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in heating mode, a mode conflict report is sent to the branch box that sends the air supply demand.

[0137] In the outdoor unit heating priority mode, if it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in heating mode, a mode conflict report is sent to the divergence box that sends the cooling or dehumidification or air supply demand.

[0138] In the outdoor unit first-in-first-out mode, if it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in cooling or dehumidification mode, a mode conflict is reported to the branch box that sent the heating demand; if it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in heating mode, a mode conflict is reported to the branch box that sent the cooling, dehumidification, or air supply demand; if it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in air supply mode, a mode conflict is reported to the branch box that sent the new heating demand; if it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in air supply mode and then a cooling or dehumidification demand is received, then it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in cooling or dehumidification mode.

[0139] In the outdoor unit priority setting mode, if it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in cooling, dehumidification, or ventilation mode, a mode conflict is reported to the branch box that sent the heating request; if it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in heating mode, a mode conflict is reported to the branch box that sent the cooling, dehumidification, or ventilation request; if it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in ventilation mode, and if a cooling or dehumidification request is received from the other branch boxes in the at least one branch box, then it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in cooling or dehumidification mode.

[0140] Alternatively, in outdoor unit cooling or dehumidification priority mode:

[0141] ① When there is a need for cooling or dehumidification, it is determined to be in cooling or dehumidification operation. The conflict mode of heating demand is reported by the divergence box and transmitted to the corresponding indoor unit.

[0142] ② When there is no need for cooling or dehumidification, but there is a need for heating, it is judged to be in heating operation. The air distribution box reports a mode conflict and transmits it to the corresponding air distribution indoor unit.

[0143] ③ When there is no need for cooling or dehumidification, or heating, but there is a distribution box for air supply, the outdoor unit will be in standby mode.

[0144] ④ If all branch boxes are turned off, the outdoor unit will be in standby mode.

[0145] Alternatively, in the case of outdoor mechanism heat priority mode:

[0146] ① When there is a heating demand, it is determined to be in heating operation. The conflict between the cooling, dehumidification and air supply demand is reported and transmitted to the corresponding indoor unit.

[0147] ② When there is no heating demand but a cooling or dehumidification demand, the outdoor unit is judged to be in cooling or dehumidification operation.

[0148] ③ When there is no need for cooling or dehumidification, or heating, but there is a distribution box for air supply, the outdoor unit will be in standby mode.

[0149] ④ If all branch boxes are turned off, the outdoor unit will be in standby mode.

[0150] Alternatively, in the case of outdoor unit first-in-first-out mode:

[0151] ① When the outdoor unit is already in cooling or dehumidification mode, it is determined to be in cooling or dehumidification operation. The heating demand divergence box reports a mode conflict and transmits it to the corresponding indoor unit.

[0152] ② When the outdoor unit is already in heating mode, it is determined to be in heating operation. The cooling, dehumidifying, and air supply branch boxes report a mode conflict and transmit it to the corresponding indoor unit;

[0153] ③ When the outdoor unit has already received the air supply operation branch box, it is determined to be in air supply operation. The heating mode branch box reports a mode conflict and transmits it to the corresponding indoor unit. When there is a cooling or dehumidification operation branch box, the outdoor unit can operate in cooling or dehumidification mode.

[0154] ④ If all branch boxes are turned off, the outdoor unit will be in standby mode.

[0155] Optionally, in the outdoor unit priority setting mode:

[0156] ① When the first priority branch box (also known as the VIP branch box) is in cooling or dehumidification mode, it is determined to be in cooling or dehumidification operation. The branch box with heating demand reports a mode conflict and transmits it to the corresponding indoor unit.

[0157] ② When the first priority branch box is in heating mode, it is determined to be in heating operation. The cooling, dehumidifying, and air supply branch boxes report mode conflicts and transmit them to the corresponding indoor units.

[0158] ③ When the first priority branch box is in air supply mode, it is determined to be in air supply operation. The heating mode branch box reports a mode conflict and transmits it to the corresponding indoor unit. When there is a cooling or dehumidifying operation branch box, the outdoor unit can operate in cooling or dehumidifying mode.

