An air conditioner

Abstract

This application proposes an air conditioner comprising: an outdoor unit including a compressor and an outdoor heat exchanger; multiple indoor units connected to the outdoor unit, each including an indoor heat exchanger and an indoor temperature sensor; and a controller connected to both the outdoor unit and the multiple indoor units. The controller is configured to: determine the thermal characteristic coefficient of each indoor unit based on its rated capacity, physical factors, and dynamic factors; determine the temperature difference corresponding to each indoor unit; determine the thermal stress of each indoor unit based on its thermal characteristic coefficient and the corresponding temperature difference; sort the thermal stress of the multiple indoor units in descending order to obtain a first sorting result; and sequentially activate the multiple indoor units according to the first sorting result. In this technical solution, energy consumption of the air conditioner can be reduced while ensuring comfort, thereby achieving energy saving.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of air conditioning technology, and in particular to an air conditioner. Background Technology

[0002] Multi-split air conditioning systems are in an unstable and inefficient state during the initial startup phase. When all indoor units start simultaneously, the outdoor units (especially the compressors) are forced to increase their frequency to extremely high levels within a very short time to meet the heating and cooling needs of all rooms. This "rapid-fire" operating mode contradicts the original intention of inverter technology to achieve stable operation, resulting in a significant drop in energy efficiency ratio during the startup phase. Therefore, how to reduce the energy consumption of central air conditioning is an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides an air conditioner that can reduce energy consumption while ensuring comfort, thereby achieving energy saving.

[0004] A first aspect of this application provides an air conditioner, the air conditioner comprising:

[0005] An outdoor unit, comprising a compressor and an outdoor heat exchanger, wherein the compressor is used to drive the refrigerant to circulate, and the outdoor heat exchanger is used to enable the refrigerant to exchange heat with the outdoor air;

[0006] Multiple indoor units are connected to the outdoor unit. Each indoor unit includes an indoor heat exchanger and an indoor temperature sensor. The indoor heat exchanger is used to exchange heat between the refrigerant and the indoor air. The indoor temperature sensor is used to detect the ambient temperature of the space where the indoor unit is located.

[0007] The controller is connected to the outdoor unit and the plurality of indoor units respectively;

[0008] The controller is configured to:

[0009] Based on the rated capacity, physical factors, and dynamic factors of each indoor unit, the thermal characteristic coefficient of each indoor unit is determined. The thermal characteristic coefficient is used to describe the ease with which the space where the indoor unit is located is heated or cooled. The rated capacity is used to characterize the rated cooling capacity or rated heating capacity of the indoor unit. The physical factors are used to characterize the physical building properties of the space where the indoor unit is located. The dynamic factors are used to quantify the real-time changes in the thermal characteristics of the space where the indoor unit is located.

[0010] The temperature difference corresponding to each indoor unit is determined. The temperature difference is the temperature difference between the actual ambient temperature of the indoor unit and the preset ambient temperature. The actual ambient temperature is detected by the indoor temperature sensor.

[0011] Based on the thermal characteristic coefficient of each indoor unit and the temperature difference corresponding to each indoor unit, the thermal urgency of each indoor unit is determined. The thermal urgency is used to indicate the urgency of the indoor unit's cooling or heating in the space it is in.

[0012] The thermal stress of the multiple indoor units is sorted in descending order to obtain the first sorting result;

[0013] According to the first sorting result, turn on the multiple indoor units in sequence.

[0014] In the above technical solution, the thermal characteristic coefficient of each indoor unit is determined based on its rated capacity, physical factors, and dynamic factors. Compared to considering only the physical factors of the room (i.e., area, volume, window area), introducing the rated capacity can accurately determine the ease of temperature rise and fall for each room, thereby eliminating the influence of different rated capacities of rooms of different sizes on the determination of the room's thermal characteristic coefficient, and obtaining an accurate thermal characteristic coefficient. Furthermore, the dynamic factor also affects the thermal characteristic coefficient of each room. Combining the rated capacity, physical factors, and dynamic factors of each indoor unit to determine its thermal characteristic coefficient yields a more accurate thermal characteristic coefficient, thus more accurately describing the ease of temperature rise and fall for each room. However, if the indoor units in a multi-split system are turned on in advance, considering the turn-on sequence, relying solely on the thermal characteristic coefficient is insufficient, as the difference between the actual temperature and the user-set temperature may vary in each room. Therefore, the calculation of thermal urgency further considers the temperature difference between the current temperature and the user-set temperature based on the thermal characteristic coefficient. The thermal characteristic coefficient of each indoor unit and the corresponding temperature difference are used to determine the... The system describes the thermal urgency of each indoor unit and prioritizes their activation based on this urgency, allowing the controller to accurately determine the urgency level of each unit and prioritize the activation of the most urgently needed and efficient unit. This thermal urgency-based start-stop mechanism effectively solves the resource competition problem during the startup phase of multiple indoor units, avoiding frequent compressor start-ups and shutdowns and sudden changes in system load, ensuring overall stable and efficient operation. Furthermore, it dynamically responds to real-time changes in the thermal environment of each space, ensuring that cooling / heating resources are always prioritized for the area with the highest overall demand. This significantly improves the overall energy efficiency of the air conditioner while comprehensively enhancing temperature uniformity and user comfort across multiple spaces, achieving the optimal balance between energy saving and comfort.

[0015] In some embodiments, the air conditioner includes:

[0016] The thermal characteristic coefficient of each indoor unit is obtained by multiplying the dynamic factor and the ratio, whereby the ratio is used to characterize the ratio of the rated capacity of each indoor unit to the physical factor.

[0017] In the above technical solution, the thermal characteristic coefficient is used to describe the ease with which a room with indoor units is heated or cooled. The rated capacity of each room's indoor unit is used as one of the factors limiting the room's thermal characteristic coefficient. The larger the ratio of rated capacity to physical factors, the larger the thermal characteristic coefficient, and the easier it is to heat up or cool down. It is understandable that if indoor units of the same rated capacity are configured, a large room is not easy to cool down, while a small room is easy to cool down. However, in practical applications, rooms of different sizes are usually configured with indoor units of different rated capacities. If a large room is configured with a large-capacity indoor unit and a small room with a small-capacity indoor unit, it is impossible to determine whether the large room or the small room is easier to cool down. Therefore, by introducing the rated capacity of the indoor unit, and describing the ease with which a room is heated or cooled based on the ratio of the rated capacity of different indoor units to physical factors, compared to only considering the physical factors of the room (i.e., area, volume, window area), introducing the rated capacity can accurately determine the ease with which each room is heated or cooled, thereby eliminating the influence of different rated capacities of rooms of different sizes on determining the room's thermal characteristic coefficient, and obtaining an accurate thermal characteristic coefficient. Furthermore, dynamic factors also affect the thermal characteristic coefficient of each room. For example, the thermal characteristic coefficient is different when the room windows are always open versus when the room windows are closed. Therefore, in the embodiments of this application, when calculating the thermal characteristic coefficient, not only the rated capacity of the indoor unit is introduced, but also a dynamic factor is introduced to measure the real-time changes in the thermal characteristics of the space where the indoor unit is located, so as to obtain a more accurate thermal characteristic coefficient.

[0018] In some embodiments, the dynamic factors are related to user behavior, environmental factors, and the operating mode of the air conditioner. The user behavior includes at least one of the opening and closing states of the physical architectural openings in the space where the indoor unit is located and the opening and closing states of the shading components. The environmental factors include at least one of solar radiation intensity and weather changes.

[0019] In the above technical solution, by associating dynamic factors with user behavior, such as the opening and closing of doors and windows, the opening and closing of curtains, and environmental factors, such as solar radiation intensity and weather changes, the calculated thermal characteristic coefficient can capture instantaneous heat load changes caused by human activities and fluctuations in natural conditions. This allows the air conditioning system to adapt to the user's actual usage habits and dynamic interference from the external environment, thereby improving the control accuracy and response time in complex and ever-changing real-world scenarios. It effectively avoids energy waste and decreased comfort caused by sudden environmental changes or human factors, and achieves adaptive coordination between air conditioning operation and user lifestyles and natural conditions. Ultimately, it ensures a personalized comfort experience while achieving more effective energy saving.

