Air conditioners and control methods

Abstract

This application discloses an air conditioner and a control method. In the air conditioner, after the controller receives at least one signal through at least one communication interface, it detects whether the target signal in the at least one signal meets preset conditions. If the target signal meets the preset conditions, the controller controls the outdoor unit to communicate with the target indoor unit through the target communication interface according to the target communication method. Different preset conditions correspond to different communication methods. Therefore, the outdoor unit can select the corresponding communication method according to the preset conditions met by the received signal, thereby completing the communication transmission of control signals such as start-up, cooling, and heating with the indoor unit. This avoids the problem of the air conditioner failing to operate normally due to the outdoor unit not selecting a specific communication method, thus improving the operational reliability of the air conditioner.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to air conditioning technology, including but not limited to an air conditioner and a control method. Background Technology

[0002] There are various communication methods between the indoor and outdoor units of an air conditioner, such as 24V communication, 24V carrier communication, and current loop communication. The same outdoor unit may be paired with different types of indoor units, but in actual communication, an outdoor unit can only communicate with one indoor unit at a time. This means that the corresponding communication method needs to be changed when connecting to different indoor units.

[0003] Currently, changing the communication method is generally done manually using methods such as DIP switches. Since the program contains multiple communication methods, the program needs to read the DIP switch status to determine which communication method to use. However, manually switching the DIP switch not only occupies the DIP switch position, but also poses a risk that the program will not work if the technician forgets to switch it. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the air conditioner and control method provided in the embodiments of this application can automatically identify different communication methods to match different indoor unit types.

[0005] In a first aspect, the air conditioner provided in the embodiments of this application includes: an outdoor unit, at least one indoor unit, and a controller, wherein the outdoor unit includes:

[0006] At least two communication interfaces are connected to the at least one indoor unit and configured to receive signals sent by the at least one indoor unit, with different communication interfaces corresponding to different indoor units;

[0007] The controller, connected to the at least two communication interfaces, is configured as follows:

[0008] At least one signal is obtained through at least one of the at least two communication interfaces;

[0009] Detect whether the target signal in the at least one signal meets a preset condition, the preset condition including whether the signal includes a preset check code, and / or whether the electrical parameters of the signal are within a preset threshold range, the electrical parameters including frequency and / or the number of times the current direction changes;

[0010] When the target signal meets the preset conditions, the outdoor unit is controlled to communicate with the target indoor unit through the target communication interface according to the target communication method. The target communication method is determined according to the preset conditions met. Different preset conditions correspond to different communication methods. The target communication interface is the communication interface that receives the target signal.

[0011] In the aforementioned air conditioner, after the controller receives at least one signal through at least one communication interface, it checks whether the target signal in the at least one signal meets preset conditions. These preset conditions include whether the signal includes a preset check code and / or whether the electrical parameters of the signal are within a preset threshold range. The electrical parameters include frequency and / or the number of times the current direction changes. If the target signal meets the preset conditions, the outdoor unit is controlled to communicate with the target indoor unit through the target communication interface according to the target communication method. Different preset conditions correspond to different communication methods, so the outdoor unit can select the corresponding communication method based on the preset conditions met by the received signal, thereby completing the communication transmission of control signals such as start-up, cooling, and heating with the indoor unit. This avoids the problem of the air conditioner failing to operate normally due to the outdoor unit not selecting a specific communication method, thus improving the operational reliability of the air conditioner.

[0012] In some embodiments, the target communication interface includes a first communication interface or a second communication interface, and the controller controls the outdoor unit to communicate with the target indoor unit through the target communication interface according to the target communication method, including:

[0013] When the target signal includes the preset verification code, the controller controls the outdoor unit to communicate with the first indoor unit through the first communication interface according to the first communication method;

[0014] When the electrical parameters of the target signal are within the preset threshold range, the controller controls the outdoor unit to communicate with the second indoor unit through the second communication interface in accordance with the second communication method. The first communication interface and the second communication interface are different.

[0015] Understandably, by setting different preset conditions to correspond to different communication methods, and different communication interfaces to correspond to different communication methods, the controller can determine the required communication method based on the specific form of the target signal, thereby avoiding communication anomalies caused by misjudgment of the target communication method and improving the reliability of signal transmission.

[0016] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to:

[0017] If the target signal does not meet the preset conditions, a communication request is sent to the corresponding third indoor unit through the third communication interface, wherein the third communication interface is one of the at least two communication interfaces.

[0018] Upon receiving communication data from the third indoor unit, the outdoor unit is controlled to communicate with the third indoor unit via the third communication interface according to the third communication method.

[0019] It is understandable that by setting the controller to judge the third communication method when the target signal does not meet the preset conditions, the alternating recognition of the three different communication methods can be achieved, thereby improving the compatibility with different communication methods.

[0020] In some embodiments, the third communication interface and the first communication interface are the same communication interface, and the controller is further configured to:

[0021] According to the preset execution order, the steps of detecting whether the target signal includes a preset check code and sending a communication request to the corresponding third indoor unit through the third communication interface are executed sequentially within a unit time period.

[0022] It is understandable that when two communication methods exist on the same communication interface, by adopting an alternating communication handshake method, the different communication methods of the same communication interface can be identified, thereby improving the compatibility with different communication methods.

[0023] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to:

[0024] Upon receiving communication data from the third indoor unit, the steps of detecting whether the signal includes the preset check code and whether the electrical parameters of the signal are within the preset threshold range are not performed.

[0025] If the target signal includes the preset check code, the steps of sending a communication request to the corresponding third indoor unit through the third communication interface and detecting whether the electrical parameters of the signal are within the preset threshold range are not performed.

[0026] If the electrical parameters of the target signal are within the preset threshold range, the steps of detecting whether the signal includes the preset check code and sending a communication request to the corresponding third indoor unit through the third communication interface are not performed.