[0159] ④ If the first priority branch box is shut down, the remaining branch boxes can be judged according to the first-in-first-out rule, or according to the priority order of the remaining branch boxes.

[0160] Optionally, when the first priority branch box has a demand, the demand of the branch box corresponding to the first priority branch box is met first. If the first priority branch box has no demand or is not running, it is controlled in a first-come, first-served manner, or controlled according to the priority order of the other branch boxes.

[0161] Optionally, when the indoor unit reaches the temperature and shuts off, it maintains the original mode, only sending zero energy demand. For example, if the outdoor unit handles cooling energy demand during heating shutdown, energy demand in the heated room cannot be switched back in time (e.g., switching between heating and cooling takes 3 minutes), easily leading to poor comfort in the heated room. Therefore, in this embodiment, if the outdoor unit stops operating during heating shutdown, it will not handle cooling energy demand; the four-way valve maintains the heating state, with a current energy demand of 0, ready to wait for energy demand. The advantage of this is maintaining the comfort of the room corresponding to the heating indoor unit and avoiding excessively high room temperatures. The same principle applies to cooling shutdown.

[0162] This embodiment, through the above-described scheme, specifically by determining the outdoor unit's operating mode based on at least one of the following in each branch box's requirements—cooling or dehumidification priority mode, heating priority mode, outdoor unit first-in-first mode, and outdoor unit set priority mode—under different outdoor unit cooling or dehumidification priority mode, heating requirement, air supply requirement, shutdown requirement, and zero requirement, and reporting mode conflict to the corresponding branch box and the corresponding indoor unit, achieves the goal of using the branch box to assist the outdoor unit in judging and processing the indoor unit's cooling, dehumidification, or heating requirements. It employs multiple priority rules for judgment, providing a complete and efficient judgment mechanism that reduces the complexity and / or processing time of the outdoor unit, improves its processing efficiency, and thus enhances the control effect of the multi-split air conditioning system.

[0163] Reference Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating another exemplary embodiment of the online control method of the present invention. The online control method is applied to at least one branch box, which is communicatively connected to an outdoor unit and also communicatively connected to at least one indoor unit. The online control method includes:

[0164] Step A10: Obtain the demand status information of the at least one indoor unit;

[0165] Reference Figure 7 , Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the connection method in an embodiment of the present invention, such as... Figure 7 As shown, the branch box communicates with the outdoor unit via communication method 1 and with the indoor unit via communication method 2. Optionally, due to the special nature of the branch box, the communication method between the indoor unit and the branch box is often completely different from the communication between the branch box and the outdoor unit. That is, communication method 1 and communication method 2 are completely different. If the outdoor unit directly identifies the operating status of the indoor unit, the process will be more complicated. Therefore, in this embodiment, the branch box collects the demand status information of each indoor unit connected to it, and then makes a preliminary judgment based on the second priority rule.

[0166] Optionally, the demand status information includes at least one of the following: cooling or dehumidification energy demand, heating energy demand, air supply status, shutdown status, and temperature-reached shutdown status.

[0167] Step A20: Determine the branch box requirement based on the demand status information;

[0168] Furthermore, once the branch box obtains the demand status information of at least one indoor unit, it can determine the branch box's demand based on the demand status information.

[0169] Optionally, if the demand status information includes cooling or dehumidification energy demand and / or heating energy demand, the branch box demand can be determined by combining it with a preset second priority rule.

[0170] Optionally, the second priority rule includes at least one of the following: branch box cooling or dehumidification priority mode, branch box heating priority mode, branch box first-in-first-out mode, and branch box setting priority mode.

[0171] Optionally, the second priority rule for the branch box can be set by the user during installation via engineering mode.

[0172] Step A30: Send the branch box requirement to the outdoor unit so that the outdoor unit can determine its own performance requirements based on the branch box requirement and perform online control according to the outdoor unit's performance requirements.

[0173] Furthermore, after the branch box determines its needs based on the demand status information, it can send the branch box's needs to the outdoor unit, so that the outdoor unit can determine its own functional needs based on the branch box's needs and perform online control according to the outdoor unit's functional needs.

