Multi-branch networking system and communication method thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of air conditioners, in particular to a multi-branch networking system and a communication method thereof, and the system comprises a cloud platform and a plurality of branch subsystems; the branch subsystem comprises a control signal sending device, a non-networking device and at least two to-be-networked devices; the control signal sending device is electrically connected with the non-networking device and the to-be-networked device through a control line and transmits a low-frequency control signal. The branch subsystem further comprises networking communication modules of which the number is the same as that of the to-be-networked equipment; the networking communication modules are electrically connected with the to-be-networked devices in a one-to-one correspondence manner, and the networking communication modules are electrically connected with the control line and transmit high-frequency communication signals; one networking communication module serves as a main communication module and is in communication connection with the cloud platform; the problems of high data interconnection and intercommunication construction difficulty and high system cost of a multi-branch system are solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of air conditioning technology, and in particular to a multi-branch networking system and its communication method. Background Technology

[0002] A single-duct all-air system consists of at least the following components: an indoor air conditioning unit, an outdoor air conditioning unit, a gas boiler, and a thermostat, such as... Figure 1 As shown, these devices are connected via a set of control lines (3-7 wires). The signals on these control lines are generated by the thermostat and are generally low-voltage AC signals (e.g., 24V) at the mains frequency (50 / 60Hz). These control signals are defined according to industry standards. For example, C is the common terminal, Y1 / Y2 is the compressor control, W1 / W2 is the heat source start control, O is the four-way valve control, and G is the fan control. Each device in the system will be connected to one common terminal C and its own required control signals.

[0003] To improve system performance (higher energy efficiency and a more comfortable user experience), further data sharing is needed between the all-air systems in different ducts. However, because the all-air systems in different ducts are deployed in different areas (different indoor rooms), and the devices in the duct systems are also deployed in different locations (such as basements, equipment rooms, or outdoors), traditional WIFI wireless communication technology cannot provide full coverage to achieve interconnection between the devices; while traditional wired communication technologies such as fiber optics, RS485 bus, and network cables increase construction difficulty and system costs due to the need for laying new lines. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned shortcomings, the present invention aims to propose a multi-branch networking system and its communication method, which solves the problems of high construction difficulty and high system cost in data interconnection and interoperability of multi-branch systems.

[0005] To achieve this objective, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A multi-branch networking system includes a cloud platform and multiple branch subsystems; each branch subsystem includes a control signal transmitting device, a non-networked device, and at least two devices to be networked; the control signal transmitting device is electrically connected to the non-networked device and the devices to be networked via a control line to transmit low-frequency control signals. The branch subsystem also includes a number of networking communication modules equal to the number of devices to be networked; each networking communication module and each device to be networked is electrically connected, and each networking communication module is electrically connected to the control line to transmit high-frequency communication signals; one of the networking communication modules serves as the main communication module and is connected to the cloud platform for communication.

[0006] Furthermore, an isolation coupling module is provided between the branches of the control line that are respectively connected to the device to be networked. The isolation coupling module is used to isolate the low-frequency control signal and the high-frequency communication signal.

[0007] Furthermore, in the network communication module, the network communication module that serves as the main communication module adopts an IoT main module, and the remaining network communication modules adopt IoT sub-modules.

[0008] A communication method for a multi-branch network system, applied to the aforementioned multi-branch network system, includes the following steps: A1: The main communication module of each branch subsystem sends time synchronization information to the devices to be networked by its respective subsystems; A2: When each device to be networked receives a low-frequency control signal, the corresponding network communication module obtains the device identifier SN, the control change time T2, and the control state S1 from the device to be networked, packages them into the first dataset, and reports and summarizes it to the main communication module. A3: The main communication module determines whether there is a time difference between the first datasets of each device to be networked; if there is no time difference, there is no crosstalk, and step A4 is executed. A4: The main communication module of each branch subsystem calculates the time average T3 of the control change time T2 in all the first datasets, and packages the time average T3 together with the device flag SN and control status S1 in each first dataset into a second dataset, and reports it to the cloud platform. A5; The cloud platform determines whether the time of the second datasets of each branch subsystem is similar; Only when the time difference is significant and there is no crosstalk, the cloud platform sends network configuration information to each branch subsystem and returns the second dataset for guidance; A6: Each branch subsystem, based on the network configuration information, sends the network sub-address to the device to be networked and returns the first dataset for guidance.

