Air conditioner, control method, control device and computer readable storage medium

Abstract

The invention discloses an air conditioner, a control method, a control device and a computer readable storage medium, the air conditioner comprises outdoor heat exchange equipment and at least one indoor heat exchange equipment, and the outdoor heat exchange equipment comprises a first digital communication module and a first power line carrier communication module; each indoor heat exchange device comprises a second digital communication module, at least one indoor heat exchange device comprises a second power line carrier communication module, the first digital communication module is connected with the second digital communication module, and the first power line carrier communication module is connected with the second power line carrier communication module; according to the technical scheme, corresponding communication modes can be selected according to different configurations of the communication module, so that the requirement of data transmission can be well met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology for air conditioners, and more particularly to an air conditioner, a control method, a control device, and a computer-readable storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] Residential central air conditioning typically uses RS-485 communication to communicate between the outdoor unit and multiple indoor units. However, this communication method has a relatively low communication speed. With technological advancements, residential central air conditioning faces more demands, such as real-time over-the-air download functionality between indoor and outdoor units and cloud-edge collaborative control. These all require higher transmission rates. However, current digital communication methods for residential central air conditioning struggle to achieve high transmission rates, thus failing to adequately meet application requirements. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides an air conditioner, a control method, a control device, and a computer-readable storage medium, which can select the appropriate communication method according to different configurations of the communication module, thereby well meeting the data transmission requirements.

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

[0005] The outdoor heat exchange equipment includes a first digital communication module and a first power line carrier communication module;

[0006] At least one indoor heat exchange device, each of the indoor heat exchange devices including a second digital communication module, at least one of the indoor heat exchange devices including a second power line carrier communication module, the first digital communication module being connected to the second digital communication module, and the first power line carrier communication module being connected to the second power line carrier communication module.

[0007] The air conditioner according to the first aspect of this application has at least the following beneficial effects: the air conditioner includes an outdoor heat exchange device and at least one indoor heat exchange device, wherein the outdoor heat exchange device includes a first digital communication module and a first power line carrier communication module, each indoor heat exchange device includes a second digital communication module, and at least one indoor heat exchange device is provided with a second power line carrier communication module; and the first digital communication module of the outdoor heat exchange device is connected to the second digital communication module of the indoor heat exchange device, and the first power line carrier communication module of the outdoor heat exchange device is connected to the second power line carrier communication module of the indoor heat exchange device, so that the indoor heat exchange device and the outdoor heat exchange device can select the corresponding communication method according to the different configurations of the data communication modules, thereby well meeting different data transmission needs and bringing great convenience to users.

[0008] In some embodiments, the first digital communication module includes a first control module and a first transceiver, both the first power line carrier communication module and the first transceiver are connected to the first control module, and the first transceiver is connected to the second digital communication module.

[0009] In some embodiments, the second digital communication module includes a second control module and a second transceiver, both the second power line carrier communication module and the second transceiver are connected to the second control module, and the second transceiver is connected to the first digital communication module.

[0010] In some embodiments, both the first digital communication module and the second digital communication module include any one of the following: an RS-485 digital communication module and an RS-232 digital communication module.

[0011] A second aspect of this application provides a control method applied to the air conditioner described in the first aspect embodiment above, the control method comprising:

[0012] The communication module attribute information of all indoor heat exchange devices in the air conditioner is detected, wherein the communication module attribute information is used to characterize the types of communication modules possessed by the indoor heat exchange devices;

[0013] The communication methods for the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger are selected based on the communication module attribute information.

[0014] In some embodiments, selecting the communication method between the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger based on the communication module attribute information includes at least one of the following:

[0015] When all the indoor heat exchange devices include the second power line carrier communication module, the first power line carrier communication module controlling the outdoor heat exchange device communicates with the second power line carrier communication module of each of the indoor heat exchange devices.

[0016] In the case where the indoor heat exchange device in the air conditioner does not include the second power line carrier communication module, the communication method of the outdoor heat exchange device and the indoor heat exchange device is selected according to the obtained air conditioner operation requirement information.

[0017] In some embodiments, selecting the communication method between the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger based on the obtained air conditioning operating demand information includes at least one of the following:

[0018] When the air conditioning operation requirement information is the first data transmission rate requirement information, the first digital communication module controlling the outdoor heat exchange equipment communicates with the second digital communication module of each indoor heat exchange equipment.