[0174] Optionally, this embodiment sets up a two-level judgment. The first judgment is performed through the branch box, and the second judgment is performed through the outdoor unit. This can realize judgment based on different priority rules. The priority selection of the branch box is limited by the priority of the outdoor unit. When there is a mode conflict between different indoor units, an accurate judgment is made according to the priority rules. The outdoor unit reports the mode conflict to the corresponding branch box, and the branch box reports the mode conflict to the corresponding indoor unit, thereby improving the control effect of the multi-split air conditioning system.

[0175] This embodiment, through the above-described scheme, specifically obtains the demand status information of at least one indoor unit; determines the demand of the branch box based on the demand status information; sends the branch box demand to the outdoor unit, so that the outdoor unit can determine its own energy demand based on the branch box demand, and perform online control according to the outdoor unit's energy demand. By using the branch box to assist the outdoor unit in judging and processing the cooling, dehumidification, or heating demand of the indoor unit, and employing multiple priority rules for judgment, a complete and efficient judgment mechanism is provided. This can reduce the complexity and / or processing time of the outdoor unit, improve processing efficiency, and thus improve the control effect of the multi-split air conditioning system.

[0176] Reference Figure 8 , Figure 8 for Figure 6 A schematic flowchart of step A20 in this embodiment. This embodiment is based on the above. Figure 6 In the embodiment shown, step A20 includes:

[0177] Step A201: If the demand status information includes at least one of cooling or dehumidification energy demand, heating energy demand, and temperature-reached shutdown status, then the branch box demand is determined in combination with the preset second priority rule.

[0178] Step A202: If the demand status information does not include cooling or dehumidification energy demand and heating energy demand, and at least one indoor unit is in the air supply state, then the branch box demand is determined to be the air supply demand.

[0179] Step A203: If the demand status information is in the shutdown state, then determine that the branch box demand is a shutdown demand.

[0180] Optionally, the step of determining the branch box requirements in conjunction with a preset second priority rule includes:

[0181] In the branch box cooling or dehumidification priority mode, if the demand status information includes cooling or dehumidification energy demand, then the branch box demand is determined to be cooling or dehumidification demand; if the demand status information does not include cooling or dehumidification energy demand but includes heating energy demand, then the branch box demand is determined to be heating demand.

[0182] In the branch box heating priority mode, if the demand status information includes heating energy demand, then the branch box demand is determined to be heating demand; if the demand status information does not include heating energy demand but includes cooling or dehumidification energy demand, then the branch box demand is determined to be cooling or dehumidification demand.

[0183] In the first-in, first-out (FIFO) mode, if a cooling or dehumidification energy demand is received first, the demand of the FIFO is determined to be a cooling or dehumidification demand; if a heating energy demand is received first, the demand of the FIFO is determined to be a heating demand; if a ventilation state is received first, the demand of the FIFO is determined to be a ventilation demand; if a heating temperature-reached shutdown state is received first, the demand of the FIFO is determined to be zero, and the processing of cooling or dehumidification energy demands of other indoor units connected to at least one FIFO is stopped; if a cooling temperature-reached shutdown state is received first, the demand of the FIFO is determined to be zero, and the processing of heating energy demands of other indoor units connected to at least one FIFO is stopped.

[0184] In the branch box priority setting mode, if a cooling or dehumidifying energy demand is received from the first priority indoor unit connected to the at least one branch box, the branch box demand is determined to be a cooling or dehumidifying demand; if a heating energy demand is received from the first priority indoor unit connected to the at least one branch box, the branch box demand is determined to be a heating demand; if a ventilation status is received from the first priority indoor unit connected to the at least one branch box, the branch box demand is determined to be a ventilation demand; if the first priority indoor unit connected to the at least one branch box is in a shutdown state, the branch box demand is determined according to the priority order of the other indoor units connected to the at least one branch box, and / or, according to a first-in-first-out mode; if the first priority indoor unit connected to the at least one branch box is in a heating-reach-temperature-stop state, the branch box demand is determined to be zero demand, and the processing of cooling or dehumidifying energy demands from the other indoor units connected to the at least one branch box is stopped; if the first priority indoor unit connected to the at least one branch box is in a cooling-reach-temperature-stop state, the branch box demand is determined to be zero demand, and the processing of heating energy demands from the other indoor units connected to the at least one branch box is stopped.