[0027] Understandably, by setting the system so that once a certain communication method is successfully identified, the identification of other communication methods is no longer performed, the identification process of the current communication method can be kept occupying the controller's computing resources, thus reducing the controller's computing consumption.

[0028] In some embodiments, the number of the at least one signal is at least two, and the controller detects whether the target signal among the at least one signal meets a preset condition, including:

[0029] The controller determines the target signal from at least two signals according to a preset priority;

[0030] Detect whether the target signal meets the preset conditions.

[0031] It is understandable that by first determining the target signal from at least two signals according to a preset priority when two or more signals are identified simultaneously, the resource consumption of the controller when checking whether two or more signals meet the preset conditions can be avoided, thereby improving the identification efficiency of the target communication method.

[0032] In some embodiments, the air conditioner further includes a memory, the controller is connected to the memory, and the controller is further configured to:

[0033] Before acquiring at least one signal through at least one of the at least two communication interfaces, it is determined whether a target identifier is stored in the memory, the target identifier being used to indicate the target communication method;

[0034] When the target identifier is stored in the memory, the outdoor unit is controlled to communicate with the corresponding indoor unit according to the target communication method;

[0035] If the target identifier is not stored in the memory, the step of obtaining at least one signal through at least one of the at least two communication interfaces is performed.

[0036] Understandably, by pre-setting the target communication method, the process of the controller identifying the target communication method can be bypassed, allowing the controller to directly control the outdoor unit to communicate with the indoor unit according to the target communication method, thereby reducing the consumption of computing resources and improving communication efficiency.

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

[0038] If the target signal does not meet the preset conditions or the controller fails to acquire the target signal, the statistical duration is obtained.

[0039] If the statistical duration is greater than or equal to a preset duration threshold, an alarm message will be output to notify the user that communication between the outdoor unit and the indoor unit has failed.

[0040] Understandably, timing when the target signal does not meet preset conditions can prevent the controller from stalling when it cannot identify the target communication method for a long time, making it easier for users to inspect the air conditioner and improving the user experience.

[0041] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to:

[0042] After controlling the outdoor unit to communicate with the target indoor unit through the target communication interface according to the target communication method, it is detected whether the signal received by the outdoor unit within a unit time meets the preset condition;

[0043] If the signal received by the outdoor unit does not meet the preset conditions, an alarm message will be output to alert the user of a communication failure between the outdoor and indoor units.

[0044] Understandably, by reporting a communication fault when the signal received by the outdoor unit within a unit of time does not meet the preset conditions, i.e. the target communication method is unstable, users can easily troubleshoot the air conditioner and improve the user experience.

[0045] Secondly, the control method based on an air conditioner provided in this application embodiment includes an outdoor unit, at least one indoor unit, and a controller. The outdoor unit includes at least two communication interfaces, with different communication interfaces corresponding to different indoor units. The controller is connected to the at least two communication interfaces. The method includes:

[0046] At least one signal is obtained through at least one of the at least two communication interfaces;

[0047] Detect whether the target signal in the at least one signal meets a preset condition, the preset condition including whether the signal includes a preset check code, and / or whether the electrical parameters of the signal are within a preset threshold range, the electrical parameters including frequency and / or the number of times the current direction changes;

[0048] When the target signal meets the preset conditions, the outdoor unit is controlled to communicate with the target indoor unit through the target communication interface according to the target communication method. The target communication method is determined according to the preset conditions met. The target communication interface is the communication interface that receives the target signal. Different preset conditions correspond to different communication methods.

[0049] It should be understood that the second aspect of the embodiments of this application is consistent with the technical solution of the first aspect of the embodiments of this application, and the beneficial effects achieved by each aspect and the corresponding feasible implementation are similar, and will not be described again. Attached Figure Description

[0050] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the specification, serve to explain the technical solutions of this application.

[0051] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an air conditioner provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0052] Figure 2A schematic flowchart illustrating the control method based on an air conditioner provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0053] Figure 3 A schematic flowchart of an air conditioner-based control method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0054] Figure 4 A schematic flowchart illustrating the control method based on an air conditioner provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0055] Figure 5 A schematic flowchart illustrating the control method based on an air conditioner provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0056] Figure 6 A schematic flowchart illustrating the control method based on an air conditioner provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0057] Figure 7 A schematic flowchart illustrating the control method based on an air conditioner provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0058] Figure 8 A schematic flowchart illustrating the control method based on an air conditioner provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0059] Figure 9 A schematic flowchart illustrating the control method based on an air conditioner provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0060] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the implementation process of the air conditioner-based control method provided in this application embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0061] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the specific technical solutions of this application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of this application. The following embodiments are used to illustrate this application, but are not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0062] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing embodiments of this application only and is not intended to limit this application.

[0063] It should be noted that the terms "first, second, third" used in the embodiments of this application are used to distinguish similar or different objects and do not represent a specific order of objects. It can be understood that "first, second, third" can be interchanged in a specific order or sequence where permitted, so that the embodiments of this application described herein can be implemented in an order other than that illustrated or described herein.

[0064] In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise stated, "at least two" means two or more, and "at least one" means one or more.

[0065] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an air conditioner provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 1 As shown, the air conditioner may include an outdoor unit 101, at least one indoor unit 102, and a controller 103. The outdoor unit 101 includes at least two communication interfaces and is connected to at least one indoor unit 102 through these interfaces to enable data communication between the outdoor unit 101 and the indoor unit 102, and to control the air conditioner to operate in cooling or heating modes. The controller 103 may be located within the outdoor unit 101 or may be located independently of the outdoor unit 101 and the indoor unit 102. The specific configuration can be determined by those skilled in the art based on actual conditions, and this application embodiment does not impose any limitations.