[0019] When the air conditioning operating requirement information is the second data transmission rate requirement information, the first power line carrier communication module controlling the outdoor heat exchange equipment communicates with the second power line carrier communication module of the indoor heat exchange equipment.

[0020] In some embodiments, the first power line carrier communication module controlling the outdoor heat exchanger communicates with the second power line carrier communication module of the indoor heat exchanger, including:

[0021] Retrieve updated cloud data from a pre-defined cloud server;

[0022] The indoor heat exchange device receives the cloud update data and transmits the cloud update data to the outdoor heat exchange device through the second power line carrier communication module and the first power line carrier communication module.

[0023] An embodiment of the third aspect of this application provides a control device, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the control method described above.

[0024] A fourth aspect of this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions for performing the control method described above.

[0025] Other features and advantages of this application will be set forth in the description which follows, and will be apparent in part from the description, or may be learned by practicing the application. The objectives and other advantages of this application may be realized and obtained by means of the structures particularly pointed out in the description, claims and drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the system structure of the air conditioner provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the digital communication module connection provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of the power line carrier communication module provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0029] Figure 4This is a schematic diagram of the internal communication structure of an air conditioner provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of the air conditioner control method provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0031] Figure 6 This is a flowchart of a method for selecting the communication mode of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 7 This is a flowchart of a method for selecting a communication mode for an air conditioner according to another embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 8 This is a flowchart of a method for controlling the communication mode of an air conditioner based on air conditioner operating requirements information, provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0034] Figure 9 This is a flowchart of a method for updating data in an air conditioner according to an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the control device provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0036] Figure label:

[0037] Outdoor heat exchanger 100, first indoor heat exchanger 210, second indoor heat exchanger 220, first wired controller 310, second wired controller 320, digital communication module 10, control module 20, transceiver 30, power line carrier communication chip 40, control chip 50, first digital communication module 400, first control module 410, first transceiver 420, second digital communication module 500, second control module 510, second transceiver 520, first power line carrier communication module 600, and second power line carrier communication module 700. Detailed Implementation

[0038] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application. Furthermore, the features, operations, or characteristics described in the specification can be combined in any suitable manner to form various implementations. Simultaneously, the steps or actions described in the method description can be rearranged or adjusted in a manner readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the various orders in the specification and drawings are merely for the clear description of a particular embodiment and do not imply a mandatory order, unless otherwise stated that a particular order must be followed.

[0039] In the description of this application, "several" means one or more, "more than" means two or more, "greater than," "less than," and "exceeding" are understood to exclude the stated number, while "above," "below," and "within" are understood to include the stated number. The use of "first" and "second" in the description is merely for distinguishing technical features and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features, or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.

[0040] The serial numbers assigned to components in this document, such as "first" and "second," are used only to distinguish the described objects and have no sequential or technical meaning. The terms "connection" and "linkage" used in this application, unless otherwise specified, include both direct and indirect connections (linkages).

[0041] It should be noted that the technical features involved in the various embodiments of the present invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0042] Residential central air conditioning typically uses RS-485 communication to communicate between the outdoor unit and multiple indoor units. However, this communication method has a relatively low communication speed. With technological advancements, residential central air conditioning faces more demands, such as real-time over-the-air download functionality between indoor and outdoor units and cloud-edge collaborative control. These all require higher transmission rates. However, current digital communication methods for residential central air conditioning struggle to achieve high transmission rates, thus failing to adequately meet application requirements.

[0043] Based on this, embodiments of this application provide an air conditioner, a control method, a control device, and a computer-readable storage medium, which can select the appropriate communication method according to different configurations of the communication module, thereby well meeting the data transmission requirements.

[0044] The following explanation is based on the accompanying diagram:

[0045] Reference Figure 1 This application provides an air conditioner, which includes an outdoor heat exchanger 100 and at least one indoor heat exchanger. The indoor heat exchangers can be indoor units, wall-mounted boilers, or hydraulic modules, etc. Each indoor heat exchanger is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 100 via a signal line, enabling data communication between the outdoor heat exchanger 100 and each indoor heat exchanger. Furthermore, each indoor heat exchanger can be connected to a wired controller. Based on the wired controller, the user can control the operating status of the indoor heat exchangers. For example, the user can use the wired controller to adjust the cooling temperature of the indoor unit. The wired controller also has wireless transmission capabilities, allowing it to connect to a mobile control terminal. Through the mobile control terminal, the user can also conveniently and quickly control the overall operating status of the air conditioner.