[0185] Optionally, after the step of determining the branch box demand based on the demand status information, the method further includes:

[0186] In the branch box cooling or dehumidification priority mode, if the branch box demand is determined to be cooling or dehumidification demand, then the indoor unit sending the heating energy demand will report a mode conflict; if the branch box demand is determined to be heating demand, then the indoor unit sending the air supply status will report a mode conflict.

[0187] In the branch box heating priority mode, if the branch box demand is determined to be a heating demand, a mode conflict will be reported to the indoor unit that sends the cooling or dehumidification energy demand or air supply status.

[0188] In the first-in, first-out mode of the branch box, if it is determined that the branch box demand is a cooling or dehumidification demand, a mode conflict is reported to the indoor unit that sent the heating energy demand; if it is determined that the branch box demand is a heating demand, a mode conflict is reported to the indoor unit that sent the cooling or dehumidification energy demand or the air supply status; if it is determined that the branch box demand is an air supply demand, a mode conflict is reported to the indoor unit that newly sent the heating energy demand; if a cooling or dehumidification energy demand is received after it is determined that the branch box demand is an air supply demand, then the branch box demand is determined to be a cooling or dehumidification demand.

[0189] In the branch box priority setting mode, if it is determined that the branch box demand is a cooling, dehumidification, or air supply demand, a mode conflict is reported to the indoor unit that sent the heating energy demand; if it is determined that the branch box demand is a heating demand, a mode conflict is reported to the indoor unit that sent the cooling, dehumidification, or air supply demand; if it is determined that the branch box demand is an air supply demand, and a cooling or dehumidification energy demand is received from other indoor units connected to the at least one branch box, then the branch box demand is determined to be a cooling or dehumidification demand.

[0190] If a mode conflict is received from the outdoor unit, the mode conflict will be sent to the corresponding indoor unit.

[0191] Reference Figure 9 , Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the second control flow in an embodiment of the present invention, such as... Figure 9 As shown, the branch box collects the demand status information of at least one indoor unit connected to it, and then determines the branch box demand according to the second priority rule.

[0192] Optionally, the branch box cooling or dehumidification priority mode can be selected only when the outdoor unit's priority is set to outdoor unit first mode and / or outdoor unit cooling or dehumidification priority mode. In the branch box cooling or dehumidification priority mode:

[0193] ① When there is a need for cooling or dehumidification, the indoor unit that needs cooling or dehumidification and heating will report a mode conflict and send the cooling or dehumidification request to the outdoor unit.

[0194] ② When there is no need for cooling or dehumidification, but a need for heating, it is determined to be a heating demand. A mode conflict is reported to the indoor unit in air supply mode, and a heating demand is sent to the outdoor unit;

[0195] ③ When there is no need for cooling or dehumidification or heating, but the indoor unit is in the air supply state, the air supply demand is sent to the outdoor unit.

[0196] ④ If all indoor units are turned off, a shutdown request will be sent to the outdoor unit.

[0197] Optionally, the branch box heating priority mode can be selected only when the outdoor unit priority is set to outdoor unit first-in-first mode and / or outdoor unit heating priority mode. In the branch box heating priority mode:

[0198] ① When there is a need for heating, it is determined to be a heating demand. A mode conflict is reported to the indoor unit in cooling, dehumidification, or ventilation mode, and the heating demand is sent to the outdoor unit.

[0199] ② When there is no need for heating, but a need for cooling or dehumidification, it is determined that there is a need for cooling or dehumidification. The cooling or dehumidification request is then sent to the outdoor unit.

[0200] ③ When there is no need for cooling or dehumidification or heating, if there is an indoor unit in the air supply mode, the air supply demand will be sent to the outdoor unit.

[0201] ④ If all indoor units are turned off, a shutdown request will be sent to the outdoor unit.

[0202] Alternatively, in the case of a divergence box pre-emptive mode:

[0203] ① When there is a need for cooling or dehumidification, it is determined to be a cooling or dehumidification need, and a mode conflict is reported to the newly received indoor unit with a heating need.

[0204] ② When there is a need for heating energy, it is judged to be in heating operation, and a mode conflict is reported to the newly received indoor unit in cooling, dehumidification, or air supply status.