[0009] Furthermore, step A1 includes: the main communication module of each branch subsystem periodically sends synchronization time information to each device to be networked via a broadcast address.

[0010] Furthermore, in step A2, the control state S1 includes various control signals sent by the control signal issuing device to the device to be networked.

[0011] Furthermore, step A3 includes: the main communication module determines the first dataset of each device to be networked, and executes step A4 only when the common signals of each control state S1 are the same and the difference between each control change time T2 is less than time T1.

[0012] Furthermore, step A5 includes: the cloud platform determines the second dataset of each branch subsystem, and only when each control state S1 is different and the difference between each time mean T3 is greater than time T4, the cloud platform sends network configuration information to each branch subsystem and returns the second dataset.

[0013] Furthermore, step A6 includes the following sub-steps: A61: Each branch subsystem verifies the returned second dataset and selects the corresponding network configuration information; A62: The branch subsystem obtains the total network address from the network configuration information and sends the first dataset and the network sub-addresses from the network configuration information to the devices to be networked. A63: The first dataset returned by the network device for verification; select the corresponding network sub-address.

[0014] Furthermore, the main communication modules of the cloud platform and each of the branch subsystems adopt Internet of Things (IoT) communication.

[0015] The technical solution provided by this invention can include the following beneficial effects: In a single branch subsystem, taking the indoor unit and outdoor unit as devices to be networked, the gas furnace as a non-networked device, and the thermostat as a control signal transmitting device as an example, by reusing existing control lines (such as 24VAC control lines), and utilizing the characteristic that different frequency signals can be clearly distinguished, low-frequency control signals (i.e., 50 / 60Hz C, Y1, Y2, W1, etc. control signals) and high-frequency communication signals (such as MHz level signals) can be transmitted simultaneously. There is no need to add new optical fibers, network cables, etc. It is only necessary to connect the network communication module to each device to be networked, and then connect it to the existing control line. Then, through the main communication module, it can communicate with the cloud platform (such as IoT communication) to realize the interconnection and interoperability of each branch subsystem and its devices to be networked with the cloud platform, achieve the purpose of sharing operational data, and reduce the construction difficulty and system cost. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an existing all-air system with a single air duct.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a multi-branch networking system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of a communication method for a multi-branch networking system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 4 Is it like this? Figure 3 The diagram shows the data flow of a communication method in a multi-branch network system.

[0020] Among them: cloud platform 1, branch subsystem 2, control signal transmitting device 21, non-networked device 22, device to be networked 23, network communication module 24, isolation coupling module 25. Detailed Implementation

[0021] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0022] In the description of embodiments of the present invention, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the stated features. In the description of embodiments of the present invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0023] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of the present invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0024] The following is combined Figures 1 to 4 This invention describes a multi-branch networking system and its communication method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Example 1 A multi-branch networking system includes a cloud platform 1 and multiple branch subsystems 2; each branch subsystem 2 includes a control signal transmitting device 21, a non-networked device 22, and at least two devices to be networked 23; the control signal transmitting device 21 is electrically connected to the non-networked device 22 and the devices to be networked 23 via a control line to transmit low-frequency control signals. The branch subsystem 2 also includes a number of networking communication modules 24, the same as the number of devices 23 to be networked; the networking communication modules 24 and the devices 23 to be networked are electrically connected in a one-to-one correspondence, and each networking communication module 24 is electrically connected to the control line to transmit high-frequency communication signals; one of the networking communication modules 24 serves as the main communication module and communicates with the cloud platform 1.

[0026] In a preferred embodiment of a multi-branch networking system proposed in this invention, such as... Figure 2As shown, in a single branch subsystem 2, taking the indoor and outdoor units as devices to be networked 23, the gas boiler as a non-networked device 22, and the thermostat as a control signal transmitting device 21 as an example, by reusing existing control lines (such as 24VAC control lines), and utilizing the characteristic that different frequency signals can be clearly distinguished, low-frequency control signals (i.e., 50 / 60Hz C, Y1, Y2, W1, etc. control signals) and high-frequency communication signals (such as MHz level signals) can be transmitted simultaneously. There is no need to add fiber optic cables, network cables, etc. It is only necessary to connect the network communication module 24 to each device to be networked 23, and then connect it to the existing control line. Then, through the main communication module, it can communicate with the cloud platform 1 (such as IoT communication) to realize the interconnection and interoperability of each branch subsystem 2 and its devices to be networked 23 with the cloud platform 1, achieve the purpose of sharing operation data, and reduce the construction difficulty and system cost.