[0020] In some embodiments, the controller is configured to: sequentially turn on the plurality of indoor units according to the first sorting result, including:

[0021] After the first indoor unit of the plurality of indoor units is turned on, the current thermal stress of the first indoor unit is detected. The first indoor unit is any indoor unit other than the one with the lowest thermal stress in the first sorting result.

[0022] If the current thermal urgency of the first indoor unit is less than the largest thermal urgency among the other non-activated indoor units, then the second indoor unit among the plurality of indoor units is turned on. The second indoor unit is the next indoor unit in the first sorting result whose thermal urgency is less than that of the first indoor unit.

[0023] In the above technical solution, after the first indoor unit is started, its current thermal urgency is continuously monitored and compared in real time with the highest thermal urgency among all non-started indoor units. When the current urgency of the first indoor unit is less than the highest thermal urgency, the second indoor unit is started. This ensures that the indoor unit with the highest thermal urgency is started each time, reducing the waiting time of the non-started indoor units and thus improving the efficiency of the indoor unit sequencing and staggered start-up process.

[0024] In some embodiments, the controller is configured to: sequentially turn on the plurality of indoor units according to the first sorting result, including:

[0025] After the first indoor unit of the plurality of indoor units is turned on, the current thermal stress of the first indoor unit is detected. The first indoor unit is any indoor unit other than the one with the lowest thermal stress in the first sorting result.

[0026] If the current thermal urgency of the first indoor unit is less than the minimum thermal urgency among the other non-activated indoor units, the second indoor unit is turned on. The second indoor unit is the next indoor unit in the first sorting result whose thermal urgency is less than that of the first indoor unit.

[0027] In the above technical solution, after the first indoor unit is started, its current thermal urgency is continuously monitored and compared in real time with the minimum thermal urgency among all non-started indoor units. When the current urgency of the first indoor unit is less than the minimum thermal urgency, the second indoor unit is started. After the effect of the started indoor unit reaches the relative optimal, the next indoor unit is started. This can avoid multiple indoor units running at high frequency for a long time at the same time, thereby improving the energy efficiency of the indoor unit staggered start-up process.

[0028] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to:

[0029] Determine the temperature reach time for each indoor unit, wherein the temperature reach time indicates the time taken for the indoor unit to reach the preset ambient temperature from the actual ambient temperature;

[0030] The heating times of the multiple indoor units are sorted in descending order to obtain a second sorting result;

[0031] Based on the first sorting result and the second sorting result, the sorting displacement of each indoor unit is determined. The sorting displacement is used to represent the difference between the sorting position of each indoor unit in the second sorting result and the sorting position of each indoor unit in the first sorting result.

[0032] If the sorting displacement of at least one indoor unit is not equal to 0, then the dynamic factor of the at least one indoor unit is updated to obtain the updated dynamic factor of the at least one indoor unit.

[0033] In the above technical solution, by comparing and analyzing the ranking results of the temperature reaching time with the ranking of thermal urgency based on thermal characteristic coefficients, the deviation between the two and the actual thermal dynamic response is identified by the "ranking displacement". When the ranking displacement is not zero, the dynamic factors of the corresponding indoor unit are updated, so that the air conditioner can dynamically correct the inaccuracy of the initial parameters caused by changes in user habits, environmental fluctuations or changes in building characteristics. This allows the air conditioner to learn the dynamic factors of each space, and then when the indoor unit is started again, it can allocate cooling / heating resources with a better strategy, thereby continuously approaching the balance between comfort and energy efficiency in long-term operation.

[0034] In some embodiments, the controller is configured to: if the sorting displacement of at least one indoor unit is not equal to 0, update the dynamic factor of the at least one indoor unit to obtain the updated dynamic factor of the at least one indoor unit, including:

[0035] If the absolute value of the sorting displacement of at least one indoor unit is not equal to 0, the updated dynamic factor of each indoor unit in the at least one indoor unit is obtained based on the dynamic factor and sorting displacement of each indoor unit in the at least one indoor unit.

[0036] In the above technical solution, by describing in detail that if the absolute value of the sorting displacement of at least one indoor unit is not equal to 0, the updated dynamic factor is determined by the dynamic factor of the indoor unit whose absolute value of the sorting displacement is not equal to 0 and the sorting displacement. The updated dynamic factor can better reflect the real-time changes of the current space, realize the continuous iterative optimization of the control strategy in long-term operation, and ensure that the allocation of cooling / heating resources is always highly consistent with the actual physical characteristics of the building space and the dynamic behavior of users, thereby improving the adaptability and energy efficiency of the air conditioner.

[0037] In some embodiments, the controller is configured to:

[0038] Based on the dynamic factors and sorting displacements of each of the at least one indoor unit, the updated dynamic factors of each of the at least one indoor unit are obtained, including:

[0039] The sorting displacement of each indoor unit in the at least one indoor unit is processed by a symbolic function to obtain the processed sorting displacement.

[0040] The updated dynamic factor of each indoor unit is obtained by multiplying the dynamic factor of each indoor unit in the at least one indoor unit, the processed sorting displacement, and the learning rate.

[0041] In the above technical solution, a dynamic factor that can be adaptively adjusted is constructed by introducing a sign function to process the sorting displacement and combining it with a learning rate to dynamically update the dynamic factor. In detail, the sign function is used to effectively extract the direction information of the sorting displacement, ensuring the correctness of the adjustment direction of the dynamic factor. The introduction of the learning rate serves as a key parameter for adjusting the "step size," effectively balancing the system response speed and stability. This avoids system oscillations or overshoot caused by excessively large single adjustment amplitudes, and can accurately track the long-term slow changes in room thermal characteristics through continuous small step accumulation. As a result, the air conditioner can continuously optimize its internal model in a robust manner when facing complex and ever-changing environments and usage scenarios, and continuously improve the accuracy of dynamic factor calculation.

[0042] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to:

[0043] During the restart of the plurality of indoor units, the thermal characteristic coefficient of each indoor unit is determined based on the physical factor, dynamic factor and rated capacity of each indoor unit, wherein the dynamic factor of at least one indoor unit is the updated dynamic factor.

[0044] In the above technical solution, by re-substituting the learned and updated dynamic factors into the calculation process of the thermal characteristic coefficient when the air conditioner restarts, the air conditioner can transform the experience data accumulated in historical operation into the knowledge base for optimizing subsequent control strategies. This ensures that each restart is not starting from scratch, but is based on the previous continuous self-calibration. As a result, the air conditioner can predict and adapt to the dynamic thermal characteristics of different spaces more and more accurately, significantly improving the accuracy and response speed of the multi-indoor unit start-up strategy, realizing continuous iterative optimization of system performance, and effectively reducing energy waste caused by dynamic factors in long-term operation.

[0045] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to:

[0046] During the initial startup of the multiple indoor units, the thermal characteristic coefficient of each indoor unit is determined based on its physical factors, preset dynamic factors, and rated capacity.

[0047] In the above technical solution, during the initial startup of the multi-split system, a dynamic factor is preset so that each room is not affected by the dynamic factor, thereby achieving a rapid initial startup. Attached Figure Description

[0048] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an air conditioner provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 2 This is another structural schematic diagram of the air conditioner provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0050] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an application scenario of the control method of the controller provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0051] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating a control method for a controller provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0052] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a process for sequentially turning on multiple indoor units in the control method of the controller provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0053] Figure 6 A schematic diagram illustrating the process of sequentially turning on multiple indoor units in the control method of the controller provided in this application embodiment;

[0054] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the process for determining whether a dynamic factor is updated in the control method of the controller provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0055] Figure 8 A schematic diagram illustrating the update process of dynamic factors in the control method of the controller provided in this application embodiment;

[0056] Figure 9 This is another schematic flowchart illustrating the control method of the controller provided in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0057] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0058] To facilitate a clear description of the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used in the embodiments of this application to distinguish identical or similar items with essentially the same function and effect. For example, "first instruction" and "second instruction" are used to distinguish different user instructions, but do not limit their order. Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity or execution order, and that "first" and "second" are not necessarily different.

