Control method of air conditioning system and air conditioning system
By autonomously electing the main air conditioner and making localized temperature control decisions through a distributed air conditioning system, combined with a wireless sensor array, the problems of high cost, uneven local temperature control, and low energy efficiency caused by centralized controllers are solved, achieving precise temperature control and high energy efficiency in different zones.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SHENZHEN SYSLAB ELECTRONICS CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-30
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-01
AI Technical Summary
Existing multi-air conditioning systems rely on centralized controllers, which leads to high costs, uneven local temperature control, and low energy efficiency. In particular, in scenarios with uneven heat load distribution, it can easily cause some areas to overheat or overcool. Furthermore, the centralized architecture increases system costs and the risk of single point of failure.
A distributed control method is adopted, in which the master air conditioner is autonomously elected through the communication network between the air conditioners. The system is equipped with a body temperature sensor and a wireless temperature sensor array, so that each air conditioner can independently determine the start and stop of cooling based on the local temperature value, avoiding reliance on a single return air temperature or regional average temperature. The system robustness is ensured by combining heartbeat packets and health status detection.
It significantly reduces hardware costs and installation complexity, improves system scalability and robustness, achieves precise temperature control in zones, reduces ineffective cooling, optimizes overall energy efficiency, and avoids localized overheating.
Smart Images
Figure CN121953479A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Air conditioning system control methods and air conditioning systems Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of air conditioning technology, and in particular to control methods for air conditioning systems and air conditioning systems. Background Technology
[0002] As building spaces continue to expand and the demands for indoor comfort increase, single air conditioning units often struggle to effectively cover large or structurally complex areas, making it difficult to achieve uniform and efficient temperature control. Therefore, multi-air conditioning systems working in tandem are gradually becoming the mainstream solution. By strategically deploying multiple air conditioners at different locations within the target space, the system can respond more precisely to changes in local heat load, thereby improving overall temperature control uniformity, energy efficiency, and user thermal comfort.
[0003] In existing technologies, some multi-air conditioning systems use a centralized controller to uniformly regulate all indoor units. This approach typically relies on a limited number of temperature sampling points (such as return air temperature or regional average temperature) as control input, making it difficult to accurately reflect the actual thermal environment differences between various local areas within the space. In scenarios with uneven heat load distribution (such as the presence of local heat sources like sunlight, crowds, or equipment heating), this "one-size-fits-all" control strategy can easily lead to some areas overheating while others are overcooled, affecting thermal comfort and wasting energy. Furthermore, the centralized architecture requires the additional deployment of dedicated main control equipment, increasing system cost and installation complexity, introducing single-point-of-failure risks, and limiting the system's scalability and robustness.
[0004] The above content is only used to help understand the technical solution of this application and does not represent an admission that the above content is prior art. Summary of the Invention
[0005] The main purpose of this application is to provide a control method for an air conditioning system, which aims to solve the problems of high cost, uneven local temperature control and low energy efficiency caused by relying on a centralized controller.
[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this application proposes a control method for an air conditioning system. The air conditioning system includes multiple air conditioners, each of which is positioned at different locations in a target space according to a preset temperature influence range. The air conditioners are interconnected via a communication network, and each air conditioner is equipped with a body temperature sensor to detect a first ambient temperature value in the area where the air conditioner is located. The method includes: determining a master air conditioner from the multiple air conditioners based on the address information of each air conditioner, with the rest being slave air conditioners; responding to a control command triggered by a user, the master air conditioner sets a corresponding preset start-up temperature threshold and a preset stop-down temperature threshold, and sends the preset start-up temperature threshold and the preset stop-down temperature threshold to the remaining slave air conditioners; wherein the preset start-up temperature threshold is greater than the preset stop-down temperature threshold; for any air conditioner, when the first ambient temperature value is detected to be greater than the preset start-up temperature threshold, the corresponding air conditioner starts cooling; when the first ambient temperature value is detected to be less than the preset stop-down temperature threshold, the corresponding air conditioner stops cooling.
[0007] In one embodiment, the step of starting cooling when the first ambient temperature value is detected to be greater than the preset start-up temperature threshold, and stopping cooling when the first ambient temperature value is detected to be less than the preset stop-down temperature threshold, includes: starting cooling when the first ambient temperature value is detected to be greater than the preset start-up temperature threshold for a first preset time; and stopping cooling when the first ambient temperature value is detected to be less than the preset stop-down temperature threshold for a preset second time.
[0008] In one embodiment, the step of determining the master air conditioner and the others as slave air conditioners based on the address information of each air conditioner includes: each air conditioner broadcasts its own group control address through a preset communication protocol after powering on; by default, the air conditioner with the smallest group control address value is determined as the master air conditioner, the master air conditioner sends a master node establishment notification to the other air conditioners, and sends heartbeat packets at fixed intervals; the other air conditioners, as slave air conditioners, continuously listen to the heartbeat packets; if any slave air conditioner does not receive the heartbeat packet for M consecutive heartbeat cycles, it is determined that the master air conditioner is offline, and a master node reselection is triggered: each online slave air conditioner rebroadcasts its own group control address, wherein the air conditioner with the smallest group control address value automatically becomes the master air conditioner, and sends a new master node establishment notification and periodic heartbeat packets to the other air conditioners; wherein M is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2.
[0009] In one embodiment, the control method of the air conditioning system further includes: each slave air conditioner performs a health status check before broadcasting its own group control address; if the slave air conditioner is in a fault state or communication abnormal state, it is prohibited from broadcasting its own group control address to participate in the master node election.