[0066] In some embodiments, the air conditioner may further include a first power supply connected to the outdoor unit 101 to provide operating voltage to the outdoor unit 101.

[0067] In some embodiments, the air conditioner may further include a second power supply connected to the indoor unit 102 to provide operating voltage to the indoor unit 102. The first power supply and the second power supply may be the same power supply or different power supplies; this application does not impose any limitations on these embodiments.

[0068] In some embodiments, the indoor unit 102 may include a first communication unit, an indoor switching power supply, and an indoor main control unit. The indoor switching power supply is connected to both the first communication unit and the indoor main control unit to convert the input voltage of the second power supply into an operating voltage for the first communication unit and the indoor main control unit to operate. The indoor main control unit is also connected to the first communication unit. The first communication unit receives communication data sent by the outdoor unit 101. The indoor main control unit controls the indoor unit 102 to operate under corresponding operating parameters based on the received communication data, or receives a user-triggered operating command, operates under the corresponding operating parameters according to the command, and sends the command to the outdoor unit 101 via the first communication unit.

[0069] In some embodiments, the outdoor unit 101 may include a second communication unit, an outdoor switching power supply, and an outdoor main control unit. The outdoor switching power supply is connected to both the second communication unit and the outdoor main control unit to convert the input voltage of the first power input into an operating voltage for the operation of the second communication unit and the outdoor main control unit. The outdoor main control unit is also connected to the second communication unit. The second communication unit is used to receive communication data sent by the indoor unit 102 or to send communication data to the indoor unit 102. The outdoor main control unit is used to control the outdoor unit 101 to operate under corresponding operating parameters based on the received communication data, or to operate under corresponding operating parameters based on operating instructions, and to send the operating instructions to the indoor unit 102 through the second communication unit. In some embodiments, the outdoor main control unit and the controller 103 may be a single controller 103.

[0070] Among them, at least two of the above communication interfaces are ports for the implementation of the first communication unit and the connection of the second communication unit, and the communication methods of the first communication unit and the second communication unit must be the same, such as both adopting AC24V communication method, current loop communication method or 24V carrier communication method.

[0071] In some embodiments, the controller 103 described above may be a microcontroller unit (MCU) or a single-chip microcomputer. The specific configuration can be determined by those skilled in the art based on the actual situation, and this application does not impose any restrictions.

[0072] In some embodiments, the air conditioner can be a split-type household air conditioner, that is, one outdoor unit 101 communicates with one indoor unit 102. Split-type household air conditioners include wall-mounted, floor-standing, ceiling-mounted, built-in, and floor-standing types, which are not limited in this application; or it can be a multi-split central air conditioner, that is, one outdoor unit 101 communicates with two or more indoor units 102 at the same time.

[0073] Because the outdoor unit 101 can be compatible with various communication methods, meaning that the outdoor unit 101 includes at least two second communication units, and different second communication units use different communication methods, in order to select at least two second communication units to match the communication method of the first communication unit, the outdoor unit 101 also includes a DIP switch in related technologies. This DIP switch is connected to the outdoor main control unit to connect the main control unit and one or more of the second communication units, thereby achieving communication matching between the outdoor unit 101 and the indoor unit 102. However, the DIP switch needs to be manually switched to select the communication method with the indoor unit 102. If the technician forgets to switch the DIP switch to the corresponding second communication unit when installing the communication line between the outdoor unit 101 and the indoor unit 102, the outdoor unit 101 and the indoor unit 102 will not be able to communicate normally, and the air conditioner will not be able to operate normally.

[0074] To address the aforementioned issues, this application provides a control method for an air conditioner. The method involves a controller 103 that, upon receiving at least one signal through at least one communication interface, checks whether a target signal among the at least one signal meets preset conditions. These preset conditions include whether the signal includes a preset checksum and / or whether the signal's electrical parameters are within a preset threshold range. The electrical parameters include frequency and / or the number of current direction changes. If the target signal meets the preset conditions, the outdoor unit 101 communicates with the target indoor unit 102 through the target communication interface according to a target communication method. Different preset conditions correspond to different communication methods, allowing the outdoor unit 101 to select the appropriate communication method based on the preset conditions met by the received signal. This enables communication transmission of control signals such as start-up, cooling, and heating with the indoor unit 102, preventing the air conditioner from malfunctioning due to the outdoor unit 101 not selecting a specific communication method, thus improving the air conditioner's operational reliability.

[0075] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating a control method for an air conditioner provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 As shown, this method can be applied to Figure 1 The controller 103 shown can also be applied to the outdoor main control unit of the outdoor unit 101. The method may include the following steps:

[0076] Step S101: Obtain at least one signal through at least one of the at least two communication interfaces;

[0077] Step S102: Detect whether the target signal in at least one signal meets the preset conditions. The preset conditions include whether the signal includes a preset check code and / or whether the electrical parameters of the signal are within a preset threshold range. The electrical parameters include frequency and / or the number of times the current direction changes.

[0078] In step S103, when the target signal meets the preset conditions, the outdoor unit 101 controls the indoor unit 102 to communicate with the target indoor unit 102 through the target communication interface according to the target communication method. The target communication method is determined according to the preset conditions met. Different preset conditions correspond to different communication methods. The target communication interface is the communication interface that receives the target signal.

[0079] It should be understood that the aforementioned at least one signal refers to a control signal used to control the outdoor unit 101 to operate under the target communication mode. This control signal is sent by the indoor unit 102 and transmitted to the outdoor unit 101. The at least one signal may be sent from one indoor unit 102 to the outdoor unit 101, or it may be sent from two or more indoor units 102 to the outdoor unit 101. The controller 103 determines which communication mode the signal is sent based on by identifying whether each of the at least one signal meets the preset conditions, and then controls the outdoor unit 101 to communicate with the indoor unit 102 based on the target communication mode.