[0059] It should be noted that in the embodiments of this application, the words "exemplarily" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or explanations. Any embodiment or design scheme described as "exemplarily" or "for example" in the embodiments of this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. Specifically, the use of the words "exemplarily" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0060] Furthermore, "at least one" refers to one or more, while "more than one" refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, and c can mean: a, or b, or c, or a and b, or a and c, or b and c, or a, b, and c, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0061] It should be noted that, in the embodiments of this application, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus 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 apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element.

[0062] Multi-split air conditioning systems are in an unstable and inefficient state during the initial startup phase. When all indoor units start simultaneously, the outdoor units (especially the compressors) are forced to increase their frequency to extremely high levels within a very short time to meet the heating and cooling needs of all rooms. This "rapid-fire" operating mode violates the original intention of inverter technology to achieve stable operation, resulting in a significant decrease in energy efficiency ratio during the startup phase. At the same time, frequent concentrated start-ups and shutdowns and high-pressure surges also accelerate the electrical and mechanical aging of core components such as compressors and motors, shortening the equipment's lifespan.

[0063] In addition, in buildings with fixed work schedules, such as those for going to and from get off work, multiple indoor units tend to start at the same time, generating huge instantaneous starting currents (up to 5-7 times the rated current). This concentrated peak power demand drives up the peak load cost of the power grid, is detrimental to the stability of energy infrastructure, and thus reduces energy efficiency. Therefore, how to reduce the energy consumption of central air conditioning is an urgent problem to be solved.

[0064] In view of this, this application provides an air conditioner comprising: an outdoor unit, which includes a compressor and an outdoor heat exchanger, wherein the compressor drives the refrigerant flow and the outdoor heat exchanger facilitates heat exchange between the refrigerant and outdoor air; multiple indoor units connected to the outdoor unit, each indoor unit including an indoor heat exchanger and an indoor temperature sensor, the indoor heat exchanger facilitating heat exchange between the refrigerant and indoor air, and the indoor temperature sensor detecting the ambient temperature of the space where the indoor unit is located; and a controller connected to both the outdoor unit and the multiple indoor units; the controller is configured to: determine the thermal characteristic coefficient of each indoor unit. The system uses a number to indicate the heat load characteristics of the indoor unit in its space; it determines the temperature difference corresponding to each indoor unit, which is the temperature difference between the actual ambient temperature and the preset ambient temperature of the indoor unit. The actual ambient temperature is detected by an indoor temperature sensor; based on the thermal characteristic coefficient of each indoor unit and the temperature difference corresponding to each indoor unit, it determines the thermal urgency of each indoor unit, which indicates the urgency of the indoor unit's cooling or heating in its space; it sorts the thermal urgency of multiple indoor units in descending order to obtain a first sorting result; and it turns on multiple indoor units sequentially according to the first sorting result. In the above technical solution, the thermal characteristic coefficient reflects the ease with which each room can be heated or cooled. However, if the indoor units of a multi-split system are turned on in advance, considering the order in which they are turned on, relying solely on the thermal characteristic coefficient is insufficient, as the actual temperature of each room may differ from the user-set temperature. Therefore, the calculation of thermal urgency further considers the temperature difference between the current temperature and the user-set temperature, building upon the thermal characteristic coefficient. Based on the thermal characteristic coefficient of each indoor unit and the corresponding temperature difference, the thermal urgency of each indoor unit is determined, and all indoor units are then processed in descending order of thermal urgency. The row-based sequencing mechanism enables the controller to accurately determine the urgency level of each indoor unit, prioritizing the activation of the most urgently needed and most efficient units. This start-stop mechanism, based on thermal urgency, not only effectively solves the resource competition problem during the startup phase of multiple indoor units, avoiding frequent compressor starts and stops and sudden changes in system load, ensuring overall stable and efficient operation, but also dynamically responds to real-time changes in the thermal environment of each space. This ensures that cooling / heating resources are always prioritized for allocation to the area with the highest current overall demand, thereby significantly improving the overall energy efficiency of the air conditioner while comprehensively enhancing the temperature uniformity and user comfort across multiple spaces, achieving the best balance between energy saving and comfort.

[0065] It should be understood that the refrigerant mentioned in this application is the same as the refrigerant.

[0066] To make the purpose and technical solution of this application clearer and more intuitive, the household appliances disclosed in this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0067] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an air conditioner disclosed in an embodiment of this application. Figure 1 The air conditioner shown includes an indoor unit 100 and an outdoor unit 200. The indoor unit 100 is used to regulate the indoor air temperature, and the outdoor unit 200 is connected to the indoor unit 100 via a connecting pipe. The outdoor unit 200 is installed outdoors, and the indoor unit 100 is installed indoors. The connecting pipe between the indoor unit 100 and the outdoor unit 200 can be a long connecting pipe, the length of which is greater than or equal to a set length threshold. This length threshold can be set empirically and is not limited here. Exemplarily, in this embodiment, there are multiple indoor units.

[0068] Figure 2 This is another structural schematic diagram of the air conditioner provided in the embodiments of this application, as shown below. Figure 2 As shown, the air conditioner includes an indoor unit 100 and an outdoor unit 200. The indoor unit 100 includes an indoor heat exchanger 110 and an indoor temperature sensor 120; the outdoor unit 200 includes a compressor 210, an outdoor heat exchanger 220, and a four-way valve 230. The indoor heat exchanger 110 and the indoor temperature sensor 120 are located on the indoor unit 100, while the compressor 210, the outdoor heat exchanger 220, and the four-way valve 230 are located on the outdoor unit 200.

[0069] In this embodiment, the indoor heat exchanger 110 is used to exchange heat between the refrigerant and the indoor air; the indoor temperature sensor 120 is used to detect the ambient temperature of the space where the indoor unit is located, and the indoor temperature sensor 120 can be set on the indoor heat exchanger 110 or within a preset distance of the indoor heat exchanger 110; the compressor 210 is used to drive the refrigerant flow; the outdoor heat exchanger 220 is used to exchange heat between the refrigerant and the outdoor air; and the four-way valve 230 is used to switch the refrigerant flow direction.

[0070] An air conditioner includes a refrigerant circulation loop composed of various components and pipes. The refrigerant circulates within the loop consisting of the compressor 210, outdoor heat exchanger 220, indoor heat exchanger 110, and four-way valve 230. The direction of refrigerant flow in the circulation loop differs depending on the air conditioner's operating mode. The air conditioner's operating modes can include cooling mode or heating mode, and the four-way valve 230 changes the refrigerant flow direction. In cooling mode, the refrigerant first flows through the outdoor heat exchanger 220, where the outdoor unit 200 acts as the condenser and the indoor unit 100 as the evaporator. In heating mode, the refrigerant first flows through the indoor heat exchanger 110, where the indoor unit 100 acts as the condenser and the outdoor unit 200 as the evaporator.

[0071] For example, the air conditioner also includes a controller (not shown in the figure), which is connected to the outdoor unit and multiple indoor units respectively; the controller is the control center of the air conditioner and connects the various components of the air conditioner through various interfaces and lines.

[0072] Optionally, the controller may include one or more processing units; the controller may integrate an application processor and a modem processor, wherein the application processor mainly handles the operating system, user interface, and applications, and the modem processor mainly handles wireless communication. It is understood that the modem processor may also not be integrated into the controller.