[0010] In one embodiment, the air conditioning system further includes a wireless temperature sensor array, wherein multiple slave temperature sensors of the wireless temperature sensor array are disposed within the detection blind zone of the body temperature sensor of each air conditioner, for detecting a second ambient temperature value in each detection blind zone; each slave temperature sensor establishes a first wireless pairing relationship with one or more corresponding air conditioners according to the temperature influence range of its location; the method further includes: for any air conditioner that has established a first wireless pairing relationship, when the first ambient temperature value and / or the second ambient temperature value are detected to be greater than a preset start-up temperature threshold, the corresponding air conditioner starts cooling; when the first ambient temperature value and the second ambient temperature value are detected to be less than a preset stop-down temperature threshold, the corresponding air conditioner stops cooling.
[0011] In one embodiment, the step of starting cooling for any air conditioner that has established a first wireless pairing relationship when the first ambient temperature value and / or the second ambient temperature value are detected to be greater than a preset start-up temperature threshold, and stopping cooling for any air conditioner that has established a first wireless pairing relationship when the first ambient temperature value and / or the second ambient temperature value are detected to be greater than a preset start-up temperature threshold, includes: starting cooling for any air conditioner that has established a first wireless pairing relationship when the first ambient temperature value and / or the second ambient temperature value are detected to be greater than a preset start-up temperature threshold for a first preset time; and stopping cooling for any air conditioner that has established a first wireless pairing relationship when the first ambient temperature value and / or the second ambient temperature value are detected to be less than a preset stop-up temperature threshold for a second preset time.
[0012] Furthermore, to achieve the above objectives, this application also proposes an air conditioning system, comprising: multiple air conditioners, each air conditioner being positioned at different locations in the target space according to a preset temperature influence range, and the air conditioners being interconnected via a communication network; each air conditioner comprising: a body temperature sensor for detecting a first ambient temperature value in the area where the air conditioner is located and outputting a corresponding first temperature detection signal; a wireless communication module for broadcasting its own group control address based on a preset communication protocol and obtaining the address information of the other air conditioners; a triggering module for outputting corresponding control commands when triggered by a user; a cooling module for reducing the air temperature within the preset temperature influence range; and a controller configured to: determine whether its own group control address value is the minimum based on the address information of each air conditioner; if so, confirm itself as the master air conditioner; otherwise, confirm itself as a slave air conditioner; if it is the master air conditioner, control the wireless communication module to send a master node establishment notification to the other air conditioners and send heartbeat packets at fixed intervals. In response to receiving the control command, a corresponding preset start-up temperature threshold and preset stop-down temperature threshold are set, and the preset start-up temperature threshold and preset stop-down temperature threshold are sent to the other slave air conditioners through the wireless communication module; if it is a slave air conditioner, a health status detection is performed if the heartbeat packet is not received for M consecutive heartbeat cycles; where M is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2; if it is in a fault state or communication abnormal state, the wireless communication module is prohibited from rebroadcasting its own group control address to participate in the master node election, otherwise the wireless communication module is controlled to rebroadcast its own group control address to participate in the master node election; the controller is also configured to: control the cooling module to work when the first ambient temperature value is determined to be greater than the preset start-up temperature threshold according to the first temperature detection signal; control the cooling module to stop working when the first ambient temperature value is determined to be less than the preset stop-down temperature threshold according to the first temperature detection signal.
[0013] In one embodiment, the controller is further configured to: control the cooling module to operate when it is determined from the first temperature detection signal that the first ambient temperature value has been greater than the preset start-up temperature threshold for a first preset time; and control the cooling module to stop operating when it is determined from the first temperature detection signal that the first ambient temperature value has been less than the preset stop-down temperature threshold for a second preset time.
[0014] In one embodiment, the air conditioning system further includes: a wireless temperature sensor array having multiple slave temperature sensors, each slave temperature sensor being disposed within the detection blind zone of the body temperature sensor of each air conditioner, for detecting a second ambient temperature value in each detection blind zone and outputting a corresponding second temperature detection signal; each slave temperature sensor establishes a first wireless pairing relationship with one or more corresponding air conditioners according to the temperature influence range of its location; the controller of any air conditioner that has established a first wireless pairing relationship is further configured to: control the cooling module to work when, based on the first temperature detection signal and the second temperature detection signal, the first ambient temperature value and / or the second ambient temperature value is greater than a preset start-up temperature threshold; and control the cooling module to stop working when, based on the first temperature detection signal and the second temperature detection signal, both the first ambient temperature value and the second ambient temperature value are less than the preset start-up temperature threshold.
[0015] In one embodiment, the controller of any air conditioner that has established a first wireless pairing relationship is further configured to: control the cooling module to operate when it is determined, based on the first temperature detection signal and the second temperature detection signal, that the first ambient temperature value and / or the second ambient temperature value has been greater than a preset start-up temperature threshold for a first preset time; and control the cooling module to stop operating when it is determined, based on the first temperature detection signal and the second temperature detection signal, that the first ambient temperature value and the second ambient temperature value have been less than the preset start-up temperature threshold for a second preset time.
[0016] The one or more technical solutions proposed in this application have at least the following technical effects: First, the air conditioning system autonomously elects one air conditioner as the master air conditioner by utilizing the inherent address information of each air conditioner, with the rest being slave air conditioners. This eliminates the need for a dedicated centralized controller, significantly reducing hardware costs and installation complexity, while also avoiding single-point-of-failure risks and improving system scalability and robustness. Second, after responding to user commands, the master air conditioner broadcasts the uniformly set preset start-up temperature threshold and preset stop-down temperature threshold (which together constitute a temperature control range with hysteresis characteristics) to all slave air conditioners via a communication network, achieving rapid synchronization of control strategies and ensuring that the entire system follows consistent temperature control logic. Furthermore, each air conditioner obtains the first ambient temperature value of its surroundings in real time based on its own configured body temperature sensor and independently determines whether to start or stop cooling—that is, performing localized decisions within a unified threshold framework. This fully considers real-world scenarios with uneven heat load distribution within the space (such as areas directly exposed to sunlight near windows, densely populated areas, or equipment heat points), enabling each air conditioner to respond specifically to the actual heat demand within its affected area, avoiding localized overheating caused by traditional solutions relying on a single return air temperature or regional average temperature. Thus, this application achieves precise zoned temperature control and on-demand start / stop without the need for additional external sensors or main control equipment, reducing ineffective cooling and significantly optimizing overall energy efficiency. Compared with existing technologies, this application eliminates the need for a dedicated centralized controller, significantly reducing hardware costs and installation complexity. Furthermore, each air conditioner is equipped with a body temperature sensor, which adjusts the temperature based on the first detected temperature value, solving the problems of uneven local temperature control and low energy efficiency. Attached Figure Description
[0017] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application.