[0046] It is worth noting that, Figure 1 The image only shows one outdoor heat exchanger 100 connected to two indoor heat exchangers, namely a first indoor heat exchanger 210 and a second indoor heat exchanger 220. The first indoor heat exchanger 210 is also connected to a first wired controller 310, and the second indoor heat exchanger 220 is also connected to a second wired controller 320. However, this does not mean that the air conditioner only includes two indoor heat exchangers and two wired controllers. The air conditioner may include one outdoor heat exchanger 100 and several indoor heat exchangers; this is not limited here. The outdoor heat exchanger 100 may include an evaporator, and the indoor heat exchangers may include a condenser, a wall-mounted boiler, and a hydraulic module, etc., which are also not limited here.

[0047] In some embodiments of this application, the outdoor heat exchanger can connect to each indoor heat exchanger via digital communication, which may include RS-485 or RS-232 communication. In serial communication, both communicating parties must use a standard interface to facilitate easy connection and communication between different devices. The RS-232-C interface is currently the most commonly used serial communication interface. The RS-232 bus specifies 25 lines, including two signal channels: a main channel and a secondary channel. Full-duplex communication can be achieved using the RS-232 bus; the main channel is typically used, while the secondary channel is used less frequently. RS-485 is a commonly used communication protocol in industrial control environments, characterized by strong anti-interference capabilities and long transmission distances. The RS-485 communication protocol is an improvement upon the RS-232 protocol; the protocol layer remains unchanged, only the physical layer is modified, thus retaining the simplicity of serial communication protocols. The RS-485 protocol primarily improves RS-232 signals by converting them into differential signals, thus significantly enhancing its anti-interference capabilities. Differential transmission is a signal transmission technique that differs from the traditional approach of using one signal line and one ground line. In differential transmission, signals are transmitted on both lines, with equal amplitudes, a 180-degree phase difference, and opposite polarities. The signals transmitted on these two lines are called differential signals. In an RS-485 communication network, each node consists of a communication controller and a transceiver. The serial port controller in the node connects to the transceiver using signal lines for receiving and transmitting signals, while the transceiver connects to the network bus via differential lines. The serial port controller and transceiver typically use level signals for transmission, while the transceiver and the bus use differential signals. When sending data, the serial port controller's transmit signal is converted into a differential signal by the transceiver and transmitted to the bus. When receiving data, the transceiver converts the differential signal on the bus back into a level signal and transmits it to the serial port controller through its receive signal pin. The only difference between RS-485 and RS-232 lies in the physical layer; their protocol layers are the same, and both use serial data packets to transmit data. However, RS-485 has powerful networking capabilities.

[0048] It should be noted that household central air conditioners (including household small multi-connected units, household water chillers, etc.) usually adopt digital communication methods such as RS-485 communication to achieve communication between the outdoor unit and multiple indoor units, and the communication rates of these methods are often low. However, with the progress of technology, household central air conditioner products face more demands, such as the instant over-the-air upgrade function of indoor and outdoor units, more intelligent and complex multi-device linkage control algorithms, cloud-edge collaborative control based on real-time reliable communication, etc. These all require a sufficiently high communication rate from the cloud to the indoor unit and then to the outdoor unit (for example, reaching above 500 kbps). Currently, the communication rates of the digital communication methods of household central air conditioners basically do not exceed 50 kbps, and many are even only 9600 bps, making it increasingly difficult to meet the application requirements. Under the same physical communication line conditions, the analog communication method based on modulation and demodulation has a higher communication bandwidth than the digital communication method and can overcome the communication rate problem of traditional digital communication methods. For example, the power line carrier communication technology has been widely used in power grid meter reading (reading meter data), and the communication rate can reach above 1 Mbps. However, in a home scenario, there are several influencing factors for the application of power line carrier communication: when large household appliances such as air conditioners, microwave ovens, and washing machines start or operate, they will generate significant power line harmonic interference, affecting the real-time performance and reliability of power line carrier communication; all users under the same power transformer actually share the same power network, and power line carrier communication will affect each other. For example, the communication between the neighbor's house and one's own house will have overlapping interference, which needs to be processed by methods such as distinguishing by communication ID; there may be household appliances from different manufacturers in the same user's home, and there will also be communication overlapping interference between multiple household appliance products using power line carrier communication, which needs to be processed by methods such as distinguishing by communication ID or frequency band; the consistency of power line wiring is poor, and air switches, leakage protectors, meters, etc. passed through in the middle will all attenuate the signal. Considering these factors, it is difficult for household central air conditioners to directly replace the digital communication method with existing independent communication lines with PLC communication. Another reason is that household central air conditioners are products that are used in combination with outdoor and indoor units. Directly replacing digital communication methods such as RS-485 with power line carrier communication will also bring problems of product front-back compatibility, that is, new products and old products cannot be used in combination, which will lead to problems such as the inability to match new and old products in the market inventory and the inability to be forward-compatible in after-sales processing. To solve the above problems, the embodiments of this application mainly add a power line carrier communication module based on the original digital communication, and based on the physical line of the original digital communication, achieve the compatibility of digital communication and analog communication, so as to well meet the communication requirements of different devices and functional requirements.