[0073] For example, such as Figure 2 The air conditioner shown is for illustrative purposes only; in actual applications, it may include other components. For example, the outdoor unit 200 may also include an outdoor fan, which may be positioned close to the outdoor heat exchanger 220. The outdoor fan may include a fan and a fan motor. The indoor unit 100 may also include an indoor fan, which may be positioned close to the indoor heat exchanger 110. The indoor fan may include a fan and a fan motor. Furthermore, the air conditioner may also include components such as a humidity sensor, a gas-liquid separator, or a shut-off valve connecting the indoor unit 100 and the outdoor unit 200; these are not limited to these components.

[0074] The following describes an exemplary application scenario of the air conditioner described above in this application embodiment.

[0075] For example, in this embodiment of the application, multiple indoor units are installed in different rooms, such as... Figure 3 As shown, indoor units of different capacities are installed in four rooms: A, B, C, and D, such as 1.8KW, 3.5KW, 5.0KW, and 7.0KW (i.e., multi-split systems). Multi-split systems are in an unstable and inefficient state during the initial startup phase. When all indoor units start simultaneously, the outdoor units (especially the compressors) are forced to increase their frequency to extremely high levels within a very short time to meet the heating and cooling needs of all rooms, resulting in low energy efficiency. Therefore, staggered startup of the indoor units in the four rooms is necessary to achieve energy savings. The following example illustrates how staggered startup is implemented in this application scenario.

[0076] Based on the above air conditioner structure, the control method executed by the controller of the air conditioner provided in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0077] The controller obtains the thermal characteristic coefficient of each indoor unit based on the product of the dynamic factor and the ratio. The ratio is used to characterize the ratio of the rated capacity of each indoor unit to the physical factor.

[0078] Among them, rated capacity is used to characterize the rated cooling capacity or rated heating capacity of the indoor unit, physical factor is used to characterize the physical building properties of the space where the indoor unit is located, dynamic factor is used to quantify the real-time changes in the thermal characteristics of the space where the indoor unit is located, and thermal characteristic coefficient is used to describe the ease with which the space where the indoor unit is located can be heated or cooled.

[0079] The controller calculates a corresponding thermal characteristic coefficient for each indoor unit. This thermal characteristic coefficient is not a reflection of a single parameter, but a comprehensive evaluation index that integrates equipment capabilities, building attributes, and real-time environmental conditions.

[0080] Rated capacity is used to characterize the rated cooling or heating capacity of an indoor unit. Rated capacity is an inherent, pre-defined attribute of the indoor unit. For example, an indoor unit model of a certain brand might be "FDR-71LW / ...", where 71 typically represents a rated cooling capacity of approximately 7100W (7.1kW). During the initial setup or installation and commissioning of the air conditioner controller, installers can enter the corresponding rated capacity value into the air conditioner's database based on the specific model of each indoor unit.

[0081] Physical factors are used to characterize the physical building properties of the space where the indoor unit is located. For example, the space where the indoor unit is located can be a room. Physical factors may include at least one of the following: window area Awindow, window type coefficient αwindow, exterior wall area Awall, exterior wall heat transfer coefficient Uwall, exterior wall correction coefficient βwall, and orientation coefficient γorientation.

[0082] For example, Awindow can be manually entered by the installer; αwindow can be entered by the installer according to the window type, such as: single pane glass = 1.0, double pane glass = 0.6, Low-E = 0.4; Awall can be entered by the installer by selecting the wall type (preset database matching U value) or directly; βwall can be entered by the installer according to the wall characteristics, such as: ordinary wall = 1.0, insulated wall = 0.7, glass curtain wall = 1.3; γorientation can be entered by the installer by selecting the room orientation, such as: south = 1.3, east / west = 1.1, north = 1.0), this value can reflect the solar radiation heat gain.

[0083] For example, in the process of calculating the thermal characteristic coefficient, the above-mentioned multiple physical factors can be multiplied to obtain the final physical factor input into the formula for calculating the thermal characteristic coefficient. For example: the physical factor calculated below = (αwindow × Awindow) × (βwall × Uwall × Awall) × γorientation.

[0084] Dynamic factors are used to quantify the real-time changes in the thermal characteristics of the space where the indoor unit is located. For example, this space can be a room. Due to different user door-opening habits, actual sunlight / weather effects, or the opening and closing of curtains, dynamic factors can cause deviations in the thermal characteristics of the room, which may lead to inaccurate thermal characteristic coefficients for each room. Therefore, dynamic factors are needed to correct these deviations.

[0085] The following examples further illustrate how the controller calculates the thermal characteristic coefficient of each indoor unit.

[0086] In this embodiment, the controller obtains the thermal characteristic coefficient of each indoor unit based on the product of the dynamic factor and the ratio, whereby the ratio is used to characterize the ratio of the rated capacity of each indoor unit to the physical factor.

[0087] For example, the thermal characteristic coefficient K-room of each indoor unit can be calculated using the following method. The formula for calculating K-room is as follows:

[0088] K-room = (rated capacity / physical factor) × dynamic factor. (1)

[0089] Among them, the thermal characteristic coefficient K-room is used to represent the ease of heating and cooling. When the rated capacity is divided by the physical factor, the larger the thermal characteristic coefficient, the easier it is to heat and cool.

[0090] The larger this ratio, the more capable the indoor unit is, given the inherent properties of the room, and the greater its "potential" to change the room temperature. This ratio is then multiplied by a dynamic factor for correction, yielding a thermal characteristic coefficient that better reflects the thermal characteristics of the indoor unit.

[0091] In the above technical solution, the thermal characteristic coefficient is used to describe the ease with which a room with indoor units is heated or cooled. The rated capacity of each room's indoor unit is used as one of the factors limiting the room's thermal characteristic coefficient. The larger the ratio of rated capacity to physical factors, the larger the thermal characteristic coefficient, and the easier it is to heat up or cool down. It is understandable that if indoor units of the same rated capacity are configured, a large room is not easy to cool down, while a small room is easy to cool down. However, in practical applications, rooms of different sizes are usually configured with indoor units of different rated capacities. If a large room is configured with a large-capacity indoor unit and a small room with a small-capacity indoor unit, it is impossible to determine whether the large room or the small room is easier to cool down. Therefore, by introducing the rated capacity of the indoor unit, and describing the ease with which a room is heated or cooled based on the ratio of the rated capacity of different indoor units to physical factors, compared to only considering the physical factors of the room (i.e., area, volume, window area), introducing the rated capacity can accurately determine the ease with which each room is heated or cooled, thereby eliminating the influence of different rated capacities of rooms of different sizes on determining the room's thermal characteristic coefficient, and obtaining an accurate thermal characteristic coefficient. Furthermore, dynamic factors also affect the thermal characteristic coefficient of each room. For example, the thermal characteristic coefficient is different when the room windows are always open versus when the room windows are closed. Therefore, in the embodiments of this application, when calculating the thermal characteristic coefficient, not only the rated capacity of the indoor unit is introduced, but also a dynamic factor is introduced to measure the real-time changes in the thermal characteristics of the space where the indoor unit is located, so as to obtain a more accurate thermal characteristic coefficient.

[0092] In other embodiments, the thermal characteristic coefficient of each indoor unit can also be obtained by multiplying the ratio of the physical factor to the rated capacity of each indoor unit with the dynamic factor.

[0093] For example, the calculation formula is as follows:

[0094] K-room = (physical factor / rated capacity) × dynamic factor. (2)

[0095] Among them: the smaller the physical factor divided by the rated capacity, the easier it is to heat up or cool down.

[0096] For example, embodiments of this application may select the most suitable algorithm to quantify the thermal characteristic coefficient of each space according to different operating modes (cooling / heating) or design concepts.

[0097] In some embodiments, dynamic factors are related to user behavior, environmental factors, and the operating mode of the air conditioner. User behavior includes at least one of the opening and closing states of the physical architectural openings in the space where the indoor unit is located and the opening and closing states of the shading components. Environmental factors include at least one of solar radiation intensity and weather changes.

