Remote control and upgrading method and system for air disc of multi-split air conditioner indoor unit

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a system for remotely controlling and upgrading an indoor unit wind disc of a multi-split air conditioner, and the method is characterized in that a linkage control parameter packet generation module is arranged in an outdoor unit controller which can be remotely controlled and upgraded, so that indirect remote control and function optimization of the indoor unit wind disc which is in communication connection with the outdoor unit controller through an RS485 interface are realized; the upgrading path of the indoor unit air disc with the outdoor unit controller as a hub and the linkage control parameter packet as a medium breaks through the hardware limitation that the indoor unit air disc cannot be remotely upgraded, and an efficient cooperation mode that the outdoor unit air disc is upgraded once to drive the function optimization of multiple indoor unit air discs can be formed without directly performing program burning on the indoor unit air disc.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of heat pump control technology, and in particular to a method and system for remote control and upgrading of the fan coil unit of a multi-split indoor unit. Background Technology

[0002] Connecting a fan coil unit (FCU) directly to a VRV (Multi-Split Air Conditioning) system and managing it through a networked thermostat or smart controller is called a "VRV indoor unit fan coil unit." The VRV indoor unit fan coil unit retains the independent refrigerant flow path for heat exchange, but its start / stop, fan speed, and set temperature are all centrally controlled by the VRV outdoor unit. It can be operated locally via buttons or remotely via a centralized platform.

[0003] The control program for fan coil units needs to be upgraded based on operating conditions and application environment. If the fan coil units of a multi-split air conditioning system cannot be upgraded remotely, the control program can only be upgraded through offline program programming. Offline program programming usually requires professional after-sales personnel to bring specific equipment to the site for operation. In large commercial complexes or high-rise office buildings, multi-split air conditioning systems may cover multiple floors and large areas, requiring after-sales personnel to program each floor and each fan coil unit individually. This not only affects the normal operation of commercial venues but may also lead to a decrease in indoor environmental comfort due to excessive operation time, causing user dissatisfaction. In addition, frequent on-site after-sales service increases the labor costs of multi-split air conditioning system suppliers. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Therefore, the purpose of this invention is to provide a method for remote control and upgrade of the indoor fan coil unit of a multi-split air conditioning system. This method adds a linkage control parameter package between the outdoor unit and the indoor fan coil unit, and optimizes and upgrades the indoor fan coil unit control program by means of remote upgrade of the outdoor unit program, without requiring after-sales personnel to come to the site for processing.

[0005] A method for remote control and upgrade of fan coil units in multi-split indoor units: The outdoor controller connected to the cloud server performs the following steps: Receive new control programs sent by the cloud server; The new control program is analyzed to obtain the enabling status and control parameters corresponding to each load of the indoor unit fan coil unit; Write the enable status and control parameters of each load into the register to generate a linkage control parameter package; The indoor unit fan coil controller, which communicates with the outdoor unit controller via an RS485 interface, performs the following steps: Receive linkage control parameter packets; Parse the register data in the linkage control parameter package and store the enable status and control parameters of each load of the indoor unit fan coil unit in the new control program; Drive the corresponding load to perform linkage actions based on the enabled status and control parameters of each load stored in the database.

[0006] Compared to existing technologies, this invention, by incorporating a linkage control parameter package generation module into the remotely controllable and upgradeable outdoor unit controller, enables indirect remote control and functional optimization of the indoor unit fan coil units connected to the outdoor unit controller via an RS485 interface. The upgrade path of the indoor unit fan coil units, using the outdoor unit controller as the hub and the linkage control parameter package as the medium, overcomes the hardware limitation that indoor unit fan coil units themselves cannot be remotely upgraded. It eliminates the need for direct program flashing of the indoor unit fan coil units, achieving a highly efficient collaborative mode where "one outdoor unit upgrade drives functional optimization of multiple indoor unit fan coil units." Furthermore, this invention fully utilizes the existing RS485 communication interface of the system, eliminating the need for additional hardware interfaces or modifications to the indoor unit fan coil units. Remote upgrade functionality for the indoor unit fan coil units can be achieved solely through software-level program optimization. This "soft innovation" model significantly reduces the cost of modifying existing hardware, enhances the practicality and scalability of the technology, and is particularly suitable for upgrading and modifying existing multi-split air conditioning systems.

[0007] Furthermore, the linkage control parameter package is formed in the following manner: Write the enable state of each load into the first register, where bits 0 to (n-1) of the first register correspond to the enable states of the first load to the nth load, respectively. Write the control parameters belonging to each load into the second register to the (n+1)th register respectively.