[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0019] Figure 1 is a flowchart of the control method for the air conditioning system of this application in Embodiment 1; Figure 2 is a flowchart of the control method for the air conditioning system of this application in Embodiment 3; Figure 3 is a flowchart of the control method for the air conditioning system of this application in Embodiment 5; Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the module structure of the air conditioning system of this application.
[0020] The purpose, features, and advantages of this application will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation
[0021] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the technical solutions of this application and are not intended to limit this application.
[0022] To better understand the technical solution of this application, a detailed description will be provided below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods.
[0023] In existing technologies, some multi-air conditioning systems use a centralized controller to uniformly regulate all indoor units. This approach typically relies on a limited number of temperature sampling points (such as return air temperature or regional average temperature) as control input, making it difficult to accurately reflect the actual thermal environment differences between various local areas within the space. In scenarios with uneven heat load distribution (such as the presence of local heat sources like sunlight, crowds, or equipment heating), this "one-size-fits-all" control strategy can easily lead to some areas overheating while others are overcooled, affecting thermal comfort and wasting energy. Furthermore, the centralized architecture requires the additional deployment of dedicated main control equipment, increasing system cost and installation complexity, introducing single-point-of-failure risks, and limiting the system's scalability and robustness.
[0024] This application provides a method for controlling an air conditioning system.
[0025] Referring to Figure 1, which is a flowchart of the first embodiment of the control method for the air conditioning system of this application.
[0026] In this embodiment, the air conditioning system includes multiple air conditioners. Each air conditioner is set at a different location in the target space according to a preset temperature influence range. The air conditioners are interconnected through a communication network, and each air conditioner is equipped with a body temperature sensor to detect the first ambient temperature value of the area where the air conditioner is located.
[0027] In this embodiment, the air conditioning system is a distributed temperature control network composed of multiple air conditioning units that can operate independently but work collaboratively. Each air conditioner not only has a cooling function but also integrates a body temperature sensor to collect the actual temperature of the surrounding environment in real time. The preset temperature influence range refers to the spatial area where a single air conditioner can effectively regulate the temperature. This is determined by the actual power of the air conditioner, the airflow direction, and the spatial structure, and is used to guide the reasonable layout of the air conditioners in the target space. It should be noted that during the system design phase, the preset temperature influence range can be pre-defined based on the actual power of each air conditioner (which determines the cooling capacity), the airflow direction and speed (which determine the airflow distance and coverage angle), and the structural characteristics of the target space (such as partitions, door and window positions, heat source distribution, etc.). For example, suppose there is an open office area with an area of 60 square meters (10 meters long and 6 meters wide) and a ceiling height of 3 meters. This space is planned to install 3 wall-mounted air conditioners of the same model, each with a cooling capacity of 3.5 kW (approximately 1.2 horsepower). Based on the manufacturer's technical parameters and engineering experience, the effective cooling radius of a single unit of this type of air conditioner under standard operating conditions (no strong heat source, good insulation) is approximately 4-5 meters. This means its preset temperature influence range is roughly a fan-shaped area of about 20-25 square meters centered on the air outlet. Air conditioner A can be installed in the front left corner of the room (near the window, where sunlight is strong), with its airflow directed towards the center of the room; air conditioner B can be installed in the rear right corner of the room (near the equipment cabinet, where localized heat generation is significant), with its airflow directed towards the center of the room; air conditioner C can be installed above the center of the room (or recessed if there is a suspended ceiling), using a four-way airflow design for a more even influence range. This avoids air conditioner A primarily serving the front left 1 / 3 area, air conditioner B serving the rear right 1 / 3 area (including the equipment heat generation area), and air conditioner C supplementing by covering the central transition zone and balancing the overall temperature field. In this way, each air conditioner operates efficiently within its designated area, avoiding mutual interference or blind spots. The main air conditioner is the specific air conditioner that plays a coordinating and command distribution role in the system, while the other slave air conditioners are subject to the unified scheduling of the main air conditioner. In addition, the preset start-up temperature threshold and the preset stop-down temperature threshold are two key temperature boundary values set by the user. The former is the upper limit temperature at which the air conditioner is triggered to start cooling, and the latter is the lower limit temperature at which cooling stops. The start-up threshold must be greater than the stop-down threshold to avoid frequent start-stop cycles.
[0028] The control method of the air conditioning system includes steps S10 to S30: Step S10, based on the address information of each air conditioner, determine the master air conditioner from multiple air conditioners, and the rest are slave air conditioners.
[0029] In this embodiment, one air conditioner can be automatically or semi-automatically designated as the master air conditioner of the air conditioning system based on the address information of each air conditioner (such as MAC address, device ID, or network node identifier), while the rest are designated as slave air conditioners. This process can be performed during system power-on initialization or renetworking, and can be implemented through preset rules (such as the smallest address being the master), manual user designation, or dynamic election based on location / performance priority. The master air conditioner not only undertakes local temperature control tasks but also acts as a central controller responsible for receiving user commands, calculating control parameters, and synchronizing them to all slave air conditioners in the network. This step ensures that the system has a clear control center, avoiding conflicts or redundant operations caused by multiple nodes making decisions simultaneously.