[0098] Dynamic factors are used to quantify the real-time changes in the thermal characteristics of the space where the indoor unit is located: Dynamic factors are related to user behavior, environmental factors, and the operating mode of the air conditioner. Among them, user behavior includes at least one of the opening and closing states of the physical architectural openings of the space where the indoor unit is located and the opening and closing states of the shading components.

[0099] For example, the opening and closing state of a physical building opening structure can be at least one of the opening and closing state of a room and the opening and closing state of a window in that room. The opening and closing state of a shading component can be the opening and closing state of a curtain, or the opening and closing state of a venetian blind, etc.

[0100] For example, the operating mode of an air conditioner may include a cooling mode or a heating mode.

[0101] In the above technical solution, by associating dynamic factors with user behavior, such as the opening and closing of doors and windows, the opening and closing of curtains, and environmental factors, such as solar radiation intensity and weather changes, the calculated thermal characteristic coefficient can capture instantaneous heat load changes caused by human activities and fluctuations in natural conditions. This allows the air conditioning system to adapt to the user's actual usage habits and dynamic interference from the external environment, thereby improving the control accuracy and response time in complex and ever-changing real-world scenarios. It effectively avoids energy waste and decreased comfort caused by sudden environmental changes or human factors, and achieves adaptive coordination between air conditioning operation and user lifestyles and natural conditions. Ultimately, it ensures a personalized comfort experience while achieving more effective energy saving.

[0102] In some embodiments, based on the air conditioner structure described above, another control method executed by the controller of the air conditioner provided in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the control methods include:

[0103] Step 401: Determine the thermal characteristic coefficient of each indoor unit based on its rated capacity, physical factors, and dynamic factors. The thermal characteristic coefficient is used to describe the ease with which the space where the indoor unit is located can be heated or cooled.

[0104] In some embodiments, the thermal characteristic coefficient of each indoor unit can be determined based on the physical factors, dynamic factors, and rated capacity of each indoor unit. The dynamic factor can be preset during the initial calculation process of multiple indoor units being turned on, for example, set to 1. During subsequent turn-on processes, the dynamic factor is continuously updated and calculated. The process of updating and calculating is discussed in detail below.

[0105] It should be understood that the process of determining the thermal characteristic coefficient has been explained in detail above and will not be repeated here.

[0106] In other embodiments, the thermal characteristic coefficient of each indoor unit can be determined based on its physical factors and rated capacity. For example, the ratio of the rated capacity to the physical factors of each indoor unit can be used as the thermal characteristic coefficient of each indoor unit. This ratio can be understood as the cooling / heating capacity matched to a unit of building heat load; the larger the ratio, the larger the thermal characteristic coefficient.

[0107] In other embodiments, the thermal characteristic coefficient of each indoor unit can be determined based on the physical and dynamic factors of each indoor unit. For example, the thermal characteristic coefficient of each indoor unit can be obtained by multiplying the physical and dynamic factors of each indoor unit.

[0108] Step 402: Determine the temperature difference for each indoor unit. The temperature difference is the difference between the actual ambient temperature of the indoor unit and the preset ambient temperature. The actual ambient temperature is detected by the indoor temperature sensor.

[0109] The actual ambient temperature is the temperature directly and in real time detected by the indoor temperature sensor, which objectively reflects the instantaneous thermal state of the current space; the preset ambient temperature can be the temperature set by the user according to their own comfort preferences, or it can be a universally comfortable temperature set automatically by the air conditioner.

[0110] For example, the preset ambient temperature during cooling can be T_set=22℃, and the preset ambient temperature during heating can be T_set=30℃.

[0111] Based on this, the controller subtracts the preset ambient temperature from the actual ambient temperature to obtain the temperature difference for each indoor unit.

[0112] Step 403: Determine the thermal urgency of each indoor unit based on its thermal characteristic coefficient and the corresponding temperature difference. The thermal urgency is used to indicate the urgency of the indoor unit's cooling or heating in the space it is in.

[0113] The thermal characteristic coefficient reflects the temperature drop characteristics (ease or difficulty) of a room, while the temperature difference also reflects the difficulty (or urgency) of cooling / heating the room. Therefore, the two are parameters of the same type, and when coupled together, they can characterize the thermal urgency of rooms with different thermal characteristics under different temperature differences.

[0114] For example, the thermal characteristic coefficient of each indoor unit and the corresponding temperature difference of each indoor unit can be used as the thermal stress of each indoor unit.

[0115] In other embodiments, a mapping relationship between thermal characteristic coefficients and thermal stress can be established in advance, and the corresponding thermal stress can be obtained by looking up a table after obtaining the thermal characteristic coefficients.

[0116] In other embodiments, the thermal urgency of each indoor unit can be determined by combining the thermal characteristic coefficient of each indoor unit and the time it takes for the ambient temperature of each indoor unit to reach the temperature set by the user.

[0117] Step 404: Sort the thermal stress of multiple indoor units in descending order to obtain the first sorting result.

[0118] After calculating the thermal urgency of each indoor unit, the controller sorts all the indoor units in descending order of thermal urgency, generating an "action priority queue" that clearly identifies the urgency of the cooling or heating needs of each space, i.e., the first sorting result.

[0119] Step 405: Turn on multiple indoor units in sequence according to the first sorting result.

[0120] Then, according to the first sorting result, the corresponding indoor units are turned on in sequence.

[0121] In some embodiments, a thermal stress threshold can be set. If the thermal stress of the first indoor unit after startup is less than the thermal stress threshold, the next second indoor unit is turned on. The second indoor unit is the next indoor unit whose thermal stress is less than that of the first indoor unit in the first sorting result.

[0122] In other embodiments, the second indoor unit may be turned on if the thermal stress of the first indoor unit after startup is less than the maximum / minimum thermal stress of the other non-started indoor units. For a description of this embodiment, please refer to the detailed description below.

[0123] In other embodiments, the second indoor unit can be turned on if the thermal stress of the first indoor unit after startup is less than that of any of the other indoor units that are not started.

[0124] In the above technical solution, the thermal characteristic coefficient reflects the ease with which each room can be heated or cooled. However, if the indoor units of a multi-split system are turned on in advance, considering the order in which they are turned on, relying solely on the thermal characteristic coefficient is insufficient, as the actual temperature of each room may differ from the user-set temperature. Therefore, the calculation of thermal urgency further considers the temperature difference between the current temperature and the user-set temperature, building upon the thermal characteristic coefficient. Based on the thermal characteristic coefficient of each indoor unit and the corresponding temperature difference, the thermal urgency of each indoor unit is determined, and all indoor units are then processed in descending order of thermal urgency. The row-based sequencing mechanism enables the controller to accurately determine the urgency level of each indoor unit, prioritizing the activation of the most urgently needed and most efficient units. This start-stop mechanism, based on thermal urgency, not only effectively solves the resource competition problem during the startup phase of multiple indoor units, avoiding frequent compressor starts and stops and sudden changes in system load, ensuring overall stable and efficient operation, but also dynamically responds to real-time changes in the thermal environment of each space. This ensures that cooling / heating resources are always prioritized for allocation to the area with the highest current overall demand, thereby significantly improving the overall energy efficiency of the air conditioner while comprehensively enhancing the temperature uniformity and user comfort across multiple spaces, achieving the best balance between energy saving and comfort.

[0125] The following details how to turn on multiple indoor units sequentially according to the first sorting result.

[0126] In some embodiments, the controller is configured to sequentially turn on multiple indoor units according to a first sorting result, such as... Figure 5 As shown, it includes:

[0127] Step 501: After the first indoor unit of the multiple indoor units is turned on, detect the current thermal stress of the first indoor unit. The first indoor unit is any indoor unit other than the one with the lowest thermal stress in the first sorting result.