[0205] ③ When the air supply status has been received before, it is determined to be an air supply demand, and a mode conflict is reported to the newly received heating mode indoor unit; when a cooling or dehumidification energy demand is received, the branch box switches to cooling or dehumidification mode and sends the cooling or dehumidification demand to the outdoor unit.

[0206] ④ If all branch boxes are turned off and the outdoor unit is in standby mode, and only the branch box is the first priority branch box, the first priority indoor unit is set to be effective. When there is a demand, the demand of the branch box corresponding to the first priority branch box will be met first. If there is no demand or the unit is not running, it will be controlled in a first-in-first-out manner, or controlled according to the priority of the other branch boxes.

[0207] Optionally, an indoor unit can be designated as the first-priority indoor unit (also known as the VIP indoor unit). This designation is only effective when the branch box is the first-priority branch box. In the branch box priority setting mode:

[0208] ① When the first priority indoor unit is in cooling or dehumidification mode, it is determined that there is a cooling or dehumidification demand, and a mode conflict is reported to the indoor unit that needs heating energy.

[0209] ② When the first priority indoor unit is in heating mode, it is determined that there is a heating demand, and a mode conflict is reported to the indoor units in cooling, dehumidification, and air supply modes.

[0210] ③ When the first priority indoor unit is in air supply mode, it is determined that there is an air supply demand and a mode conflict is reported to the indoor unit with heating demand; if there is an indoor unit with cooling or dehumidification demand, the branch box can send cooling or dehumidification demand.

[0211] ④ When the first priority indoor unit is turned off, the remaining indoor units are judged according to the first-in-first-out rule, or according to the priority order of the remaining indoor units.

[0212] Optionally, when the indoor unit reaches the temperature and shuts off, it maintains the original mode, only sending zero energy demand. For example, if the outdoor unit handles cooling energy demand during heating shutdown, energy demand in the heated room cannot be switched back in time (e.g., switching between heating and cooling takes 3 minutes), easily leading to poor comfort in the heated room. Therefore, in this embodiment, if the outdoor unit stops operating during heating shutdown, it will not handle cooling energy demand; the four-way valve maintains the heating state, with a current energy demand of 0, ready to wait for energy demand. The advantage of this is maintaining the comfort of the room corresponding to the heating indoor unit and avoiding excessively high room temperatures. The same principle applies to cooling shutdown.

[0213] This embodiment, through the above-described scheme, specifically by determining the branch box demand based on at least one of the following in the demand status information of each indoor unit: cooling or dehumidification energy demand, heating energy demand, dehumidification status, air supply status, shutdown status, and temperature-reached shutdown status, under the conditions of branch box cooling or dehumidification priority mode, branch box first-in-first-out mode, and branch box set priority mode, and then sending it to the outdoor unit. The outdoor unit then determines its operating mode based on the branch box demand and reports mode conflict to the corresponding branch box and the corresponding indoor unit. This achieves the goal of using the branch box to assist the outdoor unit in judging and processing the cooling, dehumidification, or heating demand of the indoor units, and using multiple priority rules for judgment, providing a complete and efficient judgment mechanism. This can reduce the complexity and / or processing time of the outdoor unit, improve the processing efficiency of the outdoor unit, and thus improve the control effect of the multi-split air conditioning system.

[0214] Furthermore, this invention also proposes an air conditioner, which includes a memory, a processor, and an online control program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the online control program is executed by the processor, it implements the steps of the online control method described above.

[0215] Since this online control program employs all the technical solutions of all the aforementioned embodiments when executed by the processor, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought about by all the technical solutions of all the aforementioned embodiments, which will not be elaborated here.

[0216] Furthermore, embodiments of the present invention also propose a computer-readable storage medium storing an online control program, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the online control method described above.

[0217] Since this online control program employs all the technical solutions of all the aforementioned embodiments when executed by the processor, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought about by all the technical solutions of all the aforementioned embodiments, which will not be elaborated here.