[0027] Furthermore, an isolation coupling module 25 is provided between the branches of the control line that are connected to the device 23 to be networked. The isolation coupling module 25 is used to isolate low-frequency control signals and high-frequency communication signals.

[0028] In this embodiment, in order to ensure that the high-frequency communication signal of the networking communication module 24 covers the control lines of all devices 23 to be networked, an isolation coupling module 25 is preferably provided between the branches of the control lines that are connected to the devices 23 to be networked. This module isolates low-frequency control signals while facilitating the passage of high-frequency communication signals. It should be noted that the isolation coupling module 25 can be an RC frequency selective circuit, which only allows specific frequencies to pass through.

[0029] Furthermore, in the networking communication module 24, the networking communication module 24, which serves as the main communication module, adopts an IoT main module, while the other networking communication modules 24 adopt IoT sub-modules.

[0030] In this embodiment, in order to generate high-frequency communication signals for co-line communication, the power line carrier communication technology of PLC is preferably adopted. For this purpose, all networking communication modules 24 need to adopt PLC modules to realize interconnection between networking communication modules 24. Among them, the networking communication module 24, which is the main communication module, needs to communicate with the cloud platform 1, so it is preferred to adopt a full-function IoT module (i.e., IoT main module, which integrates a remote wireless communication module for accessing the Internet and communicating with the cloud platform 1 and a PLC communication module for local wired communication). The other networking communication modules 24 can adopt basic IoT modules (i.e., IoT sub-modules) that only integrate the PLC communication module for local wired communication.

[0031] Example 2 A communication method for a multi-branch network system, applied to the aforementioned multi-branch network system, includes the following steps: A1: The main communication module of each branch subsystem 2 sends time synchronization information to its respective network-connecting device 23; A2: When each device 23 to be networked receives a low-frequency control signal, the corresponding network communication module 24 obtains the device identifier SN, the control change time T2 and the control state S1 from the device 23 to be networked, packages them into a first dataset, and reports and summarizes it to the main communication module. A3: The main communication module determines whether there is a time difference between the first datasets of each device 23 to be networked; if there is no time difference, there is no crosstalk, and step A4 is executed. A4: The main communication module of each branch subsystem 2 calculates the time average T3 of the control change time T2 in all the first datasets, and packages the time average T3 together with the device flag SN and control status S1 in each first dataset into a second dataset, and reports it to the cloud platform 1; A5; Cloud platform 1 determines whether the time of the second datasets of each branch subsystem 2 is similar; only when the time difference is significant and there is no crosstalk, cloud platform 1 sends network configuration information to each branch subsystem 2 and returns the second dataset for guidance; A6: Each branch subsystem 2, based on the network configuration information, sends the network sub-address to its respective device 23 to be networked, and returns the first dataset for guidance.

[0032] In a multi-branch network system, the control lines of each branch subsystem 2 may share cable trays, and the control lines between adjacent branch subsystems 2 are prone to crosstalk. For example, when crosstalk occurs, if branch subsystem A wants to communicate with device A to be networked in its own system, the query command issued by the main communication module of branch subsystem A may be received not only by device A to be networked, but also by device B to be networked in branch subsystem B. Since the PLC module uses power line carrier communication technology, device A to be networked and device B to be networked may respond to the query from the main communication module of branch subsystem A (i.e., the IoT main module, hereinafter referred to as IoTA) through different carrier groups. Therefore, three situations may occur: (1) The signals of device A and device B to be networked are completely conflicting. IoTA cannot resolve any signal and triggers the retransmission mechanism to query again after receiving timeout.

[0033] (2) IoTA adapts to the carrier of device A to be networked and parses the response of device A to be networked.

[0034] (3) IoTA adapts to the carrier of device B to be networked and parses the response of device B to be networked.

[0035] The situations described in (1) and (3) above will both lead to data corruption in IoTA, thereby affecting the correct operation of the entire system. The same applies to the various branch subsystems 2; the cloud platform 1 may also receive multiple replies simultaneously.

[0036] Therefore, in this embodiment, a preferred embodiment of a communication method for a multi-branch networking system is also proposed, such as... Figure 3 As shown, time synchronization provides a time reference for crosstalk judgment. Combining the characteristics of local communication time being the same and cloud communication time being different, a two-level crosstalk judgment mechanism is designed to accurately filter out crosstalk-free data (i.e., filter out the correct responses from the local system and the correct responses from each branch subsystem 2 in the cloud). This serves as a guide for reporting and dissemination paths, so that the cloud platform can allocate addresses (address configuration information) accordingly. After the addresses point to each branch subsystem 2 and its network-connected device 23, subsequent communication between branch subsystem 2 and cloud platform 1, and between branch subsystem 2 and network-connected device 23, can be achieved according to the addresses, thereby avoiding signal crosstalk problems.