[0049] Refer to Figure 2This application provides a schematic diagram of a digital communication module connection structure. Each digital communication module 10 includes a control module 20 and a transceiver 30 connected to the control module 20. As shown in the figure, the control module 20 of one digital communication module 10 is connected to its internal transceiver 30, and the control module 20 of another digital communication module 10 is also connected to its internal transceiver 30. Furthermore, the transceiver 30 of one digital communication module 10 is connected to the transceiver 30 of the other digital communication module 10. Through the control module 20 on each digital communication module 10, data transmission control processing can be achieved.

[0050] Reference Figure 3 This application provides a schematic diagram of the connection structure of power line carrier communication modules. Each power line carrier communication module includes a power line carrier communication chip 40 and a control chip 50. The power line carrier communication chip 40 of each power line carrier communication module is data-connected to its internal control chip 50. The power line carrier communication chip 40 of one power line carrier communication module is data-connected to the power line carrier communication chip 40 of another power line carrier communication module. Data transmission control processing can be performed through the control chip 50 on each power line carrier communication module.

[0051] Reference Figure 4This application provides an air conditioner, which includes an outdoor heat exchange device and at least one indoor heat exchange device. The outdoor heat exchange device is equipped with a first digital communication module 400 and a first power line carrier communication module 600. Each indoor heat exchange device in the air conditioner is equipped with a second digital communication module 500, and at least one indoor heat exchange device in the air conditioner is equipped with a second power line carrier communication module 700. The first digital communication module 400 of the outdoor heat exchange device is connected to the second digital communication module 500 of each indoor heat exchange device, so that the outdoor heat exchange device can connect with each indoor heat exchange device through digital communication. The indoor heat exchange device equipped with the second power line carrier communication module 700 can connect with the first power line carrier communication module 600 of the outdoor heat exchange device through the second power line carrier communication module 700, so that the indoor heat exchange device equipped with the second power line carrier communication module 700 can not only communicate with the outdoor heat exchange device through digital communication, but also through analog communication. Since the transmission rate of digital communication is lower than that of analog communication, data transmission can be performed by connecting the first power line carrier communication module 600 and the second power line carrier communication module 700 when the transmission rate is high; and by connecting the first digital communication module 400 and the second digital communication module 500 when the transmission rate is low.

[0052] It is worth noting that since each indoor heat exchanger is equipped with a second digital communication module 500, each indoor heat exchanger can connect to the outdoor heat exchanger via a digital transmission line. In this case, based on the existing digital transmission line, a first power line carrier communication module 600 can be installed in the outdoor heat exchanger, and second power line carrier communication modules 700 can be installed in several indoor heat exchangers. Therefore, for low-speed transmission, data transmission can be performed using digital communication; for high-speed transmission, data transmission can be performed using analog communication. This simple setup can meet different data transmission rate requirements, saving costs and greatly improving user convenience. For example, when the outdoor and indoor heat exchangers of the air conditioner are performing traditional cooling or heating operations, data transmission can be performed via digital communication; when the air conditioner is upgraded, data transmission can be performed via analog communication, effectively meeting different data transmission rate requirements.