[0128] For example, the first indoor unit is any indoor unit other than the one with the lowest thermal stress in the first ranking result. For instance, the first indoor unit could be the one with the highest thermal stress in the first ranking result, that is, the indoor unit ranked first, or it could be any other indoor unit except for the one with the lowest stress, that is, the indoor unit ranked last.

[0129] In step 501, after the first indoor unit is turned on according to the initial first sorting result, the control logic does not stop there. It continuously monitors the current thermal stress of the first indoor unit. After the first indoor unit starts operating, the temperature of its surrounding space begins to approach the set value, and the difference between its actual ambient temperature and the preset ambient temperature, i.e., the temperature difference, decreases accordingly, causing its thermal stress to decrease in real time. Therefore, after the first indoor unit of multiple indoor units is turned on, the current thermal stress of the first indoor unit is monitored, providing a reference for turning on the next indoor unit.

[0130] Step 502: If the current thermal stress of the first indoor unit is less than the largest thermal stress among the other non-started indoor units, turn on the second indoor unit among the multiple indoor units. The second indoor unit is the next indoor unit in the first sorting result whose thermal stress is less than that of the first indoor unit.

[0131] In step 502, the monitoring result of the current thermal urgency of the first indoor unit is compared in real time with the thermal urgency of all non-started indoor units. Specifically, the controller continuously searches for the maximum thermal urgency among all non-started indoor units and compares this maximum value with the current thermal urgency of the first indoor unit. If the judgment condition is met, that is, if it is found that there is a non-started indoor unit whose thermal urgency has exceeded that of the running first indoor unit, an action will be immediately triggered to turn on the next indoor unit immediately following the first indoor unit in the initial first sorting result, namely the second indoor unit.

[0132] In the above technical solution, after the first indoor unit is started, its current thermal urgency is continuously monitored and compared in real time with the highest thermal urgency among all non-started indoor units. When the current urgency of the first indoor unit is less than the highest thermal urgency, the second indoor unit is started. This ensures that the indoor unit with the highest thermal urgency is started each time, reducing the time for indoor units to wait to start, thereby improving the efficiency of the indoor unit sequencing and staggered start-up process.

[0133] In other embodiments, the controller is configured to sequentially turn on multiple indoor units according to a first sorting result, such as... Figure 6 ,include:

[0134] Step 601: After the first indoor unit of the multiple indoor units is turned on, the current thermal stress of the first indoor unit is detected. The first indoor unit is any indoor unit other than the one with the lowest thermal stress in the first sorting result.

[0135] This step has been discussed in detail above and will not be repeated here.

[0136] Step 602: If the current thermal stress of the first indoor unit is less than the minimum thermal stress among the other non-started indoor units, turn on the second indoor unit, which is the next indoor unit in the first sorting result whose thermal stress is less than that of the first indoor unit.

[0137] Step 602 introduces a method with Figure 5 The implementation uses a significantly different, more conservative, and stable decision-making logic. In this step, the current thermal urgency of the first indoor unit, now reduced, is compared to the lowest thermal urgency among all the non-started indoor units. Only if the current thermal urgency of the first indoor unit is even lower than that of the least urgent non-started unit will the second indoor unit, following the first ranking, be started. Non-started indoor units wait until the current urgency of the currently running indoor unit drops lower than that of any of the waiting units before the next unit is allowed to start. This design ensures that system resources can focus on the currently identified highest priority task for an extended period until its importance significantly decreases. By setting a higher start-up threshold, frequent start-stops of indoor units due to small, transient demand fluctuations are effectively prevented. This not only reduces potential load fluctuations on the compressor and lowers energy consumption but is also particularly suitable for applications where space thermal load changes relatively slowly or where users are sensitive to noise and frequent equipment switching. Figure 5 Compared to the dynamic preemption strategy, Figure 6 This "conservative" strategy provides another dimension of optimization, which together enriches the adaptability of this application under different application requirements.

[0138] In the above technical solution, after the first indoor unit is started, its current thermal urgency is continuously monitored and compared in real time with the minimum thermal urgency among all non-started indoor units. When the current urgency of the first indoor unit is less than the minimum thermal urgency, the second indoor unit is started. This allows the indoor unit with the highest thermal urgency, that is, the room that needs the most (most difficult to cool) cooling or heating, to be started first. When the minimum thermal urgency is reached, it proves that the effect has been basically achieved. At this time, the second indoor unit is started. This can avoid the system from making long-term and complex adjustments to all rooms and avoid the system from running at high frequency for a long time, thereby improving the energy efficiency of the indoor unit staggered start-up process.

[0139] The above embodiment describes how to turn on multiple indoor units sequentially according to the first sorting result.

[0140] In other embodiments, multiple indoor units can be grouped based on their thermal urgency, and started in parallel as appropriate while ensuring the stability of the air conditioner, so as to speed up the overall response speed.

[0141] For example, based on the maximum starting load capacity of the outdoor compressor and the entire air conditioning system, a safety threshold is set, such as allowing the total capacity of indoor units that can start simultaneously to not exceed 60% of the rated capacity of the outdoor units.

[0142] After sorting by thermal urgency, the top few indoor units whose total rated capacity does not exceed the load threshold are grouped into a "high urgency group." All indoor units in the high urgency group are then turned on simultaneously. For other indoor units outside the group, a sequential start-up mode is adopted, and they are turned on one by one after the units in the group have stabilized or achieved part of the target.

[0143] Within the pressure-bearing capacity of the air conditioning system, multiple high-demand spaces can be adjusted simultaneously, thereby shortening the overall initial response time of the air conditioning system.

[0144] The following details how, after multiple indoor units have been turned on, the dynamic factor is adjusted based on the current indoor unit turn-on status to execute the next multiple indoor unit turn-on operation.

[0145] In some embodiments, such as Figure 7 As shown, the controller is also configured to perform the following steps:

[0146] Step 701: Determine the temperature reach time for each indoor unit. The temperature reach time indicates the time it takes for the indoor unit to reach the preset ambient temperature from the actual ambient temperature.

[0147] After turning on all indoor units according to the first sorting result, the time it takes for each indoor unit to reach the required temperature during the turn-on process is obtained, so as to determine the second sorting of the number of indoor units that should actually be turned on based on the temperature reaching time.

[0148] Step 702: Sort the temperature reaching times of multiple indoor units in descending order to obtain the second sorting result.

[0149] Step 703: Determine the sorting displacement of each indoor unit based on the first sorting result and the second sorting result. The sorting displacement is used to represent the difference between the sorting position of each indoor unit in the second sorting result and the sorting position of each indoor unit in the first sorting result.

[0150] In step 703, by comparing the difference in position of each indoor unit in the first ranking result based on thermal urgency and the second ranking result based on actual temperature reaching time, each ranking displacement is calculated. A positive displacement indicates that the actual cooling / heating rate of the space is faster than expected, while a negative displacement indicates that its speed lags behind expectations.

[0151] Step 704: If there is at least one indoor unit whose sorting displacement is not equal to 0, then update the dynamic factor of at least one indoor unit to obtain the updated dynamic factor of at least one indoor unit.

[0152] In this step, if the sorting displacement Δrank of at least one indoor unit is not equal to 0, then the dynamic factor of at least one indoor unit is updated. In other words, if the sorting displacement changes, it means that the startup order is inaccurate and needs to be adjusted in the next process.

[0153] For example, there are various reasons for inaccuracies. In this embodiment, it is due to the influence of multiple factors such as user behavior, environmental factors, and the air conditioner's operating mode. User behavior includes at least one of the opening and closing states of the physical building openings in the space where the indoor unit is located and the opening and closing states of the sunshade components. Environmental factors include at least one of sunlight intensity and weather changes. The dynamic factor is related to user behavior, environmental factors, and the air conditioner's operating mode. Therefore, if the sorting displacement of at least one indoor unit is not equal to 0, the dynamic factor of at least one indoor unit is updated to obtain the updated dynamic factor of at least one indoor unit. The dynamic factors of all indoor units whose sorting displacement has changed are updated so that a more appropriate dynamic factor can be adopted when multiple indoor units are turned on, resulting in a more accurate start-up sorting.