[0037] Specifically, the data flow is as follows: Figure 4 As shown, the network configuration information includes the total network address of branch subsystem 2 (e.g., Addr_A) and the network sub-address of the device 23 to be networked (e.g., Addr_A_1, Addr_A_2).

[0038] Furthermore, step A1 includes: the main communication module of each branch subsystem 2 periodically sends synchronization time information to each device 23 to be networked via a broadcast address.

[0039] In this embodiment, time synchronization information is broadcast via address to ensure that all devices 23 to be networked within the same branch subsystem 2 can receive the synchronization information without having to communicate individually, thus improving time synchronization efficiency. In addition, the periodic broadcast can maintain the time consistency of the devices 23 to be networked, avoiding crosstalk judgment errors caused by time drift and providing a stable time reference for subsequent crosstalk identification.

[0040] Furthermore, in step A2, the control state S1 includes various control signals sent by the control signal issuing device 21 to the device 23 to be networked.

[0041] In this embodiment, the control state S1 encompasses all control signals (e.g., the control state S1 of the outdoor unit includes Y1, Y2, O, and G control signals, and the control state S1 of the indoor unit includes Y1, Y2, W1, W2, O, and G control signals). The complexity of its data structure is utilized to serve as an auxiliary criterion for steps A3 and A5, preventing inaccurate crosstalk judgments based solely on time.

[0042] Furthermore, step A3 includes: the main communication module determines the first dataset of each device 23 to be networked, and executes step A4 only when the common signals of each control state S1 are the same and the difference between each control change time T2 is less than time T1.

[0043] In this embodiment, the devices 23 belonging to the same branch subsystem 2 are basically consistent in time and in the common signal C, so this is used as a criterion for crosstalk. It should be noted that the setting of time T1 can be determined according to the communication protocol and source of the time obtained by the main communication module. For example, if the main communication module obtains the time from the base station through conventional time synchronization technology (such as NTP protocol), the error is usually less than 5 seconds, so time T1 should also be less than 5 seconds.

[0044] Furthermore, step A5 includes: cloud platform 1 determines the second dataset of each branch subsystem 2, and only when each control state S1 is different and the difference between each time mean T3 is greater than time T4, cloud platform 1 sends network configuration information to each branch subsystem 2 and returns the second dataset.

[0045] In this embodiment, in step A4, the average control change time T2 of all devices 23 belonging to the same branch subsystem 2 is calculated (in fact, in the first dataset obtained after step A3, there is basically no time difference between the control change times T2, and T3 is approximately T2). This is to unify the time of the branch subsystem 2, so that the time difference can be compared with other branch subsystems 2 to distinguish the crosstalk between the branch subsystems 2. At this time, based on different systems, a significant time difference is needed to prove that the two systems are not reporting synchronously due to crosstalk. Therefore, the criterion requires T3 > T4, and T4 can be selected as multiple times T1 (such as 3 times T1). Considering that the second dataset needs to guide the distribution of address configuration information to the corresponding branch subsystem 2, the control state S1 of the second dataset of each branch subsystem 2 should also be different as a criterion.

[0046] Furthermore, step A6 includes the following sub-steps: A61: Each branch subsystem 2 verifies the returned second dataset and selects the corresponding network configuration information; A62: Branch subsystem 2 obtains the total network address from the network configuration information and sends the first dataset and the network sub-addresses in the network configuration information to the corresponding network-to-be-networked device 23; A63: The first dataset returned by the device 23 to be networked is checked, and the corresponding sub-address is selected.

[0047] In this embodiment, the network configuration information includes the total network address of the branch subsystem 2 (e.g., Addr_A) and the sub-network addresses of the device 23 to be networked (e.g., Addr_A_1, Addr_A_2). If the branch subsystem 2 and the device 23 to be networked want to know which address belongs to them, they need to use the returned first dataset and second dataset to verify that the address corresponds to the previously packaged data. This means that the address corresponding to the dataset is assigned to the branch subsystem 2 or the device 23 to be networked.

[0048] It should be noted that there are no restrictions on the proofreading method. You can proofread each data point in the dataset one by one, or you can select representative data points for proofreading.