[0053] In some embodiments of this application, the first digital communication module 400 includes a first control module 410 and a first transceiver 420, with the first control module 410 and the first transceiver 420 connected via data connection. The second digital communication module 500 includes a second control module 510 and a second transceiver 520, with the second control module 510 and the second transceiver 520 connected via data connection. The first transceiver 420 is also connected to the second transceiver 520 via a digital signal transmission line. The first control module 410 is also connected to a first power line carrier communication module 600, and the second control module 510 is also connected to a second power line carrier communication module 700. The first power line carrier communication module 600 is also connected to the second power line carrier communication module 700 via a digital signal transmission line. Based on the existing digital signal transmission line, high-speed data transmission can be achieved simply by installing power line carrier communication modules in the outdoor heat exchange equipment and several indoor heat exchange equipment. This not only saves costs but also effectively meets the data transmission requirements.

[0054] It is worth noting that by adding power line carrier communication modules to both outdoor and indoor heat exchange equipment, the control module can control and process both the digital communication module and the power line carrier communication module to select which method of data transmission is used, thus effectively preventing interference between the two signals. Furthermore, filters can be set to separate the modulation frequencies of the digital and analog signals, ensuring that the two communication methods are independent and do not interfere with each other.

[0055] In some specific embodiments of this application, the first digital communication module 400 and the second digital communication module 500 can be RS-485 digital communication modules or RS-232 digital communication modules. RS-485 digital communication modules have the characteristics of strong anti-interference ability and long transmission distance; RS-232 digital communication modules are relatively simple and have lower hardware costs.

[0056] Secondly, this application provides a control method for an air conditioner, applicable to the air conditioner described in the above embodiments, for example, applicable to... Figure 4 The air conditioner shown is for reference. Figure 5 As shown, the control method may include, but is not limited to, steps S100 and S200.

[0057] Step S100: Detect the communication module attribute information of all indoor heat exchange devices in the air conditioner, wherein the communication module attribute information is used to characterize the types of communication modules possessed by the indoor heat exchange devices.

[0058] Step S200: Select the communication method for the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger based on the communication module attribute information.

[0059] According to the control method provided in the embodiments of the present invention, during the control processing of the air conditioner, the communication module attribute information of the indoor heat exchange device is first obtained to determine the type of communication module of the indoor heat exchange device in the air conditioner. Subsequently, the communication process between the outdoor heat exchange device and several indoor heat exchange devices in the air conditioner can be controlled according to the obtained communication model attribute information. Through the above technical solution, the corresponding communication transmission mode can be selected according to the type of communication module in the air conditioner, thereby well meeting the communication transmission requirements of the air conditioner.

[0060] It is worth noting that the outdoor heat exchanger in the air conditioner is equipped with a first digital communication module, and each indoor heat exchanger is equipped with a second digital communication module. Data can be transmitted between the indoor heat exchangers via digital signal transmission. However, digital signal transmission can only meet low-speed transmission requirements. To meet high-speed transmission requirements, a first power line carrier communication module is installed in the outdoor heat exchanger, and a second power line carrier communication module is installed in at least one indoor heat exchanger in the air conditioner. Thus, when high-speed data transmission is required, both the first and second power line carrier communication modules can be used for data transmission, thereby meeting different data transmission needs.

[0061] Reference Figure 6 As shown, the process of controlling the communication mode of the air conditioner based on the communication module attribute information may include, but is not limited to, steps S210 and S220.

[0062] Step S210: Detect that all indoor heat exchange devices in the air conditioner are equipped with a second power line carrier communication module;

[0063] In step S220, the first power line carrier communication module controlling the outdoor heat exchange equipment establishes a data connection with the second power line carrier communication module of each indoor heat exchange equipment.

[0064] According to the control method provided in the embodiments of the present invention, when it is detected that all indoor heat exchange devices in the air conditioner are equipped with a second power line carrier communication module, data transmission can be performed by transmitting analog signals only through the first power line carrier communication module and the second power line carrier communication module, thereby improving the data transmission efficiency in the air conditioner and providing users with a better user experience.

[0065] It is worth noting that when all indoor heat exchange devices in an air conditioner have a second power line carrier communication module, the first and second digital communication modules will not be used for data transmission, thus greatly improving the efficiency of data transmission.