[0080] The number of target signals can be determined according to the type of air conditioner. For example, when the air conditioner is a split-type household air conditioner, the target signal is one of at least one signal. That is, in order to achieve communication connection between one outdoor unit 101 and only one indoor unit 102, when the controller 103 detects at least one signal, it will only take one of the at least one signals as the target signal. The specific signal selected as the target signal can be determined according to the target indoor unit 102. This application does not impose any restrictions.

[0081] When the air conditioner is a multi-split central air conditioner, the target signal is all the signals in at least one signal. That is, in order to enable one outdoor unit 101 to communicate with multiple indoor units 102, the controller 103 will detect all the received signals when detecting at least one signal, thereby identifying the different target communication methods corresponding to different indoor units 102.

[0082] When a signal includes a preset check code, it indicates that the signal is a communication signal. The specific form of the communication signal is determined by the communication protocol between the indoor unit 102 and the outdoor unit 101. The communication protocol may include current switching communication protocol and 485 communication protocol. The communication signal may include a control signal sent by the indoor unit 102 to the outdoor unit 101. The outdoor unit 101 can respond to the control signal and execute working modes such as low energy demand mode for cooling, high energy demand mode for cooling, and heating mode.

[0083] In some embodiments, the process by which controller 103 detects whether the signal includes a preset checksum may include:

[0084] Obtain the check code of the target signal; if the check code matches the preset check code, determine that the signal includes the preset check code; if the check code does not match the preset check code, determine that the signal does not include the preset check code.

[0085] If the communication signal is 16-bit data, the process by which the controller 103 obtains the checksum of the target signal can employ the CRC16 checksum algorithm, which includes:

[0086] 1. Set up a 16-bit CRC register and initialize its content to the hexadecimal number 0xFFFF;

[0087] 2. XOR the first data to be calculated in the communication signal, i.e. the first byte of the communication signal frame, with the lower 8 bits of the CRC register, and put the result back into the CRC register.

[0088] 3. Shift the contents of the CRC register one bit to the right (shift one bit towards the least significant bit) and fill the most significant bit with 0, i.e., perform logical shift processing and check the shifted-out bit after the right shift;

[0089] 4. If the shifted-out bit is 0, repeat step 3, that is, shift right by one bit again. If the shifted-out bit is 1, the CRC register is XORed with the preset polynomial, such as 0xA001(1010 0000 0000 0001), and the result is put back into the CRC register.

[0090] 5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until the data is shifted right 8 times, and perform the same processing on all 8 bits of data.

[0091] 6. Repeat steps 2 to 5 to process the next byte of the communication information frame;

[0092] 7. After all bytes of the communication information frame have been calculated according to the above steps, the final content of the CRC register is the checksum of the target signal.

[0093] Then, the checksum of the target signal is compared with the preset checksum. If the checksum of the target signal is consistent with the preset checksum, the target signal meets the preset condition; if the checksum of the target signal is inconsistent with the preset checksum, the target signal does not meet the preset condition.

[0094] When the value of the electrical parameter is within the preset threshold range, it indicates that the signal is based on electrical signal communication. The indoor unit 102 applies changes in the electrical parameters to the electrical signal to transmit corresponding control commands to the outdoor unit 101. The outdoor unit 101 can parse the control command from the received electrical signal and then respond to the control command to execute working modes such as low energy demand mode for cooling, high energy demand mode for cooling, and heating mode.

[0095] In some embodiments, the process by which the controller 103 detects whether the electrical parameters of the signal are within a preset threshold range may include:

[0096] Obtain the electrical parameters of the target signal; when the parameter value of the electrical parameter is within a preset threshold range, determine that the signal meets the preset condition; when the parameter value of the electrical parameter is not within the preset threshold range, determine that the signal does not meet the preset condition.

[0097] When counting the number of frequency and / or current direction changes of an electrical signal, the corresponding parameter values ​​can be obtained within a unit of time, and then the parameter values ​​can be compared with a preset threshold range.

[0098] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the target communication interface includes a first communication interface or a second communication interface. The process in step S103 where the controller 103 controls the outdoor unit 101 to communicate with the target indoor unit 102 through the target communication interface according to the target communication method may include:

[0099] In step S1031, if the target signal includes a preset verification code, the controller 103 controls the outdoor unit 101 to communicate with the first indoor unit 102 through the first communication interface according to the first communication method.

[0100] In step S1032, when the electrical parameters of the target signal are within a preset threshold range, the controller 103 controls the outdoor unit 101 to communicate with the second indoor unit 102 through the second communication interface in accordance with the second communication method. The first communication interface and the second communication interface are different.

[0101] It should be understood that when a signal includes a preset check code, it indicates that the communication method corresponding to the target signal is a communication method that relies on the communication signal. When the electrical parameters of the signal are within a preset threshold range, it indicates that the communication method corresponding to the target signal is a communication method that relies on the change of electrical signal parameters to transmit the signal. The two communication methods are fundamentally different in terms of transmission principle. Therefore, setting different communication interfaces to correspond to different communication methods allows the controller 103 to determine the current required communication method based on the specific form of the target signal, avoiding communication anomalies caused by misjudgment of the target communication method and improving the reliability of signal transmission.

[0102] The specific pins of the first or second communication interface are determined by the type of the specific communication unit in the outdoor unit 101.

[0103] In some embodiments, the first communication interface can be a current loop interface, and the second communication interface can be a 24V communication interface.

[0104] After the controller 103 receives the target signal through the current loop interface, it obtains the check code of the target signal through the CRC16 algorithm. After confirming that the check code of the target signal is consistent with the preset check code, it is considered that the outdoor unit 101 and the indoor unit 102 have successfully communicated through the current loop communication interface.