[0030] In step S20, in response to the control command triggered by the user, the main air conditioner sets the corresponding preset start-up temperature threshold and preset stop-up temperature threshold, and sends the preset start-up temperature threshold and preset stop-up temperature threshold to the other slave air conditioners; wherein, the preset start-up temperature threshold is greater than the preset stop-up temperature threshold.
[0031] In this embodiment, after the main air conditioner responds to user input (such as setting a target temperature zone via remote control, APP, or panel), it translates the user's intention into specific preset start-up temperature thresholds and preset stop-down temperature thresholds, and broadcasts them to all slave air conditioners via a communication network (such as Wi-Fi, Zigbee, or RS485 bus). It is worth noting that these two thresholds constitute a temperature control range with hysteresis characteristics (e.g., the start-up threshold is set to 26℃, and the stop-down threshold is set to 24℃), which can prevent frequent start-up and stop-down of the air conditioners due to slight fluctuations in ambient temperature near the critical point, thereby improving equipment lifespan, reducing energy consumption, and enhancing user comfort. By uniformly distributing thresholds through the main air conditioner, it can be ensured that all air conditioners in the entire space follow consistent temperature control logic.
[0032] Step S30: For any air conditioner, when the detected first ambient temperature value is greater than the preset start-up temperature threshold, the corresponding air conditioner starts cooling; when the detected first ambient temperature value is less than the preset stop-down temperature threshold, the corresponding air conditioner stops cooling.
[0033] It should be noted that, due to the different locations of the air conditioners and their influence from local heat sources, sunlight, and pedestrian traffic, the surrounding temperatures may vary significantly. Forcing simultaneous start-up and shutdown could result in some areas being too cold or too cold. In this embodiment, each air conditioner is allowed to make its own decisions based on the local measured temperature. Each air conditioner (including the main and slave units) independently determines whether to start or stop cooling operations based on the first ambient temperature value detected by its own unit's temperature sensor: cooling is activated when the local temperature exceeds the activation threshold and stopped when it falls below the deactivation threshold. This approach accurately responds to changes in local heat load while maintaining the overall room temperature within the user's desired range, balancing energy efficiency and comfort.
[0034] In this embodiment, the system autonomously elects one air conditioner as the master air conditioner using the inherent address information of each air conditioner, with the rest serving as slave air conditioners. This eliminates the need for a dedicated centralized controller, significantly reducing hardware costs and installation complexity, while also avoiding single-point-of-failure risks and improving system scalability and robustness. Secondly, after responding to user commands, the master air conditioner broadcasts uniformly set preset start-up and stop-down temperature thresholds (which together constitute a temperature control range with hysteresis) to all slave air conditioners via the communication network. This achieves rapid synchronization of control strategies, ensuring the entire system follows consistent temperature control logic. Crucially, each air conditioner uses its own built-in temperature sensor to obtain the first ambient temperature value of its surroundings in real time and independently determines whether to start or stop cooling—that is, performing localized decisions within a unified threshold framework. This fully considers real-world scenarios with uneven heat load distribution in the space (such as areas directly exposed to sunlight near windows, densely populated areas, or equipment heat points), enabling each air conditioner to respond specifically to the actual heat demand within its affected area. This avoids the localized overheating phenomenon caused by traditional solutions relying on a single return air temperature or regional average temperature. In this way, the system achieves precise zoned temperature control and on-demand start / stop without the need for additional external sensors or main control equipment, reducing ineffective cooling and significantly optimizing overall energy efficiency. Compared with existing technologies, this embodiment eliminates the need for a dedicated centralized controller, significantly reducing hardware costs and installation complexity. Furthermore, each air conditioner is equipped with a body temperature sensor, which adjusts the temperature based on the first detected temperature value, solving the problems of uneven local temperature control and low energy efficiency.
[0035] Based on the first embodiment of this application, in the second embodiment of this application, the content that is the same as or similar to that in the first embodiment can be referred to the above description, and will not be repeated hereafter. On this basis, step S30 includes step S31: for any air conditioner, when the first ambient temperature value is detected to be greater than the preset start-up temperature threshold for a first preset time, the corresponding air conditioner starts cooling; when the first ambient temperature value is detected to be less than the preset stop-down temperature threshold for a preset second time, the corresponding air conditioner stops cooling.
[0036] It should be noted that in real-world applications, short-term disturbances often occur in localized thermal environments. If control decisions are made based solely on a single temperature sample, it can easily lead to equipment erratic operation, reducing user comfort, accelerating wear on core components like compressors, and increasing energy consumption. In this embodiment, by setting reasonable duration thresholds (e.g., a start-up judgment lasting 30-60 seconds and a shutdown judgment lasting 1-2 minutes), non-steady-state interference is filtered out. This ensures that control actions are triggered only under real, continuous changes in thermal load, thereby improving operational stability, extending equipment lifespan, and further optimizing energy efficiency.
[0037] Based on the first embodiment of this application, in the third embodiment of this application, the content that is the same as or similar to that in the first embodiment can be referred to the above description, and will not be repeated hereafter. Based on this, please refer to Figure 2. Step S10 includes steps S11 to S14: Step S11, after each air conditioner is powered on, it broadcasts its own group control address through a preset communication protocol.
[0038] In step S12, the air conditioner with the smallest group control address value is designated as the master air conditioner by default. The master air conditioner sends a master node establishment notification to the other air conditioners and sends heartbeat packets at fixed intervals.
[0039] In step S13, the remaining air conditioners act as slave air conditioners and continuously monitor heartbeat packets.
[0040] Step S14: If any slave air conditioner fails to receive a heartbeat packet for M consecutive heartbeat cycles, the master air conditioner is determined to be offline and a master node re-election is triggered: each online slave air conditioner rebroadcasts its own group control address, and the air conditioner with the smallest group control address value is automatically promoted to master air conditioner and sends a new master node establishment notification and periodic heartbeat packets to the other air conditioners; where M is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2.