[0218] Compared to existing technologies, the online control method, air conditioner, and storage medium proposed in this invention are applied to an outdoor unit. The outdoor unit is communicatively connected to at least one branch box, and the at least one branch box is communicatively connected to at least one indoor unit. The method mainly obtains the branch box requirements sent by the at least one branch box; determines the outdoor unit's energy requirements based on the branch box requirements; and performs online control according to the outdoor unit's energy requirements. The branch box requirements are determined by the at least one branch box based on the demand status information of the at least one indoor unit. By using the branch box to assist the outdoor unit in judging and processing the demand status information of the indoor unit, the outdoor unit does not need to directly identify the operating status of the indoor unit, providing a complete and efficient judgment mechanism. This reduces the complexity and / or processing time of the outdoor unit, improves processing efficiency, and thus improves the control effect of multi-split air conditioning systems.

[0219] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or system that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or system. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or system that includes that element.

[0220] The sequence numbers of the embodiments in this application are for descriptive purposes only and do not represent the superiority or inferiority of the embodiments.

[0221] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the methods of the above embodiments can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms. Of course, they can also be implemented by hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium (such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk) as described above, and includes several instructions to cause an air conditioner (which can be controlled by a mobile phone, computer, server, remote control terminal, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods of each embodiment of this application.

[0222] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not limit the scope of the patent. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made based on the description and drawings of the present invention, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the scope of patent protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An online control method, characterized in that, The online control method is applied to an outdoor unit, which is communicatively connected to at least one distribution box, and the at least one distribution box is communicatively connected to at least one indoor unit. The online control method includes the following steps: Obtain the branch box request sent by at least one branch box; The outdoor functional requirements are determined based on the branch box requirements, and online control is performed according to the outdoor functional requirements. The branch box requirement is determined by the at least one branch box based on the requirement status information of the at least one indoor unit; The branch box requirements include at least one of the following: cooling or dehumidification requirements, heating requirements, air supply requirements, shutdown requirements, and zero requirements. The step of determining the outdoor unit performance requirements based on the branch box requirements includes: If the branch box requirements include cooling or dehumidification and / or heating requirements, then the outdoor unit requirements are determined in conjunction with the preset first priority rule. If the branch box requirement does not include cooling or dehumidification and heating requirements, but includes air supply requirements, then the outdoor unit is determined to be in standby mode. If the branch box requirement is a shutdown requirement, then the outdoor unit is determined to be in standby mode; If the demand of the branch box is zero and the four-way valve of the outdoor unit is in cooling mode, then the four-way valve remains in cooling mode and the heating demand of other branch boxes connected to the outdoor unit is stopped. If the demand for the branch box is zero and the four-way valve of the outdoor unit is in heating mode, then the four-way valve remains in heating mode, and the cooling or dehumidification demand of other branch boxes connected to the outdoor unit is stopped.

2. The online control method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first priority rule includes at least one of the following: outdoor unit cooling or dehumidification priority mode, outdoor unit heating priority mode, outdoor unit first-in-first-out mode, and outdoor unit setting priority mode. The step of determining the outdoor unit's energy requirement in combination with the preset first priority rule includes: In the outdoor unit's cooling or dehumidification priority mode, if the branch box demand includes cooling or dehumidification demand, then the outdoor unit is determined to be in cooling or dehumidification operation; if the branch box demand does not include cooling or dehumidification demand but includes heating demand, then the outdoor unit is determined to be in heating operation. In the outdoor unit heating priority mode, if the demand of the branch box includes heating demand, then the outdoor unit is determined to be in heating operation; if the demand of the branch box does not include heating demand but includes cooling or dehumidification demand, then the outdoor unit is determined to be in cooling or dehumidification operation. In the outdoor unit first-in-first-out mode, if a cooling or dehumidification demand is received first, the outdoor unit is determined to operate in cooling or dehumidification mode; if a heating demand is received first, the outdoor unit is determined to operate in heating mode; if a ventilation demand is received first, the outdoor unit is determined to operate in ventilation mode. In the outdoor unit priority setting mode, if a cooling or dehumidification request is received from the first priority branch box in the at least one branch box, it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in cooling or dehumidification mode; if a heating request is received from the first priority branch box in the at least one branch box, it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in heating mode; if a ventilation request is received from the first priority branch box in the at least one branch box, it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in ventilation mode; if a shutdown request is received from the first priority branch box in the at least one branch box, the outdoor unit needs to operate according to the priority order of the remaining branch boxes in the at least one branch box, and / or, the outdoor unit needs to operate according to the first-in-first-out mode.