[0008] Furthermore, bit 0 of the first register corresponds to the first load electronic expansion valve, bit 1 corresponds to the second load fan linkage, bit 2 corresponds to the third load electric heating linkage, and bit 3 corresponds to the fourth load drainage pump. The second register is used to write the electronic expansion valve's linkage opening degree, the third register is used to write the fan's linkage speed, the fourth register is used to write the electric heating linkage control logic, and the fifth register is used to write the drainage pump linkage control logic.

[0009] Furthermore, when parsing the register data in the linkage control parameter package, it is parsed in the following manner: The information in the linkage control parameter package is parsed sequentially from the first register to the (n+1)th register. Read and parse the enable states of the first load to the nth load sequentially from the first register; Then, read the control parameters corresponding to the first load to the nth load sequentially from the second register to the (n+1)th register.

[0010] Furthermore, before sending the linkage control parameter package to the indoor unit fan coil controller via the RS485 interface, the linkage control parameter package is also verified, specifically including the following steps: The CRC check value of the linkage control parameter packet is calculated using the CRC check method. Append the CRC checksum to the end of the linkage control parameter package.

[0011] Furthermore, before parsing the register data in the linkage control parameter package, the CRC check value is also verified, specifically including the following steps: SA1: Extract the CRC check value from the tail of the received linkage control parameter packet with CRC check value; SA2: Recalculate the CRC check value for the linkage control parameter package after removing the CRC check value according to the same CRC check method as in step S5; SA3: Compare the recalculated CRC checksum with the CRC checksum extracted from the end of the linkage control parameter packet: If the two are consistent, it indicates that no errors occurred in the transmission of the linkage control parameter packet, and the subsequent parsing steps can continue. If there is a discrepancy, it is determined that the linkage control parameter packet transmission is incorrect, and a retransmission request signal is sent to the outdoor unit controller through the RS485 interface.

[0012] Furthermore, the outdoor unit control uses a DTU module to establish a secure connection with the cloud server via a wireless network.

[0013] Meanwhile, the present invention provides a remote control and upgrade system for the indoor fan coil unit of a multi-unit air conditioning unit, including an outdoor unit controller and an indoor fan coil unit controller. The outdoor unit controller is connected to a cloud server and is also connected to the indoor fan coil unit controller via an RS485 interface. The outdoor unit controller includes a cloud communication module, a program parsing module, and a linkage control parameter package generation module. The cloud communication module is used to receive new control programs sent by the cloud server; The program parsing module is used to parse the new control program and obtain the enable status and control parameters corresponding to each load of the indoor unit fan coil unit. The linkage control parameter package generation module is used to write the enable status and control parameters of each load into the register to generate the linkage control parameter package. The indoor unit fan coil controller includes a data receiving module, a parameter parsing and storage module, and a load control module; The data receiving module is used to receive linkage control parameter packets; The parameter parsing and storage module is used to parse the register data in the linkage control parameter package and store the enable status and control parameters of each load of the indoor unit fan coil unit in the new control program. The load control module is used to drive the corresponding load to perform linkage actions according to the stored enable status and control parameters of each load.

[0014] The beneficial effects of the multi-split indoor unit fan coil remote control and upgrade system provided by this invention are the same as those of the multi-split indoor unit fan coil remote control and upgrade method, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To better understand and implement this invention, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the remote control and upgrade system for the indoor fan coil units of the multi-split air conditioning unit according to the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The technical solutions of the present invention will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. The described embodiments are merely some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0018] Please see Figure 1 The remote control and upgrade method for the indoor unit fan coil unit of this invention is applicable to multi-split air conditioning systems. The multi-split system includes an outdoor unit controller and an indoor unit fan coil unit controller. The outdoor unit controller communicates with a cloud server and with the indoor unit fan coil unit controller via an RS485 interface. When the control program for the indoor unit fan coil unit needs optimization, developers complete the development and testing of the new control program on the cloud server and push it to the outdoor unit controller. Upon receiving the new control program, the outdoor unit controller automatically updates the program and extracts the load-related control parameters of the indoor unit fan coil unit to generate a linkage control parameter package. This package is then sent to the indoor unit fan coil unit controller via the RS485 interface. Upon receiving the linkage control parameter package, the indoor unit fan coil unit controller directly controls the indoor unit fan coil unit's operation based on the parameter information, thereby achieving remote control and upgrade of the indoor unit fan coil unit.

[0019] Specifically, the outdoor controller includes a cloud communication module, a program parsing module, a linkage control parameter package generation module, and a first parameter package verification module.