[0105] After the controller 103 receives the target signal through the 24V communication interface, it calculates the frequency and number of current direction changes of the target signal, and determines that the frequency and number of current direction changes are within the preset threshold range. Then, it is considered that the outdoor unit 101 and the indoor unit 102 have successfully communicated via the 24V communication method.

[0106] It is understandable that by setting different preset conditions to correspond to different communication methods, and different communication interfaces to correspond to different communication methods, the controller 103 can determine the current required communication method based on the specific form of the target signal, thereby avoiding communication anomalies caused by misjudgment of the target communication method and improving the reliability of signal transmission.

[0107] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown, the above method may further include:

[0108] Step S104: If the target signal does not meet the preset conditions, a communication request is sent to the corresponding third indoor unit 102 through the third communication interface. The third communication interface is one of at least two communication interfaces.

[0109] In step S105, upon receiving communication data from the third indoor unit 102, the outdoor unit 101 controls the third indoor unit 102 to communicate with the third indoor unit 102 via the third communication interface according to the third communication method.

[0110] It should be understood that if the signal obtained by the controller 103 does not meet the preset conditions, it means that the communication method between the outdoor unit 101 and the indoor unit 102 does not belong to the communication method corresponding to the preset conditions. At this time, the identification process of other commonly used communication methods can be performed to see whether the communication between the outdoor unit 101 and the indoor unit 102 is based on other communication methods.

[0111] In this embodiment, if the target signal does not meet the preset conditions, it indicates that the communication between the outdoor unit 101 and the indoor unit 102 is not conducted through the first communication interface or the second communication interface. At this time, a communication request can be sent to the third indoor unit 102 through the third communication interface to determine whether the outdoor unit 101 is performing a third communication method with the third indoor unit 102. Upon receiving the communication data fed back by the third indoor unit 102, the third communication method performed between the outdoor unit 101 and the third indoor unit 102 is determined.

[0112] In some embodiments, the third communication method described above is a communication method that requires the outdoor unit 101 to actively send a communication request to the indoor unit 102 to establish a communication connection, such as a 24V carrier communication method.

[0113] It is understandable that by setting the controller 103 to judge the third communication method when the target signal does not meet the preset conditions, the alternating recognition of the three different communication methods can be realized, thereby improving the compatibility of different communication methods.

[0114] In some embodiments, the third communication interface and the target communication interface may be the same communication interface, or they may be other communication interfaces independent of the target communication interface. The target communication interface may include the first communication interface or the second communication interface. The specific settings may be made by those skilled in the art according to the actual situation, and the embodiments of this application do not impose any restrictions.

[0115] In some embodiments, the third communication interface and the first communication interface are the same communication interface, and the above method may further include:

[0116] According to the preset execution order, the steps of detecting whether the target signal includes a preset check code and sending a communication request to the corresponding third indoor unit 102 through the third communication interface are executed sequentially within a unit time period.

[0117] It should be understood that when the third communication interface and the first communication interface are the same communication interface, the communication mode detection corresponding to the first communication interface and the communication mode detection corresponding to the third communication interface conflict with each other in signal transmission and reception. The corresponding transmission and reception processes need to be executed alternately. That is, the execution order is set for the communication mode detection corresponding to the first communication interface and the communication mode detection corresponding to the third communication interface. When detecting whether the target signal corresponding to the first communication interface includes a preset check code, the step of sending a communication request to the corresponding third indoor unit 102 through the third communication interface is not executed; and when executing the step of sending a communication request to the corresponding third indoor unit 102 through the third communication interface, the step of detecting whether the target signal corresponding to the first communication interface includes a preset check code is not executed. This achieves the alternating detection of the first communication mode and the third communication mode.

[0118] The preset execution order can be set by those skilled in the art according to the actual situation. For example, a single cycle includes 4 seconds. Within 1 to 2 seconds of a cycle, the step of detecting whether the target signal includes a preset check code is executed. Within 3 to 4 seconds, the step of sending a communication request to the corresponding third indoor unit 102 through the third communication interface is executed. This embodiment does not impose any restrictions.

[0119] It is understandable that when two communication methods exist on the same communication interface, by adopting an alternating communication handshake method, the different communication methods of the same communication interface can be identified, thereby improving the compatibility with different communication methods.

[0120] In some embodiments, such as Figure 5 As shown, the above method may further include:

[0121] Step S106: Upon receiving communication data from the third indoor unit 102, the steps of detecting whether the signal includes a preset check code and whether the electrical parameters of the signal are within a preset threshold range are not performed.

[0122] Alternatively, if the target signal includes a preset check code, the steps of sending a communication request to the corresponding third indoor unit 102 through the third communication interface and detecting whether the electrical parameters of the signal are within the preset threshold range are not performed.

[0123] Alternatively, if the electrical parameters of the target signal are within a preset threshold range, the steps of detecting whether the signal includes a preset check code and sending a communication request to the corresponding third indoor unit 102 through the third communication interface are not performed.

[0124] It should be understood that in the application scenario of split air conditioners, since an outdoor unit 101 can only communicate with one indoor unit 102, after determining that the outdoor unit 101 and the target indoor unit 102 are communicating, the controller 103 needs to stop acquiring signals from other communication interfaces, so as to avoid the impact of multiple communication methods on the controller 103.

[0125] For example, taking the first communication method as current loop communication, the second communication method as 24V communication, and the third communication method as 24V carrier communication, with the first communication interface as current loop communication interface, the second communication interface as 24V communication interface, and the third communication interface as current loop communication interface as an example, if the target signal obtained through the current loop communication interface includes a preset check code, it is determined that the outdoor unit 101 and the indoor unit 102 communicate through the current loop communication method. At this time, the controller 103 sets the current loop communication method recognition success flag, thereby no longer obtaining the signal at the 24V communication interface, and no longer sending a communication request to the corresponding third indoor unit 102 through the current loop communication interface, so as not to judge the 24V communication method and the 24V carrier communication method.