[0066] Reference Figure 7 As shown, the process of controlling the communication mode of the air conditioner based on the communication module attribute information may include, but is not limited to, steps S230 and S240.

[0067] Step S230: An indoor heat exchange device that does not include the second power line carrier communication module is detected in the air conditioner;

[0068] Step S240: Obtain air conditioner operating requirements information;

[0069] Step S250: Control the communication method between the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger based on the air conditioning operation requirements information.

[0070] According to the control method provided in this embodiment of the invention, when an indoor heat exchange device in an air conditioner does not include a second power line carrier communication module, the outdoor heat exchange device cannot transmit data solely through a connection between the first and second power line carrier communication modules. It also needs to utilize communication between the first and second digital communication modules. The specific method used for data transmission depends on detecting the air conditioner's operational requirements. Subsequently, the communication method of the air conditioner can be controlled based on these requirements. This technical solution enables the control of the air conditioner's communication method based on its operational requirements, making the air conditioner's communication more intelligent and better meeting the needs of various functional applications.

[0071] Reference Figure 8 As shown, the process of controlling the communication between the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger based on the air conditioning operating requirements information may include, but is not limited to, steps S251 and S252.

[0072] Step S251: When the air conditioner's operating demand information is the first data transmission rate demand information, the first digital communication module controlling the outdoor heat exchange equipment establishes a data connection with the second digital communication module of each indoor heat exchange equipment.

[0073] Step S252: When the air conditioner's operating demand information is the second data transmission rate demand information, the first power line carrier communication module controlling the outdoor heat exchange equipment establishes a data connection with the second power line carrier communication module controlling the indoor heat exchange equipment.

[0074] According to the control method provided in the embodiments of the present invention, the first data transmission rate requirement information can be a low data transmission rate requirement information. In this case, only the first digital communication module in the outdoor heat exchange device and the second digital communication module in each indoor heat exchange device need to be connected for data transmission, and data transmission is performed through digital signal transmission. For example, when the air conditioner needs to perform cooling or heating operations, since completing this function often only requires a low data transmission rate, the outdoor heat exchange device can perform data transmission based on the communication between the first digital communication module and the second digital communication module. The second data transmission rate requirement information can be a high data transmission rate requirement information. In this case, only the first power line carrier communication module in the outdoor heat exchange device and the second power line carrier communication module in the indoor heat exchange device need to be connected for data transmission to meet the high-speed data transmission requirements. For example, when the air conditioner needs to be upgraded, since completing this operation often only requires a high data transmission rate, the outdoor heat exchange device can perform data transmission based on the communication between the first power line carrier communication module and the second power line carrier communication module to complete the upgrade operation more quickly.

[0075] It is worth noting that, in order to distinguish between the first data transmission rate requirement information and the second data transmission rate requirement information, a rate threshold can be set. When the rate requirement is higher than the rate threshold, the second data transmission rate requirement information can be obtained; when the rate requirement is not higher than the rate threshold, the first data transmission rate requirement information can be obtained.

[0076] Reference Figure 9 As shown, when the air conditioner's operating requirement information is the second data transmission rate requirement information, the process of controlling the first power line carrier communication module of the outdoor heat exchange equipment to establish a data connection with the second power line carrier communication module of the indoor heat exchange equipment may include, but is not limited to, steps S253 and S254.

[0077] Step S253: Receive cloud update data from a preset cloud server;

[0078] Step S254: Receive cloud update data through indoor heat exchange equipment, and transmit the cloud update data to outdoor heat exchange equipment through the second power line carrier communication module and the first power line carrier communication module.

[0079] According to the control method provided in the embodiments of the present invention, during the data update process of the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger, the user can use a mobile control terminal to receive cloud update data from the cloud, and then use the mobile control terminal to transmit the received cloud update data to the wired controller in the air conditioner. The wired controller then transmits the received cloud update data to the indoor heat exchanger, and the indoor heat exchanger can then send the cloud update data to the outdoor heat exchanger through the second power line carrier communication module and the first power line carrier communication module. This allows the indoor and outdoor heat exchangers to be updated more quickly, thereby providing the user with a better user experience.