[0020] The cloud communication module is used to establish a secure connection with the cloud server, exchange data, upload the operating status and functional requirements of the outdoor and indoor fan coil units, and receive new control programs.

[0021] In practice, a DTU (Data Transfer Unit) module is used to establish a secure connection with the cloud server via a wireless network (such as 4G, 5G, etc.). The DTU module is responsible for listening to the instructions sent by the cloud server. When it receives a new control program from the cloud server regarding the control logic and control parameters for optimizing the indoor unit fan coil unit, it transmits the new control program to the program parsing module.

[0022] The new control program is an executable file generated by developers after completing the new control logic and new parameter configuration on the cloud server based on the operating status and new requirements of the indoor unit fan coil unit. It includes version information, checksum, and compatible model data.

[0023] The program parsing module is used to parse the new control program and obtain the enable status and control parameters corresponding to each load of the indoor unit fan coil unit.

[0024] The load of the indoor unit fan coil unit includes the first load, the second load, and so on up to the nth load.

[0025] For example, the electronic expansion valve of the indoor unit fan coil unit is set as the first load, the fan as the second load, the electric heater as the third load, and the drain pump as the fourth load.

[0026] If the program parsing module interprets a new control program transmitted by the cloud communication module that requires the electronic expansion valve, fan, and electric heater to be turned on and the drain pump to be turned off when the indoor temperature is higher than 28 degrees Celsius, then the program parsing module will convert the corresponding instructions into enable states and control parameters for each load that can be recognized by the RS485 protocol.

[0027] The linkage control parameter package generation module is used to write the enable status and control parameters of each load into the register to generate the linkage control parameter package.

[0028] In practice, the enable status of each load is written into the first register, where bits 0 to (n-1) of the first register correspond to the enable status of the first load to the nth load, respectively.

[0029] At the same time, the control parameters belonging to each load are written into the second register to the (n+1)th register according to the load type.

[0030] For example, please refer to Table 1. If the new control program requires the electronic expansion valve, fan, and electric heater to be turned on and the drain pump to be turned off when the indoor temperature is higher than 28 degrees Celsius, then the electronic expansion valve enable, fan linkage enable, electric heater linkage enable, and drain linkage disable are written into the first register. At this time, the 0th bit of the first register is the electronic expansion valve enabled, bit0 is set to 1; the 1st bit is the fan linkage enabled, bit1 is set to 1; the 2nd bit is the electric heater linkage enabled, bit2 is set to 1; and the 3rd bit is the drain pump disabled, set to 0.

[0031] At this point, the control parameters belonging to each load are written to the second to fifth registers respectively. Specifically, the electronic expansion valve linkage opening degree of 240P is written to the second register (the opening degree is calculated according to the algorithm, and it is assumed that this opening degree can meet the current cooling demand); the fan linkage speed of 800r is written to the third register (the speed is set according to the indoor space and cooling demand); the electric heating linkage control logic 1 (1 indicates on, 0 indicates off) is written to the fourth register; and the drain pump linkage control logic 0 (1 indicates on, 0 indicates off) is written to the fifth register.

[0032] Table 1

[0033] The RS485 interface sends the data in the linkage control parameter packet register to the indoor unit fan coil main controller according to the communication protocol.

[0034] Furthermore, before sending the linkage control parameter package through the RS485 interface, the outdoor controller is also equipped with a first parameter package verification module to ensure the accuracy of data transmission.

[0035] The first parameter packet verification module is used to perform the following steps: The CRC check value of the linkage control parameter packet is calculated using the CRC check method. Append the CRC checksum to the end of the linkage control parameter package.

[0036] At this time, the RS485 interface sends the linkage control parameter packet with CRC check value to the indoor unit fan coil main controller according to the communication protocol.

[0037] The indoor unit fan coil controller includes a data receiving module, a parameter parsing and storage module, and a load control module.

[0038] The data receiving module is used to receive the linkage control parameter packet transmitted through the RS485 interface.

[0039] The parameter parsing and storage module is used to parse the register data in the linkage control parameter package and store the enable status and control parameters of each load of the indoor unit fan coil unit in the new control program.

[0040] In practice, the information in the linkage control parameter package is parsed sequentially from the first register to the (n+1)th register. Read and parse the enable states of the first load to the nth load sequentially from the first register; Then, read the control parameters corresponding to the first load to the nth load sequentially from the second register to the (n+1)th register.

[0041] For example, if the first load enable bit0 is read as 1, it is determined that the electronic expansion valve should be enabled; the electronic expansion valve linkage opening degree is read as 240P from the second register; the fan linkage speed is read as 800r from the third register; the electric heating linkage is read as on from the fourth register; and the drain pump linkage is read as off from the fifth register.