[0126] Upon receiving communication data from the third indoor unit 102 via the current loop communication interface, it is determined that the outdoor unit 101 and the indoor unit 102 communicate via 24V carrier communication. At this time, the controller 103 sets the flag indicating successful identification of 24V carrier communication, thereby no longer acquiring signals from the 24V communication interface or the current loop communication interface, and thus no longer making judgments on the current loop communication method and the 24V communication method.

[0127] If the electrical parameters of the target signal obtained through the 24V communication interface are within the preset threshold range, it is determined that the outdoor unit 101 and the indoor unit 102 communicate via the 24V communication method. At this time, the controller 103 sets the flag indicating successful identification of the 24V communication method, and thus no longer transmits or receives signals through the current loop communication interface, including no longer receiving signals sent by the indoor unit 102 or sending communication requests to the indoor unit 102, so as to no longer judge the current loop communication method and the 24V carrier communication method.

[0128] It is understandable that by setting the system so that once a certain communication method is successfully identified, the identification of other communication methods will not be performed, thus avoiding the continuous occupation of the controller 103's computing resources during the identification process of the current communication method and reducing the computing consumption of the controller 103.

[0129] In some embodiments, the number of at least one signal is at least two, such as Figure 6 As shown, in step S102 above, the controller 103 detects whether the target signal in at least one signal meets the preset condition, which may include:

[0130] Step S1021: Determine the target signal from at least two signals according to a preset priority;

[0131] Step S1022: Detect whether the target signal meets the preset conditions.

[0132] Since different communication methods have different transmission characteristics, preset priorities can be set based on the applicability of different transmission characteristics. When multiple communication methods can be established, the communication method with the higher priority is selected to establish the communication connection between the outdoor unit 101 and the indoor unit 102. For example, under 24V communication, the communication data between the outdoor unit 101 and the indoor unit 102 is less affected by the power supply voltage and has better stability. Therefore, when both the signal received from the 24V communication interface and the signal received from the current loop communication interface are simultaneously acquired, the signal received from the 24V communication interface can be selected as the target signal. This ensures that after establishing the 24V communication connection between the outdoor unit 101 and the indoor unit 102, communication between the outdoor unit 101 and the indoor unit is always conducted via 24V communication, even if the current loop communication method is invalid. During implementation, the aforementioned preset priorities can be set by those skilled in the art according to actual conditions; this embodiment does not impose any limitations.

[0133] In some embodiments, the target signal can be determined based on the communication interface that receives the target signal. That is, the preset priority is a priority for the communication interface. For example, the preset priority indicates that the first signal at the first communication interface has a higher priority than the second signal at the second communication interface. When the controller 103 obtains the first signal and the second signal through the first communication interface and the second communication interface, it establishes a correspondence between the first signal and the first communication interface and between the second signal and the second communication interface. Thus, when the controller 103 determines the target signal according to the preset priority, it can directly use the first signal at the first communication interface as the target signal according to the correspondence.

[0134] It is understandable that by first determining the target signal among at least two signals according to a preset priority when two or more signals are identified at the same time, the resource consumption of the controller 103 when checking whether two or more signals meet the preset conditions can be avoided, thereby improving the identification efficiency of the target communication method.

[0135] In some scenarios, due to user needs, the outdoor unit 101 and the indoor unit 102 communicate using one of the communication methods in most cases. However, if the target communication method is determined by detecting the target signal in steps S101 to S103 as described above every time, it will greatly increase the processing flow of the controller 103 and increase the energy consumption of the air conditioner.

[0136] Therefore, in some embodiments, the air conditioner also includes a memory, and the controller 103 is connected to the memory, such as... Figure 7 As shown, the above method may further include:

[0137] Step S107: Before acquiring at least one signal through at least one of the at least two communication interfaces, determine whether a target identifier is stored in the memory. The target identifier is used to indicate the target communication method.

[0138] Step S108: If the target identifier is stored in the memory, control the outdoor unit 101 to communicate with the corresponding indoor unit 102 according to the target communication method.

[0139] If the target identifier is not stored in the memory, perform the step of acquiring at least one signal through at least one of the at least two communication interfaces.

[0140] It should be understood that by presetting a target identifier in the memory, the controller 103 can check whether the target identifier exists in the memory before acquiring at least one signal. If the target identifier is stored in the memory, the communication between the outdoor unit 101 and the indoor unit 102 can be directly executed according to the target communication method indicated by the target identifier. If the target identifier is not stored in the memory, the controller 103 needs to execute the process in steps S101 to S103 to determine the target communication method by detecting the target signal.

[0141] In some embodiments, the aforementioned memory may be located within the controller 103 or may be located independently of the controller 103. The specific configuration shall be determined by those skilled in the art based on the actual situation, and this embodiment does not impose any restrictions.

[0142] It is understandable that by pre-setting the target communication method, the process of the controller 103 identifying the target communication method can be bypassed, and the controller 103 can directly control the outdoor unit 101 to communicate with the indoor unit 102 according to the target communication method, thereby reducing the consumption of computing resources and improving communication efficiency.

[0143] In some embodiments, such as Figure 8 As shown, the above method may further include:

[0144] Step S109: If the target signal does not meet the preset conditions or the controller 103 does not acquire the target signal, obtain the statistical duration;

[0145] Step S110: If the statistical duration is greater than or equal to the preset duration threshold, an alarm message is output to prompt the user that the communication between the outdoor unit 101 and the indoor unit 102 has failed.