[0041] It should be noted that in traditional centralized architectures, the entire system will be paralyzed if the main controller fails. In this embodiment, a highly robust design without single points of failure is achieved through distributed address negotiation and heartbeat monitoring. Even if an air conditioner leaves the network due to power failure, communication interruption, or hardware failure, the remaining devices can automatically switch roles within seconds and seamlessly maintain collaborative control functions. Specifically, after each air conditioner is powered on, it first broadcasts its unique group control address through a preset communication protocol (such as CAN, Modbus, or a custom LAN protocol). The system defaults to selecting the device with the smallest address value as the main air conditioner. This main air conditioner then sends a master node establishment notification to the other nodes and sends heartbeat packets at fixed intervals to indicate its online status; the remaining slave air conditioners continuously listen for this heartbeat signal. If any slave air conditioner does not receive a heartbeat packet for M consecutive heartbeat cycles (M≥2, to avoid misjudgment due to instantaneous communication jitter), it is determined that the original master air conditioner is offline, and the master node re-election process is immediately triggered: all online slave air conditioners rebroadcast their own addresses, elect a new master air conditioner again according to the principle of the smallest address, and the new master air conditioner takes over control and starts sending new heartbeat packets.
[0042] Based on the third embodiment of this application, in the fourth embodiment of this application, the content that is the same as or similar to that in the third embodiment can be referred to the above description and will not be repeated hereafter. On this basis, the control method of the air conditioning system further includes steps S15 to S16: Step S15, each slave air conditioner performs a health status detection before broadcasting its own group control address.
[0043] Step S16: If the air conditioner is in a faulty state or communication abnormal state, it is prohibited to broadcast its own group control address to participate in the master node election.
[0044] In this embodiment, before each slave air conditioner prepares to broadcast its own group control address to participate in the master node election, it needs to perform a local health status check. This check covers key hardware functions (such as whether the compressor and fan are normal), sensor validity (such as whether the body temperature sensor is responding), and wireless communication module status (such as whether it can send and receive data packets normally). If the check determines that the air conditioner is in a faulty state (such as cooling failure or sensor malfunction) or communication abnormal (such as network disconnection or continuous signal packet loss), it is actively prohibited from broadcasting its group control address, thereby excluding it from participating in the master node election.
[0045] Based on the first embodiment of this application, in the fifth embodiment of this application, the content that is the same as or similar to that in the first embodiment can be referred to the above description and will not be repeated hereafter. Based on this, referring to Figure 3, the air conditioning system also includes a wireless temperature sensor array. Multiple slave temperature sensors of the wireless temperature sensor array are disposed within the detection blind zone of the body temperature sensor of each air conditioner, and are used to detect the second ambient temperature value of each detection blind zone. Each slave temperature sensor establishes a first wireless pairing relationship with one or more corresponding air conditioners according to the temperature influence range of its location. The control method of the air conditioning system further includes step S32: For any air conditioner that has established a first wireless pairing relationship, when the detected first ambient temperature value and / or second ambient temperature value are greater than a preset start-up temperature threshold, the corresponding air conditioner starts cooling; when the detected first ambient temperature value and second ambient temperature value are both less than a preset stop-down temperature threshold, the corresponding air conditioner stops cooling.
[0046] In this embodiment, a wireless temperature sensor array is introduced to overcome the sensing limitations of relying solely on the unit's temperature sensor. Specifically, multiple slave temperature sensors are deployed in the "blind spots" of each air conditioner's own temperature detection (such as corners far from the air outlet, behind partitions, near high-heat-load equipment, and other areas that are difficult for the unit's sensors to accurately reflect), to collect the second ambient temperature values at these key locations. Each slave temperature sensor establishes a first wireless pairing relationship with one or more air conditioners based on the preset temperature influence range of the air conditioner to which its physical location belongs, forming an extended sensing network. Based on this, in this step, for any air conditioner with an established pairing relationship, during the start-up judgment, if its own first ambient temperature value exceeds a preset start-up temperature threshold, at least one associated second ambient temperature value exceeds a preset start-up temperature threshold, or both the first ambient temperature value and at least one second ambient temperature value exceed the preset start-up temperature threshold, cooling is triggered. This ensures that any overheating at any monitoring point can be responded to in a timely manner, improving the cooling guarantee capability. When the judgment is stopped, all relevant temperature values (including the first and all paired second ambient temperature values) must be below a preset shutdown temperature threshold before shutdown is allowed. This prevents overall shutdown due to localized cooling and avoids frequent restarts caused by rapid reheating in the blind spot. This embodiment effectively solves the problem of localized overheating caused by sensing blind spots in traditional solutions, further improving temperature control accuracy.
[0047] Based on the fifth embodiment of this application, in the sixth embodiment of this application, the content that is the same as or similar to the fifth embodiment described above can be referred to the above description and will not be repeated hereafter. On this basis, step S31 includes step S321: For any air conditioner that has established a first wireless pairing relationship, when the first ambient temperature value and / or the second ambient temperature value are detected to be greater than a preset start-up temperature threshold for a first preset time, the corresponding air conditioner starts cooling; when the first ambient temperature value and the second ambient temperature value are detected to be less than a preset stop-down temperature threshold for a second preset time, the corresponding air conditioner stops cooling.
[0048] In this embodiment, by setting a reasonable duration threshold (such as a start judgment lasting 30 to 60 seconds and a stop judgment lasting 1 to 2 minutes), non-steady-state interference is filtered out, ensuring that the control action is triggered only under real and continuous heat load changes, thereby improving operational stability, extending equipment life, and further optimizing energy efficiency.
[0049] This application also provides an air conditioning system.