[0049] Furthermore, the main communication modules of the cloud platform 1 and each branch subsystem 2 adopt Internet of Things (IoT) communication.

[0050] In this embodiment, the cloud platform 1 and the branch subsystem 2 use Internet of Things (IoT) communication, which enables the IoT module to use 4G / 5G communication technology. Through conventional time synchronization technology (such as NTP protocol), higher precision time can be obtained from the base station, which is beneficial for the main communication module to synchronize the time of each device 23 to be networked, and ensures the accuracy of the judgment in step A3.

[0051] Other configurations and operations of a multi-branch networking system and its communication method according to embodiments of the present invention are known to those skilled in the art and will not be described in detail here.

[0052] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "embodiment," "example," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0053] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A multi-branch networking system, characterized in that: It includes a cloud platform and multiple branch subsystems; each branch subsystem includes a control signal transmitting device, a non-networked device, and at least two devices to be networked; the control signal transmitting device is electrically connected to the non-networked device and the devices to be networked via a control line to transmit low-frequency control signals. The branch subsystem also includes a number of networking communication modules equal to the number of devices to be networked; each networking communication module and each device to be networked is electrically connected, and each networking communication module is electrically connected to the control line to transmit high-frequency communication signals; one of the networking communication modules serves as the main communication module and is connected to the cloud platform for communication.

2. The multi-branch networking system according to claim 1, characterized in that: An isolation coupling module is provided between the branches of the control line that are connected to the device to be networked. The isolation coupling module is used to isolate the low-frequency control signal and the high-frequency communication signal.

3. The multi-branch networking system according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the network communication module, the network communication module that serves as the main communication module adopts an IoT main module, and the remaining network communication modules adopt IoT sub-modules.

4. A communication method for a multi-branch network system, characterized in that: An application to a multi-branch networking system according to any one of claims 1 to 3 includes the following steps: A1: The main communication module of each branch subsystem sends time synchronization information to the devices to be networked by its respective subsystems; A2: When each device to be networked receives a low-frequency control signal, the corresponding network communication module obtains the device identifier SN, the control change time T2, and the control state S1 from the device to be networked, packages them into the first dataset, and reports and summarizes it to the main communication module. A3: The main communication module determines whether there is a time difference between the first datasets of each device to be networked; if there is no time difference, there is no crosstalk, and step A4 is executed. A4: The main communication module of each branch subsystem calculates the time average T3 of the control change time T2 in all the first datasets, and packages the time average T3 together with the device flag SN and control status S1 in each first dataset into a second dataset, and reports it to the cloud platform. A5; The cloud platform determines whether the time of the second datasets of each branch subsystem is similar; Only when the time difference is significant and there is no crosstalk, the cloud platform sends network configuration information to each branch subsystem and returns the second dataset for guidance; A6: Each branch subsystem, based on the network configuration information, sends the network sub-address to the device to be networked and returns the first dataset for guidance.

5. The communication method for a multi-branch networking system according to claim 4, characterized in that: Step A1 includes: the main communication module of each branch subsystem periodically sends synchronization time information to each device to be networked via a broadcast address.

6. The communication method for a multi-branch networking system according to claim 4, characterized in that: In step A2, the control state S1 includes various control signals sent by the control signal issuing device to the device to be networked.

7. The communication method for a multi-branch networking system according to claim 4, characterized in that: Step A3 includes: the main communication module determines the first dataset of each device to be networked, and executes step A4 only when the common signals of each control state S1 are the same and the difference between each control change time T2 is less than time T1.

8. The communication method for a multi-branch networking system according to claim 7, characterized in that: Step A5 includes: the cloud platform determines the second dataset of each branch subsystem, and only when each control state S1 is different and the difference between each time average T3 is greater than time T4, the cloud platform sends network configuration information to each branch subsystem and returns the second dataset.

9. The communication method for a multi-branch networking system according to claim 4, characterized in that: Step A6 includes the following sub-steps: A61: Each branch subsystem verifies the returned second dataset and selects the corresponding network configuration information; A62: The branch subsystem obtains the total network address from the network configuration information and sends the first dataset and the network sub-addresses from the network configuration information to the devices to be networked. A63: The first dataset returned by the network device for verification; select the corresponding network sub-address.

10. A communication method for a multi-branch networking system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The cloud platform and the main communication modules of each of the branch subsystems communicate using Internet of Things (IoT) communication.

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