[0154] For example, if the rooms are sorted by thermal characteristic coefficient in the startup order of A / B / C / D, and the actual temperature drop of each room after the operation is completed, it indicates that the room heat load of room B increases due to the influence of dynamic factors (such as the number of times the door is opened, actual sunlight exposure, and the opening and closing of curtains). In this case, the dynamic factors of A and B should be updated.

[0155] In the above technical solution, by comparing and analyzing the ranking results of the temperature reaching time with the ranking of thermal urgency based on thermal characteristic coefficients, the deviation between the two and the actual thermal dynamic response is identified by the "ranking displacement". When the ranking displacement is not zero, the dynamic factors of the corresponding indoor unit are updated, so that the air conditioner can dynamically correct the inaccuracy of the initial parameters caused by changes in user habits, environmental fluctuations or changes in building characteristics. This allows the air conditioner to learn the dynamic factors of each space, and then when the indoor unit is started again, it can allocate cooling / heating resources with a better strategy, thereby continuously approaching the balance between comfort and energy efficiency in long-term operation.

[0156] In other embodiments, if the sorting displacement Δrank is equal to 0, that is, the current actual temperature ranking is consistent with the ranking calculated based on the thermal characteristic coefficient, it indicates that the current ranking of each room is reasonable and has not been affected by the dynamic factor. In the next run, the dynamic factor δ1=δ2....=δn=1.0 will continue to be set.

[0157] The following section details the process of correcting dynamic factors.

[0158] In some embodiments, the controller is configured to: if the sorting displacement of at least one indoor unit is not equal to 0, update the dynamic factor of at least one indoor unit to obtain the updated dynamic factor of at least one indoor unit, including:

[0159] If the absolute value of the sorting displacement of at least one indoor unit is not equal to 0, the updated dynamic factor of each indoor unit in at least one indoor unit is obtained based on the dynamic factor and sorting displacement of each indoor unit in at least one indoor unit.

[0160] In some embodiments, such as Figure 8 As shown, the controller is configured as follows:

[0161] Based on the dynamic factors and sorting displacements of each indoor unit in at least one indoor unit, the updated dynamic factors of each indoor unit in at least one indoor unit are obtained, including:

[0162] Step 801: Process the sorting displacement of each indoor unit in at least one indoor unit using a symbolic function to obtain the processed sorting displacement.

[0163] For example, the sorting displacement of each indoor unit in at least one indoor unit is processed using a sign function to obtain the processed sorting displacement, where sign() is the sign function, which extracts the direction (positive, negative, or zero) of the sorting displacement. For example, if the sorting displacement is +3 and +1, the sign function outputs +1; if the displacement is -2, it outputs -1.

[0164] In step 801, the sorted displacements are preprocessed using a sign function. The sign function maps specific sorted displacement values ​​to a directional signal: positive displacement outputs +1, negative displacement outputs -1, and zero displacement outputs 0. For example, an internal unit with a displacement of +3 and an internal unit with a displacement of +1 will both receive the same +1 signal after processing with the sign function. This indicates that the system learns whether to enhance or weaken the judgment of the spatial dynamic disturbance, rather than rushing to correct all deviations in a single update. This avoids over-adjustment and oscillation of the model due to a single, accidental large error, ensuring the robustness of the learning process.

[0165] Step 802: Based on the product of the dynamic factor of each indoor unit in at least one indoor unit, the processed sorting displacement, and the learning rate, obtain the updated dynamic factor of each indoor unit in at least one indoor unit.

[0166] In step 802, the air conditioning system updates the dynamic factors based on the processed sorted displacements obtained in step 801. For example, the update formula is as follows:

[0167] Updated dynamic factor = dynamic factor - θ × processed sorting displacement, (3)

[0168] In formula (3), the learning rate θ is an important control parameter (usually a positive decimal less than 1). A smaller learning rate makes the update process smoother and avoids over-adjustment due to a single error; a larger learning rate allows the system to learn faster, but may cause oscillations. For example, the learning rate can be selected in [0.005, 0.05], and 0.05 is recommended.

[0169] Formula (3) becomes: after substituting the sign function:

[0170] Updated dynamic factor = dynamic factor - θ × sign(Δrank), (4)

[0171] For example, the updates of dynamic factors are shown in Table 1:

[0172] Table 1

[0173]

[0174] The theoretical starting order in Table 1 is calculated based on thermal urgency, while the actual starting order is based on the time to reach the set temperature.

[0175] Please refer to Table 1: Taking the adjustment of the dynamic factor of the conference room as an example, the ranking displacement of the conference room Δrank = 1-3 = -2 (actually 2 places slower than predicted); by processing this ranking displacement using the sign function, we obtain:

[0176] sign(Δrank) = sign(-2) = -1, negative displacement requires an increase in the dynamic factor, which is substituted into formula (4) to obtain the updated dynamic factor. Updated dynamic factor = 1.0-0.05× (-1) = 1.05 (Note: negative displacement indicates an increase in actual cooling time, which requires positive correction to increase thermal urgency and advance the next start-up sequence).

[0177] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to:

[0178] During the restart of multiple indoor units, the thermal characteristic coefficient of each indoor unit is determined based on its physical factors, dynamic factors, and rated capacity, wherein the dynamic factor of at least one indoor unit is the updated dynamic factor.

[0179] During the initial startup process, the thermal characteristic coefficient of each indoor unit is determined based on its physical factors, preset dynamic factors, and rated capacity.

[0180] For example, the preset dynamic factor can be 1.

[0181] During subsequent restarts, the thermal characteristic coefficient of each indoor unit can be determined based on its physical factors, updated dynamic factors, and rated capacity.

[0182] In the above technical solution, by re-substituting the learned and updated dynamic factors into the calculation process of the thermal characteristic coefficient when the air conditioner restarts, the air conditioner can transform the experience data accumulated in historical operation into the knowledge base for optimizing subsequent control strategies. This ensures that each restart is not starting from scratch, but is based on the previous continuous self-calibration. As a result, the air conditioner can predict and adapt to the dynamic thermal characteristics of different spaces more and more accurately, significantly improving the accuracy and response speed of the multi-indoor unit start-up strategy, realizing continuous iterative optimization of system performance, and effectively reducing energy waste caused by dynamic factors in long-term operation.

[0183] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 9 , Figure 9 The detailed steps for staggered startup of n indoor units in n rooms include the following:

[0184] Step 901: Obtain the physical factors of each indoor unit. Step 902: Obtain the rated capacity of each indoor unit. Step 903: Set the dynamic factors δ1=δ2...=δn=1.0 for each indoor unit. Step 904: Determine the thermal characteristic coefficient of each indoor unit based on its physical factors, dynamic factors, and rated capacity. Step 905: Determine the temperature difference corresponding to each indoor unit. Step 906: Determine the thermal stress of each indoor unit based on its thermal characteristic coefficient and temperature difference, and sort the thermal stress of multiple indoor units in descending order to obtain the first sorting result. Step 907: After the first indoor unit is turned on, detect its current thermal stress. Step 908: If the current thermal stress of the first indoor unit is less than the minimum thermal stress among the other non-started indoor units, turn on the second indoor unit. Step 909: Sort the temperature reach times of multiple indoor units in descending order to obtain the second sorting result. Step 910: Determine the sorting displacement Δrank of each indoor unit based on the first sorting result and the second sorting result. Step 911: Determine if Δrank ≠ 0. Step 912: If at least one indoor unit has a sorting displacement that is not equal to 0, update the dynamic factor of the at least one indoor unit to obtain the updated dynamic factor of the at least one indoor unit.