3. The online control method as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The steps for performing online control based on the outdoor unit's functions include: In the outdoor unit's cooling or dehumidification priority mode, if it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in cooling or dehumidification mode, a mode conflict report is sent to the branch box that sends the heating demand; if it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in heating mode, a mode conflict report is sent to the branch box that sends the air supply demand. In the outdoor unit heating priority mode, if it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in heating mode, a mode conflict report is sent to the branch box that sends the cooling or dehumidification or air supply demand. In the outdoor unit first-in-first-out mode, if it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in cooling or dehumidification mode, a mode conflict is reported to the branch box that sent the heating demand; if it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in heating mode, a mode conflict is reported to the branch box that sent the cooling, dehumidification, or air supply demand; if it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in air supply mode, a mode conflict is reported to the branch box that sent the new heating demand; if it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in air supply mode and then a cooling or dehumidification demand is received, then it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in cooling or dehumidification mode. In the outdoor unit priority setting mode, if it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in cooling, dehumidification, or ventilation mode, a mode conflict is reported to the branch box that sent the heating request; if it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in heating mode, a mode conflict is reported to the branch box that sent the cooling, dehumidification, or ventilation request; if it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in ventilation mode, and if a cooling or dehumidification request is received from the other branch boxes in the at least one branch box, then it is determined that the outdoor unit needs to operate in cooling or dehumidification mode.

4. An online control method, characterized in that, The online control method is applied to at least one branch box, which is communicatively connected to an outdoor unit and also communicatively connected to at least one indoor unit. The online control method includes the following steps: Obtain the required status information of at least one indoor unit; Determine the branch box requirements based on the aforementioned demand status information; The branch box requirement is sent to the outdoor unit so that the outdoor unit can determine its own performance requirements based on the branch box requirement and perform online control according to the outdoor unit's performance requirements. The branch box requirements include at least one of cooling or dehumidification requirements, heating requirements, air supply requirements, shutdown requirements, and zero requirements. The steps for determining the outdoor unit's energy requirements based on the branch box requirements include: If the branch box requirements include cooling or dehumidification and / or heating requirements, then the outdoor unit requirements are determined in conjunction with the preset first priority rule. If the branch box requirement does not include cooling or dehumidification and heating requirements, but includes air supply requirements, then the outdoor unit is determined to be in standby mode. If the branch box requirement is a shutdown requirement, then the outdoor unit is determined to be in standby mode; If the demand of the branch box is zero and the four-way valve of the outdoor unit is in cooling mode, then the four-way valve remains in cooling mode and the heating demand of other branch boxes connected to the outdoor unit is stopped. If the demand for the branch box is zero and the four-way valve of the outdoor unit is in heating mode, then the four-way valve remains in heating mode, and the cooling or dehumidification demand of other branch boxes connected to the outdoor unit is stopped.

5. The online control method as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The demand status information includes at least one of the following: cooling or dehumidification energy demand, heating energy demand, air supply status, shutdown status, and temperature-reached shutdown status. The step of determining the branch box demand based on the demand status information includes: If the demand status information includes at least one of cooling or dehumidification energy demand, heating energy demand, and temperature-reached shutdown status, then the branch box demand is determined in conjunction with the preset second priority rule. If the demand status information does not include cooling or dehumidification energy demand and heating energy demand, and at least one indoor unit is in the air supply state, then the branch box demand is determined to be the air supply demand. If the required status information is in the shutdown state, then the branch box requirement is determined to be a shutdown requirement.