[0042] The load control module drives the corresponding load to perform linkage actions based on the stored enable status and control parameters of each load.

[0043] For example, when the electronic expansion valve linkage enable is 1, the opening of the electronic expansion valve is adjusted to 240P according to the linkage opening value in the second register; when the fan linkage enable is 1, the fan speed is adjusted to 800r according to the linkage speed value in the third register; when the electric heating linkage enable is 1, the electric heating device is turned on according to the control logic in the fourth register; when the drain pump linkage enable is 0, the drain pump is turned off according to the control logic in the fifth register. Each load action strictly follows the register parameters to ensure stable and reliable coordinated operation of the system.

[0044] Furthermore, if the linkage control parameter packet includes a CRC checksum, the indoor unit fan coil controller also includes a second parameter packet verification module to further verify the CRC checksum and confirm the integrity of the linkage control parameter packet data. If the verification passes, the data packet enters the parameter parsing and storage module; if the verification fails, the data packet is discarded and a retransmission request is triggered. Specifically: The second parameter packet verification module performs the following steps before parsing and storing: SA1: Extract the CRC check value from the tail of the received linkage control parameter packet with CRC check value; SA2: Recalculate the CRC check value for the linkage control parameter package after removing the CRC check value according to the same CRC check method as in step S5; SA3: Compare the recalculated CRC checksum with the CRC checksum extracted from the end of the linkage control parameter packet: If the two are consistent, it indicates that no errors occurred in the transmission of the linkage control parameter packet, and the subsequent parsing steps can continue. If there is a discrepancy, it is determined that the linkage control parameter packet transmission is incorrect, and a retransmission request signal is sent to the outdoor unit controller through the RS485 interface.

[0045] Compared to existing technologies, this invention, by incorporating a linkage control parameter package generation module into the remotely controllable and upgradeable outdoor unit controller, enables indirect remote control and functional optimization of the indoor unit fan coil units connected to the outdoor unit controller via RS485 communication. The upgrade path of the indoor unit fan coil units, using the outdoor unit controller as the hub and the linkage control parameter package as the medium, overcomes the hardware limitation that indoor unit fan coil units themselves cannot be remotely upgraded. It eliminates the need for direct program flashing of the indoor unit fan coil units, achieving a highly efficient collaborative mode where "one outdoor unit upgrade drives functional optimization of multiple indoor unit fan coil units." Furthermore, this invention fully utilizes the existing RS485 communication interface of the system, eliminating the need for additional hardware interfaces or modifications to the indoor unit fan coil units. Remote upgrade functionality for the indoor unit fan coil units can be achieved solely through software-level program optimization. This "soft innovation" model significantly reduces the cost of modifying existing hardware, enhances the practicality and scalability of the technology, and is particularly suitable for upgrading and modifying existing multi-split air conditioning systems.

[0046] It should be noted that all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of the present invention are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of each component in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0047] Furthermore, the use of terms such as "first" and "second" in this invention is for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but only on the basis of being achievable by those skilled in the art. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, such a combination of technical solutions should be considered non-existent and not within the scope of protection claimed by this invention.

[0048] The embodiments described above are merely examples of several implementations of the present invention, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and the present invention also intends to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A method for remote control and upgrade of the fan coil units of multi-split indoor units, characterized in that: The outdoor controller connected to the cloud server performs the following steps: Receive new control programs sent by the cloud server; The new control program is analyzed to obtain the enabling status and control parameters corresponding to each load of the indoor unit fan coil unit; Write the enable status and control parameters of each load into the register to generate a linkage control parameter package; The indoor unit fan coil controller, which communicates with the outdoor unit controller via an RS485 interface, performs the following steps: Receive linkage control parameter packets; Parse the register data in the linkage control parameter package and store the enable status and control parameters of each load of the indoor unit fan coil unit in the new control program; Drive the corresponding load to perform linkage actions based on the enabled status and control parameters of each load stored in the database.

2. The method for remote control and upgrade of the fan coil unit of a multi-split indoor unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The linkage control parameter package is formed in the following manner: Write the enable state of each load into the first register, where bits 0 to (n-1) of the first register correspond to the enable states of the first load to the nth load, respectively. Write the control parameters belonging to each load into the second register to the (n+1)th register respectively.