[0146] It should be understood that the controller 103 includes a timing module, which can control the timing module to perform timing, for example, 1, 2, 3, ... until the controller 103 controls the timing module to stop timing. In this embodiment, when the controller 103 determines that the target signal does not meet the preset conditions, it controls the timing module to start timing. If the target signal is continuously detected not to meet the preset conditions for a period of time, the timing module will continue timing until the statistical duration is greater than or equal to the preset duration threshold, or the target signal meets the preset conditions and the timing stops.

[0147] For example, taking a preset duration threshold of 120 seconds as an example, if the outdoor unit 101 detects that the target signal does not meet the preset conditions or does not receive the signal, the controller 103 updates the statistical duration. If the outdoor unit 101 still detects that the target signal does not meet the preset conditions or does not receive the signal when the statistical duration reaches 120 seconds, it is determined that the outdoor unit 101 cannot successfully identify the communication method with the indoor unit 102. Therefore, an alarm message is output at this time to remind the user that the communication between the outdoor unit 101 and the indoor unit 102 has failed and corresponding maintenance work needs to be performed.

[0148] Understandably, by timing when the target signal does not meet the preset conditions, the controller 103 can avoid running out of control when it cannot identify the target communication method for a long time, making it easier for users to inspect the air conditioner and improving the user experience.

[0149] In some embodiments, such as Figure 9 As shown, the above method may further include:

[0150] Step S111: After the outdoor unit 101 communicates with the target indoor unit 102 through the target communication interface in accordance with the target communication method, it is detected whether the signal received by the outdoor unit 101 within a unit time meets the preset conditions.

[0151] Step S112: If the signal received by the outdoor unit 101 does not meet the preset conditions, an alarm message is output to notify the user of a communication failure between the outdoor unit 101 and the indoor unit 102.

[0152] The alarm information mentioned above can be an audible and visual signal, or an electrical signal such as text, images, or numbers displayed on a monitor. The specific settings can be made by those skilled in the art according to the actual situation, and this implementation does not impose any restrictions.

[0153] In some embodiments, if the signal received by the outdoor unit 101 within a unit time does not meet the preset conditions, the controller 103 can also control the air conditioner to perform a restart operation, so as to control the air conditioner to perform the above steps S101 to S103 after power failure and power restoration, so as to eliminate the communication failure between the outdoor unit 101 and the indoor unit 102 by restarting.

[0154] Understandably, by reporting a communication fault when the signal received by outdoor unit 101 within a unit of time does not meet the preset conditions, i.e. the target communication method is unstable, users can conveniently inspect the air conditioner and improve the user experience.

[0155] The following describes an exemplary application of the embodiments of this application in a real-world application scenario.

[0156] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the implementation process of an air conditioner-based control method provided in this application embodiment. This air conditioner-based control method can be applied to... Figure 1 In the controller shown. For example... Figure 10 As shown, the method may include:

[0157] Step S201: Detect whether the memory stores a target identifier, which is used to indicate the target communication method;

[0158] Step S202: When the target identifier is stored in the memory, control the outdoor unit to communicate with the indoor unit through the target communication method. For example, when the target identifier is current loop communication, control the outdoor unit to communicate with the indoor unit through the current loop communication method. When the target identifier is 24V communication, control the outdoor unit to communicate with the indoor unit through the 24V communication method.

[0159] Step S203: When the target identifier is not stored in the memory, at least one signal is obtained through at least one of the at least two communication interfaces.

[0160] Step S204: Obtain and detect whether the check code of the target signal in at least one signal is consistent with the preset check code;

[0161] Step S205: If the verification code of the target signal matches the preset verification code, then control the outdoor unit to communicate with the indoor unit through the current loop communication method.

[0162] Step S206: If the verification code of the target signal is inconsistent with the preset verification code, the outdoor unit will send a communication request to the indoor unit via 24V carrier communication after 2 seconds.

[0163] Step S207: If communication data is received from the indoor unit, the outdoor unit is controlled to communicate with the indoor unit via 24V carrier communication.

[0164] Step S208: If no communication data is received from the indoor unit, then step S203 is executed again.

[0165] Step S209: Obtain the values ​​of the frequency and the number of times the current direction changes of the target signal in at least one signal;

[0166] Step S210: Determine whether the frequency of the target signal is between 40Hz and 70Hz, and whether the number of current direction changes is greater than or equal to 200 times. If not, repeat step S203.

[0167] Step S211: If yes, then control the outdoor unit to communicate with the indoor unit via 24V communication.

[0168] Step S212: After the outdoor unit communicates with the indoor unit, it no longer receives signals transmitted through other communication methods.

[0169] In this embodiment, steps S204 to S208 and steps S209 to S211 can be executed simultaneously or not simultaneously, and this embodiment does not impose any restrictions.

[0170] It should be understood that, although Figure 2-10 The steps in the flowchart are shown sequentially as indicated by the arrows, but these steps are not necessarily executed in the order indicated by the arrows. Unless otherwise specified herein, there is no strict order in which these steps are executed, and they can be performed in other orders. Figure 2-10 At least some of the steps in the process may include multiple sub-steps or multiple stages. These sub-steps or stages are not necessarily completed at the same time, but can be executed at different times. The execution order of these sub-steps or stages is not necessarily sequential, but can be executed in turn or alternately with other steps or at least some of the sub-steps or stages of other steps.

[0171] It should be noted that, in the embodiments of this application, if the above-described methods are implemented as software functional modules and sold or used as independent products, they can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, or the parts that contribute to related technologies, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause an electronic device to execute all or part of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), magnetic disks, or optical disks. Thus, the embodiments of this application are not limited to any specific hardware and software combination.

[0172] This application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method provided in the above embodiments.

[0173] This application provides a computer program product containing instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the computer to perform the steps in the method provided in the above-described method embodiments.