6. The online control method as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The second priority rule includes at least one of the following: branch box cooling or dehumidification priority mode, branch box heating priority mode, branch box first-in-first-out mode, and branch box setting priority mode. The step of determining the branch box requirements in combination with the preset second priority rule includes: In the branch box cooling or dehumidification priority mode, if the demand status information includes cooling or dehumidification energy demand, then the branch box demand is determined to be cooling or dehumidification demand; if the demand status information does not include cooling or dehumidification energy demand but includes heating energy demand, then the branch box demand is determined to be heating demand. In the branch box heating priority mode, if the demand status information includes heating energy demand, then the branch box demand is determined to be heating demand; if the demand status information does not include heating energy demand but includes cooling or dehumidification energy demand, then the branch box demand is determined to be cooling or dehumidification demand. In the first-in, first-out (FIFO) mode, if a cooling or dehumidification energy demand is received first, the demand of the FIFO is determined to be a cooling or dehumidification demand; if a heating energy demand is received first, the demand of the FIFO is determined to be a heating demand; if a ventilation state is received first, the demand of the FIFO is determined to be a ventilation demand; if a heating temperature-reached shutdown state is received first, the demand of the FIFO is determined to be zero, and the processing of cooling or dehumidification energy demands of other indoor units connected to at least one FIFO is stopped; if a cooling temperature-reached shutdown state is received first, the demand of the FIFO is determined to be zero, and the processing of heating energy demands of other indoor units connected to at least one FIFO is stopped. In the branch box priority setting mode, if a cooling or dehumidifying energy demand is received from the first priority indoor unit connected to the at least one branch box, the branch box demand is determined to be a cooling or dehumidifying demand; if a heating energy demand is received from the first priority indoor unit connected to the at least one branch box, the branch box demand is determined to be a heating demand; if a ventilation status is received from the first priority indoor unit connected to the at least one branch box, the branch box demand is determined to be a ventilation demand; if the first priority indoor unit connected to the at least one branch box is in a shutdown state, the branch box demand is determined according to the priority order of the other indoor units connected to the at least one branch box, and / or, according to a first-in-first-out mode; if the first priority indoor unit connected to the at least one branch box is in a heating-reach-temperature-stop state, the branch box demand is determined to be zero demand, and the processing of cooling or dehumidifying energy demands from the other indoor units connected to the at least one branch box is stopped; if the first priority indoor unit connected to the at least one branch box is in a cooling-reach-temperature-stop state, the branch box demand is determined to be zero demand, and the processing of heating energy demands from the other indoor units connected to the at least one branch box is stopped.

7. The online control method as described in claim 6, characterized in that, Following the step of determining the branch box demand based on the demand status information, the method further includes: In the branch box cooling or dehumidification priority mode, if the branch box demand is determined to be cooling or dehumidification demand, then the indoor unit sending the heating energy demand will report a mode conflict; if the branch box demand is determined to be heating demand, then the indoor unit sending the air supply status will report a mode conflict. In the branch box heating priority mode, if the branch box demand is determined to be a heating demand, a mode conflict will be reported to the indoor unit that sends the cooling or dehumidification energy demand or air supply status. In the first-in, first-out mode of the branch box, if it is determined that the branch box demand is a cooling or dehumidification demand, a mode conflict is reported to the indoor unit that sent the heating energy demand; if it is determined that the branch box demand is a heating demand, a mode conflict is reported to the indoor unit that sent the cooling or dehumidification energy demand or the air supply status; if it is determined that the branch box demand is an air supply demand, a mode conflict is reported to the indoor unit that newly sent the heating energy demand; if a cooling or dehumidification energy demand is received after it is determined that the branch box demand is an air supply demand, then the branch box demand is determined to be a cooling or dehumidification demand. In the branch box priority setting mode, if it is determined that the branch box demand is a cooling, dehumidification, or air supply demand, a mode conflict is reported to the indoor unit that sent the heating energy demand; if it is determined that the branch box demand is a heating demand, a mode conflict is reported to the indoor unit that sent the cooling, dehumidification, or air supply demand; if it is determined that the branch box demand is an air supply demand, and a cooling or dehumidification energy demand is received from other indoor units connected to the at least one branch box, then the branch box demand is determined to be a cooling or dehumidification demand. If a mode conflict is received from the outdoor unit, the mode conflict will be sent to the corresponding indoor unit.

8. An air conditioner, characterized in that, The air conditioner includes a memory, a processor, and an online control program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When executed by the processor, the online control program implements the steps of the online control method as described in any one of claims 1-7.

9. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores an online control program, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the online control method as described in any one of claims 1-7.

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