3. The method for remote control and upgrade of the fan coil unit of a multi-split indoor unit according to claim 2, characterized in that, The 0th bit of the first register corresponds to the first load electronic expansion valve, the 1st bit corresponds to the second load fan linkage, the 2nd bit corresponds to the third load electric heating linkage, and the 3rd bit corresponds to the fourth load drainage pump; The second register is used to write the electronic expansion valve's linkage opening degree, the third register is used to write the fan's linkage speed, the fourth register is used to write the electric heating linkage control logic, and the fifth register is used to write the drainage pump linkage control logic.

4. The method for remote control and upgrade of the fan coil unit of a multi-split indoor unit according to claim 2, characterized in that, When parsing the register data in the linkage control parameter package, parse it in the following way: The information in the linkage control parameter package is parsed sequentially from the first register to the (n+1)th register. Read and parse the enable states of the first load to the nth load sequentially from the first register; Then, read the control parameters corresponding to the first load to the nth load sequentially from the second register to the (n+1)th register.

5. The method for remote control and upgrading of the fan coil unit of a multi-split indoor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, Before sending the linkage control parameter package to the indoor unit fan coil controller via the RS485 interface, the linkage control parameter package is also verified, which includes the following steps: The CRC check value of the linkage control parameter packet is calculated using the CRC check method. Append the CRC checksum to the end of the linkage control parameter package.

6. The method for remote control and upgrade of the fan coil unit of a multi-split indoor unit according to claim 5, characterized in that, Before parsing the register data in the linkage control parameter package, the CRC check value is also verified, which includes the following steps: SA1: Extract the CRC check value from the tail of the received linkage control parameter packet with CRC check value; SA2: Recalculate the CRC check value for the linkage control parameter package after removing the CRC check value according to the same CRC check method as in step S5; SA3: Compare the recalculated CRC checksum with the CRC checksum extracted from the end of the linkage control parameter packet: If the two are consistent, it indicates that no errors occurred in the transmission of the linkage control parameter packet, and the subsequent parsing steps can continue. If there is a discrepancy, it is determined that the linkage control parameter packet transmission is incorrect, and a retransmission request signal is sent to the outdoor unit controller through the RS485 interface.

7. The method for remote control and upgrade of the fan coil unit of a multi-split indoor unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outdoor unit control uses a DTU module to establish a secure connection with the cloud server via a wireless network.

8. A remote control and upgrade system for the indoor fan coil units of a multi-split air conditioning unit, characterized in that, It includes an outdoor unit controller and an indoor unit fan coil controller. The outdoor unit controller communicates with a cloud server and communicates with the indoor unit fan coil controller via an RS485 interface. The outdoor unit controller includes a cloud communication module, a program parsing module, and a linkage control parameter package generation module. The cloud communication module is used to receive new control programs sent by the cloud server; The program parsing module is used to parse the new control program and obtain the enable status and control parameters corresponding to each load of the indoor unit fan coil unit. The linkage control parameter package generation module is used to write the enable status and control parameters of each load into the register to generate the linkage control parameter package. The indoor unit fan coil controller includes a data receiving module, a parameter parsing and storage module, and a load control module; The data receiving module is used to receive linkage control parameter packets; The parameter parsing and storage module is used to parse the register data in the linkage control parameter package and store the enable status and control parameters of each load of the indoor unit fan coil unit in the new control program. The load control module is used to drive the corresponding load to perform linkage actions according to the stored enable status and control parameters of each load.

9. The multi-unit indoor unit fan coil remote control and upgrade system according to claim 8, characterized in that, The outdoor unit controller further includes a first parameter packet verification module; the first parameter packet verification module is used to perform the following steps before sending the linkage control parameter packet to the indoor unit fan coil controller via the RS485 interface: The CRC check value of the linkage control parameter packet is calculated using the CRC check method. Append the CRC checksum to the end of the linkage control parameter package.

10. The multi-unit indoor unit fan coil remote control and upgrade system according to claim 9, characterized in that, The indoor unit fan coil controller also includes a second parameter package verification module; the second parameter package verification module is used to perform the following steps before parsing the register data in the linkage control parameter package: SA1: Extract the CRC check value from the tail of the received linkage control parameter packet with CRC check value; SA2: Recalculate the CRC check value for the linkage control parameter package after removing the CRC check value according to the same CRC check method as in step S5; SA3: Compare the recalculated CRC checksum with the CRC checksum extracted from the end of the linkage control parameter packet: If the two are consistent, it indicates that no errors occurred in the transmission of the linkage control parameter packet, and the subsequent parsing steps can continue. If there is a discrepancy, it is determined that the linkage control parameter packet transmission is incorrect, and a retransmission request signal is sent to the outdoor unit controller through the RS485 interface.

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