[0080] Reference Figure 10 As shown in the figure, this application embodiment also provides a control device 1000, including a memory 1200, a processor 1100, and a computer program stored in the memory 1200 and executable on the processor 1100. When the processor 1100 executes the computer program, it implements the air conditioner control method as described in the above embodiment.

[0081] Furthermore, embodiments of this application also provide a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions for executing the air conditioner control method described above.

[0082] The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network nodes. Some or all of the modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0083] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or some of the steps and systems in the methods disclosed above can be implemented as software, firmware, hardware, and suitable combinations thereof. Some or all of the physical components can be implemented as software executed by a processor, such as a central processing unit, digital signal processor, or microprocessor, or as hardware, or as an integrated circuit, such as an application-specific integrated circuit. Such software can be distributed on a computer-readable medium, which can include computer-readable storage media (or non-transitory media) and communication media (or transient media). As is known to those skilled in the art, the term computer-readable storage media includes volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storing information (such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data). Computer-readable storage media include, but are not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technologies, CD-ROM, digital versatile disc (DVD) or other optical disc storage, magnetic cartridges, magnetic tape, disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store desired information and is accessible to a computer. Furthermore, as is known to those skilled in the art, communication media typically contain computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in modulated data signals such as carrier waves or other transmission mechanisms, and may include any information delivery medium.

[0084] The above is a detailed description of the preferred embodiments of this application. However, this application is not limited to the above embodiments. Those skilled in the art can make various equivalent modifications or substitutions without departing from the spirit of this application. All such equivalent modifications or substitutions are included within the scope defined by the claims of this application.

Claims

1. An air conditioner, characterized in that, include: The outdoor heat exchange equipment includes a first digital communication module and a first power line carrier communication module; At least one indoor heat exchange device, each of the indoor heat exchange devices including a second digital communication module, at least one of the indoor heat exchange devices including a second power line carrier communication module, the first digital communication module being connected to the second digital communication module, and the first power line carrier communication module being connected to the second power line carrier communication module.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first digital communication module includes a first control module and a first transceiver. The first power line carrier communication module and the first transceiver are both connected to the first control module, and the first transceiver is connected to the second digital communication module.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second digital communication module includes a second control module and a second transceiver. Both the second power line carrier communication module and the second transceiver are connected to the second control module, and the second transceiver is connected to the first digital communication module.

4. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the first digital communication module and the second digital communication module include any one of the following: RS-485 digital communication module and RS-232 digital communication module.

5. A control method, characterized in that, The control method, applied to the air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprises: The communication module attribute information of all indoor heat exchange devices in the air conditioner is detected, wherein the communication module attribute information is used to characterize the types of communication modules possessed by the indoor heat exchange devices; The communication methods for the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger are selected based on the communication module attribute information.

6. The control method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The step of selecting the communication method for the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger based on the communication module attribute information includes at least one of the following: When all the indoor heat exchange devices include the second power line carrier communication module, the first power line carrier communication module controlling the outdoor heat exchange device communicates with the second power line carrier communication module of each of the indoor heat exchange devices. In the case where the indoor heat exchange device in the air conditioner does not include the second power line carrier communication module, the communication method of the outdoor heat exchange device and the indoor heat exchange device is selected according to the obtained air conditioner operation requirement information.

7. The control method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The step of selecting the communication method for the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger based on the obtained air conditioning operating demand information includes at least one of the following: When the air conditioning operation requirement information is the first data transmission rate requirement information, the first digital communication module controlling the outdoor heat exchange equipment communicates with the second digital communication module of each indoor heat exchange equipment. When the air conditioning operating requirement information is the second data transmission rate requirement information, the first power line carrier communication module controlling the outdoor heat exchange equipment communicates with the second power line carrier communication module of the indoor heat exchange equipment.

8. The control method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The first power line carrier communication module controlling the outdoor heat exchange equipment communicates with the second power line carrier communication module of the indoor heat exchange equipment, including: Retrieve updated cloud data from a pre-defined cloud server; The indoor heat exchange device receives the cloud update data and transmits the cloud update data to the outdoor heat exchange device through the second power line carrier communication module and the first power line carrier communication module.

9. A control device, characterized in that, It includes a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor, when executing the computer program, implements the control method as described in any one of claims 5 to 8.

10. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The device stores computer-executable instructions for performing the control method as described in any one of claims 5 to 8.

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