[0185] When determining Δrank≠0 in step 911, the dynamic factor is updated. After updating the dynamic factor, the process returns to step 904 to execute the next round of indoor unit startup. If Δrank≠0 is not true, the dynamic factor is not updated, and the process returns to step 903 to execute the next round of indoor unit startup. It should be understood that during the initial startup of n indoor units in n rooms, the dynamic factor is preset, which is 1 in this embodiment. In subsequent startups, if the dynamic factor is corrected, it will change; otherwise, it will remain at 1. The execution process of other steps in this procedure has been discussed in detail above and will not be repeated here.

[0186] It should be understood that although the steps in the flowchart above are shown sequentially as indicated by the arrows, these steps are not necessarily executed in the order indicated by the arrows. Unless explicitly stated herein, there is no strict order restriction on the execution of these steps, and they can be executed in other orders. Moreover, at least some steps in the flowchart above may include multiple sub-steps or multiple stages. These sub-steps or stages are not necessarily completed at the same time, but can be executed at different times. The execution order of these sub-steps or stages is not necessarily sequential, but can be performed alternately or in turn with other steps or at least some of the sub-steps or stages of other steps.

[0187] Based on the control method of the controller described above, this application also discloses a computer-readable storage medium that can implement any of the above control methods.

[0188] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the processes in the above embodiments can be implemented by a computer program instructing related hardware. The program can be stored in a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium, and when executed, it can include the processes of the embodiments of the above methods. The storage medium can be a magnetic disk, optical disk, ROM, etc.

[0189] It should be understood that those skilled in the art should also know that the embodiments described in the specification are all optional embodiments, and the actions and modules involved are not necessarily required by this application.

[0190] The methods disclosed in the several method embodiments provided in this application can be arbitrarily combined without conflict to obtain new method embodiments.

[0191] The features disclosed in the several method or device embodiments provided in this application can be arbitrarily combined without conflict to obtain new method or device embodiments.

[0192] The air conditioner disclosed in the embodiments of this application has been described in detail above. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this application. The descriptions of the embodiments above are only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this application. At the same time, those skilled in the art will recognize that there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope based on the ideas of this application. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

Claims

1. An air conditioner characterized by comprising: The air conditioner comprises: An outdoor unit, comprising a compressor and an outdoor heat exchanger, wherein the compressor is configured to drive refrigerant flow, and the outdoor heat exchanger is configured to exchange heat between the refrigerant and outdoor air; A plurality of indoor units connected to the outdoor unit, comprising indoor heat exchangers and indoor temperature sensors, wherein the indoor heat exchangers are configured to exchange heat between the refrigerant and indoor air, and the indoor temperature sensors are configured to detect the ambient temperature of the space where the indoor unit is located; A controller connected to the outdoor unit and the plurality of indoor units respectively; The controller is configured to: determine the thermal characteristic coefficient of each indoor unit according to the rated capacity, physical factor and dynamic factor of each indoor unit, wherein the thermal characteristic coefficient is used to describe the degree of difficulty of temperature rise or fall in the space where the indoor unit is located, the rated capacity is used to represent the rated cooling capacity or rated heating capacity of the indoor unit, the physical factor is used to represent the physical building attribute of the space where the indoor unit is located, and the dynamic factor is used to quantify the real-time change of the thermal characteristics of the space where the indoor unit is located; determine the temperature difference corresponding to each indoor unit, which is the temperature difference between the actual ambient temperature of the indoor unit and the preset ambient temperature, and the actual ambient temperature is detected by the indoor temperature sensor; determine the thermal urgency of each indoor unit according to the thermal characteristic coefficient of each indoor unit and the temperature difference corresponding to each indoor unit, wherein the thermal urgency is used to indicate the emergency degree of cooling or heating in the space where the indoor unit is located; sort the thermal urgency of the plurality of indoor units in descending order to obtain a first sorting result; start the plurality of indoor units in sequence according to the first sorting result.

2. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein The controller is configured to determine the thermal characteristic coefficient of each indoor unit according to the rated capacity, physical factor and dynamic factor of each indoor unit, comprising: obtain the thermal characteristic coefficient of each indoor unit according to the product of the dynamic factor and the ratio, wherein the ratio is used to represent the ratio of the rated capacity to the physical factor of each indoor unit.

3. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1-2, wherein The dynamic factor is related to user behavior, environmental factors and the operation mode of the air conditioner, wherein the user behavior includes at least one of the opening and closing state of the physical building opening structure of the space where the indoor unit is located and the opening and closing state of the sunshade component, and the environmental factors include at least one of sunlight intensity and weather change.

4. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein The controller is configured to start the plurality of indoor units in sequence according to the first sorting result, comprising: after starting the first indoor unit of the plurality of indoor units, detect the current thermal urgency of the first indoor unit, wherein the first indoor unit is any indoor unit other than the indoor unit with the smallest thermal urgency in the first sorting result; if the current thermal urgency of the first indoor unit is less than the maximum thermal urgency of the thermal urgency of other indoor units that have not been started, start the second indoor unit of the plurality of indoor units, wherein the second indoor unit is the next indoor unit with a smaller thermal urgency than the first indoor unit in the first sorting result.

5. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein The controller is configured to: sequentially start the multiple indoor units according to the first sorting result, including: After a first indoor unit of the multiple indoor units is started, detecting a current heat urgency of the first indoor unit, the first indoor unit being any one of the multiple indoor units except the one with the smallest heat urgency in the first sorting result; In a case where the current heat urgency of the first indoor unit is smaller than the smallest heat urgency among heat urgencies of other indoor units that have not been started, starting a second indoor unit, the second indoor unit being the next one of the multiple indoor units with a heat urgency smaller than that of the first indoor unit in the first sorting result.

6. The air conditioner according to claim 4 or 5, characterized by The controller is further configured to: determining a temperature-reach time of each of the multiple indoor units, the temperature-reach time being used to indicate a time for the indoor unit to reach the preset environment temperature from the actual environment temperature; sorting the temperature-reach times of the multiple indoor units in descending order to obtain a second sorting result; determining a sorting displacement of each of the multiple indoor units according to the first sorting result and the second sorting result, the sorting displacement being used to represent a difference between a sorting position of the indoor unit in the second sorting result and a sorting position of the indoor unit in the first sorting result; if there is at least one indoor unit with a sorting displacement not equal to 0, updating a dynamic factor of the at least one indoor unit to obtain an updated dynamic factor of the at least one indoor unit.

7. The air conditioner of claim 6, wherein The controller is configured to: if there is at least one indoor unit with a sorting displacement not equal to 0, updating a dynamic factor of the at least one indoor unit to obtain an updated dynamic factor of the at least one indoor unit, including: if there is at least one indoor unit with an absolute value of the sorting displacement not equal to 0, obtaining an updated dynamic factor of each of the at least one indoor unit according to the dynamic factor and the sorting displacement of each of the at least one indoor unit.

8. The air conditioner of claim 7, wherein The controller is configured to: obtaining an updated dynamic factor of each of the at least one indoor unit according to the dynamic factor and the sorting displacement of each of the at least one indoor unit, including: processing the sorting displacement of each of the at least one indoor unit by a sign function to obtain a processed sorting displacement; obtaining the updated dynamic factor of each of the at least one indoor unit according to a product of the dynamic factor of each of the at least one indoor unit, the processed sorting displacement and a learning rate.

9. The air conditioner of claim 6, wherein The controller is further configured to: in a process of starting the multiple indoor units again, determining a thermal characteristic coefficient of each of the multiple indoor units according to the physical factor, the dynamic factor and the rated capacity of each of the multiple indoor units, wherein the dynamic factor of the at least one indoor unit is the updated dynamic factor.

10. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein The controller is further configured to: in a process of starting the multiple indoor units for the first time, determining a thermal characteristic coefficient of each of the multiple indoor units according to the physical factor, a preset dynamic factor and the rated capacity of each of the multiple indoor units.

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