[0050] Referring to Figure 4, in one embodiment of this application, the air conditioning system includes multiple air conditioners, each air conditioner is set at different locations in the target space according to a preset temperature influence range, and the air conditioners are interconnected through a communication network; each air conditioner includes: a body temperature sensor, used to detect the first ambient temperature value of the area where the air conditioner is located, and output a corresponding first temperature detection signal; a wireless communication module, which broadcasts its own group control address based on a preset communication protocol and obtains the address information of the other air conditioners; a trigger module, which outputs a corresponding control command when triggered by a user; a cooling module, used to reduce the air temperature within the preset temperature influence range; and a controller, configured to: determine whether its own group control address value is the minimum based on the address information of each air conditioner, and if so, confirm itself as the master air conditioner, otherwise confirm itself as a slave air conditioner; if it is the master air conditioner, control the wireless communication module to send a master node establishment notification to the other air conditioners, and... The controller sends heartbeat packets at fixed intervals. In response to receiving control commands, it sets corresponding preset start-up temperature thresholds and preset stop-down temperature thresholds, and sends these thresholds to the remaining slave air conditioners via a wireless communication module. If a slave air conditioner has not received a heartbeat packet for M consecutive heartbeat cycles, it performs a health status check, where M is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2. If the air conditioner is in a fault state or communication abnormal state, it prohibits the wireless communication module from rebroadcasting its own group control address to participate in the master node election; otherwise, it controls the wireless communication module to rebroadcast its own group control address to participate in the master node election. The controller is also configured to: control the cooling module to work when the first ambient temperature value is determined to be greater than the preset start-up temperature threshold based on the first temperature detection signal; and control the cooling module to stop working when the first ambient temperature value is determined to be less than the preset stop-down temperature threshold based on the first temperature detection signal.
[0051] In this embodiment, the body temperature sensor is used to sense the first ambient temperature value of the local area where the air conditioner is located in real time and output the corresponding analog or digital temperature signal as the basic input for local temperature control decision-making; the wireless communication module supports device-to-device communication based on preset communication protocols (such as Wi-Fi, Zigbee or custom LAN protocols), and can broadcast its own unique group control address to participate in master-slave role negotiation, and can also receive address information, master node notifications, heartbeat packets and temperature control threshold parameters of other air conditioners; the trigger module is used to receive user operations (such as remote control buttons, APP commands or panel settings) and convert them into internally recognizable control commands; the cooling module (including compressor, fan, heat exchanger, etc.) is responsible for performing the actual cooling action and adjusting the air temperature within its preset temperature influence range; the controller, as the central processing unit, coordinates the operation of the above modules and undertakes core control tasks such as master-slave role determination, heartbeat monitoring, health detection, threshold distribution / reception, start-stop logic judgment and fault isolation.
[0052] After the system powers on, each air conditioner broadcasts its group control address via a wireless communication module. The controller autonomously determines its master / slave status based on the rule that "the one with the smallest address is the master air conditioner." The master air conditioner then sends a master node establishment notification and periodically sends heartbeat packets, while the other slave air conditioners continuously listen for this heartbeat signal. When a user issues a temperature control command via a trigger module, the master air conditioner generates a unified preset start / stop temperature threshold and synchronizes it to all slave air conditioners via the wireless communication module. Each air conditioner then independently executes start / stop control based on the first ambient temperature value collected by its own body temperature sensor: if the temperature is higher than the start threshold, the cooling module is activated; if it is lower than the stop threshold, it is deactivated. If the master air conditioner unexpectedly goes offline (without receiving a heartbeat packet for M consecutive heartbeat cycles), the slave air conditioner will trigger a health status check—only if it is fault-free and communication is normal will it be allowed to rebroadcast its address to participate in a new round of master node election. This mechanism realizes a self-organizing, self-recovering distributed control architecture without the need for an external master controller, effectively solving problems such as local temperature control inaccuracies caused by relying on a single sampling point in traditional centralized systems, system paralysis caused by master controller failure, and energy waste caused by frequent erroneous start / stop operations.
[0053] In this embodiment, after the system is powered on, each air conditioner broadcasts its own group control address via a wireless communication module based on a preset communication protocol. The controller autonomously assigns master and slave roles according to the rule of "the one with the smallest address value is the master," eliminating the need for a dedicated centralized controller, significantly reducing hardware costs and installation complexity, and fundamentally avoiding the risk of single-point failures, thus improving the system's scalability and operational reliability. Subsequently, when a user issues a control command through the trigger module, the master air conditioner responds and sets a unified preset start-up temperature threshold and a preset stop-down temperature threshold (which together constitute a temperature control range with hysteresis characteristics), and synchronizes this threshold to all slave air conditioners via the wireless communication module, ensuring that all network devices follow consistent start-up and stop logic and avoiding policy conflicts. During operation, each air conditioner (including the master and slave air conditioners) obtains the first ambient temperature value of its local area in real time based on the unit's temperature sensor and independently performs start-up and stop judgments: when the temperature value is higher than the preset start-up temperature threshold, the cooling module is activated; when it is lower than the preset stop-down temperature threshold, cooling is stopped. In this way, each air conditioner can accurately respond to actual heat load changes within its preset temperature range—for example, scenarios such as increased temperature near windows due to sunlight, overheating in equipment areas, or sudden increases in heat in densely populated areas can all be detected and adjusted by the air conditioners in their respective areas, effectively overcoming the localized overheating problem caused by traditional centralized systems relying on a single return air temperature or regional average temperature. Furthermore, the system has a built-in fault-tolerant mechanism: if the main air conditioner goes offline (no heartbeat packet received for M consecutive heartbeat cycles), the slave air conditioners will automatically trigger a health status check and only those with normal function will be allowed to participate in the new round of master node election, further ensuring long-term operational stability. In summary, this embodiment, without adding external master control equipment or complex wiring, achieves a unified approach of precise zoned temperature control, on-demand cooling, and high energy efficiency through embedded sensors, distributed communication, and intelligent control logic, solving the problems of high cost, uneven localized temperature control, and low energy efficiency.