[0174] It should be noted that the descriptions of the storage medium and device embodiments above are similar to the descriptions of the method embodiments above, and have similar beneficial effects. For technical details not disclosed in the storage medium, storage medium, and device embodiments of this application, please refer to the descriptions of the method embodiments of this application for understanding.

[0175] In this article, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three kinds of relationships. For example, object A and / or object B can represent three situations: object A exists alone, object A and object B exist simultaneously, and object B exists alone.

[0176] The methods disclosed in the several method embodiments provided in this application can be arbitrarily combined without conflict to obtain new method embodiments.

[0177] The features disclosed in the several product embodiments provided in this application can be arbitrarily combined without conflict to obtain new product embodiments.

[0178] The features disclosed in the several method or device embodiments provided in this application can be arbitrarily combined without conflict to obtain new method or device embodiments.

[0179] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An air conditioner, characterized in that, The air conditioner includes an outdoor unit, at least one indoor unit, and a controller, wherein the outdoor unit includes: At least two communication interfaces are connected to the at least one indoor unit and configured to receive signals sent by the at least one indoor unit, with different communication interfaces corresponding to different indoor units; The controller, connected to the at least two communication interfaces, is configured as follows: At least one signal is obtained through at least one of the at least two communication interfaces; Detect whether the target signal in the at least one signal meets a preset condition, the preset condition including whether the signal includes a preset check code, and / or whether the electrical parameters of the signal are within a preset threshold range, the electrical parameters including frequency and / or the number of times the current direction changes; When the target signal meets the preset conditions, the outdoor unit is controlled to communicate with the target indoor unit through the target communication interface according to the target communication method. The target communication method is determined according to the preset conditions met. Different preset conditions correspond to different communication methods. The target communication interface is the communication interface that receives the target signal.

2. The air conditioner as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The target communication interface includes a first communication interface or a second communication interface. The controller controls the outdoor unit to communicate with the target indoor unit through the target communication interface according to the target communication method, including: When the target signal includes the preset verification code, the controller controls the outdoor unit to communicate with the first indoor unit through the first communication interface according to the first communication method; When the electrical parameters of the target signal are within the preset threshold range, the controller controls the outdoor unit to communicate with the second indoor unit through the second communication interface in accordance with the second communication method. The first communication interface and the second communication interface are different.

3. The air conditioner as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The controller is also configured to: If the target signal does not meet the preset conditions, a communication request is sent to the corresponding third indoor unit through the third communication interface, wherein the third communication interface is one of the at least two communication interfaces. Upon receiving communication data from the third indoor unit, the outdoor unit is controlled to communicate with the third indoor unit via the third communication interface according to the third communication method.

4. The air conditioner as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The third communication interface and the first communication interface are the same communication interface, and the controller is further configured to: According to the preset execution order, the steps of detecting whether the target signal includes a preset check code and sending a communication request to the corresponding third indoor unit through the third communication interface are executed sequentially within a unit time period.

5. The air conditioner as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The controller is also configured to: Upon receiving communication data from the third indoor unit, the steps of detecting whether the signal includes the preset check code and whether the electrical parameters of the signal are within the preset threshold range are not performed. If the target signal includes the preset check code, the steps of sending a communication request to the corresponding third indoor unit through the third communication interface and detecting whether the electrical parameters of the signal are within the preset threshold range are not performed. If the electrical parameters of the target signal are within the preset threshold range, the steps of detecting whether the signal includes the preset check code and sending a communication request to the corresponding third indoor unit through the third communication interface are not performed.

6. The air conditioner as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The number of the at least one signal is at least two, and the controller detects whether the target signal among the at least one signal meets a preset condition, including: The controller determines the target signal from at least two signals according to a preset priority; Detect whether the target signal meets the preset conditions.

7. The air conditioner as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The air conditioner also includes a memory, and the controller is connected to the memory. The controller is further configured to: Before acquiring at least one signal through at least one of the at least two communication interfaces, it is determined whether a target identifier is stored in the memory, the target identifier being used to indicate the target communication method; When the target identifier is stored in the memory, the outdoor unit is controlled to communicate with the corresponding indoor unit according to the target communication method; If the target identifier is not stored in the memory, the step of obtaining at least one signal through at least one of the at least two communication interfaces is performed.

8. The air conditioner as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The controller is also configured to: If the target signal does not meet the preset conditions or the controller fails to acquire the target signal, the statistical duration is obtained. If the statistical duration is greater than or equal to a preset duration threshold, an alarm message will be output to notify the user that communication between the outdoor unit and the indoor unit has failed.

9. The air conditioner as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The controller is also configured to: After controlling the outdoor unit to communicate with the target indoor unit through the target communication interface according to the target communication method, it is detected whether the signal received by the outdoor unit within a unit time meets the preset condition; If the signal received by the outdoor unit does not meet the preset conditions, an alarm message will be output to alert the user of a communication failure between the outdoor and indoor units.

10. A control method based on an air conditioner, characterized in that, The air conditioner includes an outdoor unit, at least one indoor unit, and a controller. The outdoor unit includes at least two communication interfaces, and different communication interfaces correspond to different indoor units. The controller is connected to the at least two communication interfaces, wherein the method includes: The controller acquires at least one signal through at least one of the at least two communication interfaces; The controller detects whether the target signal in the at least one signal meets a preset condition. The preset condition includes whether the signal includes a preset check code, and / or whether the electrical parameters of the signal are within a preset threshold range. The electrical parameters include frequency and / or the number of times the current direction changes. When the target signal meets the preset conditions, the controller controls the outdoor unit to communicate with the target indoor unit through the target communication interface according to the target communication method. The target communication method is determined according to the preset conditions met. The target communication interface is the communication interface that receives the target signal. Different preset conditions correspond to different communication methods.

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