[0054] In one embodiment, the controller is further configured to: control the cooling module to operate when it is determined from the first temperature detection signal that the first ambient temperature value has been greater than a preset start-up temperature threshold for a first preset time; and control the cooling module to stop operating when it is determined from the first temperature detection signal that the first ambient temperature value has been less than a preset stop-down temperature threshold for a second preset time.
[0055] In this embodiment, by setting a reasonable duration threshold (such as a start judgment lasting 30 to 60 seconds and a stop judgment lasting 1 to 2 minutes), non-steady-state interference is filtered out, ensuring that the control action is triggered only under real and continuous heat load changes, thereby improving operational stability, extending equipment life, and further optimizing energy efficiency.
[0056] In one embodiment of this application, the air conditioning system further includes: a wireless temperature sensor array having multiple slave temperature sensors, each slave temperature sensor being disposed within the detection blind zone of the body temperature sensor of each air conditioner, for detecting the second ambient temperature value of each detection blind zone and outputting a corresponding second temperature detection signal; each slave temperature sensor establishing a first wireless pairing relationship with one or more corresponding air conditioners according to the temperature influence range of its location; the controller of any air conditioner establishing a first wireless pairing relationship is further configured to: control the cooling module to work when the first ambient temperature value and / or the second ambient temperature value are determined to be greater than a preset start-up temperature threshold based on the first temperature detection signal and the second temperature detection signal; and control the cooling module to stop working when the first ambient temperature value and the second ambient temperature value are both less than the preset start-up temperature threshold based on the first temperature detection signal and the second temperature detection signal.
[0057] In one embodiment, the controller of any air conditioner that has established a first wireless pairing relationship is further configured to: control the cooling module to operate when it is determined, based on the first temperature detection signal and the second temperature detection signal, that the first ambient temperature value and / or the second ambient temperature value have been greater than a preset start-up temperature threshold for a first preset time; and control the cooling module to stop operating when it is determined, based on the first temperature detection signal and the second temperature detection signal, that the first ambient temperature value and the second ambient temperature value have been less than the preset start-up temperature threshold for a second preset time.
[0058] In this embodiment, a wireless temperature sensor array is further integrated into the existing air conditioning system. This array consists of multiple independently deployed slave temperature sensors. These sensors are strategically positioned in the detection blind spots of the temperature sensors on each air conditioner unit (such as corners far from the air outlet, behind partitions, near high-heat equipment, or areas where people stay for extended periods but are difficult for airflow to reach). They are used to collect the second ambient temperature values at these key locations and output the corresponding second temperature detection signal. Each slave temperature sensor establishes a first wireless pairing relationship with one or more air conditioners based on the preset temperature influence range of its physical location, forming an extended sensing network. Accordingly, the controller of each paired air conditioner is enhanced to simultaneously process multi-source temperature data from its own unit temperature sensor (first signal) and paired external slave temperature sensors (second signal), and executes more refined start-stop control logic accordingly.
[0059] During operation, the controller no longer relies solely on local temperature to determine the start and stop of the cooling module, but integrates multi-point sensing information: for any paired air conditioner, upon startup, cooling is triggered if its own first ambient temperature exceeds a preset startup temperature threshold, at least one associated second ambient temperature exceeds a preset startup temperature threshold, or both the first ambient temperature and at least one second ambient temperature exceed the preset startup temperature threshold. This ensures timely response to overheating at any monitoring point, improving cooling protection capabilities. Upon shutdown, all relevant temperature values (including the first and all paired second ambient temperatures) must be below a preset shutdown temperature threshold before shutdown is allowed. This prevents overall shutdown due to localized cooling and avoids frequent restarts caused by rapid reheating in blind spots. This embodiment effectively solves the problem of localized overheating caused by sensing blind spots in traditional solutions, further improving temperature control accuracy. Moreover, it expands the spatial sensing dimension of the system with a low-cost, easily deployable wireless method, compensating for the inherent deficiency of single-point body sensors in comprehensively reflecting complex thermal environments.
[0060] The above description is only a part of the embodiments of this application and does not limit the patent scope of this application. All equivalent structural transformations made under the technical concept of this application and using the contents of the specification and drawings of this application, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included in the patent protection scope of this application.
Claims
1. A control method for an air conditioning system, characterized in that, The air conditioning system includes multiple air conditioners, each positioned at a different location in the target space according to a preset temperature influence range. The air conditioners are interconnected via a communication network, and each air conditioner is equipped with a body temperature sensor to detect a first ambient temperature value in its area. The method includes: determining a master air conditioner from the multiple air conditioners based on their address information, with the rest being slave air conditioners; responding to a user-triggered control command, the master air conditioner sets corresponding preset start-up temperature thresholds and preset stop-down temperature thresholds, and sends these thresholds to the remaining slave air conditioners; wherein the preset start-up temperature threshold is greater than the preset stop-down temperature threshold; for any given air conditioner, when the first ambient temperature value is detected to be greater than the preset start-up temperature threshold, the corresponding air conditioner starts cooling; when the first ambient temperature value is detected to be less than the preset stop-down temperature threshold, the corresponding air conditioner stops cooling.
2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, For any air conditioner, when the first ambient temperature value is detected to be greater than the preset start-up temperature threshold, the corresponding air conditioner will start cooling. When the first ambient temperature value is detected to be less than the preset shutdown temperature threshold, the corresponding air conditioner stops cooling, including: for any air conditioner, when the first ambient temperature value is detected to be greater than the preset start temperature threshold for a first preset time, the corresponding air conditioner starts cooling. When the first ambient temperature value is detected to be lower than the preset shut-off temperature threshold for a continuously preset second time, the corresponding air conditioner will stop cooling.
3. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The step of determining the master air conditioner and the others as slave air conditioners based on the address information of each air conditioner includes: after each air conditioner is powered on, it broadcasts its own group control address through a preset communication protocol; by default, the air conditioner with the smallest group control address value is determined as the master air conditioner, and the master air conditioner sends a master node establishment notification to the other air conditioners and sends heartbeat packets at fixed intervals; the other air conditioners, as slave air conditioners, continuously listen to the heartbeat packets; if any slave air conditioner does not receive the heartbeat packet for M consecutive heartbeat cycles, it is determined that the master air conditioner is offline and a master node reselection is triggered: each online slave air conditioner rebroadcasts its own group control address, and the air conditioner with the smallest group control address value automatically becomes the master air conditioner and sends a new master node establishment notification and periodic heartbeat packets to the other air conditioners; where M is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2.
4. The method as described in claim 3, characterized in that, Also includes: Before broadcasting its own group control address, each slave air conditioner performs a health status check; if the slave air conditioner is in a faulty state or communication abnormal state, it is prohibited from broadcasting its own group control address to participate in the master node election.
5. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the air conditioning system further comprises a wireless temperature sensor array, wherein a plurality of slave temperature sensors of the wireless temperature sensor array are disposed within the detection blind zone of the body temperature sensor of each air conditioner, for detecting the second ambient temperature value of each detection blind zone; each slave temperature sensor establishes a first wireless pairing relationship with one or more corresponding air conditioners according to the temperature influence range of its location; the method further comprises: For any air conditioner that has established a first wireless pairing relationship, when the first ambient temperature value and / or the second ambient temperature value are detected to be greater than a preset start-up temperature threshold, the corresponding air conditioner starts cooling; when both the first ambient temperature value and the second ambient temperature value are detected to be less than a preset stop-down temperature threshold, the corresponding air conditioner stops cooling.
6. The method as described in claim 5, characterized in that, For any air conditioner that has established a first wireless pairing relationship, when the first ambient temperature value and / or the second ambient temperature value are detected to be greater than a preset start-up temperature threshold, the corresponding air conditioner will start cooling. When both the first ambient temperature value and the second ambient temperature value are detected to be less than a preset shut-off temperature threshold, the corresponding steps for the air conditioner to stop cooling include: for any air conditioner that has established a first wireless pairing relationship, when the first ambient temperature value and / or the second ambient temperature value are detected to be greater than a preset start-up temperature threshold for a first preset time, the corresponding air conditioner starts cooling; when both the first ambient temperature value and the second ambient temperature value are detected to be less than a preset shut-off temperature threshold for a second preset time, the corresponding air conditioner stops cooling.
7. An air conditioning system, characterized in that, include: Multiple air conditioners are positioned at different locations within a target space, each according to a preset temperature influence range. These air conditioners are interconnected via a communication network. Each air conditioner includes: a body temperature sensor for detecting the first ambient temperature value of its location and outputting a corresponding first temperature detection signal; a wireless communication module for broadcasting its own group control address based on a preset communication protocol and acquiring the address information of the other air conditioners; a trigger module for outputting corresponding control commands when triggered by a user; a cooling module for reducing the air temperature within the preset temperature influence range; and a controller configured to: determine whether its own group control address value is the minimum based on the address information of each air conditioner; if so, confirm itself as the master air conditioner; otherwise, confirm itself as a slave air conditioner; if it is the master air conditioner, control the wireless communication module to send a master node establishment notification to the other air conditioners and send heartbeat packets at fixed intervals; and, in response to receiving the control command, set... The controller is configured to: establish corresponding preset start-up temperature thresholds and preset stop-down temperature thresholds, and transmit these thresholds to other slave air conditioners via the wireless communication module; if a slave air conditioner has not received a heartbeat packet for M consecutive heartbeat cycles, a health status check is performed, where M is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2; if the air conditioner is in a fault state or communication abnormal state, the wireless communication module is prohibited from rebroadcasting its own group control address to participate in the master node election, otherwise the wireless communication module is controlled to rebroadcast its own group control address to participate in the master node election; the controller is also configured to: control the cooling module to work when the first ambient temperature value is determined to be greater than the preset start-up temperature threshold based on the first temperature detection signal; and control the cooling module to stop working when the first ambient temperature value is determined to be less than the preset stop-down temperature threshold based on the first temperature detection signal.
8. The air conditioning system as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The controller is further configured to: control the cooling module to operate when the first ambient temperature value is determined to be greater than the preset start-up temperature threshold for a first preset time based on the first temperature detection signal; and control the cooling module to stop operating when the first ambient temperature value is determined to be less than the preset stop-down temperature threshold for a second preset time based on the first temperature detection signal.
9. The air conditioning system as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The air conditioning system further includes: a wireless temperature sensor array with multiple slave temperature sensors, each slave temperature sensor being located within the detection blind zone of the body temperature sensor of each air conditioner, used to detect the second ambient temperature value of each detection blind zone and output a corresponding second temperature detection signal; each slave temperature sensor establishes a first wireless pairing relationship with one or more corresponding air conditioners according to the temperature influence range of its location; the controller of any air conditioner that has established a first wireless pairing relationship is further configured to: control the cooling module to work when the first ambient temperature value and / or the second ambient temperature value is determined to be greater than a preset start-up temperature threshold based on the first temperature detection signal and the second temperature detection signal; and control the cooling module to stop working when the first ambient temperature value and the second ambient temperature value are both less than the preset start-up temperature threshold based on the first temperature detection signal and the second temperature detection signal.
10. The air conditioning system as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The controller of any air conditioner that has established a first wireless pairing relationship is further configured to: control the cooling module to work when it is determined, based on the first temperature detection signal and the second temperature detection signal, that the first ambient temperature value and / or the second ambient temperature value has been greater than a preset start-up temperature threshold for a first preset time. When it is determined, based on the first temperature detection signal and the second temperature detection signal, that the first ambient temperature value and the second ambient temperature value are both less than the preset start-up temperature threshold for a second preset time, the cooling module is controlled to stop working.